a/n: Revisions: Extended scene of Anna and Elsa in the marketplace.

Chapter 5: Old Beginnings

Nightmares again, just like every night before and most likely every night after, always different, always the same. Alvard, falling from the towers and crumpling on the ground, limbs twisted and broken. Tobias, clutching his crushed windpipe and asphyxiating before her eyes. Fabian, his burned and blackened body crumbling away even as he reached for her throat. Saul, swept under the waves and crushed within the suffocating darkness of the ocean. All the countless victims who, within the confines of a labyrinth dungeon, she had experimented on—he had experimented on. But the worst of it was—

Gustaf dying for him

How must it have felt that his own son was plotting his death plotting for him to die in his stead and still he died willingly just to save him

Gustaf trying to make him see but he never saw until it was too late until any chance to make things better had slipped away from him and he could never ever ever ever say that he was sorry he was wrong so wrong so so so wrong please come back please please please

—Father—

"It's not my fault," Anna whispered. She splashed her face with water and raised her head, looked at her reflection in the mirror and watched the droplets slide down her hair and her cheeks. She wasn't sure what other face she might have been expecting. It shouldn't have been a surprise to see her own. "It wasn't me. It wasn't me. It wasn't me. I didn't do…anything."

Me…

Who is this me?

It was another morning.

Anna dried her face, brushed her hair back, and left the room to join Elsa.

Strangely enough, Elsa wasn't the only one waiting.

"I figured I'd give you two a tour if you don't mind me tagging along," Rapunzel said, before leaning in conspiratorially and whispering, "Work with me, I don't usually get to just leave the castle!"

Anna smiled. "Sounds great to me. What do you think, Elsa?"

"I don't mind," Elsa said.

"Great, because I don't really care too much what you think," Rapunzel said, and Elsa didn't quite sigh, exactly, but exhaled a louder-than-usual breath and looked away.

They left the castle, Elsa pushing Anna along and Rapunzel exuberantly leading the way, practically bouncing with every step. She seemed a little more at ease around Elsa. Anna imagined that it helped to be away from the castle where they'd most likely first met, as well as the gorgeous weather. Looking up at a clear blue sky and white clouds, even she felt energized.

"You were out late last night," Elsa said.

"I made a friend," Anna said.

"I didn't see your friend when you came back."

"Sol walked me back to the castle, but she didn't want to come inside so I didn't push," Anna said. It was true. Sol had stopped a long ways from the castle, far enough that it was likely more than simple nerves. Distaste? "Actually, she's pretty amazing. You should meet her too, I think you would—Oh."

"Anna?"

"I just realized." At the thought of Sol's healing magic, she remembered Elsa had been discussing the wasting sickness, serglige, with King Friderich while she was away. "Sol has magic, and maybe—"

"What?" Elsa came to a dead halt and doubled around, her voice raised enough that even Rapunzel stopped and looked back. "Anna, this person—did she do anything to you? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine!" Anna said, but Elsa was still examining her face, examining her eyes for something and clearly not listening. "Really, I'm fine. Elsa, I'm fine, I promise—"

"What happened?"

"We met in the marketplace, and I helped her take some flowers back to her house—"

"You followed her to—? Anna, you need to be more careful!" Elsa frowned. "You can't just trust that a stranger who approaches you has good intentions, and this person, if she has magic, she could be dangerous. Who knows what she's capable of, what ulterior motives she might have?"

"She doesn't even know who I am, and I didn't say anything about that either," Anna bit out. "If you would just listen to me for a moment—"

"No, you need to listen," Elsa said. "I didn't want to leave you on your own but I gave you space because I trusted you, though clearly, I was wrong. You don't know how to take care of yourself—"

"What?"

Elsa seemed to be struck dumb, but Anna shoved her away. She couldn't even look at Elsa. She bowed her head, clutching the knees of her dress and struggling to control her hastening, rasping breaths. It felt like she was choking even as she breathed, like something was lodged in her throat. She felt her heartbeat, the vicious siege of it against her ribs, the echo of it in her ears. She wanted to scream but she wasn't sure she had enough air to even try it.

Rapunzel rejoined them, clearing her throat and quietly pulling Elsa away. "Anna, just ignore us and take a moment. Everything will be fine. Just breathe. We'll wait here, all right?"

Anna swallowed, nodding as best she could.

She wasn't new to these attacks. She could get through this just as she had every other time. Slowly, breathing in through her nose and focusing on one spot on the pavement, her senses returned to her slowly. Her chest wasn't so tight. After another minute, she managed to catch her breath, and she swallowed hard, dragged her fingers through her hair. Anna grounded herself again.

"Feeling better now?" Rapunzel asked.

Anna nodded. "I'm fine. I'm sorry, I don't…"

It hadn't been any easier than last time.

"All right, listen to me." Rapunzel spun on her heel and jabbed a finger into Elsa's chest. "You need to lay off and let Anna talk. It's fine that you're worried but she's sitting right there, safe and in one piece."

"…Yes."

"And Anna, before you were so rudely interrupted, you were saying…?"

"…Sol can heal," Anna said. "I watched her do it. I was thinking, maybe we could ask her to help with the serglige problem. It's worth a try, right?"

"Oh, I've actually heard about a healer too, but I thought those were just rumors," Rapunzel said. "See, Elsa? Completely legitimate. Not everything is doom and gloom. Now, what else should you be saying to Anna?"

"Can you just give us a moment alone?" As Rapunzel took a step back, arms crossed and foot tapping on the ground, Elsa approached her again. She didn't kneel down, or bend in any way to speak to her, only dipped her head. Anna appreciated it. Just this once, they felt more like equals, rather than Elsa being strong and herself being…an invalid. "Anna, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said, I was just…concerned."

"It's fine. It's true, anyway. I can't take care of myself anymore."

"No, Anna, I'm so, so sorry."

"It's fine."

"It's not fine. It was unfair of me, and—don't take it to heart, please." Elsa gripped her hand, and Anna wished more than anything that her own hands didn't shake, that she had the same strength as Elsa. "You're still fighting despite everything that's happened, and I should respect that instead of…not. It's part of who you are to trust, and I love that about you, truly. I just…I know this sounds odd, but I don't trust magic, sometimes. It's ruined so much already. But…I trust you. More than anything or anyone. Please promise me that you'll have faith in yourself too, Anna."

"I-I can't make that promise," Anna said.

Elsa leaned forward and hugged her tight. "Please promise me that you'll keep trying, then."

"I will," Anna said, and the embrace warmed her now, rather than the cold that Elsa used to always radiate. "And I'm not mad, I understand. I was reckless too, I still can't get it through my head that not everything will turn out all right. Let's just keep going? It's a beautiful day. Let's not waste it."

"All right—"

"Frankfurters! Get some fresh, ripe, juicy frankfurters now, accompanied by my very own super special secret sauce! Trust me, this is one breakfast delicacy that you don't want to miss out on!"

Anna looked up at the ridiculously loud call, and pushing a food cart down the road was a rugged man sporting the smartest of grins. As if his stubble and disheveled hair weren't enough, his devil-may-care attitude was completed by what Anna swore was a twinkle in his eye. With an air of someone who had done this a million times before, he plopped down his cart in front of them and postured, knees bent, arms outstretched and fingers pointing to the sky—the picture of intellectual poverty.

"Can't you see that they were having a moment?" Rapunzel stormed over and scowled at the man, but his grin didn't falter for even a second. If anything, his grin widened.

"Name's Flynn Ryder, and I gotta say, I think this moment would be a lot better if there were some frankfurters involved, if you catch my drift—"

Rapunzel grabbed his shoulders, whirled him around, and pushed him and his cart along, ignoring his weak protests. Anna watched bemusedly as she yelled back, "You two have fun on your own!"

Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"Well, that was…unexpected."

"Let's get going, then," Anna said, smiling, when Elsa took her hand.

"I don't want any frankfurters."

"Does that mean you do?"

"No," Rapunzel hissed.

Flynn paused, looking so put out that even Rapunzel started feeling guilty—despite being hounded about sausages for the past fifteen minutes as they very slowly made their way into and through town. Flynn seemed determined to stick by her side. Her pity didn't last long, though. Flynn cleared his throat and the jaunty smile was back, with a horrendously powerful wink for good measure.

"Listen, I'll even tell you something secret to sweeten the deal," Flynn said, leaning in and voice lowering into a whisper. "If you buy today, you could win an exclusive, all-expenses-paid trip to Arendelle! Just fill out a form with your name, contact information—"

"Whoa! Look over there!"

"Huh?"

As soon as Flynn swung his head around to look where she had pointed, Rapunzel ducked behind a passing cart and used it to shield her escape. She looked back, once, and bit her hand to muffle her laughter; Flynn looked flabbergasted by her disappearance, mouth hanging open and hands rubbing his eyes. Then he started saying something about her being an angry spirit that had most likely cursed him.

Honestly, she probably would have if she could.

After escaping the company of the strange, if friendly and fairly good-looking Flynn Ryder, Rapunzel stretched and prepared to wander the day markets on her own. It wasn't often that she could do so. Her parents didn't keep her imprisoned by any means, but perhaps they were too accustomed to her being in poor health to feel at ease. Or perhaps it was Chryssa's disappearance that set them so on edge. It certainly drained them; Rapunzel could no longer count the number of white hairs on both her parents' heads.

Resolving to enjoy the day, Rapunzel entered a café by the docks. It was a homely place, warm with the smell of chocolates and brewing coffee and tea, but it had never been too popular until a few months ago, when they introduced a new drink that even Rapunzel fell in love with instantly. Compared to the old lull, the shop's business had boomed into a bustle that turned seats into a valuable commodity. Luckily, Rapunzel came here often enough that the owners recognized her and seated her at the first opportunity. She had scarcely sat down before a steaming cup was placed on her table.

"Still won't tell me the recipe?" Rapunzel asked, cradling the cup in her hands. "Or at least the name of whoever came up with this. Give me something to work with, please?"

"It's a secret, Your Highn—"

Rapunzel hissed, putting one finger to her lips, and the server quieted. No one had heard, but that had been close. She patted the girl on the arm, telling her that it was no harm done, and she was left alone to savor her drink.

It was, Rapunzel thought while looking out to the ocean, only hot chocolate. But there was something special about it, some trick to the recipe or some spice that made it…different. Rapunzel sipped on the warm drink, letting each mouthful roll over her tongue before she swallowed. She took every opportunity to come here. Before it had been for the view, and now, it was for this drink.

"Hey, Punzie! Try this, I made it just now. Maaaaaaybe it'll help you feel better!"

It was somehow nostalgic.

She sat at the barstools on one end of the shop, which gave a perfect view of the docks and lighthouse. There were strong waves today; Rapunzel watched the water splash up the wooden boards and even the taller stones, darkening their surface before rolling back, over and over again. Seagulls, too. Rapunzel ordered a basket of bread and absentmindedly picked off small bits, throwing the morsels out for the birds to enjoy. She was thrown out of her reverie when she heard the owner's voice.

"Oh, Sol! I wasn't expecting—"

Rapunzel barely understood what was happening, but the sound of footsteps charging towards her made her turn back, just in time to see a brunette seize her around the waist.

"What are you—?!"

It hurt when she was dragged out of her seat, and Rapunzel flailed with all her might. She felt her hand strike the girl, multiple times, but the brunette was never dissuaded from whatever it was that she thought she was doing. Instead, she pinned Rapunzel's arms, locked her own arm around her neck to secure her head, and barreled out of the shop.

Vaguely, Rapunzel saw that the girl had wide, brown eyes, and that they were positively terrified. There was a brief moment where Rapunzel wondered what might have scared her so much, and then—

An explosion followed from behind.

They were still close enough that Rapunzel felt the molten, scalding heat fan over her skin, and then the sheer force of it rocketed both her and the brunette away from the shop. Over the din of a clamorous ringing in her skull, over even the jarring sensation of her bones vibrating within her body, Rapunzel realized the other girl was shielding her with her own body. Even when they struck the ground, it was the other girl who took the brunt of the fall. She cradled Rapunzel within her embrace, and together, they skidded back on the hard pavement, until at last, the impact flung them apart.

Rapunzel remained on the ground, while the brunette was thrown into the open ocean.

There was screaming and rushed footsteps and the crackle of fire, and for a moment that was all Rapunzel's world consisted of, along with the terrible pain that screamed through her bruised and battered body. She was dazed, disoriented, feeling so ill she thought she might throw up at any moment, but she still knew one thing.

Whoever that girl was, she had saved her life.

Rapunzel forced herself up on her arms, wincing from the torn skin on both, but the blood that drenched the stones wasn't hers. She shook her head, desperate to throw off the screech that scrambled her thoughts. She could still feel the heat, could hear the roaring of the flames behind her from the shop that had been set ablaze, could begin to see a crowd growing as they rushed to the scene, but—none of that mattered right now.

Rapunzel ran towards the docks and dove into the water, intent on rescuing her savior.

Sol couldn't see anything.

As she drifted alone within the water, she wondered if maybe this was for the best. She had never been afraid of death, only an undignified one, one without purpose. She closed her eyes, content to rest, content to escape the shambolic mess that her increasingly muddled thoughts had become. It was chaos within her mind. Stray thoughts and impulses. Senseless, reckless compulsions. She didn't even know what she was doing, sometimes…

But this time she was sure she was doing something right.

Sol opened her eyes when she felt the water move.

As the ripples cleared, she vaguely realized that the light was being blocked. Nothing should block the light. It was something that would have irked her at any other time, but at that moment she was only curious, and in the next…confused. There were bubbles. There was someone coming. There was…

There was a hand outstretched for her.

Someone was reaching out for…her?

She remembered only ever being abandoned. Discarded, like trash. Maybe she was hallucinating. That would make sense, even if it was pathetic. No, not hallucinating. If she were, she probably would have envisioned something much more horrific. Why was this person reaching out, then? Who would care?

How weird…

She wanted very much to live and find out.

Sol reached up and took their hand.

"Are you all right?"

Rapunzel helped the brunette sit up, bracing her shoulders rather than her back. Her shirt was torn, no doubt from when they skid on the ground during their fall, and behind the tattered cloth the skin on her back had been ripped off almost entirely; Rapunzel hissed through her teeth when she saw, but that wasn't even the worst injury. On the side of her head was a deep gash nearly three inches long, spilling dark blood that matted her hair down and rolled down her cheek. Rapunzel searched the brunette's face for any sign that she had understood or even heard her words, but the girl was only staring at her with widened eyes, mouth slightly ajar as though she couldn't quite believe what was happening.

"What's your name?" Rapunzel tried again.

"…Sol."

Rapunzel grinned, relieved that she could manage to respond at all. It had crossed her mind that maybe the girl had been struck too hard in the head. "Nice to meet you, Sol. I'm Rapunzel."

"…I know."

It was a strange answer, but Rapunzel didn't think much on it. She pressed her hand to Sol's temple, smiling in apology when she winced. "Sorry, but you're bleeding, and I don't know what else to do."

Help had finally arrived to put out the fire, and some men thankfully wrapped them both in blankets. Rapunzel had barely noticed the cold, too worried about Sol to care, but Sol definitely needed it—though she winced the moment the cloth touched her torn back. Rapunzel snatched the blanket away and adjusted it to drape her from the front instead.

"Can someone please get a doctor?" Rapunzel called to the crowd. "Sol's injured—"

"You saved me."

Sol was staring at her again.

"Well, you saved me too," Rapunzel said, fidgeting under the intense gaze. Questioning, but…more. As though Rapunzel held the only answers that mattered. As though Sol were trying to peer into her heart and soul, grasping for a lifeline only she could provide. "It just seemed like…the right thing to do."

Slowly, Sol nodded her head.

"…Thank you."

Sol grinned, and suddenly she looked like a different person from the solemn creature whose thousand-mile stare had so unnerved her only a moment ago. Save for the blood still marring her face, she could have been anyone. Just an ordinary person who had saved her life. Rapunzel smiled back.

"I'm not gonna need a doctor though," Sol said. "Do you mind stepping away for a second?"

Rapunzel was still thrown enough that she did not argue. She moved back and watched, befuddled, as Sol shifted to sit with her legs crossed and traced an arc in the air with one finger. It looked like such an odd thing to do, until Rapunzel noticed—an arc of golden light drew over Sol, and then the gold spilled downwards in both directions to form a transparent dome. Sol clasped her hands together as though in prayer, and Rapunzel witnessed the healing with awe. Her torn back mended over with new skin, as though time had fast-forwarded. Her head wound closed itself without leaving the slightest mark.

"How…?" Rapunzel closed her mouth, not realizing it had fallen open until Sol looked at her with laughter evident in her eyes. "Wait, your name…and the magic…Anna told me about you!"

"Mmm." Sol waved her hand and the dome vanished. She rose to her feet, stretching as though she had only lightly exerted herself. "Seems like I'm meeting all sorts of new people lately!"

"I could say the same," Rapunzel said. She turned around, back to the site of the explosion, and her heart clenched at how many people must have died. It was likely that she was the only survivor. Rescue efforts were still continuing, and the fire had died down at last, but…

Rapunzel walked closer to the old café, covering her mouth to avoid the fumes. It was lucky that the Captain of the Guard was there or she might have been mistaken for a civilian and not been allowed to, though she winced when he gave her a heavy stare—her parents would know all about this soon.

Sol caught her arm from behind, and Rapunzel looked back.

"Are you sure you want to—"

Rapunzel pulled away, gently. "I have to see."

She continued on and peered into the smoking wreckage, its charred, splintered wood resembling the broken ramparts of a conquered fort. Grasping hands of wire swung to and fro within the dark abyss, suspended from the ceiling beams that had survived. Broken glass littered the ground, melted and fused into molten stone. But worst of all were the bodies. Burned, blackened, their skin pockmarked with blisters and faces unrecognizable; Rapunzel held back a wretch from the stench, but nothing could stop the tears from escaping her eyes. Another moment later and she would have been…this.

It was humbling and terrifying both.

Rapunzel stood and watched for a while as the rescue workers excavated the bodies, and as the building began to empty, that was when she noticed. On the floor was burned a mark, too clear and too distinct to have been coincidence. It was an insignia.

A black phoenix, burning wings outstretched and beak opened as though to let loose a shrill cry.

"Always so dramatic," Sol sighed.

"Do you…know who did this?" Rapunzel asked.

"Mhm." Sol pointed to the insignia emblazoned on the ground, solid black even when the ash had been cleaned away. "It's their trademark. Rising from the ashes and all that. Something about new beginnings. Taranis really likes to hold grudges."

She had no idea what Sol was going on about, and Sol seemed to know that, too. "How did you know there was going to be an explosion?" Rapunzel asked.

But when she turned around, Sol had disappeared. Rapunzel whirled in place, trying to catch a glimpse of where she could have gone, but there was no trace anywhere of the girl. Even when she ran back outside, no one could tell her where Sol had gone. Rapunzel scanned the crowd still gathered outside the café, looking for brown hair and golden eyes, but—nothing. She saw Flynn Ryder of all people, standing there looking uncharacteristically grim, but Sol was missing.

Where could she have gone?

Her head hurt a little, but Anna was determined not to waste the day.

She had felt that aching pain even since last night, but it had been worse, then, while she was sleeping. Bad enough that she could only manage brief lapses of sleep plagued by fitful nightmares, and she would wake, fall back into the same dreams. Her headache had died down somewhat into an ember of dark heat that flickered in her temple; present, but small enough to be ignored. Every now and then, Anna would rub at her temples in hopes of dispersing that remnant. Hopefully Elsa wouldn't notice.

First they visited the library. Compared to her tense demeanor when confronted with Judus, King Friderich, even the crowd of commoners they passed on the way there, Elsa seemed much more at home within the quiet confines of bookshelves. Anna had expected this, and she understood the sentiment. It was peaceful here. It was a monolithic library, with tall spires and stained glass windows and multiple floors, but the inside was still homey; plain wooden floors and comfortable couches were on every floor, with private rooms for those who desired more privacy.

Elsa then showed her maps of the surrounding area, and once again, Anna was surprised by her knowledge. Corona was closer to the Southern Isles than she had thought, and, Elsa explained, maps typically omitted the narrow land bridge that connected the two kingdoms. She had actually traveled a longer route around, Anna realized, taken days more than necessary, to give her more time to rest.

"What do you like to read, Anna?" Elsa asked.

"Fiction novels, mostly." Anna laughed, remembering how ridiculous she had been. "Actually, I remember when I first got to the Southern Isles and was expecting stuff out of novels. Do you remember that first room you set up for me? I was checking for trap doors and hidden switches."

"You read a lot, then."

"I didn't have much else to do!" Anna huffed. "You know I didn't get to leave the castle. So…I could only read and pretend like I was visiting other places. And then I'd act out stories in the garden! Be the brave knight, fight off the evil dragons, you know."

Next they headed to the market square, and though Anna had explored the previous day, there were new sights already. Trinkets, of course, beads and bracelets and necklaces, and Anna would have been tempted to buy one for Elsa if only she could find one that was perfect. No such luck. Maybe she would try making one herself. There was an abundance of seafood available; Anna saw shops selling salmon and cod and halibut, oysters and mussels and clams, prepared in every way, even raw. More strangely…

"Do you know anything about this man?"

Anna watched in consternation as a girl went from stall to stall, holding up a wanted poster with the image of a man with braided hair and a golden masquerade ball mask. Taranis, the poster said. But judging from the reactions of the common folk, Anna guessed, this girl with the poster was not well-liked. Feared, even, despite likely being younger than Anna. People were quick to say no to her questions, were relieved when she moved on, and wherever she went she was followed by distrustful gazes. She was pretty enough, her navy black hair pulled into a ponytail that accentuated her white coat, but her expression was an ugly one. Her head was held too high, her sharp features too haughty. Worse, her hand inched too close to the sword at her hip.

"Do you know anything?"

"No! No, I don't know—"

"You didn't even look at the picture," said the girl, and she seized the man by his collar and dragged him close. "Are you trying to fool me? Well? Don't waste my time." She shoved him away, hard enough that he crashed into his own stall and overturned it, spilling his produce to the ground.

"Gwen!"

Another white-coated boy rushed to the scene, shouldering his way through the growing crowd to get to the girl. Helping the stall-owner to his feet and uttering a quick apology, he then whirled around to the girl and took her by the arm. Gwen hissed, trying to yank her arm free, but the boy's grip was strong.

"Let go of me—!"

"We're leaving before this becomes another case! Do you want Sir Lazarus to punish you? Come on."

Anna watched as the two left, leaving behind a crowd of agitated commoners who were murmuring about the Order of the Rose. So that was why their coat had seemed so familiar. Judus had been wearing the same one, a white coat embroidered with a golden rose. Anna wheeled herself to the vendor who had been thrown to the ground, and helped him gather his scattered merchandise.

"Are you all right, sir?" Anna asked.

"Y-Yes, thank you." Rearranging his stall, he breathed a heavy sigh. "It's not uncommon for the Order to stir up trouble, but Gwen is a nasty piece of work. Peacekeepers. What a joke."

Elsa was silent.

Anna suggested that they leave, and Elsa bore them away. It had been a mood dampener to see that. Anna wanted to believe the best of the Order, especially since Rapunzel was learning from them, but just once she wished that things could be…simple. Just like the old novels she used to read, with the hero and the villain, the knight and the dragon. Her headache was returning.

"Is there anywhere else you want to go?" Elsa asked.

"I guess we could just…wander."

Eventually, they came to the clock tower that stood in the center of town. There was no way up that didn't involve stairs; fortunately, no one seemed particularly inclined to go up at this time of day, and Elsa was free to lock the door behind them so no one would see. Once that was done, she waved her hand and a layer of ice flowed over the staircase, forming a moving ramp that bore Anna up to the top.

Anna could only manage a quiet gasp at the exhilarating view.

Up here she could see the entirety of the town, the movement of the entirety of its people, like an ever-running current flowing throughout the city. Up here, every individual person melted away into something greater than the sum of its parts, something larger at work than mere human machinations…

As the hour struck and the clock resounded with its booming call, something reverberated in Anna, too.

"What's wrong?" Elsa asked sharply, but Anna had fallen from her wheelchair to lay prone on the floor, hands clutching both sides of her head.

It felt like something was trying to force its way out of her body, out of her skull and through her eyes, her mouth. Her skull felt like it might split in two, assaulted by an enormous pounding that she felt even in her eardrums. Some part of Anna, isolated from the pain to stay sane, wondered if she might die. She could not imagine living through this molten pain, like hot coals were boiling through her thoughts, like parasites were burrowing through her brain. Anna thought she saw flashes of something through the darkness that overtook her vision, something like a golden flower, or maybe a mirror, the petals scattered, the pieces shattered, and then—then—

She was taken by the darkness.

They were only headaches, Elsa said.

Elsa didn't believe those words even herself, but she hardly knew how else to reassure Anna; how else to reassure herself. Whatever that attack had been, she was relieved that it never resurfaced with the same intensity. For one terrifying moment, Anna had actually stopped breathing. No doctor could tell her what was wrong with Anna. She suffered through the rest of the week, writhing in pain and her body so feverish that the heat emanated from her body like poison.

"Is Anna going to be all right?" Rapunzel had asked.

Elsa hadn't bothered to pick herself up from the floor where she sat, slumped against the wall just outside Anna's room. "I don't know," she said, despite wanting desperately to say otherwise.

"…Oh." Rapunzel lingered for a moment longer before she knelt, squeezed her hand, and left without another word.

Elsa had appreciated the gesture.

Corona was no longer as safe as she once believed. Days ago, Hans had already informed her about the Red Tempest. Apparently Alek had been injured but was still alive; Elsa had not bothered to learn more, too distressed by the news that shadow magic was once again appearing. Outside of the Southern Isles family, no less, whose blood held the residual magic of the Mirror. Either there were three other people, all descended from the other olden handlers of the Mirror, or…

Edmund.

Elsa found it difficult to believe that he had anything to do with these incidents, that he was controlling events even beyond the grave, but she had never truly known her foster brother at all.

Regardless, it was more than likely that Brennus was involved with the explosion that had nearly killed Rapunzel; but according to Friderich, the man named Taranis had been stirring up trouble long before. Throughout the next few days, there were more and more incidents—at the library, the clock tower. Serglige was spreading as well. Every day there were more reports of the illness overtaking civilians, sending them into a spiraling madness—and then they left. People vanished, one by one. Everything had gone to hell, and there was nothing she could do.

Such did the week pass.

It was a beautiful sight.

Anna didn't know where she was, but the thought didn't concern her as much as it should have. She didn't even remember where she had been, or what she had been doing before. It didn't seem to matter now. She had simply opened her eyes to an unbroken plain of snow, pure and undisturbed. None fell from the skies, leaving only a perfect expanse that went on as far as the eye could see. As she rose to her feet, though, the landscape shifted. Where there had been nothing there now stood a castle, tall, proud, and she stood not in the open, but within the courtyard.

She did not question.

Anna crossed to the center of the courtyard and sat at the edge of the fountain there, running her hands through the clear water held in its basin. It was not cold. She allowed the water to settle, and looked down into her reflection. Her face was as it had been, unburdened, unlined, eyes wide with wonder and lips set into a content smile. A very long time passed while she stayed there, staring and blinking at herself, for this was a face she barely recognized but missed dearly.

All at once, though, there was rain.

Anna raised her head. She had not noticed when, but the white sky was now grey with stormclouds and sudden wind whipped the rain into frenzy. Something was wrong about the rain. As droplets struck her cheek, she could smell it; the familiar tang of copper…the taste of blood. Anna sprang to her feet and rubbed at her skin, but the rain, the blackened blood, clung to her hands and marred her face. It only smeared across her skin like great tracts of tar and oil. She would never be able to get it off.

Even the fountain now came to life, its tranquil waters dyed black and the sludge overflowing. Anna stumbled away with a cry, tripping over the hem of her cloak. She struck the snow on her back, raised her hands to shield her face from the rain. Through her blurring vision, she saw something forming from the dark waters, vaguely human, hands grasping for her legs, blind eyes peering into her mind.

Have you forgotten me?

Anna pushed off the ground and ran for the castle.

She did not know these hallways but moved on instinct alone, each step guided by sudden decision that was not hers. She could hardly breathe. Around the corridor she ran, then down the long hall, hearing a quiet moan and the patter of feet following behind. She did not dare look back. Dark liquid dripped down from the ceiling with a rhythmic thud like a heartbeat, gushed through the walls and climbed, always, always following. Anna kept running. She didn't dare stop.

Doors disappeared. She could not escape. Paths vanished. Anna kept running where she could, head spinning with breathless terror and eyes flitting to and fro for the next route. Until there was only one hallway left, and she saw one last door at its end. She had no choice. She ran.

Where are you going?

She went through the door.

Slammed it shut.

Anna told herself that she was safe here, and it was true that all the motion ceased. All the world calmed. Everything was as still as it had been at the beginning. There was no light in this room, only comforting night, so black that she could see nothing but the unbroken darkness. Anna released a shuddering breath, sliding down against the closed door. She was safe. Wherever this was, she was safe.

And then the candles lit, one by one, and the aisles were illuminated, so that Anna saw the intertwined angel and dragon at the end of the hall and knew exactly where she was.

It was the chapel.

She was not alone.

Do you remember me now?

An armored figure was kneeling at the base of the statue, and he, or she, or it, stood and turned around. On their face was the skull-mask, painted with the cross of blood, and they beckoned with one hand.

Come here…Anna.

She did.

She could not disobey.

Shadows spread from the figure's feet and diffused outwards, wrapping around them both, searing her skin with its dark warmth. Sparks flickered through the air, blinking like stars before winking out, leaving the acrid stench of burning hair. A dark heart pulsed in the whirlwind. She could see the diseased thing beating, bloating outwards and contracting, again, again; could hear the labored breath gasping its throes, again, again. Anna stood paralyzed when the figure took off their mask, slowly, deliberately. She knew that face just as she knew that voice, cruel and saturated with saccharine delight.

Her own.

Anna is my name.

She, the Other-Anna, dissolved into the shadows too. It lunged for her just as the web constricted, seizing her arms and legs and dragging her off the ground. Her limbs were yanked back until the flesh tore; her entire body was bent so far that her spine snapped. Darkness flooded over her face, bled into her eyes, her nose, her mouth. She tried to scream and it only rushed down her throat, muffling her voice and choking in her lungs. Anna remembered this, remembered that vile touch which infiltrated her body and mind. It was happening again. She was going to lose control again—

Anna woke.

She jolted upward, breathing harsh and uneven, hands locked tight around her blankets. It was…just a dream. Elsa was still asleep at her side. They were in Corona. Anna swallowed her retch, fighting the urge to vomit. It had been a dream. She still did not dare close her eyes, lest she return to that place. After an eternity of listening to the rhythm of Elsa breathing, Anna allowed herself to relax her grip. Just a dream. Just a dream. Just-

There were burn marks on the blankets.

Slowly, Anna turned over one shaking hand. Wisps of dark flame flickered in her palm, and bled away into nothing.

I am always here.