Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.
About the shadows well... I cannot say... but this chapter should show more about it.
Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.
The clock tower of the Underground kingdom tolled softly, it was midnight and everybody either was in their homes sleeping or at Marius party, because of this the streets were empty as Elsa followed Hans to an unknown destination.
"Where are we going?" asked Elsa after a while,
"I have to show you something" Hans answered then added "Don't worry, nothing scary, I promise".
With that she continued to follow him till they were out of town, from there they followed a path to a forest, it seemed dark as there were many thick trees and very deep making it seem as though it had no end.
Quietly Hans lead her inside the forest and as they walked Elsa noticed the deeper they went into the forest the darker it got as the illusion of the moon and stars no longer shone the way.
"Uh, maybe we should turn back?" asked Elsa as she stopped as she became unsure if she wanted to follow Hans further; What if they got lost or attack by the creatures in the forest?,
"Why? This place is the most beautiful" said Hans as he gestured to a strange tree, it looked to be a weeping willow, but had these strange deep carvings that swirled around the tree, saying nothing more Hans removed his glove and place his hand on a tree trunk as it did energy came out and the tree began to glow red and gold, soon all around all the trees with the same pattern began to glow the same colors lighting the way and giving the forest a magical and ethereal look.
"Wow" said Elsa amazed,
"Try it" Hans said with a smile as he gestured to the trees.
Curious Elsa walked over and placed her hand on one of the trees, she could feel a warm ticklish sensation and soon the trees began to glow blue and purple, fear leaving Elsa found herself smiling as she admired the trees.
"Not so scary now hu?" teased Hans with a smile before continuing his way down the forest.
Elsa looked irritated at what he said but soon a smile found its way across her face.
Elsa:
You're waking meadows in my mind
Making waves across my time
Oh no, oh no
I got a strange magic
Hans:
Oh, what a strange magic
Together:
Oh, it's a strange magic
I got a strange magic
Stopping at a clearing Hans quickly hid behind some bushes then gestured her to join him, curious Elsa joined him and waited. Soon Hans moved some branches allowing Elsa to see a herd of unicorns made their way through the forest. Elsas eyes widen at the sight of the majestic creatures which she once swore that were not real.
Hans:
You're sailing softly through the sun
Elsa:
Softly through the sun.
Hans:
Of a land I've always known
You fly so high
Elsa:
You fly.
Hans and Elsa:
So high.
Moving not to disturb them Hans lead her to a rocky wall at a base of a mountain, touching the wall he found the right perches and proceeded to climb up, gesturing Elsa to follow. Which Elsa did or tried to but due to her inexperience to climb she did not go to far.
Hans:
I get a
Hans and Elsa:
I got a strange magic
Oh, what a strange magic
Oh, it's a strange magic
I got a strange magic
Noticing this Hans climbed back down to lend her a hand, pulling her to his back which she hang on while he climbed up.
Elsa:
Oh I'm.
Hans:
Oh I'm
Hand and Elsa:
Oh, I'm never gonna be the same again
Hand:
Never gonna be the same again.
Arriving to firm ground he walked her over to a strange moss growing to the side. Moving it as if it was a curtain he revealed a cave and inside the cave were thousands upon thousand of crystals, all glowing in many colors.
It was like being inside the aurora borealis.
Elsa:
Now I've seen the way it's got to end
Hans :
Got to end.
Entering Elsa smiled and ran her hand through the crystals which reacted to her magic, turning them blue.
Elsa:
Sweet dreams
It was like a dream to Elsa, even Hans which was strange as he had been to the cave so many times he lost interest in visiting it but now. Here surrounded by the crystals, with Elsa, it just seemed more beautiful than he remembered as he felt himself smile.
Hans:
Sweet dreams
Together:
Sweet dreams
Going through the crystals they admired the cave before heading back. Passing through the meadow on their way Hans took and offered Elsa a flower he had picked on the way back.
I got a strange magic
Oh, what a strange magic
Oh, it's a strange magic
I got a strange magic
I got a strange magic
A smile reappeared on Elsa's face as she took the bloom which resembled a cross between a water lotus and a lily.
It's magic
It's magic.
Whether it was the atmosphere or maybe the tea he had earlier, Hans found himself leaning to kiss her. She closed her eyes waiting for the kiss... one which never happened as he back away and coughed before saying "We better head back...",
"Right" said Elsa disappointed as they made their way back. The whole walk back was quiet.
"Did you have fun?" asked Hans breaking the silence,
"Yes, did you?" asked Elsa,
"Yes" said Hans, suddenly the sky turned dark as storm clouds surrounded the area as they arrived to town.
"A storm?" asked Hans confused as the rain began to pour over them.
"I though you said it was supposed to be clear night today" said Elda confused,
"It was" said Hans confused before sighting and muttering how he can never trust weather predictions before taking his hooded cloak off and putting it on Elsa.
"There, should keep you dry till we get back to my place" said Hans,
"But the rain?" asked Elsa,
"Rain does not bother me" said Hans as they continued, holding unto the cloak Elsa found herself smiling as she though of what had transpired between them, but like everything, it lasted far too little.
With a shriek Elsa felt something grab her from behind, toss her to the ground and began to drag her away.
"Elsa!" screamed Hans as he chased after her.
Then the tugging stopped, turning to face what dragged her her face turned white with terror as she saw it...
It was a creature made out of darkness and shadows, it shifted between what could have once been a human shape to a blob.
Angry it snarled and moved, raising itself up to attack but all of a sudden it shrieked as Hans attacked it first with his sword.
"Run!" yelled Hans as the creatures focus shifted to him, it attacked but Hans dodged and hacked part of it with his sword, it shrieked in anger and pain and reached, this time managing to grab Hans and throw him against the wall of the building.
Turning Elsa was going to run but stopped when Hans screamed of pain as the creature scratched him mercilessly.
She could not run, she had to do something!
Reacting Elsa shot ice at the creature, it was not effective but got its attention. Snarling it lunged towards her but she dodged and shot ice at its arm before grabbing a metal water pipe which was laying around the ground and slamming it against the arm of the creature breaking it to pieces.
The creature snarled as the arm slowly formed itself again, terrified Elsa back away as the creature proceeded then rose ready to attack only for it to shriek as Hans stabbed it on its chest, the sword turned red as his magic was channeled through, the creature yelled before it burst to ashes.
Gasping Hans looked at her, he was relief to see she was okay.
He took a step or tried to before he collapsed to the floor in a heap.
"Hans!" yelled Elsa as she ran to his side then wince at the sight of the blood and damage he sustained.
"I am okay... I am fine" said Hans,
"No your not! Your bleeding!" said Elsa horrified.
"It will be okay... I just need...help..." he said between gasps and winces of pain "Help me walk...".
Nodding Elsa took the cloak and put it over him before she slowly helped him up and they walk slowly.
Pain, that was all Hans felt as he with the help of Elsa managed to get back to his home.
Reaching for his keys he ended up dropping them twice before he managed to get a hold of them and open the door.
Entering Elsa helped Hans walk to the living room where he sat down on one of the couches, he groaned and for the first time Elsa saw the trail of blood which had been left behind.
Grabbing his leg Hans winced as he took his ruined boot off and ripped his pants from the knee to revealing a nasty injury on his leg.
It was slashed open so wide and deep Elsa could see his bone.
Gasping and breathing, Hans looked like he wanted to cry out in pain but held it in as he looked and said "Can you please help me take my coat off?".
Nodding Elsa steeled herself as she helped him take it off, his right arm was mangled and in a way that just was not normal. Once the coat was taken off along with his shirt she covered her mouth as she saw his back was slashed viciously.
"How bad is it?" asked Hans as he noticed her silence.
Swallowing Elsa lied "Its... it's not bad", apparently he did not believe her as he said "Don't lie to me".
Elsa winced and said "It's bad...".
Hans nodded, pointed and said "Kitchen...pantry, left side third row, green bottle...bring it please".
Nodding Elsa went to the kitchen and opened up the pantry, it was full of strange bottles with even weirder liquids. Finding the green one she took that, left and gave it to Hans.
Taking it he winced as he poured the stuff all over his injuries. But as painful as it was it was very effective as his wounds healed up, leaving no trace of him ever being injured.
"Thank you" said Hans as he got up, he winced as there was still a little pain and some weakness but he was okay.
"Your welcome..." said Elsa still terrified of what she saw then asked the dreaded question "What was that!?"
Hans seemed to hesitate before saying "As much as I wish to say it was nothing...it was something... it was a shadow demon" as he walked over and looked out the window before drawing the curtains close "Their not supposed to be in town, not with the barriers put up",
"Shadow demon? What is that? and what do you mean by their not supposed to be here?" asked Elsa worried, he simply shook his head and said "You don't need to worry... for now we must stay inside for the time being".
Elsa nodded, she was thankful for hearing that as the encounter left her shaking, there was no way she would look at shadows or the dark the same way again.
"Are you hurt?" he asked,
"I am okay" said Elsa, not looking convinced Hans gave her the green bottle and said "Just in case", Elsa nodded then asked again "What are shadow demons?".
Rubbing the back of his neck Hans remained silence as if thinking what to say before answering "You know how I told you that the Will o wisps are souls which are redeemable?",
"Yes and that they have to work to earn reincarnation" said Elsa as she remembered when he explained that to her,
"Yes, the shadow demons, their souls also, but unlike the will o wisps their soul of people who have been so evil and cruel in life that when they die they loose their humanity, becoming shadow demons to forever wander the earth, spreading chaos, misery and death" said Hans,
"That's horrible" said Elsa,
"I know" said Hans with a sight "I do not know why they attacked, usually they stay away from me",
"Usually?" asked Elsa,
"I hunt them down every so often, but when I do not they stay away as I can kill them quite easily" said Hans,
"Apparently that one was bold enough to try" said Elsa,
"Probably" Hans paused then shook his head before saying "Its late, we better head on to bed",
"Yes" said Elsa unsure if she would even be able to sleep tonight.
The storm got worse as the night progressed, lightning to crashed so hard it scared Elsa wide awake.
Shaking Elsa looked around the room, it was dark, only lit up whenever a lightning crashed nearby, but this brought no comfort to her. It made her feel more scared, not because of the shadow demons, but because of how it reminded her of how her parents died in a shipwreck caused by a terrible storm, similar to tonight.
There was another crash and it was so loud that it made Elsa jump out of her bed, run out of her room and down the hallway.
She ran down the many hallways in the dark before finding a dead end, pressing her back against it she breathed, desperately trying to calm her racing heart and nerves.
Falling to her knees she pressed her head against them trying to ignore the crashes when a blue light got her attention.
Looking she was surprised to find the will o wisps crowding the hallway. They whispers softly as more appeared and they moved to forming a path.
"Follow us, follow us" they seemed to whisper.
Slowly getting up Elsa debated on wether she should or not, but another lightning crash made her choose to follow them.
Following the will o wisps they took her down the hall, up some stairs and finally they stopped at a very familiar door, it was Hans room. They vanished when Elsa arrived there making her realized that this was where they wanted to take her.
Trying out the door knob she found that it was locked so she knocked on the door.
"Go away!" a voice said from behind it making her jump.
For a moment she waited and wondered about Anna, was this what Anna saw when she was locked in her room? A locked door which never seemed to open? Her saying to go away?
"I am sorry?" she said, she heard foot steps and the door opened to find Hans half asleep.
"What do you wrong?" He said, he seems to not be fully awake or aware of his surroundings as he sounded drousy.
"I " began Elsa before a crash landed so close that the home shook. Spooked the first instinct she had was to run.
"Wait wait, calm down" said Hans as he grabbed her by her arm. There was another crash, Elsa tensed and looked like she was going to drop on the ground.
Realizing what was going on Hans brought her over into a hug, pressed against him Elsa shivered, almost like a leaf in a hurricane.
Slowly he walked her into his room and sat her on his bed.
Elsa stayed like that till she said "They died this way...a storm...every time there is one I think about them... about what they might have felt when they died".
Hans frowned as he knew what her parents had though on their last moments but decided not to say as it would not be healthy for her to know.
"I am sorry for your parents passing" said Hans,
"Don't be" said Elsa then added softly "I never got to thank you for bringing them back",
"It was long overdue... Like any parent they wanted to return home to their children" said Hans.
There was silence then Elsa asked "Was it you?",
"Was I what?" asked Hans,
"The one who sent that dream to me about my parents?" asked Elsa.
Sighting Hans said "Yes, but it was no dream... it was the least I could do to bring you all together... even if it was for a little while".
Closing her eyes Elsa sighed and pressed herself against him as she whispered "Thank you...for everything",
"It is nothing, I made a promise and I kept it" said Hans softly "It is truly a privilege... you and Anna are the most special people I have ever met", before Elsa could answer another loud crash made her jump again, "Better get some sleep... we can talk in the morning" said Hans as he got up from the bed "You can sleep in my bed, I will sleep on the floor",
"No no, it's your room" said Elsa feeling a little guilty,
"It would be wrong if you did not" said Hans insisted,
"We can sleep in the same bed" offered Elsa,
"It's wrong for unmarried people to share the same bed" said Hans,
"Nothing will happen, you just take one side and I'll take the other" said Elsa.
Seeing that she was not going to change her mind Hans relented and went to bed, getting on his side he asked "Are you comfortable?",
"Yes" said Elsa,
"Good night" said Hans,
"Good night, see you in the morning" said Elsa as she pressed her head against the pillow, closing her eyes to sleep.
With a wave of his hand Hans put out all of the candlelight before he too went to sleep.
To be continued...
Authors note: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, now with the shadow demons running around what will happen next? You will have t wait and see...so please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next chapter.