Regardless of the technical season, winter had come in full force to Arendelle. The villagers carried on as usual, perhaps crowding the marketplace more now with the upcoming holidays, and the snow was nothing more than a minor inconvenience to them. If anything, the sparkling flakes reminded them of their fair queen who had worked tirelessly to ensure their safety through the cold weather.
A certain peace had fallen over the castle in recent weeks, one that Gerda couldn't be more thankful for. It was a relief for her to see Queen Elsa work at a calmer pace without the need for so many council meetings, and she found her taking rest in her room more often than at her desk or in the library. Still, Gerda's experienced eye could tell that something was amiss with the young woman, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was. She respected her privacy too much to ask.
The princess, however, was as typical as ever despite the castle's tranquility.
A pair of double doors burst open down the hall and Gerda stopped still in her tracks, sighing as her charge came speeding at her.
"Hi Gerda!" Anna chirped, waving quickly as she ran past.
Gerda shook her head, disapproving the way Anna slid on the wooden floors with a heavy book in her arms. "Your Highness, please be careful! The doctor just released you from rest yesterday—"
"I know! I'm finally free from the crutches; isn't that great?!" Anna grinned as she came to a stop and put her shoes back on. She twirled, giggling as she started skipping down the hall towards the spiral staircase.
With a sigh, Gerda relented. The princess was going to do what she wanted despite her warnings, though she had to admit it was good to see her up and moving again. Anna wouldn't be Anna if she wasn't a little reckless.
The princess jumped onto the banister of the staircase, hugging the book in her arm and smiling with glee as she slid down to the main floor of the castle. Her twin braids fluttered behind her and she grinned harder the faster she went, not wavering in spirit when she ran out of railing and stumbled back to her feet. She paused just a moment to check that her ankle was okay before she continued on her way, dancing shortly with Olaf and giving Kristoff a quick peck on the cheek as she passed by them in the hall.
Eventually she came to her destination and didn't hesitate to knock her rhythm into a wood door painted with a single golden crocus. There was a kind answer on the other side and Anna let herself in, meeting her sister's warm smile with her own. "Good morning, Elsa!"
"Good morning," replied the queen, happy to see her sibling back to her usual, happy self now that she had recovered from her injury. Elsa, too, was glad that the wounds she sustained had healed and disappeared, leaving no trace on her skin and allowing her to don her favorite ice dress again without fear. "You're not doing anything reckless again so soon, I hope?"
"What? Me? Psh, nope." Anna waved off the question as though she hadn't spent all night climbing onto the snowy roof of the castle, though by Elsa's look she wasn't sure she convinced her. The queen rolled her eyes and Anna gave her a snarky look back, about to make an excuse for herself when she noticed the clutter of books on Elsa's desk. "Wow. Someone's doing research."
Elsa nodded, putting her quill back in its holder and placing a mark in the book she was hovering over. "A bit of magical study," she said simply, shrugging as Anna opened the cover of one of the older texts. "After meeting so many people who could use magic in Storybrooke, I guess I've been curious."
"Curious about what? Making fireballs?" Anna tilted her head to the side as she skimmed the page she opened to. "Sorry, sis, but that's probably not in your skill set," she joked. Elsa sat back, chuckling to herself as Anna closed the old book and was promptly fogged by a cloud of dust.
"Not that kind of magic, no. I was just wondering if… well, if there was ever anyone else like me."
Anyone else who was born with ice magic, or who could wield it at the very least. Elsa didn't feel alone but she always felt the odd one out, even when her magic was in control and she was normal as can be.
Anna wasn't sure what to say to her. She wanted to tell her that yes, there was probably someone else at some point and she wasn't alone in her magical gift, but getting her sister's hopes up could be dangerous if she were let down.
So she decided to change the subject, interrupting Elsa's previous train of thought by plopping the book she brought with her down on the desk. "Well, I've been doing my own research during my bed rest."
Elsa raised a brow at her as the book was opened. "I thought you were planning your wedding?"
"…And when I wasn't planning my wedding I was researching," Anna quickly continued, turning the pages of their father's tome until she came to a certain spot for her sister to read. "Have you ever heard of "The Wishing Star"?"
"Yes. And no, it's not real," Elsa sharply said, brows knitting together as Anna immediately sought to challenge her. "It's just some old wives' tale."
Anna stood up straight, put her hands on her hips, and smirked. "I seem to remember you saying the same thing about the Wicked Witch after I told you the story, and guess who was right about that?"
"That was different. This doesn't exist," Elsa argued, pointing to the words on the page with open palms. "Look, I remember reading this, and I love Father but it all sounds like hogwash to me."
"And that hogwash could be real! I'm telling you it is; I know it!"
"Anna, I think you're abusing your power as a true believer."
The princess bit her lip, unwilling to let Elsa refuse the idea. "Papa wouldn't write about it so much and actually search for it if he didn't think it was real," she countered, watching as Elsa closed the tome and shoved it towards her. ""A crystal born of a pure heart and a star forged of hope"; he said that's what you need to make the Wishing Star. Doesn't that sound like magic?"
It did, but Elsa refused to believe it. She stood from her seat, placed her hands on the desk, and she looked at her sister in disappointment. "I wish you'd put as much effort into planning your wedding ceremony instead of chasing this story," she admitted, following Anna's sights when the younger girl looked away. "You haven't finalized the guest list or the menu. Did you even speak to the tailor about your dress yet?"
"No…" Turquoise eyes looked anywhere but at her sister and they finally fell on her own folded hands. She touched the ring on her finger, spinning it absent-mindedly. "But it's just hard to concentrate on the wedding right now when you're so…" she hesitated, shrinking back at Elsa's stern look, "…unhappy."
Taken aback, Elsa looked down at the work on her desk, shaking her head as she slowly took her seat again. "I'm not unhappy, I'm just…"
"Stressed?"
"A little."
"Magic acting up again?"
"Yeah, it's…" She stilled, forgetting she had been trying to keep her slip-up a secret. "N-no, wait, I didn't mean—"
Elsa gulped and stared at Anna like a reindeer caught in headlights. Her sister figured her out and tricked her into confessing it.
It's not like there was much to figure out to begin with. Anna knew better by now that when Elsa had too much on her mind, ice sprouted around her whether she wanted it to or not. With everything that had been going on, it didn't come as a surprise that her magic was giving her trouble again. "I wish you would have told me," she admitted, disappointed in her. She looked around to the piles of old books stacked up on the desk, knowing Elsa was looking for help in other places. "I'm your right hand for a reason. I'm here to help you and you know that."
Numb, Elsa nodded, sinking back into her chair, but she said nothing more. She felt ashamed for having to rely on Anna to pull her out of all of her problems. She was a grown woman, not a scared little child anymore; she should be able to handle this on her own.
Anna huffed and put her hands on her hips, wondering who they both inherited their stubbornness from. If she tried to push the subject further, they would argue and it'd make them both feel worse. "…I've gotta get to sword practice," she said, smiling a little at Elsa's perplexed, wide-eyed stare. "It's just light exercises to help out my ankle, I promise ! But Elsa… seriously, if I can help you, let me know, okay? I don't like seeing you like this."
Anna left with a half-hearted grin and a wave, her morning sobered now just as much as Elsa's had started with little ice floes in her bathwater. The queen looked around to the books piled high on her desk, each one old and filled with dust from years unread during the curse, and then she gazed upon the tome that Anna had left behind. It sat in the middle of the organized clutter, calling out to her, reminding her of the late king's old lessons that were meant to control her power.
The mantra had worked years ago, and it ultimately failed though she fell back on it through instinct. The gloves he had told her to wear were growing useless as well, good for protecting her hands but not protecting others from her most volatile magic.
Elsa leaned forward and held her head in her hands. Her magic felt restless for very little reason. The work she and her council had done was solving the problems plaguing Arendelle, so why was her control slipping again? There was no reason except…
She shook her head, casting the thought aside. No, that couldn't be the answer to this. This could simply be a flux in her power like one of the books stated, or perhaps it was a very late growth spurt in her magic. That seemed more likely; she'd gone through it many times as a teenager.
Then again… the prophecy could hold some answers if she could discover what it said. Maybe… maybe—
No. She couldn't afford to think of "maybe." Actually, she couldn't afford to think much at all right now; she felt her magic humming at her fingertips and it would only take a small touch of the wrong emotion to send it flying.
Turning in her seat, she looked out the window, staring out into the endless sea of white snow. She needed to be out there, to clear her mind and calm her heart, and perhaps learn something in the meantime.
"Anna's learning to use a sword; maybe I should keep up with my riding skills," she thought to herself as she cleaned up her desk. "I haven't seen Magnus in a while. Maybe he can help me figure this out."
Flying monkeys. Wicked Witches. It seemed that living a "normal" life in Storybrooke was impossible, but for the next week, Anna, Olaf and Marshmallow tried to do just that with some success.
Mornings were a little hectic once Anna returned to running her paper route. Kai or Gerda would come over extra early on those days to watch over the boys, but she'd still race home to make breakfast for them and pack their lunches. She hardly had time for a shower and a snack before she was out the door again to start her shift at the diner.
Things were typically quiet at the cabin until nightfall, when the monkeys would screech in the forest to keep the family from sleeping, or when Anna would wake up screaming from a nightmare. Olaf had been wonderful in helping her sort out her dreams, and talking with him and Marshmallow made it easier for them all to cope with the situation. Of course Sven was included in those conversations as well, though his participation was limited to nods, snorts and grunts. By the end of that week, they had gotten so used to it just being the four of them that it started to feel normal.
Then again, nothing would ever truly be normal until Kristoff and Elsa came home.
On another gray winter morning, Anna grit her teeth as she biked into town. She was rested and more than ready to get back out and start searching for her missing loved ones. Emma had called during the week to tell her that Elsa was still nowhere to be found, but she discovered that the farmhouse at the end of the hidden road indeed belonged to the Wicked Witch.
The information prompted Anna to make a list of things she had to do before all was right with her family again.
1) Find the Wicked Witch
2) Punch the Wicked Witch in the face (use shovel if available)
3) FIND. ELSA.
4) Find a way to de-monkify Kristoff
5) Punch Wicked Witch in the face again just because
Simple. First things first though; she had to get through an early shift at Granny's Diner.
It was supposed to be her day off and she had planned on knocking a few items off her list, but there was no way she could skip out on work that morning. Granny had called her late the previous night, asking her to come in and help service the diner for a wake.
Neal Cassidy, Emma's former lover and Henry's father, had died. Like Elsa, he had been missing since the second curse began. He mysteriously showed up in town two days ago with a brand on his palm, unsure how he got there or where the brand came from. Due to Belle's intrigue in all things magical, they discovered that Neal had tried to resurrect his father, Rumplestiltskin, in the Enchanted Forest during the missing year.
Anna felt as confused now as she did when Granny told her the story. To resurrect his father, Neal had to sacrifice himself, but when Rumplestiltskin realized what his boy had done, he somehow managed to protect him by hiding Neal's soul within his own. Two souls cannot exist in the same body, and it was causing harm to both so long as they remained together. Emma had to separate them, and upon doing so, Neal perished.
Which meant… Mr. Gold was alive.
It sent a chill down Anna's spine. As if dealing with the Wicked Witch wasn't enough, she could only imagine what Mr. Gold would have planned for the town. Hopefully he would see the Witch as a threat and join the heroes to cast her out of Storybrooke.
She pulled her bike into the small alley next to the diner and chained it to the fence. Judging by the cars parked in the street, the wake had already started. She was just supposed to be there for a short shift to help Granny out, then she'd be free to start her search for the Wicked Witch.
As she walked around to the front of the diner, one of the mourners walked out. Anna didn't recognize the woman; she was fair-skinned with curly red hair, and wore a rather large emerald around her neck. Their eyes met and Anna looked away, not wanting to stare, but when the woman slowed to speak with her, she had no choice but to look up at her again.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Princess of Arendelle," the woman smiled. "It's about time we ran into each other again."
Anna blinked. "Again? I don't even remember meeting the first time."
"Oh, that's right! Silly me. Missing year and all, what a pain," laughed the woman. "How's your sister?"
Confused, Anna stared at her. If they met during the missing year, then how come she couldn't remember it but the woman could? Anna shook her head, unsure how to respond as she tried to figure this stranger out. "I… I don't know."
"Still missing, isn't she?" the woman guessed, ruby lips growing wide in a smile. "And you can't remember where she is, can you? How unfortunate."
She sounded like she was glad that Elsa was gone and held a tone that mocked Anna for forgetting why she was missing. If this woman was telling the truth, if she really did remember something from the forgotten year, then she must have used magic to protect her memories from the curse… or she was the one who cast it. Anna took a step back when the thought crossed her mind. "You're the Wicked Witch!"
"Indeed I am. Call me Zelena if you'd like; you might as well considering I'm the one taking care of Kristoff now."
She struck a nerve, and Anna quickly regained the step she took back. She walked right up to the witch and got in her face. "If you do anything to hurt him I swear—"
She stopped, kept from doing or saying anything more as Zelena held up a waved dagger bearing Rumplestiltskin's name. "Or what?" she asked gravely, stopping Anna's pursuit with the threat of the Dark One. "He's my pet now; why would I want to hurt him? Your sister on the other hand…"
Anna's heart skipped a beat and she felt the color drain from her face. "…What did you do to her?"
"Nothing. Not yet, anyway."
Before Anna could pursue her for a better answer, Zelena vanished in a cloud of green smoke just as the door to the diner slammed open. Emma and Regina walked out, staring at the spot where Zelena stood just seconds ago. "Anna, are you alright?" Emma asked as she ran down the steps. "We saw the witch and—"
"Zelena has Elsa." Anna clenched her hands as she repeated what she just said in her mind. She had a hunch, but now that she knew… all it did was make her angry that her sister was so close by and yet so far out of her reach.
Regina crossed her arms and shook her head. "Well, that's one mystery solved; only a dozen more to go."
"What would Zelena want with her?" Emma asked, looking at Anna. She said nothing, and Emma turned her questioning stare to Regina instead.
"…Swan, way are you looking at me?"
"Well, you and Zelena are sisters—"
"Half-sisters," Regina corrected. "Allegedly. Look, I know nothing about her except that she wants to fight me tonight. I'm going to figure out exactly what this witch thinks I did to her and… pipsqueak, where the hell are you going?"
Fueled by her own anger and frustration, Anna marched down the street in the direction of the forest. "I'm tired of talking about it. I'm gonna go punch that bitch in the face and bring my sister home."
"One, two, three! Good! Give me five more repetitions, Anna, then we're finished!"
On the outside, Anna looked focused as she swung her sword, slashing the air in defined and powerful strikes as instructed by Master Rolf. On the inside, though, she felt like a complete mess. Her muscles ached from the workout, unused to such movement after seven weeks of resting. Her ankle throbbed through the standing exercises and she felt weaker for it. But those distractions paled in comparison to what was going on in her head.
She kept thinking about Elsa. Ever since the Wicked Witch infiltrated Arendelle, Elsa was acting different. She got irritated quickly, especially if she was interrupted while she was trying to concentrate. She lost interest in things she enjoyed doing in her spare time; she hadn't touched a paintbrush in at least a month and the grand piano was growing a second layer of dust. Her sleep schedule was irregular and her appetite, usually healthy for her crazy metabolism, was hardly there.
Anna wanted more than anything to help her, but she just didn't know how. Most of her late efforts were pushed away or ignored.
"Alright, Anna. That's enough for today," Master Rolf smiled, patting her on her leather armored shoulder. "How's the ankle?"
She tapped the tip of her boot against the floor. "It's still pretty sore, actually."
"Go get some ice from Her Majesty and rest up for a few days. It's a process, Your Highness," he reminded when he saw her disappointed frown. "It's not going to get back to full strength overnight."
She wished it would. Sheathing her sword, Anna thanked Master Rolf and left the military quarter of the castle. A nice bath sounded good to her at the time, but she thought it better to get ice from Elsa now while she was thinking about it. If she waited too long, she'd catch her sister at a meal or some meeting and she'd feel bad for interrupting her.
Then again, it was winter, and the snow was abundant as ever this time of year. A walk around the castle grounds to cool off and collect some snow for her ankle wasn't a bad idea either.
She smiled at the white fluff covering the cobblestones in the courtyard outside. After learning about Elsa's magic, Anna could appreciate the beauty of winter more than ever now. The cold felt good to her and pierced her training armor where the stale air of the castle could not. It took the heat out of her cheeks and then brought it back, her body combating the chill with a pink nose and goosebumps. Just a few minutes of wandering, then she'd collect her snow and go inside to relax before washing up for lunch.
She was curious to see what the gardens looked like with a dusting of snowflakes, so she was headed on her way there when she heard a frightened, bloodcurdling whinny come from the stables. Thinking one of the horses got spooked by a rabbit, she paid it no mind until she heard it again. Something was wrong.
Anna raced to the stables as fast as her tired legs would carry her. The double doors were open, and she slowed her sprint to a trot as she entered and looked around to the stalls. All of the horses seemed to be on edge, staring at Anna and shifting on their hooves as she walked by. The stable keep was nowhere to be seen; out on a lunch break, she assumed, and as she got closer to the center of the building she noticed that a gate to one of the stalls was open.
She held her breath as she looked up at the names of the horses above their stalls and began to worry the closer she got to the open gate. She stopped just short of it, peering into Kjekk's stall and watching him cower until he realized she was there. Looking at Anna seemed to calm him, but another loud whinny startled the both of them and had them looking to the stall next door. She saw the steam of the frightened horse's breath flow out into the cold air, chasing someone out of the stall that Anna didn't expect.
"Elsa?!"
The queen held up her gloved hands, staring wide-eyed into Magnus' stall as her panicked horse seemed all but ready to charge at her and out of the stables. She backed into a support beam, unaware that her sister was there until Anna stepped between them and reached out towards Magnus.
"Hey, hey! Whoa! Calm down, boy!" Anna gently coaxed, trying to stay in his line of sight as he threw his head. "Easy! Easy!"
Elsa stayed back, holding her hands against her chest and taking sharp breaths as she watched Anna expertly handle the situation. Anna had a way with animals that Elsa didn't, and it made her sad to see Magnus calming for her sister but not for her. She and Magnus shared a bond… at least she thought they did.
It finally got to the point where Magnus stopped swaying and held still as Anna gently held his muzzle. "It's okay," she whispered. "You're alright. Both of you." She looked back at Elsa, worried about what had caused her horse to lose his nerve. "Are you hurt?" she asked, glad when Elsa shook her head. "What happened?"
Elsa swallowed, looking past Anna to Magnus and then to Kjekk and the other horses in the neighboring stalls; they all seemed to look at her with the same uncertainty. "I-I thought I'd take him out for a ride since I haven't been able to see him," she started, "but when I got close to him, he panicked, and…"
She shuddered. Magnus was the sturdiest, bravest horse she had ever seen, and the way he looked at her when she unlocked the gate was haunting. It was as though he expected her to hurt him.
Anna petted Magnus' neck, listening as his panting quieted to silent breathing. "He seems okay now," she smiled, running her fingers through his short patterned mane. "Maybe he didn't expect to see you? How about you try again?"
"N-No, I shouldn't."
"Oh come on, Elsa! It's Magnus! You two are friends!" Leaving the horse's side, Anna approached her sister and took one of her hands. "Just go slow."
Guided by Anna's pull, Elsa walked with her to the open stall. Magnus stared at her pensively, watching her every movement. It was perhaps the first time he looked just as nervous as his rider, but both were comforted with Anna there between them.
Elsa timidly reached out, willing herself to believe that Magnus wouldn't react like he did last time, and she was relieved to see him standing his ground. They were friends, like Anna said. They had a trust that no one else could understand. A small smile tugged at Elsa's lips when her gloved fingers barely brushed Magnus' cheek… and that's when everything went completely wrong.
Spurred on by nothing but a mere shred of doubt, a pang shot through Elsa's heart and raced up her arm to the hand she was reaching with. Eyes wide in fear, she snapped her hand shut before her magic flew loose and fell back to the ground as Magnus reared. Even as his frightened cry filled the stables, she could still hear the sound of ice crackling to life and felt it spreading into and outside of her glove.
Anna quickly took action. Before Magnus could even think to storm out of his stall, Anna closed the gate and locked it. She thought that the extra barrier between him and Elsa would have at least calmed him down, but his nervous chatter riled up Kjekk in the stall next door. "What's wrong with you guys?!" Anna yelled, trying to make herself heard over the noise. "It's just us!"
Elsa, meanwhile, stayed where she sat in a mess of dirt and straw, cradling her left hand to her breast. She risked a glance down at it and covered it with her right when she saw the blue ice crystals growing on her fingers. This was why Magnus was acting the way he was. She squeezed her eyes shut, reliving the way he chased her out of his stall when she first got there and just recently threatened to kick her away when she tried to get closer. He was afraid because of her.
And so was Kjekk. All of the horses in the stables were on edge because of her.
"Elsa?"
The queen huddled into herself, feeling lost and defeated as her sister knelt down and hovered over her. "Elsa, what's wrong?"
"…I don't know."
Anna pursed her lips together, heartbroken when Elsa refused to look up at her. "You know that you can tell me anything." She stared at Elsa's frozen hand, wishing she understood what she was going through. "I mean, if I can help, then—"
"Anna, I don't know what it is!" Elsa cried in frustration, locking eyes with her for a brief second before casting her sights to the dirty floor. She kept her frozen hand close to her chest as she gripped the loose straw scattered around where she sat. "I felt fine when we came home and now all of a sudden… my magic, it's just…"
She paused, looking down to her right side, struggling to continue with what she wanted to say. Anna peered closer, wanting to help. "It's just… what?"
Elsa didn't respond because she found the answer to the question she didn't realize she was asking. Among the bits of straw she had gathered in her hand, there was one piece that was unusually sturdier than the others. She opened her palm, mouth parting in shock as a twine of gold fell among the straw like it naturally belonged.
It didn't. Straw into gold, she knew that story. It was Rumplestiltskin's.
She slowly looked up and scanned the floor of the stables, clenching her teeth and staring in horror as she found more strands of gold hidden amongst the straw. It glimmered in the light from the open doors, scattered about so blatantly that Elsa would have had to been blind if she didn't notice it from where she sat.
Either Rumplestiltskin was still alive, or his dead ghost was haunting her to warn her that this was the beginning of the prophecy she was to carry out.
Anna kept quiet, unsure what to say and even more unsure what to do to bring her sister out of this. But when a bright blue snowflake blinked into existence, followed by so many more, her heart sank as the sad flurry formed and hovered around Elsa. The flakes looked just as lost as she was, and as badly as Anna wanted to help, she had no idea how to start aside from simply being there for her. This was a magical problem that went beyond her expertise.
Taking a chance, Anna reached out and lightly touched Elsa's knee. The contact startled her, but there were no ice spikes or frost to accompany her frightened eyes.
"I think maybe we should go talk to Grand Pabbie," Anna said, not at all interested in giving Elsa the option of not going to see the old troll. "He's helped us understand your magic a few times before. He can help us again."
Elsa hoped he'd be able to, lest she unwittingly cast another curse over her kingdom.
Anna sighed, giving Elsa's knee a soft squeeze when she buried her head in her hands. "It's okay. We'll get through this. We always do."
It took Emma and Regina both to convince Anna not to go to the farmstead and confront the Wicked Witch alone, especially since she was in control of the Dark One's dagger. With no choice but to return to the diner, Anna stubbornly worked through her shift while Emma and her family tried to free Mr. Gold before the showdown that evening.
The diner was slow and it drove Anna nuts to be stuck there with the lack of customers, but the quiet allowed her the time to slow down and think. By the end of her shift, she was calmer and could pursue her goals with a clear mind. After stopping at her apartment for a change of clothes, Anna was back out the door and speeding down Main Street with a plan to get her sister back that evening.
Of course, she had to stop at Mr. Gold's for something first, and with Belle and Emma there interrogating her, she had no choice but to tell them what that plan was.
"Anna, no."
She rolled her eyes and looked over her shoulder at the sheriff. "You know, you're starting to sound more and more like Elsa every time you say "no". Normally by now she gives in, but you are really persistent."
Emma crossed her arms and set Anna with a stern stare as the redhead continued to browse a rack of swords. "You just got back on your feet again and what you're planning is crazy. Zelena's going to notice that you're not at Main Street tonight."
"I don't think she's gonna care so long as Regina's there to fight her," Anna shrugged as she pulled a sword partly out of its sheath. She checked the sharpness of the blade and promptly put it back, grabbing another sword with a teal scabbard and leather holster. "And what are you yelling at me for? You're always running into danger around here, aren't you? Elsa and Kristoff are my family; I'm the only one who can help them."
Belle understood Anna's reasons for wanting to go, but she worried for her as well. "You have to think for a minute," she said as Anna pulled the new sword from the scabbard. "Maybe Zelena was trying to bait you at the diner with what she said. You could be walking into a trap."
Anna ignored her, focused on the blade in her hands. It felt comfortable; lightweight but sturdy, and the edges looked as though they were sharpened recently. What struck her most was just how comfortable the leather-wrapped grip felt in her hand, not to mention the golden crocus etched into the pommel. There was a feeling that washed over her as she stood there and stared at the blade, one that she couldn't describe, but it was familiar… she felt like she had done this before.
Without warning, she held the blade out and twisted it in a flourish, settling into a battle stance and stunning Emma and Belle into silence. She stared at the far wall, relishing in the nostalgic pose, and she gave the sword another showy spin before she put it back in the sheath and looked over her shoulder.
"If it's a trap, I think I can handle it." She held up the sword towards Belle, tilting her head to the side when she saw her perplexed stare. "How much for this one?"
"Uh… n-nothing. It's yours."
"Great!" Smiling, Anna pulled the leather strap of the belt through the loops of her jeans, securing the sword to her side; the crocus on the silver buckle reassured that the weapon was meant for her.
Emma had to blink several times to break free of her stupor. For as long as she had known Anna, she saw her as a courageous young woman with a good heart and unfortunate bouts of clumsiness. She was completely against letting her follow through with her plan, but after seeing the way she handled the sword, Emma had to reconsider.
"…You said you're planning to sneak onto the farmstead as soon as Zelena gets into town, right?" Emma asked. Anna held the grip of her sword with both hands, giving her a curt nod. With a deep breath, Emma relented. "Alright then. When we found Mr. Gold, he was in a cellar just outside of the house. Elsa wasn't there, but I think it's worth it to check it again. Zelena might have moved her there."
Anna smiled in relief, thankful for the help. "I'll get in and get out as quick as I can, I promise!"
"Yeah, but you're gonna need backup. I have someone in mind, only… you're not going to like who it is. Sorry, kid."
"Oh. My. GOD. Can you drive any slower?!"
"It's a one-way road!"
"To a place where only one person lives! This is a time sensitive mission and…" Anna paused, stilling when the headlights suddenly grew brighter. "…What was that?"
"I turned on the high beams. It's dark in here."
"…Okay. Sure. Turn on the bright lights. Might as well turn on the flashy ones on top and blare the siren to let the Wicked Witch and her monkey friends know we're on our way to break into her house."
The squad car went silent as they continued down the bumpy dirt road. Of course, out of everyone in Storybrooke who could have possibly helped Anna with her mission to the farmstead, Emma had to send Hans with her. It was such a natural choice.
He gripped the wheel tightly with both hands, turning off the brights and muttering to himself. "Hey, I didn't exactly volunteer for this, okay? If it were up to me, I'd be in town to protect it from that witch, not chasing after a hunch to bring back the person who ruined everything for me in Arendelle."
Anna crossed her arms, huffing. "Says the guy who claims to have buried the hatchet."
"Says the princess who swore she'd never ask for my help again."
"I didn't ask! That was Emma!" Anna yelled, pouting as Hans snickered at her outburst. He was getting her mad on purpose; of course he was, that snake. She settled down in her seat, tightening the belt that held her scabbard and sword as the forest trail opened up to the wide meadow of the farmland.
The stupid grin on Hans' face grew wider when he glanced over at her and saw her pick something up off the floor of the car. "So, when's Emma going to give you a big-girl gun?" he laughed as Anna slung the strap of a Super Soaker over her shoulder. She rolled her eyes at him.
"What's a real gun gonna do? Everybody knows that the Wicked Witch is weak against water!"
Hans shrugged. "I'm pretty sure the witch would be weak against a bullet between the eyes, too. Do you actually have a plan? The fight on Main could have started any minute now and we don't have all night."
"Of course I do: Check the cellar, check the house, check the barn, and don't get bitten by any evil monkeys on the way."
"What kind of plan is that?!" Hans exclaimed as he parked the car in the driveway. Anna opened the door and stepped out without giving him an answer, and he hurried to catch up as she started stalking to the cellar entrance without him. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"
"Hans, shut up! Seriously!" she spat. "I swear, if we get attacked, it's your fault." With a grunt, she pulled open the heavy door to the cellar and paused to look around. With only the light from the house and a few more at the barn in the distance, the farmstead looked like a sea of black. "Are we clear?"
Pulling his gun from its holster, Hans quickly scanned the skyline and the dark forest around them. "No monkeys as far as I can tell," he whispered. "If you're going to go, better do it now before they spot us."
Without hesitation, Anna hurried down the rickety steps, fumbling for the pull switch to the light when it smacked her in the face. She swatted at it, caught the string and pulled on it, taking her time to look around the room for signs of danger once the light bulb turned on.
Nothing and no one. Dang it. Of course finding Elsa wasn't going to be as easy as happening upon her in the first place they looked. There was a cage sitting open in the center of the small space, but the spinning wheel and straw inside proved it was Mr. Gold's prison, not Elsa's. Anna checked the walls, knocking on them to make sure that there wasn't a hidden door somewhere, and when she found nothing she decided to take the search elsewhere.
"Hans!" she called, walking towards the steps. "She's not down here! Let's hurry and check the house next; we need to—"
She stilled on the bottom step, silenced by the sound of a gunshot. Two more quickly followed by ungodly screeching that Anna was far too familiar with. Snapping out of her stupor, Anna grabbed the hilt of her sword and bolted up the steep stairway, only to be stopped at the top step as Hans barreled into her.
Anna could hardly stay upright as she caught him and was pushed back down into the cellar by his momentum. Her ankle unexpectedly gave out on the last step, sending her crashing to the floor with Hans landing right on top of her. She pushed him away in disgust, scrambling to her feet and staring at the cellar entrance for any sign of monkeys. She heard one chittering, but for whatever reason it didn't pursue the attack.
She could tell that the mission was heading south when she saw the monkey climb down the first step and then retreat just as quick. It was being held back, and that meant danger wasn't far behind. "Hans, we gotta get out of here," she said, drawing her sword as she faced the stairway. "I'll go first and you can cover me. We just have to get back to the car before… Hans?"
She heard his pained effort to muffle a cry of agony and she slowly turned to find him cringing on the floor where he fell. Slowly, Anna knelt to the ground, reaching out to Hans with her sword gripped tightly with her other hand. She called out his name and got no verbal response, just a shiver of pain that revealed a large bloodstain on the side of his sweater and another on his left calf.
"Oh no…" she breathed as she saw a row of punctures on his hand, indicating a monkey bite. "Way to not follow the plan, dummy."
There was nothing she could do to help him now; the only option she had was to make a beeline for the squad car, hope the keys were still in the ignition and pray that she picked up something from watching Kristoff drive his jeep.
"I hope you're not thinking of leaving, Anna."
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she pivoted, readying her sword and staring down the redheaded woman in black.
"You've already gone through the effort of sneaking into my home; you might as well stay," Zelena smirked with a glint in her eye. She cradled something bronze in the crook of her arm. "I can conjure a cage for you right next to your friend Rumplestiltskin."
Anna gritted her teeth. "Where's Elsa? What have you done with her?!"
"Oh, me? I've done nothing," Zelena laughed. "I'm merely keeping her away for now. If you could remember what happened last year, you'd know that I'm not lying." She reached down, stroking the cap of the urn she carried like it was a prized possession. "Poor girl. It must be hard to function with no memories in that fuzzy little brain of yours."
A cackle rose in Zelena's throat and was cut off by a well-aimed stream of water hitting her square in the forehead. She winced and glared at Anna, irritated by the sight of the shrew standing bold with a water gun in one hand and a sword in the other.
"I'm not gonna ask again," Anna seethed. "Where is Elsa?"
Zelena scoffed. "You think you're so smart, hitting me with water? You figure out where she is," she challenged. "And you can put that toy away. This isn't your world; water does nothing to me here."
Anna ditched the Super Soaker and stared Zelena down, preparing to force her way out of the cellar until she heard Hans' tortured howl. Darting to the side, she pointed her sword at Zelena but kept Hans in her peripheral as he underwent his horrifying transformation.
"It's really a shame." Zelena pulled a white leather glove from her cloak and casually tossed it at Anna's feet. "You were so close and now you're going to get ripped to shreds by one of my darling pets."
Anna jumped at the sound of a foul screech and she turned her sword at Hans, backing away from him as the red-furred monkey bared his teeth and claws. "You don't have to do this."
"Oh, but I do. You stopped me in Arendelle, but you won't ruin what I have planned for Storybrooke. With Elsa taken care of, I already have the upper hand." She looked down at the urn, running her thumb across the runes on the face. It brought a satisfied, devilish smile to her lips that sent chills down Anna's spine. "And… well, I'm wicked, and wicked always wins."
In one swift move, Anna scooped up the glove and charged at Zelena with her sword at the ready. She swung at her, but the blade met nothing but green smoke while an evil chuckle mocked her for trying. Pressing on, Anna attempted to climb the stairway and take her chances with the monkey waiting for her at the top, but she was held back when the one below grabbed her weaker ankle.
"You're making it real hard to like you when you do stuff like this, Hans!" she yelled, trying to shake off his grip until she got frustrated enough to slap the back of his paw with the flat of her blade. He reeled, howling after her as she scrambled up the remaining steps.
As soon as she emerged from the cellar she sprinted away as fast as she could, but she didn't get far when Kristoff dove in and took a swipe at her. She ducked under his long reach, popping up and catching him in the gut with the pommel of her sword. "Sorry!" she apologized as the sandy-furred monkey fell to his knees, winded. "I still love you, just, you know, as you, not the scary flying fuzzball."
She cringed at his shaky response and turned around, weighing her options for retreat: the squad car she didn't know how to drive or a bike she noticed leaning on the side of Zelena's house. Instinct was leading her towards the bike when a terrible, piercing screech filled the night air from behind her. She turned just in time to put her sword up to protect herself from Hans' primitive assault.
He grabbed the blade instead of her throat and howled in frustration when she blocked his effort to knock her down. She pushed back with everything she had, determined to get back to the cabin safely with another chance of confronting Zelena in the future. With a surge of pure adrenaline, she batted him away, catching her breath as Hans regained his composure before lunging at her again.
He'd never touch her. She just barely caught sight of Kristoff soaring in before he crashed into Hans, knocking him to the ground.
Anna hesitated to react, having thought that the two flying monkeys were working in tandem, but that clearly wasn't the case as they swatted at each other, baring their fangs and chittering what she assumed were insults at an ungodly decibel. Slowly she backed away, trying to take advantage of the distraction while avoiding bringing attention back onto herself. It was only when Kristoff solidly socked Hans in the jaw did she turn heel and run towards the bike on the side of the house.
Her senses were running wild and everything around her was trying to throw her concentration to where it wasn't needed. Her lungs burned in the cold air and her ankle throbbed from when Hans tried to keep her from escaping the cellar. Frost-covered grass crunched beneath her feet and her own heartbeat threatened to deafen her from the harsh flap of monstrous wings approaching from behind.
She turned too late, facing Kristoff just in time for him to hook his paws beneath her arms and hoist her into the air. "Hey, let me go!" she yelled, wildly kicking her legs and flapping her arms to loosen his grip, but he only held onto her tighter. She grit her teeth and glanced up; if she could position the sword right she could stick him on the downbeat.
That would have been a very bad idea if she decided to go through with it. They were rapidly gaining altitude, and it wasn't as though Kristoff was doing anything to hurt her. He'd actually saved her.
Laying in a heap of wings and fur in the meadow below, Hans was knocked out cold. His face was a little battered and his eye was swollen shut, but hopefully when they found a way to de-monkify him, he wouldn't remember anything that happened.
Anna laughed in relief, tilting her head back to look at her heroic, monkey-faced stud of a boyfriend who came to her rescue despite trying to kill her only seconds before. "Hope you're not expecting a kiss for that," she teased, happily surprised when Kristoff sighed in disappointment. He could understand her, and for whatever reason, he seemed free of Zelena's control.
Despite having traveled backwards for most of the flight, Anna recognized the road and the woods they soared over. She expected him to fall back under Zelena's spell and take her back to the farmstead, or to any other hidey holes the witch had in Storybrooke. But as the familiar clearing of his backyard came into view, Kristoff descended, gently lowering Anna to the ground and then landing before her, timid and unsure as he held his paws together against his chest.
A twinge of fear ran through Anna as she looked into his red eyes; his fangs were hidden for now, but she couldn't shake the memory of him snapping at her when he first transformed over a week ago. He'd frightened her, terrified her actually to the point where she didn't feel safe being in town with him on the loose.
But she loved him for the man he was, not the monkey he was cursed to be, and she knew in her heart that he would have never hurt her like that if he wasn't under Zelena's influence.
So she walked up to him, sheathing her sword while maintaining a safe distance, just in case. "Thank you, Kristoff," she said, grinning when she saw his eyes go wide as though he didn't expect her to say those words to him again. "I mean it. If it weren't for you, Hans might've bit me."
Kristoff nodded, then tentatively walked up to her, reaching for her face. He curled his fingers, hiding his claws as he brushed her bangs away with his knuckles. The noise he made when he saw the pink scratch on the side of her temple could only be translated as sadness.
"It's okay," she told him, holding onto his wrist and moving it to his side. "It doesn't hurt anymore." She bit her lip, unsure what else to say even though she had a million things on her mind that she was ready to burst out with. Eventually she settled on a question to ask, though she wasn't sure what kind of an answer to expect from him. "How did you break free from Zelena?"
Slowly, Kristoff responded by unclenching his hand from his chest, revealing the glowing blue crystal he had been so desperate to cling onto during his transformation in the ambulance. He brought it over his heart, then pointed to Anna's, chittering something she couldn't translate but still understood.
"Love," she sighed, smiling when he nodded. "You were able to stop her mind control because of love."
It was a truly powerful magic indeed. Foolish were those who tried to control it, dangerous were those who sought to manipulate it, and blessed were those who were able to find it in any of its many forms. True love broke curses, thawed eternal winters and made mortals strong.
True love, as Anna discovered, wouldn't turn her boyfriend back into a human as she tried kissing him on top of his fuzzy head, but it freed him from the command of the witch who turned him. If true love could do that, then it could also lead her to her sister and free her, too, from wherever she was being kept.
Anna believed it, and if she believed it, then it had to be true.
