Brief author notes at the end, as always.

-ooo-

Chapter VIII

Black Heart

-ooo-

They spent the way back to Arendelle in silence. Untold matters hung over their heads, but none dared to speak. Anna's hand held to her own through the entirety of their improvised voyage.

Elsa's heart sank as she thought about what would come next. About what she would need to do.

Her grip tightened.

-ooo-

Anna felt a little uncomfortable: she wasn't used to having this many visitors on her private quarters. Honeymaren sat by the hearthstone, slowly boiling some dried herbs in a little pot, while Yelana and Ryder finished unpacking their stuff. Matthias stood in a corner, accompanied by Kai, in case any of them were needed.

The Northuldran elder began to examine Elsa's injuries up-close. She ran her fingers delicately over the black roots on her arm and chest with a deepening scowl. Muttering to herself, she looked over Elsa pupils by pulling on her eyelids.

"How long as she been like this?" She asked, backing off.

"For what we know, it must be months." Anna answered, pained.

Yelana shook her head measuredly.

"She is extremely weak. Her magic's heart has kept her alive, but I'm guessing she won't endure much longer. The wounds are of a magical nature, as your medic has pointed out, but I have never seen anything like this, or at least not in this manner."

She hummed quietly, deep in thought.

"I'm out of my depths, I'm afraid." She confessed. The Queen looked nervously at her. "But… there may be something I can do to know more. Elsa's conscious, but her… sickness, you may call it, has her mind trapped inside her body. I may be able to catch some of her memories, like echoes carried by the winds."

Dear Gods… Anna thought. How much had her sister endured over the last months? Her own struggles paled compared to what Elsa must've been through.

The grey-haired woman hovered over Elsa's pale body. She extended her hands and began a rhythmic, soft chant. The candles on the nightstand and the tables began to waver, like an invisible hand passed over them. Gale's soft fly quietened, and even Bruni was lulled out of his frantic behavior. Soon, their movements synched up with the eerie, hard words that Yelana sang.

Elsa gasped, her chest jerking up briefly. Anna's brows shot up in surprise, but her sister did not move again, nor did she open her eyes.

When the chanting ended, the room retook its warmth.

The Queen had begun to pace nervously across the bed's feet. As she walked, Bruni began to follow her like a puppy, as if he was trying to catch her feet. Half-smiling, she grabbed him, allowing him to climb up her shoulders.

Yelana's hand touched Elsa's forehead. She stayed like that for a while with her eyes closed.

"Svart Stein…" She uttered, quickly retracting her hand. She sighed, glancing worriedly at Anna. "That's all I can sense."

"What does that mean?"

"In the old dialects, it means 'Black Stone'. It refers to an old story, your Grace, from ancient times."

Anna's mind snapped at those words.

It can't be… Heart racing, she quickly reached for the bag Matthias had given her, stuck in the drawer of her vanity, where she kept Elsa's letters. Matthias and Kai's eyes followed her as she bolted across her room. She handed the little bag to the Northuldran leader, who seemed rather unnerved at the sight she presented.

"Did you mean something like this?" Anna inquired. Yelana's scowl deepened as she took the little rocks from the Queen's hands. She examined them long. Even Ryder and Honeymaren's attention had shifted, surprise and even a tinge of fear clear on their stares.

"Anna… where did you find these?"

"Matthias brought it from the mountain were they held Elsa. She had them with her." Her General confirmed with a nod.

"Of course she would." Yelana said. "She must've sensed its power." She took one of the rocks, holding it against the candlelight so Anna could see it more clearly.

"This, your Majesty, it's called obsidian. An extremely rare mineral, believed lost centuries ago. Legends often associate it with dark magic, probably the same the Black Sorceress you've encountered wields."

"How do you know all that?" Anna asked, more than a little surprised.

"Before we settled on the Enchanted Forest, your Grace, our people were nomads. We travelled following the guiding stars, until we found the source of magic in this world, Ahtohallan. Myths of those times have been preserved by my, or more accurate, our ancestors.

After your encounter in Corona, I've been investigating a little into those old stories."

"Can you use them to help her?"

The woman shook her head. "I don't know if they can be used at all, your Majesty… but I can try to carry out a test, of sorts." She quickly added, to counter Anna's falling expression.

Yelana lifted the stone, chanting again. The words were slightly different, Anna noted, but all the same, Gale and Bruni fell into a short-lived trance once again. After she finished, the elderly woman huffed grumpily. "It seems it does respond to our call." She turned to face the redhead.

"If I'm correct, we may be able to extract the shadow magic from her body and into the stone, like the poison off a wound. But we must prepare her body for such a rite."

She took a handful of the herbs Ryder had unpacked to Honeymaren, giving her some additional instructions before coming back to Elsa.

"What can I do?" Anna asked eagerly. Yelana cracked a little, soft smile.

"Nothing for the moment, your Grace. You may keep us company, if you so desire. After all, we're in your chambers."

The redhead decided to sit on one side of the bed, holding Elsa's unscarred hand. Her chest raced a little, the need for sleep long forgone. After a while, a loud ringing came from the outside. It was the dawn bells, signaling the opening of the fjord.

Is it morning already? Anna noted offhandedly.

"Your Majesty," Kai began, stepping closer to her, "you've a meeting with the head of the merchant guilds in an hour. Should I begin to prepare your study?"

Anna barely shook her head, her eyes transfixed on her sister. The steward sighed to himself.

"I'll send Gerda with some breakfast for you and your guests, your Majesty." He informed her as he left the room, followed by Matthias.

-ooo-

After taking Rapunzel to the castle's infirmary, both she and Anna crashed in the Queen's bed. Elsa felt unreasonably tired, but her magic gave her stamina and endurance beyond any human boundaries. Her sister, however, was not as fortunate. She passed out almost immediately, curled in Elsa's arms.

She lay awake, looking into the blue ceiling.

The events of the last weeks paraded inside her mind. What did Falax and his cohorts want? Who was the enemy sorceress? And above anything else: what was the connection between their powers? She could remember it, crystal clear, the voice she heard. It was a call she was familiar with: the allure of nature, the siren's call for those bound by magic. The words it whispered had warned her. Was it all an elaborate ruse?

If she focused hard enough, she could sense it, across perhaps the whole continent. Its presence, waiting for her, as Ahtohallan once did.

She needed answers; and justice, for her murdered relatives. She wasn't naïve enough to believe the call she felt was benign in nature. It was dark magic, wielded by a tyrant and its servant.

A heated argument inside her head ran its course. She tried to convince herself that there could be another way. Nevertheless, every time she tried to weight the pros and cons of her options, they led to the same place. Wasn't this her own call? To bring balance to the worlds of nature and man. Only one thing was certain. She could not stay put: the attack on Corona had set something huge in motion, and her duty was clear.

Protect the Forest. Protect Arendelle.

It was no use to try and delude herself, she realized. The answer was perfectly clear. And she knew, it would break Anna's heart.

-v-

She hadn't expected what occurred on the Council Room the next morning.

Anna had called an emergency meeting with whomever members were at the Capital that day. She had been intrigued about such hastiness, but soon knew why, when she saw Lady Varin on one end of the table. Many of the other members of the Council were present: the always steady Lord Grenn, General Matthias, General Dunarr and Lord Ettan, who had arrived to the city the day before.

Her heart jumped when she realized why Anna had called the meeting. When they had gone to Corona, they had taken with them a couple of ministers, as per customary. Lady Varin's husband, Lord Torren, and his brother, Lord Yorren.

She couldn't remember what had happened to them, but Anna did.

"They fell under Falax's swords." Her sister said bitterly after explaining the events of Rapunzel's crowning. "They were on the other side of the room, but I saw them. I'm so very sorry, Lady Varin… we couldn't help them…"

She stared at the councilor from the throne's side. The old noblewoman had paled, covering her mouth with a shaking hand. Without excusing herself, she left the room in a hurry, but her faint whimpers echoed in the ample hall long after she was gone. Lord Grenn bolted from his seat, offering a quick look to the Queen as an apology before leaving after the Lady.

"As of now…" Anna continued after a few minutes, "we must take what happened in Corona as an attack on the Crown. We'll meet tomorrow at morning again to discuss the preparations to make sure nothing like that repeats here…"

Elsa left the Council Room quietly as Anna became busy with the discussions on the matter.

It's better this way, she thought as she walked through the castle's halls, towards the hidden dock.

-ooo-

Elsa screamed. Never in her worst nightmares could she have imagined such terrifying, horrible sounds.

She clenched her teeth so hard her whole jaw ached. Elsa's desperate yells and half-conscious cries were unbearable. She had to leave to get some air, even if a part of her yelled not to leave her side. Leaning against the corridor's wall, Anna covered her mouth, trying to calm her own pitiful sobs. Her arm stung from where her sister's nails had struck blindly in her despair.

The mad screams died down eventually, and all she could do was to lean back and breath unevenly, trying to calm her wrecked nerves.

Yelana left the room, shaking her head sadly as she closed the door. Sweat shone on her aged skin. "It's no use, your Majesty. I will not try again: she is suffering too much. Every time I attempt to infuse the crystal with the corruption, it resists. It is like a parasite that defends itself when we try to remove it from its host. It seems to respond to the spirit's call, but I can't force it out."

Anna's tiny hopes flattened completely. Her legs felt suddenly weak. If Yelana could not help, who could?

"Your Majesty." The Northuldran said. "Your letter mentioned a captive your General brought. Has he said anything of use to us?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." She replied, disappointed.

So far, the prisoner had not given up, stubbornly enduring her Sargent's punishment. Matthias and Kai approached her from the hall's other end, worry clear on both their faces.

"Perhaps…" Yelana muttered.

"What is it?" Anna asked anxiously.

"There may be a way. There are certain plants and roots that, when mixed together, can muddle the mind. Their use is to ease the pain of severe injuries, like the one we brewed for our Protector, but if it is combined in a certain way, it serves as a sort of mild sedative, just strong enough to confuse and weaken someone's will. The only problem is the smell. If he suspects foul play, he may find a way around it. A mage's body can withstand hunger and thirst better than most."

Their little group fell silent.

"We can mix it with spiced-wine." Matthias offered after a little while. "I can tell him his execution has been approved, and give him the wine as a sort of last gift, courtesy of the Queen's mercy. That way he won't suspect a thing."

They all looked at her, waiting on her word.

"Do it." She ordered. Matthias exchanged a quick look with Yelana so she would follow him.

"Wait!" Anna called. "I'll go with you. To make it more believable. I don't want him shutting us down again." She explained.

"A sound idea, your Grace." Matthias nodded approvingly.

-ooo-

The dungeons were more crowded than ever. Rows of dirty men whistled and shouted as she walked towards the last cell, but she ignored them. The guards swung their little wooden clubs at them, but to little effect. This time she couldn't hide below a black cloak: she wore the full attire of the Queen: a long, deep-blue dress complete with her cape and the thin silvery tiara she used when addressing audiences or public events. Yudris opened the cell with a soft cry of the iron bars.

Her stomach turned as she took on the man's frail, lacerated figure. His tattoos were barely visible under the many cuts and bruises on his arms. She could see too how prominent his ribs had become against the skin of his brown chest.

The Sargent slapped him awake. Anna had to force herself not to glance away. With practiced ease, she put on a mask of contempt and arrogance, the same she wore every time she had to deal with some stubborn dignitary.

"Idris of Faraxia." She began. "You've failed to comply with our demands. Your acts, in the eyes of the Crown, have become an act of deliberate sabotage, in a time of war." She kept her jaw hard, practically spiting the words. If she wanted him to fall for the ruse, she'd need to be convincing.

She waved her hand. Sargent Yudris and one of the jailors stepped forward, taking the shackles of him but keeping him in a tight lock, holding him by the arms.

The mage coughed, clearly disoriented. Eventually, he glared at her.

"Will you do it? Execute me personally?" He barely stifled another fit of hard, ragged coughs. "My… I didn't think you had it in you."

She saw it in the amusement in his voice. He didn't believe her.

Anna's eyebrows sunk further. "As I said, this is war." She replied dryly. "I, Queen Anna the First, sovereign monarch of Arendelle and the Northern Straits, sentence you to die by hanging. Your execution will be carried out tonight, as per Arendellian law."

The mage stared at her through a swelled eye. Anna couldn't tell if he was suspicious. His whole body, strangely enough, seemed to relax at her words.

She threw a wineskin to his knees, along with a piece of hard bread and some cheese.

"A parting gift. I'm, after all, not without mercy. Once the night bells have tolled, my guards will escort you to the castle's courtyard." Yudris released the mage from his hard grip, but she could tell he kept an eye on him, should he try anything funny.

"Do it now." The prisoner asked. He pointed to the sword on her belt with his chin. "Or can't you?"

She twisted her upper lip, trying to convey as much disgust as she could.

"You'll die as I see fit. You don't get to choose." She stopped for effect. "I hope it was worth it." She declared with finality.

The mage smirked at her, taking the skin with a trembling hand. She noticed a few of his teeth missing.

"To your health, then." He cheered, taking a huge gulp. "Say hello to Falax for me, would you? Or even better, tell him to go to hell." Even in his broken state, the young Queen felt inclined to smack that crooked smile off his face.

"Your death will be an example. As for your King… I will see him die myself." She promised, waving to her guards again. Idris chuckled, taking another sip.

Scowling, she left the cell with a swush of her long cape. Nevertheless, she smiled through the loud, nasty wolf-calls of the other prisoners.

He had taken the bait.

-v-

Matthias came with Yudris a few hours later to get her from her room. Along with Yelana, they hurried down to the barracks. She elevated a silent prayer to whatever deity may be listening. She needed this to work.

They had taken the mage into the upper level of the barracks. He sat on a tiny chair, with his eyes closed and his arms hanging on his sides. Some of her Royal Guards stood around the room's entrances, covering too the stairs that led to the cells below.

"He started mumbling to himself just a minute ago." Her officer explained. The prisoner's head wobbled a tiny bit each time he breathed. He looked like he was just about to pass out.

"It may have worked, your Grace." Matthias speculated.

Only one way to know, Anna thought. She nodded to the Sargent.

"What's your name?" Yudris asked, holding up his head by the chin. The mage glared back at him with numb eyes.

"Yegen…" he sputtered, his words dragging.

Anna's brow furrowed. "Wasn't your name Idris?" she inquired. Did it fail? She wondered, a little scared. The man's head gave a tiny shake.

"Tadeus gave me that name…" he trailed off. It took him a few moments to regain his wits.

King Tadeus. Falax's father, Anna remembered.

"We must ask him right away, your Majesty. We don't know how long will he be affected." Yelana hushed. She nodded, addressing the prisoner once more.

"My sister's injuries. Elsa's sickness. How can we cure it?" She asked firmly. "How can we use the black stones?"

The mage stared dumbly at her, seemingly having trouble to even articulate.

"Equilibrium." He finally said. "Balance. We… we know little about Onix's magic, but it does work the same as… as any magic. To gain, you must lose… The law of nature…" His head hung down, and a little drool fell from his lips.

"The… the exchange." He managed. "It must be equal…"

From the corner of her eyes, she could see Yelana's severe frown.

"It makes sense to you?" Anna asked, impatient.

The woman stroke her chin in contemplation. "A little. I must think further about it."

From her troubled, distant stare, however, Anna could see she wasn't telling what she truly thought. Yelana left the room. Matthias looked at her, puzzled, but she shrugged her shoulders.

"Taking him downstairs." She ordered her guards.

-v-

Anna found her in the gardens, sitting on one of the benches of white stone, supporting both her hands with her wooden staff. The wind spirit flew happily around the lonesome, shed twigs of the trees, carrying some of the auburn leaves with him. The Queen stood a few feet away, waiting.

"Ask away, your Majesty." Yelana's lips set into a thin, hard line.

"You know what he meant, don't you? You know how to cure her."

Yelana's eyes followed Gale's fluid movements.

"I think I do, yes. But what it could cost us…" She finally replied in an even voice.

"What're we waiting for, then?" Anna inquired. The other woman stood up, shaking her head. She tapped her staff twice against the floor, calling for Gale to come.

"No, your Grace. To even think of something like that…"

For a moment, Anna wanted to shake the elderly woman. "Yelana…" she began, trying to appease her flared nerves, "please. What is it?"

A golden stare examined her before answering.

"Your Majesty… there's something you must know. As your prisoner said, every living creature lives in a delicate balance. Nature's forces run through all of us, and some – like Elsa – get to wield their most powerful gifts. Yet, we are all chained, you could say, to its laws. We are given life, and we must return it, eventually. To gain something, you must give something in return."

"Yeah, I got that. But what does it mean?" She practically whined.

"I fear that… in order to help Elsa, a sacrifice must be made."

"Anything." Anna said immediately.

Yelana gazed at her wearily. "We don't know what could happen if I were to attempt such a thing…"

"We have to try, at least." She answered.

"I don't think you understand what I mean exactly, your Majesty." She scolded her. "I'm talking about taking the corruption in Elsa's body and infusing it into another, living person. I think that's what the mage tried to make us infer."

Anna nodded resolutely. "Then we must try. I'm ready."

Yelana scowled.

"You must be joking, you Majesty." She said dryly.

"Not with this. Ever. If there's even a slim chance of helping Elsa, I'll take it. No matter what."

"Perhaps we could try it with someone else first…" Yelana proposed tentatively. "I'd be willing to do it myself, and I'm sure Honey…"

Anna's gaze hardened. "No. No way. I will not risk anyone else's life for this. I'll try first."

The Northuldran elder pondered over what to say next.

"With all due respect, your Majesty, but have you even considered what would happen if you were to fall to the sickness?" Yelana countered, her eyes equally hard. "What would happen to your subjects, and your kingdom, if you are not here to guide them, and fight for them?"

Anna's heart twisted painfully. Of course she knew. But how was this any different than her incursion north?

Elsa was the key. It ashamed her to admit it, but part of the reason she wanted so desperately to find her sister was so she could help her win the war, for only she could. Outmatched in almost every aspect, Elsa would be the tipping point. It sickened her just to think of her like that, but the harsh reality didn't give her any other choice. No matter how many battles she fought, in the end it wouldn't matter, if their Protector could not turn the tide. And more than that, so much more than that, all she wished for herself was to see Elsa. Not withering away, nor fixed in bed. She wished to see her alive and well; to hear her laugh, and to dive into the oceanic depths of her blue eyes once more. Nothing else mattered.

Her choice was no choice at all. Elsa was her kingdom's only chance. She had to recover, too, for her own sanity's sake.

"Anyone can do what I do." She declared. "But no one can do what she does. She is way more important than me, for both our worlds."

Yelana looked at her before shaking her head. "You know that's not true, your Majesty. Your people look up to you, now more than ever. You must know that."

"I do. But I'm willing to take the chance. This may be our only hope. Elsa's only hope… I won't risk another life but my own."

Yelana sighed profusely. She stared at the redhead long and hard, before sighing again.

"That's what I feared…"

"One try." She conceded. "If it fails, we'll figure some other way." The woman's last sentence did not sound convincing.

Anna was aware of it. This was it.

-ooo-

"Where do you think you're going?"

Elsa turned, startled.

"Did you think I didn't see you sneak out like that?" Her sister claimed. Both her arms were crossed over her chest, her foot tapping the wooden floor of the dock. Anna's right eyebrow quirked up.

She sighed, defeated.

"I didn't want to bother you. I'm going back to the Forest, to inform Yelana of what happened. Perhaps they may know something about that sorceress." She replied. She wasn't lying, per se. She only left out the part with which Anna would have a problem.

"I'm coming too." The Queen said, her voice's tone not giving room for debate.

Elsa opened her mouth to reply, but the words failed her. Her throat had suddenly gone dry. She nodded, turning back to summon Nokk through the fjord.

As they rode over the spirit's snowy, sturdy back, she felt Anna's hands hugging her across her belly, her head cradled against her shoulder plates. Guilt rose inside, almost choking her.

Mother, give me strength, she prayed.

-ooo-

She sat on Elsa's side. On the other side of the room, Honeymaren had begun to draw shut the curtains of her room. She looked over her sister. Carefully, she took one loose bang off her face. Even with short hair, Elsa was beautiful. So, so beautiful There was no contest. It hurt her, to see so much of her charm drained away by the black sickness that entangled her.

Soon, sis, she promised. This will work. It must.

"Here, your Majesty." Yelana's voice broke her musings. The elderly woman handed her a steaming mug made of bone. The redhead sniffled at it, scrunching her nose at the foul, stingy smell.

"It will help your body prepare, I hope. Drink it all, so we can begin."

She forced the contents down her throat, making an effort not to gag over the sour taste.

"Hold the stone with your palm flat against your chest, your Grace. If anything goes awry, I want you to drop it. We cannot risk losing both of you." Yelana warned. Anna could see it in her measured gestures: how doubtful she was about this.

We have to try. I have to try, Anna thought, steeling her resolve. She nodded, taking in a deep breath. She had a gut feeling: this would not be painless.

Clumsily, she unbuttoned her dress and put the stone against her chest. Curiously, the obsidian did not felt cold, as she had expected. Instead, it felt warm.

Like earlier in the morning, the room stilled as Yelana's words stringed together into a rhythmic chant.

"Take her hand." Honeymaren told her. "Be ready."

She exhaled, unable to keep her anxiety in check. Yelana's words were soon seconded by Honeymaren and Ryder's, elevating the chant into a crescendo.

First it came as a tingle, a series of tiny goosebumps running up her arm. Then she felt the heat: a rush of hotness, deep beneath her skin.

That warmth soon exploded. She curled, her forehead almost touching her knees.

Her chest burned. She gasped, suddenly out of breath. It burned like nothing she had felt before: not even the injuries of battle came remotely close. Hot pain slowly crawled under her skin, like snails blindly looking for something inside her body. Her heart hammered below her ribcage. She was startled. This was no ordinary pain: somehow, it felt alive, like a foreign consciousness seeping into her nerves and blood. For a moment even, she could've sworn the presence sang as it entered her. In between the tears, she looked at Elsa, and her heart skipped a beat.

It's working! She noticed through her pain-crushed mind. The dark tendrils retracted from her body.

And entered hers.

She held tight to the obsidian like her life depended on it. Perhaps it did, but she couldn't tell.

Her body began to change. She closed her eyes, not daring to look into her own chest. The sickness crawled its way into the stone, setting ablaze the flesh it pierced. Yelana's words fell on deafened ears.

For Elsa, she thought shakily. For her…

Resist. Resist…

Waves of burning pain radiated from her center. She couldn't tell how much time she endured, but to her brittled mind it could've been entire hours. She gasped for air, feeling increasingly dizzy. Pain flared all throughout her body, and her back arched like a whip.

Anna screamed. Her veins felt like molten fire, each beat of her heart making them burst anew.

The presence coiled inside her heart. She could've sworn she felt its hot, black thorns wrap around it.

The dark roots finally finished their road across her body. The heat and pain slowly settled inside the stone. Anna coughed, trying desperately to recover her breath, but her lungs did not cooperate fully. The room spun after she opened her eyes; she tried to stand up, but her legs failed her.

A pair of steady hands kept her from falling.

"Here, your Grace." She recognized Honeymaren's sweet voice. "It should help level your head. Small sips."

Anna nodded blindly, not daring to open her eyes just yet. She took little sips of the thick drink she was offered. When she finally felt safe enough, she gazed at her sister. There was a trail of scars on Elsa's arm and chest, but the skin had returned to its usual paleness. No darkness remained anywhere on her sister's body.

"Your Majesty…" Yelana's words were hesitant. "I think it's done."

Anna touched her chest, slowly palpating around the stone, now deeply entrenched into her skin.

"Why it didn't affect me as her?" She wondered aloud.

"I can't say for certain, Anna." Yelana said. "But I have at least a guess. If the black magic is truly alive, it may have chosen a more suitable host. One willing to accept it."

It didn't make much sense, but Anna didn't have the fortitude to think about it further. She breathed hard as the Northuldran helped her climb into one the grand chair on the other side of the bed.

"Will she wake up?" The redhead muttered.

"I do think so, your Majesty. Give it some time for her to adjust. She is still so very weak…" Yelana assured her. "So are you. I'll bring up your physician, so he can have a look at you."

Anna could not even nod. She began to doze off, her hand hanging on the armchair just above Elsa's.

-ooo-

The view of the Enchanted Forest alone was usually enough to lift her spirits. Not this time.

Most of the tall trees had shed, creating a sea of leafs below that shone brightly and proudly in its endless reds and oranges, all different from one another. Ever since the mists broke, the seasons had returned to the forest. Eternal fall gave way to a beautiful winter, and the winter gave way to a quiet spring, and so on. For her, the renewed cycle was more than a simple change in scenery: it was a symbol, proof of the balance she and her sister had managed to restore.

Her talk with Yelana and the other elders did not yield her any answers. The woman had promised her to look into it while she was gone. Defeated, she made her way back to the forest, where Anna waited. Gale, Bruni, and even Nokk had left. She guessed they sensed her distress.

She found her sister on a calm clearing, sat with her legs crossed. She smiled warmly when she saw her. Elsa's guilt became unbearable.

"Did they know about the Black Sorceress?" The redhead asked. Elsa just shook her head. All of a sudden, she began to notice all this details. The way Anna's hair drifted in the gentle autumn winds. How expressive were her eyes, how full of sympathy and just… so full of life and emotion. It was like she tried to ingrain those little bits deep into her psyche, like a memento for the lonely days to come.

"Let's head back, then. I want to get a head start for tomorrow's meetings." Anna said, beginning to walk towards the coast. Every step she took made the forest's floor crack under her boots.

Elsa hung her head.

"I'm not coming back with you." She stated, failing to hide her wavering tone.

Anna froze. She stood still. So very still. Teal eyes looked wide-eyed at her. First came the incredulity, and then the anger. She walked back to face her.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, her voice emptied of emotions. But Elsa could feel it, the clashing feelings rising inside the Queen.

"Nokk will take you home." She began. "I'll head east. Towards Faraxia."

"You're serious." Anna said, her features changing into a deadpan expression. Elsa cringed internally. How she feared and despised what would come next.

She took a step back, trying to keep calm. Instinctively, she hugged herself, like she used to do in the past. Her magic pushed inside her, waiting to be released, but she reined it in.

"It's my duty." She muttered. "I must know who that woman is. What does she want with us, so I can stop her."

"What about Arendelle? Will you leave the whole kingdom unprotected? And the forest, too?" Anna demanded, waving her hands to bluntly point at the trees that surrounded them.

Another step back.

"The forest can protect itself, if need be, and the kingdom is in good hands. Yours." She sentenced. "As long as they have you, everything will be fine. They'll come for us next, so I need to know how to defeat them. I'll come back as soon as I can. I promise." She tried to smile confidently at the redhead. Anna's brow furrowed deeper after those words.

"They are your people Elsa! You may not be Queen anymore, but they're still from Arendelle. We need you here, not in some foolish chase across half the known world!" Anna finished, her voice raising with each sentence.

The young blonde looked down. Before she could react, she heard Anna's loud footsteps close the distance between them, and her hands grabbed her by her shoulders.

"Elsa!" She shook her, trying to lock gazes with her. Whatever she saw on her eyes stopped her.

Trembling, she took Anna's hands. Gently, but firmly, she pushed her off. She only shook her head, 'cause she didn't trust her voice not to break.

"Do not leave me alone." Her sister half-cried, half-yelled.

Elsa's heart shattered into splinters. A tiny part of her wanted to shout back, wanted to retaliate. Didn't she saw how hard this was for her too? She didn't want to go… but duty came first.

It always came first.

"Damn you!" Anna shouted. "Why must you leave again? Why must you leave me again?"

The words were daggers. Elsa knew her sister was on edge since that night in Corona, but they hurt nonetheless. As they should. She wanted to embrace her, to go back on what she needed to do, but she could not.

"Elsa… sis… don't go. I…" Her heart almost stopped. "I lo…"

"Don't." She pleaded, interrupting her. Her gaze finally locked with Anna's, and she could feel her own bitter, broken tears fall. "I beg you. Don't."

Anna's eyes raged. Her lower lip trembled.

"I must go…" Elsa said in the tiniest voice, turning away.

Forgive me, she thought. Forgive me… forgive me…

She didn't look back, not even after she heard Anna falling on her knees, crying. She had to be strong.

She hated herself for it.

-ooo-

Something had changed.

She felt free. The hot, damp sickness that had clouded her for so long had miraculously left. She couldn't hear a thing. The foul, hateful voice was gone.

Around her, all she touched was soft.

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

I've gone mad, was Elsa first thought. After spending an eternity submerged in the clutches of the dark mists, her feeble mind had finally succumbed to the Black Sorceress' attack. It was the only logical explanation for what she saw.

Above her was the ceiling of the royal quarters. She could've recognized it anywhere: there were little flowery patterns Anna had painted by herself years ago, when they merged their sleeping quarters.

Anna…

She turned to look to her left.

Her heart spun wildly. It couldn't be. Perhaps she had died in the cave, and the heaven so many people preached about was real.

The very first thing she noted, in the dim morning light, was her chestnut hair, larger then she had ever seen it. It fell around her shoulders, an untamable waterfall of auburn locks. She was pale, too, and she had bags under her closed eyes.

"Anna…" she whispered, echoing her thoughts. Her throat felt dry, and the word rolled out of her tongue with a foreign feel, as if her body had somehow forgot how to speak. She didn't expect Anna to hear her, but she did.

She bolted right up, sending the book she had had on her lap flying into the floor.

Elsa's heart spun violently again.

When her sister turned to see her, her eyes wide as plates, Elsa saw the other set of changes. Across her sister's cheek was a scar: a violent line cutting vertically across her freckled skin. She had trouble believing this was real. After months of grueling travels… after her doomed fight in the mountain's heart, she had been certain she was done for. Somehow, fate had granted her last wish: to see Anna one last time… but if this was all just an illusion, why did her sister look so much older that when she left?

"Oh Gods… you're awake…" Anna's voice sounded raw and hoarse. Tears rapidly formed on her sister's teal eyes.

She tried to lift her hand and touch Anna's scar, but she could not. Her arms felt heavy. So heavy. Her whole body felt sore, and weak. So impossibly weak.

"W-what happened…?" She inquired, spelling the words out of her mouth with difficulty.

Anna slid down from her chair, kneeling on the bed's side.

"A fight in the North…" She chuckled.

Elsa studied the redhead's lovely face more closely. Then she felt it.

Wait…

Her eyebrows knitted together. She could sense it. The Black Stone, beating. So close to her… Startled, she locked gazes with her sister. Her sister's lips curved in a tiny, sad smile, devoid of any joy. She began to undo the top buttons of her dark-blue dress, sending Elsa's heart racing. Anna blushed a little as she did, stopping only shy of exposing her breasts.

Elsa's thin breath left her.

A heart of darkness…

All over her sternum, there was blackness. A tiny piece of the Black Stone was lodged in between her modest breasts, with the skin around it twisted, scarred, and covered in black veins, crisscrossing like a tangled web.

"Oh, Anna…" Elsa cried. Her vision finally blurred.

What kind of lunacy had consumed her world?

"Hush…" Anna whispered. "It's alright." New tears began to fall from her eyes. "You're alright now."

Slender, soft fingers caressed her cheeks, clumsily cleaning her tears. The redhead's little laugh was hesitant and short-breathed. Suddenly, her sister's arms shot forward, hugging her in a delicate, yet desperate embrace.

Elsa inhaled deeply as Anna cradled her. It was all she could do, given her weakness.

It was all she needed.

-ooo-

A.N.: A little bit late with this chapter. Been dealing with some insomnia for a while, which has been kicking my butt. You may find more spelling errors as well; I didn't have much time to proof-read this chapter.

Not to worry: next upload should go up next Sunday of Monday at the latest. Sometime around this week or the next, too, I will upload the first side story for TtS, so I hope you will give it a chance and enjoy it.

On the story's lore, I think we never got an explanation of the origin of the Northuldran people, so I made up my own. Thanks to all who have followed along so far. I hope what's to come won't disappoint. This chapter has been the hardest, and the most rewarding to write so far.

Until next time, cheers!