Now that Icicle was aboard the Jolly Roger, Ice was deeply worried. Hook could use Icicle against him if he turned against Hook. It wasn't long until they reached Iclandia and Ice still had no clue how to unfreeze it. He planned to take Hook there for his family's treasure, unfreeze the kingdom, leave Icicle and her friend there, and then leave with Hook. Thinking about this now, he realized he'd never actually seen any treasure in the palace at all. There were no secret rooms or vaults and his parents were always honest with him and his sister. Maybe the ice he made in dragon form was more valuable than gold. The people of the village still used coins to buy things though. So where was all the money coming from? Mother and Father never had them pay tax so the money was kept between the people. This was going to be complicated. If he didn't know where the treasure was, finding it was gonna be hard. He could try unfreezing his mother and asking her.
All this thinking was tiring him out so he couldn't navigate anymore. Lucky him they were so close to Iclandia that he just told them to keep going straight till they saw a bell tower covered in spikes of ice. He then headed straight to his room to rest.
"Wake up! We're here, boy!" yelled Hook loud enough to wake Ice. Ice was then quickly rushed outside by the captain.
Sure enough, there was the bell tower that signaled the ships that entered the kingdom. For visitors it was rung once for each ship present. For enemies it was rung consistently to warn the kingdom of the danger that would come. Since the tower and its guard were frozen, there would be no ringing of the bell.
Taking a glance at the path leading up to the kingdom, Ice noticed that it was blocked by ice. It almost looked like a blockade, prohibiting enemies from getting any closer. Knowing what Hook was going to ask him, he speaks first.
"You want me to get rid of the ice blocking your path?" he asked. Hook nodded, patting Ice on the back.
"Yes, m'boy! Our tools aren't even scratching the surface." said Hook in desperation.
"Okay. I'll try to do something." Ice approached the large barrier of ice, or his ice in this case. It was his but he thought of it more as the dragon's instead. He didn't want to think that using his dragon form to crush the ice would help. He wanted to find a solution that he could use as he was now.
Taking out his blade he attempts to stab the ice with it in hopes that it would shatter. He also didn't want his blade to break in the process. What happens instead is that the blade gets stuck as it slides cleanly into the ice.
"!" Ice is shocked and tries to pull it out but it won't budge. He gets angry at the ice. He really wanted his sword back and didn't care as he voiced it to the ice.
"I want my sword back! Give it!" cried out Ice. His eyes began to glow without realizing it and the ice melted right in front of him, releasing his sword. Since he'd been tugging on it as he yelled that, he ends up falling backwards and onto his butt. The sword clangs as it falls to his side, still in his grasp. Could it be that the key word for melting the ice was want? His want. His desire. To test this, he tried wanting the bell tower to melt but nothing happened. So he got angry and kicked it. Then it did melt. So a combination of anger and want is what was needed to melt the ice.
"Prince Ice?" The familiar voice of the guard could be heard from above. Ice panicked. He was scared and didn't want the guard to see him with pirates. Trying to think up an excuse, he doesn't notice that the guard hasn't said anything else. For when he panicked, the guard was glossed over once again with ice. Letting the fear turn into anger, he directs his attention towards the wall of ice blocking their path. The wall melts into a puddle at their feet and evaporates into the air.
Hook gives him a pat on the shoulder.
"You did good, m'boy. You did good. I didn't know what I was going to do if that guard noticed the rest of us but it appears everything worked in our favor." With that said, Hook starts heading to the palace and his men follow him.
Ice catches up to him. He had to wonder what kind of treasure Hook was looking for here.
"Hey, Hook?" said Ice, getting the captain's attention.
"Yes, m'boy?"
"What treasure are you exactly looking for here? Iclandia isn't very big on gems and coins and the like."
Hook just smiled.
"What is it? Did you think of what the treasure might be?" asked Ice.
"I'll know it when I see it." He continues his pursuit to the castle. Ice quietly follows him.
Upon reaching the castle gate, they find it completely frozen over with ice. However, just like the ice wall it was a piece of cake for Ice to get rid of. They were soon inside the palace, which was glistening with ice.
"Careful not to slip, Cicle." said Ice. It was the first thing that came to his mind upon entering the place.
"I'll be okay, Ice." said Icicle back. It warmed him knowing that his little sister was going to be safe.
Everyone finds themselves going separate ways and Ice finds himself alone in a hallway with Icicle. She was staring up at a picture of their parents. Without turning her head, she speaks to him.
"If you could just melt all of this ice away like you did with the wall and the gate, our home would feel much more livelier than now. I wonder how happy mom and dad would be to see us." she said.
"They'd be pissed that I let pirates into the kingdom." said Ice. He felt guilty at the thought of melting the ice that froze his parents. They might be happy that he managed to figure out how to do it but the people he came here with were no good for the kingdom. Why did he bring pirates here? He often questioned his actions but his hate for the dragon in him always surfaced over them as if that were his answer.
"Ice, do you really think there's treasure inside our home? Mom and dad never mentioned anything about it. I bet if we asked they'd say we're the kingdom's treasure." Hearing her say that made him wonder if it was true. In a sense, that side of him could be considered a treasure. As for Icicle, without being able to transform into something or use ice magic...her kind and caring personality could be a treasure?
"I don't know, Cicle." he said.
"Perhaps Hook isn't really looking for treasure but for someone instead." That reminded Ice of what Hook had told him about a dragon that took his hand. Surely the dragon that did so couldn't possibly be his and Icicle's dad.
"Found you, you bloody dragon!"
Ice's eyes widen in realization. "Dad!" Yelling that, he runs off towards where the voice came from, his sister right behind him.