A/N: This one is definitely longer! Probably won't be like this for the next chapter, though. Also, I was able to upload this on the day Kingdom Hearts III comes out!
SHOUT OUTS-
Spiderfan626: I'm just being very vague about it but I will say that there will be hints of Sora and Kairi in future chapters, espically with the idea that I got planning. Don't worry, I ship Sora and Kairi too. They will team up but... Well, you're gonna have to read chapter four to see what I'm trying to say. ;)
The Trolls and Oaken's Trading Post
Elsa wasn't sure how she did it, but she was able to distract Hans long enough for her and her family to escape. As they ran to the stables, they were met with a confused Olaf and Sven, both wondering what was happening. The humans didn't have time to tell the others what was happening so they told Olaf to just get in the sleigh and had Kristoff hook Sven up.
That was how they found themselves in the Valley of the Trolls, telling Grand Pabbie what had happened to Arendelle and the weapon Hans had.
"This mirror, Grand Pabbie," Elsa continues as she recounts the events. "It was like my powers; having the control over ice and snow. But, there was something about it… It was like I actually felt the cold from it and I've never felt the cold before!"
The old troll hums when he hears this information. "Prince Hans, did he say where he gained this mirror?"
"Well, no," Anna answers. "We just know that mirror has powers like Elsa and Hans is currently throwing Arendelle into another Eternal Winter unless we give him the kingdom. Which is not going to happen by the way. I rather eat a jar of lutefisk than give him anything he wants! Ooh... If I see his smug face again I'm going to kick him right in his-!"
"Anna!" Elsa and Kristoff cut in before the young woman could say anything inappropriate in front of the rock children, who are currently playing with Olaf and Sven.
"Sorry!" Anna squeaks out when she realizes what she had almost said.
"Anyway," Kristoff turns back to Grand Pabbie. "Do you know what that mirror is supposed to be?"
The old troll nods, his face looking solemn. "I believe I do know what that mirror is, Kristoff, but it was an ancient power that I believed to be locked away forever by a powerful sorcerer. I would never imagine it being found like this."
"Where did it come from?" Elsa couldn't help but ask.
"It came from a woman who, like you, had power over the ice and snow," this makes Elsa's eyes widen. "She was once the Queen over these lands but not like you. No, her powers had corrupted her; freezing her heart bit by bit until it had completely warped her original personality. Her powers had caused devastating winters that spread throughout the land; destroying crops and cutting off trade. Plenty of her citizens pleaded for her to stop but no one can get through her frozen heart.
"Then, one day, a sorcerer from another world came with his apprentice. They saw the damage this Ice Queen was doing and brought up a solution to stop her; they used this special mirror that had the power to take away one's magic and be able to control it. They were successful, but alas, it came with a price.
"Without her magic to keep the ice in her heart at bay, the Queen's body had frozen to solid ice, forever. Knowing how dangerous the mirror was, the sorcerer and his apprentice stored it and the body of the Ice Queen into a cave that was near a village and tasked its citizens to protect it. The cave was supposed to be heavily guarded but, if what you told me is true, then I fear we're all in grave danger."
The citizens of Arendelle were speechless when Grand Pabbie ended his tale, Elsa especially. To think, there was once a woman like her who could control ice and snow and was the ruler of the same land. However, just hearing how the woman's own powers corrupted her brought a spark of fear in her heart. Was that what could've happened to her if she had never learned to control her powers?
She shook her head. Now was not the time to dwell on that. "Is there anything we can use to destroy that mirror? I mean, this sorcerer must've had a backup plan in case the mirror was found."
"Yes, he did," the old troll agreed. "When he hid the mirror, he also hid a weapon in a cave at the top of a mountain that stood close to the place where the mirror had been hidden. It is said to have the power to get rid of all magic, even magic from those who born with it, forever if said magic were to touch it."
"Wait, if this sorcerer had the power to get rid of the magic in the first place, why didn't he do it the first time?" Kristoff questions with a look of annoyance on his face. It just didn't make sense; wouldn't it be better to just get rid of the magic in the first place and save them all the trouble?
Grand Pabbie shot him a look like he just said the wrong thing. "Believe it or not, Kristoff, but the Ice Queen used to be a little girl. And that little girl died when the sorcerer had no choice but to put the thing keeping her body alive inside a mirror."
"Oh," the blonde mumbles. Now he felt like a huge jerk.
"So, is there any way we can find this mountain?" Anna cuts in, hoping to defuse the awkward situation between Kristoff and his adopted family member.
"Ah, I know I've got that old map somewhere," the troll moves his hands around his grass-made robe before pulling out an old, rolled-up piece paper. "Ah! Here it is!" he hands it over to Elsa.
"Thank you, Grand Pabbie," the Queen bows her head in respect. "I don't know how we can repay you."
"Well, you can always stop by for a get-together visit instead of a life crisis one," the old troll jokes, radiating a chuckle from Elsa.
"We'll try our best next time," Anna laughs before turning over to where Olaf and Sven are. "Hey, Olaf! Sven! It's time to go! We just found something that could help us kick Han's dirty little-!"
"Anna!" two voices rang out in the valley.
"Behind! I was going to say behind!"
The last time Mickey came to Arendelle spring had returned and the whole land was covered in greens. But now, as he stares off into the small window of the Gummi Ship, the area was once again covered in a thick amount of snow.
He's glad that he, Donald, and Goofy decided to bring in winter clothes when they left Master Yen Sid's tower. While he wasn't exactly sure if there was another Ice Queen in the land, he suspected that the mirror could've possibly sent the land into another winter if it was actually out.
And he didn't need another reminder of that magic's bitter coldness.
"We're here!" Sora's voice rings through the ship.
Mickey immediately covers the small window he was looking out of when he heard footsteps pass by his room. Apparently, the reason for Donald's weird behavior from before was actually him finding an idea to take revenge on Sora for nearly crushing him. The duck thought it would be funny to see the reaction on the young boy's face when he goes outside without the proper gear on.
Mickey thought it was a cruel joke to play but decided to let it happen. Only to teach Donald a very important lesson he had learned from Riku.
"Well, aren't you a happy camper," speak of the Devil.
"Come on, Riku! This is our first adventure together where we're all here. What's not to be happy-?"
Sora's voice was cut off when Mickey heard the sound of the Gummi Ship opening. Even from inside his room, he could feel how cold it was.
"COLD!" Sora and Kairi cried while Riku just yelled in horror.
The Gummi Ship was quickly closed off to the outside world. Mickey figured it was best to come out now.
He walked outside to see Sora and Kairi huddling together at one side of the door for warmth while Riku was on the other side, rubbing his arms and glaring at the mouse like he was the one who planned this.
Mickey quickly raises his hands up to show the silver-haired boy that none of this was his idea.
Riku nods before looking off to glare at something.
Laughter rang through the room and Mickey turns to see Donald and Goofy coming in, both dressed very warmly. Donald was the one laughing while Goofy was looking over at the shivering teenagers with concern in his eyes.
"T-This was your doing?!" Riku demands as he marches up to the chuckling duck. Donald, not noticing the boy's apparent anger, turns to Sora with a grin.
"Next time, don't use me as landing cushion!" he tells the baffled boy before breaking into another fit of laughter.
It swiftly ended when Riku slammed his fist right on top of Donald's head.
"WAK!" as he rubs his aching head, Donald looks up to glare at the boy. "What was that for?!"
"N-Next time you want to get revenge on Sora, leave me out of it!" Donald practically jumps back at the harsh tone in Riku's voice before the silver-haired headed back to his corner.
"Gwarsh, what's the matter with him?" Goofy points over to the scowling Riku in the corner.
"H-He hates the cold," Sora tells them, his body still racked with shivers as he desperately tries to warm himself up.
"W-When he was eight, T-Tidus and Wakka thought it would be a funny idea to put ice cubes down his shirt when he was still wet," Kairi begins as she rubs her hands together.
"H-He ended up getting the first-degree frostbite on his back because that day was as close as the islands can get to a chilly day, R-Riku's hate the cold ever since," Sora finishes, which draws a noise of understanding from Goofy.
Mickey had already heard the story from Riku himself after the two had accidentally arrived in a world that was chillier than most.
The boy had basically fled the area in order to find someplace warmer.
"Well, I guess it's time we look outside and see if we're anywhere close to the mountains," Mickey spoke up in order to move the conversation.
"Uh, no offense Mickey, but I'm not going out there," Riku states firmly. "I'd rather be bored to death in here then freeze to death out there."
"I-I'm going have to agree with Riku on this one," Kairi says. "The three of us aren't exactly dressed for the weather out there."
"Well, it's a good thing I noticed this Trading Post on the radar a couple of feet from here," Goofy informs them. "I'm sure they have plenty of winter clothing for you three to wear."
"I still refuse to step one foot out there," Riku states once more.
"O-Oh, come on, Riku," Sora turns to his scowling friend, his body still shivering. "G-Goofy says the Trading Post isn't even that far. I-I'm sure you can handle the cold for a few minutes!"
"T-These minutes feel like an hour, S-Sora!" Riku growls to his friend as the three trudges through the snow as a cold wind blew right in their faces. All he got in response was a nervous chuckle that barely managed to get out through trembling lips.
Mickey had told the three teenagers to go to the Trading Post by themselves, saying that the people there might find it suspicious that they came in with walking and talking animals behind them. Though they were reluctant to leave the others behind, they also didn't want to wait in the Gummi Ship for hours - no matter how much Riku complains
So here they are, trying to move through the snow despite the small gusts of snow blowing in their faces as the Trading Post stood a few feet away.
"I-If I see Donald again, I-I'm going to kill him!" Riku growls through his trembling lips as they reach the steps to the door.
"Y-You don't mean that R-Riku," Kairi tells him. "T-That's just the cold and your PTSD talking…"
"N-No, I-I'm dead serious, K-Kairi. I-I am going to kill him for putting me through this!" his response makes his friends sigh in annoyance before Sora opens the door. The three immediately move inside to get away from the cold.
Riku was the one to slam the door closed. The three sigh in relief once they feel the warmth the building was providing.
"Yoo-hoo!" a voice called and the three turned to see what appears to be a giant man in a bright sweater sitting behind a counter. "Big Fall Blowout! Half price off on stuffed crows, scarecrows, and carved pumpkins of my own design, ja ?"
The trio stares at the man like he had grown a second head. Fall? It felt more like winter out there for them.
"Um, no thank you," Kairi politely declines. "But do you have any winter clothing for the three of us? Just enough so we don't freeze to death out there?"
"Oh, that would be in our vinter department," the strange man gestures over to the back of the building. There they see racks of clothing made for the winter season, not enough for a wide variety of choices but enough for them to pick out which clothes they want.
"T-Thank goodness," Sora mutters in relief at the sight of the clothes before the three head over to find something that they like and can fit each of them.
As they sort through the clothes they could hear the door's entrance opening, signaling that someone else has entered the shop.
"Hi, Oaken!" a woman's cheerful voice rings through the small building, prompting the three to turn and see a woman with strawberry-blonde hair and a large, rugged man with blonde hair right behind her.
"Hello, Princess!" the large man greets the woman but when he turns his attention to the other man, the smile instantly leaves his face. "Oh, it's you…"
"Not here to cause any trouble," the blonde man quickly tells Oaken. "Just here to get some supplies."
The large man behind the counter grunts but said no more. Seeing that their conversation was done, the teenagers walk over to the counter with their selected clothing in their arms.
The man's smile quickly returns to his face upon seeing them. "Ah, a real howler in October, isn't it?"
They could tell he was starting up a conversation to avoid the awkward tension from the other people in the shop. Though they really had no idea what was going, Riku decided it was best to just humor him. "Y-Yeah, if you can call this October…"
"So, vhat brings you, children, out here when the veather is like this?" Oaken asks them once they placed their clothes on the counter.
The question made them freeze. They couldn't exactly tell him that they were on a mission to find something that could stop a potentially dangerous weapon. Besides, who knows if this guy won't tattle on them to the person who has said dangerous weapon.
Kairi was the one to quickly make up a story. "Oh, we're just going on a road trip up the mountains."
"Yeah," Sora quickly catches on. "I-It's been a while since the three of us went anywhere together. We just figured going up to the mountains might be a fun adventure."
Though he winced at the stutter in Sora's voice, Riku continues on. "But then the blizzard happened and here we are; trying not to freeze to death before we could even reach our destination."
"Speaking of your destination," the trio to see the woman from before, walking up to them with a suspicious look in her eyes. "Which mountains did you say you were heading to? I mean there's only two mountain ranges in this area; the North Mountain and the Forgotten Mountains, the one that's near an abandoned village."
Riku instantly knew she was interrogating them and was quick to answer her question. "It's just a mountain we saw, figured it'd be a cool place to climb. That's basically it."
"Oh, I'm sure," the woman draws out, not believing him one bit. "I bet it's just a nice little stroll between three friends. Definitely not three spies sent by Hans to report back to him when they see-!"
The whole time, her voice got louder and she was getting dangerously close to them so Riku quickly pulled Sora and Kairi back before she got too close. Thankfully, they were saved by the man she was with, who put his large hand on her shoulder.
"Anna, you're freaking them out," he tells the woman before turning his attention to the trio. "Sorry, she just met up with her ex and she's been pretty cranky ever since."
Riku almost snorts in disbelief. That's hardly an excuse for threatening his friends!
"Anyway, Oaken," the man turns to the other man behind the counter. "What's the price for these supplies?" he gestures to pickaxe and rope on the counter next to the teens' clothes.
"That vould be seventy," Oaken replies. This makes the man's eyes widen.
"W-What?! That's ridiculous!" he shouts in outrage. "Last time it was forty and now it's seventy?!"
"Supply and demand, that's all," was Oaken's reply.
The man practically growls. "Look, buddy, you can't just jack up your prices to take advantage of-!"
As the man continues his rant, the teenagers watch as Oaken stood up from his seat. Sora gulps when he realizes how tall this man actually was. Riku pulled both Sora and Kairi closer to him as a response.
They watch as Oaken basically just lifts the man onto his shoulder before throwing him out into the snow. "Bye-bye!" he calls before slamming the door shut.
The three stare at the man in slight horror. This guy practically towers over Riku and could lift a grown man onto his shoulders with no problem at all. Of course, they would be a little scared.
"I'm very sorry you children had to see this violence," the large man apologies once he sits back down. "I shall add a discount to your clothes so ve'll have good feelings. Now, your clothes shall only cost thirty. That's good, ja ?"
The three were completely speechless. First, they see this giant of a man throw someone out because they insulted him and now he's offering them a discount to apologize. Not knowing what else to do, Kairi just puts a bag of Munny on the counter, not caring how much was in it.
"Keep the change," she tells him with a straight face before she and the boys take their clothes off the counter. With one quick glance at the shop, Kairi turns back to ask, "Is there any-?"
"The girls' room is on your left and the boys' room are on your right," Oaken answers before she could even finish her question. With a nod of thanks, Kairi quickly makes her way over to the girls' changing room while Riku and Sora head over to the boys'.
They wasted no time in shutting the doors once they were in. They just wanted to get away from that man.
In the back of their minds, they still kept a lingering thought on the woman who interrogated them.
Kristoff was not having a good day; his girlfriend's ex - who he still wants to punch, by the way - comes back and bringing along another Eternal Winter with him, he gets thrown out of a shop by the same crook he had trouble with before, and now he's indulging in one of Anna's conspiracy theories.
He highly doubts that Hans would hire teenagers to spy on them.
"Don't you think you're taking this a little too far?" he asks her as they wait for the teens to show up right behind a snow pile. "I mean, really Anna, they're kids!"
"They said they were heading up to a mountain," Anna quickly points out. "Don't you think it's a little suspicious that after we found out the only weapon we have against Hans is on a mountain, three people who we've never seen before show up and say that they want to go on a mountain? Well, I find it a little suspicious so I'm going to wait here and follow them so I can see what Hans is planning!"
"You don't even know if they even work for Hans!" Kristoff exclaims in exasperation. "If we've never seen them before, how would Hans?"
Before Anna could argue any further, the door to the Trading Posts opens and the three teenagers came piling out of it as if their lives depended on it. They were dressed in the clothes they had paid for, so they must be warmer than they were before. Although, the tall one looks like he's a bit overdressed.
"Are you sure you kids don't want to try the sauna?" Oaken's voice calls from the shop.
"We're good, thanks!" the girl yells before shutting the door as quickly as she could without making it look rude. Once the door was shut, the three instantly sighed.
"Well, that's one crazy guy we've encounter here," the tall one remarks, his voice muffled by the white face mask he's wearing.
The other two nod in agreement. The other boy took notice of his friend's wardrobe. "Aren't you a bit overdressed in that, Riku?"
That was exactly what Kristoff was thinking.
Compare to the other boy - who wore an appliqued cape with a fur-trimmed over a red jacket, black snow pants with red trimmings, black gloves, a red wool hat that seems to be covering all of his hair, black lobbens, and a pair of snow goggles - and the girl - who wore a long pink cape with white fur-trimmed over a pink jacket, a long skirt, white boots, gloves, and earmuffs on her head, and a pair of goggles as well -, their friend seemed to have put more on than necessary.
"Hey, if you two want me to stay out here, let me dress on my terms," Riku points out, possibly glaring at his friends from behind those large goggles of his. "Besides, I'm more surprised that you were able to find a hat that could fit all of that hair of yours, Sora!"
Sora, the one in red and black, looks a little offended by that. "Come on, Riku! My hair's not that big!"
"Okay, that's not enough, you two," the girl speaks up before the boys could continue with their little argument. "Let's just head back and meet up with the others."
With reluctant sighs from the two boys, the three began to make their way away from the Trading Post. Once they seem far enough away, Anna decides to make her next move.
"Let's go," she whispers before slowly following the children. Kristoff had no choice but to follow her just so she doesn't get in too much trouble.
A few minutes of trailing them, Kristoff finally spoke up in a low whisper. "Anna, this is crazy!"
"You know me, I'm all about crazy," Anna retorts.
"We are stalking children, Anna," Kristoff explains slowly to get her to understand. "We could be mistaken for predators!"
"Okay, now you're exaggerating," Anna huffs.
Before Kristoff could argue any further, the tall one - Riku, was that his name? - suddenly stops. Seeing this, Kristoff quickly grabs Anna and ducks behind log before the kid could turn around and see them.
"What's wrong, Riku?" he could hear the younger boy asking.
"I thought I…" Riku trails off. "Nevermind. Just keep moving."
He could hear the kids moving again, prompting him and Anna to stand up from their hiding place. "Next time, warn me when you do that," she whispers in annoyance.
Kristoff could only shrug in response.
They continue to follow the children for a while now and Kristoff couldn't help but feel like something strange was going on. He figured that the tall guy was the one who was the most aware of his surroundings but he hasn't turned around since the first time. And, for some reason, he feels like those kids are walking faster than before.
But he didn't have time to dwell on that for long when the trio turned a corner by a few trees. He and Anna slowly make their way over in hopes they could catch up.
When they turned the corner, they saw a clearing ahead but no sign of the kids.
"What?!" Anna shrieks, taking a few steps into the clearing. "B-But they were right in front of us!"
Kristoff walks up to her, glancing at the clearing to find any sign. "Maybe they-"
He didn't even get a chance to finish his thought when something fell on top of him and Anna, forcing them to the ground.
A/N: Please leave a review!
