This chapter follows a few days after the torture, an exchange of hostages. The main character is Saren, who happens to also be the writer of this piece.

Hikari Oni stood in the middle of the bridge, the only bridge connecting Arendelle to the Southern Isles. He hair and cloak flapped in the wind behind her as the warm wind currents flurried past her stationary figure. The climate was temperate, the air was humid, and the day was calm, but yet, Hikari still wore her armor. Her devotion transcended comfort, it seemed. Despite the heat and despite the circumstances, her face remained stoic, only emotion betrayed by the traces of tears coming from her puffy eyes. It had hit her hard, and now here she was. As close to the border as she would ever go.

She only had one companion. Sitting on the edge of the bridge, staring into the wavy waters of the Isles, Saren sighed.

"Are you sure he's even coming?"

Neither of them looked at each other, but they had a mutual understanding. They both knew each other enough.

"He will. His pride will make sure of that."

Saren tugged at the swordbelt at his side. The sword hadn't seen much use itself, but the belt itself had been worn through. As Hikari's more-or-less personal assistant, he never needed to do much fighting. He was mostly left to clean up the mess.

Hikari Oni wasn't the easiest person to work with, but he was the only one willing to. He'd seen it countless times, there would be one, poor, brave, stupid soul vying for Elsa's affections, and she'd be there, quick and loud, to cut them down. The aftermath was his to document, and he'd done so without complaint. Maybe he liked the danger that came with the job, the fact that he had to work so closely with a borderline psychopath, but here he stood and here he would stay.

Even then though... Seeing Hikari like this unsettled him. The things she'd had to hear... about what was happening to her beloved... it hit everyone hard, but he knew for a fact that it had hit her the hardest. It was all he could do to stop her from declaring open war on the destitute nation.

So it was him who'd set up the hostage exchange. Saren had called up the right people, arranged the time and location, and negotiated the terms.

The bridge at noon a week from the anniversary of Elsa's coronation. Two people maximum per party. The captives would walk across the bridge in tandem. No fuss, no muss. At least it seemed that way.

Both sides of the bridge were clear so no archers could set up anywhere along its sightlines. In case of trouble, Saren had brought along a crossbow. Both Hikari and Elsa had mixed feelings about the weapons, of course, but it was a a necessity.

He hoped he wouldn't miss.

Sighing one last time (a bad habit of his) he hopped off the bridge onto dry ground. He looked at the dishevelled wreck behind the bushes that was "Prince" Hans. He contemplated giving him another kick but decided against it and walked towards Hikari Oni. He gave her a sympathetic glance and bit his lip.

"It's gonna be ok, Hikari. I promise you."

He wasn't sure if she cared.

But then she spoke. "Get ready."

Saren leaned against the bridge, trying to act non-chalant. In reality, his hands were shaking, but the gloves helped conceal it. Hikari merely stood in the same place as ever, her focus entirely on any movement on the far bank.

Then finally. They heard them before they saw them. A clamor of horses and hooves filled the air before finally stopping when a party of two dismounted and reached their destination on foot. With them was unmistakeably the Ice Queen. ThirteenFears failed to suppress a gasp. What had he done to her? He felt himself unconsciously reaching for his weapon, but stopped himself. He didn't turn around to look at Hikari. He shouldn't... or COULDN'T see her cry. Not now.

Of the two figures standing, one of them was, by prior experiences, The Supervisor. Dressed almost just like his beloved Prince, his bright clothing made him a much too easy target, Saren thought. He had a gleaming smile on his snide face, giving incentive to loose an arrow as well. He had Elsa by her hair, it's perfect gleam now brutally ruined by what could only be torture.

Next to him was a his number one fan. The Commander had the same haughty smile on her own face. They were a sight to behold. Emblazoned in Southern Isle insignia, their outfits complemented each other and showed an undeniable devotion to their Prince. Both were also clearly armed, something that had been demanded of by both parties.

Elsa... Saren could barely see past the growing tears in his eyes. What had they done... She was worn, bloody, and broken... and here he swore that he would never see her cry. Her very essence... adulterated by The Supervisor. It took everything inside of him to stop from charging across the bridge. He steadied himself though, knowing what needed to be done.

"You brought Elsa?!" He cried across the river.

The Supervisor yanked on Elsa's braid violently and brought her to his chest level. "Of course. Now where's my prince?!"

Saren pulled the prince to his feet by the collar of his ragged shirt and kicked him towards the bridge. He brought the crossbow out in one hand now.

"Here's your dog." Saren pulled the bucket off Hans' head. "Make the trade."

The Supervisor pushed Elsa to the bridge. "You heard him. Go." He shouted across. "My Prince, it's me! You'll be alright, those bastards never could have hurt you!"

Hikari Oni stepped forward, hand on the hilt of her sword. "Elsa... it's safe." Quiet yet audible to all at the same time, the sound of her voice reassured her Queen. "Cross the bridge, you'll be safe here. You belong back in Arendelle, with us."

Both hostages nervously looked back at their captors. Saren gave Hans a look of scorn. "Go. I won't shoot you... much." Both ran at the same time, as fast as they could after their respective ordeals. More like they hobbled, all the pain weighing them down from what they had endured.

The tension was thickest as they passed one another, not even bothering to look at each other as they went for escape. This was it. Escape from the storm.

Saren raised his bow to his chest.

And there it was. Right on cue. The low thrum of a crossbow bolt being fired.

Crack.

Elsa fell, something coming from behind her. Hans ran without looking back however. Elsa looked up, turning to see what had happened. In the middle of the bridge, right behind her, had arisen a wall of ice... and embedded in the ice... was an arrow.

The Supervisor's eyes widened. The Commander's grip on her crossbow, which she had just fired, loosened. It felt to ground, now a useless weapon.

"H...How...?"

Hikari Oni stepped forward, an aura around her. Her clothes gave off a blue tinge. It was cold now, not just in their hearts, but in the air. The sky grew darker... and the wind blew harder.

Suddenly, icicles rose out of the ground behind The Supervisor and The Commander, forcing them onto the bridge. The Supervisor took the emaciated Hans into his arms. The three of them were both in direct sight line now.

Hikari spoke, for the first time in a while.

"Elsa... my Elsa... did you people really think it would be that easy?"

She stepped onto the bridge. Saren followed in her footsteps, which were now leaving icy imprints on the brick.

"You should know this by now you fools. The only reason why me and Elsa can be together, more than the likes of anyone else who "claims" her, is because of her "curse."

A storm was raging by now, cursing them all with the chills.

"Elsa needs me... as much as I need her... because I can control the storm inside... with her.

Hikari reached Elsa, never breaking her stride. "We braved this storm together.

"I guess I made a mistake. Even Elsa wanted to see what it was like to live without her powers... and I let her, for a brief moment. But it was a mistake... and look what happened."

Saren would never know how much they were crying... both, together, at the same time, on that bridge... but he knew that he would when he heard what had come next.

Elsa rose to her feet with the help of Hikari and they embraced. The ice in the air stood still. Saren would never hear what they would have to say in that most private moment except for that last, desperate gasp by Elsa.

"Anna... Anna's dead, Hikari." There was nothing but sobs.

Saren felt his vision blur... his knees becoming weak, his body in shock despite the dropping temperatures around him. Anna... no. Not Anna. Anything but Anna. He... never got to say... no.

He thought to his friends. Phaulty, Anon, everyone... everyone who knew and loved Anna as much as Hikari Oni loved Elsa. He thought of their reactions, what they would have to go through, and how the news would break them.

He couldn't handle it. He raised the crossbow to his cheek and fired.

The Commander collapsed in a heap once the arrow pierced her head. The Supervisor cried out, but kept his hands on his beloved prince.

He turned to Hikari.

"Sorry. This is something I have to do."

She nodded. "Do whatever you have to do." She had pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, concealing it all. Elsa in her arms, she walked back to their own side of the now Frozen river.

Now it was time for The Supervisor to really feel.

Nocking another arrow, Saren walked over to the gibbering pair.

The Supervisor spoke, hands still on his prince.

"No... wait no! Just leave us alone! You have ELSA! YOU HAVE ELSA!"

Saren kicked Hans out of his hands. The Prince of the Southern Isles rolled onto the ground, on his back, in front of Saren.

"So what you're saying is I should just... let it go? His enemy hesitated, then nodded.

Saren nodded, aimed the crossbow at Han's groin, and fired.