Days past over the kingdom. Shadows came and went but there was no sign of any of the assailants. Elsa stood on the balcony watching over the kingdom. Kristoff came to her side and looked down with her.

"There were three of them. At least" he said after a long silence. She nodded "I think"

"Think?"

"It was dark. It was hard to see. I know one was with Anna and one trailed me but it could have been two" A silence passed over them. Elsa's eyes trailed down to the gardens where she saw her younger sister slumping through the gardens with her head down and her hands were clasped on one of her braids.

"I've never seen her like this before" Elsa said, her voice full of worry. "Not in a long time" Kristoff looked down with her.

"I've been missing my runs" he said "I'd like to continue to do so until this whole thing has blown over"

"Nothings happened for days"

"Then why don't I feel any better about it?" Elsa shrugged and sighed. They both continued to look down at the princess. "I'm gonna make sure she's alright" he said before turning to leave. But he stopped himself and turned back towards Elsa to say something "Your gra-"

She put her hands up "Spare me. Were family" she smiled; the first in days. Kristoff smiled back and the walked down to the gardens.

Anna strolled through the gardens of the palace. She hadn't left the walls since the attack a few days ago. Ironic considering she'd been wanting to leave her whole life. But even within her own home everywhere she went her head was on a swivel and the slightest sound would set her heart and nerves racing.

She heard a sound just now, the grass crunching behind her. She turned around and backed away at the same time holding her hands close to her body. She was relieved to see Kristoff approaching although she didn't look it.

"Kristoff" she said

"I was afraid for you Anna" he walked up and put an arm around her and noticed that she was and remained very uneasy "Anna?" she remained silent "Smile?" he asked and she flashed him a very small grin. "Where's that can do, ready for anything energetic attitude huh?" he asked but she remained silent. "I brought you something" he fiddled in his pocket and pulled out a small mushed disfigured brown ball. Anna looked at it in question "It's chocolate" he admitted. Before he could even blink the mushy chocolate ball was snatched from his hand and into Anna's mouth. He looked at her with an expected look of approval as she shot him back an embarrassed chocolate laced smile. "Well it's nice to see you smiling again"

"It is" another voice let out. They turned to see Elsa standing only a few feet behind them "Hey Anna" she said as she rolled her hands over each other leading to a snowball to form "Wanna build a snowman?"

An energetic smiled formed on the younger princess's face.

The rest of the day was better and went smoother than the past ones. The three of them spent the day together, building snowmen, having snowball fights and they even convinced Anna to go outside of the castle. They went to a local bakery when Kristoff had gotten his chocolate before and there they ate fresh chocolate and laughed the day away. Things seemed like they were finally back to normal.

But then the night came.

Anna and Kristoff entered they're bedroom laughing and smiling at and with each other to their hearts content. Elsa had gone off for her room to turn in for the night as did they. They sat on the opposite edges of their bed and started to change for the night. Kristoff took off his hat followed by his pointed boots which revealed his socks; worn down and with holes in them. This was something that caught Anna's attention as she turned over to his side wide eyed.

"Kristoff!" she exclaimed "your socks have holes in them!"

He looked down casually "So?"

"So" she dragged out the word as she hung over the bed "I can see your toes" he wiggled whichever digits were exposed. "You have to take them off" she ordered

"I am"

"And change them" this made him stop cold. "Kristoff"

"Why?" he asked

"Because it's gross" he stared at her with a dumbfounded look on his face

"And?"

"Eeeww" she gagged.

"Ew?" he repeated "What's so ew about this?" he suddenly snatched her up in his arms and she let out a shriek as he did. Before she could make another sound he kissed her and she kissed him back. After pulling away from each other they giggled and laughed and lay down in the bed.

They giggled and grinned as they held each other on the bed. Slowly they're breathes died down and all became silent. The doors were then nudged open and they calmly looked over to see Sven trot into the room.

"Hey buddy" Kristoff greeted "make yourself at home"

"Sure thing" he responded to himself as Sven laid himself at the foot of their bed. Feeling he was being watched Kristoff turned his head to Anna who looked at him curiously.

"Sven will sleep at the foot of our bed like he always does" he explained "I know your sister doesn't like it but she overlooked it for now"

"Why?" Anna asked looking up at him

"He seems to know when they're around before we do" he said ominously. She was now suddenly reminded of what had happened before. This answer put her to silence and she held him tighter. That was all he needed to tell her and he knew that. He didn't mention the axe he kept under their bed.

They kept the blinds open but it did not distract them from sleep. The hallways were patrolled by guards and although they made some noise they came and went unnoticed. But eventually they couldn't be heard at all.

A snort jolted Kristoff awake from his sleep. His heart racing he looked around the room.

Light shined in from the moon and through the window. Anna was still asleep. There was nothing but silence outside and Sven stood up at the foot of their bed, staring on alert at the door.

Leaning up more he stared attentively at the door. He heard and saw nothing. But he felt and smelt something. A sudden chill came over the room and he could smell smoke. He got up slowly now and reached for the axe under the bed. As he approached he could hear something outside. The sliding of feet similar to what he'd heard before. Slowly he slid up to the door and stood in front of it. Then the sounds from the other sides ceased. He gripped his axe tighter.

Then suddenly the doors bursts open in a gust of wind and Kristoff was knocked back and landed on the floor. Anna was woken from her sleep as she practically jumped up as the doors slammed open.

"Kristoff!" she exclaimed as he groaned on the floor. He looked up and what he saw left both him and Anna speechless.

A cloud of smoke formed at the door of the room and before their eyes molded into a man. Only his eyes and large arms were visible as he wore grey amour. His eyes immediately looked over to Anna as she lay frightened in her bed.

"There you are" he spoke. He took a step towards her but before he could take another Kristoff was up and put himself between them, the axe still in his hands.

A look of shock took a hold of this mans eyes for a moment before he seemed to laugh it off silently.

"Do you intend on challenging me?"

Kristoff responded "Who are you, what are you doing here?"

"I am called Smoke. I am Lin Kuei" he introduced himself.

"Lin Kuei?"

"More stealth full than the night. More deadly than the dawn. If you wish to remain intact, you will stand down" he took another step forward but Kristoff tensed up more. "As you wish" he stated.

He shot a quick jab at Kristoff which he barely managed to block. Before he knew it he was hit across the right side of his face, then the left, then he was kicked in the gut and shoved back across the floor. All Anna could do was shriek in terror.

Groaning Kristoff pulled himself up from the floor and looked over as Smoke advanced on Anna.

"Now princess" he spoke "You wi-uhh" he grunted as he was grabbed from behind by Kristoff and tossed across the room.

Sven let out a roar as he charged him. But he threw a ball of smoke from his hand and it connected with Sven who was teleported outside of the castle and fell from the air to the ground.

With that threat eliminated Smoke turned back to Kristoff.

"Sven!" he cried out and then he charged Smoke. He swung his axe across the air but Smoke dodged each time. He continued swinging madly but the smoke emitting from his opponent's body combined with the darkness made it hard to see him; it made it seem like there were even more of him around.

Kristoff swung the axe down but Smoke countered him. He deflected the axe by hitting his arm and then hit Kristoff across the face. Kristoff swung the axe at him and would have hit him in the chest but once he did Smoke disappeared into a cloud of smoke and flew away and reformed away from him.

Elsa sprang up from her bed. She heard a commotion from down the hall. She heard grunting, shoving and occasional words exchanged. She got up from her bed dressed in only her nightgown and raced for the door. But once she reached for the knobs she retracted her hands.

She looked down in shock as ice started to form on the knobs. But it didn't stop there. It went on to engulf the doors to her bedroom.

"No no no" she said frantically naturally assuming that for the first time since the winter that she was losing control. "Calm down" she spoke to herself in as tranquil manner as possible "Conceal, don't feel" she chanted "Love will thaw" she said as she reached for the knobs again and expecting the ice to thaw. Only it didn't. She heard the sounds of a struggle outside but she was trapped inside by ice on her door that she didn't create.

But if she didn't who did?

Kristoff was punched onto the floor by Smoke.

"Stay down" he advised standing over him. Kristoff reared his leg up and kicked Smoke in the gut. He rose as quickly as he could as punched smoke across the face. He raised his arm wielding the axe was about to slam the it down onto his head.

But then he was kicked in the face.

He fell to the floor again and the axe fell from his hand. He turned his head around to see another man standing with Smoke. He was Chinese and wore red armor.

"Your carelessness has alerted the guards to our position" he spoke with malice

"Forgive me Sektor I-"

"Cyrax cannot hold them off for long. Grab the princess and go" he looked down at Kristoff "I will deal with him" Kristoff looked over to the axe and realized he needed it now more than ever. He reached his arm out for it but before he could grab it Sektor stepped on his hand. Enjoying seeing Kristoff in pain he kicked the axe away with his other foot.

Kristoff heard Anna let out a scream as Smoke walked towards Anna. Screaming he snapped his foot out from under Sektor but before he could do anything else Sektor kicked him in the face. Then he stomped his foot down onto his head.

"No!" Anna shouted

Sektor then knelt down and picked him up by his shoulders and held him in the air. Kristoff reared his arm up and slugged Sektor across the face. Enraged in response he head-butted him and then tossed him across the room. Anna called his name and ran from her bed, away from Smoke and to his side.

As she ran to Kristoff's aid another assassin came to Sektor's and Smokes.

"We have to hurry" Cyrax warned "The guards are on their way. We cannot delay any longer"

Sektor nodded to him "I will show no mercy" he said looking over to Kristoff.

Kristoff had gotten up from the floor with Anna at his side. He noticed the axe at his feet. He bent down and picked it up; his body feeling the effects of the fight. He starred down the three assassins.

Then Sektor snapped his arm up and from his wrist shot fire at them. Kristoff grabbed a hold of Anna and they jumped away just as the fire would have incinerated them.

"Sektor! Not the girl!" Cyrax shouted.

They all turned their heads to where they went. They were across the room now and now in a corner. Kristoff held the axe in his hand as he put himself before Anna.

The three Lin Kuei assassins were set up at the door. Cyrax, Sektor and Smoke in-between them. Kristoff weakened and barley able to hold onto his axe stood panting between them and Anna.

"Stay down and this will end" Smoke said and Cyrax nodded. Kristoff didn't budge. Then suddenly Smoke charged him and Kristoff ducked as he threw a punch. He swung up with one of his own that caught smoke off guard. Then he punched him back and advanced on him. He brought up his axe to swing it.

"Smoke!" he heard a voice cry out. It was not Cyrax or Sektor's but a new voice. It belonged to the man who's hand was placed on smokes shoulder.

Kristoff now realized he was wrong in his assumption.

Propelling up and over Smoke's shoulder was a fourth assassin. Kristoff didn't have time to see who it was as a hard fist connected with his face and knocked him back. Everything felt cold as it went black.

And black is all he saw for what felt like an eternity. He felt an agonizing pain in his head. He opened his eyes slowly and weakly to see the chandelier and light coming in from the window. Morning already? He groaned and grunted as he moved his numb body. He picked himself up and looked around. He was in a room in the castle that was serving as a hospital; clearly evident by the large amounts of guards there with wounds. Bandages, broken bones and shell shock plagued each of them.

Kristoff picked himself up from the bed he was in just as a doctor came by. The thing that plagued him the most was that he felt alone and somehow guilty.

"Easy there" he warned "You may be better off than most of them but you still need to take it slow"

Kristoff ignored almost everything this man said. He grabbed a hold of the doctor's shoulders aggressively.

"Where is she? Where is the princess?!"

"The Queen is-"

"Anna, where is Anna?!"

"The princess?" he gulped and was silent with shifty eyes "Go to the Queen"

Kristoff released the man and stormed out of the room tearing off whatever bandages were placed on him. He walked outside of the castle to see swarms of guards all over the place. They were handing out or sharpening their weapons. They were in large groups and talked among themselves.

He felt a snort and turned as Sven nudged into him. "Hey bud" he said as he grabbed a hold of him affectionately "Are you alright?" he asked before he answered for him. "Where is Elsa?" he asked. Sven snorted and pointed off into another direction and they walked off.

He walked off away from the castle and the towns surroundings it. He went into the woods where strangely enough snow and ice started to take shape. Soon enough the trees and grass were covered in snow or encased in ice. Sharp jagged points split off from branches, the grounds and every angle it could. Kristoff heard whimpering and heavy breathing.

He looked around but saw nothing. He ventured further into the frozen forest and it got louder and louder so much so that the snow and ice under his feet were forgotten from this overbearing sound. He stopped his advance and looked to his left where he saw Elsa the snow Queen and Queen regent of Arendelle curled up in a ball against a frozen tree with her hands in her knees.

This was all the proof he needed. Anna was gone.

He stepped forward and Elsa perked up and looked at him. She saw him standing there and slowly got up wiping her eyes and almost stumbling. She used the tree to glide up but still rested against it.

"Elsa" he took another step forward.

Crying she ran over and hugged Kristoff and he hugged her back.

"Is she.." he didn't say the word. Dead.

"I don't-"she choked "I don't think so" silence overtook them as they breathed heavily against one another "We have to get her back" she said

"We will". They released each other

"Who could have done this?" Elsa asked

"The Lin Kuei" Kristoff answered

Elsa was confused by his answer but before she could ask who or what that was one the guards came sprinting towards them.

"Your grace" he panted as he stopped and stood before Kristoff and Elsa.

"What is it?" she asked

"We-we've" he huffed "found one of them". Elsa and Kristoff's eyes bugged open as they turned to each other and then back to the guard. They followed him across the courtyard and through the hallways with more guards appearing the closer the got. Other things appeared as well.

Broken weapons, chunks of ice, water from the melted ice and whole statues of guards littered the hallways. But these were no statues; they were really them frozen in time. But the ice here was not like Elsa's; beautiful to look at. This was sharp jagged and gave off a very violent and threatening aura.

They followed him to the end of a hallway where swarms of guards stood their spears pointed down at the floor. Sitting on the floor was a man in chains. Elsa looked at him with scorn but Kristoff knew exactly who this was.

This was the fourth assassin.