Elsa

Elsa returned to consciousness in stages. The first time she awoke, she was only aware of the vague sense of being carried, and that someone was talking. She couldn't make out the words, but it sounded like an argument. She drifted back under.

The second time she awoke, she was lying flat on her back on a hard surface. Her jaw was throbbing. She heard more voices, and she could just barely concentrate enough to make out what they were saying:

"And I'm telling you, the Dreamwalker wants her brought to him immediately!"

"Look, if we take her to the Dreamwalker, and she wakes up on the way, she'll tear the skies down on our heads. Karl is gone, and his suppressant with him. We have to wait for backup!"

"Fine! But you can tell the Dreamwalker yourself, I want no part of this."

"Me! You tell him!"

The voices continued to argue, growing fainter and fainter as Elsa was dragged back into the clutches of unconsciousness.

The third time Elsa awoke, she finally had enough mental acuity to take notice of her surroundings. She opened her eyes and sat up. She was in a dimly lit red tent, lying on a plain stone slab in the middle. She was dressed in a tattered brown chemise, just enough to preserve her modesty- well, mostly- but useless against the elements. She was shocked to discover she was not shackled or restrained in any way.

The flap was right in front of her. She sprang up and tried to access the magic in her mind, groaning in frustration when she could not.

"Ah, you're awake. Good." Elsa whirled around, scanning for the source of the sound. She saw nothing at first, but as her eyes adjusted, she saw a man standing up against the wall of the tent, wearing nearly the same color robes as the tent fabric. Piercing blue eyes stared straight through her out of a mass of dark unkempt hair that nearly reached his waist. "I've been waiting a long time for this. To meet someone like me, I mean."

"I'm nothing like you," Elsa spat at him.

The man gave a deep bow. "Certainly not on the outside, Your Majesty. I was speaking of what's inside."

"What do you mean?"

"You see, Your Majesty, while you are arrogant enough believe your condition is unique to you, and only you, I was somewhat more... Open minded, shall we say. I dedicated my life to finding more of us, and now I have! Isn't that wonderful?"

"I can only assume you are referring to magic?"

"Indeed, Your Majesty. I must also apologize as well, I fear I misspoke earlier. You see, while it is now proven that your condition is not unique to you, there is every chance that your particular condition is unique to you."

"What is this nonsense? How can it be unique and not unique?"

"Your Majesty, I was merely trying to point out that while magic is not unique to you, your particular brand, ice magic, is very likely unique to you."

"And you possess powers as well?", Elsa asked, apprehensive.

"Very good, Your Majesty! Yes, I also have gifts. Would you... care for a demonstration?" His eyes found hers.

A piercing dagger drove itself into her mind, obliterating all thought. Her vision exploded in red and she cried out, stumbling back against the stone slab, throwing her hands up as though to shield herself. The pain was gone as suddenly as it had come.

"What... What did you do to me?" The man smiled at her, then the dagger was back, twisting and stabbing its way into the deepest recesses of her mind, forcing Elsa to her knees as the man continued his vicious assault. Unlike last time, the pain was not brief, lasted for what seemed like hours. Elsa was lost, gone beyond the physical world into a world of only agony, her head between her hands, screaming until her voice gave out. The dagger withdrew, much slower this time. "Please... Please stop," Elsa pleaded, sobbing, hyperventilating, her voice all but gone, blood filling her mouth where she had bitten her tongue. In lieu of a response, the dagger came again, twisting harder and faster until Elsa had abandoned all hope, giving herself over to the agony. She began to realize that as the man assaulted her mind, she could feel his presence looming around her, catching flashes of perverse pleasure at her suffering. There was no peace. Only pain. The dagger withdrew once more, even slower still, cutting and scraping her thoughts on jagged edges. "Please... Why are you doing this?" The man had not moved even so much as an inch.

Elsa's eyes darted around the room, frantically searching for a way to stop the pain before it came again; her eyes alighted on a sword she had not noticed before. She seized it and turned to her tormentor. "Elsa… woah now," he said, raising his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Put that down, we wouldn't want anyone to get hurt."

Elsa glared at him. You'd like that, wouldn't you, you bastard. "Why, now that it's your life on the line, you want me to have mercy?"

"No," the man said, almost sadly. "It's you that would get hurt."

"ENOUGH!" Elsa screamed. Gripping the sword in both hands, she ran at the abomination in front of her. The dagger pierced her mind once more, worse than it had before. Elsa rocked back, then advanced, fighting for every step, even as the dagger delved deeper. She could see growing fear in the man's eyes. With a savage cry, she drew back her arm... and buried the blade up to the hilt in his stomach, feeling it tug at his robes when it emerged from his back. At once, the assault on her mind ceased, leaving Elsa panting from the effort, tears streaming down her cheeks from her pain and her rage.

"El... El... Elsa?"

That voice. Elsa knew that voice. She had heard it every day for the last five years.

Not believing, not wanting to believe, but believing anyway, Elsa raised her eyes. A dagger fell from Anna's limp hand. Her rage turning to shock, Elsa's mouth dropped open. "Anna...?"

"Elsa... I was... coming to save you. Why would you... kill me? Wh-what did I do wrong?"

Elsa took a shaky step back. Anna was swaying, looking down at the sword still protruding from her body. Blood was dripping from the corner of her mouth. Her breathing was slowing, becoming more shaky. "Anna... I-"

"I... Was just... Trying to save... Y... You." Anna had fallen to her knees, hands wrapping around the sword as though to pull it out. She looked up at Elsa, her eyes so full of hurt and confusion and fear and pain that Elsa thought her own heart might stop. "El-Elsa... Why?" With a soft moan, Anna fell to her side. Her chest rose and fell, rose, and fell, and then she was still.

Elsa was rooted to the spot. Pure, hopeless despair welled up inside her, and she fell to her knees, her head in her hands. The wild haired man came through the flap. "Enjoying yourself, Your Majesty? You know, I wasn't really sure what to expect from you here, but killing your own sister? That's just cold, even from you, Ice Queen. It's too bad you didn't listen, I tried to warn you, you know."

Elsa made no reply. What was the point? Anna was dead, and she herself had killed her.

"Oh, stop your moping. Look again."

Elsa couldn't bear to look at Anna another second. She made no attempt.

"I said, look again."

Elsa found her eyes moving of their own accord, back to the body of her sister, the single most precious thing in Elsa's life, the sister she had murdered. Anna was not there. Her broken mind unable to comprehend, Elsa began to scream at the wild haired man.

"What have you done with her! Did you lay your filthy hands on her? Did you-"

"Now, now, your Majesty, let's not lose our heads." Elsa found herself unable to speak. "Anna was never here." What do you mean, she wasn't here? She was here to save me and I… "I told you, it was a demonstration."

"But… I saw Anna die…"

The wild haired man laughed. "You saw what I made you see. I must say, you looked rather funny with your invisible sword, running around like that."

"Wh… what are you?"

The man dramatically threw an arm across his face. "Oh, Your Majesty, you wound me." He grew serious and advanced on the queen, speaking in a low, dangerous voice. "I am the one who walks in the shadows. I am the one the children fear. I am the chill running up your spine. I can take your every fear, your every regret and make them mine. I can make your every dream come true, or your every nightmare, or both at once. How far can your mind twist before it breaks, Your Majesty? I am so very going to enjoy finding the answer to that question. Enjoy your rest, Queen Elsa. I give you my word, I will not intrude upon your mind again this night. And don't try and do something foolish. I will know." Then he was gone.

Elsa broke down as a fresh wave of sobs racked her body. How am I supposed to survive when I can't even trust my own senses? A new thought occurred to her. A man as powerful as the Dreamwalker, who could be his master? And what could be his price?