The grandfather clock's pendulum rocked slowly back and forth. It's rhythmic tocking the only sound and only proof that time was passing. For the sisters in the room, the world could have ended; the tide could have crashed through the breakers and drowned their subjects; an enemy could have laid waste to the castle and pillaged the city. As long as the room was there, as long as the person across from them was there, nothing else mattered.

Elsa hadn't told Anna everything. She told her about what happened in the ice palace, but found herself unable to continue. She didn't understand the images and emotions that had assaulted her. It had been animalistic, brutal, and terrifying. But she didn't want to frighten Anna anymore.

Not Anna, who had damaged herself trying to free Elsa from her strange icy prison. Not Anna, who had cried when Elsa had finally woken up, so relieved and grateful that she couldn't speak.

Anna had her head bowed. The girls were still touching each others' hands lightly, like a reminder that the other sister was there, was real. Try as she might, Elsa's eyes could not keep themselves away, and her gaze dropped to Anna's hands. They were bandaged, white gauze covering her delicate skin from elbow to fingertip. Anna claimed it didn't hurt, but Elsa never missed the way she cradled her hands close to her stomach, afraid to bump them against things. And even though it was her sister's ice that hurt her, the only thing Anna never hesitated to touch was Elsa.

Anna lifted her head.

"Elsa. Thank you." Elsa nods absently. Anna continues.

"I know you're not telling me everything," Elsa flinches and meets Anna's eyes, "but it's okay. Just know that I'm always here for you, Elsa." Tears streamed down the queen's face and she bit her lip to stop herself from breaking down completely. Anna stood and opened her arms. Elsa leaned into her embrace -head resting on Anna's chest- both touched and confused by her understanding and silently cursing her own weakness. With all this power, she could be a demon. Yet she still needed the touch of this girl, this wonderful younger sister, to banish her darkest fears.

Anna spoke into her hair.

"I've been thinking…"

Elsa tried to make a joke, anything to break the tension, but it came out half choked. Anna helped her out.

"A dangerous pastime, I know. But I think I know what we have to do." Elsa's head shot up, nearly clocking Anna on the chin.

"Whoa there, Elsa. You already got me on the other side. I don't need a matching set." It was meant to be funny, but Anna heard Elsa's breath catch and immediately regretted it.

"Oh gods Elsa, I'm sorry! I, I didn't mean anything by it," softer, "It wasn't your fault." Elsa made a little noise, like a half-sob, half-laugh.

"Why can't you just say it was my fault? Wouldn't it be easier?"

Anna frowned, "You want me to lie to you?" Elsa felt a small stab in her heart and fresh tears stung her eyes. Anna threw her hands up into the air.

"Why can't I say anything right!?" Sighing, Anna composed herself. When she finally turned her eyes back, Elsa saw no fear, no hesitation, just resolute calm and affection.

"Elsa, I'm sorry. I love you, no matter what. We are going to get through this, and I know where to start. This is something unnatural, even beyond your powers. There is only one place, one people, that know strange magic better than anyone else. We need to ask the Trolls."

Elsa was silent for a moment. Anna gently raised Elsa's chin with her hand. She did not understand what she saw in those eyes, but Anna knew her sister trusted her.

"After all, look what they've done for us already?" Elsa nodded, then pressed her cheek into the palm of Anna's hand. Anna took her elbow and helped her stand.

"But we need to go right now."

"Why?" Elsa asked, confused at Anna's sudden urgency.

Anna paused, then looked Elsa dead in the eyes. "Elsa. Tell me honestly: how long have you been having these 'episodes'?" Tentative, Elsa confessed about three weeks. "And when do they happen, specifically?"

"At night, though as time went on it came closer and closer to sundown…" Realizing what Anna was getting at, Elsa spun around and looked out the windows. Although she could not see the sun, she could tell by the light it was around midday.

"And that's why we should go, right now. We'll barely make it to the Valley of the Living Rock before sundown as it is."

Elsa, always having to think of these things, reminded Anna, "We're royalty. We can't just go missing for the night, people will notice. I can make my way to Valley, alone, telling the staff I've been called away on urgent business, while you stay here and continue to rule in my stead."

"Absolutely not. Elsa, you are not going alone. You haven't even been to the valley since you were small-"

"Anna!"

"No, Elsa!" Anna shouted. Seeing she was losing, Elsa straightened and took a step back from Anna. She didn't want to do this, but she saw no other choice.

"Princess Anna, as Queen of Arendelle, I command you stay here and preside over the queendom while I am away." Shaking, Elsa turned from her sister, unable to bear the shock and anger written on the her face.

For a moment, Anna cannot speak. Then, she explodes.

"Why, Elsa!? This is crazy, you can't possibly be thinking of leaving me here! There is more going on here, and you're still not telling me! What are you so afraid of?"

With that, Elsa breaks, whipping back around to her sister, half-blinded by tears of fury and fear.

"I WILL NOT HURT YOU AGAIN!"

Stunned, Anna falls silent, her anger subsiding. "I will not, not again, not ever," Elsa repeats, breathing heavily.

There's silence, then Anna nods and starts towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

Anna stops, hand resting on the door handle.

"I'm going to tell the head advisor that he is in charge tonight. Pack some clothes and meet me by the stables. I'll grab some food from the kitchens. You have one hour."

Anna pushes down on the latch and opens the door. She's almost out when she looks back and sees Elsa's face. Her eyebrows are twitching and her mouth is opening and closing like a fish. She looks like she doesn't know whether or not to get angry, so before Elsa can decide, Anna smiles.

"And don't worry. You won't hurt me. You can't."

Then she closes the door.

Elsa ended up beating Anna to the stables. She was dressed in a long black tunic, pants, and purple cloak, much like the outfit she had worn when she escaped from the coronation ball. When Anna arrived, Elsa was standing next to her horse, Værge, a young red haired stallion with a red and white striped mane, stroking him absently. Elsa heard her come in and turned in greeting. Anna's chosen riding outfit was almost the same as what she had bought from the Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna, with the exception of riding boots instead of winter ones and the lack of furry hat.

"Are you ready?" Anna tightened the saddle on Fri, her black and white horse. Elsa nodded, still quiet. While she was packing food into the saddle bags, Anna had an interesting thought.

"Elsa, have you ever ridden a horse?"

Elsa's sharp bark of laughter dissolved her nervous appearance. "Yes Anna I've ridden on horseback before. Father used to take me out when you had lessons. Those were the best days, hooves drumming the ground and wind whipping through my hair. It just felt like I was finally free, like if I could get far enough away, things would just…" She faltered and coughed, realizing she'd said more than she intended. She'd been smiling, but when she continued, it was gone. "I only wished that I could have done it with you," she said wistfully. Anna walked over and placed a hand on Elsa's forearm. The blonde smiled at the gesture.

"Well now you can ride with me. Mount up, Elsa, we have a long way to go." The sisters climbed up on their horses and walked them onto the cobbles of the courtyard. Anna immediately faced Fri towards the long bridge leading to the village but Elsa called out to her, motioning another way.

"We don't want to frighten the citizens. Seeing both members of their ruling monarch leaving the castle without any kind of fanfare might cause more trouble than we can handle right now. Come with me, I know a different way." Impressed, Anna flicked her reins and followed Elsa. They went around to the opposite side of the castle, where the mountains ran straight into the sea.

"This is the route Father would always take me, to make sure… you never saw me," she said softly. Both girls stopped their horses. To their left was the sea, glittering brightly in the midmorning sun. Gulls flew over the fjord and landed on the massive bows and masts of Arenelle's ships. Sprawled before them was the Stor mountain range. Anna marveled at it's rolling peaks and snow filled crags. She was suddenly struck at how difficult the journey to the North Mountain must have been for Elsa. She couldn't even see it from where they sat, even with the added boost of a horse's height. She stole a quick glance at her sister. If Elsa had cast her mind back to that night and all of what happened, it didn't show.

"We'll have to travel through those hills, then rejoin the main path through the mountains further south," Elsa commented, pointing. "After that…," she fidgeted and her horse sidestepped nervously in response, "you'll have to take over." She didn't like admitting it, but Anna had been right. She couldn't remember the exact route their parents had taken the night she'd hit Anna with her powers. In fact, most of that ride was a blur, the only clear image was little unconscious Anna and Elsa's all consuming fear for her sister's life.

Elsa tossed her head a bit, breaking away from her memories and turned her gaze towards the now grown Anna.

"Shall we?"

Anna beamed and Elsa found herself smiling in return. She gently kicked Værge and took the lead, Anna laughing and bouncing in the stirrups behind her.

When they finally rejoined the main path, they were deep in the mountains. Anna was secretly glad Elsa was ahead of her. She had continually picked out small dangers on the route that Anna would have ignored completely, and would have ended up hurting Fri or herself. The route was also extremely narrow, with no way for the horses to walk side by side. This was likely the main reason they hadn't run into any travelers yet: the path was secluded and hard to navigate, unlike the highway running from the capitol to it's smaller settlements, which was wide and safe.

"From this moment on we should try to keep a lower profile. Put your cloak's hood up and keep your head down. We can't do anything about the horses, so we'll just have to hope they're not recognized." Anna did as she was told, but couldn't help snorting at her sister. How could anyone fail to recognize the queen and the princess? But Elsa's posture changed immediately and Anna was surprised. She'd hunched forward and hid her hair, letting her cloak trail down her back, disguising her nice-looking clothing, while her hands switched from one-handed to the two-handed grip of a man. From a distance, Anna imagined you wouldn't even be able to discern her gender.

She felt a small twinge of sadness for her sister. Elsa had reacted so quickly, changed every part of her appearance to be inconspicuous. More of Father's teaching.

They continued most of their ride in silence. If they ran into a traveler, Elsa would adjust her course so that Værge was always in between the stranger and Anna. When she protested, Elsa's answer was swift and direct.

"Anna, though you are the princess and I the queen, people are more likely to know of and realize who you are. I'm just trying to make it harder for them to see you." Anna sulked but saw the sense in her sister's words.

Hours passed and the Valley of the Living Rocks came into view. Hot springs under the earth heated the area constantly, making steam drift lazily into the sky all hours of the day. As such, the Valley was nearly always covered in a dense haze, making it an unattractive destination for travelers. This suited the Trolls just fine, not wanting anything along the lines of attention, preferring instead to keep to themselves.

The girls would often have races, seeing who could beat whom to little landmarks along the road. Anna enjoyed the speed but Elsa was always cautionary. That being said, Elsa's riding skills were far beyond Anna's and she won every time. It was during one of these races that Anna felt something was wrong.

Elsa had beaten her for the ninth time in a row. Her cheeks were flushed and her breathing a little staggered from the intensity of the run. Værge was merely panting, making little nickering noises that just might have been laughter. Elsa had turned to Anna, probably to tease her, when her eyes suddenly lost focus and she pressed her fingers to her brow. It was a small thing, but Anna's heart plummeted into her stomach. Elsa, seeing Anna's look of distress, reassured her.

"It's nothing Anna. Just a little winded." But she continued to hold her head in her hand for a few moments. Then without warning, she slumped forward in her saddle, nearly hitting her head on the pommel.

"Elsa!" Anna cried. She kicked Fri forcefully and rushed over to Elsa's side. Elsa remained unmoving, her hood pushed back to reveal her white braid. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she was sweating lightly. Anna put a hand on her shoulder and Elsa rocketed back up like she'd been electrocuted. Værge, startled by the swift movement, bucked, forcing Anna to move back. Elsa would have been thrown off had her hand not already been on the reins. Having recovered slightly, Elsa attempted to calm Værge, but the animal would not hold still.

Anna was staring, not sure how to help, when light caught in her eye, making her blink. She looked for the source, unsuccessful until Værge moved to his left. Elsa's hair fell into the sunlight and lit up, blinding Anna again.

The situation crashed into her like a hammer blow.

"Elsa, the sun!" Elsa turned her head, searching.

The girls were between two cliffs. The sun was dropping rapidly behind one, casting it's shadow along the ground and slowly upwards along the opposite side.

"It's almost sundown," Elsa breathed. As if the words made it true, the shadow of the cliff covered them entirely. Elsa's hair no longer shone, in fact it took on a strange colorless hue. The moment the shadows of the cliff enveloped her head, Elsa sucked air in sharply through her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut. Værge was getting increasingly restless, jostling Elsa, so Anna made a split second decision.

Vaulting off Fri, Anna ran over to Værge and patted his nose, making little sounds she hoped were soothing. That taken care of, she crossed to Elsa. Though her face was now covered by her hands, Anna could tell her sister was slipping. Her shoulders twitched and her breath came in gasps.

"Elsa?"

At the sound of her name, Elsa moved her hands away, and Anna bit back a scream. Darkness swirled in her eyes, clouding the diamond blue and turning it a murky gray. Though alarmed, Anna shoved it to the back of her mind. She had to focus if they were going to make it on time.

"Elsa, I'm going to help you off your horse now. Ready? One, two…," On three, Anna pushed Elsa's foot out of the stirrup and gently swung it over the horse's back. Anna continued to explain everything she was doing, taking the tone of a parent speaking to a small child. The last thing she wanted to do was scare Elsa and risk accelerating the process.

"That's it. Now, other foot and… down you come." With Elsa off her horse, Anna turned and whacked Værge in the flank. Værge bolted, heading back towards the castle as he had been trained to do. Anna then threw Elsa's arm over her own shoulder and took the girl's weight against herself.

"Anna? What happened? Where's Værge?" Anna very nearly dropped Elsa when she heard her voice. Elsa seemed to have come back to herself. Her eyes were not completely clear, but she stood up straighter, even resisting help from Anna.

"He was starting to panic after you… um, yeah. So I took you off and sent him back to the castle." Elsa was silent for a moment. Then she rested a hand on Anna's shoulder and spoke.

"Now Fri will have to carry both of us." She met Anna's gaze and held it. Anna tried not to flinch, but the darkness in Elsa's eyes unnerved her. It flexed and moved, almost like it was alive. "We should h-hurry. I don't know how m-much longer-" Elsa screwed her eyes shut again and grit her teeth. The hand on Anna's shoulder gripped her tightly, balling the fabric and pinching the flesh underneath. Elsa was trembling. Anna tugged her towards Fri and helped Elsa mount him. Anna pulled herself up after, sitting behind her sister in the saddle. Elsa leaned back into Anna, and Anna gasped. Elsa was freezing! Even through all of her clothes, Elsa radiated cold like a mid-winter chill.

Anna threw an arm around Elsa's waist and shouted, "Hurry Fri, hurry! Hiyah!" The horse took off, gathering speed as they raced against the sun.

"We're almost there, hold on Elsa!" Anna couldn't see her sister's face, but she felt Elsa nod weakly into her chest.

They'd been riding at full gallop for half an hour. The sun was a liquid gold half circle that seemed to cling to the mountain edge, trying to buy time for the desperate sisters below. Elsa had gotten increasingly colder, to the point where it was starting to sting her skin, but Anna kept on. Fri rode up the last part of the hill, frothing at the mouth. When he crested the hill, Anna pulled back on the reins, stopping him.

Before them lay the home of the Trolls. It had always reminded Anna of a bowl with layers, each circle getting wider the farther it was from the middle.

"Help! Pabbie, are you here? We need to speak with you!" Anna dismounted and slowly helped Elsa out of the saddle. Like the night before, Elsa's breathing had become labored, than increasingly shallow with little snowflakes beginning to fill every breath. Elsa could barely move her legs and her head remained down, her white hair covering any and all parts of her face.

From all around came a great rumbling and stones began to roll into the clearing. When they got closer, they stopped and popped open, revealing the small creatures to be the Trolls they'd come for.

"It's the Princess," one said.

"What's going on, why is she here?" Another one questioned.

There was a hush and the Trolls parted to allow a larger Troll to enter. This one was older and wiser than the rest, the King of the Trolls, affectionately called Pabbie by those who knew him well.

"Princess Anna. Queen Elsa. As much it is an honor, it seems we have have a larger problem at hand. You may lay her here." Anna walked Elsa over to a soft, moss covered stone. Picking the blonde up, Anna placed her as gently as possible onto the stone. As soon as Elsa's body touched it, the moss froze and frost began to spread along the rest of the rock. Anna took Elsa's hand and lost her breath, the bandages doing nothing to shield her from the cold. Frost formed on her hands, but she only squeezed tighter. Though Elsa was barely conscious, Anna wanted her to know she was not alone.

"Anna? Did we… are we here?" Elsa's voice was less than a whisper. Her eyes stared straight ahead, unseeing. The darkness had come back during the ride, swiftly blocking out the blue of her eyes. Now, they were almost black, the barest hint of white fighting at the corners.

On the verge of tears, Anna replied, "Yes, we're here. Pabbie's going to talk with you. He's going to make it right Elsa."

"G-good…" Elsa managed. She breathed rapidly a few more times, then sighed heavily before closing her eyes. Anna squeezed her hand again, but got no response.

"Anna…" The redhead turned her tear filled eyes towards Pabbie. With tremendous force of will, Anna relinquished Elsa's hand and let Pabbie move next to her. Pabbie placed a hand on Elsa's brow and closed his eyes. Anna was taken a little further away by some of the female Trolls, giving her comfort in numbers and presence.

Minutes went by but it felt like days to Anna. When Pabbie finally turned and beckoned her over, it took all of her self control not to run.

"Anna, sit."

She already didn't like where this was going.

"Anna this… this is dark magic. What is happening to your sister is unlike any we have seen in hundreds of years, long before Arendelle was even settled." Pabbie paused to gather his thoughts. Anna took the moment to check on her sister. Elsa huffed, but it was clear breathing was becoming difficult. Her eyes were tightly shut and one arm was draped over her stomach protectively. Sweat ran down her face and neck and her hands kept making fists, then relaxing and repeating the motion.

In that moment, Elsa looked so vulnerable, so unlike the strong, capable sister she was, that Anna began to cry. Pabbie turned to her and took both of her hands in his rough ones.

"Anna, listen to me. You were right to think that this is unnatural. As I said, this is dark magic. Something is invading Elsa's thoughts and dreams. The blackouts your sister has been experiencing will only get worse."

As he spoke, icicles began forcing themselves from the ground. They grew thickly around Elsa, forcing Anna to stand and take steps back. To Anna's dismay, the ice shell began to form. The redhead sobbed openly, clinging to Pabbie's hands, as Elsa's form became blurred and warped by the ice. The Troll King watched Anna's face, watched as Anna realized that there was nothing she could do, watched grief carve lines on a face too young. When he spoke, she was startled by his sincerity.

"This has happened before, hasn't it? Oh Anna, I am so sorry. If it brings even the smallest bit of comfort, know this. Your sister's ice is not trying to shut you out. Rather it is her unconscious effort to protect herself. She does not know what she is doing. Do you understand?"

Anna wasn't sure she did. Pabbie explained.

"She is fighting, Anna." The Troll gripped her hands tightly. " She has not forgotten you, even in her darkest hour. She is not just fighting for herself. She is fighting to for you."

Fresh tears made their way down Anna's face and she fell to her knees. Her bandaged fingers brushed the ice above Elsa's head, needing to pretend she was touching Elsa herself.

"Elsa… Thank you," she breathed. Then she kissed the ice above Elsa's forehead and was silent for a few moments.

When she looked back to Pabbie, there was a fierce light in her eye.

"What can we do? There has to be some way to stop this from happening to her!" Pabbie, caught off guard by her forcefulness, mumbled something Anna couldn't make out. "You know something, don't you?"

The Troll King nodded slowly, but put up a hand to stop Anna's question.

"It is not something to be done lightly, Anna. Please, allow me to consult with the other Trolls." Anna agreed, adding, "But know this Pabbie: Elsa will not be fighting this battle alone. Not if I can help it."

Pabbie walked towards the edge of the clearing, out of hearing range, calling out names of Trolls, who joined him quickly. They spoke for a few moments with a lot of gesturing and fast talking. Anna waited, but constantly checked on Elsa, hoping for a change. She heard the soft padding of Troll feet and ripped her gaze away from the ice to meet Pabbie's eyes. He suddenly looked older, and Anna was sure that wasn't a good sign.

"Princess Anna. We do know a way to help your sister, but it is very dangerous. There is a chance you may lose your life and there would be nothing we could do to stop it." He cleared his throat before continuing. "Anna, you are a princess. It may not be my place, but I feel I must remind you that, in Elsa's place, you are the last remaining heir to Arendelle's-,"

"It doesn't matter," Anna interrupted. Pabbie blinked, surprised. Anna raised her head and looked him straight in the eyes. "There will be no queendom if Elsa…," dies she thinks, but cannot utter it aloud, fearing if she did it would become truth. Anna inhaled, then continued.

"I will do whatever it takes."

Pabbie nods, sad and proud for the girl at the same time. "Elsa is truly loved," he said. Anna, not knowing how to respond, remained silent.

Pabbie calls the Trolls he was speaking with earlier around him then turns back to Anna.

"The spell we are about to cast has not been used in a very very long time. Though it pains me to say it, we cannot allow you to watch. We Trolls have withheld the secret of our magic for generations, and it is a hard habit to break. Don't worry, Elsa is not in danger of our magic, but we would ask that you not be in the immediate area."

Though slightly put out, Anna agreed with the terms, knowing the Trolls were not being intentionally rude. She got up from the ground and walked to Fri, taking his reins and moving downhill.

She couldn't see, but she did listen. There wasn't much at first, but then the air started to hum. Anna could feel it in her bones. Only later did she understand that it was the sound of Trolls singing. It wasn't any language she knew, but Anna suspected that wasn't just because she hadn't payed attention to her tutor. It was old, before measured time: the body making music with the earth.

A violent crack rent the night air and Anna felt the hairs on her arms stand on end. She looked to the sky and was awed to see it lit up like when she was a child. All the light seemed to be flowing from the top of the hill behind her, but she dared not look. Not yet anyway.

Eventually, a small Troll rolled up to her and tugged on her cloak.

"It's ready Princess." Anna thanked him, then followed him up the hill. Before she got too far, she remembered Fri.

"Go home boy. Find Værge and tell him I'm sorry." She rubbed his nose and let go of his reins. Fri trotted off down the hill, becoming lost in the haze until he was completely out of sight.

Pabbie met her on the top of the hill. She took his hand gratefully and he led her to a dug out area in the middle of the clearing. Elsa's ice shell had been placed in the center. Anna looked at her and felt panic claw at her chest when she couldn't tell if she was breathing or not. Pabbie pulled her up short.

"She is merely resting. The spell works best when the subject is deeply unconscious, so we cast a separate spell for easy sleep.

He let go of her hand, encouraged to see Anna not run, but stand tall with determination, even in the face of the unknown. He spread his hands. As he did so, an image appeared in the air next to the hole. It was about seven feet tall and twenty feet wide.

At first, Anna was terrified. This was a hole in reality. There was something right in front of her that she could not explain, could not comprehend. And she was expected to do something with it.

"Think of it like a window, Anna. What you are seeing is Elsa's dream."

It was Arendelle. The castle and bridge were on the left, the town on the right. It was like looking at the real place, except…

Anna couldn't quite place it, but something seemed off. Pabbie noticed her confusion and chuckled. "It's because she's taller." And so it was. Everything seemed just a little bit shorter, owing of course to the fact that Elsa was a good three inches taller than Anna.

"So is this what Elsa is seeing right now?"

"No, but it is from her perspective. You'll find her somewhere inside her mind's Arendelle. As to where exactly, I do not know."

Pabbie took her closer to the spell. When they got to the other side, Anna looked back, expecting to see the image reversed. But there was nothing! It's as if the floating picture did not exist at all. Anna could see straight through it; she even waved at a Troll across from where the image should have been and he waved back, mildly confused.

Bewildered, she questioned Pabbie with her eyes and a quick back and forth gesture of her hand.

"This is where we'll be able to observe you. When you enter the spell, you'll pop up on this side. We will see what you see and slightly around you. We won't be able to communicate, but we'll be able to make sure you're alright."

"Wait, so, I'm going in there!? How is that possible?"

Pabbie just waited patiently, smiling. Anna mentally smacked herself.

"Right… Magic"

"When you are ready, step back to the other side of the window. Then, just step in." Pabbie smiled again but Anna was flabbergasted.

"You just… step in."

Pabbie nodded again.

"Like walking through a doorway?" She asked a little breathlessly.

"Precisely."

Anna took a deep breath and balled her hands into fists. This was it. Anna paused a moment to take in all the Trolls' faces. They all believed in her, otherwise they wouldn't have helped at all.

"Thank you," she said, tears stinging her eyes. The silence was heavy as Anna made her way to the other side of the spell. Before her lay Elsa's Arendelle. Waves lapped at the docks and birds flew through the air.

Vaguely, Anna wondered if it would hurt. But before she could examine the feeling, she closed her eyes and stepped into the spell.