Frozen- a fanfic by Hi no Miko (i_love_kurama@hotmail.com) (previously known as Hino Rei/Danielle) Visit my homepage: http://come.to/himiko/ This fanfic was inspired by my wishes for Yule and snow, and by the Tale of the Snow Queen. Disclaimer: These characters (with the exception of a couple goddesses who decided to pop in) belong to Takeuchi Naoko-sama, Kodansha Comics, Toei Douga, Asahi Tv, etc. Chapter I Cold as the northern winds in December mornings.. Cold is the cry that rings from this far distant shore... ---"Exile" ---Enya (Watermark) Michiru gazed out over the icy terrain. 'Where could Haruka be?' she worried. Haruka had gone out to hunt their food some hours before. Michiru often worried because of the extreme temperatures and ferocious creatures in the forest in which they dwelled. Her heart settled into a natural rhythm when she saw Haruka's familiar figure betwixt the trees. Haruka entered their cabin carrying a large deer. "I am saddened to have killed such a beautiful creature. Yet for my family I would do anything. It was the weakest of the herd." Michiru touched Haruka's cold cheek. "I know, love." She set about preparing a meal for them while Haruka warmed by the hearth. "Haruka-papa!" a small dark-haired child cried giving Haruka an enthusiastic embrace. "Michiru-mama says we must decorate a tree!" Haruka smiled fondly upon her child. "Yes, hime-chan, we must decorate a tree and burn a log to honour the sacrifice of the sacred oak tree who gave her life that we might have fire and warmth. This celebration is called Yule, Hotaru." The small girl bounced up and down in her excitement before climbing into Haruka's lap to sit peacefully by the fire. Michiru glanced over at her lover and child adoringly as she set the table. She hated to have to wake them from their peaceful slumber. Haruka woke slowly because of the light kiss which pressed her lips. She opened her eyes to see Michiru's deep blue eyes gazing into her own. She looked down at the sleeping child in her arms. "Wake up, hime-chan, 'tis dinnertime," Haruka said quietly. She opened her violet eyes wide, blinking for a few moments. They sat down and ate their meal, grateful to have food on their plates. After their meal was finished Michiru laid her hand on Haruka's thigh and asked quietly, "Would it be too much to ask love, for you to find us a Yule log for our fire?" Haruka looked into Michiru's eyes again and was lost. "Of course not, my love, if it be a Yule log that you want, a Yule log you shall have." Haruka had hoped to stay in the warmth of her home for the rest of the night, but Michiru was right. Yule was a very important celebration honouring not only the sacred oak tree but all of nature's gifts on which they lived. She would get their Yule log, and they would decorate the tree which stood next to their house, so that they wouldn't have to kill any trees. She dressed warmly, and pressed a kiss to Michiru's lips and upon Hotaru's forehead, before leaving to complete her task. Her footsteps crunched in the silence of the wintry forest. Pines, maples, and oak trees towered above her in every direction, making her feel completely alone and at one with everything at the same time. She knelt down in the pristine snow to pick up a fallen branch which was perfect to her purposes. She was about to chop it down to a carriable size after having asked the tree for its permission, when she heard a plaintive wail. "Och-on...och-on.." the feminine voice mourned. Haruka stood quickly, and following the sound of the voice she decisively took action. "Miss? Miss?" she called out, "Where are you? Are you all right?" At last Haruka came to a clearing where a young woman wearing a pale yellow cloak knelt with her face in her hands, her golden and red hair spilling over her shoulders into the snow. Haruka rushed forward, placing her hand on the woman's shoulder, "Are you hurt?" she asked gently. The woman put one of her hands on top of Haruka's and raised her head to look at Haruka. Cold, red-gold eyes peered out at her from a face hardened in disgust and hatred. Haruka was startled and tried to take a step back, only to realise that the woman had placed a golden bracelet on her wrist. Haruka who had always been a hunter, was now trapped. "What have you done to me?" she cried as she felt herself grow colder. "What HAVE YOU DONE?!!" Her horror grew as she felt her skin turn to ice. She felt dizzy and as her world slowly went black she pictured Michiru and Hotaru as she saw them last, hoping, praying as hard as she could that they would be safe from this vicious woman. Galaxia smiled and laughed vigorously as her victim fell prey to the hypnotic power of the bracelet. She tucked her hair into her cloak as she rose and pulled up her hood, never noticing the crows which sat atop the nearby oak tree watching her every move. She levitated Haruka's limp form and gloated it over to an unnatural tree which ne'er grew neither fruit nor leaf. When she stepped before the tree it opened to reveal cavernous depths. Both she and Haruka disappeared within. The two crows cawed loudly, a cry which seemed to be either one of mourning or of anger. Michiru gazed out her window. 'It is so late, Haruka should have been back by now. What could have happened to her?' she pondered frantically, hesitating to go search for her lover only because she didn't want to leave her sleeping child alone. She heard a rapping on her door, and leapt up eagerly, hoping that it was her beloved returned. She opened the door to see two waifish, fairy-like women dressed in black hooded cloaks. "Who are you?" She asked startled. They stepped in out of the cold and took off their hoods. "I am Phobos." said the one on the left. "and I am Deimos." continued the one on the right. "Why have you come here?" Michiru asked, "Are you merely travellers needing to get out of the cold? We haven't much but we are willing to share what we have." Both women looked at her sadly, "Michiru-san, you are so kind." murmured Deimos tearfully. Michiru was startled, "How do you know my name?" she demanded. "We are emissaries of Ishtar," replied Phobos, "And we bring you a message." "Emissaries of Goddess Lady Ishtar?" she repeated awed. "Earlier this evening, we were watching your lover Haruka, as Ishtar bid us do, when we saw a strange woman dressed in a pale yellow cloak with gold and red hair. She did not seem... right to us so we continued to watch her closely. Haruka's path soon crossed with hers, when she lured Haruka to her with a mourning cry. Once Haruka was in her grasp, she bound her with a strange golden bracelet and removed her to another realm through an entrance in a foul and unnatural tree." Michiru had sat in shocked silence during Deimos, but now she leapt up with anger, sadness and determination, "I must rescue her from the clutches of that vile woman!!" she exclaimed. Phobos and Deimos both looked uneasy. "Lady Demeter thought that you would feel that way. She approached us with instructions to give you this." Phobos pulled a golden mirror from the depths of her cloak. "She said that this would help you see past the deceptive white purity of the ice and snow, that you might find your love." Michiru took the mirror in her hands feeling as if it were meant for her. She noted the woman along the right side of its reflective surface. 'I will find you Haruka, no matter what it takes.' She gasped as Haruka appeared in her mirror. She was barely conscious and lay on an icy floor with glazed teal eyes. "HARUKA!!" she cried out. "Haruka..." she said brokenly. She turned to Phobos and Deimos. "You WILL take me to this tree." They nodded, because her tone of voice left no room for argument. She left the room to wake Hotaru. "Hotaru...wake up sweetie." Michiru said. Hotaru opened her eyes. "Michiru-mama, I had a bad dream. A bad lady took Haruka-papa and made her really cold." Michiru gasped, "Hotaru, that is what really happened. We have to go save Haruka-papa." She bundled Hotaru up in her warmest clothing, and packed supplies for several days in a sack. She put on her cloak, which was dark green and Hotaru put on her violet cloak and they followed Phobos and Deimos out the door. They followed them, the light of the moon their only guide through the starless night. At last they reached the tree, Michiru stepped up to it and the door opened. "We can't go past this point, from here on you are alone." Deimos told them. Michiru nodded and then, grasping Hotaru's hand firmly in her own, stepped through. The other side was not like anything she would ever have expected. She had entered into a completely different world. The sun shone brightly though it had a moment before been the dead of night. A busy city bustled around them. "Come on, Hotaru, perhaps these people have seen them..." Michiru walked up to a man who was selling roasted chestnuts. "Gomen Kudasai, have you seen a woman come through here? She has long golden and red hair and wears a pale yellow cloak." The man gasped in fear, "The Golden Queen?" he hissed at her, "Do not even speak her name! She will hear you and come for you if you do!" he warned before turning away and pretending that she did not exist. 'So, she is known here, and feared. What are we up against?' Michiru sighed and led Hotaru away from him. She and Hotaru stood in the Town Square for a moment, taking in their surroundings and trying to decide where to go next. "Miss?" a voice asked from behind them. Michiru looked up to see a young woman dressed in a pale green cloak. Her mahogany hair was tied up in a ponytail. "I heard you asking Tetsuo about HER...and I think that I can help you." the girl said nervously. "You can help me?" Michiru said hopefully, 'Finally, someone nice.' "Why are you looking for her?" she asked still glancing around to make sure that no one was spying on their conversation. "She has kidnapped my lover!" Michiru said brokenly, holding back her tears for Hotaru's sake. The girl seemed taken aback. "That's strange. Normally she only kidnaps young women." "My lover IS a young woman!" Michiru replied. She nodded and smiled nervously, "Oh." "Can you help me find her? Do you know where she is?" Michiru asked frantically. "Well yes, but we shouldn't be discussing this so openly..." she glanced around, "it is punishable by law." she said lowering her voice. "Is there somewhere where we can talk more privately?" Michiru asked, pleading the girl with her eyes. She nodded briefly, "Come with me." They followed the girl for several blocks, when finally they reached a tudor-style house. The girl opened the door and gestured for them to follow them inside. "Many of my friends have been taken by the Golden Queen, she is very vicious and thirsty for young blood." she explained. "You see, she took over this entire area, once the people here were happy, but now....they are all oppressed by her. Those who remain, that is. Countless numbers of young women have disappeared since she came. No one even knows where she came from." she looked down at her hands, which were clasped in her lap. "Where are my manners? I haven't even introduced myself to you. My name is Kino Makoto." she held out a hand to Michiru. "My name is Kaioh Michiru, and this is my daughter Tomoe Hotaru." she replied taking Makoto's hand. "If you know how to get there, will you take me to where she is, Makoto?" Michiru asked. Makoto looked frightened momentarily, "I can take you to the mountain, but you'll have to find your way up it on your own. Not even I am that brave." Michiru nodded. "That's enough."