Fog and haze swirl around in the darkness.
I hear voices.
"Is there nothing you can do to help her?" I recognize Ember's voice as easily as I could recognize my own.
"Are you not capable of doing it yourself?" Comes a strange voice... yet oddly familiar. Where have I heard this voice before?
"What could I possibly do?" I can hear much emotion in Ember's words. "We came seeking your help."
"Perhaps your trip was futile."
"You can help her!" Ember raises his voice now. "How can you just stand there and watch her die?"
"I might ask you the same thing." Footsteps reverberate in my ears, becoming quieter and quieter until they are no more.
"You were just like me and I never even knew." Ember whispers. "Please, Elsa, wake up."
I awaken in the land where time stands still.
The blizzard is still going strong.
"Is that it then?" I ask. "Am I out of time?"
"Do you wish to be?" The blizzard responds with a question of his own.
"Of course not."
"I will permit you to have one more moment in the real world." He says. This is quite gracious of him, and I can't help but think that he shall become decent enough company when I must stay here forever. I just wish he wouldn't make everything so cold.
"Thank you." My voice comes out choked with tears. "That is kind."
My eyes flutter open. I am in a little, stone room. It is unfamiliar to me. I have never been here before.
Ember is sitting a few feet away from where I am lying on a cot. He has his head in his hands. He looks defeated, like a fire that has tried burning through a snowstorm, but got itself snuffed out.
"Ember." I whisper.
My lips will open, just barely. Attempting to move any part of my body at this point would be utterly foolish. I am as good as Hemmin's desired ice sculpture.
Ember jerks his body toward me.
"Elsa!"
He sits himself at my bedside, mere inches away.
How I wish he would just wrap his arms around me as he did those last few moments on the Gerda.
I smile up at him.
"The wizard won't help us, Elsa." He whispers.
"I know."
"I will get you back to Arendelle."
"No."
He draws back. "What do you mean..." He already knows; I can see it in his eyes.
"I'm not going back, Ember." My words can hardly be heard. He hears them all too well.
"You must." I can see moisture building in those fiery eyes of his. Somehow, they do not look quite so fiery like this. "Your kingdom needs you! Anna needs you! I need you..."
"Shhh..." I reach my fingers out to his lips to quiet him. They tingle at the little touch.
"Ember." I speak. "Where I am going, you cannot come. The time stands still in this land. I have no more time here. Will you carry me to this new land?"
He is trembling, but he nods his head.
He reaches out for me and draws me into his arms for the last time.
I savor the feeling of being wrapped up in a blanket of warmth.
I rest my head against his chest.
I listen to his heartbeat. The sound is unlike any I have ever heard. It almost sounds as if it is saying something to me. Could that be possible?
"Ik-kum-a, Ik-kum-a, Ik-kum-a"
Ember draws his face toward mine. He brushes his lips against my own.
Fire and Ice collide.
At the beginning of this story, if my memory doesn't fail me, I spoke to you about how love was not strong enough to save me.
Even now, I stand by what I have previously said.
Love is not strong enough.
It wasn't strong enough then, and it isn't now.
Having powers of any sort is an unnatural thing.
Ice will always seek to freeze; fire to burn.
It will always eventually overcome the individual.
However, if there is a balance, these unnatural abilities can exist in harmony.
Sharing this kiss with Ember restores balance in nature.
I can feel something crack from deep within me.
I can feel my body shattering into many little pieces.
A chunk of ice breaks off from my arm. It falls to the floor, smashing itself into tiny fragments. This continues, piece after piece detaching itself from me to meet it's destiny on to the hard, stone floor.
Brand new moist skin is underneath the layers of ice.
I am not frozen.
I am Elsa again.
"Ember!" I look up at him, I smile the brightest smile that I have ever smiled. "You saved me!"
"I should think it was about time." A peculiar masculine figure enters into the room, breaking what should have been a very intimate moment.
This man has a long, gray beard; a pointy, red hat; and spectacles sitting on the end of his rather long nose. He is wearing a lavish robe, which trails on the ground behind him.
He looks to be very wise, yet curiously humorous somehow.
His voice is almost a touch too high.
"Who is he?" I ask.
"I am the Wizard Fate."