Chapter 17: Crystal's Last Stand

"Whoa do I have a headache or what?" Maggie groaned rubbing the sides of her head. Rudolph let out a light chuckle from hearing her say that.

"I daresay, what unusual weather we're having," Mrs. Calloway said turning her head from left to right. Did something happened recently or what? Hey wait a minute…that's it! Mrs. C's eyes widened in shock as another memory came back to her. "What have we…did we really cause all this?"

"You mean this whole frozen stand is our doing?" Maggie added feeling as if she had been struck by lightening.

"What will we do when everyone wakes up and knows we're responsible?" Grace said in a panic.

"It wasn't your fault at all," Santa claimed, stepping toward them. "There will be time to explain once we get this star back to the workshop." The cows stared in wonder at the shining Christmas star Santa held in his hands. They hadn't already forgotten about their magical journey in this realm; about how Maggie talked about the North Pole, Santa Clause and all his reindeer. They believed in Santa Clause now that he was here to help them out of a dangerous situation and get back home safely. He smiled warmly enough to convince them that there was nothing to feel ashamed about while under Crystal's control.

But suddenly his body went tense as a look of panic shot through his face. "Look out!" he warned Grace as he pointed to an intense ultramarine glow shimmering under her four feet.

"I am not FINISHED WITH YOU YET!!" a cold voice broke in the moment when it was too late for Grace to step aside as the Ice Empress transformed herself and wrapped her arms tightly around her.

"Let go of me you…you…frostbitten witch!" Grace screamed as she struggled in her grasp. Crystal could only snicker while a blue smoke cloud swirled around them to disappear out of thin air.

"Grace!" both girls cried out when their friend was taken from them once again.

"Ah dang it; Blizzard Breath is at it again!" Maggie shook her right hoof madly like an angry human clenching their fist. "Now she'll surely turn Grace into a valuable collector's item!"

"But even if we confront her, she could do the same to us as well!" Mrs. Calloway added in with the same kind of anger mixed with fear of loss.

"It isn't too late," Santa assured them. "We'll get her back, but not alone." He whirled around and put his fingers in his mouth to whistle some sort of signal. A sleigh pulled by eight reindeer burst from behind the trees and stopped beside the group. "Climb on, there isn't any more time to waste," he said as he climbed up to sit in the front. Out of the enchanted cargo hold popped a few pixies and Ester the gnome who were hiding in red sacks. The girls smiled in relief and did as Santa told them knowing that there was now a chance to face the Ice Empress with these little helpers.

Before Santa snapped the reins, he handed the star to Rudolph and asked if he could take it back to the workshop. In response, the reindeer flew out of sight hurried as fast as he could since the night was clear enough for the eight reindeer to fly through without any sort of trouble.

Back at Stone Cold Mountain

"I said put me down!" cried Grace while was being carried over Crystal's shoulder in a tight grip. Even if the spell was broken, she was still not strong enough to break away from this woman. "Put me down or I'll…ouch!" she never had a chance to finish her sentence when the Ice Empress flung her off and threw her across the icy floor of the courtyard filled with ice statues of past victims. Quietly, she lifted herself up ignoring the pain from the fall without taking any notice of Crystal standing behind her.

"If I can't have you as my servant…" Crystal began in a cry of outrage from having her entire plans foiled. Then her tone grew higher. "…Then I'll keep you as my prized collectible!" Grace stepped back in shock remembering what Crystal had warned her about what happens to those who don't obey her commands. And she was still no match for her evil powers. If she tried to run, Crystal would eventually catch up to her. But before anything happened, Crystal cleared her throat and circled around Grace.

"However…" she pretended to think hard. "There is still a way for you to avoid this fate if…" her voice trailed off.

"If I what?" Grace asked already knowing what she was going to say.

"If you serve me by my side," Crystal answered.

Shocked by those words, Grace felt all her hopes sink in the back of her mind. Deep inside, she was also quivering in anger from everything that this woman tried to do to her and her friends.

"Remember," her cold voice broke through her mixed emotions. "If you do so, you'll never have to grow old." She watched the blond heifer lift her head up to meet her cold dark eyes.

"NEVER!" Grace snapped. Despite standing no chance against her and having been enslaved to a spell, Grace would never betray those who loved and cared about her to some evil-hearted person. Besides, she may be back in Crystal's clutches but Maggie and Mrs. Calloway were still free and safe with Santa Clause. Hopefully there may be a chance for her to be rescued.

"As you wish," Crystal gazed down at Grace with an even colder expression as she pointed her finger to touch the tiny sapphire stone in her crown.

Instantly Grace looked down to see her four legs solidifying and rising up slowly. She shut her eyes to remind herself to be strong forbidding those tears to spill. But as the unbearable confining stone crept over her body, her fear returned. To be trapped in ice seemed simply horrifying to think about what would happen to her if it was forever. What if she were to stand in this spot all the silent days year after year until her face and body would crumble away from old age? Her sorrowful eyes gazed up at Crystal who seemed to be enjoying this moment of triumph. Then as the hard ice fully encased her, all that was left on her face appeared to be a feeling of loneliness.

"Finally, my most valuable item is complete," Crystal laughed cruelly at the new statue standing before her in the courtyard. "I warned you before about what happens if you don't abide by my rules of this mountain, but you didn't listen." She crossed her arms circling the statue as she continued mocking. "Although I have lost the star, I'll still be powerful enough to cast a spell of eternal winter over the human world and there will be nothing left for old Saint Nick to give. That is the one thing I would appreciate most of all. Then I won't have to hear any more of that insignificant caroling or irritating cheering of Christmas spirit." Then she paused to stand staring directly at the cow's frozen saddened expression. "Face it my pet; you are in my possession now and forever!" Her wicked laughter echoed throughout the courtyard.

Crystal ceased laughing when she noticed a few tears forming in the stoned heifer's eyes. They froze into little tiny icicles on her cheeks. "Oh now don't take it so hard my pet," she whispered darkly with her fingertips wiping away the tears. "Look at it this way; you'll be able to keep your pretty face for all time!" She moved her left hand to place it on Grace's back and pretended that she was stroking the hide of a real cow. "Plus I think you've turned out to be the prettiest statue in my collection; more beautiful than the rest!"

It was true; Crystal vowed to possess any statue with the most beautiful or handsome face since she only viewed what was on the outside instead of inside. For many long minutes, she stood there admiring the statue of Grace with her arms crossed and a wicked smirk across her blue face. It didn't seem like anything would disturb this moment of pleasure until the tune from what sounded like a flute played in the throne room.

"What is that horrible racket?" Crystal hissed as she ran out of the courtyard to investigate the noise.

"C'mon, she's gone!" from above an opening in the wall, a pink fairy signaled for her other fairy friends to fly inside carrying red bags filled with pixie dust. Their plan was to sprinkle the dust over the statues and carry them back outside to place in the enchanted cargo hold of Santa's sleigh. But first, they had to start out from the smallest to largest of statues since the smaller ones were less heavy. One by one, each statue was sprinkled and carried out of the opening safely without ever dropping.

In the throne room

Crystal stomped suspiciously hoping she would catch whoever made that intense racket. But all she could find was her own throne chair and the ice mirror. But she was not yet convinced about someone not being in here.

"That's odd…I'm sure there was…" Crystal reached the stairs puzzled when the tune had stopped playing.

Little did she know that the tune was played by Ester the gnome hiding behind one of the pillars? His plan was to distract Crystal with a Christmas tune while the pixies carried each statue out of the courtyard. And the last part of the plan was to restrain Crystal and cover her eyes when she had least expected it.

The moment came when Crystal has halfway down the stairs still looking around in suspicion for whoever played that tune. Ester had given the signal by shouting "NOW!" and running as he sped past Crystal so she wouldn't be able to notice a lasso thrown in her direction from behind.

"What in the…!" Crystal shrieked when the lasso yanked around her midsection with her arms held down. She tried to whirl around and see who threw the rope but was then blinded when Maggie popped out from behind a pillar and turned Crystal's crown upside down to cover her eyes to prevent her from casting telekinetic powers over anyone.

"I got her!" she shouted triumphantly.

It was Santa who had Crystal by a strong rope designed not to break easily. Then he handed the end of it to Mrs. Calloway who held it with her teeth.

"Quick help me restrain her!" She said through her teeth.

With Maggie's help, they were able to drag Crystal over to one of the pillars to be tied up. Nobody could make out what she was saying since the crown had covered her mouth as well. But they guessed that it might have been threatening verbs. With a quick yank of the rope, Crystal slipped on one foot and landed on the floor with a thud. This had made it easier for Maggie to run around the pillar while still holding the rope in her mouth. With that settled Santa took the end of the rope and tied it around the pillar next to the one where she was tied.

"That'll hold her, hopefully," he said wiping his hands. "Now let's go save your friend."

"Ha, how do you like that Blizzard Breath?" Maggie shouted over her shoulder at a restrained Crystal kicking and mumbling beneath the crown covering her face. It almost sounded like she was about to blow her top off from hearing what she had been called.

"C'mon Maggie hurry!" Mrs. Calloway could be heard a few feet away. Maggie scampered over to them as fast as her legs could carry her.

In the courtyard

The fairies were still sprinkling dust over a few last statues and carrying them out of the opening. They had to use a lot of dust over the bigger statues because of their enormous weight. The cows entered the courtyard along with Santa and Ester. So this is where Crystal kept all her so-called valuable statues.

"Whoa, this place sure ain't my kind of idea for a museum of natural history," Maggie said feeling uneasy from remembering what Crystal said about turning them into ice statues if they did not agree to cooperate.

"It won't be like that for long once all these statues are out of this dreadful room," Mrs. Calloway orated.

"But where is Grace?"

"Over there!" Mrs. Calloway pointed over to a statue of a familiar young heifer standing between a stoned Mr. Frazzle and a gingerbread man.

Shocked by what they have seen, the two ran over to see if it really was Grace behind the statue. It was her all right; the same eyes which were now saddened froze stiff never to move again (or so it seemed that way.) This was almost far worse than anything they've ever experienced. If Grace was still alive in there, then it may have been possible that she was going mad from being trapped in the endless darkness and confusion of not being able to tell if it was day or night. Whatever she might have been thinking in there, it might be that she was hoping for this madness to end.

"Grace, if you're in there…"Maggie shouted in the statue's right ear hoping that Grace was not lost. "…hang on, we're getting you out!" Grace was now the last one left in the courtyard when the gingerbread man and Mr. Frazzle were flown out safely.

"Don't worry Grace," Mrs. Calloway said calmly beside her as if sensing the pain inside of this lonely statue. "We promise you, it will all be over soon."

"Where are you going with my prized statue?" a cold voice boomed at the entrance of the courtyard before the pixies could sprinkle dust over Grace. Crystal moved in slowly holding the loose rope she had been tied with in her left fist. Somehow or other, she had freed herself. To her surprise, the entire courtyard had been emptied out with nothing left but these four last victims and the stoned cow. "WHERE ARE MY STATUES!!" she hollered at the top of her lungs loud enough to cause a few icicles to fall from above.

CLANK, CLANK, CLANK!! The icicles had fallen like chandeliers in a grand mansion, but were nowhere near to where everyone stood luckily. Santa whispered something to the fairies which Crystal could not make out what. The fairies whizzed past her like fireflies out through the entrance, but Crystal didn't care about them. Finally, the jolly old elf had enough of her maliciousness and stepped up to her with a stern look on his face.

"Alright Crystal, this has gone far enough!" he began. "What you have done to those poor statues and to these three innocent cows are beyond one of the most despicable and cunning things I have ever experienced. Now we're here to put a stop to it and make sure you never harm anyone ever again."

Crystal let out a mocking laugh. There was no way this old fool could ever stop her from leaving this place. Because she was still laughing, she didn't notice the pixies fly back in carrying some sort of object wrapped in a white cloth. Santa turned to the cows and shushed them with a finger over his mouth as he motioned for the fairies to carry that thing and place it against the icy wall to the left. The cows figured that he had a plan up his sleeve in case Crystal refused to cooperate with leaving the North Pole in peace.

"This is no laughing matter!" said Santa pretending to sound annoyed. "You don't own anybody; not even this poor young one!" he pointed to the statue of Grace. "These cows are not grand objects that you can just take to use for whatever purpose; they belong to themselves and deserve to be back in their real home with someone who looks after and takes care of them kindly. Which is something you would never give," Crystal's laugh grew lower and stopped. "And furthermore, even though the true spirit of Christmas is not important to you at all, it is important to everyone who believes and they're counting on me tonight!" Then he became calm. "Don't you see? Christmas isn't about gifts, candy canes, tinsel, or fancy lights. It's about the real magic of goodwill, giving, compassion, and spending that one special day with friends and family."

Maggie and Mrs. Calloway stood by their stoned companion astonished by every word Santa said. They were almost on the verge of bursting into happy tears from what not only about what he said about the three of them, but about other selfless people out in the world. And despite being a statue, warm tears shed at the corner of Grace's eyes.

Crystal stood there and looked at everyone, untouched by Santa's words or seeing the tears on what she still believed was "her" new statue. Then her fists curled up as she let out a low growl. "ENOUGH!" she shouted as she waved her arms to use her telekinetic powers to throw everyone aside as she moved toward Grace. "I told you before; I take because I want to!" she threw her arms around the statue refusing to let go. "And this statue is mine forever! Everything I take belongs to me, only me!"

"Wow you're even dumber than we thought you are!" Maggie's voice caught Crystal's attention breaking through her desire.

Before the Ice Empress could say anything else, she noticed that the girls were standing in front of something covered in a white cloth. Forgetting about the statue, she stalked toward their position and eyed them suspiciously. "What are you hiding behind there?"

"Hiding, what would we be hiding?" Maggie put on a fake smile and pretended to be confused. "Honestly we have nothing else to give to the likes of you!" her tone became serious and stern.

"And nobody ever wanted to share an eternal winter wasteland with you; because only you wanted it for yourself!" Mrs. Calloway added in the same tone. Her face turned into an angry frown. "You of course had no right to use the three of us for such a devious plot."

"Oh and tell me, what are you going to do to stop me?" Crystal snickered. "You have no powers and you're friend was no match against me!"

"Ha, Ha, Ha, laugh all you want Blizzard Breath!" Maggie replied sarcastically.

Crystal hissed and stared down at Maggie. "What did you call me?"

"She called you a weak-minded, good-for-nothing, hard-faced simpleton!" Mrs. Calloway answered for her. The two cows grinned at each other when Crystal was close to blowing her top off. But this is exactly what they wanted as Maggie glanced over her shoulder to make sure her tail was digging under the white cloth. "That outfit you wear is simply too tacky and out of style for any woman to wear!"

Crystal held her hands to both sides of her head gritting her teeth while feeling the fury swell throughout her entire body. The cows went on.

"Those nails look crooked!" Maggie hollered.

"And while you're at it, get a haircut why don't you!" Mrs. Calloway added.

This time Crystal whirled around in a fury and let her finger reach for the stone in her crown. She was hoping to transform these two to start a new collection in her courtyard.

"Now!" Maggie urged as she and Mrs. Calloway moved out of the way with the cloth being pulled off to reveal the ice mirror.

"No, it can't be!" Crystal shrieked a second after her finger touched the glowing stone. She had been looking at none other than her own reflection which was now causing the spell to backfire on her. She looked down to find the bottom part of her dress solidifying up to her waist. A look of surprise froze on her face when the stoned ice finally concealed her entire body. Crystal had mistakenly turned herself into an ice statue.

Maggie and Mrs. Calloway looked at each other for a moment and stared at Crystal in disbelief. They couldn't believe that they had defeated a powerful ice magician by outsmarting her through name-calling and taunting which was her one and only weakness. The best way to deal with powerful foes was to try and outsmart them through their weaknesses and wait for the right moment to strike. It was a rather tough challenge, but they had succeeded.

"It worked," Maggie said still staring in disbelief at the enormous statue. "We've finally defeated Blizzard Breath."

"Yes, now that's something I don't see everyday," agreed Mrs. Calloway.

But the most surprising thing of all was that the statue of Grace began to shine a bright lemon color. Then it was gone. The white stone dissolved to reveal the real color of her hide. The two rushed over when Grace was close to losing her footing on the icy ground but was caught by Mrs. Calloway. Grace breathed heavily from having been trapped in an unending frigid prison she thought would have been forever. Now a rush of warmth spread throughout her body melting away the cold feeling. Grace realized that she could move and see again and was close to crying tears of joy. She turned her head up and saw the ice statue of what used to be Crystal, the Ice Empress.

"Are we all ready to go home now?" Mrs. Calloway asked softly helping Grace stand.

"But what are we going to do with her" Grace asked staring at a solid Crystal.

Even if the Ice Empress was nothing more than a statue, she was still frightening for anyone to gaze upon. Then Maggie had an idea.

"I know, why don't we move her into the ice cell?" she suggested. "It would be just like capturing and locking up the most wanted outlaw in the west."

"That's a splendid idea Maggie," said Santa proudly putting his hand on her shoulder. Then he looked at the pixies hovering above. "Fairies you know what to do."

The shimmering pixies danced in the air and sprinked down magic dust in a tinkling rain over the big statue. Then with Santa's help, the cows pushed the stiffened Crystal out of the courtyard and into one of the ice cells. The fairies melted two thick icicles halfway for them to make an entrance. After placing her against the wall, everyone rushed out while the fairies unmelted the bars. Crystal was locked inside her own prison.

"Well that takes care of her," laughed Maggie.

"Now it's back to the North Pole for us," said Santa joyfully as he lead everyone out to the front entrance where the sleigh was parked. While walking, Grace glanced over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at the statue. It served her right for messing with them.