The royal family of Arendelle assuredly were not anticipating the same gracious and prestigious welcome as their first visit considering the circumstances, yet even with the preconceived notion that this conflict was indirectly caused by their ties to magic and the occult as some would say did not prepare them for the belligerent, lecherous stares that stabbed into them like daggers.
Stares which bore into the sides and backs of their skulls. Soldiers scattered all around the military compound stopped what they were doing– even pausing the task of hauling gurneys cradling the wounded and maimed to get a good look at the prim and clean royals as they were escorted by a greeter following Mattias, the state of the men outwardly didn't faze the well seasoned soldier but inwardly his heart ached for them.
Anna's hand constantly went to her nose, though she tried to be subtle, opting to inhale her own scent then stench which perfumes the air.
Sickness, disease, blood, gunpowder, metal, mud.
All making a disgusting concoction of toxic fumes.
She held head high and avoided making eye contact with anyone, feeling guilty at the instinct to protect her own psyche. They were here to help and end this war, and soon the wounded and all others could go back home to their families and loved ones. Soon she could return back home to her beautiful country and roll in the grass, sit in her office, she never thought she'd miss the aroma of ink and papers and yet here she was.
The whiplash of the state of this empire was such a stark contrast one could not even begin to compare. The only similarity was the evidence that winter had paid a visit here as well. In Arendelle it was white and crystalized, still, its harshness bringing people together to huddle for warmth and hot chocolate.
Here that snow was stained black and gray from the dirt of trenches dug up, boots caked in muck stomping through, horses defecting as well as the dead which were disposed of. Where Arendelle was quiet, the skies of Ruskland seemed to be being torn asunder with the occasional thunder crack of canons and guns.
Her worry abandoned its pity for herself exuding over to Elsa.
She might as well have been a walking statue, one hand clenched in a fist, the other holding onto the frosted Ryu. Her eyes staring dazedly straightforward, never straying, as if she was concentrating on simply putting one foot in front of the other.
The look she held could tell a stranger a thousand tragedies, dulled and disassociated. Anna was torn between continuing on, holding her hand, or embracing her, wrapping her head tightly to her shoulder to blind her from the environment they found themselves in.
She knew war was horrible but to see the results firsthand, if it affected both her and Kristoff she couldn't imagine the pain Elsa felt knowing she probably blamed herself for this.
She hurried her steps, they needed to get Elsa inside the fort quickly before the darkness consumed the dimming light inside her.
Ryu must have read her mind, letting out a croon which frightened some passing men, going behind Elsa to press her large chest against her back. Has she grown taller? Her head now easily reached the top of Elsa's. Either way Anna appreciated the protective layer the dragon provided at Hell's foreign gates.
They were not meant to see this.
Ryu was no stranger to war nor its horrors, she had seen worse, humans tearing their fellow man apart armies moving on leaving the dead and half alive to the scavengers for their next conquest. She never sought out battlefields, only stumbling across them.
She could ignore the questioning looks which ripped off her flesh to expose vulnerable nerves. She could, she knew she was capable of it meant from keeping Elsa spiraling and her friends safe. She could feel the woman's magic fizzing at the surface.
The scent of gunpowder burned her nostrils and canons punctured her hearing, echos rattling in her head, plastering her appendages to her skull to mute the sounds fruitless. Fight or flight were the driving mechanisms in her mind now with her senses being compromised, it made it possible for any threats to sneak up on her.
They were led through a large gateway into an encampment, surrounded by gray stone. The fort provided shelter from the harsh winds at some angles, an ancient stronghold, crumbling but for the battle weathered it would do.
The creak of deep wood groaning in protest at being moved had them all looking back to see they were being locked in and blocked by the closing gates.
With her promise to behave long forgotten Ryu roared at the gate breathing laboriously, she didn't like this one bit.
Drawing closer to Elsa a constant growl vibrated her chest, head swiveling to and fro to watch everything, everyone. Not trusting a single person among them.
Ryu's distress was something that could bring Elsa back from the disassociation she had been dragged into since they stepped foot in the military camp.
"Easy Sven, easy boy." Kristoff whispered to the bellowing reindeer.
Nearly tripping over her tail Elsa made it to Ryu's head clutching it in her arms. "Kristoff's right Ryu–" she whispered, trying to get the dragon to look at her. She hated that she brought her. She wasn't meant to be here, her partner belonged to and in nature just as she did. Nothing here was natural. Everything was metallic and smelt of death. So much death. Elsa was grateful she hadn't eaten that morning or all contents of her stomach would have painted the already soiled ground.
"Ryu please it's going okay, I'm right here I won't let anything hurt you–" now she held her dragon's attention, they both were panting ignoring the audience they gathered. Elsa's thumb swiped across Ryu's cheek before her voice lowered to whisper she hoped Ryu could hear over the other noises which gave them both a headache. "I promise… please Gecko. We'll be going home soon."
It wasn't a fix all but Ryu at least stopped thrashing about and wouldn't attack anyone who approached them… Elsa hoped.
"What is the meaning of this?" The deep accented voice belonged to a man standing besides Konstantin. His bright eyes scanned over each and every person in their party lingering on Elsa and Ryu.
"General, I assume this is to be our rescue party." They could detect heavy tones of disappointment in his voice. He certainly wasn't what Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff were expecting either. From the General's description he was a clean cut man who valued protocol above anything.
The man standing in front of them, in his wrinkled and dirtied uniform, unkempt facial hair, went as far as to address the queen and her family without an ounce of respect.
"Indeed, Colonel Misha. Please slow me to introduce you to Queen Anna of Arendelle, her consort Master Kristoff, and Lady Elsa, fifth spirit and General Mattias." Elsa took no offense to his lack of address towards Ryu. Technically here she was not a person, just one of Elsa's ice creations to aid in the attempts against the yokai.
Elsa and Ryu defiantly met Misha's contemptuous looks with their own making Anna bemoan tiredly.
Why couldn't they just get along? They were on the same side.
She could already tell her sister and friend would be at odds with the Colonel.
"Ah, a pleasure your Majesty, I would have been more elated to meet you under… less stressful circumstances but alas we are here. And um–" putting one arm behind his back with the other snapping towards Ryu he sucked his teeth. "This creature would have helped to make it a bit bigger, no hmm?" No one but his own men laughed at the jape. Now Ryu showed her fangs snarling. Elsa kept her hands against her muzzle to control her temper or at least attempt to.
"Will it cause any problems, your Majesty? How did you ever think to create such a thing?"
"No! Sh– it'll be fine. And uh It is a long and complicated story, frightfully boring, actually, so pay no mind." Elsa answered, beating Anna to the punch, using all of her strength to keep Ryu from walking up to challenge the man. Not the best first impression. She at first thought it would be easy to act with faux power over the dragon but they hadn't even been here for an hour and she was already struggling. Anna could forgive her for the display, they could barely control Olaf.
Mattias appeared as if he wanted to help but decided against getting in the way of Elsa and a temperamental Ryu.
Finally Ryu huffed and stood straight, keeping her fixed stare on the Colonel. Elsa sighed in relief, glancing at her worriedly.
Message received loud and clear, Ryu. She thought tiredly. You don't like him. Ryu puled pathetically feeling Elsa pet her chest putting them at an equal eye level. Her gaze pleading.
Despite their surroundings, Elsa kissed her muzzle. It's okay baby neither do I.
Misha's mustache twitched at the display entering back into the tent, mumbling about the magical nonsense he had to endure.
Kristoff upon invitation by one the soldiers followed them to the stables to get Sven settled, while Mattias held the drape of the tent entrance open for her Anna held up her finger wincing.
Quickly she strided over to her sister whispering in panic, instead of addressing her she gripped Ryu's muzzle, initially she recoiled not used to Ryu being so cold to the touch but after shaking out her hands she pulled it towards her face with pleading eyes.
"Ryu please behave, I know this all is not ideal but we have to be strong and get through this together. Please." Ryu warbled, sitting on her haunches with a thud. Anna recognized the sound.
"I know you, you didn't do anything wrong–" Elsa looked between them stunned and impressed, for that was exactly what Ryu was trying to convey.
"But I need you to keep it together okay? Just focus on protecting Elsa–"
"And Anna." Elsa added drawing Anna's attention to her. She frowned, grasping Elsa's hand to her chest.
"Are you going to be alright?"
Elsa sighed, not wanting to lie but also not desiring to have Anna wasting energy with worrying about her state.
"Alright as I can be." She said, tenderly touching the small of Anna's back, leading them to the tent.
The efforts of the soldiers were impressive to say the least they had managed to build the cage exactly according to the blueprints Mattias had sent before their departure in Arendelle.
"The request for it to be obsidian has also been fulfilled, much to the duress of my men but they'll survive a few blisters and torn muscles." Misha boasted, and he had every right to, not only was the design unusual but the materials were hard to gather and unorthodox to say the least.
"Excellent, we thank you for compromising with us and understanding that this is all necessary." Mattias said graciously, Misha grunted at him in acknowledgement.
"And when we capture the abomination, we can finally destroy it!" Misha's pounding fist to the wooden table nearly drowned out Elsa's firm voice. All attention silenced and looked towards her.
She kept her arms crossed and frown present, with Ryu behind her standing guard tall and formidable, ready to silence any who argued, to her Elsa's will was law and she was its enforcer.
"I beg your pardon, Miss Elsa?"
"Pardon granted. We are not going to destroy the Yokai, we merely must capture it and I will do the rest."
"You'll do the rest– what exactly are you planning on doing? Capturing it? Befriending it? Taking it back to live in peace and harmony with you and other myths that orbit you in your forest?" It wasn't just Ryu on the offensive now, her whole entourage took aggressive postures towards the Colonel
"Lady Elsa is more equipped than anyone of us to handle the threat of the yokai–"
"No disrespect General Mattias but do you honestly expect my men– me– to just allow the monster that has been slaughtering us to simply retire to Arendelle after the destruction it's caused?"
"Destruction it's being forced to cause Colonel Misha, the creature is not under its own influence, and we understand your people's suffering which is why we're here in the first place–"
"Well thank your Majesty for coming to rectify a problem that was caused by your kingdom in the first place-" Elsa stiffened like a board face hardening, Ryu's snarls mirrored exactly where her thoughts and emotions led.
How dare he!
"Excuse me Colonel Misha but it wasn't my people who decided to begin this war, it wasn't my soldiers who decided to split the country in two and betray their oaths, and it sure as hell wasn't my sister that made an assassination attempt on any of your monarchy's family members because she felt frightened!" The signs were all there, red face, tightened neck, fiddling fingers, shoulders thrown forward, Anna was losing her patience, her tone sharp and cutting.
"We didn't start this war but by whichever God is looking down at us we will finish it for you!" Everyone remained silent, allowing Anna's words to hang in the air around them until she spoke again.
"Elsa's words will be treated as my own, and if she will not be respected by you or your troops then I will pack up my family and go back to my kingdom and fortify it while you and your fellow countrymen sit here and kill each other and bring down the Ruskland empire."
Misha had dealt with royals before and had a remarkable hold on his own temper, Elsa observed he was the type to hold his tongue until he found a way to express his opinions in a way that couldn't technically be considered insubordinate.
General Mattias motioned for Elsa to take control over the conversation in case Anna's next words demanded they all pack up and leave Ruskland to deal with the war alone.
Elsa, broken from her stupor due to a harsh poke to her back from Ryu's snout, leaned over the table. "So my companion and I will draw out the bird and lead it back here–" she pointed to the obsidian black cage model.
"Once inside the containment we will slip through the trap doors which can keep us separated and begin… " What could she call it? Talking the bird down, calming, a meditation session
"The magic process of breaking it from the spell it was put under."
"Who exactly put the spell on the bird?" Misha crossed his arms implying there was more he's not being told and he was not at all pleased with it.
Reviving some old skills she had gained in politics Elsa cleared her throat sounding as genuine as possible, tactfully dodging the question."It could be an ancient spell, I'm not quite certain. Who put the soul inside the jade prison but all I know is that we must free it."
"Once the bird is conquered, I will request an audience with Princess Darya to discuss peace terms."
"And if peace is not what she requires but instead still insists on putting an arrow through your heart?" Anna glared at the men, fists balled only releasing the tension when Kristoff rested a hand upon her shoulders, digging into her coiled muscles.
Elsa sighed dejectedly at this, she knew it was a possibility but didn't enjoy entertaining it. "I'll apprehend them, but as far as the reports go they too have been tormented by the Yokai's presence, if I can show them that we are on the same side then perhaps this will appeal to their better nature." Konstantin grunted smearing his mouth to the side.
"I'm not quite sure, Lady Elsa Georg is man not swayed by his beliefs–"
"And a total jackass–" Anna mumbled under her breath, the general smirk.
"All sides so far have been silent due to the spiritual attacks. We can send a volunteer to present the peace negotiations and evidence that the Yokai has been dealt with. Our reply well–" he stroked his large beard looking dubious. "I cannot promise what it will be."
Elsa remained determined, she wouldn't have been given the solution by Ahtohollan if it was doomed to fail. "We'll take what we can get. I must end this without bloodshed and violence, and maintain balance and order."
"And if things come to bloodshed and violence lady Elsa… "
"I won't let it. Too many have already suffered for my sake. So many have died, I will not dishonor their sacrifice by sending their brethren down to the grave with them, no matter their allegiances. And I will not use my gifts to enforce my own will upon the unwilling."
It wasn't missed, the way Misha eyed Konstantin who held a presence of a smug man. He had told him Elsa would be like this.
"Very well-" Misha began still holding eye contact with his superior before breaking away. "we have much to prepare for. Despite it being early I'm sure you Queen Anna and your family will require time and rest to collect yourselves. We have tents sent up here in fort Karasta, medical tents, food though I'm certain it may not suit your taste, it'll keep you strong, my men are at your disposal should you require anything."
Anna smiled at Konstantin first, bowing her head.
"Thank you General–" her eyes hardened towards Misha. "Colonel." Glancing at her family they took their leave back out among the soldiers once again. Subjected to curious and disdainful stares from those who had the energy and zeal to give such expressions.
Elsa was no stranger to resentment, she had felt it before many times in her life. Now shielded against such sentiments with the love she knew she had from her family.
That love did not ease the pain and sorrow that filled her chest, so many faces. She understood the ones filled with hatred, she could handle those as well as the ones of lust as much as they disgusted her. The young men, however, stared at her with hope and awe; they were the ones that caused the most anguish.
Free from prying eyes, Ryu could finally shake and scratch at the frost, caking her entire body. She was trying to be quiet in case Elsa was asleep but sleep evaded her and she avoided sleep instead Elsa watched on in pity knowing how uncomfortable it must have been for Ryu.
Despite the heat from her flames and inner temperature Elsa's magic still clung to Ryu's scales, a shield for both her identity and physical form. It was easy enough, Elsa's magic always gravitated towards the dragon and usually she didn't mind it until it covered every surface of her person.
"I know sweetheart. I know." Elsa cooed, kneeling beside the slumped over Ryu who whined pathetically.
Her eyes, large and glossy, shone in the darkness harboring a deep sadness.
She could see the same emotion in Elsa's. It was new to Ryu, she had never missed home before, an actual real home. They longed for Elsa's cottage and gardens which smelt of whatever fauna and produce she decided to grow. The large lake, the hills, their friends.
Elsa jumped clutching Ryu close when a loud boom of a canon echoed off in the distance.
Ryu closed her eyes in an attempt to picture Arendelle, only opening them when the frost which painted her white began to melt away. It was Elsa's doing, wanting to feel Ryu's warmth again, she leaned against her chest, allowing Ryu to wrap her paws around her waist, squeezing her.
Rustling alerted them to where Anna and Kristoff lay in the large tent. Ryu could hear the soft thuds of sock clad feet pattering towards them.
Anna clutching their mother's shawl around her shoulder took a cold breath speaking in a whisper. "Hey you two… mind if I join?" Elsa shook her head and scooted sideways to grant Anna enough room to slip beside her. She covered them both in a shawl and rested her head against Ryu's neck, humming appreciatively at her heat. It was soothing enough to let her drift off.
During periods of quiet Ryu would doze off, waking a few times to find Kristoff had brought pillows and blankets from his cot to lay with his family.
Elsa was moving carefully, trying to not awaken any of them. Ryu could tell, from the gentle way she lifted her paw off from her waist to the careful steps she took to exit the tent.
When she was gone Ryu's head raised looking after her, repeating the same maneuvers to ensure not to disturb Anna and Kristoff.
Cautiously she poked her head between the tent's flaps.
It was difficult detecting Elsa's sweet scent in the air but it was distinctive enough for her to catch a trail. Slinking out she stuck in the shadows out of sight of any sentries walking to and fro fulfilling their duties.
Her claws retreated, softening her steps, she was confident in her stealth to not be detected by anyone following Elsa's path which took them out of the fort and up a steep hill she scaled effortlessly. She'd keep her distance for now hidden in the Brush. Whatever Elsa was looking down at had her hugging herself tightly, she could see her chest begin to hyperventilate till she finally had enough and took off for the forest.
Trotting up the hill- tripping and sinking into the sludge occasionally– Ryu could finally get a peek at what had captured Elsa's attention.
Oh Elsa, why do you do this to yourself?
Ryu groaned, posture lowering. The high vantage point allowed one who stood atop it to see the entire military camp and the destruction that lay beyond it.
The land was dead, some of the people in it were dead, trees toppled over to be put to use for the war. She glanced at the medical tents, there were so many lights from within, with soldiers and doctors trafficking in and out of them in a hurry.
Ryu had her fill, shaking her head and lumbered after Elsa to what remained of the forest.
Elsa glanced down at her palms, they were shaking. No she couldn't be weak like this, not when so many were counting on her, but how could she not be. A wind picked up that went in different directions, snow gusted around her as she held herself.
So much pain, so many suffering.
Anna had said it wasn't her fault, she didn't shoot or maim those men but to Elsa she might as well have.
A sob wrecked her stance sending her to the ground. Her nerves shook and shuddered. The worst aspect to her was that none of this was necessary.
She was so tired of others assuming she was some kind of monster or goddess that hungered for power and dominance.
Her true heart's desire led her back to Arendelle, with her tribe, and family, with the other spirits, in her garden tending to it with her girlfriend and Olaf. Reading on her porch with a cup of tea. Exploring nature, eating chocolate, creating geometric equations or charting the stars.
How she longed for that. Not this. Not any of this.
She dwelt there in those lovely thoughts, she wanted to scream at those that called them lies.
Something wet touched her cheek, mixing in with her tears. Gasping Elsa lurched backwards shielding her face, ready to defend against whatever touched her.
She had to rub her eyes not believing her eyes, there strong and sure was her Nokk looking down at her with his beautiful eyes.
"Nokk… you… You shouldn't be her-" a loud neigh interrupted her, galloping around her prancing in her storm.
Elsa couldn't help but laugh and sob simultaneously. She'd regret this later but oh if her friend wasn't a welcomed sight.
He had traveled across the sea, trailing their ship hundreds of miles, and found Elsa right as she and her magic were about to spiral. The gratefulness she felt growing in chest weighed like a thousand blankets, heavy enough for her to wrap her arms around his neck, freezing him in the process, crying into his chest.
"My sweet, noble, friend-" she whispered, she snorted, nudging his muzzle into her.
"Nokk?" The two spirit's heads whipped towards the voice. There, Ryu, naked as the winter days were short, her frown of confusion slowly transformed into a grin.
She held out her palms approaching them with quick steps, the snow beneath her bare feet must not have been a bother nor the temperature which Elsa was certain she had unintentionally dropped a few more degrees. The only signs that she was not a creature of the snow were visible puffs that accompanied each breath.
"You came?" Ryu's surprised and floundering expression almost stopped Elsa from asking something that had been nagging her brain since she laid eyes on her dragon.
"Did you tell him to come?" Garnering her attention, Ryu's head snapped to Elsa snorting at the very idea.
"Erusa-" she began, pointing out a major yet obvious flaw in the statement. "He's Nøkk." She emphasized his name. It took a few moments until Elsa had caught on. No one could command Nokk to do anything, even Elsa and especially not Ryu. Though their relationship had improved there was still enmity twisted into it.
Elsa nodded looking down feeling foolish for even thinking of the inquiry.
While she scolded her foolishness silently Ryu took inventory of her puffy eyes, congested nose, and croaky voice. She sank to the ground like a stone casted into the sea, her legs unable to support her any longer. Worry tugged Ryu's face down even further.
Immediately Elsa was pressed against Ryu's breast with her chin resting atop of Elsa's head. Her comatose response wasn't minded in the slightest and in fact had Ryu tucked her in even tighter.
"Everything is shit." The simple truth bubbled a giggle from Elsa, finally snapping out of her stupor to return the hold.
"But we have each other."
"I dragged you all here with me."
"Who told you that?" Elsa shrugged.
"Me I suppose."
Ryu hummed. "You're a genius Erusa, remember? You're starting to slip, don't let that happen. If you dragged everyone here then so did I. If those deaths are your fault then they're mine too." In the midst of her own anguish Elsa had forgotten of the Yokai being a result of the Mikotos. It didn't seem right for Ryu to be blamed for the evil things others did in an effort to harm her.
"Precisely, the same applies to you, Eursa, though there are few differences. I'm being hunted because I hurt a family, you are being hunted because people can't see how wonderful you are, well they can but they twisted that awe into fear and you're too good to prove them right."
Elsa's counter argument was physically stopped as she pulled away with it resting on her lips which Ryu put a single finger to.
"We can argue our differing opinions of my past later, but right now–" Ryu glanced around the forest keeping a hand on Elsa's shoulder. A loud shockwave shook the black and gray sky.
"Everything is awful here, we will fix it but for now you are overwhelmed and in pain. Release it knowing you're not alone. Feel it." Nokk snorted and sat by her side. Ryu changed bodies dwarfing Elsa as she sobbed unbounded of how weak she looked, comforted by knowing she wasn't facing everything alone. Not this time.
This time Elsa felt safe, cradled by the warmth of her friends' love and loyalty. She prayed to whatever God was listening, that they wouldn't be taken away. Feeling Nokk's cold breaths against her cheek, and Ryu's hot scales inhaling and exhaling on her skin. She understood why people came and went, it was so that those who cherished them knew how important they were but she swore she didn't need loss to tell her that. She already knew.
Elsa had skipped breakfast again…
With the personal rations of the ship gone and the provisions of war not agreeing with her stomach, she decided it was best to engage in a possible fight or fleeing of for her life hungry than with painful cramps distracting her.
Anna's argument with the chef about him insisting on putting too much salt and meat in her bowl was the nastiest battle any of the soldiers had seen in weeks.
"Well if no one but Elsa is eating it why don't you just let her have the broth and vegetables?" The chef looked down at her from his nose despite their heights being equal.
"Your majesty, I make all the dishes together to save time, and get everyone fed. If I start making specialty dishes now, then that takes away time for other important tasks I must complete before the next meal rush." He ended the explanation with the sigh he gave one could easily deduce he was losing his patience especially Elsa who timidly tugged at Anna's coat sleeve.
"It's alright Anna, I can pick the meat out, I'll just eat it…" Her mumbles couldn't be heard over Anna's much louder voice.
"Oh believe me sir I have quite the understanding of being pressed for time," with her hands akimbo and eyes squinted she challenged. "But are you really saying that just a small bit of compromise is too much of strain upon your regime?"
"Aye question for you, your majesty, why can't Princess Elsa eat the food?" Elsa blushed at either the title or for being called out for her sensitive dietary needs which felt so trivial now given their circumstances.
"Anna- it's okay…" she really needed to get Anna out of line and away from the chef before she said any-
"Meat doesn't agree with her." Anna stated crossing her arms, some of those present snickered while others very kindly stood and began approaching Elsa offering snacks they had snuck into their tents and bunks which didn't contain meat.
Elsa of course declined with flustered thank yous at the especially eager volunteers, she wasn't the one fighting in a war and would not take food from those who were.
"To offer food to someone as beautiful as you would be an honor ma'am." Elsa blushed at the attention now marooned in a sea of admirers she didn't know she had assuming every soldier here hated her as Anna continued trading blow for blow with the chef.
"It doesn't agree with her then, well tell her to stop disagreeing with it." Anna's eyes rolled so hard they might have caught a glimpse of her brain.
"It doesn't work like that!" Elsa thought things were bad now but she wasn't prepared for Ryu coming across them walking with Nokk.
They stood still assessing the situation and Elsa swore she could read their exact thoughts on their faces printed in words like a book.
Nokk neighed angrily and galloped into the fray hoisting Elsa up from the romantically minded men before anything got out of hand which in Elsa's opinion it already did. She didn't fight him from warding off the soldiers too busy being completely mortified.
"Wow she controls even the water itself!"
"She's much more remarkable than Colonel Misha told us."
Knowing Elsa was safe, Ryu turned her attention to Anna. A low growl escaped as she trotted up to the food stand, placing two paws onto the table where the kitchen utensils rested. The wood groaned protesting the weight but that wasn't her concern even when the legs collapsed spilling the hot stew across the ground like lava, Anna jumped away to not scald her feet unlike Ryu who remained.
"What is the meaning of this?" He barked as she drew closer to his face. A single bead of sweat raced down his bald head as the white beast drew near, pearly fangs exposed Ryu inhaled ignoring Anna's exclamations. All stilled when her roar tore through the air at a volume that had even the most weathered soldiers covering their ears.
The spittle flung in his face couldn't be discerned from the sweat.
Ryu ended the warning in a threatening snarl that reminded the onlookers of an eagle, crocodile and tiger.
"What? I suppose you want a special meal too eh? Well I only feed flesh and blood in this kitchen so miss Elsa please retain your beast!" If he had any fear he masked it surprisingly well, probably deflecting the emotion with anger.
"Ryu please, no more." Elsa's tiredly defeated command beguiled Ryu to step off of the broken table, pushing her muzzle into Anna's stomach so as to fling her onto her back. No one could say who won the Battle of Breakfast because those who appeared to be the winners retreated upon their respective steeds with looks of shame and quiet murmurs of apologies to everyone.
The offensive encounter was reported straight to General Konstantin resulting in a lengthy meeting with the chef that his duties would not be disrupted again. Elsa and Anna apologized again sincerely for their behavior and Ryu's understanding how it would affect men who had only encountered such things in the face of death, coming to this conclusion seeded guilt and sympathy even deeper in their hearts.
When they exited the tent he cursed the ice creature which lay a few feet away, she glared at him with just as much venom growling loudly.
"Ryu!" Elsa rebuked, Ryu sprang to her feet and rushed behind the spirit now snarling at a lower volume under her breath. Elsa sighed, shaking her head.
Ryu wasn't sorry for that man, in fact she'd do it again if given the chance.
Elsa groaned, her cheeks heating up at the memory. She didn't turn over when hearing someone enter her tent the four sounding footsteps revealed their identity.
When Ryu cooed, coercing her to turn over Elsa sighed heavily pressing her face into the pillow. The crooning became much more urgent, applied with some nuzzling to her neck and ear, well she very well couldn't giggle at that despite the smile spreading across her lips. The huffing air displaced strands of her hair tickling her face.
Not one to be ignored, the cot creaked under the weight of Ryu's upper body. She didn't exude all of it but there was enough pressure placed upon Elsa that had her bemoaning. Reaching down, she scratched Ryu's head, tutting her teeth.
"You got us in trouble, you know?" A sad warble followed but it sounded muffled. Curious, Elsa glanced down at Ryu seeing a sack clutched in her jaw.
"What's that you got there?" Elsa sat up when Ryu sat down on her haunches. She raised a brow at the dragon. "Did you steal something?" Ryu rolled her eyes, placing the sack on Elsa's lap.
Slowly Elsa opened the sack and pulled out fruit, puzzled she reached in taking out more winter fruits and vegetables native to Ruskland.
"Ryu… " she began unsure of what to say. This explained her disappearance this morning, she must have been foraging in the woods.
Ryu looked down at the produce then back at Elsa expectantly. She mimicked the motion and took a bite out of the fruit humming in approval. Excitedly Ryu pranced in a circle flapping her wings as best as the tent space would allow.
Finishing the fruit and a few others off Elsa grinned at Ryu who laid her head up on her paws with her rear in the air watching Elsa's every move. Making a come hither motion with her finger, Elsa smirked once Ryu approached.
Swinging her legs over to sit at the edge of the cot she threw her arms around Ryu kissing her muzzle deeply. Ryu stiffened in stupefaction, completely dumbstruck at the idea of Elsa showing affection in this manner when she looked the way she did. It was almost as if Elsa adored every part of her or something.
Elsa giggled when she cracked open one eye to get a glimpse of Ryu's reaction. She was completely flabbergasted unused to receiving such attention from Elsa when in this form. Soon her eyes closed slowly savoring the moment.
Elsa took notice of the taste of her, there weren't any flavors that weren't Ryu present. Regretfully she pulled away keeping her arms in place.
"Gecko have you eaten?" She asked, Ryu glanced away sighing, when her eyes met Elsa's again they telegraphed her thoughts so easily.
Elsa, I won't need food again for weeks.
Elsa pouted, already self degrading herself for not attending to her dragon's needs as much as she should have been.
Sensing her train of thought Ryu cooed, nuzzling her chest, she growled lightly at the fruit pushed towards her lips rebuffing it with a head turn.
"Please Ryu-chan, eat. For me?" Elsa pleaded following her head turns till the dragon sighed relenting to eat the fruit whole.
She licked her lips settling for watching Elsa eat quietly with her head laying in her lap occasionally accepting an adoring stroke along her mane. Elsa savored the rare moment of peace they had.
Staring down at Ryu whose eyes remained closed, she counted her blessings to lift her spirits. It was almost never someone found themselves a person who would fight the world itself for their sake, yet Elsa had herself surrounded by defenders who loved her with all their hearts.
Did Ryu love her?
She hadn't said it… yet Elsa felt it.
She didn't want to be assuming of Ryu's feelings but it was hard to ignore. Time and time again Ryu had put herself in danger to protect not just Elsa but her family as well.
Confirming she'd fight for them, it was like Ryu took a knight's oath silently to herself to always care for her no matter the need or place.
A far cry from the monster Ryu tried to convince Elsa that she was. Elsa planted a kiss between Ryu's ears.
When a vegetable was presented to Ryu's mouth she made a gagging noise shifting away.
"Cut it out." It was a known truth that Ryu wasn't picky so Elsa wouldn't tolerate any refusal to eat from her.
"You're crazy." Ryu stated, leaning against a tree, still not believing that she wasn't going to track down the Yokai by herself.
"Yes and?"
Ryu shook her head watching Anna outfit Elsa's gift to her. The suit didn't seem formidable, not heavy, Ryu thanked her for that, and very slipstream. The torso was plated with thick dark blue ice while the sleeves and legs remained white with small scale-like patterns weaved tightly together.
Elsa must have drawn inspiration from Ryu's own body which she was very familiar with.
The mask fitted over Anna's face with goggles clear as the waters which surrounded Arendelle.
Ryu couldn't help herself to giggle at them, waving off Anna's glare which she could see through the mask. "No and just a compliment."
"Is it too chilly for you?" Elsa asked, concerned, straightening any caught material along Anna's limbs.
"Nope, I mean it's a little chilly but I'm sure once I get my blood pumping I'll warm up. Hey Els?"
"Yes sweetheart?"
"After this is all over can I uh keep it?" Elsa's smile said yes which had Anna beaming.
"Hopefully you won't need it after this." Kristoff remarked, fixing a saddle to Sven. He petted his large nose running his fingers through his fur.
"Never know, anyways, are you guys ready?" Anna asked, about to mount the changed Ryu when Elsa snapped her fingers in recollection.
"Hold on-" Elsa waved her hands lending even more magic to crafting a crystalized light blue vest along Ryu's chest and back decorated with a large snowflake on the front ignoring Ryu's judgemental expression at the unnecessary addition.
Elsa grit her teeth, trying to focus while talking. "That should be everything, remember the plan?" She inquired from the group.
"Find the Yokai, keep Ryu safe as she leads it back to the obsidian cage at fort Karasta." It was a simple explanation and all knew it would only become more complicated if their past luck in endeavors were anything to go by.
Ryu barked confirmation that she was on the same page as everyone else, brow set on determination. Before getting on Nokk Elsa rubbed along her neck seeing the worry buried deep underneath her serious scowl. She kept her touch sure and strong ensuring Ryu knew she was not alone in facing this demon from her past.
The hopes that the stormy clouds would subside were abandoned as they thickened.
Anna and Ryu flew slowly in circles above the others, remaining ever vigilant even with the small elations they felt from being in air together once more.
"Elsa!" Anna called, cupping her mouth with her hands. Elsa craned her neck up quickly in case they spotted something, Anna winced knowing that her sister and husband were on edge.
"Ryu and I are going to go higher!" Even from here she could see their faces crunch with anxiety.
"Be careful please and come back down if you see anything!" Nodding Anna urged Ryu into the thick gray clouds, the ground and their family disappearing as they elevated.
Every now and then Elsa would look upward on the watch in case Ryu and Anna came rushing down. All she saw was the clouds which began producing a snowfall which only elevated her worry.
"Never thought we'd be away from home enough for me to consider actually being there a vacation." Elsa half grinned at the remark, completely agreeing. It was difficult to make conversation with the tension in the air becoming thicker the deeper they traveled into the Ruskland wilderness.
"Yea well after this trip I have decided Ryu and I are not traveling for a long time. Besides-" Nokk leapt over a high log with a grace that had Sven jealous. "Too many holidays coming up."
Kristoff laughed lightly. "Like your birthday?"
"That's not a holiday."
"Might as well be. Oh god… " He cursed, rubbing his eyes.
"What?" Elsa asked anxiously, slowing Nokk's pace to go to Kristoff's side.
"Can you imagine the bullshit Olaf, Ryu and Anna are going to get into trying to plan your birthday?"
Elsa chuckled until it died out with possibilities flashing through her mind at the chaos that happened last year, adding Ryu into the mix. She shuddered. Like having a flock of live chickens in a kitchen, adding Ryu was just basically releasing a starving untrained hound to join the fray.
"Kristoff I'm counting on you to keep them under control please." His arms flew up hopelessly gesturing to the sky.
"I can barely handle Anna." The conversation was cut off when Nokk and Sven began tearing up on their hind legs bellowing out.
Elsa and Kristoff stared at each other then up at the sky.
Something was terribly wrong. Elsa raked her mind for some way to summon Anna and Ryu back down to them. Instantly she shot her arm up blasting a bright cascade of ice into the clouds.
The sky was dead, not a single sign of anything living except the snowflakes. Not even a stray bird was to be seen.
A crackling and flash of blues sent from down below had Ryu and Anna panicking briefly until it imploded in icicles.
"Come on, let's check on them." Anna's suggestion fell to deaf ears, Ryu hovered in place creating strange noises, ears swiveling in all directions.
There was a moment of silence. An unnerving stillness even the wind ceased, and Gale was not present which made the phenomena even more ominous.
An earth shattering shriek banged against their eardrums but they had no time to react to the pain it caused.
The gray clouds mushroomed apart, a volcano in the air erupted with gusts which nearly overtook the pair. The moment green and massive wings were spotted in the billowing nimbus Ryu dived down, her speed nearly sent Anna backwards but she held on with a white knuckle grip.
Ryu's roars bled out her fear and dread.
Anna pulled back once they saw the ground and Elsa and Kristoff.
"Found it!" Anna yelled over the cacophony of the Yokai's shrill battle cries while navigating Ryu to straighten out.
Their responses were drowned out by the Yokai's appearance, from the dark weather. It glowed yellow from within the rock, eyes trained on Ryu who flapped away like a poor starling being chased by a red tail hawk. She didn't wait to see if Elsa and Kristoff followed, not needing to be told twice to fly with all her might to get away.
As Nokk galloped after them with Sven lagging behind, Elsa hoped that Ryu wasn't in too much of a crisis to not listen to Anna's commands in direction. She could still spot them from a distance, Ryu maneuvering recklessly through the woods she lowered into to lose the Phoenix which pursued unforgivingly.
The water posed no problem for her but Sven and Kristoff would have to work their way around.
They were being split up again.
No, not again.
"Catch them Nokk please!" Nokk roared, shaking his head picking up speed sprinting after Ryu, ignoring the phoenix he passed overhead.
"Good heavens, this kid is fast." Elsa murmured ducking down to avoid branches whipping past her.
"Ryu! Slow down! Left!" Anna leaned to the side before they collided with a tree they couldn't very well just fly in a random direction. They had a destination and Anna had a brief moment where she lost track of where it was with how swift and sporadically they moved. "Ryu, come on keep it together we're the ones trapping it not the other way around!" Ryu's hyperventilating was spurred and grew worse the more cries they heard hurled at them from behind, as if their pursuer was taunting them.
Ryu rose up from the woods catching a glimpse of Elsa covered in her shadow. A much larger one drowned all of them. She glanced up too slowly to dodge the bird's talons, she winced, preparing for another painful collision but it never came instead the bird cried in dismay, its talons dangling frozen solid.
Ryu glanced down at Elsa's raised hands and scowl, there was fear in her eyes yes, but also a steely resolve, eyes cold as her magic, as she fired another blast of ice shards at the phoenix in rapid succession giving Ryu and Anna the opportunity to escape its close vicinity.
She snarled at her own cowardice, fear screamed at her to run for her life, panic demanded she flap her wings haphazardly, but she shook her head. She wasn't prey, she wouldn't be anyone's prey any longer.
Roaring to Anna, the queen remembered something, reaching in her bag she scrambled carefully to not drop an actual explosion onto Nokk and Elsa who rode underneath she pulled the pin and aimed chucking the ball at the phoenix behind them.
She watched waiting for the chemicals to burst into flames of purple in its eyes.
"Woohoo!" She cheered, fist pumping into the skies, she turned around gripping Ryu's vest. "Come on Ryu, let's cage this canary." Ryu barked, smirking confidently, when the Yokai nearly caught up Ryu leaned upright spreading her wings out catching the draft of the wind which dragged them backwards out of the line of targeting for a strike.
Now behind she swerved in a different direction evading the attack to Anna's delight and Elsa's relief. She and Nokk impressively kept pace with them thwarting any attacks they couldn't out maneuver.
Elsa felt so proud of her girls up in the air. Ryu seemed to have overcome her fear and was flying much more responsibly focused on not just keeping herself out of danger but Anna as well.
It was her job to keep them out of harm's way whenever they couldn't find for themselves and even when they could she'd keep that Yokai caked in ice slowing it down.
Until they had waited too long, Elsa's blast blinded not just the bird but Ryu as well crashing her into a cliff side, the bird was already gripping the tip of her tail. Her cries of pain broke Elsa's heart she curled in on herself, her arching pushing Anna, who let go of Ryu's vest out of sheer panic, was yanked from the safety of her back. The desperate search for purchase on the cliffside scraped her hands and uprooted one of her nails from its bed, spilling blood across her palms.
"Anna!" Elsa screamed, rushing to her, pumped by adrenaline it felt effortless to create Pilar leading upward to another and then next for Nokk to leap onto towards her plummeting sister.
A grip squeezed Anna's wrist, she panted, managing to smile into the face of Kristoff, his other arm held onto the pickaxe he had lodged into the rock.
He examined her exposed nail bed. "See I told you to wear gloves." Anna chuckled breathlessly as he hoisted her up grunting to his side.
"Are you two alright?" Elsa questioned lifting a platform to catch them both. Dismounting Nokk she raced to Anna clutching her hands trying to figure out where the blood came from.
She hissed when Elsa held up her finger. "I'll be alright, whew that was a close one."
Elsa tended to her injury grimacing. "That wasn't a close one, that was One."
A shrill shriek drew their eyes to the top of the cliff.
"Ryu-" Elsa breathed out she needed to get up there.
"We all do." Kristoff said, confirming she had said her longing aloud.
Ryu claws barely left the slightest marks as she slashed them at the phoenix's face, desperation had driven her to bite down upon the bridge of its beak with all her might. It hurt… so much but still she shook her head to and fro, if it were flesh it would have torn but this demon was not alive.
She continued to struggle, wriggling and digging her claws into the ground nearly dangling from how the Yokai lifted her slowly from the ground. It'd take off any moment dragging her back to Japan even if she resisted the entire way.
No! She was not prey, and more importantly she needed to get to Anna.
"Get away from her." Ryu yipped like a puppy at the dangerous threat. Elsa raised her hands, eyes only flickering to Ryu briefly, they softened for a moment before turning incandescent again. Anna and Kristoff stood beside her, bombs and axes drawn, Nokk and Sven cut on the adjacent side, the horse stomped his hooves as Sven bared his impressive antlers with a bowed head.
The Yokai wasn't blanched by the numbers nor their threat displays turning away with its quarry between its beak.
A Gale of ice whooshed from Elsa's finger tips cementing its feet to the ground, the storm that was once natural was taken over under Elsa's control creating a vortex around them.
The Phoenix shrieked, dropping Ryu on her head. Her tail had terrible bleeding indents which stained the frost coating her, her mouth dripped with crimson as well.
Elsa opened her arms as she with Nokk and Sven, who nudged under her chin in pacing, raced over to them.
She scanned over Ryu meticulously wishing to provide some relief but the dragon pushed her away gently urging Anna to climb on her back once more.
A shattering crackled bursting ice shards in all directions, one foot of the phoenix was free, it pecked and pulled at the other wrathful at having lost its prize.
Ryu wailed, taking off and passing the temporarily trapped spirit into the woods, the message quite evident.
Run!
Ryu kept to the ground, navigating the forest besides Sven and Nokk, not keen on being separated from Kristoff and Elsa. Anna had to hug close to her back since their path took them through underbrush, slinking under logs and climbing into trees.
The race to the fort had them all feeling like mice scurrying away from a hawk that flew overhead.
Mattias waited overwrought. A pin drop could have set him off, his ears tuned in to every motion, every cracking twig ahead in the forest, with the Ruskland soldiers following the example he set alongside Konstantin and Misha.
A few nervous gulps and shuffling here and there had him wanting to lash out at whoever caused the disturbance but he kept composed.
It had been three hours since the royal family left to search for the Yokai, a lot could happen in that span of time. He tried not to assume the worst but it was so difficult to not do just that, images of Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff sprawled on the snow in the same manner the reports had regaled about the soldiers flashed in his thoughts.
If they weren't back in less than an hour he'd deviate from the plan and go and search for them himself. Konstantin and Misha were more than capable of making sure the cage was primed and ready.
He wouldn't have to wait long.
"It's here!" A soldier cried, taking coverage behind the railing of the walkway that encircled the cage.
Covered in brambles and dirt, clothes torn, Elsa burst through bushes first followed by Kristoff.
Ryu's appearance was much less elegant than the others more frazzled and petrified, both she and Anna bled.
"Keep it out! Keep it out! Keep it out!"
"Let it in! Let it in! Let it in! Let in!" Anna screamed, waving her arm for them to open the cage. The Phoenix lowered crawling on all fours savagely, leaving destruction in its wake following Ryu through the walls.
Anna grunted as she was yanked off of the dragon by Elsa who snatched her in passing. They jogged up the stairs towards the lookout walkway.
Ryu stumbled over her own paws, skidding in the dust, and passed the large drop gate. Having learned her lesson when the bird snapped at her tail she curled it to her belly. Dust flung everywhere, blinding everyone from the massive green beast. The air was thick, making Anna and Elsa cough and sputter, eyes burning from the foreign particles which invaded their pupils.
"It's in, get that gate closed boys!" Bellowed Misha.
Once they were both handed the cage the gate was quickly shut behind them, the men running to fro with a thunderous hum. The spikes at the bottom locked into the holes carved out inside the ground, securing it tightly.
Elsa's eyes whipped rapidly around past the domed obsidian links to catch any sight of Ryu in the chaotic fray.
The creature wasn't anything like the reports which described a mindless killer, violent and erratic. When facing Ryu, it was calculated, longing, careful to subdue her but not break her as it had broken the soldiers.
Ryu's efforts were clumsy, she knew all she had to do was point her snout towards the hole fitted for her to squeeze through and she'd be safe at last.
The bird swung its huge head, the blow pushed Ryu off her feet, splayed her out, colliding with the black metal wall knocking the wind out of her lungs. She continuously slipped to make it back on all fours.
Snap!
The bite was audible echoing when its upper beak met the lower just barely missing Ryu, she leapt up landing on its head running up until she could slide down its smooth back falling to the ground with a thud.
She had to avoid the large talons, rolling between them. This thing was fast, Ryu thought panting, like a matador versus a bull, the Phoenix thinking it'd pin her pushed its head down into the dragon trapping her with momentum and forward creating a trench of displaced dirt.
Glancing back Ryu winced as her skull smacked against the top ledge of the hole she was unknowingly stuffed into.
Her rear end scooted further in away from the lethal clawing of talons and a beak which grasped at her, nicking any flesh it got a hold of.
The cold metal meeting her back was such a welcome she sobbed in relief.
Tremors shook the earth beneath, the bird pushed and rammed against the hole attempting to break it apart instead breaking bits of itself off. Dried Desiccated rock crumbled bit by bit away. The Phoenix was destroying itself.
The Phoenix peeked into the hole, its eye, surrounded by cracks spiraling around its sockets. Casting a dangerous yellow light upon Ryu almost blinding her. It watched her, the glow creating a paralysis which took over her whole body.
When she dared look back all she saw was anguish, an opportunity lost, she was the Yokai's freedom and she was now out of reach but so close. An emotion whispered its way into her heart among all the others.
Sympathy for the lost soul trapped inside the stone. The desperation she could see in herself, destroying oneself to reach a goal.
The wisps of yellow beneath the rocky surface were writhing, like snakes, jolting at any movement she made, there was an eerie feel to it all. Something alive that wasn't meant to be. Snuffed out and if that wasn't enough insult to injury then brought back by its tormentors to be used at their whim.
She wished she could help free it from such trepidations, and relieve it from the tremendous pain of a soul being infused with rock material.
She curled away, wanting to be smaller and sadly more out of reach.
Ryu regretfully learned the importance of two words which explained a concept of maybes she never paid attention to in the past.
If only.
If only.
If only she had her magic.
If only she could free the Yokai.
If only–
"Ryu!" She didn't have the energy to answer Elsa's calls as she rushed down into the gutted hole. Elsa's touches couldn't break the spell that blinded Ryu to her pursuer. All that she saw in that yellow light angered her.
Thoughts not her own resonated in her head. Tears stung into her eyes as rage, fear and confusion filled her body. It wanted to lash out anyone resembling a human.
"Ryu?" Elsa's calls sounded distant despite being right next to her, maybe drowned out by the phoenix's cries, maybe the thoughts caused her voice to become dull, Ryu didn't know.
All she knew was that she had to end this. One trembling leg moved after the other leaving Elsa behind. She was just as perplexed as Ryu, bewitched by the bird's eye, tears trailing down her cheeks as tragedies screamed at them silently.
I was the first, the first child, the first warrior, the first forced to watch as my brethren were torn apart and used like marionettes.
There was a soul there inside the jade, another victim left in the Mikotos' wake. Hopelessly doomed to serve the ones who killed them in the first place. Forced to comply with orders and promises writhing inside of it.
The Mikotos toyed with life itself.
It was wrong, worse than wrong, an atrocity.
Elsa created life but none of the life she birthed had been made with remnants of an agonized life. They weren't vengeful, Olaf was made of childhood joy; he contained pieces of Anna and Elsa, they were good.
Ryu's mind, as disparaging as it was, reached out like a hand to the Phoenix, knowing that even if just the tips of their fingers brushed something could come of it.
They call us monsters yet we were molded in their image.
The screeching ceased. The closer she came the more the bird backed away, drawing her further out of the hideaway.
I can't free you but I can take you to those who can. Those like you.
Finally emerged and into the cage Elsa rushed to the viewing wall, Misha's scrutinizing gaze assessed Ryu's injuries noting the blood staining her pristinely white frost covered form.
Elsa and Anna exchanged worried glances, they'd fumble an explanation out later to him and his men but now…
Now the focus was on the dragon, it was nerve wracking seeing Ryu stand before a creature with an established penchant for violence.
A piece of the beak shattered even more with chips falling away from it.
"The monster can be destroyed- it's weak!" Misha deducted turning to his men.
"Wait!" The four voices of Mattias, Kristoff, Anna, and Elsa harmonized. Elsa gripped the bars tightly, spreading ice upon it.
"Let… let my creation do what they must, the Yokai's temperament is delicate right now we don't want to set it off." The burning hatred in Misha's eyes started a tremble in Elsa's voice and hands.
"Then so be it, you can repair your ice creation and we are out of reach. I was misdirected under the preconceived notion that this monster was indestructible. It obviously is not. We must strike now!" Misha hadn't lost his momentum in wanting justice.
She needed to do something, anything, that could prevent the soldiers from acting.
"Colonel Misha, you gave us your word, you and your men would adhere to our methods!" Kristoff hardly ever yelled, the stress of the situation was getting to him and Anna who argued against Colonel.
Mattias attempted to calm the surrounding soldiers but he was not their general, his authority was just a mere courtesy not a required respect.
Horror seized her heart when the familiar sounds of a cannon being loaded reached her ears being aimed at the Phoenix. They didn't understand! How could they?
Before she could decide against it Elsa's hands shot ice, freezing Colonel Misha's feet to the floor.
When he turned his furious eyes at her she winced, backing away, shooting another blast blockading the cannon's hole. "I'm sorry, b-but I cannot allow you to intervene. Please I implore you to just listen."
Looking down at his shoes encased in ice, then to the cage, then back at Elsa she could detect the contempt swirling in the man's cold eyes.
His next utterance shattered any hope of recovering the situation that was quickly spiraling out of control.
"Men! Fire."
The rage refused to die.
Ryu could understand, with the small bits of the past reflected back at her she began questioning her own ideals of the ones who raised her.
This soul wasn't tainted like hers, they had done nothing wrong yet we're still condemned to a cell like she found herself in years ago.
The negative emotions were contagious. She roared, shaking her head as if the thoughts filling them would spill out of her ears.
Their connection was born, fused by collective rage, an amalgamation of pain, terror, agony.
None of it made sense. She was no stranger to the innocent suffering but she never saw her sentencing verdict to be hunted and destroyed as an injustice.
I was the first. Get seven, bring them now-
The first? Seven?
Ryu grew frustrated, it was too jumbled, something blocking the Yokai from communicating uninhibitedly with her.
Such a visionary my love, but on such a small sca–
The sound of that voice froze Ryu in place, she had hoped she would never hear it again. Sickeningly smooth and even never faltering. She could hear how well and alive Lady Izanami-no-Mikoto was.
How disappointing.
So distracted had Ryu been that she had not realized how close she and Yokai became. It was jarring being right in front of a demon from the past.
I can take you to where you'll have peace but you have to stop, all of this destruction. Let me help you.
Rejecting the idea the Phoenix now backed away, frightened and being pursued by Ryu, the screaming around them lowered in volume.
Please. Let me in…
Burn them. Burn them all.
Ryu growled, chest aglow with the fire which coursed through her veins. Physical pain long forgotten, humans had hurt them far too many times, they deserved- No!
In the spur of the moment Elsa's screams finally registered breaking the trance the two beings found themselves in.
The Yokai was not amused, fighting back harder to entrench its pain and will inside the recesses of Ryu's mind.
We're lambs meant for slaughter, and we shall burn them all!
Burn, burn, bur-
A large blast wrecked the strong jade bird to fall and deafened Ryu briefly. She had to leap out of the way, when the dust settled she examined the indent to its wing, embedded with a large black smoking ball. She frowned, that wasn't part of the plan.
"You must stop this!" Elsa cried at the soldiers.
Ryu whined, turning to her. Elsa was in danger and needed Ryu!
Rising to its feet the Yokai roared and redirected its aggression towards Ryu, nearly clamping its beak around her torso. She rolled to the left then pounced above the next attack, the vigorous shaking made her vision blue till she was jerked upward.
Oh! I'm in danger! I need Elsa!
Time being as merciless as it was slowed savoring the terrible horror Elsa felt watching the bird jerk its head up tossing Ryu into the air then back down again straight into the Yokai's mouth and down its gullet.
"Ryu." Elsa whispered. One moment she was there curled up in the air looking frightened and confused, the next she was gone.
To rub salt into the raw red wound, appearing just as shocked at the outcome, its head bobbed back and forth, visibly swallowing.
It was too late.
Her life was over.
Elsa wasn't given any time to process the moment that took seconds to unfold yet felt like it dragged on for hours and lasted an instant.
And in that instant, Elsa's world ended.
The Phoenix locked eyes with her.
"Give her back." Elsa breathed out, the winds had begun to pick up, ice stretched across any surface available, the calls of her name met mute ears.
"Give her back." Elsa demanded low and vicious.
With its mission completed the bird spread its wings adding gusts of dust and debris spread into the snow vortex, in a disregard for its own wellbeing the bird flew up slamming with all its might against the dome obsidian bars, demolishing its jade body in exchange for freedom.
"Oh no you don't!" Elsa climbed the bars creating a lasso, the storm which brought a bitter chill to the bones of her comrades, that was the least of her worries. Akin to the Yokai she too had a singular mission on her mind and nothing would stop her.
"Elsa!" Anna and Kristoff raced to their sister but she was already tethered to the vengeful spirit, yanked right out of their grasp and into the darkened sky.
Elsa could hear Nokk's neighs below, she yelped as the giant swerved left, taking them higher and higher till she could no longer see the earth.
Gritting her teeth she pulled herself to the end of the tether, her hands froze to the cracked surface of the creature's back.
"This is your last chance!" She screamed over the squall created by their velocity. "I don't want to hurt you! I know this isn't your fault but… "
I'll rip you apart or take us both to hell trying.
Her magic traveled over the entirety of the Yokai hindering its capabilities to have full motion. Her inner nature created a storm in the skies, the epicenter being her heart. Pumped with adrenaline and a steely determination to get Ryu back Elsa calmed her panicking pulse to focus.
The ice snuck between any cracks it could locate, expanding slowly to separate the space between them.
"Please, please be okay." Elsa prayed to whoever would listen, shutting her eyes she nearly fell when the bird flipped upside down barreling sporadically.
Elsa refused to be brushed off like some parasite whose host was not happy with her presence, said host stole her Ryu and she'd be damned if they'd get away with it.
Crashing into the mountain peaks did the Yokai no favors, Elsa ducked close, laying flat, dodging the rubble that flew past them.
Enraged, Elsa's eyes slitted dangerously, sending her to her knees, fist balled, she pounded them into the bird's back each blow pummeling it with a shockwave of ice and sleet.
"Give." Crackle. "Her." Shatter. "Back!" Elsa growled, violently dislodging pieces of the Yokai.
Heaven was an absolute shit hole. As far as Ryu was concerned. Just an empty void, there was no beginning and no end, they didn't even have a ceiling, at least China had a wall.
So this was it? She was just doomed to float in the ether. Ryu snorted at the very audacity she had to think she'd be accepted into heaven. If that was the case which it seemed to be, hell was awesome, not as bad as many worried about.
If she had known she definitely would have sinned more.
Though saying that, it was awfully boring in hell.
Was that her eternal torment, unfathomable boredom?
A shining flash of light, as bright as the sun, burned Ryu's back and filled her vision… Oh what now? Ryu wriggled her body to turn around and face it, regretting the choice as the light seared into her eyes. A voice unlike any human or being she ever heard.
It resembled the one that haunted her thoughts before she had been swallowed, except much more coherent. Gone was the disgustingly disturbing voice of their mistress.
"I was the first, I witnessed all the slaughtering, except yours. You, seven, a stranger to the chopping block."
There was no escaping the truth that she knew deep down. She just wished the Yokai would keep it to itself. She needn't think of those that died before her the other dragons… wait…
The first…
"You're a lot more capacious on the inside than ya look, wait what the first… dragon they killed… " The aura of light hummed growing more luminous at being recognized as more than just a mere phantom. Its powers harnessed and used, Ryu saw her fate had she accepted it and not deviated from what she was taught to be her destiny.
The soul drew closer till it surrounded Ryu entirely. The color in her eyes drained to pure white, Elsa's magic melted away.
"The pain was immeasurable. I wish death was as final as the living believe it to be." A strong dragon, chained, escorted by guards to the place Ryu wished she'd never see again. It was such an odd sight how willing the great one who tripled in size submitted to mere humans who demanded it present itself at the center of the underground temple.
Ryu felt the shame, the humiliation, as the great beast lay itself down like a lamb. The last thing it ever saw was a man holding a dagger above their chest. It was nearly as long as the wielder's forearm. The shaft was pitch ebony with a wicked sheen, and red in places. Despite being organic it was lavishly decorated with coils, running the length of the black, etchings containing ancient runes Ryu couldn't identify were carved deep into the surface of the… by God it was a tooth, a fang and Ryu knew of only one creature large enough to house such a formidable weapon naturally. At almost two inches thick it looked sharp enough to filet a slab of granite. The milky white enamel was pristine, with a sharpness the best blacksmith could only dream of replicating. The tooth must have been obsessively polished to shine in the fire lit space as it did reflecting the many faces of cloaked figures.
The drums beating in time with their heart quickened the higher the tooth had been held until finally.
A horrible despair and torture as the very essence of the dragon was brutally torn down from the ribcage to the stomach, blood blue, spilt staining the gray altar sapphire. Its roars echoed throughout the walls of the sacred place which once acted as a sanctuary was now being desecrated to slay the kin of those who built it.
Barely able to move, the dragon used the last of its strength to lift their long neck peering down at what had been done to them.
They thought the pain would have ended by now and death would take them when their soul had been extracted.
"You ambitious juvenile had done what the rest of us did not have the heart to do. You ended the cycle, if only you had come first instead perhaps those that have been slain would still be here today. You have passion, you have strength, and courage."
Ryu couldn't stop her weeping, all her life she had seen her past deeds as a horrific act of cowardice but to be told by an actual dragon all that Elsa had been telling her maybe… maybe her views of herself were as biased as Elsa said.
"Which is why it brings me great anguish that I must take you to them." What!
Ryu came to struggling out from the soul's embrace. "Why?" She begged, her heart raced in her ribs, she never knew what the ceremony entailed specifically but to see it firsthand, well she'd rather be dead then face that fate. "If you know what they'll do to me, what I'll be used for! This goes beyond just me. I'll… I'll be like you used to bring death and destruction, we can't allow that! Please, there's another way!"
"I'm afraid there is no other way, fledgling, I cannot live through this torment any longer. I will be paid with peace and sadly you are the price."
"I can help you!" She was not believed but she needed to plead her case. "Just give up this form and you'll be free!"
"Free? Free to roam the earth and be overtaken by another. No the Mikotos promis-"
"You think they'll keep their word, they will never release you. We know what they're like, they molded us for their use." The silence that followed worried Ryu, until the soul said something that flabbergasted Ryu.
"I do not wish to return to the Mikotos and do not wish to roam this world just to be taken by humans again. There is nothing for me."
"I-i-i-" How could she possibly respond to that? "I can help you-erm maybe I can't help you directly but I can take you to someone who can. A deity of life he has… well he created a heaven for creatures like you, like us who don't have anywhere safe to go."
"And how shall I get there?"
"I'll take you." Her swift reply was telling that she did not understand the gravity such a promise would demand of her.
"If you were to use your body as a vessel to escort me to this heaven, time would be an imperative we cannot treat lightly. I cannot stay forever if I do we will begin to merge. Your body will begin to die due to our needs and the constant battle between us. But our power will be increased at least tenfold."
Ryu thought carefully, she… if she had the chance to win that battle, take the dragon's soul as hers, she could protect Elsa, defend Arendelle, keep herself ali- no she couldn't, then she really would be made in the Mikotos' image.
"I can't, I won't be like those that hurt us. If I ferry your soul it will be to take you to the temple in Arendelle and that is it." What sounded like an earthquake shook the entire void, like they were standing on a frozen lake that could not support their weight.
The fractures traveled to the left then the right.
What the hell is that?
"You stated that we were products of the Mikotos but I see in you quite the opposite. It will be difficult to use your body as a vessel to transfer me with my power. However I trust you to do so." The soul was more eager than what Ryu would have thought, so willing to surrender control to another, already moving towards her.
"Wait!" She swam backwards, drifting further from the spirit she still had others who could be affected by her choices. "I have conditions, my body, my rules. You must promise to keep your power to a minimum. I don't want any risky ghost, poltergeist possession shit happening, deal?"
"I cannot promise I will be successful but I promise to keep my magic at a manageable amount, however it will be difficult to predict. You wish to protect those humans you surround yourself with."
Ryu frowned, not liking the way the soul said the word human as if it was a slur. His disdain for them could present problems but what other choice did she have.
Another quake shook their environment ominously. Was the Yokai so distracted in here that it was crashing into mountains on the outside?
"Fair enough but those humans are… well I love them and they are to be respected."
"Very well. We must hurry now. Time is running out."
Why?
Were they that close to Japan already?
The wind was instantaneous and freezing, making Ryu shudder.
With a final nod, Ryu floated in place waiting for the soul to make the first move, she hadn't the slightest idea of what to do.
The light enveloped her once more, a tingling warmth grew in temperature all over her body. "Wait I forgot to ask if this'll hu-" her words were cut off as the air around her cut off. It was too much, far too much.
She could compare it to being full of food except instead of stopping the meal she kept being force fed until everywhere all at once felt swollen, ready to explode as the light squeezed itself inside, every single bit.
An entire life kept flashing through her brain overloading it with knowledge, memories, sickening her enough to vomit the contents of her stomach hoping to make room.
"Ryu!" The call was distant.
No, not distant. It was muffled by a wall.
"Elsa?" She weakly replied, unable to move. More dull sounds of some kind of struggle and crumbling surrounded her but she was too exhausted to see.
It was cold, terribly cold, since when was there a draft, how has she not noticed it before. Drifting aimlessly, the sky looked broken. A giant blue hued crack continued away through the void, out of sight, hidden, the sound of its continual expansion sending eerie echoes in every direction more and more, shimmering blue and white between the open spaces.
"I will turn you into a pile of dust and sift through every single strand to find her if I have to."
Yes, that's my Elsa, always so dramatic. What the fuck is she doing? Did she follow us? Crazy woman.
As Elsa stood atop the Yokai, her aggressive attention was brought from breaking it apart to the glowing yellow eyes which slowly dimme, the golden tendrils also began disappearing. She needed to get Ryu out now!
With one last final push she shouted pouring every once of magical capability she had into every crevice of the jade, snow and ice gushed from her hands in waterfalls of white. Properly rooted she thrusted her arms apart bursting the mobile tomb into scattering shambles and dust. An Avalanche of green blinded her vision as she fell from the sky.
Her eyes scanned as gravity greedily tugged her body downward to the earth at an alarming rate, the ground and winter mist rushing up at them. She needed a solution but first she needed to find Ryu.
I have time. She calmly assured herself eyes darted to her left and right.
There she was!
Falling unconscious twelve feet away, battered, her chest glowing yellow. Finally what awaited them at the end of their fall came into view. From this height Elsa could see Nokk galloping across the water to her aid. She'd land straight through the ice and into the sea but Ryu…
Elsa began coating as much of her magic around the dragon's body to brace for impact. She repeated the same to herself, hoping it would shield their bodies from breaking.
Elsa gulped in as much air as her lungs could take closing her eyes.
Breaching the waters, the thunderous collision of the remnants left of the Yokai and Ryu's ice enforced body were heard, Elsa was not beneath the surface for long, now upon Nokk's back his powerful neck burst through the ice sheets. Elsa gulped, clinging to his liquid frame, freezing it to ease his task of pulling them both out of the sea.
Her chest rose slowly, wiping her soaked bang from her face glancing up. Green particles littered the skies along with the snow.
She couldn't calculate how far the fall was but knew Anna would kill her if she ever found out.
A nervous laugh bubbled up at her throat, she should not have survived that, Nokk reared up in celebration.
"Oh… Oh! Ryu!" She spurred Nokk forward towards land. It was covered in emerald. Layers upon layers of dust dismounting Nokk she rushed through scanning diligently, her eyes combing for any signs of her dragon.
"Ryu!" She shouted knowing it was fruitless, Ryu had been unconscious when she saw her in the sky… unconscious or dea-
"No!" Elsa shook her head, tears running down her cheeks. "Ryu, baby, where are you?" She whimpered helplessly. What she wouldn't give to see that sweet little smirk again.
As irritating as it was, Nok nuzzled his snout around the dust piles aiding in the search.
They covered high and low, anywhere there was jade. Nokk bellowed a few feet away. Wobbly legs carried Elsa over towards a lump underneath the rubble of the Yokai.
He began clearing it away snorting and there, beautiful as ever was Elsa's Ryu facedown in the snow crater her body must have created when it landed.
As desperate as Elsa was to embrace her, she hesitated. Ryu was still, so still. Every fiber in her body was screaming at her to run and kiss her dragon, inside fear began devouring those desires.
What if…
Elsa wasn't ready to face that future if it proved to be reality. How could she?
So she stayed in the unknown for a little while longer, one tiny step after the other bringing her closer to Ryu's body.
Death wasn't final, it couldn't be and she wouldn't give up. She wouldn't allow others to influence the fate they created for themselves to be together. She'd give her own breath if she had to.
With clenched fists she marched towards Ryu, kneeling down. Now matter what the world threw at them Elsa would reach her hands out in the darkness and yank Ryu back. She'd never give up. Even down to her last breath.
With shaking hands and an iron will she carefully turned Ryu over onto her back.
One, two, three, four, and Elsa pressed her two fingers to Ryu's pulse.
She needed it. More than Ryu needed it and it belonged to her.
Elsa's eyes snapped open, there was a pulse! She laughed madly, sobbing in relief. The pulse was fast but it was there.
With a hum, she lifted Ryu's limp body to her chest, hugging her tightly, rocking side to side with a smile. Her eyes slid shut, relishing the feel of Ryu pressed against her.
"Oh my sweet Gecko, I have you." A stuttered breath from Ryu's mouth had pulled Elsa away from the blissful heaven she found herself in reminding her that while yes alive, Ryu was still injured and needed medical attention.
It was the last of her strength that helped Elsa hoist Ryu bridal style though she felt so overjoyed that she could have carried her for miles. That wouldn't be necessary due to Nokk kneeling down offering his back to them.
"Alright Gecko-" Elsa grunted, placing Ryu upon Nokk following. Now with the girl draped in her lap he took off in a gentle trot. "It's Nokk-" Elsa began unaware if Ryu could hear her or not. "You know Nokk, you two are the best of friends." He grunted irritably at the fib.
Elsa didn't have to focus on their surroundings, she didn't know where they were but so she put her faith in knowing Nokk had remembered the way back to fort Karasta.
With her little lady in her arms Elsa could close her eyes and imagine they were back home, and Ryu had fallen asleep with the earth giants again and Elsa was taking her back home.
The world for many was so big but for Elsa it fit right into her arms.
Elsa was worried about one issue. Well she had many things to worry about but there was one that took priority, the guilt she had been expecting to come from destroying Yokai was absent.
Not even slivers of it could be found inside her heart. That couldn't be right. If she had to do it all over again she would without hesitation.
Hmm. Odd.
Notes: Seven in Japanese is a lucky number, largely because of its significance in Buddhism. Additionally, seven is used with the Seven Gods of Luck. So Ryu is a little Luck dragon, fortunate but also not so fortunate