A Heart Worth Fighting for
Chapter 7: The Snow Queen's Plan
MODERN WORLD STORYBROOKE
The Snow Queen in her ice lair was using her ice magic on a very large block of ice. She seemed to carve the ice. She used her magic to bring to life the ice sculpture its eyes started to glow.
Meanwhile, Emma was with Elsa in the sheriff's station they were trying to find clues about Cassandra who apparently was under Ingrid's control and had Anna hostage too.
Eugene who had been found in the library was trying to help too.
Emma dropped a box with files on the table
"Somewhere in here, there's got to be something on her."
"There has to be a better strategy. While we are reading files, my sister is out there somewhere with a stranger controlling her body. We have to comfort this snow queen." Elsa suggested a logical way.
"Believe me, if I could we would. We have to track them first. And Elsa, we have to be careful. This woman is tricky if she somehow managed to have another person in control of your sister's body who knows what else she can do and she seems to know both of us, and we don't remember anything about her. And something tells me that this is not an accident" Emma reasoned with her friend.
"You think she took our memories?" Elsa questioned
"I am really good with names and faces. It was my job. She took them all right. The question is why. We need to find out what the hell she's up to" Emma answered.
"I can help with the Cassandra problem" Eugene suggested. The two turned to face him.
"How?" Emma questioned.
"Look, I knew who Cassandra was before the curse… She used to be my wife's best friend and she was like my annoying little sister. She wasn't a bad person. But she disappeared before the curse and we never learned what happened to her" Eugene explained.
"Then what is she doing in my sister's body" Elsa questioned.
"As I said, she disappeared before the curse, we lost contact with her and never found out what happened, so I don't know, but she is not a bad person" Eugene tried to defend his old friend.
"Is this why you were at the library last night?" Emma asked him.
"Yes… I wanted to find answers about her, but I was drunk and passed out"
As the three were talking Hook entered the station.
"Paperwork ahoy! Old city records from the mayor's office per your request"
"Good, Eugene here will help," Emma told the Captain.
"You trust him? Hook asked.
"He claims that he knew who Cassandra was before the curse if he can help us track her then yes" Emma replied.
"Alright then, I am off to take Henry sailing, my love, unless there's something else you want me to do here" Hook told Emma.
"Make sure Henry wears his life vest okay?" Emma reminded him.
"Don't worry I will, Goodbye" Hook told Emma as he left.
Elsa found something interesting and went to her friend,
"Emma look. Why are there pictures of you mixed in with the city records?" she asked.
"Let's just say when Regina was mayor, she abused her power a bit. She was looking for any reason to run me out of town." Emma went through the pictures with happy memories.
"That's the first time Henry and I went for cocoa" she chuckled as she gave the picture to her smiling friend.
"When I walked him to school for the first time." She stopped and stared at the third picture.
"Emma? What is it?" Elsa asked with concern.
"It's me and her." Emma gave Elsa the picture of her and the Snow Queen.
Elsa scoffed as she examined the picture
No, but I know someone who may… The person who had the photos taken" Emma replied.
In the vault, Regina sighed as she turned to the mirror
"Please tell me you've found her" Sidney's face appeared.
"And which "her" would that be? Snow white? Maid Marian? Emma swan? It's so hard to keep track of her majesty's nemeses"
"I am not in the mood for games Sidney. I need to know where the Snow Queen is hiding. If I can't unfreeze Marian myself I will force her to do it" Regina stressed.
"Haven't come across the Snow Queen yet, sorry to say" Sidney replied.
"Then you have a new task. Find that Snow Queen. Or you will learn what sorry feels like." Regina threatened
"Yes, your majesty." Sidney obeyed.
Meanwhile, Emma and Elsa were driving to Regina's vault. Elsa was in the passenger seat with a sparkly purple cloak. Emma sighed.
"You okay?" Elsa turned to face her friend.
"It's just the pictures. It reminds me of when I first got here. Regina and I hated each other. Well, "hate" might be the wrong word but we did not mix" Emma explained.
"But it seems like you've come a long way since then" Elsa countered.
"Yeah, but it looks like we are right back at it. I just wish I could fix it. Coming?" she asked.
"I think this sounds like something you two should talk about alone. You know, if things were getting better between you two before, maybe they can again" Elsa explained what she thought.
"Doubt it. I screwed her over. Once you screw someone over there's no getting them back." Emma was being doubtful
"What makes you say that?" Elsa questioned.
"Experience." Emma simply replied before closing the door and heading towards the vault.
Meanwhile, Regina was looking through some books when she sees Emma coming in.
"Ms. Swan." Regina looked up.
"What an unpleasant surprise." She added.
"Unfortunately, I am a little busy trying to save my true love's wife. Or hadn't you heard?"
"What do you know about these?" Emma gave Regina the picture. Regina sighed.
"It appears you and the Snow Queen are old friends. Well frenemies at best"
"I have zero memories of this conversation. I was hoping you might. Sidney took these when you had him spying on me. He didn't say anything about what was going on here? Or why I was arguing with the Snow Queen?" Emma questioned.
"I suppose I should talk to Sidney then. But no one seems to know where he is. Have you seen him?" Emma asked.
"I've been busy working on Marian, on the problem you created" Regina gave a hint of the blame on the Savior.
"I guess I'll let you get back to it. Any progress thawing her out?" Emma questioned.
"It's no concern of yours" Regina answered coldly.
"It could be. I know I am not sorceress of the year, but if you want some extra juice to undo the spell let me know" Emma offered.
"Are you offering to help me?" Regina questioned in a slightly mocking tone.
"Despite everything, you've done a lot for me, Regina, so yeah. You've had my back, and I want you to know that I have yours" Emma told her. Regina scoffed
"Ms. Swan, one thing's abundantly clear. You've never had my back. And you never will"
Outside the vault, Elsa was waiting for Emma it was night. Elsa heard her sister's voice in the distance.
"Elsa. Elsa? Elsa, help!" Elsa heard the voice and opened the door.
"Anna?" she responded.
"Elsa, help me." A silhouette of Anna appeared in the fog. She then walked away from Elsa. Elsa who was worried about her sister followed.
Emma came out to see the door open. She ran to her car.
"Elsa?! Elsa!" Emma shouted to her friend's name.
Meanwhile, Regina who was still in the vault saw Sidney's face appearing in the mirror.
"My Queen, I have news. I have found the Snow Queen's lair."
"Well, where is it?" Regina asked
"I think a little pro quid pro quo is in order, don't you? I am growing tired of this glass prison." He told her.
"Let's see if your information yields results. Then we can discuss your freedom." Regina replied.
"You expect me to give up my leverage before I've received anything in return?" he chuckled.
"Do you think me an imbecile?"
"I think I've trapped you in a mirror twice. And if you find them too constricting, well, then perhaps you'd like to return to your cell at the hospital"
"Upon further reflection, it appears I don't have the leverage I thought. Listen closely. I will lead you to her."
A few minutes passed and Regina was now walking in the woods with Sidney in her hand pocket mirror.
"I am walking due north. Now what?" Regina asked.
"Head past the toll bridge, then go east. The Snow Queen isn't far." Sidney told her. Regina heard twig snaps and rustling so she put the mirror in her pocket. She turned and saw Emma.
"Regina" Emma walked up to her. Regina sighed.
"What are you doing here?"
"Elsa disappeared on me. I think she went to go confront Cassandra and Snow Queen on her own. Afraid she's in trouble" Emma explained as Regina sighed.
"How about you? Nature walks your new thing?"
"I intend to force the Snow Queen's hand, make her reverse the damage she's inflicted on Marian" Regina explained.
"How do you know where she is?" Emma questioned.
"Explaining my magic to a beginner is a waste of my time. She's east of the toll bridge" she was about to go there when Emma stopped her.
"Well, I think we should stick together, then. My best shot at finding Elsa is to go in the direction of the Snow Queen. You don't mind the company do you?" Emma asked. Regina scoffed.
"Does it matter if I mind? If I say no, you will just come anyway"
Meanwhile, Elsa was running in the forest.
"Anna! Anna!" she called out. Luckily, she stopped as she looked down at a cliff.
"Elsa!" Anna called out as Elsa looked up to see her sister on the other side.
"Don't move! I will be right there!" Elsa told her as she used her magic to recreate her ice stairs. Like before, she stepped on it to turn the snow into ice.
"Help! Please!" Anna called out as Elsa made it halfway. Anna gasped as she was pulled back by a sudden force.
Elsa stopped, the panic was feeling up in her.
Meanwhile, Regina and Emma were still walking in the woods.
"Which way?" Emma asked, trying to keep up.
"Right" Regina answered.
"Is this a locator spell? Shouldn't we be following some like floaty object or something?"
"Oh, now you are a magic expert."
"No. It's just in the past there was a-"she got cut off by Regina.
"There are many enchantments you have yet to be exposed to. If you bothered to study your craft, you'd know that"
"I am kind of learning as I go. It's not like there's a lot of online classes on that kind of thing. But when you helped me, I seemed to learn pretty fast." Emma told her.
"I don't have time for lessons"
"I know. I know you're busy. And so you know, I think it's admirable what you are doing. Helping the wife of the man you love"
Regina turned to face her.
"So I've impressed you?" she chuckled.
"Well, it makes it all worthwhile then, doesn't it?"
"Why are you doing that? I was just trying to give you credit. I am trying to be nice."
"And then what? Complimenting my outfits? Giving me a makeover? Braiding my hair? Calling Robin Hood and hanging up? You are trying to win me over so I can assuage your guilt. Intentionally or not, Ms. Swan you brought Marian back. You ruined my life. And there is no coming back from that. Because I know you think you didn't mean to, but you hurt someone. So do as I do… Learn to live with it. Welcome to my world." Regina explained as she turned and continued her search.
Meanwhile, Elsa was still trying to find Anna.
"Anna! Anna!" Elsa called her sister's name desperately.
"Elsa!" a shadow run passed her as Elsa walked to a field filled with snow. She ran to hug Anna, but she didn't respond.
"I was so worried I'd never find you," Elsa told her.
"But I am so glad you did." The Snow Queen appeared.
"You stay away from us!" Elsa stepped in front of her sister thought she didn't even turn. Ingrid made Anna disappear. The princess was an illusion.
As Elsa was confused and distracted the Snow Queen took this chance and bind her niece with chains made out of ice. Elsa was caught.
"What did you do to my sister?" Elsa asked tearfully.
"I am sorry for all the theater, but she was never really here. I made that illusion because I knew you would follow your sister and she would lead you to me, because I needed you" The Snow Queen approached Elsa.
"For what?" Elsa questioned in fear. The Snow Queen simply looked down and the chains pulled Elsa down to her knees.
"Look at yourself. So much fear. Imagine what you could do if you only learned to control it. You had a chance to do so once, but you squandered it" the Snow Queen told her in disappointment.
"Fortunately for me, the more frightened you are, the stronger those chains will hold. And that's all I need for now- you out of my way." The Snow Queen also got down to her knees so she could get to Elsa's level.
" I would tell you that everything is going to be fine, that I won't hurt you, but your worry, your fear, is exactly what's needed right now." She smiled as she got back up leaving Elsa shackled.
"What are you gonna do?" Elsa asked, her voice was breaking.
The Snow Queen sighed in excitement
"I am going to build a snowman…"
Meanwhile, Emma and Regina found Elsa's ice stairs.
"Looks like Elsa was here," Emma told Regina.
"Thanks, Ms. Swan. Please continue to point out the obvious" Regina replied.
"Then obviously, we are not gonna step on it till we know it's safe," Emma advised.
"It's safe" Regina stepped on it and nothing happened.
"Hey!" Emma exclaimed.
"You were saying?" Regina questioned.
"I don't know why I even bother" Emma answered.
"Well, that makes two of us. Now hurry up. I'd like to get to that Snow Queen before it actually winters." Regina told Emma as they make it halfway.
"Something's not right." Emma sensed.
"Maybe your sparkly, blue-dressed friend is closer than you think" Regina suggested.
"No. This is not Elsa." Emma pointed out as a sudden gust of wind and shaking forced them to crouch down.
"Oh! It's the Snow Queen! She found us!" Emma exclaimed as the wind howled.
"Sidney." Regina realized.
"Sidney? What does Sidney have to do with any of this? Regina! Talk to me! What aren't you telling me?" Emma pleaded.
"You lied to me. You said you didn't have a clue where Sidney was! He was in your mirror this whole time?!" Emma yelled.
"Maybe I did. So what? I don't have to tell you everything I am doing" Regina opened her pocket mirror.
"Nor do I, your majesty" Sidney agreed.
"You led us here. You are working for the Snow Queen?! Traitor!" Regina shouted at him.
"I am the traitor? I think your majesty should take a look in the mirror. And as you contemplate what you've done, know that she has a present for you that I'd say is well-deserved" he smiled as he disappeared.
"Sidney!" Regina called out in anger. When he didn't appear, she shut the compact in anger.
"Regina?" Emma tried to get her attention.
"Save your moral judgment," Regina replied as a cracking sound was heard.
"Look!" Emma exclaimed as the stairs started to break. The two women run to the other end.
"Jump!" Emma shouted as they jumped and made it.
"You okay? Regina?" Emma called out when Regina stood her ground.
"I think we have a bigger problem," Regina told her as they turned to face an ice warrior with a battle ax and shield.
Emma decided to run to a different area as Regina distracted it with her fireball. The Ice warrior backed up and noticed Emma. Emma used her light magic to push the creature into a tree, shattering its arm. She ran to join Regina. However, the ice warrior grew its arm and ax.
"Oh that's a problem," Emma stressed.
"Not helpful," Regina commented.
"Well, you can add one more problem in your list ladies…" A female voice said as she appeared next to the ice warrior holding an ice sword ready to fight, it was Cassandra.
"What are you doing here?" Emma questioned.
"I am here to fight you" Cassandra replied.
"Think again Cass…" a voice was heard from behind. Emma and Regina turned to see Eugene and David.
"Emma, Regina you two fight the ice monster me and Eugene will take care of Cassandra," David told them.
"Where did you two came from?" Regina questioned.
"I called David when I saw that Elsa was gone but then I joined you" Emma explained.
"I have an idea to defeat that ice monster," Emma told Regina
"We need to try what we did before but this time together" Emma suggested as Regina nodded her head. They both combined their power. Using light and fire magic, the ice warrior melted until it was destroyed.
"I think we did it" Emma replied.
Meanwhile, Cassandra was facing Eugene and David.
Eugene approached Cassandra in a friendly manner.
"Cassandra, you know me… It's me Eugene, we're friends" Eugene told her making Cassandra laughed
"I have no friends" Cassandra replied coldly but Eugene wasn't going to give up on her yet.
"You are not the Cassandra I remember, what happened to you?" he questioned her.
"Maybe the Cassandra you knew is gone"
"Oh Come on, Cass, I know you're still in there… I don't want to fight you"
"Then you make my job easier…" Cassandra replied as she charged to Eugene with her ice sword but before she could hurt him. David shot her in her guts or that's what he thought. The bullet had actually shot Anna, Cassandra changed into the princess at the last minute. Both David and Eugene were shocked.
Anna turned into Cassandra again who smiled mischievously.
"Thank you for weakening my other half, hurt me and you hurt her," she told them.
"Let her go!" David yelled
"I don't think so, shepherd boy!" Cassandra mocked David, she was about to charge at him when the Snow Queen appeared next to her and stopped her with her hand.
"No need to fight sweetheart, we got what we wanted," The Snow Queen told her.
"Yes, master" Cassandra replied as she stopped her attack on David. With a movement of her hand, Ingrid made Cassandra disappear and then she disappeared too.
"Where did they go?" Eugene questioned.
Meanwhile, Elsa was still chained and was trying to break free when Cassandra appeared in front of her.
"Hello, your majesty" Cassandra mocked as she used the back of her ice sword to hit Elsa, not once but twice.
"Anna…" Elsa called out in pain hoping that her sister would listen. But instead, she made Cassandra angrier.
"My name's Cassandra," She told Elsa before hitting her again. Elsa spat out blood.
"Anna… wake up, please" Elsa pleaded for her sister but it was useless.
"How many times do I have to tell you? I am not Anna!" Cassandra yelled.
"I am not giving up on my sister…"
"Too bad, because she gave up on you" Cassandra mocked Elsa who was now angry.
"She was convinced that you were going to come to rescue her. Of course, you never came and she gave up on you"
"No, Anna would never give up on me! And I am not giving up on her!" Elsa managed to break her chains and with a blast of ice knocked Cassandra who was taken by surprise unconscious. Elsa sighed as she got ready to move on.
Meanwhile, Emma and Regina had just defeated the ice warrior when they heard a familiar voice.
"What a welcome visit ladies" the Snow Queen suddenly appeared.
"Thank you for bringing me what I needed" she used her magic to take the compact mirror from Regina's pocket to her hand.
"Give me back my mirror you-"Regina got cut off.
"No" The Snow Queen answered as she choked Regina.
"Hey, stop! Don't-"Emma got cut off as the Snow Queen choked her too. The Snow Queen continued her magical choke but she was too late to notice Elsa who blasted her to the ground, releasing Emma and Regina from the magic.
"You want a fight? Fight me" Elsa told her.
"Well done, Elsa. You're losing your fear. There's hope for you yet" The Snow Queen commented as she got up from the ground.
"Let's finish this now," Regina told her.
"No need I have what I want" she explained as she used her magic to teleport away in snowflakes.
"Are you both okay?" Elsa asked Emma and Regina.
"We are now. Thank you" Emma answered Elsa before she turned to Regina.
"Why didn't you tell me about Sidney?"
"Because despite what you wish we are not partners. I didn't ask you to tag along.
"Well, I did. And if you had told me, maybe you would have saved us some trouble" Emma told her.
"Okay tell you what? That I threw Sidney in a mirror to help me kill Marian, but then I change my mind? What's the point? You never would have believed me. I know you too well, Swan. Stop trying to get me to forgive you because it will never happen." Regina replied.
"Stop it. You two need to mend your differences. Otherwise, Storybrooke doesn't stand a chance" Elsa mediated the two.
Regina scoffed.
"We never will. For one simple reason, I don't want to." Regina then teleported in a cloud of purple smoke, leaving Elsa and Emma behind.
Meanwhile, the Snow Queen was in her lair. She was looking at the compact mirror she stole from Regina.
"You're free as promised," she told him.
"Thank you. Now, what is it you wish me to do first, my Queen?" Sidney asked.
"I wish nothing from you" the Snow Queen answered.
"I don't understand the deal was-" he got cut off.
"It wasn't you that I wanted Sidney" she laid down on her bed.
"It was the mirror itself. You more than anyone should understand a mirror's importance. Mirrors reflect our mood, our desire, our essence. They are a temporary receptacle for some… A tiny fraction of our soul" she explained.
"Well, you have other mirrors." Sidney pointed out.
"I have many, hundreds. But none as important as this one. For what I want to do, your former home should do quite nicely. The person who trapped you in here imbued it with much dark magic" the Snow Queen replied.
"My Queen, what are you planning?" Sidney questioned.
"What I am planning is to get what has been denied to me for too long… What I deserve" the Snow Queen answered.
"And what's that?" Sidney asked.
"That's between me and… well, my reflection" The Snow Queen told him. After a moment of awkward silence, the Snow Queen waved her hand and the door of her snow lair opened. Sidney bowed to her.
"Enjoy your freedom, Sidney" he turned to see her now in front of him.
"A word of advice. Get a warm coat. It's going to get a bit cooler around here" she advised.
Sidney walked to the exit in silence, leaving the Snow Queen alone. She held the compact close as she walked to the center of the room and opened the compact mirror. She used her magic to break the compact mirror and then summoned her main mirror which was broken and had one slot as if she had been collecting mirror shards as puzzle pieces for years. She stared at the broken mirror.
"So close. Soon I will have what I want" she told herself as she took the piece of the compact mirror and put it in her main mirror. A perfect fit. The broken mirror became whole as Ingrid stared at her reflection.
"A family that loves me"
Boom another chapter is done and we are back at 4k words. Now a lot of people asked me If Rapunzel will be in this… Well, be patient because this is going to be a trilogy/franchise so yeah I am going to include a lot of tts/frozen/OUAT characters. By the way, because this is a multi- crossover should I change it to just OUAT fic or leave it on frozen. After all, OUAT is a big crossover alone.
