This is a classic fairy tale. My favorite. Rewritten..
Chapter One
A long time ago there was a girl and a boy. Usually this tale begins with an introduction concerning the devil who creates a mirror which distorts everything. The mirror breaks into a million shards and disperses throughout the world. These evil shards get stuck in peoples eyes making them see everything distorted. And the shards get stuck in their hearts, causing their hearts to turn to ice.
But my story is a little different, even though it begins exactly the same way. You should read the original if you are curious about the differences but here is my story...
There once lived a boy and a girl.
While this was all happening with the mirror, the boy and the girl were friends. They knew they were destined to be friends forever. More than friends, of course. They knew they were soul mates. They treasured every moment they had, and pretended it didn't matter. The boy wanted to marry the girl, and the girl didn't even know. The girl loved the boy deeply, but she didn't even hope that he would love her back. When she found out he did, her whole world came alive. Everything was perfect. The vowed to love each other forever. Everything was the way it should be.
There was never any reason to worry about anything with the boy and girl. They loved each other. They were happy. But then the world got difficult. The boy and girl saw cruelty, sadness, despair and utter failure. They had each other though, and that should have been all that mattered.
Chapter Two
"Years go by and I'm here still waiting
Withering where some snowman was
Mirror, mirror, where's the crystal palace
But I only can see myself
Skating around the truth who I am"
Winter by Tori Amos
The Snow Queen was beautiful and dangerous and terrifying all at the same time. Her icy grip was intriguing. Despite the knowledge of certain doom, very few people had the power to resist her irrepressible allure. Of course the girl, whose name was Rain, was one of those people. She could resist the ice grip, because she had danced in the sunshine before. She walked in the warm moonlit forest and had tasted the love of life. She had no care for something cold to touch her.
It made her heart ache when she started seeing despair and hopelessness all around her. When she started noticing all the people with icy hearts and frozen eyes and the pain it caused, she wanted to help. Most of the problems in the world were caused by all of those icy shards which were getting stuck in people's hearts and eyes. Actually by this time, the shards had been getting stuck in people's brains too. This was causing all kinds of disturbances and mayhem. Imagine how the ice shards could mess up people's thought patterns.
Rain wanted to help these people. She listened to them pour their heart out. She loved them and she wanted to help. Mostly she realized that just being there and listening would help melt the shards. Tears melted the shards too, especially the really big ones. But it was difficult for her, even if she didn't admit it. Everytime she would listen and open up her heart, take on the pain and misery, it wore her down a little. But she didn't mind. It was what she wanted to do. Seeing so many in misery, she wanted to help them in any way she could. She wanted to show them how much better the sunshine and warmth was. Of course, there was always a danger of ice getting stuck in her too. A few times she actually saw pieces of ice flying around, trying to icify her heart, and eyes, and mind, but they were no match for her. She could evade them or catch them and melt them with her fingers. She felt it was her special gift. Her special power. She became a little conceited about it, in fact. She thought nothing could affect her and change her.
While this was all happening, the Snow Queen noticed Rain. Normally, she enjoyed getting hold of more flashy people. Rain was not that type of girl. She was a little odd, a little quiet, didn't mind being alone, and really didn't like attention in a crowd. But now, the Snow Queen not only noticed her, but grew angry with her. It was because Rain was getting people to de-icify. See, the Snow Queen did not create the ice mirror, but she delighted in the affects it caused. And once the ice shards touched a person, her job was SO much easier. She could descend on a person, breathe her icy breath on them, and they would be her prisoner. Once she had them captured, she would whisk them away, and bring them to her Ice Castle. There, they would serve her until slowly they would become so frozen, they would become ice statues in her courtyard. You would think she would run out of room with all these ice people statues filling up her castle, but since ice is an unlimited resource, she kept building on, so the castle was a neverending labyrinth of rooms which held these statues. It made the Snow Queen quite happy. And now, the Snow Queen wanted another statue. She wanted a Rain statue.
Chapter 3
"Why do you cry, what did I say?" "But its just rain I smiled, brushing my tears away" - Edge of the Deep Green Sea by The Cure
One day, Rain became absent-minded. She was preoccupied with things don't matter. Things that will always be there. Like cobwebs and laundry. Of course they need to be done, but she let them pile up so much that she was overwhelmed and got a little put-out about it all. So, as she was running around cleaning and obsessing, a miniscule sliver of ice slipped into her heart. It happened so quickly and neatly, that she hardly knew it happened. It was a small prick and she ignored it. Later that day, the ice started to take effect. She started feeling less.
A little numb.
A little cold.
A little still.
And to be honest, it felt good. She had been so used to feeling SO much, feeling everyone's pains, everyone's suffering, that a little numbness was such a relief.
She didn't realize that she needed those feelings to truly feel alive.
So, when the boy came home, she didn't tell him about the ice. She actually thought it may be for the best, that she could help the ice people a little more if she truly felt the ice herself. She had lost her special ability to resist, that may be true, but she also felt that she could rest for a bit and pull it out whenever she wanted. She just wanted some time to enjoy the numbness.
It was the worst thing she could ever do. Not telling the boy.
Chapter 4
"The walls you build around you now,
Seem to fit you like a glove.
Something's wrong with you,
Cause stars cannot be found in clouds that cover up their love." - Saliva
The Boy had been a little overwhelmed at the time. He had a lot of obligations, and other "stuff" on his mind. He didn't notice the change in the girl. But it wasn't really his fault. He had this idea. Or possibly a concept that Rain didn't have any problems. She was always able to keep things together, and so he presumed that she always would. The slight changes in her demeanor caused by the sliver, he didn't really notice. After all, she was Rain. He thought she was kind of like his constant. Always there. Always strong.
But no one is ever that strong.
Slowly, every day, Rain became a little more...detached. She pretended to be the same girl. But she was different. For one thing, she was more obsessed about her work, which involved creating trinkets and selling them in the village marketplace. It left less time for her to create what was much more important. Love, friendship, stray children who needed an open door, there was little time to really involve herself in them. She was wasting time on things that don't matter. Every day. She had less patience for other people, as well.
The Snow Queen was absolutely delighted with the transpirations. She had been watching Rain for a while and had been planning on some type of sabotage. But now, that didn't matter. The Snow Queen knew the time was right. With very little effort, she knew Rain could be hers.
She came to Rain one afternoon. Pretending to be interested in the trinkets. And so, she convinced Rain to take a ride with her, in order to see her Ice Castle.
The Snow Queen said, "I must have your pretty things decorating my Castle. But you MUST come with me so that you can match everything perfectly. Your talent is unsurpassed and only YOU can perfect my palace." The Snow Queen knew what would move Rain. So, Rain went with the Snow Queen. She willingly stepped into the Queen's snow equipped Hummer. She even sipped the red cordial which the Snow Queen offered. It was warm. It was numbing. It allowed Rain to not feel the increasing cold as they drove to the castle. The Ice Castle was so cold, that it's coldness radiated from it and it was much colder than humanly acceptable miles surrounding it. Rain walked into the castle, and every second she was becoming colder, but she didn't even notice it. It was almost like she had become so numb, that she no longer had the will to fight the cold. The ice had won.
For a while, the Snow Queen had her enjoyment. Asking Rain to do ridiculous things. Things that were so wrong, or so silly, things that were degrading and embarrasing. The Snow Queen had great delight in her new slave, her new circus performer. Under normal circumstances, Rain would have run away from anything remotely "under her". It was Rain's fault. She knew what she had to do. She did not lose her brain through this whole thing. It was her heart that grew numb, not her brain, or her conscious. She knew even when the ice sliver first penetrated her skin, that she needed to stop it. And even in the Ice castle, she could have run away, but she chose to stay. She had no stregnth to fight it, and the ice started to feel comfortable. She was comfortably numb.
Chapter 5
"A shallow grave
A monument to the ruined age
Ice in my eyes
And eyes like ice don't move
Screaming at the moon
Another past time
Your name
Like ice into my heart" The Cure - Cold
The boy was frantic. He did not know what happened. Only that she wasn't there. She was gone and he had to get her back. He knew how much he loved her. That she was his life.
So he began looking for her. She was lost and he needed to save her. To bring her back home, to him, to herself again. And he began piecing together all of the pieces. The distance, the preoccupations, the obsessions. He began to understand how she became numb and cold.
He began investigating the truth about the ice shards. He connected everything. He connected the many disappearances in the news. He realized it was the Snow Queen. And he knew he had to find her castle and save Rain. Before Rain was transformed into a statue of ice.
Chapter Six
Logically, you would think that the boy, would need to prepare in some way.. Not unlike most heroes do before they go on their adventure.
He should have found a wise sage and been given advice. He would have benefited from some training. Or perhaps like in the story about Eustace and Jill Pole, he could have used a list of signs to look for to guide his way. Or at the very least, he should have found a sword or other weapon with magical powers. He didn't acquire any of these.
He knew that the journey was going to be perilous. The dead cold was going to be an obstacle which would not be easy to overcome. The Snow Queen herself was quite a foe. And he had no clue of how to defeat her. His goal was not to fight or defeat the Snow Queen as much as save Rain. That was all that mattered to him. He didn't know if she was in pain, or hurt, or had been turned into an ice statue. He didn't know how to save her. In desperation, he left home to find Rain. He was equipped only one weapon. His love for her.
He also found some warmth elixirs to help him to survive the cold.
Chapter Seven
But Christmas falls late now
Flatter and colder
And never as bright as when we used to fall
All this in an instant
Before I can kiss you "Last Dance" -The Cure
The boy set out. He journeyed across the frozen terrain. There were many setbacks. Many trials. Many months passed. Until he finally saw the Ice Castle.
He approached the frozen gates and entered. There were no guards. No one came this far. He had done what few else could do. He began seeking her. Room by room. Searching each frozen statue for a likeness. There were SO many ice statues.
But then he found her. She was alone, but she wasn't a statue. She was different, however, bluish and frozen in a way. She turned around from where she was. She was looking into a tall wall mirror. She turned around and pierced him with her gaze. She looked at him with recognition, but no heart. It was like Rain was gone, and her body remained. She was a zombie. Her heart was completely frozen, as were her eyes at this point. They were cold.
But the boy was so happy to find her. He could tell that she had been in the service of the Snow Queen and had done terrible deeds to please her. But he didn't care. He saw that he had only one purpose, and that was to release her from the Ice and Cold.
He ran up to her. He embraced her. She was rigid. And then he started crying. He didn't even know he could cry. He never had before.
But he did, and though he didn't know it, that was the only weapon that could have possibly worked against the cold. The tears touched Rain's eyes. And they touched her breast and seeped into her heart. They awoke her. She felt again. She felt the cold that bound her.
Chapter Eight
He had saved her. At least for the moment. He needed to awaken her, and unfreeze her. And he had. She was herself again. With that moment of recognition, however, came the full realization of everything she had chosen. She had chosen the cold over love. She was overcome with remorse, regret and horror. She wept bitterly over her mistake. He held her. He loved her. He didn't want any mistakes to hurt them anymore. As she was weeping, the Snow Queen walked into the chamber.
It was the first time that the boy had ever seen her. She was otherworldly. Tall. Proud. Beautiful. Cold. Strong. She had no intention of letting her prey go easily. And now she had both the boy and the girl. But the Snow Queen did not anticipate the strength of the Boy. Or the strength of some one who is given new hope. Rain had come to life. She despised what she had become, but now she was stronger. And the Boy was the true hero he was always meant to be. The Snow Queen only had power over those who were afraid and who had darkness in their hearts.
He had none.
And Rain was no longer afraid. So together, they looked at the Snow Queen straight into her frozen eyes, intertwined their fingers, and walked past her. That had never been done before, and she could not stop it. She only had power over those who were afraid, and who wanted her ice. But these two, now, where untouched by the cold she owned. They walked out and then they ran. Out of the castle. They ran for miles without getting cold. Never letting go of each other. When they reached the edge of the cold Ice Kingdom, they collapsed on the grass and laughed. They cried out of joy. They kissed. They knew they could never be touched by the Snow, the Queen, the Ice Shards again. Most of all, they understood that tears, love, honesty, and hope were all they needed.
The boy and girl returned home. Rain was so grateful. So relieved. So thankful. But she was also scared. She was afraid that the things she had done while she had the ice heart would destroy the boy's love for her.
Final Chapter
That is the way things are sometimes, when people don't truly understand what love is. The boy truly loved her, and realized through the whole ordeal, that Rain was the only thing that mattered to him.
He decided to never hold the past against her. The only thing that was important was their love. And their new life together.
Because of that decision, they had a beautiful life together. They faced many more trials and had many more adventures. But always it was if they were fighting together, against the rest of the world. And the ice shards never were able to touch either of them again.
For myself, I think of Duke Leto from Dune. Before leaving his home planet which is predominately water, for the desert planet he tells his son, "I'll miss the sea, but a person needs new experiences. They jar something deep inside, allowing him to grow. Without change something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken!" 
