A/N Okay, here goes. What if Anna had gone to Kristoff instead of Elsa? This is and AU ending to Frozen and the events that take place after. Tension and abuse await those that read further. This is your warning.

Anna stumbled across the thick ice that made soft sounds beneath her boots, the view in front of her obstructed only by dots of white and the fading pink of her eyelids. She was cold to the point of death, the magic of her sister, the Ice Queen, spreading in frosty limbs that curled around her vital organs like the bony, needle thin fingers of the reaper; reminding her that she only had so much time to find Kristoff, and kiss him.

The princess wasn't exactly sure where Kristoff was, but figured it was her best bet to just keep going, no matter how cold she was. Especially now that she was completely alone on the ice, her little companion Olaf having been blown off to who knew where by a telltale gust of wind. Anna felt the grip upon her heart strengthen and drain her strength to a dangerous low. She felt her knees begin to buckle, but held strong and called for the iceman once more, pleading to herself he would hear her through the freezing nips of wind.

Her hands drew close to her chest as the ice placed more pressure on her heart, the force determined to break Anna until she would fold. But for the headstrong princess, giving up wasn't an option, despite her violent shivering and blue skin.

Anna, as she continued, drew upon the strength she had left to keep her legs moving in small shuffles, the harsh and unforgiving winds pushing her frail body in any which way it so happened to be blowing. The ice squeezed her heart again, this time, trails of ice forging their way across it like spreading frost crystals on a window. The pain pushed icy blood through her system and seemed to explode at the fingertips, the numbness leaving her extremities as the queens ice worked it's magic. The princess felt this, and looked down at her hands to see the thin, white branches of ice blooming under her palm and fingers like a crocus flower. The telltale shapes of snowflakes beginning to shine upon her frostbitten hands and growing. Anna released a small whimper as the pain subsided, and pushed forth.

As a strong and cold gust passed by, the princess was pushed to the right, the force upon her weak body nearly sending her toppling to the freezing fjord's icy surface. But, as if by magic, a voice called in the distance. It was a voice that she knew well. It was a soft and calming voice being forced into a rough and strong shout, it's owner looking for her and only her through the call of her name. Anna couldn't see it, but pushed in it's direction in hope one may find the other.

She responded the only way she could, and shouted Kristoff's name with all the power the ailing young woman could muster, her throat cold and hoarse from shouting before.

A final gust of icy winds shoved her forward to the cold surface of the frozen fjord, her body smacking into the ground with such force Anna wondered if she had broken a rib. Her white braids splayed before her as she struggled to stand once more, but couldn't. The icy tendrils of Queen Elsa's magic squeezed her once again, reminding her she couldn't stand to meet her beloved, more matter how much she longed to.

But she didn't have to.

All at once, the blaring of the icy winds subsided. The howling gusts ceased. Every individual flake of snow had stopped its endless descent upon the kingdom of Arendelle, and froze midair. The sky was still gray. The world was still white. And the silence persisted, except for one sound.

The sound of Kristoff, his shoes sliding across the clouded ice in great strides Anna would never have guessed he could do. The only dot of color in the world at that moment was her valiant, pungent reindeer king. Slowly but surely, as the ice gripped the princess in one final clasp of frost, the iceman's features came into focus.

Everything about him was something she admired. His golden hair shining like the sun's rays. His brown eyes that shined with flecked with dots of honeyed amber whenever he laughed and smiled. The rosiness in his cheeks shining a brilliant red whenever he showed a hint of embarrassment or worry; like now, for instance. It was either that or the temperature. Or, as Anna correctly guessed, it was both.

Despite the fact that she was on the ground and at her sisters mercy, Anna found herself crawling towards the ice cutter, her frostbitten hands grasping wildly at any imperfection in the ice to pull herself forward.

The ice crawled up the sides of her face, the branches of frost blocking the sounds from her ears. Only for her to hear Kristoff shout something to her. The word was muddled, but Anna knew he called out to her once more in shock and horror. Her vision began to haze over as she felt the cold whistle through her like steam from the lip of a kettle, the ice squeezing her heart a final time to extinguish the glow it held. It begin with a final surge of pain, Anna losing all sense for a split second as she released a strangled cry, her throat dry and hoarse in the arctic temperature. The pain began to spread, the thick coating of frost working through her muscles as her heart struggled to fight against the soul crushing cold. The frost settled to ice, and the ice stilled as the former continued to climb her body in many sporadic directions at once. The frost left her skin a milky white, the color becoming more vibrant so that it matched the candy blue irises the princess possessed. It grew from her chest to her waist and shoulders as Kristoff neared Anna. He was so close Anna could see the drops of frozen sweat on his cheeks and nose.

Anna's eyelids began to close, the pinkness of her eyelids frosted and white. She felt the softness of the ice cutters leather gloves hoist her to his height, the ice climbing down to her waist as the feeling leaves her waist and shoulders. Her body limp as a ragdolls, Kristoff leans into her, her chin tilted to him as she prepared for the warm embrace of his soft lips to touch hers. To be saved. To live happily ever after.

Their lips touched just as the frost reached the bottom of her chin.

In an instant, the cold faded from her heart. The icy fingers weakened and its sharp grip slackened to a dull and exhausted hold until the warmth entered the princess once again, forcing the ice to defrost and dissipate completely, its quest to destroy her failed. Anna sucked in a laboured breath as the candy blue frost receded to her breast before dying out with a soft hissing sound that could just barely be heard over the pairs exhausted sighs. But it wasn't just the frost that receded. Every remnant of Anna's eternal curse; including the eternal white streak in the crown of her head, glowed a fiery ginger once again. The princess allowed the warmth of his kiss to linger within her, the pure joy of knowing it was true love excited her enough to what she wanted to be a laugh, but it came as a dull yet soft smile. Her thoughts were jumbled as it was the iceman who broke the kiss and held her still, his smile matching Anna's as the glow faded from his cheeks ever so slightly, but enough to know that he was no longer worried. Worried for her.

The princess loved the sound of those words; for her. Anything that followed before didn't matter. The moment was so perfect to the both of them. It seemed to last for hours. Finally, Kristoff brushed a strand of ginger hair from her face, and leaned in to kiss her once more when a sound came through the cold afternoon air that sent shivers down both of their spines.

It was loud, shrill. It cut through the silence like an executioner's blade through tender human flesh. The sound was mangled in the silence, a scream that Anna had never heard, but had a sick feeling to whom it belonged. The horrible noise lasted for what felt like minutes, but in truth was no longer than four seconds. Four, bone-chilling seconds.

It was coming from the distance, off in the piles of powdery white snow that surrounded a figure and a small lump of what the princess at first guessed was another drift of snow. But it wasn't white. It was the same shade as the ice that once encased her chest and shoulders. It seemed to sparkle in the light that filtered through the grey clouds, the icy blue beginning to disappear beneath a color that made Anna give a dry heave at its sight. It was spreading across the shape of a human. But not just any human. A woman. The Ice Queen. The Queen of Arendelle. Her sister.

Elsa.

All she could focus on was the sleek, straight blade that protruded from her back. The length not as far as Anna had thought, for the weapon seemed to curve towards the ground, its own weight forcing it to bend to the ice beneath it. All the while, the queen continued to breath, her crimson wound rising in slow, ragged breaths.

The figure beside her give a small chuckle that echoed across the vast area, its very presence cold as the air around them. His auburn red hair was the brightest color among the overwhelmingly white backdrop; second only to the crimson red that oozed down the young womans back. The blood beginning to harden and crust as it landed on the thick ice, frozen. Like his heart.

Prince Hans stood over the fallen queen, his laughter in the face of such gruesome horror seemed mocking, if nothing else. Though he wasn't facing Anna or Kristoff, it was clear to both of them the expression on his face. His eyes would be glowing, the green tint shining like emeralds. His mouth would be twisted into a sickeningly smug grin, his teeth hidden behind the curving in his lips. And he would contemplate as to what he would tell the dignitaries when the winter suddenly ceased; a lie no doubt. Just as he had been doing from the beginning.

Anna knew that was how it would happen; and no matter how much she wished to pummel him until the caked dust on her library shelf would show envy, she couldn't. Come to think of it, she couldn't do anything at the moment. Her legs were frozen in shock. Her eyes broke their focus on the prince in the distance and settled on her sister, pleading silently that she would hold on; heal magically; freeze Hans into a block of ice; stand up and laugh, as if this were all some joke.

Anything. Anything at all.

She watched Elsa, her breath held in deep suspense to see her sister rise up and defeat the villain like the many valiant knights she'd contented herself to reading in her years of isolation. Her heart stirred with anticipation for a full minute as Elsa's back continued to rise and fall in a steady motion. But after the minute passed, the movements became slower and more erratic, the queen shaking vividly as the prince watched, his arms now crossed; waiting. Anna waited as well, her teeth clenched as the movement slowed to a snail's pace, a series of low groans coming from the queen all the while. But finally, after the sound ceased, the movement ceased as well, and Elsa was still.

The princess stared, her mind attempting to kid herself as her sister didn't move again. Hans smiled, the grin wicked and cruel at the woman's lack of movement. With a small chuckle, he whispered something indiscernible, and wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his sword. The prince said something else, and gave the weapon a tug. Anna urged not to throw up as the sword refused to separate from the fallen queens back, the movement pulling Elsa up and down like a ragdoll.

She felt Kristoff's hold on her tighten as the sword released from Elsa, the silver line caked in frozen blood as the body fell forward with a sickening sound. For a moment, her eyes flashed to the ice cutter, who looked a shade of green, his faced flushed pale as a Elsa's snow.

In an instant, a loud sound came from beneath the pair that roared like one of the queens blizzards, the noise coming to a strict halt as the sound of cracking ice replaced it. Kristoff immediately seized up, the sound ringing in his ears as it always had. For him, cracking ice was as common as a papercut for a librarian. His instincts kicked in and he looked down at the ice they were standing on, knowing their combined weight would be dangerous with the ice melting.

He turned his eyes back to Anna, who looked at the cracking ice for what seemed like a full minute before she began to sniffle, bringing a still gloved hand to wipe her eyes as the blush returned to her cheeks. Kristoff bit his lip and frowned, understanding as well as Anna what the cracking ice meant.

But now, he couldn't let that bother him. They were in danger, and he had sworn to himself he would protect Anna to the end. He hoped that the end wouldn't be so soon as another loud crack came from below, the crack becoming visible as a hairline fracture an inch to their right. Hairline fractures weren't dangerous, but knowing that its creator was gone, those cracks would only grow larger.

Anna's mind raced, her legs frozen where they stood. Every thought she'd had in every day of her life came rushing past her, her memories returned to her mind. The evenings she and her big sister would spend in the castle's ballroom; skating, sledding, building snowmen. Things she would never get to do again. Olaf, the little snowman that was part of Elsa. He was gone too. Her palace, her memories; Anna was even feeling mournful for the snow monster that threw her and Kristoff from that palace.

Another crack in the ice, the sound tearing into her heart as she felt the pain become too much. She felt a salty tear roll down her cheek as she blinked to try and compose herself. Kristoff looked at her with his deep, sad brown eyes, the blush of worry having returned to his complexion.

"Anna." He said softly, his tone stern nonetheless. It was hardly the time, he knew that. But he had to get them to safety before he could mourn.

"We have to go." He remained calm despite the sickness in his stomach.

The princess blinked a tear away from her candy blue eyes, and nodded.

The iceman held Anna by the shoulders and took her into his arms as he had when he carried her to the palace, her skin pale and cold. He remembered she'd asked if he'd be okay. Now he wished he knew. It all happened so fast. His mind drifted to Sven, the big reindeer that was his only companion and friend; he hoped the ice would split enough for the creature to swim.

At the moment his biggest worry was getting out of harms way. Another loud crack came from the ice, the section in front of him splitting down the center and drifting away. Kristoff looked behind him, the piece they were on moving back slowly; away from the shore.

Suddenly, he felt his legs give way as the thick chunk of ice he and Anna resided on cracked in half, sending him tumbling into the water with the princess yelping as he let go of her.

The water was always worse than the air; Kristoff reminded himself as the blinding cold snapped him to life and Anna sputtered in the icy water. Kristoff immediately tried to coax her to swim, the royal trying, but folding as she grabbed onto the iceman's shoulders, Kristoff not minding at all as long as they got out of the water in time.

The needle pricks in his arms and legs grew more painful and numbing as he dog paddled through the freezing water, Anna clinging onto his back for dear life as she began to shiver. Kristoff could see the shoreline of the castle. They were going to make it. They would live.

His boots found the squishy sand, the damp mud leaking into his shoes as he trudged on. Kristoff felt the water getting lower to the base of his chest as Anna suddenly tightened her grip around his neck and shoulders, her shivering slowing down as her body lifted from the icy water. The iceman felt the waves of the harbor lapping around his ankles as he stepped onto the shore, soaked to the bone, shivering ever so slightly, but alive. His harvesting uniform clung to his skin with frost and dribbling water, the cold air stinging against him with so much pain Kristoff fought the urge to drop Anna and run back into the water.

He felt the princesses grip slacken and release, and the ice cutter turned his head to make sure she hadn't fallen. Anna stood tall, her dress wrinkled with ice in a similar manner to when he first saw her. Her gloved hands were even in the same position, dangling by her sides like two chains. The princesses red hair was damp, and beginning to freeze in place, both braids having fallen behind her.

"You alright?" He asked softly.

Anna nodded, the trailed of dried tears still visible down her blushing cheeks. Suddenly, her blue irises widened to a size Kristoff had never seen. He recognized that look immediately. Shock.

"Princess?" He focused on her eyes for a moment, hoping calling her title would gain some attention. When it didn't, the iceman turned in the direction she was looking. He felt his jaw go slack, his eyes open wide, his legs seized up.

From the view of the shore, he saw a figure, and wondered for a moment if it could somehow be Hans, ready to kill them both. But as his gaze focused, he released a sigh. It was a castle guard, his tall hat and near toy-like appearance easy to notice as the man came closer.

Kristoff called out, his voice ringing in the shoreline. "The princess is here." His tone was urgent, yet somewhat calm.

Anna, however, twisted her gaze, and put a hand on Kristoff's shoulder, squeezing it tight. One guard never came down onto the beach alone. Her suspicions were answered as two more guards came into focus, then four, then six; the number growing bigger as the first guard gained on the pair. Kristoff's face melted from slight relief to confusion. The princess heard him gulp.

Something told her this wasn't a friendly party.

Her eyes widened as the number of men on the beach coming to them reached a full dozen, their nutcracker like uniforms crisp and clean as they all came into a row, and stopped. The guards were close enough to see the formation, but not a single feature on their twelve faces. The first one said an order to the group, and Kristoff heard it clearly.

"Crossbows ready!"

In a chorus of clicking and drawstrings, a dozen crossbows unhinged from the belts of the guards and were locked into position. Every one of them were on Kristoff. He muttered a curse.

Anna took a step forward, and recoiled her hand. Her eyes looked up at Kristoff and she slowly raised her arms up. The iceman slowly did the same, the sound of cracking came from his jacket as chunks of ice fell to the sand below.

They were trapped.

"Kristoff," Anna whispered. "Run."

The iceman didn't move.

Anna looked at him sternly. "Run." She repeated.

Kristoff remained still.

"Step forward, and state your name." The head guard called, his crossbow still drawn. Kristoff took three steps ahead, and did so. Anna thought she heard someone laugh. The guard ordered the iceman to lower his hands. He followed, his gloved hands lowered to his sides as the dozen guards lowered their bows. The silence was so thick you couldn't cut it with a guillotine blade.

Then the guards came up to Kristoff, and grabbed his arms. Anna felt herself screaming out. Ordering them to let him go. But only a strangled cry came out. Words jammed in her throat as the iceman was forced to the sand, his hands held in place behind his back as the guards placed his wrists in a pair of iron cuffs that held tight to his limbs.

She felt tears running down her cheeks as two men pulled Kristoff up, and led him away to the steps of the castle, another coming up to Anna with a stern and unfeeling gaze.

"Come, princess. You need to get dry." Was all he said.

Anna was silent as she stared ahead, the troop of guards still clustered around Kristoff growing smaller as they walked up the stone steps. She walked ahead, her dress plastered to her body as she moved, chunks of ice falling to the sand from said dress. She couldn't feel anything, her shock was so deep.

The princess tried to coax herself to move faster, for the sooner she got to the palace, the sooner they'd free Kristoff. The sooner, the better.