The Ice Behind Bars II: Redemption

Chapter VII: An Invitation

Elsa stood in front of the mirror, glaring fury and hatred into her reflection. "This is all your fault." She said, before sighing. "Why do you want me here?" She asked, standing alone in her room. "I'm…" She paused, "I'm tired." She admitted, lowering her head.

"Maybe you should rest, then."

Elsa's head shot up to see herself sitting at a dining table, Anna on her right, smiling at her gently. Elsa looked around to see the other members of her family talking to one another, carefree and happy as their laughter filled the giant brightly lit room.

"What…?" Elsa started, confused.

"What's wrong, silly?" Anna asked, putting a gentle hand on her sister's.

"I…" Elsa slowly retracted her hand. "I don't… know?" She trailed off, unsure of what to think. Yet Anna was smiling. Anna was looking at her with love and acceptance. No judgment, no hatred nor fear. Had she been imagining all along? Was this a dream? Heaven maybe?

"Louis even made your favorite todayyy…" Anna teased, sing-songing.

Elsa looked down at her plate to see a meat sandwich. Not only was it just a sandwich, but the gravy spilled over it looked so shiny and delicious under this golden lit room.

"Elsa, you up for a hike today?" Kristoff asked, sitting on the opposite side of her. "The sun is bright and It's the perfect weather for it!" He reminded.

"I—"

"Maybe you and I can take a walk later in town, Elsa?" Aphrodite asked from her seat, her gentle smile giving Elsa serenity.

Elsa managed to smile, "Y-… Yeah, I—"

"Or maybe we can go play in the snow, Aunty Elsa!" Emily and Eugene appeared behind her form each side of her chair, their bubbly personality had always been a good distraction to her.

Elsa glanced over at Rapunzel for confirmation, seeing that the latter simply nodded as if she hadn't just yelled in her face last night.

"Yeah, Elsa!" Aiden encouraged.

"Come on, Elsa!" Catherine cheered.

"Auntie Elsa!"

"We love you, Elsa!"

Her head moved from one person to another, as they called her name with such joy and kindness that she never would have believed to be possible. All these smiles; all this love from the people she cared about most… Elsa couldn't help but melt into it all, "Y-Yeah…yeah!" She acknowledged, trying to stop herself from tearing up. This was all she wanted. This was all she could ever wish for. The desperation and craving for acceptance for once in a lifetime made her drop her guard.

Anna got up and pounced on her sister, wrapping her arms around her. "We love you, Elsa!"

Elsa shakily hugged back, still unsure of herself. This was too good to be true! "I… I love you, to—"

Soft whimpering interrupted her kingdom of euphoria as she turned her head, following the sound. "Did you hear that?" She asked.

"Hear what, Elsa?" Anna asked, not breaking the hug.

Elsa heard it again. Little sobs of a child. "T-There… you don't hear that?" She tried to wriggle herself out of Anna's grasp.

"We don't hear anything." They all said in unison.

"It's… It's coming from there, though." Elsa pushed Anna away gently, before walking towards the door.

Anna grabbed her arm, squeezing a little too hard. "Stay here, Elsa… You don't need anyone else but us, right?" She asked, almost like a command.

Elsa shook her head, "I just need to see—"

The doors slowly open, Elsa squinting her eyes a little only to see a young and small figure of a girl amidst the darkness, crying in the middle of the hallway, huddled and scared, her face in her hands, her body bruised and her skin scarred. Elsa's eyes widen as she realized it was no one but a child version of herself, cold, alone and terrified.

"Hey!" She called out, trying to run towards her little self before she was grabbed by Anna and Rapunzel by each side. "What are you doing? D-Do you guys not see this?!"

Anna shakes her head, her smile no longer gentle but wolfish, almost like a vicious grin. "You don't need her. She's weak."

Elsa shakes her head, "No, no, She… She needs me!" She turns back towards the dark hallway. "I just need to help her, Anna! I need to—" She turned back at Anna only to see that everything had vanished. The brightly lit room was now dark and replaced with ruins and dust-covered furniture. The long dining table was flipped over, the windows broken as the winter breeze howled outside. Small patches of snow were scattered around the room as the snowflakes made their way in from the broken windows.

"Anna…? Mum?" Elsa called out, bewildered by the sudden transition of scenes. She looked back towards the hallway, only to see that there was no one there anymore. "What the…" She walked around the big room, inspecting it as she made her way along the dining table, her hands brushing the chairs that seemed to not had been used in forever, "Rapunzel? Aiden? Kristoff?! Where are you!"

Yet no one answered. There was no one around. It was silent and dead.

Elsa ran towards the broken window, grimacing as the wind slapped against her face. With one angry shove of her hand, the wind died down, the snowflakes suspending mid-air. Taking a better look, Elsa's stomach twisted as she was greeted with the frozen destroyed city of Arendelle.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Elsa froze, every inch of her being seizing at the sound of the familiar voice. No… No, it's not real… it's not real!

A hysterical and mad laughter echoed, "Calling their name won't help! They're all gone! All Left!… and made sure to leave you here."

Elsa slowly turned her head, her shoulders lifting as she came face to face with the horrifying image of Mad standing behind her. His teeth were all red, the blood running down his chin and neck. He looked nothing but a corpse, the hole in his stomach didn't seem to bother him at all not his hollowed out eyes.

"You…" Elsa grumbled, her eyes wide and glowing, the rage boiling up to take over her mind. "I thought I killed you, you shit-reeking swine… do you want me to kill you over and over so badly?!"

Mad laughed, "Just like we made you to be!" He exclaimed happily. Hunched over, he started approaching her. "You didn't change one bit! Oh, what a good day! My experiment worked after all!"

"No…" Elsa shook her head, taking a step back. "You're wrong!"

"Why do you lie to them?" Mad asked, as he made his way closer to her.

"W-… What do you mean?" Elsa started moving away, her back against the wall, trying to find any sense of security.

"Why do you lie to them about who you are?" Mad asked again, his hollowed eyes wide with wild excitement. "Who you really are?"

"You're dead! You're not real!" Elsa shouted, but couldn't help her hands from shaking.

"Then kill me, Monster! Kill me!" Mad encouraged.

"Stay away!"

"Oh, come now. We both know it." Mad started, rubbing his hairy hands together, "You aren't the intruder. You aren't the alter. Tell me, do they know you're the real one? Do they know that the real Elsa is no one but a murderous freak? They don't, don't they?! You didn't tell them!" He barked out a laugh, drool dripping from his mouth.

Elsa shook her head, "It doesn't matter!"

"Oh, they don't want you… They don't want youat all. They want the fake!"

"Shut up!" Elsa waves her hand, shooting ice towards him, only for him to disappear.

"They want the other one." He said, appearing on her her side, making her gasp. "The one who you use to hide. The one who is not tainted or evil or disgusting."

Elsa flinched back. "They… they don't understand!"

"And they never will!" Mad confirmed, "Because they don't know you are the real one. The real Elsa! You're too ashamed to admit it to them! To admit it to yourself! You know once you do, they'll be afraid and they won't want you around anymore. Imagine your mother's reaction when she discovers that her daughter is not the innocent and sweet one, but instead… it's the one who had killed so many… who's hands are covered in so… much… blood!" Mad coughed, blood splattering against Elsa.

She looked down at her hands and gasped to see them covered in blood. "No…" She quickly tried to wipe it away on her dress but only for it to stay. "No… Shut up… shut up!" She closed her eyes and ears shut. "Leave me alone!"

"You saw how they look at you. Hate… disgust… distrust… fear! You can keep telling them that you're just here to protect the Elsa they want, but we both know that the Elsa they want is nothing but an alternative your mind created. So desperate to be good? So desperate to be innocent and pure? But no matter what you do, you'll never be. You and I are the same. We are rotten to the core. The innocent Elsa doesn't hide behind you—No. You hide behind her; A clean white cloth over a dead corpse." He lifted a finger, his broken teeth showing, "But a corpse will always reek no matter how purely white its cover is."

Elsa shook her head, tears going down her face, "They love me…" She desperately lied, Mad's maniacal laughter filling the empty skeleton of the castle.

"Love you?! You?! You know all too well… they never will. This," He pointed around, "All this is but the future. Your end. One day, they'll have enough of you and leave you all alone to rot in here. Alllll alone. A demon in her own broken realm." He approached her, slowly stalking closer and closer, looking up as she stood much taller than he was, "Tell me… doesn't it make you angry? You've done so much for them. You sacrificed yourself for them. You killed yourself for them. You saved their lives and fought for them but this is how they repay you?!" He shook his head, clicking his tongue, "You know they don't deserve it. They are all selfish. They never even thanked you for what you've done for them, haven't they? All Anna does is praise the fake you and shower her with love, not knowing that her real sister is the awful one. As for those useless citizens?! You saved the whole kingdom but now that they used you to fix their problems, they want you gone! How does it feel, huh? Tell me how does it feel!"

Elsa suddenly grabbed Mad by his throat, "Angry… I am so, so angry…" Her voice shook with cheer rage, her emotion blinding, "I hate them. I hate you. I hate Arendelle. I hate everyone on this damn planet!"

Mad choked, not even moving to struggle as he smiled at her. "Y-Yes, yes! That's exactly what you are!

"I will kill you! Over and over and them too until there's no one left on this earth to hate me!" Elsa shouted, her hands slowly squeezing his neck harder and harder. Black veins started appearing on her hands and face, her demonic eye glowing bright. "Do you hear me? All of you… all of you!" She cried, bug-eyed and hysterical with anger, her teeth gritting hard and her nostrils flaring, as she stared into the void of Mad's hollowed eyes. "I'll kill you all!" Elsa only let go once she heard his neck snap.

Mad's body collapsed to the ground limp, a wide maniacal smile frozen on his face. Elsa heaved, her breathing all so loud against this abnormal silence that suddenly engulfed her. She blinked once flinching as she looked down to see Mad's body gone.

"Damn you… Damn you…" She said, trying to slow her breathing. She looked down at her trembling hands to notice the dark veins on them spreading. Shaking her head, she desperately tried to brush them off, but they only kept spreading, crawling across her skin like tendrils. "Stop… stop!..."

"STOP!" Elsa exclaimed as she woke up to find herself laying on the ground next to her bed. She prompted herself up, the calmness of her room accompanied by the morning chirps of an early bird. Elsa look around to try and make out where she was, blinking a few times to take in her messy room. She quickly looked down at her hands, a feeling of relief washing over her like water on skin. Sighing, Elsa leaned back against the side of her bed, resting her head back on her mattress, staring up at the ceiling. Had she cried herself to sleep after last night? She didn't like the bed. She couldn't sleep on it. It all felt weird to her. The cold and hard surface of the ground was what she was used to. Even after two years, It still was hard to get accustomed to all of this luxury.

At least it's morning now and that ill-fated party was over. Hopefully, the guest were all gone and back in their royal ships ready to get the hell out of her kingdom.

Elsa sneered as she remembered whatever that was she had seen in her sleep. Even after his death, this lunatic still haunted her. "Damn you." Elsa spat, that nightmare definitely not making her morning any better.

"You can take over any time now," She said to no one. "I would really appreciate it if you would!" She called out before rolling her eyes as she shook her head in dismay. She waited a few seconds, expecting to be sent into the relieving silence of her mind…

Yet she was still here; Fully conscious and aware.

"I guess not." Groaning in frustration, Elsa helped herself up on her feet. She walked towards the mirror, glaring at her reflection. "No? Anytime?" She asked, "You know, I get it, maybe you're busy, maybe you're feeling lazy, but I really, really need you right now." She said, waving her hands in exasperation. She stared for a few more seconds at herself, yet still nothing. "Ughhhh!" She threw her hands up in frustration before turning away from the mirror. "Fine, so be it."

Elsa proceeded to get herself ready for the day, later dismissing a servant who had offered to help. She got herself dressed and brushed her long platinum hair. As always, she had recently been preferring to keep it loose and modestly brushed back. As she finished wearing a black and greyish-blue dress that covered all her body but her hands and head, Elsa put on her eyepatch. She looked one more time at her hands, trying to make sure they had no dark veins on them before sighing in relief. She took one look at the mirror, almost wincing.

She looked exhausted. Though truly, she was. Her eyes had bags underneath them, showing not only her physical struggle but mental as well. Elsa groaned in frustration, "Whatever."

She walked towards the door of her room before opening it, wincing and squeezing eyes shut as she was welcomed by the light from the grand and tall windows facing her room. "Ugh…" She shook it off before stepping outside, closing the door behind her, not so eager to start her lovely day of being chased by an angry sister with a pitchfork. As she turned to go down the hall, Elsa almost slapped her forehead as she heared a familiar, very much unwelcomed voice.

"So this is where your room is!" Ophilia's excited voice sounded behind her.

Elsa closed her eyes, holding her anger in. Just… great.

Aphrodite had spent all night trying to mingle with her guests and make sure the secrets of this kingdom were left hidden. It wasn't as hard as she expected. Foreigners were of course curious, for they had heard all the stories and rumors of the so-called everlasting freeze that had cursed this land. Not to mention, the one witch who wielded winter like a weapon in her hands. Aphrodite had expected some information to slip up and fall in the hands of overly-curious guests, however, she was surprised to see that the servants of this castle were loyal to her daughter, and all had managed to not utter a word, despite all the pressure.

The next day, in the early morning, Aphrodite stood at the head of the table, tapping her finger on her elbow as she crossed her arms, thinking. Her eyes trailed to every face in front of her. The whole family was here except for Elsa. Some looked tired, some not. Some unsure of what to feel nor what to do.

"We need to talk about Elsa." Aphrodite wanted to be straightforward. This was an issue her family had to deal with. Not Elsa herself, but the way the others treated her under the influence of Fear. After the ball, some of guests had retired back into their ships, some had left Arendelle, bidding the queen a great evening, while some, like Princess Ophilia, decided that she would love a tour of the kingdom to get to know it better, learn its culture and bask in its glorious sunset at the fyord. Aphrodite, of course, had humbly offered her chambers here in the castle, hoping to show her guest that all was well, and that their kingdom was more than a great potential trade partner.

"What is there to talk about?" Anna asked, a little annoyed. "You saw what she did to my sword."

"That was your fault for pointing it at her." Aphrodite chided, "Why would you do that?"

"I—" Anna started, unsure of how to vindicate what she had done. Sighing, "She almost hurt one of the guests."

"Princess Ophilia is fine. I had already apologized for any calamities that had happened between her and Elsa, and she was very much apologetic herself and understanding." Aphrodite assured. I hope.

"Oh, so it's just all fine that she almost broke the woman's arm?" Anna reminded, looking at everyone else. "I love Elsa more than anything but—" She shook her head, "There's just… this one thing still hurting her. It's still inside her."

"She also seemed to have manifested powers that were not there before." Aiden noted worriedly, "It's uh… well…" He nods towards Anna before the latter placed her now-curved sword on the table.

"Did Elsa ever do this? Was she ever capable?" Anna asked, "What if that thing inside her is growing? We all saw what she once did. Not the Elsa we know but—but that other one."

Aphrodite sighed, "I talked to her. Believe me, she is not out to kil—"

"You talked to her?" Anna started in a hushed tone, "That Evil force? The very Evil taking Elsa away from us?" Anna repeated, looking at her mother in disbelief, "You talked to her?!"

"You do know, it's just Elsa, right?" Aphrodite informed, her migraine kicking.

"No, I don't!" Anna slammed her hands on the table. "The Elsa I know wouldn't do this." She pointed at the sword, "She wouldn't try to break someone's arm, she wouldn't kill dozens and dozens of people like nothing and would certainly not laugh about it!"

"M-Maybe she changed?" Rapunzel tried, wincing, remembering what Aphrodite had told her.

"Changed?!" Anna looked at her, surprised. "She almost broke that woman's arm!"

"Probably had a good reason to." Tyler shrugged, relaxing back in his chair with his hands behind his head, "I couldn't handle those fancy perfume reeking assholes either." He admitted, earning a scolding slap on the knee by Catherine.

Anna shook her head, "Are you serious?! That thing is not capable of change!"

"Anna! What is wrong with you?" Aphrodite shouted.

"I'm scared that's what's wrong!" Anna revealed, "We've spent two years in peace and then suddenly that… Elsa… is back again!" Anna continued, tearing up, "I just want my sister back, can't you all see that? I don't want that Evil to take over again and start killing us al—"

"Enough!" Aphrodite's loud command echoed around the wide room, the servants outside stopping to look inside, hearing the commotion.

Aphrodite sighed, rubbing her temple. Why was her migraine so strong this morning?

"Listen… You keep talking about this so-called Evil," Aphrodite started, "But she is still your sister." Her eyes bore right into Anna's, "Whether she is kind, beautiful, ugly, evil or whatever," She paused, "She. Is still. Your sister." She firmly enunciated. She then looked up to address everyone, "The Elsa you know isn't gone, because she never even left. Elsa is still Elsa. She is trying really hard to be good. The least we can do is support that. Yes, she's done many mistakes."

"But—"

"Many mistakes," Aphrodite cut Anna off, "But… if any one of you right here in this room… if you had never done any mistakes, then raise your hand."

Anna's eyes stared back at her mother before she sighed and sat back down, feeling ashamed.

Aphrodite of course expected the silence that followed, as well as the averted eyes and lowered heads. She knew what all of them had done. "Didn't think so." She said, glaring everyone down. "Even I have done countless, horrible mistakes, and what's happening to Elsa now is the consequences of them." She pulled her chair out and sat, "I understand you're all scared, but you all seem to forget, that every single one of you wouldn't be alive today had it not been for Elsa." Her eyes met Anna's, "Especially you."

Anna opened her mouth to say something, but found no words to utter.

"She needs you. Now more than ever." Aphrodite reminded, "And you will always be there for her… right?"

Silence.

"Right?" More firmly.

Anna nodded.

"You won't let this fear take the better of you. You all would be acting selfishly if you just let this fear let you shun Elsa away."

"But that's not—"

"I don't want to hear it." Aprhodite shut Anna up again. "If you're going to say it's not Elsa again then, please, with all due respect, do me a favor and find something kinder to say in this early morning. Besides," Aphrodite then looked up at the ceiling towards where the sleeping chambers were, "We have guests in our castle."

Elsa squeezed her fists tight, counting to ten through gritted teeth before she decided to turn to face Ophilia. "Why are you here, Snake?" She asked, not trying to hide her annoyance at all. Why in the world was a foreigner—an intruder and trespasser— inside her castle? How could Aprhodite had allowed this?

"Oh, my, you look quite tired there, Your Highness." Ophilia said, smiling, leaning too close to Elsa's face. "You look a little too miserable. Something on the heir of Arendelle's mind? Worry? Stress? Is the responsibility too great?"

"Well, you're still here, so of course im miserable." Elsa retorted, not moving an inch, staring Ophilia down.

"As brash and rude as ever, I see." Ophilia leaned back, taking on her graceful posture as two servants passed them by. "You did a good deal on my arm, I must say. That was very impolite." She deadpanned, her voice dripping with venomous sarcasm as she inspected her bandaged arm.

Elsa smirked, "Keep at it and I may give you the honors of doing it to your other arm." Elsa spat, her smirk dropping, "I repeat… What are you doing here?"

Ophilia chuckled, "Well, I simply decided to stay for a while." She smirked, her lips covered in glossy lipstick. She turned her head towards the window, overlooking Arendelle, "You have a lovely kingdom here. It would be such a waste if someone like me came all the way here without at least taking a tour around. Would you like to be my guide?"

"I prefer death." Elsa then turned and started walking away, holding a groan in as she heard Ophilia follow. She was so going to have a word with her mother for this.

"Maybe you and I started on the wrong side. I am not that harsh you see? We can always start over." Ophilia suggested.

"Not interested."

"There's nothing wrong with making a few friends, Ice Queen."

Elsa halted before she whipped around, eyes wide, "What did you say?"

"Huh?" Ophilia cocked her head, a finger on her chin, "Oh, Ice Queen? Well, you are. You're so cold, antisocial and rude all the time." She blurted, making Elsa's eye twitch.

"Right…" Elsa sighed internally. Of course, Ophilia wouldn't know. 'Relax.' Her mother once said, but even if she was right, Elsa could not bring herself to let her guard down, especially not around strangers from some far-off land.

"Maybe you should thaw a little." Ophilia remarked.

Elsa sighed. "Listen here, Ovilia."

"Ophilia."

"I don't care." Elsa's sharp tone and words could cut walls, "You are not welcomed here. Especially not by me. Let us be honest here, you don't like me either. I'm sure you wouldn't welcome me with open arms in your kingdom either."

"Oh, on the contrary, Elsa of Arendelle."

"Huh?" Elsa looked at her confused.

Ophilia smiled smugly as she took a few steps forward and curtsied, "I, Ophilia of Weselton, on behalf of my mother, am here to invite you to my kingdom."