Guess who's back? I took a while to think of this plot, as I've never written anything this long that other people actually read, so I really hope you enjoy this. I think this is kind of a new arc in the story, so if there's a few mistakes with details from previous chapters, do forgive me. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and wanted me to update, your reviews make my day :) Enjoy!

It felt as if she was being crushed. Like a strange coldness was showering over her. Then she was free of the portal, and stepped out, her foot crunching on the ground as she took a breath in. For a moment, she could see nothing except a seemingly never-ending expanse of varying shades of white. The moon was bright, shining through gaps in the clouds. They were surrounded by a ghostly fog. It was impossible to distinguish the sky from the earth. As she breathed in, the back of her throat stung with cold. A wave of freezing cold air, dotted with small, sharp snowflakes and hailstones buffeted straight into her, nearly knocking her off balance. Her lungs froze as the air reached her lungs, causing her to cough. As she breathed out, the air clouded up in front of her, the steam immediately whipped away by the harsh wind. She heard a crunching noise behind her. Mulan stepped up on her right side, Regina on her left. The trio stared out at the wintry wasteland that seemed to stretch on forever, marked only by areas of black shadows cast by dangerously sharp rocks.

"Where are we?" asked Regina, looking to Mulan as she wrapped her arms over her chest. She had to raise her voice slightly over the howling wind as it rushed past them, stealing their breath.

"We're halfway up the Ice Mountain," replied Mulan. "I had asked a sorcerer to locate the nearest portal."

"We need to find shelter, we won't last long out in the open like this," said Regina, feeling the cold creep through her coat. Her jeans were already soaked with the snow.

"Agreed. Belle – Belle?" said Mulan. Belle had disappeared. Both women looked around. They spotted her crouched in the snow, her hair beating around in the gale. They trudged over to her, their feet sinking ankle deep into the snow.

"Are you alright?" asked Mulan, thinking she was crying. But when Belle rose to her feet and began scouring the snow for something, Mulan could see her face was tinged pink, but from the cold. Not from emotion. Her face was set like stone as she gave them an icy look before turning away.

"Belle, we need to go. We won't last long up here like this," said Regina. Belle halted for a moment.

"We need to find her," said Belle simply. "The tracks will disappear if we wait."

"The tracks are probably already covered, judging by the rate of snowfall and the wind," said Mulan, running a hand through her hair to pull it from her face.

"We need to look!" cried Belle harshly, whirling round. Regina stepped forwards, grabbing Belle's elbow.

"We need…" she said as firmly as she could. "To find shelter, or else we'll be dead, and no help to Ruby!" Belle glared at her, but Regina towered over her, staring her down.

"Fine," she relented. The moon disappeared behind a thick bank of cloud. Regina lit a fireball in her hand, the flame bending and flickering in the wind. Mulan edged forwards, trying to absorb any heat she could from the fire.

"We can look properly tomorrow. We'll find them."

"We better," growled Belle as she turned, her own fireball – a little smaller than Regina's – burning in her hand as she searched for a way down the mountain. Mulan and Regina hurried after her, Mulan directing them on the safest route.

After the most bone-chilling hour of their lives, they reached a small village. They tumbled into an inn, their clothes completely sodden and all of them freezing. They hadn't spoken much as they ventured over the mountain – they simply didn't have the energy. Their progress was slow, as they could only see a few feet in front of them with the fire. Mulan, who had stayed in this inn before she went through the portal, begged the innkeeper to let them stay for just one night. The middle-aged woman had finally allowed them to stay on the promise that they worked off their debt the next day. Belle had been halfway out of the door by this point; not wanting to waste any time, but Regina and Mulan stopped her and persuaded her to stay. They had trudged up the flight of rickety stairs and wearily entered the small room. It wasn't much to look at. There were two small cots. Mulan opted for the floor. The others were too exhausted to fight her about it. The room was cold and creaky, but Regina lit the fire with a lazy wave of her hand and it was soon warming up. Belle didn't speak much as the innkeeper brought them some leftover stew that was going to be thrown out. After warming it up, they ate quickly, wolfing it down. Mulan set a blanket down on the rug on the floor before stripping off her wet clothes. Regina and Belle did the same, draping them over the edge of their beds in front of the fire. The potential awkwardness of only wearing their underwear did not occur to them – they just wanted to sleep. Belle settled down on the first bed curled up facing the wall. Regina threw a blanket at Mulan, who caught it and covered herself with it, lying in front of the fire. Her feet were just at the end of Belle's bed, her head a few inches away from the foot of Regina's. The wind outside howled as they drifted off with barely a word passing between them.

"Mulan?" came a light hiss, mixing with the cold air creeping in through the wooden boards. Mulan rolled over and sat up. It must have been very early in the morning – the pitch darkness outside the shuttered window was now a light grey. There was a sheet of condensation on the thin window.

"Yes?" she replied groggily. She looked up to see Regina crawling along her bed, settling at the foot of it and lying on her front, covering herself with her blankets again. With a wave of her hand, flames rose from the crackling embers again, and warmth flooded back into the room. It had cooled since they were all asleep.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," she groaned, lying down and looking up at the ex-Queen.

"Why did you travel to Storybrooke?"

"What does it matter to you?" replied Mulan, her eyes narrowing slightly, glinting in the firelight.

"You must have had a reason."

"I did."

"And it was to get a necklace?" asked Regina, remembering the interaction between the warrior and the imp.

"Yes," said Mulan simply.

"Why did the hunters follow you?" came a small voice from the other bed. Regina and Mulan glanced uneasily at each other. They had thought Belle was asleep. She hadn't moved all night. She was still facing the wall in exactly the same position as she had been when they settled down.

"I… I was searching for something." She rubbed her hand against the back of her neck.

"What?" Belle's tone had turned sharp. Regina cast her a warning look, which she ignored. Mulan sighed, looking up at Regina, who shrugged with a small, sympathetic smile.

"I… I needed this," she said, holding up the silver amulet where it had been resting against her chest. She folded the blankets over her as she sat up, keeping herself warm as she held up the amulet. There was an engraving of a dragon on it. The golden chain was so thin it was difficult to see against her skin. A rustling sound drew her eyes from the amulet and to Belle as she dragged herself over to the foot of her bed, sitting cross-legged and had her blankets wrapped around her shoulders.

"What is that?"

"The truth is that this is my father's amulet. It was proof of my identity when I joined the army in my father's place. I was being stalked by a group of hunters who wanted the Yaogui. You were with them once," she said, nodding to Belle. "But after you saved Philip, they gave up. I travelled with Philip for a while, helping him with his quest for his… his wife." Mulan paused. Regina had shifted forwards slightly in interest. "Together, we found her and they were happy. Long story short, when they were happy, I left. However, bad things have happened in the kingdom they tried to resurrect. A sorcerer captured the princess. We grew very close, so she knew that I would do what I could do get them back. Both of them are being held captive somewhere, I don't know where. I can't fight them, the sorcerer is too strong. So I cannot help but comply with their wishes." Mulan's eyes were drawn to the glinting dragon on the amulet. "I have to deliver the amulet to the sorcerer, otherwise she – they will die."

"Why does a sorcerer want an amulet?" asked Belle. Mulan looked up at her, her dark eyes cold and distant.

"It is imbued with an ancient magic of my ancestors. It is very powerful."

"Is it a good idea to give something this powerful to a sorcerer? You know they might not keep their word," commented Regina carefully. Mulan sighed, her shoulders drooping, the necklace dropping to the blankets over her lap.

"Don't you think that has occurred to me? I have no other choice." A silence fell over them, broken only by the crackling of the fire and the gale outside.

"Mulan…" said Belle quietly. "You can go to them. You don't have to help us, we'll be fine –"

"No," said Mulan, shaking her head, her dark hair brushing over her shoulders. "I caused this. I clean up the messes I create. This and the other one." Silence fell again, before Belle broke it.

"I'm going to get started on that work the innkeeper wants. The sooner we pay our debt, the sooner we can leave," she said flatly. Regina and Mulan shared a look before they too got up.