Lea and his search team arrived at the ice castle. "We're here to find Princess Piri. Be on guard, but no harm is to come to the queen, but if you see the traitor, execute him." the prince ordered as he dismounted his horse, "Do you understand?"

Everyone nodded in agreement while Xigbar and Xaldin smirked at one another, remembering Vexen's orders to eliminate Aqua. Just as Lea was about to go up the stepped, the boulder next to it revealed to be Lexaeus as the snow monster stood up to guard the castle. All the men attacked, but they only angered Lexaeus further and the snow monster knocked Xigbar and Xaldin back. As the two recovered, Xaldin saw Lea close the doors and retreat inside the castle. "The Queen!" He motioned Xigbar to go after her, and the two of them slipped past Lexaeus and went up the stairs to the doors. Lea saw them, but the snow monster blocked the prince before he could stop them.

The moment Aqua saw the two thugs approaching the doors, she ran up the stairs to the top floor. Xigbar and Xaldin broke down the gates and looked for the queen, weapons ready. "Up there!" Xigbar shouted when he saw Aqua running up the steps and he and Xaldin ran up after her.

Once she made it to the top floor, Aqua turned around to see that Xigbar and Xaldin had her cornered, the both of them ready to attack. "We got her!" Xigbar said as he smirked at the queen.

"No please!" Aqua pleaded, looking frightened. Xigbar fired his crossbow and Aqua raised her hands up in defense, creating a wall of ice that blocked the arrow from just hitting her. Xaldin tossed Xigbar another arrow and the two of them circled around Aqua to try to catch her off guard. "Stay away!" she yelled as she shot a wave of ice at them. Xigbar and Xaldin barely dodged the attack and they prepared to strike.

Meanwhile outside the castle, the men were attacking Lexaeus as Lea dodged the snow monster's attacks while trying to get to the castle. The prince then found an opening and sliced Lexaeus's leg with his sword. After that, Lea started to run up the stairs, but he was then knocked over the edge when Lexaeus tried to grab him. As Lea held onto the side of the stairway, he watched as Lexaeus plummeted down to his death. Two soldiers hurried over to the prince and helped Lea up. Once the prince was safe, they all ran in to stop Xigbar and Xaldin from killing Aqua.

Inside on the top floor, Aqua was in a battle stance as she glanced between Xigbar and Xaldin, who were still looking for an opening to fire. With a quick thrust, Aqua blasted ice at Xigbar; the moment he was off-balance, she pinned him to the wall with ice spikes, keeping one at his neck for good measure. She then noticed Xaldin getting ready to shoot and knocked the weapon out of his hands. Aqua then formed ice walls around him before Xaldin could get his weapon; she then created another ice wall and pushed it towards him, making him move towards the balcony. Xaldin tried to push back, but the force was too strong as the ice wall pushed him closer to the edge of the balcony. At that point, all Aqua wanted was for Xaldin to fall to his death.

Lea and the guards soon arrived at the top floor and the prince was shocked by what was happening. "Queen Aqua!" Lea yelled, "Don't be the monster they fear you are!" Aqua looked at Lea and stopped, realizing what she was doing and that he was right. While Aqua was distracted, Xigbar raised his crossbow and was about to fire an arrow to kill her when Lea saw this and aimed the crossbow away from her, causing the arrow to shoot the chandelier hanging on the ceiling. Aqua looked up as the chandelier fell and she ran out of the way, only to lose her balance and fall before she was knocked unconscious.

~

When Aqua started to regain consciousness, she found herself in the castle dungeons back in Radiant Garden. Remembering what Piri told her about the kingdom's condition, Aqua ran over to the window, but then she felt something hold her back. She looked at her hands to see they were bound in gauntlets that prevented her from using her powers and she was chained to the floor. Aqua looked out the window and gasped in horror when she saw the now frozen kingdom. "No… what have I done?"

Aqua heard two groans and she looked. She teared up at the sight of- "Terra! Ven!"

Ven sat up, slightly dazed and Terra looked down, "Aqua... Ven found me... and brought me here..."

"I'm sorry..." He looked down, "You were cold, weak, and almost frostbit to death. I had to find the closest help I can find... And well... They helped him get warm, just enough so he could come in here."

"It's all hazy but I remember we ride in an abandoned sled."

"Then is that how did you get here so fast?" Aqua asked.

"Yeah, unfortunately they saw me as a traitor since I 'aided the enemy'... Vexen said so..." Ven said, looking down. "We fought against them and they knocked us out, I guess."

Aqua sighed and they heard the cell door open and turned to see Lea come in. "Why did you bring me here?" she asked.

"I couldn't just let them kill you," Lea responded as he walked toward the queen.

"But I'm a danger to Radiant Garden," Lea said, concerned about his reason for bringing her back to Radiant Garden, "Get Piri!"

"Piri hasn't returned," Lea told her. Aqua looked out the window, worry etched on her face.

"Uh, don't worry! Sora and Riku are bring her here! Everything's going to be alright!" Ven tried to comfort her and she looked at him, still worried.

Terra sighed, "Is there anything else you wanted to say?"

"If you would just stop this winter," Lea pleaded to Aqua, "Bring back summer…please."

"Don't you see? I can't," Aqua said, at the verge of crying. Lea sighed in disappointment. "You have to tell them to let me go! Let me go as well as my friends!" she pleaded desperately.

Les looked at Aqua and said, "I'll do what I can." After he left the dungeon, Aqua started to panic, worrying about what they'll do to her and whether Piri will be back and safe. Piri…please be okay, she prayed.

"Aqua, calm down, it's going to be okay..." Terra kissed her and Ven looked out the window.

"We need to get out off here..." The blonde said, worried as Aqua was for Piri. Aqua looked at her binds and gasped when she saw frost forming on the gauntlets.

~

Riku held Piri close as Sora rode with him and her on Goofy. Goofy galloped down the mountain, with Donald sliding down like a penguin beside him. Piri shivered uncontrollably and Riku put his cap on her head to keep her warm. "Hang in there, Piri," he said to her, and then yelled to his reindeer.

Sora worried deeply about her, "Faster, Goofy! Come on buddy!"

They made it to the kingdom, but they still had to get to the castle. As they passed the village, Donald started to slide towards it. "I'll meet you guys at the castle!" the snow duck called out.

"Stay out of sight Donald!" Sora yelled.

"I will!" Donald yelled back.

As Sora, Riku, Piri, and Goofy were getting closer to the castle, two guards up in the guard tower saw them coming. "It's Princess Piri!" one of them shouted, notifying the rest of the castle.

Once they arrived at the castle gates, Riku dismounted Goofy and carried Piri to the gate. "A-are you and Sora g-going to be okay?" Piri asked hoarsely.

Riku looked at her sincerely and replied, "Don't worry about me."

The gates opened and Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Akira came out see Piri. "Milady!" Olette said worryingly as she took Kairi, "Oh you had us worried!"

"Your nearly gave us heart attacks!" Pence said, just as worried, then noticed the other two servants glaring at him and added politely, "y-your majesty."

"Get her warm and find Prince Lea immediately," Sora ordered.

Hayner nodded at the brunette and said, "We will. Thanks."

"Make sure she's safe!" Riku yelled as the three servants took her inside. Piri looked back at Riku as the gates were shut.

Riku looked down and sighed sadly, knowing he probably won't see Piri again. At least she's safe, he thought to himself, that's all that matters. "Come on Goof, let's go… you too Sora." Riku said as he walked away from the gates. Goofy looked at the gates and back at Riku sadly, and then reluctantly followed the silverette. Sora put his hand on the gates.

"Piri... I know Riku loves you. I'll bring him back as soon as possible. I promise..."

"Sora, let's go!" Riku ordered and the brunette ran to him.

~

In the castle library, Lea was growing impatient as he waited with the dignitaries for Piri's return. Not taking it anymore, he started for the door and said, "I'm going back out to look for Princess Piri."

"You can't risk going out there again," one of the dignitaries named Eraqus said.

"If anything happens to her-" Lea started, but Xemnas cuts him off.

"If anything happens to the princess, you're all Radiant Garden has left."

Lea thought about this, but his thoughts were interrupted when the servants brought Piri in. "He's in here," Hayner said to the princess, then addressed the prince, "Prince Lea."

Lea ran up to her and held her close. "Piri! Are you alright?" He then noticed her condition and grew worried. "You're so cold!"

"O-oh, just fine! It's n-not like I-I'm freezing or a-anything!" She said sarcastically as shivered and Lea frowned. "S-sorry... I'm just scared... Lea, you need to kiss me," Piri pleaded.

Lea was taken aback by this. "What?"

"Now!" Piri got on her toes to try to kiss him, but she was feeling weaker by the second.

"Whoa, slow down!" Lea said, trying to calm Piri down.

"We'll give you two some privacy," Olette said as she, Hayner, Pence, Kairi, Vexen, and the dignitaries left the library.

When they were gone, Lea turned to her and asked, "What happened out there?"

"Aqua struck me with her powers," Piri replied.

"You said she'd never hurt you," Lea said worryingly.

"I was wrong," Piri confessed weakly. She then felt another tremor in her heart and shivered. Lea took her to the couch and laid her down by the fire. "She froze my heart and only an act of true love can save me," she explained to him.

He realized what she was saying and he said, knowing the answer, "True love's kiss." Lea placed a hand under Piri's chin and leaned forward, his eyes closing. Piri closed her eyes as well and puckered her lips. Just as their lips were about to touch, he stopped, opened his eyes and smirked, "Oh Piri, if only there was someone out there who loved you." He removed his hand and got on his feet, leaving Piri in shock.

"What?" She gasped as Lea stood and looked out the window, "But you said you did."

"As thirteenth in line in my own kingdom, I didn't stand a chance," Lea said as he closed the curtains, "I knew I have to marry into the throne somewhere."

"What are you talking about?" She asked, shivering.

He continued explaining as he put out the candles in the room, "As heir, Aqua was preferable, of course, but no one was getting anywhere with her except that idiot of a guard captain. But you..." he chuckled, "You were so desperate for love. You were willing to marry me just like that." He grabbed the pitcher of water on the table and poured the water into the fireplace, putting the fire out. "I figured that after we married, I'd have to stage a little accident for Aqua."

"Lea, no!" Piri pleaded as she tried to get up from the couch to stop him, only to fall to the floor, "Stop! Please!"

He placed the empty pitcher on the shelf and looked at Piri. "But then she doomed herself, and you were dumb enough to go after her," he said smugly, "All that's left now is to kill Aqua and bring back summer."

Piri struggled to get up as she said, "You're no match for Aqua."

He knelt down and gripped her jaw, saying, "No, you're no match for Aqua." Piri yanked her jaw out of his grip. "I, on the other hand, am the hero who is going to save Radiant Garden from destruction." He stood back up and walked out the door, leaving Piri alone on the floor.

She glared at him and said hoarsely, but angrily, "You won't get away with this!"

He opened the door and looked at her arrogantly with a smirk, "Oh? I already have," he smugly said, then tapped a finger to the side of his head, "Got it memorized?" He then left and closed the door shut.

She crawled to the door and tried to open it, only to find it completely locked. "Please…" she cried out, her voice so hoarse that she couldn't scream for help, "Somebody, help…" her hair turned completely white and she collapsed and shivered against the door. "Help me…" All she could do now was hope that some way, somehow, someone will help her before it was too late. But as far as she could tell, it was hopeless now…

~

As the dignitaries waited for Lea in the conference room, Vexen was pacing back and forth impatiently. "It's getting colder by the minute," the duke complained, extremely cross, "If we don't do something soon, we'll all freeze to death!"

He soon entered the room with a grim look on his face. "Prince Lea. What's wrong?" the dignitary named Merlin asked.

"Princess Piri…is dead," Lea announced sadly, his crestfallen look masking his malevolence.

Vexen and the dignitaries were shocked by the news. "What? What happened to her?" Merlin asked as Vexen put him in a chair.

"She was killed by Queen Aqua," Lea replied.

They all gasped in complete horror. "Her own sister…" Vexen breathed, shocked.

"At least we got to say our marriage vows," Lea lied, then looked like he was about to cry, "before she died in my arms." Everyone was silent before Vexen spoke.

"There can be no doubt now," Vexen said sternly, "Queen Aqua is a monster and we are all in grave danger!" All the dignitaries looked at the crestfallen prince.

"Prince Lea," Eraqus said, "Radiant Garden looks to you."

Lea internally smiled at this, knowing what he has to do now. Keeping up his sad appearance, he announced to the dignitaries, "With a heavy heart, I charge Queen Aqua of Radiant Garden with treason and sentence her to death."