Once upon a time…

There were three realms. The Power Realm, with mystical creatures and luminescent powers. The Rejected Realm, a wasteland. And The Mortal Realm, a place of no magic. Two races of The Power Realm- the Firelings and the Icelings- have been fighting as long as they can remember. In their last battle the Icelings won against the Firelings due to Iceling king’s sacrifice, but the Iceling Queen died from a heat virus that infected her blood during the war. This left the queen’s daughter-Sandra White- to rule alongside her advisor and sister, Reyna. But this not a normal fairytale, for there is not just good and evil, or true love’s kiss to hope all your problems away. There is no perfect prince you fall in love with in a day, or happily ever afters. Sometimes there is only The End.

A Recording of Sandra White’s Speech After the War

“Icelings of The Power Realm! Today is the day we cleanse our world of our worst enemy. For the greater good of our realm, I shall do what I must to ensure your safety. This necklace that I am holding right now, as you know, is a locket heirloom that is a connection between all realms. Its natural purpose is to allow beings to travel through the realms. However, it also has the power to do what you desire for a price. I will banish the Firelings to The Mortal Realm. Just transporting them will not take a price, but I also plan to rid them of their powers, and replace their Power Realm memories with false Mortal ones. This will ensure that they are never a threat again. My death will take back the desire, but I will protect you even if it is temporary. Only an act of purity can relinquish the price, so for good luck, I will change my name to Snow. For Snow will be a promise of purity!

“Veni, Veni, et omnia regna me opera tua. Pro mea pretium accipias, et ad receptum, si aliquis actus purissimus pretium omnium. 
Portal, Portal, of all the realms, aid me with your power. Take a price in return for my desire, and may the price be taken back if I perform an act the purest of them all.”

Today: The Power Realm

Snow
Kill them, kill them all the voices whisper. It has been 3 years since I made the speech to banish the Firelings. After I said the ancient words, voices in the back of my mind have come to haunt me. I call them The Dark. They beckon me to the shadows, and evil desire. For all these years, they have tried to persuade my thoughts as they linger. I never knew a price could be so draining, so hateful. I fight them off as hard as I can, trying to replace thoughts of revenge with happy memories in my childhood. But that, as well as my control is slowly fleeting away. Break, BREAK the voices scream. I can feel the agony as the voices echo through my skull. The Dark is slipping in, and I am no longer in control. Numbness coats my nerves like a suffocating skin of feeding shadows has covered me. This hasn’t happened to me before. The Dark has never been able to control me. My strength to hold it back must have finally depleted. I see my hand reach up to touch my portal locket, and I wonder what The Dark plans to do. Powerful magic in the wrong hands doesn’t have a good outcome. The wrong hands. My hands. My hands that are now opening to locket. There is a mirror on the inside, and a picture of my parents, Reyna, and I. I see the new me in the mirror. My face, now a mask of freezing ice, my black wavy hair, and my piercing celestial blue eyes. My voice is hollow and cold when The Dark speaks the words to travel between realms.

“Prodigium, porta a cunctis regnis regna me mortali. Portal, portal, of all the realms, take me to The Mortal Realm.” I let out a final shriek for my sister when I feel The Dark loosening its grip on me, before I’m plunged into a pool of blinding light.

Reyna
“Reyna!” A choked voice shouts. Once I hear it, I know it’s Snow, and I run toward the sound of her voice. Suddenly the castle’s endless hallways are more of a puzzle than usual.

I need to get to Snow.
I need to get to Snow.

Then I see a flash of white light exploded from a room three doors down, and I use my arm to shield my eyes. Terror and confusion fills my mind as I realize what the light is. A realm portal beam. When it’s gone I raced to the room, finding only the portal necklace on the floor. Why would Snow go to another realm? And without telling me? I pick up the locket and put it on for safe keeping. I’ll tell the people first, but I have to go after Snow. Wherever she is.

Snow
The white light dissipates when I’m thrust to the ground. I blink and stand up, scanning my surroundings. I don’t feel the pull of The Dark anymore, probably since it got what it wanted. For now anyway. I’m surrounded by trees, but they’re green and brown, instead of translucent and made of ice like in The Iceling section of The Power Realm. Then I see a girl, and my body goes rigid. She’s starting to get up, and blinking to recover from the portal’s blast. I panic, and freeze her in a thick ice casing. She’s frozen, but I see her eyes wander to me, pure horror and dread in them. I move to reach The Mortal Realm portal necklace. Maybe I could just go back to my realm, and this girl will think this was a dream or people will think she’s crazy if she tells anyone. And I won’t take the locket. Each necklace needs to stay in it’s realm, and when someone is transported, they are to be transported to the location of the only necklace that exists in the realm. I pick up the necklace, and the tyranny of The Dark’s voices boom in my skull. They screech, and I drop the locket on the ground.  I hold my head, hoping the throbbing will subside, and when it does a minute later, I get to my feet. It was stupid to think that I could get back so easily. I unfreeze the girl, pulling out the cold from her skin. I can feel the warmth of the air as it seeps into my lungs. Where am I?
“What is this area called?” I demand. I use my regal and diplomatic voice. My ice spreads around her feet so she can’t run.
“W-who are you? Why are you here?” The girl asks.
“What is this place called? I’ll leave you alone if you tell me.” I start to spread the ice over her skin, making the cold piercing. I wonder if this is me or The Dark swaying my actions.
“Ok! OK! Florida, Miami!” I’m about to let her go when The Dark seeps in in a burst, and I wince from the pain. Am I even allowed to make my own decisions? My hand raises, and a dome of ice is formed around the girl. Before I know it my legs are carrying me through the trees. I still feel the deception of The Dark luring me to shadows.

Reyna
Blinding white light illuminates around me as I travel to The Mortal Realm. I might find signs of Snow in the location of the mortal locket. She doesn’t have a reason to go to The Rejected Realm. It’s rejected for a reason. I  notified the people, and I know there is no time to waste. I always saw Snow’s dark side flash occasionally, but I didn’t think it would be this bad. When I hit the ground, the air is cold. I get up, dizzy and immediately find signs of Snow.  A giant dome of ice hovers above me, and  shiver wracks my body. On one side of the dome sits a girl. She looks at me with terror and confusion. I expect her to scream, or ask who I am, but instead she says the last thing I think she’ll say.
“R-Reyna?” She studders. I take in a shuddering breath.
“How do you know my name?” I ask, my voice unsteady. I’d never been to this realm, and this girl shouldn’t know who I am.
“But my parents said you died.” Her voice sounds hollow, and her words are eerie.
“My parents are dead, you have no idea who I am or where I came from.” My words are determined, and cluster as they spill out of my mouth. “what are you talking about?”
The girl gets up from her side of the grand dome, and reaches for a locket on the floor. The mortal locket. She takes careful steps toward me.
“I don’t really know who you are, just please don’t freeze me, or something.” Handing me the locket, she shows me the picture inside. I go absolutely still as I scan the faces. There is a girl that looks just like the one beside me. Her skin is paler, but her hair is the same as now, and her dark brown eyes are bright. A pair of hands rests on her shoulders. They belonged to a woman who I don’t recognize. She has light brown hair, and the same dark brown eyes as the girl. Then I see a younger version of myself, my straight, black hair tucked behind one ear. And behind me is my father, holding the hand of the woman.

Snow
No control. Nothing. I’m hidden in the shadows. That’s where the darkness likes to be. It lead me to a civilization full of people. I’m wearing a royal white gown. It’s made of creation magic from Reyna. She told me how she takes in living essence from the area around her to create things. If I look close enough, I can see the living tendrils of magic in the fabric. I know I’m going to stand out in this area. But The Dark takes care of that. It uses shadow magic to make my cloths the same as everyone else. I can feel the wrongness of the shadow magic, the darkest magic known.The Dark has spread too far, and I feel it entering my brain, eating at my thoughts. I try to fight it with everything I have. Writhing against it, I fall to the ground.  I put all my anger and my rage into everything that has happened into fighting. The stress creates a shower of snowflakes and tiny ice crystals falling to the ground. The people around me turn shocked faces to the sky. A very thin layer of snow starts to gather on the scorching hot ground. My powers flare more, even though I never told them to, and sharp icicles are thrust outward in a circles around me. The Dark laughs. Stupid girl! I control you! I hear the cries of people, and my stomach lurches. What did I do? I look from the shadows to see a woman clutching her arm with a gash across it, and a man impaled in the stomach. Feeling the guilty tears cloud my sight, I run like I can run from myself. But how can I? I still hear The Dark’s screaming laughter echoing through my head. The taste of bile is in my throat. I run into the cover of the forest, and hit my head on the trunk of the odd mortal tree again and again. Just get the voices out! Leave me alone! I drop to the floor, darkness eclipsing my consciousness.

Reyna
“Why are me and my father in this picture?” I say the words quickly, uncertain of the unfathomable answer that I’ll find. The girl looks nervous and hesitant. So this is going to be like Power Realm political deals? Information given for information?
“Ok, look,” I say, “I know this is all complicated, but maybe you could tell me something. I don’t know what’s going on, but I can tell you who I am. Maybe you’ll become more convinced or something.” Every word I say is seems more desperate. The girl looks at me without saying anything. I take it as a yes. I summarize the situation I’m in briefly, telling her about what I’m doing here, and who Snow is, etcetera. I learn her name is Amanda, and how Snow appeared.
“So, these powers,” She begins after I’m done. “what are they again?”
“The power all people except royal leaders of the Power Realm have is Creation Magic-using the magic of mystical living essence within nature to create small things- and spells from a common spell book.”
“So how come leaders’ are so powerful if they only have one specific power?” Amanda asks.
“Their power is much easier to wield, and extremely stronger compared to what everyone else has. Creation and spellbook magic is limited, and has more variety but does a smaller amounts of magic.” I explain.
“Got it. I believe you. After seeing what this girl Snow did, it make sense.
“Ok, so what did you mean before about thinking I was dead?” I’m terrified of the answer. Amanda sighs.
“I don’t remember entirely since I was little, but I had a sister before my dad left and took her with him. My mom told me my dad turned out to be crazy, and killed her when I was older. But she gave me this picture, and I remember this moment when we were seven on the beach” Amanda points to the locket. “ You just look so much like you do in the picture, even though you’re older. Your name just slipped out of my mouth.”
I don’t know what to say. What do you say to that?
“But...” I think of the intertwined fingers of the woman and my father. The thought twists my stomach. “My mother looked different than the woman in the photo. Was my father… cheating on my mom?” There are just too many secrets. I don’t understand how it happened, but my dad was always serious. He wouldn’t hold hands with just anyone.
“I think so. It makes sense why I never saw him again. He left us for a different life.” There’s a hint of bitterness in her tone, but my racing thoughts don’t catch it very well.
“We can figure out more theories when we get out of here. I think you’re my actual sister, but I don’t know what to believe. That would make Snow my...step sister if you-maybe my- parents got married.” The thought of Snow not being my actual sister seems like a thought that betrays her. She’s always been there when I was sick, or in a tough situation. I’ve been there to help her rule, and been there when she’s cried about our parents. Her parents. My parent. How much do I even really know about what’s really going on? I take a deep breath. First get out of the ice dome. I decide to attempt using a my creation magic. I will myself to take in the living essence around me. This area is plentiful of it. Maybe that’s what happens when no magic is used in The Mortal Realm. It just floats in the air, waiting to be used. I feel the vibrating sensation that comes from taking in the living magic essence. Heat. Melting. I expel the energy toward the wall, and a small surface of ice melts into water like wax on a lit candle. Amanda is wide eyed.
“As I told you Snow is powerful. This ice can probably only be evenly matched with a Leader’s magic. This will take a little while.
                                            ...

I fall on my back once I manage to get through, and my white dress with swirling patterns is now smeared with dirt. Amanda squeezes through the small hole, clutching at some frosted grass that forms a ring around the dome. She brushes grass from her shirt.
“Come on, we can talk at my house.” She turns, but then faces me. “You’re lucky you’re my long lost sister. I hope you’re not a serial killer, but I think you could have killed me if you wanted.” Then she takes striding steps through the trees.
                                              ...
“Amanda?” A tall girl with blond hair pulled up in a pony tail walks into Amanda’s room. When she sees me sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, she stops walking, and tosses a confused look at Amanda.
Amanda sighs, and lays down flat on her bed. “Hey Casey. This is Reyna. Reyna, this is Casey.”
“Um..Hey?” Casey looks from me to Amanda. “You better not be replacing me.” She jokes.
This leads to more story telling, and explaining. My second time today. Casey doesn’t believe me a first, so I prove I to her. I expel energy toward a scented candle on Amanda’s desk, and a flame flickers on the now blackening wick. I think that got her to listen.
“Ok,” She says after I finish, “the mission is to stop your psycho ice queen sort of sister?”
“She’s not actually crazy, she’s paying a dark price.” I say. I feel protective of Snow, but what do I really know what’s happening to her? For all I know, her real thoughts are lost to the tyranny of darkness.
“This has all been really crazy, but I need a snack.” Casey announces. “all this saving Miami talk is making me hungry.” She walks out of the room, and Amanda and I follow--me a little more hesitantly. “I didn’t eat you know,” Casey adds.

When we get downstairs, Casey grabs some chips, and turns on a flat box with moving pictures.
“What is that?” The moving, digital screen’s light cascades in dancing colors on Amanda and Casey’s faces.
“Wait, she’s never seen a TV before?” Casey’s voice is incredulous. The channel stays on news of Mortal crimes. Amanda just shrugs and steals a chip from Casey’s bowl. The man on the screen starts talking about an attack by South Beach. I see people with fabric covering their wounds.
“Police still don’t know who the attacker was, but they say that the attacker threw icicles at the citizens. This is the weirdest  thing since icicles are an odd weapon, and are hard to obtain in the hot Miami weather. What is even more difficult to understand is that they don’t melt.” The man on the screen is saying. I tense. It’s Snow. It has to be. No Mortal substance wouldn’t be able to melt in this weather. Only Snow’s ice magic could sustain its figure in Miami, Florida.

Snow
I groan, blinking rapidly. Each blink makes my vision clearer. When the blurriness has faded, I stare at a white ceiling. A ceiling? I’m sure my consciousness waned outdoors. I start to sit up, and my head throbs in protest. I get up anyway. Looking around I see myself in a clean white room with a fairly comfortable mattress. Where am I? Like I really knew before.
“Hello?” The silence is loud, causing my voice to boom in the empty space. It’s a little rusty from misuse. I hear shuffling footsteps, then the door opens.
“Are you awake?” I freeze. I recognize the the person who pops his head through the door. The same messy chestnut brown hair and one side smile. Mason.
“What does it look like?” I respond with the signature attitude I use only on him and Reyna. The only people I don’t have to act diplomatic around. Didn’t, anyway. Before I had to betray Mason, my secret Fireling best friend. I still remember telling him what I planned to do with the Firelings three years ago, and his acceptance. No argument about it but the fear and hurt in his eyes.  Now he stands with the door open, and walks to me.
“Hello, I’m Dr. Mason Regimo. You’re probably wondering why you’re here. Well, you see, I’m a lone, but skilled doctor with personal patients. I found you by a tree with a huge bump on your head, and brought you here. I don't know how long you were unconscious before I came though. May I ask you some questions?” I meet his eyes and let out a small ok in response.
“Alright” He continues, “What is your name first of all?” I contemplate the answers I could give. He isn’t entirely a stranger. And my true basic information won’t be recognized in this realm.
“Snow White.” I respond.
“Interesting. How did you end up hitting your head that hard?”
I grasp at an answer. “There was an attack near where I was. Strange icicles were being used as a weapons by an unknown attacker. I was terrified when I came to that area, and ran as fast as I could. I barely dodged trees before I finally hit one.” That’s close enough to the truth.
“Do you know anyone who can bring you home? You are healed enough.”
“No. Before that attack, I woke up with no recollection of any family, friends, memories, or where I was. I wandered the streets until the attack.
“Well you could temporarily stay here if my roommates are ok with it. We can try to find out what happened.” There was no hesitation. Probably because it’s still normal for him. His normal signature kindness the could be endearing, or dangerous when he was nïeve to consequences. He was always a softy. I remember when he mourned the death of a wisp when we was seven. The tiny glowing creatures born from icicles, wandering the land and doing what they want in The Power Realm.
“That sounds fine.” I say, “wait. how long has it been since the attack?”
“Two days. Which is weird. You must have hit your head pretty hard.” He responds. I still recall the feeling of fear, and The Dark driving me to madness. “well you should be strong enough to get up. I can arrange where you’ll be staying. I just need to check with my other roommates once they get home. So just to warn you, there are seven people living here-not including me.”
“Seven?” I ask incredulously.
“Yeah, but some of them are patients of mine. I need roommates to help me pay for the building since I need both normal living essentials, patient rooms, and guest rooms.” Mason guides me to a long table with multiple seats where I sit down. He takes out pots and pans, and lights the stove. The blue and orange tinged flames underneath turn my stomach. I watch as he stirs pasta in boiling water, and thaws frozen meatballs. I remember the taste of the last spaghetti and meatballs I had. In The Power Realm we have the same food as The Mortal Realm, but it’s considered a luxury. Our resources aren’t as plentiful, and people with Creation magic can take in nutrients from magical essence to take away hunger. Royalty usually has nutrients put into them by someone trusted with Creation Magic, but those rare actual meals that would sometimes be sent to the palace were amazing. Mason stirs tomato sauce in with the meatballs. The scent is carried through the air and I long for the taste of the food in my mouth. The sun sets, bathing the landscape in a fiery glow with hues of pink. I hear the door open. Mason is putting pasta into different bowls, and his head moves slightly toward the noise. Three guys walked in. One in a lab coat, one in a sweater and jeans, and one in a plain tee-shirt and with a brilliant smile. Two of them mumble, “Hey” while the one smiling is much more enthusiastic when he said “Hi! Oh nice, you’re making my favorite!” All of them sit at the table accept the one in the doctor’s jacket. He takes three bowls, saying he’s bringing them to the other patients. Mason pushed six bowls of spaghetti and meatballs to different areas of the table.
“Ok,” he said as as the guy in the lab coat came back into the room with someone in comfy clothes and a red tinged nose. “Guys this is Snow. She’s a new patient that with be temporarily staying with us. I guess I’ll introduce you guys. This is Carman who’s a little shy, but warms up to you overtime.” Mason points in the direction of the guy in the sweater. “Victor, he’s an assistant the Mercy Hospital, and helps me out sometimes.” This is the guy with the lab coat. “Sabino, don’t mind him sneezing or coughing. He has a cold.” The guy with the red tinged nose gives me a half-hearted smile. “And then there's Lance, don’t get too overwelmed by his friendliness.” Lance’s grin seems to take up most of his face.
“Snow!” He says, “Congrats, you’re the first girl to come here in three weeks.” Mason rolls his eyes.
“See what I mean?” He says.
“So who are the other’s” I question.
“Oh, well there’s Weston, he has hallucinations and can have mood swings where’s he’s angry. Derick has been unconscious for about two weeks, and Owen has a broken leg that has been recently put back into place. He’s still on pain medicine and happy gas.”
I sit at the table, talking and laughing at some of Lance's jokes. It’s nice to talk to people I can be myself around. People who don’t really know who I am. I look at Mason, and silently say, It’s nice to be back, old friend.

Reyna
It’s been two days since I saw evidence of Snow on the supposed TV screen thing. Amanda hasn’t warmed up to the idea of Snow, and I don’t know what Casey thinks. On the TV lately there has been weather reports of a thin layer of snow on the ground even though it’s Miami. Some say it’s global warming. I know what it actually is. After constantly hiding me in Amanda’s closet when her mom comes, we decide to hide me somewhere near Amanda’s house. Amanda apparently knows exactly where to go. Our feet cross the uneven ground of sand by the ocean. There are random patches of snow littering the surface. I expel the energy I used to makes shoes on my feet, the remnants of magic going back to where they came from.
“I’m never going to get tired of your endless wardrobe changing.” Casey says. When I changed my clothes to look more like someone in Miami, Casey got really excited. “You could literally wear anything!” She’d said. Right now the wind is blowing back all of our hair, and Casey is kicking up sand every time she takes a step with her flip flops. We snuck out of Amanda’s house when Casey was over for a sleepover, and now it’s late where no one can see us. The asterism shines clearly in the midnight blue of the sky, and the inky receding tide crashes over itself in small waves that reach for the wet sand.
“Oh my god, Reyna, it’s so weird.” Casey is saying, “Amanda lives in Florida, and doesn’t like the heat or to swim in the ocean.” Casey is gesticulating to the general area. Amanda rolls her eyes and shoves Casey.
“Ok, this is it” Amanda announces. I look at the jumble of bushes and vines. I give her a puzzled look before she pushes aside the tangles of greenery, and reveals a space behind it. The space isn’t roomy, but it isn’t cramped. It looks cozy. Especially with no daylight, the beach cave is engulfed in shadows, and the walls are a little moist.
“Casey and I used to play here when it could fit both of us and still be roomy. I haven't seen it in a while. I was thinking that I could bring you something comfy to sleep on, and give you a battery powered lamp. I could come early in the morning to give you breakfast. My dad makes it early anyway.” I assure them I’ll be fine, and ten minutes later Amanda comes in with the lamp that I set in the corner of the cave, and what she calls a sleeping bag. Why do human sleep in bags? Someone in a bag reminds me of kidnapping. But when I get in, I have to say, the bag is pretty warm and comfy even though the ground is not a royal mattress. Who knew sleeping in a bag could be so nice? I say goodbye to Amanda and use a glamor spell from the common spellbook I know to ensure no one will know that there is a cave here.

Snow
The Dark took over again this morning. My limbs are uncontrollable, and I can feel The Dark worming it’s way through my thoughts.
“I’m going out. Can I borrow your car?” I ask Mason, who sits by Owen to check his broken leg.
“Ow-kay” Owen says in his drunken happy gas voice. Mason hesitates before he nods. My legs move, to the door and my hands take the keys from the hook beside it. I get into the weird human transportation vehicle, and my hands and feet move into place. Apparently The Dark knows how to drive better than me.
                                                     …
I find myself in a place cluttered with other automobiles, and I hear the happy screams of children. The thin layer of snow on the ground has thickened a little. I look at the sign near my car.

Disney World
Where all your dreams come true

I snort. Figures. The Dark goes to a place of dreams and happiness. It can’t find parking, and I don’t blame it. I mean how can you. I look at the clusters of tightly pack metal vehicles. The Dark decides to just leave the car on the side of the road. Parking is apparently not its priority. I hear endless psittacism around me, and really feel the control The Dark is taking. I walk to where you pay for tickets, and just stroll right in.

“Hey! Stop! You need to pay to get in here!” I hear a guard shout. A dark cloud of smoke and snow from my fingertips surrounds the man, and he screams. When the cloud is gone, the man’s skin is bloody and black, and coated with a layer of ice. The horror I’m so used to feeling is gone. I don’t care. And that feels so liberating. A smile touches my lips, and I hear the screams and terror of people around me. I see the beautiful chaos and I laugh with triumph. Take that one she is important The Dark says. It has my hand freeze one girl in a protective ice casing. She will be the only one to live. I close my eyes and channel all my strength. Thrusting my hands to the sky I create a tornado of shadow and snow, the wild chaos of dark wind and torrenting crystals growing larger and larger. Then I create a giant dome around the Disney World. No escape from this so called dream. I hear the pounding of fists, the terrified shriks of children, and I relish in it. I see person after person swept up by the storm, screaming for their delicate lives. Ten minutes later there is no screaming left. I melt a small part of the dome so I can exit, making sure no one sees me. I feel drained, but I push the girl toward Mason’s car. The ice she’s in doesn’t make it difficult to slide her in the cinder filled grass. I see ashes and smoke and gray snow. But I really see the charred casualties that are left.

Reyna
“Reyna! Wake up!” Amanda’s voice brings me out of a dreamless sleep. “Reyna it’s terrible!”
I sit up groggily. Amanda shoves a plate of food into my hands.
“I was watching the news this morning, and there was a mass murder at Disney World yesterday! And, and, Casey was working there. I think it was Snow since there was an ice dome, but the destruction left ashes and smoke. There were people on the outside of the dome that could kinda see what was happening through the ice. There was a huge black tornado and the person making it had long black hair. Their face was blurry. I took a picture on my phone to show you, but there was no way Casey could have survived.” Amanda pulls out her phone and unlocks it, tears moistening her face. The blinding light of the phone sears my eyes, and I turn my head.
“Sorry.” Amanda says miserably, and she turns on the lamp in the corner. I blink to take away the remnants of sleep, and stare at the pictures.
“Shadow Magic.” I whisper.
“Shadow Magic? You never told me about that.”
“It’s an ancient magic, and the darkest kind. That kind of magic can create pure destruction. It looks like wispy black smoke. It’s unknown what the limits of it are. That is what the aftermath looks like. I don’t know how Snow got it though.”
“She took Casey.” Amanda says hopelessly. She crumbles on the ground next to my sleeping bag, hugging her legs. “She. Took. Casey.” Then her expression turns cold.
“Reyna I don’t care if she was your sister, she isn’t anymore. That monster killed Casey and thousand of people. And I’m-, I’m going to kill her!” Hate seeps from every pore of Amanda, and I’ve never seen her so angry.
“Amanda that isn’t her!” I protest.
“Exactly! It isn’t her. I’m not killing your sister. There isn’t any of her left. The Snow White you described to me would never do this.” She spits the words like poison. I don’t protest anymore. She’s right. But I can’t kill Snow. No matter how dark, she’s my sister. My silence drags on, and Amanda breaks it.
“I’m not going to make you do it, I just need to do this. I’m one of the only people that will know what she looks like, and I’ve thought it through. Trust me. I mean, why would I kill someone? But I know what I have to do. And would your sister want this?”
“No.” I whisper. My instincts are trained to reasonable choices from politics, and I hate it. “so what's your plan?”
“There’s a plant called the Angel’s Trumpet that’s native to Florida. I heard about it on a greenhouse tour once. The seeds are deadly, and we could ground them into powder and dip something edible into it, or mix it in a drink.”
“Oh the Powers, I can’t believe we’re plotting my sister’s death.” I say. I really hope I don’t regret this. But even if she’s totally evil or something I know I will.
“What is a type of food or drink that she can’t resist?” Amanda asks.
“Well we don’t have the same food system as you do, but once she tasted this apple drink and loved it.”
“Oh! I have apple juice.”
“How are we going to get these seeds?” I question.  Amanda smiles half heartely.
“Go to a website I called Amazon.com.”

Snow
It’s been two days since the shadowy blizzard, and the girl I froze is in one of Mason’s patient rooms. People from the news came to question me since we eventually had to report it, and I gave them the same fake story. I was on the outside and found this girl frozen. I thought I could bring her here and melt her ice casing. So it looked less suspicious, I froze some other people that stayed on the outside of the dome. Also, they might have seen me. The shadowy magic convinced the reporters to leave and not move the girl to a hospital. It was so faint that Mason didn’t see it.
“I’m going to the beach.” I say. The beach it practically the backyard it’s so close. I feel like going even though I hate the stuffy air and humidity.
“Wait, I’ll come with you.” Mason makes a move to get his shoes but I stop him.
“It’s fine.” I say, and my tone is harsher than I mean it to be.
“Ok.” he says while analyzing my face with his eye, “never mind.”
I walk out the door, and don’t look back.

Reyna
During the day I can’t stay in that cave. Amanda got those seeds on this Amazon site, do to express shipping, and told me how she found out that Snow was living at a private doctor’s house. She was interviewed about saving a girl in an ice casing. The girl was Casey. Amanda was overjoyed when I told her that the ice preserved you even though it’s cold. But neither of us knew why Casey was the only one to survive or how we could get to her. Then I saw the doctor. Mason. No wonder Snow’s there. I remember how much it broke Snow to cast Mason out. Best friends united again. Now I sit on the beach, the hot sand warming my skin. A nice change from the endless snow I was used to. I watch kids building sand castles, and people sunbathing as Amanda and Casey told me. The sound of the gate to the beach squeaking draws my attention. My head turns to see the person for a second, then turns around again. No. It can’t be. Snow? Wait, she’ll know who I am. In a started panick I use the same glamour spell from the cave to disguise my face and hair. The first thing I can think of is a nice old lady for some reason. I pick up the phone Amanda gave me, and pick her number from speed dial.
“Hello?” I hear her voice ask.
“Amanda I found Snow.” I whisper into the phone.
“Wait, what? Where is she?”
“The beach.” I say.
“Ok, I’ll be there in a minute with the apple juice. I already put the powder in one.”
                                              …
In 2 minutes Amanda is there opening the gate with a tray of small cups. She looks around, and I slowly glamor her face so it’s not noticeable. She walks to the center of the beach, but I can see her eyes follow Snow. I walk to her.
“Amanda it’s Reyna.” I whisper.
“Wait, Reyna? How did you age 60 years?”
“Glamor” I say. “I also glamored you, but you still look like a teenager.”
“Ok, look. You have to do this. I’m going to get Casey.” Fear courses through me, and Amanda keeps going. “I looked up the place, and it’s right by the beach. Since Snow is gone I can reason with the doctor. The one with the powder is this one.” She points to the cup in the top left corner.
“Wait, Amanda, you said I wouldn’t need to do it!” I make sure I’m whispering, but my voice is plagued with fear.
“I know, but I have to get her and make sure she’s ok. Look, if you really can’t do it, I understand.”
Then Amanda takes off with the tray in my hands, and I regret agreeing to this plan. But once I take a good look at Snow, I see coldness in her expression, and nothing of the Snow I knew. The normal cool aura I remember is replaced by a piercingly chilling ambience. She really is gone.

Snow
I plan to take the lives of these people too. My hands start to wield my wispy shadow magic when I hear Mason.
“Snow! Wait.” I look up and force my magic down. Mason’s expression is cold. “I saw that, I saw what you were doing. Are you the one--”
“Excuse me” a voice interrupts, and I’m grateful for it. Before me stands an old lady with wrinkles and curly silver hair. “would you like to taste an organic apple juice sampling?”
“No thank you, I would like to talk with my friend here please.” Mason says with gritted teeth.
“No, that’s ok, could I please have one?” I ask. As long as I keep stalling I won’t need to hear what Mason was going to say. The woman smiles and hands me a cup from the corner. She offers another one to Mason who declines, eyes blazing. I gulp up the whole liquid like there’s no tomorrow. Apple. Oh that’s good. But then it burns. My expression turns to shock, then rage and murder. What is this? It burns my throat, and my vision sways. The people disappear, and turn to shadows. What? I feel my weight pull me to the ground, and hear my name in the distance, but I can’t see who’s saying it. Everything sways, and then melts away. I feel a burning sensation eating at my insides.

Reyna
The guilt is an ocean for me to drown in, the current pulling me down and drowning me. I stand there as Snow looks dazed from the hallucinations she must be seeing. That’s one of the symptoms. Her chest rises and falls, and she thrashes, asking something to stop over and over. People start to crowd around, and snow from Snow’s stress starts to come down around her. I see Amanda, and she holds Casey behind the bushes. Then Snow stops moving, and I see Mason holding his head. He does that for a minute before breathing in hard. Then he blinks.
“Reyna? Snow!” He says. That must mean my glamor is gone from my lack of concentration. And I realized what’s happened. The desire Snow wished for is undone by death. So the Firelings got their memories and powers back. That also means Snow is definitely dead. Tears stream down my face, and Mason seems to realize what’s going on. A million emotions flicker across his face.
“Snow!” He shakes her over and over, his face is engulfed in tears, and he hugs her. I cry with him. But I don’t hold Snow. Not when I’m the one who murdered her.
“No.” Mason says, his voice choked in tears. “we can still save her with the mortal locket. We can find it.”
He looks up to me hopefully, and his gaze is desperate. I close my eyes.
“Amanda give him the locket.” I say. Mason’s attention snaps to look around the crowd.
“It’s here?” He asks incredulously. Amanda removes her necklace, and places it in Mason’s palm.
“Are you sure Mason? You know it will take a price.” I tell him. I remember all the times before when Snow forbid me to wish away her price and to receive the burden of one myself. I don’t think I’ll listen now. Mason nods.
“I’ll pay whatever price I’m given” He says, and speaks the words.

“Veni, Veni, et omnia regna me opera tua. Pro mea pretium accipias, et ad receptum, si aliquis actus purissimus pretium omnium.  Portal, Portal, of all the realms, aid me with your power. Take a price in return for my desire, and may the price be taken back if I perform an act the purest of them all.”

Snow’s eyes open, and she takes in deep breaths. Her face is kind, but tired. Normal.
“Mason? Reyna?” She looks at us with a confused expression. Her voice has it’s usual warmth and diplomacy. Then she gasps, and arches her back. A dark cloud rises from her, and shoots into me.
“Reyna!” Snow cries in a weak breath. I feel The Dark eating away at the good in my soul, and overpowering me. I feel myself burning through and through. This is the price for bringing back Snow. I hope it’s worth it. I scream as everything turns to oblivion. The Dark floods through my eyes, and courses through my veins in a burning sensation. Then I feel my pounding heart stop.

Snow
Reyna’s body collapses to the ground. Her eyes are bloody from the blackness that I saw explode from them. Random areas of her skin weep with blood like The Dark was breaking free from her skin, and made holes to free itself from her. I feel the weight of mixed emotions--desperation, sadness, and regret clawing at me. I try to hold back tears so I don't explode in sorrow, but I feel a giant, sore lump in my throat. Tears blur my vision, and Mason holds me back from her. I no longer feel the burden of shadows and darkness I alway have. And neither can Reyna. I saw the light leave her eyes, and now I close them. Shaking and sobbing, I despise the thought of Reyna not being with me after everything. Crying out, I feel one of my emotional storms ripple around me. I see the sand now in cover in snow, and the ocean frozen over as far as my vision can see. Mason’s grip doesn't waver. Then Reyna’s eyes open. I feel a patch of the sand around me melt, and my body still shaking with tense muscles. Reyna’s eyes are harsh, and a dark violet. I see hate and intense loathing tainting the warm brown eyes I grew up with. My eyes had stayed the same color. Why are hers different? And how is she alive? Reyna smiles a smile laced with venom and sits up. She wipes the blood from her eyes like fresh tears that bother her. A pool of blood marks the place where she was, and more blood oozes from the holes in her skin, but she doesn't seem to notice. It's like she doesn't even need it. Dark cloudy smoke comes from her hand and circles around a figure behind me. I turn to see it’s the girl that The Dark told me to freeze. Why is she here? A cloud of dark smog encases her, and crushes her in a heap of pluming smoke.
“No!” Someone screams. It’s the girl from the ice dome when I first got here. “Casey!” Reyna speaks as the girl sobs and drops to her knees with her hands over her face.
“My name is Desolation. I am all the sins and evil that lurks in all realms. I was trapped in that locket as the power source, but now I am free. Oh and thank you for keeping Casey so I could crush her in front of Amanda. The pain and sorrow feeds me power.”
The girl tries to grab at Desolation, but Desolation shoots a wisp of shadow magic at her. She screams as her skin blisters from a burn that appears, flaming pink on her wrist.
“What did you do to Reyna!” I scream with a dry voice. I'm scared of the answer I already know. The reason why her eyes turned a different color. The thought of those eyes not being Reyna’s anymore, since she was destroyed and morphed by The Dark while I was the host to it. Desolation stands there unconcerned.
“Reyna is gone, she was too weak to take The Dark as you call it. Her body will suffice my needs.”
“You monster!” I shriek. Desolation throws a wisps at me, and I feel a sharp icy pain in my head, I see a memory of Reyna’s pain in her last moment before everything went cold with death. The vision fades and I see Desolation again. I see how her name fits her.
“Snow White, I was the voice in your head, and now the burden of your sister’s death will take my place.” Desolation grabs at the mortal locket and disappears in a blinding portal beam before I can respond.

Desolation
I sit on the royal throne of The Iceling part of The Power Realm. I could transport back to The Power realm since I powered the locket. It still does its job, just not without me. The Icelings cowered at my feet after I did little shadow magic tricks that burned them, and made them gasp for air. And here I am. They will all know what it was like to suffer like I did. When I was trapped, Mortals and Powers united to trap me in my home realm. The Shadow Realm, which is now The Rejected Realm. It is as rejected and deserted as I am. I will make them all suffer, and they will all die as bloody, thrashing carcases at my feet. But right now I’ll have some fun before I leave no traces of life behind. My new subjects are all gathered in front of me now, and the traditional wispy Iceling tune plays from the strums of harps. I hate it. Shadowy vapor comes from my fingertips, and the people playing the harps stop short as the vapor slices clean through their hands. Their throats are ripped out before they can scream. The noise would have been irritating. Fear ripples through the crowd, and I feel the power of it. Fear is a being's strongest emotion. It can drive them to actions of great desperation, or with reckless consequences. A nervous man announces me with a shaking voice.

“Announcing our new ruler! Queen Desolation! Also to be called the Evil Queen!”

They all kneel, and I think of the vow I made all those years ago when I was trapped. I shall raise savage chaos to the surface, and paint the world anew in blood.

There is no such thing as Happily Ever Afters. But this isn’t The End.