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Hubris

Merida decided to come along, Elsa could practically feel the radiance from Ralph's smile as she told him. Elsa hadn't meant to eavesdrop or heck maybe she had, so she could capture that moment, that happiness; it was something rare, something beautiful.

There was a moment, one where Elsa noticed the way Ralph opened his arms slightly and stepping a bit closer towards Merida. They looked into each others eyes but instead of closing the space between them he let his arms fall down to his sides and his smile slightly faltered.

Elsa almost felt sorry for the guy. That was until Merida stood on the tip of her toes and gave him a light kiss on his cheek; if possible his smile shone brighter than before.

Merida turned on her heel in a swift movement making to leave the room. As she passed by, Elsa considered for a moment commenting on the slight blush that had seemingly crept up Merida's face but she decided against it.

Ralph was absentmindedly touching his cheek as his eyes followed Merida's moving figure. Then he meet Elsa's eyes and she couldn't help the small smile in the corner of her lips at his obvious happiness.

They would be leaving as soon as possible, all of them.

They were re-packing all the gear they had found in the truck. They shared the food amongst themselves each packing some into their bags together with ammunition; those were the essentials. Everything that couldn't fit into their bags got put in the back of the truck.

When they were done Anna stood beside her and Elsa could feel the ghost of her hand next to her own. A part of her wanted to reach out, but as she meet Anna's eyes she froze, and instead felt herself moving slightly away from her.

"So we need one to drive the car as the others push it to get it started."

Vanellope was just about to open her mouth when Ralph shot her down with a firm "NO." She crossed her arms defensively over her chest as she mumbled grumpily to herself.

"Maybe later." Merida shot her a mischievous wink and Vanellope's face immediately brightened.

"We also need someone to manage the main gate." Anna chipped in.

"Yeah that's right I had almost forgotten about that." Ralph scratched the back of his neck. "So what about; we have two pushing, one driving, and one managing the gate and covering for the two pushing the car? And no, absolutely not." Again he directed his gaze at the young girl before she could utter a word. "You will be staying in the passenger seat inside the car the entire time." Once again Vanellope's face turned into a frown.

"Well Ralph ye are the strongest so it only makes sense ya help pushing." Merida said. "So I guess I better be the other one, making sure ye big butt gets back on the ride when it starts moving." She sent him a tender smile but it was quickly removed as she continued on.

"Which means that the lucky position as gatekeeper and scout is free for a volunteer." She turned to Anna. "Preferably one who is a good shot." She made a suggestive wave with her eyebrows.

"I'll do it." Elsa suddenly said, causing everyone to shift their attention to her.

"What? But Elsa, we need someone who actually knows how to drive to manage the clutch shift and wheel." Ralph reasoned.

"Well, I've only ever driven automatic so it won't really make a difference who's driving, would it now?" She shot Ralph a cold glare hoping he would get the message.

"Alrighty, then it's settled, smelly is our third man out. Any objections?" Merida stated.

"Actually I-" Anna started but Merida simply cut her off.

"Good."

Elsa was standing outside the house by the big metal gate, while Ralph tried to explain the mechanics of the car to Anna a final time. The gate was big, old and rusty and would probably make a hell of a lot of noise when she would pull it open. Driven on electricity back in the day it had been bolted up with a fat chain now. They had found an old axe among the stuff in the car and when the time would come she would use it to break the chain and rip the gates open. At least that was the plan.

"So ye don't know how to handle the stick, now why doesn't that surprise me?" Merida said as she came up to stand next to Elsa. "Or maybe it's more that ye don't want to, it's not ya preference?"

Doing her best not to roll her eyes at Merida's obvious innuendo Elsa simply bit the inside of her cheek and ignored the woman next to her.

"Oh come on Elsa, don't be like that." Merida bumped her shoulder playfully. "I was only teasing."

Still not getting an answer Merida settled on looking out through the gate as well. No infected were currently to be seen. The streets and surrounding houses were silent, but surely the infected were out there somewhere. They were always out there.

"I know ye doing it to protect her. Bloody hell, I would probably have done the same as well." Merida glanced back over her shoulder towards the garage. "But we can't always protect them, only help them along the way." She gave Elsa a look, which she also chose to ignore.

"Ye know, I never thought I would get to see them again." Merida's gaze now wandered over to the pile of dirt in the far end of the yard. "A part of me wished I hadn't, a part of me wished I could still pretend they had abandoned the thought of me and were living safe somewhere." She cleared her throat.

"It was my dad inside, on the sofa… in case ye hadn't already figured it out." Merida blinked a couple of times as her eyes welled up with unshed tears; returning her focus back out on the street.

"You want to bury him?" Elsa asked.

"I-I don't think we have time." Merida said, her voice sounding suddenly frail.

"We'll make time."

They found an old shovel around the back. Merida insisted on being the one digging the hole so Elsa decided to go inside and ask Ralph to help her carry out the body. It was horrible. The sheet was a slight comfort so she at least didn't have to look at him, but the smell. Oh god, the smell.

It was a shallow grave but it was a luxury most others wouldn't even be given. They placed the body and covered it quickly; the blood stained sheet was the last to disappear out of view beneath the layers of soil.

Now there were two piles in the garden side by side. Ralph asked if Merida wanted to say something. But she simply shook her head, squeezing Vanellope's hand a little bit tighter before she turned away heading for the car; Vanellope and Ralph by her side.

Anna and Elsa stayed a little bit longer, the younger girl picked up a small rock and placed the folded letter on top of the pile of dirt, the stone keeping it in place. Her hand found Elsa's as they took a final glance at it.

"I'm glad you're here with me." Anna said silently.

"Me too." Elsa looked down at their joined hands realizing how much she actually enjoyed the sensation of it. But soon the moment was snatched away as they could hear the others rustling by the car.

Elsa could hear the sound of the tires slowly rolling over the pavement coming closer, she raised the axe above her head and closed her eyes; hearing the sound of her pulse beating inside her ears. A silent prayer was on her lips as the axe was brought down to forcefully meet the chain.

The same prayer echoed in her mind as she ripped the gates open; a prayer that for once things would actually go smoothly. The sound of old rusty metal screeching sent shivers down her spine.

The tailgate of the car was dropped down so Ralph and Merida easily could jump up to safety when the engine would kick in. Elsa would cover for them until then and make her way up last.

She threw the axe up on the bed of the car as soon as it passed by her, taking her shotgun from her shoulder getting ready to shoot at anything heading her way.

She had 8 shells and that's it, then she would have to change over to her handguns. She had 8 shells that would blow any approaching fucker away in an instant, but only 8.

The car was finally gaining some speed. They set into a run but soon screeches and screams could be heard from the surrounding buildings and streets. Elsa could feel the sweat forming on her forehead. She had to let them get close as the shotgun was a short range weapon, she knew that. But it didn't help to ease her trigger finger as the first runner could be seen speeding towards them.

She tried covering both Merida and Ralph, changing between each side of the car as more and more infected would start heading towards them. She couldn't let them get too close.

The sound of shots being fired echoed in the streets, undoubtedly drawing more infected to them. Soon her last round was spent and she threw the gun up on the truck with one hand as she reached for her handgun with her second.

The car made a sound as if it was actually about to come to life, Elsa felt relief alone by the thought but it was soon blown out as Anna failed in changing gear properly. She could hear Merida's frustrated groan as they had to keep pushing, but all that got muted out as she heard a sound that made the hair stand on the back of her neck.

A couple of buildings behind them a massive figure emerged; its footsteps so heavy it almost made the ground shake. The bloater was back. It let out a spine-tingling roar as it started heading for them. Elsa fired shot after shot in it's direction but little difference did it make.

Her hands started shaking as she desperately tried reaching for her nailbombs while still shooting away. She would have to leave Merida and Ralph's side to get close enough to throw them. If she did they would be unprotected against anything else that might launch at them, but what was the alternative?

As an answer to her prayers the engine suddenly kicked in and this time Anna managed to actually shift in time. The bloater now launched and with no time to pull her gasmask on Elsa simply hoped for the best as she set into a sprint throwing the bombs the best she could in the creatures direction.

The infected were everywhere, she needed to get back to the car but to her great horror Merida was struggling with helping Ralph onto it. Elsa's lungs were burning as she with her last strength closed the space between herself and the car and managed to struggle herself onto it. The sound of bombs going off didn't distract her as she too tried reaching out for Ralph's hand.

One of the bloaters spores-bombs landed dangerously close to them. If Anna didn't speed up they weren't going to make it out of there. She could see the desperation and the horror in Ralph's face as he seemed to realise this as well. He let go of her hand and reached out for the chain resting around Merida's neck instead; the chain with a small silver whistle attached. Merida looked at him with absolute terror written in her features as his hand slipped out of her grasp as well.

She screamed out to him as he started blowing in the whistle. He was waving his hands wildly trying to draw the creature's attention while running in the opposite direction of the car.

"STOP THE CAR." Merida screamed at the top of her lungs as she slammed her hand against the rear window. Elsa watched in horror as the high pitch sound of Ralph's whistling and frantic movement drew every infected to him like a moth to a flame but she knew what had to be done.

She ripped Merida away from the window, as she screamed out for Anna to keep going. Merida struggled beneath her with all her might but Elsa kept her pinned down.

"LET GO OF ME! WE HAVE TO SAVE HIM!"

Elsa felt a sharp blow to her side before she managed to pin the frantic woman down by her wrists. "Merida listen to me, we can't save him." Tears were welling up Merida's eyes as she kept thrashing beneath her, screaming her lungs out for Anna to stop the car and that they couldn't just leave him.

"We can't go back, you know that!" The whistling and the animalistic roars could no longer be heard. But it made no difference, Merida kept on screaming, calling out for Ralph and begging to go back for him. But Elsa refused to let her go.

It was first when they had made it safely outside the city the car finally came to a stop. Merida's face was still wet from tears when Anna and Vanellope opened their doors and came back to them.

"Where's Ralph?" The little girl asked with a small voice. Elsa could feel her stomach turn. The young girl had been ordered to stay put in the passenger seat, not peeking back no matter what she might see or hear.

"He's gone." Elsa said, her voice only having the slightest of tremble as she finally released Merida from her grasp.

"What do you mean?" Vanellope looked up at her with big begging eyes.

"No… NO he can't be!" She turned her pleading gaze towards Merida instead who silently confirmed the truth with her own tearstained face.

"You left him! How could you leave him!?" She looked between Merida and Elsa before she turned to Anna. "You just kept driving. HOW COULD YOU!?" Tears was now running down her face.

"This is all your fault! You killed him! YOU KILLED RALPH!"

"We would all have died." Elsa said bluntly. "Is that really what you and Merida want? For all of us to die because Ralph decided to let go?"

"Shut ye fucking mouth." White rage was burning in Merida's eyes.

"Ralph sacrificed himself to save all of us. He made that decision, you saw it yourself and this is how you want to honour it? By having us all killed?"

"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Merida's fist hit Elsa square in the face. Blood started gushing uncontrollably from her nose. It took a moment for Elsa to truly register what had happened before she tried to stop the blood with the back of her hand.

As if shocked herself Merida's eyes had widened but she didn't say anything instead everything just turned awfully quiet. Ralph was gone. What was done was done, and there was nothing they could do about it.