"Stronger than one,
Stronger than ten,
Stronger than a hundred men!"
Everything was chaos. Total and utter chaos. The group of friends in arms were surrounded by burning monsters that may well have risen up from the fiery depths of hell. Explosions shook the frame work of buildings, and howls and screeches tore through the air like sirens. Still, they did not falter.
Mulan led the charge, leaping and dodging and slashing her way through burning bodies of magma. Then came Rapunzel and Eugene, who were using their frying pans to deflect any oncoming lava blasts from the group. Merida brought up the rear, loosing barrages of arrows at the onslaught of terrors. And lastly, there was Elsa, who glided upon wintry winds above the group. She fired blast after blast of ice at the burning monsters while her eyes scanned the city for Hans. She also made sure to keep an eye on Anna a few streets over in order to make sure she was safe.
Anna and Belle went to various houses and shops, telling people to go to the castle for safety. Anna had suggested that they try to put out any fires they see as well. She wanted her kingdom to survive this, after all, and that certainly wouldn't happen if it all burned to the ground.
The closer Elsa and the others got to the town square, the more numerous the magma creatures became.
"Is there no end teh these things?" Merida growled, firing another three arrows.
"This'll certainly be quite a story to tell our kids, ain't that right babe?" Eugene joked, blocking a particularly hot ball of fire.
"Less talking, more hitting!" Rapunzel shouted over at him, thwacking one of the lava monsters over the head with a heavy frying pan.
Soon though, the whole group was surrounded.
"There's too many!" Eugene exclaimed, "We'll be toasted alive at this rate, and I definitely do not look good extra crispy!"
Rapunzel was close enough to smack him this time.
The beasts of magma suddenly began converging and fused to create an enormous wave of molten rock and flame.
"This doesn't look good!" Merida shouted.
Elsa quickly summoned her icy will to protect her friends. A howling blizzard burst forth from her palms, piercing through the molten wave and hardening the lava to stone. There were more monsters behind it, however, and Elsa and the others continued to fight their way tooth and nail through them.
The group was growing tired from the sheer numbers, and they all had a sinking feeling that Hans was just going to keep sending more after them.
Suddenly, the trumpets of Arendelle sounded out, and a hoard of the King's soldiers mustered around to help them. They were small in number, but it was just enough to allow the group to make it to the town square.
Hans was sitting on the edge of the central fountain, whose water was now replaced with lava. He looked up when he saw the group break free of his defenses, his signature smirk in place.
"You're late," he chastised, "I was beginning to wonder if you simpletons would even make it here."
Mulan pointed her sword at him. "This ends now, Hans."
The prince ignored her and focused on Elsa. "Where is your little redheaded wench?"
He was obviously baiting her, but Elsa didn't care. No one insulted Anna in front of her.
She lunged for him, spikes of ice shooting from her fingertips. She actually managed to graze one of his arms before he was able to call upon a wall of white hot fire and shield himself.
Suddenly, a white hot limb of molten magma forced her backwards, and would've burned her severely had she not reacted in time with her ice magic.
"Not bad, witch," Hans stated after having seen her escape his fiery trap, "But as I said earlier, you're too late."
As if to prove his point, a low horn sounded. The Southern Isles' fleet had breached the docks and were now infiltrating the city. Arendelle was now officially outnumbered.
"Elsa!" Anna reached the town square. "There are over two thousand of them!"
The Ice Witch was not going to back down. She would bring Hans to justice, even if she had to fight her way through a whole army to do it. But what if Anna was hurt? What if they lost?
Doubt had begun to plague her mind as she watched the enemy soldiers flood the streets and overpower Arendelle's army.
We…we aren't enough…this…we can't win…we need…
Elsa felt panic run through her veins as she watch Hans smirk at the pathetic resistance.
We need…we need more help…but…
And then she heard it. Elsa could've sworn that she was hallucinating, but then she heard it again.
It was loud, it was impassioned. It was a battlecry.
"For the Snow Queen!" resounded in harmony among hundreds of voices just beyond the gates of Arendelle.
Tears stung Elsa's eyes when she realized that the voices belonged to her people. That they had forgiven her, and better yet, they had come to fight for her stead.
"For the Snow Queen!" came the cry again as the forces came pouring in to push back the enemy invaders. Elsa noticed that Kristoff was leading the charge. He always comes through in the end, doesn't he? He's a true friend.
It was very obvious Hans was not expecting Arendelle to receive help from such strong allies. The people of Erigisen were raised in the harsh cold hinterlands and were a very resourceful people on the battlefield. It showed as they ruthlessly cut through the enemy lines.
"What say you now, Hans?" Mulan challenged, "Elsa has you outmatched."
The prince roared. "I WILL NOT LOSE TO A FILTHY WITCH!"
His whole body glowed white hot and he spewed molten pillars of flame from his mouth in his fiery rage. They were headed straight for Mulan and Elsa.
The blonde jumped in front her friend and erected a thick wall of ice. Some of the molten streams that went around the wall were deflected by Mulan's sword.
"Oh no…"Mulan muttered as her sword grew too hot and began to lose its shape, "Elsa, be careful, that flame's heat isn't natural."
Just as the words left her lips, the ice wall began to give way to the bombardment of flames.
"BURN!" Hans shrieked, sending another wave of fire all around, forcing the others away as well.
Elsa bit her lip. The wall was going to give way, and she and Mulan were going to be hit by the brunt of the inferno. She tried to focus her powers on reinforcing the wall, but the blaze seemed to be growing hotter by the second. The ground around them had even begun to melt at the sheer heat.
"BURN! BURN! BURN!" Hans was maniacal, his eyes glowing bright red with power induced madness.
Elsa winced as the wall of ice finally shattered. Her eyes clenched shut as she waited for the impact of the molten blast. It never came.
"Aurora!" she heard Mulan's relieved voice call out.
Elsa opened her eyes to see Aurora sitting on the shoulders of a familiar snow giant. Aurora jumped down to check on Mulan.
"Marshmallow!" Elsa exclaimed.
The giant snowman held out a huge icy hand, shielding them all from the flames. "I…Protect…Elsa." He groaned, his snowy eyes glowing bright blue.
Hans increased the heat and the power behind the blast; Marshmallow had begun to melt.
"Marshmallow! No!" Elsa pleaded desperately, "You're melting!"
"Hahahaha!" Hans laughed as Marshmallow's hand completely melted away beneath his flames, "Cry witch, cry! Shed tears for your filthy familiar!"
The snow giant saw the glistening panic in the blonde's eyes and roared loudly, jagged icicles tearing out of his back. "NO ONE...MAKE ELSA CRY!" he was enraged.
Suddenly the enormous snowman charged through the flames, not caring that half of his body had melted away. He slammed Hans into the fountain with the last of his strength, before finally dissolving into a tiny puddle.
"MARSHMALLOW!" Elsa cried. The loss of her snowman had felt like a knife to the heart. Marshmallow had always been her protector, ever since she'd made him as a frightened little girl. Kind of like a real imaginary friend, he was always there when she needed him. Always.
Hans screamed as he leapt, half scorched from the fountain of lava. "YOU THINK A WORTHLESS PILE OF SNOW WILL STOP ME?!" He looked horrendous, disfigured, and ugly from his burns. Like the monster he truly was on the inside.
Then Elsa felt angry. She felt furious. Her eyes glowed with icy blue energy through the tears that filled them. "You…you killed him!" a vicious blizzard whipped around them all, beginning to harden all the molten rock with the sheer coldness of the wind, "YOU KILLED HIM!"
And suddenly, it was an all out battle between fire and ice. Blast after blast of fire exploded against nearly every available surface, while sharp spikes of ice relentlessly tore up from the ground. The others could only watch on in amazement and try not to get hit in the crossfire.
It became obvious that they were evenly matched, that is until Hans decided to play dirty and shot fire at Anna. Elsa immediately created an ice wall to protect her, but as soon as she turned back to the fight, Hans knocked her to the ground.
She stared at the burning hand that was pointed right in her face, ready to incinerate.
Hans smirked, half his face horribly burned and disfigured. "You're weak hearted, Elsa," he sneered, "You don't have what it takes to kill on purpose, to murder someone. That's the difference between you and I, and that's also why you lose."
Now it was Elsa's turn to smirk up at him. "That may be so…but I will win today," she told him firmly, "Because I have something you will never have."
Hans laughed, bringing the flame so close it could almost kiss that pale skin. "Let me guess, you're going to say compassion, or mercy, or-"
"No," Elsa cut him off with a smug smile, "I have Anna."
Before Hans could even question the blonde's words, he was struck in the back of the head with a heavy object. Was that a lute?
"Merida!" Anna shouted, still clutching the broken instrument.
"Right!" The huntress shot an arrow and pinned Hans' ring hand to the ground. He shrieked as he tried to wrench his hand free of the arrow.
"Mulan!" Anna called next.
"With pleasure!" The Chinese warrior drew a hidden short sword. With a single sweep, she severed Hans' hand from his arm.
The fiery ring, which had grown so hot it had fused with his skin, disintegrated when the hand disconnected from his body.
"NOOO!" Hans shrieked writhing on the ground and holding his bloody arm. "AAAAAAGGGHHHH!"
Anna helped Elsa to her feet and pulled her into an embrace. "Looks like I was able to save you this time." She whispered.
Elsa smiled at her as she pulled away.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Hans shrieked as he stumbled to his feet and extended a bloody hand towards them.
Elsa quickly entrapped him with several pillars of ice. The others watched on with distaste as he struggled wildly against the cold restraints. Soon, soldiers from both sides came upon the scene and watched the pathetic prince.
"GO ON WITCH! KILL ME!" Hans shouted at her, "I KNOW YOU WANT TO! I CAN SEE IT IN YOUR EYES! NOW'S YOUR CHANCE! GO ON AND KILL ME! TAKE REVENGE!"
Elsa shook her head slowly. "No Hans," she told him, "I'm not a monster like you. Killing you would not change anything, it would not bring back those three years I lost with Anna, it would not right all the wrongs you've caused-"
"HA! I KNEW YOU WERE WEAK!" he laughed, "YOU DON'T HAVE THE GUTS TO KILL ME!"
"Justice will be administered," Elsa glared at him, "Do not doubt that for a second. But your punishment will be decided by a trial held by those you have wronged."
Hans was about to speak again, but Anna cut him off. "I have a feeling that death will be thought of as a merciful punishment. So you can expect much worse."
That shut him up.
Elsa turned to address the soldiers. "As for the soldiers of the Southern Isles, you will return to your ships and go back to your kingdom immediately. Tell your king that if he ever attempts to take Arendelle again, he will incur the wrath of Erigisen and the Ice Witch."
The soldiers fled back to their ships, leaving only the people of Erigisen and the soldiers of Arendelle to watch on.
"As for the rest of you," Elsa began, "I offer you my deepest thanks for your selfless acts of valor. And to my own people…I am sorry, and I…I thank you for believing in me."
An armored man with white hair stepped forward and kneeled before the two women. "Queen Elsa, we are forever grateful for your act of mercy all those years ago. You saved us, and stopped the bloodshed." He stated, his head bowed in reverence, "We shall always believe in your gentle heart and noble spirit."
Elsa brought a trembling hand up to her shaking lips. Happy tears shined in her eyes. "T-Thank you, Mr….?"
The man rose and placed a fist over his heart in salute. "General Frost, your majesty."
"General Frost, thank you for such kind words."
The man bowed at the waist. "They are but truth, my queen. I speak for the people of Erigisen." He turned to all of them, raising a fist high into the air, "Long live the Snow Queen!"
Several hundred fists punched the sky. "Long live the Snow Queen!"
"Long live Princess Anna!" he shouted.
"Long live Princess Anna!" they chorused back.
Anna grinned and took Elsa's hand in hers. "I guess this makes us official, huh?" she murmured in the blonde's ear.
Elsa blushed and smiled widely. "I suppose it's a bit late to be asking this, but…" she turned to face Anna fully and took both of her hands in her own. She gazed deeply into shining teal eyes. Deep blue eyes conveyed a message of love and deep sincerity.
"Princess Anna of Arendelle, would you allow me the honor of taking your hand in marriage?"
Tears ran down freckled cheeks. "Oh Elsa…Yes! Of course I'll marry you!"
They shared a kiss accompanied by a huge chorus of cheers and clapping. The moment couldn't have been more perfect.
So, what do you think? I hope you all liked it...please don't hate me for letting Hans live! Trust me, his role as a villain is done, he is officially defeated. As for Marshmallow, don't worry, he didn't really die, he just melted. Elsa will figure this out and refreeze him. Also, I like that some of you picked up on The Queen/Elsa's Mother subtext I put in there. I honestly have no idea why I did it, but I just felt like I needed to. It gave more dimension to the characters of Anna's parents.
As for the final battle...I wanted to really express that while Elsa is strong because of her powers, her true strength comes from Anna's love and support. I also wanted to show that Anna is not an airhead and can totally organize a three way tag team finishing move. (Sorry, that was my inner gamer talking.)
Next chapter:"First comes love, then comes..." (Fill in the blank, lol)