A/N: Hey, I'm alive! Sorry it's taken me so long, it hasn't been easy. This isn't the longest chapter ever but it has massive plot development, so enjoy. -FW

Chapter 25: Pressure

Present Day

-Arendelle Palace-

Elsa's shoulders sagged wearily, her feet dragging with every scuff as her heels hit cobblestone. Her company had stayed behind, aiding what they could, as the townsfolk salvaged what little had survived from the fires. She had healed the burned, the beaten, and the broken. Yet, she couldn't replace what was priceless to them; she couldn't stitch the hole in their hearts from losing their home or a loved one.

The night remained cold and quiet; it was almost therapeutic as she forced herself through the gates. Cracking the front door, she slithered through, shutting it behind her with pause. She leaned her back against the aged wood of her ancestors, head thudding in time with a sigh as she slid down and brought her knees close to her chest. She sniveled, shutting her eyes as her lashes fluttered to pull back unnecessary tears. She was already run dry. Burrowing her face between her knees, she huffed in frustration.

"Elsa?"

The Queen snapped up at the soft sound of her name. Meeting the eyes of an old friend, silence skipped a beat or two in the quiet halls as she pushed herself up and wiped her eyes. Elsa forced a small smile, the least she could give at this point.

"Hey, Belle… what're you doing up?"

The brunette looked to the floor, empathetic and weary, "You think I'd sleep after hearing what happened? I couldn't even do anything to help."

She sounded small and weak, kind of how Elsa felt right now. The blonde gave a deep inhale, raking her bangs back with a long exhale, "No one really could but… it's over for now."

"And how're you?" Belle shuffled her feet, slippers slightly scuffling as she gripped her nightgown.

Elsa felt dazed, taking a second longer to register their conversation as images she wished she hadn't seen flashed in the background.

"Me? I'm… hanging in there, you?" Images of a little boy caught in flames.

She shook her head to relieve those thoughts.

Belle gazed up, eyes misty, "Tense, guilty, and scared. I know you are too." Her voice carried a bit more strength and conviction as she cocked her head sympathetically.

"I'm not about to admit it out loud."

"Why?" Brunette brows furrowed, Belle was clever enough to already guess her answer.

"That's not what Anna needs to hear."

Belle twisted her mouth into a frown, "She's not naïve-"

"No, it's not that." Elsa would never belittle Anna. To Elsa, her wife is the wittiest person she knows. It wasn't that… Anna always picked up after Elsa, now the Queen felt an extra layer of responsibility as her spouse. To be her suit of armor during the worst, to mend the years she had been ignorant of, the years of outcast and torment Anna had to live with as Elsa carried on with her life unaware.

"Then?"

Elsa rubbed the back of her neck, "I need to be strong for everyone, including her, Belle, and I need to be their rock."

Belle stepped forward, placing a warm palm over her tense shoulder with a comforting squeeze, "You can't do it all, Elsa."

Elsa placed her hand atop and squeezed back, eyes wilting with a sad smile, "I have to try… get some rest."

Belle nodded slowly, embracing Elsa with a final hug, "Goodnight, mon ami."

Cripple.

"He needs to rest. I'll check back in the morning, your Majesty."

Hans was fading in and out of consciousness as the voices grew louder. He couldn't differentiate which were real and which were his mind playing tricks. Moaning as he moved his head towards the voices.

Useless. Ethan's words echoing just as his own self loathing chimed in.

"Thank you, I'll stay with him overnight." It sounded like his sister, trying to focus on her more than anything else. There was a pause and the soft click of a door.

Burden.

Another voice came into play, a familiar friend, "Anna, I'll stay overnight."

"Kai, you need to rest."

The steward was so stubborn, "Don't fight me on this."

"Enough, I'll stay."

The voices in his head calmed as those of his loved ones won out. This time it was Sitron talking, causing Hans to slowly blink and adjust his eyes to his room and not the forest. Not Ethan.

They hadn't noticed him stir, talking amongst themselves as they all felt a sense of guilt and responsibility, "I'm supposed to be his right hand; I was supposed to protect him, right? But I failed; let me at least do this one thing for him, I'll stay."

Hans was parched, throat feeling as dry as cotton. He tried to talk but it came out as more of a harsh whisper, "…Stop."

Anna was the first to turn to him, "Hans…"

"S-Stop fighting," his voice cracked again. He was more than emotionally done, he didn't want to hear another word. From anyone.

"No we're-"

He shut his eyes as if he were in pain, inside he still was, "Just stop."

The tense silence that followed after lasted a few minutes until he spoke again.

"What happened?"

Sitron talked lowly, as if Hans would shatter if a pin dropped, "…The town was attacked."

"And Ethan?" He directed his attention back on Anna since everyone seemed to avoid eye contact but her. She swallowed hard, biting her bottom lip as he asked again, "Anna, what happened to him?"

She breathed in deeply, "He's dead, Hans."

He nodded understanding the reality of it all, "So it's true…"

"Yes, he wasn't what you thought," she took his hand in her own, rubbing circles over the top.

He cleared his throat again as his features darkened, "It doesn't matter anymore, he's gone and if he's ever given me one thing, it's enlightenment."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, empathy lacing her words.

He looked away, putting an arm over his eyes as he tried to hide himself, "No, no one's to blame at this point... please just leave me be for awhile."

She sighed, ushering everyone out as they left him to reminisce in memories that had been nothing but lies.

Anna rubbed the back of her neck with a heavy sigh, her boots scuffing the wood floor as she passed through the halls to their bedroom, hoping to find Elsa in it. Turning the corner she came across Gerda carrying some dirty rags, bags under her eyes as she finished the last of her chores in the late of night. She bowed at Anna with a small smile which Anna returned almost forcefully.

"Your Majesty, I've taken our guest to your old quarters."

Anna nodded, giving her a quick hug, "Alright, thank you Gerda, please get some rest."

"Goodnight, Anna."

"Hmm," Anna gave her a little wave as she tried to stifle a yawn.

She trudged into their room, closing the door behind her as she kicked off her boots. She didn't hear the door's soft click of the knob as she moved to her belt just as arms snaked around her waist. Anna hissed in surprise, heart jumping through her bruised ribs as she spun around.

Horrible scenes clouded her mind, men ambushing her, canon rippling in her ears as she pushed Elsa against the door, forearm pushing against her pale lithe throat as the blonde gasped for air.

"A-Anna! It's me, it's Elsa!"

A scream pushed through Anna's head, the smell of burning flesh, the ringing of steel slicing through flesh. Her brows were pinched together in concentration; her lips pulled into a snarl as Elsa pushed back and gripped her face.

"A-ANNA!"

In the muddle of destruction, Elsa's voice reached out through her inner turmoil. Like a mental slap, Anna shook her head violently and leapt back, huffing as confusion etched her tired features. She looked at Elsa, who was now rubbing her throat with a steady hand keeping their distance.

"Oh… Oh my god, Elsa, I'm… I'm so sorry." Anna stepped back, moving farther away as she ran a hand through her hair, mind slowly seeping into panic. "I…"

"N-No Anna," Elsa croaked, the hoarse sound causing Anna to wince.

"This isn't your fault, it's okay…" Anna backed away as her wife stepped closer, "It's okay…"

"No stay away!"

Anna's knees bumped with their bed, as she fell back. Elsa took the opportune moment to reach out and cradle her head against her stomach, holding her close as Anna tried to push away.

"Elsa, I hurt you!"

Elsa held tighter as her wife shoved against her, "Anna, you're hurting me now…" The redhead stopped, chest heaving as she choked out a sob into Elsa's dirty shirt, "Don't push me away… please."

Anna was stubborn, but the way Elsa's nails soothed her neck, the sheer contact of her wife calmed her down as wild hysteria became steady sobs. She breathed in deeply, clutching the front of Elsa's shirt like a lifeline as the inhumane memories were put to rest with every loving whisper.

"I've got you, Anna."

She finally gave in, wrapping her arms around her source of comfort. Elsa showered the crown of her head with feather kisses, caressing her back as Anna hiccupped. She hushed and cooed until Anna's cries became sniffles, brushing her thumbs behind the back of Anna's ears and cupping her face. "You need to sleep, love."

Anna looked away in guilt and shame, but Elsa wasn't having it. She turned Anna's face in time with her own, lowering her head to have their lips meet with longing. They sighed, enraptured in the way their mouths met perfectly in a mix of sadness, love, and desire.

"I'm so sorry," Anna breathed between gasps for air as Elsa tried to swallow down her guilt for her. "Shhh…" One more kiss, "We need to sleep, okay?" She pressed their foreheads together, breathing in as she caressed Anna's cheeks.

"…Okay," Anna nodded slowly.

Pulling off Elsa's boots, she distracted herself with the one thing she could get lost in. She scooted back as they helped each other undress; those dazzling icy orbs watched her with caution and affection as they popped off every button.

Discarding the articles on the floor, they climbed into bed, latching to one another for heat and comfort. Snuggled under the sheets, Elsa held her wife close, lulling her to sleep until there was a steady rise and fall of her chest. The blonde nuzzled closer, raking her nails through Anna's hair in a vain attempt to clear her head.

It was all she could do, until this war was over and time had passed, the trauma running through Anna's mind will not cease to haunt her.

The thought burned Elsa to the core.

Bare toes pitter-pattered along the cold wood floors of the palace, a few hours before daybreak, soft black curls moving in time with the steady wobble of a soon-to-be mother. Nina hardly slept a wink, taking time to simply over think her life repeatedly and go through the troubles of what if's in every aspect.

What if she would have stood up for herself and disagreed with her current marriage? Ran away sooner and meet an honest man, working to provide for his family? What if Kristoff hadn't died? What if Elijah had? So many uprising scenarios, ones that will never happen, so she was stuck in an endless daydream as she passed through stairs leading to what looked to be the library.

Figuring no harm, she pressed on; she'd made it this far anyways. The exploration distracted her of some sorts, in a therapeutic way, something about finding new things around every corner instead of welded into the same place with nothing to free her. She hadn't felt this comfortable in her own home, not with Elijah always lurking.

She walked through the various shelves, comparing this library to the one in Weselton (too overbearing with ridiculously high shelves) and the one from the Southern Isles (too cold with dusty old books.) This was a happy medium; Arendelle's library was stocked with knowledgeable items, old and new, plus it was very well kept. She could tell how much the rulers here cared about their books; they weren't pushed aside or set solely for show.

She could easily see herself staying in this room the most, just from the sheer comfort it emits. With dawn around the hour, there was a settling blue hue cascading through the window, a faint and soft light a few shades darker than pastel. It was enough as her eyes adjusted to the gray tones in the room, gazing through different genres. She found herself wandering to a corner with books particularly older than the rest, worn with history and ancestry.

With a dainty finger she traced the different titles, one catching her attention as she did a double take: Sorcery and Magic: Gained and Gifted.

Her nail tucked over the top of the spine, pulling it gently from its resting place as she began to sift through its pages. She noticed some were marked off, notes taken as research in cursive scrawls. She skimmed through the origins of magic, what it means when born with magic, understanding the responsibility with it.

This half of the book was nearly marked off entirely, corners folded and stained with oils from finger pads. The other half however was untouched, piquing her interest more than it should have. Sorcery. Her mind clicked into place, automatically drifting to Clay, a man with power he shouldn't even have to begin with. Something about him always irked Nina, too calm, too steady. It wasn't human.

The thought had her flipping through more pages, diving into a world of unknown. Her eyes darted left to right repeatedly, coming up on topics such as obtaining sorcery, the imitation of magic, and the sacrificial price. Her mind reeled, the more she read, the more she understood. A weakness within every strength, even sorcery, and the problem was finding it.

She double marked the page, slamming the book shut as she picked up her gown and made for the door. She didn't know where Anna was but she had to find her. She needed to relay what could possibly save them from this war. Making a left down the hall, not even two steps in, a pain that had gradually been bothering her had spiked through her spinal cord.

All at once she found herself on the floor with a loud thud, she whimpered, one hand over her stomach as she tried to prop herself up. She slipped against her elbow, registering the wet floor caused by none other than her broken water, baby ready at the worst given time.

"H-Help! Please!"

Morning dew clinging to his cape, Clay stood proudly, steady gaze on the wall of ice before him as his King kicked up clumped snow along Arendelle's shore. His arms folded behind him as the tense royal came to stand by his side. Elijah gave him a pat on the back as if it were any other day for him, "Good morning, General."

Clay nodded his head, "Your Majesty. Let's begin."

Elijah grinned wickedly, fire burning in those emerald orbs, "Bring down that fucking wall."

Clay opened his arms, palms outstretched as darkness bubbled in his hands. With minimal effort, he flicked his wrists and two black orbs beamed towards the wall. They stuck, squelching as they began to move with a mind of their own and thinning out into vines.

They darted throughout the white wall, scattered like veins as they began to disappear within the smallest of cracks, enlarging the splinters as they forced themselves through. There was a moment of silence, a peaceful quiet before a loud rumbling emitted from the wall and all at once sickening creatures bursted through.

They slithered and hissed, jagged teeth and large nostrils making up for the lack of eyes. Shadows burning the ice as they burrowed deeper and bursted out again like worms, weakening the structure as audible cracks echoed in the courtyard. Slowly collapsing into itself, large chunks fell front the top of the structure and into the courtyard, instilling fear into the last survivors of the war who thought they were safe behind the wall.

"I just need to draw her out."

Elsa couldn't describe the last hour even if she wanted to. She was asleep nestled next to Anna when Sitron came banging on the door about a woman in labor. Nina was lucky to be near Hans' room when her water broke, alerting the young soldier as he helped her in and left Hans to watch over her as he ran to get help. Elsa didn't expect to find Elijah's wife in the middle of child labor in their home, throwing Anna a questionable look which she returned very apologetically.

With everything that had happened recently, the redhead hadn't thought of telling Elsa the most recent events with Nina. To be frank, she had completely forgotten about it since the town massacre. Now her sister-in-law was gripping onto Hans' hand in a deadlock as the contractions grew stronger and Anna was thrown in a bigger loop.

"AAhhhhhh!"

On the other hand, Hans was doing great. He hadn't actually seen Nina since he ran off, feeling sympathetic for all the mental and physical anguish he had left her with. He felt guilty enough, talking her through the pain like any other wound a soldier would bear, "Breathe Nina, just breathe!"

"I-I CAN'T!"

He brushed the hairs stuck on her forehead, shifting himself on the bed so he could sit behind her and help support her body. He took deep breaths in time so she could match him, "Yes you can, come on, in, out, in, out."

She inhaled deeply, blowing hot air from flushed cheeks and repeating the process as they breathed together.

"There you go, good girl!" Nina's brows were pressed together; lids squeezed shut as she gritted her teeth through another contraction. Anna looked to Elsa desperately, hoping her magic could do something about this.

Elsa shook her head, placing a cold hand over the poor woman's forehead to keep her temperature in check. It was the best she could do, childbirth was a completely different level for Elsa, and she wasn't even sure what she needed to do here. "We need a proper doctor; I'm not a miracle worker," Elsa glanced at Hans as he nodded in agreement; they needed a trained physician for this.

"Ngghhh- AHH!" Anna held her other hand, giving the sheets a break as Nina threw her head back against Hans' shoulder.

Hans matched the force of Nina's grip, whispering encouraging words as Anna rubbed her arm in support. Sitron came back in with Gerda, who was looking as frazzled as ever, "Kai already fetched the medic."

"Gerda get clean towels and water," Elsa ordered just as a loud rumbling shook the palace. Elsa dropped to the floor, panting as she gripped her chest.

Anna jumped, coming to Elsa's side as her heart leapt from her chest, "Jesus, what the fuck was that?!"

Elsa groaned, trying to stand as she held onto Anna, "AHHH- No, not now, gods help us, not now!" She looked panicked, eyes wide with fear and her breathing hitched. She ran towards the window, nearly tripping as she held her hands against her. Her features were horrified, confirming the pain piercing in her veins.

Anna ran behind her, "Elsa, what is it?!" Taking a second longer to glance at the chaos beginning to ruin their day.

Elsa's eyes grew misty with anger, a hand running threw her hair as she gritted her teeth, snarling, "They're attacking the wall!"

Nina moaned, another contraction as the palace shook again and the world seemed to fall apart altogether.

Anna stumbled back from the sight, shaking her head as she made a move for the door, "We need to-"

Elsa grabbed her wrist, "Stay here. She needs you, I'll go."

With that, she moved around Anna and darted for the door, clutching at her heart, "Elsa wait!"

Anna tried to reach out, taken aback when Elsa whirled around and yelled at her for the first time in the longest time, "We don't have time Anna, everyone is in danger!" She looked terrified.

Anna blinked at her, frowning as Elsa turned her back and ran.

"…Elsa."

The door slammed as her wife left her with the struggling screams of labor and the panicked cries just outside the window.

Rapunzel tripped over her skirt, fumbling on her hands to stand back up as she dodged a chunk of ice hurtling towards her head. Another block, the size of a cannonball, smashed against her ankle. She screamed, feeling the fresh bruise throb as the ice pierced her delicate skin. Eugene picked her up, and as best as he could, stumbled out of the ripped tent and away from the collapsing ice wall. She clung to him, whimpering as they nearly collided with Belle.

"What're you doing?! Get yourselves inside!"

"What about you?!" Rapunzel countered, never seeing Belle so distressed before.

"There's no time to argue, I need to evacuate everyone else, get her to safety!" He didn't wait around for another minute as dark creatures screeched loudly, ringing in their ears. He booked for the palace, managing to get them inside while everyone else ran around like crazed ants. The cracks split as the shattered ice came crashing in clumps and the wall wavered, the mass of ice leaning back towards the palace in a dangerous sway.

"Move!" Belle barked, shoving anyone she came close to towards the palace, giving them a sense of direction that wasn't a zigzag away from falling shards.

She wasn't focused on the wall anymore, intent on trying the save as many as she could before herself. A thunderous crack split the tense air, echoing as another chunk of marred ice aimed towards the brunette. One second, she was pushing a young medic towards the palace doors, the next, she was tackled out of the way by some unknown force. There was a another crack, the sound of bones rather than ice this time as Adam held the block against his back and newly broken shoulder with a cry.

Belle snapped her head up, bewildered as her hair fell into her vision.

"Adam!"

He was on all fours, gritting his teeth as he struggled to get out from underneath the ice. Belle crawled towards him but he shook his head, "G-Get out! RUN!"

She was as stubborn as he, refusing to leave him as she tried to push up against the ice. He shuffled slowly, straining to get the rest of his body out from the massive chunk, pressing down against him as he slithered out finally. She pushed away from the block at the same time, letting it hit the ground as they huffed from exertion.

It wasn't over yet.

She yanked him up by the elbow as he winced, gaining a steady pace towards the palace when she heard another crash coming down. Adam was too slow; he wasn't going to make it out of this one this time. She didn't need to think twice as she pushed him with all her might, causing him to slide a good long way from her. He didn't even know what was happening until-

"BELLE, NO!"

The brunette flinched, eyes darting towards the palace gates as Elsa sprinted out. Belle gave a sad smile to her old friend, those hazel eyes tearing up just as the mass crushed her, taking the life of yet another person Elsa had hoped to protect.

A/N: I'm gonna miss her too. Everything is gonna be insane from here on out, no more breaks for them. As always your reviews are what keep me going. I've also recently received a really nice PM concerning this story, and well... it's what pushed me to finish this chapter, so thank you all for the outstanding support. Much love guys, and it's good to be back.

xAnimejunkie23x: I'm gonna be sad when it ends too, but who knows, I might start another fic.

Mysterious Kuro Miko: Last chapter was a little upsetting, this one might be a bit worse aha.

Guest 1: He's okay, but everyone else... not so much. Thanks for your support!

Guest 2:(Chapter 20 response) Deep.

malekoydaerb: Things are seriously starting to unravel now.

Drake Azure Saber: Thank you! There will be a showdown of some sorts coming very soon. If this were the original frozen, I'd seriously question Disney haha.