Frozen in Darkness

Disclaimer: I own nothing (unfortunately); all rights and characters in this fic belong to Disney and other respective owners and creators. I gain no profit from this; it's purely for fun. I only own my OC's.

Note: Inspired by 'Elsa vs. Maleficent' artwork created by Yamino.

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Princess Anna skipped down the bustling pathway with great joy, taken in the sights around her as people littered the street decorations. The Kingdom of Arendelle was in a jubilant mood today, as one very special lady was about to celebrate her birthday today. And despite Elsa's insistence that the town shouldn't have to get into a flurry over her, Anna was determined to make sure everything was perfect for her sister.

Like a woman on a mission, she guided the townspeople on what type of decorations to put up, where to put them, and make sure that every little detail was done to match her vision of the perfect birthday party. The angelic sounds of the choir coming from the church, led by the talented Sister Claire and Catherine, filled the air with wonderful harmony and joy. The scrumptious smells of the bakery were enough to halt her for a split second so that the aroma could seize her attention and make her mouth water.

Nevertheless, she told herself that she had no time to take in the sights and sounds for much longer, as she needed to check on the birthday girl.

She was non-stop, and it didn't take a genius to notice that. Before she could dash off to the castle, Kristoff and Sven stopped her. ''You're going to wear yourself out before the party has even begun if you're not careful.'' The blonde giant warned her, holding his arms out to stop her from sprinting past.

''I can't stop now; I have to make sure everything is ready. This will be Elsa's first real birthday party in…forever, I think…I hope! I mean, I don't hope in a bad way, I just mean that if this is her first birthday party, then I really make sure it's special. I want to make sure that everything goes right.'' She rambled on unintentionally. Her hands waving frantically and she bounced up and down, looking for a way past Kristoff.

Just when she thought she saw an opening past her boyfriend, she took it, only to crash into the strong, hairy body of Sven and fall back into Kristoff's arms. ''You've got to take it easy, feisty pants.'' He chuckled.

''But…''

''No buts!'' He cut in before she could get another word out. He helped her back onto her own two feet and turned her around until they were face to face. ''Do you think Elsa would want you to tire out before the party?''

''Well…no…''

''No, she wouldn't! Which is why you should take it easy, and just enjoy the day instead of exhausting yourself to make sure every little pastry is right.''

''But what if it's not right? What if it gives her food poisoning later? And then she gets a cold!''

''Can she even get colds?''

Anna ignored his question and tried to run back into town. ''That reminds me, I need to food-check everything!''

Kristoff, once again, stopped her from running off. His arms were nearly as big as her whole body, so it wasn't difficult. ''Really? You want to food-check the whole town before later tonight?''

She stopped struggling and looked up at Kristoff playfully. ''I could if I wanted to and you know it.''

''I never said you couldn't.'' He smirked.

Finally having a moment to collect her thoughts and stop to take a respite, Anna knew that Kristoff had a point, she was probably overworking herself a little bit more than was necessary, especially if Elsa saw her right now. ''I just want to make this a lovely day for my sister.''

''I think she'll have a lovely day, you don't have to stress yourself.''

''Fine.'' She pouted impishly. ''Speaking of which, I should check up on Elsa. Make sure she's getting ready. I'll see you at the party later.'' Quickly planting a kiss on the blond man's cheek, she gave him no time to respond and she rushed back in the direction of the castle.

Elsa admired the wonderful view of her Kingdom. Smiling lightly as she felt the burning sunshine from above, through the stain glass window. Gentle waves from the sea brushed against the shores, and the green leaves from the trees gently floated in the breeze. It was good to see Arendelle in a state of warmth and calm, unlike the last time the Kingdom had a big event. Which Elsa still felt guilty about, even after all these months had passed.

Her hands rubbed together, and her mind wandered. Any kind of bad scenario that could possibly happen played in her head over and over again. While she had gotten more control of her power, now that she no longer had to hide it from the public, the doubt and fear still plagued her. She knew there were people in the Kingdom who didn't trust her. It may be a minority compared to the citizens who still loved and respected her as their queen, it still left her to worry. All she had to do was get through this day and enjoy it, for herself and Anna.

At that very moment, the door to her chambers burst open, nearly making her jump out of her skin as Anna danced up towards her. ''Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday, Elsa!'' She cheered happily and rushed over to hug her sister in a tight embrace.

''Okay, Anna, thank you!'' Elsa giggled, unable to break from of her sister's friendly, iron-grip. Her feet dangled off the ground as Anna twirled around with joy, while still manage to hold onto the Queen. Sometimes, Elsa found it hard to believe how strong Anna could be at times, especially when excited like today. ''Didn't you already wish me a happy birthday this morning?''

''Yeah, that was hours ago!'' Anna stated. ''Now it's the afternoon, so I feel like doing it again. And tonight at the party as well! Are you excited? I'm excited, and it's not even my birthday! Not that I wouldn't be excited for my own birthday, but when it's someone else's birthday, I get to cheer and sing for them and apparently Olaf said he was working on a very big surprise for you, he never told me what it was but I'm excited to see it, probably just as much as you are and…I'm rambling again, aren't I?''

''A little, but I like it when you ramble,'' Elsa said. ''Uh…you can put me down now.''

''Oh, right, sorry.'' Anna quickly did as told, placing her older sister back down onto her own two feet. Once Elsa was finally free from Anna's grip, she patted her dress to rid it of creases and crinkles. Taking notice of Elsa's attire, a question popped into Anna's head. ''How come you're not wearing your other dress?''

Elsa looked back and forth between her dress and Anna's puzzled expression. While the Queen had her hair done in a braid like she usually would, she decided to wear her teal, coronation garb. ''Well, I figured that this was my best dress.''

Anna scoffed at that comment. ''Oh come on, I think we both know what your best dress is. And it's a personally favourite as well.''

Thinking for a second to remember which dress Anna was referencing to, Elsa shifted uncomfortably when she realised the one her sister was talking about. ''Ah…I don't know…''

''I'm not being disrespectful to your other dresses, they all look very lovely, but I just mean that your ice gown was so…so…''

Before she could think of the right word to describe it, Elsa interrupted her. ''Anna, I feel like maybe I should wear something that…the people would be more at ease with me wearing.''

For the first time in the castle today, Anna's smile dropped as she took in Elsa's words and posture. She had her arms folded across her chest and her expression seemed distance as if she didn't want to say anything negative about herself to Anna, knowing how much it upset her to see Elsa put herself down like that. Anna grabbed Elsa's shaking hands with her own warm hands. ''It's your birthday. You should wear what makes you at ease.''

''I know…but…''

''No buts!'' Anna cut in. ''No one should make you feel scared about what you want to wear, especially for today!''

''Anna, I'm the one who is scared to wear it!'' She uttered in a wavering tone. ''It reminds me of what I can do, of what I'm capable of doing! And it scares me.''

''I know that's not true! It is just the fear of some of those jerks out there that think you're a monster when you're not! You're always so elegant and confident when you get to just be yourself. That's what I was trying to say when I was talking about your ice gown, it's so you!''

Elsa absorbed her sister's comforting words, letting them sink in and warm her very soul. It helped knowing that Anna had so much love and confidence, she could share it with anybody. Why couldn't everyone else in the Kingdom be as accepting and understanding? Or maybe some of them are, but she was just too fearful of those that didn't understand. It poisoned her mind, the fear that she might hurt someone else. ''I don't know.'' She whispered.

Seeing how timid Elsa looked at the moment, Anna understood that she would need some time to herself before coming to a decision, though she was hopeful that Elsa would make the right choice. ''I'll just go and make sure no one has eaten all the cake before the party.'' She hugged Elsa one more time before heading for the large, open door that led down the hallway.

Elsa chuckled at the princess's words. ''You will make sure the cake hasn't been eaten?''

Anna placed a hand over her heart, her expression shifted into an over exaggerated face of hurt. ''What? You don't trust me?''

''That depends, is it chocolate cake?''

''I don't know, I haven't tasted it yet.'' She smiled and stuck her tongue out playfully before dashing back down the hallway and out of Elsa's sight.

Alone, Elsa now had some time to think. She did think it seemed silly to get into such a fuss over what dress she was going to wear, but what if wearing something that had been created by her ice powers sent out the wrong message to her people? But what message would that be?

It's not like there were any sides to chose, this was just how she was, she had these ice powers and they are a part of her. They didn't define her, even if those who feared her disagreed, believing that her powers would go out of control yet again like at her coronation. But she was learning how to control them, so they couldn't cause harm to anyone else ever again…especially Anna.

Her heart tugged, and her stomach heaved at the memories of seeing Anna, frozen cold like a statue, because of her powers getting the best of her emotions. The fear of something like that happening again followed her like a dark shadow, and it was only because of Anna's light, and the acceptance of most of her people, that she had any confidence to return and accept her place as a good Queen to his Kingdom.

She walked towards a mirror, eyeing herself in her Arendelle coronation dress. It was nice and beautifully made, that much was certain, but like Anna said, it wasn't quite her. For her birthday…maybe she could try something for herself, instead of fearing what others would say.

With a flick of her wrist, her dress sparkled in glittering snowflakes, as fluid ice formed over her shoulders and down the rest of her body. It formed and shaped around her previous dress, and dotted itself in patterns of snowflakes and icy mountaintops until finally, her familiar gown had fully materialised and a cool chill blew around her chambers magnificently.

''Feel, don't conceal,'' Elsa said, as a smile slowly began to grow on her face.

''My, my, how impressive.'' A sinister, snake-like voice echoed in Elsa's chambers. The Snow Queen turned quickly to inspect her room, finding no one else around her. But she was certain she heard a noise.

''Who's there?'' Elsa called out. Her hands outstretched in a defensive manner. ''Anna, if this is your idea of a surprise, it's not funny.''

''Oh, don't worry, your highness. It's just you and me in this room.'' The voice spoke once again. It was like the person speaking was standing right beside Elsa, as the sound echoed around the room, and a quiet, muffled cackle grew louder and louder.

''Then show yourself.''

Instantly, the doors to Elsa's chambers slammed shut, and all light in the room seemed to disappear. The stained glass window became black and decayed, blocking out any rays of sunlight, and the floor began to bubble and turn to oil beneath Elsa's very feet. Thinking fast, Elsa created a slab of ice under her feet to stop them from sinking into the black ooze. The cackle grew louder, to the point where it caused the whole room to quake.

The walls started to crack and break apart, as thorny vines sprouted forth and covered the whole room. Some shot out from the ground, and Elsa had to jump out of the way to avoid being cut by the thorns while making sure to keep a protective ice barrier between her and the floor. The air became cold…cold enough that even Elsa could feel it. It petrified her to feel the chills crawl up her spine, and to see her breath with every gasp.

Before she could do anything else, she then saw something start to rise from beneath the ooze covering the floor. Two horns were seen first, and then a whole body quickly rose out of the bubbling, black liquid. In its hand was a large staff, nearly as tall as the figure's own body. A black and purple cloak started to peel through the ooze that still covered the figure. With each drop of ooze that fell off, a hissing sound rang in Elsa's ears.

Elsa looked on in shock, as the face of this mysterious figure became visible. The skin was dark green, under a black hood with the two devil-like horns jutting out. The figure's piercing red, reptilian eyes stared back into the Snow Queen's terrified icy blue pupils. A wicked smile then formed on the figure's lips as she spoke. ''I've been looking for you, Queen Elsa of Arendelle.''

From outside, the citizens of Arendelle could only look on and watch in horror as the castle was coated with dozens of large black vines. The windows shattered, and the layers of bricks exploded from the walls and bridges, shooting out in all directions. As some of the people ran for their homes to hide and take cover, others were rooted to the spot, frozen with fear, including Kristoff and Sven.

They managed to avoid any fallen debris that headed their way, as they stood at the end of the bridge that leads to the entrance of the castle, waiting for either Anna or Elsa to come out. The servants and guards who guarded the tower were evacuating at this very moment, shoving past Kristoff who stood strong and held his position, hoping to catch a glimpse of either sister.

Just then, he finally spotted Anna making a break for the entrance to try and escape with the last few servants. However, before she could reach the door, a vine sprouted from the wall and snared a guard's leg, wrapping itself tightly and preventing him from escaping. Seeing the guard's predicament, Anna reacted quickly and rushed back to help him.

As soon as Anna ran back to help the guard, Kristoff turned to Sven. ''Come on!'' He quickly hopped on his reindeer buddy and he galloped over to help Anna.

Meanwhile, the princess reached for the guard's belt and grabbed his sword. She pulled back and then took one, clean swipe at the vine, snapping it in half and freeing the guard. He tried to make a run for it, but his leg crumbled beneath him, rendering him immobile. Doing her best to help, Anna grabbed his arm and pulled it over her shoulder, and the two of them tried to get to the exit as quickly as possible. She looked on as Kristoff and Sven got closer and closer to the door, glad to see his strong, adorable face now more than ever. He would be able to help carry the limping guard to safety.

That idea didn't last long though, as a thick vine burst from the ground and started to swallow the entrance door. With no time to think of a Plan B, Anna did the first thing that came to mind, and using all her strength, threw the guard forward past the growing vine. ''Sorry!'' She shouted as the guard landing outside with a thud, and luckily not trotted on by Sven. Kristoff was powerless to do anything but watch as the vine-covered the whole entrance to the castle, leaving Anna still trapped inside.

Anna swung her sword at the vine, hoping to cut her way to freedom. But the vine was too thick, and the weapon barely left a dent in the black plant. ''Kristoff? Can you still hear me?'' She yelled in desperation.

''Yeah!'' Kristoff responded. ''Don't worry, we'll get you out of there, I'll find some others to cut our way through.''

''Okay,'' Anna said. Her breath was visible in the cold air. Thinking about the cold reminded her of someone else. ''Kristoff, did you see Elsa come through here?''

''No! I don't think she made it out.''

Hearing that made Anna gasp and fear the worst. Her sister was still trapped in whatever was happening here, and all alone too! This wasn't Elsa's doing, Anna somehow could tell what was or wasn't Elsa's magic, and this wasn't hers. The vines seemed to have stopped growing, and the shaking of the castle had calmed down. It seemed that the worst had passed…or maybe that was just the beginning. She had to make sure that her sister was okay and wasn't hurt through all this chaos. ''I'm going to find Elsa!'' Anna said firmly.

''What? No! Anna, just…just wait a minute, I'll get some guys to cut through and we'll all…''

''Kristoff!'' Anna interrupted his pleas. ''It will take too long. I'll find her, and then I'll meet you back here. Or if you cut through before I come back with Elsa, you'll search the castle until you find her!''

''But…''

''No buts!'' She yelled, stopping him from arguing. ''Wow, that's twice I've done that in the past few minutes.''

After a moment of silence from Kristoff's side, she spoke. ''I'm becoming quite the influence on you, feisty pants!'' The joke managed to put a small smile on Anna's face, just the little confidence boost she needed. She heard Kristoff sigh heavily. ''Okay, go find her. But please, be careful!''

''I was born careful.'' Anna said confidently to Kristoff. But once she turned to stare down the derelict hallway, with bubbly ooze flowing off the thorny vines, her confidence faltered. She held out the sword protectively as she wandered further into the castle, hoping to find Elsa safe and sound.

''Well, well…aren't you the beautiful one!'' The horned, black beauty spoke menacingly. She took a small step closer to Elsa, who cowered away while being careful not to touch any of the ooze or thorns that surrounded her.

''Who are you?'' Elsa asked.

The woman in black struck her staff down into the floor, and soon the ooze started to solidify and crack apart into tiny pieces. Elsa watched the pieces soon started to float into the air around her room, specs cracking off, like dried, autumn leaves. In fact, that is what the dried ooze had becoming, black leaves swirling around the room. ''I am…'' The woman spoke with venom dripping off every word. ''Maleficent!''

Scared beyond compare, Elsa tried to stand tall in the face of her antagonist. ''Okay…Maleficent, what is it you want?''

''I think you know, my dear.''

Elsa shook her head. ''I'm afraid I don't.''

''Oh, don't be modest. You were born with a very special gift, as was I.''

''And what are you?''

Maleficent held her staff close, that's when Elsa noticed that on top of the staff was a hand-sized crystal ball, shimmering with green smoke and purple sparks. Her long, green fingers stroked the mystical object, and her eyes narrowed as she looked down at the crystal ball, but her grin never left. ''The Mistress of all Evil!''

The Snow Queen gulped and held out a hand towards Maleficent, ready to protect herself from any threat this woman possessed, and considering the amount of damage she had already done to the castle, the threat was very powerful. Elsa was then reminded of Anna, who may still have been in the castle when all of this happened. Elsa rushed for the door, however, Maleficent merely had to divert her eyes back to Elsa, and the leaves that floated in the air shifted back into liquid form.

Luckily, Elsa noticed the falling ooze, and with a wave of her hand, a protective sheet of ice blocked the ooze from covering her. ''Like I said,'' Maleficent said. ''You were born with a very special gift…and I want it.''

''Why? You clearly have a power of your own! Not that it's a good thing!''

''You're right, I do have power of my own, as do many others!''

Elsa grew wide-eyed at Maleficent's statement. ''What? You mean there are people…like me?''

''Not exactly,'' Maleficent started to walk closer to Elsa, who reacted by holding out a frost-covered hand to try and intimidate the mistress. However, she was having none of it, as she continued speaking. ''For instance, there are those who can gain powers from the other side, dark powers that are almost equal to my own. Then there are those who gain their powers through magical or spiritual means, like a girl whose hair can grant eternal youth. There are also those who are born with gifts…fairies, witches, mythical creatures from all over this world…and you.''

Questions began to fill Elsa's very conscious. The possibilities of knowing and meeting other people like her, the chance that maybe she wasn't truly alone with her magical abilities. However, before her mind could fully drift, a shadow cast over her, and she jumped back in shock at how close Maleficent was standing. Keeping her guard up, Elsa remembered something else the mistress had mentioned. ''And you want my power? Why?''

''Why not? Who doesn't want more power?''

''I refuse…''

''Don't think I haven't seen what your powers can accomplish, or what they already have done. To have the power to send a kingdom into eternal winter, that is quite remarkable.''

''No!'' Elsa exclaimed, trying to push away the haunting memories of her Kingdom frozen forever…Anna included. ''I don't ever want to use my powers like that again.''

Maleficent chuckled darkly as she advanced on Elsa once more. ''I know! I know how much you hate and fear your powers. What I consider a gift, you consider a curse. So why don't we make a deal?''

Elsa's breath hitched at Maleficent's inquiry, already knowing what she was implying. ''You're not suggesting that you can…''

''Take away your gift? Indeed, I can! You can rule your Kingdom without the fear of destroying it with your own bare hands. Your sister will no longer have to fear you, freezing her heart!''

That last statement tore Elsa apart from the inside, nearly making her sick and her knees weak. She remembered that for a brief moment, as her eyes laid upon Anna's frozen body after Hans had tried to kill her, her sister was dead…and that it was her fault. Her powers that she tried to conceal, they nearly destroyed everything that she loved. Now she had a chance to get rid of them? Just like that? It almost seemed like a dream come true.

After years of being told by the trolls that there was no way for her powers to just disappear, she now had an opportunity…but, while this had been something she had dreamed about for years, it also scared her more than having her own powers did.

Elsa felt trapped, more now than ever before in her lifetime. All she wanted was to make sure she could never bring anyone harm ever again, and she believed that her powers were the cause of said harm. Plunging her Kingdom into ice and hurting Anna, she knew that her powers could destroy, just as the trolls said when she was a little girl. But, the trolls also said something else though, that her powers could also be a wonderful thing if she learned to control them. And since her coronation, Elsa had been learning to control her powers more adeptly, with Anna's help and encouragement along the way. ''This…this isn't what Anna would want…''

''Forget what others want of you, what do you want?'' Maleficent said.

''I want…'' It was strange that the mistress's words almost echoed that of Anna's earlier before all this madness happened. Elsa was afraid of being herself because her powers were a part of that.

She couldn't just part with them that easily, could she?

At times, they made her feel free and happy enough that it was like she could defy gravity. ''I want…'' The words stuck in her throat every time.

''Come now, don't be shy. Tell me what you want!'' Maleficent smiled maliciously, expecting Elsa to surrender her powers any second now.

The Snow Queen looked down at her frost-covered hands, tiny snowflakes fluttering between her fingertips. The cold never bothered her. It shouldn't bother her, it is who she is, and Anna loves her for that. Because it was when Elsa could be herself, and after years of being afraid of that person, thinking that just by existing she was a menace, Elsa couldn't let go of that part.

It was her.

She clenched her fists and looked at Maleficent. ''I want you to get out of my face before I throw you out of that window!''

Maleficent's long, sharp nails scratched against her crystal ball, shocked not only by Elsa's response but also her threat. Her venomous smile disappeared from her face, and her eyes grew dark. ''Do you know what happened to the last royal family that cast me away during their festivities?'' Her cloak started to change. The edges floated in the air and flickered like flames, as a greenish glow surrounded her. ''I showed them the powers of Hell!'' She raised her staff at Elsa, and a river of fire exploded from the crystal ball, the booming sound of thunder and lightning strong enough to break the walls behind her.

Reacting quickly, Elsa leapt to the side, dodging the magical attack that smelted the floor she stood on. Elsa waved her hand and a wall of ice pushed past the locked down, giving her an escape route. Hurrying to her feet, Elsa turned around to see Maleficent send another blast of fire at her. Elsa sent back an ice blast to counter, however, the heat from the flames was too great and Elsa had to run down the hallway before the fire could strike her. ''Fortunately for me,'' Maleficent spoke. ''You don't have to be alive for me to take your power!''

The fire spread around the castle floor and even reached some of the pillars that touched the ceiling. Elsa had to constantly keep a protective sheet of ice under her feet as she ran down the hallway while doing her best to avoid the flames that wavered off the walls beside her. Maleficent, meanwhile, brushed aside the flames and followed the treating Queen. ''You think you can run?'' She teased, before lifting up her staff and slamming it back down onto the ground.

Having no time to react, Elsa was taken back as the giant vines that littered the castle floors and walls came to life and constricted around her body like prey caught in hunter's trap. She struggled against the deadly plants, but she was powerless to squeeze her way free. She concentrated hard, and her whole body grew colder and colder. The sound of crackling came from the vines before they started to turn blue and began to freeze over.

Maleficent aimed her staff, and send another blast of fire towards Elsa. With one big push, Elsa lifted her arms and the frozen vines shattered in chunks, flying in all direction, including towards Maleficent's blast, and intercepting it before the blast could reach her. Fire and ice filled the room. The Mistress was unhurt though, as the fire and ice stopped before making contact with her as if an unseen, magical barrier protected her. As the smoke and ice cleared the hallway, Maleficent could see Elsa reach the end of the hallway and run down the stairs that lead to a large ballroom with a glass chandelier hanging above.

Sprinting down the stairs, Elsa hoped to lead her attacker out of the castle and away from her Kingdom, as not to risk any civilians that may be nearby. Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, she tried to run towards the other side of the room, but she didn't get far, as a black orb erupted from the ground and exploded in flames and revealed Maleficent standing before her. ''You'll have to fight back eventually, little Queen.'' She taunted and laughed maniacally.

Hoping to catch her off guard, Elsa did indeed attack, creating a wall of ice and sending it flying towards Maleficent. The Mistress held aloft her staff, and struck the wall of ice, breaking it and leaving her undamaged. Elsa didn't know what else to do, it was clear that her opponent was more proficient with magical attacks than she was, anything she would throw at her, she could just counter with ease.

Another idea came to her. Elsa pushed her hands out, and soon the whole room was masked in a terrible blizzard. Everything that wasn't tied down was blown to the side, and the chandelier waved violently against the winds. The whiteout made it impossible for the naked eye to see anything that wasn't more than two feet away. Elsa was hidden within the snowstorm…or, she thought she was.

''You'll have to do better than that.'' Maleficent swirled her hand around the crystal ball on her staff, and smoke emerged from the sphere. Slowly at first, it then spread around the whole room and pushed aside the white winds, clearing out the room and making it visible once again. As it reached near the end of the room, the smoke hit Elsa hard, sending her crashing into the wall. She landed back on the ground with a thud and was now left wide open for another attack.

Maleficent raised her staff, ready to strike until Elsa quickly got up and created another blizzard in the room similar to the last one. The room was battered by strong snow and winds. Elsa had also disappeared from Maleficent's sight once again. The Mistress was beginning to lose patience. ''If this didn't work the first time, what makes you think it will the second time?'' She yelled defiantly and created a circle of smoke that launched around the room once again. But things weren't the same the second time.

As the winds began to clear, Maleficent noticed the room was now filled with spiky, pillars of ice that sprouted from the icy floor, and Elsa was nowhere to be seen. Then, Elsa's voice shouted out. ''I'm giving you one last chance to surrender and leave this Kingdom peacefully!''

Maleficent chuckled at Elsa's warning as she scanned the room for the Snow Queen. She listened intently, enjoying this cat and mouse game, anticipating Elsa's pants of tiredness and fear. ''You are in no position to give me threats! I am the one who has you on the run!'' Then, from out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a shape move past a block of ice. She quickly aimed her staff and fired a bolt of lightning, hoping to end this quickly. The lightning bolt struck, but instead of hitting Elsa, it hit an ice spike and shattered it into bits.

Immediately afterwards, Maleficent could feel a presence behind her, and as she turned, a ray of ice was heading right for her. The cold prickled against her skin, but she managed to shift herself into a black orb and instantly soared in the direction of her attacker before turning back into her normal body and ready to strike with her staff. ''I have to admit, you almost had me, little Queen!'' Her staff fired at point blank, right at Elsa's face.

But, upon contact, Elsa's face shattered, as did the rest of her body, that's when Maleficent realised that she had just hit another block of ice that was being used as a distraction. She turned to look for Elsa again, only to find that the Snow Queen was already standing right behind her. Elsa then placed a hand over where Maleficent's heart should be, and in the blink of an eye, the Mistress's whole body froze like a statue, leaving her motionless on the spot.

Elsa's head went numb, as silence soaked the hall. Once she was sure that Maleficent didn't have any other tricks up her sleeve, and really was frozen solid, she leant down with her hands on her knees and tried to regain her breath. She had never been so relieved to be alone. Taking one last look at Maleficent's frozen body, still trying to process all that the Mistress of All Evil had said, she turned and headed for the exit, hoping to find everyone was safe and well.

Her steps were slow and weak, and they were the only sounds that reverberated around the frozen, damaged castle walls. That is until a new sound slowly built up, like the start of an earthquake, rumbling and bellowing. Then Elsa could hear the faint sound of laughter, Maleficent's evil laughter, quiet at first and then grow louder and louder. Elsa turned around to see the frozen Mistress begin to vibrate and crack, green and yellow light emerging from the cracks in the ice. Her laughter was now deafening, and it shook Elsa's very core like she was being strangled.

Finally, Maleficent's frozen body gushed into a column of fire that burst through the ceiling next to the chandelier and up into the sky, turning the clouds dark and deformed. Elsa had to cover her ears, as the laughter then turned into ear piercing screaming, she didn't know what was going on, and couldn't move, whether it was from fatigue or fear, she didn't know.

All of a sudden, something stretched out of the pillar of fire, a large reptilian hand that was bigger than Elsa's whole body, and with razor-sharp, serrated claws dripping in black ooze. The hand came down and crashed into the floor with a violent thud and knocked Elsa right off her feet. She watched as the fire disappeared, and from out of the shadows, with bright green eyes and hot fiery breath that illuminated in the darkness, and a giant dragon stepped closer to the frightened Queen.

The dragon could barely fit in the ballroom, and as it expanded its wings, the castle started to crumble around the both of them. Elsa had to run and jump out of the way of falling debris while the dragon slowly advanced on her, fire coating its mouth. Teeth like swords, the dragon roared loudly, tilting its head back before darting forward and a torrent of molten fire launched towards Elsa, who was still trying to reposition herself from all the falling wreckage.

She raised both her hands and produced a blast of ice to push back the fire, however, it only succeeded in slowing it down, as the flames got closer and closer to her. Her feet dug into the fragile, broken floor, as she was forced further back under the power of Maleficent's fire. Her strength was slowly slipping away from her. The coldness and frost from her powers were nothing compared to the burning heat and ferocity of the massive creature.

As she tried to think of a new strategy, she looked up to see one of the dragon's claws raised above her. She waved her hand to create an ice shield and turn heel, but it was already too late, as the claw came crashing down on top of her. Luckily, she wasn't crushed by the scaly palm, however, the dragon's claws raked deep into the floor, trapping her like prison bars. She pressed her hands against the dragon's flesh in hopes of freezing it and breaking free. No matter how much cold frost she willed into her hand, the strength of the monster's fire was too great, and Elsa had to retract her hands before they burnt off completely.

The dragon looked down at Elsa. Steam flowed from its mouth and nostrils, and ooze dripped down from the head, splattering onto the ground with a terrible hissing noise. Fire danced on the dragon's lips, and its head flung back as if ready to strike. It seemed like the cat had caught its mouse.

Suddenly, the chandelier crashed onto the dragon's head, causing it to reel backwards and lift its claw slightly, just enough for Elsa to squeeze through and escape. More surprised than hurt, the dragon shook its head to regain focus and the glass chandelier shattered as it smashed onto the ground. Elsa turned to the door where the decoration would usually be tied up and secure, and nearly did a double take when she saw who was standing beside a chopped down door with a sword far too big for her to carry. ''Get away from my sister, you…''

''Anna?'' Elsa shrieked in disbelief. ''What are you doing here?''

''Trying to save you, obviously!'' The princess replied with a grin until she noticed the dragon was once again facing them. ''Elsa, run!'' She called out.

The Queen didn't need to be told twice, as she bolted towards Anna. Maleficent watched as her opponent headed for an escape and roared with a great fury before unleashing another blast of fire and lightning.

Elsa knew that Anna must have chopped down the door with her sword to get it, so she had to think on her feet for a way to buy them a couple of seconds of respite. Having no time to stop, Elsa grabbed Anna's hand and pulled her out of the door. Once outside into one of the gardens, Elsa turned and shot another blast of ice towards the door and created a giant wall of ice just as the fire collided with it. Elsa was nearly thrown back from the force, but she held strong and tried her best to make an impenetrable wall that would hold the dragon in. She knew though, that it wouldn't hold forever, as the fire had already melted most of it away and the creature began to claw and smash through.

''So, how did a dragon get into the castle?'' Anna asked, still gripping her sword tightly as if it could protect them.

''It's a long story. All I can say is that she is the cause all this, and I have to stop it!''

''How?''

''I don't know,'' Elsa muttered in a defeated tone. ''I've tried everything I can think of.''

''Well, try something you haven't thought of yet!'' Anna blurted out before she had time to think. ''I'm sorry, that probably didn't help…''

''Actually,'' Elsa said while looking back at her sister with a hopeful smile. ''You've just given me an idea!'' However, her smile disappeared as the dragon's claw thrust past the wall of ice and it started to claw at the barrier from the other side. Elsa gulped heavily as her whole body started to shake. ''But I don't know if I can do it at all, let alone in a few seconds.''

Seeing her sister in a state of panic, Anna placed a comforting hand on Elsa's shoulder. ''I believe in you.''

Despite the horrifying situation they were in, Elsa's heart warmed after hearing Anna's supportive words. It was now or never, as Maleficent tore through the ice ferociously and was nearly on the other side. Elsa stepped forward, while Anna stood close enough so that she could keep Elsa protected while also giving her enough space to create whatever she had in mind. At the moment, it seemed like nothing could stop a dragon, and that's what Elsa had hoped.

Maleficent demolished past the ice wall and was ready to strike when Elsa fired another blast of ice, but this time she did it towards the ground in front of the dragon. A flat sheet of ice covered the ground and spread out all across the garden field. The monster Mistress watched on with great curiosity, intrigued by whatever Elsa was planning. Elsa concentrated…and prayed that this would work.

The sheet of ice started to compress towards the centre, pushing itself inward and upward, creating a funnel that shot out from the ground. Then, two more compressed ice shafts shot out from it while it started to change and form. It waved and flapped like a serpentine body. The two other shafts condensed and changed shape to resemble ice claws as they stomped onto the icy garden ground. The body continued to rise out of the sheet of ice, with spikes beginning to protrude out of the back. The top of it then broke apart, tiny ice spears bulging out followed by a raspy roar.

As it slowly took shape, Anna finally realised what Elsa was up to. She watched in wonder at the frozen, snake-like creature with two legs, as Elsa's creation formed a reptilian face and roared once more at a very shocked Maleficent. ''A Lindworm?'' Anna gasped. ''Elsa…you made a dragon?!''

Elsa didn't respond to Anna's exhilaration, she was too busy concentrating on keeping this dragon up, if she broke attentiveness for even a second, Maleficent would strike.

The Dark Mistress overcame her shock and leapt forward to attack, but the Lindworm was ready and slithered forward and coiled its ice-covered body around the large monster. Maleficent snarled and tried to fire another one of her powerful blasts at the Arctic creation. The Lindworm was too quick, winding its body around Maleficent and holding her in place. The screeching terror of a monster trampled about, trying to break free from the Lindworm's clench.

''Now what?'' Anna called out.

''I don't know!'' Elsa replied honestly. She didn't think she would get this far. After being dominated by Maleficent throughout the whole battle, now that she had the upper-hand and her antagonist in a hold, she wasn't sure what to do next to end this fight before Anna or any of the people outside would get hurt.

Anna looked on, it was both the most terrifying and remarkable sight she had ever witnessed in her life, and considering she had a sister with ice powers, a boyfriend who was raised by trolls and a best friend who's a little snowman…that's saying a lot.

Maleficent's claw trudged onto the ground and caused it to crack and break. Anna followed the line of the fissure and noticed that it lead towards the edge of the garden beside a wall, and she knew that past that wall was nothing but a one-way trip to the docking port below. She looked back at the sword in her hand, and she knew what she had to do to end this now. Ready to face Elsa's wrath afterwards, Anna charged towards the towering, battling beasts.

''Anna? What are you doing?'' Elsa cried out, but she wasn't heard.

Once she thought she was close enough, Anna plunged her sword into a crack in the ground and heaved. She figured that the floor would already be unstable, so all it would need was one final push. Elsa had little choice but to go along with Anna's reckless idea and intuitively commanded the Lindworm to pull Maleficent back towards the edge as the ground crumbled beneath their large bodies.

Anna's sword snapped in two and she fell backwards. The ground gave way and deteriorated downwards over the wall and down the cliff. Maleficent held out her claws and tried to hoist herself back up, keeping herself level with Anna as she tried to crawl away to avoid being swept away by the fallen rubble down the cliff side. Elsa stopped what she was doing and rushed towards Anna to help her, as Maleficent's jaw widened and fire burned up her throat. The Snow Queen wrapped her arms around Anna, ready to protect her from the dragon's fire.

Before the fire could leave the dragon's mouth, the Lindworm twisted its head in between Maleficent and the sisters, before launching a flurry of frost and ice directly at the dark dragon. The sheer strength of the blast was enough to force Maleficent off the edge, with the claws scratching out in a futile attempt to hold on, and both dragons crashed through the dock and plunged into the ocean below. Maleficent struggled to break free, but was unable too, as she sunk into the depths below until she could no longer be seen above the ocean waves.

Anna and Elsa held onto each other, panting and shaking, almost as if they were anticipating one last attack. But nothing else happened, it was finally over, the threat of Maleficent was gone. The princess sighed with relief, while Elsa looked at her infuriated. ''Are you crazy? You could have been killed!''

''I know, but…''

''No buts! That was really dangerous! You put yourself in danger and I could have lost you!''

Anna could see how upset her sister was at the moment, and it was understandable considering all that has just happened. She lifted her shoulders and looked at Elsa innocently. ''I saved you though. So I'm glad I did it.''

Elsa exhaled and looked at Anna considerately. She couldn't stay mad at that adorable face of hers, as a smile returned to her face. ''You did save me, you were really brave.''

''I was really brave? You fought a dragon! With your own dragon! That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen! I knew you could do it, I mean I didn't know you were going to do it, but if I did I would have known! But where did that dragon come from? Why did it attack you? Why…'' She was silenced as Elsa placed a finger over her lips, sealing them shut.

''I'll explain later, I promise. But for now, I think we need to return to the people and let them know we're okay.''

Anna went wide-eyed and gasped. ''Oh gosh, you're right! Kristoff's probably worried sick, and Sven too! And I need to give this back…'' She held up her now broken sword. The hilt damaged and falling apart and the metal blade broke with only a few inches left that remained unscathed. Anna's face narrowed with guilt. ''You think he'll be mad that I broke it.''

Elsa giggled lightly. ''I think when you explain why it was broken, he'll forgive you.''

The vines around the castle wilted and the black ooze disintegrated as Anna and Elsa headed back down to reach the entrance of the castle and the large vine that Kristoff and the other guards had just managed to break through. Behind them, a crowd had gathered to see what had become of their Queen and Princess. They cheered with delight and relief once they saw the two girls hobble their way down the hallway. Kristoff sprinted forward and embraced Anna, lifting her off her feet and twirling her around. ''Are you okay? What happened? Is Elsa okay? Is it over?''

''Kristoff, stop rambling, we're fine.'' Anna assured and hugged him firmly, she never felt gladder to feel his strong cuddle than right now. She looked over his shoulder and noticed the limping guard that she had helped before. Leaving Kristoff for a bit, she approached the guard and handed him the broken weapon. ''Sorry, I promise to get you another one.''

The guard chuckled as he took the hilt from Anna. ''It's no trouble. You saved me, and you obviously needed it yourselves.''

Anna and Elsa looked at each other with bewildered faces. ''What do you mean?'' Elsa asked.

''You're majesty,'' Another guard spoke. ''The whole kingdom saw you and Anna face down a dragon on the higher garden floor, and we saw you create a Lindworm with your powers.''

The Queen's cheeks reddened whilst looking at the faces of her people, each one with a different expression of happiness, wonder and admiration. ''The whole kingdom saw that?'' She asked shakily.

Kristoff turned to the guard. ''What? I didn't see that.''

''That's because you were so busy trying to cut through the vine, you paid no attention to anything else going on around you!'' The guard chuckled once again, and now Kristoff was blushing almost as much as Elsa was.

''Hail Queen Elsa,'' The guards shouted in unison. ''The Frozen Dragon Slayer.''

The people clapped and cheered for Elsa, and the guards saluted her by holding aloft their swords, including the limping one with his broken blade. The children of Arendelle were especially excited about what had happened, particularly one little boy who rushed to the front. ''Queen Elsa, can I have a pet Lindworm? It's my birthday next week.''

''I…I think you should ask your mother if you would be allowed to own one first.'' Elsa couldn't believe the reaction she was getting. She stood nervously, but with a smile as the people applauded. It was hard for her to fight back the tears. She wasn't sure whether it was because of all that she had just gone through with Maleficent, or from seeing her people praise her like this. It made her feel good, it made her feel loved.

''Oh no!'' Anna screamed making everyone jump, and then rushed over to Elsa. ''You're birthday party!''

''After all that's happened, you're still concerned about my party?''

''Yes! It's ruined and the castle is in shambles. It'll take weeks to fix everything! There's no way we can have a ball, oh…I broke the chandelier! That's been here for decades and I used it to hit a dragon over the head. That's incredible, but at the same time now I feel bad because it was a part of this castle and it was so pretty, but…''

''Anna, no buts!'' Elsa and Kristoff said simultaneously.

Anna stopped worrying and didn't say another word as Elsa put her hand on her younger sister's shoulder, earning her attention. ''We can still have the party in the town. It hasn't been ruined.'' She smiled warmly, and that look was enough to convince Anna that things weren't so bad and it made her beam with joy that things could still go to plan.

''Hi everyone.'' A quiet voice spoke up. The guards parted out of the way as Olaf stepped in and saw Anna and Elsa. He shined with a big smile seeing the sisters. ''There you have! Elsa, I have your present ready!''

''You do?''

''Yeah, Marshmellow and I have been working on it all day…'' He paused and looked at his surroundings, noticing the broken walls and decaying black vines. ''What happened here?''

The sisters looked at each other, hoping that either one would have an explanation for the little snowman. ''Uh…'' Elsa stuttered. ''Nothing too concerning. I'll tell you about it later.''

''Oh…'' Olaf said, remaining still for a few seconds before smiling. ''Okay, follow me, you can see your present from here.'' He waddled back outside to lead the way.

Everyone followed Olaf, and Elsa looked out into the distance, wondering what the present could be. It wasn't too hard to see it once Elsa stepped outside and saw it standing beyond the town and just before the forest that leads towards the snowy mountains. As the sunset, it stood on top of the shoulders of a giant, snowman that was shaped and structured like Elsa. At the bottom of the legs was Marshmellow, putting the finishing touches to the details in the boots. ''Oh, wow.'' Elsa gasped. ''You made that.''

''Yeah,'' Olaf said. ''It took all day, and it was hard. But if it made you happy, then it was worth it.''

''It does make me happy, Olaf!'' Elsa said and leant down to give the little snowman a warm hug, which he gladly returned.

''You made me, so I wanted to make something for you.'' He was right, Elsa did make him. She made someone who was filled with love and care. If her powers could create something like that, then how bad could her gift really be? She pulled away from Olaf and noticed that he was staring out into the ocean. ''That's a funny looking fish.''

Elsa turned around to see what Olaf was gawking at, and her lips curved into a smile when out in the distance she saw the head of her Frozen Lindworm poking out of the surface, staring back at her. It remained still for a moment. The rising moonlight reflecting beautifully off of its body just as much as the waters, making it seem like its outer body was glowing. The Lindworm seemed to bow its head once it saw Elsa was facing it, before ducking its head back underwater and disappearing.

''Hey,'' Anna said elatedly while poking Elsa's shoulder. ''I've just realised, you're wearing your ice dress.''

''Yeah.'' Elsa replied, admiring her dress. ''Like you said, it's me!''

Darkness. Complete and utter darkness filled the bottom of the sea. Not a single light reflected or shone until two glowing orbs started to float above the rocky depths. Slithering over seaweed and stones, and by passing all kinds of scary-looking creatures, the two orbs then shone over something waving, something that didn't belong to the sea.

As the two orbs hovered over the object, they crept closer and closer until the light revealed that the object they were inspecting was actually a person…Maleficent's unconscious body. The orbs glowed brighter, and green slits formed in the middle, shining the area around them, revealing the orbs to be pupils belonging to two sneering eels, and a hand stroking both their heads.

''Well, well…'' Ursula the sea witch cackled. ''Isn't this a surprise…''

The End!

If you'd like, you can follow my original stories on Wattpad. My penname is Thomas-LF. Thank you for your time, if you do read them, I hope you enjoy them.