The Firebird
The former advisor could be viewed, like a rat in a cage, sitting on a bench in one Arendelle castle’s jail cells. It had been a few days since the incident, where Kai attempted to assassinate the ice harvester. Ever since he spoke those vague last words to the blond man, a stroke of curiosity overcame Kristoff. He could not sleep, because his vacant hours were filled contemplating the meaning of them. If he was going to get any rest, Kristoff would just have to suck it up, and ask Kai.
The dungeon overlooked the fjord, with a small window in each cell, about a foot in both length and width. Some of the cells were better furnished than others, like the one Kai was thrown in. On the seat which he slept, there were sheets, a pillow, and a worn, thin mat for support. Queen Elsa made sure that prisoners, no matter what their crime was, were still treated humanely. Kristoff definitely respected that about Anna’s older sister. Elsa personally made sure the guards and soldiers put that rule into effect. If the prison guards’ positions were abused, there was serious punishment. Fortunately, it was not a common occurrence.
In front of Kai’s cell was a sentry, who looked no older than Kristoff. Maybe even a tad younger. He was a thin and lanky man in size, and looked nervous to see the ice harvester there.
“Do you mind if I have a quick word with the man in that cell?” Kristoff asked the guard.
“Um, you’re Kristoff right? I’m a bit new here, so I’m just getting used to the rules of this position.” He skittishly moved around, playing with his spear in hand. “From what I’ve been told, I’m not allowed to let people inside, unless they have a note from the captain. But since you’re betrothed to the princess, I don’t see why not. Just… please don’t tell my boss. I could get in serious trouble. If he found out-”
“No worries, I don’t plan on telling anyone if you’re not. I will only take a minute or two anyway.”
The young man reached in his pocket, and grabbed a key. Before he put it in the lock, he turned to Kristoff. “I heard a rumor about what this man tried to do to you, and I’m curious why he would do such a thing.” But before Kristoff could speak, the guard quickly corrected himself, “I apologize, I shouldn’t even have asked anything!”
“No it’s okay, you’re doing fine, so don’t worry about anything. Actually that’s why I’m here, to maybe find some answers for myself.”
“T-thanks Sir Bjorgman,” the young man twisted the key and opened the door. “You have five minutes.”
Kristoff walked into the narrow room, and the door was shut behind for him. Inside towards the far right corner, sat Kai, chained at the wrists and looking down at his feet. He looked up for a brief second to examine Kristoff, before turning his head down again. “What do you want?” The sentence came out as a statement than a question.
“What you said to me back in that office, I want to know more.”
“Aren’t you direct? I’m sure it doesn’t make a difference if you know or not,” Kai sighed to himself. “You know, you really aren’t fit to marry Arendelle’s princess. We both know that the Queen has been gone far too long without any word. Some of the castle workers are starting to question her qualifications to rule Arendelle, especially after the whole coronation incident. They say that it was a bad omen when she was crowned, that the eternal winter which impacted the kingdom was a premonition of what is yet to come.
“Interesting,” he said sarcastically. “I don’t believe that’s true,” Kristoff folded his arms across his chest. Did he really believe his own words?
“To be clear, I don’t care that you do. This isn’t about what you are perceiving, this is about what people in the kingdom are saying. Let me continue,” Kai cleared his dry throat. “Tell me, what do you know about the Kingdom of Aldyn?”
“They are to the east of Arendelle, and are located if I remember correctly, next to a long mountain range. Winters get pretty bad there sometimes. I also know Queen Elsa allowed the princess of Aldyn to stay here in the castle, before they disappeared.”
“Is that really all your knowledge on Aldyn? Let me enlighten your thick skull then. Aldyn planned to attack before, and plans to attack again.”
Kristoff was silent. If this was true, which he was still skeptical, how come he had not heard about this?
“When did they try to previously?”
“Right after the ball, when the king and queen requested to Queen Elsa to house the princess. She is not any normal girl, like Elsa, she has powers too. There is a prophecy surrounding her, that she will destroy Aldyn with these powers. Out of fear for their own country, they planted her like a mine, somewhere far away. They picked Arendelle, because of our wealth and prime location. She was their first undercover attack.”
“And why would they try to attack Arendelle in that way?” Kristoff was suspicious.
“They believed that it could all be blamed on the queen’s powers, if the princess did anything to Arendelle. It would be easy to cover up and leave Arendelle exposed, which is not the best condition to be in.”
Kristoff knew he did not have much time left to converse with Kai. Instead of prodding in the past, he needed more answers about the present.
“What is Aldyn planning now?”
“The prince of Aldyn, is conspiring with a neighboring kingdom to take Arendelle directly by force. They see Arendelle as one of the most powerful opponents who could stand in their way. Prince Anton is hell-bent for power, believes he is some sort of prodigy, and wishes to start a new age. The king and queen are out of the picture, and word has it they never returned to Aldyn. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the prince’s doing, since they would be a huge obstruction to his plans.”
“Where are you getting this information, and why did you try to kill me in the office?”
“Well aren’t you full of questions?” Kai said with a monotone voice. “If you must know, carrier pigeons are a very effective way of communicating back and forth. We have intel working in secret in Aldyn’s castle. I thought I didn’t have to repeat myself. But as I said before, you are unqualified to rule, along with Princess Anna and Queen Elsa. It’s a shame the previous king and queen did not have another, more suitable heir to the throne. You asking this many questions is precisely why you are unfit. You have no idea what is happening in your own kingdom, along with the rest of them! As the queen’s advisor and indirect descendant from the royal bloodline, I would be second in line if the current royal family were absent or eradicated.”
“You’re delusional.” Kristoff headed for the door. Wait a second…
“You said second in line.”
Kai shook his head more times than a normal person. “When did I say that?”
“Just now,” Kristoff got closer to him. “So tell me, who’s the next in line? If you don’t want your punishment and prison time to be increased, I’d suggest telling me now.”
“You don’t have the authority to do that.”
“But Anna and Elsa do. And I know that if they were aware of the things being said here, they would suggest the same. Let me tell you, they won’t take this lightly.”
“What I say is the truth, and I want what is best for Arendelle.”
“That’s not how things are looking right now,” Kristoff lowered his voice. He could see the man sweating on his forehead. “Think carefully.”
“Fine. I’ll tell you.”
The ice harvester was surprised by how fast he got to Kai. “So what’s the name?”
The former advisor hesitated. Before Arendelle’s king passed away, his sister had a child before she passed away as well.”
“Names, please,” Kristoff hated resorting to violence, even if it was pretending, but he was running out of time and patience. He raised a fist, the target being Kai’s face.
Kai whispered a name.
Shocked, Kristoff said much softer, “What?” He could hear the man, but wanted to see if it was correct.
The prisoner said it again.
A knock on the door. The young guard peeked his head in. “Sir, you may want to leave now,” he hinted at Kristoff, looking nervous.
Kristoff paused, before continuing out the door. He thanked the young guard, and walked with heavy thoughts up the stairs to the main floor of the castle. What the previous advisor had said took a toll on him personally, even though he usually did not let words get to him. He looked out a tall window, stretching to the ceiling. It was raining hard outside.
What Kai said couldn’t be true. There’s hardly any evidence of anyone else’s involvement. And there’s no way he could’ve gathered that much information from just carrier pigeons.
“Sir, we have just intercepted two messages that you might want to read!” Two guards ran up to Kristoff, the first had a small note in hand. The second carried an ice slab, which kept sticking to his fingers.
“The letter was attached to this disgusting thing!” The second guard exclaimed. He raised up what had to be in his hand a shot pigeon, with its head wringed.
“The other bird flew off before we could capture it. It looked like maybe the queen’s magic to me.”
“Here,” the guard’s arm shot out, thrusting the messages into Kristoff’s hands.
Kristoff read the slab of ice first, since he was eager to examine the carvings.
To Castle Arendelle,
You have no need to be worried, I am alive and well. Princess Anna, along with the company who accompanied her, made it safely...
The message sounded hopeful. But mostly Kristoff was relieved that everyone was safe. The blond man unraveled the second, tied with a string. It was short, but to the point.
Aldyn has joined forces with Frelliya. The crown prince Anton has captured his sister the princess, and has ordered her execution. From strong rumors, they have suspected the Queen of Arendelle was traveling with Princess Tanya, and is on her way to Aldyn as we speak. They plan on sending troops to take Arendelle within the next week. Be prepared.
The note was left at that. Kristoff knew he had to make a decision. It was something he did not want to do, but in this circumstance, there was not much of a choice.
“Forward this on to the captain, and let the general know. Both Queen Elsa and Princess Anna are not here right now, so we need to protect this kingdom all the more. Send a first wave of troops to the Eastern and Southern borders. Station another wave at the farther most towns in the kingdom, and increase security here in the city. I will meet with both the captain and the general to talk about this further, they probably have more insight than I on specifics.” Kristoff realized those last words could have translated as unconfident. If he was honest, he did not know exactly what to do. He was just doing the best he could do, which was something.
Kai was right, of course he tried to murder me, but his information was correct. But what if this is all a trap, and someone else is in fact behind this? It was certainly a possibility. But then again, Kristoff could not see how upping security around the border and kingdom could be a negative thing. He would talk to the general and captain, to see what their decision would be.
He thought about spilling the details with them about his meeting with Kai. Although, that could result badly. After all, Kristoff did not have the authorization to talk to Kai when he did. A new guard was just nice enough to let him have a few words. And he had promised the young man he would not mention it.
A brooding thought pressed his mind again. Anna… Kristoff missed the love of his life dearly, and protect their home with everything he had. He missed Sven especially, Olaf, and Elsa, all who had become his family. He would be stronger for them.
He entered the library in order to do more research. As the old decorated doors were carefully shut, Kristoff was about to discover the truth.
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The princess' name came out of the queen’s mouth in a silent scream. The air was too thick and the wind too strong around them to yell any louder.
“You can do this, you can suppress this!” She still held the princess in her arms, frantically trying to snap her out of her crumbling condition. No matter what the Queen said, she was not prepared for what was going to happen next.
“I can’t!” Tanya groaned in agony. Her skin was almost entirely burnt off, and the remaining flames were morphing shape. Elsa could not hold her without her dress catching flame, and set the girl down on the concrete. Tanya’s ash hair was consumed by fire and light.
“No I won’t let you go!”
“Save yourself, I don’t want to hurt you-aghhh!” The fire princess gurgled out a lava-like substance, which spilled from her mouth. Elsa jumped back just inches, where it made a pothole in the courtyard.
Screaming in excruciating pain, Tanya was too weak to stand or even sit up. Her body no longer held a human form, and appeared as a growing mound of fire. She supported the weight on all fours. A slightly darker silhouette within the fire became evident, and luminous with every second.
She could not bear to see Tanya in any more anguish. Sending a wintery blast which collided with the blaze, the queen was dismayed to see it had barely any effect. It knocked her over, but did not phase the girl. If Elsa could not prevent the princess from her fate, she and the rest of Aldyn would be very unfortunate. She would try all she could to stop whatever was emerging, but even she was doubtful.
“Tanya!” Elsa cried as strong as her vocal cords could allow, hoping to break the younger girl out of her trance. Nothing was working.
Feeling the Aldyn and Frelliyan soldiers beat against her magical storm from the outside, their strength served no match compared to Elsa’s, in the frantic she was in. It was a feeling of both fear, yet determination which encouraged her to keep fighting. How was she ever going to get out of this one? Maybe she would not.
A pillar grew out of the mound, high in the sky, and it cut through the blizzard Elsa created. The burst was so great, it sent a shock wave, knocking everyone over except the ice queen. Tanya’s shadow began to glow and rise to the top. The form became so bright, Elsa had to shield her eyes with her remaining hand. The other kept rotating the broken maelstrom.
A blast of light shot across the sky from the center point, like a ring, or how still water ripples when an object is dropped. Giant wings, at least twice the size of Elsa, stretched out from both sides of the form. Long tail feathers extended from the bottom, curling, and sharp like arrowheads. Elsa withdrew her magic. She would have to salvage all her energy. The soldiers were no longer batting against the storm like flies on a window, but were fixed on the shining object above.
Elsa could now look to see what the princess had become. Though terrified at the thought of Tanya being no more, she bravely looked at the figure. Magnificently flapping its wings in a controlled motion, pushing the hot air downward. Elsa’s long braid blew back. It was a giant bird. The colors of its plumage consisted yellows, oranges, and blues. Its eyes, talons, and beak were an unearthly hue of red. The neck was as long as its torso.
Is that the firebird?!
There was no time for her to respond, because the firebird blasted away the violent storm, spreading fires across the city.
With sweeping gestures, Elsa sent large snow piles flying over the city. They melted in an instant, and turned into rain. It did not do much to prevent the fires entirely, but it did hinder the flames from growing. If the soldiers were worth anything, they would join forces to evacuate the citizens now.
“Firebird! Can you hear me?” Elsa had no idea how to address the entity, but she had to say something. Maybe if they talked, she could reason with it, and they could arrive at a compromise.
“Yes Queen Elsa, I can hear you loud and clear,” its voice rang deep and full.
“You must stop this destruction, before more innocent people get hurt!”
“That is not possible. The people are certainly not innocent. Aldyn’s royal family as well as their people have broken a covenant with me. They swore to protect me, in return that I may be their guardian. I have continually blessed the land through the ages, but instead they hunted me down for game, renouncing their vow. What once was a humble kingdom, has turned into a power-hungry city of greed and pride. Those inhabitants who now sit on the throne know nothing about humility. For all this, they must be punished.”
“Not everyone here is corrupt and deserves punishment.”
“Though you mean well, you should not bargain with me now. It is too late, and I will not suspend my decision, one that I have made hundreds of years ago.”
“So be it. With the abilities I was blessed with, I will do everything I can to protect the innocent.”
“The innocent do not exist!” The firebird’s response was a giant orb ablaze, crashing towards her. She narrowly escaped the assault by leaping out of the way. Elsa would not run away from this. She would fight back. For those she loved. For Tanya.
Punching her fists into the air one at a time, she hurled two giant shards of ice at jet speed. With a whisk of her arm she shot a round of smaller shards, hoping the second wave would hit its target. Their target being the firebird.
Both masses missed easily, as the bird zipped past. A couple of the smaller shards managed to slice through the large bird’s wings, and it raised its neck, giving a loud shriek. But it would take much more than a few cuts to stop it.
“Queen Elsa of Arendelle, stay out of Aldyn’s affairs,” the Firebird’s voice boomed. Though expressionless, she could tell it was aggravated.
“You forget, whatever involves Tanya involves me!” A brilliance of ice and snow was sent forcefully at the creature. Because of the bird’s enormity, it had more difficulty dodging the queen’s attack. It circled around in the sky, blasting back equally great torrents of fire to combat Elsa.
Both opposing streams hit each other with identical force, and created an explosion above the city, in the middle of the sky. Elsa made an ice cover above her head, to block the impact’s debris from hitting her.
“Please, stop! Withdraw your wrath!” Elsa knew no matter how much she pleaded, her words would not convince the firebird. It said its piece. It had made its decision to destroy the kingdom. Nevertheless, she would not stop trying. Never.
The firebird glowed even brighter, and appeared as if it was absorbing the surrounding light. It soared higher into the sky into the clouds, which quickly burned out around the bird, cutting a whole and revealing the sun. No trumpet could ever have announced the bird’s supremacy, compared to its own grandiose nature. What kind of power was this?
“Aldyn shall be engulfed in flames,” its thundering voice pronounced, echoing across the city. Elsa shuddered. Each gust of its wings and movement it made, rained fire down on Aldyn. The remaining soldiers and citizens scrambled away, shouting from afar. Neither Aldyn nor Frelliya cared to capture the queen. Instead they abandoned their orders and fled for the hills, to save their own skins.
The powers she possessed held the capacity to block and reflect the firebirds heated blasts. But it was only a matter of time where she would have to change her tactics. Otherwise her stamina would exhaust at a faster rate.
In a similar fashion comparable to the ice palace on the Northern Mountain, she planted her right foot into the ground. Obeying her command, the floor around her turned to ice, and created a shield like an igloo. It kept growing into a large dome, until it encompassed the courtyard and the city. A thick layer of ice spread through the ground, across the entire perimeter the barrier sheltered. Clenching fists, Elsa bit her lip while she did her best to keep the blazing entity from melting the dome. The opposite energy reverberated through every muscle and bone in her body. Its fury was great. The queen’s arms started to quiver uncontrollably. It was strong. Too strong.
But I will be stronger. For Tanya.
“Well, well, so far it looks like an even match.”
The voice was unfamiliar to Elsa, and one she did not recognize.
To her right, two men stood casually facing her, hands on the hilts of their swords. They did not look the least bit worried about the chaotic situation. The first man was much older than Elsa, with a stark face, bald head, and piercing eyes. He dressed slightly different than his counterpart next to him, and wore red and purple. The one who spoke, the younger of the two men, was in a similar garb as Elsa, except it was embezzled in gold and purple. Though he had dark brown, almost black hair, she recognized his eyes. They were almost identical to Tanya’s, except they carried a different baggage. They both sported jeweled rapiers on their belts, and definitely of nobility.
“You’re putting up a wonderful fight against my poor sister. Too bad it will have to end, this has been quite the show though,” his laugh sounded both menacing with a hint of insane.
“You’re Anton?!” The words came out of Elsa’s mouth as half a yell and a growl. “What are you doing here?!”
“We’re putting an end to this prophecy once and for all, so Aldyn will finally become the empire it was destined to be. Granted, we did not calculate the timing of events, nor that the firebird would exhibit this much devastation to the kingdom.”
“However,” spoke the older noble, “This incident has turned to our interest in the end. To the advantage of both Frelliya,” he glanced at Prince Anton as he said the next words, “and Aldyn.”
“Pardon my interruption, but if you want to end anything, help me fight this thing!”
Anton took a few steps closer. “The fact that you’re here is a pleasant surprise. A gift really, from the universe to me. By cutting you down, Arendelle will be exposed and desperate for a new monarch. After today, we will take Arendelle, and rebuild it into a kingdom greater than your wildest dreams.”
“Actually were planning to take Arendelle soon either way, after the girl was planted there,” the other monarch spoke. “But it looks now like we’re fortunate to act on an earlier schedule.”
Elsa’s heartbeat was racing. There was no way she could take on both nobles and the firebird all at once. She would exert too much power, and already the queen was fading. If she wanted to save herself, she would need to act now.
Holding the magical ice dome together with one grip, she used her other hand to send particles at every angle towards the men. Even the slightest contact with the ice would freeze over any object instantly. The men quickly unsheathed their swords, and cut through the shards without a single scrape. Elsa unearthed ice thorns from the ground below, striking almost the same height as them. However they kept eluding her magic, despite its pinpoint accuracy, and fared to be a step quicker.
Elsa could not fend both of the men off, in the same way she could if she directed her full potential at them. By each step they were coming closer, fighting off the blocks and barricades she was creating. She would have to make a decision to take care of them, or focus on shutting out the firebird in its fury.
Tanya please, I’m doing everything I can. I’m sorry.
The ice queen collapsed the barrier and the entire dome slammed to the ground, crushing Anton and the other Monarch. Slabs of ice poured all over the city, crushing rooftops and barricading streets. On contact, the ice burst and instantly froze both of them, just as they were steps away and raising their swords. Looking upwards, she could see a large stream of pure light heading straight toward her. Elsa’s eyes reflected the white. With one last effort, she used every bit of vigor she had to stop the surge. A foreign feeling overcame Elsa, as she called forth this last magnitude of winter. She was willing to sacrifice everything, even herself, if it meant saving Tanya’s life. Blood rushing through her veins, the familiar blue cold in her hands disappeared. Replaced, was a numbing black. Directing her eyes and palms at the radiance, she surrendered to the magnificence of her powers. The ice queen let it all go, giving herself up in the process.
Everything turned bright, and then like the ice she liberated, pitch black.
----------------------
“Elsa, my Elsa…”
Startled by the soothing voice which interrupted her slumber, she woke up. The queen was no longer in the Aldyn courtyard, but in some strange void of space. Realizing she was already standing, she had no concept of how, considering a floor was absent beneath her feet. A figure she knew too well echoed in front of her, staring at her lovingly yet forlornly.
“Tanya!”
Rejecting all notions of keeping her cool, Elsa raced towards the princess. Reaching to embrace the girl, to her dismay Elsa’s arms went right through the teal eyed girl’s body. Was this all an illusion, or worse, was she dead?
“Wha-what is this?”
“I’m so sorry Elsa, for all this trouble I brought you in.”
“Don’t say things like that. I care about you. You know that, don’t you?” She hardly noticed the tears running down her cheeks, dusted with delicate freckles.
“The prophecy cannot be stopped. I am currently living inside it, and you have drained the last of your being. I can understand what it’s capable of, I feel its unrelenting anger. And it’s transformed into more than you or I can take on.”
“No, I can fight it. I can be strong, for you!”
Tanya placed a hand on the distressed queen’s shoulder. “You have to listen to me Elsa. Promise you will?”
Elsa could only nod, and barely. She was at the emotional and physical limits where she could lose it, based on any words said to her. Tanya did not seem entirely like herself. The princess presented a much cooler aura than usual. Thankfully, one of them had it somewhat together, and that was an overstatement.
“Neither the firebird nor I can both live together after this. Though I had no idea how it would unravel, I still felt that this was to come eventually. Once the firebird destroys the kingdom, it will return to ashes and rebirth from them. I however, will remain along the cinders, and not be granted the same fate.”
Tears like a river now flowed out of the queen’s radiant blue eyes, and down her face. They were salty to the taste. The girl she treasured, was going to depart in flames. No, she could not let that happen.
“What can I do, to save you? I will do anything.”
Tanya hesitated, in sad thought. Her face looked grave.
“Is there anything? Anything!”
“There is a possibility to split both me and the firebird into two separate beings. But in order for that to happen, I would need to absorb a large enough amount of power. There I could fight it from within, in order to break off. When the firebird took physical form, it drained me of my fire abilities. I still harbor them, but they are much weaker than before.” Tanya displayed a weak spark from her fingertip, giving an example.
“Then take my powers. Are you able to do that? Will it work?”
“I don’t know if I know how to do that, and I can’t say for sure. But Elsa… are you sure? It could cost you your life. And who even knows if any of us are going to make it out of this mess?”
Elsa moved her face just inches away from Tanya’s, with unwavering eye contact. It was just her and Tanya, nothing else. If she could be together with the princess in her last moments, it was all worth it. With a gentle whisper of the lips, left the words, “I’m ready.”
The Aldyn princess held Elsa’s hands, and intertwined fingers. Instead of passing through her body like before, Elsa could suddenly feel her electric touch. Before she knew how it was happening, their bodies started to glow, and a warm sensation flowed through her skin. Never in her whole life had Elsa felt this warm. She watched as this small, shining dot of energy travelled, starting from her soul. It moved over her shoulders, down her arms, and into Tanya’s hands. Their figures illuminated their outlines. The light moved across and up the princess’ arms into her soul. Once it died out, both girls gasped for breath. Everything became frigid cold, colder than she would have liked, and goosebumps trailed down Elsa’s fair skin.
“I will do everything I can, Elsa.” Tanya embraced the queen, wrapping her light arms around to keep her body warm. Their foreheads were pressed against each other, and Tanya stroked her cheek. Like a breeze in Elsa’s ear, Tanya whispered, “for the both of us.”
Elsa felt herself fading away like before, into nothingness. Everything grew distant, farther away, until the familiar black returned.