The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen

Flora Winters

I do not own Smallville or the Snow Queen, but my friends do call me the Snow Queen.

Summary: Winter has taken a life in Smallville and everyone thinks Clark has become colder than ice. MM, Language.

Chapter Six

“Come back little boy,” a warm and concerned voice cooed gently, “You don’t want to leave just yet. You don’t want to go.”

He could feel soft hands running through his hair and that voice was so comforting, calling him back from someplace dark and lonely. He felt a kiss being planted firmly on his forehead.

“You’re not dead,” the voice cooed like fresh sunshine on an opening blossom, “My little boy, you’re just full of water.”

He felt hands raising him up and that gentle voice commanded strongly as if death had now power in her presence, “Spit it out. Come back little boy.”

Another warm kiss was planted on his forehead and he felt his shoulders being shook, “Come back!”

His eyes snapped open and he coughed water out of his mouth drawing in deep breaths. He could see that a motherly looking woman was smiling at him and held him close.

Her hair was as red as rose petals with baby’s breath all wound in it. Her eyes were as blue as a spring sky with golden lightning flashing out from those light blue pupils. She had on a soft green gossamer gown that had trails of ivy around her arms.

Was this a Goddess?

“What on earth were you doing in the water,” she asked as she combed back his hair out of his eyes with her fingers.

“I jumped in,” he said as he still fought to steady his breathing.

She cooed to him and held him close, “It is such a good thing that I was expecting you, my little Cornflower.”

She helped him to his feet and his eyes beheld the most beautiful garden in all the world. There was flowers of all sorts just blooming with life. There were colors that he could not even begin to describe that were just glowing all around him. Her laughter was as warm as the sunshine on his face.

Birds were chirping and she lead him by the hand towards a very lovely cottage that seemed like something out of faerie tale. Flowers were growing all around it and ivy was snaking across it in spirals. Where in the world was he? How did he get here? Where was…where was…Clark?

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Clark was walking around the great ice palace because he had gotten bored with the silly mirror. He wanted to see just how big this fantastic place really was. The Snow Queen had told him that he had been here all his life but why couldn’t he remember it? She kept calling him Snowflake.

Huge spiraling towers of ice that glowed like sliver moonlight seemed to just spiral on forever and ever. This place was so big and it was so beautiful. He hoped that he wouldn’t get lost. That would be very embarrassing. Who would ever admit to getting lost in their own home?

It was snowing inside again and it was so pretty. The snowflakes looked like little diamonds falling in the light and he twirled around feeling light as a feather.

That was when he opened his eyes to see that he was floating several feet off the snow covered floor. He yelped and fell flat on his butt. How in the heck did he do that?

There was magic in this place.

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“Have some strawberries,” the Goddess said and Bart watched them magically appear in a bowl that was sitting on the beautiful table that looked to be made of golden amber, “Just be careful with the juice. We don’t want you to ruin another pretty shirt like last time.”

Bart narrowed his blue eyes, “Last time?”

She came up behind him with a warm towel that smelled of honeysuckle in hand and draped it over him so she could dry him off.

“Jumped in did you,” she asked as she helped dry him off, “You were one of those boys who use to have loads of fun, until you fell asleep, huh?”

He looked up into her porcelain face with rosy red cheeks, “The world is full of little boys like you. Sleepy boys I call them.”

“Sleepy,” he asked and wondered what she meant by that.

“Sleepy boy,” she said and began to comb her long slender fingers through his hair, “Do you ever find that when someone plays with your hair, you get sleepy?”

“Where am I,” he asked starting to feel sleepy and fought it, “I have to find someone.”

“Such pretty hair you’ve got,” she said and kept combing it gently with her skilled fingers, “Soft as a spider’s silk and you must be so tired. Pretty, soft, sleepy hair.”

Her smooth voice seemed to lull him like a magic spell and his eyes started to close. He blinked and saw incense burning…but it was burning the wrong way. It was as if time was in reverse for it. Strange magic this is.

He shook his head, “Where am I? I’m looking for…Clark. Where is he?”

“Clark,” she asked with a giggly laugh as she continued to play with his hair, “I’m sure he’ll stop in.”

“Where is he,” he asked trying to break her spell, “I’ve been looking for him because everyone else has stopped.”

“Up to bed my beautiful, sleepy boy,” she cooed as she wrapped a warm blanket around him.

“No,” he said even though his eyes were sleepy with her spell as he got to his feet, “I have to find him.”

“But, you’re so sleepy,” her kind face said and the spell grew stronger, “My sleepy boy.”

“No,” he said, “Thank you for helping me out of the water, but I have to find him, now.”

“As you wish,” she said and opened the door with a giggle, “It was nice of you to stop by sleepy boy.”

How in the hell did he wind up in a bedroom? This door was supposed to lead outside. He had just walked through this door from out there. The room was nice. The walls were all warm and glowing. There was flowers all over the place and they all smelled heavenly. It was like he had just stepped into another small paradise.

There was a bed there as well. It was the biggest bed he had ever seen. The quilt was all white with lavender flowers stitched in. It was all so pretty and soft.

“Quite nice of me to save your life, too,” she said and took him by the shoulder as he looked around the beautiful bedroom, “You worry too much, sleepy boy.”

She quickly made the bed down and helped him into it, “How’s the bed?”

His face said it all and she smiled like sunshine, “Is it by any chance the softest bed you’ve ever been in?”

He closed his eyes and laid down on the soft mattress that felt like marshmallows. The pillows themselves were as soft as clouds. He felt like he was floating on air.

“It’s,” he said and made a face, “It’s indescribable.”

She sat down next to him and ran her fingers through his hair once more, “We didn’t have any bedtime stories, did we,” she asked in a sweet baby voice and his eyes turned sad, “I’ll make up for that, I promise you.”

“Bart,” a familiar wispy voice called and he turned to look out the window to see white roses all in the frame, “Bart, listen.”

“Roses,” Bart asked in confusion as he looked at the glowing white petals, “Is it that time of year already? They remind me of something…someone.”

Her face turned as sour as a spring rain ruining a picnic, “Do they remind you of a boy?”

“Bart,” the roses whispered, “Clark needs you. We can help you find him. We know where he is.”

“I think he was in a lot of pain,” Bart said with a yawn, “He was so sad. He needed someone too…”

She walked to the window and glared down at the glowing white roses and hissed, “Get out of here.”

The roses began to twist and close their fragrant petals as they sank back into the earth.

“So hard to remember,” Bart whined.

“You need to stop trying so hard,” she said turning to look at him and then smiled, “Don’t you?”

“I guess you’re right,” he said and closed his eyes as he sank deeper into the warmth of the bed.

“Now, go to sleep, my little Cornflower,” she said and bent down to kiss him on the cheek, “Just like Mummy says.”

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Lois walked in from downstairs and stretched. It had been such a busy day and people needed to get lives, seriously. She saw that she had messages and pressed the button to see who they were from. Two of them were from Chloe, one was from Lana, and the other one was from the school.

“Miss Lane,” a tired voice asked, “This is Principal Peterson at Smallville High. Bart did not show up for classes today. Is everything alright? Please be in contact. Hope all is well. Bye now.”

Lois’ eyes widened, “What the hell?”

She ran to the fridge to see if he had left a note.

Went for a walk. Be home after school.

“Shit,” she hissed and rushed to call Chloe to see if he was there with her or Lana.

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The Spring Witch was fixing some bread while Bart was cutting up some strawberries. They were so sweet and he just had to eat some. They smelled so good. How could he not? They were so ripe and yummy.

“Such a beautiful boy,” she said smiling at him from the oven, “You are such a joy to have around, really. You’re so kind and considerate…that’s why I like you. You really help out around the house too. Such a treasure.”

Bart turned around and smiled at her. She could see the joy in it, but it was the pain in his eyes that made her worry. It broke her heart.

“You had to grow up too soon, didn’t you,” she said going to him as his life played out before her eyes, “It must have been terrible.”

“It was,” he said looking up at her.

“You know, the best time of your life is when you’re young and you have someone to take care of you night and day,” she said hugging him close while snatching some yummy strawberries, “Its what I call the Spring of Life.”

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“Snowflake,” a chilling yet very familiar siren voice asked from behind him, “What are you doing?”

Clark spun around and smiled at her, “Making the boy I see in my head with these cool things that shoot out of my eyes.”

Her cold eyes looked beyond him to see a statue of her rival carved from solid ice. He was striking and very lovely, right down to the very last detail. Her jealousy kicked into overdrive. Clark was hers and nobody was going to take him from her. His heart belonged to her. She was Queen here and that little boy was going to get smashed.

Her eyes became like some terrible storm as her snow white hair billowed and hissed like deadly whips. A cold light flashed in her stormy eyes and the statue of Bart shattered into millions of shards which sent Clark falling flat on his back.

“Why aren’t you working on my mirror,” she snapped angrily, “I told you to work on my mirror!”

“You said I could go outside,” he said while scrambling to his knees, “Why are you being so mean?”

“Silence,” she hissed like frost streaking across a windowpane, “Before I show you just how mean I can be!”

“Stop it,” he yelled over her fury, “You’re scaring me!”

“Scaring you,” she laughed and it was like some terrible monster coming out to devour everything in its path, “I’ll show you scared, little boy.”

Pain stabbed at his heart and mind as memories consumed him with a massive wave of sorrow. His mom and dad were both dead and Lex was laughing at him. Lex?

“Look at you,” she laughed and a blinding white light rushed over her and she stood before him as Lex, “Poor little boy with no family to love and take care of you.”

“Stop it,” he cried as his heart hammered in his chest making tears stream from his eyes.

“I don’t think so,” she hissed and her voice was as cold as the arctic wastes as she stalked around him in a Lex like fashion, “I killed your daddy, Clark…and you know what?”

“Stop,” he whispered as the images of his dad’s broken body assaulted his mind, “I thought you loved me!”

“No,” she yelled and the room shook making icicles fall from the ceiling to shatter all around him, “I said, guess what!”

“What,” he cried looking up into that scary face that was looking down at him with pure vehemence.

“I enjoyed it,” she smiled and it was vicious, “The snapping of bones, all that blood and glass covering him.”

“You promised,” Clark cried in agony as he fell on his side, “You promised no more pain! You lied!”

She laughed and the harsh wind from it covered his skin with frost. She was standing over him with a shapely foot pressing into his throat, “I can do whatever I want,” she smiled, “That’s the point.”

“I can give you pain,” she said coldly as silver light flashed in her heartless eyes, “And I can give you such bliss.”

She removed her foot, “Do as I say…or I’ll kill everyone else that you hold dear.”

“No,” he pleaded, “You promised no more pain.”

Suddenly he found that he was being held in her arms and wondered what was going on. How had she gotten here? This was all very strange.

“My little Snowflake,” she cooled with that siren voice, “Are we having fun?”

He looked around, “I think I got lost.”

“It is a big palace,” she smiled which set her all aglow, “How goes my mirror?”

“I got some of it done,” he said wondering why there was such a mess on the floor, “I got a little bored.”

“Bored,” she asked and cooled her wrath, “But its such a fun puzzle.”

“I think I was looking for the way outside,” he said looking at the mess and wondered if he had caused it and then wondered why he couldn’t remember, “Where is it?”

“I’ll tell you,” she smiled and took his big hand in hers, “When you work some more on my mirror, Snowflake.”

“Okay,” he said and let her lead him back to it. He did not see the ice shards vanish.

She turned around and beamed at him, “Who wants a snow cone?”

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“Mommy,” Bart asked from his nice warm bed, “When will I be old enough to leave home?”

“Why would you want to leave home,” she asked with a rain storm expression, “What a horrible thing to say.”

“I’m sorry,” he said not liking that he had upset her so, “I only meant…”

“No,” she snapped angrily and was suddenly looming over him like some dark storm cloud, “You’ve really spoiled my day. You’ve…really upset me. Thank you so much for destroying years of happiness with one unnecessary question!”

She poked at him like an angry blue jay, “Please tell me that you’re not one of those selfish boys who only think about what he wants!”

“I’m sorry,” he said with tears welling up in his big blue eyes.

“Come,” she said with a big smile, “Let’s go make some pancakes.”

“You’re not mad at me,” he asked as a tear fell.

“Oh,” she cooed and took him in her arms, “I’m so sorry my little Cornflower.”

“No,” he said with a smile when she wiped his tears away to show him a pearly blossom, “I am, Mommy.”

“Come on,” she lulled with her magical voice, “You can write in your journal while I fix you something yummy to eat.”

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I don’t belong here.

It was the same note that he had written to himself just now. There was so many of the little rolled up pieces of parchment. They were hidden all over his room. How long had he been here?

Clark!

He ran over to the door of this room as quietly as he could and slowly opened the door to see that the kitchen was clear. On silent feet, he crept to the door and quickly went outside.

“Bart,” the voice whispered from the ground near the gate leading out of the Garden of Spring, “Over here.”

He quickly moved and fell flat on his face crying out Clark’s name. Suddenly the white roses burst from the ground and wrapped themselves around him so he could not escape them. This time they were going to make sure that he listened to everything that they had to say.

“We can help you,” the roses told him, “We know where Clark is.”

“Clark,” he asked.

“Clark is not here,” the roses said.

“Is Clark dead,” he asked in fear.

“No,” the roses said, “We have been in the earth where the dead are and Clark is not here. He passed by here months ago. He was with the Snow Queen.”

“Where are they,” he asked really wanting them to let him go. They were squeezing him too tight and the thorns hurt like a mother.

“They are nowhere,” they said, “She is Winter and Winter is past. Winter is elsewhere.”

“That frigid bitch must of taken him somewhere,” he hissed, “Where did they go?”

“Her great place in the North where all hopes die,” they said, “If you want to find her, you must pass through each season before you can get to her. You must get to her before the Winter Solstice or Clark will die.”

“No,” Bart cried but the roses vanished back into the earth as quickly as they had came.

Her scrambled to his feet and ran to the gate only to freeze when he heard a door slam from behind him.

“So, you’re just going to walk out into the darkness of the forest all on your own,” Spring asked while crossing her arms in hurt, “A little boy with no food?”

“I’m not a little boy,” he said and was starting to get angry, “And I don’t belong here, you know that.”

She looked at him with hurt in her lovely eyes and he said, “You can’t keep me here…let me go.”

“You’re right,” she said and walked up to him, “Why don’t you just come back inside and I’ll fix you a picnic…”

“No,” he snapped and it cut her off, “If I go back in you’ll never let me out…you’ll see to that.”

“What are you going to do when you find the Snow Queen,” she asked while shaking her head, “You can’t defeat her, its hopeless.”

“How do you know that,” Bart asked with his hands tightly on the gate door.

“Because,” she said with fear in her voice, “Because she’s my sister.”

Bart just looked at her.

“It’s true, Bart,” she said moving to take his hands from the gate, “And only I know how truly cold and ruthless she is…at her core. I’ve watched her claw and hiss year after year for more power. Her arrogance knows no bounds, Cornflower.”

“I have to find Clark,” Bart said looking at her pleadingly, “No matter how powerful she is.”

“But why,” she asked in sadness, “Why is he worth it?”

“Because he saw something in me that nobody else could.”

He turned to leave and she stopped him by taking his arm gently. He turned to see that the sadness in her eyes was great.

“Remember how I saved you,” she asked as she caressed his soft cheek with a gentle hand, “Never underestimate the power of a kiss.”

The Goddess of Spring stood there and watched her little Cornflower walk off into the darkness of the woods. It was here with her that he could of stayed young forever. No sorrow or pain would he ever feel while being in her presence. But, she knew that his heart would never allow that. His love for Clark was too strong to be contained by such a tiny gate.

She smiled and the tears that fell from her eyes became the most beautiful daffodils in the world at her feet.

TBC…

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