Anna stepped onto the icy shores of the Dark Sea. The little flame has led her here to find Hans. Her mind has been consumed with that one thought, over and over

Killhanskillhanskillhanskillhans

And there he was. She could clearly see him, laid out on the beach, his red hair a dull rusted red against the grey sand. Then she sees nothing but red. Someone has beaten her to her goal, and Hans is dead from the hand of another.

Around her, the storm had picked up, whipping her cloak behind her. She was a vision of anger and passion. She saw Kristoff there, walking towards her, relief flooding his face. Then he saw her expression.

The feeling of injustice and being robbed of chance to defeat her villain, Anna throws herself at Kristoff-

Kristoff dodges the attack, the relief he felt dissolving as he realizes that he is now the target of Anna's uncharacteristic rage. He ducked again, a fireball coming so close to his head he felt the heat on the back of his neck. "Anna! Stop! It's me! I'm not going to hurt you!"

"You ruined it! You stole my chance at victory!" Anna growled. Kristoff winced. The voice that came from her mouth has not Anna, but the roar of a furnace in flames.

"Anna...Anna watch out!" Kristoff charged forward and threw her out of the way just in time. Her breath was knocked out of her, then she saw it. Hans had regained consciousness, and had attacked her while her back was turned. The ropes that Kristoff had bound him with were now in flames, and snaking their way around Kristoff's body, which writhed in pain.

The red behind Anna's eyes disappeared.

"NO! Hans, STOP!" she screamed, running towards Kristoff. "Isn't this what you wanted, princess?"

Hans cackled. "Well now's your chance!" He threw down the ropes, which continued to tighten and burn into Kristoff's clothes, which had begun to smoke.

"Come on! Prove that you have what it takes to defeat me!"

Hans stood there with open arms, his red hair standing on end.

Anna hesitated for a moment.

With a flick of her hand, the flames from the ropes blew out, collecting in a ball in her palm. Kristoff was still, but he was alive and that was all that mattered. Hans looked from her to Kristoff. His cockiness had diminished. "Well...Someone learned a new trick; interesting. But not enough." Swooping his arms, a wall of fire flooded over Anna. she closed her eyes and let it crash over her. The heat was nothing but a warm rush of air.

The tips of her hair smoked, but she stood unharmed.

"You cannot hurt me, Hans. Not anymore." with a snap of her fingers a line of fire snakes across the stones, and Hans finds he cannot tear his eyes away from the red light. He is frozen in place as the fire begins to coil its way around his boots, then his calves, all the way up to his neck, around his arms and hands.

He is nervous, but tries to keep his composure- "Hahaa...Anna...you cannot burn me! This fire comes from within me! At this very moment, I could destroy you, and your sister- all this was simply in good sportsmanship- but if you don't want to play fair…" the fire begins to bite and burn his skin. His breathing becomes shallow gasping. The fire burns hotter with every step Anna takes towards him. When she reaches him, he has fallen to his knees. She looks down at him with cool disdain. Her blue eyes shine in the fading light.

"Anna, my queen, your majesty-" Hans is stammering now- his silver tongue has gotten him out of many troubles before. "You-You wouldn't kill me...I'm sorry for how I acted all those years ago, but you're a merciful queen, aren't you?" She said nothing, but removed the vial from where it was latched to her belt. Hans' face filled with fear. He knew what that potion would do to him. "You couldn't kill me- you're a merciful queen! You know you don't really want to kill me."

Anna paused. She didn't really want to kill Hans, she only wanted to make it impossible for him to harm anymore. Hans saw her hesitation and pounced. "You know you don't want to kill me- what would your family think? They'd see you as a murderer, they'd shut you out again!" Anna looked to the bodies of her family, Sven kneeling beside Kristoff's still body, Elsa's icy shield growing around her.

"Yes….they'd never love you if you killed me. They've already gone through so much because of you. This would be too much." Hans whispered, the flames causing him too much pain to speak. Anna felt a small flame in her stomach again, but it wasn't one of rage or injustice. It was one of love and protection.

Anna turned back to him, her eyes a white hot blue.

"They will never shut me out. And you? You will never come near us again." With a wave of her hand the ropes began to smoke and smolder, then all at once the flame died down.

Hans collapses, but he breathes the salty air and it is heaven to his lungs. When he looks up, Anna is still standing over him. "You are a merciful queen. And that is what makes you weak. I will never stop, I will take the kingdom that is rightfully mine, I will stop at nothing until you and your sister are nothing but memories."

Anna did not even think, but uncapped the vial and poured the contents over him in an unholy baptism.

He screamed when the potion touched his skin, and he continued to until there was nothing left but his empty shell, slumped on the beach.

The sound echoed across the beach and rang in Anna's ears, the sound would haunt her.

Anna thought a tear may have escaped her eye, but when she touched her cheek there was nothing but warmth.

She turned and ran to Kristoff, who was clutching where the rope had burned into his skin.

The feeling of rage and injustice that had overcome her had evaporated into the air. She breathed his name and clutched onto his clothes, trying to lift him from the ground.

"I'm fine, I'm okay...Agh…." he groaned in pain, but he was breathing and he was alive and that was enough. Anna kissed his forehead, which was cool against her lips. "I'm sorry I'm so sorry Kristoff I'm so sorry." Her voice was high and broken. Kristoff wrapped his arms around her and pressed her head to his heart. "I'm just glad you're okay." he ignored tightness in his throat. "Anna...Elsa…" Anna whipped her head around and ran to her sister. The cocoon of ice had become a glacier on the shore. "Elsa!" She could just make out the outline of her sister's body. Anna touched her hands to the ice and a cloud of steam rose from her skin, and it began to crack and melt. "Elsa! It's me! I'm going to get you out!"

It seemed to take an eternity and no time at all before Elsa's body emerged. Anna sobbed as the ice melted, her tears evaporating on her cheeks. Again she thought her sister was gone, that she was alone. But she wept with relief when Elsa breathed a small cold cloud of breath into the air, her eyes focusing on Anna. "Anna..Anna...HANS!" Anna touched her hands to her sister's cheeks, which were blissfully cold beneath her skin.

"It's okay….He's gone, he can't hurt you, he can't come between us again..."

The people of Arendelle never knew of the battle that ensued, or of the danger their queen faced. All that they know is that night the blizzard stopped all at once, and the next day the Northuldra were brought to the castle to be awarded medals of honor.

The stories spread like wildfire when the Queen and Lord appeared to speak, Kristoff leaning on a tall wooden staff. The burns he had suffered would heal, but the scars would last for the rest of his life, intricate scars that resembled rivers of fire that twisted across skin, only Anna would see them when tracing her fingers over the body that had stood between her and death.

It had been a few days since the battle on the beach, and Kristoff was looking for Anna- He walked slower than before, but he no longer used the walking stick in the castle, only using it for important events Anna brought him to. (He says it makes him look more "Lord Like")

Today he is carrying two mugs of hot chocolate, but he can't find his Queen. After searching the whole castle, he finds her in the library. She is sitting at the large oak desk by the window. The light streams through the breaks in the curtains, illuminating the book she has open in front of her. "There you are. I've been looking all over for you." Kristoff kisses her on the head, setting down the hot chocolate on the table beside her. "Oh, thank you honey." Anna smiled up at him. He smiles back, but couldn't help but notice the tired look in her eyes. He knew she hadn't been sleeping.

And he was sure he knew why.

"Sorry it's cold now, I walked the entire castle before I thought to look here." He tapped his forehead with the palm of his hand and smiled. He sits down in an armchair a bit away from the desk, sipping his chilled hot chocolate. After a moment of Anna continuing to read the comments- "Anna...Do you still….um, have you noticed..is it hot in here?" he pulls at his collar and gives an awkward chuckle. Anna gives him a small smile. "A little I guess." Kristoff decides not to push it, to ask what he was really thinking. But he couldn't help but notice when Anna wrapped her hands around her mug, which had begun to steam a little more than before.

The End.

Writers note!

Thank you all for being so patient as I finished this fic! Thank you for the lovely reviews that pushed me to finish, and I hope you all are satisfied with the ending. (If you would like a bonus scene of Elsa and Honey, leave a review!)