Who would've imagined these halls would feel so… empty.

The irony of such a train of thought was not lost on Anna—the girl who had wandered those halls for over a decade hoping that her sister would one day come out of her room to build a snowman with her. Back then, even without her sister's presence, there were always people walking about throughout the castle. Nowadays, Anna and Elsa were together, plus Kristoff and Olaf… and Sven, on the rare occasion when he was allowed inside. And yet…

I guess those Vikings do know how to make a lasting impression.

Oh, those hallways had echoed loudly during their stay, for sure. More than that, however, the absence of Hiccup and his parents had the biggest effect on her. Much like Elsa, she had felt a deep connection with the Haddocks. Part of her wished Stoick and Valka had actually decided to stay in Arendelle to enjoy their retirement, but she understood their desire to be together with their son. At least she had their promise that they would come visit often.

She stopped short of the closed doors that led to the Queen's study to collect her thoughts. In a way, she envied Elsa. Out of the two sisters, Anna considered herself the adventurous one. She had been the one to brave storms, wolves and mountains to find her sister, after all. Nevertheless, she also felt glad for her, proud even. Elsa had accomplished so much in the last few years, and Anna wouldn't have had it any other way. Besides, her chance for a new adventure could present itself later on, right? Maybe, by then, she would even get to bring her children along…

A soft kick in her belly just as that last thought crossed her mind brought a smile to her face. Anna had heard mothers usually became overprotective of their children. She didn't want that. She wanted to let her children explore the world, have their own adventures, even from a young age. If that also involved letting them travel to Berk when they became of enough age for Hiccup's planned school of dragons, then so be it. Knowing that they would be raised surrounded by such a loving family, she felt confident nothing could ever harm them anyway.

She finally knocked at the door with her accustomed five-beat rhythm and waited. No answer, though she had it on good authority that Elsa was here. She knocked a second time, just a little louder. Still nothing. Finally, she decided to just let herself in. As expected, there was her sister, sitting behind her desk, surrounded by papers and a large book—and something else around her that probably shouldn't be there. "Elsa? Is everything okay?"

"Anna." The eldest sister flinched, startled, though she did her best to mask it. "Sure, why wouldn't it?" Anna lifted her eyes slightly a few times, urging her sister to look above her own head. Only then did Elsa notice the handful of snowflakes suspended in the air. "Oh."

The youngest sister shook her head, giggling. "Come on, Elsa," she said, walking inside the room and closing the door behind her. "You know you can tell me anything, don't you?"

Elsa's eyes followed Anna for a moment as the latter aimed for the corner of the desk but ultimately sat on a chair across her. Just then, Anna took notice of something atop the desk, something she had first mistaken for a large scroll. Before she could ask, however, Elsa sighed heavily. "Anna, you know I love you, and I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you."

Anna immediately frowned. "Yeah…"

"I know that the last few months were rather difficult for you," Elsa continued. "Not necessarily regarding your rule over Arendelle; you did a great job on that front."

"Thanks. I'd like to say it was easy as pie…" Anna said, trying to sound as relaxed as usual.

That made Elsa chuckle. "What I mean," the blonde sister went on, "is that… well, I understand how you felt, not knowing whether I would return. It was hard for me too, but not as much as it was for you. I wish you never again had to go through that…"

Anna sensed some hesitation on her sister's part. "But…" she pressed.

Elsa opened her lips to speak a couple of times but remained silent for what felt like forever. "But nothing," she eventually blurted, shrugging. "That's all I wanted to say." Then she stood from her chair to hug Anna tightly, though she was mindful not to press too hard against her belly area. Anna hugged her sister back by reflex, but she wasn't too happy. Having recognized the large book, all the pieces seemed to be falling into place—and now she was sure that Elsa was not being entirely truthful. That hurt her.

"Elsa…" she whispered, but the older sister cut her off.

"I'm glad to be back, to be here with you again," Elsa said, letting go of Anna. She walked back behind the desk and sat down. "Now, let's talk about this little heir to the throne that you're carrying. I was thinking that we could adapt our old room—"

"Elsa, stop it," Anna said, loud and clear this time. "No more lies and no more secrets between us. Remember?"

"I'm not lying to—"

"That's the map Hiccup gave you, Elsa, and I recognize Papa's atlas just as I recognize that longing in your eyes."

The eldest sister seemed nervous. "That doesn't mean any—"

"Elsa! I was there when Hiccup gave you that map. I heard everything he told you," Anna said with a stern look. She let that statement sink in before she asked the definitive question: "You're thinking about leaving again, aren't you?"

"I am not leaving, Anna," the Queen of Arendelle stated firmly.

"I didn't say you were. I said you're thinking about it."

That remark threw Elsa off balance. It took a moment for her to understand that all Anna wanted was for her to be honest. The corner of her lips twitched a little. "How can you always see so clearly through me?"

Anna decided to lose the accusing stare. After all, she wasn't mad at Elsa, just upset that she wouldn't open up to her. "If it's any consolation," she said, more calm now, "it took thirteen years for me to develop that skill."

"Only because I stayed away from you most of the time," Elsa said, trying to smile even though the memory pained her still. Anna tried to muster the best smile she could for the both of them.

"It's just that…" Elsa continued, taking her time to find the right words. "When I decided to leave in search of Valka, it was my sense of duty to you and my kingdom, to keep you safe, that motivated me. But… being away from my duties as Queen and becoming a dragon rider… not to mention living among dragons and Vikings, albeit for a few weeks… It's the closest thing I've felt to true freedom. And it shouldn't be that way, because being who I am without having to conceal my powers from you or the people of Arendelle should be enough for me to feel free, but…"

Halfway through that little rant, Elsa had started talking much faster. She'd also stood up again and began walking in circles, the tiniest flurry of snowflakes trailing behind her. It took her a moment to realize this, at which point she stopped completely in her tracks. She looked sheepishly at Anna for a second then down to the floor, as if ashamed of what she'd just said.

Silence fell upon the room for several minutes after this, until Elsa composed herself and eventually spoke. "It doesn't matter, Anna. I'm here now, and here I'll stay. There are many other ways for me and Wintergale to continue bonding that don't require me to leave you or my people."

Although this could've been perceived like Elsa was withdrawing back into her shell, Anna saw it instead as an attempt by her sister to remind herself of her duties, both to her people and to her family. All of a sudden, Elsa's inner conflict had become clear—and Anna could understand it perfectly. Part of her even wondered if she hadn't pushed too far, but she didn't regret it. Actually, no, she did regret the way she'd pushed her sister to open up, even when it was better for her to know this.

The blonde sister took a step towards her desk chair, but Anna stood in between. "Elsa, wait," she said softly, holding a hand up. "I'm sorry. I don't like it when you try to keep things from me, but I may have overreacted a little bit. Well, maybe more than just a little… Okay, a lot."

Elsa stifled a laugh. Yes, Anna was prone to overreacting, just as much as she was to apologizing about it. She was perfectly capable of owning up to that.

"Sometimes I forget you're not just my older sister with awesome ice powers but also the firstborn," Anna continued. "Even without those powers, you were destined since birth to a lifetime of restrictions and protocol. I had more leeway because I'm second-in-line and I wasn't supposed to become queen, like, ever…" And there she was, rambling like usual. She bit her lip and took a deep breath. "What I mean to say is that… After walking in your shoes for a few weeks, I've come to appreciate just how tough it is—and I can also understand why you'd want to leave again, to be away from all of this for a while. You've tasted adventure, haven't you?"

This last bit she uttered staring at her sister knowingly. Elsa looked down again, but Anna would have none of it. "Don't be ashamed of it," she said, lifting her sister's chin gently. "I'm actually proud of you. You've come a long way, Elsa, and I'd rather you had one more chance at an adventure than regret not taking it for the rest of your life."

Anna took Hiccup's map in her hands, folding it carefully and handing the closed leather journal to Elsa. The latter hesitated for a moment before taking it, and then she threw her arms around Anna once more. "What did I ever do to deserve such a great sister?"

"I know, right? I'm just the best," Anna joked, returning the embrace. Both sisters chuckled and stayed like that for a while. "Just promise me one thing," Anna added after some time. Elsa pulled back just enough to look her in the eye. "Promise that you'll be back in time for the birth of my child."

"I will," the eldest sister replied without delay. "I promise."

With that, Anna dug her head again into Elsa's shoulder, smiling widely. "I love you, Elsa."

"I love you too, Anna."

Two days after that conversation, the castle courtyard was once again filled with a large gathering of Arendellians. Anna had taken it upon herself to let the kingdom know that the Queen had left on yet another journey, and now she was explaining that she had given Elsa 'permission' to leave without saying goodbye to the rest of her subjects—she had insisted on it, actually.

"…and I assure you that this is nothing like what my sister did over four years ago when she fled to the mountains. Yes, Queen Elsa may have left without saying goodbye to you, but only because she knew it would be impossible for her to leave if she did otherwise. I can imagine how such a secretive departure might bring seeds of doubt in the hearts of some of you, but as the Queen's sister, I ask of you to understand her reasons… and mine."

The faint echo of Anna's voice bounced off the cliffs overlooking the castle, barely reaching Elsa's ears. She and Wintergale were nestled on one of those cliffs, hidden behind the fog, having just gotten there a few minutes earlier from the Ice Palace, where they had picked up their last supplies and bit farewell to Marshmallow and the Snowgies.

As Elsa kept listening to her younger sister's speech, tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't have felt any prouder. For all her talk about not knowing how to rule a kingdom, Anna clearly managed to carry that mantle with ease. Had anything happened to Elsa during her journey, Arendelle would've still been left in the best hands possible. Elsa was now more certain than ever about that, which gave her enough confidence to leave one last time even though she had every intention to come back soon.

Long live Queen Elsa of Arendelle!

Long live Princess Anna of Arendelle!

Those words echoed louder than Elsa could've imagined possible, giving her a cue that Anna had finished addressing the crowd. It was time. She gave Wintergale a gentle nudge, and, with a graceful leap into the air, the Ice Fury took flight, heading west into the ocean.

Unlike her previous trip, Elsa had no actual plan, no actual destination. All she had was her winged friend, a map that was more of a symbol than anything, and a newfound sense of adventure. Her time to enjoy this was also limited by her promise to her sister, which she intended to keep no matter what. But she also intended to make the most of that time.

For now, at least, there was nothing holding her back. And so, in that very moment, with the wind in her face and her heart beating faster than ever before… for the first time in forever…

She felt truly free.

A/N: And that's a wrap! Well, almost… I do have an Epilogue for this story, but I'm saving that one for Christmas because I'd like to upload it along the next two chapters of Winter Love and the first chapter of two more stories that would follow afterWL.

Dumb though the following apology may sound, I'll still say it. I know I promised you a "massive update" back in June, and I did have these two chapters reaDy back then—but only in English. The Spanish translation was virtually complete, and I wanted to update both versions together… BUT THAT BLASTED POEM… Believe it or not, a single line of text has prevented me from finishing that Spanish adaptation to this day. I'm awfully blocked with that one.

Anyway, getting aboard the Frozen 2 hype train did compel me to just upload this in at least one language, so here we are.

The Ice Fury Epilogue will include a sort of thank-you "letter" to everyone, but, like I said, you'll have to wait until Christmas to read that one. In the meantime, please do let me know if this ending lived up to your expectations.

Now, um… how to phrase this? A couple of "anonymous" reviews since my last update were a bit… weird, so much so I couldn't even find a proper reply. So, I'm leaving those out. I don't mean to offend whoever left those reviews, but… just, sorry.

mastdeath: Thanks for your review! This part of the story isn't actually Jelsa, but it is connected to another story I'm writing, called Winter Love, which IS Jelsa. I'm just dropping some tidbits here and there to help me link those stories. ;)
OechsnerC: Thank you!
websplorer: I know, right? Call them "mockumentaries" all you want, I really enjoyed just how much of an effort they made to make it look real enough. Thanks for reviewing!
Lunasen: Aww, thank you! There won't be a chapter in this story where everyone (Jack, Elsa, our Furies, etc.) is reunited, but do remember that this is just the first part in a series, so… ;)
AnileX09: Gracias! Me alegra que te haya gustado, y mil disculpas por tardarme en subir la version en español. Yo espero tenerla lista ya para dentro de dos días, y el Epílogo también para Navidad. Saludos!
thefandude: Nah, don't worry, I enjoyed the movie mating dance too. Thanks for your kind comment about the poem, hehe. And YES, we're getting to the Jack Frost side of this series soon enough. Of course, if you like, you can go ahead and start reading Winter Love ;). Thanks for your review!
Ghost: Ah, my dear Ghost! I am so glad you liked that chapter; thank you for your kind words! As you can see, even though Toothless and Wintergale are mates now, our lovely Ice Fury and Elsa won't actually be torn apart, at least not in the foreseeable future. We'll see more of that dynamic duo ;). I'm still not sure how many more characters from RttE would appear in this series of mine, but who knows? Maybe Heather does turn up at some point. So, have you watched HTTYD3 by now? Cheers, my translucent friend!
Httyd fan: So, I know the HTTYD series was the most wonderful things this decade could've given us and all, and I know that by now what I'm gonna say technically doesn't matter much, but… DUDE, SPOILER MUCH? -.-
Purson: I actually didn't know that a story about a Night Fury kingdom existed! Where can I find it? And, well… sadly, no, there wouldn't be such a kingdom in this series. But at least Toothless won't be the last Night Fury now, nor Wintergale the last Ice Fury. :D Thanks for reviewing!
Cat-Chan: Not exactly; remember, this story takes place well before the Light Fury is introduced.
Black wolf: Well, I'm straight myself and thus a straight-couples shipper, but I respect other ships regardless of gender, as long as it's not an abusive ship or smut or anything gross.
darkdan-sama: Gracias! Jajajaja sí, se hizo la difícil, pero en parte fue por instinto; hacía falta la técnica correcta propia de su especie para enamorarla. Siento que Elsa se ha convertido en una persona fuerte que no necesitaría de un hombre para ser feliz… pero, por otro lado, no anhelamos todos una conexión así con alguien? ^^
WishingForMyHogwartsLetter: DUDE, THANK YOU! That was an important thing to consider indeed! Personally, I'd prefer Toothgale, but why don't we make it an actual poll? Check my bio to vote, everyone! :D
Draekaaru: DING DING DING DING DING! We've got a winner, boys and girls! You got it right with "B. Blake", my friend. Thanks for reviewing!
V01dSw0rd: Not exactly, my dear, but thanks for venturing a guess. Check Draekaaru's review for the right answer. ;)
: I was also crying so hard in the cinema, although I think Stoick's passing hit me much harder. But… yeah, I cried. I'm glad you loved the ritual and poem so much! Thanks as always for your kind words! (And, yes, I lost it too with that ship name comment XD!)
Guest: I'm sorry if that's the impression you've taken away from Elsa over the course of this story. I did my best to give her some character development and moments to shine like only she can. Still, thanks for your review.
CalvinFujii: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. ^^
actionliker: Aww, thank you! It's been an absolute pleasure, though I would've definitely loved to finish it much sooner.

Since I'm already replying late to reviews, why not include the most recent ones for Chapters 29 and 30?

Saberius Prime: Oh, the world is a funny place like that, indeed. I hope you enjoyed the most recent update!
Atea1793: Oh, it will be a while before we properly revisit the HTTYD corner of this multi-verse I'm building. First, I need to weave Rise of the Guardians and The Sorcerer's Apprentice into the storyline. But fret not, my series will follow a radically different path than HTTYD3. That's all I can say right now. Well, that, and the fact that the Dragonheart lore will become paramount later on. Thanks for your review!
AlphaShandian: I honestly cannot thank you enough for your review! I'm glad you appreciate this story for all the reasons you've mentioned, and yes, there will be a sequel. In fact, there's an entire series planned which will also include characters from other "universes"; check my bio for more information. Again, thank you so very much!

As already stated, I'm adding a poll on my profile for those who would like to vote for the Toothless/Wintergale ship name. Consider it one of our last interactions in terms of this story. (Oh, I'm so gonna miss you guys.)

But, hey, this series isn't over by a long shot! If you want more, you can get ready for the next part by reading the first few chapters of Winter Love! Like I've said, I'll update at least two chapters of that story on Christmas Day, along with the Ice Fury Epilogue and a couple extra surprises. Stay tuned, and don't forget to review on your way out!