The sound of cheering and shouting compelled Anna to lean on the starboard rail of her ship to see what the entire ruckus was about. She felt overwhelmed when she saw what had to be every last person in Arendelle waiting for her at the fjord, both aboard any ships available and at the docks. She shed a tear of happiness.
"Welcome home, my little truffle," Kristoff told her, joining the choir of voices that cheered, 'Welcome home, Princes Anna!'
Though she did giggle a bit when she heard the nickname Kristoff liked to call her by—which obviously made allusion to her love for chocolate—, Anna couldn't speak. She'd never imagined her people would give her such a warm welcome. She always tried to visit them and spend time with them whenever possible, and usually, people would tell her how wonderful a princess she was, but this…
Many more tears joined the first.
"I missed this place," she breathed.
"And we were only gone for three months. Imagine if we had taken your cousin's invitation to stay a while longer."
Anna smiled. Corona had been nice, and Rapunzel and Eugene had been really kind with her and Kristoff. Some of their people had also treated her so nicely. But there's no place like home.
"Look!" Olaf exclaimed from the bowsprit of the ship. "Elsa came to see us!"
Upon hearing this, Anna rushed to the base of the bowsprit and caught a glimpse of a beautiful young woman dressed in an ice blue dress—definitely her sister. She couldn't wait to tell her the news. It felt like ages before the ship was moored, and when the ramp was finally lowered, she ran down from the ship and embraced her sister.
"Welcome back, Anna," Elsa said into her ear. "How was your honeymoon?"
"Wonderful. The best honeymoon I've ever had."
"It's the only one you've ever had."
"Precisely," Anna replied, smiling widely. "And I have a surprise for you."
"Really?" Elsa said, letting go of her sister. But before Anna could elaborate, she added, "That's funny. I have a surprise for you, too."
"Do you now?" Anna teased.
Elsa nodded and smiled. "Why don't you follow me to the castle so I can show it to you?"
Anna didn't fail to notice that Elsa's smile was somewhat weak, nostalgic even. But as Elsa walked away and gestured at her to follow, she decided that maybe it was just because of the third anniversary of the day when Wintergale came to Arendelle. She'd let Elsa give Anna her surprise first. No matter what it was, it would surely make telling her the news so much more shocking—and fun. Oh, the face she'd make…
Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven came down from the ship and joined her, and as they passed by the townspeople and greeted some of them, she became aware that the whole town was following them to the castle. Then, as she approached the gates, she noticed a six-foot tall ice platform sitting at the back of the courtyard, right between the two fountains. Elsa disappeared behind it, but when Anna tried to follow her, the Royal Guards stopped her and led her to the front of the platform.
The courtyard became filled within minutes, and then Elsa reappeared on the platform, along with Kai and Gerda who stood on the corners to her right and left respectively. Kai waited for the people to quiet down a little before stepping forward.
"Her Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" he announced loudly.
The crowd erupted in cheers, and Elsa had to wait for them to stop before she could speak. "Citizens of Arendelle, today we welcome back our beloved Princess and my dearest sister, Anna."
Again, the crowd cheered. Anna blushed and smiled humbly, nodding to some nearby people before lowering her head slightly.
"We all know how much all of us—and in fact, the world—owes to Anna. Had it not been for her bravery and sacrifice four years ago, the eternal winter I unwittingly unleashed would've this kingdom and many others… and I wouldn't be here today. Anyone else would've cared less about saving my life as long as they brought summer back, but not her. Even though I myself told her to leave me alone, she didn't give up on me. That speaks highly of her character. She is not easily shaken by the situations around her and has faith that things will get better, no matter how grim they may look. Moreover, she has the will to make things get better. Truly, you couldn't ask for a better ruler… or a better sister."
While Anna felt flattered, it wasn't lost on her that Elsa had used the word 'ruler' when she had previously used the word 'princess'.
"Three years ago," Elsa continued, "an army came to Arendelle with the purpose of hunting down and slaying a creature they called the 'ice monster'. Their mad leader went as far as trying to kill me and my sister when he thought that I was helping the beast. Eventually, I drove him away, making it clear to him that I'd be less merciful if he ever set foot again in this kingdom. Most of you wouldn't know all this since you had to spend every night locked inside your homes because of a curfew he convinced me to establish, supposedly to keep you safe.
"Today, I'm here to tell you that, despite his madness, he was right about something. I did help the creature he sought to slay."
This statement caused a soft whispering to rise among the townspeople. Anna wondered why Elsa would disclose this information now.
"You should know as well that he was wrong about something, too. This was no monster but a magnificent creature I thought extinct centuries ago. I saved it, while he would've killed it and annihilated the last of its species. I sent it away to keep it safe from him, and to this day, it has survived and thrived."
Of course Anna knew who Elsa was talking about, but she sounded absolutely certain about her fate. Had she received word from the dragon rider she'd told her about?
"I know that if you saw this creature, you would think the same as I do. So, behold, the ice monster," Elsa said, lifting her left hand as if to introduce…
Wait. Could this actually be happening? Anna finally noticed the white blur behind the ice platform. And it was moving.
Her heart leapt when she saw an all too familiar animal approaching Elsa from behind. She heard several gasps and even a few shrieks among the crowd. Wintergale, however, seemed calm and unfazed, not showing any signs of being upset by such a reaction.
Elsa had promised her a surprise. 'Surprise' was too short a word to describe what Anna was feeling now. When had Wintergale returned? And more importantly, why?
"Don't be alarmed!" Elsa shouted out. "There's no need to panic. She's not dangerous."
When the crowd saw that Wintergale indeed remained impassive, it slowly began falling silent. Anna became aware that the Royal Guards hadn't as much as flinched when the white dragon showed up. Had Elsa already told them about it?
"This is my dragon, an Ice Fury. Her name is Wintergale, and she is one of the most amazing animals I've ever seen. She's also the last living specimen of her species. But you should know that she's not the last dragon in the world."
The townspeople were absolutely attentive now, but some of them still stared at Wintergale nervously.
"I have been reliably informed that there are thousands of dragons still alive out there. Their survival is one of the best kept secrets in this world… and yet, there are some people who know of their existence and who would capture and use them to do terrible things."
She caressed Wintergale before continuing. "I've revealed the truth of her existence to you all, because I know that you will accept her… just like you accepted me. You didn't trust me at first when my powers were revealed to you, and I cannot blame you. But now you all know that when I fled to the North Mountain, I did so in order to keep you safe from me, even though I didn't know back then that I had only made things worse. Then I learned how to control my powers and undo the damage that I had caused, and ever since, everything I have done for you I have done out of love. Thus, I hope that you will understand me now.
"We all know that there are many dangers in the world, but there are some worse than others and which we may not be prepared for. There are also good people out there, people who might have it in their hearts to stand by our side. I have decided to find both things—possible enemies that might be a threat to this kingdom, and allies to side with so we can fend those enemies off."
The murmuring began again, while Anna was trying to understand what Elsa had just said and hoping that it didn't mean what she feared it meant. But then she noticed that as her sister spoke, she was moving her fingers slightly—and that, as she did so, her heels were becoming boots that ended below her knee, and navy blue pants were starting to appear under her dress. Then, when she said the last words, the dress was shortened so that the hem was just past the top of her thighs and the slit to the right rose to the bottom of her hip, losing the intricate ice details in the process. A belt appeared out of nowhere right at waist level, and the cape was also shortened and darkened as the otherwise transparent and delicate fabric was reinforced, becoming a turquoise cloak.
The crowd gasped again when this transformation took place, and it was quite understandable. Elsa now looked like some sort of woodsman or explorer instead of like a queen. Then again, apparently she would be an explorer soon enough… and leave her alone. Again.
"I am leaving Arendelle for some time," Elsa announced after a rather dramatic pause. "not because I really want to but because I need to… because I have been given a wonderful gift which cannot remain hidden, not when I can use it to protect you… my beloved people.
"This is not a farewell, for I will return to you once my mission is complete. Until then, I am appointing Princess Anna to rule in my stead. Be good and loyal to her as you have been to me, and fear not, for I leave you in the best hands."
Anna had almost yelled 'What?!' when she heard this, but her shock was too big to let her utter a word. Of all the things she had imagined would happen upon her return, her sister's departure from Arendelle had definitely not been one of them. What if she didn't return? What if something bad happened to her?
What if she never saw her again?
"I love you all," Elsa said. "No queen could ask for better subjects. You've made me feel at home instead of as an outcast. You are my family, and there is nothing I wouldn't do for you. I pray I will be able to return to you safely." She seemed lost for words. A tear rolled down her face, and with a quaky voice, she concluded, "I love you."
She began walking away along with Wintergale, when suddenly, a voice among the crowd shouted out, "Long live Elsa, Snow Queen of Arendelle!"
Anna and Elsa turned around in unison, searching for whoever had said those words, but then more and more people began chanting them. Anna thought of it as one of the most touching gestures ever, and judging from the expression on Elsa's face, she seemed to agree. More tears were flowing down her face.
Then she realized that the Royal Guards to her right were making way for her to walk to the back of the platform. She didn't; she ran to catch up with Elsa, who had already walked down the ramp with Wintergale, before she left. Behind the ice, several more guards were readying the Ice Fury, securing a special saddle behind her neck along with two saddlebags of considerable size beneath her right and left wings each. There was also a small satchel hanging from the saddle.
Despite everything, she was glad to see the white dragon alive and well.
"Hey, Wintergale," she said, approaching it. "Remember me?"
The dragon smiled and crooned softly when she saw her. Anna put a hand on top of her head and caressed it softly.
"It's good to see you again, Wintergale," she said softly.
She heard three sets of footsteps behind her—a man's, a snowman's, and a reindeer's. The snowman's became faster, and suddenly, there were a pair of stick arms around one of the dragon's legs.
"Wintergale!" Olaf exclaimed gleefully.
The dragon turned its head downwards to 'kiss' the snowman. Thankfully, the kiss was nothing more than a soft touch from her lips on his head, or the snowman would've ended up soaking wet. Anna decided to give the two a few minutes to reminisce of the fun time they had at the Palace three years before. As the Guards filled one of the saddlebags with lots of fish and the other with regular food such as bread and fruit—and lots of chocolate, of course—, she approached Elsa who was talking to the head of the Royal Guard, Colonel Thorvald.
"Elsa?" she said, trying to call for her sister's attention.
Elsa turned around for a moment before excusing herself with the Colonel and walking up to where she was. "Anna, I'm sorry," she said, holding both of her sister's hands. "I thought of flying with Wintergale to find your ship and tell you in advance, but I wanted to make sure that everything would be in order so that things would be easier for you once I left."
"It's okay, Elsa," Anna tried to reassure her, but she didn't sound too convinced about it herself.
Elsa gave her a knowing look. "No, it's not."
Anna lowered her head. "No, it's not." Then she looked into her eyes. "Do you really have to go? And most of all, do you have to go now? Couldn't you wait a few more days before leaving?"
Elsa said nothing. She just pulled out of the satchel a piece of wrinkled paper with writing on one of its sides and handed it to her. Anna took it and read it… and understood why the rush.
"Time is pressing," Elsa told her. "I could try and find this Drago on my own, but I know nothing about fighting dragons, and he has an entire army of them. Wintergale and I can't possibly hope to face such a challenge, not alone. We need the rider's assistance as much as she might need ours. Perhaps if I can help her somehow, she'll be willing to help us in return. But none of that will happen if Drago gets to her first."
Anna nodded her understanding, but she still couldn't quite accept it.
"You know, I have to put the blame of my decision to leave on you," Elsa said.
"On me?!" Anna squealed.
"Your adventurous spirit has been rubbing off on me for some time now, so yeah, it's kind of your fault that I'm going," she teased her, winking.
Anna smiled and chuckled. "Okay, guilty," she said. Then she sobered again. While she was now on the same page as Elsa, still felt uneasy about that other thing. Did she have what it took to actually rule a kingdom?
"Hey, Anna, don't worry. I know you'll do a fine job while I'm away," Elsa reassured her, almost like she'd read her mind. "I have absolute faith in you. You have the makings of greatness in you. And you won't do it alone. You'll have the finest advisors there to guide you, not to mention your husband Kristoff."
Anna smiled softly. "You really think I'll be able to do it?"
"With all my heart," Elsa replied, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You'll be fine, Anna."
Those words struck a chord. Anna knew that those were the same words their parents had told Elsa before leaving.
And they never returned.
"You wanted to tell me something, didn't you?" Elsa said. "Something about a surprise?"
A lump began forming on Anna's throat. Her fear of losing Elsa was back, and now she needed reassurance that she'd see her again. She took a deep breath to contain the sobs. "Come back safe, and I'll tell you all about it."
Elsa seemed taken aback by this reply for a moment. Then she smiled and nodded. "I will."
"You promise?" Anna insisted.
Elsa took her hands between hers once more. "I promise."
Anna sighed. Colonel Thorvald chose that moment to approach the sisters. "Your Majesty," he said, bowing. "Your… um… dragon is ready."
"Thank you, Colonel. For everything," she replied. Then she looked at Anna. "I will return, Anna. We will be fine, remember?"
Anna recalled the day when Elsa told her those words. She smiled. They had been fine in the end, despite all that they had to go through with Sigurd. "We will be fine," she repeated.
Both sisters embraced. When they separated, Elsa approached Kristoff who had kept his distance so far. "Just like my kingdom, I know that my sister is left in the best hands. I'm so glad to have you as my brother-in-law, and I know that you'll take good care of her."
"I will, Elsa. Thanks," he replied.
"And whom will I look after?" Olaf asked behind them.
Elsa knelt and placed a hand on the snowman's tiny shoulder. "Why, you'll look after all three of them—Anna, Kristoff, and even Sven. So, you see, in a way, the whole kingdom depends on you." She put a serious face but was unable to hide that look of complicity. "Can you do it?"
"I can, Elsa! You can count on me," Olaf answered, giving her a thumbs-up.
Elsa rose and climbed onto Wintergale's back. Anna walked towards the dragon and held its head between her hands.
"Make sure she keeps her promise, okay, Wintergale?" she told the Ice Fury. The dragon crooned in response. Anna then looked at Elsa and said, "Be safe."
"And you," Elsa replied. Anna noticed that she was holding back the tears as much as she was.
Elsa led the dragon back up the ramp and to the top of the platform, upon which the cheering and shouting rose in volume once more. Anna rushed back to the front of the platform seconds before Wintergale jumped a few feet into the air and hovered above the ice to let Elsa thaw it. Anna looked up and met Elsa's tearful gaze.
"I love you, Elsa," she mouthed.
"I love you too, Anna," was Elsa's equally mouthed reply.
And with a soft pat from Elsa on Wintergale's neck, the dragon took flight. The racket from the crowd around Anna faded away as she saw her sister become smaller and smaller until she was nothing more than a small dot in the horizon…
…and until the tears in her eyes blurred her vision.
Five days later, the dawn found a young queen and a white dragon gliding over the *Northern Ocean after a well-deserved night-long rest. The increasing amount of ice floating on the water and the lower-than-usual temperatures were becoming a clear sign that they were reaching inhospitable regions which ordinary people would avoid. Then again, if history books were any indication, Vikings were not ordinary people. As for the dragons, surely a race of animals that could breathe fire would have no problem adapting their environment, no matter how far to the North they went.
This was indeed a great place to remain hidden for as long as necessary, even hundreds of years.
"You really flew all this way to return to Arendelle?" Elsa asked Wintergale.
The dragon growled softly, and Elsa took it as a 'yes'.
"I imagine you had to fish your own food, eh?" she told her, pulling a large fish out of the saddlebag to her left. She brought the fish close to Wintergale's mouth, and the dragon took it from her hand, careful not to bite her. "What I still don't understand is, where did you rest? Did you risk venturing into the mainland at night?"
Wintergale made a short gurgling noise which Elsa assumed meant 'not really'. For the past four nights, Elsa had been creating small icebergs for them to sleep on and thawing them once the sun came up. She knew that Wintergale was capable of making her own ice slabs, so perhaps she could also make larger ice formations if necessary. Or she could've just found a nice cave in a cliff, as she had when she came to Arendelle.
In truth, there was still so much Elsa had to learn both from and about Wintergale. The time they had spent together hadn't been enough, but hopefully, she'd get the chance to make up for it from now on.
"Well, if you don't mind," she said, taking a piece of bread and pair of chocolates from the saddlebag to her right, "I'll just have a snack of my own while we…"
She didn't finish the phrase. Her train of thought was lost when she spotted something in the distance… something which didn't seem to be natural. And as they flew closer, she realized why.
It was an island in the middle of the partially frozen ocean, protected by an ice barrier which seemed more natural, and from which a massive blast of ice seemed to emerge, ice spikes pointing out menacingly in all directions. It was both a fearsome and a breathtaking sight unlike anything her world had ever seen.
This had to be the rider's dragon sanctuary.
Suddenly, Wintergale began snarling. She looked agitated.
"What is it, girl?" Elsa asked.
The answer didn't come from Wintergale but from a flock of dragons which, without any warning, appeared from the clouds above and surrounded them. They all snarled, baring their teeth at the Ice Fury, until the latter roared loudly in return, upon which all of the other dragons fell silent and lowered their heads ever so slightly. Elsa was in shock, both of seeing so many different dragons and of the apparent authority and respect Wintergale seemed to command from them.
"How did you—?" Elsa began, but another roar cut her off—a rather familiar one.
She looked up, and there it was—a four-winged dragon slowly descending from the clouds overhead until it and Wintergale were level. And of course, its rider was standing on its back, her face concealed behind that tusked leather mask.
"Queen Elsa?" she asked, sounding quite upset. "What in the name of Thor are you doing here?!"
*Maps from that time period didn't use the name "Arctic Ocean" as we do nowadays, instead using the term "Northern Ocean". I'm just telling you to avoid confusion.
A/N: Elsa has found the sanctuary! We're getting closer to HTTYD2...
I'm working right now on Chapter 15 which will include something I believe you'll like. Not a song this time, but it is something nice. It should be ready by Sunday night if everything goes according to plan; if not, then it will be ready by Monday night. After that, I'm afraid you'll have to wait another week or two for the next update 'cause my laptop's screen has been a bit out of whack lately and I'm gonna have to take it someplace where they can repair it. Unfortunately, since my laptop is my only working computer right now, it is also the only tool I have to update my stories, so...
I've forgotten to clarify something that probably doesn't need clarification but which I will mention anyway. Elsa's new 'ice-sensing ability' is somewhat similar to Toph's ability to sense vibrations on the earth in Avatar: The Last Airbender. In fact, that's where the idea came from. I hope you liked that, and if you did, let me tell you right now that you'll also get to see another variant of that ability later on. And speaking of references, did any of you catch the reference to Treasure Planet in this chapter?
Okay, now, let's get to the replies to the 16 reviews for Chapter 13:
Art n' Music: Don't worry, I can tell you that it is happening just a few weeks before HTTYD2. Thanks for the review!
ArmyWife22079: Oh, I know Dreamworks made HTTYD. What I meant is that, since OUAT belongs to ABC—which in turn belongs to Disney—, they would have to be the ones to authorize the inclusion of a storyline made by a rival film company. Sadly, that's the same issue Jelsa shippers like me have to cope with, with ROTG also being Dreamworks' and all that. Still, a guy can dream... And as for the plot and the pairing you mentioned, yeah, I enjoy them both. And at least they won't be pairing Elsa with anyone in the series, so that's something else I'm looking forward to. BTW, if you still haven't seen Season 3, I suggest you hurry up because we're only a bit over a month before the premiere!
*Pabulover123: Thank you! I did feel like it should be a more sweet reunion. I'm glad you liked it. And... you reviewed again from your mobile, didn't you? 'Peter' instead of 'letter', from what you told me. Hehe, tends to happen.
UnknownBlackHand: Sooner rather than later. Two more chapters!
GraceSophia: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the reunion and hope that their departure didn't make you cry.
MysteryGirl7Freak: Nah, there's no reason to have that feeling... yet. *evil smile* Thanks for the review!
Crystal12: Thank you! Yeah, you and me both are looking forward to that meeting.
alive-in-us: I know, right? They're just so adorable! Thanks for reviewing!
magiclover13: Maybe?! Do you really think I'm that mean? Well, I'm not... that much. Only a little. ;) Thank you as always for such encouraging words!
White Hunter: Well, now Anna is in charge of things, so that has freed Elsa to leave for a while. I hope you liked this chapter, and thank you for reviewing!
PureTempest: O_O Have you been spying on me as I write? 'Cause, seriously, I laughed so hard when I read your review because I had just finished Elsa's speech to her people and your thoughts just matched what I'd just written! Thank you! I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. (BTW, I was listening to one of the tracks from the original soundtrack of HTTYD, the one titled 'Romantic Flight', as I was translating the final part of the speech, and I nearly cried. Just a thought here...)
Heyyyyy: Just two more chapters! Don't worry!
lady: I'm glad you liked the idea. Thanks!
PascalDragon: Yeah, Elsa wouldn't just leave without Anna knowing. And, seriously? You didn't actually cry? 'Cause I did, and I cried a lot, even when I was already spoilered and aware of it. I guess 'aware' isn't the same as 'mentally and emotionally prepared'. Still, I'm glad you enjoyed the movie, and I hope you'll go watch it again a few morte times, because you'll want to remember some of those scenes as you read the next chapters. Thanks for your review, Sven!
Emori Loul: You noticed! You did notice that! Oh, thank you for pointing that out. That's in fact one of the many reasons why I began writing this story, because I couldn't understand how Valka could know so much about Night Furies without actually having been near them. Thanks for reviewing!
Bteam: Yes, he will, and sooner now rather than later. Thanks, and I will keep on going!
*Pabulover123 attempted to write a review for Chapter 12, but his mobile cut it short, so he had to send it to me via PM. I'm uploading said message with his authorization for those who enjoy reading both the reviews and my replies to them:
The scene with Elsa talking with the ice statue of Wintergale was so moving and really shows her connection to Wintergale even after three years.
so Anna and Kristoff are having a honeymoon suite in the tower... Maybe we'll not only see Fury babies in the future...
Quick Question: are you planning at any point to have the perspective from a resident of Berk or is it focused on Arendelle only?
Can't wait until the next chapter, it's great hearing from you again!
That's all for now. See you guys soon!
Oh, and don't forget to review on your way out!