Author's Note:

Hey, guys! So sorry it's been so long since I've published a chapter, I've been busy with school. Hope you enjoy the chapter, and please leave a review with some critiques, I love to improve my writing. Thanks and enjoy!

This story is rated T for dark content and some strong language, just so you know. (Also, there's a bit of gruesome description in this chapter.)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Frozen or any of its characters or plots, I only own my twists and changes!

Dark, clogging smoke rose to the beautifully carved ceiling, melting it away with its boiling heat. All of her work, all of her time sculpting this beautiful palace, it was all for nothing. And she might not even survive getting out. Whatever she did, though, Elsa would not let Olaf die. Though Hans had taken almost everything from her, she would not let him destroy this little snowman, the only thing remaining from her frozen castle. She tried to conjure ice in her hand, but it immediately melted in her palm, and she was left with water dripping off of her hand slowly. Olaf was sweating profusely, and his usually cheerful face was now looking up at her, his eyes full of fear. She tightened her grip on him, looking at the spot where Boulder had been a few minutes before.

"Olaf, listen to me," she commanded, pointing at the spot. "I'm going to toss you over there. If you're careful, you can make it to the door. Okay?"

"How will you get out?" he asked.

She smiled reassuringly at him. "I'll be fine. Don't worry." With that, she picked him up easily, then tossed him towards the puddle of Boulder. Olaf barely landed in it, sliding in the water, then carefully got up and turned towards her, waving. She looked at the fire in front of her, again trying to summon ice. A weak spurt of water flew out, and she aimed it towards the fire. It briefly lowered some of the flames, certainly not powerful enough for her to get out. Her lungs felt strained from the smoke that she took in with every haggard breath. "GO!" she shouted to Olaf, who was still waiting for her in the puddle. He hesitated for a few seconds, then turned and ran out the double doors. There was only one thing Elsa could do... and that was make a run for it.

Bracing herself, she summoned more of the tiny amount of water and aimed it in front of her as she dashed towards the flames. It barely did anything against the flames, and she felt the overwhelming heat blistering against her skin. After what seemed like hours, she made it to the puddle, coughing and gasping for air. The smoke was almost unbearable now. Her icy dress had protected her from most of the heat, but it was mostly melted away. She could see the gray, cloud-covered sky outside, and she grinned as she straightened, taking a step towards it. But her icy heels, misshapen by heat, slid in the thin layer of water she was standing on, and she fell towards the flames. No, no, no, I can't TRIP! was her last thought before falling face first into the fire.

Pain. So much pain, and heat, and her skin felt like it was boiling, and she could hear herself screaming from the overwhelming heat of it. Her skin was tingling strangely and painfully, and there was so much pain in her head-

Instinctually, her arms pushed her back upwards, and she was kneeling, inches away from the flames. Her hands flew up to her face, but she felt them sizzling with the heat coming off of it. There was still so much pain, so much, and she could barely see. She quickly lowered her face to the ground, dunking it in the puddle. Some of the pain lessened, but she could still feel the stinging. Realizing that she hadn't breathed in for a while, she raised her face out of the water and turned her head back towards the door. Her left eye seemed to be working again, but her right vision was strangely just... not there. Resolving to worry about it later, she rushed towards the doors, almost crying with relief as the winter air whipped across her face. Olaf was waiting on the stairs, and he immediately rushed up to her, his eyes wide with shock. "Your face!" he shouted immediately.

"How much... how much is damaged?" It took more conscious effort to speak. It hurt immensely to move her lips. Looking back at the castle, she could see the fire raging inside. Even the outside walls were melting, water pouring down them in a glistening sheet. She could vaguely distinguish her reflection, and she gasped as she saw it. Quickly, she tried to summon ice. It was still more water than ice, but she was obviously cooling again. The water slid down the stairs, and she looked at her image in it.

The right side of her face was blackened and charred, gruesomely melted away. Her right eyelid appeared to have melted shut against the skin underneath. It certainly explained why she couldn't see through it. Her left side was more fortunate, but it was still a bright, painful reddish pink with a strange sheen. Part of her hair was burned away, the end of her braid now a charred black instead of its previous snowy white. It wasn't unraveling, though, and as she pulled at it, she understood why. The hair at the end appeared to have melted together, keeping the braid in place. At least my hair won't be getting in the way, she thought to herself, giggling despite the horror of her appearance and the pain. The giggle grew into a full laugh, and Olaf looked at her strangely as she kept laughing while looking at her face.

"Elsa..." he said cautiously. He stepped closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

She was still laughing, gasping for breath now, not able to stop the fit of humor. Her eye that wasn't fused shut had a weird gleam in it. Something about the queen had snapped. Apparently not realizing this, Olaf looked at her, confused. "What's so funny?" he asked.

Without answering him, she stood, and his twig arm fell to his side. She walked down the stairs, not looking back at her palace melting away behind her, still laughing, her ruined face twisted into a leering grin. Her footprints in the snow were lined with ash as she walked down the mountain, back towards Arendelle, and not knowing what else to do, Olaf followed.