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Elsa felt the water soak into her pale skin. She sighed heavily. Two days had passed since Marie and her had been to Ahtohallan and discovered that Marie's grandfather had been tasked with the same responsibility as them. Around her, Northuldran children and young adults leapt into a large pond from small cliffs. A group of around twenty had taken a trip to a nearby waterfall to spend the hot, sunny day in the water. Honeymaren eyed her while gliding in the water up to her nose. "Don't you ever get stressed from being stressed?" she asked sarcastically. Elsa crossed her arms and scowled. The Forest native groaned. "You cannot take a joke lately."
The queen gritted her teeth but said nothing. In the tall grass above, an exasperated Marie lay with her hands over her face. "Why did I do that?" she mumbled to herself. Ryder stretched out beside her and yawned. The men and women had branched off to change when they arrived. The swimming suits were made of leather but were surprisingly comfortable. One of Elsa's straps had been crooked. Without a second thought, Marie had tried straightening it, only for the blonde to jerk away and walk off. She sat up. They had not spoken ever since returning from Ahtohallan.
"Want some watermelon?" Ryder sounded next to her. She took some and munched absentmindedly.
"Can I ask you something?" she asked.
He smiled widely. He reminded Marie of her brother. "Yeah!"
She wiped her face off and gazed down at the head of long, platinum blonde hair. "What do you do if you hurt someone by not wanting to hurt them?"
"Hm…" He gave a toddler a piece of fruit. "It sounds like when I have to put the reindeer on a diet." Marie shot him a bewildered look. "They get mad at first but overall, it's benefitting them."
Elsa looked over her shoulder at them. Marie sighed. "Somehow, I don't think that's going to help me…" Suddenly she froze.
"Huh?" Ryder reached over to her. "You okay?"
Heaviness swelled within her. Marie grasped her head. "Y-yeah." She stood. "I just need to use the bathroom, or whatever you guys say to go pee."
Ryder rose, his eyes glued to her in concern. "Should I get Elsa?"
A pulse shot through her. "No." He flinched at her firmness. She put on a pleasant smile. "I just need a moment. I'll be fine." With clenched fists, she made her way to the brush. Another pulse emanated from her, and Marie gasped in pain. She fell to the ground. Darkness leaked from her skin.
"You failed." Her anxiety only fueled the dark power. She began shaking. "Now you will forget."
"N-no," she breathed, the forest grass tickling her face. "I already made my choice." Countless therapy sessions ran throughout her mind. She closed her eyes. "I want to remember." Footsteps padded softly behind her, and she shot to her feet and leaned against a tree. Elsa appeared. She stopped a few yards away and lowered her gaze.
"Oh. I didn't realize that you were out here," she said quietly.
Marie's hands squeezed the tree bark as another onslaught of darkness pounded through her. Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself up and faced Elsa, a cordial smile covering her mouth. "I was about to head back." Elsa sucked in a breath. Marie's smile was one that two strangers would exchange while passing on the street. She waited for Marie's footsteps to fade away before returning to the group. The rest of the afternoon was spent in the water, the Northuldra youth eventually convincing the ice mage to conjure an ice slide. Marie had managed to shade a large part of the pond as well. Her power had seemed to grow ever since Ahtohallan, but she had not voiced any concern. Elsa thought about their journey as the group walked back to the camp, her eyes flickering between the ground and Marie, who was ahead of her. A twisted knot boiled in her chest at the sight of Marie and Ryder talking to one another.
Suddenly Marie halted. "Elsa?"
A strong wind had picked up out of nowhere, blowing through the group with no mercy. In the distance, the neighing of a horse sounded, and as Elsa looked above the trees, she gasped as the Earth Giants appeared. "Get everyone back to camp!" Elsa ordered Ryder and Honeymaren. The two women immediately shot towards the spirits. The Nokk was bucking on the surface of a lake, a dark creature gripping its back. Two Earth Giants stood in the forest nearby and swatted above their heads as another dark mass buzzed around them.
Marie took a step back in alarm. "Wh-whoa…" It was difficult to keep her balance from the weight of the giants. She relaxed at the hips and steadied herself. "We should-"
"I've got this." Elsa casted herself with ice armor and launched herself over the water without hesitation. Marie grunted but followed. The Nokk kicked as Elsa shot a beam of ice at the dark creature that hung onto the water spirit's back. It hissed and convulsed demonically. Elsa gritted her teeth at the sound of its cries. Marie conjured a ward, blocking an oncoming rock that pummeled toward them. She aimed her hands behind her and let out a dark blast, rocketing herself upward. One of the giants let out a rumble of surprise as the foreigner leapt off its forearm. She summoned her blade and prepared to strike.
The air crisped around her. Elsa froze the space surrounding the Earth Giant's head and, with an ethereal blast, dissipated it. It was enough to damage the darkness, but not exterminate it. The giant roared and stumbled backward. Marie landed next to her on the shore. "What are you doing?" she shouted over the rumbling.
Elsa froze the surface of the water. "I told you to let me handle this!" she snapped. Marie flinched at her tone. The royal sprinted over to The Nokk.
Marie followed. "Let me help you!" she shouted. The water spirit whinnied and jerked its head up and down, growing weary from its fight. Elsa captured the dark creature on its back in an ice shell. Marie slid to a halt, panic rising in her chest as Elsa struggled. "We're supposed to be working together, remember?"
"But that's not what you want!" Elsa's voice broke. She stumbled under the weight of the cold, dark mass, but Marie did not rush in to help. "You don't want that, so leave me alone!" Her brilliant blue eyes narrowed with effort. "I'll finish this by myself."
"That's not what I meant!" Marie felt desperation grip her. Behind them, Ryder and Honeymaren watched from the treeline, having gotten the Northuldra away from the chaos. Elsa spun around, and with a loud grunt, flung the darkness above her. It barreled into the side of one of the Earth Giant's heads, knocking it back a few feet. A deafening roar rocked the air. Marie dove forward as it swung down. "WATCH OUT!"
It was too late. Elsa conjured a shield, but it was not enough. The back of the Earth Giant's arm struck her. She was flung backward as her shield shattered into a thousand pieces. Her body twisted through the air and landed on the ground, shattering her ice armor on impact. She rolled violently to a stop, her body still. "Elsa!" Honeymaren rushed to her side with Ryder. "Elsa! Wake up! Wake up!"
Marie could not breathe. The air could not escape her. She could only watch as Honeymaren tried to shake Elsa awake, but to no avail. "N-no…" Everything began to grow dark. Honeymaren and Ryder looked up at the sudden change in atmosphere. "No," Marie breathed. The Nokk neighed in pain as the dark creature bit into its neck. The two giants roared as they were blinded. Marie let her head hang. Elsa was not moving. Marie stared at nothing with wide eyes, the reality of it all slowly sinking into her bones. Darkness billowed around her body, slowly blocking out her surroundings.
A light cough escaped Elsa. The siblings reacted gleefully, but she did not notice. Her blue eyes flickered to the floating dark mass on the surface of the water. "Marie?" she rasped.
It all happened so fast. A blast of darkness exploded from Marie, breaking the frozen surface instantaneously. The creature of darkness opened its mouth to roar at her, but it never got the chance. Marie shot through the air and stripped it from The Nokk in one movement. The darkness ripped off the Earth Giants' eyes and joined its unbalanced brethren, screaming and snarling underneath the grip of the possessed young woman. Marie's eyes were pure black, and her body emitted a dark pulse with every second that passed.
Is this what she had built up for? The creature clung to her arm, its eyes widened in agony. Marie felt wild, unhinged, yet numb. It was a kind of anger that she had only seen other people express. On the shore, Ryder and Honeymaren shielded their faces from the dark pulses Marie emitted. Anna could not handle the darkness that sprouted from a blade: did Marie really think she could handle it on her own? Her family was gone. Her home was gone. Elsa was gone. Claws sprouted at the tips of Marie's fingers, and she let them sink into the creature. Elsa was gone. The Nokk and Earth Giants shuffled uneasily. The dark creature's cries began to soften. Marie gritted her teeth, her body shaking. It was seeping into her bones, pumping through her veins, infecting her soul.
Take back your control.
The siblings peered through the darkness when the pulses eased. Marie's eyes were clearing, their blue iris's searing through the blackness. Her own voice echoed in her mind repeatedly. The dark creature snarled and bit down on her hand but could not pierce through her armor. She lowered her arm, the black pulses drawing closer to her. Her feet met the lake's surface and glided to the bottom. "I control me," she said, and released. The darkness slowly faded from view, its eyes closed peacefully. The water and earth spirits gazed at their surroundings as everything returned to its former state. Marie stared at her palm, a small sphere of darkness swirling on her skin. She closed her fist and dissipated it.
A small groan sounded from the shore. Honeymaren pulled Elsa closer to her. "You're okay!" she said in a rushed tone. The royal tried sitting up but was stopped. "Your shoulder's dislocated." Marie could not help but watch, a crushing weight bubbling within her. "This is going to hurt."
"What are you-? AH!" A sickening crunch filled the air as the siblings quickly realigned Elsa's shoulder. She fell back into Honeymaren's arms.
"She's scraped up pretty bad," Ryder commented quietly. What appeared to be extreme road rash raked across Elsa's left side of her back like a crazed animal's claw marks. Ryder picked the blonde up and made his way toward the camp.
Marie trotted behind them in worry. Honeymaren gave her a reassuring smile. "She's going to be okay." Marie stared at the ground and said nothing. Yelena rushed to Ryder's side when he breached camp, ordering him to bring Elsa inside of her tent. Honeymaren rested a hand on Marie's shoulder before entering. Marie paced. A few of the young Northuldra kept her company, their questions never ending, but Marie found comfort in their nativity. Over half an hour passed before the wooden slab swung open. Marie froze at the sight of Elsa. She was bandaged from her lower neck to her lower back and her left arm was in a sling. A loose faded dress hung off her shoulders and her blonde hair was pulled to the right to avoid her injuries. Marie clenched her fists, and before Elsa could open her mouth to speak, Marie shouted, "What the hell were you thinking?!"
Honeymaren crossed her arms while Ryder whistled slowly. "Oh, boy…" the Northuldran woman muttered.
Elsa crossed her free arm over her chest and stuck her nose in the air. "You didn't want me to bother you anymore, so I took matters into my own hands."
"By charging in and nearly getting yourself killed?!" Half the village awkwardly departed for their tents while the other half watched eagerly. Marie tensed like a bristled cat and shouted, "You can't do things like that!"
Elsa's small shoulders tensed in the same manner as the other woman. "I don't have another choice!" She tried to keep calm, but Marie was like water pushing against the stone walls of a dam, and Elsa felt herself breaking from the pressure. Her chest swelled. "You could leave at any moment and I'd have to do everything by myself, anyway!"
"But you don't have to do everything yourself!" Marie exclaimed. "I'm still here!"
"But you don't want to be!" Elsa shouted.
"I'M OVERWHELMED." The brunette raised her arms above her head to emphasis her words. "WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?" Ryder opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by his sister, who slapped her hand over his face. Marie continued, "I was pulled into a Disney movie and given powers to fight some existential crisis that I JUST found out that my ancestors were tasked with, but they failed and that's why they were crazy! I'm confused!"
"I understand that." Elsa lowered her voice but remained tense. Her face twisted with emotion. "I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through." She gritted her teeth. "But what you said hurt me. You don't have to hurt others just to push them away!"
Instant guilt slammed Marie, but her pride slammed harder. "And you don't have to hurt yourself doing the same!" she retorted.
Elsa scoffed. "Why do you even care?" she seethed.
"BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT YOU!" Marie yelled. The Northuldra did not make a sound. Marie froze, her eyes wide. A reindeer bayed in the distance.
Elsa's breath caught in her throat. "You-?"
"I, um…" Marie took a step back, stuttering. "I didn't mean to get so angry, sorry. I just-…I need some space."
The royal reached for Marie when she bolted for the forest. "Wait!" she cried. A hand grabbed her free arm, and she looked behind her to see Yelena shaking her head softly. Elsa placed her hand on her chest and stared at the place where Marie disappeared.
The day passed and soon the only light that lit the camp was from a fire. Elsa paced alongside it, her blonde braid flipping from her shoulder to her back. Honeymaren had tried convincing her to go to bed, but the royal refused. She bit the end of her thumb absentmindedly. A twig snapped in the forest, and she jerked toward the sound. Marie emerged slowly, her body looking worn. Elsa nearly ran to her but held herself back. She composed herself. "Where have you been?" she asked coolly.
Marie stared at the ground like a scorned child. "Near the ridge," she replied quietly. "Yelena found me and gave me a blanket." She tugged at it. "You, uh…haven't been waiting all this time, have you?"
Elsa whipped to the side when her cheeks burned red. "Y-you've been gone for hours! Of course, I was worried!" She grunted in pain as she tried to clasp her hands together, forgetting that one of her arms was bandaged. "No matter what you say, I'm always going to worry." Her eyes flitted to the tall brunette. "Even so, that doesn't excuse the way I acted. I'm sorry."
"N-no, I'm sorry!" Marie's voice rose in pitch as she took a step forward in earnest. "I was just…" Her shoulders drooped with defeat, and she sighed heavily. "…I was scared." Elsa listened quietly. A familiar sense of pride choked Marie, but she was desperately trying to overcome it; Elsa recognized it. Marie clenched her fists, trying to focus on her words. "You make me feel safe, Elsa," Marie said softly. "I've never felt safe before. Not like this. The rift…makes you forget. I didn't want to go through that pain, so I pushed you away." A jolt shot through Elsa as Marie looked her in the eyes. "But when I thought that I lost you, I realized that none of that mattered. I-…" She took in a breath. "I don't want to lose you."
Every interaction they had shared ran through Elsa's mind. A tear fell down her cheek, and she touched it in surprise. Why do I feel this way? she thought to herself, wiping away her tears.
Marie grew startled. "Please don't cry!" she pleaded. "I'd rather you freeze me or something, not cry!"
"Dumby." Elsa slid her hand across her face sloppily but smiled. Her cheeks flushed. "I don't want to lose you, either. That's why I acted the way I did."
The foreigner shifted. "Oh."
Elsa chuckled warmly, "Yeah."
They made eye contact that felt like fire. Marie tore her gaze away. "I'm still mad," she said angrily, but Elsa could not help but think it was endearing. She almost looked like a child, with clenched fists and a forced frown. A sudden urge to close the distance between them burned through Elsa, and she took a step forward.
A small growl sounded around them. Marie hid her face. "I didn't eat," she mumbled.
A laugh escaped the ice mage. Elsa covered her mouth to stop her laughter. "I left out a bowl for you," she said warmly, gesturing towards the fire. "They managed to get a hog today."
Marie twisted her face but advanced forward. Elsa fetched the large wooden bowl, nearly dropping it. She was not used to having only one hand. Marie watched and settled by the fire. She began eating, shoveling it in faster than she expected. She stopped. "You're staring," Marie imitated with a raised eyebrow. Elsa looked away quickly and played with her braid. The brunette sighed. "You didn't eat much, either, did you?"
She flinched. "I-"
"Here." A spoon full of stew wafted in front of Elsa's face. "We can share," Marie stated.
Elsa fought the urge to grin widely. "I can feed myself."
"Just eat," scorned Marie. "You're injured! You need to eat!"
The blonde relaxed, causing Marie to relax a little as well. "Okay," Elsa said softly. Marie fed her, her blue eyes watching Elsa's mouth like a coddling mother. It was evident that she had experience feeding children by the way her own mouth opened slightly to mimic Elsa's. Elsa gripped the sandy ground. Their eyes met.
Marie grew red. "Shut up," she murmured. "I have to feed you after you go and hurt yourself, damn it." Elsa opened her mouth to retort but Marie shoved another spoonful in before she could. The former queen began to grow agitated but stopped in realization. Even though Marie's words were sharp, her tone was not, and her body language was rather shy and embarrassed. She continued grumbling to herself while feeding Elsa. The blonde let her rant but could not hide her shoulders from bouncing with laughter. Marie tensed with a frown. They both started laughing at the same time. The warm, secure yet tantalizing feeling that only Elsa brought her flooded Marie, and she set the bowl down. "You really scared me today," Marie breathed.
Elsa leaned forward and rested her forehead against Marie's. "I'm sorry. I know you were trying to protect me, but let me decide how to feel about all of this, okay?"
Marie nuzzled against her. "I'm sorry." They pulled away. The brilliance of Elsa's gaze kept Marie close to her, and she could not help but notice how the firelight reflected off her pale skin. Marie wanted to protect her. She wanted to be close to her. Walls that Marie had built within her did not seem to bother Elsa. The way she was looking at Marie cemented it. It was freeing.
The warmth from the food soaked into Elsa, and she suddenly felt the pull of exhaustion. They made their way toward her tent and Marie helped her settle into bed. Elsa laid on her right side, her back facing Marie. Shuffling sounded behind her, and Elsa felt a warm body lay next to her. "You okay?" Elsa asked.
Their backs were not touching but were still close enough to feel each other's heat. Marie covered half her face. "Just let me be here," she said quietly.
Elsa let her warmth soak into her. "Okay." Marie remained unmoving yet present, listening to the sound of Elsa's breath slowing as the royal drifted into a deep sleep. She eventually did the same.
