CH.11: The big goodbye
Elsa immediately ducks down as the first bullet flies at her. She feels it slice into her shoulder but she knows it would be worse had she not lowered herself. "Kristoff get my sister to cover. Hans…cover me."
Hans takes a shot at one of his brothers and it happens to be one hell of a shot for it takes him in the leg and he rolls off the roof and falls to the ground below. Elsa has no time to remark on the fact he shot his own brother and races for cover.
"Kill them all!" Bryan yells and Elsa can feel the heat is on. She takes fire from her position and takes aim firing at one of the brothers on the roof. The one who is by the Saloon fires on her and she feels her cheek torn into. Wincing in pain she ducks down as another bullet goes for her head.
"Kristoff is Anna safe?" Elsa yells as she checks how much ammo she has. If she runs out she is dead so she has to make every shot count now.
"Yeah she is," Kristoff calls out to her, "I'm coming to help you-." More gun fire is heard and she can hear him going back to cover.
"No don't…you protect my sister with your life! There are only five of them left…we do this as we planned." Elsa rises up and leaps over the water the horses drink out of and lines up a shot at the brother on the roof. Squeezing off a shot she watches the brother take it in the chest and goes flying off the roof and landing with a thud on the ground.
"Nice shooting Sheriff," Hans yells in encouragement but Elsa pays him no heed as she races for the next cover as the fire does not cease.
"You just killed one of my brothers…I will kill your sister just for that!" Bryan is ticked off now and Elsa doesn't blame him. The one Hans had taken care of would likely live…though that fall was quite hard.
Elsa would not let him touch a hair on Anna's head…even though she was quite certain he already had. Her plan was already in process and the next step would come from Hans. His brothers were so focused on her they hadn't taken into account Hans moving about the field drawing fire and picking up dropped weapons. Kristoff had taken Anna to safety and it seemed like he was out of the fight when really he was making his way to the Saloon to take out the guy there. She hoped he did it soon.
Kristoff headed to the Saloon through the back entrance with Anna close behind. He had his gun at the ready and his hair was still singed from the explosion. It was his first train ride ever and also the first one where it exploded. It was a good thing that dynamite went off after they had jumped.
"So…um…Kristoff about Elsa and myself-." Anna starts but he does not want to hear. It still pains him the two are together and he needs to be focused.
"Not now Anna…I need to focus," Kristoff wrote her off as he crept low to the ground. It was hard knowing the girl one loved was with another…even when it was wrong on all levels. He could give her a family, Elsa could not, and he could marry her, not sure Elsa could marry her own sister. Holding up a hand he saw the brother standing with his back to them.
"I realize things will be awkward but that shouldn't stop us from being friends right? I mean c'mon lots of people are friends with people they had a crush on, ooh like Red she has an ex she is friends with…actually I see him up stairs a lot when she is not performing…bad example. Ooh how about Joanne who runs the flower store she is friends with a girl she has a crush on…no wait they throw things at each other…give me time I know I will get this-."
"Anna…I just need time to sort through this ok?" Kristoff turned around and then saw Andrew there staring at him.
"I'm sorry was I interrupting something?" He sent a glass down on his head and he felt the pain shoot through him. Hitting the floor he tries to get up but finds his back pressed down by the spurs of his boot cutting into his back.
"Hey you leave him alone!" Anna rushes at him but Kristoff sees her grabbed by her throat and held up in the air.
"This is a man's fight little girl…go clean some tables!" He throws her into one of the tables and she crashes to the ground.
"Anna!" Kristoff glared at the man and getting up he throws his body onto his and the two go crashing to the floor. Each one of them throws punches into the other and they roll over glass. Kristoff takes the hits like a pro and why not…well…he used to settle disagreements all the time where he came from and took quite a few lickings.
"Why bother protecting a girl who loves someone else?" Andrew spat as he kneed him then got up to his feet.
"I'm still deciding…but…even if she loves someone else it won't change how I feel. Ok maybe it will…but I'm not going to take her out of my life because of that. Anna is my friend…and I will fight for her anytime she needs help!" Kristoff gets to his feet and sends an uppercut into Andrew sending him in the air and landing on a table as it leaned over spilling drinks on him.
"That is a good punch…but really…you do know the only way to stop me is to kill me right?" Andrew holds a knife in his hand and tosses it from one hand to the next. "This was my brother Tommy's knife…and I intend to kill you with it."
Kristoff reaches for his gun but finds it has fallen out of his holster. Standing there he tries to reason with him. "Tommy is dead Andrew…move on with your life. Is it really worth getting killed over, I mean, Olaff killed him and Tommy killed Olaf…what is done is done."
"I will not…you and I…it ends here!" He readies to throw the knife when a shot is fired. Kristoff looks on his person and sees no gun and even Andrew is looking at him.
"Girls do more than clean tables…they also take out scum trash like yourself and shows them the way out of here…permanently!" Anna lowers the weapon and tosses it aside watching as Andrew throws out his arms and falls to the floor.
"Well…remind me not to tick you off ever. Come on we have to help the others." Kristoff picks up his gun then heads out with Anna.
Elsa hears some activity going on in the Saloon followed by a gunshot. Silence ensues and only after a moment or two does the victor emerge…that of Kristoff and her sister rather beaten up. She wants to ask but she is once again kept down by a hail of bullets. They should be running out and then they can settle this quickly and without too much of a mess then it already was. "Hey Bryan…how many does that make you now?"
Bryan does not answer…he does not need to for she knows. There are only three of them left as two were taken out on the roof and one in the Saloon. The others were not pinpointed yet but would be.
Hans appeared not too far behind her and she felt her body stiffen. She would expect something like this…for him to kill her with her back turned. She fingers her weapon but then a loud grunt is heard and a body lands right beside her. The guy had a knife in his hand and standing over him was a very exhausted Hans. Elsa doesn't know what to think or say and he says something.
"I gotta say…not loving this whole running around drawing fire idea of yours…barely made it when I saw this guy coming after you." He pants as he kneels down beside her.
Elsa cracks a smile and lets out a sigh of relief. "Well…if it is any consolation I'd rather be doing that then what I have been. That leaves us only with two…no big right?" Elsa sees one of his brothers line up a shot and she pushes Hans out of the way taking the hit. She cries out in pain as her body is thrown forward and she falls to the ground.
"Elsa…why did you do that?" Hans was over her and she wore a weak smile. His reaction was one she herself was wearing.
"I don't know…guess I felt like not owing you one forever." She finds it has only grazed her side still the pain hurts really badly. All of those shots were wearing down her energy and while not as major as they could be they added up.
"Elsa…come out come out wherever you are!" Bryan's sing song voice flits out and she wishes he would let the professionals sing.
"Bryan this is getting old fast…there is only you and one of your brothers left…give up now and your punishment for your crimes won't be as severe." Elsa gets up and holds her arm as the pain shoots through her.
"How about we do this one more time then?" She looks down the street and sees Bryan with one of his brothers. Each team consisted of two people only and as they stood face to face she could see Colt was his name she believed standing on his good leg by Bryan.
"Alright…we do this quick and fast...no waiting or dawdling or coming up with rules ok?" Each party agrees and then Elsa holds up three fingers. As only one finger remained each shooter had their gun in their hand and four shots are heard. As the dust clears the winners are…
"Are you sure you won't stick around?" Anna asks Kristoff as he loads up a wagon. "It isn't about what went down in the Saloon is it?"
"No it is not Anna. I have come to terms with what you and your sister has, I actually find it lovely and all. Truth is what I am looking for is not here…maybe somewhere else. I'm sorry what happened to Arendelle she seemed like a fair town when I came here."
Anna nods her head looking around at the damage. "She will be her normal glorious self soon and then maybe we'll get back to normal life again. I'm going to miss you Kristoff." She wraps her arms around him giving him a hug.
"Thanks…I'll keep in touch through letters and stuff like that. Who knows I might be back this way someday…but for now consider this goodbye." Kristoff pulled out of the hug and went to climb up and take the reins.
"Goodbye Kristoff…brave soul and brave hero." Anna waves watching as he rides off into the sunset and out of Arendelle. Ever since the shootout here all the remaining brothers still alive were taken into custody and put to justice by manual labor.
Anna walked around the town feeling like it had grown smaller somehow. Olaff was gone and now Kristoff was riding off. Walking into the Sheriff's office she shakes her head seeing someone sitting in the seat of the Sheriff.
"Oh hey…um…she is not here right now…just warming up the seat is all." Anna laughs seeing as Hans gets out of the seat in a hurry.
"It is alright…I think Elsa would like seeing you there. You saved her life when she needed it." Anna smiled thinking of her sister.
"I hope to one day be a cool and level headed Sheriff like your Sister…" He looks away as he adjusts his collar and smiles.
"Well you keep up this good behavior of yours and who knows…maybe you will be." Anna bid him farewell heading out of the office and heading to the Saloon. As she walked through the door she saw someone on stage and then her eyes lit up.
"Hello…I'd like to dedicate this song to my love, my life, my everything…Anna." Elsa stood on the stage wearing a sparkling blue dress and her hair was free falling down her shoulders. As the music played she gave her a playful wink.
You and I have been through so much
Through the tragic and the fun
And though we may not get along at times
Know you are still my number one
At night I can feel your breath
Running through me again and again
Oh I realize I have said it plenty
But to you I will always let it go
You are my only and my everything
Anna be mine forever and more.
"Wow…I can't believe…I thought you'd never do something like this?" Anna asked incredulous.
"After living through that fight I've grown to appreciate the finer things in life…including putting my fears aside to do something my sister does. So Anna…come on up on stage." Elsa stands there and Anna gets suspicious taking the stage. She doesn't see it at first but then the place is packed with people.
"Anna…would you do the honor…of being my wife?" Elsa goes down on one knee and holds up a ring, so beautiful and frosty it blows her mind.
"Elsa…this is so sudden…I mean…shouldn't we wait on this?" Anna feels her cheeks darken and being up on stage like this causes her to be on the spotlight.
"Anna someone told me something valuable and if I let you go…it will eat at me for the rest of my life. I want you in my life Anna…now and for always." She does not get up and Anna begins to cry.
"Yes Elsa…I wil…I do!" She accepts the ring on her finger and kisses her deeply as she gets to her feet. The two just stand there among all those who were against this and now were in support. Anna holds her close never wanting to be apart. This was her happy ending…and out here in the west anything is possible.
THE END
Authors note: Well I hope you all enjoyed this tale of Elsanna. And for all who have attempted to incorporate all 13 brothers in a tale I give you two thumbs up. So now we fade out and I am off to my next tale, thanks for reading everyone. And keep a look out for my next Elsanna fanfic titled 'Frozen a vixen's curse' coming soon.