Solstice

Author's Note: This has been in my head for awhile, and I've decided to finally write it down. This little piece is for all the Yuri/Layla fans out there. This is going to be a onexshot, so I hope you guys enjoy it!

Autumn

She walked unforgivably through a heavenly meadow of wildflowers. She could smell his intoxicating scent as she passed by each one. In one sense it made her drunk and in another it made her want to rip up each one and shred it from each end. She was treading on forbidden territory and knew that this was a very unwise thing to do, especially since he had asked for her company again. It was approximately three days until the first day of autumn and when that day came the summer king would have to give up his reign until the first day of spring came around. She was in charge of guarding the winter for she was the winter queen and had been for over five thousand years. He would always be the summer king, but she wouldn't always be the winter queen. He had been trying to get her to free herself of her title for over three thousand years since he became the new summer king, but she refused his offer. She had no desire to be apart of his frivolous summer court. She could have easily passed on her title to another one of her sisters, but she decided that wasn't the proper thing to do. The winter had been hers for this long, and she loved in far more than she would ever come to love another, yet there was always a panging emptiness in her heart that even the winter could not fill. She continued through the meadow as she began to sing her beautiful enrapturing song that would soon welcome the long cold days of winter.

"Your majesty what are you planning?" asked one of his royal advisors as he looked upon his king with curiosity.

"Capturing the winter queen's heart with a sweet summer song." he grinned as he played an enchanting song on his wooden pipe that made all the animals of the forest dance.

"You've been trying to do so for over three thousand years your majesty! What makes you think your plan will work?" cried his advisor.

"Oh Ardent have some spirit about you! Even the queen of winter can't refuse the enchantment of summer's song!" he said confidently.

"She has and she will!" Ardent sighed as he left his master's chamber.

The summer king only shrugged as his uncanny advisor left. The winter wouldn't begin this year until the winter queen finally acknowledged his presence. He would make sure of that.

"What will you wear when you go out to meet the summer king this afternoon?" asked the winter queen's sister Glacia.

"What I wear every year." the winter queen smirked as she threw her honey colored hair back. She placed a hair clip with blue sapphires and pearls grafted into the surface to hold her hair back. The outfit she always had worn when she went out to greet the summer king twice a year was a long flowing icy blue dress. The back was cut out and on the dress were thousands of tiny snowflakes that clung to the silk embrodiary. The meeting that was held twice a year signified two events. The first event of the year was when she the winter queen permitted the summer king to reign without any interferences with the spring. This was her resting period, and she took full advantage of it. The second event was when he passed on the autumn to her and promised not to intrude upon her work throughout the winter until the spring arrived again. This routine had gone on without ceasing for thousands of years. It was forbidden for one monarch to refuse the other monarch of their rightful privileges. It had never happened before, and if it did human life would cease to exist. The winter queen could've given up her title at any moment and forced it upon one of her sisters. Retirement wasn't anytime soon in the winter queen's life mainly because she loved tormenting the summer king's affections towards her year after year. She had always promised him that one day she'd accept his offer and go live with him in the summer court, but she never did. She always held onto the winter and refused to let the refreshing warmth of summer melt the ice around her heart.

Flowers withered up and died as she walked through them because of the chill of winter that surrounded her. She always met him in this forest year after year to pass off the seasons. He would be here any minute. She leaned against the trunk of an ancient oak tree and blew her icy breath against it leaving tiny frozen shards of ice around the bark. In the distance she heard the enchanting song that he always played on his pipe when he was about to meet her. The song filled her head with thoughts of lazy afternoons and melting sunsets. He stopped a few feet in front of her. He was wearing his usual buckskin robes. He looked at her with enchanting jade irises full of summer. He grinned as he wrapped his hand around his pipe and placed it into one of his pockets.

"Nice to see you again Yuri." she greeted him as she blew frosty air on his rosy cheeks causing him to rub them because of the bitterness of her cold chill.

"My pleasure is in itself Layla." he said giving her a boyish grin as his rosy red cheeks lit up with golden sunshine.

"Well you know what to do Yuri." replied Layla as she held her hand out as an affirmation that the autumn would soon begin. He laughed wildly as he threw back his golden mangled hair full of green leaves and things of summer.

"Will you pass on the autumn to me or shall I freeze you in that jubilant pose?" she remarked icily becoming quiet heated by his arrogance.

"Shh..." Yuri replied as he placed a finger to her lips. Layla stopped abruptly by his sudden gesture and only stood there a moment as she listened to the faint chirping of birds.

"Close your eyes." he commanded as he took a step closer to her, and she did surprisingly without hesitation. Suddenly the warmth of summer's kiss penetrated her whole body, and all the scents of summer filled her nostrils. She had never felt so lighthearted before in her life as the ice around her heart began to melt away. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him closer. Every part of her body burned as if she were nothing more than an ice sculpture as she let the touch of the sun engulf of her body. The winter rose to meet the summer and wrapped them both in a snow squall.

"Layla..." Yuri breathed heavily as they both hit the ground. She didn't say anything but only wrapped her arms limply around his neck as she crushed her lips to his again causing the remaining chill of winter to leave her body as the snow that had formed around them melted away like a vapor when they touched.

Spring

"So this is really it? You're finally giving up your title as the winter queen?" inquired Glacia curiously.

"Yes it's all yours." smiled Layla as she passed on the title to her sister.

"But sister do you really think I'll make a good winter queen?" asked Glacia unsure of herself.

"Of course you will." Layla smiled as she kissed the new winter queen's cheek causing her to warm up from the top of her head to the soles of her feet.

"You already feel like summer." smiled Glacia admirably as she looked upon the new summer queen. Layla glowed as brightly and brilliantly as the sun since he had melted all the ice away from her heart.

"Well I must go meet him to pass off the spring and to join him in his courts as the queen of summer." Layla smiled as she bid her sister farewell. She walked daintily through the forest as tiny flowers sprung up around her and tiny rabbits trailed at her feet. She stopped by the trunk of the tree and listened for his familiar song. She heard it, but it seemed more lively and fulfilling this time. He stopped a few inches in front of her and held out his hand. She smiled lightly as she took his hand, and they danced a dance of summer bliss. Winter's icy chill was far from her now as she danced in the warmth of summer leaving the winter behind. Summer still comes and goes as always, and the only thing that is different about each summer is that it's a little more brighter and happier because the winter queen fell in love with the summer king.