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Her body was ice. As Elsa's ethereal form glided over the frozen fjord, Dominic fell to the ground, desperately trying to scamper to his feet. "No!" he cried, but Elsa did not care. Ice crackled in the air as she formed a sword out of her arm. Dominic shielded his face. "No more!" With one final thrust, Elsa plunged her arm straight into his chest. Blood spewed from Dominic's mouth as he stared at her, his eyes growing dim.
Elsa jolted awake. Marie's eyes flitted open for a second before closing. "You okay?" Marie asked sleepily, shifting her body closer to Elsa.
Elsa felt herself relax. The morning sun shone through the bedroom window, casting itself over her and Marie's figures. She brushed a strand of mousy brown hair out of Marie's face, gazing at her fondly. "Just a bad dream," she responded softly, but Marie had grown still, sleep taking her. Her head rested on Elsa's upper arm as her long arms wrapped around Elsa's body. The blonde's heart throbbed within her. As she gazed at Marie, her dream played through her mind. A wave of emotion swelled within Elsa. She pressed her lips against Marie's forehead and closed her eyes. I almost lost you, she thought. I never want to lose you again… Another wave of emotion swelled through her, but this time, Elsa knew what it was. She closed her eyes. She had known for a while. Pressing her lips against Marie's skin once more, Elsa uttered breathlessly, "I love you."
It was still morning as Marie pushed open the doors to the mess hall. Anna sat still in one of the plush chairs, documents spread out before her on an end table. The ginger sleepily smiled at Marie in greeting. "Couldn't sleep?" the queen asked.
"Just a bad dream."
Marie hesitated before answering, "Not really." She joined Anna, curiously eyeing the paperwork for a brief second before sitting down.
"Copies of the statements Dominic gave us," Anna explained, dropping some papers on the pile. "He confessed to everything, so there really isn't a need for a trial." She sipped her coffee and rubbed her eyes. "At least, I don't want there to be one."
"You guys work fast," Marie commented. She shifted uncomfortably. Although Elsa had spent nearly all-night healing her, some wounds were internal. "How is Daniel?"
"Innocent, if that's what you're wondering," Anna said. She stared out one of the large windows. "He's in the infirmary. He had no idea of Dominic's plans. We've arrested the staff that did know and questioned them."
Marie sat up. "Really? Already?" she asked in surprise. "You must have been up all night."
Anna smiled and chuckled, "I'm just doing my job." She looked at Marie, her gaze softening. "How are you?"
Marie frowned, tearing her gaze away. "I wanted to ask you something," she ventured. Anna waited while Marie gripped the dress she was wearing. "I want to speak to him." Anna opened her mouth to respond, but not before Marie added, "Alone."
Anna stopped. "Wait, what?"
Marie lifted one of her palms and conjured a dark ball. "Yesterday, I am pretty sure I took all of his dark power." She closed her fist, dissipating it. "But I need to make sure. I have to face him."
"I understand, but…" Anna set a gentle hand on Marie's forearm. "He nearly killed-"
"You don't have to remind me!" Marie snapped. Anna grew still. Tears welled behind her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "I'm sorry," Marie said tensely. "I just-…I have to be sure."
"I'll go with her, Your Highness." Both women turned around at the sound of Mattias' voice. He stood in uniform in the doorway. "My apologies for overhearing. I have a message from one of our scouts." Anna nodded, giving him permission to speak in front of Marie. "They've spotted the rock trolls not far from Arendelle. They will be here by midafternoon."
Anna groaned and slunk down in her chair. "The tallies won't be counted by then."
"Tallies?" Marie asked.
"We're having the citizens vote on whether or not they feel safe having the wedding," Anna explained. She flinched when Marie suddenly stood on her feet, the chair rubbing loudly against the wooden floor.
"Then you have to let me see him!" Marie said passionately, clenching her fists. "If the people of Arendelle know that he doesn't have magic anymore, they'll feel safer!"
"I agree," Mattias chimed in, coming to Anna's side. "I can accompany Lady Marie."
Anna stood and faced her. "You've already done so much for us…" the queen argued. Marie watched her, her heart racing within her chest. Anna sighed, her shoulders dropping. "All right, but don't be surprised if my sister barges in there after you." Marie nodded eagerly and started for the door. Anna gently grabbed her arm. "Be careful," she added.
The sound of footsteps echoed down the castle dungeon. Rats scurried along the inner walls, eager to escape the approaching visitor. Dominic lifted his head momentarily from the stone wall, only to set it against his cell once more. "I figured you'd want your turn at some exposition," he stated flatly. "Although, I didn't expect you to come so soon."
Marie pulled up a stool and sat in front of his cell, her eyes never leaving the man before her. Mattias stood farther back, out of sight. Dominic's torso was wrapped in bandages, the blood from his stab wound bleeding through. What were once shoulders carried high in pride now slunk. Dominic eyed her. "You're the fourth person I've talked to today," he commented.
She tossed a book through the bars. Dominic looked at it before looking at her, letting out a scoff. "Our grandparents aren't in this," Marie stated.
He rubbed the skin on his wrists where chains hung. "It's a children's book."
"The author is someone I created, and your father's voice acter did a cameo for a weasel in another film," Marie retorted. "Stories can be just that: stories. Or…" Dominic frowned when she pushed the book further into the cell. "There's more to it than that."
Through the bars, their eyes met. Dominic scoffed and shook his head. "Will she pardon Daniel?" he asked. Marie nodded. He leaned his head against the stone, and the two sat in several moments of silence. Finally, he chuckled. "Even though I no longer have the power to sense magic, I can still sense something different with you now."
Marie sat up. "The Grey can sense magic?"
Dominic lifted his hands, the chains clinking. "Like flies to a flame." His arms flopped down. "There's light and darkness. A force, or rather, a balance. Both equal, both necessary. The Grey is tasked with taking over if the chosen fail." He looked away. "I thought, if I slowly took your magic and used it to fight Elsa, I could rebalance everything." Dominic shifted uncomfortably. "But I was wrong. I couldn't control your magic, and Elsa defeated me so easily."
Marie chuckled. "Yeah, it was stupid to try," she said with an air of jest.
"You go against everything the darkness is supposed to be." Marie could not help but look at Dominic as he spoke. His voice was lower, softer even. "Yet you clung to it with nothing more than…willpower. That is what I don't understand." He turned around, grunting when his stab wound got stretched too far.
Marie could not help but feel a sliver of pity for him. "Not being able to understand is exactly why you couldn't handle it," she replied calmly.
Dominic let out a huff of amusement. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. "It no longer matters. My role as The Grey has ended. I couldn't take your magic even if I tried. Seems I'm no longer a conduit."
"Conduit?" Marie gripped the bars in realization. "Does that mean Meghan is a conduit, too?"
Dominic narrowed his eyes in thought. "I couldn't control it, even before I set my plan in motion," he said. "It all went to her; she must have been closer to me than you when it happened."
"Does that mean she's the new Grey?"
A chuckled escaped Dominic. "No. There's only one per realm."
Marie crossed her arms. "How do you know all this?" she asked.
"It's all my grandfather talked about. My father thought he was insane and hated all things magical because of it." He looked at Marie. "Didn't your family pass it on to you?"
She cupped her chin in thought. "No, although they thought they were special: chosen by God. I just thought it was narcissism."
Dominic shook his head. "Sounds like they couldn't handle the magic." He sighed and leaned his head against the wall. "The girl will be fine." Marie rose. "There's something you should know," he added. She paused. Dominic looked at her. "You throw off the balance. The Rift will pull you back."
She whipped around and clenched her fists. "I don't believe you…"
Dominic scoffed, "Do or don't. It will happen either way." She departed him, Mattias joining her. As she made her way up the stairs, her body began to ache from fatigue.
"Are you alright?" Mattias asked, gripping her arm in support.
She welcomed the feeling. "Just tired. Thank you." She paused on the stone steps and looked out into the dazzling fjord through a slit in the stone walls. The waves beat against the castle, and the salty aroma crept up the walls. Marie heard the door to the dungeon stairs open and she titled her head curiously around the corner.
A familiar tall, feminine figure appeared, though Marie could only see from their hip down. "No, you're right. She's fine," the figure said hurriedly, shutting the door.
Marie felt her skin flush. "Just a bad dream," Elsa's voice rang in her head. She clutched the fabric of the pink dress she was wearing, her heart lurching inside her chest. She reached the top of the stairs and opened the door. Elsa and Anna ran up to her.
"How did it go?" Anna asked tensely.
Marie moved aside to let Mattias through. "He said it'll pull me back," she answered quietly. Elsa and Anna exchanged glances upon hearing the tone in Marie's voice. It was usually full of life, but not this time. Her tone had sunk, and her expression was tense. Marie looked at her palm. "I don't know whether to believe him or not. I feel like my magic is my own again, but…" She closed her hand tightly and reiterated what Dominic had told her.
Elsa cupped her chin in thought, walking a few paces away as she listened to Marie. "I don't believe him," she stated. Marie felt her chest lurch at the tone Elsa had used. Their encounter that morning ran through Marie's mind once more, causing her head to spin. "Remember when we fought in the fjord the first time? The darkness said we were both tasked with rebalancing the light and dark." Elsa approached Marie and set her pale hands on Marie's shoulders. "We did just that. Dominic was that imbalance, and we stopped him. It's already been done."
Marie could not look Elsa in the eye. "How can you be so sure? If everything has been rebalanced like you said, then why am I still here?"
The room went silent. Elsa stepped away from Marie, her arms slowly drifting back to her side. A pained expression swept across her face. "Do you want to go back?" she asked quietly. Mattias and Anna shifted uncomfortably.
Marie's eyes grew wide. "That's not-"
A knock sounded at the door. Kristoff stepped inside. "The tallies are all in," he said.
A giggle sounded below him. Olaf pushed his way through, a large basket hanging from his neck. "I think the votes will be in our favor." He lifted a small, folded piece of parchment with his stick hands and read it, quickly tossing it aside. "Except for that one. Don't count that one."
Elsa lifted her arms above her head and stretched out her legs. It was now the afternoon, and she was in the council room helping Anna, Olaf, Mattias and a few other council members count the votes. She dipped a quill into an ink bottle and drew another tally on the No side. She sighed heavily. Marie was currently in the infirmary. It was evident that she had fatigued herself by confronting Dominic. Elsa rubbed her wrist and stared at the tally sheet before her. She could barely look me in the eyes, she thought. Is it possible…she heard me?
She was startled when an irritated huff filled the room. A council member named Bjorn grabbed a small pile of papers that lay on the table and pushed it away from him. "This is a waste of time," he spat, shifting his weight in the wooden chair he sat in. "Most of my votes are a no. It's evident that the people don't want the wedding to take place."
"Really?" Anna asked flatly, bouncing her quill over her tally sheet. "Most of my votes are yes."
"Same here," Kristoff said. Mattias nodded, looking down at his sheet.
Bjorn scoffed. "Ironic that the bride and groom's votes are mostly in favor, don't you think?"
"Mister Sigurdson, why don't you take a short break?" Elsa suggested calmly. Bjorn had been in the council for over a decade, and although he had always been a fair man, Elsa was fully aware of his brashness that often accompanied it. "In fact, why don't we all? Let's reconvene in fifteen minutes." Bjorn and the rest of the council members grumbled but obeyed, slowly filing out of the room. As the dark brown doors shut, Anna groaned loudly and dropped her head onto the pile of papers in front of her. Kristoff rubbed her back but sighed. Elsa leaned back in her chair. "I didn't mean to overstep, Anna. I hope you don't mind."
Her younger sister shook her head, spreading around her pile of papers. "No, you didn't. Thank you." Her shoulders drooped. "They seem to listen to you better, anyways…"
"They listen to you," Kristoff reassured.
"What does it mean if there is more than one tally?" Olaf asked, lifting a piece of paper upside down to survey it.
"It means the children in that household voted," Kristoff explained. He stood and stretched. "You were with when we got the votes, remember?"
"Oh, yeah!" Olaf hummed and marked down four tallies. "That's four more yesses."
Elsa leaned forward to peer at the tally sheets, resting her hands on the wide table. "Looks like there are more yesses than nos." Anna's gaze followed her sister's, a tired expression covering her face. Elsa walked over to her and placed a hand on her younger sibling's shoulder. "Anna, you know I will be there. You don't have to worry."
"I know…I just-…" Anna stood, her hands placed firmly on the table. "I just want our kingdom to be safe, that's all."
"Your Highness, if I may," Mattias implied. "There are many guests coming to the wedding that don't know about the events that just transpired." His brow furrowed. "I think it would be unwise to cancel."
"Unwise?" Anna crossed her arms. "Why do you think that?"
"Arendelle has hosted several events during stressful times in the past. Queen Elsa is right. She will be here, along with Lady Marie, in case anything else happens." Mattias straightened his grey jacket. "After seeing what happened yesterday, I've no doubt that they will be able to handle anything that comes our way, along with our forces."
"He's right," Kristoff added. "This morning, while we gathered the votes, there were plenty of people who seemed surprised, even a little worried that we would cancel. Our people want the wedding to take place."
Anna rubbed the muscles behind her eyes, something Elsa noticed she did whenever she had a migraine. "Let's finish the tallies, and then I'll make a decision." The rest of the council eventually came back in, and everyone resumed counting the votes. Elsa felt her chest tighten in anticipation as Anna finished adding the votes. The council murmured in anticipation as Anna neatly organized the papers into one pile and pushed herself to her feet. Everyone stood in response. Anna walked over to one of the tall windows that faced the fjord. She rolled her shoulders. "Out of 786 votes…618 voted in favor of having the wedding."
"YES!" Kristoff and Olaf exclaimed, giving each other a high-five. Elsa sighed in relief while Mattias chuckled.
"Your Majesty!" Bjorn half shouted, his swollen face turning an uncomfortable shade of red. "It would be unwise to carry out your wedding! We have no idea if this…this…!" He gestured widely, searching for the words. "…spectacle is over!"
Anna turned around to face him, a smile of relief covering her face. "Well, Mister Sigurdson, you don't have to attend." Elsa snorted, covering her mouth. Bjorn scoffed and stomped out of the room. Kristoff ran over to his fiancée and picked her up, spinning her. The two giggled and shared a brief kiss.
Elsa walked over to her, smiling warmly. "I knew our kingdom wouldn't want to miss out on a royal wedding," she said, hugging her sister.
Olaf joined them, nodding. "They're too classy to do so."
"You know," Mattias said, looking down at the snowman with a smile. "You're absolutely right."
"There will still be a level of uncertainty, however," Anna said grimly, facing her sister.
Elsa shook her head. "There always is." She departed the council room and headed for the infirmary on the ground level. As Elsa pushed open the large wooden doors, the sound of laughter reached her ears. Two rows of beds lined the long chamber, and on the end of the left row, a small group huddled around one of the beds.
"Okay, my turn!" came a familiar girl's voice. Elsa closed the doors and instinctually smiled in response to the warm environment. "I spy with my little eye something…" Meghan caught sight of Elsa and gasped. "Hello, your Majesty!"
Elsa made her way over to the small group, giving a polite nod to a nurse. It consisted of Meghan, Marie, Daniel, and a guard who was currently assigned to watch over him. "Good afternoon. How are you, Meghan?"
The teenager sat up straight in a rocking chair. "I'm doing well, thank you!"
"Your Highness!" Daniel exclaimed. He attempted to stand but grunted in pain.
"Quit doing that!" Elsa stepped to the side when Johanna appeared from behind her and rushed over to the young man. "I told you to stay in bed, didn't I?" the nurse snapped.
Daniel frowned. "But, I-"
"No arguing!" Johanna turned and faced Elsa, a vein pulsing on her red face. "Honestly, these kids don't listen," she grumbled. Elsa could not help but chuckle. Johanna crossed her arms. "Everyone is doing just fine, Your Majesty, except for that one!" she snapped at Daniel, causing him to flinch. "He keeps trying to get up when he's been assigned bedrest!"
Daniel groaned but kept silent. Marie and Meghan giggled. Elsa let her gaze linger on them for a few seconds. "The votes have been counted," she stated. Everyone turned their attention to Elsa. She folded her hands in front of her. "The wedding will take place as planned."
A collective sigh rang throughout the infirmary. Elsa noticed Marie visibly relax. Daniel propped himself up with a pillow. "And what of Dominic? What will happen to him?" he asked.
Disgruntled murmurs quickly filled the room. Elsa raised a hand to silence them. "I am not at liberty to discuss his situation," she said softly. "I hope you understand."
Daniel nodded, his expression growing solemn. "I see…" He trailed off and looked down at the white blankets that covered him. "I understand."
A wave of pity swept over Elsa. Daniel had been questioned profusely about Dominic's plans to attack Arendelle, the Enchanted Forest, and the Northuldra, but it was evident that he truly had no idea. As Elsa looked at the bandaged, wounded man sitting in one of the infirmary beds, she could not help but approach him and place a hand on his shoulder. He wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry this happened," she said. "But I am so thankful that you protected Marie. For that, I am eternally grateful." Elsa looked over at Marie and smiled. Marie scratched her head and blushed. Elsa stood. "I'd like to speak with Meghan and Marie alone." Meghan nodded and quickly rose from her seat, following Elsa's gesture towards an empty bed at the end of the row. Elsa stopped Marie. "How are you feeling?" the former queen asked quietly. Her hand trembled despite the contact with Marie's skin.
Marie touched the side of Elsa's face with her forehead, instantly stilling her. "I'm all right, thanks to you," she assured. "Just a little sore and tired, is all."
The two women made their way to Meghan. Elsa sat on the end of one of the empty beds, smoothing the fabric of her dress over her lap. "I'd like to discuss yesterday's events."
To her surprise, Meghan and Marie looked at one another. "Should we show her?" Meghan asked. Marie nodded and held open one of her palms. A small ball of darkness formed and levitated over Marie's hand. Elsa watched as Marie gently cupped one of Meghan's hands over her own, placing the ball of darkness over Meghan's open hand. Marie slowly withdrew her hand. Elsa gasped. The ball of darkness swayed and twisted, but it floated over Meghan's palm.
"He was right," Elsa breathed, leaning in, and staring at the ball with wide eyes. "She's a conduit."
Meghan began shaking. Marie instantly swept a hand over the ball and dissipated it. The teen slouched. The two women rubbed her back in comfort. "Marie told me about it," Meghan said in exhaustion. Elsa felt her heart lurch when Meghan hung her head. "I felt his pain wh-when it-…" She trembled.
Elsa continued to rub her back. "Take your time," she said softly.
Meghan took in a deep breath. "I felt his anger when the darkness came over me, but I couldn't identify who it came from. It just felt so…hateful."
Elsa placed a hand on one of Meghan's. "From what we know, Dominic couldn't handle the amount of magic he stole, and it found the closest person to it to latch onto."
"Is that going to happen again?" Meghan asked hurriedly, her head turning back and forth as she looked at them both. "Will more darkness latch onto me?"
"No," Marie said firmly. "We stopped him." She looked at her hands. "I took back my power."
"Grand Pabbie and the other rock trolls will be here soon. He might know something we don't," Elsa explained. "You're more than welcome to join us when we ask him."
"THEY'RE HERE!" The doors to the infirmary burst open. A young guard stood in the doorway, gasping for breath. "The rock trolls are-" The guard was swept off their feet by a wave of small, rocky bodies.
"We can introduce ourselves!" one of trolls said triumphantly.
Elsa stood. "It is good to see you all," she greeted.
A plethora of rock trolls swarmed the door and parted as one made its way to the front. Grand Pabbie pushed his way through. "We came early after sensing the massive amount of dark power."
"And for the festivities!" a rock troll piped up.
"WH-WHOA!" Daniel nearly leaped out of his bed. He pointed at the trolls. "WHAT-?!"
"You'll get used to it!" A familiar voice sounded from around the door. Anna poked her head in. "We were on our way to the library, but it looks like everyone got side-tracked," she said with a smile.
Pabbie hobbled over to the bed where Meghan and Marie were sitting on. "Queen Anna told me everything. I assume you are the conduit child?" he asked Meghan. The teenager frowned slightly, looking to Marie and Elsa. The two women nodded assuredly. Pabbie held out his hands. "Let me see what I can see." Meghan hesitated, but gave Pabbie her hand. His eyes closed. The room fell silent. "I see…It is true that you are a conduit for magic, but I do not sense any magical power emanating from you."
Marie squeezed the teen's shoulder as she let out a sigh. "So does that mean the darkness will leave me alone?" Meghan asked. She withdrew her hand and tensed. "I don't want to feel that ever again…"
"Elsa, Meghan, Marie and Pabbie: come with me," Anna ordered. Elsa led Marie and Meghan out of the infirmary and through the rock trolls. Kristoff and Mattias joined the group in the hallway.
"Your Majesty!" Daniel called out. Both Anna and Elsa stopped in the doorway and looked at him. He scratched his head. "Er, Elsa…" Anna smiled and left. Elsa approached the injured man. He grunted as he sat up. "I wanted to thank you…for saving us." Elsa sucked in a breath when his usual chipper demeanor sank into a somber expression. He gritted his teeth. "Queen Anna said that I might get pardoned for everything…How can that be when I failed to do the one job I had?"
"That's not true," Elsa interjected. She sat on the end of his bed. "When Marie sent the last of her dark power to me, I saw everything that happened. You did protect her, Daniel." Elsa smiled. "You did the best you could against an impossible threat."
Daniel's arm swept across his eyes as they began to tear. "Th-thank you, Your Majesty." Elsa padded his leg as his sniffles filled the chamber. He blushed, suddenly becoming sheepish. "Um, if Queen Anna pardons me, and I get invited to the wedding…" Daniel scratched his chin. "C-could I dance with Marie for one song?"
Elsa's chest tightened. "I cannot answer for her," she said a little too swiftly. "Have you asked her?"
He tilted his head. "No. I wanted to ask you first since you two are romantically involved." He fell silent when Elsa looked away. "…Aren't you? Have you not yet confessed your love for each other?" he asked.
The morning flashed across Elsa's mind. She squeezed her hands together over her lap. "Kind of," she said quietly. She rose abruptly. "Forgive me, but I really must go. Farewell." She dipped her head and started for the door, her heart still racing.
"W-wait!" Daniel called out. "So, may I?"
Elsa merely casted him a small smile before leaving the infirmary.
The double doors to the library were pulled open by Mattias. He moved to the side. "Your Majesty," he said. Anna dipped her head in appreciation and led the small group inside. She rolled her tense shoulders. Kristoff gave her a small squeeze of encouragement. She smiled.
"Whoa…" Meghan's mouth fell open as she stared at all the books.
Marie chuckled. "Same," she responded. Elsa followed a couple of minutes after everyone else, her attention seemingly distracted. Anna gestured for everyone to grab a chair and form a small circle. She pulled a chair next to Meghan when she saw the anxious look on the teenager's face. Marie sat on the other side of Meghan.
Fatigue wafted through Anna, but she pushed it aside. "The Northuldra are on their way but won't be here until the evening." Her turquoise eyes scanned the circle of tired faces. "I don't want to wait that long to have this discussion. Pabbie, tell them what you told me."
The rock troll nodded. "Of course." He waved what little arms he had. A swarm of mist enveloped the room. Marie squeezed Meghan's hand when the teen gasped in surprise. "It is what Dominic said, the Grey is meant to replace anyone who fails to rebalance the light and dark."
"But I didn't fail!" Marie retorted, nearly jumping out of her seat. She looked at the floor shamefully, composing herself. "At least, I didn't mean to."
"And you didn't," Pabbie replied. Anna watched as the mist began to play out a scene. Three androgynous figures formed in the misty cloud. "For as long as life has existed, there has been those tasked with rebalancing the light and the darkness. Two are chosen, and each one's magic may be different than the other." Anna's eyes skimmed over to Elsa and Marie, who were both gazing up at the mist with wonder. "But there is another, The Grey, who can also wield magic."
"Wield?" Kristoff asked, crossing his arms. "Like a weapon?"
"More like a force," Pabbie responded. The figures in the mist began to move. One grew larger than the other two. "The Grey is meant to take the place of one of the chosen if they fail, but in this case…" The third figure attacked the other two. Meghan and Mattias gasped. "The Grey tried using that power for his own agenda." The two figures simultaneously lifted their arms, striking the Grey figure with both light and dark magic. Pabbie waved his arms. "There exists those who can host magic within themselves, but only for short amounts of time. They are known as conduits."
Meghan looked down. "Like me," she said quietly.
Pabbie nodded. "Yes. Conduits cannot produce or conjure magic themselves, but it can reside within them. This happened when Dominic lost control of his magical power and it went to you, and when Elsa accidentally struck Anna as a child," he explained.
"Wait, what?" Anna blurted, blinking rapidly. "I'm a conduit?"
The room fell silent. "Well, yes," Pabbie said. "Were you not aware? Elsa's magic should have killed you upon impact, but it didn't."
"Your Highness, perhaps that is why you can wield the dark blade without it being frozen," Mattias said, rubbing his beard.
"Yeah, he's right," Kristoff added. "None of the other soldiers could even pick up the dark blade. Their hands went right through. We did a test while you two were with the Northuldra," he explained to Elsa and Marie.
Marie squinted in thought. "Hm…May I?" she asked, lifting her hand, and conjuring four tiny balls of darkness between her fingers.
Mattias furrowed his brow. "What are you-?"
She launched a tiny ball right for his chest. "Catch," she said playfully. Mattias flinched but prepared himself as it came closer to him. It hit him square in the chest, nearly knocking him over. Marie tossed another ball at Kristoff, who also tried catching it, but to no avail. Marie aimed at Anna. "Ready?"
Anna tensed and held up her hands. "Wait-!" Marie lightly tossed a ball of darkness at her. To everyone's surprise, it stopped in her palms. Anna's eyes grew wide. "Whoa!" Anna exclaimed. She drew it closer to her face. It levitated above her palm, but unlike the previous times Anna had felt Marie's magic, she did not sense any negative emotion within its essence. "It feels different this time," she stated, not taking her eyes off it.
"Yeah, I noticed that, too," Meghan responded. "I could feel so much anger and hate when I was attacked yesterday, but I didn't feel any of that with Marie's magic."
Marie dissipated the ball of darkness that was levitating above the queen's hands. "Probably because her magic stems from something else," Anna commented, watching as Marie turned to Elsa, a goofy grin plastered on her face. She tossed the last ball at Elsa, who froze it as soon as it touched her skin. Anna's chest filled with warmth as her older sister giggled and smiled.
"You done having fun?" Elsa asked, grinning. She lightly tossed the frozen dark ball back at Marie.
"But what if I don't want to be a conduit for magic?" Meghan asked. She looked down at her lap, squeezing her hands into fists. "It felt awful…I don't ever want to feel that way again."
"Oh, child…" Pabbie waved his hands and dispelled the mist. "Some don't have the gift of wielding magic, but if you do not wish to, you do not have to. Magic is based off a person's will. If your will is to not possess magic, you more than likely will not."
Unease prickled inside of Anna's chest, but she took a deep breath to steady herself. It made sense that Meghan did not want anything to do with magic. Her experience with it was nothing but traumatic. I guess some people wish for different things, and that's okay, she thought to herself.
"Pabbie, we have to know," Elsa started, shifting in her chair. "Was our battle with Dominic our last? Did Marie and I succeed in rebalancing the light and dark?"
Pabbie rubbed his rocky chin. "We sensed an extremely high amount of magical energy last night, which is why we came early." He looked at Elsa and Marie. "But I have not sensed any stray dark power since. It seems that the two of you were successful, yes."
"Dominic said it would pull me back," Marie said slowly. The group looked at her. "But I'm still here, and I still have my magic. If we were successful, then-"
"The Rift strips the magic from those who have failed their task, and sends them back to where they originated," Pabbie said. "If you are still here, perhaps The Rift has rewarded you."
"Maybe that means you can stay here!" Elsa exclaimed.
"Pabbie, thank you," Anna said abruptly, standing and straightening her dress. "I think we've discussed enough." The group looked taken aback but started to dissemble, putting back their chairs and filing out of the room. Just as Anna thought, Marie hung back.
Elsa approached her. "Hey, you okay?" she asked softly.
Marie nodded fervently, but Anna could tell that she was on the brink of tears. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. I just need a minute." Elsa faltered, but backed away.
Anna straightened a chair that Kristoff had used. "Sometimes he has trouble cleaning up," she said with a chuckle.
"I'll never see them again…" Anna turned to look at Marie after she spoke. The foreigner was shaking, her hands hiding her face. "My family…I'll never see them again." Anna embraced her. Marie instantly began sobbing, unable to hold back any longer. Anna closed her eyes and hung onto her, letting the silence speak for them both.
