You still fight me. But it matters not.
It was almost a shame that the original Elsa had not picked a more intelligent consort. A red trail of blood darted through the Palace corridors; not the slightest effort had been made to conceal it.
There could be no victory against her through strength, and that was all that Anna possessed. A consort would never have the power to overcome a divine, even in her weakest state. After millennia of striving for this day, it would end with such an anti-climax.
It is time for this world to die.
\
How long did she have until Elsa made her way through the rubble? Minutes? Seconds? The Goddess was hell-bent on her death, and she didn't care if she had to destroy half of the Castle to accomplish it. Even as Anna ran through the halls, the sound of wood and stone crashing through the air echoed through the corridors.
Anna's heart raced with fear. In all her life, she had never felt further from being a Knight of Arendelle. Anna wanted to hide… needed to hide. Wherever she went, the Goddess would eventually find her, but that didn't really matter at the moment. Anna's beaten, terrified body would do anything to postpone that slaughter for as long as possible.
Barely even comprehending where she was going, the young woman found herself in an out-of-the-way parlor on the opposite side of the Palace's second floor. She closed the door frantically before scurrying behind the sofa. Silken pillows and a hardwood frame would do nothing to protect her from the next vicious assault of ice magic, but they somehow made her feel slightly safer.
There was nothing she could do. Anna had gone up against a weakened Queen, armed with the element of surprise and a readiness to kill. Yet the result would be little different than their first confrontation. The Knight was still alive- and still able to swing her sword- but her body was decorated by blackening bruises courtesy of the walls and bookshelves that had become Elsa's weapons. Blood still dripped from the numerous cuts left behind by the Queen's icicles, and the pain in her left calf had only grown with time.
Worst of all was the mess in her left shoulder. Something had been broken there, and Anna could barely find the strength to lift her left arm. She would be fighting one-handed from now on.
Elsa hadn't even been touched. Even Pabbie's most powerful spell had done little but mess up her hair. Finally, Anna grasped the ugly truth. For weeks, she had agonized over the decision to kill the woman she loved. Now she realized that such an option had never been open to her.
The Goddess would find her. Perhaps Anna would manage to fight for a few minutes more. And then it would be over. Humanity would face an unimaginable future, and the true Elsa would be imprisoned by a monster for eternity.
Tears began to roll down her cheeks.
Snap out of it, Anna! The entire world is counting on you! How many people have died to get you to this point? the Knight berated herself. Yet what more could she do? Anna had fought her hardest, attempting to kill her soulmate while sustaining wounds that would bring any warrior to their knees. All to prevent a future that history deemed inevitable. Even Drell, a fanatic who had spent his entire life fighting the Faithful, had believed it was hopeless when the true prophecy made itself known. The world shall know divinity once more.
And what had her fight accomplished? Nothing. Entire sections of the Castle were in ruins, but the Goddess was no closer to defeat since they had begun. It was a miracle Anna hadn't been killed already…
Or was it?
Was it wishful thinking, or had the Goddess shown some hesitation as the duel went on? By all accounts, her opponent should have been eager to kill Anna as quickly as possible, yet she had allowed the Knight to make her desperate pleas almost without interruption.
Even the Goddess herself had stated that she would keep the real Elsa imprisoned- a direct contradiction of her prior boasts. Hopefully, that meant…
SLAM! The door burst open under a hail of ice, and Anna's heart all but stopped.
Immediately, a massive gust of air swept into the room. Anna dived to the side just before the sofa toppled over and smashed into the floor. Scrambling to her feet, she brandished her blade and faced the Goddess.
The next attack failed to arrive. Elsa's gaze traveled over the blood on the floor, the gashes in Anna's legs, and the large bruise on the Knight's cheek. Anna's heart leapt as the faintest hint of hesitation crept into the Queen's eyes.
"You always hated seeing me hurt, didn't you, Elsa?" Anna spoke softly. "You wouldn't even come to my room after my back was burned by that fire mage- you blamed yourself, remember? I didn't. And I don't blame you for any of this either!" she gestured to her wounds. "But I need you, Elsa! You're fighting in there; I can see it!"
The Goddess scowled. "Such pretty words," she scoffed. "But let us not forget why you want to 'free' her. You simply want a chance to destroy this body and your lover with it. She would be free only to feel your blade cutting into her heart."
It was all too true. Even though her mind resisted the notion, deep down she knew that Elsa would never be able to free herself permanently. A ritual prepared over a thousand years kept her personality suppressed; no one, no matter their force of will, could fight against that for long. A brief moment was all she could hope for.
"I can't do this without you, Elsa," Anna managed, her voice cracking. "She's too strong. I need to… kill you, and I know you're prepared to make that sacrifice. You've always valued my life over your own, even when you shouldn't have, and as much as it frustrated me- part of me loved being your priority. Just like you were mine."
The air between them was thick with tension, but the Goddess still made no move to attack. "It is all for naught, Anna," she intoned with a shake of her head. "Elsa is gone. I am the only being in control of this body, and I do not love you. "
A jolt sparked in Anna's mind upon hearing her enemy's words, but she couldn't place it.
"You remind me of her, you know," the Goddess continued. "The woman whose rise made all my ambitions possible. She too fought against her betters, despite being woefully outclassed in both knowledge and power. I watched her struggle throughout the very war she had started, driven by her love of the King to battle against gods who towered above her. I would have enjoyed punishing her for her insolence, but I suppose I shall have to settle-"
A barrage of icicles erupted from the Queen's palm. Anna once again dived behind the sofa, grabbed its frame with both hands and hurled the entire couch at her opponent. As a wall of ice rose to deflect the attack, the Knight took the chance to deliver two powerful kicks to the nearby wall. Her injured leg screamed in protest, but the centuries-old mortar gave way beneath her strength.
Anna rushed through the breach into the next room- another parlor- and threw herself at its wooden door. The structure gave way immediately, and Anna was racing through the corridors just as the Goddess regained track of her position.
Blasts of magic pursued her down the corridor, and another wall of ice sprouted between the Knight and the central staircase. Anna charged at it- shoulder first- and the barrier crumbled in her wake despite the resultant explosion of pain in her right arm.
Anna jumped down the stairway, entire staircases at a time. Seconds before she reached the bottom, explosions of frost began to decimate the structures above her. The Knight jumped, reaching the ground just before the lowest stairway erupted into splinters behind her.
Then she was sprinting through the corridors yet again. Anna knew she would have to make another stand somewhere. Swish! The Knight glanced behind her, slashed her sword through the air, and deflected two spikes of ice as she rounded another turn. Elsa was skiing through the air on a trail of ice, and it wouldn't be long before Anna was overtaken for the final time.
Desperate to stay ahead of the Goddess for a second longer, Anna barely realized where she was running. It was only after she passed underneath a massive archway- smashing through two large ornate wooden doors in the process- that the Knight noticed where she had ended up.
The throne room. A vast, nearly open space stood before her. A dozen enormous marble columns flanked each side of the room, holding up a ceiling decorated with beautiful paintings of historical events that Anna had never managed to memorize. The Knight's rapid steps carried her toward the raised dais at the far end of the room, upon which sat Elsa's simple, silver throne.
Oh, gods. Anna's heart dropped like a stone as she realized her mistake. The throne room was perhaps the largest area of the Palace, and the columns offered her a small amount of cover. But to ensure the monarch's security, there were no entrances or windows save for the main archway. Elsa was already walking through it, and the gleam in her eyes made it clear that she'd come to the same realization.
Standing on the dais's first steps, the Knight watched as Elsa flicked her wrist. A thick wall of ice rose from beneath the entrance, rising up to the archway and completely sealing the two combatants from the outside world.
"Nowhere else to run," the Goddess purred. "You will die in this room, Anna. The last hope of the old world shall perish before the throne of the new. Farewell. " A deluge of spikes materialized from both of Elsa's palms. The Knight slashed through several, but her battered body lacked the speed and reflexes to avoid the assault.
Swish! A large spike grazed Anna's side, leaving behind a gaping wound. " Please!" the Knight cried out in agony. Who the plea was meant for, Anna could not say. So much pain…
Only sheer force of will allowed Anna to remain on her feet. Then, at that moment… the barrage of ice slowed. Anna gasped- a mix of pain and relief- and found the strength to dive behind one of the marble columns. Large icicles began to slam into the pillar, and Anna knew it wouldn't hold for long.
Gritting her teeth, Anna resisted the urge to bring her hand to the new wound. A sticky flow of dark red liquid was all she would find, and there was no chance that she would be able to mend the gash on her own. Swiveling her head, Anna returned her attention to the Queen.
"We would have made a great family, don't you think?" Anna called out, even as a spike of ice flew past her ear.
Projectiles continued to fly in her direction, but the Goddess's voice was laced with uncertainty. "Excuse me?" she demanded. "I know not what you refer to."
"Oh, I think you do!" Anna called back. "I… we never talked about it… there was always so much going on, but I thought about it more than once. I knew you'd need an heir eventually, but more than that… I wanted to raise a little child with you. Imagine it," she scoffed at herself. " Me, helping to raise the next Queen of-"
"Stop!" the Goddess shouted. The entire room seemed to shake as a powerful gust of air swept at the column. Anna had just enough time to glance at the falling chunks of marble and mortar before jumping back out into the open.
It was at that moment that Anna knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this fight had accomplished something. Elsa was standing several meters away, her muscles clenched as if in terrible pain.
Every second Anna survived allowed Elsa's true personality to continue to claw her way back into control. Even now, the Queen's eyes were staring at Anna's open leg wound with an expression that could not be identified.
And yet she knew that Elsa couldn't keep this effort up indefinitely.
"I always imagined we'd adopt a little girl," Anna continued. Tears nearly came into her eyes at the words. It was a dream that could now never become reality, but she couldn't help but yearn for it all the same. "An orphan- we'd save our new daughter from the life that I'd had to live. A little Princess of our own, running through the corridors just like her mother."
The Knight's hand gripped a shard of ice off the ground. Elsa still stood before her, teeth clenched and arms at her side. This was her chance. Her mind unable to block out the image of a child who would never be, Anna hurled the shard of ice at her lover's neck.
Quick as a whip, the Queen's arms sprung into action. A flick of one wrist deflected the projectile with a shield of ice- the other sent forth a burst of freezing wind that launched Anna off of her feet and into the air!
Slam! Her back collided with the stairs of the dais. All of the wind had been knocked out of Anna… blood dripped onto her back… and the Goddess was already beginning her next assault.
Fueled with nothing but adrenaline, the Knight leapt off the floor and landed behind Elsa's throne.
What had happened? Even to her muddled mind, the answer was all too simple. If fear for Anna's sake could give Elsa the strength to fight back, then fear on the part of the Goddess could give her enemy the will to regain full control.
Gripping the light throne with her good hand, Anna whipped her right arm back and hurled the chair across the room. With a smirk, Elsa curled her fingers and willed a wall of ice into existence.
The throne of Arendelle shattered into a dozen silver shards.
"It's over," the Goddess intoned, dismissing the wall into mist. Perhaps a slight amount of hesitation showed in her step, but Elsa began to walk forward and lifted her hand. BOOM! Anna rolled to the side as a pillar of snow appeared beneath her legs and rocketed up to the ceiling.
The Knight came to her feet just in time to see the glint of a massive spike of ice aimed at her heart. Anna twisted to the right, avoiding the attack so narrowly that a sensation of cold swiped across her chest. She came forward- and played the last card she had left.
Anna's right arm whipped towards Elsa, throwing her sword with perfect accuracy- the only thing the Queen might not expect. The blade sailed through the air, its point unwaveringly angled straight at her enemy's chest.
A mound of thick snow materialized in the middle of the room. Shunk! Anna's sword buried itself into the barrier all the way up to the hilt; within a moment, its forward motion had stopped completely. Clang! Anna winced as the blade fell to the floor, freed by the dissipating snow.
"A true work of art," the Goddess intoned. Anna said nothing, her eyes shining with fear. She was out of options.
The Goddess knelt down, picking up the weapon. The icy blade sat across her palm, and her eyes beheld it with both contempt and reverence. "It was a weapon worthy of my Faithful… but it has been sullied by your grasp. Its magic was weaved so tightly that I could not touch it at a distance, but now…"
She ran her hand across the blade, and Anna watched in horror as cracks spread out across the surface. For several seconds, the Goddess did her work, staring at the sword with a look of great concentration.
Then a thousand glistening crystals of ice fell to the floor, all sense of cohesion lost.
With a smile, Elsa discarded the now empty hilt and resumed her advance. "Your last defense is gone. Her pitiful resistance has been crushed. This world has ended."
Anna frowned, responding with bravery she didn't know she had. "Then why are you still talking?"
The Goddess spread out her arms, and a dozen vertical shards of ice appeared in the air. Anna barely had time to acknowledge their presence before they shot forward like a cannon. All twelve spun end over end, each a deadly pinwheel eager to sink into her flesh.
Anna's reflexes were finally spent.
Her rapid, last-second dodge carried her past all but two of the shards. One sank into her left heel, and the pain that erupted there was enough to instantly bring the Knight to her knees. The other-
Even as her knees slammed into the floor, Anna's horrified eyes were drawn to where her right hand had once been.
No! Gods, no… Her wrist had been cut clean through! All that remained in place of her hand was a growing deluge of blood.
Her right arm had gone mercifully numb. Anna cradled her wrist into her chest, unable to process her loss. She tried to rise- her legs simply did not have the strength. Several of the icy shards had landed near where she had fallen, but the Knight would never hold a weapon in her dominant hand again.
"A-"
Elsa! The Knight felt a brief flare of hope. Through her tears, she looked up to see Elsa slowly walking towards her. The Queen's eyes were half closed, her movements so haggard that it seemed as if she was battling a wound of her own.
But it was still clear who was in control.
The Goddess raised her hands, but no ice materialized. "She fights me," her enemy admitted with a pained voice. "Terror and grief are powerful emotions, and they give her enough temporary strength to resist my control."
The sound of her every footstep echoed across the room as the distance between them narrowed. "But once the shock of your death passes, the unrelenting power of the ritual that brought me to this body will continue to smother her resistance. And when my full power returns, I shall ensure that her will can never rise again."
Anna stumbled forward, coughing up blood as she slid on her knees. Her remaining hand clenched around an intact shard of ice- razor sharp and nearly half as long as her sword, it made a passable dagger.
Elsa's shadow loomed above the Knight. Anna glanced up at her enemy- only inches separated them now. Her eyes moved to the Goddess's heart, protected only by a thin dress of ice.
Still, no sign of an attack, though Elsa's palm remained outstretched.
"Arise, Queen-Consort of Arendelle. Strike down the architect of all your suffering and change the destiny of this world," the Goddess beckoned with a mocking smile. "Free the woman you love from this curse with the sweet release of death."
Anna's hand clenched. She could do it! The Goddess's chest was well within range of her arm. A single strike was all it would take. Anna took a deep, painful breath and…
No. Attacking would only give her enemy the chance to regain full control. It was exactly what the Goddess wanted. But what else can I do? Pain and blood loss would bring her to unconsciousness before long. Elsa couldn't keep the Goddess at bay forever, and then...
A thin smile graced her enemy's lips. "You know the truth, Anna. Destiny has arrived. No matter how hard you fought, you never had a hope of victory. And the delicious irony is that, thanks to Evangeline's inspired efforts, your name will go down in history as a spy for the Southern Isles and a butcher of children. I only wish you could live to see it."
Anna was paralyzed still, completely frozen save for the blood slowly dripping out of her. How could this be the end? She stared into the face of her enemy, a woman responsible for more atrocities than any human could comprehend… and the planet's new eternal ruler.
There was no way out. No way to win. Anna's fight had been enough to bring Elsa to the surface, but only the most grievous of injuries had- maybe- given her control for the shortest of moments. And if the Goddess could regain control any time Anna attempted to take advantage, what was the point?
As a thin pool of blood began to spread out from beyond her knees, the Knight realized that her fight was all but finished. "Elsa… I want you to know something."
It wasn't about trying to win any longer- she simply wanted to offer some last comfort to the woman she loved before her time on this earth ended. "This isn't how I wanted to die… I'm not ready to die," Anna admitted. "It wasn't an easy life or a happy one. But all of the pain and suffering was worth it to spend a year with you." She sighed. "If any good came out of this… out of what she's done, it was that I had the chance to love the most amazing woman in the world. She'll never be able to take that from us, no matter how powerful she becomes."
Anna could see the fight in the Goddess's eyes. Any moment now, her enemy would regain full control. That would be the end.
But there was still life in her veins, and the Knight would not go quietly. Whatever the world would think of her, Anna was a hero. Neither her pitiful birth nor a painful death would change that.
She slowly raised the shard of ice off the ground. Futile though it might be, Anna would make one final attempt to destroy her enemy. The instant she moved forward, the Goddess would strike. It was hopeless.
But Anna was going to die trying.
The Knight's mind turned to the only fond memories it had… searching for a good thought to go out on. Skating, playing checkers, and sharing dinner with Elsa. Dancing at the ball. Anna was still embarrassed to remember that she had passed out during their first-
"I am the only being in control of this body, and I do not love you."
"Free the woman you love from this curse with the sweet release of death."
It was at that moment that Anna finally understood. All along, she had thought it some strange peculiarity of magic- but the answer had been so simple. And if she was right…
I need a moment to act. Nothing else matters. Grief and fear were what gave Elsa the strength to resist. Anna considered her options. She couldn't maintain consciousness much longer; it would have to be all or nothing. One last effort.
Her fingers clenched around the shard of ice. Could she really bring herself to go through with this? The Knight's arm trembled as terror began to take hold. I… I can't…
Anna thought of Rapunzel and Eugene, both of whom had gone to hell and back to help her. She remembered Kristoff, Pabbie, and the trolls, sacrificing their lives simply to keep her alive for another day. And she looked into the eyes of her soulmate, knowing that Elsa was fighting tooth and nail to protect her. They'd all believed a peasant girl could save the world.
I can. I will.
With a deep breath, she accepted what she would have to do. Even as the realization seeped into her consciousness, Anna's remaining limbs already felt weaker… the shard grew heavier in her hand.
But Anna still had enough strength for a final play.
She lifted her remaining hand, the shard of ice still firmly clenched in its grip. The Goddess's lips raised in an expectant smile, ready for Anna to make her final move. And so she did.
With all of her strength, Anna plunged the icy dagger into her own heart.
Nothing she had endured had ever compared to this. Every centimeter the blade traveled through her organ ignited a supernova of pain. At any other time, a second of this agony would have been enough to knock her out instantly.
But that couldn't happen now. Not while she still had a job to do. Her back hit the ground, but she remained conscious.
"ANNA!"
It was the most devastating scream the Knight had ever heard, but the sound of her love's voice finally freed from captivity gave Anna the strength to move. Elsa's eyes were clear of triumph or malice- nothing but shock and terror remained. But her control wouldn't last long.
Releasing her grip on the shard now embedded in her heart, Anna reached up and grabbed the folds of the Queen's dress. With the last of her strength, she tugged Elsa down to her level and smashed their lips together.
\
The Goddess had watched, confused, as Anna dealt herself a mortal wound. Pain had instantly exploded in the back of her mind, her limbs had ceased to obey her, and the deity was reduced to the role of observer. Elsa's horror had given her consciousness the chance to take control, but the Goddess had been momentarily unconcerned. Nothing could resist the magic of the ritual for long, and already the divine had felt her pain receding.
That was before their lips had met in a brief, bloody kiss.
For a few short moments, all the Goddess knew was agony. Every piece of her essence melted into white-hot pain. In the depths of her mind, the deity understood what was happening. The curse upon Elsa was being broken. And she was the curse.
She'd been seconds away from ultimate power. And, in the last moment before her essence evaporated into nothing, the greatest pain of all came from the fact that a mortal peasant girl had been the one to steal it all away.
And then she was gone.
\
Elsa barely comprehended what was happening. All she knew was that her body was hers again, and the love of her life was dying in front of her. Kneeling before her beloved, the Queen brought her hands to Anna's chest. They carefully extracted the shard, brimming with her power of healing.
The blood flow slowed, but it did not stop.
"Had to be this way," Anna murmured. Blood was now dripping from the Knight's lips, but her words were clear. "It's… too late. Only seeing me about to die could give us a chance… gods, Elsa I missed you."
No! Magic continued to pour out of Elsa's fingertips, but the wound refused to close. The damage to Anna's heart was fatal, and the only healing magic strong enough to fix it was a continent away.
Anna had done it. Elsa now realized what had happened. The ritual that allowed the Goddess to possess her had been a curse, but Anna's first attempt at True Love's Kiss had failed because no such thing had occurred. Anna had kissed the Goddess, even if the lips had once been Elsa's. Only when the Queen was back in control did the lips of the two lovers truly reunite.
The curse was broken; Anna had taken advantage of the ancient loophole weaved into the fabric of all magic to bring an end to the Goddess. With a single stroke, a millennia-long conflict had been won by a girl scorned by the world and unchosen by destiny...
But the cost had been too high.
"Stay with me, Anna!" Elsa pleaded through tear-strung eyes. "I can't lose you again! I won't ! I'm free; it's over. We can spend the rest of our lives together! Please, Anna!"
Color was fading rapidly from the Knight's cheeks. "I meant what I said… meeting you was worth it all," Anna managed. Her eyes fell to the Queen's hands. "You still have your powers… they must be tied to your body. That means that when I'm gone, this world shall know divinity once more. You. They were right all along, in a way… "
"I don't care!" Elsa shouted. "I love you! You're the only thing that matters!"
The Knight shook her head. "Listen… to me… Elsa. My last wish. Make a better world with your power. Be the just, merciful Queen you've always been. There's no returning from the Realm Beyond… even for a Consort… but I'll always love you."
Anna's breaths were mere gasps as she choked on her own blood.
Elsa closed her eyes, now openly sobbing. In moments, she could be virtually omnipotent, but not before the only thing she wanted slipped from her grasp forever. Healing magic continued to flow from her palms, but even the Queen now realized it was hopeless.
A tired hand briefly caressed Elsa's cheek, wiping away her tears. The Queen opened her eyes to see Anna staring up at her, a small smile on her lips. Blood continued to spill from her wound, but the Knight's eyes were no longer clouded with pain.
"Thank you," Anna whispered softly.
Her eyes dimmed, the once irrepressible light behind them going out forever. A final strained breath escaped from Anna's lips, and the smile faded.
Unimaginable power rushed into Elsa's veins. The last interfering life on earth had been extinguished, and the divine magic that had so long been separated from its mistress's body finally returned in full.
The new goddess barely even noticed.
\
Anna opened her eyes.
The first thing she realized was that the pain was gone. There was no hole in her chest, or any blood sticking to her skin. Save for the light touch of grass beneath her hands, Anna felt nothing at all.
Wearily she climbed to her feet. Her body was adorned with a set of luxurious yet comfortable casual clothes that she had often made use of during her time in the Palace. They were in perfect condition.
Anna's eyes turned to the land surrounding her. In three directions, there was nothing but endless fields of fresh green grass. But in front of her stood the most magnificent sight she had ever seen.
Two walls of clean, red bricks dominated the horizon. They were miles away, but each wall climbed into the blue sky. Anna looked up as high as she could, but the brick barriers were taller than her vision could reach. Together, they reached from one end of the horizon to the other, completely obscuring whatever lay beyond.
The gap between them was narrow but noticeable; the shimmering air inside it formed a visual barrier of its own. Even at this distance, Anna somehow knew that it was about three feet in length. Large enough for a person to walk through, or stand in…
I've seen it before.
Forgotten memories stirred in Anna's mind. Faintly, she recalled a woman standing between two endless walls of brick, warning her of the dire fate that was about to befall Elsa. Much of the encounter remained a blur to her, but Anna remembered being told not to approach because…
I am in the Realm Beyond. I'm… dead. It was the only logical conclusion, but her mind had resisted it for as long as possible.
Anna wasn't sure whether to jump for joy or fall to the ground sobbing. The world was saved. In the back of her mind, Anna somehow knew that Elsa had come into possession of the Goddess's divine strength. With it, she would free the entire world.
But she would never see Elsa again. Anna had known it, and accepted it before stabbing herself, but processing the realization was as painful as a second stake through the heart.
Perhaps they would eventually each find their own happiness. Maybe over time, the wounds would heal. Elsa was a Queen with godlike power, and Anna would enjoy whatever the afterlife had in store.
Anna had once stated that she didn't believe she would ever have a happy ending. In a way, it seemed as if she was right. But countless millions had been saved from an unimaginable fate. The world was bigger than Elsa, Anna, and their love. It was a good ending, even if Anna herself might never truly feel that way.
She didn't know what would happen when she passed through that gap in the walls. Nothingness? Paradise? Reincarnation? No idea. But in her heart, Anna knew it was where she was meant to go.
Sighing, she shook her head and started to walk forward.