(A/N: So sorry for the mix up. I got too many dang files. HaHa. Thanks Haley's Comet 1 for the message. I appreciate it!)
CHAPTER FIVE: RETURN
The Northuldra natives became when Elsa's ice suddenly formed on their bow staffs. They questioned what was going on, but Yelena immediately understood when she could feel the seal on the forest weakening by the second and the dark spirits rushing them in the distance. The white haired elder stepped forward with a scowl, holding her staff in the air as she yelled loud for the others to hear, "Hold fast, children of the Enchanted Forest! Elsa's magic is fatal to the spirits and she has given us a fighting chance!"
The Northuldra heard the spirits rushing through the woods north of them, getting louder as they approached. Their eyes narrowed with determination as they stood ready for battles with their ice-covered bow staffs. Yelena continued to rally them with a loud cry, "They must not leave the Enchanted Forest. We draw a line in the dirt and hold them here!"
Dark Spirits ripped through the trees for the Northuldra. Honeymaren and Ryder were the first two to enter the fray, swinging or jabbing their bow staffs and instantly erasing spirits from existence. Others, feeling empowered, rushed in too, catching the spirits off guard.
One hissed, "What is this?! They wield the magic of the Ice Spirit like Elsa?!"
"Ignore them! Leave the forest and destroy the kingdom of Arendelle! The rest of the world will fall once Arendelle is nothing but rubble!" another spirit hissed. Many of the spirits flew overhead, rushing for the borders of the Enchanted Forest while many more remained to battle the Northuldra. A single spark of the Fire Spirit that Kristoff believed was dead drifted in the wind with spirits and headed for Arendelle.
Anna and Hans immediately sat up in bed when they heard noise coming from outside the glass door leading to the balcony. The closed curtain was waving ominously drawing Anna to it. Hans got up too and slowly followed his wife. "Anna? What is it?"
"Shh. There's something out there," she whispered back, before drawing back the curt and getting attacked by a spirit and pinned her against the wall. Hans rushed it to free her but the spirit struck him with a back handed swipe, sending him into the wall across the room. That was when the spark of the Fire Spirit, one of the four elder spirits, made its way to Anna. She panicked, trying to grasp the enemy's arm to break free but there was nothing to grab. The spark of the Fire Spirit entered through her chest, making her fall, gripping her chest painfully and screaming in agony. Hans rushed to the balcony when the spirits. All of Arendelle was under attack by spirits. The streets were filled with awakened citizens who were frightened and trying to fight back.
"Hans!" Anna winced behind him and he rushed to her and held her in her arms.
"What did that THING do to you?!" Hans demanded.
"I don't know, but- I'm burning! It hurts! It hurts, Hans!" Anna exclaimed painfully, louder than Elsa when she was giving birth and he and Anna had to hold Kristoff still in the next room.
"Just hold on. I got you," Hans said, picking her up and rushing out to help Anna and lead a counter defensive against these things attacking their home.
Elsa and Kristoff, astride the Water Spirit rode across the Dark Sea that Elsa froze as a show of strength for the Water Spirit to show she wasn't going to back down. She was still weary of the horse. Kristoff asked, "Why did the Water Spirit submit to you, Elsa, when the others attacked you?" She glanced down at the horse beneath them. "I- I don't know."
Elsa looked up when she saw a beautiful island. There were rocks and beautiful trees, but everything was made of ice. If Kristoff was impressed by her Ice Palace when she gave him that tour years ago, he was definitely pleased by the enormous ice sculpture of the paradise before them. Elsa smiled when she heard the voice calling her, "I hear it! I hear the Ice Spirit, Kristoff!"
As soon as they reached the shore, Elsa jumped off and ran for a nearby cave. Kristoff dismounted and followed as quickly as he could, which wasn't easy since it was Elsa. Elsa entered the entrance and stopped, giving him a chance to catch up. Suddenly, she was afraid. She was so close to answers to questions she had been asking herself her whole life. Now, she was about to discover them. She began to shake nervously but was calmed by Kristoff's loving arms wrapping around her from behind and his gentle whisper, "Go ahead, Elsa. I'll be right here."
She slowly stepped forward entering a tunnel. "Hello? Is anyone there?" her gentle voice echoed in the tunnel, "I'm…I'm here. I heard your voice. I came." She stuttered with her words, still nervous as she kept walking forward. "I'd like to learn about my past. Whatever there is to know." Her words were met with only a eerie silence that only knew the sound of the slight breeze blowing through. This irritated her, making her raise her voice louder. "I know you're here!"
She began to tear up as she looked down and muttered, "You have to be." This can't be it! "Please…show yourself! They said you had all the answers. Mother said…" She began to cry after she fell to her knees. Kristoff knelt behind her and hugged her, remaining silent. He knew how much this meant to Elsa and there was nothing he could say to sooth her disappointed, breaking heart.
She turned into his arms and wept into his chest, pounding on his shoulders with fists, "It's not fair! It's not fair!"
His eyes widened when he saw a light standing in the walls of the icy tunnel, shaped like a woman. "Elsa!" he whispered.
Her eyes widened when she saw it and quickly went to the wall. As she slowly raised her hand, the figure of light in the icy walls did the same, mimicking her. As soon as their hands met, Elsa learned Arendelle was in danger by the spirits and the figure of light rushed deeper into the tunnel like a blur as if frightened. "Wait. Wait! Who are you?! Where are you going?! Come back! Please! You have to help me save Arendelle!"
"Elsa, wait! I can't keep up!" Kristoff called far behind her, but she couldn't.
"Wait! Are you the one I've been searching for all my life?!" Following the light in the wall, she came to a large chamber and became mesmerized by a bright blue light. Kristoff caught up with her and noticed she was frozen still, "Elsa?"
Her eyes glowed the same color as the light and she began to walk towards the light, her eyes fixed on it and it alone. Kristoff tried to follow but couldn't when he stepped forward, he almost fell into a bottomless pit beneath the thin ice that Elsa was somehow able to walk on. "Elsa, come back! Elsa! ELSA!"
Elsa turned to him with glowing blue eyes, speaking with a divine voice that filled the chamber. The language he didn't recognize, but somehow understood. It was Elsa's mouth moving but not her voice, "All will be well, Kristoff Bjorgman. Be not afraid."
Kristoff was speechless as Elsa turned around and kept walking toward the light. She stopped beneath the light and stared at it before there was a flash of light that struck her unconscious and made her blonde hair become alive and float in the air as her limp body was lifted up to the light. Kristoff instinctively reached for her but could only watch the love of his life disappear into the bright blue light. The light conformed to Elsa's body shape. Elsa was now entirely a cold blue as if made into a living ice statue herself. The thin layer of ice all crumbled and exposed the bottomless pit and Elsa was lowered. A place to stand was instantly created for her at the top of the pit and the pathway materialized for her as she walked towards him.
Back in Arendelle, Anna and Hans led the Royal Guard against the spirits that attacked. The spirits just rematerialized as they slashed through with their swords. There was nothing they could do, but Anna wasn't going to let Hans face the enemy alone. She carried her sword and bared the pain inside as best as she could as she willed herself to stand and fight. A spirit struck Hans and Anna held his unconscious body and raised her sword defensively as the evil spirits surrounded them and the few of the Royal Guard left.
"Queen Anna of Arendelle," a voice within her spoke, "Your people will be eradicated by the spirits and your sister, Elsa, is in danger. You are suffering."
Anna became anxious, "No! I can't lose my home! I can't lose Elsa!"
"You won't. I can help. I can give you the power to save your people and your sister. I can take away your pain. All you have to do you lay down your sword and surrender your will to me," the voice offered.
There was another voice, her conscious warning her, but her fear for her people and Elsa was too loud. She closed her eyes and dropped her sword, alarming the Royal Guards.
"Your Majesty! What are you doing?! We can't give up!"
Anna stood and opened her eyes to reveal eyes of purple flame. The purple fire erupted from her body, covering all of Arendelle and vaporizing the spirits attacking Arendelle. When the smoke cleared, the Royal Guards saw Anna was gone.