Disclaimer:

The Mad Doctor claims no ownership to the Kingdom Hearts franchise. It belongs to Disney and Square Enix.

However, he does claim ownership to any original characters that may appear in this story.

Notes from the Mad Doctor:

Greetings readers!

Before you begin this chapter, there is something you need to know. Usually I don't do this. But since I decided to give a name to the leader of the Order of the Flame, the ending of the last chapter needed to be altered to properly introduce it because that seemed like the right moment for it. So, you may want to go back and reread the last few paragraphs of the last chapter. That way, you won't be confused by the unfamiliar name in this chapter.

I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted. This chapter was very difficult to write. It went through several versions before I finally finished. I hope that you all will find the final product satisfactory although even I'm not 100% confident I wrote it very good.

Enjoy!

Chapter 22: Elsa Accused

Arendelle

Kairi, Anna, Elsa and Kristoff stared at Eimyrja in shock. They could not believe what she had just said.

'Crimes? What is she talking about? Elsa hasn't done anything wrong,' thought Kairi as she gazed at the confused face of her friend. 'Has she?'

"I-I don't understand," stammered Elsa.

Eimyrja clapped her hands together to extinguish the flame in her hand. "No, I suppose you wouldn't. After all, you've been too busy running your kingdom and playing the beloved magical queen for your people that you've been blissfully unaware of the pain you've caused others."

"That's enough! How dare you accuse my sister of something she's never done on top of trying to destroy her palace and chasing away our…" Anna stopped as a horrible feeling of realization came over her. "Wait a minute. How did you get past everyone who was standing watch outside?"

"How did you even get behind us when we saw no other trail coming up here?" asked Kairi.

Eimyrja gave a sinister chuckle. "We're sorcerers. We know how to cover our tracks. As for your so-called guards outside, I cannot believe you all would have been so naïve to believe that a creature we earlier chased away from here would be able to keep us out. We only let it get away from us the first time because we needed it to bring your sister up here, Your Majesty. And now that you've arrived, it has outlived its usefulness and there was no need to show that same mercy a second time," she said vindictively causing the group to gasp in horror.

"You didn't!" exclaimed Kairi.

"Yes. We reduced that beast to a puddle. As for that little chatterbox of a snow creature, we dealt with it in the same way. There's nothing left of either of them," stated Eimyrja.

"Olaf! Marshmallow!" cried out Anna as tears streaked down her face.

"Don't waste any tears on them, Your Majesty. After all, it's not like they were actual living beings," said Eimyrja

Anna growled. "You…" she began before Kristoff piped up.

"What about the animals that were with them?" asked the ice harvester worriedly.

"Yes. The dog and the reindeer?" asked Kairi fearing that Pluto and Sven had suffered a fate just as horrible.

Eimyrja gave a look that almost looked regretful. "We did try to subdue them as gently as possible. But they resisted and, in their desperation to get away from us, they ended up falling off the edge of the mountain. I doubt they survived."

"No! Sven!" exclaimed Kristoff.

"Pluto…" muttered Kairi as a tear came to her eye before screaming, "How could you? They did nothing to you!"

"I will admit, being an animal lover myself, it was tragic to see them suffer like that. But then again, you shouldn't have involved them in the first place and now they are two more lives ruined because of the queen," said the Order's leader.

"Stop saying that! I don't know what you're talking about. But Elsa's not responsible for anything you're accusing her of," shouted Anna.

"Yes! I'm sure that this is just some kind of misunderstanding that we can resolve peacefully, and no one has to…," began the Duke before the leader interrupted him.

"You will be silent, or my cohorts will reduce you to a pile of ashes at my command," snapped Eimyrja.

The Duke looked to the two Order members holding him. They gave him a threatening gaze causing him to cower in the clutches of his captors.

Eimyrja turned toward the group and gazed at Anna. "As for what exactly our grievance is with your sister, Your Majesty, I'd be more than happy to give you an explanation. All of you really ought to learn the full truth of her crimes."

"If you think we're going to listen to anything you have to say…" began Anna in a threatening tone as she began to step forward again.

Elsa immediately grabbed her sister by the shoulders. "Anna, let's not provoke them."

"How very wise of you, Your Majesty. I don't think it would be in your best interests to put yourselves at the mercy of our fire magic. If we wished to, we could incinerate all of you where you stand," said Eimyrja.

"Anna, I think we should hear what she has to say and find out why they're doing all of this," said Elsa.

"Elsa, this is not the time to be diplomatic," said Anna angrily.

"I'm with Anna on this one, Elsa. They have no right to expect us to listen to them after what they just did to our friends," asked Kairi.

"Kairi, that is the reason I don't want to risk putting anyone else in danger from this Order. If their magic was strong enough to destroy Marshmallow, then it may even be more than a match for my own. We also don't know how many of them are actually here. There may be more of them nearby. So, I believe that the best way to avoid anyone else getting hurt is to hear them out," said Elsa.

Kairi considered Elsa's words. 'She has a point. When we came up here, we certainly weren't expecting to deal with a group of fire-toting sorcerers. I may not even be able to fight off all of them. They're a far cry from Captain Hook and his pirate crew.'

Anna, while she had calmed down somewhat, still didn't look fully convinced. "Kristoff, what do you think?" she asked her boyfriend.

Kristoff rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "Anna, Kairi, I'm just as upset about what they did to our friends as you are. Sven's been my constant companion for as long as I can remember. But Elsa's right. We shouldn't risk getting into a fight with these people. Especially since we may have no chance of winning."

Anna let out a sigh and then turned toward the Order. "All right, Eimyrja. We'll hear what you have to say."

"But please release the Duke first," added Elsa.

"You're hardly in a position to make that kind of request, Your Majesty. But since our grievance is with you and not with him, we will do so. Release the hostage," commanded Eimyrja.

At her order, the two members holding the Duke let him go. He immediately rushed over to the group and stood at Kristoff's side. "Thank you, Your Majesty," he said gratefully to Elsa.

Elsa gave him a nod and then faced the Order's leader. "Now, Eimyrja, tell me. What exactly is it that you are accusing me of? Because if you and your Order have been wronged in any way, perhaps there is a way I can make amends to you."

"I assure you that once you have heard our tale, you will see that there is no way to repair the damage you have caused us. Now picture this if you can, Your Majesty: an idyllic country farm tended by a close-knit family. The work may be hard and demanding at times. But the family loves it and they love each other so very much. They can't imagine a better life," said Eimyrja in a wistful tone of voice.

Then her voice dripped with anger. "But then, one day, everything changes. In the middle of summer, the farm is besieged by an unusual snowstorm that came out of nowhere. Completely unprepared for the sudden change in weather, the family struggles to save their farm. But it is all in vain and everything is destroyed."

Kairi, Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and the Duke's eyes opened wide in shock. The implication of Eimyrja's story dawned on them.

"But that is not the end of it. As it gets colder by the minute, one by one, the family succumbs. And when the storm is finally all over, all that remains of the family is the eldest daughter."

The group's horror increased at this revelation. "You mean…" began Kairi.

Eimyrja nodded. "That is correct. The farm and the family in this story were my own. I lost everything I loved in that storm. A storm that happened because of you, Queen Elsa!" she roared pointing at the queen.

The leader then gestured to the other Order members standing behind her. "And I was not the only one. All of us who stand before you lost someone dear to them in that storm. A parent, a sibling, a child, a wife, a husband; the list goes on. One by one, we found each other and after learning the true cause of our woes, we vowed that we would get justice for those we lost."

At that point, some of the Order members conjured up flames in their hands like their leader had before. They gazed at Elsa with looks of barely restrained desire to unleash their magic on her.

"That is when the Order of the Flame came to be. Knowing we stood no chance against a sorceress who commands the snow and the ice, we dedicated ourselves to learning the ways of fire magic to counter it. Normally, it takes years to master such magic. But I believe our burning desire to avenge our loved ones enabled us to master the fire far quicker anyone has ever before. Now, after months of training and preparation, the day we have waited for has finally come," said Eimyrja as the Order members extinguished their flames.

Everyone stared at the Order of the Flame with a mix of emotions as they took in what they had just heard. Anna was shocked. Kristoff looked like he was trying to make sense of the situation. The Duke looked uncertain. Elsa, however, covered her eyes and began to sob.

Kairi gazed at the queen with sympathy. 'I know what Elsa must be feeling. It's that same self-loathing I've carried since Sora was lost.'

"It can't be true! It just can't!" exclaimed Anna.

"You try and deny it all you want, Princess Anna. But the hard truth is that your sister is responsible for the loss of many lives," said Eimyrja.

"But this doesn't make any sense. After the Great Thaw, we went all over Arendelle to help the people with anything that they needed, and we learned that no one had perished at all in the winter. The people considered it a miracle," said Kristoff.

"A miracle indeed. Well, it seems your kingdom was very lucky to have been spared any losses. But did you even consider that the storm reached further than your kingdom's borders and affected others who weren't as fortunate to be spared that fate?" asked Eimyrja.

'What have I done?' thought Elsa as tears dripped down her cheeks. "Eimyrja, I am so sorry for everyone you and your Order have lost. I never meant to hurt anybody."

"I'm afraid your apology is not and will never be sufficient, Queen Elsa," said Eimyrja bluntly.

"Then what will? You've said what you wanted to say and made Elsa aware of what she's apparently done. So, what happens now?" asked Kairi.

A dark look came to Eimyrja's eye. "Now we deliver the most appropriate punishment for the queen's crimes."

"And what would that be? You've already taken several of our friends from us. Isn't that enough?" asked Anna even though she had a pretty good idea of what the answer was.

"No. The animals' demise was something we never intended to happen. As for the snow creatures, they are hardly a loss since the queen can simply create more like them," said Eimyrja.

Anna's anger increased. "How dare you act like Olaf and Marshmallow are replaceable?!" she shouted.

Ignoring the princess' outburst, Eimyrja continued, "Originally, as your sister's punishment, we had planned to put an end to her permanently, Princess Anna. But now an opportunity has arisen for something far more fitting."

'I don't like the sound of that,' thought Kairi.

"We decided that death isn't a suitable enough punishment for her. That would only release her from the guilt she should feel forever. Instead, she should suffer as we have and lose the last remaining family she has," declared Eimyrja pointing at Anna causing everyone to gasp in horror.

Kristoff immediately moved in front of his girlfriend followed by Kairi. "We won't let that happen! You'll have to get through us if you want to hurt Anna!" she said.

"We're perfectly fine with doing away with all of you so are you certain you want to throw your own lives away and add more losses to the queen's conscience? We will not be denied our justice," said Eimyrja.

"This is not justice! This is revenge!" shouted Kairi.

"Call it what you will. But it must be done. Maybe then the queen will think twice before losing control again. Those powers of hers make her a danger to everyone around her," said Eimyrja.

"But it wasn't her fault! Elsa had no idea how to control her powers back then! She never meant to start that winter and she didn't believe that she could stop it," said Anna stepping out from behind Kairi and Kristoff.

Then, in a pleading tone, she said, "Please. If anyone should be punished for your losses, it really ought to be me. It may have been Elsa's powers that started the winter. But it would never have happened had my foolishness and desperation for love lead to setting her off."

"Anna, no," said Elsa gazing at her sister sadly.

The Duke then piped up. "If I may say something, I can understand why you believe Queen Elsa to be a danger even a monster. I once thought the same thing. In fact, when I saw what she could do, I believed the worst of her and sent my own bodyguards to destroy her."

The Duke then hung his head in shame. "But now I know that she was just a frightened woman with a power she didn't fully understand and struggled to control all her life. She is no monster, and I was very wrong to assume she was."

Anna gazed at the Duke in a mixture between amazement and admiration. Never in a million years would she have thought that she would hear the Duke of Weselton of all people defending her sister. 'Maybe, just maybe, he is capable of being forgiven after all,' she thought.

"The Duke is right. Elsa never asked to have those powers of hers and the last thing she ever wanted was for anyone to get hurt because of them. We can understand how you all feel after suffering such horrible losses. But what you've done and what you're planning to do will not make it any better," said Kairi.

But Eimyrja remained unmoved. "Unless the queen has some kind of power that can bring back our loved ones, your attempts to defend her will do no good, girl. I think we have spoken long enough. Now my comrades, it is time to accomplish what we have set out to do."

At the end of her words, Eimyrja and the Order of the Flame made their way toward Anna. They raised their hands with their palms facing toward her that could unleash their flames any moment.

Anna looked nervous. But at the same time, she gazed defiantly at the Order as she stood her ground. Kristoff did the same with his fists clenched.

'Looks like it's time for a fight. I don't know if I can win against all of them. But I've got to try. I must protect my fellow Princesses of Heart,' thought Kairi as she prepared to summon her Keyblade.

But before she could, Elsa stepped between them and the Order. "Wait! Don't hurt her! Don't hurt any of them! I've thought of a way I might be able to atone for what I've done to you all."

"Hold," commanded Eimyrja as the Order stopped in their tracks. "And what might that be, Your Highness?"

"If me losing my loved ones is what you wish, then I know a way that it can happen," stated Elsa causing her sister and friends to gasp in surprise.

"Elsa, what are you saying?" asked Kairi.

"Do not interrupt her, girl. What do you propose, Your Highness?" asked Eimyrja.

"When I first created this palace, I intended to use it to live away from everyone so no one would get hurt by my powers. So, in light of what you've told me, I will remain up here all alone for the rest of my life. I will never see my sister, my friends, or my home ever again and you will not need to harm anyone else," said Elsa.

"Elsa, no! You can't!" cried Anna.

Elsa turned to her sister. "I have to, Anna. This is the only way I can possibly pay for what I've done to them without you getting hurt," she said sadly.

The queen then turned back to face the Order and their leader. "Will that satisfy you and your Order, Eimyrja?"

Eimyrja's eye gave a thoughtful gaze. "Allow the Order a moment to discuss your proposal, Your Majesty."

The leader turned around and gathered the Order members into a huddle. All the group could hear from them were barely understandable whispers.

Suddenly, Anna grabbed her sister by the shoulders and whirled her around to face her. "Elsa, don't do this!"

"Anna, please don't make this any harder than it has to be," said Elsa.

"But we just got each other back!" exclaimed Anna.

"I know. And these past months with you have been like a beautiful dream. But I guess it was a dream too dangerous to have. Now this monster has to go back in her cage," said her sister sadly.

"Don't talk about yourself like that. You're not a monster. You never were," said Anna.

"Maybe not. But I am still a danger to others. What happened to the Order is proof of that. It looks like me living away from everyone was the right idea all along. At least this time, I know how to control my powers so nothing like this will ever happen again," said Elsa.

"But Elsa, are you sure you want to do this? Can't we find a better way?" asked Kairi.

"I don't think there is a better way, Kairi. The important thing is keeping my sister safe no matter what happens to me. After all, she sacrificed herself to protect me once. How can I not do the same for her?" asked the queen.

Elsa's words caused Kairi to think. 'Elsa's willing to do anything to keep her sister safe even if in the end, they both end up unhappy. Is that what you were thinking as well when you were saving me, Sora?'

Finally, the Order's huddle broke and Eimyrja once again faced Elsa. "The Order of the Flame accepts your proposal."

"Thank you," said Elsa.

"But heed this, Your Majesty. If we ever find out that you have violated the agreement we've made here, then nothing will save your sister or your kingdom from our wrath," warned the Order's leader.

"You have my word. This palace is where I shall remain for the rest of my days," said Elsa.

"Very good," said Eimyrja before looking to Anna. "Come now, Princess. We will escort you and your friends back to Arendelle before we take our leave."

Anna didn't budge. She just looked at the floor sadly.

Elsa placed a hand on her sister's shoulder and then said to Eimyrja, "Can you please just give us a little more time together? There's a few things we need to talk about before we say goodbye."

The Order's leader gave a look of consideration before saying, "Very well. I guess we can allow you that. You may have one hour. We'll wait outside in the meantime. Order of the Flame, let us go."

At the end of their leader's words, the Order members began to file out of the room. Eimyrja followed as well briefly before turning back to the group.

"But hear this, Your Majesty. If your sister and the rest are not outside this place and ready to leave before the hour is up, then we will consider our agreement to be null and void. And then they will face the consequences."

With that final warning, Eimyrja then followed her group out of the room. All that remained now were Kairi, Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and the Duke.

For the first few moments, none of them were sure what to do. Then Anna threw her arms around her sister and embraced her tightly. Tears rolled down their cheeks as they held each other in silence.

Kairi, Kristoff and the Duke looked at the two sisters sympathetically. The whole scene was absolutely heartbreaking.

They all stood in silence before the Duke cleared his throat. "Um, forgive me if this is insensitive and know that you have my sincerest condolences on this unfortunate turn of events. But this whole ordeal has been a bit much for me. So, if you don't mind, I think it's best that I excuse myself and try to regain my composure elsewhere."

"Of course, Your Grace," said Elsa.

"Thank you. I imagine you have some things to discuss that don't concern me so I will wait downstairs for you," said the Duke as he made his way out of the room.

"Your Grace?" called Anna causing the Duke to turn around in response.

Over her sister's shoulder, Anna gave the Duke a grateful smile. "Thank you for defending my sister."

"It was my pleasure to do so, Your Majesty. I only wish that I could have been of more help," said the Duke solemnly as he left the room.

"Come on, Anna. Let's go out to the balcony. There's a few things we need to talk about before we part," said Elsa as she parted from her sister's embrace.

"Okay, Elsa. Plus, it would be good to spend our last time together somewhere with a better view," said Anna indicating the ruined room they were all still in with the bonfire remains.

Anna then turned to her boyfriend. "Kristoff, I hope you won't mind if Elsa and I…"

Kristoff held up a hand. "Say no more, Anna. If this is going to be your last time together with your sister, then you should make it count."

"First, I have a few things to say to you, Kristoff. You too, Kairi," said Elsa turning toward their friends.

"First of all, Kristoff, I'm really sorry about Sven. I never would've thought that our friendship would end up costing you your oldest friend," said the queen to the ice harvester.

"Elsa, I don't and will not ever blame you for that," said Kristoff.

Elsa smiled. "Thank you. You've been a great friend to Anna and me and I hope you'll continue to watch over her when you return to Arendelle. Just know that there's no one I trust my sister with more than you."

Kristoff sadly nodded. "You can count on me. I won't let you down."

Elsa then looked at Kairi. "Kairi, I know we haven't known each other for very long. But it was very nice to meet you and I really hope you find Sora. Please tell him that I really wanted to be true friends with him if we ever met again.

"Thank you, Elsa and I will," said Kairi.

"And I'm really sorry about Pluto," added Elsa.

"It wasn't your fault," said Kairi though inside, she was dreading how she was going to explain to Mickey what happened to his dog.

Her words finished; Elsa turned back to her sister. "Come on, Anna," she said as she placed an arm around her sister's shoulder.

They walked side by side towards the doors to the balcony. With a gesture from Elsa, the doors opened. They continued outside, leaned on the railing, and looked out at the spectacular view in front of them. Elsa gestured once again and closed the doors.

From what she had seen of the scene in front of her, Kairi couldn't help but be reminded of the better times of the past. Her heart ached as she remembered how she always watched the sunsets on the Play Island with Sora and Riku.

It ached even further as the dream about Sora vanishing from her side as they watched the sun set entered her mind. And in less than an hour, a similar fate would befall Anna and Elsa as they would be unable to do anything together ever again.

If there was anything Kairi knew, given all that she had experienced especially from recent events, nothing hurt more than being separated from the ones you held dear.

Notes from the Mad Doctor:

Boy, I certainly ramped up the angst here. Like I said, I'm a little uncertain about the quality of this chapter so I hope you all enjoyed it, nonetheless.

Although the movie does make it seem that there were no casualties of Elsa's eternal winter (ironically thanks to a certain nasty prince from the Southern Isles), it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that some weren't so fortunate to survive. That lead to the perfect villain motivation for the Order of the Flame and the perfect psychological weapon to use against Elsa since we all know that her worst fear is someone getting hurt because of her powers.

If you didn't notice, I threw in a few more references to songs from the Broadway show namely Colder by the Minute, Dangerous to Dream and Monster.

I do apologize for another dialogue heavy chapter with little action. But I believe that some good drama can make up for lack of action.

Next chapter contains a very shocking turn of events as well as a revelation about one of the mysteries that this fic has established.

I give my thanks to everyone who read this chapter and special thanks to Tonks Rocks23 for their review. I also give my thanks to anyone who read my other stories as well.

Reviews are much appreciated! Stay tuned!