Wow! This was amazing! So dark and intense, and yet, somehow completely in character. I love how you demonstrate Elsa’s contempt at being restrained her whole life and at these men who dare to come after her. And her reflection quotes...wow. This was dark and beautiful. Also the image you depicted of the red snowflake was really cool.

I love this story. I've always like the idea of an Evil Elsa, but even so, I've never liked the idea of a purely Evil Elsa. There's a difference...if you squint and tilt your head and look close enough. I've also always thought that with bottling up all her emotions, her mind would slowly unravel, and she would little by little start getting blinded by what's happened to her and how she acts out on instinct. Suffering like she has, with deprivation of human contact and practically putting herself in a cage, I've entertained the idea of her finally - at some point - snapping. All she would be trying to do is protect herself, yet somewhere in the fray, she would get lost. Her mind would go blank, and in blind, insecure instinct to protect herself and get everyone to just leave her alone - all her knowledge of moral would slip - and she would kill. She would unintentionally spill blood unto her hands that has no hopes of being washed away, and after all is said and done - she wouldn't feel guilt.

Maybe confusion, maybe shock, maybe she would even mutter that mantra to herself like an age old prayer that a scared, fearful, little girl used to utter to herself during her nightmares. But I doubt she would feel guilt, or any kind of heartfelt remorse. I would think that her mind of thought would be along the lines of 'I did this, I killed them. I-I ran away...I was trying to SAVE them! But they hunted me - they HUNTED me down - and now they're dead. I killed them...gods...I-I MURDERED them. But they hurt me first, they were after MY BLOOD first! They got what they deserved, I was just protecting myself! I was just...I...I don't know. All I know is that they're dead, I'm covered in blood and I...I need to hide this! Before Anna sees, gods...what would she think? She would think I was a monster, but I'M NOT! I was just defending myself. They walked into MY castle, they attacked ME! And they've gotten what they deserve. All those years, of fearing my magic, and now it's saved me. I'm not scared anymore...I feel so...free. Hmm, blue's nice, but I guess...red was always a beautiful color.'

So yeah, I literally just thought that up. Anyway, I want to say that this story was amazing. Or one-shot actually, but whatever. And I think the producers should've gone along with something like this (Disney's kid-friendly policy be damned). Because honestly, Elsa isn't some innocent little girl. Maybe she was before - when she struck Anna with her magic - but she is by no means weak. Elsa's powers rivals that of a god's, and I've read a story called 'The Queen's Mercy' where they actually reveal in their plot that Elsa is the reincarnation of a goddess but doesn't remember her past. But anyway, Elsa has lived most of all of her life in fear - not just of hurting someone - but of herself (because essentially her magic is a big part of HER) She's been deprived of a grand life, and that fear shows in the scene where she's being attacked by the Duke's thugs.

In the beginning, you can see the fear in her eyes - wild, raw, and untamed, like an icy flame. In that split second you can see that she looks like a twenty one year old - she IS a twenty one year old woman, not only that but the QUEEN of Arendelle - but she's as fearful of everything around like she was when she was just a child. She knows nothing of everything that's going on around her, she's confused and scared and instinct is driving her. But then they start attacking, and something inside her shifts. You can see it in her irises too - can pinpoint that exact moment where that blue flame flickers into a frosty inferno. I believe that somehow, her magic isn't just something that she was born with.

I like to think that in a way it's ALIVE, and whenever it senses Elsa is in trouble - it rises to protect it's mistress, like a coiled snake with its fangs bared and ready to spring. And as it rises to defend her, it takes over her (a little bit, more like nudges her into acting out). She's in control of all her movements - she knows what she's doing and the possible outcome of her actions - but she'd being guided by something else - something STRONGER. All she would know is that whatever is happening to her she's still ALIVE, and she would continue to protect herself, no matter what.

So yeah, In my mind Elsa would only have two things that could push her to her snapping point: the taunting of her powers and of her own life, and the taunting of the life of the people she cares about dearly. Sure she cares about her kingdom - about Arendelle - but she would never kill for them unless engaged in warfare - and where there is no other option. In my eyes she would die (and kill) for the sake of Anna, Kai, and Gerda. Kai and Gerda are like her mother and father from when her actual ones died, and Anna is her sister do it's no dur she cares about her deeply. And I also feel like the only reason she would kill somebody in order to protect herself is that so she can live to protect the ones she loves a little longer, and because her powers urge her on to. I also like to think that her powers are like some spirit inside of her, and that it's been biding its time and building up its strength inside its host until it was strong enough to leave.

Maybe there would be a plot twist where the spirit inside of her was evil once upon a time and its original plan was to use Elsa to take over the world when it was strong enough. But then it wouldn't be able to, because it would've grown attached to her or something. I would also feel like its solid form would be that of an ice dragon, and it could like submerge inside of her and leave whenever it wanted when it was at full power. But when it would leave her, her hair would turn brown, and she would loose her powers. I would feel like there would also be an ancient guild, dedicated to hunting the spirit down and killing it because they know that it was originally evil. But it would have changed its ways because of Elsa, and because Anna has also grown on it. Then Elsa and it would have to fight side by side, and it would like bite her of inject her with its powers so that she could keep her powers even when he wasn't inside of her anymore.

But yeah, I don't know, those are just my thoughts. Sorry for rambling, and writing this insanely long review, which isn't even a review really. But yeah. This one-shot has given me so many ideas for my own Frozen story, and I can't thank you enough for writing it. But thank you anyways. You're an amazing writer, and I sure hope that you haven't fallen asleep by the time you've finished this. ;p

Sincerely,
DragonRaider1997

Dark and beautiful...like Tempest...

Wow... Just... Wow

I would really love to see more of this. There's so little actually dark!elsa; as in movie!elsa actually being dark/evil. This might be only the 5th one I've read...

In all honesty this is probably how Elsa really felt in the hear of the moment yea know? Locking yourself away for 13 years as keeping your emotions bottled up the whole time has to take it's toll. We all have our breaking point.
-AQueenThatIsFrozen

Wow. That's quite. .. gut wrenching? Definitely powerful. Ouch.

Nice! It's kinda hard for me to mourn the thugs and Hans, but it's a shame the guards who volunteered to find her had to die.

Her reactions, as outlined in your Author's Note, are completely real and understandable. Who WOULDN'T be resentful of having to suppress her emotions for thirteen years? And then to be hunted down, after fleeing so she WOULDN'T HURT ANYONE? Hardly fair.

Can't say I wouldn't do the same in her position.

I also draw some parallels between Elsa and Raven of the Teen Titans. That comparison may yet lead to a story. Haven't decided yet (or, that is, my Muse hasn't decided yet).

On the strength of its undeniable Truth, this goes into Favorites.

Does this count as a Start of Darkness? Maybe. Was this an extremely satisfying read? Absolutely.

I really liked this other side that Frozen could have taken

Wow! Intense! Such emotions! The descriptions of Elsa's carnage upon the guards was gut wrenching, not only for the violence, but for Elsa's reaction to it. I so wanted more of this. I wanted to see the aftermath and how Anna would take the news of her sister's violent killing. See, Klee, you leave us wanting more with your brilliant writing. I'm still on the edge of my seat after reading this. Great job.

Even though this is stated as being complete, I think you should make a run of it and see how the story progresses. Thank you

It's interesting to imagine what would've happened if the story had taken this turn. Despite the fact that Elsa doesn't feel any guilt after killing the first two guards, she doesn't want Anna to know what she's done, leading to her killing all of the men. If Anna found out and didn't forgive her... Elsa would lose herself for sure. That's a depressing thought.

This reminds me of chapter 5 of Another Kind of Love by reens, where Elsa has a nightmare that she killed those two men, and feels horribly guilty that she almost did. Anna says that she wouldn't have thought any less of her if she had killed them, because they tried to kill her first, and that got me thinking.
If Hans hadn't shown up, maybe Elsa would have thought of Anna and stopped herself from killing. Or maybe if Anna hadn't loved Elsa so much and hadn't been there for her, even someone voicing her own fears wouldn't have been enough to stop her from killing those men and getting the release she wanted, and she wouldn't have felt guilty about it, and then...

This wouldn't happen to be the "Elsa reveal" you're talking about in Tempest, would it? That she's killed someone?

Well, I'm not getting any sleep tonight. I'll be lying awake thinking about this. There's still a lot I have to straighten out in my own head, so I'm sorry if this doesn't make sense.

I really enjoyed this one. The scene where Elsa faces off with the duke's henchmen is one of my favorites in the movie, and I like the exploration of what would have happened if she'd taken it a step further. Really, really nice.

You know what? I think I like you!
Please keep it up. You're really good!