Okay…! Okay. I can get through this. I mean, I've been through worse, right? Crazy lady with super-strong snow powers? No biggie. It's like a scary version of Elsa.
Anna managed a brave face as Kristoff scratched away at the ice around her legs. She then looked up, heart skipping beats as Sarah approached amidst a wild flurry of snow.
Oh CRAP she's gonna kill me.
"Kristoff, hurry!"
Small shards of ice flew everywhere as Kristoff upped his pace, his paws nothing but a blur as he made little headway on the block. It was way too thick for his claws to be much use; he needed his ice axe or something similar to pierce it. With an idea in mind, he glanced up, eyes falling upon Anna's sword just as he felt the sting of Sarah's magic striking his shoulder.
It enveloped him before he could react, binding his arms and wings to his torso in ice so thick he couldn't break free. He tried regardless, tossing his head and stumbling away from Anna as his effort got him nowhere.
"How very sad," Sarah said, pitying him when he succumbed to the weight of the ice and fell forward. "If you were still human, you might have stood a chance at saving your princess." She cast her cold glare at Anna. "That ice will be your tomb."
It began to creep up Anna's legs as it was mentioned, and it would keep spreading if she did nothing to stop it. She still held her sword; a couple of stabs in the right places and she could break free to fight back.
Her adrenaline was off the charts, though, and in the moment she decided to commit to the idea, she was stopped by a second thought. Without a doubt, if she did this wrong, she'd stab herself. Even where the ice was thickest at her feet, one inch was the difference between salvation and severing an artery.
There had to be a safer way out of this. She had to stall.
"Uh, h-hey, time out for a second. I get that you're mad and all, but I don't remember a thing that happened last year." Anna twisted her hips and tried to tug her right leg out of the ice, grimacing when it wouldn't budge. "What did I do? And how come you have your memories and I don't?"
Because that is TOTALLY not fair…
Her questions intrigued Sarah, but it did nothing to stop the ice from climbing past her knees. "No one can stop a Dark Curse once its cast," Sarah began, "but there are ways to prevent the memory loss. I succumbed to the first curse not knowing what it was, but I made sure to prepare if there was ever a second."
Yeah, yeah, keep talking, Anna thought, half-listening as she continued to search for a way out of her predicament. She almost slapped her forehead when she saw Kristoff rolling on the ground, unable to stand upright or free himself from the ice.
"You'd know how fond I am of mirrors if you had your memories," Sarah continued with an unnerving smile, drawing back Anna's attention. "I've spent years researching their properties, learning how to use them with my own magic, and I discovered something. Mirrors are excellent at storing images, so why not memories as well?"
That sure explained the excess amount of mirrors in the ice cream shop. Sarah must have spent every dull moment at work staring at that glass, learning what happened in her last year away from Storybrooke. Anna couldn't help but be a little jealous for it; here she had been running around for weeks trying to unravel the past on her own, and with a simple spell, Sarah knew everything.
She grit her teeth, seething as the cold numbed her toes and started settling into her knees. "Okay… so maybe I did something to upset you last year. Whatever it was, I'm sorry," Anna said, thankful that Sarah was holding off on "finishing" that business for the moment. "But right now, Zelena has Elsa held captive somewhere and a creepy urn that probably does something bad. Can we maybe… I dunno… settle our differences after we find her?"
Sarah looked down upon her, disgusted. "You're suggesting an alliance?" she scoffed.
No, I'm just suggesting that you step off for five minutes so I can get myself out of here.
Anna forced through an unsure smile. "…Yes?"
For a moment, Anna felt the ice halt in its advance. She raced to think of ways to break the ice without hurting herself while Sarah contemplated her sudden offer. "I don't know exactly if you and Elsa were close friends, but you talk about her like you really miss her. I miss her too," Anna said, sympathizing while playing her strategy for all it was worth. "She needs our help, Sarah. If she could come home, she would have done it already. You know that."
It was hard to tell what Sarah's feelings were on the subject. Just as always, she was a blank slate, her emotion held back either by necessity or something else that Anna didn't understand. As Anna anxiously awaited her decision, she felt the breeze from the harbor come to an abrupt halt. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as goosebumps numbed her skin. Somehow without the wind, she suddenly felt colder.
"Anna… you poor, foolish little girl."
Sarah held her hands out to her sides, white magic glowing in her palms.
"You act like you have a part to play when this story doesn't include you. How could you possibly hope to stand up to Zelena with the way you are? You have no magic," she spat, palms glowing brighter as she spoke. "You have nothing valuable to offer to me. You're a nuisance that's good for nothing except hurting Elsa."
Anna scowled, giving a sharp tug at her left leg; the ice wouldn't let her go. "That's not true! I would never—"
"You already have. You simply don't remember." She raised her hand, facing her palm outwards. "Elsa won't understand why I had to do this once I free her, but she will come around in time. Eventually she'll learn that her life would have been better if she had a sister more like her."
Her words were meant to sting, but Anna felt nothing from it. Sarah's lies and drivel were so unbelievable that Anna didn't need her memories to discern the truth. She held up her sword, ready to defend herself against the coming onslaught of magic when something caught the corner of her eye.
Just as Sarah was about to strike, Kristoff rolled in from behind her. She cried out as he knocked into her legs, sending her falling backwards as the magic in her hand misfired to the street. White spikes of ice grew from where her magic struck, pointing towards Anna in an arc that formed a barrier between the two.
Kristoff's distraction provided just the break she needed. She looked down at the thick ice around her legs, raised her sword and spun it so the blade pointed straight down.
Here goes nothing…!
She picked a spot where the ice was thickest and thrust the blade down, praying she wouldn't miss. The moment the tip met the block, though, she panicked, stopping herself when a third of the weapon cut through her prison. Something wasn't right.
Swords shouldn't be able to cut through ice like butter.
As though the blade had been superheated, it made a clean cut through the ice; the surface was hardly fractured by the initial strike. How or why this was happening, Anna didn't know, but it was an advantage she'd gladly use to get out of this mess.
She lifted her sword from its frozen sheath and prepared to make the next strike while Sarah recovered from her fall. Anna picked an angle, readied her blade and… stopped, chilled once again as the breeze from the harbor returned as a harsh gust of wind. It came back so suddenly that she couldn't help but look at where it came from, and what she saw made her forget all about escaping Sarah's trap.
It was odd… something unnatural, like a shift in the air that could have been passed off as an illusion. Anna knew better than to ignore it; the way her skin tingled and tensed with goosebumps was a sure sign that a different kind of magic was close by. The shift she saw progressed into a glimmer, and then materialized into a familiar pulse of light that was racing towards her.
She felt the ice around her legs shatter a half-second before the light slammed into her and knocked her off her feet. As she fell, she heard the wall of spikes breaking apart, and just saw Kristoff's wings extend in freedom before she struck the pavement with her shoulders. The force of the impact knocked the sword out of her hand, sending it clattering to a rest at her side.
The metallic sound echoed through her head, reaching down to her heart before it rang in her mind, pulling on the memories that had been locked away by this second curse. She closed her eyes in pain as each one forced its way back to the surface, feeling sick on a roller coaster of emotions as every good moment was thrown off-kilter by a devastating event.
She remembered the birthday party Elsa threw her to make up for what she couldn't give in Storybrooke. She remembered her engagement to Kristoff at the waterfall, and the fun days of outings and fishing trips with her family. She remembered when Zelena attacked Arendelle twice in an effort to subdue Elsa, for no reason other than being an apparent threat to her plans.
Anna seethed as she sat up, putting a hand to her head as the last of her memories returned. After Zelena's defeat, Elsa's control over her power began to slip, resulting in a sudden return to the North Mountain. She met someone there who gained her trust and taught her how to reign back her magic… but their friendship came at a price that Elsa could not foresee.
That was the reason why she had yet to make an appearance in Storybrooke, and also why Anna was currently under attack.
She reached for her sword, glaring beneath her bangs past the shattered ice and to the blonde witch in the road. "Ingrid…!"
Sarah hesitated at the name. She dared to turn and look, to stare at Anna and all the fury she held in her eyes, and she matched it. Where Anna scrambled to her feet, Sarah… no, Ingrid calmly rose, standing still in a dare to be attacked.
Anna fell for the bait. Fueled by her returned memories, she sprinted down the street, sword in hand, heart beating loud enough to block out any second thoughts she might have had about her actions. She grit her teeth; how could Ingrid just stand there after what she had done?!
There were no tears, no screaming, just white-hot anger that made her blind to everything and anyone that wasn't Ingrid. It was just before she was in striking distance that Anna ran into something that stopped her still. She looked down, thinking her legs were frozen again, but it was Kristoff who dove in her way and held her shoulders, preventing her from doing the unthinkable.
"Let me go!" she cried, struggling against him as the world and all its noise started coming back to her. Despite his smaller size, he was still stronger. "Kristoff, please!"
Ingrid did nothing but watch, keeping her magic hidden within her palms. "Elsa deserved better," she seethed, anger coming through despite the curse upon her heart. "I think we know now who the real monster is."
"I was trying to save her!" Anna cried. She braced against Kristoff and pushed with all her might, knocking him back a step and causing Ingrid to do the same. "You hurt her! She was struggling and needed help and you… you…!"
"I took away her pain." Ingrid raised her arms, summoning a flurry of snowflakes. They swirled around her in a vortex, obscuring her features in a cloud of white, though her bright blue eyes pierced through the magic. "All you managed to do is betray her trust and break her heart."
The flurry of snow enveloped Ingrid and she was gone, transported elsewhere to seek her own means. Anna stared at the spot where she stood from over Kristoff's shoulder, ignoring his pleas to look at him. Up to this point she thought she had been doing well in keeping herself together and in searching for her sister, but now that her memories returned in a blink of an eye… she felt stupid. The past month she had been wandering around in a daydream, enduring setbacks because she thought… she believed that her efforts would bring her sister home.
She felt fear and grief grip her throat as exhaustion took over. Her sword slipped from her hand, clattering to the pavement again as her legs gave out. Kristoff caught her before she fell and lowered her to sit, holding her tight as she buried her face in his shoulder.
"…She's in the urn."
Kristoff nodded once when he felt Anna tremble in his embrace. He remembered, too, and he knew just as well that if they didn't act soon, nothing would be the same with their family again.
Queen Elsa closed her eyes and sat back in her chair with a small, pleasant smile. If she could figure out how to make time stop, she'd pause her life right then. Everything around her was so… perfect.
Her workload had been light enough to allow her to enjoy time out of her study. She was able to visit with Ingrid often during the week she stayed in the castle, and was there to bid her goodbye that morning when she left to return home to Eiskurr. Later that afternoon, Elsa spent time with Olaf in the library, setting him up with a small easel and paint as she worked on her own piece. Anna and Kristoff came up about an hour later, bringing lunch with them for a "picnic" around the coffee table. They laughed and told stories together, Kristoff played his lute… it was a welcome escape from Elsa's usual queenly duties.
She opened her eyes and looked to a painting at the side of her study. It was of Storybrooke's clock tower, reading 8:16 to commemorate the first time she and Anna saw the minute hand move. The life she had there, the people she met… it felt as much of a dream as it was a nightmare that didn't end for 28 years. It was such a simple life, but just like Arendelle, it had its difficulties.
The one thing that she was thankful for was that in both worlds, she had a certain red-headed constant.
Elsa giggled to herself when she heard a hasty, rhythmic knock at her door before it burst open. Anna rushed in, wide-eyed and frantic as she barreled into the desk, having the foresight to put her hand over the inkpot to keep it from splashing. "Elsa, this is terrible!"
Those were words she hadn't expected to hear. Sensing the dread in her sister's voice, Elsa quickly stood. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"…I can't decide which napkin rings to use!" Anna cried, pouting as Elsa sat down with a huff and cracked a wry smile. "This isn't funny! Look, look at this," she begged, pulling four metal rings out of the pocket of her skirt to show her. "Silver or gold? And this one's got cool rosemaling, but this one has the crocus… why does this have to be so hard?! We have 8,000 salad plates that all look the same, but nooo, we have to have ten different types of napkin rings that match the table arrangements."
"Anna—"
"TEN, ELSA."
"…Are you done?"
Anna slapped the rings on the desk and smoothed out her skirt. "Yes, I think so," she said, sounding prim and proper now after venting. Elsa offered her a sympathetic smile and reached across the desk, grabbing her hand.
"Anna, I'm sure whichever one you choose will be fine."
"But…"
"Trust me. Except don't use the gold ones with the crocus because I used those for my coronation."
Anna quickly snatched one of the gold rings off the desk and tossed it over her shoulder. "Well that narrows it down…"
Sitting back, Elsa watched as Anna tried to decide between the remaining three. "Have you decided on centerpieces yet?"
"Well, yeah, you kind of made that part easy. We might have ice sculptures on some of the tables, though."
"Cake flavors?"
Anna scrunched her nose, seriously considering one of the silver rings. "Alternating tiers of red velvet and white chocolate with raspberry. Good job steering Kristoff away from carrot, by the way."
"Of course. And the dress?"
She waited patiently for an answer, though it was clear by the way Anna wouldn't look up at her that she didn't have anything to tell her. "Anna, I told you to talk to the tailor last week!"
"I know! I mean, I've been so busy," Anna explained, rubbing her nose with the excuse. "What with the sword training and the planning and Ingr—uh… I just haven't had time, so…"
Holding her chin in thought, Elsa listened as Anna continued to ramble on a list of excuses, growing a smirk as it continued into the absurd. Finally, she rose from her seat, took her sister's hand and pulled her towards the door of the study. "C'mon, follow me."
"Uh, where are we going? I thought you were working?" Anna asked, pointing to the desk behind them and the paperwork Elsa was hoping to accomplish. The queen simply waved her hand to dismiss it.
"It can wait. Besides, I wanted to give you a present."
"…Christmas was like, over a month ago."
"This isn't a Christmas present, Anna; it's for your wedding."
It felt like she was just there yesterday. Sparkling blue waters, towering, snow-capped mountains… a village hidden within the fjord, protected by walls and a guardian castle at the ocean's approach. It was home, this stony land of Arendelle, and though it was just a painting, Anna was lost in the brushstrokes and memories of the landscape.
She squeezed her eyes shut. There was no way she could look at that painting, remember Arendelle, or even sit on the couch in the apartment without thinking of her sister. Flashbacks of the previous year ran her over like an endless train, and each memory hit her hard enough to send her flying off the tracks.
Even in the darkness behind her eyelids, she could hear her voice. She saw the fear in her eyes, the confusion, hurt, anger, and then… nothing. Elsa was gone.
…I have to make this right.
But where to start? And how? Anna opened her eyes, hoping her family would have some ideas, but they had been dead silent ever since they retreated to the sisters' apartment. They were hurting just as much as she was; not physically, but the way no one looked at each other told her enough. There was a lot for them to process.
She expected Kristoff to be quiet. His speech still came out as monkey chatter and his attempts at writing were nothing but scribbles. He wouldn't have much to say regardless, but he'd at least have some supportive words to share. It was thanks to him that Anna made it through the last month in the Enchanted Forest before the second curse swept them back to Storybrooke.
There were a few times when Olaf looked like he'd pipe up with something, but then he'd cross his arms and look at the floor, stuck on his own thoughts. Meanwhile, Marshmallow sat by himself in front of Elsa's easel. His cheeks were pink and his jaw was set; he looked ready to explode at any second, and Anna knew it was her fault that he felt that way.
She felt a hand on her leg and looked down, finding Kristoff looking up at her with wide red eyes. He pointed to a tear in her jeans, where the claws of a flying monkey caused the only injury to their family at the docks. "It's not deep and it doesn't hurt much," Anna smiled. "I'll take care of it in a minute. Right now I just… need to figure out what I'm gonna do."
"Mary-Margaret's having her baby soon," Olaf reminded. He had been hiding in the boathouse with Marshmallow, Sven, Killian and Henry when the Charming family came to their rescue. After fighting off the monkeys, Emma was able to bring Henry's memories back, and Regina broke the second curse with a kiss upon his forehead. It was after then that Mary-Margaret went into labor, which only meant one thing.
They were running out of time. As soon as the baby was born, Zelena would come to steal it away for use in her time-traveling spell. Whether the spell would harm the newborn or not, nobody knew, but they were just as afraid for what Zelena's victory meant for Elsa.
"Dammit, she was right there!" Anna cursed. She smacked her leg with her fist, narrowly avoiding the scratch but succeeding in drawing out its pain. "Tch… that time I went to the farmstead with stupid Hans, Zelena held out the urn and I didn't even know. Elsa could be home already."
"You would have been hurt."
Anna looked across the room at Marshmallow. His bright blue eyes were hard and cold, but they carried the same vulnerability as his mother's. "Zelena is dangerous. She's keeping Mama for a reason and doesn't want us to have her. She'd fight you if you tried to take her."
"Yeah… but we can beat her, right?" Olaf asked. The more he thought about it, the wider his smile grew. "Zelena's a bad person, but good always beats evil!"
Marshmallow shook his head. "Her magic is too strong, and we don't have any."
"So? We have to try. She has Elsa, and Elsa is our family. Family doesn't give up on each other, right, Anna?"
It was with a curt nod that Anna readily agreed, but she had her doubts about facing the Wicked Witch again. They got lucky in Arendelle when they stopped Zelena at the chapel; the witch was so distracted by hubris that she was thrown off-guard by any attack or witty one-liner they threw at her. Now on the cusp of victory, Zelena would be a fool if she let anyone get close to her.
"How could you possibly hope to stand up to Zelena with the way you are? You have no magic."
Ingrid's words played over and over in Anna's mind, stinging now when they hadn't before. Aside from her golden heart, she was completely ordinary: Just a clumsy princess with a few sword skills and enough luck to keep her alive.
But she was strong, too. Brave. Courageous. Daring and reckless where others would exercise caution. To her it wasn't much, but it would have to be enough.
If I was the one in trouble, Elsa would be out the door already. Why am I hesitating?
Anna stood up from the couch, looking at the painting of Arendelle as though she was facing her sister. There were so many things she wanted to say to her, to apologize for, to scream about and cry over, but she'd never get the chance if she didn't do something now.
"I promised I'd make this right. I'm not gonna stop fighting for her until she's home again."
Olaf was beaming, happy to see Anna maintaining her resolve despite the odds against her. It was clear by the look in her eye that she was determined to bring an end to this dark return to Storybrooke and make her family whole again. The path that would reunite her with her sister was unsure and treacherous, but looking at her now, both Kristoff and Marshmallow could tell she was ready to brave it.
She turned to face them, finding Kristoff and the boys all looking to her with warm smiles and hope in their eyes. They believed in her, and thanks to them, she firmly believed the day would end in triumph as well. "I'm gonna take care of this scratch and make a few phone calls," Anna said, feeling encouraged as she excused herself from the room. "You guys just… chill out or play charades or something for a little bit. I'll be right back."
She hurried into the hallway and retrieved the first aid kit from the bathroom, taking it back to her bedroom so she could properly tend to her leg. She flicked on the lights as she stepped inside and threw the kit to her bed, taking the time to look around.
It had been a while since she was last in her own room; the cabin felt just as much her home as the apartment did. She sat down on the side of the bed, forgetting how unsupportive the worn springs were after 28 years of sleeping on it. The walls were also too bright when compared to the earthy tones of the cabin or the warm pink of her first bedroom. One thing that hadn't changed between the spaces, though, was the clutter. Anna had a tendency to throw clothes or items just about anywhere whenever she was in a rush to leave. Even the nightstand couldn't be spared from—
She stilled when she happened to look at it. Resting at the base of the lamp were two pieces of jewelry she had forgotten about when she returned to Storybrooke.
Wow, that curse sure did a number on me. How could I forget about these?
Anna reached for the trinkets, reminiscing how she acquired them when one began to sparkle in the light of her room.
"Uh… okay, so is this what you wanted to show me? I mean, no offense, Sis, but…"
"If you'd take the time to look around—"
"…It's an attic."
It had taken some time to get there from Elsa's study on the main floor of the castle, allowing Anna to dream all the way what kind of gift her thoughtful sister was giving her for the wedding. They'd gone deep into the eastern wing towards their parents' old bedroom. Close to their quarters, Elsa opened a plain door that led to a rickety staircase.
At the end of the staircase was another door, which led to where they were now: a small, windowed room filled with nothing but old trunks, knickknacks and dust.
"I found it when I went on one of my more recent walks," Elsa explained as she pushed Anna to the center of the floor. "I think I'm finally catching up to your curiosity about what's behind every door in the castle."
Anna giggled as she began to wander around. "Pro tip: Don't open random doors when we have visiting dignitaries because that is just awkward," she grinned, thinking back to her mischievous youth. "I've never been up here before, though. I only ever came down this way to see Mom and Dad." She rocked on her heels, holding her hands behind her back to resist touching everything in sight; a LOT of it looked old and fragile. "So… what was it you wanted to show me?"
"It's just a little something," Elsa smiled as she walked past Anna. She went to an old, paint-chipped wardrobe, and paused for a moment when she grasped the doorknobs. "I think the person who used to own this would want you to have it, too."
Elsa looked back, catching Anna's confused stare from over her shoulder just before she pulled the doors open and stepped aside. What she revealed left her little sister shocked.
It was an elegant white wedding dress, far from Arendelle's traditional ceremonial garb and inspired by kingdoms in the south. Shimmering crystals and beads had been stitched into the lace draped over the sides of the skirt, accented by floral patterns that continued up into the short sleeves. It was the rosemaling embroidery on the bodice that tied it all together, and gave a clue to the previous owner's identity.
"Is that…?" Anna breathed, unable to speak her assumption.
Elsa nodded. "Mother's, yes." She reached out for Anna's hand, silently urging her to come closer. "I'd been looking for it for some time. It took a little longer because of the curse, but since you haven't spoken with the tailor yet, I thought if you were willing…"
The moment Elsa took her hand, Anna understood what she was trying to say. "…No, no, Elsa, you're the first born, you should—"
"It's not meant for me." Elsa looked at Anna with a warm smile, confident and happy in her decision. "Besides, I think if you tried it on, you'll find that it suits you."
"…You want me to wear it?" Anna asked in surprise. Elsa raised a brow, making Anna roll her eyes at herself. "Of course you want me to wear it. Why else would we be here?" she mumbled nervously as Elsa took the dress off the hangar. She held it up to Anna, judging the size at first, and then pushed it into her arms, eyeing her with an odd look when she hesitated to take it. Leaning back, Elsa held her chin as she looked Anna up and down, only adding to the bride-to-be's nerves. "What's wrong?"
"It's missing something…" Elsa mused, drawing her sister to wonder what it might be. The elder shook her fair head, dismissing the thought for now. "We'll figure it out later. Let's see how the dress looks first!" she smiled, pushing Anna behind a curtain to get changed. Anna giggled all the way, nervously expressing how she hoped that she wouldn't ruin the dress on the big day, not getting any reassurance from her sister that she wouldn't.
Content to browse the antiquities as she waited, Elsa folded her arms and slowly walked around the room, her mind focused on the upcoming wedding in summer. "So about the ceremony…" she started, thinking about the royals and dignitaries who would be in attendance. "…Please don't tell me I have to walk down the aisle with Sven."
"Ah… well… he is the best man, so…"
"And now is where you tell me you're joking."
Anna's silence told her everything she didn't want to hear, and she felt her face flush just at the idea of it. Sven was family, yes, but…
"Oh, hey, don't think you're getting out of dancing, either," Anna added, much to Elsa's chagrin.
"I have to dance with Sven?"
"No, of course not! Elsa, I know I'm putting you through a lot with this wedding, but I'm not THAT cruel!" Anna laughed. "Seriously, though: you gotta dance. I have an instructor coming next month to start teaching you and Kristoff, so you should be pros by summer!"
If only she could see her pout, Anna would have laughed at Elsa's sudden regret of her position. There was no getting out of it, not like she did at her coronation ball.
Nervous thoughts aside, Elsa was pleased that the wedding preparations were finally on track. She smiled as she looked across the room, spying her own reflection in the clear parts of an otherwise dirty mirror. The gem of her necklace shone in the reflection despite the dull tone of the rest of the image.
Regardless of where it had come from, the constant reminder of Anna's spirit had given Elsa the strength and courage to forge through her recent bout of magical distress. With a rueful smile, she broke off the chain of ice that kept the gem secure around her neck. It was time to finally pay back the promise she made on the day of her retreat to the ice palace.
The gem caught a sudden shine and sparkle as she held it between her fingers, and the room glowed brighter because of it. Elsa looked up, bewildered by the phenomenon until she realized that the curtains had been pulled back. She hid the gem in her hand, almost dropping it in the motion when she turned towards the window and found herself breathless.
Backed by the light shining behind her, Anna stepped out from behind the curtains, unable to fight away her smile as she awaited Elsa's judgement. "It… it fits," she said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her right ear. She bit her lip, trying not to laugh as Elsa just stood there, unable to speak. "Does it look okay?"
It took a moment for Elsa to blink out of her stupor as she was caught in the same recurring thought: Her little sister was getting married.
"Anna… it's wonderful. You look beautiful," she repeated, her brain finally catching up to her heart as she stepped up to Anna and wrapped her in a warm hug. She squeezed her shoulders tight, fighting off tears of joy, so happy that she'd get to see the day her sister had been dreaming of for so long. "Mother and Father would be so proud."
Anna nodded, stopping her own tears with a brave face. "I know they would. Thank you, Elsa."
They pulled apart, both laughing at each other when they wiped their eyes, and then teased each other on who'd be the bigger mess at the wedding ceremony. Afterward, Elsa took her time assessing the condition of the dress, noting some places where the tailor could take it in to make it a better fit. "It's still missing something though," she wondered. "Hmm…I think I've got just the thing."
Curious, Anna raised a brow with a question on her lips when she saw a peculiar blue glow coming from her sister's side. Elsa lifted her closed fist between them and swirled the air above it, casting her magic, creating something extraordinary that formed exactly to her mind's eye. When the glow of her magic faded, she uncurled her fingers and reached for the gift.
It was a delicate necklace made of ice, and Elsa's signature snowflake served as the pendant. Anna stared at it in wonder, amazed by the intricate details when she noted something brilliant shining in the center of the snowflake. "Wait… is that the gem I gave you?"
"I promised I'd give it back," Elsa smiled as she clasped the ends of the chain behind Anna's neck. "There. Something new to go with something borrowed."
Anna lightly touched the pendant, afraid that it would melt from her warm fingertips despite knowing how hard it was to destroy her sister's thoughtful creations. "It's beautiful," she started, then shook her head, the word too soft to describe what Elsa had done for her. "I mean it's enchanting. I mean I love you!"
"You're very welcome!" Elsa laughed as she was tackled in another hug. As she held her, she couldn't help but think of the years they lost and the moments she missed as Anna grew up. To see her smile like this… to watch her face light up whenever she talked about Kristoff and how their little broken family would finally become official, well… Elsa was elated that she could be there for every moment of it.
She looked across the room, hoping this happiness could last forever, but the thought died as soon as she caught her reflection in the dirty mirror. Despite her recent efforts, the prophecy still loomed. If she wanted the future to remain as bright as her dreams, she had to take precautions while she still had time.
"Anna… there's actually one more thing I want to give you."
A small smile tugged at her lips when she stepped into the hall. Elsa was so happy that day, Anna remembered as she looked up at her sister's door. She always hated that door, having it slammed in her face so many times that she cringed just thinking about it. Still, she never hated the person behind it, nor did she give up on her no matter how many times she wanted to.
They had gone through so much together, and Anna couldn't stand the thought of Elsa not being on the other side of that door when she knocked.
She reached for the pendant of her necklace, missing the way the gem shimmered when she rested her fingers upon the snowflake. Elsa, I know you're scared and upset right now, but just hang on a little longer, okay? We're coming to get you.
With a brave face, she walked out of the hall and into the living room, acknowledging Kai and Gerda with a quick hello as she marched past them into the kitchen.
"Anna, are you sure about this?" Kai worried. Gerda put a hand on his shoulder to keep him from chasing her around the apartment as she tried to get ready to leave. "This is very dangerous!"
"Yeah, you could run into flying monkeys, or Zelena," Olaf started, counting off the threats on his fingers, "or Rumplestiltskin, or Ingrid… or more flying monkeys…"
Anna walked out of the kitchen with a Pop-Tart in her hand. "It's nothing different than what I've done before," she shrugged, taking a bite out of her snack as she headed towards the couch in the living room. "The stakes are just higher."
Kai wouldn't give up on trying to convince her to rethink her plan. "Even so—"
"Kai. I'm going."
He stilled, mouth parted as she stared back at him unblinking. Her turquoise eyes were clear and focused; her mind was made up, and she was going to do everything in her power to come home victorious.
But in an instant, the image of that stoic, brave young woman turned back into typical Princess Anna, holding a Pop-Tart between her teeth as she started strapping her sword to her waist. "I talked it over with Emma," she explained, taking a bite from the pastry before setting it down on the coffee table. "Everyone's at the hospital right now because they know Zelena's going to come after the baby. While they're busy trying to stop her, Kristoff and I are going to the farmstead to steal back the urn."
Kai raised his brows. "This sounds awfully familiar."
"Well yeah, that's because I already tried doing it. I couldn't bring Elsa back the first time because I didn't know where she was. Now I do." Anna tightened the last belt and buckled it with a smirk, looking down at Kristoff by her side. "And if I didn't go that first time, I wouldn't know what the farmstead looked like, and I wouldn't have gotten Kristoff back, either. I'm actually a lot more prepared now than I was before."
Reassurance aside, Kai still wasn't convinced this was a good idea. His protests were silenced, however, when Gerda placed a hand on his shoulder. "Anna is strong," she told him, watching her charge as she was tackled in hugs from Olaf and Marshmallow. "You remember her bravery during our last months in Arendelle, don't you? She will be fine."
Kai placed his hand atop Gerda's. "I still worry for them."
"You always have. They aren't children anymore. All we can do now is support them."
And so Kai relented, wishing luck upon Anna when she hugged him goodbye and requesting Kristoff's protection of her before they left. As the couple stood in the doorway, Kai was reminded of the last time he saw them before the second curse swept through Arendelle. Unsure of what they were doing but confident in each other, they walked out with a goal in mind, intent to see it through to the end.
Anna closed the door to the apartment, hesitating a moment before she followed Kristoff down the hall and then down the stairway. "I feel kinda bad for leaving Olaf and Marshmallow behind."
Kristoff nodded, feeling the same, but they both understood why they had to leave the boys at home. They weren't made of magic and snow in this world; they could get hurt. The close calls they had with Peter Pan and the recent monkey scare was enough for Anna to request that they sat this fight out.
When they walked outside the front doors to the building, Anna laughed when she saw Sven waiting for them, standing in a heroic, courageous pose. "Oh, you called a chauffeur?" Anna joked, placing her hand over her heart when Kristoff jumped up on Sven's back. "What a gentleman!"
He held out a paw to her with a sly smile, but his grin faltered just a little when he noticed what Anna was wearing on her hand. He tried to say something; it came out as squeaks, of course, so he pointed at her, emphasizing a particular spot on her finger.
She didn't need to look down to know what he spotted. "I didn't mean to forget it," Anna said as she wiggled her fingers, showing off her silver engagement ring. She took Kristoff's outstretched paw and climbed onto Sven's back, taking a seat in the saddle behind her fiancé. Wrapping her arms around his middle, she looked over his shoulder and smiled when the glow of his crystal necklace made the metal of her ring come to life. "As soon as we make sure Elsa's safe, I promise we'll find a way to turn you back."
As gentle as he could, Kristoff squeezed Anna's hand and nodded. For as much as he wanted to be human again, he could only imagine how terrible it was to be trapped in that urn. He could wait.
"Okay, here goes nothing… let's go Sven!"
With a proud cry, Sven took off into the streets of Storybrooke, heading towards the forest edge of town. Anna leaned over and held onto his harness, emboldened by the wind through her hair and the thunder of Sven's hooves upon the pavement. It wasn't until they got onto Main Street that she had a sobering thought.
"…We should probably come up with an actual strategy in case we run into Zelena, huh?"
Kristoff rolled his eyes and groaned, dragging his paws down his face. They were so dead.
