The next morning, Anna woke to the sound of someone knocking on her door. "Who is it?" she sleepily asked.
"It's me, Gerda," the maidservant's voice responded. "Princess, your parents are waiting for you in the dining hall for breakfast."
"Okay, thank you, Gerda," Anna replied through a yawn. Gerda walked away, and Anna slowly sat up and stretched. She was so not a morning person. The princess rubbed her eyes, and then they snapped open when she remembered what she was going to do today. With a grin, she hopped out of bed and hurried to get dressed, moving at a speed that was not normal for her in the mornings.
Ten minutes later, Anna walked into the dining room and sat down beside her mother. Both the king and queen had already begun eating, so Anna muttered a sheepish 'sorry', before digging in to breakfast. Agnarr told stories of his trip, and Anna stared off into space as she ran through the details of her plan to reveal Elsa. It had to be perfect.
"Where's my sister and her family?" Agnarr asked after a few minutes, a quizzical look on his face. "Shouldn't they be down here by now?"
"Yes, and where are Elise and Kristoff?" Iduna asked.
"Uh, I'm sure they'll be here in a few minutes," Anna replied quickly. In truth, Elsa, Eugene, Rapunzel, King Frederic, and Queen Arianna were waiting outside the dining room's doors for Anna's signal. Kristoff was out there as well, although he had protested about interrupting 'private family matters', as he called it. Anna, however, reassured him that he was as much a part of the family as the other members.
"Are you alright, Sunshine?" Iduna asked worriedly.
"Yes, you seemed a bit spaced out." Agnarr added.
"Oh, um, yes, I'm fine," Anna replied. She decided that right then was the perfect time to begin her idea. She took a deep breath and said, "I just can't take my mind off of Elsa."
Iduna and Agnarr glanced at each other. "We know the feeling," Agnarr responded.
Anna knew it was now or never. "I just can't help but wonder what it would have been like to build a snowman with her. We could have had tons of snowball fights."
Another look passed between the king and queen. "Anna, there's actually something we need to tell you," Iduna finally said, nodding at Agnarr.
"Elsa, well, she loved the snow just as much as you do, but there's something else," Agnarr began. Anna nodded, trying to contain her excitement. "Sunshine, have you ever heard the stories of select people who were granted with special, magical abilities?"
"Yes," Anna replied, trying to not grin.
"Well, sweetie, this isn't a secret we've shared with most, but your sister…she was one of those people.
Anna tried her best to look shocked. "Really? Wow!"
Iduna smiled. "She had snow magic. With a wave of her hand, she could make it snow in July or freeze a fountain in August."
"Her abilities were so beautiful," Agnarr continued, "and I called her 'Snowflake'."
"Aw!" Anna exclaimed, loving the sweet nickname for her sister. Now that she had conformation on Elsa's magic, Anna launched the next stage of her plan. "Do you think she's still alive?"
Agnarr sighed. "Sunshine, with all my heart, I hope she is. I hope that, like Rapunzel, she will be found, but it's been a long time. Sadly, I fear something has happened to her by now."
Anna gave a sad smile, barely holding back a grin. She was shaking all over, giddy with excitement. "Dad, Mom, I was just curious," she began, staring absently at the opposite wall so her parents wouldn't suspect anything, "what would you do if she was still alive? I mean, I kind of keep imagining her walking through the door right now, because that would be awesome, even if it might be impossible. But what would you do if she did? What would you say?"
"I would hug her tightly and never let go again for fear of losing her again," Agnarr said sincerely.
"I would hug her, too, and cry and tell her how much I've missed her," Iduna added.
Anna nodded. "Thanks, that's all I needed to hear. I'm glad you told me about her magic, because I've been puzzling over that detail for several days."
Iduna and Agnarr stared at their daughter quizzically. "What do you mean, Sunshine?" Agnarr asked.
"Oh, just that you might get to act out that scenario we just talked about in like, say, the next five seconds," Anna replied in a mysterious tone, unable to contain the massive grin that forced its way onto her face. She turned her head toward the door, and before her parents could react, called "Elsa, you can come in now. The rest of you, please make sure she actually steps into the room and isn't too nervous."
After a moment, the door slowly eased open and Elsa shyly poked her white-blonde head into the room. Then she quickly slipped inside, shutting the door behind her, and stood facing her family, her hands folded behind her back. "Hello, Mama, Papa," the eighteen-year-old greeted quietly.
All the color drained from Anna's parents' faces, and they went rigid with shock. Anna motioned for Elsa to come closer and the older girl complied, moving a few, shy steps toward her parents. Meanwhile, Iduna and Agnarr slowly stood up, then gripped each other for support. "So, the story of how I found her is really interesting…but right now is clearly not the time to tell it, so I'll shut up now," Anna said. She watched happily as Elsa, Iduna, and Agnarr stared at each other, the king and queen from shock and Elsa from wonder. "Elsa, show them," Anna spoke up after a moment. She wanted to give her parents one final conformation that it was indeed their daughter who stood before them.
Elsa took another step forward. Slowly, she held out her left hand and created a snowflake, letting it hover for a few minutes. "I remember now. I remember you calling me 'Snowflake'…Papa," she said, not yet used to calling him that.
It was Iduna who made the first move. With a sob and a smile, she ran forward. Elsa covered the distance between them until the two were standing only an arm's length apart. Slowly, she reached out a hand and touched Elsa face, as though checking to see if her daughter was really there. The she and Elsa embraced for the first time in fifteen years. "Elsa," Iduna choked out in a barely perceptible whisper.
"I'm here, Mama, I'm here," Elsa replied. She now knew why the king and queen had looked so familiar all those years ago, and her memories were rapidly returning. She remembered her mother's warm smile, her father's protective hugs, and the wonderful family she had been missing for years.
Agnarr moved next. He walked over to Iduna and Elsa, stiff as a board, as he was still in shock. However, he stopped two feet away and just stared. He felt so guilty for letting his daughter be kidnapped, and he was afraid she wouldn't forgive him.
Elsa then glanced up and looked at her father, who appeared to be about to break down crying at any moment. She turned to Anna, who nodded with a smile on her face and inclined her head to the king. With that, Elsa rushed over to her father and hugged him as tight as she could. "I love you, Papa," she said.
Agnarr finally hugged his daughter back and leaned his cheek down on the top of her head. "My little Snowflake," he whispered, "can you ever forgive me? For letting them take you from me?"
Elsa nodded happily. "Of course, Papa. It wasn't your fault."
Iduna and Anna then took that moment to join in the hug, and the four Arendelle royals shared together the first embrace they had ever had as a whole family, every member crying happy tears at having found each other at last. And Elsa, well, she felt so warm and loved and protected that she wondered how she had ever lived without the love from her parents and sister.
A cough behind the family startled them, and they turned to find Rapunzel's family and Kristoff waiting at the door. "Uh, sorry to interrupt, but we're kind of starving here since we haven't had breakfast," Eugene said, earning a scolding nudge from Rapunzel.
Agnarr beamed and nodded. "Of course, let's all sit down." They did so, and Elsa sat between her parents, Agnarr sitting at the head of the table, while Anna sat on the other side of Iduna, across from Rapunzel, who was sitting between Eugene and Arianna.
After a moment of looking around in confusion, Iduna turned to Anna. "Sunshine, where is Elise?"
"Beside you," Anna replied simply, shoving a forkful of food into her mouth.
"What?" Iduna asked. Elsa and Anna leaned forward and glanced at each other, then burst out laughing.
"I'm sorry, I'm confused," Agnarr said, and Iduna matched his expression.
When the sisters had ceased their laughter, Anna explained, "Mom, Dad, Elise was just a name we came up with for Elsa, because she didn't want her real name known. After hearing about my lost sister, I eventually connected the dots and figured out it was Elsa. She put brown dye in her hair the first day she met you because her 'parents' had told her that her hair color was weird. She put some dye in again this time, but she washed it out several days ago. It's a good thing, too, because then it'd look like we have two Queen Iduna's, which would be confusing."
"Ah, well, that explains why she was looking at us so strangely fifteen years ago," Agnarr commented. "She probably recognized us."
Elsa nodded. "I did, but I just couldn't remember why or from where until a week ago when Anna showed me the portrait of us when I was three."
"My daughter was in the castle the whole week, right under my nose, and I didn't notice?" Iduna exclaimed, shaking her head.
"If it's any consolation, Rapunzel and Eugene explored Corona on Rapunzel's birthday, and Fred and I were completely clueless," Arianna spoke up.
Eugene snorted. "Yeah, I'm actually surprised the guards didn't notice, what with Blondie's extremely long hair and me being a wanted thief. The stupidity of those guards sometimes…" Eugene trailed off, shaking his head in annoyance.
"Well, at least now they have Captain Eugene to put them in shape," Rapunzel reminded him, nudging her husband's arm.
"Good point."
Elsa stared at the two with a raised eyebrow. "I have a feeling that I need to get that story out of you sooner rather than later," she said.
Just then, Iduna gasped and her hand flew to Elsa's left cheek. "Elsa!" she exclaimed in horror, fingering the scar. "Where on earth did this come from?"
"I kind of wanted to ask about that, too," Anna added.
Elsa sighed and reached up her left hand, laying it over her mother's. "My father-er, one of the men who captured me, gave me this as punishment when he found out I went outside the rock wall concealing our cabin."
Everyone gasped in shock. "Wow, all that just for leaving?" Rapunzel asked. "When my mo-the person I thought was my mother, at least, found out I left the tower, she was upset, but then I thought she'd gotten over it when she kindly led me 'home'. Of course, then when she found out that I knew who I really was, she tied me up and then killed Eugene, but still, yikes!"
"Alright, now I really need to hear this story," Elsa said, leaning forward, placing her elbows on the tabletop, and resting her chin on her folded hands.
"Oh, it's a good one," Anna spoke up, swinging her fork around for emphasis with her mouth full of food.
"Anna, manners!" Iduna scolded.
"Oh, sorry."
"Yeah, their story is amazing," Kristoff commented. "I especially like the part where Eugene dies."
Eugene gasped. "Excuse me? I take offense to that! I'll have you know that me dying is no laughing matter! I'm going to start calling you Cassandra the Second if you keep talking like that!"
Kristoff rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant and you know it. I like it because it's really neat how Rapunzel healed you. Calm down." Eugene huffed, slumping back in his seat in annoyance, while Rapunzel giggled.
"Okay, Elsa," Rapunzel said, "we'll tell you the whole story, but how about we finish breakfast first and then head to the library? We can talk better there." Everyone agreed and hurried to finish their food.
Several minutes later, the Arendellian and Coronian royals and Eugene were seated comfortably by the fire in the castle's library. "So, what's your story?" Elsa asked. "Start at the beginning, please."
Eugene smiled and stood up. "Well, how do I start? Oh, I know a perfect way!" Putting on the most serious face possible, he said dramatically, "This is the story of how I died." Rapunzel giggled while Kristoff and Anna rolled their eyes. "Uh, don't worry," Eugene added quickly, "this is actually a very fun story, and to be honest, it isn't even mine. This is the story of a girl named Rapunzel."
Anna groaned. "Come on, Eugene, we're not toddlers!"
Eugene crossed his arms and glared at the fourteen-year-old princess. "Listen, Redhead, this is my way of telling it, and you either let me do it my way, or you can be grossed out by Reindeer Boy's weird songs about troll nostrils."
"Hey!" Kristoff protested.
"Wait, trolls?" Elsa asked.
"Uh, we'll explain later," Anna replied quickly. "Trust me, we have a lot to tell you."
"And if you'll let me continue, we can get done with this story quicker," Eugene said, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Sure, honey," Rapunzel told him, "go ahead."
"Anyway, as I was saying," Eugene continued, "this is the story of a girl named Rapunzel. Now, once upon a time, a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens…"
A/N So, two chapters in one day, yay! Anyway, this story is drawing to a close now. I have at least one more idea that I want to do, so there will be at least a chapter or two more. Also, I received a comment asking if I was planning on a sequel, and to be honest…the thought hadn't even crossed my mind until then. I have an idea now, though. Basically, it'd follow the events of Frozen 2, except different since it's set in this AU universe. For example, Elsa would still hear a mysterious voice and follow it to eventually discover her purpose as the Fifth Spirit, but their parents will accompany the girls on the journey, among other changes. It would happen a little earlier, though it would be set three years after this story, but Elsa and Anna would be twenty-one and eighteen instead of twenty-four and twenty-one. I'm still thinking it through though, so it'll be awhile, especially since I need to wrap up several other stories first before I think of starting a new one. But please tell me in the comments if you'd like to see such a story.
One other thing, for those who have read my story titled Frozen MirrorTrouble, I received a few comments complaining that Frozen 2 Elsa and Anna weren't in the story. Like I wrote in the description of the story, I wrote it, like, the spring or summer before Frozen 2 came out. One or two people asked for a rewrite that would include the Frozen 2 Elsa and Anna, and I'm sorry to say that I won't be able to do that. See, I have so many different stories going on (way more than are posted on here), that if I start a rewrite, it will most likely either never get done, or not be completed for a long, long time. For example, I wrote a story around a year ago about Elsa's point of view throughout Frozen, and I liked it at the time, but then I realized that it could use some more thought. I also wanted to write it through first-person view instead of second-person, which is what the original was. I'm sad to say that I haven't made it past the first or second chapter. So see, this is why a rewrite for Frozen Mirror Trouble probably won't happen. However, I am writing another story that is a bit similar, and it does include Frozen 2 Elsa and Anna, but I'm a bit stuck on it at the moment. Hopefully I can finish it soon and post it, and I hope it will suffice instead of the impossible rewrite. Anyway, next chapter (hopefully) coming soon.