Chapter 17 - The Hardest is Yet to Come
After reaching an agreement, Belle, Adam and the French soldiers were able to set up camp on the beach. The Northuldra had set theirs on top of the cliff, preferring to keep some distance from strangers. The titans had settled around the encampments, waiting for the next moment to act. But for some unknown reason, Mothra and Rodan had gone back into the sky and vanished in a specific direction, as if they had something to look for. Mothra had telepathically promised, however, that they would return in time.
In the center of the encampment, a meeting was held in the royal tent of Belle and Adam, at the request of Queen Elsa.
A group was gathered around a large wooden table on which was, lit by candles, a large map of Norway. Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Moana, Belle, Prince Adam, Yelena and Mattias were all gathered around the map, to discuss what to do about a certain dam.
_ "You say the dam was King Runeard's trap against the Northuldra?" asked Mattias, who couldn't realize such a thing. Elsa and Anna said without hesitation.
_ "It doesn't really surprise me from Runeard ..." Yelena said, without any real surprise.
_ "The past is the past and we cannot change it." Elsa said "... but we can make sure that the future is not the same ... that's why we have to destroy the dam."
Mattias was taken aback and objected.
_ "But, if the dam is destroyed, the waves which will gush will carry everything in their path in the fjord. Arendelle will be condemned!"
_ "Not necessarily ..." said Anna who had a plan "... a titan can destroy the dam while others can take care of stopping the raging waves."
_ "Stop the water? No creature can do that!" Mattias added, not convinced.
_ "Oh yes, on the contrary ..." Elsa said, thinking especially of Godzilla. Mattias was still not convinced by this idea, but was unwilling to oppose the queen's orders and reluctantly agreed.
_ "Good. Let's all rest tonight, because tomorrow the hardest part will be done." Elsa said, ending the meeting.
After the meeting where she had listened more than spoken, Moana left the encampment to go to the east of the beach, where Kong had settled down, a little apart. The giant gorilla was sitting on a cliff and seemed to be busy making something giant. Moana got to her feet and smiled at him, watching with curiosity what he was doing.
_"What are you doing?" she asked.
Kong then showed him a huge ax he had made from a huge, long tree trunk and a large black stone that he had carved out to make it sharp. Moana was impressed with the work accomplished, and Kong did not seem a little proud. However, Moana looked worried, seeing that Kong's wounds had not fully healed.
_ "And ... are you okay?" she asked again. Kong groaned softly to speak, nodding it's okay. Moana then came and sat down next to him on the gray sand and contemplated the sea thoughtfully, thinking of her archipelago which was so far away now.
_ "I miss Motunui and my parents... and I imagine you miss your island too ..." Moana said looking towards Kong, who continued to carve the stone with his ax. The gorilla growled calmly, showing a wistful gaze as well. Moana felt her throat tighten as she looked out to sea again.
_ "I wonder if we will go home one day ..."
Kong looked at Moana, and delicately came to take her in his giant hand and keep her in his palm. Moana smiled at him again and lay down on his palm, cuddling up to protect herself from the cold and tried to fall asleep, while Kong lay awake, standing guard.
Meanwhile, after leaving Belle and Adam in their royal tent, Elsa had also left the encampment to walk along the foot of the Black Cliff to the west. After a few minutes of walking, she found what she was looking for. Godzilla had settled at the foot of the cliff, and was already sleeping, snoring very loudly, half of his body submerged in seawater.
The King of the Monsters opened his eyes, having sensed Elsa's presence and looked at her, growling slightly.
_ "Sorry, I didn't want to wake you up ..." Elsa politely apologized with a small, non-mocking laugh. Godzilla wasn't upset and rested his head heavily on the sand. Elsa walked over to him and came and sat down in front of him on a rock.
_ "You know ..." Elsa said thoughtfully "... I think a lot about everything we've been through since we met. All the fights we've had to lead, but also all the wonderful things we lived together... you've changed our lives, Godzilla, to all of us ... I cannot thank you enough for this ..."
Godzilla listened and responded with a simple growl. Elsa smiled and got up to come up to his muzzle, which she stroked gently with her hand.
_ "I don't know what the future will bring ..." she said "... but what is certain is that I want to take advantage of the present. I would like to share one more night with my king, if he willing ... "
Godzilla nodded softly and allowed Elsa to come into his hand. Elsa climbed up, smelling the black scales, and snuggled up in the palm, trying to get some sleep. Godzilla watched as the young queen fell asleep peacefully in his hand. Then, the croaks of a swarm of crows passing over him briefly caught his attention, but he paid little more attention and fell asleep again.
Meanwhile, in the camp, Princess Anna had been loaned a tent to spend the night. The young princess was about to go to sleep a little, coming first to sit in front of a small mirror on a table and checking her hair to undo it.
She then saw over her shoulder, Kristoff entering the tent and giving him a smile. She did the same.
_ "What a day ..." breathed the young man, looking exhausted.
_ "Yes ... witnessing the clash of two legendary kings and witnessing the coronation of the King of the Monsters is not something you see every day." Anna replied with a small laugh. Kristoff shared his laugh and then approached her, coming to embrace Anna tenderly from behind and kiss her on the neck.
_ "Kristoff, come on ..." said Anna laughing softly, not insensitive to that.
_ "What, you want me to stop?" Kristoff asked, sounding sheepish.
_ "Oh no, keep going, it's nice ..." Anna moaned, closing her eyes and enjoying the attention of her husband.
_ "So much the better ..." Kristoff told him with a seductive voice "... because it has only just begun, my dear princess."
Anna opened her eyes then, hearing Kristoff's voice drastically change tone at those last words.
Suddenly, Kristoff gave an unhealthy smile and with disconcerting speed, pricked Anna in the neck with a needle. The princess gasped, feeling a sharp pain and fell backwards to the floor. Coughing strongly, she then felt her strength give up little by little and her vision blur. Anna then saw Kristoff, above her and looking at her with a cruel smile, change shape and transform into ... Queen Ravenna. Anna opened her eyes filled with fear and wanted to scream for help, but barely a hiss could come out of her throat paralyzed with poison. The queen chuckled softly, looking proudly at the needle with which she had poisoned Anna.
_ "Oh, do not worry dear ..." said Ravenna sadistically "... this poison will not kill you ... dead, you will not be of use to me ... I have others projects for you ..."
Anna was breathing heavily, failing to remain conscious and passed out, at the Queen's mercy.
_ "Anna?" then said the real Kristoff who arrived and entered the tent "... I have finished speaking with the Northuldras and ..."
Kristoff stopped talking, frozen with amazement and horror at what he saw. Ravenna gave her a grin and a monstrous look, as she held the passed out Anna in her arms.
_ "ANNA!!" Kristoff yelled, rushing forward, but too late. Ravenna transformed into a cloud of crows, Anna disappearing with her, and flew swiftly out of the tent, then into the night sky. Blinded by the crows that flew around him, Kristoff ran outside the tent, to see the group of black birds moving away towards the south.
_ "ANNA! NOOOOOOO!" Kristoff yelled with all possible despair, which alerted most of the camp, and also alerted Kong and Moana, and also Godzilla and Elsa who were roused from their slumber.
Godzilla growled fiercely, feeling a strange dark magic in the air, and Elsa felt it too, for a few seconds. A bad feeling came over her.
The alert was given across the encampment. Elsa, Moana, Belle and Adam, Yelena, Honeymaren and Mattias arrived towards the tent where Kristoff was in total panic, to be calmed down by Olaf, Sven and several guards.
_ "Kristoff? Calm down! What's going on?" Elsa asked, taking him by the shoulders.
_ "Anna ... Anna ... Queen Ravenna has kidnapped Anna!!" Kristoff answered in panic. Everyone gasped around him, especially Elsa who was shocked. Queen Ravenna? How had she managed to ...?
_ "Anna ..." Olaf moaned in fear. Kristoff fell to his knees in the sand, crying and feeling guilty that he hadn't been able to do anything. Moana came to support him, along with Olaf and Sven. Godzilla and Kong had come to see what's going on, watching the rally. Elsa could not say anything, feeling the fear, but also the anger, in her. Suddenly, a horn alerted everyone.
_ "A rider approaching!" the guard shouted at the top of the wooden watchtower.
Everyone then saw a horse cross the enclosure of the camp and come to a stop near the group. A man was on it, barely conscious and with a deep, bloody wound to his ribs. Elsa gasped in horror when she saw him. It was Kai, the servant at Arendelle Castle.
_ "Kai!"
Elsa rushed to him, helping the man moaning in pain to get off his horse. Kai could no longer stand, having visibly lost a lot of blood, and was held down by Elsa.
_ "M ... Majesty ..." the servant moaned, his face pale and his eyes barely open.
_ "Kai ... what happened? Who did this to you?" Elsa asked him, more than worried. Kai coughed, breathing hard and tried to muster his strength to speak.
_ "A ... Arendelle was taken ... by ... Queen Ravenna and her army ... Princess Iduna was captured ..."
At the mention of his daughter having been captured by the queen, Kristoff sank even more into despair. Elsa couldn't believe it, believing she was in a horrible nightmare.
_ "The queen ... Ravenna has terrifying powers ..." Kai continued, struggling with the pain "... but she also has ... an abomination with her ... of immense power ... he destroyed our entire army in one attack ... we couldn't do anything against him ... I had been held prisoner, but managed to escape ... unfortunately, I was injured in my flight ... forgive me my queen, I did as fast as I could ..."
Godzilla and Kong reacted warily to the mention of this giant abomination that had destroyed Arendelle's entire army at once. Kai was in a lot of pain, a tear falling from his eye. Elsa took his hand to support him.
_ "You don't have to apologize. You have acted bravely." Elsa told him sincerely.
Kai smiled weakly, and after a final breath, closed her eyes forever, her breath fading and her hand falling to her body. Elsa sighed sadly, her eyes wet, holding her most loyal servant in her arms and witnessing his passing.
_ "Oh, Kai ..." was all she could say with sadness.
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