Walter's body towered over Elsa as he stared down at her with his new features. His face looked almost identical to Wrath's except instead of a fanged smile, his was stuck in a snarl and his teeth resembled that of a human's versus a shark. His eyes were black voids but Elsa could tell that he was looking at her before he shifted his head to look at Kai and Gerda.

"Walter…"

Gerda spoke again, taking a step toward his imposing form. The large man focused on her for a second before turning around and dashing away in a series of leaps. Elsa watched him leave then turned to Garret to see if he had awakened but was dismayed when she saw him slump to the ground unconscious. The young man next to him was also unconscious, leaving them without any clue about what just happened.

Sloth landed first in the castle courtyard and didn't have to wait long before her guests were dropped off in front of her. Anna and Kristoff were able to land on their feet after her phantoms had dropped them but Sven landed in a heap unable to catch himself. Kristoff immediately went to help his friend while Anna fixed 'Mary' with a wary glance.

"So…you're one of those seven Sins?"

Mary briefly chuckled at the awkward tone that the redhead was taking. She expected fear, maybe some anger for keeping that fact a secret but her current tone was typical of Anna. It was one of things that Sloth enjoyed about the Princess, she didn't react the way most would expect her to.

"Yes, I am Sloth the Indolent." Mary twirled around before making a regal bow then standing back to her full height with an easy smile on her face. Anna's expression did not change and she tentatively shifted her weight on her feet in preparation of taking off into a full sprint. Sloth noticed the subtle movement and also could see that Sven was preparing to jump up and ram her so that all three of them could escape. She chuckled once again before raising her hands in a non threatening gesture.

"There's no need for any of you to make an effort, I only brought you here to see something."

Her words did nothing to assure them as they all still looked ready to bolt at the first opportunity. She sighed heavily, bracing herself to make an effort to reassure them once more when something tugged at her senses. Turning around, she was barely able to make a sound before a harsh grip caught her by the throat and slammed her into the ground. The sudden violent action had startled Anna, Kristoff, and Sven.

Mary met Wrath's gaze as he stared her down with empty eyes and his body language threatening her. One might have thought she'd be startled or at the very least surprised but instead, she looked curious. The moment Wrath touched her, she knew exactly what had happened and couldn't help the smile across her lips.

"Well isn't that an interesting turn of events."

The grip on her neck tightened in response. Anna was so caught off guard she didn't realize at first that Wrath looked different from when she last saw him. He was bigger and also had different clothes on that reminded her of one other person. She looked over to his shoulder and could see the Captain rank that belonged to Walter Stonewell of the Arendellian Royal Guard.

Did Stonewell give Ed his coat for some reason?

It was the first thought that came to mind as she couldn't see any other reason why the young man would be wearing something that belonged to the Captain. She was about to call to him when Sloth spoke once more.

"Hey calm down Walter, I'm not holding the Princess and her husband hostage. I only wanted to bring them back to see who Rahim really was, but I guess I was too caught up in watching the show."

Anna's mouth dropped as she looked at the large man in front of her. Her mind couldn't make sense of what Mary said, she just called Wrath who was Ed, Walter.

But Walter is a completely different person, he can't be-

Her mind instantly went back to Lust who made her remember at one point, the Sins were totally different people and sometimes it wasn't by choice. Questions instantly blossomed in her mind, what did that mean for Ed, what about Elsa, what about-

"Since we're too late, I'll be taking my leave I guess." Sloth dissolved into black dust in Wrath's fingertips before they converged in the air above the courtyard into a humanoid looking phantom with wings flapping to keep it afloat. Raising a hand in a friendly gesture, Mary addressed Anna and Kristoff.

"Seems I've wasted a lot of effort for no reason, oh well, at least I don't have to hide anything from you two anymore. Maybe next time we can have a normal bite to eat, I want to hear all about the baby!" With that, the phantom flapped its wings and disappeared into the sky.

Anna didn't know whether she should scoff or not at the woman acting like a friend, or be worried that she knew about the redhead being pregnant. Either way, now that she was gone, Anna turned back to Wrath so that she could get a clear cut answer on who was in front of her.

Only for him to be gone when she turned around.

She looked to Kristoff and Sven hoping they'd have an explanation or a direction but they looked as dumbstruck as her. There was no sound or shuffle of movement, one moment he was there and the next he was not. The redhead didn't know what to think about what she just heard, she couldn't believe it, or maybe didn't want to believe that Walter was now Wrath. Honestly, Anna had nothing against Wrath as it seemed he was a victim like the others and he was actually pretty decent the very few times they met him.

Now that she had no way of finding out what happened, Anna decided that she should find Elsa to make sure she was ok. She gestured for Kristoff and Sven to follow her as she walked into the castle.

Talib waited at the rendezvous for the 'guest' Father spoke of but so far they hadn't shown up. That wasn't what plagued his mind, what bothered him was the fact that Father's presence completely disappeared from Arendelle. All that remained was that hellish man's aura who remained with the Crusher's body.

The alchemist wanted to leave, the invasion was a failure and he had no desire to be caught by that monster. However, he dare not abandon his post. Father's orders were to wait and so he shall; even if every logical argument told him to flee.

He didn't have to turn as he felt them approaching, three masses of soul echoes flying to his location. They weren't all together, two of them lagging behind perhaps by a couple of minutes. One mass landed in front of him, Sloth, who had a patronizing smile on her face. Such an expression was an unwise one given recent events. If not for Talib's confidence in her intelligence, he'd punish her for being impudent but instead could tell that something was amiss. He couldn't read her mind which was always vexing for him but he ignored it as he knew she always completed her duties and was too lazy to rebel against him.

"Sloth, what is the meaning of that smile on your face?"

The woman raised a hand and smiled as black dust rose from her hand and melded into a red stone that levitated in her palm. Talib fought to keep his face from showing his shock at what she had just done but he must've failed as her grin only widened.

"It's just that I'm elated. I can finally shed that troublesome restriction you've put on me when I became Sloth. I'm well aware of the fact that what I have in my hand is a sliver of Father's soul bound to an anchor on this plane. It was because these humans were able to obtain abilities that are not of this world. You assumed that because you bound this anchor to my body which also bound my soul to this anchor that I was able to use the abilities of Sloth the Indolent."

Mary allowed the red stone to float over to Talib who wordlessly grabbed it while intensely studying her, waiting for her body to break down. The woman started to amble along, showing no signs of trouble as she continued to speak.

"What you didn't account for, or even confirm, that I wasn't just an ordinary human to begin with. I went along for the sake of gathering information but now that things have progressed the way they have, I can finally be left alone to my effects. While I did enjoy learning under you as you're quite intelligent, it's time I spread my wings to chase whatever interests m-"

Several spikes appeared a hair's breadth around her, all of them poised to skewer her. Mary didn't look worried, in fact she still had that same easy smile on her face as she addressed Talib.

"You've failed in capturing Elsa and half of your discarded remnants are unaccounted for. You were also defeated by an Ice Elemental who gave you a tougher fight than you were prepared for and your reserves are heavily taxed. While I'm sure if we were to battle you'd likely be able to kill me, it would deplete your stamina completely and you will not be able to get away from that presence you ran from earlier."

Talib placed his hands behind his back and gave her a level stare that showed nothing of what he was thinking. Mary knew he would see the logic in what she was saying and predicted that he would agree but it was taking him longer than she expected.

It's a good thing I brought an incentive.

As the silence stretched, the two masses of black dust that lagged behind landed next to them. Collapsed would be the better word as Greed and Lust fell to their knees hacking and coughing. The alchemist's eyes slanted over the two of them before coming back to Mary who gestured to them.

"I thought it prudent that I take the liberty in rescuing your remnants so that today would not be a total loss. I'm sure Gluttony will be along soon and I'm returning Sloth to you, with this you'll have recovered your assets you've deployed during this invasion."

Talib once again said nothing but he did allow the spikes to sink back into his shadow. It seemed that he did agree to her argument and chose to allow her to go. Knowing better than to prod at him she thought it best to leave while she could, however there were some things she should say before she did.

"Also, you should know that the guest you're waiting for will not be coming." The alchemist narrowed his eyes which prompted her to answer the silent question.

"Rahim, has met a spot of trouble and will likely be along later. You've also noticed that Father's presence has disappeared, likely by whoever he was facing. You cannot afford to stay here and I'd highly advise that you leave and return home. Father will be wanting to speak with you and as for Rahim…"

Mary turned to Greed and held out the avenger's katana.

"It is highly unlikely he would leave this behind."

Mr. Jorgen was propped up against a tree trying to restore his body's movement when he felt Walter's soul leave the capitol. He had sensed the entire exchange, Walter's soul being taken in Wrath's in the hope of saving the old man. Even though Walter shook on it and was bound by his ridiculous sense of honor, Jorgen considered maybe the Walter he first met would begin to show the more death encroached the Captain.

He had put off taking over Wrath's soul because he was attached to that imitation. He went as far as threatening suicide to force Jorgen to stand down, that showed that he valued the child. Swearing that he would take over Wrath and erase the child he cared for didn't sit well with Jorgen but he reminded himself that Walter was no fool and he was capable of a great many things if pushed far enough.

Jorgen just didn't expect he'd do it with the help of another imitation.

Part of him was furious, but he couldn't stop the laugh bubbling in his throat. His laugh was foreboding, the calm before the slaughter.

How fitting those words were when one truly realized what had just been born.

Garret shot up into a sitting position and all at once his head split into a searing migraine that had him groan in pain. His verbal expressions of pain attracted a pair of soft hands that caressed his arms and an angelic voice that helped mitigate the pain.

"Honey, you need to lie back down."

He knew that voice.

Cracking an eye open, he found his wife staring at him with a concerned look. Next to her was their daughter gently snoozing in a chair with a blanket over her. The thought brought him more peace as his brain started to buzz with questions.

What was she doing here?

How long had he been asleep?

What happened to Arendelle?

He swept an eye over his surroundings and found that he was in a room that looked suspiciously like a guest room in the castle. Judging from the light beaming through the windows, it was the afternoon. That meant time must've passed since he was unconscious, just how much time was plaguing his mind.

Haruna tried to get him to lay back down but he swung his legs out of the bed and found that he had been changed into a comfortable set of clothes. He had a simple light blue short sleeve thin shirt and pants that seemed like something one would sleep in. Putting his weight on his bare feet, his legs wobbled but held as he used the bed frame for support.

"How long has it been since the invasion?" His wife looked ready to insist he stay in bed but she could tell this was really important so she told him all that she knew.

The capital of Arendelle had been left thoroughly destroyed and was sure to remain scarred for some time. Buildings were destroyed, blood stained the ground, and bodies were strewn about aplenty. Despite this grievous state, the civilians had very few casualties. Thanks to the efforts of the Royal Guard, the people had been evacuated to a nearby fort where they were housed while the Royal Guard returned to reinforce those left fighting.

Fortunately, with the capture of the enemy leadership, General Julius, accompanied by a reformed Marshmallow and a detachment of Arendellian guards, was allowed to call for the immediate cessation of all hostilities. Following this, all enemy soldiers had been stripped of their weapons and confined to their ships. There were only three exceptions to this; General Julius, Hans, and the Duke of Weselton.

The first of the three was allowed to make trips under armed guard to and from the castle from his ships.

The other two were placed in solitary confinement in the castle.

Hans had drawn the last straw and would now face punishment dictated by Arendelle.

The Duke was to be held and used as a political hostage. A message had been sent to the King of Weselton detailing the second failed attempt on her life and that now she was well within her rights to declare war on him with the full backing of her allies. She also went on to explain that since he had made this attack without the backing of the alliance he just was allowed into due to his sudden excommunication from Arendelle's; he'd likely be alone as his allies would not risk interfering with a coordinated assault from their enemies.

The King, fearing retaliation from not only Arendelle's alliance but the wrath of the Snow Queen who managed to beat back the combined invading force of two kingdoms and now held his soldiers prisoner, jumped to open negotiations.

The Queen already had her terms ready.

One: They were to supply building materials and resources, at a quarter of their worth not price.

"The people shouldn't suffer due to the grievances of different monarchs." The Queen had said to justify giving an enemy kingdom money after they attacked.

Two: Weselton was to cede from the alliance immediately and become an interim member of the alliance they had just left.

This condition the King of Weselton vehemently tried to argue against, saying that he couldn't leave an alliance he just joined and Arendelle didn't have the power to make him a member, it would have to be a vote which could potentially isolate his kingdom. The response from the Queen of Arendelle was Weselton's biggest ship returning to their harbor frozen solid with a message on the frozen main sail.

Both my conditions are non negotiable, you attacked my home and killed my people, my family. Arendelle has proven it will support all of its allies. Do not become the first kingdom that's a personal enemy of Arendelle.

The ship stayed in the harbor until Weselton made the mistake of trying to sink it to get it out of the harbor. The moment something touched it, the ship shattered and the water froze instantly, trapping all the other ships in a thick sheet of ice. The ice lasted only for a day but the message had been clear, they were wrong in challenging the Snow had agreed to the conditions and had supplied the resources for Arendelle to begin rebuilding its capital.

Cleaning the bodies was the first priority before the people were allowed back into the village. Next was clearing out the destroyed buildings so that Elsa could make shelters made of ice to protect from rain. Tailors had worked all day to stitch a heavy cloth to drape it over the shelter roofs so that it could protect from the wind instead of being surrounded completely by ice. Every bed and piece of furniture from inside the castle had been moved out to the shelters to make space for people to sleep in the room and provide beds for the people outside. Elsa did not sleep the first day until everyone had proper sleeping arrangements.

The kids really enjoyed sleeping in Elsa and Anna's beds.

Rebuilding the village came swimmingly as everyone pitched in to help. The work kept most people's minds off the mass service that was held that second day. The guards who had lost their lives were all engraved on a frozen pedestal, courtesy of a notebook the Queen had on her person that somehow had all the names of every guard who died in the invasion. Elsa had said that it would be a stand in for the real one they planned to build after getting back on their feet.

The Coronans and Blackdust natives stayed to assist with the enemy soldiers as well as rebuilding but ultimately returned when they felt Arendelle was stable enough to be left alone.

Walter Stonewell had been declared missing in action as his body was never recovered.

Those who knew the truth thought it best that it remain that way for now.

Tales of Edward's part in the invasion had spread far and wide. From accounts of soldiers seeing him be chased by an elite force at the harbor, fighting monsters by himself, fighting a sorcerer, to taking on a demon out of hell alone. He became famous for being able to survive anything and gained the moniker, 'The Immortal Soldier'. During the months of rebuilding, countless traders and foreign dignitaries visited with an interest in meeting the legendary man along with whatever reason they came in the first place.

All of them were left somewhat disappointed however.

The graveyard looked well tended to. The grass was even and bathed by eerie white rays from the sun lighting up the impossibly thick fog that surrounded the plot of land. The graves themselves looked pristine, there were no traces of moss on any of the thousands that evenly spread across the field.

A single house stood atop a hill that overlooked the graveyard, it was of a simple design with a wooden porch and second floor balcony. On the porch was a rocking chair currently being occupied by an older male who seemed to be fast asleep.

It wasn't until the stairs leading to the porch creaked with the sound of footsteps did the man open his eyes and see his guest. His face was blank then turned into a tired disappointed one as he stared at the newcomer.

"Guess all the effort I made to keep this from happening was in vain. You were against it last time, what made you change your mind; better yet why speak to me, you should despise me after all I've done to you."

His newcomer walked up to him and bowed his head, a very jarring gesture from Walter's body.

"Commander Haytham, I need your help."

The older man Haytham leaned forward in his rocking chair and interlaced his fingers. "You know I could never say no to you runt, what do you need?"

A lone hammer knocked a nail into the wood bathed by a waning sunset's light. The other workers had called it a day as the son was almost out of sight and they shouldn't work in the dark but one remained.

He wore a pair of dirty sweat stained brown pants with suspenders going over his white shirt that was in the same state. His brown faded boots were covered with sawdust from all the woodwork he had done today. A gray duckbill hat rested on a mop of sweaty long brown hair that went down to his shoulders. A large scruffy looking beard obscured his face that left only the top half that showed a pair of distant eyes.

"Excuse me sir, are you the one they called Edward?"

The hammer continued to slam nails into the wood without stopping to acknowledge the man. He was dressed as a nobleman, maybe even royalty but it meant absolutely nothing to the worker. The man looked a little awkward as he watched the worker continue before he took a few steps closer to the man and noticed a few things.

First being that he only had one arm, he held the hammer and nails in the same hand as he worked. The second thing he noticed was that the worker would use his fingers to push the nails in deep enough to stick into the wood before swinging the hammer just once to get the nail head flush against the wood. Finally, he realized that the worker looked absolutely consumed by his task.

Clearing his throat to get the laborer's attention, he opened his mouth to repeat the question. "Are you the one they call Edward?"

"I'm not who you're looking for."

The noble didn't expect such a grave and hollow voice to come from the worker. It sounded devoid of any life or strength and the way he carried himself; hung over frame, sweat stained clothes, unkempt hair; this man couldn't be the legendary hero of the Arendelle invasion.

"Hey Ed! You know we can't work in the dark, just pick it up tomorrow!"

The noble turned to a laborer who he now knew was the one he was looking for. He opened his mouth to demand why the worker had lied but the man in question spoke first.

"I'm not the Edward you're looking for." The laborer packed up his tools and began to walk away. The finality and dead expression on his face ended the conversation completely.

He's dead.

Hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter, please let me know what yall think about me shortening it from being 7k to 4-5k. It gets the story moving a bit but idk I'm trying not to take away any of the deep details. Let me know what yall think plz