Chapter 11

Kristoff was riding Sven past boiling, hot ships. Sven struggles over the uneven surface.

"Come on! Come on!" he said.

Suddenly, a mangled ship, risen by ice, capsizes over them. They give it all they've got as debris falls all around them and the mast shatters. They make it past just as the entire ship slams down and cracks the thick fire beneath their feet. The fire opened up. Sven bravely jumped over a gap. But it's too wide. He bucks Kristoff to safety, but lands in the freezing water and disappears below.

"Sven? Sven!"

At first there was nothing but the wind and the tumbling hot water. But suddenly, Sven surfaced and clawed his way to a floating ice chunk. He called out, signaling for Kristoff to go on.

"Good boy." he continued.

Elsa moved blindly across the fjord, her hands burnt over a hot red. She stumbles on, determined. But she's running out of time. She clutches her chest. The color in her eyes faded, the inevitable was coming.

Kristoff was lost in the fire, didn't know which way to turn. But then he heard a faint-

"Kristoff." Elsa said.

"Elsa...? Elsa!"

On the other side Anna was struggling through her own heat, but the fear was consuming her. A dark shadow approached. It was Hans.

"Anna. You can't run from this!" Hans said.

She backed away from him.

"Just take care of my sister, the Queen."

"Your sister? She returned from the mountain weak and hot. She said you burnt her heart."

"What? No." Anna said.

"I tried to save her, but it was too late. Her skin was hot. Her hair turned red..." he said.

Anna's face sunk as she realizes what she has done.

"Your sister is dead... because of you." he continued.

Anna dropped to her knees, emotionally broken. And with that, it started to cool down. The hear cooled down mid-air, hung suspended, trapped in grief. Citizens and dignitaries rush to the wall edge and look out to see... Elsa, barely able to move but now able to see across the fjords to...

"Kristoff." she whispered.

"Elsa." he said.

She pushed on towards Kristoff and he ran top speed towards her.

There was still a lot of fjord to cross, but Kristoff gave it all he's got. He's going to make it. But then, Elsa heard the sound of a sword being drawn from its scabbard. She turned and saw Hans, behind Anna, as he raised his sword over his head.

"Anna." Elsa said and looked back at Kristoff as he ran for her.

She gave him a longing look, but then turned away from him and then... Using all of her remaining strength, as Hans brought his sword down, Elsa threw herself in front of Anna.

"No!" she continued.

Then in that instant, Elsa froze to hot solid mettle. The sword hit her instead of Anna and the sword shattered completely. The force of it sent Hans flying back and knocked him out.

"Elsa!" Anna said then rushed to her and touches her sister's hot face.

"Oh, Elsa...no...no, please no." Olaf walks up and sees Elsa, mettle.

"Elsa?" Olaf said.

Then Anna hugged Elsa and cried.

Kristoff watched in shocked despair while Sven stepped up to his side. Citizens and dignitaries on the castle walls bowed their heads. All of Arendelle was joined in somber silence. But then, Elsa began to cool down.

Olaf looked up and gasped. Kristoff and Sven notice, light up. Anna bent her arm and embraced Elsa.

"Wha-? Elsa?"

Elsa opened her eyes and smiled at Anna, relieved.

"Oh, Anna."

They embraced.

"...You sacrificed yourself for me?" Anna said.

"...I love you." Elsa said weak.

Olaf realized what's happened. He's so excited about it, he lifts his head right off his body and exclaims-

"An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart and cool a hot heart." Olaf said.

"Love...will cool..." Anna started realizing what she had to do. "Love... Of course."

Anna looks at Elsa with confidence.

"Anna?" Elsa said.

"Love." Anna lifted her arms, and the ground shook and cracked.

The heat cooled down and rose high into the air. Beneath their feet the bow of a ship cooled down. The entire fjord melts and other boats right themselves. The villagers came out to see the cool returning. In one final wave, Anna drew all of the heat into a giant fire in the sky, then waved it away, leaving only a cool fall day.

"I knew you could do it." Elsa said.

"Hands down, this is the best day of my life." Olaf said smiling.

Kristoff saw Hans trying to get to his feet. Then he marched toward him, prepared for a fight. But Elsa put up a hand and stopped him.

"Uh. Uh. Uh. I'll handle this." she said and went over to Hans.

"Elsa? But she burnt your heart." Hans said confused.

"The only burnt heart around here is yours."

Then she turned away from him, proud of her words. But not yet satisfied, she turned back and punched him right in the face.

"Ah! Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Hans said as he fell overboard.

Elsa came over to Anna and hugged her. Over her shoulder, Kristoff met Elsa's eyes. She smiled brighter, happy.

It was a beautiful fall day. The mighty ships have been repaired and are sailing away. On one of the ships, Hans was thrown into a brig.

"I will return this scoundrel to his country. We shall see what his twelve big brothers think of his behavior." the French dignitary yo Kai.

"Arendelle thanks you, my Lord." Kai said.

Down on the dock, Arendelle guards lead the Duke and his two thugs to their ship.

"This is unacceptable. I am innocent. I'm a victim of fear. I've been traumatized. Ow! My neck hurts. Is there a doctor I could...No? And I demand to see the Queen!" the duke said.

Then Kai stepped down from the gangplank to the dock.

"I have a message from the Queen. Arendelle will henceforth and forever no longer do business of any sort with Weaseltown." Kai said reading the scroll.

"Weselton. It's Weselton!" Duke said while the guards ushered him and his thugs onto their ship.

Elsa ran through the crowd, pulling a blindfolded Kristoff along behind her. She was so excited she couldn't stand it.

"Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on!" Elsa said then ran him right into a pole.

"Pole." Kristoff said.

"Oops. Sorry." she said.

Elsa skipped to the perfect spot and stopped.

"Okay. Okay. Here we are."

She took off the blindfold and Kristoff opened his eyes. Before him sat the most beautiful, supped-up sled. Then Sven posed in front of it - Vanna White-style.

"I owe you a sled." she said.

"Are you serious?" he said blown away.

"Yes. And it's the latest model.

"No. I can't accept this..."

"You have to. No returns. No exchanges. My order. I named you the official Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer." she said.

Then Sven showed off the Ice-Master-and-Deliverer medal like he's king of the bucks.

"What?" Kristoff asked not able to help but admire her enthusiasm.

"Sure it is. And it even has a cup holder... Do you like it?" Elsa said.

"Like it?" he started and swept her up high overhead and spun her around.

"I love it... I could kiss you!"

Then he dropped her, suddenly embarrassed.

"...I could. I mean I'd like to. I'd... may I? We me...I mean, may we? Wait, what?" he said confused.

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"We may."

He smiled and went for it.

Olaf was enjoying the fall. Then he sneezed his carrot nose off. Sven caught it between his teeth.

Olaf gasped as Sven sucks the whole carrot into his mouth causing it to be gone.

Olaf's face sunk in sadness when Sven spit the carrot back out and jammed it into Olaf's face where it belongs. It's completely covered in reindeer spit, but Olaf didn't mind. He hugged Sven happily.

The gates to the castle were wide open. In the courtyard, stood Elsa after giving Kristoff his new sled.

"Are you ready?" she said smiling.

Everyone started cheering.

She stomped and created an ice rink while Anna made s'mores. Everyone had skates at the ready then hopped onto it and twirl about. Then Elsa froze the fountain in a beautiful design and added some snow flurries for atmosphere. Then Anna came slipping in and Elsa caught her.

"I like the open gates." Anna said.

"We are never closing them again." Elsa said then waved her hand and put magical ice skates on Anna's boots.

"What? Oh, Elsa, they're beautiful, but you know I don't ska-" Anna said.

Elsa grabbed Anna's hands and pulled her along on the ice. Anna slipped and slides, but laughs in delight. Sven goes slipping past. Kristoff runs after him.

"Look out. Reindeer coming through!" Kristoff said.

Olaf skated and helped Elsa coach Anna.

"That's it." Olaf said.

Glide and pivot and glide and pivot. We pull away slowly, into the sky. We arrive at a bird's-eye view to see that where the castle had crumbled has been repaired with a ice. All is right in Arendelle.