77
Elsa and Marie exited Marie's car and began a walk into a wooded area a few miles out of Small Falls. Marie exhaled to watch her breath climb into the cold air. Her chest was heavy with anxiety; could she handle having magic? Whenever she used it, it felt so heavy. She followed Elsa into the brush as the snow crunched underneath their boots. Elsa was so effortless with magic. It was a part of her and could not be separated, whereas Marie had only recently gotten her powers and felt green. Marie stopped in the middle of the brush and sighed. The two small explosions had left her discouraged and with a migraine. Elsa turned around when she no longer heard Marie's footsteps. Marie fiddled with the inside of her winter gloves. "Hopefully no one is out here," Marie said, feeling the need to deter from her own thoughts. "The last thing we need is for someone to see us."
Elsa raised her eyebrow. "Would that be a bad thing?"
"Yes," Marie said, her voice etched with surprise. "Everyone is carrying a camera on them nowadays. Millions of people could know who we are in seconds."
Elsa straightened her shoulders. "I'm not hiding who I am, Marie. I spent most of my life that way."
"I know," Marie argued as she felt desperation creeping into her. "I'm not asking you to hide who you are, just your identity." When Elsa frowned, Marie forced a small smile onto her face. "Maybe a mask or armor of some kind? I'll be doing it. You can join me if you want."
Elsa sighed, and for a moment, Marie thought she had upset her, but Elsa walked up to her and set her hand on Marie's shoulder. "We're safe out here." They looked around as a bitter winter wind blew through them. "You picked a good spot, so I don't think we have to worry about that out here."
Marie looked to the side. "We can talk about it later," she mumbled. They walked a little further into the brush as the foliage slowly turned from bushes to tall trees with no low hanging branches. Marie had picked a spot close to a river that often flooded in the springtime, wiping out any branches that hung less than six feet from the ground. It was a dismal yet beautiful sight. Marie stopped to listen for other sounds, but all that met her ears was some distant birds chirping in the trees above. "Okay, here should do," Marie said. Elsa faced her and nodded. Marie took a deep breath in and made a circle with her hands. Darkness crept from her fingers and snaked around her skin as she focused.
"Don't be a worthless bum like our father."
Marie sucked in a breath as her older brother's voice rang in her head. The darkness convulsed before dissipating altogether. She huffed and tried again.
"I thought you were supposed to be smart!"
Marie shook her head to clear her mother's voice from her mind. She spread her fingers and tried yet again.
"If you do this, you will never see my kids again."
A snarl of pure frustration escaped Marie, and she swung her left hand towards a dead tree. A sword formed from her hand and sliced the tree in two with a perfect cut. Marie stabbed the sword into the ground and took a step back, her eyes averting in shame. She had not tried to form a sword; it had just happened.
Elsa slowly walked up to Marie. She held out her hands. "May I?" she asked. Marie handed her the sword. Elsa observed the magical blade, her fingers running down it. "It's heavy…Anna always said that she couldn't wield it for long because of that. It's like your pain becomes the darkness itself."
Marie crossed her arms and frowned. "My pain isn't greater than anyone else's," she replied, her voice etched with a seethe aimed more towards herself than Elsa.
"Perhaps not." Elsa shivered as her fingers caressed the darkness. "You've been through a lot, and it may seem like too much sometimes, but there's hope even in the blackest darkness." She shifted the blade. "See? A sliver of light, a sliver of hope and love." Elsa smiled, her eyes shimmering in a way that made Marie shiver. "There's always been hope within you, Marie. It's one of the many reasons that I lo-" Elsa stopped and blushed. She cleared her throat and motioned for Marie to take the blade. "If darkness is pain, then perhaps light is hope and love."
Marie took the blade and stared at it. "Then why is it being used for evil?" She gripped it tightly. "How can light be bad?"
Elsa conjured a large snowflake. "I once used my magic to harm others. I almost became a monster… Ice is cold and lifeless. It can end life and forever encapsulate it."
"But your magic is so beautiful!" Marie argued, her voice rising in pitch as surprise swept through her. "You bring joy to those who see it! No one thinks you're a monster!"
Elsa smiled and closed her fist as the snowflake disappeared. Suddenly Marie understood. "It all depends on the wielder," Elsa said. She looked at Marie. "Now, try again what you did earlier."
Marie nodded and cleared her mind, her eyes closing as she raised her hands. It doesn't have to be so heavy, she thought. I can handle it. Her fingers tingled as she formed a sphere. She opened her eyes. There, in the middle, was a small sliver of light. She peered at it. Had it always been there? Why did she not notice it? Her memories were starting to come back, but that did not help the confusion she felt, and the many questions she had. She shook her head. Marie shifted the sphere onto her left hand as her right hand pierced it. Surprisingly, it felt warm. Her fingertips reached the light, and she gingerly attempted to pull it out, her entire body tensing.
An explosion blasted between them. Marie groaned in pain as her body slammed against a tree, the broken branches poking through her winter coat. "Look out!" Elsa yelled, rushing forward as a giant wave of snow that the tree had held on its branches descended upon them. Within mere seconds, Elsa guarded Marie from the onslaught of snow with a layer of ice that she formed over them. It hit her shield of ice with a thud! before slipping onto the frozen ground. Their breaths mingled, and Marie felt a shiver run up and down her body as Elsa's hot breath cascaded across her neck. She pulled away and dissipated the shield, her nose slightly brushing Marie's. "Are you okay?" Elsa asked.
Marie trembled, but not from the cold. "Yeah," she replied, her cheeks turning red. "Did I hurt you?"
"No," Elsa said, pulling away and brushing snow off the light blue jacket she had borrowed from Marie. "Quite the opposite!" She walked a few feet away, cupping her chin excitedly in thought. "You've had both all along!"
Marie blinked. "What?" She had already heard this information in their previous conversations, but it still had not sunk in.
"You have both light and dark magic, Marie," Elsa explained with certainty, unable to hide the exhilaration in her voice. "Dominic was right! I think in order for you to be able to properly wield dark magic, you must have light magic as well."
"Dominic? Who's that?"
Elsa could not help but crack a small smile. "Perhaps it is a blessing that you haven't remembered him yet…" She resumed cupping her chin. "When that blast hit us, it felt…raw, almost incomplete. I don't think they are meant to be separated. I think your magic has its own balance, and to separate them is to leave yourself unprotected." She motioned with her hands. "The light is protecting you from the darkness, and the darkness is quelling the light." When a troubled expression ran across Marie's face, Elsa tipped her head to the side. "What's wrong?"
Marie frowned. She looked at Elsa. "What did the light feel like when you fought it?"
Elsa cupped her chin again. "It felt…lost, as though it came from a source that wasn't its true nature." She smiled at Marie. "Are you thinking that darkness and light are different from what you're used to?"
A surprised grunt escaped Marie, and she was reminded that Elsa knew her from a time that Marie could not remember. She scratched her cheek. "Yes. Every story that I've come across with light and darkness has always been the same: light is good, and darkness is evil." She crossed her arms. "I'm having a difficult time grasping what's going on."
Elsa clasped her hands in front of her. "It is rather confusing." She sighed as her expression fell into a somber state. "You don't remember, but someone stole your magic from you back in Arendelle." Marie's eyes widened as she continued listening. Elsa clasped her hands even tighter. "He was known as The Grey, a third person in a realm who also possesses the ability to wield magic. If either of the other two magic users, known as The Light and The Dark, fail, it's up to The Grey to take over. They possess the ability to take magic from the other users."
"So, this person took it from me?" Marie asked.
"Yes." A troubled look also came across Elsa's face. "He lost control, and nearly killed you. Grand Pabbie told Anna that if you did not have any magic in Arendelle, you could die." She looked at Marie with steady eyes. "I believe that it was the light that saved you from dying. As The Grey, Dominic took your dark magic, but he could not handle it. He lost control of himself, and we defeated him. You took back your magic and he lost all ability to wield magic after that."
Marie crossed her arms and walked a few feet away, her eyes focused on the ground. "So, I failed…"
The sound of snow crunching underneath boots met Marie's ears, and she turned around when Elsa set a hand on her shoulder. "No," Elsa stated softly, briefly touching Marie's cheek with her hand. "You took back what was yours. He wasn't strong enough to handle the darkness, but you are." She let her hand drop to Marie's scarf, and she rubbed the soft fabric much like Marie rubbed her hair earlier that day. "I almost lost you to him…" She turned around, but not before Marie caught sight of her eyes darkening. "Anna is much more gracious towards him than I could ever be."
Marie touched her scarf where Elsa did, her cheeks turning the same shade of pink as it. "The name sounds familiar," she said quietly. "Is this the guy that tried courting you?"
"Yes," Elsa said with exhaustion. Her eyebrow twitched as she crossed her arms. "I was never interested. Ever."
A chuckle escaped Marie. "Now that sounds familiar," she joked, causing Elsa to laugh as well. Marie stared at the ground, her smile soon fading. "Elsa?"
"Yes?"
Marie kicked some snow. "What if-…What if I fail again? What if I can't handle any of this?" Before Elsa could respond, Marie took a step forward to interrupt her. "I want to do this. I want to help as much as I can, but I'm afraid that I won't be enough…" Her eyebrows furrowed as she kept her eyes fixated on the ground, the echoes of her family's comments still ringing in her head. "I want to be able to protect people, to protect those I love, to protect you." When Elsa gasped, Marie immediately tensed up. "N-not that I-! I meant-! U-um…I w-want to be able to protect you, to fight along side you, is all, n-not-…"
Elsa grabbed one of Marie's hands gently and stroked her glove. "That's a good start," Elsa said with a smile. Marie smiled even though her heart was pounding loudly in her ears. Something bright caught her eye, and she dropped Elsa's hand upon seeing it. Elsa followed her gaze.
A ball of light was floating idly about four feet off the ground, swaying ever so slightly. The two women looked at each other before advancing forward. The light pulsed in response but stayed in place. Elsa lifted her hand, ready to touch it. "We should both try," she suggested to Marie. Marie nodded and lifted her hand, and they both reached out to touch the ball of light.
Suddenly it flew several feet away right before they were able to make contact with it. It stopped, resuming its idle swaying as it waited for them to follow it. Elsa and Marie looked at each other, and Marie felt courage rise within her when Elsa's eyes twinkled with adventure. Her chest swelled as they began following the ball of light, a small smile forming on her face. The adventures they went on had started to come back to Marie, and as they followed the ball of light, she could not help but feel as though this was where she was meant to be, that this was what she was meant to do. A stinging sensation formed behind her eyes as glee soared within her.
They followed the light through the trees, and soon came to a clearing with tall yellow grass and several animal trails that weaved through the vegetation. The two women stopped in their tracks, their mouths falling open. Several deer were grazing in the grass, and on the outskirts of the herd was a deer made of light and darkness. Much like Twamley, its eyes were made of light while its body was mostly made of darkness. Patches of light swirled on its body, perfectly mingling with the darkness. The deer lifted their heads upon hearing of Elsa and Marie's arrival, including the magical being. Marie and Elsa slowly lowered themselves into squatting positions, their demeanors calm yet full of wonder. "Amazing," Elsa breathed. Marie exhaled in response, unable to come up with words. The magical deer was grazing and mingling with the deer so naturally, so peacefully. The ball of light that had led them there floated up to it and the deer lifted its nose to touch the ball of light. "See?" Elsa breathed. "Not all darkness is evil, and not all light is blinding." She shifted forward towards the deer. "Magic is beautiful." Marie took her glove off and reached out towards the magical deer, who was watching her with curious white eyes. After a few seconds, it began to walk towards them.
It happened so fast. A bullet of light struck the magical deer in the neck, and Marie watched as its body collapsed to the frozen ground. Elsa immediately shot a blast of ice at the tree line where the bullet came from, her body shielding Marie. "We're not alone," she said furiously. Fear choked Marie, and she remained frozen as Elsa lashed out at another light bullet. It grazed Elsa's shoulder, and she groaned in pain.
"Elsa!" Marie shouted. A powerful sense of fury filled Marie, and she stood and whipped her left hand to the side, forming a dark sword. Marie stood by Elsa's side and in front of the deer, who was writhing on the ground. Marie gritted her teeth. "Get out of here!" she yelled at the rest of the deer, who were already running.
Elsa gripped her shoulder as she shot a flurry of icicles at the tree line. "Marie, remember when you and I sparred on our way to The Enchanted Forest?" Another bullet of light shot towards them, and Elsa whipped a hand upward, blocking the bullet with a wall of ice. She twirled in a circle and continued forming the wall until it surrounded them. "Remember those shields you made? The ones that you used to stop my snowballs?"
A bullet pierced the wall, and Marie tackled Elsa to the side as it flew close to the ice mage's head. Marie snarled and raised her hands, moving them in a quick circular motion. Darkness shot from her hands and formed two shields. Marie whipped them around the wall of ice to protect them. Another bullet shot towards them, and her shields barely blocked it. Faster, Marie thought, whipping her arms wildly. I need to go faster!
She shivered as Elsa set her hand on Marie's shoulder to form ice armor. Marie did the same, and both women soon donned dark ice armor. Another bullet pierced the ice wall but did not go all the way through. Elsa froze the wound on her shoulder. "We have to go on the offensive," she said.
"Let me!" Marie exclaimed as her shields began picking up pace.
"I need you to shield me," Elsa ordered. "Can you do that?" Marie nodded. "Okay," Elsa said, her hands raising in front of her. Her fingers spread across her ice shield, her fingertips digging into the ice. "Ready?" she asked as another bullet collided with the ice. Marie nodded once more. Elsa inhaled. "Now!"
Marie and Elsa broke through the ice wall and bolted towards the assailant. Marie grunted as she whipped her dark shields around them at such a fast speed that they appeared to be a singular wall around them. Elsa stabbed an icicle into a tree and swung her body around the tree while hanging onto the icicle, her feet aimed right at the assailant who was hidden behind it. A sickening thud! sounded through the air as Elsa made contact. Marie tried to move so she could see who was behind the tree, but the area surrounding them was made of complete light, blinding them. Elsa shot another blast of ice at them as the assailant began to run. "Hey!" Marie screamed, and she began to run after them.
Suddenly Elsa grabbed her shoulder. "Let them go," she ordered, her breath coming in huffs.
Marie jerked away from her touch. "But-!"
Elsa gripped her own wounded shoulder and shook her head. "They're too fast. They're already gone."
Marie was about to argue with her but caught sight of blood on Elsa's shoulder. She felt slightly ashamed for not noticing sooner. "Are you okay?" she asked after looking around. Elsa was right; they were already gone.
Elsa nodded, but not convincingly. She turned her attention behind them. "The deer," she said quietly. Marie turned around to see the magical deer laying on its side, its eyes locked on the two women.
Marie slowly approached and knelt, bringing its head onto her lap. "You poor thing," she said softly, her hand stroking its head. Its breath was heavy as its body shook. Marie sighed heavily, her eyes looking into the deer's. Elsa knelt next to her and looked down at the deer. "Can you heal it?" Marie asked.
Elsa stroked the deer. "It's too severe. I'm sorry…"
Marie nodded and turned her focus back on the dying deer. "It's okay," she whispered. "You can let go." As though it understood her, the deer exhaled one last time, its eyes fading into nothingness. Its body began to dissipate, the light and darkness dancing somberly above them.
Marie locked her apartment door after she and Elsa entered. Even though Elsa had frozen her wound shut, she still carried herself stiffly and painfully. She gripped her shoulder and turned towards Marie, who was grabbing some medical supplies from her bathroom. "Let me look at that," Marie said, motioning for Elsa to sit down on her computer chair. Elsa obeyed and looked at her expectedly as though she wanted to say something. Marie sat down behind her, a feeling of dread filling her. "You saw what he looked like, didn't you?" she asked quietly.
Elsa took a deep breath and turned her head towards Marie. "He looked to be in his sixties, with white hair and glasses…" When Marie immediately tensed, Elsa shifted and said, "We still don't know if it's your father," she tried to suggest, but Marie shook her head. Elsa sighed, her eyes downcast.
Marie clenched her hands into fists when they trembled. "When I was a kid, my father brought me with him to gut a deer he had shot…" Elsa blinked in confusion but listened, her eyes staring intently at Marie. "He told me that the two places to shoot a deer was in the heart, and in the neck, but he preferred the neck…" Marie cupped her face in her hands for a few seconds. "The magical deer was shot in the same place he always shot them…It's him." Panic flooded Marie as several memories burned across her mind, but as she looked at Elsa's wound, fury soon took the place of fear. She had felt it before: that familiar fury that swept through her at the thought of her safety being invaded by her own father. Marie had fought both in person and in court to guarantee her protection from him. What once was fear was now angry determination. Marie furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Elsa. "He needs to be stopped," she said firmly with more resolve than she had ever felt in years. "Will you help me?"
Elsa looked steadily into Marie's eyes, Marie's resolve soon spreading to her. "Yes," she replied.
Marie smiled at her before turning her full attention to Elsa's wound as she gently pulled Elsa's shirt over her shoulder. She still had it frozen, but Marie could still see that there was an indent on the top of her shoulder where the light bullet had grazed her. Marie frowned in concern. "I think we should go into the clinic."
"No," Elsa quickly snapped, causing Marie to flinch slightly. "I'm sorry, but I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why?"
Elsa grunted in pain as she touched her frozen wound. "Because the light bullet is still inside of me." She pulled her shirt even further off her shoulder and pointed to a spot on the end of her collar bone. Right below her wound was the light bullet, and Marie watched as it began to move closer to Elsa's heart. This caused Elsa to grunt in pain, and she turned away for a second as she hunched over.
Marie stood. "We need to get that out." She entered her bedroom and searched for something Elsa could change into. She would need to get out of her shirt for them to get the light bullet out. Marie relayed this information to Elsa, who nodded. Marie swallowed a lump in her throat as she pulled out a swimming suit top. I need to focus, she thought to herself, shaking her head. She exited her bedroom and shyly held out the swimming top to Elsa. "H-here," Marie stammered. She took a deep breath, her focus coming back. "I can help you put it on if you'd like."
Elsa looked at the top, one of her eyebrows raising. "That doesn't cover much, does it?"
"I'm sorry," Marie said as she scratched her head. "I'd give you a sports bra, but that would get in the way of the bullet and both of your wounds. It would only cause you pain." Elsa's new wound was on the same shoulder as her previous wound. Marie stared at Elsa's beat up shoulder with concern. "I'd like to help."
Elsa turned away, her face reddening. "Alright," she said quietly. She turned her back to Marie and began reaching for the bottom of her shirt. Marie blushed and turned away, her heart suddenly racing. She could not help but look, especially when Elsa grunted again in pain.
"D-do you need help?" Marie asked, turning away again.
She heard Elsa struggle and sigh in frustration. "Yes." Marie took another deep breath to focus herself as her heart raced. She turned around and approached Elsa, who had gotten her shirt over her right shoulder but not her wounded left. Marie made sure to position herself so that she could not see Elsa's chest, just her back. Elsa turned her head to watch Marie as she edged the shirt carefully over Elsa's shoulder. Elsa extended her arm to make the process easier, and with a quick, smooth motion, Marie got Elsa's shirt off. Marie dropped it, her hands shaking far more than she cared for. Elsa's skin was pale, flawless, and smooth. Marie ran her eyes over her until she caught Elsa staring at her intensely. Marie ripped her gaze away and blushed deeply, guilt raking across her chest. She cleared her throat and held out the swimsuit top.
"Position it and I'll tie it in the back," Marie ordered softly, surprised at how smooth her voice sounded. Elsa grabbed it with one hand as she shielded her chest with the other. Marie's birds watched intently. "No staring, boys," Marie grumbled to them. They simply fluffed up and chirped back at her. Elsa laughed and relaxed slightly. Marie could not help but notice how shy Elsa was being. It was enticing. Marie did not want to pull away; she wanted to stay close to Elsa. As Elsa positioned the top over her chest, Marie reached over and grabbed the black strings to tie them around Elsa's neck. She moved Elsa's blonde hair out of the way, some her soft locks falling over Marie's skin. She could smell the rose scented shampoo and conditioner that Elsa had used earlier, and Marie twirled a strand between her fingers before she finished brushing Elsa's hair out of the way. She snuck a quick peek at Elsa, who was staring nervously into the distance, but Marie knew she was paying full attention to all of it.
Marie finished tying the strands on her neck and midback, and she leaned back to give Elsa room to turn around. Once she was turned around, Marie found herself frozen. Although Elsa was thin, she was also toned. Her waist curved across her body in a way that made Marie's fingertips itch, and her abdomen was lean and toned. Marie could not help but notice how her swimming suit top made Elsa's chest very attractive, especially in shape. Elsa cracked a little smile as she raised her eyebrow once more. "You're staring," she said.
"S-sorry," Marie stammered as embarrassment encompassed her. She stared at the floor and fiddled with her hands. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
Elsa let out a soft huff and tilted her head. "It's okay. Really," she replied as she reached for Marie's hand.
Marie pulled away. "N-no, it's-" She stopped, frozen with shame.
"You're still struggling with it, huh?" Elsa asked. When Marie turned away, Elsa lowered her hand. "In Arendelle, you had a hard time accepting your feelings. I want you to know that what you're feeling is okay. It's a part of who you are."
Marie furrowed her eyebrows as she felt pressure building behind her eyes. What Elsa had said Marie knew to be true. She even remembered some of it, even though it was blurry and unclear. She cleared her throat and looked Elsa in the eye. "Let's get that bullet out," she said firmly.
Elsa shielded her chest with her right hand. "Okay."
The bullet was still in the corner of Elsa's collar bone, and it seemed to pulse with Elsa's heartbeat. Marie reached out to touch it, but she yanked her hand back when it burned her fingertips. "Ouch," she grumbled, shaking her hand. "That has to hurt."
"It does," Elsa said with discomfort. She looked down at it. "I want you to try and take it out."
"How?"
"By using your magic," Elsa replied. Marie blinked in surprise. "I didn't know I could heal until you were injured," Elsa explained. "Maybe it'll be the same with you."
"But I'm new to magic," Marie argued. "I'm not even close to your level."
Elsa grunted in pain as the bullet pulsed. "It's worth a shot." Marie nodded and inwardly chastised herself. Elsa was in pain and was depending on her to help. Now was not the time for self-doubt. She stretched her hand out as darkness began to seep from her fingertips. With an inhale, Marie reached for the bullet. To her surprise, the bullet hissed and pulsed against her darkness, but she was able to feel it. Elsa groaned in pain but resisted pulling away. Marie pressed her fingers against Elsa's skin and reached deeper. The bullet slipped from her grasp, causing Elsa to groan even louder. The ice queen was breathing heavily, and her eyes were downcast and glossy. Marie pulled away so Elsa could catch her breath. It was evident that she was in pain.
Something inside of Marie stirred, and she felt even more motivation to get it out. "Let me try again," Marie commanded. Elsa gripped her shoulder, but after a few seconds, she nodded. Marie scooted closer to her and wrapped her entire hand with darkness. Focus on what she said, she thought. That she didn't know she could heal until I was injured. She placed her hand over the bullet, her fingers spreading over Elsa's upper chest. I want to heal her. Elsa bit her lip to stop herself from crying out, but she still groaned as Marie surrounded the bullet with darkness. The bullet began to move towards Elsa's heart. "Oh, no you don't," Marie seethed. She drew a line of darkness above Elsa's heart, blocking the bullet. It began moving towards the middle of Elsa's chest. Marie followed it with her hand, her eyes fixated on the path it was taking across Elsa's chest. When Elsa flinched and tried to pull away, Marie wrapped her left arm around Elsa and pulled her in, Marie's eyes still fixated on her chest. Elsa let out a noise that made Marie blush, but she shook her head to focus and tried to ignore her own racing heart. Marie lifted her hand and sighed with frustration. "I'm having a hard time gripping-"
She froze when she saw the look on Elsa's face. Elsa was staring at her with large glossy eyes that burned into Marie in a way that made Marie's knees shaky. They were mere inches away from each other, so close that their breaths mingled. Marie felt her face turn a deep shade of red. That expression on Elsa's face…Marie had seen it before. It was the one that haunted her dreams far before they were reunited, the one that burned in the back of her eyes when she tried to fall asleep, whenever Marie thought of her, but it was not a dream this time. It was right in front of her. What was this feeling? What was this warmth that filled Marie, this pulsing that shook her body? She swallowed a lump in her throat as Elsa's breath clung to her skin.
Suddenly Marie's birds started screaming. The two women stirred from their frozen states as Twamley flew across the apartment and landed on Elsa's chest. He began pecking at the light bullet that had lodged itself right in the middle of Elsa's chest. Marie drew a circle around the bullet to trap it, trying to ignore Elsa's gasp as Marie's finger ran over the edges of her breasts. Focus, Marie! she thought desperately. Twamley pecked furiously at the bullet, and to their surprise, it began to come out ever so slightly, but the bird lost his grip and the bullet sunk back into Elsa's chest. She moaned in pain, and Marie felt that angry determination flood her once more. She dug her thumb and forefinger into Elsa's chest, her fingers contacting it for a second before it slipped out of her grasp. Marie growled in frustration and tried over and over again, but to no avail. "Dammit," she said, desperation starting to creep into her voice.
Elsa gripped Marie's shirt. "Please," she begged softly. "Just get it out." Twamley pecked chaotically, but his grip was not strong enough. Marie tried once more with her fingers but with no luck. Elsa moaned, her body beginning to shake. Desperation was sweeping through Marie now.
Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. Marie pulled Elsa in with both of her arms and took a deep breath in, her heart racing. "Forgive me," she said. Before Elsa could respond, Marie dove forward and placed her mouth over the bullet. Elsa gasped and gripped Marie as her teeth wrapped around the bullet. Marie's blood pumped heavily throughout her body as she closed her eyes and dug her face deeper into Elsa's chest. Her heart raced. Her body pounded. Her face reddened, but she persisted. The bullet was now between her teeth, but it was stubborn. Marie growled and pulled Elsa's body closer to hers as her teeth gripped the bullet even harder. Her lips pressed against the sides of Elsa's breasts, but Marie tried desperately to ignore the softness of Elsa's skin and the curvature of her chest against her face. She dug even deeper, tugging at the bullet as it began to gingerly come out. Elsa moaned and gripped Marie tightly. With one last pull, Marie flung herself away from Elsa, the bullet between her teeth. She bit down on it, shattering it into a thousand little pieces before it dissipated into thin air.
Marie wiped her face. "There," she said as a huge wave of relief washed over her. She looked at Elsa. She was cupping her face with one hand as the other touched the place where Marie's mouth had just been. A circle of darkness swirled on Elsa's chest before it disappeared too. Elsa was breathing heavily, and her face was red. Her eyes burned into Marie, and Marie's eyes burned into hers. Marie felt her lips tingle, and she touched her own lips in surprise as the two continued to stare at one another. That was the first time Marie had ever touched another woman in that way, and she soon was hit with the realization that she enjoyed it. Her eyes lingered down to Elsa's chest, then back up to her eyes. Elsa's eyes almost looked hungry. Marie felt her body shake. "U-um…" She looked away for a moment, Elsa's intense gaze sending Marie into a hot, messy state of mind. "D-did I get all of it?"
Elsa cupped her red face and turned away. "Y-yes," she stammered. Their eyes locked. Elsa smiled shyly. "Um…" Marie felt a warm prickle come across her chest as Elsa's tone of voice was shaky and light. Elsa rubbed her chest where Marie's lips had been. "I-I've never done that before…"
Marie giggled softly. "Me, either." She scooted closer to Elsa, her eyes finding the new wound on Elsa's shoulder. She began dressing the wound, her body still pounding. Marie kept sneaking glances at Elsa while tending to her. "There's a lot of firsts with you," Marie said.
Suddenly Elsa leaned forward, and Marie thought she was going to tip over as Elsa placed a soft kiss on Marie's cheek. "Thank you," Elsa breathed in Marie's ear, causing the woman's entire face to turn a deep shade of red.
Marie felt the side of Elsa's face brush against hers as Elsa pulled away. "You're welcome," she replied as Elsa lingered close to her. Their breaths mingled. Marie felt her lips tingle as the two drifted closer.
Marie's birds screamed as Twamley flew into their cage, freaking them out. Elsa and Marie pulled away from each other and could not help but giggle. Marie continued to dress Elsa's wound, finding her hand drifting to the place where Elsa had kissed her.
