Mistress, we are getting close, Beskytter said, though it sounded more like a question than a statement.

Elsa peered through the archway that lead into the king's throne room, the last time the fairy had been in this room she'd been a completely different person what felt like a lifetime ago.

"Stay here," Elsa whispered to Beskytter who nodded and sat down near the huntsman's body, still floating limply above her.

As the blonde walked down the center of the hall towards the dais, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. It was the only warning she had before all hell broke loose.

"Now!"

The shout followed by the rattling of metal caused Elsa to look up at the exact moment the iron net fell. The winter fairy cried out in agony as the weight of the iron forced her on her hands and knees, searing her skin even through her thick clothing. The ring of battle cries and smell of burnt flesh assaulted her senses, and she was distantly aware of Beskytter's furious snarl. Men came at her from every direction, taunting her and laughing at her distress as she writhed in pain, all the while jabbing at her with the butt-ends of their weapons.

The edges of her vision blurred so that she could just make out a snow leopard's shape as it pounced onto a nearby soldier, driving him to the ground and biting down hard onto his shoulder. Fighting to remain conscious Elsa threw a handful of magic in her friend's direction and raggedly whispered, "into a dragon".

Immediately the men's shouts were drowned out by a roar so loud and so powerful that it shook the entire castle to its foundation. Where a snow leopard once was, now stood a massive reptilian beast with great leathery wings that brushed the ceiling and with teeth the length of a man's arm. The creature roared again but this time it released a breath of arctic air that covered everything with a thick layer of frost and razor sharp spines of ice. The king's soldiers charged Beskytter, firing arrows into her chest and thrusting their spears at her legs. In a fit of rage, the dragon spat another icy breath at her attackers as threatening spines rose up along her back and shoulders like the quills of an angry porcupine.

Just as Elsa thought she couldn't hold on any longer, her blanket of fire was lifted and she could have wept in relief. She leapt to her feet just in time to see Beskytter toss the net at a group of archers, but before the fairy could call upon her magic to help an arrow hissed past her ear. Looking down at her shoulder, Elsa saw that the arrowhead had left a sizable gash in its wake so that blood bubbled up to stain her cloak. Gritting her teeth against the pain and willing her ice to seal the wound, Elsa turned to face the shooter, throwing her hand out in front of her to return fire. However, when the ice burst from her palm it did not find its mark, instead the ice shattered against a wall of iron, a wall that was slowly closing in on her. Looking around in alarm Elsa realized that there was not one but many walls, moving forward to surround her until she found herself trapped.

Mother!

The desperate cry filled both her head and her ears as Beskytter screamed her outrage at the sight of her creator being herded like livestock. However, the dragon was abruptly silenced when a thick chain was thrown around her snout, shutting it with an audible snap before being yanked to the ground. In an instant, three more chains found their way across the beast's back, firmly pinning her in place.

Beginning to panic, Elsa spun around in frantic circles trying to find a break in the wall, but to no avail. Suddenly, two portions of the wall slide aside and her heart leapt, but that joy quickly turned to cold dread when someone strode through the opening.

The hulking figure was covered head to foot in gleaming armor that reflected what little light remained, and behind the visor of his helm sat two burning green eyes.

"You," Elsa growled under her breath, the marks under her jaw beginning to glow faintly.

The figure made a low grunting noise before lifting his helmet to grin maliciously at her. "Hello, Elsa," Hans said sweetly. "How does it feel to know you've lost?"

The winter fairy didn't respond she simply glared at the king with such unbridled hatred that it almost carried a physical weight. Nostrils flared and hands balled into tight fists Elsa waited for Hans to get on with whatever twisted punishment he had in store for her.

"You were never meant for this game, unnatural thing that you are. How could you ever hope to beat me?"

"Where is Anna?" Elsa demanded, ignoring his question and her face set in an animalistic snarl.

He blinked at her in surprise for a few moment before he threw his head back and laughed. "Anna? Why do you care? Want to make sure your curse did its damage do you?" Hans barked as he began to unwind what looked to be a metal whip from his belt. "I have waited so long for my revenge… and I can't wait to see the light leave your eyes."

"I brought," she swallowed and gestured her head in Kristoff's direction, "a boy…"

"A what?" Hans stopped and gave her an amused look.

"A boy. She met a boy. Maybe… maybe he can save her."

The king stared at the winter fairy, an unreadable expression on his face. "You want… you want to save her? Don't tell me you've actually grown to care for the girl?"

Elsa didn't answer other than lowering her gaze.

He burst into an almost manic laughter so suddenly that Elsa jumped. "Christ, Elsa you're even more of a fool than I thought!"

"It doesn't matter, this isn't about me!" Elsa shouted. "You have to get the boy to Anna, he can save her, Hans… please."

"It's too late, she cannot be saved."

In one swift movement, Hans threw the whip in her direction. The chain hit her hard in the chest, shoving the fairy into the iron directly behind her so that her head bounced off the metal with a loud clang, causing her vision to blur. The force of the blow was enough to shatter the clasp of her cloak so that the pelt fell to the floor and Elsa slid down along with it. From her hands and knees the woman felt a surge of terror arc across the connection she shared with Beskytter and she didn't have to look up to know her creation was struggling viciously under her bonds.

Tasting something metallic, Elsa wiped at her mouth, and when she looked down at her sleeve she was dismayed to find a streak of blood. The screech of metal against stone made her raise her head to see Hans pull back his weapon and she braced herself for a second blow.

xxx

Anna had no idea what she had been expecting when she'd started following the sound of angry shouts and the telltale clang of weapons, but it certainly wasn't the scene she found as the princess stumbled onto the alcove above the castle's throne room. Gripping onto a pillar for support and ignoring the frost that bloomed under her touch, Anna took in the chaos below her. In one corner of the room, held down and thrashing wildly, was what appeared to be a dragon made of glass with razor sharp shards of ice streaking the floor and walls around it. Soldiers stood on both sides of the beast, stabbing it relentlessly and holding tight to the many chains that criss-crossed its massive back.

Behind the dragon Anna could barely make out a lone figure that seemed to be floating in mid air. Upon further inspection the girl discovered that she recognized him as the adorably awkward boy she'd met at the stream near aunts' cottage. The hope her father had extinguished now flared back to life, if Kristoff was here maybe he could help her, maybe her father was wrong. They'd only met once but he'd left her in a blushing stuttering mess when he left her. Her thoughts were interrupted when Anna caught sight of movement on the other side of the room that held her attention fast.

About twenty or so men stood braced behind tall metal plates, holding them as if to shield themselves from an attack and thumping them loudly against the floor in a steady beat. The men and their shields had moved to form a ring, and in the center of that ring were two figures - one, was on all fours, bloody and breathing heavily, while the other strutted proudly along the edges of the circle, both arms raised in the air with what looked like a rope dangling from his hand.

When Anna spotted pointed ears and the thick fur cloak she felt her world tip sharply to one side and for a handful of moments forgot the ice spreading rapidly through her body.

"Godmother?"

Pushing past the pain and the stiffness in her limbs Anna ran down the stairs and towards what she knew would, ultimately, be her death. In what felt like slow motion Anna saw, who she now realized was her father swing the 'rope' through the air and catch her godmother so that the fairy was thrown violently to the side, forcing the men to move out of the way, so that she landed with a loud thud on the steps of the dais.

The sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath gave Anna the drive to make one final push.

xxx

Elsa struggled to rise, pushing up from the ground on trembling arms and coughing wetly as her mouth filled with more blood. The fairy gasped when pain flared so suddenly in her side that it momentarily took her breath away. When the pain had lessened enough for Elsa so regain the use of her other sense she heard the scrape of steel and felt a shadow fall over her. Lacking the strength to raise her head Elsa watched Hans' feet slowly make their way to stand right in front of her.

"Goodbye, witch."

Elsa closed her eyes and braced herself for his sword to undoubtedly cleave her head from her shoulders, but the strike never came. Instead, Elsa heard a panicked cry of 'no!' followed by the crackling, snapping sound of something rapidly freezing, and a wave of powerful magic firing past her.

NO!

Beskytter's anguish slammed into her with all the force of a horse's kick.

Elsa immediately knew who the cry had come from and in a surge of terror, whipped her head up to find a sight that made bile rise in her throat. Anna, turned to solid ice, one arm thrown above her head to shield Elsa from Hans' blade.

"ANNA!"

Ignoring her body's protests Elsa ran to stand in front of this nightmare, hands shooting to her mouth in an expression of overwhelming horror. Choking past a sob, Elsa stepped forward and cupped the dead girl's cheeks.

"No… no… please, no," the fairy whimpered.

Kristoff groaned in pain as he slowly regained consciousness, his head was throbbing like crazy, which meant he must have hit it hard on something (he had a pretty thick skull). "Wha… where am I?" Looking around Kristoff was shocked to find he was standing in what might have, at one point, been a livable room. Unconscious soldiers lay strewn about the floor - some lying under heavy looking shields - and directly in front of him lay a huge winged beast wrestling weakly to free itself from the many chains that ensnared it, each one steaming slightly. The huntsman frozen when he noticed the battered woman and the ice sculpture she was staring at… no, not a sculpture.

"Anna?" Kristoff said softly, taking a step forward.

Elsa didn't hear him, for if she had, the fairy would have dragged the boy to Anna and begged him to undo the curse. But right now the only thing she could focus on was the woman before her, suspended in her final act, her face permanently set in an expression of fear. A tidal wave of anguish and shame knocked the air from Elsa's lungs as the reality of what she'd down sunk in. Anna was gone, the last remaining light in Elsa's broken existence, her only reason to keep living, was gone… and it was because of her.

Stroking the princess' cheek Elsa felt the unbidden tears begin to pour down her face and a small sob bubbled past her lips. "I… I will not ask for your forgiveness because what I have done is unforgivable." She swallowed "I was… so lost in hatred and revenge. My sweet Anna, you stole what was left of my frozen heart and now I have lost you forever." Still cradling the girl's face and leaning forward, Elsa rested her forehead against Anna's, letting her eyelids slid shut. "I swear I will bring you back to the Wood and watch over you for as long as I live. And not a day shall pass that I don't miss your smile."

It suddenly became too much and Elsa's legs finally fell out from under her so that she hung limply against Anna's still form, arms wrapped tight around her neck. Shattered and defeated, Elsa remained there weeping, completely consumed by her grief.

When Elsa felt her body shift a little she just assumed that her arms hadn't been able to support her weight any longer and she had begun to sink to the floor, but something caught her by the elbows. It was then Elsa suddenly realized that she was no longer clinging to something rigid and smooth, but instead soft and… warm.

"Hello, godmother."

The sound of that soft voice made Elsa's breath catch and she snapped her head up so fast that two of her vertebrae popped. Blinking down at her with a small smile on her lips, was a thawed and very much alive, Anna.

"Anna!" the winter fairy cried, jumping up and yanking the girl into a bone-crushing embrace. Anna returned the hug with equal enthusiasm throwing her arms around her godmother's middle and burying her face into the space between her neck and her shoulders. The girl gripped the back of the fairy's dress with an almost violent need and had no intention of letting go as happy tears began to fall. Anna didn't know how but she had made it back from that dark place where time didn't exist, and even better, had woken up in the arms of her godmother.

She was finally forced to let go when Elsa pulled back, but before she could complain about the loss of contact Elsa took the girl's face in her hands again and began to pepper kisses all over it.

"Oh, Anna. My amazing, wonderful, brave, brave, Anna." Elsa said between kisses. "You're okay now, I've got you, and I'm never letting you go." When the woman was done she simply gazed down lovingly at the giggling princess. "Why did you do that, Anna? Why did you sacrifice yourself… for me?" She asked, her voice still a little hoarse from crying.

Anna's smile was so brilliant that it lit up the entire room and she gave a little shrug. "I love you," she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Something akin to a half-laugh, half-sob escaped the winter fairy. Her heart was so full of joy and love, Elsa thought she might burst with how much she felt.

Mo… mother…

Elsa was ashamed to admit that she had completely forgotten about Beskytter until her creation's weak voice invaded her mind, but she did not miss the change in title.

"Oh, Beskytter," Elsa said. "Hang on, my friend." Trying not to let it show how much the action to casting magic drained her, Elsa returned Beskytter to her normal form so that the cat could slip free of her restraints, as well as healing all of the deep gouges those same restraints had given her. Once free, the snow leopard joined the pair, pressing up against the legs of the two women in a show of affection and support.

When Elsa turned her attention to Anna, the girl's face had turned serious. "Godmother?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry about what I said before," the princess said looking down at her feet. "I didn't really mean it, I was just upset. I don't think you are ev-"

Elsa pressed an icy finger to the girl's lips and shushed her. "It's okay, Anna, you don't have to apologize. It is me the needs to apologize to you. I should have never put that…" she swallowed past the lump in her throat, "curse on you. It wasn't fair of me… using you for revenge." Elsa could tell by the look on Anna's face she was bursting with questions. "I will explain everything later."

Smiling again, Anna nodded her head before taking one of Elsa's hands in her own. "Can we go back to the Enchanted Wood now?" she asked.

The winter fairy returned her smile. "If that is what you wish," Elsa said before suddenly doubling over and dissolving into a fit of coughing that left her hand speckled with dark red spots.

"Godmother!" Anna exclaimed in panic, now fully and horrifyingly, aware of how injured Elsa actually was. There were singed holes in her clothing all over her arms, shoulders, back where Anna could see burned flesh shining underneath. A dark bruise had begun to form on the fairy's forehead, disappearing under her extremely disheveled hair where a gash lay open and bleeding. Anna spotted a second laceration on the woman's shoulder but she was relieved to see that it looked as if Elsa had already closed it.

"You're hurt!" Angry and frightened tears welled in her eyes, her 'father' had done this.

The princess reached out to Elsa who was still bent over and gasping, a hand pressed firmly against her side, but she shook her head.

"Wait," Elsa said, face twisted in pain.

Anna watched as a blue light flared under the winter fairy's palm before being absorbed into her body. She heard a small 'pop' and Elsa straightened.

"There…" she coughed again, "... all better."

"No, you're not," Anna said rolling her eyes and sliding under one of Elsa's arms to help support her weight. "We need to get you out of here."

"Umm, Anna?"

Both women jumped at the sound of the huntsman's voice. Immediately, Elsa conjured three very large, very sharp, spines of ice and aimed them at his chest.

The boy's eyes doubled in size at the sight of the ice, and the huge cat that snarled ferociously at him from behind it.

"Kristoff!" Anna beamed.

Raising his hands to show he meant no harm the boy took a step back. "I- uh- didn't mean to scare you… can I help?"

Slowly, Elsa let the spines dissolve away and allowed the huntsman to approach them, though she still eyed him mistrustfully.

He in turn, observed the winter fairy with a look of deep concern. "She needs to see a physician," Kristoff said, taking in her injuries.

Elsa curled her lip. "I don't need to see any human healers, their medicine does not work on fae. I just need to get back to the Wood and away from all this iron."

Anna nodded in agreement and was about to tell Elsa to let Kristoff carry her - although she'd probably have an easier time convincing Beskytter to sing - when a loud groan caught her attention.

In perfect synchronization the trio turned towards the sound while at the same time king Hans rose to his feet. Quickly shaking his head, the man froze when he caught sight of them, his expression turned to that of intense disgust. "Anna!" he bellowed taking a few steps forward, causing Beskytter to hiss at him in warning and Elsa to tighten her grip on the princess. "Get away from that monster!"

"She's not a monster!" Anna spat back at him, "She is my godmother and I won't let you hurt her anymore!" Looking up at the fairy, Anna saw that Elsa had tears in her eyes and was gazing down at the girl with immeasurable affection, a smile on her lips.

Hans stared at the girl in complete shock, convinced her had misheard. But when he watched Elsa place a soft kiss on his daughter's forehead the man felt all his doubt melt away… and he saw red.

"This was your plan all along wasn't it, you frozen bitch! You've corrupted her with your vile magic and turned her against me!" he howled before turning back to Anna. "Come with me, girl, and we will find someone to fix you," he said beckoning her to him.

Anna lifted her chin in defiance and glared back at the man who she'd thought was her father. "No," she said firmly. "I am staying with Elsa."

Hans' face twisted into something equal parts disgust and fury, and something inside him finally snapped. "Then I will just have to kill both of you," he growled. "Shoot them!"

Unbeknownst to the two women, some of Hans' men had regained the use of their faculties… and their crossbows. The sharp click of a pulled trigger pierced the air as one of the men let their arrow fly, followed by the sound of it connecting with something solid. Elsa screamed.

The silence that followed was so absolute that Anna could hear the blood pumping through her veins as she stared in rigid horror at the arrowhead - shaft caught by a wall of ice - pointed at the center of her forehead. The next thing she knew, Anna was being simultaneously pushed and pulled away from the bolt by two sets of hands.

"Get her away from here," Elsa said, her voice low and dangerous as she locked eyes with Kristoff.

The huntsman saw the desperate plea as well as the threat that shone up from those icy depths and nodded. Kristoff picked up a soldier's fallen sword and, grabbing Anna's hand, ran up the same stairs she had descended what felt like a lifetime ago.

"Wait no, godmother! Kristoff stop! We can't leave her there, she might die! No, ELSA!" The girl's cries continued to echo down the hall even after she'd been dragged around the corner.

Elsa turned to face Hans and the three other men flanking him, each with their weapons pointed at her chest. "That… was a mistake."

The already freezing temperature of the room plunged to an almost unbearable degree and any remaining torches were quickly extinguished. The marks under Elsa's jaw were now glowing a sharp white and her eyes burned so bright that they could almost be mistaken for doing the same. A cloud of supercooled air curled around and in between her fingers as thick ice crystals crawled out along the floor from beneath her skirts like crystalline ivy. The men stepped back in alarm as the floor turned slick under them and their armor grew heavy with frost.

"What are you waiting for you idiots!" Hans roared, fear clouding the green of his eyes. "Shoot her!"

One of the men brought his weapon up and took aim, but before he could so much as blink something collided with his shoulder and sank its teeth deep into his throat. The man's scream quickly turned into a gurgle as he clawed at Beskytter's face but was silenced with a loud snap when the cat quickly jerked her head to the side.

Gore staining her muzzle, Beskytter watched her creator fire handfuls of ice at the two remaining soldiers, forcing them to jump and roll away in order to avoid being impaled by the ice. When a lone figure began to slowly inch its way to a discarded spear, the cat silently stalked towards it.

The room turned into a maze of death as each thrust of the winter fairy's magic woke icy stalagmites, rising up to drive the men away. Elsa stood in the center of it all, crouched low in a defensive stance, one hand thrown up and pointed at the soldier in front of her, the other held out to side where the other man stood. Elsa heard the man on her left shift and instinctively threw out her hand so that long spines of ice shot out of the floor pinning him to the wall, one resting only a few inches from his exposed throat.

Elsa locked her gaze onto her last remaining assailant, tracking his movements like a predator eyeing its prey. The man no longer looked as confident now that both his comrades were incapacitated, one of which he'd watched get his throat torn out. Taking advantage of the man's hesitation Elsa commanded her ice to rise up and form a wall before him, and pushing her hand forward, asked it to move backwards until the man was herded out of the room. To his credit, Hans' soldier did not leave without a fight. Elsa could see the corded muscles in his neck and jaw straining as he pushed back against the advancing wall. An abrupt shout pulled the winter fairy's attention away from the soldier pounding on the barrier that blocked him from returning to the fight and her vision narrowed.

Hans stood on the steps of the dias, looking frantic as he repeatedly thrust a spear forward to fend off a snarling Beskytter who swatted at the weapon with her huge paws, claws unsheathed.

"Enough, Beskytter!" Elsa called, her voice reverberating off the walls of the cavernous room so that it seemed as though there were multiple speakers. Both snow leopard and man turned to look at the fairy as one. "Thank you, my friend but this is between him and I. Leave us and go attend to Anna."

The large cat hesitated at first, tail swishing back and forth in agitation, clearly uneasy about leaving her creator alone with the head-sick human. In the end, Beskytter conceded with a barely perceptible nod of her head and trotted off in the same direction Anna and the huntsman had escaped, but not before aiming one last threatening hiss at the king.

Elsa slowly moved forward, silent as the wings of a snowy owl, her piercing gaze never leaving the king for a second. Hans blanched and raised his weapon only to have it knocked from his grip by a blast of her magic. And suddenly she was there, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him off the ground in a surge of inhuman strength.

"Was it worth it, Hans," Elsa hissed allowing frost to spill from her fingertips and crawl up the man's jaw. "Mutilating me for a crown." She tightened her hold on his neck to emphasize her point so that he choked, and the redness of his complexion darkened. "Did you think I would cower from you like some beaten dog, did you think I would just let you steal from me!" Hans' eyes were bulging in his now purple face as he struggled to gulp air into his lungs around her vice-like grip, all the while pulling on the ice of Elsa's wrist in a desperate attempt to make her let go.

"We were friends!" Elsa screamed throwing him forward so that his back collided with a nearby spine of ice.

The man slumped forward onto his hands and knees as he coughed and sputtered, frost crumbling from his cheeks with each wheezing breath. Immediately, he yanked off his chest plate and mail so that he could more easily breathe without their added weight.

Elsa followed, quills of ice rising up along her shoulders and upper back. "You used to call me 'sister,' and you betrayed me!" she howled, tears streaking down her face as she bled out all the pain and anger that had been festering inside her for 18 years.

Hans shakily raised his head to meet her furious glare. "You were never anything more than a pawn, witch." the man snarled before pulling a hidden dagger from his boot and charging forward, the curved blade held high. He'd only made it a few steps before he lost his footing on the slick ice that coated the floor and pitched forward. Elsa instinctively jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding being knocked to the ground by a flailing Hans.

When the fairy spun around, expecting to have to fend off another attack, she was surprised to see that Hans still lay face down on the frozen flagstone. His body convulsed once before going still and when she spotted the thick pool of blood oozing out from underneath him Elsa didn't have to roll the man over to know that she'd find his own dagger buried deep in his chest.

Elsa sighed gustily and stepped back. She'd thought that Hans' death would make her feel differently than it did now. The winter fairy once believed that she'd feel satisfied, whole again, free. But she felt none of these things, she just felt…. tired, so tired. And when the darkness took her, she welcomed it.

xxx

"... godmother?"

It felt as though she were climbing out of a hole, so dark and so deep that it seemed she might never make it back to the surface. She fought hard against the crushing weight that pushed her consciousness ever downward and clung the one thing that made sense in this timeless void; that voice.

"Godmother, can you hear me?"

Elsa's eyes fluttered open and she stared up unseeing for a few moments until her vision finally adjusted to the assaulting light and focused on the face above her.

"Anna?" Elsa rasped and immediately regretted speaking. Her throat felt as though it were packed with broken glass and her tongue ached horribly, so that she had to close her eyes and swallow a few times to collect herself.

"Don't speak." Anna said gently and Elsa felt the girl brush her bangs away from her face. "I'm here."

Elsa furrowed her brow as she struggled to clear her mind, but each time she tried to settle on something it would slip away like smoke.

"You're okay now, he can't hurt you anymore."

And then everything snapped into place and Elsa sat up with a gasp, images and sounds flashing in her mind like the flickering of a candle flame. A wall of iron, Beskytter's scream, Anna's frozen body, an arrow caught in ice, Hans' face twisted in rage as he charged her, the flash of a dagger, and blood… so much blood.

A pair of strong hands caught her when a wave of dizziness caused the winter fairy to fall, but instead of lying her back down the hands eased her back so that she was leaning against something soft.

"Godmother, stop! It's okay, you're back in the Wood. You're safe." Anna said firmly, taking the wild-eyed woman's face in her hands so that she focused on the redhead. Slowly, her panicked breathing calmed and the shards of ice that had sprung up around her melted away.

The feel of Anna's palms on her cheeks became Elsa's anchor as she rode out the surge of adrenaline that left her heart pounding and body trembling. With shocking clarity Elsa realized this was the first time she'd felt Anna's touch on her bare skin and the knowledge brought tears to her eyes. However, her joy at the novel sensation was overshadowed by the reminder she could never return the gesture, never feel the warmth of Anna's face under her fingers - yet another thing Hans had robbed her of.

"Here, drink this," Anna said releasing Elsa's face to bring a waterskin to the fairy's lips.

It was then that Elsa became aware of just how thirsty she was and drank greedily, almost moaning as the cool liquid soothed her raw throat. Once she had drank her fill, the winter fairy was able to focus on where Anna had brought her. She was lying in a clearing on a bed of moss and what appeared to be a stolen quilt from Hans' castle. Looking up, she found the swaying limbs of the old oak tree she had at one time called home when her parents had still been alive. For a moment Elsa wondered why Anna hadn't simply returned her to the ice palace, but quickly remembered that only her magic could command the doors to open.

Sighing as a warm breeze washed over her face the winter fairy lay back and took stock of her injuries. Most of the flesh on her back and shoulders felt tight where her burns had blistered, however she was surprised to find they were all coated with some sort of cooling salve. As her forehead wrinkled in confusion a sharp pain flared near her right temple. She raised her hand to inspect the injury, but instead of feeling an open wound, Elsa felt the rough texture of a bandage under her fingers.

Elsa looked back at Anna. "How?"

Anna smiled and glanced at something behind the winter fairy. "Kristoff helped me take care of you when you were... resting," she said looking shy, as if she were worried her godmother wouldn't approve.

Slowly, as to not provoke any more dizzy spells, Elsa turned her head to find a nervous Kristoff standing a few feet away, clearly wanting to give the two woman space.

He has been a good healer, mother.

Elsa felt herself relax a little when she recognized her creation's low voice and was pleased to see the cat lying at her back, providing the support Elsa needed to stay upright. Without a word Elsa tilted her head forward so that Beskytter could press her forehead against her own, purring softly. I am happy you are okay, my friend, she replied, stroking the big cat's muzzle.

Sitting up, Elsa inspected the salve covering one of the iron-burns on her arm and frowned in obvious displeasure. "This is fae magic." Elsa threw Kristoff a suspicious look. "Where did you get this?"

The huntsman shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other and rubbed the back of his neck. "I was raised by a tribe of Rock Trolls as a boy. They taught me how to make it."

Elsa regarded the huntsman with new consideration. "I've never heard of fae adopting a human child before," Elsa said recognizing the irony of her words. The fairy had, in a way, brought up Anna on her own and now saw her as family.

"Kristoff could you give us some time alone, I need to return something to my godmother," Anna said softly. Kristoff nodded in understanding and looked immensely relieved to escape the awkwardness that had settled around them.

Elsa cocked her head to the side in the adorable way she often did when something piqued her curiosity. "Return what to me?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

Anna's expression was caught somewhere between nervousness and excitement. When the girl pulled something out from the burlap sack at her side Elsa felt her magic come alive, humming under her skin like a swarm of bees. The fairy took one look at the frost encrusted cloth and she went stiff.

Oh so slowly Anna peeled away the fabric, watching her godmother closely as she did so. The winter fairy had all but stopped breathing when the last fold had fallen away.

Elsa's mind had gone blank, she simply could not process what she was seeing. Time seemed to stand still as the woman stared down in complete and mind numbing disbelief. There, sitting limply in Anna's grasp were two perfectly preserved hands.

"I found them when Kristoff pulled me away from you. We were hiding in this really creepy room and… we… we noticed this glass box…" Anna trailed off when the marks on her godmother's neck started glowing as they did whenever she was upset.

"Figures he would keep them as a trophy. He always did like to brag about his… conquests," Elsa growled, her tone tinged with disgust.

"Do you think you could…" Anna unfinished question hung in the air like the wet heat of a summer storm.

"I don't know, " Elsa said, her voice small and her eyes hopeful. She looked up and locked eyes with Anna and the girl saw the unshed tears shining in them. "I'm afraid."

Anna reached up to tuck a stray bit of hair behind the fairy's ear and Elsa leaned into her touch. "I know, I'll be right here with you… no matter what you decide."

As am I. Beskytter hummed.

Elsa closed her eyes and breathed heavily through her nose a few times to steady herself. Swallowing thickly, Elsa allowed the ice the made up her left hand to flow back into the air and held out her wrist to Anna. Unable to open her eyes for fear of what she might see the winter fairy felt Anna's hand slide up her arm and guide it forward.

Elsa's eyes flew open and she gasped in both pain and shock as her magic lept up her arm like a lightning strike, making all the hair on her forearm stand on end. She watched in fascination as the flesh that sealed the end of her wrist split open down to the bone, where her ice waited to spring forward. Thousands of tiny fractals raced outward to encase the hand Anna had pressed to the exposed stump and Elsa could feel all the bones, ligaments, and blood vessels in her wrist and hand tearing and reforming. Despite the searing pain that this 'healing' process produced, Elsa could feel nothing but the unbridled joy that coursed through her.

When it was over, Elsa could only stare down at her reattached limb, turning it side-to-side and flexing and curling each of her fingers experimentally. After a few moments, Elsa looked up to find Anna smiling from ear to ear, almost glowing with same elation that threatened to make the winter fairy's heart burst.

Hesitantly, Elsa raised her flesh and blood hand and brushed the backs of her fingers against Anna's soft cheek. The fairy released a choked laugh and felt so light that she wondered how she didn't float away with the wind. For the first time in what felt like forever, Elsa was able to truly feel again, feel the warmth of Anna's face, the wetness of the girl's tears that she thumbed away, and the tickle of the fine hairs on her cheeks.

And in that moment the darkness that had once tainted Elsa's heart faded away so that all at once the oppressive cloud that had tailed her like a dog with its master for so long lifted. She was free.

Elsa gently pulled the princess forward so that their foreheads rested against each other and sighed happily. "Thank you, Anna… for everything."

~end~

Thank you to everyone who helped me bring this story together and keep me motivated with the writers block hit me hard. I am very proud of this project and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Leave me a review and tell me what you think ^_^

time to get back to S&L