"So where exactly are we headed to?" Snow White asked, steering her horse with ease through the dense amount of tree trunks. But Anna wasn't as skilled. She or her horse or both of them at the same time tended to keep getting caught on rough branches that jutted out every which way across their path. No matter how much Anna tried to avoid them, they found her. She was beginning to feel out of her element and was quickly becoming frustrated.
"Not… Ugh! Not exactly sure really. I, ouch!" Anna whined as branch after branch jabbed into her arms and legs. Snow chuckled at Anna's grumbling.
"The forest really is no place for a princess," the newly employed mercenary remarked.
"You sound like… Ah! Like Hans."
"And who's that?"
"My fiancé. He… He didn't think I should do this. But he's wrong. This is my chance to show Elsa that I'm not a kid she can just push aside anymore. And I'm gonna fight to the bitter end until she realizes that!"
Then suddenly a branch showed up out of nowhere and struck Anna right in the stomach. She doubled over, coughing frantically.
"Take it easy there, Ms. Enthusiasm, watch where you're trotting," teased Snow, moving her horse closer to Anna's and rubbing her employer's back as the red head coughed.
Finally they came into a clearing. The wild grass beneath them had wilted and begun to fade to a light brown. Anna suddenly realized her teeth were rattling. She drew her cloak closer around herself and glanced over at the mercenary who seemed to be completely unaffected by the drop in temperature.
"This isn't good," the older woman said. Anna looked at her intently. The woman, despite being dressed in wild animal pelts, seemed almost noble as she stared towards the mountain range in the distance.
"We have no food and all the wild berry bushes that may be near by will have wilted and froze because of this chill. Everything is dying from the frost."
"Well, you've got a sword. Can't you just… I dunno, hunt something down with it for dinner?"
Snow smiled at the young princess, almost pitifully. How little she knew about life outside her castle was beginning to show more and more as time went on.
"That's easier said than done, you know. And we'll also have to make camp, collect firewood and -" Snow stopped mid-sentence, something catching her eye. Anna looked in the direction her companion was facing and then saw it too. It was smoke, or maybe steam, rising into the sky in the not-so-far distance. Yeah, it was most likely steam, Anna decided. Once again, the two adventurers brought their horses to a trot and began there descent of the steep mountain side.
Regina could already feel the Imp's creepy aura approaching her before his shrill voice rang out across the vast expanse beyond the snowy ledge she was perched on. Giving her a perfect view of the ice castle. Regina was a busy woman, yet she had managed to steal a few moments alone before it was time to get back to business. But her aloneness hadn't lasted long.
"How's it going, deary? Put that little gift I gave you to good use yet?"
"That's none of your concern." Regina snapped back, keeping her vision fixed on the scenery.
"Oh come now, I'm oh so curious to know what sort of plan you're cooking up here, and why."
Regina huffed in annoyance, turning to the slimy little man dressed in reptile skins and leather; his grease drenched, curly hair dangling over his yellow eyes and muddy flesh.
"In that castle is a woman with extraordinary power. Her heart has the magical capabilities to produce endless amounts of ice and snow at will, expelling it from her hands and feet. She feels it within her very soul. It's incredible."
"And you want it, I'm assuming."
"Her heart? No, not at all. That complicated piece of muscle is of no use to me. But, I think I have figured out a way to take her powers as my own."
The freakish man giggled.
"Please do tell."
The evil queen drew a shiny dagger out from within her long, black cloak that trailed behind her. The Imp stared in awe at the pristine blade.
"It's enchanted, much like your own dagger is. But this one is empty, waiting to be filled."
"How ever did you get your hand on one of those? Wait, let me guess."
He whirled his arms around randomly, ending it with his right stretched out, a boney, long nailed finger pointing toward Regina.
"It was your mother."
Regina looked away.
"I found the spell among her possessions some time ago."
"I'd very much like to see it."
"You can't, I burned it up."
Rumpelstiltskin's face twisted.
"Now that wasn't very nice," he spoke with clenched teeth.
"In order for her powers to fuse with the dagger and then flow into me, I need to pass the blade right through her heart." Regina continued, ignoring the Imp's irritated remark.
"Well that shouldn't be a problem, all you have to do is waltz on in and -"
"No, it's not that simple. Her magic works different than ours. She was born with it, so there is a special bond. The Snow Queen needs to freely give up her icy heart to me in order for the transfer to be successful. If not, her powers will die with her."
Rumpelstiltskin was so fascinated by all this knowledge he'd just gained relating to his own curse that it made him giggle aloud with excitement and had him prancing around like a fox. Regina rolled her eyes and turned to look back at the ice castle. The day was almost upon them and soon she'd have to get back to work.
"I can't wait to see how this plays out. Well, ta ta for now deary!" And with a puff of smoke he was gone and Regina was alone again, an evil smile spreading across her face.
"It's time for your Frozen magic to become my own, and then, Snow White, you and your love sick puppy of a prince will never be able to stop me."
Elsa stood just a few feet away from the doorway to the ballroom in her ice castle. The room around her was dark, but glinted with little bits of reflected light as the sun rose outside. She'd decided against watching it that morning. There was something else she wanted to do.
She glanced at her hand that had been cursed with the strange magic. She could feel it faintly, as if it crawled around underneath her skin. Elsa hissed at the memory, pushing it out of her mind as best she could.
Now focused, she raised both her hands into the air and with a fast sweeping motion brought them back down, filling the giant crystal snowflake under the dance floor with a bright blue glow. Slowly, she raised her now cupped hands back up until her arms were horizontal. Then step by step, Elsa moved toward the centre of the room, the palms of her hands facing out, as if she was pushing an invisible object forward with ease.
The magic in the floor moved as she moved, starting at the tips of the snowflake's crystal branches and moving inward towards the centre. As it collected there, something began to form in the middle of the room. And within seconds, a grand piano, made entirely of ice, stood shining in the centre of the room, magical snow shooting away from it upon completion.
The Snow Queen smiled as she approached it. Something familiar, bringing her momentary peace. It was an exact replica of the instrument she had learned to play as a child. She let her hand wander over the smooth, reflective surface before propping the top lid open, admiring all the shining, silver strings and hammers inside, and then taking a seat on the flat bench. She was the perfect distance away from the keys, so there was no need to shuffle her seat around to get comfortable. Everything appeared perfect.
She began by trying out the keys, making sure they all sounded exactly as they should. The notes being played made no sense as she started from the highest point and moved her way down. After each one was played once, Elsa took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and began to play for real.
A song; soft and intricate, started to take shape. It gradually increased in volume as it went on, but kept a graceful consistency. Her hands danced sophisticatedly across the keys, and tears came to her eyes as her body swayed forward and back in time with the music.
It was a sad song, one she had written herself long ago to help her forget her younger sister. But it had never succeeded in serving its purpose, including now. In fact, it seemed to do the opposite. Yet, Elsa couldn't resist the desire to play; it was just too temptingly beautiful. Just like Anna.
Just like her sister.
These chapters keep getting longer... and longer. I'm sorry! XD
I just keep getting more awesome ideas that I want to add. I'm gonna really try to not drag this out and get right to the climax of the story as quickly as possible. Imma try; doesn't mean I'll succeed.
And I couldn't resist not letting Rumple have his moment in the spotlight. He may not show up again, unfortunately. But I love him and how he constantly teases Regina, so he's in here.
Oh and btw, I've decided on making this Elsanna, so (once again) haters gonna hate, but I warned ya from the start. I'm really trying to not over and/or under think this whole story, so please bare with me, I'm trying my best. Once I get to the big explosion of climax epicness, I'll probably change this story's rating to M, just to be safe.
Thanks for reading this much so far, I love you all for doing so! Please let me know what you think in either a review or PM because if it's starting to suck, someone's gotta tell me (nicely) so I can fix it... somehow. But here's hoping it doesn't. :P