Elsa's lifeless body lay face down on the floor of the Chamber of Emptiness. Freya stood over it and chuckled to herself, laughing at the idea that Elsa thought she was strong enough to stop her.
Freya tried to think about all of the things she could accomplish now that Elsa was no more, but her thoughts had abandoned her. She looked around to take in her surroundings. She knew that something wasn't right. They were in a circular chamber with perfectly smooth stone walls, the only way out other than the hole they dropped in through was a simple doorway that led to an icy corridor. Everything was dark green. Freya saw that the walls, the pebbles, even Elsa's skin and hair were tinged with the menacing green hue. Even so, Freya was filled with a sense of victory, even if she didn't know quite where she was. She looked down at Elsa's lifeless form and smirked.
But then, Elsa's body began to twitch. Freya hurriedly backed away in shock. Elsa placed one hand gingerly on the floor and slowly but surely rose to her feet. Freya raised her hands to use her powers to strike Elsa down, but to her shock and dismay, nothing happened. She tried again and again, but still, nothing. She tried to back off, but there was nowhere to go as Elsa stood between Freya and the door. Freya started to cower behind her raised arms.
Elsa stood up and put her hand to her forehead while briefly wincing in pain. As she too saw that everything was dark green, she realised that she must be in the Chamber of Emptiness. She held her hand in front of her face and tried to use her powers. She was not at all surprised to find that they wouldn't work. Elsa took a deep breath, relieved that she was at least alive. She turned to face Freya, who was cowering in terror.
Through the dark green of the chamber, Elsa could see that the flames around Freya were gone. Her irises and pupils were visible. Once again, she stood there clothed only in her red dress and red shoes.
"Where are we?" Freya asked, her voice trembling. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her head, and she instinctively put one hand on her forehead while taking a step forward. "What...what's happening to me?" she asked Elsa. Before Elsa could reply, Freya felt faint and became unsteady on her feet. She stumbled and was about to fall, when Elsa held out her arms and caught her.
"I've got you, I've got you," Elsa said gently. Elsa took hold of Freya's shoulders and bent down so that their eyes were level. "We're in a part of Ahtohallan called the Chamber of Emptiness. Magic cannot exist here."
Freya steadied herself and stood hunched over. She waved her hand in front of her and saw how plain it was. She looked up at Elsa. "Magic cannot exist here...I don't have my powers...so you don't have your powers either?" Freya asked nervously.
Elsa shook her head and gently smiled. "No," she said as she held out her arms.
Still hunched over, Freya looked to the side and muttered to herself, trying to take everything in.
"Now let's get out of here, shall we?" Elsa said softly while gently smiling at Freya.
Freya looked up at Elsa and gave her a bemused nod. Elsa put one arm around Freya and led her out of the chamber and into the icy corridor that led into it. The corridor was normal, the menacing dark green colour had gone.
As they left the chamber, Freya's mind began to sharpen. She stood up, blinked rapidly, and stared at Elsa. "Have we lost our powers for good?" Freya asked, still nervous.
"Only one way to find out!" Elsa smiled as she held the palm of her hand open.
Elsa paused for a few seconds. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated. A tiny snowflake began to appear above her hand. The snowflake grew larger, and it glittered beautifully. Freya opened her eyes wide and stared at the snowflake in fascination. Elsa closed her hand and it disappeared in a puff of icy dust.
Freya then gulped at Elsa's display of her magical power. She hurried down the icy corridor to get away from Elsa, then tried to use her powers too. She opened the palm of her hand, stared at it, and desperately tried to make a fireball appear. Nothing happened. She tried and tried again, eventually screaming at her hand, but still no magical fire would materialise.
Freya looked up at Elsa and saw that she was just standing there, gently smiling at her. She placed her hands on her cheeks. "How?" she blurted out. "What's going on? I don't understand."
Elsa sighed and smiled at Freya. "My magic is a part of who I am. But your magic was not part of you. You were cursed," she said softly.
Freya stopped to think. "I was cursed..." she muttered to herself.
"Look at your hair!" Elsa told her, almost playfully.
Freya let down her long blond pleated hair and took a close look at it. The red streaks were gone.
"I...I don't have my powers anymore?" Freya stammered as she held her hair and looked up at Elsa. "I'm...normal?"
Elsa sighed happily. "You're just a normal sixteen-year-old girl!" she replied softly with a smile.
Freya looked crestfallen as she clutched her hands to her chest. "Then it's over," she said to Elsa as she started to cry. She held her palms over her eyes and slumped down on the floor. She tucked her head into her knees and sobbed.
"Go on then, do what you want with me," Freya wailed. "Just make it quick, okay? Make an ice spike and stab me in the heart!"
Elsa shook her head and almost laughed as Freya tucked her head back into her knees. She calmly walked over to Freya and squatted down next to her. "Hey, it's okay," Elsa tried to reassure Freya. "I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe now."
For a few seconds, Freya sat on the ice and sobbed as Elsa rubbed her back. Then, Freya looked up at Elsa. "Really?" Freya asked as she continued to cry.
"Really!" Elsa quietly enthused as she put her hand on Freya's shoulder.
"Even after what I did?" Freya sobbed. "After everything I did to Arendelle?"
"Yes!" Elsa declared softly. "I knew you needed help. I wanted to bring you here so that you wouldn't have your powers anymore."
As Freya continued to cry, Elsa realised that she was laughing through her tears.
"I don't have my powers anymore! I'm just a normal sixteen-year-old girl!" Freya said happily through her sobbing. "I'm free of my curse!"
Elsa put her arm around Freya and hugged her. Freya shuffled along the floor to get closer to Elsa then curled up into a ball. Elsa knew that she had been right all along. Freya had indeed needed help.
Without her powers, Freya knew that everything would be different now. She thought about everything she had done, and she was awash with remorse. She looked up at Elsa with tears in her eyes.
"Elsa," she whispered. "Help me."
Elsa held her tighter as she tried to reassure her. "Don't worry," Elsa said to Freya. "We'll make this right. I promise."
"Thank you," Freya whispered in reply. Then, she started to shiver as a brand new sensation took over her. She hunched over and crossed her arms.
"Elsa…" Freya stammered, "I...I think I'm cold…"
Elsa opened her eyes wide and pursed her lips as she realised what was happening. "The curse must have kept you warm!" she exclaimed. "Now that fire is out, there's no time to lose. Let's go!" Elsa said hastily.
Freya nodded in understanding as Elsa whisked her up off the icy floor. Freya hunched up as much as she could in a desperate attempt to keep warm. Elsa put her arm around Freya and led her out of the corridor, through the chambers and to the chasm. The entrance to the tunnel out of Ahtohallan was far away on the other side.
"I...I can't get across without my powers," Freya told Elsa while chattering her teeth.
"Leave it to me," Elsa assured her. "Just stick close by me, okay?" Freya nodded.
Elsa raised her free arm, and a magnificent staircase of ice materialised in front of them that led all the way over to the other side of the chasm. Freya looked at Elsa and tried to smile, but Elsa gestured for her to climb the stairs. She did so carefully at first, but she soon found her footing and they went across to the other side together.
After going through the tunnel as quickly as they could manage, they stepped out of Ahtohallan and onto the shingle beach where the Water Nokk was waiting for them. While the shivering Freya had eyes for the Nokk, Elsa looked back and saw the glacier. It still had the word "FREYA" carved into it in huge letters for all to see. Using her free hand, Elsa repaired the damage that Freya had done, removing her graffiti and restoring the glacier. After that, they mounted the Nokk and set off over the Dark Sea to Northuldra as fast as they could, Freya holding on tight.
Although Elsa didn't feel the cold herself, she knew all too well what exposure to the elements could do. She knew that she needed to get Freya to the Northuldra before it was too late.