With a satisfied growl, Cthulhu turned back to Godzilla, who was groggily picking himself up after being struck hard by his behemoth opponent. The gigantic dinosaur-like creature, holding himself up by one arm whilst rubbing his injured head with his other hand, looked up just in time to see Cthulhu loom over head like an executioner about to deliver an execution upon the damned.
"Your turn," he said coldly.
With a sharp kick, he knocked Godzilla on his side, shattering what was left of a clump of jungle, dorsal plates creating more jagged trenches and tossing tonnes of dirt into the air. Godzilla tried to get up, but a clawed foot slammed down on his head, nearly gouging out one of his eyes. A large hand grabbed his dorsal plates and, seemingly without effort, began to pull the huge bulk of the creature up whilst pressing down on the head. Godzilla cried out and tried clawing at Cthulhu's foot, which made the gigantic bipedal cephalopod grunt, but he did not stop. He seemed, almost uncharacteristically, to relish in the pain as he let out a purr of enjoyment.
BOOM!
The cephalopod's head snapped back round in the direction Elsa had been tossed. In the nearby entrance to the chamber, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, Sven and the Mu sisters looked too in that same direction. Even Godzilla, given the momentary halt to the pressure being exerted on his head, gazed in awe at the sight which all eyes were locked upon.
A large shape began to rise up from the foliage about a mile or so away, surrounded by a glow of almost pure white light, almost blinding those looking on in shock. A head came, followed by a slender feminine body with a pair of arms. A flowing dress that glowed like the purest white as if from the heavens itself billowed out as the winds picked up, tossing loose foliage everywhere. Dark clouds formed overhead as if in a rush to meet this new being, almost something mythological. Lightning cracked loudly like cannons, thunder rumbled the ground and shook those looking on to their bones.
Kristoff muttered a "What the hell?" as the being stood up from behind the distant jungle, its face glowing like a goddess, its hair flowing behind it like it was caught in a typhoon.
Anna, Olaf, Sven and the Mu sisters said nothing, but there was no doubt they felt the same way.
"What is this?" Cthulhu's deep voice spoke up, calm but with a tangible level of fear behind it.
Giving a wordless answer, the being raised her arm, fingers outstretched and pointing at Cthulhu and Godzilla. The storm raging above picked up in its intensity as lightning struck the trees, starting small fires; wind threw fallen and uprooted loose trees around like toys. Even the ground itself cracked and was torn apart. The Arendelle and Mu group rushed into the chamber, watching the display from within, though they doubted it would be truly safe as their safe haven shook as if an earthquake was happening on the island. Cthulhu stepped back a pace, dropping Godzilla on the ground, eyes fixed on this feminine being that looked to be quite literally something from a mythological tale, radiating a power and aura that even he – and probably Godzilla too – could feel, despite both of them being at least three times her size.
The lightning grew fiercer. The storm grew in intensity, turning into a raging, uncontrollable, unforgiving tempest. Yet, the glowing being never faltered, not even be shifted by the wind. Her arm glowed brighter, rivalling even that of the light from the sun. Anna watched on from her shelter, Kristoff shielding her with his body; both they and the others waiting for what was to happen next.
With a cacophonous crescendo, the air seemed to explode. The chamber rocked wildly; the island bounced, mixed with the sounds of rock and earth being torn apart. A blinding white light forced those in the entrance to turn away, but this did little to reprieve them from the effects of the intense glow. Outside, a thunderous roar of pain rolled out, followed almost simultaneously by a crash that sent shockwaves across the island, causing rocks and debris to fall from above in some parts of the chamber (Mothra squealed in panic and shielded her offspring with her body at this). Another loud roar, or scream that sounded all to familiar to the Arendelle group, erupted, followed by another loud thud moments later.
Finally, it stopped. The glow subsided, and the sounds of what must have been the end of all things ceased, though loud booms continued from outside. Curious, but shaken, Anna and Kristoff rushed over to the entrance and looked outside, gasping at the sight before them.
The entire island landscape looked like it had literally been torn asunder by the wrath of god himself. Whatever damage done by the fight between Godzilla and Elsa and Cthulhu paled in comparison. The jungle for many hundreds of metres was torn and burned to a crisp, the charred husks of what had been thousands of trees left smoking beneath the dark sky. Huge chunks of earth looked like they had been quite literally ripped out from the ground and tossed in all directions. Even the air was heavy with a thick smoky and burning smell. The sky above, while the clouds had lightened somewhat to allow small breaks of sunlight through, still lit up ominously in the masses of swirling grey and black as if what had done this were delivering a warning to the world below of what was to come.
"Where's Godzilla and Cthulhu?" Kristoff asked.
Indeed, his observation was correct. Where were they? Both Arendelle humans glanced around at the devastated landscape but could see nothing of the two behemoths. How? They were the size of mountains; how could they have just disappeared?
Movement from nearby drew their attention to the glowing white being, who began to move in the direction said two creatures had last been seen, the sounds of trees (or what remained of their destroyed husks) crunching under her feet. Briefly, she glanced down at the two humans near the chamber: both greeting her gaze with a mix of palpable tension and awe. The face, while effulgent to Anna and Kristoff, was still identifiable as Elsa's. Her expression was focused, set on defeating Cthulhu. Her hands crackled with more of the electricity that swirled between her fingers. To the tiny humans nearby, it was like a show of force. Even though this Elsa-like being was barely one hundred feet tall, being near her made their hairs stand on end and blood run cold.
A loud crashing sound from nearby drew the attention of the two humans and the Elsa-like being. A large shape picked itself up, stumbling slightly as it shook itself free from rocks and rubbed dirt and debris from its face. It was Cthulhu. He was in a bad way; his body was riddled with burn marks and scars; his arms were bloodied and there was a gaping wound across his face with some of his tentacles having been clearly blown off by Elsa's attack. His wings, too, were nothing but charred remains as if they had been set alight with fire, their bony fragments looking as if they were about to fall off from his body. One of his eyes was bleeding and swollen – missing or not, those observing him knew not. He glanced at his surroundings, taking in the complete devastation brought upon him and the island. It shocked him, almost to the point of it being unbelievable in his eyes.
Yet, when he laid eyes on Elsa, his expression turned from exasperation to unbridled fury. Though he had one eye, it glared at her like that of God himself. His fists clenched together hard, arms bent, a low growl rising in intensity from within. His chest rose and fell heavily. Despite the pain coursing through his body, it was pitiful compared to the adrenaline rush he was experiencing. Injured or not, he was going to deal with her as he had done with Godzilla.
Cthulhu grabbed a rock the size of a building and lobbed it at Elsa. Before she could respond, it slammed into her with a loud crash that knocked her down in a cloud of dust and debris.
"Elsa!" Anna cried out in horror.
"Anna, look out!" Kristoff shouted, grabbing her and pulling her to the ground as a large chunk of rock just missed them.
The ground shook again. Looking up, they saw Cthulhu charge towards where Elsa had been, moving with a speed that belied his large frame the injuries he had so far sustained. As Elsa tried to get up, he launched himself at her, landing a hard blow that shattered part of her face. Another tore off her arm, shattering the ice in a million pieces. She cried out and tried to strike him with ice, but the gigantic bipedal cephalopod pinned her down by the neck with his large fist, bending low and leaning in close until their faces were almost touching.
"Monster!" he spoke icily, laconically.
With a turn, he tossed Elsa into the chamber, landing with another thunderous crescendo of noise as said chamber's front side collapsed from the force of the throw. Anna cried out Elsa's name in horror.
Elsa! The others!
They had to be okay, they had to! Olaf, Moll, Sven! That throw could have torn the biggest mountain they had in Arendelle in two; this chamber stood no chance. Hundreds of thoughts raced through her mind. What of Mothra and the younglings? Were they hurt? Or worse? And Elsa! What if this had finally finished her off. She had been fighting Cthulhu for … God knows how long, and she had only just survived because of Godzilla!
Godzilla! Where is he?! He had to save her!
"Fret not, little ones!" That voice made their stomachs dropped. Anna and Kristoff turned and looked up to see Cthulhu glaring down at them. "You will not be far behind,"
Anna felt like her bowels were turning to ice as she backed away in response to the gigantic creature stepping towards them. Kristoff pulled Anna behind her trying to stand defiantly in the most literal sense of Biblical David and Goliath. For a brief moment, Cthulhu even smirked at such a move.
Brave, but hopelessly foolish.
SSSSKKKKRRREEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOKKK!
His head looked over, as did Anna and Kristoff's, in the direction he had been moments ago. Standing tall over the burnt, devastated jungle was Godzilla, a moment of hope for the humans, though they quickly saw how he looked. His body had not escaped the lightning strike by Elsa. His body was bloodied and marked with scars and small wounds. Parts of his legs and arms were smoking, probably because of a few direct hits from the lightning. Even a couple of his dorsal plates were cracked and he noticeably winced when he clenched his fists together. He looked tired, worn out, exhausted; like at any moment he would pass out.
But here he was. Still standing strong, not giving up. He would be damned and dead before Cthulhu would defeat him.
Cthulhu growled heavily; the frustration palpable. He would not traipse into this fight. He was going to deal with Godzilla as he had done with the ice queen, and then he would turn his attention to the rest of them.
With a roar, he charged forward, the force and wind of his rush knocking over Anna and Kristoff into a hole. A second later, the air seemed to burst with energy as the two gods collided with Godzilla trying to claw at and force Cthulhu over, but his opponent swiped his arms aside and headbutted the gigantic reptilian following up by tossing him to the ground.
Kristoff climbed out of the hole and helped Anna out, brushing dirt off her dress and back. "Godzilla's not doing too good," he commented anxiously.
Anna could only nod in reply. Admittedly, Godzilla had lasted longer than she thought despite the injuries dealt to him by Cthulhu, but one simple glance at him now showed he was starting to wane. Cthulhu was too, but he still possessed much more fighting strength and ability, and the first clash with Godzilla had been unbelievably one-sided and he came out with barely a scratch. Even the combined efforts of Godzilla and Elsa, though severely damaging, had not stopped him. Part of her wondered if he even could be stopped.
If he kills Godzilla, what are we gonna do?
A daunting, horrifying prospect.
"Anna! Kristoff!" Olaf's voice called out from the chamber. They looked over to see the snowman waving at them frantically with a panicked expression. "Guys! Elsa's hurt! And Mothra too!"
Anna rushed over to the chamber with Kristoff. As they entered where the entrance had been, it now but a smashed ruin with what had been the ceiling (not just for this section of the mountain but for much of the chamber) once was. Olaf led them into the now ruined nesting area where Mothra stood, brushing debris off her youngling and the egg, making a series of noises that were akin to a mother weeping over her injured children after some sort of horrific accident. Other piles of debris and rock lay scattered about. Belvera moved among them with Moll, both of them discussing something but they were too far to be heard.
"Princess Anna! Over here!" Lora called out from nearby.
Anna looked over and her breath was caught in her throat. She couldn't speak, but she wanted to cry out, to scream.
Next to the Mu woman lay Elsa, propped up against a piece of what had been the outer wall of the mountain. If her condition had been bad before after Cthulhu had torn her ice dragon to shreds, then now it was much, much worse. Her hair was torn and bloodied, her arms were littered with wounds and her left hand was bent at an odd angle. Her dress was torn, exposing much of her body underneath, and with it the open wound on her stomach. Whilst it was not bleeding profusely, blood was still seeping out from her hand that lay across her abdomen and was running down her side and legs (her lower half was pockmarked with wounds and her feet were purple).
Her face, though, was a sore sight. One of her eyes was swollen shut, blood smeared her lips and there was a gash across her forehead, which had turned the hair – already dirty from the fighting – a deep scarlet colour. It looked like someone had quite literally beaten her to a pulp and left her for dead.
Anna rushed over and knelt down next to her sister, tears brimming in her eyes as she tried to hold back a sob. Images of Elsa's injured form from years before, in the streets of the Southern Isles capital, dying in her arms and her crying out in the hellish landscape, the prospect of her elder sibling going from this world – all of it rushed through her mind. She had tried to induratize herself to it, to prepare for Elsa being hurt. But dying! Again?! This was something she couldn't face, didn't want to. At home in Arendelle, yes, when old and near the end of a long life, not here in some cave (or what was left of it) in the middle of the Pacific.
"Elsa?" Anna spoke, gently resting her hand behind Elsa's. "Elsa, please speak to me,"
Her elder sibling's eyes flickered as she exhaled. Slowly, she looked up at her younger, copper-haired sister. She gave her a small smile, relieved, comforted that her younger sister was not only safe, but was here.
"A-Anna," she breathed weakly, gripping her sister's hand with her unbroken right hand. "You're here!"
Anna sighed, both annoyed and relieved. "Of course I am, you nitwit! I can't leave here alone!"
Elsa gave a small nod, gasping out in agony as pain ran down the back of her head and across her back. Looking down, she saw her wound open. "Oh no!" she said, though her voice lacked the strength for the normal panicked manner one would speak in such a situation.
"Elsa, lay still, we'll try to find a way to patch it up," Anna said. "Is there anything we can do to stop the bleeding?" she asked Lora.
The Mu woman considered for a moment, looking down at the wound, then back at Mothra, who was nuzzling the head of her youngling. Outside, the noise of battle between the two behemoths raged on.
"Mothra may be able to," she said, though Anna easily picked up on the doubt in her voice. "It will at least help,"
She princess nodded and looked down at Elsa. The Arendelle queen met her sister's gaze, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. We'll be okay. Anna returned the gesture. So will you.
"Lora, Kristoff, help!" came Moll's voice. She and Belvera were trying to cut the silk around the egg. "We must free the egg, it's too dangerous to stay here," she called out. Another rumble and a cry of pain (from Godzilla or Cthulhu they could not tell) echoed from outside.
"Okay, come Kristoff. Anna, stay with your sister," The Mu woman said as she and the Arendelle ice harvester, after he patted Anna on the shoulder comfortingly, headed over.
"Anna," Elsa spoke, drawing her sister's attention again.
"What is it, Elsa?" She asked.
Elsa tried to speak, but coughed, spitting up a bit of blood. Anna shushed her, wiping away the sanguine liquid and, tearing off a bit of her dress, pressed it against the wound on her sister's abdomen to try and stem the bleeding.
"Anna, I-" the queen spoke up again, but Anna stopped her. "No, Elsa, save your strength!"
"No!" Elsa said more firmly, gripping her sister's hand. "Listen to me!"
Anna wanted to argue, but held back.
"I-I'm sorry," Elsa said, her voice breaking a little as she looked up sadly at her younger sibling. "You were right!"
"Elsa-"
"No, let me finish!" Elsa said. "Anna, you were right! I-I wanted revenge so badly, I-I wasn't thinking straight, and … and I deserve everything you said to me. I was a horrible, selfish person. I wasn't thinking about you or Kristoff or Sven or Olaf; it was only about me!"
Anna did not reply, nor did she make any attempt to. Whilst it pained her to see her elder sibling in such a way … she knew that it had to be done.
Elsa continued: "I'm sorry for hurting you, and for being so uncaring and selfish. I never wanted to hurt you,"
Anna gave a small nod. "Well, you kinda did, Elsa," she said bluntly.
The queen nodded, turning her gaze to the ground, not able to look her sister in the eye. "I know." A pause hung between them, neither able to speak, though ironically it was saying more than anyone could.
Anna placed a hand under Elsa's chin and gently lifted her head up to face her. "Elsa, I forgive you." She said, blinking away tears. "I mean, you are an absolute pain, that's not something to deny. But you're still my sister." Another pause to let her words sink in. "You know I'd do anything for you."
Elsa let out a weak, but happy sob, her heart feeling like it was leaping a thousand feet. "I'd give my life for you." She said, gripping Anna's hand tight. "I promise you."
Anna sighed, rubbing Elsa's hand. "Elsa, let's get you fixed up. It's not safe here."
Elsa nodded, grunting as she allowed Anna to help lift her up from the ground, one arm around her younger sister. Elsa placed her hand on the wound and conjured a layer of ice over the wound. It stung, but it stopped the bleeding for now.
"I promise I'll make it up to you," she said as they began to trudge over to the others who were busy cutting the silk around the egg.
Anna stopped and looked her sister dead in the eyes, all while the noise of what sounded like the apocalypse raged on nearby. "Then please don't die."