Jeez, this simple conversation got away from me and turned into a 1500+ word one-shot. This Idea came to me before I even saw Frozen, (I saw it two days ago, I loved it!) and really built after I saw the movie. It bothered me a little bit that Grand Pabbie showed Elsa an image of her adult self getting killed. To him, it probably seemed like he was warning her, which he was, but still. She was, what, 6? 7?
Please comment if you see any mistakes. :)
Anyway, I don't own Frozen or any of its characters(sadly).
I do own my OC and this little plot bunny.
"Why did you tell her Pabbie?" a wispy voice questioned from beside the wise troll. Pabbie turned to face the speaker, a young woman dressed in heavy, layered skirts who crouched upon a stone outcropping next to him.
"She needed to know," was the troll's simple response. The young woman shook her head, rattling the many beads in her hair before turning her gaze to meet Pabbie's. Her emerald green eyes were glazed, foggy almost,but within them burned anger and frustration.
"She's only a child," the young woman snapped, her wispy voice becoming raspy with anger.
"That's precisely why she needed to know," Pabbie answered calmly. "She will learn to control her power before she reaches adulthood".
"Not under her father's teachings she won't," the young woman muttered, her eyes turning from Pabbie's and falling upon the hoof prints in the grass.
"Honestly Vala," Pabbie began, only to be cut short.
"No Pabbie," Vala interrupted, her words harsh and bitter. "You saw the look on Elsa's face, on theirfaces when you showed them. Elsa's parents may love her, but they also fear her the most". Pabbie opened his mouth to argue, but Vala continued before he could say a word. "You know as well as I do that her father sees her gift as a curse," Vala spat the last word, her lips pressing into a thin line. "He'll tell her to conceal, not feel, and not let anyone know".
"Be that as it may," Pabbie began softly to avoid Vala spouting off again, "She will have the rest of her childhood to master her powers". Vala's head snapped back to face the elder troll, her auburn hair flaring as her molten gaze bore into Pabbie's calm one.
"That's what you don't see," Vala hissed, her voice low and dangerous. "She won't have a childhood". Vala then heaved a sigh and promptly deflated, leaving Pabbie slightly baffled with her mood swing. "I...I respect you as a friend and an elder Pabbie," she stammered as her expression saddened and her gaze dropped to the ground, "But by choosing to show her…," Vala paused, sighing. "You might as well have condemned her".
Pabbie was taken aback by Vala's words and could hear the other trolls muttering behind them. He knew Vala was as stubborn as a mule and always spoke her mind if she disagreed, it usually lead to arguments or tense situations. But never had she accused him of this. As the elder troll, he had to keep peace between his people and other spirits. Not wanting to start a brawl, which were common affairs whenever the foggy-eyed spirit came to visit, Pabbie resorted to a straight-forward method.
"Why do you accuse me of condemning Elsa?". Vala's eyes rose to meet Pabbie's once again at his gazed mournfully at Pabbie as he waited for her answer. Seeing that Vala was being tight-lipped, Pabbie continued. "I know that despite your blindness, you see far more than I," he said softly, moving to place a hand on the young spirit's shoulder. "What do you see my child?"
Vala turned from Pabbie and stood, pulling her rune covered shawl tighter about her shoulders. She walked a few paces before coming to a tall stone embedded in the earth of the valley. The stone towered above Vala and was flat on one side, like someone ground it smooth. Vala ran her hand over the surface before she stepped back. With a flick of her wrist black sand coated the stone, swirling along the surface.
"I see…," Vala began, her voice wispy again. "A door, closed and locked…," she flicked her fingers and a snowflake patterned door appeared in the sand. "Spring on one side, winter on the other…," the picture shifted to Elsa and Anna separated by the door. "A childhood stolen by fear…," Vala's voice became raspy with a dangerous mixture of anger and sadness as the image shifted again to show a young Elsa crying, her back against the same door. "A young queen kept from her people and her sister," the sand briefly showed and adult Elsa, complete with crown, before Vala swept a hand to the side and the grains dissipated. Vala turned from the stone and faced Pabbie, her gaze forlorn. "This is what lies in Elsa's future, dictated by the actions of the past," Vala stated morosely.
Silence coated the clearing as the other trolls turned to Pabbie, gazing at him expectantly. Pabbie stood quietly, his expression thoughtful. Had he made the right decision? He wasn't so sure anymore. Although the young spirit was less experienced than himself, her predictions were always correct, or at least extremely close. But then again, the future wasn't set in stone.
"Are these events definite?" Pabbie questioned cautiously.
"For the time being, yes," Vala said softly.
"Can you see any events that would alter the future's course?" Pabbie asked, aware of the other trolls' eyes upon him and Vala. Vala closed her eyes, rubbing the woolen fabric of her shawl between her fingers. There was a pregnant pause before her eyes opened to meet Pabbie's patient gaze.
"That is uncertain," Vala replied. "My gaze only reaches so far".
"Then there is a chance that the future will change," Pabbie said calmly, the other trolls murmuring with agreement.
"There is another side to that coin," Vala countered, regaining the attention of the other trolls. "There is also a chance that nothing will happen, and the future will retain its' course".
"Why must you be so downhearted Vala?" Pabbie asked, huffing slightly in exasperation.
"I'm not being downhearted, I'm stating what I see," she snapped. Pabbie could tell that Vala was getting riled up, and her patience was wearing thin.
"Vala, calm down…"
"No!"
A collective gasp arose from the clearing. No one had ever yelled at Grand Pabbie before. "I will not calm down! I will not be silenced…," Vala seethed. The other trolls began backing away from the raging spirit, they had never seen her this livid before. "...and I will not allow history to repeat itself!". Vala glared at Pabbie, her eyes churning with emotion. The tension that hung about the clearing was heavier than the largest troll in attendance.
"Repeat itself?," Pabbie questioned cautiously, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"I don't want Elsa to end up like me!" Vala shouted before turning on her heel and throwing her arms wide, the black sand exploding from her out stretched palms. The stone Vala used before was engulfed, the sand writhing across its' surface. The sand twisted to show a small girl, walking hand in hand with her parents. The image shifted, showing the same girl clutching her parents hands and sobbing as they lay motionless on the ground. The trolls watched on in horror as the sand swirled to reveal an older version of the girl being chased by an angry mob. Then the girl, trapped, her arms raised above her in a futile attempt to defend herself against the onslaught. And then...nothing.
Pabbie's eyes darted back to Vala as the sand slithered off the stone. Vala stood stiffly, her head bowed and fists clenched so hard that her knuckles had gone white. The blind spirit never mentioned her past when she visited, and discreetly diverted the subject whenever anyone had asked about it. Pabbie never could have imagined that such sorrows plagued her. Perhaps he could have comforted her more, had Vala ever told him.
The sorrowful murmurs of the trolls fell silent as Vala turned, pulling her shawl tight around her in an attempt to comfort herself. She had tried for so long to forget her previous life. But in her frustration and anger she ripped open the wound that never truly healed. Her emotions overflowed onto her cheeks as she raised her gaze to Pabbie's once more, her bright eyes now dull and clouded with woe.
"I-I don't want Elsa to…," Vala stammered as she choked back a sob. "I don't want Elsa to suffer my fate". She turned and started to walk slowly from the clearing, letting the black sand seep from her fingertips and settle between her shoulder blades. The sand stretched and splayed before sloughing off to reveal a pair of pristine white wings. Dove wings. Vala turned her head to look one last time at the gathering of trolls before turning her gaze to Pabbie, her eyes glazed.
"I respect you deeply Pabbie," Vala managed to say, her voice wavering. "But was your decision a wise one?" Pabbie stared back into her emerald orbs, silent. He wanted desperately to wipe away the crystal tears that flowed down her cheeks, but was afraid he might distress her more if he tried to comfort her. So he bowed his head, a look of deep apology written in his eyes.
Vala then turned and launched herself from the ground, soaring to meet the stars that littered the sky. The trolls watched her depart until she was nothing more than a speck in the moonlight, looks of sorrow upon their faces.
"Was it the right decision to tell Elsa?," Bulda asked quietly from beside Pabbie. Pabbie sighed sadly as he watched Vala disappear, his eyes still trained on the moon.
"She needed to know".
Anyone who can guess what Vala's name means gets a virtual cookie!
Please leave a comment, the support is appreciated!