Second Chances

Chapter Ten: Into the Darkness

"Mama! Papa! You have to let me come!" Elsa said, her temper rising.

"No, Elsa, it's safer here."

"But I can help!" she insisted.

"You're too young, Elsa!"

"No, I'm not, Mama!" she said trying to get on the sled but losing her balance. She reached out her hand and caught her mother's arm. Her mother pulled back immediately and Elsa watched in horror as ice crept up her arm.

"I-I'm sorry! I can thaw it," Elsa said, panic building up but her father pulled her back.

"Elsa, you've done enough damage as it is, haven't you? Now stay here," the king said, anger apparent in his voice. Elsa backed away and her father nodded. She watched as her parents drove off, accompanied by choice members of the royal guard.

Ignoring the guilt rising up in her throat, she reviewed the current situation. Anna had been kidnapped. It was all her fault. There were no clues on who had kidnapped her. It was all her fault…she rubbed her eyes, stopping the tears from falling.

Her parents wouldn't even let her join them. She forgot that adults never really took children seriously. Even her own parents were guilty of that. Suddenly, an idea came to her. Tracing the castle to the west wing she found the room she was looking for.

She twisted the handle and stepped in, not bothering to knock. The young blond boy and his reindeer were wrestling playfully in one corner, ignorant of the current situation.

"You said you had a sled?"

(*)

Anna blinked, trying to get a focus on her surroundings. This room was a whole lot bigger than the one she was trapped in moments ago. It was around the size of the room she and Elsa shared at the castle but much more lavishly designed.

"So, tell me, princess," the woman's voice sounded, "What powers do you possess? Remember, there's no point in lying here. I know when you're lying."

"I don't have any magic powers," Anna said, her eyes hardening. The woman laughed, a terrible sound that echoed the room. The young princess gulped as the woman leaned in closer.

"…oh."

"Oh?" Anna asked.

"You're not lying," the woman raised her hands in the air, "You're not lying! So why is it there are time particles all around you, huh? Why is it!"

"Time particles? What?" Anna said, taking a few steps back.

"A disturbance in time! There was one! Exactly 13 years into the future but also 2 days ago in the present! You could not have caused it, you have no clue but you are surrounded with time particles! Who? Who? Who?" the woman said impatiently, her voice roaring like thunder.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" the young princess said, fearfully.

"Of course you don't, child! You're an idiot! Have you been in touch with anyone who has been acting strangely? Someone with magic?"

"I – " Anna said. She blinked once and then shook her head.

"Now you lie! Tell me, child, who is it? I must know!" the woman grabbed her dress again but let go abruptly. Her voice was smug and Anna wondered if it were possible to hear a smirk. "Oh."

Anna looked up, eyes widening.

"Oh."

"What?" she said, "Why, oh?"

"Your sister."

(*)

"Faster, Sven!" Kristoff yelled.

The wind whipped Elsa's face but she couldn't care less. She had to find Anna if it was the last thing she did. She wouldn't lose her – never again.

"You're familiar with the woods, yes?" Elsa said, addressing Kristoff. The boy nodded, "Yeah."

"There should be somewhere – a shack maybe? A house? Maybe even a cave…"

Kristoff bit his lip and looked around nervously, "There is a place. My group, the ice harvesters, they say a witch lives there but I never believed them," he let out a forced chuckle, "I never believed in magic until…you know…" he gestured to the ice trail led by his sled.

"A witch?" Elsa said. This could just be another superstition by the mountain men, a true story warped by the effects of time. A legend turned into a fable. But this was possibly her only lead to Anna. She felt a surge of determination pulse through her, "Let's go."

"Go, Sven!" Kristoff said and the little reindeer, with all its strength, burst forward into the night.

They pressed onward until the trio had arrived in a small clearing. Elsa looked around and her eyes widened when she spotted a patch of pink on the ground. Her legs moved of their own accord and she picked up the shoe.

"Anna," she whispered and her eyes focused on a small stone pillar in the middle of the clearing. It had a wooden door, small and forbearing. There was no doubt in her mind that whatever was behind that door had a lead on her sister.

The princess gulped – she was terrified, there was no doubt about that but…but courage wasn't not being afraid. It was loving someone enough to charge into the darkness, no matter how scary, and face your monsters.

Elsa clenched her fists and took a step forward. And another. Soon she found herself in front of the door. Her hand rose up, ready to knock and she hesitated a moment before…

Knock, knock, knock.

She waited but there was no reply. Her eyes narrowed and she concentrated on sending an arc of ice straight into the keyhole. It clicked open to reveal a dimly lit hallway.

"Cool," Kristoff said. Elsa jumped, not realizing that the boy had sneaked up beside her.

"Uh…thanks. You don't need to go, actually," Elsa said, motioning towards the hallway. She wanted as much company as she could get but she wouldn't force anyone to follow her. She firmly believed that this was her fault and she had to correct it using her own resources.

"No. No, I'm coming," Kristoff said in a confident tone, "This is my chance to be the hero for once, see?"

Elsa shot him a look but said nothing. Together, the two children walked into the hallway with the reindeer following not so far behind.

It's my turn, Elsa thought as the darkness seemed to close in on her. The halls were empty and the only sounds heard were their footsteps and the faint wind howling outside. Her face twisted into a look of fiery determination, This time, I'm going to save my sister.

Author's Note

Brilliant. I updated in much less than a week. I'd like to warn you that the Lady on the Throne arc is not the last of the plot twists. I'd like to know your opinions though - if Elsa could go back to her original timeline, would she? Or would she choose to stay with the Anna she had never slammed the door on?

Also...um, I don't like this chapter much. I feel like I'm drifting far from their voices, like they're going out of character or something. Bleh, whatever. This story is starting to feel like a burden so I'd like to ask - would you like me to continue?