Title: The Darkness Within (Part 4)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Tragedy
She sat, chained up, in the dungeons for what felt like hours as she cried gently in the corner. She still couldn't believe what she had done. She killed her sister. She didn't believe it at first, but after remembering what happened as well as asking several passing guards, there's no way they could have been lying.
The devastation she had caused in the southern isles was unimaginable. The entire castle walls had been torn down, debris littered the entire kingdom, and half the naval fleet had been sunk. In total, more than 120 people died, or at least that was what a guard said. Elsa never killed anyone, and here, Anna had ended the lived of 118 civilians and guards, a prince, and a king. Their blood was now on her hands and no matter how much she would explain this, she knew that the people would never forgive her.
But that wasn't what was affecting her the most. No...that was one specific death...one that she never thought she would live to see...let alone cause. The death of her own sister, by her hands. Just thinking of her sisters was enough to make Anna break down in tears again.
Elsa had frozen her heart, but that was nothing. Anna had thrown her against the wall with enough force that it killed her, and for this, not even an act of true love would cure since this wasn't magic...sure it was caused by her powers...but the death itself was physical.
Anna looked up at the door with her tearstained eyes as she heard someone approaching from the outside. There was a click, which was followed by the door swinging open and revealing prince Alexander and a guard. Then prince walked over to her and started to unlock the shackles from her hands.
"No...what are you doing?" Anna asked as she tried to pull away but alexander held her arms in place as he unlocked the second shackle.
"Letting you go. What happened wasn't you..."
"I could have stopped it..."
"No you couldn't! I know these types of magic. I've had my fair share of encounters with sorcerers and magic, and I know that even the strongest sorcerers falter against what happened to you. There's nothing you could have done...-
"I KILLED MY SISTER! ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT, THAT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?!" Anna screamed, causing the guard to take a step backwards as the cell vibrated slightly.
"That's not what I meant princess..."
"Don't call me princess. I'm not a princess. I'm a monster! A monster that killed her own sister and 120 people."
"Princess..."
"Please...just don't. There's nothing you can say that will make me feel better, except that my sister is alive." Anna sighed as she let more years fall. The prince sighed as well as he ordered the guard to escort Anna to the throne room of the castle. Anna followed the guard, her head held low, as the two of them climbed the stairs to the throne room upstairs.
Anna could feel the gazes of the guards and servants burning into her as she exited the dungeons and walked across the main hall.
"ANNA!" Idun screamed as she ran over and pulled her into an embrace. Anna winced before pulling right out of her mother's hug and taking a step back. "Anna..."
"Please...don't touch me." Anna muttered. She looked around to see numerous guards and servants being treated for injuries, all of them looking at her with looks of fear or anger. Anna looked to her side to see Kristoff sitting down as a nurse stitched up a large gash on his leg, while Agdar was sitting nearby. There was a look on his face...one that Anna had never seen before. He was teary eyed, and there was a look of utter sadness and brokenness, yet hidden behind that, she could also see anger. It was a no brainer as to why.
"Anna." Grand pabbie said as he rolled up to her. "I'm sorry...but...I have not managed to remove the soul fragment...because...the crystal I was supposed to use was destroyed in the chaos. I don't have anything else that can be used as a magical artifact either."
"Won't killing her kill that soul as well?" A guard asked with a scowl as Idun glared at him.
"We're not tyrants." Alexander announced as he entered the room.
"Oh...so what was she then? She killed more than a hundred people! And her own sister!" The guard said causing Anna to let out a sob and start crying again.
"And you think she did that intentionally?" Alexander asked the guard with a growl. "Why don't you try getting possessed and see how you like it! Let's see if you can control it!"
The guard gulped as he looked away from the glaring prince.
"Sorry your highness." He muttered. The prince just shook his head as he walked over to the princess.
"Where is she?" Anna asked weakly. The prince guided her over to a group of bodies all lying on individual mats, and on one of the ends, was Elsa. Now Anna knew it was true as she ran over and collapsed next to her sister, holding her tightly, as she let more years fall. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and saw that her mother had knelt next to her, just as broken as well.
"Agdar." Pabbie muttered as he walked over to him. "I know what you're thinking, but you must understand, this is not Anna's fault. The soul knew that Anna was winning control so it decided to land its last deadly blow. Even if you tried to contain Anna, it would have taken control sooner or later."
"What does it want?!" Agdar asked with a sob. "Why would it do all that?!"
"Its a fragment. A broken off piece of someone's former self. It's been corrupted and all it longs for is death and destruction." Pabbie explained.
"How do we stop it, now that the crystal is gone?"
"We...we have to find another magical artifact. I managed to cast an incantation on Anna's mind while she was out, which should make it harder for the soul to take control of her, but eventually it will find a way and not even my magic can stop it. We have to get it out of her and trap it, but I need a magical artifact that can be imbued, since the only one we had got destroyed."
"Where can we find one?" Agdar asked.
"Here in then southern isles? I don't know."
"Pabbie..." Anna croaked as she and Idun approached him. "Please...tell me there is a way to save my sister. There had to be...my cousin Rapunzel healed her husband! He died after being stabbed. If she could do it, then surely you can...or...someone..."
"Anna. Resurrection magic is a complex tool. I neither have the knowledge nor the power to do so."
"How about Rapunzel? Can't we bring her here!" Anna asked desperately.
"It would be too late."
Those five words had a profound effect on Agdar, Idun, Kristoff and Anna who looked up at the troll quizzically.
"What do you mean, too late? Too late for what?" Idun asked. "Shouldn't it already be too late."
"I...well, not exactly..." Pabbie muttered.
"What are you talking about?" Anna asked, anger starting to rise at the thought of pabbie hiding a way to save her sister. "If there is a way to save my sister, and you're not telling me..."
"There is a way." Anna, Idun, Agdar, and Kristoff turned round and was Alexander approaching them. "But it is extremely dangerous."
"How?!" Anna screamed.
"The spectral realm." Alexander answered.
"The what?" Idun asked.
"The spectral realm. The world has two realms, the spectral realm, and the material realm. The latter is the realm we reside in. This is the realm of the living. When someone dies, they die in the material realm immediately, but their soul, isn't destroyed. Instead, their soul passes into the spectral realm, where they preside for a certain amount of time. After that, well, heaven or hell. Once they proceed beyond, it'll be too late, but while their soul presides within the spectral realm, they can still be reclaimed. That is the process of bringing a soul back from the spectral realm, and placing back into its body here in the material realm, bringing them back. But, only if the body isn't too damaged, and only if the soul still resides within that realm." Alexander explained.
"How do you know all this?" Anna asked.
"I've had my fair share of contact with magic and magical artifacts." Alexander replied.
"Yes...it is possible Anna, but it is extremely dangerous."
"I don't care. If I have to sail to the ends of the earth to save my sister, then so be it." Anna growled. "How do we get into the spectral realm?"
"Well, there are two ways. The first is to have an extremely advanced sorcerer, in conventional magic, transfer you there. Unfortunately, the southern isles is kind of lacking in those sorcerers, so, there's only one other option. We have to find a collision point."
"A collision point?" Idun asked. "What's that?"
"A collision point is a place where the spectral realm and the material realm collide. Think of it like an interchange area. The forces that separate the two realms are so weak there, that with the right amount of energy, objects can easily pass between the two realms." Pabbie said. "With the right charm, we can...transfer ourselves into that realm. But it is too dangerous. Only an idiot would go there!"
"Well in that case there are a lot of idiots in this world." A guard stated as he walked over to them. "The name's Perry. I used to be a stalker."
"Okay...that is..." Anna muttered as she and Idun stared st the guy.
"No...not that type of stalker!" Perry said with a roll of his eyes. "We are, how do to call it, artifact stalkers. You see, the spectral realm, despite its really had hype and all the dead people residing within it, is a treasure trove of magical artifacts, powerful souls, lost secrets, and various other valuable items. What I used to do, is we would get together in a group, equip ourselves with weapons and armor, and then find one of these collision points and get into the spectral realm. From there, we venture around nearby and search for anything. We've found runic stones that can make people invisible, secrets that people tried to bury with them, lost kingdoms...cursed...into death. There's just so much there...but, as pabbie said, it's not without its danger."
"How dangerous is it?" Agdar asked as he placed a hand on his sword.
"Very. I told you I...used...to be a stalker. The correct term is, I was the only survivor from an unsuccessful run." Perry said with a sigh. "The other...four, weren't so lucky."
"See...it's extremely dangerous." Pabbie said.
"Yes...but not impossible. I have experience there." Perry interrupted. "So, if you really are going to go there, you're going to need someone with experience. Yes, prince Alexander is prince...um...actually king now. Yes, he's a king, but he still doesn't have anything on a mercenary."
"Yes, but I know the collision points." Alexander said.
"Um...when was the last time you checked those?" The guard asked with a raised brow.
"Last year, why?" Alexander asked to which perry just laughed. "Typical. A stalker knows that these collision points change frequently. One week it may be there, the next, it's gone. Plus, I'm probably guessing you don't know how to search for hidden collision points?"
"Uh..."
"Exactly. You'll need me if you go there."
"Anna...please listen..."
"Look pabbie. If you aren't going to help me save my sister, then please just stay out of our way." Anna said with a sigh.
"Anna, you understand that you could die..."
"You don't think I've taken that into consideration? I died for ten seconds before for my sister. I'm not hesitant to do it again!"
"I'll come as well." Agdar said as he unsheathed his sword and placed it on the table. "Idun, you're staying here."
"What? But..."
"Idun, it is too dangerous for you to come. I would talk Anna out of it, but no one talks her out of anything, especially if it involves Elsa."
"Kristoff, you're staying as well. Keep my mother company." Anna said.
"What?! Anna!" Kristoff groaned.
"I don't need company." Idun stated.
"Don't argue Kristoff." Anna said. With all honest, that wasn't the only reason she told Kristoff to stay behind. Kristoff had a much lower tolerance, still magnitudes higher than Elsa or Idun though, for allowing Anna to dangerous stuff. She would do anything to get her sister back, and if that meant jumping off of a cliff to do it, then so be it. The last thing she wanted was her boyfriend holding her back due to, safety constraints. As for her father, well, he was also protective, but he had the highest tolerance of all, mainly because Anna got her daredevil nature from him.
"Anyone else?" Alexander asked.
"Anyone else fancy a trip to the land to the dead? Return trip is optional." Perry laughed. A few guards looked at each other before volunteering as well.
"Okay then, maybe we should get some weapons and armor now."
"Great idea."
"Wait...I'll come as well." Pabbie sighed as he approached them. "I still need a magical artifact to embed the soul in. I'm not sure how long the charm on Anna's head will last."
"Alright. A princess, a high prince, a stalker, an ex-king, a troll, and three guards." Perry said with a snort. "What a merry team we make."
"Please be careful." Idun begged as she hugged Anna. The eight of them were standing by the ruins of the castle gates, armed with rifles, crossbows, swords, and heavy armor.
"I will mama." Anna said as she hugged her back.
"Well, we should get going. I'm not too sure how long the limit is." Pabbie said.
"Limit? What limit?" Anna asked.
"Oh crap. The spectral limit...it's...a a time limit to how long a soul can remain in the spectral realm before it moves on." Alexander stated as Anna's eyes widened. "I'm not sure how long it is, but from what I heard, it's around 36 to 48 hours. We've, still got a lot of time though."
"In the spectral realm, time can fly by without you noticing." Perry said. "Not to mention, your sanity as well."
"We should get going." Alexander said. The eight of them left through the castle gates at a quickened pace to begin their search for a collision point, where ever they may be. The first hour of their journey was spent venturing into the woods, and then the darker parts of the woods, the most likely place for one of these points to be.
"Alexander?" Anna asked as she walked up to the prince.
"Princess."
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Why are you helping me?" Anna asked. Alexander stopped walking for a second, but then continued onwards.
"As I said princess, I've seen my fair share of magic and I've seen what it is capable off, what it did to you. What happened, wasn't your fault. I'm sure not everyone will agree on that, but to be honest, you aren't the strongest person...mentally speaking. There is only so much that love and compassion can actually do." Alexander said. "And...well...I know what it's like to lose a sister."
"Wait, what?"
"I'm probably guessing Hans didn't tell you."
"No."
"Yeah, well, it used to be the thirteen princes, and single princess of the southern isles. Her name was Eria. She was...Hans' twin sister. But, she was nothing like him we was lively, daring, had the habit of getting into trouble with the guards. She...was like you."
Anna raised her eyebrows in surprise. How did Hans not tell her, then again, why would he. He was too busy trying to kill them during her sister's coronation.
"What happened?"
"Well, she and Hans were essentially best buddies. They always used to accompany each other to wherever they wanted to go. Eria, had a stronger sibling bond with Hans, than she did with us. Anyway, it was more than a decade ago. She and Hans were ten. One day, a couple of us and the two of them ventured out to the coast, not bothering to check the weather first. This, freak storm hit and we were stranded there. We took refuge within a cave. Unfortunately, the waters rose very quickly and they had to flee. On the way up, the storm got much worse. We all got to the top but Hans and Eria were still climbing...and then, Hans slipped. Eria...she...jumped down to rescue Hans and helped him up, but...the rock she was being supported by wasn't strong enough. We managed to get Hans but...she..."
Anna didn't need Alexander to continue as she stared in shock.
"Yeah...Hans was never the same after that. Eria was closer to him than any of us. He spent the next several years wishing that it was himself that fell, wishing that she never saved him. He began to grow cold to everyone...started to become more unhappy...started to desire riches and a kingdom and all that. It drove him a bit...he was different. That event changed him." Alexander said. "Of course, that wasn't an excuse for what he did in your kingdom..."
"Oh...Alexander...also, I'm...I'm sorry for your father and brother." Anna apologized as she remembered what she did.
"It's alright. My father had a tumor. The doctor gave him a month or two at most. Plus...it's not your fault. I've told you...I've seen the capabilities of magic first hand. Heard of what it can do. There was this kingdom in the south where their king was possessed and forced to destroy his entire kingdom, slaughter his family, and then kill himself...in one night."
"My god." Anna gasped.
"Yeah. Oh...and by the way...I could see the distrust in your eyes earlier on. Please don't judge the rest of us from Hans' action. His actions are his and his alone. Were not all murderous psychopaths." Anna let out a small laugh as they continued moving further into the forest.
"Guys!" Perry called out from in front. "I think...I've found...a collision point."
They all looked at each other, wide-eyed as they ran towards perry who was standing in a small clearing with a tall, dead, oak tree in the middle. For some reason, the air seemed colder around here as well.
"Um...so...where is it?" A guard asked. Perry lifted his hand and felt around, as if searching for something. He pulled out a small amulet and lifted it up into the air, which seemed to drop colder.
"What now?" Agdar asked. Perry took a deep breath before muttering something to the amulet. Suddenly, it glowed a deep blue for before sending out a massive flash of light that blinded them all.
"What the heck was that?!" One of the guards yelled as he rubbed his eyes. Anna blinked several times to clear the light from her eyes before looking around, and what she saw made her gasp. Everything around her was now a darkish shade of blue...as if they were underwater...at nightfall. The brightness from the sun was barely perceivable and everything seemed to be slightly distorted. Some of the trees seemed disproportional and the bright green forest they entered in was now shrouded in fog. An eerie silence seemed to emanate from the surrounding lands as dark clouds passed overhead with the shadows of death all around.
"Welcome...to the spectral realm." Perry said as everyone looked around, gaping.
"Why is this place so...ominous looking?" The guards asked.
"It's the land of the dead and monsters...what were you expecting? Fields of flowers and singing dwarves?" Alexander asked.
"Um...so...what now?" Anna asked. Pabbie shrugged as he looked at Alexander.
"With all honesty, everything I know about the spectral realm comes from books and tales. Alexander?" Pabbie asked.
"Well, we...er...find Anna's sister." Alexander said plainly. "We just head back in the direction of the castle."
"I'm afraid it's not that easy." Perry said. "This collision point will stay here a while, so that's not the worry. The worry is what lies beyond these woods."
"Well I see nothing." A guard said.
"The...creatures...of this realm have learned to steer clear of the collision points, but, they've also learned of mans love for magical artifacts. So, they draw out the stalkers into the darker reaches of the realm with the promise of numerous riches, and as they get further from the portal, they have lesser a chance of making it back out. I'm not too fond of what lies beyond these woods...or within them." Perry stated as she squinted into the thick fog. "Come on...let's find Elsa and get this over with."
"So, once we find Elsa, what do we do?" Anna asked.
"Well, you can't bring a soul out of the spectral realm unless it's within a host, or embedded within an artifact. So, we'll need to find a magical artifact that we can use to place Elsa's soul in and we'll use that in the material realm to place her soul hack in her body...in the same process that the fragment was placed into you. I can use the same process to draw out that fragment within you as well." Pabbie explained.
"Okay...so, find magical artifact, find queen Elsa's soul...and get the hell out of here. Done." A guard mumbled. "Now...where the hell do we go?"
"Most souls remain within a close proximity to their death location. Elsa was killed in the courtyard, so we go to the castle." Pabbie said. The eight of them started to walk into the, fog shrouded, forest, trying to retrace the route they took. Unfortunately, neither the compass nor the maps were useful as they noticed the treeline differed slightly and the compass just sat unmoving, regardless of the direction it was pointed in.
"These woods are creepy." A guard whimpered as he held his rifle high. "Are we at the castle yet?"
"Guys...and girl...stay close." Perry said. "The spectral realm is also very deceiving. It will try to lead you off course...separate you...trap you. And...stay clear off the shadows."
"Uh...why?" A guard asked.
"Two fellow stalkers were consumed by them."
"I'm sorry...I think I juts misheard you. Did you say, consumed by shadows?" Agdar asked as everyone else looked at him.
"Alexander...pabbie...so knowledgeable in the spectral realm yet I can sense the fear within you. It feels as you've just stepped into uncharted territories, which you kinda have. Trust me when I say, you can read all the books in the world, listen to all the stories, survey the many pictures, but none of it will actually prepare you for this. Trust me. As for you Agdar...you didn't mishear. They were consumed by shadows."
"How do you get consumed by a shadow?" Anna asked.
"In our world, a shadow is nothing but a shadow. In this realm though...a shadow...is the corrupted remnants of a soul. It will grab any living thing that ventures into it and devour it. So, don't venture near any shadows, because when you die in the spectral realm...you die permanently."
They made their way through the forest, in what they hoped was the correct direction. The fog seemed to thin out, along with the forest, as they approached the edge of the dense forest, and into the lidless dense tree line.
"Right...we'll continue heading in this direction...which I presume is..." Perry stopped when he heard a whispery sound coming from all around them.
"What is it?" Alexander asked. They continued to hear the whisper from around them for several seconds before the entire place was shrouded in silence. "Perry? What was that?"
"Nothing...we have to get going now." Perry ordered as he sped up. They all looked at each other before deciding to follow him hurriedly. It took another thirty minutes for them to actually get out of the forest, and as they exited, they didn't feel any better.
"You...must..be...shitting...me." A guard gasped. The lands in front of them were completely dead. Darkness shrouded the distance as cracks and seams ran through the earth like veins. Massive holes in the ground littered the landscape, but it wasn't only that, that concerned them...it was the moving object in the distance.
"Perry...what's that?" Agdar asked.
"That...is...a hell-hound." Perry whispered as he loaded his rifle and held it in a firing stance. "Be very quiet...and follow me."
The eight of them quietly crept around the holes, careful to stay hidden behind the tree stumps and rocks, watching the hell-hound sniff the air. It had dark red eyes, greyish fur, extremely sharp fangs and serrated claws. They held their breath as the hell-hound stared at their hiding place and squinted. It continued to stare for several seconds before walking in the other direction. They stayed hidden for another minute he for creeping out from behind the rock and running off towards the direction of the town.
"Perry. Where are we supposed to get an artifact?" Pabbie asked.
"I know places that might have. But first, we should find the queen. Once we find her soul, Anna, Agdar, and several guards can stay...the rest will accompany me and pabbie. Come on."
They continued their journey towards the town for the next half an hour, before reaching the town outskirts.
"You must be kidding right?" Agdar asked as he drew his weapon and held it in awareness. The town in front resembled nothing of the southern isles. The building were all distorted and darkness and fog gripped the streets. An eerie silence fell across the entire town, as thunder could be heard in the distance. The castle could be seen in the distance, like a monument rising above the surrounding lands...but it seemed darker, and even more ominous than the surrounding lands.
"That's the way we have to go." Perry said.
"Well, you're going first." A guard stated. Perry rolled his eyes as he climbed down the stairs, the others following suit. They glanced around nervously, weapons drawn, as they proceeded through the empty town. The streets had an aura of darkness and desolation within them, one that seemed to reach into their souls. It felt like all hope was gone, replaced with despair.
"The realm of the dead definitely lives up to its name." Agdar mumbled as they all stayed as close to each other as possible. They all whisked around when a whispery like sound came from behind.
"Hello?" A guard asked.
"You don't just call out into the darkness!" Perry growled quietly. They all gulped when they heard the whisper again, albeit, a little louder and closer than before. They all turned around and stared down a particularly shrouded alley, where an object could be seen in the distance.
"Er...perry?" Alexander asked.
"Be...absolutely...quiet." Perry muttered, his eyes wide as he aimed by is rifle down the street.
"Wait...it looks like a person." Anna said.
"Anna, the only living people down here are us." Perry replied as they all lifted their weapons up and aimed it down the street. A faint rumbling noise could be heard as the object slowly got closer. As the list cleared, the object became visible, and they nearly all screamed.
The creature was unlike anything they had ever seen before. It was human like in appearance, but at the same time...it wasn't. It had long fingers, with claws at the end. Its skin was pale, rotting, grey in color, and its eyes sunken and completely black. It was unnaturally thin and tall and the way it moved forward was like that of a spider.
"What the hell is that?" A guard asked. The creature let out an ear piercing shriek before charging towards them. Several guards screamed as perry lifted up his weapon and aimed it at the creature, firing it, and blasting a hole through its chest which launched it back several feet and into the wall.
"Get us the hell out of here!" The third guard screamed. They didn't need telling twice as they fled down the high street towards the castle.
"What the heck was that?" Anna asked.
"That was a splicer! Those claws can shred you into pieces with one swipe." Perry answered as they tool a turn down into an alleyway, before coming out on another larger street.
"Oh shit..." The eight of them skid to a halt as four more splicers jumped out from the buildings and blocked their path. "Uh...perry?"
The splicers growled as they took several steps forwards and charged. Anna quickly jumper in front, lifted up her hands, and launched a telekinetic wave that pushed the splicers back by an inch. They just growled in annoyance before continuing their charge, leaving Anna staring in shock.
"That won't do any good here!" Perry announced as he fired his rifle and shot on through the window. Alexander struck one with the sword, slicing off its arm but, apart from the slight shriek, it didn't seem to affect it much. One of them lunged at Anna, but was stopped by Agdar's sword.
"Shoot them in the head!"
Pabbie rolled into one and knocked them down, allowing one of the guards to slice of its head. The two remaining splicers jumped up a building, running along the lengths to the walls, before lunging at them through an aerial attack. Perry shot one in the chest, while Agdar and Alexander sliced the other one as it fell.
"Oh my god...I'm going to be sick." A guard whimpered as he looked at all the black blood surrounding him.
"Oh suck it up. You're supposed to be guards."
"I did not sign up for this shit!" The guard yelled. "The army? Yes! Royal guards? Hell no!"
"Well, if you shut up and follow us, we might get out of here faster!"
"Princess Anna! You and your sister better love each other for eternity if we're doing this crazy shit to save her. If I hear of a falling out between you two in the future, I'll murder both of ya!" A guard stated before reloading his rifle and following perry.
"How comes my powers didn't work!" Anna asked.
"The spectral realm and material realm has an energy barrier, each realm has its own source of energy. When an object passes into the other realm, that source becomes negligible. Your powers come from the material realm. Since we're not in there, your powers cause very little damage here. The only things that work here are standard weaponry...but magic doesn't work well here." Perry explained.
"Oh great...so...we're limited to shooting nightmarish creatures and ghouls with the same weapons we use for hunting buck!"
"It's better than nothing! Now stop complaining!" Alexander ordered. They continued to run down the main street towards what appeared to be the town square. It was hard to tell when everything was shrouded in either, darkness, fog, or both.
"This way."
"Are we going in the right direction?" A guard asked.
"This is the southern isles." Alexander said. "You should no.".
"I was unaware that our kingdom had monsters and fog...and an atmosphere of death."
"Will you lot just shut the hell up!" Perry shouted. "Jeez! It's like dealing with a bunch of monkeys!"
"Um...perry?"
"What now?" Perry sighed.
"What...is that?" The guard pointed down a particularly dark alley where a dark silhouette was hiding in the shadows. Perry squinted down the alleyway as the object continued to stand completely stationary in the darkness.
"That doesn't look like one of those other things." Agdar said. Everyone took a step back when a low rumble emanated from the shadow. Suddenly, everything seems to become silent as revenues clouded over with darkness.
"Perry?"
And then...as soon as it started...it was over. The fog disappeared along with the shadow and the clouds disappeared.
"What was that?"
"I don't know...and I don't want to linger around to find out. Come on...this way. Keep your weapons drawn."
"Your highness. Are you alright?" A servant asked as Hans slowly sat up. The events that morning flashed through his mind, the image of Anna lifting him up into the air and trying to kill him. He wasn't going to deny it, he was frightened by what happened, but at the same time, he was infuriated. Infuriated that she would come to his home and treat him like this, and that her sister just stood there, letting it happen. Not to mention that Anna had killed his brother, one of his favorite brothers.
"Where is that monster?" Hans asked as he climbed out of bed. "What happened to her?"
"I believe that she is with prince Alexander and several of the guards. From what I heard, they found a way to save queen Elsa." The servant answered. This answer caught Hans by surprise.
"What happened to her?" Hans asked.
"She's dead. Princess Anna killed her." The servant said to Hans' surprise. Inside, he was smirking. Anna managed to fulfill something that he tried to do long ago. But then, the servant's word caught up with him.
"Wait, what do you mean, save her?"
"Oh...there is a way to save her through magic or something. From what I heard, they're currently in the spectral realm searching for her..."
"Soul." Hans completed as his eyes widened. "Spectral reclamation. Of course. Find the soul, return it to the body...and she will be healed."
"Yeah. Something like that." The servant mumbled as he offered the prince a glass of water.
"Unless..." Hans muttered under his breath. "The body is too damaged to accept a soul...in which case...it'll be impossible."
"Pardon?"
"Do you, by any chance, know where queen Elsa's body is?"
"Um...last I heard, they moved her to a private room on the fourth floor. Why?" The servant asked suspiciously.
"Oh...nothing. I just wish...to pay my respects." Hans answered as a twisted smile appeared on his face. Now was his chance...his chance to break Anna and everyone in Arendelle for good. To get revenge on them for the embarrassment they brought to him a year back. "Oh Anna...there is now way I'm going to let you get your sister back."
And with that, Hans stood up...and nearly collapsed.
"Your highness. You're too weak to stand at the moment. Let me get you some lunch...then you'll be strong enough to walk."
The prince contemplated for a second. Every passing minute was a minute less that he had a chance to permanently end Elsa...but he couldn't do if if he blacked out in the way there...and chances are, Anna would never leave her sister's body unguarded in the southern isles.
"Okay...but make it quick."
"Of course your highness."
"I've got a tight schedule."
"There it is...the castle." Perry said as he walked up to the southern island castle. It looked the same as their one in the material realm, destroyed walls, littered wreckage, darkness shrouding it.
"So...where is she? Queen Elsa died here!" The guard said.
"I said you'd find the soul nearby...not in the exact same place. Come on, we'll search the castle." Perry said. They entered through the remnants of the gates and into the courtyard where they encountered an astonishing sight. A blue ball emerged from the corner, illuminating a large radius of the courtyard, as it floated around the courtyard.
"What...is...that?" Agdar asked as everyone stared, captivated, by its glow.
"That...is a lost soul." Perry answered as they watched it travel around. "It's a soul that has lost its form, and become entrapped in the spectral realm. Usually, they are souls cursed to spend eternity in, what is essentially, purgatory. They can no longer be restored, nor can they move on, but they contain a massive amount of energy. Stalkers capture these in artifacts and use them to power certain spells, or create magical artifacts like command sceptres. Energy...in its purest form."
They all continued to stare at the soul as it traversed the courtyard and hovered to the other...
ROOOOAAAR!
They all took a step back, their eyes widening as a nightmarish creature appeared from nowhere. The splicers had nothing on this. It's arms and legs were covered in numerous lacerations and flesh hung off in nearly every spot. Its body was unnaturally thin and tall, and its hands had long, spindly fingers that seemed to curl in on themselves. But it wasn't those that made them retreat in horror...it was its face...or what was on it. The creature had no eyes...no ears...no nose. Instead, the entire bottom portion of its face was one massive, open mouth, with started teeth surrounding it. The top part of its face looked like it had been stitched together with numerous pieces of skin, wrinkly and bloody.
"Perry..." A guard whimpered but perry just stood there in shock, even he was shaking. "What...is...that?"
They watched as the creature jumped a good ten feet, towards where the glowing soul was, and literally consumed it instantly.
"That...is...a soul reaper." Perry gulped. The creature suddenly whisked its head around at them, as it contorted its body in ways that no human should ever be able to do. Everyone raised their rifles at it and grouped together as the creature let out a snarling sound and stared at them.
"Should...we...shoot it?" A guard asked.
ROOAAR!
"SHOOT IT!" Perry screamed as everyone fired their rifles at once. They watched as the creature was thrown backwards by the sheer force to the rounds hitting it, before it slammed into the ground.
"Yeah! You don't mess with the southern island guards!" A guard laughed as he reloaded his rifle. He looked at the creature and his smile vanished completely. They all watched in horror as the creature slowly got back up, its mouth wider than ever as it stared at them, despite the eight wounds in its chest.
"Oh...shit."
A guard screamed as the creature suddenly leapt at him and pinned him to the ground. The other guards screamed as Agdar, Alexander, Anna, and perry tried desperately to reload their guns as fast as possible.
The guard on the ground screamed as claws appeared from the creatures hands, and plunged it straight into his chest.
"NO!" Perry screamed as he fired a shot at the creature's back, but it didn't even flinch as it dug its claws into the guard's chest again and literally ripped him to pieces. Alexander yelled as he unsheathed his sword and ran up to the creature. The creature was fast, but Alexander was faster as he plunged the sword into the creatures head. It let out a shriek but still failed to die as Alexander ripped the sword out and staggered backwards. The creature swiped at the prince and threw him backwards and onto the ground.
It turned around and roared at them before lunging straight at them. They barely escaped as it tried to claw one of the guards.
"SOMEONE SHOOT THE BLOODY THING!" A guard screamed. Pabbie tried to roll into it but it just smashed him with enough force to throw him across the courtyard. Alexander stood up and shook his head, only to realize that the creature was now heading straight towards him. He barely missed it as the creature sliced at him, the claw only grazing him.
"IT WON'T DIE!" Agdar screamed as he shot a crossbow bolt at it, followed by a rifle round, followed by him throwing his dagger at it which embedded itself were its heart should be, but it didn't even wince. Instead, it turned around and lunged at him instead.
"PAPA!" Anna screamed as she tried to use her powers. Unfortunately, the spectral realm's influence, as well as the creature strength meant that her already weakened telekinetic wave was useless. It knocked Agdar to the ground before plunging its claws into his arm causing him to scream. Anna grabbed a sword and can up to it, striking it across the back. It growled before throwing Anna ten feet into the air and smashing her against the castle door.
Anna gasped as the wind was knocked out of her and everything around her was spinning. The creature leapt off of Agdar and made its way towards Anna who was in the ground, dazed from the impact. Agdar noticed where it was heading and leapt at it, but it just threw him off like he was a doll. The guards fired more shots at it but it just went through the creature. No blood could even be seen.
"IT CAN'T BE KILLED!" The guards screamed. Anna looked up and saw the creature climbing the steps towards it, before closing her eyes and preparing for the inevitable.
CRASH!
The ground shook slightly as the flattering of stone could be heard, along with the gasps of the guards. Anna opened her eyes and looked at the creature, or where it was supposed to be. The creature had been crushed by a stone gargoyle that had been dropped onto its head, and the only sign of movement was its twitching limbs.
"What the hell?" The guard mumbled.
"Oh man." Perry sighed as he looked at the shredded body of one of the guards. "Is everyone else alright?"
"I think I pissed myself." The other guard muttered.
"Yeah...we're good." Alexander said as he limped up to them. "What...the hell, was that?"
"Bloody soul reapers. You can really kill something that was never alive to begin with." Perry said.
"So it's not dead?!"
"No it's dead now."
They all turned around when they heard a click from behind the castle doors. They raised their weapons in response as Anna took a step back from the door.
"Anna! Get back here!" Agdar ordered. Suddenly, the door swung open and Anna screamed.
"ELSA!" Anna screamed louder than ever before as she lunged forward and tackled her to the ground, only to impact the floor. She looked up to see Elsa in tears.
"Anna..." Elsa sobbed as she watched her sister stand up and approach her. Anna tried to hold Anna's hand but it went straight through her sister's, as if it wasn't there.
"Elsa." Pabbie said as the rest of them entered the castle.
"Why...why can't I touch her?" Anna asked as she tried to hold her sister again.
"She's a soul at the moment Anna. Without her body, you can only see her...but not feel her." Pabbie said.
"Anna...how...how did you find me?" Elsa asked.
"We...ventured into this realm. Was that...you?" Anna asked as she pointed at the stone gargoyle. Elsa nodded in response as she hugged herself and looked at her father and sister sadly.
"Thanks." Alexander said.
"Anna...why are you here...it's too dangerous." Elsa said.
"We came to save you!" Anna answered as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. "I'm so sorry for killing you..."
"That wasn't you." Elsa said. "Please don't blame yourself. You were possessed. There's nothing you could have done."
"I could have fought harder...I could have stopped myself before it happened." Anna said as she looked at the sword on her dress. Elsa realized what Anna was thinking and gasped.
"ANNA!"
"You wouldn't have died."
"But you would." Elsa stated.
"It's better me then you. You..."
"No...I couldn't have gone on without you. At least you have Kristoff."
"Look...this is all very touching, and I love family reunions...I really do, but can we please focus on the task at hand. We've found Elsa...now where the hell do we find this artifact?!" One of the guards asked.
"Yeah...erm...that will be a bit harder." Perry mumbled. "Magical artifacts exist in places of high energy and magical activity. Places where magic was used a lot, or where a lot of spectral energy exists."
"And...that would be where?"
"Well...the place with the highest chance of having an artifact would probably be...the southern island graveyard."
Everyone continued to look at perry with blank expressions on their faces.
"You're fucking with us right?" The second guard asked. "We...just lost a man...trying to get into the castle...and now you expect us to travel...to the bloody graveyard? Half a mile from town?!"
"That's out best hope." Perry said.
"Well...uh...queen Elsa. We tried our best...but due to nightmarish creatures and the lack of magical artifacts...we can't save you. Sorry." The guard said.
"No!" Anna shouted. "We've come too far now! I'm not leaving my sister behind..."
"Anna, he's right!" Elsa said. "It's too dangerous! That thing nearly killed you!"
"Precisely." The guard said.
"Shut up!" Agdar and Anna shouted in unison. "Elsa...I promised I would never give up on you...and being stuck in the spectral realm isn't going to stop me from fulfilling that promise."
"Anna! Please! It's too dangerous. You had a life to live. How can you live that if you die here? Please leave while you can!"
"You have a life as well. Our lives are intertwined and we can't live without each other. For the first time, I'm not going to listen to you!"
"The first time?" Elsa asked with a quirked brow.
"Uh guys..."
"Look...were not getting anywhere just standing here and chatting." Alexander stated. "I'll take a small team and proceed to the graveyard."
"GUYS!"
"WHAT?!" They all yelled at the other guard.
"I think...that the graveyard...and home...isn't an option from here..." The guard said as he pointed at the town.
"Want are you talking...oh my god." Alexander gasped as he dropped his sword. Heading towards them, was a sight that none of them were prepared to see.
"What...is...that?!" The other guard screamed as they all approached the door and gaped. "Perry?"
"I...I don't know."
Heading right towards them was a creature that put everything they had encountered yet to shame. The creature was massive. It was at least 16 feet tall and had grey skin. It had a massive build and must have sighed near a ton. It was dragging a massive metal object, with a blade attached to it, behind it.
"Er...I don't suppose any of you have brought a cannon?" The other guard asked.
"Close the doors...CLOSE THE DOORS!" Alexander screamed. No one needed telling twice as they pushed the doors shut.
"Why...are...the...doors so...hard to shut?!" Agdar grunted as they finally closed them.
"Spectral realm...its hard for us to move objects here...and hard for spectres to move objects in our realm." Perry said as the four of them lifted a large wooden plank and placed in against the door.
BANG!
They all took a step back as the door shuddered slightly from the impact.
"I don't think that door is going to hold for long."
"What now?! Were trapped!" Agdar stated.
"Wait...doesn't the castle have some catacombs?" Perry asked the prince.
"Uh...yeah...why?"
"Are you finished your highness?" The servant asked as he entered the room of the prince.
"Yes...thank you. So, what floor did you say they moved queen Elsa's body to?" Hans asked.
"The fourth you highness." The servant answered.
"Thank you." Hans said as he climbed out of bed and exited the room. The servant stared after him suspiciously, before walking out of the doorway and watching has walk down the corridor. He placed the tray on the floor before rushing off to find one of the princes.
"You're kidding right?" The second guard asked as they all stared down the dark staircase. The prince grabbed a lantern off the wall and lit it, lighting several more after, and handing it to them.
"Anna...you don't need to do this. Please...I'm begging you. I don't want you getting hurt." Elsa begged.
"Uhuh...well, I'm jot letting my sister die. You can scream at me, and punish me, all you want once I resurrect you." Anna said as she followed the prince into the tunnel, the rest, including Elsa, following after her.
"Well, I guess there is one good thing. My sister can't get hurt." Anna said.
"Erm...actually, that isn't entirely true." Pabbie muttered.
"What?"
"Elsa is a soul at this moment...and that creature that nearly killed us all...that was a soul reaper. They consume souls. It couldn't consume us, only kill us, because we existed body and soul. The same can't be said for your sister at the moment, meaning that a soul reaper can consume her, and if that happens..." Alexander paused. "Well...you know what will happen."
Anna moved closer to her sister and motioned for her to stay close as they ventured deeper into the southern island catacombs.
"We don't even venture into here in our realm...why the heck are we doing it here?"
"Shut...the...hell..up!" Alexander growled. "Otherwise I'll use you as bait to the next creature that comes along."
They continued to venture deeper into the catacombs, searching for anything that could resemble a magical artifact, but everywhere they looked was empty.
"Why are we looking here?" Anna asked.
"High presence of death, means a lot of souls, and a lot of energy. Prime breeding ground for magical artifacts." Alexander said. They were about to enter onto a large room when a noise from behind them caused them to turn around. Perry stared into the darkness, trying to see what it was as he held the torch high above his head to illuminate the tunnel.
"What do you see?" Elsa asked. A whispering sound came from the darkness in front of them as a slight breeze swept through the tunnel. Then...they could see it. A shadowy figure, barely visible in the darkness. It was the same figure that they saw in the town earlier on, except this time, they had no way out. Perry stared at it for a few seconds before his eyes widened and he squeaked. He could feel the color being drained from his face before taking a step back and shaking.
"Perry?" Anna asked. "What is that?"
"A...shadow lord." Perry whimpered. "Hold...your...torches...high."
They all looked at each other and held their torches up, illuminating the tunnel further, and they gaped. The shadow seemed to stand in the middle to the light. It had no physical form, and they could see right through it.
"Is...is it deadly?" One of the guards asked.
"It...was what killed my team." Perry said as the rest of them gulped. "It...surrounds you...and then...it consumes you. Whatever happens...don't...step into the darkness. As long as there's light, it won't harm you. It come into the brightness."
As if it heard perry, the shadow took a step closer. Suddenly, a slight wind began to blow down the tunnel, causing the flames to flicker and die down slightly, allowing the shadow to take a step closer.
"Oh shit!" Alexander gasped as the wind in the tunnel began to pick up. "It's trying to extinguish the flames!"
"RUN!" Perry screamed as try all fled down the tunnel and into the large room. They slammed the door shit and backed away from it, retreating to the door in the other side. They nearly screamed as the shadow figure grew out of a small shadow in the corner and crept around the walls of the room. "GET THAT DOOR OPEN NOW!"
Agdar and Alexander started kicking at the door in an attempt to break it down, just as the figure started creeping up the walls. Agdar finally managed to break the door down, allowing them all to run down the tunnel in an attempt to share the figure. But it just chased after them, following in the darkness they left behind.
"It's still following us!" The guards screamed.
"Elsa! Can't you hit it with an icicle?!" Agdar asked as he unsheathed his sword, unsure how the hell to strike a shadow with a sword.
"I don't have my powers!"
"WHAT?!"
"Oh come on!" The other guard groaned.
"Her magic died with her body!" Pabbie stated.
"You're magical! You're a troll!"
"My magic is discrete. It's not the type that you're thinking off!" Pabbie replied. They all ran into a large room where they then slammed the door shut and stepped backwards.
"Pabbie?" Anna asked.
"What is it?" Pabbie asked as he kept his eyes on the door.
"Is that an artifact?" Anna asked. Pabbie turned around and caught sight of a small amulet hanging from a small statue. Pabbie could immediately sense that it was out of place, not to mention that he could sense the magic within it. He rolled over to it and took it down and inspected it.
"What is it?" Agdar asked as the door began to rumble.
"Its an artifact. I can use this!" Pabbie stated. He held it in his hand before muttering several incantation, causing the amulet to glow. "It is prepared."
"Now what..."
They all jumped as the door was suddenly blasted off its hinges and the shadow figure entered. A strong wind suddenly blew inside and extinguished several of the torches, casting the room in a lower light
"We have to go now!" Perry yelled as he fired at the shadow, but it just sailed straight through him.
"Elsa!" Pabbie called as he ran towards her. "This might hurt a little."
"What do you..." Elsa was cut short as pabbie muttered an incantation and hit Elsa with the amulet. A sudden blast of wind and she was gone.
"ELSA!" Anna screamed.
"Her soul is in here! We have to get out of here now!" Pabbie yelled. The shadow figure started to make its way across the room, the light slowly beginning to fade as the flames began to grow smaller.
"This way!" Perry screamed as he threw a torch at the shadow causing it to let out a shriek and flee backwards. The torch set fire to the wooden walls and soon the whole room was in flames. Anna yanked the amulet, containing Elsa's soul, and placed it around her neck so it wouldn't get lost.
"How are we supposed to get out of this realm?!" Agdar asked.
"Follow me!"
Hans quietly climbed up the stairs towards the fourth floor, an axe in his hand. He peered down the corridor to make sure that no one was outside and to his delight, there was no one. He smirked as he walked down the hallway and checked each of the rooms, eventually coming across the final door in the hall.
"Hello? Is anyone in there?" Hans asked as he knocked on the door.
"Hold on." A man called through the door. Hans watched the door open and saw a blonde haired man.
"May I..." The blonde deadpanned as he realized who was at the door. "You...what are you doing here?"
"I...I just want to say..." Hans hesitated as Kristoff glared at him.
"Kristoff? Who's that?" Idun called out. Kristoff turned around, a horrible mistake on his part, and Hans took his chance as he whipped out the axe from behind his back, and hit Kristoff on the back of the head with it. The ice harvester grunted as he collapsed onto the ground. Hans pushed the door open revealing Elsa's body lying in the bed. He saw a brunette woman jump up, which he assumed was the mother, and grab a nearby sword. Hans kicked Kristoff aside as he shut the door and locked it.
"Please...you don't stand a chance." Hans sneered at Idun who stood protectively in front to that daughter. "Listen...let me near Elsa...and I'll spare yours and this mans life. Simple deal."
"You stay away from my daughter." Idun growled as she held the sword high.
"After what Elsa and Anna did to me? That's not going to happen! I'm going to have to teach that stupid redhead a..."
"AAAAH!" Kristoff yelled as he charged at Hans, knocking the axe out of his hands, and knocking him to the ground. Kristoff landed a powerful punch to the Prince's face, before punching him in the abdomen. But this time, Hans wasn't about to go down without a fight. Hans landed a fist on the ice harvester's jaw, causing him to roll to the side, before he smacked another punch right in Kristoff's jaw. He scrambled towards the axe but Kristoff grabbed him by the legs and pulled him back. Hans kicked several times, eventually landing one in his face, before jumping up and grabbing the axe, only to have it knocked out of his hands when Kristoff threw the coat stand at him.
Idun stood rooted to the spot as she watched the two men fight each other, afraid that if she attacked now, she would injure Kristoff as well, or worse.
"In here!" Perry yelled as he could here the flames being extinguished from behind. He kicked open the wooden door in front and they found themselves in a large stone room, with no other exits but the one they had just come out of.
"We're trapped!" Anna screamed as everyone faced the door, effort pabbie who glanced around the room, his eyes widening.
"My god..." Pabbie gasped.
"What is it?" Perry asked.
"I can sense powerful magic here...but...it's like the magic I sensed at that collision point, albeit, I can't see anything." Pabbie said as perry took a step towards him.
"If that's the case...I think...this is a hidden collision point!" Perry announced.
"What?" They all asked in unison.
"It's like the one we entered in...but this one requires magic to reveal it first! Pabbie! Can you reveal this collision point?" Perry asked.
"I can try!" Pabbie said as he started waking around the room, muttering things and waving his hands around. "Hold that thing off while I try!"
They all whisked back around and was the shadows approaching from the corridor, the flames now completely gone.
Kristoff screamed as Hans plunged a scissor into his arm, blood streaming down the ice harvester's arm, as the prince stood up. Hans was clearly exhausted as he stumbled back and glared at the ice harvester.
"Damn you're tough!" Hans gasped as he limped over to the axe and picked it up, before turning around. He was met with a sword nearly taking his head off, causing him to stumble backwards in shock.
"STAY AWAY!" Idun shrieked. Hans laughed as he held his axe in an attack position, though he was clearly struggling to hold it up.
"Jeez! How can you love an ice wielding, monstrous, witch that much?" Hans asked with a shake of his head. "Fuck it. I gave you a chance!"
Hans lunged at Idun with the axe, with nearly took her arm off as she jumped to the side. Hans tried to head to Elsa but Idun took a swipe at him, blocking his path to the snow Queen's body. He looked for a way around but he found none, leaving him no choice but to engage Idun. Unfortunately, a 22 pound, top heavy, axe designed for chopping bark, wasn't the wisest weapon to use against a 12 pound, agile, sword used for chopping heads off. Hans now regretted not taking the sword by the armor when he head the chance, but the axe seemed like such a wise decision for beheading people.
Hans was newly caught off guard as Idun took a swipe at him, nearly taking his arm off. Hans retaliated by trying to hit Idun who dodged the strike and launched a counterstrike which Hans barely blocked with the axe handle. For a mother, she sure could fight. Hans could feel himself begin to sweat as Idun truck him again, one after the other, barely giving him the chance to strike back. If she kept this up, the axe handle wouldn't survive. Idun struck again, but this time, the minute the sword hit the axe handle he pushed forward, causing Idun to stumble backwards and onto the floor. Hans raised the axe and quickly brought it down, but missed as Idun rolled to the side just in time.
"STAY STILL!" Hans screamed as he launched another attack at Idun. This time, he managed to clip Idun's arm with the edge of the axe, cutting a gash into the top of her arm. Idun let out a scream as she fell to the floor and clutched her bleeding arm. Hans took a deep breath as he limped towards the bed where Elsa lay.
"One swipe at the neck." Hans told himself. "And she's never coming back."
Hans glanced at the fireplace and could see a small crossbow hanging, in a display cabinet, above the mantle. After he was done with Elsa, he would use that to kill that blasted ice harvester. He suddenly yelled when a large mass charged into him and knocked him to the ground. The next thing he felt was a dagger being pierced into his leg. He let out an ear-piercing scream as the dagger twisted inside him and dug deeper, blood streaming from the wound. With as much energy as he could muster, he kicked Kristoff off and punched him in the face, before getting on all fours and pulling the dagger out. He winced in pain as the dagger came out, and blood started to pool on the floor.
"SHIT!" Hans screamed as he stood up shakily, and reached for the axe. He turned around to see a sword-wielding Kristoff, with a murderous rage in his eyes, standing between him and Elsa, Idun nearby holding the coat stand, ready to smash his head in with it. "When I lop her head off...I'll be sure to send it to you, wrapped in a box."
The six of them lit as many fires as possible, and threw the burning object down the corridor in an attempt to push the shadow away with the light, but it just extinguished everything they threw at it.
The shadow suddenly began to elongate and stretch along the ceiling and floor, long spindly fingers reaching out to grab them. Agdar threw his torch right at one of the fingers, casing the shadow to screech and withdraw.
"Yeah! You don't mess with us!" Agdar laughed. The smiles on their faces vanished as the corridor was plunged into a darkness they had never before seen. Blacker then black, colder than cold. The darkness rapidly spread out from the tunnel and engulfed the walls of the tomb, spreading in all directions.
"Um...pabbie? Now would be a good time to get that portal open." Anna said as they all crowded together and stared at the darkness on fear. As sudden crack filled the air as the surrounding room began to quiver and distort slightly.
"I've found it!" Pabbie announced. Perry jumped out of the group and into the center before grabbing a small paper and muttering the words written on it. The shadows had now consumed the entire room and was encircling them, slowly getting closer to the center where they were all huddled together.
"Perry..."
Whispers could be heard from the tunnel as two dark red eyes appeared from within, rapidly getting closer.
"Perry!"
"Nearly done!"
The eyes suddenly widened...and then a massive shadow like object expanded and lunged at them, baring razor sharp teeth and dark sunken eyes with a look so horrifying that it made their nightmares seem like beautiful dreams.
"PERRY!"
CRACK!
CLANG!
Kristoff was forced back an inch by the sheer force of Hans' attack as he blocked it with the sword. Hans was relentless with his attacks, despite the wound on his leg and the tiredness, leaving Kristoff very little time to strike back. Idun flanked the prince and struck him on the head with the coat stand.
Caught off guard, Hans let out a roar as he slammed his axe into Kristoff's sword, throwing him backwards, before whisking around kicking Idun right in the abdomen and throwing her backwards five feet. He stormed up to her and kicked her several times in the chest and abdomen, until she was starting to cough up blood, only to be stopped when Kristoff threw his sword aside, let out an infuriating roar, and jumped right on the back of Hans, locking the Prince's neck with an elbow lock, and choking him. Hans tried to rip Kristoff off but his trip was too strong. He glanced to the stone fireplace and caught sight of the crossbow hanging above the mantle, and tried to reach it.
He stumbled backwards and tried to wrestle the ice harvester of his neck as he tried to reach the mantle. Clearly, the ice harvester was ready to kill him to protect Elsa and Idun, but Hans wasn't about to give in. He knew that the minute his brothers would find out about his attempt to behead Elsa, he would be executed for treason and regicide, regardless of whether he was going to give up now.
If Hans was going to die, he would rather die here after killing Elsa, rather than die in the ropes. He ran backwards and smashed himself as hard as he could against the fireplace, knocking Kristoff off of his back, before collapsing to the ground and gasping for air, dizziness starting to over take him.
The seven of them opened their eyes and looked around and noticed that they were in the same room, but the dark murkiness was gone, along with the shadows, to be replaced with several servant staring at them in shock.
"Your highness?" A servant asked in shock.
"Thank god." They all sighed in relief. "We're home!"
"Elsa!" Anna suddenly gasped as she removed the amulet from her neck and held it. All of them ran trough the catacombs and into the great hall where all the people turned round and gaped.
"What the? Brother?! How the hell did you get there!" Lecter asked in shock.
"No time to explain! Where is Elsa's body?" Alexander asked.
"On the fourth floor. Why?" Lecter asked.
Everyone turned around as the doors flew open and a servant appeared.
"Your Highnesses. I thought it might concern you...that Hans just asked me where queen Elsa's body was. He said he wanted to pay his respects." The servant said. Anna's eyes widened and we suddenly felt her chest tighten.
"WHAT?!" The princes and guards shrieked in unison, as they were all aware of Hans' attempted regicide a hear ago. "Did you tell him?!"
"Yes."
Everyone looked up as a faint crash was heard upstairs.
"GOD DAMN IT!" Alexander yelled as he and his brothers, Agdar, Anna, and the guards ran out of the hall and up to the fourth floor as quickly as possible.
Hans stood up, his neck aching, before stumbling forward towards the sword that Kristoff had dropped. He looked behind to see Kristoff coughing out some blood before crawling after him. Hans tried to stand up but his injured leg and tiredness meant he just collapsed back down. He crawled as fast as he could, kicking Kristoff in the face when he got close, before using the bedstand to help himself stand upright. He could see the massive amount of blood he had lost on the floor, and knew that he could black out at any time.
He looked to see Idun, blood in her mouth and on her dress, staring at him with tears in her eyes as she tried desperately to get to her daughter, hut she was too weak and injured. Kristoff coughed out a mouthful of blood as he tried to grab Hans, but he just kicked him away. Hans dragged the sword towards the side of Elsa's bed as he took a deep breath.
He tried to smirk at his triumph, but he didn't have the energy to. He mustered all his remaining energy to lift the sword high above his head, taking one last look at Elsa's pale body before swinging the sword down on her neck.
He wasn't entirely sure what happened next though. A sudden bang ripped through the air, followed by a piercing pain on his arm, and then a sudden wave hitting him, throwing him across the room and into the fireplace, with enough force that it knocked the knickknacks off, along with the display case. He crumpled to the ground and blacked out from the impact.
"IDUN!" Agdar shrieked as he ran over to his wife. Anna ran over to Kristoff and helped him up as the princes screamed for the physicians. Lecter and Alexander stood in shock at their brothers unconscious from, but not because he was injured, hut because he had betrayed them. They thought he had changed, but he hadn't one bit. They felt no pity at all as a guard aimed his rifle at him, only disappointment and anger.
Agdar helped Idun onto a chair as he grabbed a cloth and wiped the blood from her mouth. He then wrapped the cloth around the wound on her in an attempt to stem the bleeding. Kristoff was even more injured as he collapsed next to the bed. A prince ran forward and helped sit him up before grabbing some water and handing it to him, just as the physician ran in.
"Brother." Lecter said to Alexander. "Hans has gone too far this time."
"I know...we all know." Alexander muttered as he looked at the other brothers who paid no attention to Hans, and were either helping the physicians, or standing outside.
Anna looked up at her sister's body and saw the axe lying nearby. Fury rose within her at the thought of Hans trying to kill her sister, to the point that she temporarily became dizzy. This didn't go unnoticed by pabbie who realized that Anna's anger was feeding the fragment within her and overpowering the charm he placed on her.
"ANNA! DON'T LET THE ANGER CONSUME YOU!" Pabbie yelled as everyone gasped and took a step back.
"No...not now." Alexander gasped as the guards raised their crossbows wearily. Anna's hair flashed a shade of black but this time, she knew better. She thought of happy memories and willed the anger to subside, and in the process, regaining control.
"I'm alright...I'm good..." Anna gasped as she stared at the ground. She made her way over to Elsa's bed, knowing that it was only a matter of time before she lost control since the anger was burning within her. Pabbie rolled up to her and grabbed the stone and placed it over Elsa's heart. Anna took a step to the edge of the bed as the troll began to whisper some incantations. They all stared in shock as the stone started to glow brighter. And then...it stopped glowing.
This was followed a second later by Elsa suddenly jumping up and gasping for air as she looked at everyone in shock.
"ELSA!" Anna screamed as happiness flooded her heart. Elsa glanced at Anna, her eyes widening instantly, before she lifted her hand up in a split second, and fired an icicle straight at her. Anna was too shocked by Elsa's sudden reaction to move as the icicle flew past her, missing her head by inches and slammed into the fireplace, a gasp emanating from behind her, followed a split second later by a crossbow bolt sailing past Anna's head and embedding itself in the bed frame. Everyone whisked around to see Hans staring wide eyed, blood dripping from his mouth as he looked at the icicle embedded in his chest. In his hand...a crossbow, aimed straight at Anna.
Hans let out a gurgling noise before glancing one last time at his brothers, and then collapsing to the ground, the light in his eyes disappearing as his blood pooled on the ground.
Everyone was paralyzed, staring at Hans', now dead, form in shock. A second slower and Anna would have an arrow in her head. Anna stared for several seconds before a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her and pulled her in tightly. It was only then that she recognized that Elsa's was hugging her, tears streaming from her eyes.
"Elsa." Anna squeaked as she returned the hug. Agdar joined in a second later pulling them both into a hug as several guards ran into the room and checked that the prince really was dead this time.
"No one's going to miss him." Lecter muttered to Alexander who nodded in response.
"Yeah...but he was still our brother nonetheless. Regardless of him being a traitor and a homicidal maniac, he will still be buried in the royal cemetery." Alexander muttered back. Regardless of the fact that Elsa had just killed Hans, he would have been hanged anyway for treason and regicide had he not been killed. But the job was now done.
"I...killed him..." Elsa muttered with a sob as she glanced at the icicle in Hans' chest.
"Shh...is alright. You saved me..." Anna muttered into Elsa's hair.
"You saved me though...from the dead."
"We saved each other."
"Bring his body downstairs." Lecter ordered.
"Come on...let's get you five bandaged up." Alexander said as the guards cleared the room. Elsa gasped when she caught sight of her mother and Kristoff, both looking like they had been beaten to an inch of their lives.
"Mama!" Elsa gasped as she ran over with her sister and helped Idun up.
"Let's bring these two to the infirmary." The physician said as he stood up and he and Agdar helped Kristoff up. The sisters helped their mother up before the lot of them walked to the infirmary, glancing one last time at the point blood by the fireplace.
As soon as they reached the infirmary, they laid Kristoff and Idun down on the beds ashes the doctors immediately began to treat them, while Elsa and Anna sat down on a nearby chair. Anna wrapped her arms around her sister and pulled her in, Elsa doing the same thing.
"I'm sorry for what I did to you." Anna sobbed as she laid her head on Elsa's shoulder. Elsa looked at her sister pitifully, knowing that this would probably scar her for eternity. She gently stroked Anna's hair before kissing her little sister in the forehead.
"It's alright...I'm not dead anymore..." Elsa said. "It was dangerous what you did..."
"I wasn't about to lose you...even if it meant travelling to the dead and facing those things..." Anna mumbled. Elsa didn't say anything else as she just continued to cuddle her sister, quietly watching as the physicians tended to her mother and Kristoff.
A few hours later...
"Is she asleep?" Pabbie asked Elsa as he looked at Anna.
"I think so...why?" Elsa asked.
"I need to remove the fragment...come...bring her here." Pabbie said as he gestured to a bed. Agdar and Elsa helped move Anna's sleeping form to a nearby bed where they laid her down.
"Agdar...Elsa. To remove the fragment, I first need to remove the charm holding it back. That charm is what is holding the fragment back. The minute I remove it, there is a chance that it could gain control and strike Anna. Whatever happens, you need to press this amulet to her heart. It will automatically draw the soul out, understood?" Pabbie asked. Agdar and Elsa looked at each other before nodding.
"Alright...get ready." Pabbie said as he climbed onto the bed. He took one more glance at the two of them before placing his hand on her head and muttering an incantation. He removed his hand and was about to place the amulet on Anna's chest, when he was suddenly blasted off the bed and thrown across the room. Elsa gasped as the possessed Anna, jumped up and grabbed Agdar by the bed before pinning him against the wall.
"An...na..." Agdar croaked as he tried to remove Anna's hands from his neck. Elda caught sight of the Amulet and ran after it. She picked it up and ran back to Anna, just in time to watch her throw Agdar across a bed and into a table on the other side. Anna turned around, her pitch black eyes glaring at Elsa.
Anna was suddenly caught off guard as a pillow slammed into her head. She turned around to see Agdar staring at her wide eyed.
"Oh shit...Anna..." Agdar was cut off as Anna blasted him across five beds and into the wooden wall on the other side. Elsa took this chance to wrestle her sister to the ground, and slam the amulet onto Anna's chest. Anna let out a gasp as the amulet glowed, a fibrous object made of light being drawn out of Anna's chest and into the amulet. Then, it all stopped and Anna went limp as the amulet darkened.
"Anna?" Elsa asked fearfully as she pushed the amulet aside and shook her sister. Anna grumbled slightly as her eyes fluttered open and looked around.
"Elsa?" Anna asked as she blinked several times. Elsa let out a cry of joy as she wrapped her arms around her sister and hugged her. She caught sight of the amulet and her eyes widened. "Is...did...the fragment?"
"Yes." Elsa cried happily. Anna let out a sigh of relief as she returned the hug. She caught sight of Agdar limping up to them, his arms wrapped around his waist.
"You threw me through a wall!" Agdar stated as the sisters looked at the hole in the wall. Elsa and Anna looked at each other before letting out a giggle.
"That's not funny!"
"Again...I'm sorry for...nearly causing the apocalypse..."
"Princess Anna. Its alright. I mean, it's not the first time that we've had magical interventions or disasters. The people know that you were possessed and we've seen a lot more possessions than you, to he honest, so we know what its capable of." Alexander said.
"And...we're sorry about Hans and James."
"James will be missed...but Hans...yes, he's still our brother...but...well...he deserved what he got." Alexander said. "The Southern isles is a peaceful family and we don't accept our family members killing others without just cause."
"Thank you...for everything." Anna said.
"You're welcome." Alexander replied as the Arendellian royal family boarded the ship. "Stay safe...and try to stay away from magical artifacts that glow ominously."
Elsa and Anna laughed slightly as the prince smiled at them.
"Hey...I guess I kept my powers." Anna laughed as she lifted up a small barrel.
"Aw...I'm no longer unique." Elsa pouted as Anna giggled.
"Well you're still the only one with white hair."
"Platinum blonde, Anna." Elsa corrected as Anna rolled her eyes. Anna grabbed her sister by the waist and pulled her into another hug, Elsa returning it as well. They stayed like that for about a minute before they broke apart.
"We should probably go check on mama and Kristoff." Elsa said to which Anna nodded.
"I'm just glad that you're alright." Anna said as she placed an arm around her sister's shoulders.
"You too. I owe you my life...literally considering you brought me back from...that place."
"Well you saved me as well."
"We saved each other." Elsa said with a smile.
"I don't know what I'd ever do without you." Anna said.
"No do I. I love you so much Anna...and thank you."
"I love you too...and please don't let that, killing Hans with an icicle thing, haunt you. To be honest, Alexander and Lecter actually seems happy...and so am I. Hans deserved it and don't you forget it. You did nothing wrong." Anna said.
"But I still killed someone." Elsa stated.
"Oh...alright...so it's one...against...um...a hundred for me?" Anna asked. "That will haunt me for a while...even though I was possessed. I could have stopped it..."
"Well, it'll be my turn to comfort you now, and be the big sister you want me to be."
"You already are the sister I want you to be, and I wouldn't want it any other way."
"Nor would I." Elsa said. The two of them looked down at the amulet in Anna's hands. "What are you going to do with that?"
"This..." Anna said as she threw the amulet as far overboard as possible, watching it splash down in the waters. Anna wrapped her arms around Elsa's shoulders before the two of them proceeded below deck, towards the infirmary, and entered it.
"Girls..." Idun croaked as they ran over and pulled her into a hug causing her to wince.
"Sorry." They apologized as they loosened the hug slight. They were joined a few seconds later by Agdar and Kristoff and eventually, they were all hugging together...the royal family of Arendelle.
Pabbie stood by the doorway with a smile, watching them all embrace each other.
"All is right in the world."
"Where are you lot going?" Alexander asked as he noticed perry and several dozen men grouped together.
"Well, there's still time to possibly save James and the king." Perry answered.
"Perry...my father was days away from his death bed because of a tumor. Bringing him back will only be a pain for him." Alexander answered as Lecter walked up to him.
"How about...Hans?" Perry asked. Lecter and Alexander straightened upon hearing the name.
"He may be our brother, and it definitely pains me to say this...but I think the world would be better off without him...I think we all would."
"...And I think Hans would prefer this as well...he's finally with his sister again...Eria."
***FIN***
And this story is now...finished.
I hope you enjoyed "The darkness within" as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Anyway, I am sorry for being unable to update last week. College was a horror. So...there were quite a few movies and games that inspired this story. Here's the list:
Chronicle - The whole telekinetic idea from that crystal, and eventually losing control.
Silent Hill (Movie) - Basis for the spectral realm and the monsters within. Google silent hill, the movie, not the game and see the image results.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R - The whole idea behind the "artifacts" and "stalkers". It's an indie game.
Time to answer some reviews...
-aCup-of-Dreams: An act of true love will thaw a froze heart...unfortunately, (for me), it's not so effective at resurrecting the dead. That'll require more complex magic...or Rapunzel.
-Skystormrunner: yes...it's time for a little bit of happiness.
-lightning1997: I like how people are like, "Kill everyone except Anna and/or Elsa. Same here when I read a fanfics. I'm also one of those people that are like, Ooh...Hans is in this story? KILL HIM! LET HIM BURN! He's being kind and repenting? KILL HIM ANYWAY! HE'S HANS!
-MysticOfSeasonSpiritPack: There is a part 4.
-Bex: I understand...but...if I forced Anna to kill herself, the story would have ended then and there. Plus, I'm just using the idea that the possession is too strong for her to maintain control for elongated periods of time. Don't think this idea wasn't running through my mind when I wrote this story.
Sally: I try, but the story is rated T. There are just times when you can't switch the word for a nicer alternative without it sounding weird.
Skillz: Ngayon. I'm not actually very fluent in Tagalog...despite being Filipino.
Um...anyway, if you have any ideas for some short one shots, please do tell me. I'm running a little low on ideas. I'll try to update the other multi-part one shots, " A royal disaster" and "When two different worlds collide", but I can't promise anything.
-TacticX