Chapter Twenty-Eight: Destiny Unfolds!

As the sun freed itself from the horizon, Elsa watched from her snow-horse as Alphonse worked. A quick glance revealed the entirety of their forces at her back, while her sister, brother-in-law, cousin, and cousin-in-law were at her sides. With that quick glance, Elsa couldn't help but feel that the term "army" was pushing it for their force of just-over one hundred. Anna flashed her a quick grin before she returned her focus to Alphonse and the small team of men he was employing.

The mage was helping a group of four men level a large log into a hole in the ground just outside Arendelle. This field had been chosen to transport their small army. Finally, the men finished placing the log and Alphonse thanked them for their work, giving each a gold armband for their trouble.

After the men had left, Alphonse took his place about halfway between the wooden pillar and the army. He took a wide stance, his body language harsh with tension even from the back. Anna gasped, which Elsa took to mean he was using magic. Her assumption was proven correct when he forced his arms apart, fingers splayed, and the log exploded into green flames that rose upward and spread a twenty yards in every direction. The greenish flames seemed to eat away at the very air itself, leaving a hole in nothing that led to a rock-strewn grassy wasteland.

"Men advance!" Elsa commanded to her guardsmen. They shouted in affirmation and advanced forward through the hole in the air, steps hardly wavering at the feat before them. "Forest advance!" Elsa commanded, signalling a large group of huldra and a half-dozen of their male counterparts to advance in turn. Next came a small group of Fossegrimen. Then the fifty-two Avvisade, leaving the Residuum to come last. As they themselves crossed through the portal, Alphonse removed a thin branch from his cloak, one that was burning like a candle, half of its length charred. He snuffed out the green flame and the hole in nothing collapsed into itself, only traces of reddish smoke indicating it had ever been there.

"At ease!" Elsa commanded. The battle, according to the Rites that Alphonse and Hans had set (ones so ancient and powerful that they couldn't be broken if they wanted to try), would take place at noon, when the sun reached the highest point in the sky. The sky, incidentally, was grey and overcast. When Anna asked about this, Alphonse assured them that he wouldn't miss it.

As the factions of the troops settled and became comfortable, Elsa dismissed her horse, allowing it to dissolve into snowflakes and flew away with the wind, and settled herself onto a boulder to examine her troops in greater detail.

Her own guardsmen, a full two-dozen, were building a campfire. She watched with narrowed eyes as Alphonse approached them and began to speak with them, too far away for her to hear. While it was Anna who had given open invitation for any guardsmen to join this battle, it was Alphonse who had offered to give them the strength to make a difference. He had pointedly avoided explaining the "how" to her, only saying that his methods would seem odd but be effective.

Next she watched the group of three-dozen huldra, and the half-dozen male huldra known as huldrekarl. Each of the huldra were lovely, almost glowing with radiance. Of course, that was also probably their glamours. Many held spears made of ash wood, and the rest were focusing as iron-hard tree bark grew over their skin, coating their arms and extending their fingers into claws. The huldrekarl were the opposite of their females; hulking, eight-foot brutes with grey skin and muscles like oak trees. But looking at them, one could sense a quiet wisdom within them, like the forest itself. They carried clubs of tree trunks and sat watching the huldra with calm contentedness.

The group of five Fossegrimen sat together, tuning their violins and lutes. Kristoff had explained to her that the Fossegrimen would only actively fight if absolutely necessary. Instead, they would play their mystic tunes before the battle started to wash away fear and panic, and to harden the troops' resolve. During the battle, they would play to bring for courage and determination as they fought, and to bring panic and disarray to the opposing forces. Elsa wasn't entirely sure if she could believe that, but anything to give them an edge was more than welcome.

Finally came the Avvisade. They knelt in perfect lines in four rows of thirteen, sharpening their swords and daggers with intense precision, each movement practiced and perfected. Each also carried a staff of rune-carved elm wood for channeling magic during battle. Elsa could almost feel the focused rage carefully simmering within each of them, the heat from their hatred seeming to roll of of them like a furnace. She was suddenly grateful that those powerful emotions would be channeled at the enemy, and away from her family.

Elsa was drawn from her musings as Anna and Rapunzel approached and sat next to her. "Big day, huh?" Anna asked. Elsa tried and failed to stifle her laughter at her sister's forced nonchalance. Leave it to the redhead to make light of an upcoming, quite literally life-or-death situation.

"Are you okay?" Rapunzel asked. Elsa sighed in both appreciation and frustration.

"Shouldn't I be asking you both that?" she asked dryly. "After all, I'm the highest-ranking member here. It's my job to make sure this all runs smoothly." Both women giggled and placed their hands on Elsa's.

"Maybe, but we're family," Anna countered.

"And it's our job to make sure you're alright," Rapunzel finished. Elsa smiled in gratitude and breathed deeply to settle her nerves.

"I'm as good as I'll ever be," she admitted. She turned her attention back to Alphonse, who was applying some kind of dark herbal paste to her shirtless guardsmen, drawing elaborate symbols and patterns across their faces, chests, abdomens, and arms. The huldra, those who were not sitting with their huldrekarl mates, were giggling and whispering to each other as they watched.

After some time, Alphonse finished with the last guardsman and casually tossed aside the shell he had kept his paste in. He cracked his neck and knuckles before tucking his elbows close to his body, arms spread to the sides and fingers splayed. Elsa flinched as Anna clapped her hands to Elsa and Rapunzel's shoulders. "You'll want to see this," she explained.

Elsa sucked in a breath as she felt her senses sharpen, like a filter had been removed from the world. Alphonse now blazed with red-and-blue energy webbed with strands of silver, the energy hovering over his skin. The energy seemed to be stretching above him in woven strands, a strand hovering before each of her unsuspecting men. When each of the men had a thread situated in front of him, Alphonse snapped his fingers and, like striking serpents, the strands shot forward to ignite the markings that covered them. The markings and patterns burned orange like hot metal, drawing pained gasps and groans from each of them. The smoke from the markings collected above them and formed the silhouette of howling wolves or roaring bears.

Elsa grunted as Anna removed her hand, her senses returning to normal. Her men were replacing their shirts and armor, the markings now seared into their skin. "Wow," Rapunzel commented. "What do you think he did to them?"

"I don't know," Anna replied with a grin, "but I bet it's gonna be awesome!"


Hans watched from a large jut in the rock as his Legions prepared for battle. He had brought his troops here at the crack of dawn for them to begin preparing. He had sensed his opposition arrive less than an hour later.

Hans's gaze flicked to a collection of ogres smashing boulders apart with their clubs, each strike turning stone to rubble. They were laughing and punching each other as they did so, their simple minds absorbed by the wanton destruction. An occasional fight would break out and be resolved quickly before they resumed smashing.

At his left stood the leader of his coven of dark-vala, Runa. He counted it as a monumental victory to be given her name - vala of any kind were often stingy with their names, claiming it gave the user power over them. At his right stood the second-in-command of Hati's pack, Selje. Hati was still resting from the rituals subjected by the coven. She would be woken in time for the battle, but needed her rest.

Hans looked up at the swirling grey clouds, his instincts supplying the time of day. Still two hours from the zenith. Hans growled with anticipation as he watched another group of ogres slamming a massive wedge into the ground. When that wedge cracked open the earth to the saltwater caverns below, he would be happy to see his surprise prepared.


As the forces of Arendelle took a light lunch, a meal meant to keep up their strength for the battle without interfering with their performance, Kristoff's gaze wandered over the groups just as Elsa's had earlier. He growled at the sight of several huldra actively flirting with guardsmen, his opinions on their kind far from changed.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Eugene asked with a grin. Kristoff chuckled at the trite expression before settling back into a faint scowl. He fought off the urge to speak his mind for a brief moment before giving in. With one last look across the camp, he voiced his concerns.

"Do you think it'll be enough?" he asked. Eugene's grin faded to a look of solemnity, knowing that Kristoff needed advice now, rather than humor.

"I think," he said after a few moments of thought, "that we're beyond that question." Kristoff glanced at the ex-thief with a question in his eyes. "We've done all we can to recruit, Kristoff. It doesn't matter about the numbers anymore. Sure, one more guy to take down a few more of Han's boys would be great, but …" He sighed in resignation, "this is what we've got now." He looked Kristoff in the eye with every ounce of determination he could muster. "And come Hel or high water, it is going to be enough." Kristoff scoffed at that, looking away.

"It has to be," he agreed. Both men took the cups holding their water rations and clicked a toast, hoping beyond hope for the best.


In the Valley of the Living Rock, Grand Pabbie watched the armies prepare for battle in a mountain pond, magic providing the images. The troll-shaman's lips were tight with concern. Concern for his foster-grandson, for his granddaughter-in-law, for Queen Elsa. For the royals of Corona, who had bonded with his tribe thanks to Kristoff and Anna. And for the mage who had worked so hard to bring them to this final clash.

And as wise as he was, Pabbie couldn't say for sure how this battle would turn out. It was like the Fate of the World balanced on a set of scales. Anything could turn the tide, here.

Pabbie waved his hand to dispel the images into a series of ripples, kneeling down meditate. As he began to clear his mind, his concentration was broken by heavy footsteps approaching. Heavy with frustration and indignation.

"Bulda," Pabbie greeted his daughter. "What is it?"

"I think you know, Da," she answered tightly. One could feel the very tension in her voice, her worry for her dear adopted son and daughter. Pabbie felt her pain as his own, the fear that Kristoff and Anna would fail. That they would not return. And that the world would burn because of it.

"We have discussed this," he reminded her.

"No," Bulda interrupted, "you have discussed it. You have ordered us, ordered me, to stand by and let others decide the fate of this world." In any other instance, Bulda would accept her father's decisions for the tribe without question. But this was no other time. The world was ready to be reborn. And her baby was in danger.

"What would you have us do, Bulda?" Pabbie asked patiently. "We are not warriors. We are stones who weather the storms of life. We watch and listen and do what little we can to affect the world. Kristoff has made his decision, just as I have made mine. And we will respect his choice."

"We are a people as old as the Earth itself," Budla argued. "We couldn't do anything last time," Fate had determined the outcome of Ragnarok long before the battle, "but we can now. The Threads are uncertain, and prone to change. It isn't scripted like last time. We can make a difference now!" Buda was crying now, her fear for her child like a forest fire. But she knew her father and could see from his posture that he was uncertain, but nothing she could say would sway him.

It was up to Fate to decide now.

Pabbie sighed heavily as he listened to his daughter roll away, the weight of the world seeming to settle on his old bones. He understood what Bulda was saying, he really did. And she was right, the tribe could make a difference here. But he meant it when he said they were not warriors. They were not like the reborn Aesir and Vanir, like the Lost Wolves or even the tree-sprites and musicians. They were stones, strong and yet unmoving.

As these conflicting feelings warred in Pabbie's heard, the silence was broken by a faint buzzing. Pabbie looked up to see a lone ladybug flying. Pabbie lifted a finger to allow it to perch, staring at the vibrantly-red insect. The ladybug flew away on the wind, a spot of color against the drab landscape.

And in that moment, Pabbie's brows furrowed with determination. He wasn't sure if this was the right one, but he knew in his gut and in his heart that it was right. The shaman turned to return to the tribe and deliver his final orders. But first, he had some records in the cave to update.


The group of Residuum, as well as the leaders of each group of their troops, stood in a rough circle about an hour before noon. They watched as Alphonse began a rough outline of the tactics they would perform, offering openings for different strategies to better utilize their forces or surprise the Legions. Only Anna and Alphonse could see what appeared to be a net of fire that surrounded the group, preventing others from hearing.

"The guardsmen will charge first," Alphonse explained, glowing symbols to represent the troops forming in the dirt for all to see. "Their … new attributes will make them good to break apart their defenses. Not to mention once the fighting really starts, they'll be as dangerous to us as to them." Elsa shot a critical glance at the mage to which he just shrugged.

"After the guardsmen will come the huldra and huldrkarl. They can swim through the ground and draw more strength from the trees in the valley, which will be destroyed quickly." He looked to Viola, making sure she was listening. "You ladies will have to target any specialized troops that they might have. Your glamour will be very effective against many of the … less intelligent of Hans's forces. They will be enthralled and left open to your own attacks." He barked a laugh. "Heck, if you can 'convince' some of them to turn on their own, I would not be opposed to that." Viola giggled at the thought and nodded her assent to the plan.

"Next will come the Avvisade," he continued. "As the guardsmen begin their charge, they will weave a series of warding spells to prevent Hans's coven from decimating our forces before they can even hit. After the guardsmen hit the enemy and the huldra begin their work, the Avvisade with charge on two fronts. One will use blades, the other magic to support." He looked to Gjeter with force in his eyes. "Target whoever is doing the worst, Gjeter. Not just the she-wolves. You and your men are our heaviest hitters, we need you to fight for the good of all." Gjeter remained silent, his gaze disturbingly cold, before nodding.

"Good. Now, for the Fossegrimen, we need a small group of huldra to volunteer to guide them under the battlefield. Find large, defensible positions scattered throughout the valley, such as large boulders, and set up to play your music. The volunteers will guard the Fossegrimen to keep them playing." Viola nodded, her gaze flicking to Fell, who also assented the plan.

"So what about us?" Anna asked. Alphonse smiled in devious glee, the look inspiring a little bit of fear from the gathered commanders.

"We won't be charging. Hans expects us to do so, to lead our troops and strike like the tip of the blade. He expects us to unleash all of our power in the first attack and be easy pickings for his troops in the back of his army." Alphonse removed something from his cloak, a half-charred stick that he spun between his fingers.

"Unfortunately for him, he's only half right."


As the sun began its final approach to the zenith, hidden behind the clouds but felt by all in the valley, Eugene put the finishing touches on his old Flynn Ryder outfit. With his invulnerability, armor was pointless and would only slow him down. He needed to be fast and nimble to do any real damage in this fight. And besides, what better way for the great Flynn Ryder to go down than in a blaze of glory?

Eugene glanced at Rapunzel, who was also finishing off her armor. Well, armor was a generous term for a purple dress much like her usual attire, reinforced only by a leather corset set with steel discs. Rapunzel also prized agility in a fight, and this would help. Plus, her new regeneration would help, too. Rapunzel caught his eye and smiled in reassurance. Sure, neither of them had been through something this big before, but the princess had faith that they would be okay. It was just the kind of person she was.

Eugene glanced to Anna, who was dressed in a green armored dress much like Rapunzel's, along with leather-and-steel bracers and leather gloves, and heavy steel-toed boots. Her hair was pulled back in a single braid composed of weaving her usual pigtails together. Heidur sat in its sheath on her back, seeming to tremble in anticipation for the coming battle. Anna herself was no different, constantly moving to disperse her pent-up energy and a fierce look in her eyes.

Kristoff was dressed in a leather-and-iron jerkin that left his arms bare, along with similar pants, armguards, and Beskytter slung over his shoulder. His hair was held back with a woven leather band, much like he had described Thor. In perfect contrast to Anna, Kristoff stood perfectly still. But the look in his eyes was exactly the same.

Next came Alphonse, who by far had had the most drastic change of clothes. Unlike the leather embossed with steel that pervaded the others, Alphonse had steel accented by leather. Steel black as pitch. A steel breastplate, armguards, and legguards, along with a face guard that let his hair flow. In place of his cloak was a cape of navy material slung about his shoulders, a pair of entwined ravens emblazoned on the back. But it was the light of unrelenting fury and determination, held back only by sheer willpower, that made him happy he was on this guy's side.

Finally, he looked to their de facto leader, Elsa. Clad in her ice armor, every detail as pristine and intimidating as Anna had described, she gazed over the soon-to-be battlefield with the cold fury of a mountain blizzard. A bow of crystal-blue ice hung over her shoulder, swords of ice in sheaths on her back. Ice wolves lay at her feet, joining their mistress in watching the valley.

Overall, Eugene could do nothing but grin. Hans may have quantity, but Eugene had read the stories and listened to the descriptions. His jerks were either brainless muscle or weaklings in huge numbers. These people, born of old gods, had quality. They had power and experience buried in the recesses of their minds, ready to be unleashed to protect the world.

Finally, Elsa called for all of them to gather. The guardsmen, barechested and dressed in leather, their hands noticeably empty, faced the valley. The huldra and huldrkarl were lined up next, their naked forms covered by wood and bark up to their chins. The Fossegrimen stood next to their chosen huldra partners, hands clasped and ready to move even as the musicians prepared to play before the charge. Eugene grinned at Viola resting her head on Fell's shoulder. When had that happened? And in the back, behind the Residuum, the Avvisade chanted their guttural spells and preparations for slaughter.

"I will not sugarcoat it," Elsa called, "it's too late for that. Everyone here is all but certain to die." Wow, really inspiring Elsa, Eugene thought drily. "But even if we fall, we will not let them rise. Everyone here knows the dangers, they know the consequences of failure. But if we are destined to fail, it doesn't mean they will succeed. And they WILL NOT succeed!" She turned to them, fire in her eyes. "We will make sure of it!"

All in attendance shouted their cheers, which cut off as they all felt something snap. The sun had reached its highpoint. Noon had come, the restrictions were gone. It was time!

"Guardsmen, consecrated to the fury of Odin," Alphonse called. A sinister grin spread across his lips. "Go and unleash hell!" The guardsmen all snarled and growled, their markings sizzling with latent magic. Their eyes turned to a burning orange like a raging fire. And white-hot fury filled their hearts, ready to be released. The guardsmen, blessed with the Wrath of Odin, charged with a fearsome roar. They were no longer mere men. They were berserkers! And death would follow in their wake.

As they charged, the Fossegrimen and their partners drew close and fell through the soil like water to take their posts. These were followed by the main force of huldra and their mates, who dove into the ground to charge the opposing forces. Finally, the Avvisade drew their staves and swords and howled like the wolves that had forsaken them. And they, too, charged for the bloodbath that was to come.

Alphonse watched the opposing army closely as the Residuum circled around him, eyes searching for the opportune placing. The tightest collection of Hans's strongest troops. His eyes widened as he found it, drawing a charred ash branch from his cape. He looked to his fellows, gaze lingering on Elsa.

"And so it begins," he grinned, the branch glowing with green fire in his hands.

I know i implied last time that this was the first of the Final Battle, but I had some last minute details to cover. Al's "surprise troops", Pabbie's dilemma, the descriptions of their armor. Etcetera. But next time IS the Final Battle. Probably be way longer tha normal, or I may split it into two. (Probably not). What do you guys think? Are you PUMPED?!

*The scene with Pabbie and the ladybug was inspired by the finale of Samurai Jack. I just couldn't resist. (Plus, ladybugs were said to be sacred to Freya.)*Alphonse's face-guard, for those who need visual reference, is like the Second Hokage of Naruto. Look him up for reference. I think it looks awesome for him.