A/N: Here is the next chapter. People die, but there's nothing graphic. Please tell me what you think. Thank you for reading and sticking around. :)
Chapter 4 – The State Offensive
The Patricians sat around their council table, all of them save one reveling in the decisive victory that had been won at Corona. Not only had the rebels been completely decimated, their Enforcers had also managed to capture one of the Rebellion's highest ranking officers, while at the same time ridding them of the irritation of the former governor Ella Carter. All-in-all, it was a satisfying victory, and most of the Patricians were pleased with it. The one who wasn't pleased was easy to spot, however, and Patrician Maestro called his peer out on his melancholy. "Why so gloomy, Patrician Philosopher?" he asked. "We have won a great victory."
"We have won nothing," the Commander of the State military forces growled back immediately, and the others were taken aback by his anger. "Yes, it may provoke fear into some, but more likely it will be a motivating defeat," he explained. "And the territory means nothing; until two days ago, it wasn't even in open rebellion."
"Then what do you suggest?" Patrician Scientist asked, seeing his point.
"We need to prove to the Rebels that they have absolutely no chance," Patrician Philosopher answered. "This can be accomplished two ways. One, we have to find and destroy that damnable Master Librarian. She is the leader and mastermind of all of this; without her, the rest will descend into disorganized chaos, and it will be easier to defeat the rest. Second, to truly dishearten and demoralize the people, we must destroy the Ice Queen's stronghold in Arendelle. While she, her Apprentice and their abomination of a child survive, the people will rally to the Rebellion's cause. When we destroy her and her family, on her home soil, with thousands of Rebel casualties, the People will lose their will to fight us."
The ruling class looked around the table, considering his words. "Should we limit ourselves to those two campaigns?" Patrician Historian asked. "There are other Rebel strongholds."
"We have suffered losses with the Rebellion skirmishes, and we have lost many Enforcers to defection and desertion," Patrician Philosopher said, obviously enraged by the desertion of his soldiers. "We could probably mount an invasion for all of the territories, but our ranks would be thin. If we want to have the Enforcer numbers to assure our victories, it would be prudent to attack only these important positions."
"But what is the Librarian's position?" Patrician Solver challenged. "We have been looking for months, and we have yet to find her."
"True," Patrician Philosopher acquiesced. "But the one of the few good outcomes we had from Corona was that capture of a known high-ranking Rebel. With…persuasion, she might be able to assist us."
"When does she reach Campus?" Patrician Observer asked.
"Corona isn't that far," Patrician Philosopher replied. "She is probably already here." He activated his cuff. "Is the Rebel prisoner from Corona arrived on Campus?" he asked the Enforcer in charge.
"Yes, honorable Patrician," Beast answered promptly.
"Escort her personally to the Patrician Council Chamber," Patrician Philosopher ordered.
"As you wish, Your Excellency," Beast replied with a respectful incline of the head. "She and I will be there within five minutes." Patrician Philosopher gave a curt nod, and the transmission was cut off.
Five minutes later, Beast and Rapunzel entered the room. Rapunzel was shackled with restraining cuffs, but there was no preventative cuff. The healing powers she had displayed at the massacre and the battle had been seen only by the townspeople or the rebel forces, and the State was not yet aware that she was an Extraordinary. Beast knew, of course, but he would never betray anyone in the Philosophy Club unless instructed to do so by Belle, so he remained silent.
Patrician Philosopher looked critically at the prisoner before he spoke. "What is your designation, Traitor?" he asked.
"Rapunzel Carter, granddaughter of Ella Carter of Corona," Rapunzel answered promptly.
Patrician Philosopher's eyes narrowed. "That is not a proper designation, Traitor," he said tightly. "What was your former Plebian designation?"
"The Plebian life was one I did not choose for myself, and I reject any designation that came with that life," Rapunzel stated matter-of-factly. "My name is Rapunzel Carter, and I am the granddaughter of Ella Carter, the rightful Governor of Corona who was murdered by your henchmen."
Patrician Philosopher made a signal to Beast, and with a soul-crushing regret, the double agent used one of his weapons to deliver a powerful electrical shock to Rapunzel's arm. Her body jerked, but she said and did nothing, instead bowing her head and moving her lips in what seemed to be a silent prayer. Patrician Philosopher signaled again, and again Beast shocked the prisoner, but this time, there was no effect at all. Patrician Philosopher sighed in frustration and indicated to Beast that he should holster his weapon. "Very well, Traitor," he said. "You must know that your forces in Corona have been crushed, and your precious rebellion has retreated in defeat. We have grown tired of your petulance, and we wish to end this temper tantrum of yours. You will tell us where the Supreme Leader of the Allied Forces is, or we will kill you and show no mercy to any that supported the rebellion."
To their surprise, Rapunzel laughed. "I can't believe that anyone ever thought you nine were the most powerful people in the State," she mocked. "Without your cuffs and chips, you can't even find one non-Extraordinary Librarian."
Patrician Philosopher's temper snapped, and he rose from his place at the table in a rage. His robes swished around him as he circled the table, and with a growl, he backhanded Rapunzel so hard that her momentum carried her to the ground. She hit the floor with a painful-sounding thud, but after a few seconds to gather herself, Rapunzel laughed once again and rose from the floor, clasping her hands in front of her after she stood. "Wow, so civilized. No wonder you were chosen to lead the People," she ridiculed, her expression as defiant as ever.
Patrician Philosopher scowled and made another move toward her, but he was instantly stopped by the sharp voice of Patrician Scientist. "Do not touch her again, Philosopher," she warned. "She is right to taunt you. As Patricians, we are above such petty shows of emotion. We use our intellect to get what we want." She rose slowly from the table and went off to a credenza that stood to the side of the conference table. She pushed a few buttons on its panel, and a syringe with a needle appeared on the surface. With an evil smile, she picked it up and sauntered over to Rapunzel. "I've spent years using my chemistry knowledge to perfect this," she explained, "and I am a very good scientist. You will tell us everything and anything we wish to know."
Rapunzel flinched as the Patrician grabbed her arm, and she started to silently repeat her song, hoping her Extraordinary powers would be able to counteract the apparent truth serum that was being injected into her body. It stung as it entered her arm muscle and circulatory system, but Rapunzel didn't really feel any different. Any hope that the serum would be ineffectual, however, died when Patrician Scientist asked her first question. "Where is the Supreme Leader?" she asked simply.
"Dunbroch," Rapunzel answered promptly. Her hand flew to her mouth, and her face crumpled in horrified agony.
"We knew that much, Traitor," Patrician Scientist said dismissively. "Where in Dunbroch?"
The sting of the serum had faded, and Rapunzel hoped that meant her powers were working. It was still dangerous to attempt lying, though, so she went for the absolute truth. "I don't know," she responded. "I've only been once, and I didn't know the exact coordinates. Only four people know exactly where the high command is."
Patrician Scientist considered this. "And who would be those people?" she prompted.
"Leader and one of our Dunbroch operatives," Rapunzel answered, leaving out two of the people on purpose.
Patrician Scientist was not fooled. "And who are the other two?" she asked.
"The Ice Queen and her Apprentice," Rapunzel replied. "It was where they hid for those months they went underground." A thought occurred to her, and Rapunzel decided to tweak the Patricians with some added information. "It was where their daughter was conceived," she mentioned, knowing how much the Patricians despised Peanut and all that she stood for.
Patrician Scientist pursed her lips in disapproval, but unlike Patrician Philosopher, she let no other emotion show. "And this is all you know about the location of the high command?" she asked.
Rapunzel decided to at least try lying. "Yes," she said simply, and celebrated silently that she had been able to say the word when it was a complete lie.
"You have failed, Scientist," a new voice spoke up, and all heads turned toward Patrician Observer, who as her title implied, had been quietly observing. "She is lying to you. Your serum is no longer working."
"Impossible!" Patrician Scientist spat. "No person is able to resist its effects."
"No person, perhaps, but she is no person," Patrician Observer said, looking critically at Rapunzel. "She is an Extraordinary, most likely with healing powers that have rendered your serum impotent." She got up from the table and slowly came to Rapunzel, circling the captive woman and looking over everything intently. She reached out for the arm that Rapunzel had been injected in and Rapunzel flinched, but the Patrician's hold was surprisingly gentle as she pulled up the sleeve. "See, there isn't even a mark from the needle," she pointed out. Still holding on to Rapunzel, the Patrician motioned for Beast to come over. "Your weapon, please," she requested, and Beast reluctantly turned it over. She turned it to its highest setting and placed it directly on Rapunzel's skin. Within seconds, a scorch mark appeared, but Rapunzel didn't flinch. "Ah, so you feel no pain, either," Patrician Observer noted. "That was unexpected." She lifted the weapon and handed it back to Beast. As they all watched, the burned spot on Rapunzel's skin glowed briefly with something that looked like sunlight before the mark shrank and disappeared.
Rapunzel swallowed thickly and looked up. "How?" she asked dejectedly. "How did you know?"
The Patrician smirked. "I have my ways," she said enigmatically. She pulled Rapunzel's sleeve back down and handed her arm to Beast. "Take this thing away. It is of no more use to us. Place it in a preventative cuff, and then ship it to our most secure facility," she ordered Beast. Beast gripped Rapunzel's arm more tightly and nodded, taking the prisoner from the room as ordered. When the prisoner was gone, she turned back toward her fellow Patricians. "It was of no more use to us," she repeated with conviction.
"But with a preventative cuff, its powers would have been lost, and we may have gotten something out it," Patrician Solver countered.
"The atrocity was being truthful up until the very last question," Patrician Observer answered. "It doesn't know the specifics. It might have narrowed the location down for us, but it would never have been able to give us coordinates. It was not worth having that vile thing in our presence."
After some consideration, the rest of the Patricians decided to agree with her, and the matter of Rapunzel was not spoken of again. "I agree with Patrician Philosopher's assessment," Patrician Scientist announced. "We did not even begin to secure victory with our triumph in Corona, and we need to show the Traitors that they have no chance of winning. Who is in favor of sending annihilation forces to Dunbroch and Arendelle?" She raised her hand, and eight others followed suit. "Good," she commented. "Are there any other logistics to discuss?"
"In light of the new information, I think we should focus on Arendelle first," Patrician Philosopher said. "When we achieve victory there, we will need to bring the Ice Queen and her Apprentice back to Campus so that their public executions can be the propaganda we desire. While we have them, we can use this opportunity to find out where the high command is."
"That is an excellent suggestion," Patrician Scientist agreed. "Are we agreed, then?" she asked, and everyone answered in the affirmative. "Excellent," she said. "This meeting is adjourned."
EEEEEEEEEE
Elsa watched the late autumn sun make its early descent behind the mountains of Arendelle. Today had been quieter, as the State did little but trumpet its victory, and the Rebellion did little but plan and bicker. The one bright spot had been a conversation with Tiana; Elsa had been personally introduced to Lilly Belle through the link, and Tiana had reveled in teasing her about how it was her turn next. Elsa had promised that she and Anna would be out there to visit soon, and after the call had ended, Elsa had felt much better.
All of her goodwill had disappeared in the strife of the afternoon meetings, though, and now Elsa looked out her window with a sigh. She glanced at her chronometer, and some happiness returned as she realized it was time to take Anna and Peanut home. She turned from the window and went to the door of the conference room, exiting it and making her way to the Governor's offices. As always, Kronk and Pacha were standing guard outside the door, and she nodded to them as she made her way into the office.
To her surprise, Anna wasn't in her chair, and Elsa looked around quickly in a slight panic, scanning for any signs of danger. Her alarm evaporated, though, when she saw an exhausted-looking Anna asleep on her office couch, and a vigilant Marshmallow cuddled up to her as closely as he could be. Anna had her arm around his neck, and now that she was listening, Elsa could hear the cat purring, but Marshmallow was awake and prepared to attack anyone who came in the door. Elsa smiled and walked over to the pair. She stroked Marshmallow's head, and the cat closed his eyes in contentment as his purring grew louder. "Such a good boy," she praised him in a quiet voice, mindful of her sleeping Apprentice.
The increased rumbling against her chest caused Anna to stir, and after a couple of deep breaths and stretches, she opened her eyes. Seeing Elsa, she automatically smiled, and Elsa smiled back. "It looks like it's time for us to go home," she said affectionately.
"Wow," Anna said sleepily, letting go of Marshmallow and sitting up after she had gently pushed him to the floor. "I was just trying to rest for a bit. I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"You were tired," Elsa shrugged, helping her Intended up. "It's been a tiring couple of days." Elsa wrapped her arm around Anna, and Anna snuggled into her side, putting her own arm around Elsa's waist. They exited the office intertwined with the lynx trailing behind them and bade goodnight to Pacha and Kronk.
They had barely made it out to the street when both Anna and Elsa's communication devices started to wail in their emergency communication tone. "Governor! General!" Cornelius said when they answered. "There is an urgent classified communication from Leader. Please return to the Governor's office at once so that Leader can talk to you both." Sending each other a worried glance, they did as he asked and returned to the building, returning at once to Anna's office.
"We are here," Elsa confirmed when they were seated on the couch and looking at Anna's communications screen.
Belle's face faded into view, and her look was grim. "We have just received very credible intelligence from Campus," she told them. "The Patricians have decided to press the advantage they think they won in Corona, and they are going to attempt to end the Rebellion once and for all. They have picked two targets to annihilate, Dunbroch and Arendelle. Because Rapunzel was given a truth serum and was forced to reveal some information before her Extraordinary abilities saved her, she unwillingly revealed that you two know where the cottage is. The Patricians are going to attack Arendelle first, so that they can capture you and force you to reveal where the cottage is. Then they are going to kill you and decimate as much of Arendelle as they can so that they can demoralize the People."
Such specific information must have come from Beast, Elsa and Anna realized simultaneously. "When are the Enforcers set to attack?" Elsa asked, her voice betraying nothing as the Ice Queen took over.
"The squadrons have been mobilized; they left Campus some time ago," Belle answered. "They will probably attack at dawn, if they follow standard procedure."
"Very well," Elsa said emotionlessly. "We will be ready."
Belle nodded and cut off the transmission. Elsa still said nothing, but Anna could feel the cold coming off of her Intended in waves. There was no doubt that her nightmare was first and foremost in her mind at the moment, and Anna reached out for her.
Elsa willingly accepted the embrace, but her mind refused to be comforted. Her thoughts raced, and the most prominent among them repeated itself over and over. There can be no battle. There can be no battle, her mind repeated. She would have to do something so that there was no fighting. She simply had to, for Anna's sake and that of their baby girl. Now feeling more centered with her plan in place, the cold dissipated, and Elsa finally returned Anna's embrace. Anna's grip tightened, and Elsa kissed her forehead. Finally, Elsa spoke. "I will call out the militia, but there will be no battle, Anna," she said quietly.
"How can there not be?" Anna asked, puzzled.
"I haven't exactly figured that out yet," Elsa admitted. "But there will be no battle."
Anna considered her words carefully. She had loved Elsa and lived with Elsa too long not to know what Elsa was considering, and she wanted to let Elsa know she hated the idea without making Elsa so angry she turned stubborn. "Please don't try to win this battle on your own," Anna finally said in an even, quiet voice. "You promised me that we would make decisions together, and that you would always be by my side. Deciding to take on an Enforcer army by yourself where you know the most likely outcome is your death is not keeping either of those promises."
Elsa looked at Anna, and to Anna's surprise, Elsa's face broke out in a small, wry grin. "If you've developed the ability to read my mind, certain things are going to become really awkward," she said, the grin turning affectionate when Anna blushed slightly. Her face sobered, and she drew Anna closer to her. "I haven't forgotten my promises, Apprentice," Elsa swore, kissing her softly, "so I would never do anything without talking it over with you first. But, I really do think that I can stop them without needing the militia. I just need your permission to try. If it fails, then a battle might be necessary."
"What are you thinking?" Anna asked.
"First off, an ice wall around Arendelle," Elsa answered. "It will keep the townspeople safe."
"You mean it will keep Peanut and I safe," Anna countered.
Elsa turned slightly pink in embarrassment at being caught and coughed. "Um, well, yes, that would be another perk," she answered.
"But wouldn't that just put us at risk for siege?" Anna asked. "It would be easy for them to cut off our supplies."
"Exactly," Elsa agreed. "So the second part of the plan, at least as far as I've thought about it, is to use my powers to make the conditions so inhospitable that they are forced to leave."
"You're going to put them in the middle of a huge blizzard," Anna guessed.
Elsa nodded. "If they can't see Arendelle, then maybe they will give up," she hypothesized.
"We need to tell the People," Anna decided. "It is late enough in the fall that they are already prepping for winter, but we need to tell them that winter is coming sooner than expected, and it is going to be brutal."
Elsa paused at the implicit agreement in that statement. "Then you are okay with this plan?" she asked hesitantly.
"You can control the snow and ice from a location that doesn't put you in immediate danger, so, yes," Anna replied reasonably. "It's not going to be you, alone, in front of thousands of armed Enforcers. If we can try this while keeping you safe, then I am okay with it. It has the potential to save the lives of a lot of our People."
Elsa smiled, happy that a reasonable plan had been agreed upon. "Then I guess we both have work to do, Apprentice," she declared, rising from the couch and pulling Anna with her.
"I guess we do," Anna replied. Elsa went to the door to leave, already strategizing the fastest way to muster the militia. Before she got out of the door, though, a strong tug pulled her back, and Elsa found herself being passionately kissed. "You have to come back to me, love," Anna demanded when she let Elsa break away to breathe. "Don't do anything stupid."
Elsa flashed a grin and pulled Anna in for another kiss. "Never stupid; only ill-advised," she promised when they parted. She gave Anna one more small kiss and a gentle caress to her stomach before pulling away and walking through the door. Anna watched the Ice Queen bark orders to Pacha and Kronk as she strode down the hall, and then she was gone. Anna sighed and went to her desk. "Time to get to work, Peanut," she said, gently rubbing her bump.
From her desk, Anna alerted all of the government people that she needed to, and they were sent scurrying into action. Then, she sat in front of the camera and calmly told the People of Arendelle of the impending attack, explained that General Elsa was going to attempt to prevent actual fighting by using her powers, and then told all of them to prepare for an early, extremely harsh winter. When she was done, she left her office and went outside to meet anyone who might have questions, all the while being scrupulously watched over by two massive bodyguards and a quietly-menacing Canadian lynx. For two hours, the People came to her for assurance and guidance, and for two hours, Anna proved herself a caring and effective leader. It would have probably gone on for longer, but the night was cold, the darkness had deepened, and Kronk could see that the young Governor needed to rest. He politely but firmly told everyone to go back to their homes and prepare, and he, Pacha and Marshmallow tried to escort Anna back to the Governor's Mansion. Anna flatly refused, and instead went back up to her office to rest for a bit before joining Elsa if she could.
On the military side, Elsa was mustering her troops, calling them all up and getting them into formation. She conferred with her colonels and told them of the plan. The colonels in turn spread the news to their captains and lieutenants, and soon all sergeants and enlisted personnel knew what the plan was. All of them were willing and able to fight, and all of them were willing to lay down their life for Arendelle and the Rebellion, but the Ice Queen had given them hope that such a sacrifice would not be necessary. They stood quietly in their lines, watching silently and proudly as the Ice Queen bid them goodbye as she went to prevent the battle.
After leaving her troops behind, Elsa made her way back to the Governor's mansion. She still wore her militia uniform, but the defender of Arendelle was not its General but its Ice Queen. After changing into her blue and white Ice Queen suit, she left the house and went to the outskirts of the city. There were farms and other small, populated areas further out, but they were far from the main road, so Elsa decided to focus on the most likely location of the Enforcer attack. She took a steadying breath and raised her hands, calling on her power to create a thick sheet of ice. It materialized, and Elsa started walking to continue the wall. Realizing that she would never finish before dawn if she kept up this pace, she created another sheet of ice under her feet, using snow and wind to propel her forward at a much quicker pace. Sliding along on her ice chute, Elsa continued to construct the wall, stopping only when she had encircled most of the population center of Arendelle. When she had completed her circuit, Elsa used an ice column to lift herself to the top of the wall. She created a fortification for herself, a parapet that would shield her from Enforcer fire and prevent her from accidentally slipping off of the top. Satisfied with her work, Elsa leaned against the parapet and waited, her thoughts focused on the impending attack and on protecting her family.
Morning dawned, and with the dawn came a steady sound that disturbed the peacefulness of the sunrise. As it came closer, Elsa easily recognized the sound of marching feet, and she straightened up, knowing that her confrontation with the Enforcers was drawing nearer and nearer as the sound of marching grew louder. Elsa watched as row after row of Enforcers came closer, and the sheer size of the group meant that the soldiers had to number in the thousands. In spite of the situation, Elsa managed a wry smile. Anna had only agreed to this plan because Elsa wouldn't be standing alone against an army of armed Enforcers; yet with her militia stationed to defend the town, here she was, alone, facing thousands of armed Enforcers.
The soldiers marched until their commanding officer ordered them to halt right in front of the ice wall. The parapet was easy to spot, and the Major looked up, quickly spying the ice-blue-and-white clad figure standing on the top of the wall. "We are here for the unconditional surrender of Arendelle," he announced, using the amplification device that one of his officers had handed him. "You will surrender control of the territory to us, and you and your Apprentice will be taken to stand trial on Campus."
Elsa laughed coldly. "Both of us have already been on trial, and we will only set foot on Campus to secure the Patricians' defeat. Arendelle will never surrender, and you will never set foot past my ice wall," she responded confidently, her strong voice carrying down to the people below.
The Major sighed at the inconvenience of her insolence, and signaled to one of his men. "Bring her down," he ordered. The woman did as she was told, aiming carefully to place the shot right between the Ice Queen's eyes.
Elsa flicked her wrist, and an ice sheet instantly appeared before her, stopping the projectile cold both literally and figuratively. She snapped her other wrist in the direction of the Enforcer, and the woman cried out in pain as she collapsed, a maliciously-jagged ice spike protruding from her thigh. "I will give you one chance, Major," Elsa warned, dissipating the ice sheet and creating snow flurries between her hands as silent forewarnings. "Leave Arendelle now, or I will destroy you and your entire army." She raised her hands, and the flurries hardened into wickedly sharp shards that with a gesture impaled themselves in the ground at the Major's feet. Elsa had no intention of killing anyone; she only meant to frighten, and she was hoping the Major would take her warnings seriously and leave before anything further could happen.
The Major's eyes narrowed at the obvious challenge, and he grew annoyed that this insignificant person, Extraordinary though she was, thought that she would be able to defeat a State force by herself. "She cannot be taken alive," he decided. "Bring her down," he ordered the snipers, "and you," he continued, pointing to nearest heavy artillery unit, "find a way to breach that ice wall." His soldiers saluted, and did as he ordered. At the top of the wall, Elsa ducked behind her parapet.
As the shots zipped over her head, Elsa sat quietly, gathering her concentration in order to create a weather disturbance that would be large enough to thwart the enormous army below her. She had never used her powers on this scale before, so she tried to remember her most significant sabotages and creations. After some reflection, Elsa realized her most successful large-scale endeavors came when she was either incredibly happy, incredibly scared, or incredibly pissed off. She wasn't happy, so she started to think about all of the things the State had done to her and her family. Elsa remembered the fear at having to leave her parents after passing the Test; she remembered the anger and fear at having to hide who she was every moment of every day; the despair she had experienced when she and Anna, and by association, Peanut, had been apprehended on Campus before they could make their escape from the hospital. Thinking of Peanut, she remembered another day, one only made memorable because it was the day she had met Anna, where the thought of losing her child had triggered a primal rage that she had just barely kept in. Her eyes snapped open as one thought crystalized like an icy blast, and the rage began to build to an uncontrollable level. These people were here to take her child. These people would kill her precious baby girl and her mother without a second thought. With that thought, all the rage and fear and emotion that she was an expert in concealing finally broke through, and Elsa's control snapped like a delicate icicle in the wind. She let everything flow through her, and when her power responded by violently engulfing the world around her, Elsa let it go.
EEEEEEEEEE
The world had been reduced to white around him, and the Major crumpled to his knees as he tried to ward off the pervasive cold by curling into a ball. It was no use; even with the bit of extra heat, his flesh froze, and his blood crystalized in his arteries and veins. They had underestimated the Ice Queen, he realized; they had horribly misjudged her powers, and now he and his Enforcers were paying the price for their foolishness. He looked up with difficulty; the ice was already freezing his neck in place, but he mustered enough strength to crack some of it to look up. All around him, he saw his soldiers dying, looks of horror on their faces as their bodies froze and their breathing stopped. He wanted to be angry, but somehow he couldn't fault the Ice Queen for wanting to protect her own. He would do the same for his own mate and child. He wanted to be sad, but this was his life, and it had led him to his fate. There was the illusion of warmth as his body shut down, and now sleepy from the false yet comforting heat, the Major put his head on his knees and closed his eyes.
EEEEEEEEEE
In spite of her fatigue, Anna watched from her office window, keeping tabs on the tiny figure in blue and white she could barely see standing at the top of the ice wall that had been created. She would have preferred to have stayed standing, but Pacha had been insistent, and Anna was now seated in her office chair. One thing that she noted, however, was that Elsa was alone. The militia had been left to protect Arendelle, apparently, and Anna was going to have a stern talk with Elsa when she got back. As the sun rose, Elsa was harder to see against her ice wall. One thing that was very easy to see, though, was the horde of Enforcers that were marching towards the wall. Knowing that the battle had begun, Anna rose from her chair and pressed herself against the window.
Nothing much seem to happen for a while; Elsa leaned over the wall before stepping back and gesturing. An ice sheet appeared, only to disappear a few moments later. A few moments after that, Anna saw Elsa duck down, and Anna guessed that her Intended was being fired at. Her heart clenched in fear at the thought of Elsa being hit, but Anna had little time to ponder the thought as a massive explosion of white came from the top of the wall. Elsa seemed to be focused towards the invading army, but her power radiated in a 360-degree circle around her, and a smaller wave moved backwards towards Arendelle. Water froze in charming crystalline patterns, and snow started falling from the sky, but it was no worse than a snowstorm in winter, and Arendelle, prepared and ready, was in no danger.
In contrast, the power emanating from Elsa towards the Enforcers was massive in its scale, and Anna could no longer see anything to the south of Elsa's ice wall because of the ice and snow. The sheer amount of raw power displayed by the deadly-cold whiteout conditions worried Anna, and her instinct told her that she needed to get to Elsa immediately. She turned from the window and walked to her door. "I need a transport as quickly as possible," she said. "I must make it to the General at once."
Under different circumstances, either one of the bodyguards might have protested the Governor's request to be taken to a dangerous location. They had seen the ice wave, though, and they could see the urgency with which the Governor had made her request. "Of course, Governor," Kronk said instantly. "Pacha will escort you downstairs, and I will be waiting with your transport."
"Thank you," Anna replied. Kronk nodded his head and took off at dead run.
In the meantime, Pacha retrieved Anna's cloak from the rack outside her office. "You will need this, Governor," he said, helping her into it. "The General has made it very cold outside." Anna smiled her thanks, and Pacha offered her an arm as they made their way to the elevator. The trip in the elevator didn't take long, but true to his word, Kronk had a transport waiting for Anna as soon as she left the building. Pacha helped her into it, and without another word, Kronk and Anna took off.
The ice trail was easy to follow, and like Anna knew it would, it led right up to the base of the ice wall. Anna looked up at its considerable height, and she was glad that Kronk and the transport were there. With the transport's hovering capabilities, it was easy for Kronk to flip a switch and get her to the top of the wall. When she was there, she stepped out carefully on to the ice, spotted Elsa, and waved Kronk away, knowing that it was probably safer if she approached Elsa alone.
Anna took a few more cautious steps on the ice, and suddenly Elsa seemed to sense her presence. The Ice Queen spun around on the ice, and Anna could see that ice and snow surrounded her entire body. Some of it came towards Anna, but for some reason, mostly likely due to Elsa's love for Anna or Peanut responding to what she felt, the frozen water flowed around her without ever touching any part of her. Anna looked into Elsa's eyes, and they were an electric blue, almost as if they were glowing from within from the amount of power that was flowing through the powerful Extraordinary.
Anna drew closer, and those eyes blinked, suddenly clearing and returning to their normal color as the Ice Queen turned back into Elsa. "Anna?" she asked, the storm around her quieting as she stepped closer to her Apprentice. "What in the Pillars' name are you doing here? You should be safe back in Arendelle."
Anna didn't answer, but instead stepped up and enveloped Elsa in her arms. The rage and fear left instantly, replaced by a warm love that made the quieting storm disappear completely. Anna reached up and cupped the back of Elsa's neck, guiding their lips to meet. Elsa, though puzzled, kissed back willingly, circling her own arms around Anna to draw her closer. Anna kissed Elsa until she could feel the air warming, after which she drew away slowly, opening her eyes to look into Elsa's once more. "I saw the storm from my office window," Anna explained, "and I wanted to make sure that the Ice Queen wasn't destroying my Elsa," she finished quietly, tenderly stroking Elsa's cheek.
Elsa frowned. "What do you mean, Anna?" she asked uneasily.
"What I saw from my window uncannily reminded me of when I was about to be executed," Anna replied honestly. "It seemed like the same type of uncontrolled rage."
"But it wasn't," Elsa protested. "I was just channeling my emotions so that I could produce a big enough storm to cover the invading force. See," she offered, bringing Anna closer to the wall's edge to look out over the Enforcers. "I was just trying to scare them; I was just trying to…by the Pillars," Elsa trailed off in a whisper.
Below them, a blanket of snow covered the ground, and resting on top of it, were thousands of pieces of ice. Elsa summoned a wind to take both her and Anna down to the ground, and what they saw when they reached it was awe-inspiring in both good and bad ways. What once had been men and women were now ice statues, some frozen into a ball, crouched down or trying to run, but most simply standing with looks of surprise and/or terror on their faces. Elsa gave a small gasp and instantly raised her hands, using Anna's presence beside her to thaw everything out as quickly as she could.
The Enforcers in front, when thawed, merely collapsed to the ground as their lifeless bodies unfroze. They were too close to Elsa and her power, and there was simply no hope for them. It was tough to see to the backs of the squadrons with so many people, but Elsa hypothesized, and hoped, that the people in the back might have been far enough away to have escaped the brunt of the blast. There might still be survivors among the dead. She thought briefly, and then gestured with both of her hands. A pile of snow formed, and seconds later, it unfolded itself to form a giant snowman. Nodding, Elsa repeated the gesture until she had a small army of about 500 of them. "Go," she told them. "Find any survivors and bring them back here. When that's done, start collecting the dead." They all growled in agreement and lumbered off.
All that was, except one. The one she had made first had been waiting patiently with Anna while Elsa made the rest. Now, he wouldn't leave the redhead's side. "Go help your comrades," Elsa ordered.
"No," the snow giant said stubbornly. "Need to protect her."
Elsa sighed. "Must you make everything fall in love with you?" she asked Anna in resignation.
"You made him," Anna countered, holding on to his massive hand and smiling at him.
Elsa sighed again. "Make sure she is safe," she ordered crossly. The snow beast nodded and made a show of straightening himself up to his full height. Elsa nodded herself and then activated her communicator. "I need the nearest militia member," she called.
Kronk answered immediately. "I am in your area because I brought the Governor, General," he said. "How may I be of service?"
"Return to Arendelle and summon the militia under my orders. Bring all of the medical help you can," she said.
"Are you or the Governor hurt, General?" Kronk asked in alarm.
"No, we are fine," Elsa answered to assuage his fears. "But the invading army requires assistance."
There was silence on the line at that statement. Elsa was just about to ask Kronk if he was still there when his answer came through. "Understood, General," he answered, and the pride in his voice both pleased and shamed Elsa. "The militia will be out to your position as soon as we can be. Kronk out," he concluded, and the line went dead.
Taking a look at the devastation around her, Elsa took a deep breath and raised her hands. Within a few minutes, two buildings had been created. One, made of ice, was the morgue; the other, made of snow, was a hospital. The snow giants started returning about the same time the militia showed up, and the Enforcers were separated according to where they needed to be. Elsa focused on her work; there was a lot to think about, but that would have to wait until after everything had been take care of. She gave orders, organizing people and supplies, and kept things efficient until all of the Enforcers had been accounted for, and her people were doing what they needed to.
Hours passed, and the day faded away. Most of it was spent taking care of the dead. The ground was frozen in Arendelle, and there was no land to bury thousands of people anyway. So, Elsa set up a system where the body was respectfully cleaned, the cuff of the Enforcer was removed, and a small moment of silence was held while the cuff, representing the person's life and identity was placed in a transport container. After this, with a salute, the body was disintegrated with a single, respectful militia shot. Elsa had hundreds of her people working, but a count of slightly over 2,600 bodies was a lot of services, and it took a while to honor them all.
The seven hundred and ten survivors were being cared for in the hospital. Knowing they would need warmth, Elsa made the hospital with thin outer walls and little else, so that all her snow would do would protect people inside from the elements. Anna organized the hospital, making sure that blankets and soup were being distributed to the less wounded. Her snow giant stayed by her side, and though most of the Enforcers were grateful to be alive and were not going to try anything, those that might have thought about it were quickly dissuaded by the massive, glowering snow beast.
At last, when the sun was setting, everything started to be finished. The last of the cuffs had been collected, and the transport containers were ready. Most of the Enforcers had been brought back to health, and they, under the watchful eye of the militia and giant snowmen, were collecting the transport containers and being escorted back to their ships. About two hundred of them defected, asking the Governor for asylum, which Anna happily gave as long as they were willing to be isolated and observed for a trial period. All said yes without hesitation, and members of the militia were assigned to escort them. Those Enforcers who were still too wounded to be put on the transports, about 50 in number, were taken back to Arendelle's city hospital by the medical staff.
Once all of the Enforcers were loaded on to the transports, their diminished size left at least a dozen of their transport vehicles empty. The militia confiscated them happily and took them back to the base. Anna, Elsa and the remaining militia watched the State forces leave, and after they had flown out of sight, a boisterous and loud cheer rose from the crowd, all of them praising the magnificent Ice Queen that had won a mighty victory and saved Arendelle from destruction. Elsa quieted them down embarrassedly and ordered them all back to Arendelle. They saluted as one, and as a unit, turned back towards the town. The excitement coming from the group was obvious, and Elsa and Anna could hear the plans for the celebrations that would be ubiquitous in Arendelle tonight.
After the militia left, Elsa called all of her snow giants to her. "Patrol the grounds around the city," she told them. "Keep us all safe. And if there is anything suspicious, send one of your numbers to fetch me at once." They all growled and scattered, and feeling like Arendelle was safer, she raised her hands, and her ice wall vanished.
Elsa turned back towards Anna and was somehow unsurprised that one snow giant had ignored her orders. "You won't go even if I order you, will you?" she asked with a sigh.
"No," the snow giant confirmed. "Kevin will stay with Anna."
"Kevin?" Elsa questioned, looking at both Anna and Kevin.
"It's a good name!" Anna protested. "Even if it did turn out that Kevin is a girl," she added with a slight blush.
Elsa opened her mouth to say something, but decided it wasn't worth it. She just shook her head slightly, and offered Anna her arm. Anna grabbed it immediately, and they started walking back to town. They walked in silence for a few minutes, as Elsa thought about her actions. A part of her was sorrowful that she had used her powers to kill, but after some introspection, she realized that she did not regret it. She was a mother now, and her child meant everything. Besides that, she had saved the people of Arendelle, maybe even the Rebellion itself, and she took pride in that, not guilt. The only thing troubling her was Anna. Would Anna hate her now that she had killed? Would her Apprentice still want to be married to her? Could Anna ever even trust her again? Elsa sighed as all of her worries and doubts settled on her shoulders.
"What's wrong, love?" Anna asked softy.
Elsa decided to be direct, even if Anna didn't answer the way she wanted. "Do you hate me for killing those people?" she asked quietly, her eyes welling up with tears the way they only did when she thought about losing Anna.
Anna stopped short in the middle of the trail. She turned Elsa so that they were facing each other, but Elsa looked towards the ground to avoid Anna's eyes. Anna used her free hand to guide Elsa's chin up, forcing her General to look at her. Her touch was gentle, but Elsa could see the simmering emotion behind Anna's blue-green eyes. "Why did you kill those people?" Anna demanded, answering Elsa's question with one of her own.
"To protect you. To protect Peanut. To protect Arendelle," Elsa haltingly said.
"Then why in the Pillars' name would I hate you, Elsa?" Anna replied, anguished outrage in her voice.
"Because you made me promise not to kill people," Elsa replied. "You made me promise, and you knew something was wrong, and you came out here. But you were too late."
"I made you promise so that you wouldn't kill in anger, Elsa," Anna answered. "I made you promise so you wouldn't take revenge. I never meant for you to think that you couldn't protect us. And I wasn't too late, love. If I had been too late, you wouldn't have stopped the moment you saw me; you wouldn't have let my love stop the storm. I didn't come out here to prevent you from killing; I came out here to prevent you from losing yourself, and that's what I did. I made you turn back into Elsa and come back to me before the rage made you the Ice Queen permanently."
"So you still love me?" Elsa asked piteously, the tears spilling now.
Anna sighed and gently wiped the tears from Elsa's cheeks. "I will always love you, Elsa, and I certainly would never stop loving you for protecting me and our daughter," she said firmly. "Yes, the loss of life was a terrible thing, but if they hadn't attacked, there would have been no loss. Knowing you, you probably warned them to back off, and they ignored you. If they had listened, there would have been no loss. I blame them for making you use your powers against them, but I will never blame you."
Elsa looked at Anna. Just when she thought she knew everything there was to know about Anna, her Apprentice kept surprising her. Elsa put her arms around Anna and hugged her tightly. "I love you," Elsa said simply.
Anna returned the hug and smiled. "And I love you, more than I could ever say," she said sincerely. They remained contentedly in each other's arms for a few moments until Anna shivered a bit from the cold. Elsa chuckled. "Come on, Apprentice," she said, taking Anna's arm once more. "We need to get you inside, and I hear there might be some celebrations we need to make appearances at."
Anna brightened at the mention of parties. She loved them, but she hadn't had the opportunity to go to many of them. "Well, if we have to," she joked. Suddenly annoyed that town was so far away, she looked up at Kevin. "Can we get a ride, Kevin?" she asked. "Your legs are longer than ours." Kevin didn't answer, but swept them both up in her massive claws. "Thanks!" Anna chirped happily and snuggled into Elsa. Elsa smiled indulgently and held her as they began the potentially-bumpy ride into town.