As I mentioned in Once Upon a Dream, I'm going to try to branch out a bit so I can get popularity from other fandoms on account of Voltron's end. However, I will not stop Full Dive and am determined to finish it.

I don't know if you noticed, but I actually have the remaining chapters planned out. They're not written, but I at least know how many I have left. So, woo! You have something to look forward to. I feel like knowing exactly when I'm going to stop is a good sign that I'm going to finish.

Chapter 7: Let It Snow

Keith wondered why Pidge was so calm. In his opinion, it was absolutely freezing, even with the fur coat he bought. But Pidge was in little more than a light sweater and looked fine. He envied her cold tolerance.

Keith was a desert person. He knew mostly heat. Yeah, the nights got pretty cool, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

He'd never seen snow before in his life. Now he found himself surrounded by the stuff. Sure, it was pretty, but did it have to be so freaking cold?

"You look like a popsicle," Pidge said, looking up at him. She wasn't even shivering.

"Let's just hurry and get to that tavern. I hope they have a fire going."

Pidge looked at her map. "We're almost there. Should be just around the corner up here."

Finally finding their destination, Keith practically fell into a seat near the fire crackling in a brick fireplace in the corner.

"Greetings, traveler," the woman at the counter said as Pidge approached. "What can I do for you today?"

The menu appeared in front of Pidge, where she could scroll through it. "We'll take two legs of roasted humpnar and two mugs of hot slog."

A prompt popped up asking to confirm the amount of money being transferred. Pidge hit the check mark and immediately her food appeared on a tray in front of her. "Enjoy," the npc said, smiling and waving at her. Pidge smirked when she saw Keith standing in front of the fire, evidently trying to warm up his backside.

The tavern seemed to be fairly large when compared to the rest of the town. There were a few players here and there, but otherwise there were plenty of empty tables. However, she wasn't looking for an empty one. She was trying to find…

"Paladin Pidge! Over here!" Pidge turned and saw Shyrik waving her down from his table against the wall.

"Keith, come on, I have your food."

He groaned and looked longingly at the fire before making his way over to the table.

Shyrik's excitement was clearly visible on his face. "I have some interesting news, friends." He pulled open a few documents and screenshots, sending them to Pidge to let her scroll through them.

Pidge's eyes widened, causing Keith to raise and eyebrow and lean over to look at her display, a bite of humpnar leg in his mouth. "What?" he said, bits of meat flying everywhere and disappearing as "dead" entities.

"Shyrik, could this really…?"

He was nodding frantically. "Yes. Experienced gamers have come together and discussed the state of the world as it stands. Quests have gotten incredibly difficult. The level maps are getting smaller. And completing the mysterious Trial Quests that were unlocked about a week ago has yielded some strange clues. The experts among us have deliberated and concluded that we are indeed reaching the end of the game."

Keith's jaw went slack. "After six months…six months of fighting…it's…we're…"

Shyrik nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! After all this time, we may finally be able to go home!"

Pidge looked skeptical. "Hang on. If there's anything I know about video games, it's that the final fight is always incredibly challenging. We can't just rush headlong into this. We're going to need to gather everyone who is willing to fight and make sure they know not only the risks, but that they need to be spending the coming weeks getting as strong as they possibly can.

"Every boss is slightly easier if you've taken the time to grind for weapons and experience first. I know it'll put a delay on any plans to attack, but if this is the end, then we will want to lose as few people as possible."

Shyrik nodded in understanding. "I get it. You want us to be stronger so we can protect each other and win together. I'll work on letting guild leaders know what to do and see how many allies I can gather. You two, you'll be like a beacon of hope to the remaining players. You must be ready to take a stand and fight with your all."

Shyrik opened his menu and pulled up a screenshot and sent it to Pidge. "Somebody found a clue to something that may interest you specifically, Pidge."

Opening the file, Pidge scanned the image closely. It was a screenshot of somebody's quest completion screen, stopped in a specific section.

"Trial Quest secret clue: The final element can be found only by one who has mastered the others and is prepared to trek deep into Avalanche Gorge," she read aloud. "Final element? But I already have all six spells: fire, water, wind, ground, gravity, and lightning. Is there some secret spell I don't know about?"

Shyrik shrugged. "It seems likely. Until today, we had no idea what Avalanche Gorge was. However, with this new section of the game unlocked, it seems likely that it's connected to this snowy world. It seems worth exploring, if you ask me.

"And as for you, Keith, I found something myself that may be of interest to you. I haven't told anyone else about this. Unfortunately, this information is of no use to me since my weapon of choice is the claymore."

Keith got a pop-up of his own. He saw a screenshot of a carving in what appeared to be the crumbling wall of an ancient ruin. He attempted to read it aloud, but Shyrik silenced him. "This information is for your eyes alone, Keith. If anyone overhears, you might not get what you're looking for."

Keith nodded, confused but understanding. The message read: "Let the dragons guide you to their greatest treasure of all, the greatest sword said to be capable of felling ten dragons in one strike. It is their most guarded and most powerful prize." An image of what appeared to be a broadsword was carved below the text, with two dragons sitting on either side of it.

"Shyrik, I—"

"No need to thank me. As I said, I have no use for the weapon myself, nor do I have a death wish. But you? You have a natural skill with the sword and may be the greatest swordsman among us. If anyone can retrieve it, it's you.

"I hope you two find what you're looking for. In the meantime, I have ways to build up my own strength, and I will spread the word of the plan. Luck be with the two of you."

"You too, Shyrik," Pidge said, standing. She shook his hand, Keith following suit.

Pidge looked at Keith, a determined fire in her eyes. Yes, there it was. There was the spark that had been missing. "Let's save the world."

After stopping by a shop and stocking up on supplies, Pidge set off towards the east, where a mountain range lay. It was difficult to see through the gales of falling snow, but if she looked hard enough, she could see the outline of the mountains.

"'Avalanche Gorge.' If I'm gonna find it anywhere, it'd be over there."

The grinding she and Keith had done during their time in Fantasy Quest had yielded a plentiful supply of money. So, in order to make her journey faster, Pidge stopped by a stable and rented a riding animal called a Kartor. It reminded Pidge of a yak in some ways, with its long hair and four hooved legs. However, that was where the similarities ended. It had two heads and long necks, almost like a llama. It had three fluffy tails that were long enough to drag on the ground behind it.

Its hooves, while definitely familiar, were much larger than those of a yak. Or, rather, flatter. Pidge could see why these beasts were a mode of transport across snowy terrain; the flat feet likely made it easier for the creatures to walk on top of the snow instead of plowing through it.

Pidge wished that her glasses had carried over into the game. The wind pelted at her face as she sped across the frozen valley. She huddled into her coat, leaving only her eyes exposed so she could see where she was going. She had no idea how long it had been since her nose went numb. She'd been squinting for so long it felt strange to open her eyes all the way again, when her Kartor slowed to a stop.

The snowfall was much denser here than it had been in town. As soon as she slid off of the Kartor to get her bearings, she immediately fell through the snow, easily over six feet deep. The Kartor looked down at her from above, making a strange cry that sounded like surprise before reaching in and grabbing Pidge by the collar and pulling her out, laying her across the snow so her weight was spread out, preventing her from sinking again.

Pidge stared up at the sky. Flakes of snow fell on her face as she contemplated what she would do next.

She'd reached the mountain range. That was the easy part. However, she still had to find this "Avalanche Gorge" place. She couldn't see the sun, but the world for the most part appeared to be getting darker. A quick glance at her clock confirmed that she was running out of daylight and that she should figure out the best way to get out of the storm and rest.

Her best bet would be a cave, but she wasn't sure what the best way to find one would be. The Kartor looked down at her with one of its heads, its breath leaving puffs of steam. She returned its curious gaze for a moment before grabbing onto its reins and pulling herself back into the saddle.

"Keep going," she instructed. The creature obediently pressed onward, seemingly unphased by the pelting winds. It walked along the mountain's base for a while before coming upon a passage between the current mountain and the next. Pidge urged it onward up the pass, figuring that was her best bet at finding shelter.

Pidge jumped as she heard a beep. She looked around her display before grunting in pain. Looking up at her health bar, a small box with a snowflake symbol sat next to it. "Great," she muttered. "Frostbite." She would have used fire magic to keep warm, but wasn't sure if the Kartor would be afraid or not, and she'd rather not risk losing her ride back. She wrapped her coat more tightly around herself, looking more frantically for a cave where she could warm up before the frostbite drained her health completely.

The Kartor suddenly stopped, letting out a strange cry before turning one of its heads around to look at Pidge. She groaned. "What now?"

The second head stretched up to Pidge's right, its eyes fixated on something. Pidge turned and sighed in relief as she spotted a cave. Looking ahead, it was a good thing they'd found one, because their passage ended at a cliff face.

"I'm not making the same mistake I made last time," she muttered. She cast a gravity spell at her feet, decreasing the pressure she'd be putting on the snow. "And here I thought that spell was useless." Grabbing the reigns, she led the Kartor carefully up the slope until she reached the cave. Once they were out of the storm, the Kartor folded its legs under its hairy body and lay down, wrapping its heads around as it got some sleep. Pidge patted its back fondly. "Get some rest. You've earned it."

She stepped outside briefly to gather as much firewood as she could. Casting a quick water spell to dry out the branches, she started a fire. She downed a potion, curing the frostbite, before wrapping up in her coat and lying on the ground. "Looks like I'm gonna be here for a while. Might as well get comfortable."

When she woke up again, it was well past dark. Her fire still crackled due to its magical properties, but the Kartor was gone. She raised an eyebrow curiously, wondering where a big hairy beast could have possibly wandered off to in the middle of the night when she heard a familiar call coming from deeper in the cave. She groaned. "Might as well go see what's up."

Carrying a bit of fire in her hand, Pidge set off through the cave. She gasped as the ground suddenly shook. She barely kept her balance, nearly burning herself in the process. That's the thing about magic. It's a wonderful power, but if you're reckless, you could get burned.

Pidge looked around, assessing the damage. A few stalactites had fallen in the quake, but beyond that the cave's structure hadn't changed. Only now, she noticed a faint breeze coming from ahead of her. She raised an eyebrow. "I can't be to the other side of the mountain yet," she muttered, taking a few tentative steps forward. "Then again, I haven't been walking in a straight line. Maybe the tunnel doubled back."

She quickened her pace as the Kartor cried again, this time seemingly in distress. "Alright, buddy, I'm coming." As she rounded a bend, she found herself squinting at the sudden light and cold wind that streamed through an opening. There the Kartor sat. It weakly lifted one of its heads as Pidge approached. "Oh no, what happened to you, buddy?"

The Kartor wailed in reply, shifting so Pidge could see the giant gash in its side. She knelt down next to it, opening her inventory and pulling out her med kit. "Let's see if I can get you patched up." As she set to work treating the wound, the second head lifted off of the ground and began nipping at Pidge's coat.

"What, are you part goat or something? Don't eat my clothes," she said, pulling away. The Kartor reached out again, this time gripping harder and pulling at Pidge's arm. "Hey, cut it out, I'm trying to help you!" The Kartor cried out one final time as Pidge finished dressing the wound. The ground shook again. Pidge gasped as she realized that she was no longer on solid ground. She watched helplessly as she fell, the Kartor looking down over the edge.

The cliff face was smooth and icy, almost like a slide. The drop wasn't totally sheer, and Pidge found herself sliding down. She plowed directly into the snow…and kept going. The velocity she'd attained during her fall was enough to send her through what must have been at least ten feet of snow. Pidge's jaw dropped at the sight around her.

Underneath the layer of snow was an icy cavern. Glowing crystals blanketed the area in a blue aura. Pidge wondered why it was so warm when she realized that the snow ceiling must be trapping the heat in, like an igloo. As her ice slide came to a horizontal and she slowed to a stop, Pidge realized that the crystals were most likely made of ice. Various ice formations decorated the cavern.

"The quakes, the falling rocks, the ice…this has to be it." She said to herself. "This is Avalanche Gorge."

"Avalanche Gorge, you say? Well, you're under it, that's for certain!"

Pidge jumped in surprise before turning around to see a figure with pale blue skin, a long gray beard, and two pink horns. Beyond that, he was fairly humanoid, having two arms and two legs. He wore a royal blue robe decorated with stars, complete with pointed wizard hat. He was beaming.

"Why, it's been centuries since I've had company! Please, young lady, come this way!"

Pidge noted that the pattern she'd seen so far had continued. The lighting wizard had yellow skin, the gravity wizard had a deep violet skin tone, the water wizard had dark blue skin, and so on. This was the most humanoid one she'd seen so far. Aside from his blue skin and horns, she could have easily mistaken him for a human.

"What's your name, miss?"

Pidge snapped out of her reverie and looked up at the wizard, who was holding out a hand to help her up. She took it gratefully. "My name is Pidge."

"Well, Pidge, you must be something special if you found this place. What have you come here to seek?"

"I come seeking knowledge," she responded, and the wizard's eyes lit up with glee again.

"Well, you've certainly come to the wrong place for that! The only thing I could ever teach you is ice magic, and you can't even use it unless you've learned the other six magics!" He let out a hearty laugh, and Pidge couldn't help but smile at his glee. "If you'd like, I can treat you to a hot drink. You look like you're frozen solid!"

Pidge chuckled. "Thank you. But, I've actually learned the other six."

"To the kitchen, then!"

Pidge blinked. "…what?"

"To get that drink! I did say that you were frozen!" With a skip in his step, the old wizard turned and walked into the cavern.

"Maybe I didn't use a command he recognized," Pidge pondered as she followed him.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, just talking to myself."

"In another situation I might call you a fool for such an action but seeing as I've been alone for three hundred years, I can't really blame you!" He laughed again, his laughter echoing throughout the chamber.

They reached the kitchen and Pidge was immediately struck by a familiar smell. "Hey, that's…that's wasil. Hot wasil."

"You recognize it! Yes, it does have quite the distinct smell, but do you know how hard it is to get decent cloves out here? I thought the cinnamon would be the tricky part but finding an equivalent to cloves was a nightmare!" He laughed again. Pidge looked up at his face, realizing for the first time that he'd been smiling since she got there.

"Now then! Since you are already familiar with the drink, I'm sure I don't have to tell you not to swallow the cloves?"

"No, sir," she responded, taking the mug offered to her.

"Excellent. Go on, try it." Pidge took a sip and was instantly filled with both warmth and a stabbing sense of nostalgia.

"It reminds me of home."

"And where might home be, young lady?"

"Earth. It's a little planet in the Milky Way Galaxy that's mostly covered in water."

"Aha, I knew it! Nobody outside of Earth would know what wasil is, because as you know wasil is made with apple cider, and as far as I know, you can only find apples on Earth!"

Pidge blinked again. This npc seemed to be equipped with more knowledge than any others she had met so far. Then again, she figured that the guardian of the most hidden and likely most powerful form of magic would have been programmed with a higher intelligence. Maybe he had access to the cardinal system, or at the very least some vast information database.

"Sir," Pidge tried again. "I have learned the six basic elements."

"Now, now, young lady, you never pressure an old man. Finish your drink before asking for anything else, or I'll start to feel like a bad host!" He laughed again, and Pidge could have sworn this time that she'd heard that laugh somewhere before.

Once she finished her drink, she examined the mug in her hands. She almost jumped in surprise when she realized it was made entirely of ice, ice that hadn't melted while the hot drink was inside of it.

"The ice here is incredible. It doesn't seem to melt, and it seems it can glow too."

"In a sense. Ice on its own is like any normal water-based ice. It'll melt if it gets too warm and is really just frozen water. However, it's not what you create, but what you believe that makes it special."

"I'm not sure I understand."

He let out another chuckle. "Perhaps it is a bit confusing. Let me try it like this. 'There are a million things one might do with a block of wood. But what do you think might happen if someone, just once, believed in it?' An object can be far more than what it seems, but you have to believe that it can be something spectacular. For instance, I could make a cup out of ice, but it would most assuredly melt the second I put a hot drink in it. But because I believed that the cup couldn't melt when I made it, it won't, because I believed in it.

"I understand your type. You're the kind of girl that understands through concrete proof, solid evidence. I'm sure learning magic hasn't been an easy thing for you, and I commend you on the efforts you have made to get this far. But accepting and believing are two very different things. Up until now, you've accepted that magic exists and have made use of it. But now you have to believe in the magic itself.

"Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see."

At this point Pidge was getting somewhat frustrated. "Sir, I mean no disrespect, but I came a long way to learn ice magic today."

The old man looked at her for a moment, his smile flickering briefly, before returning with vigor. He turned away from her for a moment, then turned back, lobbing a snowball directly into her face.

"Hey! What was tha—"

Another snowball.

Pidge realized that he was just forming them in his hands from nothing. Finally, he formed another ball and threw it at her, but just before making contact with her face, it stopped and exploded into tiny sparkling ice shards that drifted gently to the floor.

The wizard was chuckling again, both of his hands on his belly as he shook with glee. "See that, girl? It didn't hit you, because I didn't want it to! I believed that it would pop and it did!"

"This is the beauty of not just ice magic, but all magics. Once you start to believe, you can feel that every object has life. Every spell has a mind. And if you pour every ounce of your belief in what that can do, you may be surprised what a little snowball might accomplish."

"I cannot instruct you any further. It is up to you to take the next steps on your own. It will be a difficult journey for you to make, you especially, Katie. But I know that when you need it, you'll figure it out."

"How did you know my—"

"Ah ha, if I told you, the wonder would be gone. But I think you already know the answer to that one, you're just not quite getting there."

Wind started blowing into the kitchen, glistening ice swirling in a vortex around the wizard. "I am out of time here. Many people to see, you know. But I believe in you."

Pidge started to panic. "Wait! How am I supposed to learn without a teacher?"

"You're a smart girl, Katie. You've learned things on your own before. It's one of the things you're best at. But I suppose I can give you a hint."

The wizard leaned closer to her and whispered quietly, "Believe in yourself." Then, stepping back, he pressed the side of his nose and seemed to be carried up through a ventilation shaft in the ceiling, laughing. Pidge could have sword she heard sleigh bells.

Thinking back, Pidge would notice that the jolly happy wizard didn't have an npc tag.

Okay, that's the closest I'm getting to a Christmas special. So, I actually started this chapter during the family reunion like I mentioned, but then things got crazier and crazier, and before I knew it, I was back in my university classes.

Like I tend to do, I slipped a couple of references in here. Props to you if you can spot them all!

I want to make one quick thing clear. I'm not a free writer. If you want me to write something for you because you admire my talent, we might discuss a payment system. Don't worry, I wouldn't charge a lot, but I'm not going to write something for free, especially if your ideas are difficult for me to put together.

On that same note, if you request for me to write a fanfic that involves your OC interacting with the main cast of any show, I will not post it publicly. It's nothing personal, it's just that it would really only be interesting to you, the creator of the OC. Nobody else would care. It's a harsh truth, but it needs to be said given the number of such requests I've gotten.