Voices

Chapter Twelve

Absolution

If this is death, thought Elsa, then it's not at all what I expected.

She had expected to be greeted by something similar to what she had been taught in church as a little girl: either an angelic choir in some heavenly paradise, or unquenchable fire in which she would burn for eternity. Instead, she was still surrounded by snow and ice. Her eyes widened as she realized—

"I'm not dead!" she whispered. How is this possible? she thought. Hans couldn't possibly have missed from this close. Was she being taunted? Was Hans toying with her, trying to torment her for as long as possible before finally executing her?

But then she saw Hans's unconscious form lying on the ice not far from her, his sword now nothing more than broken fragments of iron. How . . . what?

Gingerly, Elsa pulled herself to her feet, closing her eyes as she did so to try to relieve the dizziness caused by her still-aching head. Eyes still closed, she turned and felt her hand brush against something ice cold and solid.

Elsa opened her eyes and then immediately closed them again, horrified, knowing that she was imagining things, that it had to be another hallucination, that there was no possible way that what she had seen was real it just couldn't be it was so cruel oh God please no don't let it be true!

Elsa forced herself to open her eyes and realized that she had not imagined it, as she had hoped, but it was still there, it was still there, Oh, God, no, it was still there! "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Staring back at her, unmoving, was Anna, or, rather, what was left of Anna. The once-lively, vibrant, beautiful princess was now nothing more than a statue of solid ice, her once-rosy complexion blue, icy, completely frozen. Elsa threw herself forward, grasping at the statue, hoping against hope that somehow, someway, Anna was still alive. "ANNA! ANNA, PLEASE! NO, ANNA! PLEASE, COME BACK TO ME! ANNA!"

But for all her abilities, for all her powers, Elsa was powerless to bring the dead back to life. Elsa embraced the statue that had once been her sister and an inhuman wail erupted from her throat, echoing throughout the fjord. Words cannot adequately describe the agony coursing through Elsa's soul in that moment. All she could do was continue to scream and wail and cling to her sister's body, never wanting to let go.

Well, well, dearie, if this isn't irony! came the familiar mocking. You spent your entire life isolating yourself, trying to keep your sister safe. And, in the end, it was your own power that killed her! How tragic!

"SHUT UP!" screamed Elsa, her entire body quaking with fury. All of Elsa's inhibitions were now stripped away, her tortured, mangled soul on full display. A loud groan caught Elsa's attention, and she saw Hans slowly pulling himself to his feet, trying to figure out what had just happened.

Before he knew what was happening, Elsa was standing over him. "Get up!" she ordered, her voice terrifyingly cold, completely devoid of emotion except for blind rage. "I said GET UP!"

Elsa unleashed a blast of artic air and Hans went flying across the fjord, slamming into the side of a frozen merchant vessel. Hans pulled himself to his feet, but somehow, impossibly, Elsa was already next to him. "Elsa? What are you—"

Hans screamed in terror as Elsa once again blew him across the fjord, his body slamming this time into a large, thick icicle. Screaming in pain, Hans stood again, looking desperately about for any sign of his attacker.

Out of nowhere, Elsa grabbed Hans's throat and violently yanked him from the ground. With a strength she didn't know she possessed, Elsa lifted Hans above her head with only one arm.

"Elsa? What are you doing? Please, Elsa!"
"SILENCE!" the snow queen ordered. "You killed my sister!"

"Well, technically, you did when you froze her heart," Hans rambled nervously, "but I guess I did have something to do with it when she stepped in front of my sword and—"

"SHUT UP!" roared Elsa. Still holding Hans with one hand, she raised her other hand and conjured a dagger of pure ice. "I am going to enjoy watching you die," she whispered, her voice full of venom.

"Elsa! Wait! Please! El–, El–" Hans could barely speak as Elsa's fingers closed around his throat, her fingers colder than ice itself.

Yes! YES! Run it through him, snow queen! Nice and slow! Do it! DO IT!

"Yes," Elsa whispered, her eyes gleaming in fury. She raised the dagger and positioned it above Hans's heart.

"Wait . . . Elsa! An–, Anna! What . . . would . . . Anna . . . say?!"

Elsa stopped suddenly, her face twitching, her eyes confused, blinking, as if waking from a deep sleep. She released her grip and Hans fell to the ice. The once-proud prince head collided with the ice, and he sank back into unconsciousness.

What are you doing? Why did you stop? Kill him! KILL HIM!

Ignoring the voices, Elsa stared at the dagger in her hand, noticing for the first time just how sharp the blade was. "So smooth," she whispered, stroking it.

I just want the pain to end . . . to make it all just stop!

Before she could change her mind, Elsa raised the blade above her chest and drove it downward.

"ELSA!"

The shock of hearing her name, in that voice, caused Elsa to drop the blade just as it was right above her heart. Elsa raised her head, and saw a familiar figure running toward her. Anna?! It can't be! The exhausted queen collapsed to the ice, completely spent.

"ELSA! ELSA!"

The princess of Arendelle knelt by her sister, wrapping her arms around her. "Elsa! Elsa, speak to me! Please!"

Suddenly Elsa shot up, her eyes wild with fear. She looked at Anna and shrieked in terror. "NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!" Elsa screamed hysterically, pushing Anna away, trying to push herself across the ice away from what she was certain was another hallucination. "YOU'RE NOT REAL! YOU'RE NOT REAL!"

"Elsa! It's me! It's Anna! IT'S ANNA!"

"YOU'RE DEAD! I KILLED YOU! I KILLED YOU! YOU CAN'T BE HERE! YOU CAN'T BE! I KILLED YOU! I KILLED YOU! I . . . I . . ."

Elsa no longer had the strength to fight. Sobbing, she covered her head and rocked back and forth.

Gently, Anna wrapped her arms around her trembling sister, pulling her close. "Elsa, it's really me! I'm alive! I'm alive!"

Elsa opened her eyes and stared at the face of younger sister, no longer encased in ice, but once again alive as she ever was. "Anna," she whispered weakly. "Anna, you're all right!"

Tears flowed from Anna's eyes as she smiled at Elsa. "I'm here, Elsa! Everything's going to be okay!"

Confusion danced through Elsa's mind. "But . . . I froze your heart! How . . . how?"

"When I went to see the healers," Anna explained, "they told me that only an act of love could thaw a frozen heart. I thought I needed Hans to kiss me. But then he told me he didn't really love me. So then, I thought I needed Kristoff to kiss me. But, when I saw Hans about to kill you, I . . . I couldn't let him! So I threw myself in front of his sword just as my heart completely froze."

"You . . . you sacrificed yourself, for me?" Elsa asked. "After everything I've done to you, all the pain I've caused you . . . why would you do that?"

"Because . . . Because I love you, Elsa."

A fresh spasm of sobs tore through Elsa's body.

"Elsa?" asked Anna. "Elsa, what's wrong?!"

"How . . . can . . . you . . . love me?" Elsa managed to say through her sobs. "I've caused so much pain! I didn't mean to! I just wanted everyone . . . you to be safe from me! Don't you . . . don't you think I'm a monster?"

"Of course I don't!" Anna cried. "You're my sister and I will always, always love you!"

The two sisters embraced each other, holding each other as if there was nothing else in the world.

Suddenly, Elsa pushed Anna away.

"Elsa, what's wrong?"

Elsa said nothing, but stood and began to walk away.

"Elsa!" Anna cried. "Elsa, don't shut me out again! Not after everything we've been through!"

"What did the healer say?" whispered Elsa. "An act of . . . true love . . ."

"Will melt a frozen heart," Anna finished, not understanding. "Elsa, what are you—"

Elsa turned to face Anna, her eyes beaming in excitement. "Love, Anna!" she said. "Don't you see? Love will melt a frozen heart!"

"Elsa, I still don't understand—"

Elsa closed her eyes, concentrating, and for the first time in years, she allowed her heart to feel. No longer worried about concealing herself, her emotions, she allowed her love for Anna, for her subjects, for her kingdom to fill her heart. A strange sensation flowed through her body. Instead of the normally icy sensation she experienced when using her powers, this time she felt . . . warmth.

Opening her eyes, Elsa laughed as she saw the snow melting, the ice breaking apart, swirling and twisting into a giant cloud high in the sky.

What are you doing? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! screamed the voices. We ORDER you to return winter, to reclaim your throne by force!

I'm not afraid anymore, she thought. It's time for you to go.

You can't send us away! You need us! YOU NEED US!

The voices screamed and raged in Elsa's mind, but she no longer heard them. The love she had always felt but had kept locked away now flowed throughout her mind, body, and soul. With a wave of her hand, the snow and ice she had gathered high above the kingdom formed a giant snowflake, then dispersed, leaving Arendelle once again in the warm embrace of summer.

It was then that Elsa realized the voices were still screaming at her. Calmly, she marshalled all of her mental energy, reinforcing it with her newly released love. It's time for you to leave, she repeated.

YOU UNGRATEFUL BITCH! YOU WILL NEVER BE THE QUEEN YOU COULD HAVE BEEN WITH OUR HELP! YOU NEED US!

Goodbye.

With a final series of howls and screams, the voices sank deep into Elsa's mind until they disappeared into the abyss, forever.

Elsa opened her eyes and looked around, listening. She heard . . . water rushing through the fjord . . . the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze.

In her mind, she heard . . . silence.

Tears welled in her eyes again, and she smiled at Anna.

"Elsa?" Anna asked.

"They're gone," Elsa whispered. "They're gone! They're finally gone!"

The people of Arendelle were exultant. The winter that had descended upon their kingdom, nearly killing them all, had ended. Summer had returned. Their harvests, once feared irreparably damaged, had begun to grow and flourish once more. It was as if the entire ordeal had never happened.

Now, the villagers were gathered anxiously by the harbor as one of the many ships floating in the fjord sailed into port. Rumors had spread amongst the villagers that Princess Anna had been on the fjord when the storm had stopped and they had gathered to see for themselves.

The ship finally docked and her passengers began to disembark. First, with a rough shove, came a tied-up Prince Hans. Before he could get a word out edgewise, the palace guards were upon him, dragging him to the palace dungeon as he screamed in protest.

Next came Anna and her companion from her journey, Kristoff. At the appearance of the princess, the people roared in approval. Anna tentatively waved her at the crowds, not used to being the center of such attention.

Anna then turned behind her and stretched out her hand. The people gasped as they saw Queen Elsa take her sister's hand and slowly, nervously, descend to the dock.

The people of Arendelle stared in apprehension at the queen, terrified that another winter was about to be unleashed upon them. Elsa glanced about, her usually poised public demeanor nowhere to be found. Instead, she appeared to be a scared, anxious young woman. Finally, she managed to work up enough courage to speak.

"People of . . . of Arendelle," Elsa said, desperately trying to maintain her composure. "The past few days have been a nightmare for us all. I know that much of what has happened has been my fault, and I . . . wanted . . . to say . . ."

Elsa was finding it difficult to speak. She opened her mouth to continue, but the people were staring at her, casting judgment upon her, reviling her as a monster, and she knew she should be strong, but it was too much, and she collapsed to the dock.

Anna rushed to help her return to her feet, but Elsa refused. A fresh series of sobs racked her body, and she screamed in sorrow and in shame, desperately wishing that she could just run back to her ice palace and be alone once more.

Arendelle's citizens were thrown for a loss at their queen's collapse. As they watched their queen lying on the dock, completely broken and exposed, it became clear to them that she was no monster, no sorceress, no spiteful overlord, but merely a young woman overwhelmed with fear and guilt.

So focused were the people on Elsa's suffering that they did not notice a young girl step forward, slowly, carefully. The little girl approached Elsa and stood directly before her. Elsa, for her part, looked up from the dock and stared into the little girl's face, terrified at what would happen. Is she going to call me a monster? To demand that I leave and never return?

The little girl smiled, said "Your Majesty," and curtsied low before her queen. Stunned, Elsa allowed Anna to help her stand again before her subjects as, one by one, they bowed before her.

"Elsa!" cried Anna. "Elsa! Look at your hand!"

Elsa raised her left hand to her face and saw that the Eden-stone was shining once again, brighter than it ever had before. The crowd erupted in cheers at the sight, applause echoing across the fjord. Tears rolled down Elsa's cheeks as she embraced Anna, holding her tightly, never wanting to let go of her again. I'm home! she thought. I'm home!

Among the countless rulers in Arendelle's storied history, none were more beloved than Queen Elsa. Her wisdom and grace were legendary, and her people reaped the benefits as a veritable golden age of prosperity descended upon the kingdom. The gates to the palace, once locked up and impassible, were now always open to even the most common of citizens, and it was not uncommon for the Queen to spend her days visiting her subjects, both rich and poor alike, sharing the warmth of her love with all the people of Arendelle. And we would be remiss if we neglected to mention that her people thrilled to the sheer joy she displayed in using her powers to provide a brief reminder of winter even on the warmest of days.

And, to this day, if in the midst of the hottest of summers one happens to feel the cold rush of a winter's breeze, or experiences the briefest chill on an early-morning wind, the people of Arendelle will tell you that it is not a freak weather pattern or a momentary drop in temperature that is responsible. Rather, it is the work of Elsa, the Snow Queen, reminding all of us that feeling—truly feeling—the love we have for each other is what makes all men brothers, and all of us truly human.

AN: I hope, in this final chapter, I have been able to wrap up the story to everyone's satisfaction. I have been truly blessed as I have worked on this to have such wonderful reviewers and supporters encouraging me, even when I had no idea where to take this story. Perhaps in the future I will reveal more stories from the Legend of Queen Elsa, but, for now, this is goodbye. Thank you all once again, and please, keep supporting each other's creativity in the unique manner this website provides.