She could still hear to soft crunching of footsteps in the snow, the way the wind seemed to whisper her name as if it had been trying to warn her of the coming danger. She could still feel the coldness of the ice as it enveloped her like a blanket, the warmth of his lips as they met hers. And above all, she could still taste the bitterness in her throat, the horrible fire brought by such a sweet, unsuspecting package. She had been a fool not to suspect something in his behavior, in the coldness of his voice or steely look in his eyes. She had been blinded by their history together. The love they once shared.

But love, as Snow had often told herself, was a thing for children. Love, as pure as so many claimed it to be, was the one thing that had destroyed her kingdom. It was the thing that had torn at her heart at the passing of her mother, and claimed her father's with the rise of Ravenna. It was the hideous and confused betrayal she felt as she watched William leave her behind, and now, finally, it was the cause of her demise.

In the end, it was not Ravenna's dark magic that had done her in, nor the countless dangers that had met her in the lands beyond the castle. No, it was love that had finally claimed her small, pathetic life. And now, floating on a sea of blackness, her life had never felt less significant.

Though the dwarves had crowned her the rightful ruler and savior of the lands, she knew she was nothing more than the daughter of a long dead king. The land had been lost to Ravenna long ago; even she wasn't blind to that truth. No, there was nothing in her power she could have done to change reality or her inevitable downfall. In the end, Ravenna would always have the last laugh.

And now here she was, standing on the abyss and waiting patiently for death to rise and greet her. But Snow felt no fear, only a dull sense of resignation. In heaven-if that was indeed where she was headed-she could meet again with her mother and father, and they could all live happily together in a kingdom of the sky. Even the thought of it made her smile, and soothed her troubles to near non-existence.

Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong. Though Snow could say for a fact that she was neither dreaming nor awake, she still felt strangely grounded to the Earth, like a heavy ball and chain had been tied to her and kept her from leaving. And though she knew very little of the mysterious ways of death, she was sure that this was not what it felt like. For there was nothing, just a vast emptiness that was now threatening to crush her.

Suddenly, Snow felt a twinge of fear course through her body, as a new thought snaked its way into her mind. This couldn't be all there was of death, this sea of barren blackness, as far as the eye could see. Though she had been prepared for many things on the other side, the only thing she hadn't been prepared for was nothing. How could one cope with nothing, such absolute darkness forever?

And that was when she realized, you couldn't.

This was not death, not the kingdoms of heaven or the fiery depths of hell. Snow was somewhere in between, stuck on the edges life and death with no way of reaching either. Ravenna had sent her to the one place with no happiness, with no hope for the future. This blackness, which she had first taken to be her escape to heaven, was now her cage. She was to rot here for eternity, trapped by her own isolation and loneliness. Snow could think of no worse torture.

Her thoughts now plagued by fear, Snow's mind began to enter a state of delirium, and she found herself struggling to hold on to something, anything, but the vastness around her. Instinctively, her thoughts flashed back to her childhood: the faces of her mother and father, the evenings she and William spent playing around the apple tree as children, exploring the forests around the castle and watching the wild animals. As she grasped on to these thoughts, Snow felt a false sense of peace overcoming her, and she was anxious to hold on to it.

But with thoughts of her past came thoughts of Ravenna, of her takeover of the kingdom. Before she could stop herself, Snow found her thoughts shift to much darker things. To Ravenna, as she snuck so quietly into the heart of her father. To the night of the raid, when she was separated from everyone she had ever known or loved. To all of the innocent women brought to the castle to have their life drained out of them. And finally, to Eric.

At the thought of him, Snow felt her heart throb with a million different emotions: longing and frustration and guilt and sadness and most predominantly, love. There was no point in trying to hide the truth from herself any longer, she had loved him. Snow wasn't sure when it had happened, but suddenly he became the only person in the world who truly mattered to her, whose life had meant as much to her as her own. Though she had loved William as well, her love for him was different, one born of friendship and built up over time. Her love for Eric was one that consumed her whole being, and every thought in her mind and place in her heart. If she dare say the words, it was true love.

Again, Snow felt horrible longing and loss building up in her chest at the thought of it. Because as she loved him, she knew his thoughts were still consumed by another. His wife, a woman she had heard only briefly about. Though she had apparently died a great many years ago, Snow knew that Eric had never truly recovered from her death, and still missed her deeply. He had no room in his heart to love her, for true love is never found twice. This she knew, and yet she had dared herself to hope.

Withdrawing herself to loneliness, Snow was still thinking of Eric when she thought she heard a voice. Though she couldn't make out what it was saying, it felt surprisingly close, almost as if she could reach out and touch it like a physical object. Curious, she tried opening her mouth to speak to it, but found she could make no sound. Instead, she strained her ears, until she could distinguish words.

"Here you are again," it began, and Snow nearly fainted with the swell of emotion brought on by the sound. It was Eric. A million questions began bubbling in her mind, each fighting for her attention. What was Eric doing here, in this expanse of what she had taken to be endless loneliness? Had the queen banished him there too? And if so, why couldn't she see him? Desperate for answers, she listened intently.

"All dressed up like you're about to wake up and give me more grief," he continued, and Snow thought she could hear the smallest trace of a smile in his voice. "You deserved better," he muttered to himself, and Snow heard a dull clatter, like the sound of glass hitting the floor.

So did you, Snow thought quietly to herself, beginning to understand what was happening. Though she had no idea how, she knew that Eric was talking to her from Earth, paying his final respects before he said his final goodbye. For a moment, it occurred to her that perhaps it was simply Ravenna playing tricks on her mind, taunting her even farther. However, Snow found she didn't care, just that his voice was there, so close yet so far.

"I once had a wife, Princess," he continued, and Snow felt herself snap to attention. "Sara was her name. When I came back from the wars I carried with me the stench of death and the anger of the lost. I wasn't worth saving, that's for sure. She did so anyway." There was a prominent sadness in the huntsman's voice now, like remembering brought him and almost unspeakable amount of pain. "And I loved her so much. I loved her more than anyone or anything. Then I let her out of my sight and she was gone." Snow heard him sniff, and she knew he was crying; weeping for the woman he had loved so much before she was taken away. She felt herself internally crying too, for she knew all too well what it was like to lose someone you loved. And more than that, she remembered her, a woman named Sara.

It was only a few years ago, when they brought her into the cell opposite Snow's. She had shiny brown hair and hazel eyes, with a heart-shaped face that reminded Snow of a dove. Though her clothes were scuffed and gray, Snow remembered thinking how perfectly beautiful she looked, like an angel amongst the gray stones. But in spite of her apparent delicacy, Snow remembered the way she had fought them. When the guards came for her, she struggled violently against them, using every ounce of her power to fight them off. And Snow remembered thinking that maybe, just maybe, she would make it, that she would escape the castle and live.

But then, all too clearly, Snow recalled how Ravenna suddenly appeared from shadow itself, an amused look on her face. Upon seeing their, the guards instantly released Sara, spluttering apologies and begging for her forgiveness.

"Save them for later," she had snapped wickedly, watching as they filed quickly out of the cell. Snow remembered now Ravenna had looked at Sara, the smallest twinge of respect creeping into her eyes.

"I'm not afraid of you," Snow recalled what Sara had said to the queen, remembering how her eyes had blazed with fury and determination.

"Now dear, don't lie to me," Ravenna had grinned wickedly, and before anyone knew what was happening, her hand shot out and grasped the woman around the neck. Sara gasped, struggling to free herself from the queen's stone grip. Ravenna laughed darkly.

"Pay attention my dear Snow White," she recalled how Ravenna had turned to her, malice gleaming in her eyes. Then, Ravenna had effortless raised Sara off the ground, hungrily watching her struggle like a snake watches a mouse in a field. She recalled how the queen's lips slowly parted, as did Sara's. Snow remembered her horror as she watched Sara's life drain from her, how her dove face grayed into a frail old woman before Snow's very eyes. Unlike most times, Ravenna didn't bother leaving a single drop of life left in her victim, and when she was done Sara had collapsed into a heap on the floor.

Though Snow had been devastated, she would have never known the other half of the story. The story of her loving husband, who suddenly returned home one day to find her gone without a trace. She would never know how long he spent looking for her, the pain he would suffer through to try and find her.

"And I became myself again. A self I never cared for." The huntsman finished the story. However, Snow felt no sense of completion, left instead with a dull ache at their half-finished love story. Resigning herself, Snow prepared herself for the goodbye.

"Until you." She caught herself, and Snow felt surprise take life in her aching chest. "See, you remind me of her. Her heart, her spirit." He hesitated. "But now you, too, have gone. You both deserved better and I'm so sorry I failed you. I'm so sorry."

Snow felt her heart ache with guilt. Within the span of a few days, she had managed to hurt so many people, take so many lives. Even in her apparent death, she knew the suffering it must have caused everyone, as their last hope for defeating Ravenna was snuffed out before them. She had hurt so many… and finally, she had hurt Eric as well. For Eric, as she now saw, had loved her as well.

After so many years of being alone, and cursing the world for all it was worth, he had finally found something other than suffering. Though Snow would have never believed it at first, he had found love. He had found her. He found her, just to have his heart broken again. Snow couldn't help but wonder when she would finally cease hurting others.

Now, fully crying, he began what Snow knew would be the last words. Barely able to suppress her grief, she prepared herself for the farewell. "But you'll be a queen in Heaven now, and sit among the angels."An empty silence followed his final words, and Snow was sure he had left her.

Then suddenly, all at once, he was there. Crashing through the darkness, his lips descended upon hers, full of passion and love and agony all at once. Snow wasn't exactly sure what was happening, but she made no attempt to fight it, drawing it in. Never before had she felt so much love manifested in one place before, and she was afraid that if she was not careful then her heart would spill over with the gravity of it. It was all of her and Eric's love brought together in a single motion, a single, loving kiss.

All too soon, it ended, and for a few moments afterwards she felt herself floating on a sea of euphoria. Snow drifted like this for a little, before suddenly she felt warmth spreading from her lips, coursing through her veins until it illuminated every limb in her body. She felt no pain or suffering, her thoughts filled with more love than she had believed existed in the entire world. It was rich. It was powerful. It was beautiful. And then, the darkness abated.

She was in a large, open church, with high reaching ceilings and beautiful marble sculptures shoved in its corners. It was dark, lit only by several candles that were set up around the room. She was laying on a bed of hay, completely alone. Tears streaming down her face, heart soaring with love and determination, Snow White blinked.

She was awake.

Oo0oO

A/N: An idea I've had ever since I first saw this movie when it premiered in theatres. It took me a while to get around to writing it because I refused to write this scene without first renting the movie so I could write down every time the huntsman paused for a breath, every sound he made, and every necessary detail. But whatever. I really like the way this one-shot came out, and I hope you do as well.

Please review!

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of aspects of "Snow White and the Huntsman".