Blacklight

Chapter 10

Anna wondered in awe how a place like this could even exist. One moment she was stuck in a situation with seemingly no escape, doomed to a life of drudgery and chores and boredom. Now here she was, adventuring off to a far off land. She inspected the coin purse that the witch had given her further and noticed that there was a small slip of paper among the coins. On one side the short prophecy was written, on the other was a symbol that Anna didn't quite recognize. It looked familiar- almost like a snowflake, she thought- but she hadn't seen anything like it in any book she had read or manuscript she had studied.

She looked around at the clouds racing past her and for the first time a thought struck her- she had just met these people in this new land, and trusted them straightaway! They could have been thieves or murderers or cannibals or, or…well, Anna didn't really know how the magic worked here, but surely dark magic existed in a place like this. She supposed she could have ended up as a frog, or worse. It had been awfully lucky of her to meet a group of people who were as kind and as accommodating as these. She made a mental note to be more careful in the future.

To her left was the blonde girl- Astrid was her name, and a strange one at that, but she supposed a name like "Anna" wasn't very common around here. It wasn't as strange as her brother, though. Hiccup? What kind of a name was that? Nevertheless, with his gangly arms and small stature she had to agree that the name fit him to a T. And the warm mass sitting in front of her with her fiery red curls, Merida. She's my favorite, Anna thought with a grin. She reminded her of a girl she had met in London, another redhead visiting from nearby Scotland, sent by her parents with her brother to try and find a rich man to marry. Anna thought her brother was charming, and it was obvious the girl wasn't interested in marriage. She had the same spark in her eye as Merida, one that Anna shared as well, a yearning for adventure. She had told Anna that she was going to run away and join a pirate ship, and Anna would not be surprised if the girl ended up as a captain. She chuckled to herself at the thought. Here she had always wanted to travel by ship, but when the opportunity finally arrived…she had chosen dragon instead.

Three Dragons touched ground on the cold snow banks of Arendelle. Hiccup and Astrid dismounted first, helping Anna and Merida down from Firethorne. Anna's face was full of wonder at the sight of the icy kingdom.

"If you don't close your jaw soon you're gonna catch bugs," Astrid said, poking fun at the newcomer.

Anna only turned to her in disbelief. "You mean to tell me you guys aren't in awe of this place?! Dragons, people shooting fire out of their hands, an entire town and gigantic tower made completely of ICE?!" She shook her head slowly. "I wish I could live in a place like this", she mourned.

"Well since you don't know how you got here, presumably there's not really a way to get you back," Hiccup shrugged. "So… I guess you do live here?"

This brightened Anna's smile further, if that was even possible. Hiccup thought it was cute, but not as cute as the fire princess behind them. He turned and gave a sheepish grin as she waddled along, wearing more layers than he thought was possible.

"Can't you just, uh…warm yourself up?" he asked.

Merida muffled a reply along the lines of why don't YOO waste all yer energy staying warm and he changed the subject.

"Looks like North has come out to meet us".

No sooner had he spoken than the large man came walking down the front steps.

"What is this, guests coming early?" he boomed, "here to help with decorations perhaps?" his smile was wry and they could tell he was in a joking mood, but his face changed when he laid eyes on their newest acquaintance.

"Who is-"

"Maybe we should talk inside," Astrid said, cutting him off. He nodded and ushered them in, instructing the kitchen staff to prepare something warm for the guests.

"She looks like deer in snowstorm," he said under his breath to no one in particular.

"She's, ah…well, she's not from around here," Merida responded in a hushed voice, unmuffled now as her face was finally free from the many scarves around her neck.

Anna wasn't listening to them. Instead, her gaze had fallen on a doorway, and she stopped in her tracks. Fishing the paper out of her coin purse, she lifted it up and gasped as the symbol matched the design of the entryway perfectly.

Hiccup began to ask what was wrong but was interrupted by the sound of loud footsteps echoing down the hall.

"Father," Elsa began, "have you seen-" she stopped and surveyed the guests, smiling in a genuine way that her father had not seen in a while. "Welcome! You all are here a little early, aren't you?"

"What does this symbol mean?" Anna blurted out, and Astrid shot her a look.

"We came by to…well, to ask you, or maybe tell you, or to see if…" she didn't know how to explain, so she just grabbed Anna by the shoulders and pulled her over to face the ice princess. "Do they look alike or is it just us?"

Elsa was quiet as she studied Anna's face. It was like looking into a mirror. She was confused as to why these three would bring her a lookalike- perhaps the girl wanted a job as a decoy for the queen? Was she here trying to get money through the claims of a long-lost relative? Was this some sort of magic trick?

North finally spoke up. "Food is ready. Let us talk over lunch."

~.~.~.

Rapunzel waited while Pitch wrote fervently over the map on the table. They had stopped momentarily and he had revealed a small room where he laid out his tactics. He didn't want to risk failing again, he had gotten too close to victory last time. He needed a plan- maybe not a perfect plan, but one that considered all the possible outcomes. This time, however, he had the element of surprise on his side. Doubly so, considering no one would suspect his use of the lost princess.

He allowed himself a moment to search his feelings. It felt like he was fighting a battle against himself. On one hand he had destruction, and a battle that would put him and his fearlings back on the map, with the added pleasure of revenge. On the other, an opportunity to start again, as someone else. As someone who didn't need fear. He gave Rapunzel a sidelong glance. He had a feeling her magical hair might actually be able to change him, to heal him somehow. After all, wasn't it pain and destruction that led him to become the Nightmare King? He thought hard, but just like all the times he tried before he could not recall a single shred of the person he was before he became Pitch Black.

At the same time, her hair could destroy him. If there was nothing left of his former self to heal, then her powers might eradicate his entire existence. Was that a risk he was willing to take? Perhaps he would think about it again, in the end, after he had destroyed Arandelle and left the city to fall to shambles without an heir. He would be at his peak then, and would hopefully be able to think more clearly.

Rapunzel looked around the room and noticed how the roots from the trees above poked through the hard packed earth around her. She reached out a hand to touch one and it felt so cold, despite the warmth that the earth provided. They must be close to Arendelle, she thought, and the faces of innocent people, screaming and shouting and afraid, filled her mind. She thought of all the time she had spent alone in that tower, and again underground. She thought of Eugene, about how her mother killed him without another thought. It's not fair, she thought. It was a childish thought- of course it wasn't fair, nothing is fair, the world doesn't keep track of fair and unfair. But she thought it nonetheless, and it gave her strength. Sure what happened to her wasn't fair, but at least she was in a position where she could help others prevent that same fate. Her face set in determination. Whatever Pitch was planning, she was ready. She would have to wait until the chaos to distract him, to plead with him, to buy enough time for his enemies to regroup and strategize. As he planned his first attack, she was right there planning her parry.

~.~.~.

"So you don't know how you got here?" Elsa's voice rang clear and confident in the dining hall. She had changed so much over the years, with the help of her friends and family, and her insecurities were becoming smaller and smaller. Where before she was quiet, afraid, shoulders hunched and arms closely wrapped around her body, now she stood tall and spoke with the tone of a queen. She demanded attention and respect with her presence, and her father and Kris couldn't have been more proud.

"No," Anna replied, "I don't know what the witch did, but there was smoke, and all of a sudden I was surrounded by grass and about to becoming a landing pad for a giant dragon!"

"Strange, two surprises in one week…" the ice princess trailed off.

"Two?" Astrid and Hiccup asked in unison.

"Just a few days ago we found a man trapped in the ice," Elsa began, "we managed to defrost him and he was still alive. He doesn't remember much, but from what we gleaned he comes from the city of Corona, before the fall."

"Do you think he might recognize Anna or something?" Astrid asked. As much as she wanted to trust the strawberry blonde, a land as foreign sounding as London just didn't seem believable. Besides, they had found her in Corona, where this other stranger seemed to be from. Perhaps they knew each other.

Elsa lowered her gaze. "No, I don't think so. His vision didn't fully survive the defrosting process. It may never return. Besides, his clothing matched the styles worn around that time, where Anna's…I've never seen this style before."

Astrid, Hiccup, and Merida looked at each other, eyes wide and eyebrows raised. Two visitors, from two very different worlds, both showing up around the same time as Elsa's coronation. It couldn't be a coincidence, but no one at the table could think of an obvious reason why the two strangers would appear.

"Mah mother will be here soon, she said she wants ta take a look in your library. She brought o ton a books with her already," Merida sounded a bit exasperated. She didn't understand why her mother would spend so much time with her head stuck in a book. She conceded that there was much to learn by reading, but she couldn't help but feel that they could learn more by doing.

Elsa nodded her approval. "The library here is vast, and it was largely untouched during the attack. There might be a clue or a prophecy that could shed some light on these recent events. And quite possibly," she added, turning to Anna, "an explanation on the origin of that symbol." She nodded toward the large stained glass window that overlooked the town, and Anna smiled. Once she knew what to look for, she realized that the snowflake symbol was everywhere- on doorways, painted on the walls, adorned on the rugs below them. It was the symbol of Arendelle. It very well could have just been a clue meant to show Anna that Arendelle is where she needed to be, but Elsa seemed to think that there was a deeper meaning.

"Can I, um, can I help you look?" Anna asked. She wasn't sure where she fit into this world, and felt it better to ask permission first. Elsa wasn't her queen, at least not by birth, but she thought back on how visitors in England at least showed a basic respect for their queen when they were visiting. Besides, she thought excitedly, it looks like I'll be staying here a while! Better not screw it up by offending anyone important…

"We'd appreciate it greatly," Elinor's voice was as light as her footsteps. Elsa's face lit up and she rushed to greet the Queen with a familiar hug. The Queen then turned her attention to her daughter and the dragon riders.

"While we research in tha library, I'll need yoo three ta wander around the city an' look fer anything out of the ordinary. Talk to tha people, take to tha skies, whatever it takes. We want Elsa's coronation ta go off without a hitch." She smiled at the look on her daughter's face. As much as she wanted Merida delving into the books and lore that Arendelle held, she knew her better. Merida would much prefer to be moving around and doing something 'useful'. The three took off, but not before North reminded them to get with Kristoff and have him bring Flynn to the castle.

~.~.~.

"What do you think it all means?" Hiccup asked, once they had gone out of earshot of the others. Merida shrugged. She knew that it meant something, she just hadn't figured out what yet. What Anna had told them, about how she was sent to 'bring back the light', it stuck with fiery princess. She wasn't sure why but it gave her a weird feeling, like something bad was about to happen. Astrid seemed to be reading her mind.

"You think someone is going to try to mess up the coronation, don't you?"

"Aye," Merida responded, "I'm just not sure who, er even why. Maybe we should talk ta tha people here, see if their beloved princess has any enemies?"

"That might seem a little suspicious," Astrid countered. She gestured to the three of them. "We don't exactly look like we're from around here. If there is someone plotting to overthrow the kingdom, and they hear that three foreigners are asking around…"

"…they might feel like they're forced to act early," Hiccup said, finishing her thought. "That hadn't occurred to me." It hit him just how seriously Astrid felt about becoming ruler of Berk. She wasn't just training her might, but her mind. She was demonstrating a level of tactical skill that he hadn't seen before, and he felt himself well up a bit with pride. That was HIS sister, and he was proud of her.

"Wait," he said as a thought struck him, "who is Elsa the closest to?"

"Um, her Da?"

"No, I mean like…doesn't she have a brother? I thought I read that she-"

"Had," Merida corrected him, her mind racing back over the history lessons her mother gave her. "She had a brother, but he was killed when the Nightmare King attacked last. Before he disappeared for good."

"Oh," Hiccup's face fell a bit.

"However," she added, thinking back on the last time Elsa had visited Dun'Broch, "I think she mentioned there was someone around tha castle. Someone like a brother figure. Why do ya ask?"

"I just thought he might have a better idea of her allies and enemies," Hiccup shrugged.

They found Kristoff and Flynn fairly easily- Flynn's preference for his sweet vest rather than the heavier coats of Arendelle made him stand out. He found that the cold didn't really bother him much after his ordeal with the ice. There was also the intricately carved walking stick that he was currently using to bat at a bunch of white squirrels.

"Where are they?!" he shouted, "I know they're around here!"

Kristoff could barely contain his chuckling. The old-fashioned brunette had made the mistake of tripping over the harmless things- albeit it wasn't much of a mistake as their ability to camouflage in the snow. He seemed only slightly irked, though he had a funny way of showing it. Kris was in awe as to how this man could be so lighthearted in his current situation. After all, he was obviously in the midst of death when he fell into the lake, only to be frozen and thawed out years later. The very place he once called home now held only looters and thieves, the elegance of everyday life snuffed out. Everyone he had ever known was now either dead or scattered among the world. Not to mention the fact that he now faced the real possibility that he could never regain his sight. Yes, if Kris were in Flynn's position, he didn't think he would be nearly this chipper. Greif has a funny way of effecting people, he supposed, the full weight of his situation probably hasn't even hit him yet.

Kris saw Merida, Hiccup, and Astrid approaching and recognized them from the night he spent watching the skies with Elsa in Dun'Broch.

"You three are far away from home," he commented.

"There have been, well, certain situations that have come about," Merida replied, "which is why we are looking fer yoo, actually."

~.~.~.

Anna helped Elsa and Elinor search Arendelle's vast library for some clue that would shed some light on her appearance in this world. She kept catching Elsa staring at her, but she couldn't much object as she'd been catching herself staring at the ice princess as well. She didn't know how this world differed from hers, so the possible reasons they looked so alike were endless. They could be doppelgangers, Elsa could be some alternate reality version of Anna and vice versa. They could be long lost siblings, separated at birth, where Anna had somehow managed to be transported to her world and given to her 'mother' to be raised. Another quick glance at the painted Royal Family portrait revealed that the late queen looked nothing like the vague memories Anna had of her mother. She had been so young when she was given away, though, that her memories may not be very reliable. If this world was the same as hers, but set in the very distant past, she may even be a decedent of Elsa's. It made Anna's head spin, taking in all this new information, and her face showed it.

"Anna?"

"Hmm?" she replied distractedly.

Elsa put a gloved hand on her shoulder. "Maybe you should rest for a bit. You look exhausted."

"But I need to-"

"We'll wake ya if we find anything dear, yoo get some rest," Elinor interrupted.

A look of panic flashed across Anna's face. What if she awoke to find herself back home in bed? What if this was all some sort of dream? This was the closest thing to adventure that she had experienced since she had been caught sneaking out at the abbey. She wanted to milk this experience as much as possible before it was over, but she really was feeling a bit overwhelmed. Elinor and Elsa promised once more that they would come and get her if anything came up, and with a little more protest she was shown a room nearby and managed to stay awake long enough to get her head on the pillow.

Elsa closed the library door quietly behind her. She strode across the room to where the Queen of Dun'Broch was reading a tattered volume of local lore.

"What do you think of all this?" she asked. She had grown close to the queen since her mother's passing and she trusted her judgement. Elinor lowered a pair of reading glasses she carried on her and sighed.

"There are many possibilities," she began. Elsa stood quietly and waited for her to continue. "I have a theory, o'course, but…" she hesitated. She was about to ask Elsa to do something that would surely bring her great pain. In all the time they had spent together, the princess had never once spoken about the night she lost half of her family. If Elinor was going to start weeding out theories, however, she would need to know all she could. The books only told her so much.

Elsa sensed her hesitation, but the years had made her more confident than before. "Tell me," she uttered.

Elinor met her gaze and held it for a moment, then nodded. "Alright then. I need yoo ta tell me everythin yoo remember about tha night o'the attack."