Author's Note: Well, this chapter came together faster than expected. Hope everyone is holding on through tough times across the world. Thank you for reading, and welcome back!

Cover Art for the story is from the LexaRecovery tumblr. Stay strong together.

I do not own the television show "The 100" or make any claims upon it or its characters. Similarly, I do not own Frozen, its characters or any Disney characters or property. All these characters are used under the concept of Fair Use, and I make no profit or income from using any of them.

Our Fight Is Not Over

by Jo K.

Chapter 9: Through the Looking Glass

I been to the edge

There I stood and looked down

I lost a lot of friends there baby

I got no time to mess around

-Van Halen, "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love"

—O—

The tension permeating the air was nearly unbearable, despite the sheer beauty of the scene around them. Birds painted with primary colors flew through the trees around them, various hues of red, blue and yellow predominating but with intruders of greens, purples and grays flying to and fro through the high branches of the hardwood trees.

Octavia shifted nervously, silently swearing at herself for the obvious show of anxiety. She summoned the willpower to keep from looking up, as she knew she'd have to meet Indra's burning glare if she gave in to that momentary weakness.

The knowledge that there were thirty Trikru warriors in the immediate area was reassuring; even with the technological superiority of the Skaikru guns, the Trikru fighters had been spread out and camouflaged so thoroughly that they should still be able to exact a steep price in blood should this talk go poorly.

Footsteps through the evergreen needles and sparse ground foliage finally drew Octavia's attention. She unconsciously rested her left hand on the hilt of the sword sheathed at her left hip as she stood straighter. Watching the small group of Trikru lead the outsiders into the small glade made her heart pick up speed as any conflict would; the unexpected presence of her brother, however, was notably unsettling, although she told herself she wasn't going to let it rattle her.

"Octavia!" said Abby Griffin, an uncharacteristic smile spreading across her face. "I didn't recognize you until just now!"

Octavia smiled slightly. She might not have always gotten along with Clarke's mother, but she knew more than most that mothers could do odd things when it came to their kids. "I'm glad you're okay, Dr. Griffin," Octavia said, meaning each word.

The hand extended to her by Marcus Kane, though, made her pause briefly. Octavia looked up into his eyes, seeing an honest openness in his expression. She took his hand as a Trikru warrior would, a bit surprised when he returned the clasp the same way.

"It's good to see you again, Octavia," Kane said, with a smile that appeared genuine to the small brunette.

Octavia had never known her father. She had never been looking for a father. Bellamy had always filled the role of her protector growing up, as strained as that relationship was now (and it was). But as she realized how it actually felt good for Marcus Kane to express genuine interest in her well-being and show her honest respect, Octavia considered that maybe she did have some lingering father issues.

It would be something to talk to Clarke about, when she and Heda returned from whatever secret mission they had undertaken two weeks ago. Until then, Octavia had her own job to do.

"It's nice to see you again as well, Marcus," Octavia said, finally releasing him from the arm clasp that had gone on several seconds. "I'm glad you and Abby are alive."

There was an awkward pause before Abby stepped forward.

"Lincoln is alive," Abby said, her voice with the softness of a mother in it now. "Jackson and Monroe and I have checked on him and the other Grounders in the brig daily."

Octavia blinked against the moisture suddenly building in her eyes. "Th-thank you," she choked out, swallowing her tears as best as she could. "Tell him... Tell him I love him, okay?"

Abby nodded, as did Marcus. "We will," Abby said with a voice just above a whisper.

Octavia nodded, taking a moment to regain her composure. Through this exchange, Indra remained silent, and Octavia resisted turning to see just what expression her teacher would be wearing. Whatever it was, she probably wouldn't like it. "So," Octavia said, after she could trust her voice again. "I figured Pike would be the one to come out and threaten us about this blockade." With a more grim smile, she added, "Or try to kill us over it, maybe. Which is why it was a nice surprise to see the two of you."

"There's been more than enough blood spilled between Skaikru and Trikru," Marcus said flatly. "Although Charles said it would have been a 'tactical mistake' for him to come himself."

"Oh, so he didn't want to give us the chance to murder him like he did the warriors Heda sent to guard all of you, huh?" Octavia replied sharply; she allowed herself a brief satisfaction at seeing the wince of pain flash across both the Arkadians' faces.

"Abby and I felt it was best for just the two of us to come meet you," Marcus said, refusing to inflame tensions further. "Unarmed."

"A foolish action," Indra snapped, meeting and holding Kane's gaze for several seconds before she spoke again. "But one that required courage, and belief in others." She nodded once to Marcus. "Heda has often spoken highly of you and your dedication to peace between our clans, Markus Kane kom Skaikru. You also bear the brand of the Clans. Once again, you show that there truly is hope for our peoples to live together." She continued to stare into Kane's eyes for several moments longer, considering that had he been born on the ground, he might have made a worthy Heda himself.

"Is... Is Clarke doing well?"

Indra and Octavia both turned to look back to Abby, before they then looked toward each other. From the stern look on Indra's face, Octavia knew that her teacher certainly wasn't going to discuss the bonding of Clarke and Lexa. That was a hornet's nest that Octavia wanted no part of kicking, either.

"She is," Octavia finally said. "Wan— Clarke will eventually be here to resolve this situation herself."

It was amusing, in a way, observing the polar opposite effect that statement had on the two people standing in front of Octavia. For Kane, the expression crossing his face was that of relief; for Abby, it was worry, if not outright trepidation.

"I think Clarke would have the best chance of resolving this situation with the least amount of bloodshed," Kane finally said, after a few moments of consideration. "I'm assuming this... blockade is in response to the murder of the Trikru stationed outside Arkardia?"

Octavia pushed aside any humanizing thoughts or memories at that statement. "Absolutely that's what this is about," she said, her voice terse. "Heda sent three hundred Trikru to protect Arkardia, and Pike killed them in their sleep."

"Not all of them," Kane clarified, looking briefly at Indra and getting an angry glare for his efforts.

"Your 'mercy' was neither wanted nor appreciated," Indra said, shifting her gaze to glower at Bellamy where he stood behind Kane and Abby. "But I am a warrior, and I serve my Heda and protect my sekon until death," she said, lifting her chin up in a clear show of defiance.

Kane nodded. "What Charles did was unthinkable," he said quietly. "Unforgivable. But he remains Chancellor of Arkardia. Another vote can't be called for two months."

Octavia met Kane's eyes and refused to look away. "Charles Pike is a mass murderer," she growled. "And all those who participated in those murders—" she looked directly at Bellamy here "—are accomplices. They will face justice for their crimes." She looked again at Abby, then back at Marcus.

"Heda is giving Arkadia the opportunity to police the actions of its own citizens. Should that fail, then, she will take the matter of justice into her own hands."

Silence fell through the glade. As Abby looked at the young woman standing before her, she was struck at how much Octavia had grown since she had been on the ground. Just like Clarke. Whether they had grown for better or for worse was unimportant. They had learned, and they had survived. THAT was what was important.

"So what exactly are the terms of this blockade?" Abby finally asked.

Octavia sighed, more from tense nerves than from frustration or fatigue. "The perimeter has been marked, five miles in all directions from Arkadia. Skaikru are not to go beyond this limit, or they'll be killed. This blockade will remain in place until Charles Pike and those who assisted him in the murder of the Trikru have either been turned over to the Trikru, for punishment to be decided by Heda, or punished in a manner acceptable to Heda."

"So they wouldn't necessarily have to face a death penalty," Kane spoke aloud.

Octavia looked back at him. "Their punishment will be determined by Heda."

"So why isn't she here?" asked Abby.

Indra bristled at the implication. "Why isn't your Chancellor here?" she sneered.

Abby opened her mouth to reply, only to be stopped by Kane's raised hand in front of her.

"Indra has a point," Kane said calmly. "Pike's worried about being killed, the same way he killed the Trikru warriors."

"Well, that would require us to sneak up on him and kill him in his sleep," Octavia pointed out, a bit snidely. Seeing Marcus's and Abby's eyes both jump to meet hers, she added, "Not that I'd have a problem with that. Not at this point."

"Yes, well..." Marcus finally said. "His concerns are valid."

"So he sent the two of you because he considers you both expendable," Octavia said. "Interesting. No offense, Marcus, Abby."

"None taken," Marcus said quickly. "I am Charles' most vocal critic, and Abby is a close second."

"I didn't think he'd be willing to sacrifice a doctor, though," Octavia said thoughtfully.

"Jackson's very good," said Abby, a smile finally gracing her face. The lines seemed to be more prominent than usual, likely from a combination of not eating enough and constant stress. "I guess I'm no longer indispensable."

"Well, that's bullshit."

Abby looked back down, from where she had looked up into the trees at the birds flying back and forth.

"Healers are worth their weight in food," Octavia said flatly. "If not more so. If he's willing to throw your life away because he's scared of getting what he deserves, then he's even more dangerous to everyone than we realize."

Abby sighed. "Charles is Chancellor, so we have to follow his directions until someone else takes the position."

Octavia nodded. She hadn't looked at Bellamy since the trio first arrived, and she wasn't about to start now, even with her brother shifting uncomfortably where he stood behind Marcus and Abby. "As long as Skaikru stays within the blockade, no one will come to any harm, except in the case of Trikru defending themselves against an attack."

"And if someone accidentally crosses the boundary?" Abby asked.

Octavia gave her a smile that was clearly facetious. "I'm pretty sure no one is going to 'accidentally' cross the blockade, Abby. But in the case that someone does, then they'll be given a chance to go back. If they refuse, then they'll be killed."

"Just like that?" Abby asked, her voice clipped.

"Just like that." Seeing the disappointment on Abby's face, Octavia sighed. "Abby, there are three hundred Trikru dead. Killed in their sleep, for most of them. And does Pike show any kind of remorse for it?"

Abby looked down at the loose leaves and needles scattered on the ground. "No, he doesn't," she finally said.

Octavia made herself keep in the words that were boiling over inside her, screaming to be released, until the silence had gone well beyond awkward. Finally she spoke. "Pike isn't going to stop," she said softly.

"...No," Abby quietly replied. "He's not. No matter how many people he kills, whether it's Trikru or Arkadians."

For the first time since they had started talking, a look of surprise flashed across Octavia's face, followed by anger. "Yeah, I was there when he sent the team to force that village to move. Tried to warn them, for all the good that did. Poor Monroe." She remembered the caustic yellow cloud that had engulfed the short redhead when Bellamy led his team into that ambush.

"It was close," Abby said. "Technically, she did die. A few times. But she pulled through. I'm not sure just how extensive the permanent damage to her lungs could be, but she's now working as a nurse with Jackson and me. Her breathing isn't good enough to go back to combat or being a guard. It probably never will be."

Octavia nodded. "She was always good to me, up in the Skybox and then later down here. I was never 'the girl under the floor' to her. I was just Octavia."

For a moment, Abby let herself think of how young Octavia really was. How young all of them were.

Too young to be sent to die. Too young to survive on a hostile world. But they had survived, most of them, and now the people of Arkadia would always have to live with the consequences of the terrible decision the Council had made about The 100 nearly a year ago.

"She's with Harper now," Abby finally said, not even realizing that she smiled slightly at the thought. "They're living together, outside of Arkadia."

"Harper, huh?" asked Octavia, smiling like she knew something she wasn't revealing. "I bet that surprised some people."

"It did me," replied Abby, the smile still on her lips. "I had no idea, not until she moved into Medical and refused to leave while Monroe was on the ventilator. She made it quite clear to me then that she wasn't going to leave the woman she loved."

Octavia glanced at Indra briefly, seeing a look of curiosity on her teacher's face. She turned back to Abby. "You know, they... talk about her," she said softly. "About Harper."

Now it was Abby's turn to look surprised. "No, I didn't know," she answered. She turned to Kane. "Have you heard about that, Marcus?"

Kane shook his head. "No, but none of us have had much contact with the Gr— with the other Clans since Charles became openly hostile to them."

"Yeah, I imagine," Octavia muttered, her eyes trying to glance to Bellamy, but she forced her gaze to sweep over him without stopping. "I'm not sure how comfortable I am talking about this with him here," Octavia said, quickly and briefly pointing to Bellamy.

"Just because you refuse to see the danger these people pose—"

"Shut up, Bellamy!" Octavia snapped at him, her hand reflexively going to the dagger sheathed at her side in a way that would bother when she thought back upon it, hours later. "'These people' are my people now! They fucking accepted me, something the Ark never did!"

Bellamy refused to back down from Octavia's dark glare, matching it with one of his own. "I accepted you!"

"On YOUR TERMS!" Octavia shouted back. "It was always on your terms! You were the big brother, always looking out for the dumb little sister who didn't know enough to stay out of trouble, because you and Mom kept me locked underneath the fucking floor!"

Bellamy surged forward, completely missing the sudden tightening of hands around weapons among the Trikru contingent. "It was for your own good!" he barked at Octavia, moving until he was just inches away from her, looming over her.

Octavia leaned forward, looking up at him defiantly as she refused to flinch. "If you touch me," she said, her voice low and dangerous, "You'll die right here."

Bellamy's dark eyes were stormy as he stared down at his little sister, who appeared to not be intimidated in the least.

"I'm not Clarke," Octavia whispered. "I'm not going to go easy on you because I try to find the good in everyone." I'm not going to pretend like you haven't been acting like a total fucking idiot for months!" She glared up at him, and it took a considerable of willpower on Bellamy's part to not back away from the anger in her gray-green eyes. "Your people killed my people. That's what it comes down to. When Clarke tried to get you to see reason, you tried to fucking chain her up so you could hand her to Pike like some goddamn animal you'd caught in a trap!"

Now Bellamy sighed and visibly backed away, before turning and walking past Marcus and Abby.

"Let him go," Octavia said in Trigedasleng to the Trikru gathered in a perimeter around them, "but make sure he goes back to Arkadia and arrives unharmed... unless he does something stupid."

As Bellamy's back grew smaller and smaller as he walked away, Abby finally spoke. "We don't want any more bloodshed, Octavia," she said, her voice weary.

"Well, there's going to be," replied Octavia calmly. "But thanks to Heda and Wa—Clarke, we can at least try to keep the bloodshed to an absolute minimum."

"Some of them have seen what a terrible mistake they've made," Abby spoke after a brief lull. "Monroe in particular."

Octavia nodded. "Yeah, dying does tend to clear things up, I'd imagine."

"Jackson and I have talked about trying to set up some formal therapy sessions for her, Harper, Monty and Nathan, but there's just no time," Abby sighed. "Not for any of us."

"Charles actually threatened Harper a few weeks ago," Marcus said quietly, sighing when he saw the anger flash across Octavia's face. "He implied that he'd tell the Trikru in the woods around where Harper and Monroe are living that Monroe was part of the raiding party that killed the Trikru guards."

There was a prolonged pause, and for the first time that Marcus could remember, he saw moisture start to gather in Octavia's bright eyes.

"They already know," Octavia whispered, her voice hoarse. She smiled sadly as she looked at Marcus. "They've always known."

—O—

"Anna, I think we've packed everything we could possibly carry," Elsa said, her tone of voice more teasing than serious as Anna inspected the saddlebags and gear secured to the hoarfrost-covered horses she and Elsa would be riding into Clarke's and Lexa's world.

"Well, it's a lot better to be too prepared than not be prepared enough!" Anna said, her customary twin red braids swaying slightly as she tugged on a packroll's strap, making sure it was secure. The large icy steed carrying the harness and attached gear snorted pleasantly, an action that would have been entirely expected from a living, breathing equine interacting with its master. A few flakes of frost broke free and floated away when Anna patted the beast's shoulder affectionately.

Elsa quickly crossing the brief distance between her and her wife drew everyone's attention, though; even Anna stopped in mid-motion when Elsa's slim fingers gently played across Anna's freckle-dusted face. "Who are you," Elsa asked playfully, "and what have you done with my wife?"

Anna laughed, then she gently grasped and kissed each of Elsa's fingertips. "I just want us to be prepared, my love, especially if magic is weaker over there."

"You're definitely going to want a visible weapon of some sort, Your Majesty," Lexa said politely, gesturing at Elsa and the elegant ice lace gown she wore. "Anyone, man or woman, traveling without an obvious means of protection would be immediately marked as a potential victim." Anticipating Elsa's and Anna's next words, Lexa added, "And while I'm sure you'd remain capable of protecting yourself, having to repeatedly deal with opportunistic fools would likely slow our travel time."

Anna met Elsa's blue eyes. "That's a good point."

Elsa sighed. "You know I don't like weapons, Anna," she argued.

"I know," replied Anna, taking Elsa's hands in her own. "But it is a different world, Elsa. It's harsher, more violent, and if displaying a visible means of defending yourself will make things go more smoothly while we're over there, then isn't it a relatively small annoyance to bear?"

Elsa looked proudly into Anna's green-blue eyes, brilliant in the morning sunlight. "Since when did you get so smart?" she asked softly.

"The same time I got so gorgeous."

Elsa laughed once. "Well, you've always been beautiful, but I seem to recall you only got this smart once you married me."

Anna smiled happily. "Busted," she said quietly, leaning forward to kiss Elsa's lips tenderly. As she stepped back, Elsa moved her hands to her waist. Sparkles of silver and frost danced from her fingertips, gathering at her left side as they shaped themselves into a long, slender shape.

Anna leaned forward, placing a kiss on Elsa's cheek as the magic continued to work. "Is that what I think it is?" Anna asked softly, admiring Elsa's beauty as the blonde kept her eyes closed, focusing on her work.

"It is," Elsa replied quietly, smiling as she worked. A few years ago, Elsa had taken lessons on fencing and sword-fighting at Anna's insistence. She had quickly replaced the metal foils and rapiers with a long, slim rapier made of her magical ice, as she could sharpen, blunt or adjust its blade as needed. She had dutifully trained for several months, never approaching Anna's level of skill with blades but becoming reasonably competent. She had never trained further, other than a few practice bouts with Anna, but her familiarity with the icy sword had remained.

"Excellent choice," Anna answered, placing another kiss on Elsa's cheek and letting her lips linger on Elsa's fair skin at the corner of her mouth.

As the frost and glittering crystals vanished, a partially translucent white rapier had formed at Elsa's waist. The hilt and frosted handguard flowed and swirled in an organic manner very similar to that of Anna's icy crown, with the sword's slim blade sheathed into the white scabbard that had formed at Elsa's waist, complete with sparkling white belt.

"I love that sword," Anna said happily, taking Elsa's hands in her own once again.

"So do I," replied Elsa, who looked up to meet Anna's teal eyes. "Although it's not my favorite sword," she added lightly.

"It's not?" asked Anna, her nose scrunching in a very cute manner as she thought.

"Nope." Elsa shook her head slightly.

"Huh. Mine, then?"

Elsa shook her head again. "No, but you're getting closer."

Now Anna truly did look puzzled, and the expression on her mate's face was so utterly adorable that Elsa felt her heart beam with joy.

Elsa smiled as she leaned forward, touching the tip of her nose to Anna's. "YOU are my favorite sword, Anna."

Anna grinned, all those around them forgotten now. "Oh, so now I've been reduced to a tool, have I?" she teased.

"Oh, you're so much more than that, my heart," Elsa murmured as she and Anna kept staring into each other's eyes. "Always with me, always protecting me, always making me feel safe no matter where we are. Always beautiful, always dangerous, always ready to defend our family."

Anna's smile stretched across her mouth. "Well, when you put it like that..." she said, her words trailing off as she pressed her lips against Elsa's.

A loud sigh from beside them drew the attention of everyone but Arendelle's Queens.

"You know it's going to take all day to leave if you plan on waiting for them," said the thin blonde Erin, standing beside her twin sister Elin, close enough that the fabric of their sheer white gowns brushed against each other in the mild breeze. "They don't do short goodbyes."

Nodding in agreement with her sister, Elin stepped forward, hugging both of her mothers at the same time. "Be careful, Mothers," Elin said, smiling when she received a gentle caress on her cheek from Elsa and a kiss to her forehead from Anna. As smoothly as if they had rehearsed it many times, Elin stepped back while Erin stepped forward, taking her twin's place at wishing their mothers good journey.

"You two take good care of Arendelle while we're away," Anna said. "It might be a few weeks, so learn as much as you can from Hilde and Arista!"

"We have faith in you," added Elsa, smiling proudly as she looked at their oldest girls, growing into young women before their eyes.

Little footsteps padded forward in the snow, followed by little Kari throwing her arms around Elsa's legs. "Don't be gone too long," the seven-year-old mumbled, trying not to cry, because princesses and queens had to put on brave faces even when they wanted to cry.

"We'll be back as soon as we possibly can, snowgirl," Anna said, kissing Kari's cinnamon hair as she and Elsa hugged the youngest princess of Arendelle. "You behave. Don't cause any trouble for your big sisters or for Jora or Hilde."

Kari looked up at Anna, her blue-green eyes and copper hair almost identical to her younger mother at that age. "I'll be good," the young girl reluctantly promised. "Even if I don't like it all the time."

"If you behave, then maybe Arista will take you sailing some days," Elsa suggested, hoping that their friend didn't get too offended at the promise.

"It would be my pleasure, Your Highness," said the athletic blonde, bundled up with a thicker coat and pants than the others standing around. "She already takes to the sea like a little mermaid," said the blonde, sharing a quick wink with her two Queens.

Elsa gave Kari's back another pat, then she stood up. She looked to Elin and Erin. "You two will have to restore the barrier on this side once we pass through. Maleficent and Rose can show you how, once we've crossed to the other world."

"We'll be fine, mothers," Elin said, a hint of an aggrieved huff in her voice.

"We will, really," added Erin.

As Elsa and Anna both climbed onto their icy steeds, Lexa and Clarke moved their own horses closer to them. Ahead of them, the shining, swirling light of the interdimensional portal flowed as it stood perpendicular to the ground.

"I'm a bit surprised you're not taking one of your dragons," Clarke said to Anna as the redhead moved her icy equine beside Clarke's sorrel flesh-and-blood steed.

"Eh, done it before," Anna said off-handedly. "Also the portal's too small. Plus not drawing more attention than necessary is probably a good idea, like Lexa had suggested. Especially until we get our bearings as to where we are once we come out of that portal."

"I assure you, we're quite prepared," Elsa said with a friendly smile as she guided her icy mount up to the others. "It's neither Anna's nor my first time doing this sort of thing, although we are traveling a bit farther from home than usual this time."

Anna looked at Elsa curiously, something Clarke noticed, so she was sure Lexa noticed it as well. It was like Anna had something she wanted to say but was resisting the urge to say it. As Clarke pondered that, she saw Elsa meet Anna's gaze and hold it for several seconds. The two mates seemed to communicate silently for a few seconds, finally culminating in Elsa reaching out and taking Anna's left hand, then Anna lifting their clasped hands to her mouth and gently kissing Elsa's knuckles. "We'll deal with it together," Anna said with a voice just above a whisper, and it was obvious that whatever she was referring to was a matter kept between the two of them.

Elsa nodded, then she carefully dabbed at her eyes with a shimmering cloth that seemed to appear from thin air. Likely because it had.

She looked down to Rose and Maleficent. "Thank you two again for all your help," Elsa said, reaching down to grasp first Rose's hand, then Maleficent's. "Hopefully you'll still be here when we get back, so we can catch you up on whatever happens."

"We fully plan on it," said Rose. "If something does call us away, then we'll be back as soon as we can. The Codex needs to be sealed away as soon as you return with it."

"Your kingdom will be safe while you journey," Maleficent said confidently. "Safe travels, Elsa, Anna." The tall faerie then turned to Lexa and Clarke. "Hopefully we shall meet again," Maleficent said, allowing a passably friendly smile to grace her red lips. "Best wishes on your quest, and on your future. Should you find the Vile Codex, limit your contact with it to a bare minimum, as its power to corrupt is both vast and insidious."

"We'll make sure that the book is returned to you for safekeeping," Lexa replied. "Hopefully with a sorcerer's severed head accompanying it."

—O—

"The Trikru already know that Zoe Monroe was part of the squad that murdered those warriors?!" Abby whispered frantically. "And they haven't killed her?"

Octavia looked around. Already the mood in the glade had become less tense, less oppressive since Bellamy had left. "I'm still learning all the details and nuances, but yeah, that's right. Part of it has to do with how the Clans deal with crimes. If you murder someone without just cause, then your punishment is to be killed in a slow, painful way."

Abby's lips pursed open slightly. "Which Monroe has already suffered," she said, hoping this was leading to what she was thinking. "She did die. Several times, and in agony."

"Exactly," Octavia said, keeping her voice low. "As best as I can understand it, they're looking at Monroe the same way they look at those who used to be Reapers; they did terrible things, not entirely of their own free will, and they died as a result. With the Reapers, it was you and Clarke, Abby, who were able to bring some of them back, to restore them to a new life, so it shouldn't be so surprising that the Trikru consider you as having done the same with Monroe.

"But there is something else when it comes to Monroe." Octavia sighed, then she looked down at the brown evergreen needles littering the forest floor before looking back up at Marcus and Abby. "Look, I'm going to trust telling the two of you this for two reasons. First, I know you're not going to use it to stir up trouble or for your own personal gain. And second, I really need somebody else to talk to about this shit, because I'm still trying to wrap my head around it."

Octavia lowered herself to the ground, brushing a few pine cones aside before settling on the carpet of dry needles and leaves. She waited as Marcus and Abby did the same. Finally Octavia picked up a single brown pine needle, turning it over, back and forth, in her fingers.

"How well do you know Harper?" Octavia finally asked, looking first at Marcus, then to Abby.

"Not that well," admitted Marcus, "but from what she's shown us at Council meetings and from her performance as a city guard, she's dependable, she's smarter than people credit her for, and she wants peace. And she wants Charles gone."

"Because he threatens the peace between Arkadia and everyone else," Octavia asked, "or because he was responsible for what happened to Monroe?"

Marcus thought carefully before he replied. "Both are important, but I couldn't tell you which one was more important to Harper."

"I... actually got to know Harper fairly well," Abby said softly. "While Monroe was on the ventilator, and we weren't sure if she was going to survive those next few days. Harper refused to leave her except to go to the bathroom or get food, which she would always bring back to sickbay to eat, so she could be there in case Monroe woke up." Abby glanced up at Octavia. "Or in case she didn't," Abby softly added.

"Then after that, she and I talked. At first, it was almost like I had Clarke back," Abby said, slightly embarrassed at confessing this. "But that was just foolish, wishful thinking on my part. Harper isn't Clarke, obviously, but they both have this hard-won maturity that makes me want to compliment them or cry for them. Sometimes both at the same time."

Octavia looked directly into Abby's eyes. "You know what the maun-de were doing inside that mountain," she said, a statement, not a question. "You saw what they did to the Grounders they captured, men, women, children."

"I don't remember seeing any children in there," Abby said, surprised.

"Because they drained them fast," Octavia said slowly. "The prisoners tended to be more resistant, to fight harder when kids were present, so that bitch Singh had standing orders that any children captured were to be kept out of the regular cages and bled dry first. It sounds like she had some theories about their blood cells maybe having more healing potential than that of the adults, but no one really knows."

Octavia glanced at Indra, then back to Marcus and Abby. "How many Grounders would you guess they killed a week?" she asked, her tone of voice sharp.

"I... I have no idea," Abby said. Marcus shook his head, indicating his own ignorance as well as lack of interest in offering wild guesses on this subject.

"It was usually about five to ten a week, from what the Trikru rescued from Maunon were able to tell us," Octavia said. "But that went up once we started interacting with them, inflicting damage on them, sabotaging their systems. At one point, they drained fourteen prisoners in a single day."

"What kind of..." whispered Abby, only to be cut off by Octavia's sharp gaze.

"But then they realized that not only did the 100 make better sacrificial lambs, but they could drain our bone marrow and use it to perform transplants on themselves, to give them the ability to filter out the lethal radiation long-term. So they started 'harvesting' bone marrow from the captured 100, willingly if possible but happy to use force if necessary."

Marcus closed his eyes. "We had heard," he said, nodding. "Nathan Miller and Monty Green were the most open speaking about what they went through. And they all said that Harper gave more than any of them."

Octavia nodded. "You'd have to ask Harper for the exact reasons she was willing to die in there, but hearing about her and Monroe makes me wonder if she thought Monroe was dead, and there was nothing left to live for."

Abby nodded. "Considering how devastated she was when they brought Monroe in after the poison gas, I could certainly see that."

Octavia tossed the broken pine needle to the side. At some point she had bent it too far, and now it would never be the same. "The prisoners kept by the maun-de all commented on two things about Harper after they were rescued," she said, choosing her words carefully. "First, she never stopped letting the maun-de drain her blood or harvest her bone marrow. Several times the prisoners thought she had died, wheeled out on the stretcher completely pale and limp, only for her to be back hours later, sacrificing her blood and body again."

Octavia sighed, not entirely trusting her emotions to remain under control as she remembered the quiet, pretty girl who had been her friend in the Skybox, whose eyes were always quick to light up with mischief or delight. "Second, she screamed every time."

Abby closed her eyes in sympathy for the young woman who was just eighteen months younger than Clarke, a young woman who had known sorrow and loss on the Ark and found much more of the same on the ground.

"Abby, do you know how many Grounders died in Maunon once Harper started constantly volunteering to be bled?"

Abby opened her eyes, ignoring the tears that rolled down her cheeks. "H-how many?" she managed to ask; the feel of Marcus's hand gently grasping her right hand barely registered to her at the moment.

Octavia smiled, her upper lip also wet with tears. "None," she said. She leaned forward, smiling despite the bittersweet tears. "She saved them, Abby. She was willing to die for them, for people she had never met, just because they deserved better. She never fought the people bleeding her dry. She never asked for anything in return. She never begged for mercy. She just kept coming back, kept suffering, kept going past all limits of her own body and common sense."

All was quite for a few minutes, save for the gentle rustling of pine needles and the soft blowing of the wind.

"When you say the Trikru... talk about Harper..." Marcus finally asked.

Octavia looked directly at him. She wasn't going to comment on him still holding Abby's hand. It really was none of her business. "I mean, she's become something like their version of Jesus," Octavia replied, her voice serious. "And if Pike ever hurts her or hurts Monroe, because the Trikru consider her to be Harper's houmon, then there's going to be a holy war that I'm not entirely sure even Lexa could stop."

—O—

The change in terrain was immediate and drastic, but the presence of a half-dozen Azgeda guards was a more immediate demand for the attention of the four women emerging from the shimmering gate. Two of the Azgeda were dead before they could so much as utter a syllable, the tip of an icy spear tearing out one's throat while the whizzing blade of Lexa's sword decapitated another. Two more fell in mere seconds, as Anna threw her spear halfway through a guard's chest and Lexa had sent her horse trampling over one of the Azgeda scrambling to their feet from where they were seated at their campsite.

The two remaining Azgeda reached their feet before an icy blast swept over one as he drew his arm back to throw a knife, ending his life as his upper body shattered into dull pieces of jagged ice. The final Azgeda wisely attempted to run. He made it nearly seventy meters before Lexa had brought her horse around and run him down, ending his life with a slash to his throat that left his head only loosely attached by a few flaps of muscles and skin.

"I'm sorry about him nearly getting that knife thrown," Elsa said, shaking her head. "That took..."

Anna sidestepped her icy horse closer, gently grasping Elsa's face while she carefully examined the blonde's fair features. "It is harder to use magic here, isn't it?"

There was genuine concern in Elsa's bright blue eyes as she looked into Anna's blue-green. Elsa held out her right hand, palm upward; frost and fog shimmered over the skin of her palm, finally coalescing into a large six-pointed snowflake, but with a grimace and visible cost of exertion on Elsa's part. She nodded, meeting Anna's gaze again. "Yes. Considerably harder, but I'll manage."

Anna reached out her right hand, fingers open; she was pleasantly surprised when the icy spear pulled itself out of the dead Azgeda's chest, flying back to her open hand as smoothly and easily as ever. "It doesn't seem to affect my weapons, though." She nudged her horse lightly, getting a snort and a brief whinny in reply. "Or the horses." She replaced the spear in its scabbard lashed to the side of her magical steed, then she pulled her ice blade halfway out of its sheath at her left hip. Immediately the blade glowed with a gentle blue light; it felt the same to Anna's sense of her and Elsa's magic as well. "Sword's working just fine, too. Huh."

"We'll manage," Elsa said, smiling politely. "We can experiment while we're here, see if we can determine what's different regarding magic in this world."

"Once we can establish where we are, exactly, we must return to Polis," Lexa said, sliding off her horse to check the dead Azgeda for any maps or notable possessions.

"And I need to head to Arkadia," said Clarke. "So I can deal with Charles Pike." She turned to Elsa. "Any ideas on how to find that sorcerer or the book?"

"Nia will be returning to the Ice Nation, if not already there," Lexa said, moving on from one fallen Azgeda to a second. "We cannot risk attacking her until we know the political situation of the Azgeda and their traditional allies, as well as the extent of Nia's new powers."

Elsa and Anna looked at each other. Elsa tried to reach out with her powers, but there was no snow at their present location, and it felt as though her magical senses were muffled or weakened somehow. As soon as the frustration began to wash over her, though, she felt Anna's fingers gently resting on her wrist, and with that the frustration evaporated.

—O—

As the news spread through Polis like fire through a parched forest, the city became a frenzy of bustle and activity despite the terribly late hour. Most of the chaos had subsided by the time the massive steel gates of the city opened, revealing a quartet of riders just outside the gates, astride horses that were half mundane and half otherworldly.

As the inhabitants of Polis fell to their knees in the sight of their Heda once more, Anna and Elsa watched with polite interest at the show of devotion.

"Rise, citizens of Polis!" Lexa said loudly, pausing while those present did just that. "Tonight, your Heda and Wanheda return to you, along with new friends who have accompanied us."

All the faces of the hundreds, if not thousands, of people present turned to regard the oddly dressed women with their two leaders; the elegant blonde with pale skin, dressed in an blue and white gown unlike anything most of Polis had ever seen, and the youthful-looking redhead, skin dotted with vibrant freckles, wearing a glimmering sheath of white chain mail beneath her green and purple tunic, pants and cloak.

"These are our new allies," Lexa continued, her voice projected over the entire crowd. "Winter Queen Elsa and Summer Queen Anna, of the distant country of Arendelle. They are here to offer their assistance with ending the rebellion in the Ice Nation and with bringing the Skaikru murderer Charles Pike to justice!"

And hunting down and killing a murderous sorcerer who had no qualms about torturing and butchering adults and children alike to achieve his or her goals, Clarke though as the crowd gave a robust cheer, although the four of them had already agreed to leave that part unsaid for now. Best to not give the Clans more reason to fear Nia's return beyond what was already present.

As Lexa started forward, toward the central tower stretching nearly to the sky, Clarke had her horse match the slow lope of Lexa's mount. A glance behind her showed Elsa and Anna had done the same, although their snowy mounts had started to attract curious stares, building to a significant crowd pacing them as they made their way down the city's main road, the stalls lining both sides of the wide street now empty due to the late hour. The crowd remained respectfully (possibly fearfully) silent, other than the occasional whisper that grew loud enough to float to the ears of one of the women.

Finally they reached the point where the crowds had to be cordoned off, with nearly a dozen guards taking position behind the four riders, closing off the street with their bodies as they quietly indicated that the crowd could go no further tonight.

Lexa smiled as she saw Aden emerge from the double doors of the tower, the nearly-as-young new flamekeeper Cicero trying to keep pace with Polis's regent. Aden was mostly dressed, missing a jacket or coat but with his sword and daggers sheathed at his sides. The closely shorn Cicero, on the other hand, still appeared to be wrestling with being awoken in the middle of the night, but he gamely kept pace with the young Nightblood.

"Welcome home, Heda, Wanheda!" Aden said, the beaming smile on his face betraying his relative inexperience with leading. Lexa made a note to work more with him on concealing his emotions when fatigued or distracted.

Lexa slid off her saddle smoothly, handing her horse's reins to an approaching attendant. Clarke did the same without hesitation, but the smoothly efficient exchanges skidded to a halt when the stablehands approached Anna's and Elsa's mounts.

Elsa's blue eyes twinkled as she took in the confusion and hesitance on the part of the young girl who stood beside her mount, arm still raised and hand held in place where she had begun to reach for the reins, only to stop at the point-blank sight of the crystal hair, frosty skin and the chill emanating from the icy horse. "He won't bite," Elsa said pleasantly. "And his reins are safe to touch. I'd suggest wearing gloves when you brush him, and he won't need to eat, but otherwise you may treat him like any other mount."

The quiet smack of Anna's boots hitting the hard surface of the street broke the silence; she handed the reins of her horse to the teenaged boy likewise dumbstruck while waiting to accept them, then she moved to Elsa's side as the blonde queen dismounted on her own.

"I like this city," Anna said cheerfully, getting a matching smile from Elsa as well.

"Yes, it's both picturesque and impressive," Elsa agreed. "Especially the tower. It is quite a bit taller than Arendelle Castle." She turned to Lexa and Clarke. "Polis certainly lives up to how you described it, Heda Lexa, Wanheda Clarke. It's quite lovely, and its people certainly seem devoted to the two of you."

It was obvious that the people of Polis weren't as well off as those of Arendelle, something that the last three days of travel had made clear to Anna and Elsa. The people they had met both on the road and in the two small villages they had passed through were clearly wary even after they had recognized Lexa, their body language fearful, menacing or both more often than not.

It had taken roughly an hour for Elsa to regain her strength after sealing off the dimensional portal, encasing it in a sphere of impenetrable ice as she had done back in Arendelle. During that time Lexa had applied a rather fearsome design of inky paint across her face and over her eyes, something which she had explained as being like a badge of her station. She had also affixed a long, thin ribbon of scarlet to a pauldron over her left shoulder, letting the long fabric hang down nearly to her knees. It was a transformation that certainly added a look of menace which Maleficent herself would have admired to the otherwise polite, intelligent young woman.

But despite the overt danger that seemed to be palpable everywhere in this world, there was still beauty to be found. There was no counterpart to the aurora borealis that she and Anna were used to seeing, but the sunsets were a spectacular red, orange and pink that was more vivid than any Elsa had even seen. The flowers, trees and grass were an endless variety of colors so intense that it seemed as if they had come to life out of an illustrated storybook. Life seemed hard, but that made what people had accomplished that much more precious and impressive.

"Queen Anna, Queen Elsa," Lexa said, drawing the attention of the two Arendellan monarchs. "Please come inside. I'll have porters bring all your gear to the quarters you'll be using while staying here, but we need to catch up on what has occurred while Clarke and I have been gone."

"Of course," Elsa replied politely, taking Anna's hand in her own as the two of them followed Lexa, Clarke and the two young men into the looming skyscraper.

—O—

Lexa sighed as she took a drink of grape juice, the fingers of her free left hand idly playing with the loose strands of Clarke's hair where the blonde was lying back against her lover where they reclined on one of the large couches in their quarters.

"That's a lot to take in," Clarke mumbled.

"Yes," Lexa replied softly, the dreaminess in her voice belying the fact that part of her mind was elsewhere, still actively turning over the various pieces of crises that had been presented to her over the last two hours.

"No shit," softly swore the voice of John Murphy, uncharacteristically subdued for him. "So you're trying to tell me that those two women you brought back with you aren't just actual living, breathing queens from some fantasy land, but they're sisters and they're fucking each other?"

"While I find you valuable for your candor, John Murphy," Lexa said, narrowing her eyes as she turned her head to look at the former Skaikru, "you would do well to remember that either of those two women is capable of killing you in less time than it would take your mind to register that your throat had been cut or your heart had been frozen solid."

"Yeah, good point," Murphy mumbled. "Thanks for the reminder." He paused before continuing, "They don't look any older than we do."

"And how many people have we killed?" Clarke asked, disbelief staining her voice as she lifted her head to look Murphy directly in the eyes.

Murphy sighed, equally due to Clarke's point being valid as much as it was due to it being Clarke correcting him. "Another fair point, princess. But still, magic?"

"It's real, Murphy. I didn't believe it either. But Lexa and I have both seen it. Repeatedly."

Lexa's sigh made Clarke pause. "I fear Clarke and I have more to discuss before we can sleep," Lexa said quietly before looking over at Murphy. "Thank you for scouting Arkadia for us while we were gone, John Murphy. And thank you for bringing back the letter from Clarke's mother."

Murphy shrugged his shoulders in a way that managed to toe the delicate line between nonchalance and disrespect; had Lexa's guards been present, she would have been tempted to punish him for the insouciance, but currently the combination of fatigue from traveling and the numb glow of having Clarke back in their home chambers had left the brunette feeling rather nonchalant herself. "Hey, it's what you're paying me for," he said, trying to sound as cavalier as possible. "Among other things."

"Yes," Lexa said, smiling to herself more than to him. "It is. And thank you for your insights on Thelonious Jaha and this 'City of Light' doctrine he is preaching."

"If you want my no-shit opinion on it, he's the real threat." Seeing the two women turn their heads to look at him together, Murphy continued. "Yeah, Pike's an asshole. We all knew that. But Jaha's different. He's legitimately nuts.

"I watched him throw people's lives away without even blinking an eye, on that crazy-ass hunt for the City of Light he kept going on about. I mean, I'm a heartless prick, I admit it, but some of the ways he let his 'followers' die—or just killed them himself—were pretty cold-blooded."

Murphy sighed. "But the real topper to all his layers of crazy is that... he found something. Out there, on that island, after he and I split up. Whatever the City of Light really was, Jaha brought something back with him in that weird case, and he's handing it out like fucked-up candy to anybody in Arkadia who's willing to listen to his bullshit." Murphy looked down at the rug on the hard floor. "Even Reyes."

"Raven's working with him?" Clarke asked, sitting up so quickly that Lexa was unable to keep from tugging her hair briefly.

Murphy spread his hands in a whatever gesture as he met Clarke's gaze. "Working with him, working for him, your guess is as good as mine. But plenty of people have noticed she's acted different since she became one of his little converts. Not as mouthy, not as bitchy, just kind of looking at everybody and everything like she's staring right through them."

Clarke turned to look at Lexa, a look that wasn't quite panic but was disturbingly close gleaming in her eyes. Then it was gone, carefully tucked away before Clarke looked at Murphy again. "Thank you, Murphy," she said, sincerely. "I think Lexa and I need to talk about some things for now."

Murphy grinned. "Is that what you call it?" he said as he stood.

"Be careful," Clarke warned him, reaching back behind her to take Lexa's hand the same way she had watched Elsa with Anna several times over the last week, when the blonde didn't want the redhead to act rashly. "Not everybody around here has a sense of humor."

"Tell me something I don't know," he said easily. "But I've got to be me, yeah?"

Clarke looked at him carefully before patting him on the chest once. "Until it gets you killed," she said, lightening her statement with a smile. "See you tomorrow?"

"You're the boss," Murphy said, his usual smirk on his face. He turned to Lexa, then bowed his head slightly. "Heda," he said politely, then he turned and quietly walked to the door.

"Oh, yeah," Murphy said, turning as he reached the door. "There was something else I forgot to mention. Might not be much of anything, but who knows?"

"Go ahead," Lexa said.

"They, uh..." Murphy started, then he looked away briefly before looking back at Clarke, then Lexa. "They talk to themselves."

"Who?" asked Clarke, tearing her thoughts away from the thoroughly distracting sensation of Lexa's fingertips tracing across Clarke's lower back beneath her shirt.

"Jaha's little converts," Murphy replied. "They talk to themselves. When they think nobody's paying attention to them." He shrugged again. "Like I said, could be nothing. But it seemed to creep your mom out. She was the one who pointed it out to me."

"Thanks, Murphy," Clarke said. "And thanks for delivering her letter to me."

"That's what you and the boss pay me for," he replied. He nodded again, then quickly turned and pushed the doors open, walking into the hall as the guards closed the doors behind him as he exited.

Clarke and Lexa sat quietly for several minutes after he left, settling back into their previous position with Clarke reclining into Lexa's embrace.

"Does he know we have that weird wafer-tablet thing Jaha had given him?"

Lexa thought for a few seconds before replying to her mate's question. "I do not think so," she replied. "But he didn't seem interested in recovering it after Titus's attack on you. He was obviously distrustful of it, as he never used it."

"Mom said in her letter that the chips use some kind of nanotechnology. Microscopic machines that attach to the brainstem and partially rewire the spinal cord. They do something to mitigate the signals from pain fibers but also have some kind of effect on the personality. She's trying to figure it out, but without cutting someone's brainstem open, there's only so much analysis she can do."

It was quiet in their chambers before Lexa opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off by Clarke.

"And don't you say that I should do it to you, Lexa."

Lexa blinked, both surprised and more than a bit proud that Clarke had guessed what she was about to suggest. "The similarities are undeniable," the brunette replied. "Placement at the brainstem, the holy symbol of the First Commander, the—"

"So are the differences," Clarke shot back. "The Commander's Spirit doesn't alter your personality, or block your pain receptors. Plus it has to be implanted, not ingested. And it works with you. It doesn't control you."

Lexa nodded in agreement. "Agreed. Still, there clearly is a connection."

"Okay, yes, there's a connection."

"Perhaps the Nightblood is connected as well..." Lexa murmured, the words instantly drawing Clarke's attention.

"What?"

"The First Commander, her Spirit and the Nightblood all came from the sky. The holy symbol came with her as well."

Clarke considered Lexa's thoughts and implications. "Do you think this thing Jaha is handing out is connected to her too?"

Lexa closed her eyes and went still for several seconds, which stretched into several minutes. Finally she slowly blinked open her eyes, revealing thin green rims almost entirely overtaken by the blackness of her pupils. "I cannot find anything like these wafers in my past memories," Lexa finally spoke, her voice slightly unsteady.

She turned to look at Clarke, and the intensity of her gaze made Clarke shudder. "I... do not want you to go to Arkadia, Clarke," Lexa whispered.

"What?" asked Clarke, confused.

Lexa blinked twice, and the tears that escaped her eyes were equally startling to Clarke. "I know that you must go, just as you do. But I do not like entering battle without being aware of all the forces and their capabilities, and I fear that is exactly what you're going to do tomorrow."

"I'll have Elsa and Anna with me," Clarke said. "Plus you've already sent Indra and Octavia, along with the Trikru forces manning the blockade. I'll be fine."

"But if Jaha has secretly been creating a force of people who will be loyal to him, things could get much worse."

Clarke nodded, then she gently pushed Lexa back onto the couch. She smiled as she lay her body atop Lexa, resting her head on Lexa's shoulder. She felt Lexa's arms come up to hold her securely, not too tight, not too loose, and the security she felt in Lexa's arms make Clarke's heart swell. However, in contrast to how relaxed she felt, Clarke also felt the tension in Lexa's body beneath her, more than just the usual taut muscle tone. "Relax, my houmon," Clarke whispered in Trigedasleng. "I'm here now. Just breathe and focus on my heart."

For several minutes they lay quietly, eyes closed, soaking in the intimacy and love they shared. "Whatever happens, I will come back to you, Lexa," Clarke finally spoke, her voice quiet but her tone firm. "I promise you that. Even if it means abandoning Arkadia entirely."

Clarke's hand gently brushed over Lexa's forehead, careful not to dislodge the tiny symbolic gear she wore between her eyes for official business. "While my mother and my friends are in Arkadia, my home and my life is here with you," Clarke said. "I accept and embrace that. Fully."

Lexa squeezed her eyes tightly, swallowing against the flood of emotion trying to erupt from her chest. "I... trust you, Clarke," she managed to say. "And I love you."

"First thing I'll do when I get there is deal with Pike. Then I'll find Mom. She gave us a list of people who she knows have and haven't taken him up on his 'City of Light' offer."

"Is there anyone else in Arkadia who might be able to help, since we cannot trust Raven?" Lexa asked, gently brushing Clarke's hair with her fingers and placing light kisses on the blonde's temples every few strokes.

"Monty would be our best bet, plus maybe Kyle Wick. The trick is going to be keeping Raven distracted while we try to figure out exactly what Jaha's goal is, because if she is working with him, we can't take the chance on her warning him that we're up to something."

Lexa couldn't help but smile. "Even if we don't know what we're 'up to' yet, I suppose?"

Clarke grinned, even though Lexa couldn't see the expression from behind her. "I suppose," she admitted happily.

"I have some thoughts on this matter, ai niron," Lexa said as she carefully kissed Clarke's right ear. "But we can discuss them... later. Before you leave in the morning."

Clarke grinned as she turned in Lexa's arms to face her wife. "I could get behind that," she said teasingly. "Or under it. Or on top—"

Her words were cut off by Lexa's lips pressing against hers and the brunette bodily picking Clarke up and carrying her to their bedchambers, their lips never losing contact.

—O—

"How are you holding up?" Anna spoke softly.

Elsa blinked, looking up into the mirror in the room they had been given to see the redhead standing behind her, a concerned expression on her face. "I'm just tired," Elsa replied, smiling at Anna's beautiful visage despite her weariness.

Anna crossed the room, tossing the shirt of her ice mail on a nearby chair as she knelt on the floor, pressing her bare breasts against Elsa's exposed back. She smiled as she wrapped her arms around Elsa, relishing in her mate's content sigh as Elsa let herself relax in Anna's embrace. "Love you," Anna softly spoke, her lips lightly pressing against the skin at Elsa's hairline on the back of her neck.

"I love you too," Elsa replied, reaching back to gently wrap one of Anna's braids around her hand. "I'll be okay. I promise."

"Yeah, but I can't help but worry about you," Anna replied, grinning as her hands drifted down from where they had been tracing lines on Elsa's chest, finally stopping over Elsa's lower abdomen. "And about the baby."

Elsa smiled broadly as she slid her hips slightly forward, lowering the angle of her lower back and giving Anna's hands more of her abdomen to caress. "She feels fine to my magic," Elsa replied. "That much I can tell, at least."

"You've just seemed really tired these last three days, more than you were with Erin," Anna said, kissing Elsa's head. "Although I suppose we're not used to riding horses on long trips anymore."

Elsa slowly shifted on the stool, sitting up carefully so as to allow Anna to avoid getting hit in the head by a shoulder or elbow. She turned and helped Anna up, pulling her close, only Anna's pants between them as Elsa dissolved the gown she had been wearing. "It's definitely harder to use magic on this world," she admitted with a sigh. "And it's been active the whole time we've been here, for some reason. I think that's why I feel so drained."

"Adjusting to the different world, maybe?"

"Maybe," Elsa though. "But I'm not sure yet."

"Or maybe it's trying to reconnect to our world. Or to the girls."

Elsa scrunched her nose slightly. "What part of 'I'm not sure' was unclear back there, Anna?" she asked flippantly.

Anna grinned back. "Just the part where your lips were moving."

Silently conceding the point to Anna, Elsa smiled at her wife, stepping to the side while holding onto one of Anna's hands as she led them to the large bed beside them. Elsa turned the covers back, letting Anna slide in first. Anna in turn grabbed the near edge of most of the blankets on the bed and pulled them nearly off, piling them up on the side and leaving just a sheet and a thin blanket covering them.

"Thank you," Elsa said, her blue eyes still bright even in the dim room. "For looking out for us."

"Hey, it's easy looking out for someone when she's as gorgeous as you."

The frown on Elsa's face made Anna laugh, which in turn made Elsa grin and laugh as well. "Well, at least I've got that going for me," Elsa replied.

"All day long," Anna added, getting another laugh from Elsa. "And all night."

"Speaking of which," Elsa said, lifting her left arm and pointing it toward the ceiling. There was a momentary pause as Elsa felt the magic within her struggle to be released in this odd world, then she felt her magic pulse into Anna, gathering power from their connection before thrumming back into her body again.

A bright glow filled the room as ribbons and streams of white frost sprayed upward before twisting to the sides and falling in a cascade over and around the bed. The shimmering spray thickened as it hit the floor, forming into a dense semicircular dome of ice that completely enclosed the bed they were in, even extending beneath the bed to coat the floor below them as well. With her powers boosted from the intimate contact with Anna, the drain on Elsa was fairly modest, and she gladly accepted the fatigue to ensure they were safe.

"Now then," Elsa said, a sultry smirk on her face as she turned back toward Anna, their protective barrier of ice now securely around them. "Where were we?"

—O—

Well into the night, Lexa found herself unable to sleep, despite the comforting weight of Clarke's body laying over her in their bed. She had spent the last few hours lying in quiet but fevered thought, asking herself if there was any limit to what she would do to protect Clarke. Was there any length to which she wouldn't go, any taboo she would refuse to break, any boundary she would refuse to cross to safeguard the woman she loved?

She couldn't think of any.

—O—

Many miles to the north, lusty cheers and shouts erupted as the severed head of the False King Roan hit the snow-covered ground with a soft thump, a thin ribbon of blood trailing its descent.

The cheers of the crowd rose even louder when the white-cloaked woman stood from the throne atop the platform. She shifted the thick cloak of white fur so that the cloak fell behind her as she stepped forward. She stopped just past the dead body of her son, who had betrayed her even before her death. Now he had paid for his treachery.

Hans watched with cool admiration as Nia basked in the devotion of her followers, relishing the adoration while stoking the fires further. The Azgeda were surprisingly primitive, despite the once-advanced technology they had commanded just over a century ago. With that primitive thinking went superstition, much to his and Nia's benefit. As a result of her having herself venerated for decades, it was rather easy for her people to accept her resurrection and new godhood, especially with her standing before them, living, breathing, speaking, near enough and solid enough to touch and remove all doubts.

Working with Nia was surprisingly pleasant, even without any carnal attraction. He knew better than to fall prey to such temptations with a partner who was as likely to betray him as he would her. But she was a very competent if ruthless ruler, with fiercely (he would go so far as to say foolishly) loyal followers who were quick to carry out her every order. After the several hours of disorientation that followed her return to the living world were finally over, she had quickly grasped what he had given her and what he was proposing to her, and she had immediately agreed to the alliance. He would tutor her on her new powers and use his magic to help her people rout those foolish enough to oppose them. They would work together to first conquer Nia's enemies and firmly establish Nia's kingdom, then they would take her Azgeda across dimensions to overthrow the incestuous bitches of Arendelle. From that isolated country he could carry out his dark magic without interruption as he built his power and knowledge further. With his ability to cross dimensions, there was no limit to the power and knowledge he could accumulate, as long as he had souls to sacrifice to maintain his vitality.

As the crowd gasped in awe, Hans looked up to see Nia's arms raised and extended to her sides, with both hands glowing with a yellow-white light as frost and ice dripped from her fingers; she then whirled around and unleashed an arctic blast that froze the corpse of the dead king Roan solid before shattering it into a million pieces of ice.

Really, he hadn't intended to invest Nia with powers like Elsa. It must have had something to do with the location of the ritual, perhaps the resonance

That it had happened, though...

Well, he could appreciate irony as well as anyone.

—O—

Author's Afterword: I can already see the questions coming about the different mechanics of magic in Earth-100, as well as about potential damaging effects of the increased radiation on little Lise (yes, they've already picked out a name, but they haven't told anyone yet). I'll get into a more detailed discussion of how magic "works" in this story next chapter, but I want to go ahead and reassure everyone that Lise is going to be fine. The reason Elsa's powers seem to be "on" since they crossed over into Earth-100 is that they're constantly healing damage from the high radiation levels. Anna is getting some protection as well, mostly when she's touching Elsa. When they're touching, Elsa's magic senses the early radiation damage beginning in Anna and starts healing her as well, and because Elsa's powers are boosted when she and Anna are touching, they're able to heal Anna enough during the times they're touching to prevent radiation sickness from developing. So far. And yes, Elsa's powers constantly being "on" is indeed making her tired, even more so than being pregnant is.

I think the context was probably translation enough, but "ai niron" = "my lover."

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it, and see you soon with the next chapter!