(1am; Day of Alignment)
The wind whipped through the trees of the forest with a cold more bitter than usual.
The ground being walked upon felt hollow, and the universe felt as if it was taking its last dying breath.
Garth clutched the reins of his horse, as he lead the army of wielders down a rocky forest trail.
He snapped his fingers to the right, alerting Xavier to ride up beside him.
"My canteen, Xavier." He barked.
"Yes Sir." Xavier said, hastily passing the leather canteen up to his leader.
Garth gulped down the water like an untrained dog, then tossed the canteen back. He shook his head, as if to snap himself out of a daze.
"Sir Garth...are you feeling well?" Xavier asked wearily.
"The imbalance is at its most powerful today, my magic is weakening." Garth said, masking his worry with irritation.
"Don't fret Sir, you have the wielders to back you, and we will fight until we eliminate this threat." Xavier exclaimed.
"At least I know my brother's magic is suffering as well, that should give us an advantage. The wielder's have tracked the imbalance to the valley of trolls— that's where we will strike; that's where I'll save this universe." He gloated coldly.
Garth tugged at his reins to propel the horse faster, shooting a glance over his shoulder as he did, "And Xavier, I don't 'fret'."
Hannah shifted uncomfortably on the rock she was sitting on.
Upon arriving at the Troll Valley, everyone was left with nothing to do except wait for the wishing star alignment. With a few hours remaining until three in the morning, Hannah had wandered off alone to clear her mind.
She had to mentally prepare herself to leave—or rather, WANT to leave— this place that she had dreamed about for nearly half her life.
If her wish wasn't genuine, she feared it might not be strong enough to send both her and Jess home, even with the strength of the fandom from the other side.
Hannah tried to convince herself, but her mind kept wandering. She groaned putting her head in her hands.
"Hey, are you okay?" Elsa questioned gently, taking a seat next to Hannah.
Hannah uprighted immediately with surprise.
"Oh yeah I'm fine, just kinda anxious for the alignment, I guess." She said looking at Elsa and then staring down at her lap.
"Oh, well we've done everything we can to prepare, I'm sure everything will turn out okay." Elsa said tilting her head and lowering it to catch Hannah's glance. "Is it Garth you're worried about?" She asked.
It would have been an easy out to say 'yes' in response, but Hannah decided to be brave and confide in Elsa with the fear that had been suffocating her for weeks.
"Elsa," She started, tears welling up in her eyes, "I don't know if... if I want to go home." She blinked back the tears, a feeling of shame washing over her.
Elsa looked perplexed to say the least.
"What about your family, and your home?" She asked. "That's always been the goal, to get you home."
Hannah closed her eyes and shook her head. She knew how selfish it was.
"All I ever wanted was to be with you," Hannah cried out of frustration and heart ache, "To be with you and Anna and Kristoff and Olaf and Sven. That's what all of us have ever wanted— everyone in the fandom, I mean." She added awkwardly.
"Back home we have to live in a world where you don't exist, and I know it's selfish, but I don't want to go back. I'm a nothing there." Hannah sighed, completely defeated.
Elsa shifted closer and placed her hand consolingly on top of Hannah's.
"I'm sorry. I had no idea you felt like this, but... you know we have no choice."
As if on cue, the sky exploded with thunder.
The Queen looked up at the source of the noise, wincing at its volume.
"The universe is collapsing under our feet, Hannah." Elsa warned.
She glanced back down to witness Hannah with her head in her hands again.
Elsa sighed. "I know how hard this must be, but you have to find a way within yourself. You're not a nothing. You and Jess are some of the most fierce and strong-willed girls I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, and a part of me will always be with you, no matter what universe you reside in."
The soothing tone of her voice and the sincerity of her words extinguished the conflict that had been eating away inside for weeks. Hannah was left with no choice but to believe her.
She looked Elsa in the eyes this time. "Really?" She said in a broken voice.
"Of course, I promise." Elsa smiled warmly.
Hannah blinked back tears. "I love you." She sniffled.
"I love you too." Elsa beamed, squeezing her hand.
"I've looked up to you since I was eleven years old." Hannah said.
"I'm honored. That's quite a long time." Elsa admired.
"Not as long as thirteen years." Hannah giggled in spite of herself.
Elsa's face dropped immediately into a look of unpleasant surprise. "Wait, you... know about that?"
Hannah flashed her a look of terror, and promptly darted away like a dear in the headlights.
In retrospect, it was probably not the best reaction to her little slip up.
Although Hannah and Jess had revealed during an earlier dinner that they knew about Elsa and Anna's past, it didn't quite register in Elsa's mind exactly what that meant.
Elsa wasn't sure how to feel about it, but figured she should just shrug it off.
Suddenly, her thoughts were whisked away by a dubious sound echoing in the distance. Wary of its predicted source, Elsa darted toward the main encampment.
At the center of the valley, Hannah came bounding down over the short rock ledges screeching to a halt at Jess's side.
"Hey, how are we on time?" She asked, still a little winded from her departure from the previous situation.
Jess glanced up at her. "Benji told me we were about two hours from alignment."
For once the thought of the alignment didn't shoot anxiety pains into her mind. "How are you feeling about it?" Hannah asked.
"I'm scared, honestly. I don't know what's going to happen." The Aussie revealed, lowering her eyes.
"Well, if you go down, we all go down." Hannah joked, sensing that this time, her friend needed the cheering up instead of the other way around.
Jess chuckled.
"How comforting." She uttered sarcastically.
"Where are the others?" Hannah inquired, missing them in her scan around the area.
"Anna and Kristoff are over there," Jess pointed a finger at a small congregation of Anna, Kristoff, and his troll family, "and Benji is laying down in one of the tents. He wasn't feeling well, I think the imbalance is affecting him."
Hannah intended to go check on Benji, but stopped as Elsa arrived abruptly behind them. Her face was tense and stricken with rain drops that were beginning to pour.
"I think they're here," she stuttered, "Garth's army!" Elsa wiped the water droplets from her brow. "We have to get the people to safety now!"
Hannah's breath quickened as she eyed Jess who had a similar reaction.
NO. THEY WERE SO CLOSE TO THE ALIGNMENT.
"ANNA!" Elsa called after her sister, racing towards her with the girls following closely behind.
Anna turned quickly to meet Elsa, understandably worried. "Elsa, what's wrong?"
"It's The wielders. I think they're here." She replied.
"Are you are sure?" Kristoff stood, holding his arm up to shield himself from the now pelting rain.
"I'm positive." Elsa said, finally convincing herself as well.
"We have to lead the people to safety." Anna insisted.
"There's no time." A voice sounded from behind the group. It was revealed to be Benji, as he stood propping himself up with a walking stick.
"They're not far, I can sense my brother's presence. We must prepare to hold them off until three in the morning passes."
Anna shook her head exasperatedly. "We can't expect all these civilians to fight in a huge battle. What about the children and the elderly?!"
"Anna's right," Elsa agreed, "The trolls can lead the people and you all away from here while I hold them off with my powers."
"WHAT?! Absolutely not Elsa! You can't face an entire army of magic alone." Anna screeched, her clothes sopping wet.
"There's less than two hours until the alignment, I can hold them that long." Elsa said.
"Sorry but we'll have to pass on that, mate" Jess smirked, "If you go down, we all go down." She winked at Hannah.
Hannah laughed despite the pit in her stomach. "She's right, we're staying."
Elsa was about to put up more of a fight, but was cut off by the audible sounds of battle cries striking the air through the darkness.
Screams and panic arose amongst the people as Garth's army came bounding into view.
Once again, the Arendellians were a chaotic mess. Families tore out of the valley, while others just hid behind boulders, complete slaves to their shock.
"THERE THEY ARE!" Garth cried through the darkness of early morning.
Hannah's breath was shaking something fierce from both the piercing cold rain and demoralizing fear.
Elsa shot ice across the perimeter of the troll valley, separating them from the wielders.
One would have thought that would buy them some time, but the army shattered the bold wall within minutes with a blast of magic.
Elsa, a little surprised, instantly switched to a new tactic of shooting ice shards directly at the soldiers.
Arrows came flying over their heads into the field around them.
"TAKE COVER!" Kristoff yelled for his family and the civilians.
"HOW DARE YOU SHOOT AT MY SISTER!" Anna cried, hoisting a crossbow onto her shoulder and launching an arrow at them.
Hannah looked at Jess, her eyes screamed 'Where did she get that?!'
"What the—?!" Jess started.
"No time to talk, the packed weapons are over there." Anna nudged her head over to a wagon stocked with swords, axes, and crossbows.
"Well that's convenient." Hannah remarked.
The ground suddenly began to tremble with earthquake-like waves.
"Oh GOD-" Hannah mouthed, as the troll valley crumbled and split apart right down the middle.
A ravine resembling the one at the safe lodge became visible through the rock bed, separating Elsa and the others on the other side.
Jess and herself bolted toward the cart in a crouch-like run.
The ice harvesters clenched pickaxes in their hands, striking the ground to stop from falling into the crevice.
The mounted wielders rode down into the valley finally, most getting taken out by Elsa.
The Queen knelt behind an ice fort she had built for cover, trying to convince herself this was just another snowball fight with Anna.
Garth dismounted his horse and crept off to the side lines. It would have been impossible to identify him from the rest through the blackness and rainfall.
He set his sites on Jess and Hannah who were diving for cover behind the weapons cart.
A nasty smile distorted the scar on his face, as he spit out cold rain from his lips, preparing to engage.
"I've always wanted to fight with a real sword!" Jess exclaimed, swinging one above her head.
Hannah sat crouched, remaining less bloodthirsty than her friend.
A deep shriek pierced the air as a wielder was impaled by one of Elsa's icicles.
The ice went straight threw him like a skewer, red blood trickling down his clothes and out his mouth, barely visible in the pitch black.
"Oh my god..." Jess whispered, the sword slipping out of her hand.
"So that's what it looks like to... die." Hannah said a little too bluntly.
"No, THIS is what it looks like—"
Garth seized Jess around the body and threw her onto the ground.
With his dark magic sword in hand, he took a swing at her chest.
"NOOOOO!" Hannah screeched, jumping on Garth and knocking him into the edge of the wagon.
Jess laid unharmed, completely frozen in fear.
Garth groaned from the impact, clawing at Hannah as she tried to get away from his grasp.
He knee'd her in the side in an effort to stop her struggling. She heard one of her ribs crack, and screamed out in raw pain.
Garth held her against the back of the wagon, his eyes glowing a deep purple hue as bloodlust magic flowed through his veins.
Hannah cried as Garth lowered his face to her ear.
"This is the part where I rid your disgusting existence from this universe," He spoke through the pounding raindrops, "I suppose I should thank you, for making me a powerful hero, but I only hope that before you die, you feel nothing but hollow."
Garth reared his blade back, licking his lips as if he was a starving man about to devour a feast, and swung down.
Hannah squeezed her eyes shut and didn't dare open them again until she saw light.
Garth suddenly cried out in pain as someone knocked his knee out.
Benji smashed his brother in the side of the head with his walking stick while he stood up to retaliate.
Blood ran down Garth's cheek with the rain.
"You'd fight your own brother for this wench?" He smirked, both of them weakening with every passing moment.
"To the death." Benji spat back.
"Suit yourself."
He swiped his sword up from the ground in one swift motion, catching Benji off guard.
Garth pulled back and rammed the sword into Benji's torso, stifling him.
An ear splitting cry echoed through the frosty air, as he fell to the ground, completely still.