High up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
I will try to fix you
- Coldplay
It might have sounded absurd, or more like he was full of it (because he tended to be at the best times when he filled with confidence) for him to say that he had a good understanding of the fair maiden after having only met her a few days ago, however, the Viking Chief had always prided himself on being good at catching on to other's feelings even when words were not an option (although, it was incredibly handy that Elsa's powers were a reflection of her emotions...) and the moment Hiccup stepped out of the cabin, he knew without a doubt something had changed within Elsa.
He couldn't exactly describe it, but it felt as if the air no longer carried a lingering sense of sadness or loneliness, and he didn't feel the lightest bit cold; if anything he felt incredibly warm. Even the snow & ice around them seemed different, as silly as it may have sounded. The ice was so clear, polished and in a gorgeous bright blue colour, compared to before, which looked darker and somewhat clouded; and when he grabbed a handful of snow, he was surprised to find it wasn't cold! It was cool, but it didn't burn or numb his hand the way snow usually did—it just tingled in the most pleasant way imaginable.
Her heart was beginning to warm up, and so was her magic.
"It's so beautiful..." she whispered, looking at their surroundings as if seeing the world for the first time and he couldn't stop himself from smiling.
"Yeah, it's amazing." Hiccup said in agreement as he walked over to her, just as much in awe as she was. He noticed Toothless from the corner of his eye staring at the reflection of the frozen lake and tapping it with his paw, obviously confused—he would let the Night Fury be for now. He reached to the ice maiden's side and continued; "Before now, I never truly realised how beautiful winter can be..."
Before meeting Elsa, the Viking had seen snow as a regular occurrence, a part of the everyday living for everyone on Berk. Sometimes he saw it as a nuisance, other times he saw it as something to break his fall during one of his gliding attempts; but this was the first he had ever thought it as beautiful—and he idly wondered how he could've been so blind.
Elsa looked over at him and he noticed for the first time just how blue her eyes were—it was difficult to describe (and stupid that he'd only now realised it) but they were bright & clear, like the colour of the sky on a beautiful cloudless day. He adored them, and strangely, this was what prompted him to grab her hand, and gave him a desperate urge to never let go.
'What are you doing to me, Lady Elsa?' The rider wondered as he watched her cheeks flush a delicate shade of pink, causing him to notice the faint dusting of freckles across her nose & cheekbones, which made him think about how adorable she was as she looked at him like that. It made him want to run back into the hut to grab his blanket, wrap it around her delicate frame, hold her in his arms, and assure her she was safe and that he would never let anything hurt or sadden her again.
He wanted to protect her, as much as she wanted to protect him—and he had no idea how to take such a profound realisation.
"I forgot," she admitted. "I focused so much on the negatives, that I forgot about the positives... thank you, for reminding me."
"Anytime. Although, I've been meaning to ask you something..." he trailed off, wondering if he should actually ask.
She looked at with a warm gaze and said "Anything."
Feeling rather embarrassed, he took a deep breath and decided to Hel with it, before he asked; "Just what is a snowman?"
Elsa blinked once, then twice, and then a third just for good measure—before letting out, "What?" and giggling, wondering if Hiccup was being serious.
'He can't be, surely?'
The Chief let out a rough chuckle in response and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. "Yeah, I know. Lame right?" He quipped, looking rather sheepish.
Her giggles died the instant she realised he was being genuine. "You're serious? You don't know what a snowman is? You've never built one?"
He nodded his head in affirmation and she stared at him in shock.
"You told me that it snows on Berk," she said. "Didn't you ever play in it as a child?"
"I wasn't exactly the most popular kid growing up... remember how I told you that I used to be called "Hiccup the Useless" when I was younger?" He replied awkwardly and she nodded. "Unfortunately, that meant I was ostracised a lot by my peers and I spent most of my time alone."
The former Queen couldn't believe it what she was hearing; he had been just like her!
"That horrible!" She said, looking at him with sympathy.
"Oh no, it wasn't that bad!" He exclaimed. "I mean, yeah it sucked that no one wanted to be my friend back then, but it wasn't like I had the time to dwell on it. We were always being raided by the dragons and I was working full-time as a blacksmith apprentice and the other kids were too busy assisting the adults, so I didn't really have the chance to be sad or lonely. Besides, I preferred the solitude—it allowed me to read, create, explore & invent without being hassled by the others... or be influenced by their idiocy."
"That sounds a little harsh." She said, getting a strong sense of deja vu.
"It is, but sadly, the people of Berk aren't exactly the brightest bunch." He shrugged his shoulders in good humour. "There's a few sharp ones like Fishlegs, Gothi, Gobber and my mother—but the majority of them are rather the take-the-initiative and fight-first-ask-questions-later type of people."
"Sounds like there's never a dull moment..." she replied in bemusement.
"That's one way of looking at it," he responded casually. "Personally, I find it to be more of exhausting. In between settling disputes, organising events, training dragons, researching and blacksmithing—I hardly get to see Toothless and just relax. Of course, he's just as busy as me with his role as Alpha, and as a result, this is probably the most time we've spent together since my coronation."
Elsa could relate to what he was saying all too well. Even though she had Gerda to organise her days and Kai to ensure she kept to schedule, she still had found herself run off her feet and utterly exhausted by the end of each day.
"I can only imagine," she said with a chuckle. "My hair would probably turn grey if I were in your position!"
"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you about that..." he started awkwardly, causing her to raise one fine eyebrow. "Your hair... has it changed colour? Because the other day I could've sworn it was nearly white, but now it's blonde. Albeit, lighter than the usual kind, but still blonde nonetheless."
"… what?" She breathed out in disbelief. Letting go of his hand, she ignored his worried cry and rushed over to the frozen lake, dropping onto her knees right alongside of Toothless as she peered into to the reflective surface to get a look.
Her face was still as pale as ever and eyes were still as blue as the ice she wielded so easily, but Hiccup was right; her hair was different. It wasn't the cold tone of white that reminded her of the snow & regrets which she had become accustomed since coming to this land, it was once again the blonde that she had adorned growing up, that had made her stand out from the rest of her family, and yet she adored it fiercely because she thought it was the prettiest shade imaginable and made her feel grateful that she was blessed with such lovely coloured hair.
'How can this be...?' She pondered, running a hand through her windswept locks and over her braid, all the while looking at her reflection in complete astonishment. 'I thought it was inevitable that it would turn completely white, and yet, it's reverted back to normal. Does this mean my magic has been affected?'
It was possible—there were stories about people's hair being altered by the effects of their magic. She had even heard that Princess Rapunzel of Corona had this occur to her; it was rumoured that she'd previously had golden blonde hair that reached an unnatural length and had the incredible ability to restore health & youth, hence why she was missing for the first eighteen years of her life. However, the royal family had never confirmed this rumour or denied it, and after seeing her at the coronation with cropped brown hair, Elsa had deemed it to be just petty gossip and completely dismissed the story.
Now she was starting to have second thoughts...
'Does this mean my magic is beginning to change? Does this mean I have more control over it?' She wondered intently, noticing from the corner of her eye that Toothless had cocked his head to the side, obviously interested in their reflection. 'But how...?'
"Elsa...?"
The former Queen pulled her attention away from the frozen lake and glanced over to the Viking, who was standing a few feet away, obviously to give her space, and yet still stood attentively, as if ready to assist at any moment. He looked at her in a way she couldn't really describe, except it was tender and made her cheeks burn, and then suddenly it clicked.
'It's because he's affecting my heart, therefore he's influencing my magic!' She realised for the first time, stunned at the revelation. It wasn't all her imagination—the snow was warmer than usual, the ice was clear & pristine, the sky was clearer. Her magic was being affected! Although she had always been aware that her emotions were the outlet to her abilities, she never suspected that they could be influenced in such a way.
'You're changing me in a way I never thought possible, making me feel in a way I can't understand, and yet, I'm not afraid at all... just what are you doing to me, Chief Hiccup?'
"It appears that you and Toothless have had more of an influence on me than I originally thought." She admitted, slowly rising up from her position. "Because this is my natural hair colour. At least, while I still have these powers."
"Wait, what are you saying?" The Chief asked, looking confused.
"Not too many people know this, but I was born with brown hair." She confessed, causing him to raise both eyebrows and look at her dumbfound. "However, as I grew older my powers started developing, therefore my hair started turning this colour. By the time I was five, my hair turned completely blonde."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, I've heard it's happened to a few people. I've heard of a girl whose hair would glow as brightly as the sun whenever she would sing."
"That's amazing!" he exclaimed with wide green eyes. "So you're saying that the reason you're so fair is because you can wield ice & snow? That your magic has a direct influence of your physical appearance?"
"Yes, my point exactly."
"That's incredible! Wait..." he realised something. "So this means your hair was white because you were affected by your abilities?"
The snow maiden nodded her head, before biting her lip. "There was ice in my heart before I met you... But now it's thawing, I can feel it."
What she was saying felt incredibly personal (and more than a little embarrassing) for someone whom she had only just met, but it was too important not to be said. She had shunned everyone she loved out of her life for so long; she wasn't going to do the same with Hiccup.
"Elsa..." he breathed out, he looked just as stunned as she had been when she had her epiphany.
"I'm fine, Hiccup." She said with confidence she hadn't felt in a very long time. Walking over to the Chief, she gave him a reassuring smile and she was happy when she saw him relax. "Better than fine, actually. My powers are changing and I think I can control it."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Oh man, this is so great! You have to show us!" He exclaimed, grabbing her hands again. His green eyes were alight with joy & excitement, and the grin he wore was so wide and genuine that she couldn't help herself from smiling back.
"Okay..." She agreed (so eagerly, so easily—seriously, this man would certainly be her undoing...) and gave his hands a gentle squeeze before reluctantly letting them go and taking a few steps back. The fair maiden took a deep breath and willed her magic and in an instant a snowball appeared between her hands; it glowed as a flurry of blue snowflakes hovered around it.
"Are you ready?" She asked, feeling a beam of pride swell within her as she watched Toothless & Hiccup vigorously nodding their heads. Motivated, she shot the enchanted snowball straight up into the air and watched as it exploded into a million tiny snowflakes.
"This is AMAZING!" The rider cheered, running around in the snowfall like an excited child, whilst the Night Fury was pouncing from one end to another and trying to catch any snowflakes on his massive tongue.
'They really are alike...' She thought to herself with a chuckle, shaking her head in bemusement; remembering Anna saying the exact same thing on the night of the incident. It gave her a sense of nostalgia and made her wish that her sister was right there at that moment, because if she had, Elsa was sure that the Chief & her would've definitely hit it off.
Who knows? They might have even become the best of friends...
'Wishful thinking, Elsa...' Her mind reminded her, 'But a nice idea nonetheless.'
"Yeah..." she whispered in agreement.
Strangely, the former Queen didn't feel hurt or broken by the thought of Anna at that moment. Instead, she felt resigned; her sister was gone and there was nothing she could do to change that painful fact, however, Elsa wanted to think of the good times she had spent with the younger girl and move on from the past.
"You have to run, you have to live—you owe Anna that much, at least."
Yes, she did.
So she watched her new friends running through the snow and allowed herself to enjoy the view, knowing her magic was responsible for their happiness & excitement.
'I hope you can watch this Anna, wherever you are...'
Kristoff stood stunned and broken-hearted at the scene before him. He couldn't believe it, the girl he had come to admire (and love) so quickly these past few days was gone. Frozen into solid ice for all of eternity.
"Anna...?" Olaf asked in total disbelief. The fact that the always cheerful talking snowman could look so hurt, so pained, so heartbroken at that moment like any other living being, only amounted to the tragedy of this entire situation.
'No, it can't be... what happened to Prince Hans!?' He wondered, as he watched Queen Elsa continue to cry over her dead sister's form. 'What happened to True Love's kiss!?'
"Guards! Seize her!" He heard a voice; full of anger, hatred & fear, and he decided he really didn't like it or whoever it belonged to.
He watched as the Queen of Arendelle reluctantly pulled away from Anna and stumbled a few feet away from her frozen sibling, arms outstretched and blue eyes wide—obviously distressed and hurting just as much as he was, and yet, as he looked up to the skies and saw grey clouds begin to form and the snowflakes starting to float around them, he realised that his pain couldn't even begin to compare to the inner turmoil brewing within her heart.
"Anna..." she sobbed, her voice croaky & tight. She clearly wanted to return to her sister's side and Kristoff wished she would. Instead, she looked at her trembling hands and asked herself; "What have I done?"
"Your Majesty...?" He asked aloud, feeling the wind beginning to pick up and heard Sven's distressed cry.
The Queen pulled her hands together and cradled them against her chest, whispering; "I'm so, so sorry...! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
His heart was beginning to race as he realised the storm was returning, however, he knew this one would be even worse, more fierce, more powerful, and far more deadly.
"There she is!"
"Hurry! We have to move quickly!"
"She is to be executed for treason!"
'They're going to kill her!' Kristoff realised, horrified by the thought. He looked over to the woman, to see her reaction, but she was too deep in her despair to be paying attention to her surroundings. 'I can't let that happen!'
Alarmed, he yelled out; "Queen Elsa! You have to run!"
She lifted her head up and glanced over to him, obviously shocked before stuttering out, "N-no... I won't leave her. Not again..."
"Queen Elsa, you have to go! They're going to execute you!" He insisted, feeling panic flooding within him as he heard the shouts of the men and impeding footsteps.
"Then let them!" She cried out and he braced himself against the sudden blast of gust which followed.
"But Anna wouldn't want this!" He argued back.
"I don't deserve to live after what I've done..."
"So you're just going to let her sacrifice be in vain then?"
The ice harvester watched her eyes widen & her shoulders slump, and unimaginable amount of relief went through him because he knew he had finally struck a nerve—that she would finally listen to reason.
"PREPARE FOR CAPTURE!"
"You have to go, please..." he begged. "You have to run, you have to live—you owe Anna that much, at least."
"FIRE! FIRE!"
"I'm sorry, Anna..." Queen Elsa spoke, casting her gaze onto her frozen sibling. "For everything I did and everything I didn't do... I'm sorry... I love you."
And then she was gone and everything became a white haze.
"WHERE IS SHE?!"
"I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING!"
Kristoff could no longer hear the voices as clear as before, but he didn't mind. He wanted to mourn for the Princess in peace—to say goodbye to the one person who was better than his reindeer.
Approaching her frozen form, he noticed that Olaf had his stick arms wrapped around her legs, obviously as devastated by her death as he was. He reached out a hand to cup her cold cheek, wanting to cry at the irony. He had always loved ice, completely adored it ever since he was a young boy, and yet now, he couldn't help but loathe it.
"Anna..." he murmured as the first set of tears finally kicked in. They rolled down his cheeks slowly & solemnly, and he had to close his eyes because he couldn't bare to stare at her vacant gaze any longer. Even though he had never dwelled upon it too much, Kristoff acknowledged that he had lost a lot in his life: his parents, his home and any semblance of a normal life, but he had never been angry or bitter because it was useless and he was content with the life he had been given. But this... this was the first time he found himself cursing at God or whatever deity existed for screwing him over and taking away the best thing that ever happened to him.
'I'm sorry, Anna, I failed you...' He thought solemnly, his chest aching in a way he never thought possible. 'I just hope that Elsa will be able to get away safely. I know you wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her. The fact that you gave up your own life to protect hers just goes to show how much you care. I just wish you could see how much she cares for you... How much I care for you... but I guess that's too late now...'
"Kristoff, look!" Olaf cried out excitedly, tugging at his pants whilst Sven nudged his head against his side.
Snapping his eyes open, Kristoff gasped and watched in complete astonishment at what was unfolding before him.
'What...? Can it be...?'
He couldn't believe it! Anna... Anna was thawing!
Her entire form was transforming from ice to human flesh right before his very eyes and his heart lifted in a way he'd never experienced before. A wild grin appeared on his face and joyous laughter erupted from his chest when she completely thawed out and tumbled into his arms and looked up at him with hazy eyes.
'Thank you, God. Thank you.'
Anna was still alive.
Author's Notes: OH MY GOD ANNA IS STILL ALIVE! SAY IT ISN'T SO! Well, I think we all had an inkling this might have been the case but I didn't want to give it away. Although in all honesty, I wasn't actually planning to reveal Anna until much later in the story but TheWritingFactory convinced me enough after I trolled him a million times on the subject and secondly, I've come up with a good story plan. That of which, you'll have to wait for ;-) So what did everyone think? Predictable? Cliche`? I just couldn't bring myself to let Anna die; it was too cruel to let her die and I'm quite fond of her and have a somewhat similar personality to her.
Did anyone like the "Tangled" reference? Although I'm not all into that movie; I was fascinated by the relationship between Rapunzel & Mother Gothel and have written a few pieces about their dynamic (I swear I will post them up one day.) My favourite part of the movie is when her hair gets cut and it changes colour, the same with Anna for "Frozen" - I don't know, I think it's cool. Hence, why I did it with Elsa for this story and after recently seeing a GIF on pinterest in which Elsa's hair colour changes ever so slightly as she creates her signature dress during "Let it go" - I was like "Hell yeah!"
So I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read, review and edit this story. I always appreciate it.
I want to thank TheWritingFactory for always being there and helping me when I'm in a stump and to be on the look out for his Hiccelsa story which will be coming out very soon. Looking forward to it, ;-) I also want to thank Margaret Helstone because she did a beautiful cover of "Fix you" and uploaded it on youtube. Go check it out, it gave me chills.
Also a shout out to Maxaro for once again editing because frankly, my brain is always mush by the end of every chapter, and to answer your question - I have a million favourite movie quotes but two of my personal favourites both come from the same movie; "The Adventures of Priscilla - Queen of the desert" (warning it has language):
The first: Bernadette [to Felicia]: I've said it before, and I'll say it again: "No more fucking ABBA!"
And second: At Broken Hill, Mitzi and Felicia step out onto the street all dolled up in exaggerated drag.
Mitzi: What the fuck am I doing? Take that bloody frock off Felicia! Don't make it worse than it is.
Felicia: Think I'll let you get all the attention? No chance. Come on girls, lets go shopping!
Bernadette: For Christ's sake!
BAHAHAHAHAHA! I friggin' love this movie, but that's probably because I'm Australian and we do have a strange sense of humour ;-p
Until next time, everyone!
