"Go away Anna!" Elsa shouted as her sister tried to reason with her. "You'll only make things worse!"
"I'm not leaving without you!" Anna shouted back.
Elsa could feel her power start to seep out of her control. Don't feel. Don't feel. Don't feel. Fight it! she thought as she tried to keep her magic from exploding. Anna kept trying to fight against her magic but the more she feared that she would hurt Anna, the harder it was for her to control it.
"Please just let me help you unfreeze everything!"
"I don't know how!" Elsa exclaimed.
"Please! Let me help you!" her sister cried out.
Don't feel. Don't hurt her. Elsa thought.
"Just use your magic to unfreeze Arendelle." Anna said.
"I can't!!" Elsa exclaimed, accidentally unleashing her magic. It exploded in a wave around her, sending ice into her sister's heart.
"El...Elsa..." Anna said, shocked.
"No...No! Anna!" Elsa cried out, realizing what she had done. She ran over to her collapsing sister as she fell into a dark hole that appeared on the icy floor. Elsa watched her sister fall into a deep, dark pit, her hair changing to a white color. As she fell, Elsa saw her turn to ice.
"Anna!!" Elsa shouted in anguish. The hole closed, swallowing her sister and keeping her out of Elsa's reach. "Anna...Don't go..." she said, crumpling onto the floor. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't control it." she said quietly.
Hans walked in laughing. "You froze her heart. Monster. Now, it's up to me to end this eternal winter. By killing you." he said, raising his sword. Elsa, too distressed by what she had seen, let him drop his sword and strike her.
***
Elsa awoke with a start. She laid in her bed, alone in her ice fortress far away from her home Arendelle. She rubbed her head with her hoof. It was just a nightmare. she thought. The sun shone through the crystal ice window that overlooked the mountaintop. She no longer stayed on the Northern Mountain. It was too dangerous for her to be near for both Arendelle and herself.
She had hoped that the farther away from Arendelle she was, the lesser effect her magic would have on the kingdom and the eternal winter might end. But it didn't. It only got worse. When she fled Arendelle, she was so afraid that she had caused harm to the people, that the winter storm intensified, causing the kingdom to be in an overwhelming snow storm for many years. With the Pegasi unable to quell the storm, she had to find a way to put a stop to her magic.
She laid her head back on her pillow and sighed. Why do I keep having these nightmares? I haven't caused anyone any harm. I'm away from them...they're safe. she thought. But they are still in an eternal winter. Why is it so hard to find a way to end this?
She stood up from her bed and walked down to the dining room. She gathered some gear for her to travel and prepared to enter the town at the base of the mountain, Ferritown. Being a hundred miles away from her kingdom came with some advantages. She was able to enter the town without being recognized as the Queen from Arendelle when she needed food. She would travel down the mountain when she needed air to breathe and for a place to visit.
She put on her hoodie to cover up her horn. She didn't want anypony to recognize her and have her magic accidentally spill out. She placed a pair of socks in her bag in case she needed to cover up her hooves. As long as I stay calm and don't get flustered, I'll be fine. Conceal. Don't feel. Don't let it show. she thought, remembering the words her father told her years before he and her mother died. She took a deep breath to calm herself as she walked out the door.
If she were any other Unicorn, she would've just teleported down the mountain, but ever since she was born, she's only been able to cast ice spells. When she was a filly, she would cast spells in her sleep, causing the windows and beds to freeze. She gave Anna a cold when she was only a baby due to her inability to harness her power properly during that time.
She shook her head as a dash of ice shot from her hoof and struck a tree. That was another thing that was different about her. She didn't need to cast the spell with her horn. She could cast it through her hooves as well which is why she would wear the socks. She was trying to prevent her powers from being witnessed by others. She knew that if she could stay calm and be comfortable she could control her magic.
As she walked down the mountain she thought back to that dream of hers that night. That's the third dream where she died this week. They're getting more common... she thought. The last time she had seen her sister was when she came up to her castle on the North Mountain near Arendelle last month. After that, she had been taken to Arendelle by Prince Hans who had to imprison her in order to keep her alive. She escaped and made it out of the fjord, but not without causing a massive snow storm. She didn't even know if anyone survived the snow storm she caused that day.
She looked at the sky and saw the beautiful blue sky as the sun shone down on her face. She had fled Arendelle until the snow had stopped falling on her. This land had not been affected by her magic yet, at least not to the same degree as Arendelle. Her magic made it snow and the temperature become colder than normal causing a light winter to fall upon Ferritown. The town wasn't new to quick changes in weather, but in the middle of summer, none of them had been prepared for a winter snow fall.
Luckily they were able to rebound quickly. They all brought out their old winter clothes and spread them out among everyone. She felt comfortable here, but she already had a moment when she lost her composure and accidentally let her magic out, causing a large patch of road to become ice. Luckily, nopony knew it was her who caused it.
She arrived in Ferritown and smiled as she saw the kids playing in the snow. They were building snow ponies, having snowball fights, and having fun in the white powder that laid around the town. She continued to the market where food was originally sold, but due to the snow, the stands were moved to the houses, bars, and trade shops that could keep the food out of the elements.
She entered the Ferritown Trading Post, her own personal favorite that seemed to have everything she needed and didn't ask too many questions about who you were. When she walked in she was greeted by an older stallion. "Hello there Emma. What can I get for you today?" he asked.
"Just the usual, Donavon." Elsa said as she reached into her saddlebag to pay for the supplies. She used an alias while she was here. It wasn't quiet necessary, but she felt safer and more comfortable knowing her name would be a secret.
"Alright that'll be 60." he said.
"60?" she asked, shocked. "That's triple what it was last week."
"Well we're running out of food here. Unless this winter lets up, I'm afraid we'll be out before the end of the month." he explained.
"Oh." she replied. "Well, keep them for someone who needs them more than I." she said, feeling guilty that they were running out of food due to her inability to control her power.
"Are you sure, Emma? You need to eat too." he said.
"Yes. I'm sure." she said. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."
"Okay. Well here, take this at least." he said, giving her a bundle of carrots.
"No I couldn't. Give them to some children or families who need them." she pleaded.
"Emma, take the carrots. You need something to eat, even if it's something small." he said.
Gingerly she took the carrots. "Well...thank you, Donavon." she said. She placed a few bits on the counter to pay for them, more than what was needed for them, but she felt like she had to due to his kindness.
"You have a good day Emma. Stay warm." he said.
"I'll be fine. The cold never bothered me anyway." she said, smiling at him. As she walked out the door, a small colt bumped into her.
"Oh! Excuse me miss!" he said.
"It's alright." she said. The colt looked at her, his eyes growing wide and a smile on his face. Elsa smiled back and left for her castle. As she exited the building another Unicorn bumped into her, his brown coat and mane brushing her face.
"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't see you there." he said.
"It's okay. It seems everyone's amazed by this snow." she said, noticing a few adults joined in on the children's fun.
"Well, most of the time we don't have a beautiful winter like this one. Usually it's harsh. Most ponies wouldn't go out unless it was so they could get food." he said.
"Well I'm glad they're enjoying it." she said quietly.
"I'm Serit. I work on the farm across town." he said.
"A Unicorn working on the farm? How'd you end up there?" she asked.
"I've always loved the earth since I was young. Hard work is what I live for. During the winter we use the farm house as a hotel for those who need a place to stay warm." he said.
"That's nice. Has the winter been hard for you? I just heard that they're running out of food in the trading post."
"Well the farm has always had a more abundance of food than the trading posts. We're actually one of the few farms that can support itself during the winter." he said.
"How's that? I could understand after harvest if you have a large enough farm, but during the short summer and sudden winter how did you pull it off?"
"I'm a Unicorn who works on a farm. I use my magic as a way to fasten the growth of the plants without diminishing their taste or other qualities." he explained.
"Really? I didn't know that was possible." Elsa said.
"Well I had to modify the spell a little bit to make it work properly. And even then we still have a few that rot in a day, but for the most part we get a nice amount of food each week." Serit said.
"Do you give the food to those who need it or just to those who stay at the farm?" Elsa asked.
"The others at the farm think we should only give it to those who pay for it, but I do whatever I can to give it to those who need it, free of charge." he said smiling.
Elsa exchanged a smile with him as she heard that. She was happy knowing that despite her winter that ponies weren't starving and had places to stay. "Hey! Serit!" a voice shouted over to them. A sultry old, green Earth pony walked over to them with a frown. "You were supposed to be getting us some more blankets for the hotel! Not lollygagging with some mare!" he shouted.
"It's okay, Newtun. I was just about to go in and get some when I accidentally bumped into her." Serit explained.
"And who is she? Some mare you've been sneaking out with after your shifts?" Newtun asked.
"What? No!" Elsa said, quickly. "I'm Emma, I only just met him today."
"Well don't let me catch you with her when you should be working Serit!" the old pony said as he turned and walked away.
"That your boss?" Elsa asked.
"Yeah. He's like a father to me though. Been there for me since I was small. He's actually the one who sparked my love for the Earth." he said. "Well I better get going before gramps gets angry again. I'll see you later, Emma." he said, giving her a warm smile.
"See you later Serit." Elsa said, returning his smile. They parted and Elsa walked out of the town and back up the mountain. She couldn't help but get Serit out of her head. Something about him charmed her. Maybe it's because he had this moral code of helping those who needed it. He didn't know it, but the fact that he was helping those who needed it because of her winter made her appreciate him and made him stick close to her mind. He had this charm about him too, one that made Elsa feel comfortable and able to talk to him without worry. Donavon was the only one other than children who she had felt comfortable talking to when she came into town.
She arrived to her castle faster than she had thought. As she walked up to the castle, she noticed hoofprints in the snow followed by a pair of prints she didn't recognize. They found me. she thought instinctively. She was about to turn and run, but remembered her work. All of the trouble and progress she had made would be lost if she didn't go in there and stop the intruder.
She carefully entered the castle, looking for the intruder. She walked up to her room where her work was, on guard, yet frightened. She didn't know if she could kill him. She had come close to doing so when her castle on the Northern Mountain had been found and the two men tried to kill her.
She entered her room and gasped as she saw a stallion crumpled on the floor with a reindeer hovering over him, nudging him. The stallion had a blonde mane and tail with ice for a cutie mark. She recognized the cutie mark, but couldn't put a name to the stallion. The reindeer looked to her with a look of desperation.
She ran over to him and touched his head. He was ice cold and his clothes were soaked. She checked to see if he was breathing and gave a sigh of relief as she saw his chest rise and fall. Awkwardly, she took of his layers and picked him up, put him on her back, and carried him over to her bed. She quickly covered him up with blankets to warm him up. She would've lit a fire, but the fact that the castle was made of ice would mean that the entire place would melt and they'd fall from the mountain. She did her best to keep him warm, and walked back to her desk. All her work was still here, meaning she could still complete her job. Even though she hadn't made much progress, she didn't want to lose anything just in case something happened that connected to any of her other works.
She turned her attention back to the stallion who laid in her bed. Who is he? Why do I recognize his cutie mark? she thought. Should I kill him? It wouldn't be the first time someone has tried to kill me for this winter... she thought as she remembered the two men who barged into her castle in the Northern Mountain. Prince Hans words echoed in her thoughts. Don't become the monster they fear you are.
"No." she said, shaking her head. "I'm not a monster. I will not hurt him." she said.
The colt ran along the base of the mountain that sat outside Ferritown. He couldn't believe that the giant castle he had come across was hers. It was the most beautiful building he had ever seen as it looked like something out of a dream. He ran towards the outpost on the opposite side of the mountain and slid to a stop at the door.
He walked up to the door and knocked four times. After a few seconds the door opened and a large surly stallion looked down at the child. "What do you want?" he said, not wanting to deal with childly antics.
"I have information for King Hans of Arendelle." he said.
"Yeah? You and every other pathetic pony looking for the reward." the stallion said.
"Please, it's about Queen Elsa." the colt said. "I know where she is."
"And why should I trust an insignificant filly like yourself?" The colt threw a bag of bits on the ground, which the stallion looked through with a peaked interest. "Well then...take a step inside. I'll bring him out for you."
The child stepped into the warm building and happily sat in front of the fire that warmed his chilled bones. The large stallion went into the back room and closed the door. As he warmed himself by the fire, he felt excitement knowing that he would be able to eat and sleep well for the next couple of months with the reward he would be getting.
The door opened up again and another stallion in a suit with a fancy styled brown mane walked out. "So, I hear you have news of Elsa." he said to the colt who had turned around to look at him. "Tell me, where is she?" King Hans asked.
***
Elsa had left the bed to make some food for the pony who was resting on the bed. He hadn't woken up after a few hours and Elsa figured they should start off on good terms. She quickly made him a few sandwiches and brought them up to the room. She brought some of the carrots she received in town up as well.
She placed the plates on the bed next to the pony and waited for him to wake up. The reindeer walked over to her and nudged her, eyeing one of the carrots. "You hungry?" she asked. He nodded his head and had his tongue hanging out in a goofy smile. Elsa giggled and gave him one of the carrots which he ate in one bite.
The pony groaned in the bed as he shifted and put a hoof against his head. "Anna..." he groaned.
"Anna?" she said quietly, shocked to hear her sister's name from this pony. The reindeer quickly moved back to the pony's side and licked his face, causing him to jump upright.
"Hey, easy." Elsa said, calmly placing a hoof on his shoulder. "You were freezing when I found you."
"Where am I?" he asked, wiping the slobber off of his face.
"The Eastern Mountain near Ferritown." she said. She regretted that she told him the exact location of her castle. She was worried that he may return to whoever was trying to kill her and tell them where she was.
"Ferritown?" he said quietly.
"How long have you been travelling?" Elsa asked.
"Travelling..." he said, disoriented.
"Yes. I saw your hoofprints in the snow out front. Where are you from?"
"Anna...said to..." he said, trying to remember what he was supposed to do. "Agh!!" he exclaimed, putting pressure against his head with his hoof.
"What's wrong?" Elsa asked.
"I need some water...I haven't had anything to drink in days." he said.
"Okay, I'll be back." Elsa said, quickly. She ran outside with a cup and scooped up some snow. She held it close to her so her body warmth would help melt the snow into water. I don't know who he is, but he knows Anna. I need to help him until he can tell me more about how she's doing. she thought. I hope her and Hans are able to run Arendelle okay without much trouble due to my winter. I may not approve of it, but Anna is going to go through with it simply because she doesn't understand love. I hope she's alright.
She thought back to the days of them playing. They always had fun building snowponies, having snowball fights, and just playing around in the snow. Until the night that she accidentally struck her sister in the head. It's what caused her to shut Anna out for most of their childhood to teenage years. If only I was more careful and paid attention to what she was doing. If only I had a more firm footing and I didn't slip. she thought.
Elsa quit it. Only if's won't help you or Arendelle. They happened. Now find a way to fix it. she thought. She ran back inside, the snow already starting to melt as she thought about Anna. She burst into the room and gave the water to the pony. He sipped at the water, not taking full gulps right away. "Are you okay?" Elsa asked.
"I'll be fine. Just dehydrated." he said, taking a few more sips. The reindeer nudged him and gave him another lick on his face. "Hey Sven. Glad to know you're alright." he said smiling.
"So, what are you and Sven doing out here?" she asked.
"I'm looking for someone." he said.
Elsa had a sinking feeling in her chest. "Who are you looking for? Are they from Ferritown?"
"No. They're from a place far away from here. The winter is a lot softer here than it is in Arendelle." he said.
"How's Arendelle? Is everyone okay there?" she asked quickly. "How's Anna?"
The pony squinted at her. "How do you know Anna?" he asked.
"Oh...well...I heard her and her sister's parents were killed in a tragic ship wreck about three years ago. Isn't her sister Queen now?" Elsa asked.
"Not anymore." he said angrily. "She's the one who caused this winter. And the one who killed Anna."
"What?" Elsa said in disbelief. "Anna...Anna is dead?" She couldn't believe it. How did I kill her? she thought.
"The Queen struck her heart with some of her magic and froze her heart. She turned to ice in my arms..." he said, sipping from his cup.
"No..." Elsa said, defeated, crumpling to the ground.
"The last thing she said, was to find the Queen and to bring her back to Arendelle."
"Why? Did she want revenge on her sister for what she did? For shutting her out all those years because she was afraid of hurting her again? For treating her like she was invisible for her entire life?" Elsa asked, expecting Anna to want her to be on trial for treason and executed for all the trouble and misfortune she gave her. I'm sorry Anna. I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you. I'm sorry for not being there for you when mom and dad died, for not helping you through any of your hard times. she thought, weeping loudly.
The pony gazed around the room as he realized where he was and who he was with. "No. She wanted me to bring you back, Elsa, and save Arendelle from Hans." he said with a small hint of disdain.
Elsa didn't believe what she heard. Why would her sister want her to come back and save a kingdom from the man she loved? Why would she want a monster to save Arendelle? It dawned on her why Anna would want all of this from her. The pony stood up from the bed and walked over to her. "Despite everything you did, she still loved you. She still believed you could save the Kingdom."
"How do you know Anna? Why would we she send you and not the Arendelle guards?" Elsa asked.
"We've met before, when Anna came to the North Mountain to find you. You threw us out with a giant snow monster." he said with a light chuckle. "I'm Kristoff. Anna asked me to take her up the mountain so she could bring you back to Arendelle."
"But how did you find me?" she asked.
"King Hans has a bounty on your head. If one's looking for information, it's not too hard to find." he said.
"Why does he have a bounty on me? Why didn't Anna have him search for me with our guards?" she asked.
"I'm not sure. I didn't get a chance to ask before she..." he started to say, but was unable to finish the sentence. Elsa could see tears start to form in his eyes. He quickly blinked them away. "We need to get you to Arendelle. Please tell me you have some idea to stop the weather?" he asked.
Elsa stood up from the ground. "I haven't. I only know that when I'm calm and not fearful or frightened, I can control it. But I can't get rid of it, only create it." she explained.
"Well, that's a bummer. But it's better than nothing." Kristoff said. "We need to head back to Arendelle."
"Are you sure you can travel? You just passed out and are dehydrated."
"In about two hours I can move. It's not the first time I've been dehydrated. When you harvest ice for a living and snow is all around you, dehydration isn't too uncommon. I know my limits." he said, confident.
There was a knock on the front door. They looked at each other and silently agreed it was better to not answer the door. There was a knock again and Kristoff sighed. "I'll get the door. You stay here."
"Kristoff, don't. Last time someone knocked on the door and I let them in, they died because of me. I don't want to do that again." she said, remembering Anna. "And you said Hans had a bounty on my head. It's possible someone is here to collect on that."
Kristoff didn't have anything to say to that and walked back to the bed and finishing his cup of water. There was a sudden shatter and Elsa quickly backed up to the wall, fearing that someone had come to kill her.
"Elsa! Elsa please! Where are you!?" she heard a familiar voice say. "We need your help! Arendelle is freezing and you're the only one who can stop it!" She looked to Kristoff and he shook his head. "Anna is dead! There is nobody else who can help us! You're the only one who can! Please! I promise no harm will come to you if you just come with me now!" the voice said, getting louder as the pony came closer to the door.
"Any quick way out of here?" Kristoff asked.
"You said you harvested ice right? Which means you don't mind sliding on ice." Elsa said. She ran to the window and sent a slide of ice that led down the mountain.
"Yeah, so?" he asked.
She ran over to her desk and gathered her research, or what was relevant, and jumped out the window and down the slide. "See you at the bottom!"
"Hey!" he exclaimed, running to the window. Sven came up next to him and gave him a nudge. He sighed and jumped out the window with Sven following him. They made it out the window as the door to the room had burst open
"Elsa!!" Hans exclaimed. Dangit! I just missed her. he thought. He looked to the desk and saw some papers lying around. He walked over and started to snoop through them. "Ah. She doesn't know how to fix it. This will make things so much easier." he said with a smile.
