Elsa rode over the water on her icy chariot, leaving behind a frozen trail. She arrived at the heart of the storm, just beyond a snowy mountain. Its thunderous winds stopped and converted into a huge fog all around her.
She stepped off and searched the misty area. Her frosty steeds grew uneasy, sensing something pure evil nearby. Advancing through the fog on her own, a silhouetted figure caught her eye. It appeared to be some kind of animal. Elsa walked towards it with caution, but it vanished into the blankets of the fog. Her eyes blinked in perplexity. Could she had been seeing things?
Then the mysterious creature prowled its way behind her.
"Hello, Elsa."
She spun around to the shocking sight of a nine-tailed fox. It was rather large and is mainly yellow with red splashed up its paws and on the tips of its tails.
They began to walk circles around each other, never leaving their gaze upon the other.
"You…speak?"
The fox's snout did not move but Elsa heard her voice crystal clear, "I do many things…" She disappeared behind a shroud of smoke.
Elsa tried to stay strong despite being extremely confused and a bit frightened.
Behind her back the fox shapeshifted into Kitsune. The witch tapped the unsuspecting Queen a magic touch of the finger onto the back of her neck. The tiny red hex around her hand journeyed across her finger and onto Elsa's skin, spreading throughout her whole body.
Gasping at the indescribable chill rippling through her, Elsa's surprised eyes flashed black for a split second, "W-what's happening?"
"For the first time in forever, you are opening your eyes…"
The environment around her changed. She now saw clear blue skies and stood on a frozen ocean. Curvy lines left by the waves of the waters decorated the icy surface in elegant patterns. She gazed about in wonder, "Where-"
Kitsune stepped beside her, "You are in your natural habitat…"
More snowy mountains appeared, and sparkling snowflakes danced to the ground.
"Surrounded by such beauty, all of which you, yourself, are able to create…"
The original ice palace Elsa created when she ran away after her coronation emerged off in the distance.
"Away from all those who hold you back…"
With one hand on the small of Elsa's back, Kitsune gestured to the ground. Anna's reflection was in the ice.
"Anna? Anna does not hold me back!" She pulled away from the woman. Her eyes flickered black when she made her outburst.
Catching the flicker, the witch cracked a subtle pleasing smile that Elsa did not notice, "No…?"
She began to calmly pace around the Queen, speaking in her captivating voice. "She cannot survive in these environments, environments in which you flourish. She has no powers. Nothing close to the gifts you were born with. There is nothing special about her."
"She's special to me." Elsa stated strongly, keeping her eyes on the Asian woman in the red and white kimono with gold leaves and vines designed all around.
"Of course," giving a slight nod, "she is your sister. But can you really be a family?"
Her initial anger from the insult to her sibling was now stumped with confusion as she tried to actually answer that question in her head.
"You never truly grew up together. You went years on end without even seeing each other, yet you lived under the same roof."
Elsa tried to justify this, "Because that was for-"
"Her safety, yes, I know." She ceased to walk circles around her, looking Elsa straight in the eyes, "And yet…you still cannot even share a room together. You have to watch every single move you make. You still have to…conceal."
Elsa looked down at her protective gloves and yanked them off, tossing them aside.
"No, I-I've learned to better control it."
"Ah yes…thanks to that lover of yours…"
Jack Frost appeared on the nearest mountaintop.
"Jack!" She could not help joyfully shouting out his name upon seeing him.
The area around them changed to the peak of that mountain.
"As perfect as it may seem…"
Elsa passed by the speaking woman to run to Jack. He smiled, ready to accept her with open arms. But he vanished just before making contact. The disillusioned Queen stumbled into the snow, falling on her knees.
"He will eventually leave you."
Elsa dug her nails into the snow and whipped her head around to snap at Kitsune, revealing solid black eyes, "You're wrong! He loves me!"
The witch was pleased by her progress. All it took was one magic touch to awaken the darkness inside her and with every emotional spike, the darkness grew.
Kitsune kept her elegant calm, "Does he? Has he ever told you that?"
Her black eyes faded to normal as they trembled from side to side, trying to find a nonexistent memory. Jack had never told her that he loved her. Not once in the near two years that they had been together had he ever uttered those three words.
"Sure, he likes you. He likes you now, but do not forget who he is…" the woman gracefully walked toward Elsa. "Such a free spirited boy like Jack Frost will lose interest in a woman like you. You have responsibilities and duties to fulfill, an entire kingdom to run. Where will you find enough time to entertain him before he gets bored?"
Elsa's saddened eyes traveled around the snow beneath her to avoid looking up at Kitsune, realizing nothing she was telling her was wrong.
"Jack will eventually just move on to the next best thing."
"No…" She shut her eyes away in denial.
"No? Then where is he now? Why isn't he here for you? He'd rather be off with his inseparable group of friends."
Meanwhile…
Just into the woods, Hiccup and Merida sat around a campfire with Toothless lying comfortably beside the Viking. Jack hung upside down off a close tree branch behind the Scottish princess.
The friends finished up a nice talk, reminiscing about old times.
"I'm not that bad" Jack chuckled kind of guiltily.
Merida reminded him, "Oh no? When we spent the holidays at the North Pole, yuh tied Flynn ta Nicholas' sled…WITH Punzie's hair!" She cackled at the end.
Hiccup burst into laughter upon remembering, "Dear Odin, and when you scared the reindeer, he shot up into the sky all like," he began imitating the loudest screams while flailing his arms.
Merida snorted, "No, no, he was more like," she imitated and even higher pitched scream with even more ridiculous hand flailing.
They all share a good laugh, even Toothless.
"I guess I am kinda bad." Jack admitted proudly.
"Punzie was so mad at ye," Merida giggled.
"Oh yeah! After that she kept chasing me around the toy shop with her frying pan…" Jack flipped off the tree branch, "And I thought you were the only one with a temper," he nudged the redhead with a grin as he took a seat next to her on the log. She playfully elbowed him back.
"But Flynn and I are always pranking each other. Besides, he thought I was fourteen." He finished in a sour tone.
"Him too?"
"Yeah, I don't know why people keep thinking that."
"I don't either." Hiccup tossed more wood into the fire, "You don't look fourteen, and aren't you technically like hundreds of years old?"
"Just about, but I died when I was eighteen." He rubbed his chin, "Or was it seventeen? No, maybe I was nineteen. Pretty sure I was nineteen…Ahh, I can't remember."
"The point is you're ancient, Jack." Merida joked.
"Gee thanks,"
"And ye still act like a wee trickster."
"Ah well, I'm young at heart" he shrugged with an open smile.
"That's why we love you." Hiccup raised his cup to him before drinking.
Merida followed, "Aye, and we wouldn't have it any other way." She took a large gulp of her drink and wiped her mouth clean with her sleeve, "Even though you're a real sharp pain sometimes."
Jack chuckled.
Hiccup stood up, "That's part of the magical charm of Jack Frost. You can bring out the good in all of us." He opened another basket of raw fish in case Toothless wanted any. The dragon dug in.
The Guardian's mood dropped as he lowers his head, speaking softly, "I couldn't bring out any good in Susano…"
Hiccup and Merida glanced at each other before darting their eyes back at Jack.
She placed a hand on his knee, "Because there wasn't any…He's willing ta let the whole world burn, and he almost killed Hachiman. Who knows how many other people he's hurt."
Hiccup closed his eyes upon remembering what his father once told him, "Men who kill without reason, cannot be reasoned with."
Jack stood, "Except he gave me a reason…he lost his wife, he made mistakes when he was a teenager, we all have. He also told me that the Fire God isn't the monster Hachiman says it is-"
Merida knocked over her drink as she rose up with a stern questioning tone, "Yer takin' his side!?"
Hiccup was with Merida on this, "Jack, that's no excuse to possibly wipe out the entire Earth."
"You're right, you're right, it's just…I don't know…" He rubbed his pale forehead.
"We have to stop him." She stated coldly.
"How?" Jack snapped, "We know we can't kill him. You tried!"
Toothless looked over at them with concern.
Merida crossed her arms over her chest, "That's why we wait ta see what the Sun tells Punzie."
She was unapologetic for what she did at the Crescent Isles. She understood that Susano needed to be stopped no matter the cost, just like Hachiman told them. Merida was the only one on the team that would voluntarily get her hands dirty to get the job done. She knew it. Her friends knew it. It was the one thing they would always disagree on.
Hiccup tried to keep this from boiling into a huge argument, "You tried talking to him and nothing, and there are only two volcanoes left. We cannot start fighting with each other now."
They both relaxed. Jack looked to Hiccup, "All I'm saying is…with the pain he went through…he's lashing out, yes, but maybe he's just confused-"
"There is no confusion." Hachiman stepped forth from the shadows of the trees and night sky into the light of the campfire, "Susano knows full well what he is doing."
They were all startled by his sudden appearance.
"You walked all the way out here?" Hiccup asked, surprised by his speedy recovering.
Hachiman nodded, and then spoke words with the Guardian.
"Do not let his silver tongue sway you. He has used it many a time to achieve his means, even against the grandest of the gods. All the more reason his banishment was necessary…so I was told. He even managed to recruit to most cunning of witches."
"But…" Jack thought, "If I can get him and the Man in the Moon to meet…maybe they can resolve their-"
"No resolution would be made, Frost. You would only be causing another catastrophic disaster before Kagutsuchi's awakening."
"Wot are ye on about?" Merida wondered.
"The first confrontation between the Storm and the Moon outside the heavens resulted in a great flood that drowned the earth."
A look of horror washed over their faces.
Jack shook his head and set a hand on Merida's shoulder, silently apologizing for snapping at her moments ago. Merida laid her hand over his in forgiveness.
"Unlike myself, the Sun and Moon's greater power places them high up above. They cannot risk physically coming down for numerous reasons. My place, on the other hand, is here on the surface."
The heroes unanimously realized it was solely up to them to stop Susano.
Hiccup walked up to the god, "We'll figure it out…saving the world is kind of what we do on every other day of the week."
A chuckling little smile crossed over his friends' faces. A smile formed on Hachiman's face as well. He had complete and utter faith in them. After all, who else could be up to the task?
Hiccup then asked, "So how's Punzie doing?"
"She is doing well. She nearly made contact once, she will make it again. I decide to leave her alone with the calmness of her mind. And I wanted to stretch my legs now that I am able to walk once more with no struggle."
"Feels great don't it?" Hiccup smiled, knowing the relief it is to be able to walk properly again.
"Indeed," returning the smile.
Merida stepped in to ask, hoping for a yes, "Can yuh join the fight now?"
"I am afraid not."
She dropped her head in disappointment.
"But…"
They all listened eagerly.
"I am one with the Earth. I've regained enough strength to be able to feel Susano's presence anywhere. I've been tracking his movements."
"So where is he? Is he onto the next volcano?" Hiccup inquired.
"Actually no…he's nowhere near them…" He sounded confused, confused as to why Susano was so far off course.
Hachiman took a knee to press his hand onto the ground. He shut his eyes for a brief moment to concentrate, "He is in a land to the far north…"
Hiccup and Jack look over at one another, thinking could it be?
"A kingdom…the kingdom of…Arendelle?"
Merida turned to Jack, "Isn't that where…"
His face flustered, worrying gravely about Elsa.
Hiccup saw his growing intensity, burning hotter than their campfire. Sharp, frosted ice shards began to grow along the ground and around the trees, and a sudden drop in temperature put out the fire. The Viking rushed over to his friend, "Jack-"
But before being able to reach him, Jack blasted off into the air.
"Jack, wait!"
It was no use. He was already much too far to hear. Even so, he would not had listened. Too far gone to chase, the Guardian disappeared off into the dark distance of the night.
Jack Frost rocketed through the sky at such an immense speed, a speed of which he had never flown before.
Inside her tower, Rapunzel continued her deep session of meditation until finally…
Her eyes flashed open, illuminating her entire room with the golden glow shinning off her eyes and long hair.
Rapunzel was back to a familiar place, a place filled with iridescent lights of all different sorts of bright colors all around her. They looked so far yet felt so close.
Then Amaterasu graciously descended before the princess with her arms extended, "Congratulations on unlocking your bond with me. This connection will remain open to you until my brother has been taken care of. Until then, you can call on me at any time."
"Perfect! So…what you were saying before…what do I have to do?"
Amaterasu smiled and places her thumb on Rapunzel's forehead. The princess closes her eyes as a light, bright as the sun, beamed out around the area of contact.
Hachiman, Hiccup, Merida, and Toothless all saw the golden glow bursting out of the windows of the tower from the edge of the woods. The glow reflected off all their eyes, lighting up their faces with hope.
"Your friend has made the spiritual connection!"
"Punzie!" Merida exclaimed, so happy and proud.
"Let's go!" Hiccup motions everyone to head back.
They all jogged over to the tower.
Back on the snowy mountaintop near Arendelle where it appeared to be daytime…
The witch stood before the fallen Queen, "Your perfect romance will not last…"
All of Elsa's hopes and dreams continued to crumble.
"You are beautiful now, but you will age and he will not."
Kitsune looked down at the woman who had not even bothered to pick herself off the snow-covered ground.
"You will grow old and he will grow tired of you."
Her eyes began to tear up, "…he wouldn't."
"So what if he doesn't? Let's look at the alternative…he stays and falls deeply in love with you…he will love you so much that he will stay with you until the very end. Until you wither away and death comes for you."
Kitsune moved behind the sniffling Queen to speak closer into her ear, "Then Jack will be left without you, mourning your loss for all eternity."
The thought of this tragic fate made Elsa feel even worse. Her falling teardrops dented the soft snow beneath her.
"Jack…" She whimpered.
"All the suffering you would put him through…"
"I can't…"
"You will hurt him like you hurt everyone else that you love."
She raised her head to see a flashback of her and Anna playing together when they were little, the time when she fatally hurt her. Then she flashed through all the emotional moments where she harshly shut Anna out. Finally ending with the time when she accidentally shot ice into her heart in her original ice palace of isolation, nearly killing her.
She dropped her head in guilt, tears streaming down her face. Her chaotic swell of aching emotions were only feeding the darkness inside of her.
The witch saw that the young Queen's restless heart was beginning to create a swirling blizzard around them. She broke away the illusion of daytime, revealing the dusky navy blue night sky overlaying the round mountaintop from which they were. Yet Elsa was too busy sobbing to notice her surroundings.
A few miles out…
Jack flew passed the Norwegian mountains. He was initially on his way to Arendelle, but he noticed winds of snow circle about below on a mountaintop not too far.
That has to be her.
He dived toward it. Then completely out of left field, Susano tackled him into the side of a mountain.
Kitsune heard the impact off in the distance. Susano must be handling some unwanted company. She created a large hexed dome as a precaution. Elsa's blizzard still built up within the witch's red force field.
Jack groaned in Susano's clutches. He managed to shove him off and flew away to Elsa, but Susano quickly caught up. Grabbing him by the ankle, the Storm God threw him back down. A large puff of snow shot up from the brutal crash.
Kitsune decided it was time to finish this. At a reasonably safe distance, she moved in front of Elsa, speaking in a sterner tone, "The ones you love the most will only bring you misery in the end."
The rising darkness within her had grown strong enough.
"Anna…you will only hurt her. Jack…he will only hurt you."
Her eyes began to rapidly switch between black and normal.
Susano pinned Jack down with the trident end of his spear stabbed around his throat. He felt the sharp blades press against the sides of his neck. Both his hands were clamped around the handle, but he could not wiggle free. "Why…" He struggled, "Leave Elsa out of this!"
The god leaned lower to tell him, "You meddled into my personal affairs, now I take something personal of yours."
"No!"
Back to Kitsune and Elsa...
"And if he does not, then you will hurt him just as well."
Elsa's eyes stayed in their normal blue hue for one last moment.
"There is no happy ending for you, my Queen…"
The blizzard reached its top speed. The snowstorm raged on all around them. Kitsune kept her balance, effortlessly.
"This is what love does to you! All this pain…do you really want to keep feeling this way?"
Elsa weeping, "No…"
A dark red aura of energy started to steam off of Elsa's body.
"Do you want it to stop?"
"Yes!" she cried out.
"Then let it go…"
She shrieked in agony.
"All of it. Let it go!"
Elsa let out the loudest scream she had ever cried as her own darkness consumed her. She had now let go of all of her humanity. All the snow from the blizzard quickly pulled into her, engulfing her body.
Jack felt a horrible tear in his soul.
"ELSA!"
He reached his staff and shot Susano off of him. Now free, he scurried across the snow.
"You're too late, Guardian!"
Jack made it to the dome. He pounded away at it, grunting and panting frantically. He suddenly felt it vibrate.
Susano observed from the skies.
A powerful explosion of snow broke out of Kitsune's magic force field. Jack got knocked several feet back. Shaking the snow out of his silver locks, he squinted ahead to scan for Elsa. When the smoke cleared, he gaped at the awful sight. He could not believe his eyes.
Behind Kitsune, stepped forward the woman that was once his girlfriend.
Elsa was now wrapped in a new dark burgundy-red dress with black streaks down the arms and around the bottom ends. The tail of the dress snaked across the snow as she walked up to Jack.
Susano looked at her with an impressed gaze.
"Elsa?" Jack stared up, catching her demonic black eyes.
"Oh, look who finally showed." She undid her royal bun, letting down her now jet-black hair to a spiky braided tail over one shoulder.
Jack stood up to approach her, "W-what did she do to you?"
But she struck him away with her powers without the slightest hesitation. Elsa was much more powerful now.
Jack groaned in pain, but his eyes cried more for the sight of Elsa, not so much her attack of which he was still unable to get up from.
She walked along a narrow runway of ice as she created it with one hand, curving it around Jack, "She merely opened my eyes."
He did not even know what to say.
She raised an arm and a pillar of ice, pulsating dark red at the center, shot up under him. He was now at eye-level with her. The pillar, crystallized up to his neck, prevented him from moving his body even an inch, and his staff was left on the cold ground below.
"Don't look so sad…"she traced her finger up his chin, "I'm not."
Jack could only respond to her devilish smirk with a tear down his distraught face.
"So listen...this isn't going to work out." She shrugged without a care, "It's not you…it's me."
After referring to her new darker self, she struck him down again, shattering the ice into tiny clear-red fragments. She formed a slope to walk down onto the snow.
Susano landed behind her on one side, and Kitsune walked up behind her on the other.
"And before we go, here's some wisdom for you and your dear friends…" She shot him the coldest glare, "Back off."
She blasted him away with the full force of a raging blizzard. Jack fell off the face of the mountain.
Susano and Kitsune made their departure with their newest asset, Dark Elsa.
A few hours later, back inside the tower…
Rapunzel's eyes closed and her glow faded, concluding her long spiritual session with Amaterasu. She unfolded her legs from their meditation position and blinked open her green eyes to see that it was already well into the morning. She then saw Hiccup, Toothless, Merida, and Hachiman all in the room staring at her.
At least they stayed quiet this time.
Merida impatiently leaned into her face with a half-finished apple in hand, "Wot did she tell ye?"
Rapunzel looked to Hachiman, "She said hi."
He smiled and nodded. Then proceeded to the matter at hand, "What must we do?"
"Okay so…" She grabbed a scroll of paper and her painting utensils. "We're going to need this…" she finished a quick painting.
Hiccup scratched his head, "A blue sword?"
Rapunzel clarified, "It isn't just any sword-"
Merida tilted her head at examining the picture, "A magic sword?"
"Kind of…"
Hachiman recognized the weapon, "It's the Kusanagi…Susano forged it out of an eight headed water dragon he slayed."
Toothless' ears shot up and eyes popped wide.
"Don't worry, bud…" Hiccup patted and rubbed his worried dragon's head.
"Why did I not think of it before…?" Hachiman awed.
"Wot's so special 'bout it?" Merida asked, not seeing what the big deal was.
"The God of the Moon had it locked away in one of his worshipers' temples. It is perhaps the only weapon here on earth that can end him."
"No," Rapunzel shot down that idea.
Merida looked at her stunned, "No?"
"Not end him…trap him."
Everyone paid close attention as she gathered her thoughts to best explain herself. Rapunzel then went off on her explanation of the plan with expressive hand gestures. "Amaterasu taught me how. She was the one who sprinkled her magical sunlight powers on the finished volcanoes to make them capable of imprisoning the Fire God. So now that I've unlocked my connection with her, all we have to do is get the sword and I'll channel her energy into it so that it'll be able to do the same to Susano."
Merida paused before asking on some clarity for her own understanding. "So if I'm hearin' this right…yuh don't just magically heal the sick and injured anymore. Now ye can channel the rest of the Sun's powers?"
"Pretty much, yes…as long as my connection with her stays open that is."
"Well that's convenient."
"Really?" Hiccup was surprised with her, "We live in a world full of tiny blue wisps, dragons, and a winter spirit, and this is what's too much for you?"
"Eh, well yuh know," Merida just took a bite out of her apple.
"It is settled!" Hachiman projected. "You must retrieve the Kusanagi blade. I'll locate the temple just allow me to…"
He shut his eyes to concentrate, sensing where Susano was heading next, "Oh no-"
"Guys!" Jack dropped in through the open window.
Everyone jumped at the sudden arrival. Toothless helped him up.
"Jack! What happened?" Rapunzel rushed over to him, healing his sore body. Everyone else huddled in.
"Elsa…" he panted uncontrollably, trying to catch his breath, "they…I-I don't know what that witch did to her, but they took her…and her eyes…her eyes…"
Hachiman made an accurate guess, "Were they solid black?"
"Yeah…" he looked up at him, his body feeling better with Rapunzel's healing abilities, "How did you?"
"It's Kitsune's specialty. She is manipulative with her sorcery. She twists and corrupts one's soul into their deepest, darkest form."
"She's been brainwashed?" Hiccup exclaimed.
"Yes, and she is with them now. They are well on their way to the temple."
Merida slammed her fist, "Curses! Just when we come up with something, they're already a step ahead."
Jack was confused, "Temple?"
"We'll tell you on the way," Hiccup hopped on Toothless.
"We don't even know where it is." Merida told the Rider.
Hachiman placed his hand on Rapunzel's shoulder. Finished with healing Jack, she turned to face the god.
"You can consult the goddess at any time. She will know where the temple is. Her knowledge is yours."
Rapunzel's eyes glowed on command.
Jack was amazed, uttering to Hiccup, "She made the connection…"
"Yep, we'll tell you all about that too." Toothless dived out the window and hovered right outside with the steady flapping of his wings.
Rapunzel's eyes reverted back to normal, "I know the way!"
Merida nodded impressed and climbed onto Toothless.
Rapunzel stopped by Jack before heading out. "Should we…should we get Anna?"
"No…" He said in a hoarse whisper, "I don't want her to have to see her sister like this."
She understood and placed a hand on his shoulder, assuring him that it would be okay. Rapunzel then took her seat behind Merida on Toothless.
The Guardian was about to exit the open window next, but Hachiman told him one last thing, "Before you go…"
Jack looked at him almost apologetically for being so naïve before, "You were right about him, H…Susano lost what little sympathy I had for him when he took Elsa."
"It is still your Elsa, only now demonic. No one has ever broken free of Kitsune's spell, so I do not know how but…if you want your loved one back, you must find a way soon. For in a matter of days, her soul will remain that way forever."
Jack pensively frowned to the floor, not wanting to lose her to the depths of evil. But he did not know how to save her. All he knew for certain was that he would try until his last breath.
He looked over to his friends, eyes more determined than ever, and flew out beside them.
The four raced to the temple, hoping to reach it first.
A/N: I went with a dark burgundy red for Dark Elsa's primary color instead of something like violet black, because not only does it match Kitsune's dark magic but it was also the color shown in the beginning of the movie Frozen when the trolls prophesized about her powers.
"Elsa, your power will only grow. There is beauty in it, but also great danger."
So the color choice relates to the source material/canon. Now, Elsa has completely 'let go' making her more lethal than ever before &this time she does not care who she hurts.