Chapter Twenty-One
Melted
"Now that's ice," Kristoff gaped as he stared at the isles before him. He was so close to being reunited with his Anna. His fiancée he simply could not wait another moment to embrace in his arms once again. Though he was exhausted, he began to pick up his pace with anticipation.
They came closer and could see every square inch of the ground was covered with snow, and wherever there wasn't snow, ten foot icicles were jutting out from the earth. It was unpleasant and just downright frightening to look at.
"You've got to be kidding me, Hans," Ida mumbled to herself. She remembered the summers in the Southern Isles to be hot and sticky with warm summer sun, but this was insane. It didn't even snow there in the winter!
They rounded one of the smaller islands and the main island came into view. Tucked against a cliff, similar as it is in Arendelle, was the palace. It was slightly larger and taller than the palace in Arendelle, but Elsa didn't find it equally appealing. This castle was indeed frozen, but it was no where near as grand as Elsa's ice castle in the North Mountain. The palace was covered in ice, but the ice was dark and frosted. The ice beneath their feet was the same, thick and translucent, covering the entire bay the palace rested against.
Ida led them to the shore a ways from the castle. They tucked themselves between a few rocks to protect them from being seen by anyone, and from the wind that was howling out on the water.
Once they all settled down, Ida pressed on her temples to think. "Okay," she stared. "We want to make this as quick and painless as possible, yes?"
"More or less," Kristoff ask aid rolling his eyes. He just wanted to know how to be of help in finding Anna.
"I think I know a way in through the dungeons with out being seen," Ida said, rubbing her jaw. "When I was a kid there was a window with loose bars that I was able to pull out and crawl through whenever I was running from one of my brothers. I'll have to go in through there. But I'm not sure where he's keeping Anna. My first guess would be in the vaults themselves." She looked at Sven, "He's going to have to stay out here, he'll be too noticeable."
The reindeer grunted in opposition, but Kristoff knew she was right. "Fine," Kristoff agreed. "Sven, you'll need to stay in this spot, and if any of us need to get a quick getaway, you're going to be the one to get us out of here."
The reindeer sighed, unwillingly accepting this fate.
"My first priority is to find Anna," she continued, ignoring Sven's protests. "If she is in the dungeons I'll have to find the keys to get her out. And if Hans has them..." she paused and inhaled. "I'll have to just take them from him."
"This plan sounds a bit risky," Elsa threw in. "What are Kristoff and I supposed to do?"
"I want you both to avoid Hans if at all possible," she said. "The less confrontation, the better. I'll show you where I'm going to go in, and Elsa, if I actually need your help...well, I'll let you know."
Elsa gulped, that isn't exactly what she wanted to hear.
"And what about me?" Kristoff asked, impatiently.
"You will wait outside where I go in," she replied. "And if I'm able to get Anna out, you take her and the rest of you and get out of here."
"Well what about you?" Elsa said, concerned. "We're not going to leave you behind."
Ida's expression turned serious. "I have to take care of Hans," she responded, her voice grave and full of sorrow.
"What about me? What about me?" Olaf exclaimed, jumping up and down.
"Olaf, just stay with Kristoff and help him if he needs it," she said.
"Okay! Let's go save Anna!" the snowman cried.
"Does everyone understand?" Ida asked looking at all of them. She was afraid it might be the last time she saw them all together, but she knew it had to be done. Once they all nodded, they got up and began walking along the path along the edge of the cliff. They dodged behind rocks, and crawled on the icy ground where there weren't any, until they reached the walls of the castle, where they were out of view from any of the windows. Ida led them around the the back facing wall where there were windows along the bottom that were lined with iron bars, impossible for the smallest of people to squeeze through.
Ida walked along them, trying to remember which was the one that was loose. She pulled at a few until one finally shifted out of its place and she yanked it out, along with the one next to it, creating a space just barely big enough for Kristoff to crawl through if he needed to.
"Okay," she said, looking at their faces one more time. "Elsa if I need you, I'll whistle for you. You'll hear me. And Kristoff, if I call for Elsa, you follow behind her and get to Anna." They both nodded and Ida gracefully slid herself through the opening she had created, and landed with an inaudible thud against the stone of the dungeon floor. She felt a creepy sensation crawl up her spine. She was actually back in her home. The place where she was raised, the place she had sworn she would never return to. Yet here she was, meandering through its halls once again. She felt like the walls were staring at her, eyeless, with disappointment and shame.
She trotted through the U-shaped hall without a soul in sight, until she came to the final bend in the hall. She could hear coughing and sniffling, from both men and women, and she slowly peeked over the corner. She immediately saw Ilias, Leander, and Henrick and Sebastian looking miserable as ever in their stone cells, wrapped in thin blankets shivering in the cold.
She rounded the corner, an inescapable grin on her face. "Well, boys," she said, her usual sarcasm lacing her tone. "It's been a long time. And it looks like you could use a little bit of rescuing."
They all jumped, including Anna who was out of view, and they turned to look at the visitor.
She slowly walked up to Leander's cell, he was kneeling on the ground squinting up at her. "Who...who are you?"
She knelt down to him, "Geez Andy, out of all of you I thought you would be the one to recognize me." Her smile danced on her face.
Andy. Only one person had ever called him that before in his life.
"Oh my god," Henrick called from behind them.
"It...it can't be," Leander stuttered.
She reached through the bars with her hands and caressed his face. "Believe it, Andy. I heard you were in trouble."
"Ida," his voice was low but it cracked at her warm touch.
Anna looked at the radiant young woman in front of her friends cell. Did he just say Ida? But she thought they said she was dead? They were wrong? She didn't really look like any of them. The woman looked over at her, her eyes were black as the night sky, causing Anna to instinctively back up.
Ida walked over to her cell and knelt down again. "Anna?"
Anna's eyes widened in shock. "H-How do you know my name?" She couldn't believe this woman knew who she was! She saw her break out into a huge grin as she confirmed her question. Her teeth perfectly white against her dark red lips. She looked like a wolf in a human body.
"It's okay, Anna," Leander said. "Ilias told you about Ida last night! She's not dead! She's alive! Ida where have you been? I thought father banished you?"
"Quiet, Andy!" she hushed him, and looked back at Anna. "They told you about me did they?"
Anna nodded, still wary. "They said you were Hans twin sister."
Ida smiled, "Good. At least I'm not a complete stranger."
Yes you are, Anna thought to herself.
"Anna," Ida continued, her voice soft. "I'm here with Elsa and Kristoff."
Everyone immediately went silent. Anna could feel her heart flutter with excitement and fear all at the same time. "Y-You are?"
She nodded, "Yes, they are waiting outside. I need the keys to get you all out of here. Where are they?"
Anna opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a soft, wispy voice behind them. "Ida?"
The sound made Ida turn around to its source. There, sitting on the floor of her cell, was Queen Nora, reaching through the iron bars.
Ida felt her entire body go numb. Her mother wasn't dead, but she sure looked near it. "Momma!" She struggled to get to her feet and slipped on the ice, and fell into her mothers arms.
Both women instantly burst into hot tears at the sight of one another. Each thought the other was dead, and not a single word was spoken between them for a solid two minutes.
Ida looked at a Queen Nora and grasped her hands, "I can't believe Hans did this to you. Im going to take care of him for sure. I'm going to get you out of here, Momma."
She shook her head, "No, you get that young lady over there out first, and then your brothers. Don't worry about me until they are safe."
Ida shook her head in disagreement. "But where are the keys?"
Anna spoke up, "I think Hans holds onto them."
Ida closed her eyes. That was exactly what she didn't want to hear. That was certainly going to lead to a confrontation between her and Hans, unless she could convince him otherwise. Which was unlikely. She scowled and pressed two fingers to her mouth, allowing a long, high pitched whistle to escape between her lips.
She reluctantly released her mother and went over to Anna's cell again. She inspected the lock on the door. "I can't melt it, otherwise it'll seal the lock and we'll never be able to get it open."
Anna raised an eyebrow, "Melt it? With what? It's all ice in here, good luck starting a fire."
Ida looked at the girl like she was crazy, then over at Leander. "You didn't tell her?"
Anna looked at him, "Tell me what?"
"I didn't think it was necessary! I thought you were dead only a few minutes ago," he defended himself.
"What isn't necessary? Tell me what?" Anna squeaked, determined to know what they were talking about.
Ida looked back at her and held up a hand, her hair glowed orange and her eyes turned into an inferno as fire began to flicker from her fingertips right before Anna's eyes. Astonished, Anna fell backwards into her cot.
"Are you kidding me?" she yelled. "That's...I mean how...wait...that was fire!" She heart was pounding. She thought Ida looked intimidating before, she looked ten times worse now.
"Calm down, princess," she said as she extinguished the fire in her palm.
Just then Anna saw Elsa and Kristoff round the corner and catch sight of her.
"Anna!" they both gasped at the same time, and they slid down onto the ground on the opposite side of the iron bars to embrace her.
"Kristoff! Elsa!" she cried, almost too elated to speak. "He did you...and when...and Ida?"
Elsa laughed, a tear crawling its way down her cheek. "Don't worry, we'll explain everything to you once we get you out of here."
Anna looked at Kristoff. It had been so long since she had seen his face, and it was exactly as she had remembered. His disheveled blonde hair, and the warmth he was radiating felt wonderful. "Kristoff," she whispered.
He touched her face through the bars, her cheek was cold but still soft. "It's gonna be okay, Anna. We're going to get you out of here."
"Elsa," Ida interrupted, her voice low. "Hans has the keys."
Elsa looked up at her and furrowed her brows, "Then what are we going to do?"
Ida closed her eyes and sighed. She opened them and looked at all of her brothers locked in their cells, and then at her mother. She knew her mother would lose a child, but there was no way around it. "I'm going to find Hans. And put an end to this winter."
She heard her mother let out a quiet sob. She walked to her cell and took her hands into her own. "I'm sorry, Momma," she whispered. "Look at what he's done to you. To all of you. He dragged Princess Anna all the way over here, just so he could destroy Queen Elsa and take over Arendelle. He's taken over Tobias and Didrik's minds, he killed the king and he's nearly killed you, I can see how sick you are, mother!"
Queen Nora shook her head, "I've been sick a long time, my dear. I'm just glad I got to see you once more, before the end."
Ida's eyes widened, and her grasp on her mother tightened. "No, you listen to me," the tension in her voice rising. "I'm going to get you out, and I'm going to stop Hans. Everything will be okay.Youwill be okay."
The queen smiled, "You always were stubborn, even as a toddler. You save your brothers and Anna first. Do you understand?"
She frowned, "Yes, mother." She stood up and walked back over to Anna's cell, where Olaf was trying to unlock the door with his carrot nose.
"I can't get it," he said, defeatedly. "These aren't like the locks on the doors of your castle, Elsa."
Ida pushed back her bangs and inhaled. She knew this moment was coming, and there was no going around it. "I'm going to face Hans."
Queen Nora tried to stand. "No," she cried, weakly. "Don't you hurt your brother."
She could feel tears pressing on her eyelids. She knew her mother loved Hans, he was the closest thing she had to her when she left. "He's not my brother anymore, Momma," she finally uttered. "This isn't the Hans I used to know. He's a monster." She watched as her mother put a hand to her mouth, as if to silence herself from arguing further. Queen Nora knew she was right, Hans wasn't that little adorable boy she raised. He had become corrupted by power and the need for revenge.
"I'm going with you," Elsa said, releasing Anna and standing beside Ida.
"Your arm still hasn't fully healed," she replied. "He will be too powerful."
"Then I can do something else," Elsa said, frantically. "Distract your other two brothers, or snatch the keys when Hans isn't looking." She lowered her voice so the others couldn't hear, "I want to see the look on his face when he tries to play with fire."
"Elsa, no!" Anna cried. "Y-You can't! You could die! Then what am I supposed to do?"
"Anna," she lulled, her voice comforting. "Everything is going to be fine, okay? I can take care of myself."
Ida grinned. Perhaps her deviant ways had rubbed off on that royal pain in the neck after all. "Fine," she murmured, giving in.
Kristoff peeled his eyes away from Anna, "Well what about me?"
"Stay down here with Anna and the others," Elsa responded. "If anything happens, come find one of us."
Agreeing, Ida tugged on Elsa's shoulder, "Let's get this over with." She took one last look at her family, and one long lasting look at her mother. She glanced over at Anna and Kristoff, both still clinging onto one another through the bars of the cell. Anna could now see the similarities between Ida and Hans. With just one look they were incredibly charming, and their voices captivated whomever they were speaking to. Especially Ida. Her entire physique was flawless, she didn't even have any freckles. Her burgundy hair laid perfectly in her braid, and her bangs framed her face ever so slimmingly. When she showed Anna her fire, it lit her face with a glow that lined her cheekbones and jawline so elegantly, and here she stood now, in the light of sunset peeking through the windows. Elsa was just as stunning, with her snow blonde hair glimmering in the sun and her blue eyes glassy and perfect as ever. Anna felt like she was in the presence of a couple of angels.
"Don't worry, Anna," Ida spoke softly, before disappearing around the corner, Elsa close behind her.
"Ugh!" Anna exclaimed in frustration. "Is that the only way to be beautiful around here. I have to be cursed?"
Kristoff gawked at her, like she was insane. "Anna," he said. "What in the world are you talking about?"
"I mean, just look at Elsa and Ida! They're stunning! I mean, I've always been a little jealous of Elsa, but now I see the only way to get good looks around here, is if I shoot natural elements from my fingers!"
"Anna, are you crazy?" Kristoff said, half laughing. "You already are beautiful."
She stopped, and looked at her tattered clothes and tangled hair, "Seriously."
He chuckled, "It doesn't matter what your wearing, or if you happen to be having a bad hair day. I know that your beautiful, every square inch of you."
She sighed, "I couldn't have at least inherited clear skin?"
His grin widened, "I love all of your freckles, too." He pinched her nose, where she had most of her freckles clustered.
She giggled, and he blushed. She couldn't be more happy to have Kristoff back in her arms again. He always knew how to make her smile, no matter how down she was. After all she was locked in a cell and she was smiling and laughing again.
"Besides," he continued. "I think we have enough people running around with magic powers."
Ida slowly made her ways through the familiar hallways of her childhood home. She ran her fingers along the wallpaper, paintings, banisters, and everything else that hadn't changed since she left. Granted, everything was cold with frost and ice, but for a moment she was lost in memories of running up and down those same halls with her brothers. A smile danced upon her face. She did, however, find it odd that there was no one else wandering the corridors besides Elsa and herself. There were typically maids and butlers and advisors and representatives scurrying about trying to do chores and discuss trade and set up for parties. But there was no one to be seen. She assumed Hans and his mighty icicles managed to frighten them all away, and she laughed. They finally reached the narrow hallway that led to the throne room, the air was becoming intensely colder.
She turned to face Elsa, removing her jacket and shoving it into her arms. Without her jacket, she truly looked taller and slimmer. Elsa could only think to compare her to a snake. "Just wait out her for a bit," she told her. "If the pure sight of me doesn't kill him, then maybe I can hopefully talk him into stopping all of this."
Elsa looked at her, her face sarcastically doubtful.
"I said hopefully!" Ida defended. She scowled and entered the narrow hallway, leaving Elsa to wait behind a wall out of sight.
Ida tiptoed her way along the expensive rug, gazing at the paintings lining the walls. Some were familiar, others not so much. Guess father never got over his gambling problem. She thought to herself. She slowly looked ahead, still hidden in shadow, and saw the throne room. She had to keep herself from gasping too loud. It was no longer that grand playground she had loved so much. The windows that used to let in so much light with the red curtains that she had admired. The mosaic floor that she used to roll around on with her brothers. The chandeliers that would impress the greatest of kings from near and far. All of it, covered with ice. It was not beautiful, it was dark, and disheartening. She couldn't think of anyone who would want to inhabit such a place. But as she peered into the room, she could see him. He was alone, no Tobias or Didrik in sight, which displeased her. He was pacing next to the throne, only one where there once stood two, completely made of ice and surrounded with icicles sharp as a spear. He looked nothing like he did when he was little. This new Hans had a conniving, atomic look about him. And Elsa was right; he did inherent the family's signature sideburns.
She took a deep breath and finally walked into the dim light of the room. She began to slowly clap her hands, in a sarcastic matter, of course. She still couldn't believe that her loving twin brother could have become such a monster.
Hans stopped pacing, dead in his tracks, and turned to face the new, stranger that found her way into his throne room,
She nearly gasped when he looked at her. His eyes were scratched blue, no longer the warm green they used to be. She came closer, but stopped at a distance for cautionary reasons. "You've really outdone yourself this time, Hans."
He eyed this new stranger. Not recognizing her, blinded by all the greed and power. He had forgotten about everyone he ever loved, and he was unsure of how to approach her. "And just how did someone like you find your way into my palace?" he said, his voice smooth and charming, but intimidating at the same time.
She remained unfazed. He was always able to talk his way into and out of things as a child. Clearly he hadn't grown out of that one. "Oh, come on, Hans," she said, her tone mocked his. She knew she could easily wrap him around her finger. She was his weakness and she knew it.
He took a few steps closer to her, his eyes never shifting away from hers.
"I thought you would recognize me, brother," she uttered, almost whispering. She watched him as the full realizations and shock of who she was enveloped his expression. His arms fell numb at his sides and his eyes widened so far they seemed to leap off his face.
"I-Ida?" he managed to whimper. Before she could respond to his pitiful reply, he ran to her and embraced her with all the force of all her other brothers. For that split second, he was that little boy again. The same fifteen year old boy who had his only sister ripped away from him, now reunited with her. He, along with the others, had presumed she was dead long ago, and now here she was, in his arms once more. A million thoughts ran through both of their minds for the duration of that single moment. It felt as if the ice around them had froze time itself.
He finally released her, frozen waterfalls falling from his eyes. "You're alive!"
She shrugged, "Can't get rid of me that easily." She broke her gaze from him and gestured to the room around them. "Hans, what have you done?"
That moment of boyhood came to an end and a smug look creeped into his face, his split second of innocence gone. "Do you like it?" he said. "I believe it suites me quite well." He turned from her and swaggered over to his throne, sitting on it.
"Like it?" she scowled. "Hans, you killed the king!"
"Like it even matters!" his voice rose. "He hated us, and then banished you out of greed."
"You idiot," her tone matching his. "I was never banished! I left! Because I kept destroying everything, and hurting you and the others! Father was indeed a corrupted, greedy man. But look at you! Look around you! You have become him."
The impact of her words made him rise to his feet. "I am better than him," he growled. "I am finally the king, building up my own kingdom. Just like I told you I would when we were kids."
"Yeah, well I didn't think it would include any of this," she said throwing her arms at the ice around her. "You've become a power hungry beast, and you're a danger to everyone. You need to give me the keys so I can free our brothers from the dungeons."
"Oh," he said, his voice sly. "So you've been down there, have you?"
"Do you have any idea what your doing?" she shrieked. "Momma is nearly dead because of you! How could you lock your own mother down there in the freezing vaults? The woman who has cared for you for all these years! And don't try to tell me she didn't because I know how much she cared for you, as she cared for me."
Hans snickered, "Oh, I know she took care of me. And I have quite a lot of respect for her for doing so. But you see, in return she has not shown any respect for me, or my new found power. And, well, I couldn't have her standing in my way."
He made her nauseous. "You're disgusting. I know what you've done to Tobias and Didrik. You've poisoned their minds, you murdered the king, and you threw your own mother into prison. You're no brother of mine."
Hans furrowed his eyebrows. Her words displeased him a fair amount, but his desire for power was greater than any love he once had for his family. "Now, now," he said. "That isn't very nice." He grinned at her, pouring himself a glass of rum from his fathers personal stash.
She wasn't getting anywhere with him. She needed the keys to the dungeon. She needed to rescue her mother at all costs. But she needed to strike a nerve, whether that'd be with her words, or with her fire. "You need to release Princess Anna," she finally said, firmly.
He stopped, mid gulp from his drink, and looked at her. "What?" he swallowed. "And just how is it that you know about her?"
She smiled, she had the upper hand now. "I didn't just all of a sudden know about your rein of power, Hans," she laughed. "I was sought out by Queen Elsa and Kristoff for my assistance."
His rage was building. How dare they use his own sister against him. "And just where are they now?"
She smirked, "Not here, certainly. They're smart enough to stay away from you. After all, that's what you wanted to achieve by kidnapping Anna, isn't it? You would use her as jailbait, and lure in Queen Elsa so you could destroy her and take over her kingdom. Yeah, I know all about what you did in Arendelle, too. Despicable."
Hans snorted, "It was more noble than any of our other brothers."
It was her turn to laugh, "So you sought out Isen just to be cursed with ice powers? Just to one up everybody else?"
"Ah, yes," Hans said, placing his drink back into the table. "That reminds me." He snapped his fingers and after a moment, Didrik appeared from another corridor, with Isen in front of him, chained and withdrawn. "Ida, why don't you say hello to our old friend, yes?"
The sound of her name made him scan the room, excitedly. When he finally caught sight of her, both relief and and terror rushed through his veins. "Ida?" he uttered.
She gave him a wink, which seemed to answer all of his questions about why and how she got there. "Lookin' good, Isen." She turned her attention back to her brother, her sarcasm replaced with anger. "Do tell why you have him chained up like some sort of animal?"
He chuckled, "Well you see, when he gave me my powers, I told him not to seek out Elsa or Anna of Arendelle to warn them about me. And clearly, he broke that little agreement of ours. I sent out Tobias and Didrik to find him, and they brought him back here to me. Now, he's just suffering the consequences."
"You release him immediately," she scowled.
"Let me think about it," he said, picking up his drink and pressing it to his lips once more.
She was through dealing with him, she raised her arm and pointed two fingers directly at him. A thin streak of fire left her fingertips and rocketed the glass right out of his hand, causing it to hit the floor, scorched and shattered.
Only mildly surprised he looked at her, "Still playing with fireworks, I see."
"You wish," she growled.
Before she could strike again, he clenched a fist and an icicle shot right through the floor beneath her, just as it had done with Anna. It stopped right below her chin, but she didn't even flinch. She wrapped her palm around it and the whole thing instantly began to melt, becoming a giant puddle at her feet.
"A bit aggressive, don't you think?" her words cut through the ice as easily as her fire did. "You could just calmly give me the keys, and I'll be on my merry way."
"Oh," he smirked. "But where's the fun in that? That would mean I'm accepting defeat. And, well..." he snickered. "I just can't have that."
Ida smirked. A much as she disliked the idea of fighting her own brother to the death, she could see a monster before her eyes, and she wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to sleigh a mighty beast. And then of course save the princess, just like the heroes in all the bedtime stories her mother used to tell them.
"Fine," she said, smugly. "Have it your way. But let's level the playing field." In the matter of a few seconds, she haunched low to the ground on the balls of her feet, and scratched the surface of the icy floor with her fingernails. Sparks of flame exploded from her fingertips and they danced across the surface of the entire floor of the throne room, melting the ice. The sparks went up the walls, and the curtains, and down each tip of the crystal chandeliers, and ravaging over Hans' icy throne. As it melted, she slowly stood up, her hands clenched in tight fists. The temperature rose in the room, over a hundred degrees and the ice that had turned to water evaporated into the air. She thrusted her palms out beside her, releasing a massive amount of heated pressure. The intensity of the heat and building pressure in the room caused the stained glass windows to shatter, shaking the entire castle, as the water vapor escaped to the icy world outside.
Hans held his head in his hand, now having a massive headache.
Ida stood erect, smiling and pleased with herself. She pushed back her bangs and sighed, "Pretty fancy firework, huh?" She placed her hands on her hips.
He looked up and around the room. Completely dry and back to the way it was before he froze it all. He turned around, his icy throne gone, not even a single drop from it remained.
He snarled, and turned to look back at his sister. "You think that just because you can play with matches you can defeat me?" his voice grew loud and demanding. "I am more powerful than you will ever be!" He threw his hand before him and an icicle as long as he was and hard as stone shot straight for her heart. In an instant, she flipped herself through the air and landed perfectly at its base as it drove into the floor, cracking and smashing the priceless mosaic pieces that tiled it.
"You know," she continued, as if nothing had happened. "I think I've figured it out. You're just jealous. I think you always have been. I was the favorite after all."
He cackled, but not before a flash of pain crossed his face. "The favorite?" he called. "I was the youngest! And you were banished!"
She sighed, "Wrong again Hansy." She leaped off the massive icicle and leaned up against it with her elbow, causing it to melt. "You're two minutes older than me. And I wasn't banished, I left. For your own safety as a matter of fact. And this is how I'm repaid?" She wiped off her wet sleeve, the entire spear of ice now a puddle. "And of course I was the favorite. The only daughter among thirteen other boys. You should have seen the looks on their faces when they saw me down in the dungeon. They love me. And then there's you. They all want to see you beheaded, I'm sure. Don't forget that Henrick, Sebastian, and Lars pretended you were invisible for about two years. Imagine what they think of you now." Her words were poison as they sunk in. She wanted to reach under his skin to get him angry, so he would slip up and make a mistake of some sort of mistake.
His icy heart was fuming. He didn't have time to marvel in the past. "Take a look around, Ida," he exclaimed. "None of that even matters anymore. None of them matter anymore. I'm through talking to a snake like you." He began throwing knife sized pieces of ice at her head, as fast as an arrow released from its bow. She held up her fore arm out of defense, creating a blaze of fire as she did, causing them to melt before they could wound her. They turned to water, and splashed her face.
She wiped her face with her hands, spitting out the water that had touched her lips. "Seriously?" she said, sarcastically. "Well, I guess that concludes negotiations." Her savvy appearance turned deadly as her hair began to glow orange and her eyes set ablaze at the sight of Hans. She raised her arms and with them a ring of burning fire appeared around Hans, flickering and roaring as it came to life.
It began to creep closer and closer to Hans, he threw blast after blast of ice at it, but to no avail. He didn't feel panic, not even for a split second. He roared as an icy wind ripped from his body, not only extinguishing the fire around them, but it also managed to knock Didrik across the room, and Isen along with him. Ida held her hands to her face, protecting herself from the stinging whirlwind, pieces of ice biting at her cheeks. But she too, being such a light weight, was thrown thirty feet into the wall behind her. Her back slammed into the stone with a crack. She struggled to breathe from the wind being knocked out of her, and when she went to stand, and immense pain shot through her right side, causing her to keel over once more.
She felt her rage building up, causing her to feel hot. There was no way she was going to let him beat her out. She managed to her feet, slowly and holding her side as it throbbed, but when she got a glimpse of Hans, and the looks of victory and satisfaction plastered across his face, she was no longer in it for the fun. She was livid. And she was ready to hold the Dragon of the West to its name. Fire coursed through her veins, and the frost that covered her from the wind instantly evaporated.
When he got to his feet and saw Ida, Isen knew what her true abilities were capable of and he began to back away, not wanting to be present for what was about to unfold. He began to take a few cautionary steps back, when Hans spotted him making a run for it. He lifted a fist and several spikes of ice crashed up through the floor around the old man, trapping him where he stood. But that split second he turned his attention to Isen, cost him. When he looked back at his sister, she was completely writhed in flames, and the bright, red, crackling fire became white. From the palm of her hand formed along strand of flame. It ranged from every color, blue to red to white to purple. The strand grew longer, and longer, and twisted around itself until it formed a thin, long whip. All of her rage, and grief, and anguish, packed into one single weapon. She snapped it high into the air and it sparked with a crack so loud it could have compared to all the windows when they shattered.
Just before she was about to wrap it around Hans, a figure caught the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see a petrified Elsa, standing in the opening of the hallway. Her eyes as wide as dinner plates, her hands covering her mouth. She didn't know whether to be more afraid of Hans who had Isen surrounded by serrated ice, or The Dragon of the West.
"No, Elsa!" Ida called out. "I told you to stay out there!"
"Well, well, well," Hans said, slyly. "I knew you wouldn't stay behind in Arendelle having my little sister doing all of the dirty work. Looks like I'll get my revenge after all."
"You'll never get away with this!" Elsa shrieked, holding up her hands to fight, even though her injured arm was still in bad shape.
"Oh," Hans hummed. "I already have." He shifted his weight and created a wave of ice headed straight for Elsa. She tried to stop it with her own ice, but couldn't produce one great enough to stop Hans' tsunami. She stumbled back and tripped over her feet, falling to the floor. She held up her hands, for what little protection they offered, and braced herself for the impact. Suddenly, there was a crack, and a crash. She opened her eyes to see Ida's whip coming down on the wave of ice, and it shattered it into a million tiny crystals.
"Come on, Frostbite," Ida called to her. "Stay on your feet. This will be over shortly."
Elsa scrambled to her feet and stood by Ida's side before Hans could create another mountain of ice. Immediately they began to shoot whatever they'd had at him, and so commenced a long awaited, historical battle between fire and ice.
The entire battle shook the whole palace. Pieces of wallpaper chipped from the walls, doorways splintered, chandeliers came crashing down. Being two against one, it really did seem to be in Ida and Elsa's favor, but Hans was stronger than either of them anticipated. Ida was able to keep up, her strong arms and legs were shaped by climbing mountains and working her curse, turning her into a fighting machine. But for Elsa, as strong as she knew she could be, her arm was slowing her down considerably, and Ida was becoming worn out from picking up her slack. They tried to work out a system, Ida would distract with her flashy moves and Elsa would appear from behind to strike, but Hans was quick. Too quick. A few times Ida had to just push Elsa out of the way, either for her own protection or of pure annoyance. A beam of ice and a streak of flame met at the ceiling, causing one of the giant chandeliers to come crashing in between them, nearly crushing Ida.
In the dungeons, pieces of rock were falling from the ceiling, and waves of heat and ice could be felt by everyone. Kristoff was holding onto Anna with all his might, determined to believe that Elsa and Ida would come out on top, somehow. He looked around in all of the cells at the other princes who were continuously moving, trying to avoid the pebbles that were falling onto their heads. All were moving, except for Queen Nora. She was slumped up against the bars of her cell, and hadn't moved since Ida left her there. He reluctantly let go of Anna and went over to her cell, touching her shoulder. She looked up at him, but he could see in her eyes that she was already gone. No light was left in her eyes, completely overcome by sadness, illness, and age. She was dying, right before him.
"Your highness," he said, his voice low, but still audible over the rumble of the battle above them. "Just hang in there."
She touched his warm face with her cold fingers through the bars, as if trying to speak a million words at one time. "Please," she whispered, almost inaudible. "Don't let him hurt Ida, or my boys."
Kristoff looked over his shoulder at the four men, craning their necks to try and see and hear the words being exchanged between them. Anna sat quietly in the spot he left her in, her face somber and pale, as if she already knew.
"And you take care of that young lady over there," she said, recapturing his attention. He looked at her, puzzled, until he saw she was pointing to her finger on her left hand. He looked at Anna, who still had her ring on.
"She is truly a delight," the queen murmured. "She reminds me so much of my Ida. She is special."
Kristoff managed a smile. He knew how special Anna was, and especially to him. "I love her with all my heart," he whispered to the queen, so only she could here. It was such a simple sentence with such an explosion of meaning. He even sometimes found it hard to tell Anna how much he loved her, afraid that if he gave all of himself to one person it would come back to bite him. But just by looking at Queen Nora, he knew he could trust her with such a statement. She had lived long enough and knew what true love was, and for an instant, he thought he saw that shine of love glimmer in her eyes, before fading away once more as she drew her hand from his face and looked away.
He swiftly stood up and went back to Anna's cell. "Olaf," he said. "Stay here and watch Anna and the others. I'm going upstairs to help."
Anna's mouth dropped to the floor,terror spreading across her face. "No!" she yelled. "You can't! I mean, you could get hurt! Or, or you could get killed!"
"Everything will be fine, Anna," he said, trying to sound confident. He began to move away.
She reached through the bars and held him there, her eyes begging and pleading for him not to go. "Kristoff..."
"I love you, Anna," he said. "I'll be alright, I promise." He turned from her, leaving her arms hanging through the bars as he left them. Cold, hard fear shot through her veins at the thought of him getting frozen, or burned. She didn't know what Ida was really capable of, and she didn't really want to know either.
Ida wasn't able to get many shots in, her twin brother was too fast. Throwing beam after beam of hard ice and snow at her, trying to do everything he could to freeze her on the spot. She was doing all she could to protect Elsa, whom she would rather try to make a run for it instead of trying to fight. But Elsa wouldn't give in to him, not for a second. Ida's shirt had ripped and she was bleeding in places where shards of ice and stone had ripped through the fabric. Her braid fell out, making her long hair look like a wildfire as it glowed scarlet. She truly did have the appearance of a dragon.
Kristoff rushed through the halls following the sounds of the battle. He took stairs three at a time, even stumbling over a few, but not stopping for anything. He reached the narrow hallway leading into the throne room, but didn't step out into the light where he could be seen. He crouched behind a fancy table crafted of ivory and watched the entire disaster unfold.
Ida panted, completely exhausted. "I have to admit, your better than I anticipated." She created a fire ball in her hands. "But still not good enough!" She threw it at his head, and Elsa threw a dagger like icicle along side it, but he dodged them with ease, as he had already done several times during their session.
"Still not admitting defeat yet?" he said effortlessly, not in the slightest bit tired. "Just give in already. My ice is stronger than your fire."
"You are no match for Ida," Elsa growled, hands at the ready.
A wide grin spread across his face, causing the temperature in the room to drop dramatically. "No," he replied. "You're no match for Ida." He began to shower them with bursts of ice, and blocking off any of Elsa's pathetic attempts to stop him. Ida darted from side to side, up and down, flipping and dodging the majority of his ice, except for one.
His final attempt was swift and fast as sound as it sped through the freezing air at his sister. She leaped backwards into a flip to avoid it, but through all the exhaustion, she wasn't fast enough. The ball of magic struck her at the base of her head, just above her neck. The force threw her from her spin onto the ground, causing another crack in her side. But this time she wouldn't have to feel the pain for long.
She wobbled to her feet, the last thing she had control of was the curse she let slip from her lips, before everything in her body went numb. Elsa watched as the fiery woman dulled, like a bucket of water splashed over a campfire. She watched as Ida's back straightened out, somewhat unnaturally, and her eyes. The crimson eyes she had become so familiar with were now being taken over. The ice creeping from the outer edges of her irises, snaking and crackling its way to her pupils, until they were covered in blue.
"No," Elsa whispered. "Ida. Ida please, no."
Ida was still for a moment, her icy eyes staring at the ground below her, as a new body and personality began to take over. Everything was still, in the throne room, in the dungeons, everyone was waiting for some sort of sound, some burst of power from someone, anyone.
Hans began to laugh, maniacally at that, like a true villain who had taken down the hero. "I love it when I win," he snarled.
He clenched his fist in front of him, then pointed directly at Elsa.
Elsa's head darted around, not knowing what to think. Was Hans attacking? How would she defend herself? Her arm was throbbing with pain from trying to use it. She needed Ida and her fire power to be able to beat him. She looked over at her friend she so desperately needed, and gasped with fright.
Ida was no longer staring at the floor, but directly at Elsa. Her blue eyes so sharp, Elsa could feel them cutting right through her flesh to the bone. "Ida, no," she begged, her hands in front of her for protection. "Please, it's me. Elsa!"
But Ida was no longer in her right state of mind. She began her attack on her new friend. Her hair glowing red once again, but her eyes remained blue, as her palms began to produce flame, and shooting them directly at Elsa.
"Ida!" she screamed, throwing up a sheet of ice, only to be melted by her fire. "Snap out of it! It's me!"
But there was no stopping her. Now being controlled by Hans and his corrupted mind she was now even more deadly than he was. He created a monstrosity out of his own sister, mirroring his own image in her.
Elsa threw ice back at her out of defense, but they were quickly melted by the heat radiating of her body. It was useless, and Elsa hadn't enough power to stop her, no matter what she screamed, or whatever ice she threw at her.
Ida held up her hand one last time, power building up in her fingertips ready to be set loose.
"Ida, no!" Elsa screamed, but it was too late. A mass of fire and rage left Ida's hand and shot directly into Elsa's chest, hitting her heart.
She felt an instant sense of heat, spreading from her chest and biting its way through her body. Then real pain set in, and she was thrown to the ground by it, as the searing burn of fire reached through to the tips of her veins from her head, to her fingers, to her toes.
The fire ravaged through her body like a wildfire, and she could feel her limbs weakening, and an unfamiliar pounding in her chest that she didn't recognize as her "power" she had come to learn about.
She clutched her heart as it began to race faster, and hotter, and she felt strength leave her body.
Kristoff watched from the hallway in horror, as he watched the snow queens flesh turn pink, and her hair from its white blonde, to dark brown, the exact same color her mother had.