#but then it’s always oooh anime girl with knife or oooh anime boy kidnaps you and promises he won’t hurt you !!

[mars-ipan]

ngl yandere as a genre has so much potential but i have literally never seen it executed in a way that didn’t immediately squander that potential

[shewhowantsmouseears]

Shattered, Chapter 10

Notes: As always, thanks to my amazing editors Drucilla and BlueShifted!

This wasn't an easy chapter to write, if only because I knew what I was doing before this one, and on the next one, but didn't quite plan on this one? Ah well.

We should be done in a chapter or two! The final showdown is upon us!

Summary: With the true story of the Snow Queen fresh in Minnie's mind, she takes steps to resume her quest - with a new friend at her side.

Ratface had finished his tale, his eyes on the faint glimmer of moonlight that was slowly leaving the caravan. He was reluctant to turn around and see their faces, although he could already hear the stronger reactions – Daisy was openly wailing into her hands, always far too emotional in every instance, and Goofy was sniffling in big heaps. Donald was solemnly facing away, no tears in his eyes but sadness reflected in them all the same. Ratface did finally turn around to see how Minnie was and he wasn't sure what to expect.

Minnie had cried, but not in the blubbering fashion of Daisy and Goofy. Single lines streaked her cheeks, and she was quiet, her eyes on the icy blue lines in her palms. She felt as if she was expected to say something, and there were many things on her mind, of grief and sorrow and loss... but.

But. Something about that story was off. She didn't doubt its authenticity, or the sincerity of Ratface's true objectives. Yet there was a feeling that the ending wasn't entirely true. Still, she didn't think it was her place to question it. Perhaps it was something to be answered when they confronted the Snow Queen, although how they were to do so while in these cages was another mystery. Minnie wiped her cheeks, and then scooted closer to the front of the cage to reach out and gently stroke Ratface's head.

It was Daisy, unsurprisingly, that broke the silence. “Oh, Ratface!” She wept, drenching her gloves in tears. “How could you do such a thing? We must correct this injustice, we simply must!”

“Assuming any of this is true,” Donald swiftly interrupted, moving to face his friends. “If she didn't listen to him then, I doubt she'll listen now. She might not even remember him, if those shards did the trick. We'll have to find another way to stop her.”

Goofy raised his head, only now catching on to a thing or two. “Stop her? Whaddya mean?”

Minnie saw no reason to lie. “Well... when you stopped us-”

“Kidnapped us,” Ratface muttered.

“We were actually on our way to the Snow Queen. I'm going to rescue my friend.”

“And we're going to put an end to her reign!” Daisy added on with vigor, clenching her fists and banging them to her chest. “And now, a new mission! We will reunite the fair lovers and restore her heart!”

“The heck we will!” Donald snapped. “Listen, I'm all for stopping the icy terror, but you've got icicles for brains if you think something like true love will save the day.”

Goofy cocked his head to the side. “Then how do you plan on stoppin' her?”

He was answered with defeated silence. Minnie shrugged. “We haven't really figured out that part of the plan yet.”

“I'm there to guide you,” Ratface began to climb onto Minnie's cage. “Nothing more, nothing less. I'm not going to beg her forgiveness. I don't deserve it. The loud one is right, the more shards in you, the more you forget. It's why your boy wonder didn't even hesitate in front of you, pretty girl.”

There it was again, Minnie thought, the feeling that something wasn't right about the shards. “I still must try. We must all try, for we have no choice.” With that settled, she faced Goofy, hands on her lap and a strong determination burning inside her. “Goofy, my friend was taken away by the Snow Queen. I've traveled many a mile to see him freed, and I will not stop until he is home where he belongs. Is there any way you can find it in your heart to let us go?”

Goofy's fingers tapped on his arms, a clear battle waging in his mind. “Oooh.. I dunno...Ma would be awfully mad if I did. Stoppin' the Snow Queen is really important too, though...my animal friends are havin' a hard time findin' more food.” He furrowed his brows, tilting his head to the left, then to the right, and back and forth, weighing each option.

“I'll settle this!” Daisy announced, slapping her hands to the metal bars. “Set Sir Donald and Minnie free, and I'll stay! I'm the one your mother wants, let them continue on with their quest!”

Donald jerked his head around. “What?! You can't possibly expect me to leave you behind! You're the princess, our people need you! Goofy, be a man, let me stay and let the girls go! That way, you'll have someone, at least.”

“But what about your dream of being a guardsman?” Minnie asked, ignoring all the eyerolling Ratface was doing. “And your home needs you too, as does Daisy... you two are stronger and wiser than I am, so you should be the ones set free, and I'll stay here until I can find my own way out.”

“Absolutely not! Darling Minnie, you must take Sir Donald and go!”

“Not happening, Daisy! You girls go, and I will stay!”

“But it really makes the most sense if I stay and you two go...”

This went on for some time, perplexing Goofy and annoying Ratface to no end. Once it was clear none of them were going to be satisfied, Goofy waited for a pause in breath to interject. “Gee, you all must be really good friends. How long have you known each other?”

Minnie glanced over. “Oh, well... Donald and Daisy have known each other for... a month? And I've known them for...” She counted on her fingers. “A day or two?”

Now that made Goofy almost fall over in shock. “That's it?!” he asked, his eyes wide in surprise. “Ya'll barely know each other, but yer willin' to stay here so the other ones can go?” He opened and closed his hands again and again, struggling to articulate himself with his limited vocabulary. “But... but why? Why would you ever do somethin' like that? Ma and my brothers, we known each other our whole lives, and they'd stick a knife in each other just to get the last plate at dinner! Why would you help each other out like this?”

As usual, Minnie put it best, because to her it was the simplest answer. “Why not?”

Those two words struck a blow so deep to Goofy's heart he almost forgot how to breathe. “Because... because...” He stumbled over the word, looking out at the tattered tent flap. His brothers and mother were now debating about the cost of the hostages, how high the royals would surely be willing to pay for Daisy's return, and the devious idea of sending a lock of hair – or worse – to them as proof of her existence. Minnie doubted they'd be believed if they explained the royals had been snatched away some time ago, and there was a prick of fear for her friend's safety.

After a beat, Goofy cautiously reached out to the flap and pushed it open, sticking his head out. “Ma?”

His mother stood by the campfire, surrounded by her kin. The reindeer huddled all together for warmth. Occasionally one of the Beagles would toss their empty kitchenware over their shoulder, accidentally hitting the reindeer with it but not caring about the result. In fact, as far as Minnie could guess, given the worn down fur coats and scars along the reindeer's legs, these animals were only cared about by Goofy. “What is it?” Ma growled.

“If you and I was held hostage,” Goofy asked, “Would you trade your life for mine?”

The question made the camp momentarily silent, all startled eyes on him. Ma squinted, and then lobbed her full bowl of soup at Goofy's head. “Don't bother me with stupid questions, boy! I'm trying to make a plan here!” The hard bowl knocked Goofy backwards and his face became splattered with soup. His brothers howled with laughter.

“I don't care for that woman,” Daisy muttered.

Goofy laid there for a few seconds before getting up and wiping off the soup with his hands. “Least it wasn't hot this time. Guess that's what I deserve.”

Minnie's hands touched the bars of her cage, staring as she saw streaks of meat fall down Goofy's face. He deserved to be struck for asking a question? “No,” she said suddenly, a bizarre hotness bubbling in her chest. “No, you did not deserve that.”

“Aw, it's all right.” Goofy sat up straight with a tired smile. “We got plenty of soup.”

“No,” Minnie said again, that hotness reaching up to her throat, a new emotion getting stronger with every passing second. “No, it's not all right. None of this is all right. Her capturing us was not all right. Her holding us hostage is not all right. Her hurting you is not all right.” Her hands gripped the bars stronger, and she found she had no control over the fire that was entering her head and her face. “Nothing about this is all right.”

Donald and Daisy exchanged a curious look, and then Daisy wiggled a finger at Ratface. “Dear... have you ever seen darling Minnie angry before?”

Ratface opened his mouth, and then closed it, because no, no he hadn't. Not even when it was rightly justified.

“The Snow Queen taking people away is not all right,” Minnie kept going, oblivious to how loud she was getting. “The endless winter is not all right. Ratface eternally punishing himself, Daisy afraid to be with Donald for his own safety, Donald risking his neck without any faith-”

The blue veins along Minnie's arms began to glow, and the bars in her hands began to grow colder, colder, colder -

“Having to sit here in this cage while Mickey is trapped is not all right! Mama and Papa starving to make sure I'm fed is not all right! Burning the books wasn't all right! And your mother... your mother...”

Papa it's so cold I'm scared please let me in I'll be good Papa please -

“YOUR MOTHER IS NOT ALL RIGHT!”

The metal bars in Minnie's hands shattered, having grown so cold they could no longer hold shape. Minnie's rant stopped, stunned at what she had achieved, and only now did she see the open-mouthed incredulous expressions of those around her. Donald had scooted back further in his cage, Goofy picked up one of the broken pieces, and Ratface had begun to shake. Daisy, on other hand, applauded. “Bravo, my dearest! Look at you go!”

“That's not a good thing, you dummy dove!” Ratface slapped Daisy's cage with his wing. He had every right to be worried – as a result of Minnie's outburst, her black fur now had shades of white mixed in, streaking her body and making her ever closer to death. “At this rate, she'll become frozen from head to toe before we ever get near the Snow Queen!”

Minnie looked at the damage she had caused, the new anger in her body not as strong as it had been a minute before, but still lingering in dangerous waves. This was something to be afraid of – but it wouldn't help in the long run to let fear stop her. She crawled out of the cage, stood up, and brushed down her dress. “Then I must continue on to the Snow Queen,” she said, “But not without Donald and Daisy.” She didn't know how to control whatever she had just done, and if she tried, perhaps Ratface was right and her journey would end before she saw it through. To that end, she believed there was only one thing she could do.

She walked out of the caravan.

“Minnie!” Donald, Daisy, and Ratface cried out in unison, with Goofy frantically following after.

She hopped down to the ground, and then marched up right up to Ma, ignoring all the confused looks from the Beagles, grabbing her by the hem of her dress to get her attention. “Give me the keys to the cages,” and then, in consideration, added, “Please.”

Ma smacked Minnie's hand away – momentarily frightened by how cold it was – and began to bark. “How did you get out? … Goofy! You little runt, I'll tan your hide so hard-”

“I let myself out,” Minnie said. “Goofy didn't do anything. And you're a horrible mother for hurting your son.”

No one had ever talked back to Ma Beagle before, so none of the Beagles were sure how to handle it when it happened. Ma sputtered, before regaining control. “Hostages should mind their own business! Hurting that fool is the only way to protect him! He knows that, don't you, Goofy?”

Goofy, who was taller than any of them, shrunk under her voice, hands knotted together. “Yes, Ma. You can't be nice to me, or the Snow Queen will come take you away.”

“See?” Ma crossed her arms, snorting in superiority. “We're just trying to survive under the Snow Queen's rule. As long as we don't show affection, we aren't affected. Even someone as dumb and slow as Goofy knows that.”

Minnie didn't back down or show any signs she would in the future. “But Goofy is nice to you.”

“So what?”

“Goofy is nice to you,” Minnie repeated, “And nice to his brothers, and nice to the animals, and he's even been nice to us. But he's not in any danger from the Snow Queen, now, is he? If he was, wouldn't you tell him to stop being nice? Especially to you? After all, if niceness is the way to show love, then Goofy must love everyone a lot, including you.”

Ratface flew out of the caravan, coming to sit on Minnie's shoulder. “I don't know what you're planning, pretty girl,” he whispered to her ear. “But I can't say I don't like it.”

Goofy scratched his head, the full power of Minnie's statements settling in. “Huh... gee, Ma, she's kind of got a point about all this...”

“No, she doesn't!” Ma hissed, signaling to her stronger sons to stand up. “What does she know? Some blue and white freak, an ugly girl like that would never know what love is!”

“I HEARD THAT, YOU WRETCHED MATRIARCH!” Daisy screeched from within the caravan. “You call her ugly again and I'll give you an ugly bruising, that's what I'll do!”

“Give 'em trouble, Minnie!” Donald called out, figuring that if they were going to end it here, they may as well go down fighting. “If she's a freak, then we're all freaks, and proud of it!”

“You can be proud of being a freak?” Goofy asked, thrown off once more. “Ma calls me a freak plenty, 'cause I can talk to animals, I didn't know that was something you could be proud of.”

“There isn't anything to be proud of!” Ma roared, demanding to be in control. “All of you knock it off, right now!” If they weren't going to listen to her, she'd have to take her favorite route – violence. She tried to snatch Minnie's arm – and then released it immediately. “Yikes! Y-You're colder than ice!”

Minnie wasn't a fan of violence herself and didn't want to resort to it in order to see her friends freed. But as an idea popped up in her head, she realized she didn't have any issue with a few threats. “Of course I am. I have a shard of the Snow Queen inside of me. Like all her soldiers do. Why, you could say I might be as powerful as she is.”

You could, but it would be a lie. Ratface smirked, puffing out his chest in a bit of pride. “My, my, pretty girl, where did you learn such bluffing?” he said under his breath.

The Beagle brothers began to scramble up to their feet, some hiding behind their bigger siblings, the majority of them staying away from Ma, since she had “caused the problem”. Ma herself staggered backwards, but pride and stubbornness kept her going. “You were captured awfully easily for someone who thinks they're as powerful as that wacky witch! Goofy, do something!”

Goofy shrugged helplessly. “Like what?”

“You will leave Goofy alone,” Minnie warned, taking a step forward and causing Ma to step backward. “And you will give me the keys. Or else... or else I'll take you all away to the Snow Queen, and you will never be seen again.” They didn't have to know Minnie wasn't working for the Snow Queen.

“Ma!” One of the Beagles cried out in fear. “What do we do?!”

“No one's ever escaped from the Snow Queen before!”

“I don't wanna be a Popsicle! … Mmm, Popsicle...”

Ma's big legs shook, but she spotted a helpful tool out of the corner of her eye. She grabbed one of the burning sticks from the fire and held it out in front of her – ice melted, didn't it? So maybe a person of ice would too. “Back off, kid! I'll make you into a puddle! You don't work for the Queen, I know it!”

Goofy began to walk forward, hands out. “Ma, be careful! You could hurt yourself!”

“Shut up, Goofy! I'll melt you too if you don't shut your yap! I know for a fact she doesn't have any power here!”

Minnie looked at Ratface, who had his eyes on the keys on Ma's belt. “Oh? And how do you know this?”

“Haven't we been through it already? The Snow Queen sends her soldiers out to take folks who love one another! And I don't hold one single speck of love for this stupid freak! So there's no way we're in any danger from the Snow Queen!”

Goofy stopped in place, his entire body slowly shifting downward like a deflating balloon. “Ma...?”

“I said shut up! Now make yourself useful for once and put this kid in a new cage! Do it before I add you to the campfire!” Since Ma had set things right, her other sons began to come out of their hiding places, relieved that Minnie was harmless compared to their heartless mother. Goofy looked at her, and the longer he delayed doing anything at all, the more hurtful insults she spewed at him. It was strange how this did not cause him as much pain as he expected. He thought of the people in the cages, who had been nicer to him in ten minutes than anyone in his family had his entire life.

This was not exactly a difficult decision to make.

Goofy turned around and stuck his head in the caravan. “Miss princess lady? If I get you guys out of here, can I come stay in your kingdom?”

“I'll give you a whole duke title with the works if you get us out of here!” “Aw, gee. Ain't ever been a duke before.”

“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!” Ma screeched, and threw the fiery stick right at her son. Ratface took to the air, snatching it in his beak and swooped over the heads of the brothers, lighting many heads of hair aflame. They screamed and flailed, trying to smack each other in other to take out the fire, and in the midst of all that confusion, Minnie snatched the keys from Ma's belt. She tossed them to Goofy, who calmly crawled back into the caravan to free the ducks.

“Stop this, all of you!” Ma demanded, watching her sons run all over the place like chickens with their heads cut off. In all this panic, the original campfire was being disturbed, the stones moving out of place and allowing the flames to begin spreading out onto the grass. The reindeer began to lift their heads, frightened and confused by all the chaos. Ma continued to demand order and got none in return. “SOMEONE LISTEN TO ME! I AM IN CHARGE OF THIS FAMILY! DO AS I SAY!” But things continued to unravel, and someone had to pay for it.

With a crazed snarl, Ma grabbed Minnie by the shoulders, this time ignoring how eerily cold the small girl was. “You, this is your fault! Turning my blood against me, making us look like fools – you're no longer a hostage! You're going to be dead, plain and simple!”

This did nothing, as Minnie stared right back at her, her blue eyes sharply returning every bit of intensity given. Ma was used to intimidating everyone, but she had finally encountered a person she couldn't threaten – someone who wasn't afraid of her and her family. By this point, Minnie had encountered far scarier things than an old woman who spat volatile warnings. “We're leaving,” she replied. “And you can leave us alone or you can try to stop us. But I will keep going. No matter what. You can cage me and beat me and hurt me but I will never stop trying. You're used to everyone giving up. You even give up yourself when it's too hard. But I'm not meant to be here. I will go.”

Shaking with anger and some bits of fear, Ma did the only think she could think of – she smacked Minnie right across the face.

Her cheek hurt – and it hurt Ma's hand to smack it – but Minnie simply turned her head to look back at her. “Is that all?”

Three little words broke Ma's spirit, and she fell onto her behind, mouth open without a single word leaving her lips. Minnie almost felt sorry for this woman, but not quite.

By this time, Goofy, Donald, and Daisy had gotten out of the caravan, and Ratface loyally returned to Minnie's shoulder. “I say we high-tail it out of here before we become broiled bluejays.”

“Hang on, I can't leave them behind,” Goofy said before heading to the reindeer. “Hey fellas. Wanna come with us? I don't think Ma and the rest of 'em are gunna treat ya'll too kindly when I'm gone.” Then, as a helpful afterthought, “Mind puttin' out the fire too?”

As if on command, all the reindeer stood up at once – and began to stomp forward, using their large hooves to kill the flames underneath their feet. Occasionally they wound up stepping on a Beagle hand or foot, although this didn't bother anyone's conscious. Donald was smart enough to remember the carriage and horses, and by the time the fire was completely dead, all the Beagles, save for Ma, were either burnt or broken. Minnie thought that, had Goofy ever asked in the first place, the reindeer might have done this ages ago and saved him a lot of grief. But perhaps Goofy knew this too, and held on to the thought of one day proving his innermost doubts wrong.

Donald sat on the carriage roof, the reins in his hands, and Daisy was more than happy to climb back inside. Minnie stayed out, watching Goofy, who was sharing one last exchange with his mother.

“You can't do this,” the broken woman said, pieces of ire still wedged in her throat. “I'm your Ma.”

“So you are,” Goofy acknowledged. “If you decide you want to be nice to me, I'll come back. But bein' nice is dangerous now, thanks to the Snow Queen. Maybe cause of her, you ain't ever learned how to be nice. Some folks got to learn it, others already know it. So I'm going with them.” With that said, he hoisted Minnie up in his arms, much to her surprise, and sat her atop the closest reindeer. He then climbed on behind her. “I hope you're nice sometime, Ma. At least to somebody.”

Ratface opened his beak, perhaps to say something rude, likely that Ma wouldn't change. Minnie clamped his beak shut with her fingers. “Maybe she will be. Shall we be on our way?”

The reindeer and the carriage took off together, leaving behind the broken Beagle bandits, with no one entirely sure of their future. Then again, it was an odd comfort to know that no one could be entirely sure of anyone's future - not even their quest to confront and stop the Snow Queen. They could hope, and do little more than that.

A part of Minnie was still angry – still sad, still afraid, still happy, all these newfound emotions weren't sure where to be placed. She remembered her overwhelming sadness when Mickey destroyed the necklace – and afterward she had gotten colder inside and out, hadn't she? Now it happened again with anger. What would happen if she felt that strongly once more?

The wind blew, and she barely felt it. Goofy put his arms around Minnie, both to keep her steady on the reindeer, and to uselessly warm her up with his embrace. She quietly thanked him for the attempt. Ratface kept his eyes ahead, and he was feeling something new as well, something he hadn't felt since he stood tall and proud as a full-fledged demon.

He felt hope.