Anna slammed Eric's journal shut and looked right at Hans. "You were so focused on getting back at your brothers, it became normal for you to tease them," she said. "Your anger has twisted your mind, made it so that you're always the hero. You've done some awful things in your life, Hans. You are not the hero."
Hans snarled; the fire in his eyes burned stronger than ever. He raised his hands and told the group, "You had your chance. You all will die!" The room burst into flames, and Elsa's ice dome began to melt. She quickly reinforced it, then whispered, "We're going to have to make a run for it. I'll keep this dome up as best I can, but we're going to have to move fast." Nobody responded vocally, but they didn't need to. The obvious response was a little too obvious.
Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf raced back through the castle. Anna, after years of exploring the castle on her own, knew all sorts of secret passages and shortcuts. However, everywhere they turned, Hans seemed to be just a step ahead, wielding his fireballs. Eventually, Elsa got the ice dome out to the courtyard. Just as the group took the chance to catch their breath, Hans appeared. By this time, the entire castle had caught on fire. "Well, now," Hans asked the group, "who's going to meet their fate first? The idiotic snowman? The goody-good reindeer man? The worthless, spare princess? Or the frozen-hearted Snow Queen?"
Elsa knew that these words were meant to bite at them, and she couldn't allow him to insult her family like that. She was especially hurt by being called frozen-hearted. She opened the ice dome and stepped out towards Hans. "Your words are untrue, Hans," she declared. "About all of us. Olaf may make mistakes sometimes, but he learns from them. Kristoff is definitely loyal and selfless, but that isn't a fault. Anna is one of the most worthfull people I know. And I may have been frozen-hearted once, but not anymore. Those who love me have assisted me in thawing it. You have the frozen heart.
Do you remember when we fought first?" Elsa continued. "As I was leaving, you told me that it wasn't over yet. I'd like to settle this once and for all." Hans grinned and responded, "Very well. You and I both know well that only one of us is going to come out of this alive. Fire and ice cannot coexist. Do your worst."
Elsa focused all her energy and summoned a blizzard. With a flick of her hand, the swirling snow clouds sped towards Hans's inferno, encasing it and putting it out. At Hans's urging, the fire gained even more energy and started to melt the clouds. "This isn't going to get us anywhere," said Hans. "I think I'll raise the stakes..." He spread the fingers of his right hand apart. Tongues of fire swirled from his palm and began to take on a form in front of him. Elsa watched, almost in horror, wondering what on earth he could be doing.
Safe underneath the ice dome, Anna watched as Hans and her sister forced their storms onto the other's. She asked Kristoff, "Who do you think is going to win?"
"I don't know," Kristoff replied. "They're pretty evenly matched. I'm just glad we're safe in here."
Olaf's eye's opened wide. "Wait a minute - Olga's still in there! She's not going to be able to survive this intense heat. I need to go get her!" The snowman raced towards a gap in the ice dome, which Elsa had forgotten to close, when Anna grabbed his arm. "I don't know if that's the best idea, Olaf," she said. "Olga joined Hans, remember? Maybe she won't want to go with you."
"You don't know her like I do," Olaf replied. "She'll come - I know it." With that, he raced out of the safety of the dome and towards the castle. Anna cried, "Olaf!", but he continued into the flames.
Before Elsa's eyes, the fire took the form of a dragon. It was bright red, with eyes that reflected the hatred and savageness of its maker. Elsa knew just how to counter this, though. She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled so loudly that Hans had to cover his ears. Marshmallow lumbered in from the bridge. The dragon hissed at the sight of the snow golem. In the blink of an eye, the two creations were wrestling around the courtyard. They seemed to be equally matched, though. Once again, neither Elsa's nor Hans's magic could overcome the other's.
Hans blasted a stream of fire at Elsa. She managed to duck, but the fire began to surround her. Elsa could hardly see her adversary through the growing flames, but she heard him laughing wildly and evilly. "You are weak, afraid to use your powers to the full extent, frozen-hearted monster!" he shouted. As the flames grew higher, Elsa spun the words around in her head. Finally, she stepped through the fire and looked Hans in the eye, preparing her next weapon as she said to him, "I know I may not choose to use my abilities as strongly as you, but I can use them. You say I am a monster, Hans. I've heard that so many times in my life. But now, I realize that there is a remedy to evilness - love. I have many friends, family, who care for me. I care for them just as much. The love in my heart has driven out any evil nature. You are a different story.
Anger is like alcohol. It feels good while you take it in, but it quickly becomes intoxicating, and will poison you in the end. You have been poisoned by anger, Hans. It only intensifies your sense of evilness. You have become a monster." Then, while Hans stood stunned, Elsa struck him with the extra-hard icy blast she had been preparing. It didn't hit him in the heart, but it pushed him back into his own fire. Now, all Elsa could do was wait.
Olaf hurried through the castle, searching desperately for his girlfriend. The smoke and flames made it difficult to see, but Olaf kept going. Olga had to be in the castle somewhere. And he'd find her, or melt trying.
At last, Olaf found Olga sitting alone on a bench in the hall. He rushed over to her. "Olga! Thank goodness I found you. There's an ice dome outside. You'll be safe there. Come on!"
Olaf grabbed Olga's arm, but it came off. It was then that Olaf realized that the female snowperson was slowly melting. Olaf's eyes widened. "What happened?" he slowly whispered.
Olga gulped. "After I saw you in the cell, I told Hans you had melted. He realized I had lied after he saw you in the ice dome. He got so mad, he stripped away that heat-resistant magic and left me here to melt."
"Okay, now we need to get you to the dome more than ever. Elsa can fix you, but we have to hurry!" Olaf cried.
Olga sighed and said, "No, Olaf. I... I deserve to die. I've been awful. No... you go back without me."
Olaf began to cry. "But I love you. You're the nicest, gentlest, warmest person ever. I mean that. You can't stay here!"
By this time, Olaf had to get down on his knees to look Olga eye to eye. She said, "I'm not going back. I won't add anything to your life. But... I love you, too."
The snowpeople shared a heartfelt kiss before Olga melted completely. Olaf sighed, but took the carrot that had once been her nose. At least he would have something to remember her by.
The Fire Prince tried with all his might to find a way out of the trap he himself had created, but no matter what he did, the flames seemed to grow higher with every move he made. He could feel the Snow Queen's icy magic dying away slowly, but for all he knew, it would be a matter of time before the ice in his veins reached his heart. He couldn't let that happen. He had to live, had to gain his full revenge. But the fire prevented him from finding a way back to her.
He continued to race through the castle. Eventually, he reached the highest tower in the building. The fire blocked the stairwell down, and that was the only exit. The Fire Prince was trapped.
The fire grew more intense by the minute, pushing the prince closer and closer to the windowsill. At last, the flames reached him, and he backed up onto the sill. Then, he fell. The last thought that crossed the Fire Prince's mind before he plunged into the cold water of the fjord was, I will have vengeance!
Elsa watched as the ripples made by Hans died away, and, with them, the flames that had engulfed the castle. The dragon Hans had made disappeared, too. Suddenly, Elsa felt a hand on her shoulder - Anna's. "You think he's dead?" asked the princess.
"Probably," replied Elsa. "Water will always put out fire. I guess this explains why he didn't put up much of a fight when he got arrested three months ago. I'm just glad to see you're okay."
Anna giggled, "Yep, your ice dome worked like a charm. I didn't even feel hot. Kristoff's feeling great, too, but Olaf left for the castle. He said he wanted to go get Olga."
"I was thinking maybe we'd better go find the little guy," said Kristoff from behind the sisters. "Who knows what could have happened to him?"
Anna scanned the charred castle for her favorite snowman. Nothing looked familiar now. Everything was black, instead of the soft grays and deep colors Anna had grown up with. At last, Anna caught a glimpse of white among the black.
"Hey guys! I found Olaf!" she shouted, not really sure that she'd been heard. It wa a big castle. As she approached Olaf, Anna noticed that he was holding something and looking at it. A closer look revealed that it was a carrot. Some charred rocks and ashy sticks told the rest of the story for Anna. She put a hand on Olaf's shoulder and whispered, "I'm sorry about Olga."
As the rest of the group approached, Olaf replied, "She chose to die. She'd lost the will to live. I... Olga... I'll always remember her."
"You know," said Elsa, "It's kind of my fault Olga melted. If I hadn't been feeling so insecure, she would have lived."
"Are you still feeling unsure about yourself?" asked Anna. The comment was followed by a loud cheering. Elsa looked out the window and saw almost the entire population of Arendelle shouting and applauding - for her.
Elsa turned to Anna and, smiling, asked, "Does that answer your question?"
Next chapter: Your classic fairy-tale "happily ever after"!