Elsa should have known. She was a lost cause from the start.

She stared at her hand in wonder, watching the little flakes twirl around gently in her palm. But it wasn't gentle. Not at all. It was an excited frenzy, the simmer of water about to boil, the hairs on her arms standing on end before lightning strikes. They were deceiving little snowflakes, and that was perhaps why Elsa was scared of them for so long. She deluded herself into thinking she had control; it was always them who had it. She was just their vessel. No one understood that.

I've missed you.

A bluish tendril of light exploded from her fingertips and dissipated like a flame going out. An acknowledgement. It missed her too. Snowflakes as far as the eye could see changed their direction just enough that the queen felt a rush like no other surge through her veins. Just how many of them would respond to her?

She never would have dared to imagine the scope of her skills. Before, she had everything to lose, but now things were different; it was becoming clear that by protecting her frivolous ideals Elsa only ever lost herself. Crazy how much clearer things became once they no longer mattered anyway.

Walking up the snowy slopes, as she had been doing all that night, the queen sighed. It had all gone so wrong, and yet that was a good thing. First, Anna had tried to marry some stupid prince, then she practically started taking out her anger on Elsa.

Oh, how wrong Anna was.

Elsa had only been trying to protect Anna, but the naive little princess would have none of it. She was defiant. All her life she'd been in that palace with her, trying to be friends with her and the one night she wanted to be happy, Elsa had just taken it away.

But what did she know about true love? Elsa had been waiting for her in that room, desperate to control and conceal her powers. That was love, putting Anna before herself.

Hearing the sound of slush beneath her skirt and slippers, Elsa looked down. She was alone out here, a kingdom of her own isolation. Maybe it was better that way. After what she had done to that prince, she couldn't go back there... not to Anna. But maybe that was all right. She didn't need them anyway.

She looked at her hand again, smiling as it glowed with her magic. She was free now, no need to 'conceal' or 'feel' or any of that garbage her parents spouted out. She was a queen of the ice and snow, just like the legends she had been told of as a child, and now it was time to start living like one.

Ice erupted from her feet, spreading across the ground like a spider web. It was smooth as glass. A floor of corundum. With a shiver, Elsa willed a mast to rise from the edges, and six enormous pillars began to swell from the ground.

It was such a precise location. All the ice seemed to work together now that a base had been built. Elsa offered the idea and now it devised on its own, crawling towards the heavens in a symmetrical design.

Elsa stood in the centre, eyes blazing in rapture as she watched it grow. She flicked her hands towards the walls, interrupting the flow so it formed differently or adding something else of her own here and there. They worked as one. Her and the ice. The only sounds she heard was its crackling melody, the howl of the wind, and the roar of her own blood.

Grabbing her own wrist, Elsa tore off her other glove, letting it fly off into the wind. Now that her palace was complete, she would need a better gown, something more befitting of her than this gaudy, uncomfortable dress.

She tore off her own cape and sent it flying down the mountaintop. Then, she undid the braid in her hair, letting it flow down her shoulder. She kept her crown upon her head though, as a subtle reminder of her origin, where she had come from.

The former queen then unleashed her magic again, altering her dress with her magic, letting the dark, icy power within her flow. It changed her dress into a dark black with fragments of her ice upon her bodice.

Out from her back, a new cape sprouted out, flowing behind her slender form. Elsa then chuckled, before carving out a way to a large balcony on the roof of her palace, looking out upon the snow below. Now she was truly a queen.

Rufescent light glimmered in the distance. The dawn of a new day. The rebirth of a soul. It was all so fitting Elsa couldn't help but convulse with laughter and weeps at the same time, extending her arms out to feel the comfort of her snowflakes swirling around in the crisp air.

"Finally," she breathed.

This...this is what she had been missing all of her life. The freedom. The power. The control. She always had it. Somehow the snow knew, and it had been trying to tell the queen this all this time.

From now on she'd promise to listen. And listen well. Now, she would no longer be bothered by the cold. She would embrace it.

xXx

A few days later, on the slopes of the north mountain, a weary traveller was making her way to its peak. She had been climbing these mountains for days now, wandering in search of her sister.

As the blizzard howled around her, the traveller hid for shelter behind the side of a cliff. She pulled down the hood of her pink winter cape, panting. This young traveller was Anna, Princess of Arendelle and she had made it her mission to bring Elsa home.

It had been her fault this eternal winter had fallen over Arendelle. At her sister's coronation, Anna had met a dashing young prince named Hans. He was a very dreamy man, the kind of fairytale prince Anna could have only dreamed about.

Things changed when Elsa refused to give them her permission to marry. Elsa hadn't been around much lately in Anna's life, but Anna had wanted to change that. She and Elsa had been so close and Anna only wished for them to be as they once were, best of friends.

In hindsight, perhaps getting engaged to someone she had just met probably wasn't the smartest idea. The whole thing had sent the sisters into an argument, one that ended with Elsa's glove being pulled off... and Hans being impaled on a giant spike of ice.

Anna could only hear the sounds of Hans's scream as the ice tore through his body, shredding bone and guts until it pierced through his back.

People had called Elsa a monster, a murderer, but Anna didn't care. Even if Hans was dead, she still knew that Elsa didn't mean it. The Elsa she knew was kind and gentle, not some monstrous ice witch.

When Elsa had run across the fjord, spreading her ice across the land, Anna knew she had to go after her. That was the only way this could be made right.

She had been on these slopes for more than three days now. Her supplies were all but dwindled and she was losing hope.

Looking around the corner of the cliff face she was hugging herself against, Anna was met with a very divine sight.

Standing on a nearby mountain peak, glowing with an icy blue light, was a massive palace, carved into the peak itself. It was tall, very tall, clearly adding more than a few inches to the height of the mountain. It appeared to be made of actual ice, carved into such smooth, angular shapes.

Stepping forward, Anna stared in awe at the building. Did Elsa make this? She wondered in her thoughts.

There was a smooth, crystal staircase connecting the massive doors to the palace to the mountain itself. As Anna began to walk up the steps, she clutched her chest, a subconscious fear rising within her.

Arriving in front of the tall, giant doors to the palace, Anna reached out her mittened hand, wondering what to do. Should she knock? That was the only polite thing to do, but this was Elsa and... she had never responded to any knocks.

Knocking anyway, Anna tapped the knuckles of her hand on the icy surface, tapping three times in succession. Within moments the doors started to swing open and Anna found herself being bathed in the radiant glow of the structure.

Stepping inside, Anna felt herself becoming more and more in awe of the place.
The entire chamber sparkled with light. In front of her was a large fountain and to its sides were a pair of staircases leading to the upper level of the structure.

Walking towards the stairs, Anna felt a little nervous. Deep inside her chest, she could sense her sister's presence. She was in fear, remembering how Elsa had impaled Hans with that grisly ice spike.

That wasn't the worst Elsa had done, but Anna knew she could and would bring Elsa home. They were still sisters and Elsa wouldn't hurt her. Sisters never hurt one another, at least that's what Anna believed.

Suddenly, Anna heard a voice, a voice that was all too familiar to her. Cool and soft, yet sounding so regal and dignified and yet, it sounded more menacing, like the devil himself was tempting Anna to commit a sin.

"Anna."

Startled, Anna looked up, seeing the figure of her sister standing on the balcony. She looked very different, now wearing a black dress that seemed to be made of ice, with a long cape and her crown still in her hair.

"Elsa?" Anna asked. "I-Is that you?" She knew that her sister was different now to some degree, yet she hadn't expected this.

The blonde nodded. "Oh yes, Anna. It's me." She smiled, before walking down the steps in a slender, elegant fashion. "I knew you would come. It's quite lonely up here. I missed you."

"I-I missed you too," Anna admitted. Then she remembered that Elsa wasn't the woman she remembered. She did kill her fiancée in cold blood.

No, that was a mistake. Elsa was no monster. Anna would remain held to her beliefs.

Elsa's lips curled into a smirk. Eyeing her sister over, she was glad she was finally with her, in her private little sanctuary. Her precious little sister was finally free from the chains of their kingdom. No strings were attached, no royal duties, no handsome princes, just the two of them together at long last.

Gesturing to the room around them, Elsa smiled. "So... what do you think of this place?"

"It's... Amazing," Anna spoke.

"Never knew what I was truly capable of," Elsa admitted, looking down at her magic hands that could do so many wondrous things.

Anna then sighed. She had to make an apology now. It was her fault this crisis had befallen them and it was she who had to make this right. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, staring at the Queen with her teal spheres.

"E-Elsa," she stuttered slightly. "I'm... I'm so sorry. If I had known about your powers and this secret of yours, I wouldn't have-"

"There is no need to apologise, Anna."

Blinking a few times in disbelief, Anna stared at her sister. "T-There isn't?"

Shaking her head, Elsa turned to face Anna, walking towards her and taking her hands. There was a hint of malice within them, yet a genuine sincerity.

Smirking, Elsa spoke. "No, there is not. It doesn't matter now what happened. The past is in the past. What matters now is the future. Our future. Together."

Pulling her hands away, the strawberry blonde shook her head. "No, Elsa, we can't just move on from this. You... you killed someone and now our kingdom is in an eternal winter because of your powers."

"I know," Elsa responded. "But I won't do anything about it. Arendelle calls me a monster, I might as well be a monster."

Anna scowled. She couldn't believe what Elsa was saying. Was she going to leave their kingdom to die a painful frozen death? Women and children, innocent people all suffering because of her? Anna didn't want to believe it but... Elsa had really become a monster now.

The Queen merely chuckled. "Oh don't be so surprised. You should be glad I'm giving you the opportunity to survive this winter. I want you here, Anna. I... I love you."

Within moments, Elsa had moved up to Anna, pressing her figure to Anna's own. She wrapped her arms around Anna's elbows and smiled. She then closed her eyes and started to move forward, pressing out her lips.

Struggling, Anna quickly pushed Elsa way. What the hell was her sister thinking? Sisters certainly didn't do that sort of thing.

"Leave me alone!" She shouted. "I don't know what happened to you, Elsa. But you are not my sister anymore!"

Elsa could feel her own heat shatter from those words, but the heartbreak merely fueled her desire even more. She then scowled and threw out her arm, firing an icy blast directly at her sister.

Anna fell down onto her back, her rear hitting the icy floor hard. As she winced in pain, she saw Elsa standing above her, the woman who was once her sister giving her a cold icy gaze.

"If you will not come with me willingly, Anna," she spoke in a sinister tone. "Then you leave me no choice."

xXx

A while later, Elsa entered the main chamber of her ice palace, the sounds of the howling blizzard still being heard through the thick crystal walls. Her storm would likely be causing all sorts of devastation, the perfect revenge for the world that had shunned and called her a monster.

Even Anna had called her a monster, but unlike Arendelle, Elsa would grant Anna mercy. She would spare her from the vengeance she had now unleashed upon the world.

Walking through her chamber, Elsa grinned as she saw the fruits of her labour. Strung up on the wall at the rear of the chamber, being held in chains of ice, was Anna. Her arms and legs had been frozen to the walls and her skin and hair were slowly turning an icy blue.

Grinning in delight, Elsa looked at her sister, the former princess barely being able to keep her eyes open.

"E-Elsa..." Anna whispered in fear. "I-It hurts..."

"I know it does, my sister," Elsa replied, stroking the bodice of Anna's dress. When she had struck her heart with the ice blast, Elsa had sent a portion of her own magic into Anna's body. She was now completely connected to Anna in mind and soul and with the magic within her sister, Elsa would remake Anna into her image.

Husky breaths were drawn from Anna's mouth, the icy pain within her chest growing stronger by the second. She knew that if she stayed here, she was surely going to die. This had to be some sort of torture, because Anna wanted so badly for it to all be over.

As more and more of her skin turned blue, Anna stared at Elsa with her weak, fully blue eyes. "Elsa... Please... Let me go... I can't live like this..."

"And let you warn everyone about the monster I became?" Elsa assumed. "No... I can't allow that, but don't struggle... The pain will only grow stronger if you struggle."

Anna shivered more. "Elsa... I'm scared... I don't want to die... I'm sorry... I didn't realise how bad things were..."

This made Elsa laugh.

"Really, you didn't think that me being locked away from you was bad enough?!" Elsa growled. "How our parents shunned me for even looking at you the wrong way?! You didn't think to even speak to Mama and Papa on how they treated me."

"They... They said you would come out eventually..." Anna excused.

"And you believed them?" Elsa sighed. "You were more naive than I thought."

Tears slowly trickled down Anna's cheeks. She was so sorry for Elsa now. All that pain and hardship she had been given... and it was all her fault. From everything Elsa had told her now, part of her was glad their home was being destroyed.

Looking at Elsa, Anna croaked another apology. "I'm... Sorry."

Turning back to Anna, Elsa stepped over to her, smiling and cupping her chin. "Don't be. It's in the past now. You see why I did all this, why I became this... monster."

"You are no monster," Anna told her. "You're my sister..."

Elsa cupped Anna's cheek, smiling at her. Finally, Anna understood all the pain and all the suffering. Now that she understood, perhaps things would be better for them. She then leaned in close and gave Anna a soft, sweet kiss.

Not being able to do anything about it, Anna finally gave in. Kissing one's sister was so wrong, but who was there to tell Anna what was right and wrong now? No one. Closing her eyes, she kissed Elsa back, feeling the blonde's tongue softly press against her own.

Pulling away, Elsa smiled at her sibling. "I love you... Anna."

"I... I love you too, Elsa..." Anna weakly responded. "I... I want this now. I want to spend the rest of my life here with you. You've shown me the light now."

Elsa smirked. "Then you'll be pleased to know that's exactly what I'm giving you, my dear sister. I'm giving you a gift I wouldn't give anyone else." She then pressed her hand against Anna's chest. "Eternal life at my side."

Anna closed her eyes, feeling the throbbing pain in her chest slowly subside. Her blue skin slowly started to change back to its normal pinkish tone, but her hair, no longer the strawberry blonde, was now the icy, nearly white colour of Elsa's hair.

The restraints soon melted and Anna dropped to the floor. As the younger girl rose up to her feet, she could sense there was something very different about her now.

"W-what did you do to me?" Anna wondered.

Within seconds, Elsa provided an answer. "I have made you just like me, Anna. Powers and everything."

"I... I have powers now?" Anna said, feeling amazed. As she held out her hands, snowflakes and icy sparkles appeared from them. Her eyes widening Anna quickly held them up into the air as she shot out a pair of icy blasts and turned into showers of snow.

Grinning, Anna suddenly, ran over to Elsa and threw her arms around her, kissing her passionately. This was so perfect, Elsa was so perfect. Her sister was no monster, and neither was she.

Elsa kissed Anna back, hold her close and in her arms. As they pulled apart, she stroked Anna's cheek. "Are you happy?"

Resting her now blonde head on Elsa's shoulder, Anna nodded. "Yes... this is the happiest moment of my life."

xXx

Author's note: Here's a fic with a dark turn ;) Based once again on Lorelei lilly Princess's wonderful artwork.