was the break of dawn as Sora, Riku, Ven, Piri, and Goofy continued their hike to Mt. Oblivion. While they went through a forest like area, Piri stopped and saw a view of Radiant Garden below, which was now completely covered in ice and snow. "Radiant Garden…"

Ven looked as well and was shocked at the sight. "It's completely frozen."

"But don't worry. Aqua will thaw it out," Piri assured him. "So this way to Mt. Oblivion?" she asked, pointing down the trail.

Riku chuckled and moved her arm upward, "Actually, more like this way."

Piri gasped at how high it was and groaned. You've got to be kidding me, she thought.

"Come on! It can't be that hard!" Sora optimistically said and Goofy grunted in agreement.

~

They continued their way up the mountain until they came across an area filled with willow trees. The trees had beautiful ice crystals hanging from the branches and the waterfalls were completely frozen. They marveled at the scenery as Goofy played with the ice crystals with his antlers. "Who knew winter could be so beautiful?" Piri gasped blissfully.

"Yeah, it's really is beautiful isn't it?" A voice said from behind. They all looked behind each other, but they only saw Goofy with ice crystals tangled in his antlers. They heard the voice again, but they couldn't figure out where it was coming from. "But how about some color?" A little snowman that resembled a duck waddled around behind them. "I'm thinking maybe some crimson or chartreuse. Maybe yellow…Wait, no. Yellow and snow? Belch! No go." The snow duck laughed at his little joke and walked up to where Piri and Riku stood. The two then turned and gasped when they saw the talking snow duck. "Am I right?"

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Piri screamed and kicked the snow duck's head off and into Riku's arms.

"Hi!" the head chirped and Sora looked at it with raised eyebrows.

"Wow!" The brunette's mouth was agape as well as Ven's.

"You're creepy." Riku told the snow duck threw the head at Piri.

"I don't want it!" she yelped and tossed it back to Riku.

"Right back at 'cha!" The duo tossed it back and forth at each other, not wanting to hold onto the head.

"Come on, toss it to me!" Ven pouted and Sora growled.

"But I want to see it first!" Sora argued and those two bickered on.

"Well, whoever you toss me to, please don't drop me!" the head pleaded as its body tired to catch up to it.

"Come on, it's just a head!" Riku said as he tossed the head to Piri.

The moment she caught it she threw it right back at the silverette, "No way!"

"Okay, we got off to a bad start." The body then waddled over to Piri.

"Ew, ew, the body!" Piri recoiled in disgust at the approaching snowman as she caught the head and then chucked it at the body.

Both head and body crashed into the snow. The snow duck stood back up, his head upside down on its shoulders. "Wait, what am I looking at here?" he asked, confused by what he was seeing, "Why are you all hanging off the earth like bats?"

"Hold on a second." Piri walked over to the snow duck and fixed his head so it was right side up.

The snow duck smiled gratefully at the red head. "Oh, thanks. Now I'm perfect!"

Piri knelt down and studied him for a moment before saying, "Well, almost." She reached into Riku and Sora's pack and pulled out a carrot.

"It felt like my whole life turned upside down," the snow duck said to Sora and Ven and the brunette grinned brightly as him and Ven stopped bickering and turned their attention to this snow duck.

"I can't believe we found a walking, talking snowman! You really are alive!" Sora exclaimed.

"Well, more like snow duck... What's making you walk?" Ven asked.

"Um, my feet?" Donald exclaimed his feet and Piri then pushed the carrot into his head, but harder than she intended and the carrot stuck out of the back of his head. "Whack!" he quacked, stumbling back a little from the impact, "Whoa, head rush!"

"Oh, too hard! I'm so sorry!" Piri apologized, and then asked, "Are you okay?"

The dazed snow duck looked at his new nose and his eyes widened. "Are you kidding me? I am wonderful!" he exclaimed happily, "I've always wanted a nose! It's so cute like a little baby unicorn." He playfully touched his little nose, and then Piri pushed the carrot sticking out in his head, making the nose bigger. "Oh, I love it even more! Okay, everyone, let's start over. Hi everyone, I'm Donald. And I like warm hugs."

Piri narrowed her eyes at the smiling snow duck. "Donald?" A faint memory of her, Ven, Terra, and Aqua playing in the snow and building the same snow duck came back to her and she smiled. "That's right. Donald! Ven, remember?"

"Yeah!" Ven grinned brightly, kneeling down to Donald, "I'm Ventus! Call me Ven."

"Oh, I'm Piri." The princess introduced herself.

Donald turned around to face Sora,  Riku, and Goofy and asked Piri, "Who's the other spikey?"

"That's Sora." She smiled.

"And who's the funny looking donkey over there?" He asked, referring to Riku.

"That's Goofy," Piri answered.

"And who's the reindeer?"

Piri blinked for a minute before slowly saying, "That's…Goofy."

Riku looked at her and Piri just shrugged, telling him to just go with it for now. "Oh, they're-oh okay. Makes things easier for me," Donald said, looking back and forth at Riku and Goofy. Just then, Goofy tired to bite Donald's nose, but the snow duck jumped back. "Ah, look at him trying to kiss my nose. I like you too."

"Donald, did Aqua build you?" Piri asked.

Donald faced Piri and replied, "Yeah why?" Sora knelt down and pulled of one of the snow duck's arms to examine it.

"Do you know where she is?" Piri further questioned.

"Yeah why?"

"Can you take us to her?"

"Yeah why?"

Riku took the arm from Sora and bent the stick a little before straightening it again, fascinated by the arm. "How does this work?" The stick arm then smacked him in the face. "Ow!"

Donald quickly snatched his arm back and pointed at Riku sternly. "Stop it Goofy! I'm trying to focus here." He put his arm back on and turned his attention back to Piri. "Yeah why?"

"I'll tell you why," Sora said, "We need Aqua to bring back summer."

Donald gasped, "Summer?" Piri and Ven nodded. "Oh I don't know why but I've always loved the idea of summer, and sun, and all things hot…"

"Really?" Riku interjected, "I'm guessing you don't have much heat experience."

"Nope! But sometimes I like to close my eyes and imagine what it'd be like when summer comes." Donald said dreamily as he started to daydream about summer.

Bees'll buzz,

Kids'll blow dandelion fuzz,

And I'll be doing whatever snow does in summer.

A drink in my hand,

My snow up against the burning sand.

Probably getting gorgeously tan in summer!

I'll finally see a summer breeze blow away a winter storm

And find out what happens to solid water when it gets warm.

And I can't wait to see

What my buddies all think of me.

Just imagine how much cooler I'll be in summer!

Da da, da doo, a bubba bubba boo

The hot and the cold are both so intense

Put 'em together, it just makes sense!

Rata tat a dada dada da doo

Winter's a good time to stay in and cuddle,

But put me in summer and I'll be a-

Happy snow duck!

When life gets rough, I like to hold on to my dream

Of relaxing in the summer sun, just letting off steam.

Oh the sky would be blue

And you guys will be there too

When I finally do what frozen things do in summer

Riku smirked and said nonchalantly, "I'm gonna tell him."

Piri glared at him and scolded, "Don't you dare!" She didn't want him to crush the little snow duck's spirits.

In summer!

Once Donald returned from his daydream, he skipped ahead and yelled excitedly, "Come on! Aqua's this way! Let's bring back summer!" Piri, Ven, Sora, and Goofy followed the eager little snow duck while Riku stayed where he was, looking slightly deadpanned.

"Somebody's got to tell him." Reluctantly, Riku went to go catch up with the others.

~

Radiant Garden was getting colder by the minute and the citizens were struggling to stay warm. Supplies were diminishing and it wasn't long until the citizens started fighting amongst themselves.

Two men were gathering firewood for the town when one of the men noticed something and said, "No, you've got the bark facing down. It needs to be facing up."

"No, bark down is drier," the other man argued.

"Bark up."

"Bark down!"

"Bark up!" While the two men were squabbling, a little boy secretly stole a log from the pile and took it to his family.

Lea walked around the square making sure everyone was alright. "Does anyone need a cloak?"

"Radiant Garden is indebted to you, your highness," a woman said as Lea gave her a warm cloak.

"The castle is open. There's soup and hot cloths in the great hall," the prince proclaimed to everyone in the square as he and a few of the guards passed out the cloaks.

Duke Vexen disapproved of what the redhead was doing and he and his two guards, Xigbar and Xaldin approached the prince. "Prince Lea, are we going to just sit here and freeze while you give away all of Radiant Garden's tradable goods?" Vexen complained.

"Princess Piri has given her orders. And-"

"And that's another thing!" the duke retorted, "Has it occurred to you that your princess may be conspiring with the witch to destroy us all?"

Lea was angry by the duke's accusation and he couldn't take Vexen's irrational behavior anymore. "Do not question the princess. She left me in charge, and I will not hesitate to protect Radiant Garden from treason!"

Vexen was shocked by Lea's outburst. "T-t-treason?" he sputtered, afraid that Lea may be referring to him.

Just then, they heard a whiney and they saw Piri's horse had returned without its rider. The horse was in complete panic, but Lea was able to calm it down. He looked toward the mountains with a worried look on his face. He saw everyone else was worried about Piri as well and said, "Princess Piri is in trouble. I need volunteers to go help me find her!" Many of the guards that were in the square volunteered to go.

"I volunteer two men my lord," Vexen said to the prince. Making sure no one was within earshot, the duke whispered to Xigbar and Xaldin, "Be prepared for anything. Should you encounter the queen, you are to put an end to this winter. Do you understand?"