TW: flashbacks, physical abuse, confinement, domestic abuse, animal abuse

Author's Note: I am an avid animal lover. I despise anyone who hurts animals. I just want to show how much of psycho Hans is. So heads up now, your feels will be destroyed.

Chapter 18- Starling (Kiri, Arcy, Elsa)

Kiri sat restlessly in her bed in the castle. Things were starting to smooth out yet she had a lot on her mind. Kiri knew exactly what was bothering her. When Kiri had gotten back to the castle, she walked in to see Arcy scrambling back from Nia. As Kiri had expected, Nia looked like Nassiri with her burnt wings. She had ushered Arcy into her room, but the girl was cowering in the far corner of the room. How could she help Arcy? Kiri studied the little girl, chewing her lip. "Arcy, can I come closer?"

"No where is safe…Red and black is back…Nia lied to her, she promised safety…" Arcy held her hands over her head.

Kiri sat on the floor a few feet from Arcy. "Nia didn't lie to her. The pretty white wings got hurt, that's all. No one is going to hurt anyone."

Arcy glanced all around the room. "It's dark in here, she doesn't like it. Darkness means people can sneak up on her…People can beat her, shock her, tie her up."

Just how much had Nassiri done to this poor girl? "Does Arcy want to talk about? I'll listen." Kiri put her hands where Arcy could see them to show she meant no harm.

"How can Arcana know she can trust Kiri? Kiri is red and black like the mean winged lady was…"

Hm, that was a set back. "You can play cops with me. Hand cuff me like I'm a bad guy to be sure I won't do anything."

Arcana studied Kiri for a moment, debating that proposal. "Okay, she'll do that. Follow her, bad lady." Arcy got up and left, Kiri following. She went into her room. There wasn't much in the way of decorations. Just a plain dresser, a bed, a few dolls and lots of art supplies. Arcy rummaged in her bed and pulled out plastic handcuffs. "Come here, lady criminal!"

"Okay, officer Arcana. She's got me. I surrender." Kiri held out her hands and let Arcy hand cuff her. "Does Arcy feel good? Does she want to talk about what red and black did?"

"Arcy feels safe knowing bad lady is cuffed. She'll talk."

Kiri sat in front of Arcy's bed while Arcy sat on the bed itself. She told Kiri of how when Nassiri was around, she was kept locked in a dark room, chained to a wall. There was only one small window but it was too high for Arcana to see anything. Every day Nassiri would come in and whip Arcy, shock her with a taser, claw at her and beat her. She was given just enough food and water to stay alive and rarely given a bathroom break. A lot of times, Arcy was forced to go to a corner she called "Potty Corner" when she couldn't hold it anymore. One night, Nassiri had stepped in that corner while torturing Arcy and lashed out even harder. The shocking got worse. A few times, Nassiri would terrorize Arcy with flight and dropping her. She would catch Arcy but the fright of it gave her an extreme fear of heights. Constantly, Nassiri would tell Arcana that everything was her fault. It was her fault it was raining, she was to blame for the wine running out, blamed for the stupidest things that she had nothing to do with. The room was tiny. There was only enough room for two people to walk a few steps. It made Arcana fear tight spaces. "She couldn't breathe most times, it was so small. Never enough air. If Arcy was asleep when Nassiri came in, Nass would wake her up with a high heel to the side. Arcy learned to stay awake and fear shadows. Nassiri hid in shadows, watched her….Just watched her….No light, no love…no safety. If she made the slightest sound in pain, it was always worse…Her left hand was broken and it never got better right…" Arcy held up her left hand, her hand slightly tilted to the right as if the bone had set crooked. "Burning was a constant. It didn't matter what was heated up, it was put on her. Anywhere that could be reached. Forks, cigarettes, smelly sticks, claws…Burning, all the time. She has scars all over."

Kiri frowned. "I'm so sorry, Arcana." Kiri had just thought those were freckles, not scars.

"Always burned and cut. She was never allowed to speak. Dare she say one thing at all, even whisper, it was the chair. A chair that zapped and buzzed. The light, humming…No, Arcy doesn't like it!" She shook her head and started rocking back and forth.

"Can I hug Arcy? Make her feel better?" Kiri frowned. This poor thing, only 8 years old, had been treated worse than an animal in a breeding mill.

"Arcy would like hugs…" She held her arms out to Kiri.

Kiri got on her knees and hugged Arcy. "Everything is alright now, Arcy. Nassiri is never coming back. Nia is here, her wings are just hurt. But I promise that Nassiri is gone for good. Ya know, Nia is sad that her wings got hurt. She knows how much Arcy loved her wings."

"Really?" Arcy looked up to Kiri, dark blue eyes shining. "Maybe Nia wants all her feathers back now…" She hopped out of Kiri's arms and to the closet. She opened it and pulled out a box with white feathers. "Do you think Nia would feel better with her feathers?"

Kiri smiled. "It's worth a try and very sweet of her, Arcy."

Arcy smiled. "To Nia!" She grabbed a glue stick from her dresser and ran downstairs.

In her excitement, Arcy had forgotten to take the cuffs off. But at least she was feeling better. Kiri managed to get a nail into the fake keyhole and pry open the cuffs. She smiled and went back to her room. On a whim, Kiri decided to go back to the old castle. She took the path back and entered the old doors, the familiar creak bringing on déjà vu. Kiri had never really explored the entirety of the castle. There were the usual rooms and a few extra, but toward the back was an extension that looked old and abandoned-as if it had been there before the castle. Curious, Kiri walked in. It wasn't very bright in the room, despite it being day time. There was a strange looking chair, chains and scratches along the floor and walls. Was this the place Arcana had told her about? The smell of dust and old incense hung thick in the air.

"What is this place?"

Kiri whirled around and gulped, seeing Elsa. Was she asleep or had she been triggered? Either way, Kiri needed to get her out of here before she did get triggered. "Uh, it's not real."

"I can feel it, it is real. What is this? I know the castle is Aurora's castle but this place…It's new…I remember the castle from my dreams but not this place." Elsa walked around, Kiri trying to walk alongside her in a way that kept Elsa from touching the chair or chains. "It smells like incense and blood…And what's this?" Before Kiri saw, Elsa had touched the chair. "OW!" She retracted her hand, probably having been shocked.

'Damn it, Kiri! Fucking idiot! Should have found the power source and cut it before coming in here!' Kiri scolded herself. "Elsa, are you okay?"

Elsa was staring blankly at the chair. "I know this place…It's, it's my father's basement…" Her voice trailed off, as if a memory was playing in front of her eyes.

**Ian was holding a burning bundle of incense in front of Elsa. "Elsa, keep your eyes closed. You don't want to see what will happen."

"I don't care what you say, you pathetic piece of shit. I'll do what I want." She was strapped to a chair and smirking.

Ian narrowed his eyes at her, not aware it wasn't Elsa but Nassiri. "I'll teach you respect." He pulled her shirt up to her ribs and held the burning bundle to her stomach. "I'll burn and shock this behavior out of you."

"Like hell your pretentious religion can do shit to cleanse puberty. You're a dumb ass nut case."

Ian backhanded her. "I'm sick of this attitude! You WILL show me the respect I deserve!"

"You deserve to burn in Hell with your so called God for how you treat your only child."

That pissed Ian off over the edge. He flipped the switch and narrowed his eyes as Elsa shrieked from the pain of the shocking. She panted but looked to him, grinning. "You really think shocking me can cure me? For all you know, that's what caused all the problems in the first place." She struggled and broke the ties on the chair, standing. "Don't you know that the brain is nothing but electrical impulses? For all you know, you fucked up my brain. But you're too much a religious freak to even consider that mental health is real."

Ian snapped and threw Elsa against the wall. "I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT YOU THINK! I AM YOUR FUCKING FATHER AND YOU WILL SHOW ME THE RESPECT I DESERVE OR SO HELP ME I WILL THROW YOUR ASS IN JUVENILLE HALL!"

"Sure, why not? The food and warden would probably be better anyway," She shoved him off and laughed. "You really have no clue what you're doing."

Ian screamed and threw one of the angel statues at Elsa, giving her lacerations on her left shoulder and face. "SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!"

Elsa, forced to front by Nassiri, fell to her knees, terrified. "D-Daddy….I,I,I…"

Her sentence was cut off by Ian's hand on her throat. "Dare you breathe another word and I will throw you out a fucking window," he hissed angrily. "I have had enough of this bullshit attitude you keep giving me. You're a bitch one minute and act like this the next." There was banging on the door until it gave.

"IAN GET OFF OF HER!" Diane had run in after hearing the crash. She pried his hands loose from her neck and stood between them. "I know you hate psychiatry and don't believe in it but I do! There's something wrong with Elsa and you aren't helping!"

"YOU AREN'T HELPING!" Ian smacked Diane so hard she fell to the floor in tears.

"You aren't the man I married…"

Elsa, terrified and heartbroken over seeing her parents fighting, curled into a ball. "It's her fault….All her fault….She should have listened, should have been good…It's her fault…" Guilt and shame set in as she rocked back and forth.

"It's all her fault, her fault. Everything, her fault…."**

"Her fault, her fault….Daddy don't hurt Mommy….Please, she's sorry…." Elsa was on the floor of the room, rocking back and forth.

"Elsa! Elsa!" Kiri had experienced the flashback with Elsa, just as shocked as she was disgusted. She tried waving her hands but got nowhere. "Shit, shit, shit. If I touch her, it might make it worse. God, what do I do?" Kiri looked around frantically and went outside. She found a small bucket and filled it with water. Hurrying back, Kiri dumped it on Elsa without hesitation.

"KYA!" Elsa sprang up and coughed, flailing her arms. "What the hell?!"

"Are you back?"

Severely irritated with the sudden soaking, Elsa rolled her eyes and growled. "I never fucking left. Great, now I have to find somewhere to get dry and change clothes. What'd you do that for, you insane woman?!"

"You were having a flashback and nothing else was working," Kiri did her best to curb her attitude. "I'll take you to where you can get changed, follow me." She led Elsa by the hand out of the room. She made sure to break the knob off so no one else could wander in. The flashback disturbed her. Nassiri had clearly taken things way too far with Elsa's parents. Ian looked to be on the brink of murdering Elsa had Diane not stepped in. It almost reminded Kiri of a day she had to go through with Hans in high school…

**Kiri was making her way to the last class of the day when a pair of hands grabbed her. A hand was on her mouth so the surprised shout was muffled.

"Come with me, you backstabbing bitch!" That was Hans and he sounded infuriated.

Kiri didn't take too kindly to a hand on her mouth. It was too reminiscent of Ian trying to exorcise her from herself. She tried to squirm free and even bite her way free, but it didn't work. When the hand was removed, she whirled around and backhanded him. "Don't ever touch my mouth again. Your hand takes like literal shit," she placed her hands on her hips.

"Whatever. Mind explaining why you let your psycho mother press charges on me? You know what we did was consensual. So you owe me an explanation!"

Before Kiri could speak, Nassiri did. "Simple. I got what I wanted from you and wanted to wash my hands of you. What better way than to side with dear Mommy and get you to leave me alone." 'Fuck you, Nassiri! I may not like him or even tolerate him, but that shit's messed up.'

'Like I care. He's just a sniveling brat who gets clingy. He wasn't even that good in bed.'

Ouch. That was a hit in any guy's pride. Hands on Kiri's shoulders snapped her back to reality. "You better take that back, bitch! I even said I loved you!"

"Nope, not sorry. You were just a way to rebel against my parents. You had what I wanted; danger and pleasure. But the pleasure wasn't even that good," Nassiri nonchalantly replied. "Didn't you ever notice how I never said anything relating to how I felt about you? That's because I never did."

'Way to twist the knife,' the pure heartbroken look in his eyes actually made Kiri feel sorry for him.

"Wh-what? You…you never…." He couldn't even finish his own sentence.

Still Nassiri went on. "Listen to your voice crack. You really think this is the first time you're gonna get that little heart of yours broken? Speaking of little, I expected a little more, if you know what I mean," Nassiri made Kiri gesture to below his waist.

'Oh dear god, you're ruthless! This poor child…' Kiri bit her lip, trying not to look at Hans. Nassiri was truly heartless.

The heartbreak in Hans' eyes quickly turned to fury. He backhanded Kiri, threw her against the wall, used her hair to hit her head against the wall and punched her in the stomach. "I'll find a way to get you back for this, I swear I will! I thought there was something between us but you're just a cold, heartless freak of a bitch!" With another slap in the face, Hans stormed away.

Kiri growled deeply. "That was just heartless and cruel, Nassiri."

"Oh please. If that's how he's gonna react to having his tiny heartbroken, he may as well never date again."

"I just feel sorry that his first crush had to be you. He may have thought it was Elsa, but if he really knew who he was with, he would have left before anything happened." Kiri gathered herself and went to the bathroom to fix the mess that was left in the wake of his heartbreak.**

Kiri blinked, looking around. She felt the back of her head, wondering if there was a bump on it. Kiri shook her head and noticed she was standing in the white forest behind Elsa's castle. Had she managed to get Elsa inside safely? How had she come out here during the flashback? The two things weren't remotely connected. Kiri sat against a tree, groaning. That day, she had actually felt sympathy for an abuser.

Elsa had been taken to a room in a beautiful ice castle. There were others who acknowledged her, which was awkward. She couldn't recall any of them no matter how hard she tried. She just sat in what she was told was her room, on the bed. Elsa didn't know what to do. One minute, she had been watching a movie with her mom and the next she had fallen into this weird world. Maybe she fell asleep and was dreaming. She looked outside the window to see that it was raining. Rainy days were the best. Everything outside smelled fresh after a downpour. She watched the rain droplets on the window, hearing the pitter patter as rain hit the window. Pitter patter, pitter patter, pitter patter….The sound echoed in her empty room. It reminded her of liquid dropping onto a cement floor in an empty room. Her vision blurred for a minute before focusing again.

**"I can't wait to see my little kitty," Elsa hummed, skipping to the little field by the school. She couldn't have been more than 9. Elsa had found that there was a stray cat there and she'd been feeding it for a while. She'd sneak off during lunch to go feed it. For about a week she had successfully managed to feed the kitty, who she had named Duney. Elsa thought the kitty looked fat until 2 days ago Duney had had kittens. Elsa loved kittens dearly. They were squeaky fuzzballs. "Hey Duney, I brought you some more food," Elsa smiled as she laid the pieces of meat beside the kitten.

"So this is where you're sneaking off to," a voice behind Elsa made her jump.

It was Hans. Why was she not surprised that he had stalked her? "Leave me alone, I'm not hurting anyone."

"For all you know. Don't you know that cats can't eat human food? They can get sick," Hans grinned.

Elsa frowned. "Please just leave us alone. She needs to feed her kittens."

Hans tilted his head to look over Elsa's shoulder. He saw Duney and her kittens and smirked. "Cats don't belong outside. A wild coyote can come along and eat them."

"They can run," Elsa fidgeted, nervous.

"They can run but they can't hide." Hans leaned down and picked up Duney. The cat hissed and tried clawing him. "Oh, really, cat? How about this…"

Elsa saw a knife in his hand and grabbed his wrist. "DON'T HURT HER! SHE'S A MOMMY!" She pulled back with all her weight to keep him from raising his hand.

The little kittens were mewing loudly and Elsa went to cover them. "Don't hurt the babies either!"

Hans raised an eyebrow. "Don't need to," he stabbed Duney, twisted the knife and let the cat fall. "With Mommy dying, the kittens will die on their own."

Elsa shrieked and stared at Duney, crying. "HOW COULD YOU!" She tackled Hans, knocking him over. "SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO YOU!" She punched him a few times before she lost her balance and fell on him. With another shriek, there was a sharp pain in her side. She stumbled off Hans to find there was small slice in her side and she was bleeding. "I…I….Blood…." Elsa shrieked "fire" as loud as she could like Diane had taught her, Hans bolting away. Her vision got fuzzy as she fell next to Duney, the sounds of the kittens mewing and footsteps running were all she heard before she blacked out.**

Elsa jolted back to reality and clutched her side, tears in her eyes. How could Hans hurt an innocent cat? One that was a mother, no less? She couldn't remember if Duney and her kittens had gotten rescued or not. Elsa held one hand to her side, wincing in pain, as she stared out the window. Slowly, her tears were stopping. Memories were slipping back to her. Just how much of the childhood she knew was a lie?

Please don't hate me guys. I hated writing that scene but I felt it would really show how fucked up Hans' is to Elsa. God, that killed me to write. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next few ones will focus on what memories everyone has.

Also, I finished fixing all the typo's in "The Storm Inside of Me," even added a few things extra in chapters plus a bonus chapter. Go check it out and see what's new!

See you in the next chapter!