A/N: This is the next to last chapter for this story. As always, reviews are appreciated, and thanks for reading. :)

Chapter 9 – Fulfilled Promises

Anna sat quietly in the holding cell, looking around the drab little space and thinking about how she had ended up here. Beast had told her of sentence already, and though she was surprised, she wasn't shocked. It was obvious from their meeting with the Patricians that Elsa was of utmost importance to them and their plans for the State, and she, a mere Apprentice, stood in the way of those plans. Elsa loved Anna more than she loved the State, so Anna was to be made an example of to bring their perfect Plebe back in line. It was really quite simple.

Anna knew she should probably be more distressed that her life might be taken from her today, but in truth, she wasn't all that overly concerned. She was confidently optimistic that Elsa, the Philosophy Club or a combination of both would find a way to rescue her for one, and even if that didn't happen, she had realized she was pretty okay with dying. She had found the one thing that she had been searching her whole life for, so she could leave her life behind content.

Not that she wanted to die, of course; Anna wanted nothing more than to be free from the State to live out her days with her beautiful Elsa. Anna smiled and lifted her hand to her concealed necklace as she thought of Elsa. It almost frightened her how much she loved her Master. Elsa was a best friend, a lover and a sister wrapped up into one person, a person that Anna at last could call "family". Anna took a contented breath, happy with that thought, and the scent lingering on the clothes she was wearing filled her senses. Anna's thoughts flashed back to the previous night when she had been surrounded by that scent and her skin and body warmed involuntarily.

The vehemence of her body's reaction embarrassed but didn't surprise her. Anna had been in sexual relationships with other people before Elsa; she had lost her virginity to Troll before they both realized they preferred their own genders and there were a few ladies in the Philosophy Club that she had been involved with for a time. But, Elsa did something to her that no one else did. It was so profound that seeing Elsa for the first time had caused Anna to blurt out her name rather than her designation when they had met, an unthinkable breach of protocol that she was still getting teased about and still trying to live down. She would have been content to lust over her beautiful Master, but then by the end of that first evening her Master had called her Anna and become Elsa, and Anna had no chance of stopping herself from falling in love.

Anna sighed, still thinking of Elsa. She pulled the uniform jacket more tightly around herself and crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. She glanced at the walls once more and closed her eyes. Just a few more hours, she told herself, just a few more hours and this whole Pillars-forsaken thing would be done with, one way or another. And whatever way it turned out, she had absolutely no regrets.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Elsa hung her State uniform on the hook in front of her closet, carefully checking for any imperfections. She straightened a ribbon here and there, but for the most part it was perfect, so she moved on to her boots. She spot-polished the boots until they shone and then placed them below the uniform. Satisfied that it would be ready for her when she got back from work, she picked up the jacket to her Architecture uniform and slipped it on, walking into the living as she did so.

Elsa straightened her collar and tucked it into her jacket as she took one last look around the living and dining room space. Blondie and Rider had not yet been here, so her things remained, and she took the opportunity to collect the last few things she wanted to take and store them in the case that she had already marked with a crown sticker. Glancing at her wrist, she noticed it was time to leave, so she headed for the door.

Elsa squared her shoulders as her door slid shut behind her, noting the Enforcer that was waiting as she left her quarters. "I apologize, Master," he said respectfully, "but the Patricians have requested that I accompany you to and from work."

"As they wish," Elsa said simply, not surprised that the Patricians were keeping close tabs on her today. Anna's execution was supposed to be a statement, and it would not be much of a statement if the person it was meant for was not in attendance. She turned and strode down the hall, not caring if the man followed her or not. He did, of course, keeping a respectful distance until she entered the Architecture building. He didn't follow her in, but rather remained outside, and after Elsa had gotten into her office and peered out her out her large windows, she could see him calmly waiting outside for her outside the exit. She shook her head and turned from the window so that she could get started for the day.

With this being her last day as a Citizen of the State, Elsa had decided to make good use of the time by downloading anything and everything she thought could be of use to the Philosophy Club. As a Master, she had access to everything, so within minutes, blueprints for practically every building in the State, from the Great Hall itself to the maintenance shack in a remote corner of Campus had been transferred to her computer awaiting transfer to something portable. A few more searches and downloads later and the security systems and technical specifications joined them. Elsa knew her computer was being monitored, but she was being relatively stealthy, so she was reasonably confident no one would figure out what she was up to until it was far too late.

Transferring all of those large files onto something portable was going to take far longer than initially downloading them had, so Elsa sat back to wait. She looked around her office, looking for something to keep herself occupied when the Office Assistant paged her.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, Master, but someone has arrived with a package for you and insists that it can only be delivered to you," he said.

"Very well," Elsa replied, apprehensive of whom it might be and what they might be delivering. "I will be out shortly to collect it."

"Of course, Master," the Assistant replied, and the connection was terminated.

Elsa stood up and smoothed out her slacks, coming out from behind her desk to cross her floor and exit her office. Her door slid open and she looked apprehensively into the outer office. Seeing the person waiting for her, her eyes widened in shock before her face settled into an affectionate grin. "Master, it has been far too long," she warmly greeted the short, white-haired and mustached older gentleman that crossed the office to meet her. "What in the Pillars' name are you doing here? Please come into my office," she requested.

The older man's eyes twinkled at her affectionately as she led him from the outer office into her impressive window-lined space and the door slid shut behind them. He looked around and smiled. "This is a nice office," he said admiringly, taking a seat in one of her visitors' chairs.

"Yes, it is," Elsa agreed, taking her own seat as her former Master chuckled slightly. "So, what are you doing here?" she asked.

Her Master's demeanor sobered somewhat. "I heard about your Apprentice," he replied in sympathy.

Any trace of good humor disappeared from Elsa's face. "Yes, it is unfortunate, but all will be remedied shortly," she said confidently, and much to her surprise, her former Master broke out into a wide smile.

"I would expect nothing less from you, Apprentice," he said, a knowing smirk replacing the smile. Elsa stared at him quizzically, and he nodded. "We have some mutual friends," he said cryptically, confirming her suspicions that he knew of her plans somehow. "But I didn't come by to remind you of unhappiness," he said, changing the subject smoothly. "I came to cheer you up." He produced a package from behind his back and handed it to Elsa. "I hope this will do the trick. Several people agonized over it for several hours," he told Elsa as she turned the package over in her hands. She went to pull off the bow, but her Master's gentle hand stopped her. "Open it private, dear," he advised her, squeezing her hand before letting it go. "Your reputation might suffer if you opened it here."

Elsa's curiosity flared at that gentle advice and she was now incredibly interested to learn what was in the package. But, her Master had never steered her wrong, so she did as she was told, placing the package on her desk. "Thank you for your kindness, Master," she said formally.

"It was nothing, Apprentice," he said affectionately. "You always were my favorite." Elsa blushed, and he chuckled at her discomfort before giving her a smile. "Well, I have taken up far too much of your time already, Apprentice," he declared, getting up from his seat. "I will bid you a fond farewell."

"I always have time for you, Master," Elsa assured him, rising herself. "Thank you again for everything," she concluded, hoping that he realized that she how much she meant it and that this was most likely their final goodbye.

He seemed to, because tears started to well up in his eyes as he turned and walked from the office. "Be well, Apprentice," he said emotionally as the door shut behind him.

Elsa sighed as he left, and sat back down in her chair. She glanced at her computer and it was still downloading all of the information to the portable drive, so she grabbed her notebook and started to sketch to pass the time. Several hours and many drawings later, everything was finished, and Elsa decided it was time to leave. It was still a bit early, but Elsa didn't care and there were things that she had to do before heading to the Campus square. She gathered up the package her Master had given her, a few of her notebooks, the portable drive and after a glance at Anna's desk, some things she thought her Apprentice would like to keep. Placing everything in her satchel, she took one last look around before leaving her office for good.

After her door slid shut, Elsa walked across the outer office to leave when a quiet voice stopped her. "Not to be impertinent, Master," the Office Assistant said quietly, "but before you leave, I wish to express my condolences about the Apprentice."

"That's kind of you," Elsa replied, turning back to face him.

The Office Assistant looked at her sadly before picking something up off his desk and handing it to her. Looking down, Elsa realized it was a small stuffed llama. "I brought this from home, and the Apprentice always loved it," he said, his eyes growing moist. "I would like it very much if you would keep it now."

Elsa looked down at the llama in her hand and then looked at him, saying the only thing she could. "Thank you," she said sincerely, and the young man nodded. She nodded back. "Goodbye, Assistant," she said, turning back towards the door and exiting without looking back.

"Goodbye, Master," he replied to the empty room, the tears now falling as he realized she had bid him goodbye rather than good night.

Elsa's shadow stood up as she exited the building, but she ignored him as she crossed Campus to the Library. Much to her dismay, he followed her into the building this time, and Elsa figured it was mainly due to the Library's many exits instead of the Architecture building's one. She didn't really want him to see who she was meeting with, though, so she ducked into the nearest ladies' restroom before sending out a text on the secret frequency that Anna had told her about. She waited for a few seconds before Leader's response came through, and she left the restroom to join Leader in the Philosophy Club's meeting room, making sure to slip inside quickly so the door would close and lock before the Enforcer could follow.

"What's this?" Leader asked as Elsa handed her the portable drive.

"A going away gift," Elsa replied. "It's what Anna should have been gathering when she was working for me."

"For which buildings on Campus?" Leader asked, suddenly holding the portable drive like the precious treasure it was.

"All of them," Elsa replied with a smirk, and Leader's eyes widened.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, knowing how much this would mean to her cause.

Elsa nodded. "You're welcome," she said. She took the satchel from off her shoulder and handed it to Leader. "I do have one favor to ask, though. Do you think you could get this stuff to wherever you took our other stuff?" she asked.

"That shouldn't be a problem," Leader said, after a moment's thought. "What's in here?"

"Personal stuff from work, mostly," Elsa replied.

"Anything breakable?" Leader inquired.

"No…" Elsa started to reply, and then thought of the package her Master had dropped off. "There may be one thing," she realized and briefly took the satchel back from Leader to retrieve it.

Leader saw the box when it emerged and grinned. "No, it's not breakable, but it definitely needs to go with you," she said.

Elsa nodded and handed the satchel back. "So you know what it is," she stated.

"Of course," Leader replied with a smirk. "I had him deliver it."

Elsa looked at Leader, but Leader's demeanor was one of a person that would not yield any secrets, so Elsa decided it was better to let it go. She held out her hand. "Goodbye, Leader," she said.

Leader took it and shook it firmly. "Good luck, Ice Queen," she replied. Elsa rewarded her with a small smirk before securing her package underneath her arm and leaving the room.

Her Enforcer shadow picked up her trail as soon as she left the room, and he continued to follow her until she came to her dormitory building. He remained outside as she entered, but Elsa had no doubt that he would be waiting outside the door to her quarters when she left for Anna's execution. She went up to her quarters and went inside, noting that everything she had placed a crown sticker on was now gone. She flopped down on the couch, setting her mysterious package on her lap as she finally yielded to curiosity and tore into it.

What emerged caused Elsa's elegant jaw to pop open briefly before it closed and the rest of her face contracted into consternation. The only clue she had been given to the contents of the package was the cryptic one her Master had given her about her reputation suffering, but she had never expected this. At least she knew now why she had been told to open it in private, and she continued to stare at the item until her face broke out into a wry smirk. Leave it to a rebel group of librarians, actresses, artists, computer geeks and fashion designers to gift her with her very own costume like a comic book superhero of yore just before she took on the State, she thought sardonically before going into her bedroom to try it on.

The outfit was one piece, primarily ice blue in color, but with white mesh that resembled ice covering the chest, the outside of the thighs, the tops of the shoulders and the ends of the sleeves. A cleverly-disguised zipper ran up the right flank to allow Elsa access, and she unzipped it and slipped the uniform on, starting with the slipper-like boots attached to the bottom of the legs and shimmying the tight but breathable fabric up her body. It had long sleeves that partially covered tops of her hands and were kept in place by loops that went around her middle fingers. The neck was high, reaching up past her clavicle but stopping just before it reached her neck.

Once everything was in place, Elsa stepped back, examining herself very carefully in the mirror, and she was very pleased with what she saw. She looked every bit the Ice Queen, from the colors, to the fit, to the ice-looking white mesh. Just in case that point hadn't been fully comprehended, though, the designer had helpfully included a prominent intricately intertwined I and Q logo on each of the sleeves, and Elsa crossed her arms making the logos stand out on her biceps. Elsa looked at herself for a couple of minutes more and she smiled at her image one last time before starting the process of removing her chip and cuff. Once finished, she took her State uniform off its hook to finish getting ready.

Elsa left her quarters promptly at 17:30 and as she predicted, the Enforcer was waiting for her outside of her door. He bowed in her direction and she nodded an acknowledgement before heading for the elevator. Once outside the building, she turned toward the Campus square, grateful that is was in the opposite direction of the early Autumn sun that was easing its way towards sunset. Her powerful stride didn't falter, even as people also on their way to the Square turned their heads and murmured to each other. Whether they were talking about her or her Apprentice or both, she didn't care. Her thoughts were only on Anna and what had to be done to save her.

When she got to the Square, she looked around for the most optimal position, and spotting the location she was looking for, she turned to find a seat, only to be stopped by a hand on her upper arm. She looked down to find the Enforcer's hand there, and seeing her icy look, the hand fell away immediately. "I'm sorry, Master," the Enforcer said quickly, "but the Patricians have already requested that you join them."

Well, at least it would put her closer to Anna, she thought. "As they wish," she said, and the Enforcer took the lead, heading down the central aisle to the gallows that stood in the middle of the Square. As they walked, Elsa was even more the center of attention than she had been when walking through Campus, and this time she could hear snippets of conversation as she passed. Most of the gossipers were sympathetic to her plight; they whispered solemnly about how disgraceful it was that someone like the Master Architect had been paired with a traitor like her Apprentice. A few speakers on the other hand gloated that the Master Architect had finally been touched by scandal. Still a few others, a very few others, wondered what an Architecture Apprentice could have done to warrant a death sentence. Elsa recognized those voices, and though her outward expression didn't change, gratitude surged through her knowing there were allies scattered in the crowd.

At last the gauntlet was completed as Elsa and her Enforcer escort arrived at the gallows. They weren't traditional gallows, as the condemned weren't executed by hanging, but that is what everyone still called them. A small platform and post stood in the middle, and here is where Anna would be bound and would be displayed before the crowd prior to her sentence being carried out. Then, at the order of one of the Patricians, the Executioner would be told to proceed, and he or she would aim and fire, felling Anna with a single shot.

Looking away from the post quickly, Elsa saw the eight Thrones, each designed to represent its Pillar and each holding an already-present Patrician. Beside them a single chair waited, and Elsa did not need the Enforcer to tell her that the chair was meant for her. She climbed the stairs to the gallows, the same ones that Anna would take when she arrived, and the crowd hushed as they saw the proud figure, impressive in her uniform and in her bearing, stride across the stage to take her place beside the Patricians. She bowed to the Leaders of the State as she did so, and they all acknowledged her in return, causing the crowd to murmur at the respect a mere Master was being shown by the Patricians. Elsa turned to face the crowd and then sat, folding her hands in her lap as she waited for Anna's arrival.

Back at the holding facility, Anna looked up as the door to her cell opened and Beast entered the room. "It's time, Apprentice," he said solemnly, so Anna got up from her chair and followed him. She was led down the hall to a medical bay where her biometrics chip was removed with little fanfare. This was done for the benefit of the Interface, as being executed was a traumatic experience and would set off all of its alarms. After this was accomplished, Anna was patted down for potential weapons or escape mechanisms, but the only thing the female Enforcer found besides clothing was Anna's necklace. Anna was terrified that they would take it from her for some reason, but it was deemed harmless and she was allowed to keep it. Now that all pre-execution procedures had been done, Anna was led from the building surrounded by Enforcers.

In the Square, the minutes ticked by and promptly at 17:55, the squad of Enforcers, Anna still concealed in its center, arrived. They marched up the central aisle much like Elsa had done, coming to stop at the bottom of the stairs. The Enforcers parted, and a single Enforcer, one with a cascade of fiery red curls and the best marksmen of the group, brought the condemned forth from the center, stoically fighting back her own tears as she did so. The redheaded pair climbed the steps together, the Enforcer's hand on Anna's shoulder. When they got to the top, the both of them bowed to the Patricians as propriety demanded, but unlike with Elsa, there was no acknowledgement from the people on the thrones. As she straightened up, Anna scanned the faces one by one until her eyes found the face of the person seated on a chair at the farthest end. Anna's eyes widened; she knew Elsa would be here, of course, but Anna never would have thought that she would be on stage.

Elsa watched as Anna and Bear-Scotty climbed the steps to the gallows, mentally preparing herself for what she knew had to come next. She saw Anna bow to the Patricians before straightening and letting her eyes wander down the line of ruling-class individuals. Her gaze stopped on Elsa and her eyes widened, indicating her surprise, but then her expression changed and Elsa's heart broke at the poorly-disguised fear those beautiful blue-green eyes held. Everything within Elsa wanted to comfort Anna, but it wasn't quite time yet. She couldn't give everything away with the squadron of Enforcers this close. So she thought frantically for some signal she could give Anna, something that would be meaningful and comforting, yet might also give Anna a hint as to Elsa's plans. Only one thing came to mind, and Elsa hoped that Anna would remember.

Anna concentrated on Elsa's beautiful face, trying desperately not to be scared. She saw Elsa's eyes soften, and her fear subsided a bit at her Master's obvious concern. Then, as Anna continued to watch, Elsa quickly put two of her fingers to her forehead before laying her hand over her heart. Then just as quickly, the hands were folded and put back into her lap. In spite of the situation, warmth surged through Anna at the gesture, and she smiled. She easily recognized it; those gentle touches indicating ice-power trouble spots had been one of the first times that Elsa had touched her before Anna had touched her first, and Anna could never forget them.

As Bear-Scotty led her to the post, Anna distracted herself by trying to figure out what Elsa had meant. Was she planning to freeze Anna somehow? Was she simply going to use her cryokinesis? Or, was it merely something that Elsa thought would be comforting? Thoughts kept buzzing, and Anna did such an admirable job of distracting herself that she was unaware of anything that was happening until Patrician Scientist, the eldest of the Patricians and their ceremonial leader, began to speak.

"People of the State," she announced, hushing the crowd immediately as the hidden amplification system broadcasted her voice across the Square and cameras broadcasted her image across the State. "The Plebe before you has been accused of conspiring with the despicable Extraordinary terrorist known as the 'Ice Queen' and has been found guilty in a court of law," she stated, and it took everything Elsa had to keep a look of contempt off her face at that blatant lie. "The punishment for such crimes is death, and we are assembled to witness that punishment. As is custom, though, before the sentence is carried out, does any Citizen wish to speak for the condemned?" she asked, knowing that no one ever dared speak.

Elsa felt an eerie calm settle over her at those words. It was time. She reached into the cuffs of her State uniform to retrieve the carefully concealed finger loops of her Ice Queen uniform and carefully slipped them around her middle fingers so everything would be in place. Then she stood, eliciting gasps of shock not only from the crowd assembled in the Square but also from the Patricians seated on stage. "I wish to speak on behalf of my Apprentice, Patrician Scientist," Elsa declared in a loud, strong voice.

"Very well," the Scientist replied tightly as her irritation at the interruption bled through. "What do you wish to say?"

"That I am here to fulfill my promises," Elsa replied coldly, before turning to Anna. "All of them," she added more gently, and Anna felt the tears come. She could not have loved Elsa more in this moment, but Anna did sincerely wish that Elsa's promise of protection would never have to have been fulfilled.

"And what promises would those be, Architect?" the Scientist asked dismissively.

"When she was arrested, I told Patrician Solver and Patrician Historian that if anything happened to her, they would have to execute their precious Proletariat Patrician in the Campus Square. I am here to make good on that promise," Elsa replied. She looked down the line of Patricians, looking at each one of them and letting her contempt show. "I know of your plans for me," she said. "I know that you wish for me to become one of you because you think me to be the perfect Plebe. But, if you insist on killing her or in any way harming her, then that perfect girl is gone. Forever. It is your choice; either let her go, or every hope that you ever had for my life will die a cold, painful death."

The silence in the Square was deafening. Everyone not on stage was frozen, stunned beyond measure that someone would dare challenge the Patricians as boldly as Elsa had. The Patricians looked at each other and then looked at her, and for a brief moment, Elsa became terrified that they were going to overlook her insubordination and accept her terms, forcing her back into Plebian life. Then the Scientist spoke. "Arrest her," she ordered Bear-Scotty, pointing at Elsa. "Then proceed with the execution," she stated decisively.

Much to everyone's surprise, Elsa smiled. The Master Architect was famous for her lack of emotion and most had never seen her smile. This smile was ominously ice cold, however, and everyone but Anna shivered. "As you wish, honorable Patricians," Elsa said, bowing slightly before putting her arms out to her sides. Her palms turned upward and her uniform started to disintegrate as a sparkling wave tore through the fabric. When the wave had reached the bottoms of her uniform boots and the ends of her sleeves, the uniform and outer boots fell away completely, leaving her a vision in ice blue and white. She smirked at everyone's astonishment and then ran her hands through her bun, dislodging the pins and freeing the braid that she draped over her left shoulder. Finally, to leave no trace of doubt as to who she was, she brought her hands in front of her and with a swift swirling motion formed a large snowball that she hurled at Bear-Scotty, knocking her to the ground. Not wishing her to get truly hurt, though, Elsa then conjured a blizzard that picked up the still-dazed Enforcer and gently put her back with her comrades.

Elsa spared Anna a genuine, loving smile before turning back to the now-speechless Patricians. Her face hardened into mask of anger and contempt, and the snow swirled around her in response to her seething emotions. "This will be the last time that you try to take my family from me," she snarled. She gestured again and eight razor-sharp ice spikes erupted from the stage, their lethal points headed straight for the throats of each Patrician. The crowd gasped, and the squadron of Enforcers snapped out of it and swarmed the stage. Pausing the ice spikes for just a moment, Elsa laughed unpleasantly and stomped her booted foot on the ground, sending out an ice sheet that caused all of the Enforcers to lose their footing and fall to the ground. As they slipped and slid trying to regain their balance, Elsa returned her attention back to the Patricians and the ice spikes rose again. The crowd held its breath, waiting for the death blows when a clear powerful voice rang out.

"Please don't do this, Master," Anna pleaded, and the ice spikes paused as Elsa turned to face her.

"But they tried to take you away from me by killing you. Why shouldn't I kill them?" Elsa protested, her rage lessening as she turned and walked towards the woman shackled to the post.

"Because in spite of what they believe, you aren't like them; you'll never be like them," Anna countered, taking Elsa's face in her hands after Elsa obliterated her cuff and shackles with well-placed ice.

Elsa sighed, letting her rage ebb out as she put her arms around Anna's waist. "Thank you for reminding me of that," she said quietly.

"Anything for you, Master," Anna replied lovingly, and Elsa kissed her on the forehead, eliciting an audible swoon from the crowd in spite of their fear of the Patricians. Anna swooned herself before coming back to reality. "Can we get out of here, please?" she asked plaintively.

"That sounds like a great ide…fuck," Elsa swore as she saw Enforcer reinforcements coming up the center aisle. "Do you trust me?" she asked Anna suddenly.

"With all my heart," Anna replied immediately.

Elsa smiled and kissed her before laying a hand on her chest, sending a blast of ice directly at Anna's heart. Anna staggered and Elsa held her up. "If I'm going to do what I need to, I need you safe, but you'll die of hypothermia if I encase you in ice," she explained, seeing Anna's questioning look. "Since I froze your heart first, my powers will keep the hypothermia at bay because your body is freezing from the inside," she finished.

"So you just froze me on the inside so I wouldn't freeze on the outside," Anna clarified quizzically.

"Precisely," Elsa answered.

"Well, I expect one hell of a kiss to thaw everything out," Anna informed her with a smirk, even as she felt the cold start to take over her body. "Now go do what you have to," she encouraged. Elsa nodded, stepped away from Anna and raised her hands, encasing Anna in a thick geodesic sphere that she elevated off the stage with four sturdy legs. Knowing that Anna would suffocate before she froze if she left the sphere fully sealed, Elsa placed an air vent at the top, and because triangles were not nearly menacing enough, Elsa replaced them with same type of razor-sharp spikes that were still at the Patricians' throats. She took care of the slipping and sliding Enforcers on the stage by dropping massive, heavy snowballs to knock them out, and now satisfied that her back was covered, she created a sheet of ice and slid down off the stage to meet the approaching soldiers.

These Enforcers had been warned, and they came with their weapons drawn, firing their pistols at Elsa the instant they were close enough. Elsa generated an ice column to raise her above the level of the shots before generating more heavy snowballs to come crashing down on their heads. With the first wave successfully knocked out, she turned her attention to those still approaching and decided to head them off. Her foot crashed down again, and another sheet of ice radiated all around her, causing the next wave to crash to the ground. Her footing sure even on ice, she slipped around them, knocking most of them out at will until she reached the perimeter of the Square. She raised her hands and a huge wall of ice formed at the back, a wall which continued to be constructed as she circumnavigated the periphery. When she returned to her origin, the wall was complete, and Elsa could hear the frustrated shouts of the Enforcers trying to find their way in.

Elsa turned to go back up the center aisle and found a phalanx of unsteady but angry Enforcers lining the way. She smirked and started running toward them, snapping her wrists in all directions to fire snow and ice at them. Just as Troll had mentioned, she had excellent aim and her projectiles hit their targets but not the innocent bystanders. Within a minute she was back up on the stage, and she immediately raised her hands to thaw the geodesic sphere, knowing that the time was short before Anna froze solid and/or the Enforcers broke through the wall or came over the top.

The top of the ice sphere obeyed her will and vanished into the air as the legs slowly dissipated, leaving a shivering Anna cradled in the bottom half of the sphere that now rested on the stage. Elsa knelt, scooping Anna out of the bowl and into her arms, and the rest of the sphere disappeared. Elsa stroked the usually-red hair that had turned snow white, and Anna's eyes opened before she smiled at Elsa. "That didn't take long," she murmured. "You are so amazing."

"And so are you," Elsa murmured back. "Now let's get rid of that ice," she offered, bending down to capture Anna's lips with her own. Anna responded by wrapping her arms around Elsa's neck to draw her closer and as the crowd watched, the kiss deepened and Anna's color returned, starting out from her heart and diffusing outwards until her fingertips were pink and her hair red. When Elsa could feel all the ice had been thawed, she slowly withdrew her lips, smiling at Anna's slight pout. "As much as I would love to keep kissing you in front of the entire Campus, Apprentice, we really do have to be going," Elsa reminded her with a smirk as they stood up.

"Details, details," Anna muttered. "Now how do we get out of here?" she asked, noticing the ice wall that had been constructed during her icy incarceration.

"All you have to do is hold on," Elsa replied, and Anna tightened her grip around Elsa's neck. The ground beneath them started to rumble, and an ice platform rose from the stage. When it was at the level of the wall, Elsa created a bridge from the platform to the wall's edge that was opposite to the end the Enforcers were trying to breach and she and Anna carefully walked across it. Elsa gave one last glare to the Patricians still trapped on their thrones by ice spikes before creating an ice ramp that she and Anna slid down to disappear from view.

Elsa and Anna heard the shouts of the Enforcers from the other side of the Square, and they knew that they had to get out of the area as quickly as they could. The problem was that they had no idea where to go to meet Hua Ping and no cuff to ask her or Leader where she might be. Just as they had decided to run off in a random direction and hope for the best, they heard a sharp yip at their feet. A small chubby dog, mostly white except for a black nose, brown ears, brown tail and large brown spot on its back, sat there and when they acknowledged him, he sprung to his feet. He took off and Elsa and Anna cautiously followed him. He looked back a couple of times to make sure they were still with him and then increased his speed, leading them quickly through Campus until they reached the off-Campus construction site that they both knew so well.

Anna and Elsa crested the hill, unsurprised to see Hua Ping waiting quietly for them at the bottom of the hollow. The dog went prancing up to her, and she rubbed his head enthusiastically. "Good job, Little Brother! You found them!" she congratulated him eagerly, and the dog wriggled with happiness at her approval. "You're done, here, though," she told him, throwing him a treat. "Go home and wait for me." He grabbed his treat and ran, taking off through the woods as fast as he had come.

"He's very cute," Anna said, as they watched him leave.

"He can be a pain, though," Hua Ping admitted. She looked at them and smiled. "I am so happy to see both of you," she said sincerely. "And Leader tells me it was quite a show. I can't wait to see the replay." Elsa blushed. She was used to receiving praise for her work and intelligence, but admiration for something she had tried to hide her whole life would take some getting used to. "But now, ladies, we need to get you out of here," Hua Ping stated. "So if you please, stand back a bit to give me some space."

Elsa and Anna did as they were told, figuring some sort of craft would be landing near Hua Ping. Instead, much to their astonishment, Hua Ping began to enlarge and transform. Arms and legs lengthened, skin turned into scales, and wings erupted from her back. Within seconds, the quiet, unimposing Thinker had been turned into a large fearsome dragon. Seeing their faces, Dragon Hua Ping snorted in laughter. "We all have our secrets, Ice Queen," she said pointedly yet merrily. "You are not the only Extraordinary left."

"So I'm finding out on a daily basis," Elsa replied wryly.

Dragon Hua Ping snorted again. "Well, hop on you two. We have a fairly long flight ahead of us," she said. Elsa did as she was told, but Anna just stared at Hua Ping, looking annoyed. "Why are you looking at me like that, Ginger?" Dragon Hua Ping asked.

"You are a dragon! And I didn't know!" Anna complained.

"You know now?" Dragon Hua Ping offered.

"I guess," Anna grumbled before taking Elsa's proffered hand to swing herself up. She snuggled in behind Elsa and wrapped her arms around Elsa's waist. "I'm ready," she said.

"Hold on," Dragon Hua Ping warned and took to the skies.

Dragon Hua Ping had been right; the flight was long enough that they flew for most of the night. Elsa was unsurprised to feel Anna relax against her back and even less surprised when she heard soft snoring coming from behind her. The longer they flew, the colder it got and soon the snoring was replaced by shivering. Moving carefully so she didn't fall off, Elsa maneuvered herself and Anna so that Anna was now in front, surrounded by whatever warmth Elsa could give. Anna sighed happily and fell back to sleep, and Elsa held her until they finally landed next to a stream surrounded by a dense forest.

"We're here," Dragon Hua Ping announced, and Elsa gently shook Anna awake.

"Wha?" Anna asked sleepily.

"We're here," Elsa repeated. Anna blinked trying to wake herself up, and the sight was so adorable that Elsa couldn't resist kissing her. Anna smiled and her eyes finally opened. They dismounted and landed in the grass by the stream.

"Your contact will be here shortly to take you to the safe house," Dragon Hua Ping said. "I would stay until she gets here, but I need to get back to Campus."

"Thank you for everything, Hua Ping," Anna said, hugging the Dragon's scaly neck.

"Since you know I can turn into a dragon, I think I can safely tell you my real name is Mulan," the Dragon said affectionately. "Be well, Anna."

"You too, Mulan," Anna said, giving one final squeeze before letting go.

Mulan turned to Elsa. "Be well, Master," she said.

"Elsa," Elsa corrected her. "Safe journeys, Mulan."

The Dragon nodded and gave them one last look before taking off into the approaching dawn and disappearing.

"How long do you think we will have to wait for our contact to show up?" Anna asked after Mulan was no longer visible.

"I don't know," Elsa admitted, settling herself on a rock.

"I would think not long, lasses," a pleasant voice behind them stated, and they both turned to see an older woman with brown hair and kindly brown eyes. "Welcome to Dunbroch."