A/N: Sorry for the delay, but here it is. The epilogue shouldn't take me as long to get done, there WILL be an epilogue after this. Have a Happy New Year and enjoy this installment of Vrykolakas!
Elsa, with her prowess for the shadows, organized an anonymous transport for Hans' body back to The Southern Isles, at Anna's insistence. After all, he may have been a monster, but his family deserved closure, a suggestion that the newly mortal woman vehemently disagreed with at first. Then, her red headed lover pointed out that they couldn't be blamed for the actions of their forefathers; that's not fair. After considering this argument, Elsa reluctantly agreed to give them the body.
It wasn't difficult to find the guards that ran off. They were, after all, stranded in Corona. A payment of gold and a free ship later, they took off with their prince's body, vowing never to speak of what happened that night.
Elsa sighed. Anna gave her a slightly more than friendly peck on the cheek, a daring public display. The older woman blushed. "Thank you," the red head whispered.
Just like that, Elsa was happy with her decision. She smiled lovingly. "Now, let's get back home, to Arendelle."
Returning the joyous look, Anna chirped "yes, let's."
Elsa enjoyed the warmth of the sunlight on her skin as they walked along.
The chariot ride back was peaceful. At least for the first few hours it was. After the two basked in the sweet feeling of victory, the allure of not having to constantly be on the look out, and no longer fearing for their lives, they got to action.
Anna started it. She locked eyes with her companion and raised one eyebrow. The seductive look lit Elsa's chest on fire. It was suddenly far too hot where she was.
Showing no mercy, the red head continued her scorching gaze while she deliberately crawled on to her lucky victim, practically licking her chops like a dog with its eyes on a bone. She allowed her hand to gently caress Elsa's thigh atop her dress. The action sent goosebumps up and down the woman's legs, which all seemed to collect in one central area. The closer Anna got, the hotter the fire within Elsa's chest became, and the lower down it drifted.
Eventually, their lips were but an inch apart, steamy breath rolling like waves down Elsa's neck, tempting her mouth and stroking her skin. The inferno within her perched itself directly between her legs, causing her to gasp and slide down in her seat, her shallow breaths betraying her desires.
Anna was on top of her now, on her hands and knees with the most devilishly innocent grin imaginable. She bit her lip, not in thought or worry, but in anticipation. Elsa had to take a deep breath to keep her heart from beating right out of her chest.
At long last, their lips met, rapidly exchanging the flames of passion built up within each woman. Anna laid her body fully upon Elsa's, her hips resting below the older woman's navel. She clenched her nails into Elsa's back and pressed their bosoms together, eliciting an electric response which zapped her spine into an arch.
The air in the chariot was getting suffocatingly thin and intensely hot. The ride back to Arendelle was far too short.
Home sweet home, Anna thought as they stepped out of their ride. Dusk was upon them and her humble house stood dead ahead. She took Elsa's hand and skipped her way towards the door. I can't wait to see Kristoff! I've missed him so much, I feel really bad about leaving that way, but he'll understand, I'm sure! Maybe he'll even accept me and Elsa, she mused optimistically. Ooh and she could even stay with us. I mean, there's no guest room, but then again, me and her can share a room. Anna blushed at the thought, remembering their explorations in the chariot.
But wait, something was wrong. Sven wasn't barking at her, no licks to welcome her back, no excited jumps. She looked around. Sure enough, just by the door, the massive brown dog lay, fast asleep.
He looked different. Sven was more bony than she recalled. That doesn't look good. "Sven! Hey buddy, wake up!"
The dog continued to snore, its ribs expanding and contracting rhythmically. Anna rubbed his belly, that usually worked. "Sven! Up, boy, come on!"
Anna furrowed her brows. Nothing. "What's wrong, buddy?"
"I-" started Elsa. Her voice was apprehensive. "I think he's been spelled."
"What? By who? Why? When!?"
The older woman gulped."You won't like what I'm thinking, Anna."
The red head bit her lip, this time in worry. Her heart sank, she was sure that her and Elsa were on the same train of thought. "W-what are you thinking?"
"Hans must have come th-through here looking for us. He probably had someone put Sven to sleep to keep him quiet."
Anna's internal functions were all simultaneously put on halt. Yep, her and Elsa were on the same page. Time slowed to allow her more time to think. She didn't want to think. Nevertheless, she pieced a painful puzzle together. I told Kristoff where we were going, is he- "Kristoff!" In an instant, she was upon the door.
Cold, strong fingers clutched Anna's panicked shoulders from behind. "Anna, wait! Think first, what you find in there could be devastating." The red head whirled around to face her lover.
Tears were streaming from Elsa's eyes. Anna fought a lump in her throat. He can't have- no, no, Kristoff has to be okay, right? Watered blue eyes met soaking teal ones for a long moment. Elsa breathed out her next plea. "We both know what's behind that door, you don't need to see that, Anna."
Anna sniffled sharply and gasped "y-yes, I do."
"Are you sure?"
The red head wiped her face off on her sleeve and nodded solemnly.
The hands confining her loosened. Anna slowly turned around, unsure of if her choice was right. But she had to know. To walk away would be to spit in the face of her brother, to curse herself to wander a labyrinth with no end for all eternity.
Elsa gave one last pleading look as her companion reached for the door. Ever so quietly, just loud enough to be heard, she said "I'm here for you."
The words gave Anna strength, and she pushed the portal to anguish open.
It was worse than she pictured. There, on the floor, was her brother, face down. The man she had grown up next to, who had always protected her. The man who grieved with her when her parents never came home. The man who took care of her. The man who, though he disagreed with her sexuality, had tried to accept it. He was tied up like a scoundrel. Surrounding him was a dried up stain, of what she could only guess was blood. It was a sickeningly large area, and his skin was pale and loose. The smell wreaked through her nose, destroying every olfactory receptor in its way, retching her stomach and pushing vomit up her throat and onto the floor. Anna collapsed to her hands and knees as she heaved. Flies buzzed around the body, desperate, defiling scavengers looking for any putrid, rotting meat to call a meal.
Anna tried to scream, but she couldn't. Instead, her world went black.
The smell of fresh grass, dirt, and pine. The sound of trees swaying in the background, the soothing wind singing with them, the buzz of a nearby bee. The sensation of a gentle hand supporting and rubbing her head, a familiar bosom supporting her weight. These were some of the sensations that Anna woke up to.
I'm outside.
Anna's head hurt.
It's morning.
The dew on the grass and angled golden rays of sun gave that away.
And Anna had a headache. She rubbed her skull. I must have hit my head.
Elsa's soft voice leaked into her ears. "You're awake. Are you okay?"
Anna's heart sank. She remembered how she found her brother. Suddenly, the sun and all the nature in the world didn't matter, as far as she was concerned, it was all clouds of gray. "W-what happened?"
A sharp inhale behind her, followed by an unsure voice. "You- you passed out when you- when you found K-Kristoff."
"Kristoff! we have to- we have to- Elsa, he didn't deserve that! He didn't deserve it! Why? Why did I tell him? I should have listened to you! Why didn't I listen to you!? If I did, he'd be alive!" Hysteria was spreading like a virus in the girl, clenching her heart.
With a sure hand and commanding voice, the pale woman grabbed and comforted her Anna. "Sh, no, it's not your fault. You can't blame yourself, it's not your fault." She kept repeating the words as she pulled a crying and screaming Anna into a long, deep, much needed hug.
After an extended time, the red head finally spoke coherently. Except, she wasn't present in the voice, it was just... there. "We have to bury him, clean him, we have to- we- he deserves a proper burial."
"I know. We'll give him a space where he deserves it, right with your parents. He'll be together with them."
Anna sniffled and nodded. "Yeah, with them."
Anna stood by her brother's fresh grave. The anguish of losing him still hurt like an arrow to the chest. Beside her stood Elsa, next to her sat Sven, who was becoming healthy once again, since Elsa lifted the spell.
The two women wore black.
The red head looked at her parents' grave. She still missed them dearly, but the love she felt for their life flooded through her veins like a drug. Although she'd never forget them, she no longer had to mourn their death, for she had their time together to celebrate. She could finally move on.
Her focus switched to Kristoff's final resting place. Sven whimpered. Anna felt hopeless inside. She was a hollow shell, a ghastly apparition of herself. She sniffled and allowed sorrow to take a stranglehold on her neck. She felt like she was standing outside of her own body.
But she knew it'd get better. Elsa was with her, and always would be. Anna would never stop mourning the loss of her brother, she knew that. But with time, she could move on; Just like she had finally done for her parents. She was going to be okay. They were going to be okay. Life would go on.
Elsa squeezed Anna's hand. It made her feel safe, it made her feel hopeful. It made her feel like herself. They hugged tightly in mourning.
Life will go on.