Jack ran as fast as his legs could carry him because he was not only running for his own salvation but for that of the miserable little snowman. The same one who was once the happiest member of the magical society.

"Snowflake, is that you?" Jack thought.

It was the only thing he came up with because it served him well enough until then.

"Ah, isn't that the wretched Storyteller who destroyed my life," Snowflake said with bitterness which he didn't even attempt to hide.

"If that is true, I am truly sorry. Yet, it's difficult to fully carry one's guilt if one isn't aware wherein one's guilt lay," Jack thought, trying to word his sentences carefully. "What happened to you?"

"You act as if you don't even know!" Snowflake exclaimed, irritated.

"I am afraid that the recent loss of my storytelling abilities has erased any knowledge I had of your life's story. I no longer recall the path your life should have taken," Jack thought as politely as one could say that they did not recall destroying someone's life.

"My life was as white as snow until that horrible event that should have been the happiest one of my life," Snowflake said, puffing out a breath of cold air.

"I do remember I said something horrible had happened. However, I don't know what or the part about your happiness turning sour," Jack said, hoping his honesty would count for something.

"One day, I met the one for me, the love of my life," Snowflake said, the bitterness in his voice matching the bitter cold surrounding them. "At first, everything was going well. We respected each other and tried to build something together."

His statement was followed by a long pause that Jack tried to respect. But, as the frostiness was in danger of reaching his heart and freezing him to death, he had to interfere.

"What happened to change that?" Jack asked as gently as he could.

"We were supposed to get married this Christmas, but she never showed up. She left me all alone without telling me why she did so," Snowflake said sadly. "So, I concluded that I wasn't worthy of her love and have condemned myself to wander the world until I found my purpose in life once again."

"Have you ever considered looking for her? Maybe she had good reasoning for leaving. Maybe she was afraid," Jack said carefully.

"Afraid of what? I loved her! I wanted us to get married under the biggest Christmas tree the world has ever seen. It was to be decorated with the most precious ornaments of all that had special meanings for us, that told our story," Snowflake said.

"Perhaps it wasn't her choice to leave?" Jack ventured to think.

"What do you mean?" Snowflake asked, his face reshaping itself into one of worry.

"Well, what you are telling me is heartbreaking for you. Still, knowing my storytelling style, I wouldn't have said that something horrible had happened if all that happened was the love of your life left. I feel like something more sinister has occurred," Jack thought.

For a moment, utter silence settled over them, a silence that only a snow cover and fear could provide. Snowflake contemplated the new possibility while Jack hoped with all his heart that he was doing the right thing. That he was choosing a path that would bring joy to both of them.

"By the snow and ice, how did I not think of that?" Snowflake exclaimed as he started quickly gliding through the snow.

"What is it?" Jack thought as he quickened his pace, barely able to keep up with the lively snowman.

"There was this water nymph Doria. A long time ago, before I was a snowman, she and I were in a relationship," Snowflake said as they hurried onwards. "It didn't end well, and she never forgave me for joining 'the solids' although, to be honest, I partly did so to escape her suffocating presence. Even after we broke up, she was always there at every turn I took. I only managed to escape her once I chose to turn from my ethereal state into a solid.

"But I thought the ethereal ones couldn't hurt those of firmer matter," Jack thought, confused.

"They can't, but they can trap them or confuse them. I wouldn't put it past Doria to do either or both," Snowflake said.

Jack wasn't convinced that anyone could be that cruel to do everything in their power to ensure the unhappiness of the person they once loved. However, whatever the truth, this revelation brought a new burst of energy to the once sluggish snowman. At least they were bound to check what happened and not make assumptions without having any facts.

"I knew it!" Snowflake exclaimed excitedly the moment they reached Agnola's house.

"What is it?" Jack thought.

"An ethereal has been here. I can see traces of ethereal essence," Snowflake said with certainty.

"Are you sure?" Jack wondered because he didn't see anything different in the small cottage similar to the many others.

"Yes," Snowflake said as he whirled around the room, creating tiny snow tornadoes in his wake. "I told you she wouldn't leave me just like that, didn't I?"

Jack was wise enough not to contradict the ecstatic snowman, as seeing him so energetic was a nice shift. For that reason, he didn't want to ruin things by unnecessarily correcting the storytelling.

"Alright, what do we do know?" Jack asked, his thoughts barely distinguishable from one another.

"Now we go and save my snow angel," Snowflake said as his carrot nose twitched unexpectedly and pointed to the left.

"What's all that about?" Jack asked curiously.

"Oh, I can smell Doria's essence," Snowflake said as if that was the most natural thing in the world.

Shaking off the questions that swarmed his mind like a layer of snow on his head, Jack chose to just follow Snowflake's lead. After all, it was his story to be told. He needed to be the one in charge of it. Although Jack's life, and many others, were riding on the outcome of Snowflake's story, it didn't change the fact Jack had to stay a spectator.

"The trace ends here. Doria must have become one with the lake," Snowflake said, standing at the side of a frozen lake. "How are we supposed to find Agnola now?"

Before Snowflake could fall back into his depressed state of mind, Jack put a hand on his cold shoulder comfortingly.

"You need to follow your heart, my friend," Jack thought. "That has always been the way to find one's true love, and I don't see why it would be different now."

Snowflake looked at him with his beady eyes as if weighing his options. Finally, to Jack's utter relief, he nodded his round head in affirmation.

"Right, let's try this," he said, as he focused all his thoughts and feelings towards Agnola, towards the only snow angel that he had ever loved or would ever love.

When his fears fell away, and all that was left was himself and his heart, a smile finally spread across Snowflake's face.

"I see her. She is okay," Snowflake said with relief. "She is angry but unharmed."

"Where is she?" Jack asked.

"On that island," Snowflake said, pointing at the small island they could see in the distance. "She is all alone and trapped. Still, I think Doria has to be close by as she would never leave her prisoner unguarded."

"Do you think you would be able to sense her once we reach the island?" Jack asked.

"Yes, but she would also be able to sense me," Snowflake said.

"Leave her to me, and you focus on saving your beloved," Jack said, with certainty he rarely experienced. "I caused all these troubles for you, and I will distract her, helping you to get your happily ever after."

"Thank you," Snowflake said, having no other ideas or plans at his disposal.

Nodding his head, Jack started sliding down the lake and towards the island Snowflake pointed out. And while his companion seemed to glide seamlessly, Jack stumbled and almost fell many times. Nevertheless, after some effort and help from Snowflake, they managed to reach the island unscathed.

"Doria is coming our way, fast," Snowflake said, pointing straight in front of them.

"Go find your love. I'll distract her," Jack quickly thought as he prepared to do the most challenging thing in his life.