AN: Atlantis AU prompt from Elsannaheadcanons on Tumblr. (yes another one)
"Atlantis AU: Anna, a clever, adorkable linguist/aspiring archaeologist, is hired by the eccentric millionaire Whitmore to help guide an expedition for Arendelle, the legendary Frozen Kingdom in the high north, which is said to have disappeared centuries ago in a supernatural snowstorm. After assorted adventures, the team - led by the charismatic young commander Hans - find Arendelle. To their utter surprise, they find it still inhabited, and ruled over by a mysterious, pale, beautiful queen."
After posting this on Tumblr, my phone has been literally shoving notifications at me while I've been (finally) working on UyS. So I thought, what the heck, put in on here. I tweaked the prompt slightly, longer disappearance (mostly because I didn't read the centuries part ahahahah) and some other bits here and there. Will update this when I'm not slamming my head against the dreaded writers block.
"We made it!"
Bursting through the mouth of the cave, the large expedition breathed a sigh of relief. They'd been stuck in the mountains underground labyrinth for two long weeks, if it wasn't for their feisty redheaded archeologist and linguist they would've gotten lost before they even started.
Resting at the exit, Anna Sumner pulled out the Tome of Niflheim, flipping to a bookmarked page. Brushing back a loose strand of hair, she skimmed over the delicate paper and faded lettering. She'd spent most of the trip in the sleds bundled in furs and blankets translating what she could while being jostled and bumped over the snowy terrain.
A wide grin split her lips, her excitement was almost too much to contain. Her grandfather had told her stories about the Great Frozen Kingdom of Arendelle. He had spun many a tale of the beautiful and icy Snow Queen who ruled the long forgotten kingdom. She who could control every aspect of winter with just a thought and a flick of her fingers.
As she grew, she was more then determined to chase this dream of finding the lost kingdom. Perhaps even finding evidence of the Queen.
And so she studied archeology and dead languages, all to help her maybe one day prove to everyone that her grandfather wasn't crazy and neither was she. Her determination brought scorn and many a venomous insult towards her family, even more so after Grandfather Sumner passed away leaving her alone to continue her path.
After a crushing day of trying to persuade the board to hear out her proposal, Anna found herself whisked away to the massive estate of Mr. Whitmore and promptly thrust in the expedition to find Arendelle
So here she was, standing on the slopes of an enormous mountain with a light snow falling from the sky. Tucking the tome back into her heavy winter coat she walked over to the sleds and pulled out a pair of snow shoes and tied them onto the bottom of her thick boots.
"So what is our next direction Ms. Sumner? We can't stick around here at this cave forever." Pulling up her hood, Anna turned to the slick voice of Commander Hans holding back the shudder that wanted to crawl over her skin. He rubbed her the wrong way, he was too charming, too slippery. There was a glint in his eyes that her stomach in knots, not the good kind.
"We should head south west, at least in that general direction. The book isn't too specific, though it mentions the sun setting over the palace of the Snow Queen, the last rays of light reflecting over the ice and showing the splendor of the-"
"Alright, I get it, no need to ramble on about a dead queen and some ruins." The Commander laughed, slapping a hand against Anna's back.
She nearly fell face first into the snow as the push set her off balance. Grasping at the side of the sled she righted herself, huffing quietly before making sure the tome was still secure. It was the most precious of possessions and she wasn't about to let it become damaged in any way.
"Alright men! Secure the gear and provisions, make sure the dogs are set and lets head out. The snowstorm is picking up greatly and we need to find a better place to stop for the night." It only took a few seconds before the rest of the team were assembling and prepping to leave. Anna fumbled as the dogs pulled the sled she was holding onto out of her grip, tugging her sharply and sending her tumbling down the steep incline.
Anna could hardly hear the muffled yells of the men from the team but there was nothing much she could do as she was tossed head over heels down the slope of the mountain. From the brief glimpses she could see through the snow on the ground and the thick flakes falling from the sky in great quantities, she managed to steer herself as best she could around the massive firs.
But like many things in Anna's life, her luck ran out. She'd managed to right herself, still stumbling down the snow, giant trees looming around her like sentinels. A snap reached her ears through the wind rushing past and suddenly a thick tree branch fell into her path, slamming into her gut and knocking what breath she had out of her lungs.
With a strangled cry she fell hard onto the ground, her head and body smacking against the thick trunk. With a great crash her momentum was finally halted, but the steady pounding in her skull lulled Anna into a blissful unconsciousness.
In the depths of the void a murmuring disturbed Anna. It started out quiet and indistinct, almost soothing but just as quickly it escalated grating on her nerves. It wasn't just one sound, but dozens all becoming a cacophony of rough crackling and stones crashing together. Just as the noise became unbearable, Anna jolted awake.
Multiple pairs of eyes and faces stared down at her and she couldn't help the scream trying to escape her throat.
A squeak was only thing she could manage.
"Oh isn't she adorable!"
"We should keep her!"
"I wonder what gemstones she likes?"
"Okay, back it up, back it up, give the poor girl some room!" Faces were pulled and shoved out of Anna's line of sight, with it, some of her panic. Trying to sit up she realized she's been wrapped tightly in fur and leather blankets, a fire was giving off heat somewhere to her right. "Now dearie, my name is Bulda. How are you feeling?"
A smiling grey face appeared by her side, Anna couldn't help but be confused. Bulda looked like she was made of stone with grass and flowers as her hair? That couldn't be right.
"I'm fine, I guess? My head is pounding but um, if you don't mind me asking….what are you?" She tilted her head around, trying to get a better view of her surroundings, "And where am I for that matter?"
"We're trolls my dear! And this is the Valley of the Living Rock, our home and sanctuary. We found you just outside our borders, out cold under a tree with a heck of a lump on your head!" Bulda gently patted Anna's forehead, "We had to keep you still so you could keep warm and not jostle your injury anymore."
"Trolls? You do actually exist then? This is amazing!" Anna laughed quietly, loosening up her arms from the confines of the blanket she propped herself up as best she could. Teal eyes widened in wonderment at the sea of faces and glowing gemstones. "You're all so tiny!" Most were at least, except for the largest troll of them all standing next to Bulda. With a large mane of yellow grass and a larger assortment of glowing yellow stones around his neck, he had to be in charge.
He held her gaze for a minute, she could feel those dark eyes peer into every corner of her mind and rifling through her memories.
"You aren't supposed to be here. None of you aren't." His tone was soft but the authority behind it made Anna feel as though she was nothing more then a child being scolded for disobeying their parent. "It is not our place to decide what will happen to you or your…companions, as such a thing has not happened in over two thousand years."
"But if you are all that's left here-"
"No we are not."
"Wait, what?" Anna sat up abruptly, the blankets falling to her sides. Clutching her head tightly as the dull throbbing roared into painful agony, she tried taking deep breaths before she started hyperventilating. "It's been this long and there are other people still here?!"
An icy breeze blew through the clearing, bringing the sound of tinkling bells and delicate pounding of hooves.
"It seems that your escort is here. While we rescued you from the blizzard and bandaged your wounds, we trolls do not deal with the physical aspect of healing, so you will be going off to the best healer in Arendelle-" Anna could only stare wide eyed at the head troll. It still existed? After all this time? "-then Her Majesty will want to have a word with you."
"Her Majesty? Do you mean-" Before she could finish her question, two great white beasts pulling a sled made of pure ice appeared. Anna could feel hands gently pulling her upwards onto her feet and covering her back into her winter jacket and gear. Before she put on her gloves she ran a fingers through her bangs, realizing that her hair was undone from it's usual twin braids and the bandage was wrapped haphazardly around her head.
Suddenly a troll bounced up and wrapped her face guard on before another troll pulled her hood far over her head, blocking out her vision.
"Oh hey now! Easy with the head there!" Pressure on her back pushed her forwards and with a huff she hastily pulled on her gloves. Reaching up she lifted the hood up to at least make sure she didn't trip, once her vision was clear Anna finally got a good look at the creatures pulling the icy sled.
They were extremely large but delicate deer, made entirely out of snow with massive ice antlers. Both of them had turned to look at her as she passed, where what should have been eyes were simply shallow sockets glowing a pulsating blue. Anna wondered why she wasn't more unnerved by this.
Shaking her head, she flinched at the dull throb. Climbing cautiously into the sled Anna settled onto the icy bench, she hoped it wouldn't crack under the weight. Bulda hopped onto the edge of the sled with a large smile on her face as she draped a blanket over Anna's legs.
"Now Anna, these will take you straight to Arendelle and quite quickly too so you might want to hold tight!" She patted her covered knee and hopped back to the ground, standing by the larger troll.
"Hold on to what, there's nothing here. Wait…" Anna blinked in confusion, realizing just what Bulda said. "How did you know my naaAAAAME!" The sled has surged forward, catching her off guard.
Clinging to the seat Anna bit her tongue to keep from yelling out anymore. The scenery was passing by at such a speed that she was forever grateful she didn't get motion sickness and that her stomach was already empty. They flew past snow laden fir trees and massive snowdrifts for what seemed like hours, the expanse of pure white neverending.
Closing her eyes against the harsh sting of wind Anna took a deep breath of the cold air to soothe her raw nerves. Upon opening them she realized that the passing foliage was green, the snow and ice fading away into the background. It was still overcast and cold, but Anna could clearly see the path the deer were running on even if ice was springing up from under their hooves.
Leaning forward in the sled she could see that they were coming up into a town? A few dozen feet before they hit the line of buildings the deer had slowed down from their breakneck pace as they reached the cobblestone path. Anna gaped at the sight of people going about their business as the sled reached some sort of market.
Then she noticed that not only were they passing through the center of the town but that the people, a lot of them at that, had stopped to line the road. Thankful for her winter gear covering her face Anna blushed and tried to hide deeper in the sled. Quickly though, the deer had pulled them across a bridge and through enormous wooden doors. It was then Anna openly gaped at the sight of the Arendelle castle.
The enormous building itself was still made out of stone but it was mostly covered in swirling ice designs. Towers were made taller by delicate spires swirling towards the sky, thicker and spikier ice covered the parapet walkways giving more protection to the wood covered walkways. On the building roofs even more ice arced in sweeping motions to be more artistic then protection. Bringing her gaze up even higher there was one lone spire, made purely out of a deep blue ice, at the top she could see something glowing and pulsating like a heartbeat.
With a jolt Anna flew forward against the front of the sled. Muttering curses at the deer she tenderly rubbed her already sore stomach.
"Couldn't have stopped just a little gentler there, could you?" A flick of a tail was her only response, but she knew they were laughing at her. With a huff she maneuvered herself to stand on shaky legs next to the sled, her gloved hands gripping the edges tightly. Hopefully they didn't moved like the last time, she had no desire to fall over again.
Heavy thuds and clanking of metal was Anna's only warning before a pair of hands roughly gripped her upper arms and harshly pulled her up. Biting back a yelp of pain she struggled against the hands only to be shaken hard, causing her hood to fall down farther on her face. The pain in her head was back from their handling.
"Do not even attempt anything outsider, we would have no qualms in roughing you up." The gruff voice was muffled but Anna only nodded and ceased her pathetic movements. With great ease the two men picked her up on the ground, her boots catching just on the edges of the cobblestone courtyard and without much warning they marched off in what she assumed was the direction into the great castle.
Soon the sounds changed and the footsteps echoed loudly in her ears. Muffled whispers she couldn't quite hear were much more obvious, it seems the trolls had been right. Not many people made their way here and now Anna was starting to worry what would happen. Lifting her head she tried to see where they were going but the hood was too heavy and she merely caught glimpses of marble flooring and edges of a doorway.
The room they had walked into was a lot colder then the path they'd taken in and Anna could feel her heartbeat quicken. The men weren't as hurried in their steps but the grip they had on her arms tightened even more causing to gasp at the pain. Just as quickly as they had entered the room, they stopped. With a jerk the men tossed her forwards onto her knees and as she scrabbled to not fall on her face, two sharp objects jabbed none too gently into her back.
It was all Anna could do to not swear in every language she knew at these men. Keeping her gaze down on the ground she huffed quietly, waiting for a hint as to what was supposed to happen next.
"Why are you in my kingdom." Anna was quite glad she was nearly face down in marble because she knew she would be gaping at the owner of that voice. It was like steel wrapped in cool velvet. The familiarity nagged at her mind, she knew that this person was dangerous. But she had a vague sense of comfort.
Still, it did nothing to soothe her frazzled nerves and rambling tongue.
"Well you see, I'm part of a research team and honestly we were expecting, at least I was, some crumbling ruins and old texts, maybe some drawings, tools. Oh you know the last vestiges of a civilization," She tried sitting up only to find the sharp objects pressed harder into her back "Okay I get it, on the ground. But I, we, never thought there would still be anyone here! That, from the brief glimpse in, that Arendelle would be thriving. Holy cow would this have made my grandfather deliriously happy." A wave of nausea passed over Anna and she rested her forehead against the cool marble floor. "Oh that feels nice…"
A chuckle echoed throughout the room and Anna released the breath she was holding.
"What a strange person you are. But I believe I would hear you better without all those layers muffling you." Anna felt some relief at this, perhaps she could even sit up. "I would also like to look upon your face before you are sentenced to the dungeon."
Anna blanched at that, her heart had climbed up its way into her throat. Realizing the pressure had been removed from her back, she carefully propped herself up to rest on her legs. Tugging off her thick gloves she reached up to pull the hood off her head. As she moved it away from her eyes, she glanced up in front of her and the sight before her had her stuttering to a halt
A throne made from pure ice was a mere ten feet in front of her upon a double step platform. The occupant of the throne was a gorgeously pale woman dressed in a fabric that, if Anna didn't know any better, looked to be made of ice and delicate lace. A shimmering dark blue cape draped over a shoulder and flowed out from underneath her. The collar was covered with soft white fur and wrapped around her slim pale neck, camouflaging the thick white blonde braid draped over her shoulder. But it was those intense and curious arctic blue eyes staring down at her that gave Anna even more pause. That sense of familiarity niggled at her mind again.
"You're…you're the Snow Queen." She lifted her hand to point at the pale woman. Realizing that was rude to do she dropped her hand as a hard wooden object slammed into the back of her head. Even with the padding of the hood that was enough to bring the dull throb into a sharp ache.
Seeing bright spots in her eyes Anna had enough, ripping the hood and face mask off she spun on her knees and glared up into the faces of the men behind her.
"Hit me again and I'll shove that spear so far up your ass you'll be tasting splinters for a month!" Staring at them she noticed the look of shock on their faces and how they had taken a few paces back.
Anna was officially confused, first they were rough and manhandled her. Now they looked like they saw a ghost.
It didn't make any sense.
Feeling the hairs stand up on the back of her neck, she turned back around towards the throne. There standing right in front of her was the Snow Queen staring down at her with wide eyes and trembling hands. A flash of pain and sadness crossed that pale face, Anna's own heart clenching at the sight.
"Anna?" It was a quiet broken whisper, filled with tentative hope.
"Anna Sumner, archeologist and linguist." Twisting her hands together, she fidgeted at the silence that permeated the room now. Glancing around quickly, the staff and guards had all paused to openly gape at her.
"Um, is there a reason why everyone seems to know my name?"