:)

The Palace of Ice

After timidly peeking over the horizon, the sun had begun to climb the sky. The Finn woman had insisted they leave very first thing in the morning, as daylight in the winter was minimal up North, and they'd be racing against the clock to arrive at the Snow Queen's palace while it was still light.

With one easy lift, Serenity was picked up and placed on Helios' back. The Finn woman pursed her lips and crossed her arms as she stared thoughtfully at the young girl.

"You've been an honour to meet," she said. "I am proud to call you my friend."

"And you, mine," Serenity said, nodding her sleepy head at her host. "Thank you, Finn woman."

"It's Amara," replied the Finn woman as she uncrossed her arms and raised a hand. "As a friend, you may call me Amara." And with that, she slapped her hand on the back on Helios' flank and sent him shooting forwards. She raised her arms and a sudden wind swept the pair up and hurled them onwards, faster than Helios had ever flown.

"Goodbye Amara," Serenity called over her shoulder, unsure of whether she was even heard over the roar of the weather. But as the Finn woman waved back at her, she had a feeling her words had carried on the wind.

It was only just over two hours later when they arrived at the Snow Queen's palace. It, like Amara's chimney, could be seen from miles away, its glistening towers catching every ray of the sun and winking mysteriously to every eye it could meet. The shining blue-green crystal palace pierced the frozen wasteland of endless snow and ice, a beacon of colour against the otherwise bland environment. The sky above was a dirty white, as dark snow clouds hovered menacingly overhead.

As they neared, Helios slowed down, eventually descending and landing by a bush with red berries. The berries, with their bright and vibrant crimson reminded Serenity of the roses that she and Endymion loved so much. It renewed her hope and gave her a surge of strength, taking the berries as a sign that Endymion must be close by.

"I must leave you here," Helios said, dipping his head. Serenity slid easily off his back, securing her bag over her shoulder and walking around to face him. Helios avoided her gaze, but she gently lifted his face. Helios' eyes, like Serenity's, were filled with tears.

"Hey," she said lightly through a watery smile. "It'll be okay. I'll be okay."

"The thought of leaving you in this place, all alone, it breaks my hearts. You shouldn't be here, Serenity."

"But neither should Endymion," Serenity said, wiping a tear from Helios' face with her thumb. "And it breaks my heart to think of leaving him in this place all alone."

"Don't make me leave you here," the reindeer said sadly, even though Serenity could tell he knew he'd have to.

"You've been such a good, kind and brave friend," the blonde whispered, leaning down and kissing his forehead lightly. "Just be brave a little longer, okay? I'll be emerging from that palace with my best friend in tow, ready for you two to meet in hours."

"I'll be waiting here," he said. "And I won't leave until you come out." Both his voice and eyes promised it.

"Well it's a good thing you've got some lunch handy," Serenity smiled, plucking a berry from the bush and popping it into her mouth. "I'd hate to come back and find you too hungry to get us back!"

Serenity stumbled through the snow, shivering under her fur cloak and teeth chattering as the damp climbed higher and higher up her dress. Her boots were already filled with snow, and she couldn't feel her toes. The thought of Endymion kept her walking. Her best friend needed her, and she would not give up on him. Not until she had seen his cold, dead body with her own eyes. But that wasn't even an option.

Snowflakes drifted past her in almost a lazy manner, a stark contrast to the hard effort that Serenity was making to push past the pain and exhaustion. She remembered the times when she and Endymion had studied every snowflake they'd been able to find one winter, intent on finding two that were identical. She remembered the last winter Endymion had been home - they'd joked about that memory, hadn't they?

"Wow" Endymion breathed as he stared up at the sky. "How long has it been since we've sat here under the oak and watched it snow?"

Serenity hopped off the swing and joined him at the base of the oak. She shivered and hunched into her coat, eyes still focused happily on the flurry of white before them. "Remember when we used to spend all winter, every winter for like, four years, just walking around with magnifying glasses trying to find two of the same print?"

"Because no two snowflakes are ever the same!" they both chorused, before bursting into laughter. They watched the snow drift down from the sky as the daylight slipped below the horizon.

Serenity smiled at the memory, lifting her head to see how much farther she had to walk through the almost knee-deep snow. She would have given as gasp of surprise had she any breath left in her, but she had none. The palace doors were in sight. She was so close. She could see the shiny white handles glinting in the sun. They were calling her. Serenity, they sang. Open us. Enter our home. You'll find your friend here, we promise.

Serenity shook her head. "I'm going insane," she whispered to herself in bemusement. "I've come all this way and I go insane on Endy at the end of the journey!" She giggled breathlessly before stopping and staring up at the great sparkling doors of emerald and sapphire crystal. The doorhandles were pearly and translucent. Serenity found them tantalisingly attractive. Mesmerising, perhaps. She reached out, grasping one with both her hands and twisting it with all her might. It was so soft, so very soft, and yet hard, beneath her hands. And slippery. Serenity wiped her sweaty hands against her only dry-remaining clothes - her fur coat - and tried again. The round sphere under her fingers made her hands look so small. She tilted her head in fascination, staring at the mesmerising splendour. She wanted to break one off and put it into her bag so that she could take it home. It would make a perfect present for her mother, she was sure. A big, beautiful pearl.

"Stop, Serenity," a voice pleaded in her head. Serenity smiled at the door. She knew that voice. But whose was it? Was it her mother's? No, it was deeper than that. So it must have been her father's Oh her thoughts were so cloudy and confused. "Serenity, think..." The girl giggled softly. What was she supposed to do again? Something with this beautiful pearly doorhandle. She... wanted to keep it right? That's what she wanted to do? But that answer didn't feel right...

A snowflake danced down into her vision, and Serenity watched in fascination as it landed in between her splayed fingers on the doorhandle. She counted its points. There were five. Next, she examined its shape and pattern. It was a very beautiful snowflake. Certainly one of the prettiest she'd seen so far. And as they were all unique, that was a rather large statement. Her eyes focused on the snowflake, watching with a grin as it melted, getting smaller and smaller until it was just a speck, and then a drop of water, which slid off its pearly, rotund host and dripped onto Serenity's boot.

"Every snowflake is unique," Endymion boasted as he held up the magnifying glass. "That's what Gran says, but we'll prove her wrong. We've got good eyes!"

Serenity gasped, jolting back to herself. She slammed her eyes shut and twisted the doorhandle with all her might, feeling it give way. She slid through the crack of the giant doors and didn't open her eyes again until the doorhandle was safely out of her sight.

"Freaky pearls," she muttered, heart beating uncomfortably heavy in her chest. She'd just been put under a spell, she was sure of it. And if she could easily find herself falling under spells, then she'd be no good rescuing Endymion, who was surely under several. He had to be, to be staying here with the Snow Queen. Endymion wouldn't have put up with this frozen wasteland for long. Where would he grow his flowers? When would he be able to see Gran?

She stared at her surroundings with wide eyes. She was in an outdoor courtyard, surrounded by snow-covered statues and thick pillars made of sparkling blue ice. And if her eyes weren't mistaking her, the snowflakes that were falling were quite large.

But no, her eyes weren't deceiving her. Serenity took a step back, feeling her body hit the cold door behind her. The snowflakes were rather large. And they were clumping together in a most unnatural way. Almost as if they were gluing themselves to make bigger snowflakes.

"But they look more like animals," Serenity said to herself as she narrowed her eyes and stared at the various shapes she saw forming. There were bears, growing larger by the minute, as well as birds, hedgehogs and snakes, all with beaks and quills and fangs as sharp as the deadliest knife.

They started to tumble towards her as they continued to form, closing the distance swiftly. Serenity panicked. Her heart hammered painfully in her chest and her mouth was dry with fear. What could she do? How was she supposed to fight off creatures made of snow and ice? She had no weapon, only her bag and some trinkets, which were useless against them.

Her legs began to shake, and she had to reach out to the handles behind her to hold herself up. She was so exhausted and hungry. She wanted nothing more than to just lie down in the snow and sleep. Let it be over, Serenity begged in her head. The Snow Queen has won, I can't fight her.

"You're seriously going to give up after coming all this way?" Endymion's voice scoffed inside her head. She sunk to her knees and stared tearfully at the oncoming creatures. "Sere, that's pretty lazy. You've had your friends help you come all this way, and you give up after only stepping into the courtyard?"

"Hey, these things are pretty terrifying, thank you," she snapped under her breath. But in her heart, Serenity knew he was right. Endymion sure wouldn't give in so easily. He might be afraid of things, but he never backed down when it counted. And so neither would she.

Serenity's eyes widened as she realised the animals were now almost fully formed and gaining speed. What would Endy do? she asked herself.

She remembered once in school learning about how animals used things like sound or size to intimidate other animals as a defence tactic. She looked down at herself. Well, she wasn't exactly a giant bear, and the bear that was charging for her looked like it was growing by the second, so she'd have to rely on her voice. She'd try to scare them away.

"SHOO!" she shouted, pushing herself back to her feet and folding her hands into small little fists. "GET AWAY FROM ME! I'M WARNING YOU! YOU'LL REGRET IT!"

But the snow-animals just kept coming. Serenity's words had had no effect on them. Perhaps they were deaf, she thought, since they weren't real, living and breathing animals. She watched as her breath condensed in the air, misting from her yelling. The mist hung for a moment in front of her before drifting away. As it drifted towards the animals, it materialised itself into a shape of its own. A reindeer.

Helios.

The mist reindeer that resembled Helios tossed its antlers at the bear, throwing it into a pillar of ice and smashing it into pieces. It fell apart in a puff of white dust. Snow thudded to the ground, unmoving . Serenity let out a cheer, watching as mist-Helios took on a snake, stamping it in half with a hoof. It dissolved into white smoke and a pile of snow. But Serenity's cheer was also forming a new mist. This time, she could see Ann forming, complete with her trusty knife. Ann threw her knife of mist with such ease and skill that it was just like watching the real Ann. Though it looked like she hadn't aimed at all, she got a bird in the throat, sending it flying back several metres until it crashed to the ground with an explosion of dust and snow.

More phantoms were forming from Serenity's breath. Amy and Greg were there, each equipped with hunting gear, and Artemis and Luna were too. Luna leapt for the closest snake, sinking her teeth into its neck, squeezing harder when it began thrashing about wildly. Artemis took off for the birds, catching one by its wing and bringing it down within seconds.

Michelle slapped a hedgehog away with a cod fish in one hand before bringing the base of her mirror's handle down on a bear's head, splintering it to dust. Amara just clicked her fingers in an almost bored-like manner, and winds took care of the remaining animals, blowing them away until not even their snow remained. When the first mob had been defeated, more began to form, bigger and stronger than before. But the phantoms of mist took it in their stride, reaching for their bows with determination, flexing their arms or stretching their necks, hissing and raising their hackles.

Serenity felt a tear well up in her eye, and she wiped it quickly. Her friends were all fighting with her, making sure the animals could not get her. She hastened her pace and began jogging through the snowstorm, surrounded by her friends as they cleared a path for her. With her heart still thudding painfully and her mouth starting to moisten again, Serenity pushed open the doors to the Snow Queen's palace, where not one creature was able to stop her.