HAPPY KINGDOM HEARTS 20TH ANNIVERSARY! To celebrate, have a chapter I've been waiting to write... oh pretty much since this story started. The last true Disney chapter we have left in Keys too... god I'm getting all emotional! And this chapter itself is pretty emotional and LONG so without any further holdups, lets get started!


Chapter 60: Love is an Open Door

Say goodbye to the pain of the past
We don't have to feel it anymore
Love is an open door
Love is an open door
Life can be so much more
With you, with you, with you, with you
Love is an open door

The path up the North Mountain is a long and treacherous trek, one that's made even more arduous thanks in no small part to the copious amounts of snow and ice covering most of the terrain. While not many would dare to risk such a potentially dangerous journey, one small group still scales toward the frigid peak all the same, a group that carries a twofold mission: to end this harsh winter… and to bring back those who have lost their way within it.

While Kristoff stoically leads the way with Sven by his side, Anna and Kairi hang back a bit for the sake of conversation, conversation that Olaf readily joins in on whenever he sees fit. Over the past several hours, Kairi has been able to glean a good deal about her new friend; Anna is the princess of the nearby kingdom of Arendelle, she's spent much of her life sheltered away from the world inside of a castle, and her relationship with her older sister Elsa is… strained to say the least. But even still, Anna herself is quite buoyant, eager, and enthusiastic, with a carefree smile and unshakable optimism that reminds Kairi of Sora in more than a few ways. She imagines they'd make fast friends if and when they ever get a chance to meet each other. Though of course, that's something that entirely hinges on if and when Kairi manages to find him first.

"And he has the most beautiful blue eyes and the cleanest sideburns I've ever seen!" Anna gushes as she continues excitedly detailing her apparent fiancé, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. "And he's so patient and understanding and he doesn't try to stifle or suffocate me in any way, like when he let me travel all the way up here into the uncharted mountains without anyone to help me at all!"

"Hmph, yeah, sure sounds like the definition of 'trustworthy' alright," Kristoff deadpans from his spot at the head of the group.

"Really?" Olaf inquires curiously. "And after all this time wondering what that word meant… You learn something new every day!"

"No, Olaf, that's not–never mind," Anna shakes her head, chuckling at the snowman's amusing innocence. "So Kairi, do you have a special someone in your life?" she grins, playfully elbowing the younger girl.

"...Yeah, I do," Kairi sighs wistfully, though she still wears a ghost of a smile on her face all the same. "Two actually. One of them… is Sora."

"Oh!" Anna's expression brightens, though it's quick to dim as a sudden realization strikes her. "Ohhhh… I guess that's why you're all the way out here looking for him, huh? You must really miss him if he's been gone for as long as you said."

Kairi nods, her saddened sights trained on the snowy ground beneath her. Anna frowns, worrying that she's struck some sort of nerve as she tries to lighten the mood with another curious question. "You know… you haven't really told us much about him," she points out. "What's he like?"

"Sora? Where do I start?" Kairi glances up, her fond smile slowly returning. "He's… brave, and kind, a bit reckless, but he always means well. He can make friends with just about anyone he meets and he has a smile that's as warm and as bright as the sun on a summer day. We've been best friends ever since we were little–he would and he has done so much for me before… So I guess… that's why I'm here. To finally say that I've done the same for him for a change, to finally find a way for us to be together and stay together after so much time apart."

"Awwwww!" Anna and Olaf both chime in enchanted unison. "That's so romantic!" Anna exclaims brightly. "A regular fairy tale in real life, just like me and Hans–except, ya know, maybe not as fast-tracked as we were."

"I'm pretty sure just about all romances aren't as 'fast-tracked' as yours was," Kristoff remarks, glancing back over his shoulder.

"Oh yeah? And what would you know about romance?" Anna pouts just as dryly.

"I know enough," the ice deliverer shrugs. "I just so happen to have a few friends who are 'love experts', remember?"

"Love experts?" Kairi chuckles. "Is that even a real thing?"

"O-of course it's a real thing!" Kristoff protests, flustered.

"I like to consider myself a love expert," Olaf pipes up a bit obliviously.

"Ok, you know what, why don't we just drop it?" Kristoff huffs, disgruntled. "What I want to know is how you plan on putting a stop to this winter," he says, sending Anna a pointed, expectant glance.

"Oh, I am gonna talk to my sister," Anna explains simply, confidently.

"That's it?" Kristoff asks dubiously. "My ice business is riding on you talking to your sister?"

"Yup!"

Kristoff prepares to say more, only to be stopped abruptly as he nearly runs right into one of the countless spikes of sharpened ice jutting out from the bluffs they're walking through. "S-so you're not at all afraid of her?" he asks, a bit apprehensive as he carefully steps past the ice.

"Why would I be?" Anna shrugs.

"Yeah!" Olaf pipes up, grinning as he runs ahead without looking where he's going. "I bet she's the nicest, gentlest, warmest person ever!" No sooner after he finishes, however, the snowman glances down to see that he's walked straight into another ice shard, to the point that it's stabbed his snowy midsection clean through. "Oh, look at that," he laughs, clearly not harmed in the slightest. "I've been impaled."

Though the others send him a brief look of concern, as Anna steps in to help Olaf reassemble his body, Kairi poses a question of her own. "If your sister and Sora really are up there together… what do you think they're doing?"

"No idea," Anna answers honestly. "But if what you said about Sora making friends anywhere he goes is true, then I'm glad he's found Elsa. I always thought she could use a good friend, e-even if… she never wanted that friend to be me."

"Aw, I'm sure that's not true," Kairi reassures, placing a consoling hand on the other girl's shoulder. "From what you told me, it sounds like she was just… scared about what you'd think if you knew the truth. Maybe she was trying to protect you, or maybe she thought you wouldn't love her anymore once you discovered her secret. But what she didn't realize was… there's nothing in the world that could ever change how much you care about him–I-I mean, her."

Anna accepts this kind advice with a soft smile, though the brief slip-up Kairi had made isn't lost on her all the same. "...Was Sora keeping some kind of secret from you too?" she asks, her voice quieter, less energized than it usually is.

Kairi nods, letting out a sigh that does nothing to display how exhausted she's been for such a long time now. "Yes. A huge secret. His heart has been in trouble for–I-I guess over a year now," she swallows that fact hard, shocked by just how much time has passed, just how wrong just about everything has gone over the course of a mere year. "If he'd told us about it sooner, we might have been able to get him the help he needs, but… he didn't. Instead, he ran away because he thinks we'll hurt him or hate him if he comes back. We've been looking everywhere for him, but even if we do find him, some of our friends aren't so sure we'll actually be able to save him anymore…"

"Well, what do you think?" Anna asks.

Kairi hesitates, and from her perspective, that hesitation speaks volumes. Even if her companions don't sense it, she can feel the familiar sense of fear, of dread, of worry and woe weighing heavy on the edges of her heart. All things she can't let in, she can't let them, or anything else for that matter drag her down. Not when she's so close to the summit, to the end of her search, to the one she knows she's getting nearer and nearer to with each step forward she takes. "I still think there's a chance," she says, resolved as she looks toward the mist-covered mountain top. Toward where she feels the presence of his heart faintly beckoning hers to follow. "And as long as there is, then it's never too late for him. I know it's not."

As a hopeful smile spreads onto Kairi's face, Anna finds herself sharing that hope, albeit for someone else entirely. Because if it's not too late for someone who's spent so long in secrecy like Sora… then certainly it isn't too late for Elsa either. It isn't too late to find what's been lost, to fix what's been broken, to thaw what's been frozen over for as long as she can remember.

"Hey, everyone!" Olaf calls from his spot a bit further ahead on the path. No one had really noticed him run off, but fortunately this time, he didn't get himself lost. Still, the snowman is in high spirits as he points past the frosted outcropping he just emerged from. "Not sure if this helps or not, but I found a staircase that leads exactly to where you wanted to go!"

"Oh! Olaf, that's grea-" Anna swiftly cuts herself off as she runs ahead to see for herself. Only to catch sight of something incredible just around the bend.

Indeed, a beautiful staircase leads up to the peak of the North Mountain, where a glistening, gorgeous palace made of solid ice sits stately on the edge of the cliffside. Its perfectly sculpted towers rise high into the crisp afternoon sky, the sun shining bright and cold upon every pristine inch of the structure. For a moment, the most the group can do is gaze upon such splendorous wonder in awe and amazement, but amidst all that, Kairi suddenly feels something else.

She feels his heart. She feels Sora. And this time… he's closer than he's ever been before.

"He's here…" she whispers to herself, her gloved hand resting lightly over her heart. After months of searching and yearning and dreaming… Sora is finally only a few steps away. And all she needs to do to reach him is to take those few simple steps for herself.

"Now that's ice…" Kristoff speaks up, his eyes wide with fascination as he and Anna continue admiring the palace. "I might cry…"

"Go ahead," Anna says, stepping forward to approach where she knows her sister must be. Because really, who else could build an impossibly icy marvel like this? "I won't judge.

Kristoff hangs back for a moment as Sven eagerly rushes forward, only for his hooves to end up slipping and tripping up the bridge. When Kristoff helps him back down to the bottom, he rushes after Anna, with Kairi trailing not too far behind, still bewildered by what she's seeing, by what she's feeling. And most of all, by who she hopes she's about to find.

Anna reaches the immaculate doors first, Olaf happily standing alongside her as she lifts her hand apprehensively. "Knock," the snowman encourages patiently, though Anna still hesitates all the same. "Just knock." Though once again, she doesn't, far too many fears filling her mind as she wonders what might await on the other side of these doors. "Why isn't she knocking?" Olaf whispers back to the others. "Do you think she knows how to knock?"

In Anna's place, Kairi steps forward, pushing her nerves as far under the surface as she can so she can be the one to knock instead. The girls both gasp as the doors immediately creak open, granting them easy access to whatever, or whoever, might be waiting inside.

"Huh, it opened," Anna remarks, impressed given her sister's track record. "That's a first. Oh," she glances back at Kristoff. "You should probably wait out here. Last time I introduced her to a guy, she froze everything."

"What?" Kristoff huffs, offended. "But… come on! It's a palace made of ice! Ice is my life!"

"Bye, Kristoff!" Olaf waves blithely as he turns to head inside.

"You too, Olaf," Anna stops him. "This… is something me and Kairi need to do on our own."

Kairi nods, knowing this is a sensitive situation on both sides. Any wrong moves or minor missteps could very well result in even more ice from Elsa… or another panicked escape from Sora. Outcomes that neither girl can possibly bear to face after everything they've both been through so far. "We'll be back soon," she assures upon noticing Olaf and Kristoff's mutual disappointment. "Just… give us a minute."

"Ok," Olaf surprisingly agrees. Even so, he and Kristoff take a seat on the palace steps, both of them quietly counting down that minute aloud.

At the same time, Anna and Kairi venture into the palace's grand foyer, a massive room of frigid brilliance unlike anything they've ever seen before. "Your sister made all this?" Kairi asks, mystified by the incredible magic on display here.

"I-I guess she did…" Anna nods with a small, captivated smile. "It's… so cool, both literally and figuratively! But… if she built this, then where-"

"Anna…?"

The princess gasps as she glances up to the top of the staircase. There, in a radiant gown of beautiful blue ice, stands… her sister. Her sister, who looks like an entirely different person, her sister, who's smiling at her for a change as she steps out into the open. "Whoa… Elsa…" Anna draws in a stunned breath. "You… you look different. I-it's a good different! And this place… it's amazing!"

"Thank you," Elsa nods gracefully. "I never knew what I was capable of." Her smile soon disappears, however, when she glances past her younger sister to the unfamiliar girl standing behind her. "...Who is that?"

"Oh, I-I'm sorry, your majesty," Kairi steps forward, inclining her head in respect for the royal. "I didn't mean to intrude. I'm Kairi. I came here with Anna to look for someone–a boy, about my age, named Sora." She pauses for just a moment, catching the almost unnoticeable second Elsa's eyes go wide as soon as she mentions his name. Even if the queen won't confirm it herself, that's just about the best proof she can get that he is here, outside of the frail connection between their hearts burning brighter than it has in months. "You… wouldn't happen to know where I could find him, would you?"

"I-I…" Elsa hesitates, sparsely glancing up the staircase behind her before she shakes her head dismissively. "My apologies, I don't. I'm the only one here. In fact, I'm the only one who should be here."

"Huh?" Anna frowns as she takes a small step up the stairs. Elsa draws back, her hands held in close as she eyes her sister nervously all the while. "What do you mean? I–we just got here."

"Anna," Elsa sighs. "You belong down in Arendelle."

"So do you."

"No, Anna, I belong here," Elsa insists, and yet… there still seems to be the slightest hint of doubt in her tone all the same. "Where I can be who I am… without hurting anybody."

"Actually… about that…" Anna awkwardly begins, though before she can explain, a bright bout of lively laughter suddenly echoes through the hall.

"Wait, what is that?" Elsa asks, confused as she looks to the door.

"Hi! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" the snowman excitedly proclaims as he trots toward the stairs.

"...Olaf?" Elsa repeats, immediately intrigued.

"Yeah, y-you built me," Olaf's tone softens as he looks up to the queen. "Remember that?"

"And you're… alive?"

"Um… I think so?" Olaf guesses, glancing down at himself.

As Elsa looks at her own magical hands with newfound bewilderment, Anna pipes up once more. "He's just like the one we built as kids," she smiles nostalgically. "Elsa, we were so close… We can be like that again."

For a moment, Elsa shares her sister's smile, her sister's hope that they can return to the innocent, carefree, happy days of their youth. But all too quickly, that hope is crushed when she remembers that fateful night when it all went wrong. When she remembers just how badly she hurt Anna before… and just how easily she could stand to hurt her again.

"N-no, we can't," Elsa says tensely. She wraps her arms tightly around herself, turning on her heel to head back up to the palace's upper floors. To leave her sister behind once more. "Goodbye, Anna."

"Elsa, wait!" Anna calls, rushing up the lower stairs. Even so, the queen continues retreating, still trying to hide away from the world, from her sister, from herself, just as she's always done.

Though Anna continues arguing her case as she follows Elsa as best she can, Kairi cautiously trails after the pair, wanting to do what she can to help. But as she reaches the top of the stairs, her attention is abruptly drawn to the other upper steps opposite of what Elsa just took. Another set of stairs, leading to another room, a room that Kairi's anxious heart is practically pleading with her to explore.

"Where are you going?" Olaf inquires as he hobbles up the stairs alongside her.

"I need to see more of this place…" Kairi mutters even though she knows she's out of the sisters' earshot. "Elsa said Sora isn't here but… I don't think she was giving me the full story."

"Ooo! I wanna meet Sora!" Olaf exclaims, even though he barely knows a single thing about Sora to begin with. "Can I come? Please?"

"I-I don't know if that's such a good-"

"Too late! I've already made up my mind that I'm coming!" Olaf blithely proclaims as he rushes past her.

"Olaf, wait!" Kairi calls, running after him and trying not to slip on the slick ice all the while. Of course, the snowman beats her to the top, though Kairi isn't that far behind, albeit a bit out of breath as Olaf belts out a cheerful greeting.

"Oh! Hello there!" he exclaims, skipping forward into the smaller room. Only now has Kairi realized someone is in here, a figure dressed in intricately icy attire similar to Elsa's. Their back is initially turned to her, a hood drawn over their head, though she does notice them tense up in alarm upon hearing Olaf's spirited hello.

"I-I'm sorry," Kairi apologizes as she attempts to reign the zealous snowman back in. "I didn't know someone… was…" She trails off, a soft gasp escaping her as a much more startled one echoes after it. It takes a second for what–who she's seeing to properly register in her mind, the strange clothes, the white hair, the yellow eyes, the claws all throwing her off far more than she had expected them to. But the sound of his voice, the shape of his eyes, discolored as they might be, the way her heart practically sings with joy at the very sight of him… she has no doubts in the slightest.

Sora is here. And now… so is she.

"H-hi…" she somehow speaks, her voice barely above a whisper. Her face is red from more than just the cold, she realizes, her entire body filled with a rush of burning, longing warmth she can scarcely explain. She hasn't felt like this in ages, hasn't basked in this kind of crisp, radiant adoration since the last time they were standing before each other so many months ago. It's incredible really, how even after drastically much he's changed on the outside, the mere sight of him alone is still enough to throw her off balance in all the best ways. Her heart, excited and foolish, begs her to run to him, to throw herself into his arms, to show him all the care and affection she's been holding in reserve for this very moment. But her mind, much more rational and much more anxious that this could all go wrong in an instant, keeps her planted firmly in place.

"Hi!" Olaf greets once more as he stands alongside her. Sora briefly glances down at him, the fear on his face briefly replaced with confusion. "Are you Sora?"

He nods tentatively, almost as if he's too confounded to speak, which by all accounts, he probably is. Even so, Kairi can't help but smile when she sees him offer the snowman a brief wave, even amidst his baffled terror.

"Sora, I-" Kairi stops short when she sees him starkly step back, to the point that he's practically pressed against the wall behind him. He fixes her with a wide-eyed, frightened gaze, his clawed hands held close to him as he tries to take in the sight of her. She's not used to seeing him so fidgety, so fearful. For someone who's usually as confident and carefree as Sora, it's not something she particularly likes to see from him either. "A-are you-"

"W-what are you doing here, Kairi?" he cuts her off. She practically melts when she hears him speak her name; she'd nearly forgotten how much she's come to miss the mere sound of his voice alone after going so long without it.

"I… I came here looking for you," Kairi explains, thinking that much would be obvious. She tries taking another step closer, only to notice Sora flinching in fear once again.

"Don't come any closer," he warns, his hands clenched in tight, trembling fists as he presses them against his chest. "Please."

"...Ok," Kairi readily concedes. "I won't get any closer unless you say I can."

"Can I get closer?" Olaf eagerly asks Sora and Kairi alike, clearly not able to read the room and the tense aura filling it.

"Um, actually, Olaf," Kairi bends down to his level briefly. "Why don't you go check on Kristoff and Sven outside? I bet they're starting to get pretty lonely out there."

"Oh! Ok!" Olaf nods as he hurries past her to head out. "Kristooooooff! Sveeeen! Don't worry! I'm coming to rescue you from the icy-cold, soul-crushing loneliness!"

Kairi suppresses an amused chuckle as he leaves, though Sora is quick to draw her attention once more. "That snowman could talk," he notes, clearly beside himself.

"Yeah, Olaf can take… a little getting used to," Kairi grins, an expression that turns softer and sweeter as she looks over his practically shimmering clothes once again. "Sora, you look-"

"I know," he interrupts, hiding his claws behind his back as he looks away in shame. "Awful."

"What?" Kairi frowns. "No, I-I was going to say… you look… amazing."

"Huh?" Sora raises an eyebrow before he steals a glance down at his elegant outfit. "Oh, right. The clothes. Elsa made them for me. She's… pretty talented."

"You can say that again," Kairi agrees, sparing another glance around the gorgeous, glacial palace around them. "It's almost hard to believe there can be so much snow and ice all in the same place. The most I've ever seen before was during that storm we had back on the islands a few winters back. Remember that? We got the day off school so you and I built snowmen on the beach and you and Riku got into that huge snowball fight that you swore you won, and then-"

"And then we spent the rest of the day sitting together by the fire," Sora finishes with the faintest hint of a fond smile. "Yeah… I remember."

"It feels like forever ago, doesn't it?" Kairi asks, fighting against the urge to take a step closer to him. To touch him, to hug him, to tell him everything will somehow be alright. "When we were just a bunch of kids dreaming about building a raft to see other worlds? I guess we got what we wanted… for better or worse…"

"Definitely worse…" Sora mutters, loosely wrapping his arms around himself. "Y-you shouldn't be here, Kairi. It's not safe for you to be anywhere around me, not after… n-not after what I did to Riku…"

Kairi shudders, the image of Riku's face, half mutilated by long, grizzly claw marks running down the side of it flashing through her mind. Until now, she'd had her doubts that Sora really had been the one to inflict such a grave wound, wanting to believe against every ounce of evidence that it isn't true. But now… "Wait, so… you actually…" she swallows hard, unable to tear her gaze away from him as he all but refuses to meet hers. But what truly strikes her is the sheer guilt written across every inch of his face. Even if Sora had done something so unspeakable to Riku… clearly he hadn't wanted to or meant to in the slightest. Clearly, this had been an unfortunate accident, an accident that's left both a face and a friendship scarred beyond repair. "Oh, Sora… I-I…" Kairi fumbles for something to say, some way to ease the pain his own actions have brought him. "Riku's not… he's not mad about what happened."

Unfortunately, Sora sees this hesitant claim for what it truly is. "Please, don't lie to me," he partially turns away from her, his voice tired, borderline bitter. "I've already been lied to by everyone else, I just… I can't take any more of it. Not from you."

"Well, it's not like you were exactly honest with us yourself," Kairi curtly replies before she can think better of it. And of course, Sora reacts just as crossly in turn.

"What did you want me to do?" he asks with a harsh scoff. "Come back and tell you the truth only for you and Riku to decide I'm not even worth trying to save!"

Kairi flinches when she notices several small, shimmering black spikes burst through the icy ground around Sora. She doesn't have to wonder for too long if he was the one to call upon them as he lets out a panicked gasp the second he sees them. As he realizes he's failed to keep his emotions from rising to the surface, that he's failing to do what little he still can to keep her safe.

Even so, Kairi argues with him, feeling foolish all the while, knowing this will accomplish nothing. But she can't help but fight anyway, not against him, but against the vicious lies he's been told, the coldhearted claims he's been so brutally beaten down with. The Organization that's forced him to flee so far from home. "Sora, that's not true," she insists, unable to remain still any longer. She ventures a step forward, and that alone is enough to cause even more darkened spikes to shatter their way through the ice surrounding Sora. "You know it's not!" Kairi remains undaunted all the same, knowing she hasn't come this far to fail so quickly. "Whatever they've told you is a lie! Riku and I are your best friends, we care about you more than anyone else, we always have. So why are you deciding to trust the Organization over us?"

"I-I'm not," Sora protests, but the way his voice falters is more than enough to tell Kairi he doesn't mean that. That he really has chosen to believe his worst enemies over his closest friends after all. "I just-"

He cuts himself off as both he and Kairi notice a gale of snow starting to swirl through just about every inch of the palace. At first, it had begun as a barely noticeable flurry, but it quickly picks up into a rapid blizzard that all but brings their conversation to a grinding halt. "W-what's going on?" Kairi asks, raising her voice to be heard above the rushing wind.

Sora doesn't respond, instead glancing up at the floor above them as he catches the faint sounds of shouting from the palace's uppermost room. "Elsa…?" he wonders, clearly worried for his new friend. In fact, he's so worried that he suddenly rushes past Kairi, hurrying up the other set of stairs to get to the next room as quickly as possible.

Kairi rushes after him, longstanding concern for Sora mingling with newfound concern for Anna's wellbeing. She has every reason to be worried too, for just as both her and Sora emerge into the room, they get a front row seat to something shocking.

"We can fix this together, Elsa!" Anna pleads, pushing against the wind and snow to somehow reach her distraught sister. "Please, just-"

"No…" Elsa presses her hands against her head. The storm circles around her just as fiercely and ferociously as her own panicked, fearful thoughts do inside her mind. And that fear, that panic, that sheer despair over what she's caused, what she can't take back is more than enough to send her powers spiraling dangerously out of control. "I CAN'T!"

In an instant, every single snowflake swirls back into the queen who had created them. And as her final word echoes loud and sharp through the palace, that magic surges out from her in a massive, powerful wave. Sora gasps, summoning a large spike just in time to shield both himself and Kairi from it. Anna, however, isn't so lucky. The icy blast strikes her squarely in the chest, a burst of bitter cold lancing straight through her heart. She stumbles backward as that ice settles, unable to keep her footing as she ultimately ends up collapsing to the ground.

"Anna!" Kairi exclaims, pushing her way past Sora's spike to check on her friend. Elsa spins around with a gasp, her eyes wide with terror when she sees the state her sister is in. When she sees what she's done.

"E-Elsa?" Sora asks anxiously as he steps closer to her. He doesn't know what to say to console her, mostly because he's so vividly reminded of a moment much like this one. A moment when his own hand had similarly hurt someone he cares so much about.

Elsa says nothing, her breathing sharp and frantic to the point that she only barely notices Olaf dashing into the room after someone else, a man who slides in to help Anna alongside Kairi. "Are you ok?" he asks, letting her lean against him as she stumbles to her feet.

"I-I'm ok," she assures as steadily as she can. More for Elsa's sake than anyone else's. "I'm fine."

"W-who's this?" Elsa asks, eyeing Kristoff warily. "Wait, i-it doesn't matter, just… You have to go."

"No," Anna argues, not noticing that the ice surrounding them is creaking, growing darker and darker by the second. "I know we can figure this out together!"

"How?!" Elsa shoots back morosely. "What power do you have to stop this winter? To stop me?!"

Anna draws in a breath to answer, though before she can say a word, Kristoff firmly places both his hands on her shoulders. "Anna, I think we should leave."

"No, I'm not leaving without you, Elsa!" Anna resists, pulling herself away to run back toward her sister.

"Yes, you are," Elsa insists, her wintry magic already swirling around her hands.

Amidst this rising tension, Kairi steals a glance over at Sora as he stands almost too far away from her. His focus remains on Elsa, at least until he looks her way, still as fretful and afraid as he'd been from the moment she found him. "Sora-" she begins, extending a hand out toward him. She doesn't get the chance to beg him to leave with them, however, before Elsa garnishes his attention once more.

"Sora! Get behind me!" she calls before she lets her magic loose. He does as she says, hurrying even further out of Kairi's reach, much to her alarm. She tries taking a step forward to reach him, but she doesn't get very far before Elsa lashes out, striking the ground between her and her unwanted guests with an intense burst of frigid power. From this spell, a towering beast of snow and ice rises up, its eyes glowing as it's brought to life in the same way Olaf had been before. Unlike Olaf, however, this snow creature is far from friendly.

In one fell swoop, it easily hoists the entire group up into its arms, outright ignoring their struggling as it begins dragging them away. Though Anna continues calling out for Elsa, Kairi shouts for someone else entirely, someone who simply stands by as they're carried off, not so much as saying a word to stop this madness whatsoever.

"Sora!" she yells above the snow monster's fearsome snarling and growling. "Wait! I-I just want to talk to you! Please, don't-"

She cuts herself off when Sora says nothing, when he looks away from her, when he doesn't even try to follow. Instead, he stays behind Elsa, his sights set on the ground, his decision made to stay, to uphold the distance between them, distance that Kairi had been so desperate to break. She'd been so close to breaking that distance too, and yet… the walls he's built up so high around himself still remain standing just as strong and isolating as ever.

The snow monster thunders down the icy stairs, bursting through the palace doors before tossing its frustrated captives back down into the snow in short order. While Kairi, Anna, and Kristoff all have something of a rough landing, the monster tosses Olaf's head apart from the rest of his body, something that only serves to set the princess off even more than she already is.

"Hey! It is not nice to throw people!" she yells, forming a snowball that Kristoff only narrowly stops her from launching.

"Whoa there, feisty-pants," he pulls her back as best he can. "Relax. Just calm down."

"Ok, ok! I'm calm," Anna staunchly reassures. Only to spin right around and lob her snowball at the snow monster anyway. It strikes it squarely, not even leaving so much as a dent in its sturdy form, though it's more than enough to enrage the beast all the same as it turns around with a vicious roar.

"Oh, look, see?" Kristoff sighs, annoyed. "Now you made him mad."

"You guys go," Kairi instructs, summoning her Keyblade for the inevitable fray ahead. "I'll hold him off."

Anna and Kristoff nod, both of them rushing to reassemble Olaf's scattered parts so they can take off as Sven gallops off to safety in turn. Kairi casts a strong fire spell to stop the snow monster's initial approach before she runs after her friends, hoping to catch up with them and ensure their safety against such a chilly behemoth. Unfortunately, they all quickly find they have few options on where to go as the monster continues to angrily pursue them all the way to the edge of the nearby cliff.

"Oh no," Anna gasps, peeking over the edge. "It's a 100 foot drop."

"200," Kristoff corrects, already digging into the deep snow around them. He lassos a rope around his and Anna's waists, moving as quickly as he possibly can. After all, Kairi won't be able to hold that snow creature off forever; in fact, it's already pushing her back as she tries her best to form a line of defense against the much larger beast. "Hopefully this snow anchor will bail us out."

"Ok, what if we fall?" Anna asks, eyeing the intense drop once more.

"There's at least 20 feet of fresh powder down there," Kristoff explains as he packs the other end of the rope into the snow anchor. "It'll be like landing on a pillow–hopefully."

At the same time, Kairi finds herself struggling to outpace the massive creature as it barrels through the thicket of trees at a surprisingly rapid pace. She casts countless spells to try and slow it down, but each of them only serve to irritate it even further. She narrowly manages to roll out of the path of most of its broad, clumsy swings, but her focus is completely broken when she spots a certain snowman stumbling by.

"Man, am I outta shape," Olaf huffs as he quickly swaps his body back into the proper order. "Oh, hi, Kairi! I see you caught up to Marshmallow here! You know, he's a lot faster than I thought he'd be."

"Olaf!" Kairi exclaims as she casts another quick lightning spell. "What are you doing? Get out of here!"

Before Olaf can even say a word, "Marshmallow" suddenly hoists him up, not hesitating to toss the much tinier snowman out of its range. "I'm already way ahead of yoooooou!" Olaf calls, his voice becoming more distant the further away he flies.

Kairi quickly retaliates against such a violent act by slicing her Keyblade clean through the monster's arm. Marshmallow screams in echoing rage as it reels back, though ultimately it reforms an entirely new arm out of the same snow the rest of its bulky body is composed of. From there, it slams one of its massive feet squarely into Kairi, kicking her back hard. Her Keyblade flies out of her grip, her body thrown back out of the trees and toward the cliff. She only has enough time to let out a warning shout before she ends up crashing into Anna and Kristoff just before they can begin their descent down the cliff. Olaf has already fallen down to the bottom, and the rest are abruptly on their way as they barrel over the edge, though fortunately, Kristoff's snow anchor serves them well.

Anna manages to grab Kairi by the arm before she can fall too far, her grip tight, yet unstable. "H-hang on!" she urges anxiously.

"I-I don't really have much of a choice!" Kairi calls back, clinging onto Anna's hand for dear life.

"Kristoff, hurry! Get us down!" Anna presses as they begin inching down the rope. But before they can get too far, they soon find that they're not going down. They're being pulled back up.

Marshmallow glares at the trio as it draws them back up to its level. None of them are sure what the monster has in mind, at least until it shouts at them fiercely, a bitter blizzard bursting from its breath as it issues them a simple order. An order that might as well be coming from Elsa herself. "DON'T COME BACK!"

And with that, the monster releases the rope. And lets them freely fall all the way down to the bottom of the cliff.

Despite their daunting descent, the abundant snow at the bottom does indeed break their fall well. They all land relatively safely, a bit shaken, but no worse for wear. "Hey, you were right," Anna grins, despite being submerged in snow up to her waist. "Just like a pillow. Olaf!" she gasps, noticing the snowman panicking a few feet away.

"I can't feel my legs! I can't feel my legs!" he cries, reaching for the boots in front of him.

"Those are my legs," Kristoff remarks as he emerges from the snow burying him.

"Oooooh," Olaf grins as Kristoff picks his upper half up out of the snow and plops it back down onto the rest of his stray body. At the same time, he narrowly avoids losing his nose to the reindeer who arrives to try and snatch the carrot away from him. "Hey, Sven! He found us!" Olaf exclaims happily.

"Good boy," Kristoff offers his steed a grateful nod before he hurries to help Anna up out of the snow. By the time she's back on her feet, Anna finally notices Kairi, already recovered from the fall as she stands a few feet away, her sights set back up on the cliff they'd just been thrown from. Though she seems unharmed, her expression is still awash in woe that isn't lifted even as the princess approaches her.

"Kairi?" Anna asks gently. "Are you ok?"

"To be honest? No, I'm not…" she replies quietly, her gaze never leaving the top of the cliff. "He was so scared… He couldn't even look me in the eye…"

"That boy?" Anna questions. "Was that Sora?"

Kairi nods, finally glancing down. "I just wanted to talk to him," she rubs her arm absently. "I wanted to convince him to come home, but… I think I only ended up making things worse… and now…"

"He's still up there… with Elsa," Anna finishes, looking back up to the cliff with a fretful frown. "Why did she let him stay with her… but not us? Not me…?"

"I don't know," Kairi replies, looking over at her. Jealousy Is a rare thing to hear in Anna's usually perky tone, but she understands the feeling. Her own sister, who she's spent so long trying to get close to, to even be noticed by… essentially chose some random boy she'd just met over her. Honestly, if Kairi was in her shoes, she'd likely feel the exact same way. "But snow monster or not, we have to get back up there."

Anna nods, resolute. "Elsa said she didn't know how to stop this winter, but we can help her–I know we can!"

"We can help Sora too," Kairi adds, just as determined. "Even if he thinks it's too late to save him, I've still got to try. I'm not going home without him."

"And I'm not going back to Arendelle without Elsa," Anna finishes boldly. "So, what do you say?" she turns back to Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven with a daring smile. "You guys up for another trek up the mountain?"

"Oh! Of course!" Olaf hops up and down excitedly. "The first one was so fun! Though maybe we could skip the part where Marshmallow throws us off a cliff this time…"

"I'm ready if you two are," Kristoff grins, though that smile is quick to fall when he focuses closer on the princess. "Anna… your hair-"

"Huh? What about it?" Anna scoffs. "I just fell off a cliff, you should see your hair."

"No, yours is turning white," Kristoff insists.

"White? What's-" Anna gasps when she lifts one of her braids. Sure enough, she notices the streak of white that's always been there is now much thicker, with more strands turning the same shade almost every second.

"It's because she struck you, isn't it?" Kristoff presses, pausing for a moment to come up with a plan. "This could be serious. You need help. Come on."

"Ok!" Olaf agrees, readily hobbling along after Kristoff. "Where are we going?"

"To see my friends."

"The… love experts?" Anna asks, dubious.

"Uh huh," Kristoff confirms. "Don't worry, they'll be able to fix this."

"How do you know?" Anna wonders, still not certain of this newfound plan.

"Because," Kristoff glances back at her, his tone vague, mysterious almost. "I've seen them do it before."

"Kairi?" Anna pauses for a moment when she realizes the younger girl isn't following. "Are you coming?"

Kairi hesitates, sparing another glance up at the cliff. Naturally, her first inclination is to venture back up to that palace, fight her way past that snow monster, and beg Sora to return with her. But as it stands, she realizes that might not be the best approach. She needs more time to think of how she wants to do this, of what she wants to say to him, how she wants to show him that he should come back, that he'll be safe and one step closer to salvation if he does. And even beyond that, she wants to ensure that her new friends will be safe. With someone like Larxene still potentially roaming about, they'll need additional protection, and not just against the unpredictable elements either. Which means that, at least for now… Sora will just have to wait a little longer. Not that he seems keen on waiting for her at all.

"Yeah," she says as she begins trailing after the others. "Coming."

Still, as they set out down the snowy hills, Kairi continues looking over her shoulder at the cliff, at the the distant ice palace sitting high upon it. So many questions and concerns are swirling through her mind, like the snowflakes lightly flying through the now-nighttime air. But above them all, what echoes the loudest are the coldhearted claims Larxene had made about Sora, constant and cruel as much as she might try to put them out of her mind: "He doesn't want to see you. If you keep looking for him, it's only gonna end in heartbreak, just like it did for your other friend. So turn back now… while you still have a chance."

And after everything she's just seen and heard, after the way he looked at her, with only fear and frustration instead of affection and adoration like he used to before… Kairi can't help but wonder if that might actually ring true. If he really doesn't want to see her… if there really is no room left in his heart for her after all of the darkness and despair that's been forced to fill it.

If it really is too late after all.


He'd seen Kairi. He'd spoken to Kairi.

He'd been so close to Kairi. And after months and months of being so far away from her, he'd nearly caved completely.

He'd told himself he wouldn't, made an unspoken vow to stay clear of her, to keep her out of harm's way by keeping his distance. But the mere sight of her, standing there in her adorable winter attire, her eyes bright, her smile warm and sweet… it had all been too much for Sora. The second after the snow monster threw her and her new friends out, he'd fallen to pieces, any semblance of forced calm he might have maintained before completely collapsing. Spikes erupted throughout the palace, shattering through the elegant ice and corrupting its lovely interior in the process. Not that Elsa really notices or cares given her own ensuing panic.

The walls of the ice palace have shifted from a serene blue to a sharp, foreboding red, made even more sinister thanks to the blackened spikes piercing through so many of them. Amidst a hall of cold crimson, Elsa paces frantically, her footsteps echoing every bit as loudly as her own racing heart, as loudly as her own anxious whispers as she tries to quell her distress, and her dangerous magic, all at the same time.

"Get it together… control it…" she begs herself, not even sparing Sora a glance as she walks past him. For the first time since their "guests" had been driven out, he looks over at her, guiltily realizing that while he's been drowning in his own despair, Elsa has been doing the exact same thing.

"E-Elsa," he begins, though she tunes him out. Tunes everything out that will distract her from what she has to do, what she needs to do. What she failed to do when it had mattered most.

"Don't feel, don't feel, don't-"

"Elsa," Sora speaks up, taking a step toward her.

"What?" she spins around to face him, her hands held close, her manner tense.

"Look," Sora nods up to the higher walls of the room, where spikes are slowly starting to emerge. Yet this time, they aren't his. Instead, these spikes are made of ice, contrasting sharply against the darker ones between them as they glisten in the low, unstable light.

Elsa shudders when she sees them, clenching her hands tightly, as if that'll stop any of this. As if that'll be enough to bring any of the chaos she's caused anywhere close to an end. "I-I don't know what to do," she whispers as she covers her face with her hands. "If I don't figure out how to keep my powers under control, then all of Arendelle, e-everyone who lives down there… they could be-"

She cuts herself off, ashamed and afraid to even voice such an unthinkable outcome. Even so, Sora can't help but ask about it all the same. "They could be… what?"

"They could die!" Elsa shouts, the icy walls around her creaking and cracking in response to her stress. "Anna told me that the entire kingdom is covered with snow, all because of me! I came up here so I couldn't hurt anyone anymore, but I should have known I can't escape this. No matter where I go, no matter what I do, I can never stop myself from destroying everything I love!"

At first, Sora isn't sure of what to say or do to help ease her immense woe. After all, he's not exactly well-versed at controlling his own powers; how is he supposed to help someone else do the same? But then, a thought suddenly dawns on him, one that draws his focus away from just how badly his brief encounter with Kairi had gone. A thought that he can only hope will serve to somehow help them both. "Elsa, I-I… I know how you feel," he begins, stepping closer to her once more.

"How?" Elsa backpedals, her voice harsh and distraught. "How could you possibly know what it's like to put so many innocent lives in danger? To know that your magic is the sole thing responsible for so much pain and devastation!?"

"Because… i-it has been before," Sora admits softly. He doesn't want to tell this story, doesn't even want to think about it really. But if it can give him and Elsa some common ground to stand on, if it can be the foundation upon which they can both begin to set things right and save so many others… then it'll be more than worth it. "What Larxene said about me being a murderer… that wasn't a lie. I–my magic has killed people. I didn't want to, I-I wasn't even in control of myself when it happened, but… i-it still did. I-I can't undo it, as much as I wish I could."

Elsa stills when she hears him let out a small breath of a sob. Her own dread soon starts to fall to the wayside when she sees the guilt wracking his expression, guilt he'll never be free from, regardless of how much time has passed. "Sora…"

"I may not be able to undo what I've done," Sora steadies himself as he wipes his tears away. "But Elsa, there's still plenty of time for you to fix this. If we work together, then maybe we can figure something out before it's too late."

"That's what Anna said…" Elsa falters as she thinks of her sister, of the ice she'd accidentally sent spiraling straight at her all over again. As far as she knows, Anna wasn't hurt this time, and yet… she knows she could still stand to hurt so many others, whether she wants to or not. "But I'm not so sure. This is so much more than I can handle on my own-"

"But you're not alone," Sora counters with a small, but growing smile. "I'm here, aren't I? It's like you said before: if people like us are meant to be alone, then we ought to be alone together, no matter how bad things might get. So…?" He extends a hand out to her, one that comes with the unspoken, earnest offer to do anything he can to help. Elsa doesn't initially take it, still held back by her own practically suffocating inhibitions. But hadn't she let all of that go before? So why is she still so afraid to fix this? Why is she still so afraid to do what's right?

Why has she always been so afraid to just try?

She doesn't know what will become of her or her kingdom. But if there's any path she can take to stop this winter, to save her people, to stop the storm inside of herself, then she'll take it. And better yet, this time, she won't have to walk that path alone.

Elsa takes in a deep breath, raising her hand to take Sora's, to begin the incredible task ahead of them both. But before she can, a sudden booming crash rattles the ice palace, one that startles both of its inhabitants stiff.

"W-what was that?" Sora turns, aptly tensing up.

"...Anna?" Elsa calls, wondering how she could have come back, how anyone could possibly make it past the snow monster she left guarding the palace.

But instead of her sister's voice, the queen catches onto two unknown male voices coming from the castle's lower level. "Find them!" one of the men shouts. Elsa freezes in fear when she hears the sound of heavy footsteps rushing up the stairs toward them.

"Who is that?" Sora presses anxiously. "Elsa, what's going on?"

"I-I don't-" Elsa is abruptly cut off when their unwanted visitors arrive. Two soldiers, large and sturdy, rush up into the chamber, both of them wielding already loaded crossbows that they don't hesitate to aim at the frightened pair the second they see them.

"There they are!" one of them exclaims, immediately firing off his weapon. Elsa gasps, throwing one arm out in front of Sora and another up to shield herself. Fortunately, her magic reacts just in time, a wall of ice rapidly shooting up to protect them both from an arrow that's only stalled inches away from striking the queen.

Their attackers are hardly finished after that first attack. Elsa keeps her arms spread out wide to guard Sora as she watches the soldiers rush to another side of the room, intending on going in for another shot from a different angle. "Sora, stay close to me," she warns softly, shakily. She'd rather not resort to violence this time, but with the two of them as cornered as they are, there are few other options available to them. Especially against a threat that's invaded so callously upon their solitude and safety.

"I can help this time," Sora counters, resolved. "It's the least I can do after how you saved me from Larxene."

"...Are you sure?" Elsa spares a brief, concerned glance back at him.

"Positive," he grins, allowing the Kingdom Key to flash into his hand. Elsa only allows herself a brief moment of awe at his densely cracked weapon before she quickly deflects the next arrow the soldiers shoot their way. Sora does his part in trying to scare them off by summoning a wide spread of spikes, all of which burst out of the ice below, angled at their attackers. The pair is clearly surprised to see such power on display; while they'd been expecting Elsa's magic, the fact that they're dealing with two unpredictable, dangerous spell casters is another thing entirely. Even so, they have their orders; orders that they intend on following to the very letter, no matter what drastic measures they might have to take.

For their part, Elsa and Sora stick close together as they continue throwing their magic out in tandem, covering each other quite well. The queen shoots her ice off somewhat recklessly, not particularly aiming to harm their assailants, at least not at first. Even so, she finds she doesn't have much of a choice when she notices one of the soldiers taking aim straight at Sora. She reacts swiftly, pinning the man to the nearest wall with at least a dozen spikes of thick ice, another one slowly encroaching toward his exposed neck in case he tries to aim at Sora again.

At the same time, Sora uses his Keyblade to block another arrow from the other guard. From there, he rushes forward, swinging his weapon to knock the crossbow from his arms before slamming it squarely into his side. The man stumbles back toward the balcony, but Sora isn't finished as he calls upon a wall of solid darkness on either side of him to keep him from escaping so easily. By now, Elsa's noticed his offensive and joins in, adding her ice onto his magic to push the man out onto the balcony, shattering its doors in the process. Together, they nearly shove him over the edge, over into the deep chasm that awaits below, until…

"Queen Elsa!" a new voice shouts. Elsa briefly glances over her shoulder to find that prince Anna had introduced her to a few days prior, Hans, if she remembers correctly. He stands with a pack of soldiers behind him, all of them armed and aptly alarmed by what they're seeing. "Don't be the monster they fear you are!"

Though this warning is enough to quell some of Elsa's fury, it only serves to intensify Sora's, especially the use of that word 'monster' and everything it means. Everything he knows Elsa isn't. "Leave her alone!" he shouts, jumping in front of the queen to defend her in the same way she'd defended him.

A ripple of nervous confusion ripples through the older soldiers as they take in the sight of this strange boy, all of them realizing that the woman they'd met earlier had been right. The queen truly is harboring some kind of monster or demon or some other bewildering creature, one that needs to be "taken care of" every bit as much as Elsa herself does.

"Sora-" Elsa tries to caution, already knowing this is a losing battle on multiple levels. But Sora, determined to keep her safe, doesn't listen.

Instead, he rushes forward, raising his Keyblade to attack the leader of the group. Hans blocks that swing with his own sword, though their blades continue to clash as Sora keeps his almost frantic fighting pace going. Elsa is quick to notice the other soldiers raising their weapons to defend the prince and attack Sora, though she repels just about each and every one of them with a frigid blast before they can even get close. What she can't stop however, is when Hans swings his blade low, a sneaky move Sora clearly hadn't been anticipating as the edge of his sword slams straight into the boy's side.

Sora screams, his Keyblade slipping out of his grip as the icy cloth covering his injured hip swiftly turns red. He doesn't even have a chance to collapse to his knees, however, before Hans abruptly grabs him, restraining him by the shoulder while he keeps his sword held close to the wounded boy's neck, just in case. "Elsa," the prince says, his tone urgent and stern. "I don't want to harm your… 'friend' here any further. Stand down and come quietly. Or else… I'll have to take drastic measures."

Elsa bristles, realizing exactly what game Hans is playing here. He's using Sora as leverage against her, that much is obvious. But if she does stand down, if she does surrender… she may very well be condemning them both to death. And yet, as she's focused on making what's, by all accounts, an impossible decision, she doesn't notice the soldier she'd pinned earlier raise his crossbow. In fact, she doesn't even notice him firing another arrow until she hears it strike clean through the bearing keeping the cold chandelier hanging high above her head in place.

And from there, about a million things happen all at once.

Elsa gasps, her gaze instantly drawn up toward the chandelier now descending straight down toward her. Sora yells, acting on sheer instinct alone as he uses the only weapon he can at the moment: his fangs. He bites down hard into the arm Hans is using to restrain him, his sharpened teeth immediately drawing blood and forcing the prince to let him go as he reels back in pain. The chandelier continues falling as Sora races straight for Elsa, forgetting about the guards, forgetting about the searing pain pounding through his side, forgetting about everything else other than saving her. And he does save her… though in doing so, he ultimately ends up dooming them both.

Sora makes it just in time to push Elsa away from the brunt of the crashing chandelier, though neither of them are fully cleared from its practically explosive collapse. Shards of sharp ice scatter everywhere as they're both thrown forward, slipping across the unstable ground as they slam into each other first, and then the floor.

As they both land hard and headfirst, the chaos around them is suddenly, starkly silenced as it all goes black. And it all gets even worse than it had been before.


The night sky is aglow in ribbons of radiant light, something that catches Olaf's eye in as he rides along atop Sven's back. "Look, Sven!" he exclaims, mystified. "The sky's awake!"

The rest of the group, however, isn't anywhere near as chatty. Anna shivers, finding herself increasingly colder as she walks close alongside Kristoff. He's not as affected by the decreasing chill as they approach a relatively snowless part of the mountain range. Likewise, Kairi isn't that cold either, largely since her thoughts are still too weighed down by worry to focus much on the weather.

Sora thinks they hate him; of course the Organization would make him think that. Anything to drive him even further away from the help he so desperately needs, even further into their treacherous fold. But the fact that he readily believes such an awful lie, that he's embraced it as his reason for continuing to run and hide has made Kairi's mission all the more difficult. Because if he so deeply and despondently thinks that his best friends despise him, that they want him dead or chained up or cast out of their lives completely… then what can she possibly do to convince him otherwise?

"So, uh, about my friends," Kristoff speaks up, addressing Anna as they walk a bit ahead of Kairi. "Well, I-I say 'friends', they're more like family. Anyway, when I was a kid, it was just me and Sven, until they, you know, kinda took us in. I don't wanna scare you, but they can be a little inappropriate and loud, they're also stubborn at times and a little overbearing and heavy, really, really heavy, which–y-you'll get it, but they mean well-"

"Kristoff," Anna interrupts his rambling with a soft, sincere smile. "They sound wonderful."

Kristoff eases up, smiling himself as he stops in front of a mossy den filled with countless round stones. "Ok then," he steps forward, spreading his arms out wide toward the rocks. "Meet my family!"

As Kristoff ventures into the den to happily greet the stones, Anna and Kairi exchange a baffled glance. "We came all the way out here to meet… rocks?" Kairi wonders, disappointed, downright annoyed even.

"...He's crazy," Olaf whispers, just as confounded. "I'll distract him while you two run. Hi, Sven and Kristoff's family! It's nice to meet you!" he exclaims brightly, gleefully patting one of the still, silent stones. "Because I love you both, I insist that you run," he whispers back to the girls behind him before pretending to address the rock once more. "I understand that you're love experts! Why aren't you running?" he glances back to the bewildered girls again.

"Uh… Ok, well, I'm gonna go," Anna finally says, turning to leave. Kairi nearly does the same, intent on heading up the mountain to get back to Sora. But before either of them can take so much as a step out of the den, the stones suddenly start moving entirely on their own.

They all roll close together, crowding around Kristoff and Sven as they seem to come alive, faces and hands and legs emerging from the otherwise featureless rocks. "Kristoff's home!" one of them excitedly exclaims as the rest eagerly converge upon him.

"What… are they?" Kairi whispers, still absolutely lost.

"Trolls… I think," Anna replies, having heard of such creatures in fairy tales before. Even so, she never expected them to be real, but after the adventure she's been having, she supposes nothing should surprise her anymore.

As the large family of trolls suddenly notices the pair standing on the fringes of their den, they all turn, eyes wide as look to their guests in mutual wonder. "He's brought a girl home!" one of them yells, elated.

"Two girls!" yet another troll shouts as the rest erupt into exhilarated cheers.

"No, no, no, no, no," Kristoff calls above their loud, cheerful rumbling. He narrowly manages to catch Anna when the trolls push her and Kairi in toward the center of the group. "We don't have time for this. Look, it's great to see you all, but we have a bit of a situation here. Where's Grandpabbie?"

Before any of the trolls can answer, Anna suddenly gasps, a sharp, frigid pain splitting through her chest. Kristoff and Kairi both grab ahold of her before she can fall, though in the process, they notice even more of her hair suddenly turning white. She shivers as Kristoff holds onto her, her body cold and weak almost completely out of nowhere. As the surrounding trolls whisper their concern amongst themselves, one suddenly emerges from the group, a wisened, elder troll who comes to stand at the front of the family. "There is strange magic here," he says, his manner much more serious than the others.

"Grandpappie," Kristoff sighs in relief as he lifts Anna up a bit so the elder can inspect her.

"Anna," Grandpappie begins, his tone grave. "Your life is in danger. There is ice in your heart put there by your sister. If not removed… to solid ice you will freeze… forever."

"What?" Anna asks, terrified by such an implication. By the idea that her own sister could lead to her potential demise, especially by accident. "No."

"You can remove it, right?" Kristoff presses, looking to Grandpabbie pleadingly. After all, he'd watched the elder do the very same thing so many years ago.

"I cannot," Grandpabbie shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Kristoff. If it was her head, it would be easy, but… only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart."

"...An act of true love…" Kairi whispers to herself. Though her worries still largely lie with Anna, she can't help but wonder if that same thing might work on someone else. What if that's all it takes, what if it really is that simple? What if an act of true love, if love in general really can thaw a heart that's been turned so cold, repair a heart that's been broken so thoroughly? What if love is exactly what she needs to start to save Sora when nothing else could?

"A true love's kiss, perhaps!" one of the nearby trolls suggest as several of them start smooching to further that point.

Despite the suggestion, Anna's condition only worsens as her hair shifts even whiter, an even deeper chill pouring through her as she all but collapses completely into Kristoff's arms. "Anna, we've got to get you back to Hans," he says, knowing there isn't a moment to lose.

"Hans?" Kairi asks, standing as Kristoff also rises with Anna in his arms. "You mean that prince you're engaged to?"

"Y-yeah…" Anna nods, her breathing heavy and labored. Kristoff hoists her up onto Sven's back before jumping on to support her. "Kairi, y-you don't have to come if you don't want to. I know you wanted to get back to Sora-"

"I do," Kairi counters, stealing a glance back toward the North Mountain. Strangely, this time she doesn't feel that light tug on her heart beckoning her toward him. If anything, she feels that dull glimmer coming from somewhere else instead. Somewhere that she suspects might be the exact same place her friends are heading. "But I want to make sure you're alright too. So of course I'm coming. Kristoff, make some room."

"You got it," Kristoff nods, offering a hand to help her onto the reindeer. Olaf hurries to join the group as Sven breaks into a fast gallop, their destination clear in what's essentially a race against time itself.

"Let's go kiss Hans!" Olaf proclaims gallantly as they all speed off toward the castle. "Who is this Hans?"


Elsa awakens to the muffled sound of screaming… and to a glimmering black spike nearly skewering her side.

She yelps, frightened as she darts to sit upright. In the seconds that follow, she becomes keenly aware of several things at once. First, the spike, large and deadly, that had almost stuck the flat stone surface she'd been laying on. Next, the dark, dingy room she's in, only illuminated by a thin window and the ample other luminous spikes littered throughout it. Then, there's what's covering her hands: cold, thick metal braces, locked tight and chained securely to the floor. But there's another set of chains there too, chains that lead to the far side of what she quickly recognizes as her own castle's dungeon. And sitting in the shadows of that room, chained in the same way as she is and sobbing miserably is–

"Sora!" Elsa gasps, suddenly more terrified for her own wellbeing than her own. Because not only has Sora been chained, but his hood has been pulled down, revealing what can only be described as a leather muzzle strapped tightly onto his face. Elsa doesn't have to think too hard about who put it on him given what had happened back at the ice palace, but the sight of it still sickens her all the same.

Her heart is even further struck with sympathy when she watches him lunge forward, his golden eyes wide and gleaming in the darkness as tears pour down his cheeks, his side still stained red with blood from a wound she can only assure hasn't been properly treated. He calls her name, but the sound of it is dampened, his distraught voice breaking as he tries and fails to reach her thanks to the chains keeping him back. He's absolutely panicking, that much is clear, and she supposes anyone would be upon waking up chained and muzzled in a strange place after sustaining such a severe injury. But there's something else behind the fear in his eyes, a look that leads her to believe that maybe he's been in a position just like this before. She can't imagine anyone doing something this unspeakable to someone as kind and caring as Sora, but by all accounts, it seems as though someone has. And even worse, it seems as though it's happening to him all over again. To both of them this time.

Elsa draws in a breath to say something to at the very least bring him some semblance of comfort in such dire straits. But before she can even utter a single word, the sound of the cell door unlocking echoes through the chamber. The imprisoned pair tenses up as Hans enters, toting a lantern, a bandage wrapped tight around his arm over the spot where Sora had bit him earlier. Elsa doesn't give him a chance to speak as she steps forward, positioning herself protectively in front of Sora, not that there's really much she can do in her current state.

"Why did you bring us here?" she demands, eyeing the prince distrustfully.

"I didn't have much of a choice," Hans says, bracing himself against the frigid chill filling the cell.

"But I'm a danger to Arendelle," Elsa insists, knowing the closer she is to the kingdom, the more trouble she could cause. "Get Anna."

"Anna has not returned," Hans informs, his face awash in apparent concern. Elsa draws in an anxious breath, worried for her sister's safety, especially after what had happened back at the ice palace. "If you would just stop this winter, bring back summer, please-"

"Don't you see?" Elsa whispers, shame thick in her tone. "I can't." She knows there's nothing else she can say in her defense, mostly because what she's done, unintentional as it may be, is all but inexcusable. But as her eyes dart over to Sora, still sitting in the corner of the cell, silent and tearful and terrified, she knows that she can't let him suffer anything close to the same lonely fate. "If you want to keep me here, that's fine. But let him go; he's done nothing wrong."

"I'd beg to differ after what that… thing did to me…" Hans mutters, lifting his injured arm.

"Is that really worth locking him up and muzzling him?!" Elsa argues adamantly. "He's just a child–and he's hurt! He needs help! Please, show a little compassion–"

"I am," Hans counters sternly. "Before she left, Anna told me to protect Arendelle. I'm just doing what she asked. No matter what–or who I have to protect it from."

Elsa falls into silence, looking back to Sora once more as he shies even further into the shadows, as if he's admitting that Hans is right, that he's a danger to everyone around him. That they're both dangers to everyone around them. Which, as far as they've both unintentionally proven, is just about true in every unspeakable way.

"If Anna returns, I'll let you know," Hans says simply. And with that, he turns to leave, locking the cell door tight behind him once again. Elsa waits until he's completely gone before she turns to Sora again, planning to promise him that she'll find a way out of this, find some way to save him, both from this cell… and from herself if she has to.

But once again, she doesn't get the chance to say a single word to him. For in the seconds that follow Hans' departure, a stark, downright sadistic gale of laughter echoes through their cell. "Oh, this is just plain hilarious!" that voice trills in vicious delight as a darkened portal opens up near the dungeon door. Larxene emerges from it, a broad, satisfied grin spread wide across her face as she takes in the sorry sight before her. "I expected those chumps to lock you up, but even I couldn't have thought up all this!"

As she breaks into yet another round of haughty laughter, Elsa bristles, especially when she notices Sora draw back in fear at the sight of their common foe. "What are you doing here?" the queen hisses, wishing her hands were free enough to drive her away.

"I just came to check in on my two 'favorite' abominations," Larxene says, stepping closer to Sora. Elsa pulls on her chains, trying to somehow slip out of them, trying to somehow get to his side before he can be hurt any more than he already is. And yet, surprisingly… hurting him isn't what Larxene intends to do. "Here you go, brat," she snaps her finger, a flash of green surrounding her hand before that same glow transfers to Sora's injured side. Beneath his gag, he lets out a sigh of relief as the deep cut seals itself shut, the blood surrounding it clearing out thanks to the healing magic she surprisingly just used on him. "If it were up to me, I'd let you bleed out, but the old man got on my case about how he didn't want to have to trudge all the way out here to bring you back to life again. And unfortunately," her tone darkens as she glares away from the bewildered boy. "What he says goes for us both…"

"A-alright, you've healed him," Elsa interjects, eyeing Larxene distrustfully all the while. "Now get out of here and leave us alone."

"Relax, your highness," Larxene offers her a smug smirk. "You know, those chains are a good look for you. They'll go nicely with the noose you're about to get."

Elsa pales at this, a flash of fear filling her as she exchanges an uncertain glance with Sora. "W-what are you talking about?" she asks, even though she already has a pretty good idea as to what the answer will be.

"What, was all this not enough to cue you in?" Larxene rolls her eyes. "You could have probably figured out you're not exactly the most popular person in the kingdom right now, princess. In fact, there are rumors going around that a death sentence might just be coming your way soon."

Sora lets out a suppressed cry of protest at this, though Elsa simply stills, staring down at the heavy manacles keeping her hands–and her magic bound. "N-no," she says, more to herself than anyone else. "No, they wouldn't…"

"They would if it means stopping that," Larxene points to the nearby window.

Only now does Elsa get her first glimpse of the horrifying sight beyond their cell. The fjord surrounding the castle is frozen solid, heaps of snow piled upon just about everything in sight, with even more falling with every passing second. "W-what have I done…?" she whispers, fighting back tears. It's a heartbreaking sight to see Arendelle, her Arendelle, in such a cold and lifeless state. A state that's only bound to get worse as long as she's around. A kingdom that's only bound to get colder as long as she's alive.

Suddenly, Hans' pitiless words echo through her panicking mind:"No matter what–or who I have to protect it from." No matter what threat might have to be taken out, no matter what monster might have to be killed to keep this kingdom safe. Even if that threat, that monster… is its very own queen.

"If getting rid of you puts an end to this winter, then honestly, I can see where they're coming from," Larxene notes, grinning twistedly behind her. "Look at the bright side, at least if you're dead, you won't have to worry about controlling your powers anymore–or about much of anything really!"

As Larxene lets out a coldhearted snicker, Sora lashes out against his chains, growling underneath his muzzle as he issues her a hateful glare. Larxene is quick to put a stop to such unruly behavior as she forces a burst of sharp pain through his heart, adding insult to injury as she ruffles his hair playfully. "Aw, what a big scary puppy you are," she mocks before abruptly slapping Sora hard in the face. "Don't worry, kiddo, I'm gonna leave you here so you can have a front row seat to your new best friend here losing her head. And if they try to do the same thing to you, then no biggie. The old man's made sure you'll bounce back every time…"

Sora's heart sinks when he hears this, another bitter reminder of the fact that he can't escape what's becoming of him, not even through death. His master has him cornered, trapped, caged in every way possible, every bit as much as he's caged right now. But of course, Larxene doesn't show an ounce of sympathy toward his suffering, no member of the Organization ever does. Mostly because they're the very harbingers of so much of that suffering to begin with.

"Well, I would say it was great catching up with you two if I didn't hate both of your guts," Larxene remarks flippantly. "Sorry you don't have too much longer left to live, princess. And I'm even sorrier that I won't be the one finishing the job, but the fact that you're gonna die either way is more than good enough for me." Elsa doesn't even bother glancing her way, her sights still locked on the frozen scene outside the window. "And as for you, number thirteen," Larxene's already malicious smirk widens as she sends another spark of pain spreading through Sora's heart, simply to satisfy her own sadism. "As soon as her highness is out of the picture, you're going right back on Key duty. And you'd better hurry up and find it, or else I won't be the only one you'll have to worry about losing their patience with you…"

With this, she steps back into the new dark corridor she's formed, her eyes shining cruelly as she keeps her icy smile up all the while. Even after she's gone, Sora is hardly relieved, especially when he turns his attention back to Elsa. She slumps down onto her makeshift bed in the sparse space between the spikes he'd accidentally created. All the while, she stares despondently at her manacled hands, tears brimming in her eyes as she speaks low and miserably. "Maybe she was right… Maybe they should just kill me…" she closes her eyes, a sob finally escaping her. The air in the cell was already painfully freezing before, but it's sunk to near unbearable levels now in response to the queen's cold despair. "If that's what it takes to keep everyone safe…"

Sora tries to speak up, tries to say something to pull her out of such a dangerous mindset. But whatever words he wants to say only come out only as indistinguishable sounds thanks to the infernal muzzle keeping him quiet. It's a frustrating position to be in, to see someone suffering so much right in front of him, only to not be able to do a single thing about it. He can't help but wonder if Donald and Goofy, if Roxas, Ven, and Xion, if all of the friends he once had on his side, might have felt the exact same way watching him spiral for so long.

"I'm so sorry I got you into this mess, Sora," Elsa glances up at him, guilt wracking her expression. "You don't deserve any of this."

"Yes, I do," Sora argues, but only inside his own thoughts. He deserves something like this far more than Elsa ever could. In fact, he deserves even worse for failing to protect someone he's come to see as such a good friend in such a short amount of time. A friend who could very well die all because he wasn't strong enough, smart enough, or brave enough to save her.

"It's like I told you before," Elsa continues despondently. "All I ever end up doing is hurting the people I care about… whether I want to or not. And if that's the only thing I'm able to do, then… maybe it's better for everyone if I'm not around anymore at all."

Sora lets out another incoherent protest, wanting to tell her just how much she's helped him, how she hasn't hurt him like she thinks she's hurt so many others. If she could only see all of the good she's done, he thinks, then certainly she'd change her tune. If she could only see how kind and noble and caring she really is, if she could see just how many people want her safe and well, just how many people love her... then she'd see there's still so much left for her to live for.

And maybe, once upon a time, if he could have seen any of that for himself, then maybe he'd still see the same thing too.


Sven gallops back to Arendelle in record time, with Kristoff pushing his loyal steed to his limits. Even so, the reindeer doesn't tire easily, not when Anna's life is on the line. As they enter the kingdom, they lose track of Olaf as he accidentally ends up sliding down into the village, terrifying more than a few of its residents in the process. Even so, the others arrive at the castle with apt haste as the guards immediately open the gates to bring their ailing princess inside.

"A-are you gonna be ok?" Anna asks, her voice shuddering as Kristoff carries her to the doors.

Kristoff smiles down at her, though it doesn't quite meet his eyes. Because he knows that this is where they part ways, where their journey together comes to an end. Where he'll have to say goodbye to someone who's become so special to him, someone unlike anyone he's ever met. "Don't worry about me," he assures her all the same. Though he still finds himself hesitating to hand her over to the attendants that rush out of the gates to attend to her. "Get her warm," he instructs them. "And find Prince Hans immediately."

The servants thank him as they escort Anna inside, but before the gates close again, she looks back at him one final time. He doesn't even have it in him to tell her goodbye.

He backs away from the gates, sadness filling his features as Sven nudges him comfortingly. He sighs, only able to silently wish her the best now as he glances over at Kairi, who's been all but captivated by the castle before them from the moment they arrived. "Uh… I could probably get you back up the North Mountain again, if you really want to go," he offers, climbing back onto Sven. "So… you coming?"

"...No," Kairi says, not tearing her sights away from the castle. "I can't."

"But… what about Sora?" Kristoff asks, confused.

"Sora… is here…" she replies, her voice quiet, unsteady.

"What? How do you know that?"

"I-I… I can sense his heart," she explains, knowing she doesn't have the time to get into how. "I could feel it before when we were at Elsa's palace, and I can feel it again now. It's like… it's calling out to me, begging me for help. He's in trouble, I know he is. Whether he wants to see me or not, he needs me."

"...Are you sure?" Kristoff frowns, somewhat dubious. Kairi nods as she skims a hand over her heart, feeling it ache as it echoes with whatever pain she knows Sora is going through. Pain that she's prepared to do anything in her power to stop. "If you say so," Kristoff concedes as he and Sven turn to leave. "Good luck, kid."

"Thanks," Kairi offers him a kind smile. "You too."

She stands by just long enough to watch the pair ride off before she turns back to the closed gates before her, summoning her Keyblade to unlock them. As she ventures past them toward the castle, she lets her heart guide her once again, knowing it's the only thing she has to rely on to lead her back to him. "I'm coming, Sora," she promises against the snow and wind and bitter cold. Against everything that's still keeping them apart, against everything he might try to say or do to keep her away. Against every barrier that she's more than ready and equipped to finally tear down between them. "And this time… I know how to reach you."


Even despite her growing grief, it doesn't take long for Elsa to notice the heavy layer of frost starting to accumulate on her chains. At first, she doesn't think much of it, her attention focused either on Sora as he stares at her, silently begging her for answers she doesn't have… or the storm raging outside, intensifying to even more deadly degrees with each passing hour. Even so, she does draw her sights up to the rest of the cell as ice begins to creep along the stone walls, wedging itself into the spaces between the spikes Sora had summoned earlier. And as she looks down at her chains, now completely engulfed in that same brittle ice, with even more erupting throughout the cell in response to her despair and desperation… Elsa suddenly gets an idea.

Sora watches, initially confused to see Elsa finally pulling against her restraints. Ice continues coating the room, to the point that it starts to solidify over his own chains as well, bitter cold to the point that it practically burns the bare skin underneath. He lets out a muffled cry as he shivers uncontrollably, his new clothes doing little to retrain any warmth when there's no such warmth to be found. Even so, Elsa doesn't stop, straining as hard against her chains as she possibly can, calling upon her powerful magic to the best of her abilities. And, after what seems like an eternity of struggling, it all finally pays off as her manacles abruptly snap loose.

Elsa gasps as the chains fall to the ground, her hands miraculously free. She wastes no time in rushing over to Sora, swiftly unstrapping his muzzle before she rips the horrid device clean off his face and swiftly tosses it aside. "E-Elsa-" he begins, finally able to speak again. She's quick to shush him however, upon hearing voices coming from the hall just outside.

"Hurry up!"

"They're dangerous. Move quickly!"

"It won't open! The door's frozen shut!"

"Good," Elsa whispers as she places her hands on the metal covering Sora's. "That'll buy us some time."

"For what?" Sora asks, though Elsa doesn't answer as she manages to freeze his chains clean off.

At that exact same moment, the support beams keeping the dungeon intact abruptly break under the ice covering them, crumbling stone walls to pieces just as the door swings open. In the chaos that follows, Elsa grabs Sora's arm and jumps to her feet, pulling him along after her as she takes off through the gaping hole that's been torn through the cell wall. Hans and a group of guards arrive only to find the dungeon's empty remains, their plans to put them out of their misery put on hold. Its former captives are gone, vanished into the white void of the blizzard brewing beyond them. A blizzard they can only hope to escape within once and for all.


Kairi grips her arms tightly, trying to do whatever she can to warm herself as she traverses the castle's densely silent halls. She figures all of the servants are congregated in a single room, likely around a fire, a luxury she wishes she could share if only she had the time. But as it stands, she hurries through the dim and dreary corridors, checking almost every door she can in the hopes that Sora might be waiting behind one of them. What she doesn't expect to find, however, is a certain snowman happily wandering the halls, at least not until she quite literally bumps into him.

"Olaf?" Kairi exclaims, surprised as they collide when she rounds a corner. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Kairi!" the snowman blithely greets as he hops back onto his feet. "We just keep running into each other, don't we? I'm here looking for all of you guys!"

"Well… I'm sorry to tell you that Kristoff and Sven already left," Kairi informs, frowning. "I don't know where Anna is; I'm actually looking for Sora now and-"

"Oh! I can help!" Olaf volunteers, raising his hand.

"Ok," Kairi can't help but chuckle, charmed by the snowman's excitable offer. "But we should hurry. It's getting colder in here by the second…"

"Got it," Olaf nods as he scurries over to the nearest door. He uses his carrot nose as something of a key, obliviously unaware that Kairi could unlock it much easier by using her Keyblade. However, Olaf's usually upbeat tone quickly changes as soon as he finds a certain someone lying limp on the floor inside. "Anna!"

Kairi hurries in to find the older girl, her hair now completely white, her body frail and trembling. "O-Olaf… Kairi…" she mutters, her voice barely able to rise above a whisper.

"You're ice cold," Kairi says as she kneels down next to the princess. "What happened?"

"I-I… Hans, he-" Anna stops herself when she glances up to see Olaf next to the fireplace. Even in her poor condition, she panics the second she sees him light a match and toss it in. "O-Olaf! Get away from there!"

Kairi hops to her feet, equally alarmed. Olaf, however, is absolutely entranced by the warm glow of the blaze before him. "Wow! So this is heat… I love it…" he whispers, awestruck. He reaches his arms toward it, though one of them catches fire, something that he's quick to shake out as he runs back over to Anna. "Oh, but don't touch it!"

Between Kairi and Olaf, they manage to slowly help Anna to a place beside the fire. Even then, it does little to warm her, as freezing as she is from the inside out. "So, where's Hans?" Olaf asks as soon as Anna is settled. "What happened to your kiss?"

"I-I was wrong about him…" Anna mutters bitterly. "It wasn't true love. H-he was just using me… to take over Arendelle…"

"What? That's awful!" Kairi exclaims, immediately incensed. She has half a mind to track that Hans down and give him a piece of her mind in Anna's place, but she curbs her temper as best she can. After all, he's needed much more here instead.

"But… we ran all the way here…" Olaf frowns, not understanding.

"Please, Olaf, you can't stay here," Anna pleads with him. "You'll melt."

"Yeah, Olaf," Kairi agrees, preparing to escort the snowman away. "You really should-"

"I am not leaving until we find some other act of true love to save you," Olaf proclaims, plopping down onto the floor behind Anna. "...Do you happen to have any ideas?"

Anna shakes her head morosely. "I don't even know what true love is…"

A beat of saddened silence passes, one that Kairi soon fills as she takes a seat next to Anna. "I think I do," she says, staring into the flickering flames in front of them. "Love is… when you care about someone so much that you'd do or give up anything just for them… A few years back, Sora did that for me… He gave everything he possibly could…" She's quick to wipe away the tears that start forming in her eyes as she thinks of the grave sacrifice he'd made to free her heart from his, a sacrifice that he could have very well lost himself to forever. A sacrifice she still needs to somehow repay. "I didn't know it was love back then, but… now I know it couldn't be anything else. A-and even if it looks like that love is gone now… even though he thinks I hate him… I want to show him that isn't true. I will show him that I feel the same way, no matter what it might take. I have to."

Anna smiles, inspired by such a beautiful story, by a beautiful vow, by an act of love truer than any she's ever heard of before. An act of love she still needs and wants so desperately for herself. "Yeah!" Olaf chimes in. "Anna, that's just like how Kristoff brought you back here to Hans and left you forever."

It takes a moment for that to set in, for the realization to truly strike her. But when it does… it's enough to fill her with a rush of warmth that's more than enough to permeate the freezing chill flooding through her veins. "K-Kristoff… loves me?"

Kairi lets out a small chuckle, wondering how it took her this long to notice. Olaf is equally baffled as he steps back in front of the fire. "Wow, you really don't know anything about love, do you?" he asks, his nose starting to droop off his slowly liquifying face.

"Olaf! Y-you're melting!" Anna warns as Kairi tries to pull him away from the fire once more.

But even so, the snowman stays put, smiling all the while. "Some people are worth melting for," he says, though he is quick to shove his face back into form when it starts to slump over. "Just maybe not right this second."

At that exact moment, the room's window is thrown wide open by the rushing winds outside. Knowing that cold won't do Anna any good, Kairi rushes to close it with Olaf right at her heels. But as they chance a peek out toward the hills, they both happen to notice a familiar shape rushing toward the town.

"Wait… is that…?" Kairi trails off, amazed.

"It's Kristoff and Sven!" Olaf proclaims excitedly. "They're coming back this way!"

"They… they are?" Anna turns, hope rising in her as a plan starts to form inside her mind.

"Wow! He's moving really fast!" Olaf notes as he continues watching the speeding pair. "I guess I was wrong–I guess Kristoff doesn't love you enough to leave you behind."

"H-help me up," Anna insists, trying to rise on her own. Kairi doesn't hesitate to rush over to her, but Olaf hangs back, initially confused. "I need to get to Kristoff."

"Why?" he asks, only for both girls to send him a knowing look. "Oh! I know why! There's your act of true love right there! Riding across the fjord like a valiant, pungent reindeer king! Come on!"

As soon as Anna is on her feet, the group is on the move, though they don't get far before they notice ice suddenly splitting its way along the ceiling. It encroaches down toward them in sharp spikes, prompting them to run, not just to get to Kristoff sooner, but to avoid being impaled before they can. Kairi leads the way, Anna tightly clinging onto her hand as they rush through the rapidly frosting halls. It doesn't take them long to reach a dead end as the corridor ahead of them freezes over, ice spires blocking their way forward and back. They're left with no choice but to escape through the nearest window, sliding down the snow-covered eaves as they emerge into the intense blizzard outside. Almost as soon as they do, they lose Olaf in the gale-force winds, but as his scattered pieces are blown away, he encourages them to hurry on without him, knowing they have no time to lose.

Kairi struggles to keep herself, much less Anna standing amidst the rushing winds and biting snow as they stumble their way across the frozen fjord, searching for any sign of Kristoff they can find as they make their way through the frigid fog. They don't make it very far, however, before a blinding flash of lightning suddenly strikes only a few feet ahead of them, knocking them both to their feet. As soon as it clears, Kairi squints to see a familiar black-coated figure casually approaching them through the snow.

"Larxene…" she growls, immediately picking herself back up and summoning her Keyblade.

"Hey there, princess," Larxene greets, her knives already perched between her fingers. "Crazy weather we've been having, huh? I didn't think a delicate little flower like you would have lasted this long out here. You're just full of surprises, aren't you, Kairi?"

Kairi says nothing to gratify her foe. Instead, she braces herself for a fight, already sensing that's exactly what Larxene is aiming for here. Briefly, she glances back at Anna as she struggles to stand, her eyes wide with alarm as she takes in their mysterious assailant. "Keep going!" Kairi encourages her. "I'll deal with her."

Surprisingly, Larxene doesn't try to stop Anna as she hurries off, her frantic search for Kristoff continuing through the storm. At the same time, Kairi makes the first move, launching herself at Larxene as she tries to land an initial swing. Her opponent easily dodges it, attempting to stab Kairi in the shoulder in retaliation only for her to smoothly slide out of her path.

"What's the point of this?" Kairi shouts over the din of the storm. "What do you have to gain by fighting me?"

"Aside from the pleasure of running my knives into that stupid light-filled heart of yours?" Larxene asks as she tosses a few said knives Kairi's way. "Let's just say you're getting a little too close to our newest recruit. Sure, he didn't go with you last time you caught up to him, and he probably won't if you find him again. But the old man wants me to make sure there's no chance that brat'll ever go crawling back to you chumps."

Kairi lashes out against such a wicked mission in more ways than one. She casts an ice spell, hoping that it'll work well with the raging storm to pin her slippery foe down. But of course, Larxene uses lightning to deflect it, leaping out of the path of Kairi's next swing, much to the younger girl's frustration. "He will come back," she argues resiliently. "Everything any of you have ever told him is a lie; and as soon as I help him see that, then he'll finally come home where he belongs."

"Get real," Larxene scoffs. She throws a few more of her knives Kairi's way, some of which actually manage to graze her arm. "You really think a few nice words and a sweet smile or two is enough to convince him he still belongs with you losers? A freak like him doesn't belong anywhere. Which is why we're doing him a favor by giving him a place with us."

"You aren't doing him any favors," Kairi hisses as she casts a quick healing spell to cover her wounds. "You forced him to run away from his friends, you let him starve half to death for months, you made him believe that nobody loves him when so many people do! He's been alone for so long because of all of you! But I won't let him suffer by himself, not for one more day, not for one more second! Sora is coming home TODAY!"

With this unwavering proclamation, Kairi charges forward, her Keyblade drawn back for a brutal strike. Their brawl goes on, largely unheard and unseen by anyone else amidst the unending whiteout engulfing the entirety of the fjord. And somewhere else on that fjord, Elsa runs as fast as she can through the blinding ice and wind, her hand locked tightly around Sora's wrist as she all but drags him along after her.

"Elsa!" he calls as loudly as he can above the howling gale. "Where are we going?!"

"I don't know!" Elsa shouts back, her pace not slowing in the slightest. "I-I just… I have to get you out of here!"

"Why?" Sora asks, not knowing why she cares so much about keeping him safe when she should be worrying about herself so much more.

"Because I just do!" Elsa replies harshly. "If they find us, they'll kill you!"

Sora nearly tells her that doesn't matter, that he won't really die either way, as much as he might wish he could. "But what about you?" he presses, trying to stop only for Elsa to continue pulling him across the ice. "They'll kill you too!"

"Who cares about me?!" Elsa exclaims, her voice raw and broken. "All that matters to me now is doing what I can to protect you! Please, just let me do this for you, Anna!"

The second her sister's name leaves her lips, Elsa grinds to a halt. Sora finally slips his arm out of her tight hold, his eyes wide as he stares at her turned back. "E-Elsa?" he questions, unsure of what to think or how to feel. Elsa had told him before that he reminded her of her sister, but now… it seems as though the comparison she's made between them runs even deeper than he could have anticipated.

He doesn't get the chance to press her for an answer though, as he suddenly hears a pained shout echoing through the storm. A shout that Sora recognizes immediately. "Kairi…?" he wonders, straining to see through the swirling snow. He manages to make out her faint outline a good distance away, though it's abruptly illuminated by a sudden flash of lightning slamming directly into her. "No!" he cries as he watches her collapse onto the ice, clearly injured. And at that moment, he doesn't think about the danger doing so might pose to himself, he doesn't think about the distance he's tried to maintain to keep her safe. The only thing he can think about is that Kairi is in trouble, and that the one thing he wants with all of his heart is to do what he's always done. To stand by her side, just as he always used to before.

"Sora, stop!" Before he can even take a step, Elsa latches onto his arm again. Her expression is awash in terror and worry, her eyes pleading with him every bit as much as her tone is. "We can't turn back. We have to keep going! We have to get as far away from Arendelle as we can, now! No one is safe as long as I'm here!"

"B-but Kairi, she's… I can't just leave her to-"

"You can't afford to get caught!" Elsa protests desperately. "I know it's hard, but you have to think about yourself now, please!"

"...Think about myself?" Sora repeats, a stark, downright painful realization striking him. A realization that, after how much he's struggled and how far he's fallen, truly has been a long time coming. "I… I have been thinking of myself, ever since any of this started. In fact, I'm the only one I've been thinking about! All this time, I've been telling myself that I've been doing this for my friends, but I'm not. Everything I've done has been for me. I ran because I was ashamed, I stayed away because I was afraid. I lied and stole and hurt people because I was trying to save myself even though I knew I couldn't! But no more." He steadies himself as he summons his Keyblade, turning to where he's spotted Kairi through the storm. "I've spent so long running from the people I love… Maybe… it's finally time for me to start running to them instead…"

"B-but… you…"

"I'm sorry, Elsa," he glances back at her with a wavering smile as he pulls his hand away. "But I have to do this. No matter what it might cost me."

"Sora!" Elsa shouts after him as he rushes away from her. Her distraught cry echoes through the wind as he fights his way through the blizzard, hoping that he isn't too late, that he can get to her in time. And miraculously enough… he does.

Kairi screams as another sharp burst of electricity sparks through her veins. Larxene has opted to overpower her, forcing her Keyblade from her hands as she shocks her repeatedly. She's engulfed in white hot agony as she falls to her knees, her body trembling as aftershocks ripple over her skin. Even so, her expression is still stern and defiant as Larxene slips a knife under her chin, forcing her to meet her smug, sadistic gaze.

"Sorry, princess," she remarks cruelly, raising the knives in her other hand to come in for a devastating final strike. "But this is where your little 'adventure' ends. I'll make sure to tell Sora how much you wish you could have saved him–not!"

Kairi says nothing, merely closing her eyes as she prepares to face her fate with dignity, if nothing else. But in the end, instead of countless knives stabbing straight into her body, she hears them crash into solid metal instead.

And when she opens her eyes… Sora is the one she sees standing before her.

"Stay away from her!" he shouts at Larxene, his voice loud and angry as he uses his Keyblade to push her back. Kairi can only stare up at him, initially thinking this is some kind of dream, it has to be, because here Sora is, defending her, fighting for her.

But as that thought sinks in, as she sees him stand strong and steady, as she notices him glance back at her, his face awash in genuine concern and care… she knows that this isn't a dream. This is real.

Larxene staggers to keep her footing, her knives slipping out of her hands as she shoots Sora a ruthless, outraged glare. "What do you think you're doing, you miserable little mistake?!" she hisses, electricity already crackling around her tightly clenched fists. "You should know better than to stand up to any of us by now. But in case you forgot, here's a quick lesson in obedience!"

Sora bites back an agonized shout as pain seizes his chest. It burns just as brutally as it always has before, but this time, he forces himself past it, knowing he has to. Knowing that if he doesn't, he may very well just lose something that matters to him far more than even his own freedom, even his own life. "I-I… made a deal… with the superior…" he mutters, his breathing short and labored as he struggles to remain standing. "T-that if I did what all of you said… none of the lights would get hurt… A deal… that you just broke."

Larxene flinches, her fury slipping into apparent surprise as she realizes her misstep. "B-but… you… I-"

"If you aren't going to keep up your end of the bargain, then neither will I," Sora says between gritted teeth, the pain in his heart still very prevalent. But for as much as it might hurt, he faces it, as well as his foe, as bravely and boldly as he can, his fury and his determination both leading him on. "The master can do whatever he wants to me, but there's one thing he'll never be able to change, something no amount of darkness or pain can ever tear out of my heart. And that something is my friends."

"Ha! Your 'friends'?" Larxene scoffs viciously, her usual hateful verve quickly returning. "As if any of them actually care about you at all!"

"That's not true!" Kairi speaks up as she hurries to her feet. She comes to stand beside Sora, and naturally, he flinches anxiously at just how close she is to him. But her smile, warm and radiant as the sun even in the midst of such a massive storm, is enough to calm the uneasy tides of his heart. It's enough to supply him with all the strength he needs to weather the worst of what his enemies have to offer. "Sora, we all care about you so much," she says, her tone earnest, affectionate. "We all miss you so much more than you think; and we're all doing everything we can to save you! I know you're scared, and I know you might think it's too late for you, but… I need you to know that no matter what happens, we still want to stand with you, to fight by your side. I want to fight by your side. So… what do you say?"

Surprisingly, Sora says nothing, words failing him as he looks down at the hand she offers him. He doesn't take it, afraid to touch her, ashamed to even let his sinister claws skim her graceful hand. But he does the next best thing; he nods, a ghost of a smile on his face as they both turn to face their foe together for the first time in what feels like forever.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me," Larxene mocks as she flashes her knives threateningly. "If you two brats think you can take me, then you've got another thing-" She suddenly cuts herself off with a sharp yelp of pain, her knives disappearing as she clutches her chest in some kind of unseen pain. Sora and Kairi watch in confusion as she stumbles back, muttering a swear under her breath as she tries to make sense of what's happening just as much as they are. "Wait, really? Now?" she mutters, absolutely baffled by something. "The old man's lost it… It's his own dumb plan he's screwing up if he wants to let this slide…"

"What are you talking about?" Kairi questions, gripping her Keyblade tightly.

"None of your business, princess," Larxene scowls as she straightens up. "Unfortunately, playtime is over. As much as I wish I could beat you both senseless, I'm afraid that's just gonna have to wait for some other time."

Sora stills, his eyes wide in surprise as he watches her summon a dark corridor. "Wait… so… you're just… leaving?"

Larxene shrugs. "Guess I am. But don't worry, Sora. I'm sure we'll get to hang out again soon. 'Cause even if you do go back to your so-called 'friends', don't forget: the master isn't gonna let you go that easily. No matter where you go, no matter how far you run… we won't stop until you're finally one of us…"

"Sora will never be one of you," Kairi counters fiercely as she steps protectively in front of Sora.

Larxene simply smirks as she steps back into the darkness, her golden eyes aglow with malice as she speaks in her master's place. "We'll see…"

Kairi lets out a sigh of relief as the wicked woman finally disappears. However, she only has enough time to briefly glance back at Sora before the surging storm around them grinds to an abrupt, dramatic halt. The snow sweeps back, flakes standing still in midair to reveal the full extent of the frozen fjord and everyone on it.

Amidst this sudden standstill, Anna glances up from her quickly frosting hands, letting out a shaky gasp when she spots Kristoff from afar. She calls to him, her voice tiny and frail, but her hope rising that her life might still somehow be saved after all, especially as he begins to run toward her. But then…

The sound of a sword unsheathing catches her attention. She glances over to find Hans, just a few feet away, his blade raised high as he stands over none other than Elsa. As he stands ready to kill her sister.

And at that moment, Anna thinks nothing of herself. She thinks nothing of what she's giving up, of what will become of her if she doesn't wait for Kristoff to make it to her side. She thinks only of Elsa, only of her beloved sister as she runs as fast as her freezing legs can carry her. She thinks only of Elsa as she sweeps into the space between her and Hans. She thinks only of Elsa as she raises her hand to stop the sword set to kill her.

And… Elsa is the last thing Anna thinks of before she finally freezes solid.

Hans' sword shatters the moment it makes content with Anna's now-unbreakable hand. The force of it is enough to throw him back hard across the ice just as Elsa glances up to see her sister standing behind her. Her sister standing perfectly frozen to unmoving, unfeeling ice behind her.

"Anna!" she screams, despair racking her voice as she hurries to her feet. Her hands are trembling, tears already pouring down her cheeks as she tenderly touches Anna's frigid face, her worst nightmare coming true before her eyes. She collapses against her frozen form, her distraught sobs echoing across the otherwise silent fjord. With each one, her heart breaks a little more, her guilt and grief crushing her, practically killing her. And it might as well at this point, she thinks. Because what life is worth living without her bold and bright and beautiful sister by her side?

Kristoff and Sven both to a standstill, scarcely able to believe what they're seeing. Olaf also approaches, quietly calling Anna's name only to receive no answer. Likewise, Kairi steps forward, a hand over her mouth, mournful tears already brimming in her eyes over her newfound friend's demise. Even Sora, who doesn't really know Anna outside of what Elsa has told him, hangs his head in saddened respect for the fallen princess. He keeps his distance from Elsa, knowing that nothing he could say to comfort the queen now would even come close to easing the pain she's feeling. The pain of losing the only family she has left.

Family that perhaps… might not be so lost after all.

Mutual misery hangs heavy over the fjord, to the point that even Elsa doesn't notice the ice starting to ebb away from Anna's chest. It starts at her heart, thawing slowly yet steadily as it lightly drifts away from her body. Olaf notices it first, gasping in awe and hope that Kristoff quickly shares when Sven nudges him to gain his attention. Sora and Kairi only notice as Elsa does when Anna suddenly breathes again, when she suddenly moves again, when she's suddenly alive again.

"A-Anna?" Elsa glances up, unable to hold back a thick, tearful laugh as she embraces her sister tightly. Anna is quick to share her tears, both of them happily hugging for what has to be the first time in years. A welcome change from the cold distance that has hung between them for so long. Distance that they both are finally, finally beginning to break.

"You sacrificed yourself for me?" Elsa asks when they pull apart. She's half tempted to scold her younger sister for something so reckless… if she wasn't so elated that she'd somehow survived it all.

"Of course I did," Anna smiles as she takes her sister's hands. "I love you."

Somewhere behind them, Olaf gasps once more, beside himself with amazement. "An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart!"

"Love will thaw…" Elsa echoes, the thought repeats over and over in her mind as she reaches a sudden realization. One that she hopes–no, that she knows will be more than enough to save her kingdom and everyone in it. "Love… Of course!"

"Elsa?" Anna asks, confused when the queen pulls her hands away. Instead, Elsa spreads her arms out wide, a beaming, joyful smile on her face as calls upon the best tool she has at her disposal to stop this storm. Her heart.

The queen works her magic upon ice beneath her, beckoning it to disperse, for the snow in the air to spread and vanish. The fjord begins to melt, boats rising up from the depths, including one to keep the group afloat as the rest of the water warms. The air itself does the same, dark clouds clearing away to reveal crisp, blue skies underneath. Elsa's power swirls gracefully, beautifully through the city, collecting every pile of snow and every inch of frost it passes in the process. Flowers bloom back to life, birds flock back into the trees, nature regains its colorful, lively splendor. And the people of Arendelle happily take notice as summer finally returns to them.

With just a wave of her hand, Elsa dismisses the last of the storm into thin air, much to the awe of everyone around her. "I knew you could do it," Anna grins, though her smile is short-lived when she overhears a certain prince stirring on the far side of the boat. Though Kristoff prepares to take care of him, Anna intervenes in his stead, her head held high as she approaches her former fiancé.

"Anna?" Hans balks at the sight of her. "B-but… she froze your heart."

"The only frozen heart around here is yours," Anna replies staunchly, confidently. Though before she fully turns away, she gets even with the power hungry prince by landing a strong punch to his jaw. As he stumbles back toward the edge of the ship, a sudden swing to his gut, courtesy of Kairi's Keyblade, is what ultimately ends up knocking him off of it and into the water below. "Nice one!" Anna cheers, exchanging a high five with the younger girl. From there, the princess returns to her older sister's fond embrace, both Anna and Elsa finally deciding to put the pain of their past behind them. To finally open doors that have been shut almost all their lives. To choose love and acceptance over fear and shame.

And as Kairi warmly watches that happen, she wonders, as she looks over at Sora, standing so close, yet still so far away, if she can still somehow convince him to do the same thing too.


The group returns to shore to find an elated fanfare throughout the kingdom. The people of Arendelle gratefully hail their queen for bringing winter to an end, and surprisingly, easily forgive her for bringing on that winter in the first place. Hans is apprehended in short order, a ship set to sail him back to his own kingdom in disgrace for his misdeeds. To keep him from melting, Elsa makes sure to give Olaf a constant, personal flurry to keep him nice and cold and energized as ever. By all accounts, all finally seems well for the Kingdom of Arendelle and its people. The only thing that manages to bring the celebration down somewhat… is that there are some who have to leave it behind.

"Are you sure you can't stay?" Elsa asks, frowning as Sora averts her worried gaze. "Anna and I have plenty of room for you if you still need somewhere to call home."

Sora sighs, a small, bittersweet smile on his face as he finally glances up at her. "I wish I could, but… I still need to find that Key. And…" He trails off, his gaze drifting over to Kairi as she brightly converses with Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf, likely exchanging fond farewells with them as well.

"If you can't stay here…" Elsa catches him off guard, slipping a hand onto his shoulder. "Then maybe… you should go with her."

"I can't…" Sora shakes his head, drawing his hands in close. "It's too dangerous, I'm too-"

"Sora," Elsa cuts him off, putting her hand on his other shoulder as she addresses him firmly, yet patiently. "If I can open the door and finally let Anna in after all this time, then you can certainly do the same for Kairi. All it takes… is a little love."

Sora doesn't respond, his sights sad as they drift back to Kairi once more. Elsa can clearly see he's conflicted, that this is something he needs to sort through for himself, so she doesn't press the matter further. Instead, she folds the boy into a gentle embrace, longing to ensure his safety and his happiness… something that she knows is far out of even her power to achieve.

"Whatever you decide," she says, her voice quiet and sincere. "Just know there will always be a place here for you if you ever need it."

"Thanks Elsa. For everything," he says just as softly, wishing he could promise her that they'll meet again. But he knows he likely won't be that lucky. Chances are, once he's fully among the Organization's fold, he won't be seeing any of his friends from any world ever again. He won't have any friends anymore at all.

"No," Elsa smiles, but it doesn't quite meet her eyes as they part. "Thank you, Sora."

Without much more to say, the pair exchange a parting nod, Elsa watching solemnly as Sora retreats from the castle courtyard to bridge beyond it. She isn't the only one to watch him leave, however. Kairi catches him walking away out of the corner of her eye, a burst of sudden panic coursing through her. She doesn't even bother saying another word to her friends as she hurries after him, much to Anna's confusion.

"Kairi?" she questions, wanting to offer the younger girl a proper goodbye.

Even so, Elsa stops her, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder as a small, assured smile finally fills her face. "Let her go," she says, all the while hoping that this will prove to be enough. That whatever Kairi might say to him… will finally be exactly what Sora needs to hear.


He keeps his pace quick as he heads across the bridge toward town, hoping to find a place to summon a dark corridor without being seen. Yet he doesn't even make it to the other end of that bridge before a call from behind stops him dead in his tracks.

"Going somewhere?"

He freezes, clenching his hands in tight fists at his sides. He'd expected this, tried to slip away before she could see him so he could avoid it. But in the end, that plan failed. Because here she is, only a few feet behind him. Here he is, with nowhere left to go. Here they are… and he finds that, after spending so much time lying, the only thing he can tell her now… is the truth.

"I need to find that final Key," he says simply, not even looking back at her. "I-if I bring it back to my master, then… the Organization will protect me."

She raises an eyebrow at this claim, taking a step closer to him. "From what?" she asks, trying not to to think about how he called Xehanort his 'master', about why he's seeking shelter from the Organization to begin with.

"From Maleficent… a-and…"

"From us?" she finishes knowingly when he trails off. "Sora, we're not going to lock you up. None of us want to see your hurt or trapped, we just want to help you. You… you know that, don't you?"

He does know that by now. He figured it out quite a while ago, really, from the moment he saw her face again, the moment he heard her voice, the moment he realized how much he missed her. The master had done an excellent job of convincing him that some mere phantom or illusion of her hated him and wanted to see him locked away… but now that he's standing here with the real thing, suddenly he's not so sure. Not when he heard what she said earlier, not when he caught the sweet, adoring smile she sent his way. Not when he knows she's far too kind and gentle and good, even to treat a wicked abomination like him the way he deserves to be treated.

She catches his slow, almost absent nod, a flicker of relief filling her heart as she dares another step closer. "Then… why are you still trying to run away?"

"Because…" he starts, unsure of how to explain it all. Unsure of how to tell her that he wanted to believe that lie, that he wanted to think he wasn't the one in the wrong, that he was the hapless victim in all this instead of the one responsible for every second of strife he's been through. Unsure of how to make her see anything other than just how unabashedly ashamed he's been from the very start. "H-how can I go back after what I did to Riku?" he finally turns to face her, his voice thick with guilt. "How can I come back after all this time I've spent lying, and running, and doing exactly what the Organization wants me to? How can I ever face any of you again after how badly I've hurt you all?!"

He chokes out a despondent sob, wrapping his arms tightly around himself as he forces himself to glance away. He feels unworthy to be in her presence, to even force her beautiful eyes to look at a disgusting disgrace like him. But she still stares at him all the same, her ocean blue gaze piercing him straight through to his very heart. "Sora…" she says his name again and the sound of it alone burns him in all of the best and worst ways. "None of us have been hurt anywhere near as badly as you have."

She steps closer to him again, and he tries to will himself to back away, to protect her from himself. But his body refuses to listen to him, his frail heart selfishly craving the comfort of her presence as she comes to stand only a few short feet away from him. Much too close… and much too far all at the same time. "Do you remember what I told you on your birthday?" she asks, calling back to what feels like ages ago now. "I told you that you didn't have to carry the weight of the worlds on your own. A-and… you don't have to carry this pain… this… loneliness, this fear, this sadness… You don't have to carry any of that alone either."

She reaches for his hand, but he pulls it away, still refusing to look her in the eyes. "Don't touch me…" he mutters morosely, all the while wishing she would. Wishing he wasn't such a risk for her to even be around, wishing that he wasn't such a grave, terrible danger to everyone he meets. "I deserve to be alone… a-and you deserve so much more than what I can give you."

"I'm not asking you to give me anything," she says as he turns away from her again. She worries that he might try to leave once more, but he stays put, too scared to escape. Too scared to do much of anything at all, it seems. "In fact… I want to give you something instead."

He glances back at her, confused. She hesitates, biting her lip apprehensively before she decides to go through with her impromptu plan. She's not entirely sure this will work, but she figures it's worth a shot all the same. No matter how potentially embarrassing it might be. "Here," she pulls out a notebook, offering it to him. "Read these."

"...What are they?" he frowns, dubiously taking the book out of sheer curiosity alone.

"Letters," she explains, her face suddenly red as she looks down. "I-I… wrote them while I was training. At first, they were kind of just supposed to be sort of a journal for me to jot my thoughts down, but… one day I started addressing them to you and… I was never intending on letting anyone read them, but… I think you should now."

He almost asks her why, but as she falls into anxious silence, he finds he has no choice but to do as she's asked. He starts on the first letter, clearly written at the beginning of her training, filled with observations about Axel, about Merlin, about Radiant Garden, about everything else she'd been experiencing at the time. The rest flow in a similar manner for several pages, each penned and voiced directly to him as he picks out bits and pieces of what she'd wanted to say to him when they were worlds apart.

Once all this is over… It sounds like something that'll never happen. After all, we've all been at this sort of thing for so long now-you, me, and Riku. But I know in my heart that the three of us will be together again soon.

How would I know? What does it even feel like? What happens if I am? How would I know if you felt the same? Sora… I think... I love-

It won't be easy, but I hope through everything, you'll remain the happy and cheerful Sora I've always known. There's no heart your smile can't reach. Including mine.

But then comes the weeks he'd spent paralyzed and poisoned, weeks she'd spent closely by his side. Her words ring more worried here, but fondness still floats along every last one as she writes him everything she didn't dare speak to him aloud.

I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop this from happening to you… I can only hope I'm enough to help you through this now. I hope my light can help chase away the darkness you're still suffering from…

I can't stop thinking about what you said today. Oh, Sora… if only you could learn to love yourself the way you love so many others….

You're leaving tomorrow… I should be happy that you're well enough to go but… I'll miss you. I need you, more than you know.

Several other events unfold through her pages in practically rapid succession: their reunion, the ball, his disappearance, their search for him starting. Guilt settles in his stomach the more he reads, the more he sees just how distraught she'd been, how worried he'd made her these past several months. He didn't think she would have kept caring for this long, but she did. She'd never stopped longing to reach him, to be near him again, not even once.

I don't care what Riku says. I promise I'm going to find you, and I'm going to save you, no matter what it takes. And when I do, we'll find a way to set this right. I won't rest until we do.

I miss you… I miss you so much. I feel like I've cried every single tear I have over you. You broke my heart, Sora… but you're more than worth the pain I'm feeling now. Because the second I see you again… this pain will be nothing more than a memory. The second I see you again… the broken pieces of my heart will finally be made whole.

I'm setting out to search for you on my own. I know it's risky, I know you're scared, and I know I could be wasting my time out here. But I don't care. You once searched across every world you could for me before. Why can't I do the same for you?

He eventually lands on her final entry, written only a few nights ago, shortly after they both arrived in Arendelle. It's a relatively short passage compared to the rest, but its words captivate him, her final phrase leaving him breathless beyond belief.

We're in the same world, under the same stars, I can sense it. You're close, I know you are. We'll be together again soon, Sora. And when we are… I'm finally going to tell you that I–

I–

I…

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

His hands shake to the point that he nearly drops the notebook entirely. He reads those final sentences over and over again, scarcely about to believe they're real, much less that they're something meant for him. He tries to comprehend them, tries to understand the meaning behind them, but he can't. He can't understand them any more than why his heart is suddenly racing, why tears are starting to swell in his eyes, why he feels like the ground is falling out from under him when he finally manages to look up at her again. "I-is… is this true?" he asks, his voice barely audible.

She smiles, knowing exactly what letter he's referring to. "Of course it is," she says lightly, happily. Writing it down is one thing, but saying it aloud is something else entirely. Something that takes a little more nerve, a little more courage. But she summons more than enough of both to tell him what's nothing less than the absolute, wholehearted truth. "I… I love you, Sora. I always have. I just… was never brave enough to tell you… until now."

He swallows hard, half of his heart desperately wanting to believe her… but the other half far too stubborn and scared to let him have this. To let him have much of anything really. "N-no…" he says dismissively, dejectedly as he shoves the notebook back into her arms. "You don't love me. You love who I used to be, not who I am now." He runs a hair through his whitened hair, holding up a clawed hand as he lets out a sharp, fake laugh. "I mean, how could you possibly love me after all the horrible things I've done and all the people I've hurt? How could you possibly love a monster, someone who's basically a full-fledged member of Organization XIII?!" Another heavy sob tears itself out of him as he clenches his chest, as if that's enough to keep his heart from breaking even more than it already has. "How could you love me… now that I'm like this?"

She's silent for a moment, yet strangely calm. Even so, he notices the tears slowly starting to streak down her face as she reaches up to skim his. He tries pulling back, but finds he's powerless to resist her warm, caring touch as she caresses his cheek, smiling at him with endless, unshakable adoration that fills her quiet tone in turn. "...How could I not love you now, when you need it most?"

That alone is enough to pry the door that's long since been locked wide open. He breaks down, overwhelmed by it all as he ends up collapsing against her. All thoughts and fears of hurting her leave his mind as he wraps his arms around her tightly, burying his face into her shoulder as he sobs relentlessly. She's more than content to let him pour it all out for as long as he needs to as she returns his embrace, lightly lacing her fingers into his whitened hair as he clings onto her for support he hasn't had in so very long. Clearly, the burden he's been carrying on his own for the past few months has gotten far too heavy for him to handle. Which is why she does the best she can to try and take it off his shoulders, to ease that unbearable load lest it crush him completely.

When he finally speaks, his voice is raw, his words slipped in between tearful breaths as he continues crying all the while. "I-I'm sorry!" he sobs, not even able to say what for exactly. After all, there's so much for him to be sorry about, he'd have no idea where to start if he tried. "I'm so sorry! I missed you so much! I-I… I love you too, Kairi! I love you so much, and I-"

Her startled gasp cuts him off, and for the briefest of seconds, he thinks he's hurt her somehow. But when he nervously glances up, he's quick to realize what's caught her off guard. The world has turned to a void of crisp, comforting light around them, and this time, the voice that echoes through it is one both of them can hear.

"Is there love in your heart?"

The most he can respond with is laugh, small and uncertain at first, but it quickly bubbles over with sheer, infectious joy that she quickly joins in on. The Key doesn't even require a proper answer as it flashes into the small space between their hands, allowing them both to claim it together. But as the light fades, that voice rings out one final time, only audible to him now as it sends him its last fleeting message, one that he can't even think to try and make sense of. Not now when there's so much else to focus on.

"The final Key has been claimed… The path is clear, the Heart stands ready… And it's calling out to you…"

"It's calling to you to open the door…"

It's calling you to finally come Home…"

When the world returns around them, those words are quickly forgotten when he catches sight of her again. She's smiling down at the Key held between them, the falling sun shining perfectly off her strawberry hair. Only now does he realize that the icy outfit Elsa had created for him has all but melted in the summer heat, revealing his original tattered, filthy clothing underneath. Once again, he finds himself embarrassed for looking so haggard and hideous while standing so close to someone as stunning as she is. But for her part, she doesn't seem to care in the slightest when she lifts her loving smile back up to him.

"You know, when I first got here, I-I was so… afraid that I was already too late," she begins, clearly choosing her words carefully. "I was afraid that they'd already forced you to become… one of them, both inside and out. I can't tell you how glad I am that I was wrong. Because even after everything, in spite of how long you've been on your own and how much you've been hurting… you're still you, Sora. You're still so kind and caring and helpful and good. And you're still someone who's so worth saving, even if you don't think you are."

"W-what if… what if I can't be saved?" he counters as he lets the Key disappear. "What happens then?"

"You can be saved, and you will be," she says, taking his hands. She's not daunted by his claws in the slightest as she holds onto them tightly, drawing in even closer to him as she continues. "I've chased your heart this far… I'm willing to chase it for however long I have to until you're finally free. I'm willing to fight for you, no matter what you've done, no matter what you look like, matter how hard it might be… because I love you, Sora. And nothing you or anyone else says or does will ever change that…"

He knows what she's getting at here, what she's all but asking of him without saying it aloud. It terrifies him just as much as it always has, but… when he catches the earnest, pleading look she's sending his way, that terror starts to subside. At least somewhat. "But… if I go back, I-I…

"Then I'll be by your side through it all, I promise," she says, meaning every single word. "But… I'm not going to force you to. It's your choice, Sora. And no matter what that choice is… then I'll support it. I'll support you."

She'll support him… the thought alone shakes him to his very core. For someone to care enough to stay with him, to help him, to love him enough to do whatever they can for him… He's experienced it a few times since he ran away, mostly through the kindness of strangers like Elsa or the Radcliffes or his Heartless. But to see it coming from her, from someone he's spent so much of his life cherishing so deeply… It gives him hope he hasn't felt in ages. Hope that things can somehow be better, hope that it all might still somehow turn out alright. Hope that he can finally start to heal after how badly he's been broken.

He doesn't know what the future may hold. He doesn't know how long he has left to even just stay himself at this point. But he does know this; he wants nothing more than to spend every single solitary second he has left with her. He can't, he won't stand one more day, one more hour, one more minute apart from her. Wherever she leads, he'll follow. Wherever she is, that's where he wants to be. Wherever her light shines, he'll stand in the shadows. Because as long as they're together, then he can hold onto that hope, however frail and fragile it may be. As long as they're together… then he knows he's exactly where he's supposed to be.

Which is why he's ultimately the one to lean in, letting whatever small scraps of courage he has left guide him. His lips slowly press against hers, and she allows it, starving for the exact same thing he is after going so long without it. This kiss is much like their first one, long, quiet, and sweet, yet there's still a hint of sadness behind it all the same. They hover close together when it's over, their arms loosely wrapped around each other, the sun setting warm and crisp behind them. And then…

He finally, finally says exactly what she's spent months longing to hear. "Ok, you win…" he sighs reluctantly, yet sincerely. "I… I'll come home."

Kairi sighs blissfully, holding Sora even tighter and relishing in the fact that this time, she won't have to let him go. She draws in to kiss him again, her lips already lightly resting against his when she whispers the only response she can think to give. When she lets him know just how happy she is that after so much time running and hiding… at long last, he's ready to go back to where he's always belonged. "It's about time, you lazy bum."


:,) Well friends, it looks like, after all this time, our boy is finally going home. And after all this time, our final Disney world is complete! Honestly, that makes me pretty emotional. We're approaching Keys' endgame! That's right, there's only 16 chapters (yes that may sound like a lot but come on) left! And lemme tell you, those chapters are almost all doozies. So if you're excited to see them, then don't forget to leave me a REVIEW to let me know what you think! Until next time!