Disclaimer: I don't own D N Angel though I hope I did.
Chapter 3 – The story behind the Ice Queen
"My name is Macaulay. I am one of those who live in the Ice Palace," said a mysterious voice. A cute, snow-white cat stepped out from the shadows. It's blue eyes pierced through Daisuke and Satoshi. "You two have been the first to be able to reach the Ice Palace. The rest didn't survive through the palace's traps and mazes. Both of you aren't normal people. Who are you?"
Daisuke smiled, "we are people from the outside world who got sucked in here accidentally. We were, well... trained to be able to take care of ourselves when faced with traps and mazes." Daisuke continued, "my name is Niwa Daisuke and this is my friend, Hiwatari Satoshi. Could you...um... help us get out of here?"
Macaulay looked at them straight in the eyes and sighed. "The only way to get out here," he said, "is to get the crystal and return it to the queen. If you all came here a few years ago, you could have gotten out immediately... Sigh..."
Daisuke bent down and picked up Macaulay in his arms. "What do you mean? I'm confused," he asked.
"Very well. Let me start from the beginning... This world exists in the Ice Rose, which is an artwork made by the Hikari family." Macaulay went on, "The queen was the spirit of the Ice Rose. As a result, she can control the power of the Ice Rose. Her mission is to seal away people who are deemed by the Hikari family as a danger to human kind or in short, evil. She will only release those people after they have reformed. Those or the people who stay inside this world will go through different tests and trials to find themselves again and be what they were before they became evil. Everything was fine until that fateful day..."
"What happened?" asked Daisuke.
"The current Hikari commanded the queen to seal a very evil person. She did seal him, naturally. That guy was powerless and after taking a few tests, he pretended to have reformed and went to see the queen. I do not know how he did it, but he managed to trick the queen into letting him stay at the palace that night. That very night, when the queen was sleeping, he stole the crystal of power from her majesty and escaped. The queen contacted the current Hikari as she was now very weak and about to die. Unfortunately, the Hikari could not do anything. So, he put the queen into eternal slumber to preserve the her life. Then, he went to look for the crystal." Macaulay sighed again, "the very thought of it brings back sad memories."
"Crystal of power? If it's only a crystal of power, then why was the queen's life about to fade away?" Daisuke asked.
"The crystal of power is the power and life crystal of the queen. If it gets separated from her, it's like her heart being torn out," Macaulay answered.
"I see..." Satoshi said.
"Anyway, the Hikari came back sometime later. He told me that he had found the crystal. It was in the heart of Mount Myst. However, it was surrounded with a dark aura. So, only an evil person can reach the crystal. In addition to that, the crystal only allows a person with a good heart to touch it. That's why, only a person who holds both light and dark can take the crystal."
Realization dawned on Satoshi. "So, it was you who wrote the poem on the queen's bed," he said to Macaulay.
"Yes. Before the Hikari left, he casted an enchantment around the castle. Magical traps, mazes, and many other traps were laid there to protect the queen from people who wanted to kill her. After that incident, the Ice Rose became uncontrollable and so it was sealed by the Hikari. It does occasionally suck people in regardless if they're good or bad, but without the queen, no one can escape from here."
"Wait a minute. How did the evil guy steal the crystal if the crystal only lets a good person to touch it?" Daisuke asked.
"That remains to be a mystery. No one knows..." came the reply.
"Ok! So, let's save the queen and get out of here. Come on, let's go!" Daisuke said with enthusiasm.
"... Why are you in a rush, Niwa-kun?" Satoshi asked.
"Err... well...because..." Daisuke blushed, "I... sort of... promised Riku-san..." Daisuke's whole face begins to turn as red as a tomato "to meet... her at her house to do the project. You know, the History project..." Daisuke mumbled while his face begins to emit steam...
"I see..." Satoshi said.
"Come on, let's go," Macaulay said. "First, we must pack. It'll be a long journey. Let's go to that room to pack, Niwa-san," Macaulay headed to a room at the far end of the palace.
"Sure!" Daisuke smiled and went off.
"How did the Hikari come out of the Ice Rose?" Satoshi asked suddenly.
"Huh?" Macaulay was stunned by his sudden question.
"How did the Hikari come out of the Ice Rose when he came here?" Satoshi repeated.
"Oh, that! Well, since the Hikari family created this world, all the Hikaris have the power to come in or go out as they wish. I'm not sure who the current Hikari is though..."
"Hiwatari-kun come on!" Daisuke was at the door of the room waving him over. "Hurry up! We have to pack!"
"Coming..." Satoshi said as he took one last long look before leaving the room.