AU: Tales of the Snowfields (Remember the Permafrost? Well this is mostly that, but the Darkness replaces all the chilled mobs and Void has managed to cover the entire realm in a never-ending blizzard by getting his hands on the Heart of Winter and infecting it, making it corrupted and destructive instead of life-giving. Instead of separating, the Chromatics left after the blizzard hit have to keep in contact with each other to survive (including the Reds), each of their kingdoms/towns/villages being underground to be sheltered from the cold and with tunnel systems interconnecting them. However, the portal is still above ground, so someone has to be tasked with keeping an eye on it and reporting anything that happens. That someone is Red Steve, and he's very surprised when one day somebody comes out of it and the portal breaks.)

Context: Sabre, having no idea what's going on and very scared, books it into the freezing landscape after exiting the portal. He soon comes to regret that decision.

Warning: Freezing

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[Sabre's POV]

It's cold... it's so cold...

The snow is up to my knees. I've been struggling to walk in it for hours, the holes left behind from my aimless path to anywhere quickly caving in on themselves or being filled in after I leave them. Erased, as if they were never there.

Will that happen to me too...?

I shouldn't have ran. At least if I got captured by that... person, or whatever it was, I probably wouldn't be freezing right now. My hoodie, t-shirt, jeans, and plain running shoes are not enough for this kind of weather. I've try to keep myself warm as much as I can while I wander, but I couldn't. Everything feels so... numb now. The only things I can really feel are the warm breaths exiting my mouth as I walk, and the pressure from the snow surrounding my legs for a moment as I take another step into the white powder.

I try to look around, but I can't see anything. Either the falling snow is too dense or I'm just so far away from anything. I can't even see the divots left by my steps... if they haven't been filled in already.

...Have I even been going in a straight line this whole time? I tried to, just in case, but I can't remember if I ever turned somewhere, or maybe I just got turned around and didn't realize it. I'm... definitely lost. Lost and... so cold...

I try to pull my hood further over my head, but it's stiff. It froze solid. I can feel the ice on it... not just on my hoodie. There's ice in my hair. On my face. I'm sure my jeans definitely have ice and are frozen solid too, stepping through so much snow... at least, I think I have ice on me. All I can feel is the slippery sensation and it being a bit colder.

...Oh. I can't feel my hands.

I... just have to keep moving... just keep moving...

Wait, what's that-?

There's the outline of a tree starting to become visible in the distance. It looks like a spruce tree, but I don't really care, all I care about is that it could help shelter me from the cold and snow. Maybe...

I start walking towards the silhouette, and it's gotten a bit bigger in the distance. I can see that it's on a small hill, just a bit of a raised piece of land. Nothing difficult. Finally, some chance of shelter...

Something just grabbed my leg.

I scream and quickly move faster, kicking whatever it was off. It felt like a hand. Was there someone in the snow?

I run.

Looking back for a moment as I run towards the tree, I see this... thing. It's just slowly walking towards me, chasing me at a snail's pace. I think it's supposed to be all black, but its arms, legs, and the top half of its head have ice on them. At the extremities it's a deep blue ice, it slowly going lighter as it gradients towards the center of its body. It looks like the ice on its fingers have formed into claws, and... the thing growls at me. Are its teeth as blue as the ice, or am I seeing things?

I keep running. Maybe if I reach the tree, I can climb up it and escape this thing... if it doesn't know how to climb. I hope it doesn't. Please, for the love of all things bright and beautiful, this thing better not know how to climb.

The tree gets closer and closer, no longer in the distance. I can make out the difference between its deep brown trunk and dark green leaves. I have to get to it. If I can get to that tree, I'll be safe.

Closer.

And closer.

And closer.

Until I've finally reached it. The large branches covered with leaves protect the area under it from the snow. I just... need... to climb...

But I can't.

My hands are too numb. I can't grab the branches, even the ones right next to me.

I can't step onto the lowest branches. Not only are my pants frozen stiff, but I can barely feel my legs.

I can't even jump up... get higher up the tree, get to safety...

Glancing back, the thing is still slowly walking towards me. I can see it in the distance. Or, is that the distance...? Is it closer than that...?

...Stopping made me realize how... exhausted I feel. I can't run anymore. I can't climb to safety. I... don't even want to stand anymore. I'm just... tired...

I let my legs give out and I faceplant into the snow. I know it's cold, but I can't even feel it anymore. It's just... numb. I can't move.

I can still see that thing approaching. Just... walking. It's halfway to me.

This is... how I die, I guess...

The sudden sound of lightning snaps me out of whatever daze I was in for a second. Is there a storm...?

No, it's... that red person again. And he has friends... orange ones. Oh, there's a yellow one. Or is there two...? I don't know.

They're fighting that... thing. It's closer than when I last saw it, but they're... are they the ones making the lightning...? How is that... possible...?

The thing dies, I think. It cracks, then crumbles. Was it even alive?

The group of strangely colorful people walks over to me. They stand close, a few of them crouching down. They're all in winter gear. I can't see their faces.

The red one from earlier crouches in front of me, looking at me. I'm not sure if we're making eye contact or not. From what it looks like, I think he's putting a hand on my shoulder, but I can't feel it. Oh, he's shaking me a little.

I try to say something, but all I manage is a quiet groan. I'm tired...

He says something, then... oh. He's picking me up. Are his hands glowing? They look like they're glowing.

He turns to the group and says something else, but I can't focus enough to understand it. Something about... shock, I think. Something shock. I don't know.

I suddenly hear a lot of lightning again, and everything is... bright. Really bright...

...It's warm now...

...am I dead...?

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Don't worry he isn't dead! He just got teleported to one of the underground places where it's warm, and due to that combination he just thinks he's dead. He's fine!

...Mostly. Well, he will be anyway. Anyway I already love this AU so much and I wanna draw this AU's Void now because I have a really cool (hehe) idea for his design-

oh whoops it's 3AM I will not right now- uhhhh sorry for any spelling mistakes I'll come back and fix them later if there are any