From the very beginning, Anna brought out the best in her.

o~o~o

The entire castle was bustling with activity the day she was born. Servants rushed around with armfuls of hastily gathered wood for the many fireplaces. As they each were lit, they crackled angrily for a minute or so and then petered out with wisps of smoke and a few desperate, fading embers.

Elsa sat on a bench by the door to her Mama and Papa's chambers. Her favorite doll was nestled into her arms and she hugged it tight, eyes screwed shut.

"It'll be okay… right, Ser Jorgenbjorgen? It's just a little cold. She'll be okay!" Her hug was fierce as she whispered it to herself, over and over, until Gerda came and knelt before her.

"Princess? You should be in bed."

Elsa saw the puff of air leave Gerda's mouth and fill the space between them. It was only getting colder.

"Can I see her?" Elsa almost shouted.

Gerda stared in shock. "Her?" She replied after a pause. "How do you-"

"My sister! I wanna see my sister!"

The wind outside howled and beat upon the castle walls, windows shuddering under the strain.

"She's okay, right?" The tears were forming fast, and while it's been cold for hours now, she can finally begin to feel the bitter chill.

She doesn't hate it. She never has. She knows she should, but it feels… soft. Enveloping and comfortable. She always protested when her parents made her bundle up to play outside, and they never listened before.

"Yes… she's managing just fine," Gerda said. She looked worried, and that scared the little princess. She knew when an adult was fibbing to make her feel better. Papa did it all the time when she asked why Mama always looked so sleepy.

"Is Mama okay?" She blurted, eyes wide.

"Yes, Princess. They are both doing well. They're fighting off the chill and we're keeping the room as warm as we can for them."

"O-okay, good! So, let me go see them. Please, Gerda?" If they're okay, then she should be allowed in, right?

"No, El- Princess… first, we need to get you warmed up. It is frightfully cold out here and-"

"No!" Elsa pounded the seat beside her with her fists and the cold wind bit into them both. "No, I'm fine. I just want to see her. Please!"

She paused, staring down at the girl, and Elsa looked at her as imperiously as she could manage. At three and a half years old, her air of authority was… questionable. But Gerda relented in this matter that was clearly so important to the little one. "Very well. I will ask your father. Just wait here, all right?"

Elsa nodded with a wet, grateful smile, but when Gerda turned away, her blue eyes flashed with determination. As soon as Gerda grabbed the handle, and the door creaked open, Elsa bolted from her seat and charged into the room. Her eyes alighted on ice-covered walls. She heard the muffled cries of her baby sister, wrapped up in a bundle in her Mama's arms.

Mama looked so tired… So much more tired than usual.

"Elsa!" Her Papa's voice rang out in the still air.

"Your Majesty, I apologize. She wanted so badly to see her."

Elsa's arms fell to her side. Her little stuffed friend dragging along the cold floor as she slowly made her way to her Mama's bedside.

"Sweetheart," came the frail, thin voice. "You'll catch your death in here. Go to your chambers, okay? The servants are keeping them nice and warm for you." Her breathing was labored.

"Mama… can I meet her? I just want to see my sister. Please, why won't anyone let me?!" She didn't understand. She just wanted a look. She finally had a friend! Why was she being kept away?

Her parents exchanged a look, and Elsa's annoyance flared. "Please!" She shouted again. She was so tired of being kept in the dark.

Her Papa nodded and with a beleaguered motion, her Mama beckoned her closer. Elsa clambered onto the bed and peered into the bundle of blankets in her Mama's arms.

The first thing she saw was an impossible amount of fiery red hair. It was so messy and soft and it tickled her nose and she couldn't help but giggle. Then she heard the soft cries. They weren't muffled by the blankets like she thought. They were just… weak. Her baby sister's arms flailed slowly, tiny fists punching at the blankets. Elsa reached out and stroked the poor thing.

In that moment… That infinitesimal brush of her fingers against a warm, wrinkled brow, everything shifted. Elsa could feel the temperature of the room rising. A burst of magic flowed through her chest, down her arms, and burst forth from her fingers. There was no light. No sound. But she felt it. Something new within her. It felt odd and she paid it very little mind.

There were more important things to focus on.

A soft cry grabbed her undivided attention once again. The little baby cooed and garbled and grabbed for her, blind and helpless. She looked to her Mama, and she was smiling - beaming at her.

"Someone just made a new friend," the Queen said with a song in her voice. There were tears in her eyes and what seemed like relief as her shoulders fell with a sigh.

The King cleared his throat, looking somewhat alarmed. "The cold…" He trailed off, worry plain in his voice. "She must-"

"Elsa?"

She turned her gaze from the tiny, squirming baby to see her Mama looking at her with such a warm expression. "Yes, Mama?"

"Would you like to hold your little sister?"

She grinned up at her. "Yes, please!"

The Queen chuckled and directed her to sit back with her arms out, ready to cradle the tiny bundle of blankets and person.

"This," she said softly, shifting as she placed the weight into Elsa's arms, "is Anna."

"Ah-nuh," she repeated slowly, eyes trained on her sister, brow furrowed in deep concentration.

"You'll have a big job ahead of you, Elsa. You'll be her role model. The person she looks up to most in all the world. Her big sister."

"Yes, Mama." Elsa felt the weight of the Queen's words deep in her chest, and she found them to be the most wonderful burden she could ever hope to bear. She inclined her head and brushed her lips to her sister's forehead, muttering a sacred promise.

"Don't worry, Anna. Your big sis will always keep you safe."

A/N: This was just a short little thing I wrote for ElsannaFluff's July 2018 contest. You can consider this to be a part of Shattered Glass canon. :)