Anna thought she would not get this far, that the tunnels or the city would end her journey. Yet here she was, in the heart of the empire and her sister staring at her from across the room. She had lost any hope at the element of surprise and if Elsa had any immediate aggressive intent it would have been over already. Anna lowered the sword and used it to prop herself up, getting up slowly as the effects of Elsa's initial attack were still disorientating her. Once stood, she dropped the sword. It had been so long since she was here, witnessing the lands around become corrupted and harsh in her time away. Elsa had allowed this to happen, been an active part of it all. No more compromising, she had to hear what Elsa had to say for herself.
Elsa had remained still and said nothing as Anna had regained her bearings. Anna was now simply looking back at Elsa. Despite everything, on the surface she looked exactly like she used to. It was the demeanour that had changed and behind that calm face a fire was raging. She was clad in lightweight armour, it must have been a precaution taken from the attacks below. The armour itself had been tinted pitch-black with the imperial markings etched in gold. They shone as any modicum of light reflected off in a glorious manner. Its strength would be fit for an Empress and the lack of gauntlets freed her hands for any magic she would want to throw around. Even in her battle-armour Elsa managed to look serene.
The silence between them spoke louder than any words Anna could think to say. Elsa walked to the balcony overlooking the city, smoke was rising from below and the faint sound of shouting and clashing swords cut through the air. Anna tracked her sister as she went to look down at Arendelle, she leaned her elbows on the railings and just watched. Anna cautiously moved beside her and took in the same scene.
"I could do something about this, come down hard on all these insurgents. I must admit though I wanted to see what it would lead to, how the city would handle it," Elsa shifted her weight onto her other elbow. "I mean it's not like there was anything to lose that couldn't be replaced, in fact I invite the unexpected these days. Now here you are sewing chaos in your wake and standing beside me, unexpected indeed." she said.
"It was the only way guarantee I could get this far," Anna said. Elsa sighed, she touched Anna's face.
"Look at you, so different from the sister I knew. You could have walked up to that gate and I would have welcomed you back with open arms. Despite what's happened here it's good just to see you again," Elsa said. Anna found this all hard to process having imagined dozens of scenarios and played through so many conversations in her head. Elsa had come at her with an attitude Anna was in no way prepared for.
"You don't know what it's like out there, it changes you. I've had to become something I never wanted to be," Anna said. Keeping calm was a struggle but it was the most effective way to hear Elsa's real explanation for everything and probably the best method to avoid a pre-mature ice-based death.
"That life was never meant for you Anna; you were supposed to stay here with me where it's safe. Nevertheless you have come back stronger," Elsa said.
"Stronger? I've had to fight and kill every day to survive. The only way to get over everything I've lost, everything that's happened, was to mentally detach myself from it all. When that inevitably failed I drank myself into a stupor and took it out on any poor sap that got in my way instead," Anna said. She was losing composure quickly. She moved her hand out of Elsa's sight beside herself and clenched her fist to try and alleviate some of her anger. Elsa made a single, quiet sound of amusement.
"Loss? I nearly killed you and then spent years cooped up in that room for everyone else's safety. Then when Mum and Dad…" She tailed off and sighed. "In one fell swoop I went from a prisoner who was a danger to world to the one who was in charge of it all, the witch-queen of Arendelle. Then Olaf and Sven die such meaningless deaths. Constant war plagues us, then after everything we'd gone through you abandoned me. I've had nothing left for years so don't lecture me on loss." Elsa said.
"I didn't abandon you. I had to get away from what you've done, I couldn't be with you seeing this world you've created…" Anna said.
"It's easy to criticize from the side-lines Anna, that's all you've ever needed to do. I've had to carry the burden of protecting our home, our friends." Elsa interrupted. "After the thaw I ignored my responsibilities, Weselton attacked and I hesitated, stood by as people died. That's when I realised I had to use my gifts to protect Arendelle, protect the few people I had left. When you ran I didn't try to stop you out of some need to put you down, I did it for your safety. It's why I didn't push hard on the search when you did escape, if word got out you weren't in the palace anyone could have tried to find you, tried to hurt you," she said. Anna stopped leaning she stood up fully.
"Everything you did back then, everything you've done since. Why did you never talk to me about this before" she said, her temper was rising. Elsa was not even mentioning the act that drove her out.
"I did it for you Anna, all this was so I could protect you. I couldn't let you be taken from me by some surprise attack or some accident travelling to another kingdom. My power was given to me to keep you safe. I made Arendelle a paradise, I hardened the surrounding populace and crushed our enemies so there was no way to lose you," Elsa said. Anna could no longer contain herself, she walked away from Elsa's side.
"For me?" Anna said and pointed at the throne "or for that?"
"You have to believe me Anna, I kept this from you because I knew you'd protest and say you weren't worth it," The tension was rising and Anna's patience was wearing thin. "Even when you were gone I continued this legacy, hoping you would see reason and come back to me," Elsa said.
"And Kristoff, that was for me was it?" Anna said. She was stood at the foot of the throne, fists clenched and teeth grinding. Her breathing was becoming increasingly heavy as she stood in a wide aggressive stance. Elsa lost her serene expression at the mention of Kristoff's name, her eyes squinted and she attacked her words with vigour.
"He was turning you against me. Those ridiculous creatures he calls his friends drove us apart once, I was never going to let that happen again," Elsa said.
"He wanted to help you," Anna said.
"He wanted to help himself. Everyone else had been taken away from me and his actions were the last straw, I couldn't stand by and let him influence you any further," Elsa said.
"Kristoff didn't drive me away, you did that yourself," Anna said.
"You just don't understand, I had the power to keep you safe and you ran from it," Elsa said. Anna abandoned any premise of keeping calm, this was too much.
"You've lost your mind Elsa. Justify away but I know what you are, a paranoid tyrant that's used me as an excuse to carry out deplorable acts," Anna said.
"No," Elsa said, her hands glowed briefly as she said it. "You naively criticize me when you know nothing of responsibility. Your use of power is no different, you throw this resistance at the city just to get to me. Also that young girl who was here earlier, one of yours no doubt," Elsa said.
"You have to be stopped, your madness is destroying everything," Anna said.
"One day you'll see everything I've done was for your own good, even Kristoff" Elsa said.
Anna could not take any more of this, she charged at Elsa. She had no sword, she had not even bothered to unmount her shield from her back. She threw her armoured fist as hard as she could toward Elsa's face. Elsa ducked it easily, Anna followed up carelessly with another swing. Elsa blocked it with her forearm and pushed Anna back.
"I don't want to hurt you Anna," she said. Anna ignored her and charged forward again. It was like an out of body experience as she acted without discipline, acting only on her anger. Elsa was avoiding most attacks or deflecting Anna's fists down harmlessly as they clanked against Elsa's armour. Anna was tiring and her punches were getting even more reckless as she flailed at her sister.
"Anna, stop." Elsa said catching Anna's slowing right fist.
"Never," Anna said, she was past the point of caring. A wall of ice shot up behind her. Elsa forced Anna's hand back into it and froze it in place.
"You're giving me no choice," Elsa said as the ice spread to the rest of Anna's arm. Elsa let go of her and stepped back, unable to hide the sadness in her eyes. Anna tried to move her arm to no avail, she turned to Elsa.
"I hate what you've become," she said.
"You'll forgive me, in time," Elsa said.
"As long as you still breathe, none of us are safe," Anna said. It surprised Anna that through all the cruelty and every ounce of morality seeming to have left her over the years, Elsa was visibly hurt by her comments. Elsa was now silently watching her. Anna could only look back in disgust as she was stuck to the ice wall, struggling to break free. However her helplessness was short-lived when she saw a familiar face peer round from the doorway, it was Hans. He must have gone back around and found another route to throne room whilst they were talking. Elsa was facing away from him; all Anna had to do was keep Elsa's attention toward her.
"Elsa, I just need to know one thing," Anna said. Elsa rubbed the bridge of her nose and approached her. Anna saw Hans lining up the shot from his crossbow in her periphery. She made sure to keep her focus on Elsa as to not give him away.
"What is it is sister?" Elsa said. Hans fired. Elsa had unknowingly moved at the last possible moment as she shifted to move closer to Anna, the crossbow bolt ricocheting off Elsa's shoulder plating instead of into the back of her skull. Elsa turned to address in this event.
"Oh there's another one" she said. With no hesitation she summoned sharp icicles from the ground, puncturing Hans' body in multiple places. Anna's usual unwavering disposition was truly rocked by what she saw, Hans was groaning in pain as any movement aggravated the numerous puncture wounds. Elsa recognised her attacker and turned back to Anna, fury in her eyes.
"You align yourself with him? This is the man who tried to kill us both. The crimes he committed are unforgivable and you throw that all away to get at me?" Her sadness had turned to anger in a heartbeat. Anna looked on in horror as drips of blood trickled down the icy shards lodged into Hans.
Hans fought through the pain as he pulled his arm out of one of the giant icicles and tried to reload the crossbow still in his hands. He was fumbling and every move he made was a struggle. Elsa cackled at this display from a dying man. She flamboyantly opened her arms out, enjoying every moment of how the scene before her was unfolding.
"I'll even let you have this shot" she said. It was difficult to watch as Hans failed multiple times to get it right. Several bolts were dropping to the floor as the punctures took their toll. He stopped, breathing shortly and sharply, trying to ignore the icy daggers digging into him.
"I'm getting bored, how about some incentive Hans," Elsa said. She walked back to Anna and put her hand on the trapped arm. The extreme cold set in and Anna cried out. The pain spread through her entire arm. She wanted to stay strong, to encourage Hans but the torture was too much. Her vision was blurring but she could see an invigorated Hans redoubling his efforts. He finally got a bolt in place, lining up a shot as well as he could with the icicles sticking through him. The pain subsided as Elsa took her hand away to a more defensive position, ready to do whatever she deemed necessary to protect herself. He veered slightly as he pulled the trigger. The shot sailed past Elsa who had held her ground without had even flinching.
"That's the best you have?" Elsa said. One final icicle shot from the ground, piercing the centre of his chest. Elsa's smile faded as Hans got in one final smug grin before going limp. Elsa stood there confused.
She must have felt the sudden sharp pain as she rubbed her neck, confusion turned to shock when she looked down at her red hand. Hans had not missed. His bolt had planted itself into the ice wall near Anna's free hand. She had ripped it from the ice and plunged it deep into Elsa's neck. Elsa fell to her knees, staring at her dripping hand. Her hand then dropped as she struggled to stay conscious. Anna ripped her trapped arm free from the ice with surprising ease this time. She ignored the ice's sudden weakness and moved over to her fallen sword, then over to Hans to close the eyes of his inanimate body.
Elsa was struggling to keep her eyes open and was gently rocking back and forth. Anna stood over her, grabbing her by the hair to keep her upright as best she could. Her arm was still numb from Elsa's magic but she managed. Elsa looked up at her with wide, unblinking eyes. She had been dribbling blood and spat out the amount that had built up in her mouth. She struggled to speak.
"Anna… I…" these were the only words Elsa managed before Anna drove the sword through Elsa's breastplate with all her might; the blade went straight through the armour and into her heart. The sword froze instantly and shattered as Anna pulled it out, leaving only the hilt. Elsa fell forward to the floor, it was done. She dropped the hilt and walked over to the balcony, looking up to see black clouds subside and the sun truly shine down on the land. She closed her eyes and for the first time in what felt like forever, a warm breeze whisked across her face.