A/N: I'm not dead! I've been super busy with cosplay and work, and life went insane for me. Writing has been super slow, and due to stress, writers block hit EVERYTHING hard. But here! Have chapter nine! The end of the fic comes next, and let me tell all y'all... This has been one wild ride. I hope all y'all enjoy this chapter, and I look forward to posting up the finale next!
WARNING: This chapter contains violence, death, blood, gore, and language. Readers, please remember that I will dismember you if you complain about the graphic nature at this point.
With love,
Korrupted.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Frozen! Disney does. This is for AtomicRedBoots on deviant art and is loosely based off of the AU Frozen series there. LOOK. IT. UP.
The Duke had no problems fighting the hordes of warriors that attacked him, he simply dismembered them with his claymore as if it was nothing before moving on to his next victim. He had one target only in his mind, and nothing could stop him from achieving his goal of killing Elsa. His men fought around him -died around him- as he made his way further into the battle, but he couldn't care less about them. Revenge was what drove him to relentlessly push through the ranks, hatred his desire as another man was beheaded, blood splashing everywhere as the war raged on around him. "Weselton! TAKE EVERYTHING FROM THEM!" He bellowed, the cheers from his fighters sparking a second wave of brutality.
Rapunzel was fighting diligently, a quiet woman who tore open deadly wounds, or simple injuries that were laced with toxin. She swapped out her sword for her cast iron pan seamlessly to block an axe, her whip lashing out to pull the attacker close enough to touch with her bare skin. "Flower burn and glow, let your power shine. Bring what will soon come, hasten the hands of time."
Her medium brown hair glowed an eerie red tone, her irises the crimson of freshly spilled blood as the man shuddered, his jet black hair rapidly turning white, his flesh sagging as he aged far too quickly, trying to weakly escape her grip. The once lost princess expertly parried a sword thrust with her pan, still singing. "Wither bones to dust, slow the aging mind. Breath in your last breath, no one escapes time. Your life is mine."
The body was ash inside clothing that slipped to the snow, tainting it with bitter black soot as other men screamed and fled. It had taken the better part of a year to discover and master the counter point to her healing ability; the death touch. The princess returned to cracking her whip about dangerously, twice slaying men who tried to sneak up on a few of her lieutenants, Eugene stabbing his foes from atop Maximus. Her green eyes caught sight of Jane as the woman jumped from atop the wolf and thrust her spear through the thin armor of one Southern Isles combatant, moving with an animalistic grace as she twirled to dodge swords, her weapon sliding free of the dying man to stab at the on-comers. Returning to her own fight, Rapunzel leaned to the left to avoid a sword to her chest, sheathing her sword to grab her iron pan instead.
This war was getting interesting.
Elsa was so busy defending her troops that she didn't pay enough attention to her own surroundings, yelping in pain as a sword nicked her back before ice halted the rest of it's path. She turned to her assailant only to be greeted by a spray of crimson as he head was neatly severed from his body, the flecks staining parts of her clothing as Anna stood painted in red. "Fucker slipped by me." The princess knight panted.
The platinum blonde woman swiftly cast frozen lances at a man off to their left, leaving her sister to cut down the other attackers. Elsa's gaze noted cuts on that already scarred skin, the chucks missing in the rime ice from already saving her life several times. Sleets was raining down upon the field as both sides raged on, desperation and exhaustion muddling their moves.
The queen had to fight with more practical methods, and so she crafted herself a halibard of ice, using it to kill in ways that wouldn't tax her magical reserves. She had to ensure the safety of her sister, she had to. Her dearest princess was the only thing in the world that truly mattered to her; for Anna, she would cast the world into the most treacherous of winters. She would slaughter thousands, millions even. Her stand lowered, Elsa baring her teeth at a soldier who rushed at her before stabbing his windpipe. She would do anything for her beloved knight, and damn anyone who was fool enough to stand in her way.
The Duke marched on, killing anyone in his path as he locked his gaze on the icy whore that had left him an invalid. However, a blade of ice slashed at his chest, the older man leaping back to avoid having what was left of his human torso ripped open. His occulus light narrowed at the face of the young princess that blocked his way, baring his teeth furiously. "Move, child." He snarled.
Her blue eyes glared at him. "You want to kill my sister? Over my dead body, you fucking idiot."
He growled low in his throat before lunging at her, his broadsword clashing into the ice weapon as their desperate battle over the queen began. The Duke blocked a stab to his face with his mechanical arm, the flat of his knocking against her ice armored shoulder. The blow cracked the frigid protection as Anna wrenched her blade free of the limb, both combatants circling each other warily. "Hmph. Not bad for a child." He admitted with grudging respect.
"Not bad for an old man." Was the curt return.
It was almost a shame to have to kill her; she would be an excellent swords woman to teach his own troops her skills. But alas, she would never be willing to train them after Elsa was dispatched. And so the Duke lunged at her, feinting left and going right as the rime ice blocked his strike, a chunk breaking off. It seemed the protective magic was wearing down from over use, and even the subzero temperatures weren't salvaging it. Soon, he would have her dead beneath his boot, and Elsa would be all his.
Hans was desperately trying to keep back the warriors that leapt at him, finally slashing along one of the Corona fighter's throat. These damn Legion fighters were incredibly difficult to kill, but one by one, he injured them. His own troops were starting to beat back the German and French forces, only to have Alejandro bring a detachment of soldiers to even the odds again, the prince furious at his lack of progress. The small German troop was almost terrifying with how effective they were, moving quickly to attempt to dispatch them. While they wore little to no metal armor, they were still deadly.
Another was felled, slowly regaining his ground as his hazel eyes scanned for Elsa. He hoped the Duke was having better luck finding their target, or her little sister in this mess. Another slash was blocked by his sword, unsheathing a dagger to stab some leather clad woman with blue eyes peeking over her face mask in the stomach, lowering his dying foe to the ground before removing the blade and spinning to evade another attack. His coat's arms were stained with blood, his gloves tacky with the substance while the battle continued. He had to end this war, to end the deaths, but to do that Hans had to kill the monster Elsa. If she was free, death would follow. That whore was the root of all this bloodshed, and the prince of the Southern Isles was determined to put a stop to her reign of terror once and for all.
Elsa was struggling to maintain the frigid conditions of the blizzard, fight off soldiers, and worry over her own troops. She could see Anna fighting the Duke, the two combatants locked in a heated match only twenty paces away. The strawberry blonde evaded many attacks, but her rime ice had cracked in several places, completely shattered in many more. The platinum blonde had no idea how to help her from where she was; not while fighting off five soldiers with the polearm weapon in her grasp. "Your corpse will freeze in this snow!" One man shouted at her.
Smirking, Elsa widened her stance. "Well that's fine by me. The cold never bothered me anyway." Was her taunting retort, three attacking at once.
She ducked to dodge one, thrusting the spike of her weapon into his chest before nimbly jumping as a blast of frost struck another male in the throat. He instantly gripped the afflicted area, dropping from pain and lack of oxygen as he clawed at the surface frantically, the ice blocking his windpipe.
The third attacker roared as a few of his fellows joined his attack, though all were batted aside by Marshmallow rather comically, the large snow creature roaring at the other men while Olaf bludgeoned them with rocks from his perch on Marshmallow's shoulders. The hulking monster's ice plates grew out more, his glowing eyes watching the enemy closely. Elsa wiped blood from her face with her left forearm, glaring defiantly as she resumed battle. Anna was counting on her, and she would win this for them both.
"Very well done, Princess." The Duke grunted, holding his chest over the wound the younger woman had just inflicted.
As much as he longed to see Anna dead, he had to admit that she was one of his most worthy opponents he had ever faced. With no magic and no cheating, she held her own against him with skill, luck, and quick thinking. What an ally she would have made! She was bleeding from several nicks to her face, panting slightly before she had to block an incoming strike from a traitorous French warrior and felling him swiftly. Again, Anna leapt at him with astonishing speeds, her braids trailing in the arctic winds as she slashed at the old soldier, ice sword clutched firmly in her hands.
With a grunt, the cyborg male blocked the attack and pushed her back, spinning a strike of his own at the knight, only to have it blocked at the last moment. He backed away when she dropped down and stabbed at him, the two once more circling each other. The strawberry blonde slashed twice, the second motion catching his chest once more, but only tearing through metal. The Duke knew that this would be a fight of legends, and should he fall here, he would not dare feel ashamed.
Kristoff bellowed in fury as he swung the great hammer, bloody grey matter splattering across the red slurry of gore that had once been clean snow. The body clattered dully to the field, limbs crunching below his feet as the fight wore on. Red painted his chest, arms, and legs, Oaken's hammer still in his grip as the troll man bludgeoned his way across the field to locate Elsa and Anna. They were his friends, his human family. He needed to defend Arendelle and it's rulers from harm; Kristoff had sworn that much to the dead merchant.
Out of the corner of his eye, the former human saw Eugene struggling against a Weselton detachment, both he and Maximus being slowly pressed further and further back from any help. Warhammer in hand, he smashed his way through the enemy ranks, determined to help the allies of his queen survive this deadly confrontation. The large horse whinnied around the sword in his mouth, his rider fighting to keep the blades away from his loyal steed. The chief finally reached the duo and struggled to beat back the troops, his leg starting to buckle. Still, he would not back down, nor give in. He would fight until his final breath left him, just like Oaken had.
Anna was sore, bleeding, and still locked in heated combat with the Duke. Both of them were slowing as the length of their battle took it's toll on them, constantly forced to block not only each other's attacks, but those of other soldiers as well. The old merchant's mechanized eye was watching her carefully, wiping away the blood from his human one as they took a moment of respite. There was a sort of warriors respect between them; neither attacking as they caught their breath, bodies and crimson slush all around them for yards. "Pity, Princess Anna." He panted, the princess knight's blue eyes curious as he used her proper title and name for the first time in years. "It is a shame one of us must fall here. However, I would be glad to die at the hands of a warrior of your caliber."
A small smirk edged onto her lips, bowing her head slightly at his words. "And I to you, Duke Wesley."
For a moment they stood silently on the field; two fighters giving their foe the respect that they had earned after such a long fight. For the first time, Anna was wishing that things had been different between their kingdoms. What if he had not condemned her sister? Their people standing united would have been a force to be reckoned with. However, his respect for her would never extend as far as Elsa, and thus they were fated to fight to the death. She lunged, rolling aside from his thrust as she plunged her frozen blade deep into his throat, trying to make his death as swift as possible. Even so, his weapon swung once more in his dying grip, one final attack catching her painfully hard in her left side to leave a deep gash, blood slowly flowing from the wound. "Gah! Fucking damn!" She swore, yanking her sword free and letting her opponent fall limply to the snow.
The warrior princess clasped her hand over the broken plating, trying to catch her breath as she sank to one knee. She was tired, weakened from fighting the mechanized man, and dizzy from blood loss. And yet, she still had to keep fighting for her queen and kingdom. Anna stood once more, her blue armor painted with blood as it leaked down the broken plates, her sword held firmly in her hand. Nothing would stop her from defending her beloved queen. Her sister. Her Elsa.
She trudged towards where she could see the platinum blonde fighting, vaguely noticing that the winter storm had greatly lessened from the expenditure of magic. With great irritation, the princess hacked down several Weselton soldiers, snarling furiously as her scarred features lent her an air of battle-lust. As drunk of the war as she was, Anna was growing tired. She was nearing Elsa when a figure stepped in front of her, his hazel eyes wicked and his auburn hair matted with patches of dried blood. "Oh Anna. If only there was somebody who loved you." A compassionate voice crooned to her moments before who it was registered.
"Hans!" She growled, her sword rearing back to cut him in half.
Quicker than lightning, his own sword flashed out and stabbed into the chest of her armor, the protective plating giving way to sharp steel. The pain took Anna's breath away, her sword falling from numb fingers as he grinned at her. Her expression was confused, her mouth opened in a silent attempt to refill her lungs with oxygen, the blonde streak in her braid partially stained with her own blood. The man leaned in as he sank his blade deeper, the edge jutting out of her back as he placed his mouth right next to her ear. "Love is an open door." He whispered to her. "And now, your death will open a door to pain for Elsa."
With a smirk, the prince yanked out the blade, the mortally wounded princess dropping to her knees as crimson flowed at an alarming rate from the new opening. She gasped for air as her trembling hands clutched at the stab wound, looking up at Hans raising the sword above his head with a triumphant expression on his features. "ANNA!" She heard a voice shriek from what seemed like miles away, and quite suddenly a harsh blast of cold air threw the prince several hundred yards away.
The strawberry blonde fell to her side in agony as breathing remained laboriously difficult at best, barely aware of the hands that moved the cradle her tenderly. Sky blue eyes opened feebly as tear filled ice blue darted over her body, taking in the damage that had been done. Elsa had come to her rescue, and to Anna, that seemed highly unfair as it was supposed to be her duty to keep her lover safe. "E...Elsa...?" She wheezed, coughing out blood weakly.
"Anna... Y-you'll be okay, Anna!" The older woman promised pitifully, holding her sister close. The freckles on her smaller lover's cheeks were so dark compared to her pale skin. "Stay with me!"
Anna was struggling to remain focused, a numb hand gracelessly cupping her queen's cheek, a very weak smile on her lips. "H-hey... El...sa...?"
The queen frantically met her lover's eyes, fighting back the sobs that threatened to burst forth from her mouth to pierce the sounds of war around them. She couldn't speak; grief and sorrow had strangled her, pain blocking any words from forming on her tongue. Instead, she looked deep into Anna's eyes. The eyes of the only person she could ever love.
"D...do yuh... you w-wanna b...build..." She choked on another inhale, trying again. "Do... you wanna build... a snow..."
The hand fell from her face to clatter onto the broken chestplate, finally coming to a halt to rest across her stomach. The blue eyes were almost completely shut, and if not for the blood, shattered blue armor, and how pale she was, Elsa could just pretend that her sweet Anna was merely sleeping. The ice queen felt breathless, whimpering piteously as the reality slowly sank in. She clutched the small body tightly to her own, rocking slightly as nothing else even seemed to exist to her. Her heart was broken inside of her chest, the fragments like ice stabbing her soul as choked sobs shook her entire form. A scream was working it's way up her throat, burning like bile as it went.
"I fear that if you are not careful, you may lead to the destruction of that which you hold dear."
Kristoff words echoed around her mind like a damning chant. He had warned her, even shown her of this possibility! Why hadn't she forbidden her sister to fight?
"If they do come, and we fight, I fear losing you, Elsa. I don't know what I would do without you."
Anna's words joined Kristoff's warning, snippets of moments that they had shared making for a chorus of sweet suffering, the scream working it's way higher.
"You have fucking ice powers? Is that why the fuck you left me alone all these years? What, you mean you couldn't have told me that like a normal person?!"
"Long live the Queen. Bitch."
"We only have each other, it's just you and me. What are we gonna do?"
"I think some company is overdue. I've started talking to the pictures on the walls!"
"We used to be best buddies, but now we're not. I wish you would tell me why."
"Elsa?" She could still hear the rhythmic knocking of a five year old Anna, the lonely and confused child that would grown into the fierce woman that she had fallen so madly in love with in spite of being sisters. The pain in her heart was almost too intense to bear, and she vaguely wondered if a person could explode from too much sorrow, the burning of her suppressed screeches growing higher still. "Do you wanna build a snowman?"
"ANNA! ANNA NO! NOOO!"