The plan sets into motion.
Mason takes the skies, soaring high above the big, imposing ice palace, straight into a line of thick, gray clouds.
Ariel yanks herself out of the water and onto the cold, slippery surface, her scales fading. Eli and now human Kiara are right behind her, Aladdin hopping down from the carpet. Grasping the trident, she leads them through the spikes and towers of ice.
Jim lands his solar surfer on the second to top landing of the palace, overlooking the expanse of the ocean, Hiro and Baymax right behind him. Instantly, Hyenas surge forward, and the fight begins.
The fairies dart through the ice, expertly dodging growing icicles, in a frantic search for Kayley and Elsa.
Mulan dismounts her steed, wasting no time to charge into the thick of the snow and ice. Spikes and bridges form out of nowhere, indicting Scar is keeping Elsa busy. Bracing herself, she latches into a thick icicle with a flat top, riding it as it extends towards the top of the palace.
Kristoff remains at the bottom, slinging his ice gear off his back. Brandishing his ice axe, he slips in-between cliffs and spines, scanning the area closely. Deciding on what he needs to be done, he swings his axe, and begins hacking away.
The pointed end digs into the clear ice, chipping away snow and cold debris. He strikes it again, and again, until the thick spike is nearly narrows to half. Seemingly satisfied, he moves on to another one, keeping a close eye on the glassy ceiling above him. He's got a long, long way to go.
Huffing, his breath pooling around him, he continues to pick his way through the ice, eventually digging a screw into a cliff side and ascending upward. It's not a difficult trek, but with Elsa'a magic keeping the ice constantly moving, it's not an easy task, either. He rams his feet into little alcoves, forcing himself to focus on the task, and not on how this could all backfire and they could all end up dead. Dying means he would be breaking his promise to Elsa, wouldn't it?
Finally, he clambers onto to a dark, clouded bridge, squinting as the sun reflects off the smooth surface. Wishing he had brought along his sunglasses, he pushes the annoyance to the back of his mind, charging across the surface. He isn't entirely sure where Elsa is right now, but if she can see him, maybe she'll create ice bridges that benefit him rather than destroy him.
Slipping a rope around his waist, he shuffles to another cliffside and digs his gear, climbing once more.
Repeating the process, he hacks ice away, leaving towering icicles smaller, cliffs thinner, and bridges broken. Elsa always has more to replace them, but they aren't as strong. Like she knows. She knows what Kristoff is getting at...
The time flies by, faster than Kristoff thought possible. Five minutes easily turns into twenty, and his hardly broken a sweat. Of course, it's difficult to sweat when surrounded by snow... But he feels as if he can continue for hours. The adrenaline pumps through him, the idea of losing Anna keeping him moving forward.
If they don't get out of this alive, Scar will probably go after everybody they love. Ariel's family, Jim and Kayley's mom, Mulan's parents, Anna and Sven...
That last thought sends a shock of dread through him, and he also looses his grip on the slippery wall. He never wants those two to go through what he did. Nobody deserves this. That's why they have to win the game. Losing isn't an option anymore.
The higher he climbs, the more he can see. Down below, Ariel, Aladdin, Eli and Kiara are fighting an enemy hidden from view, arguing with one another the entire time. At one point, Baymax zips by him, Hiro and Mulan aboard. The fairies drop in, asking if he would like help with his task, but denies them. He is the ice expert - he has to do this alone, with no mistakes, no distraction. They're all counting him.
