A/N - Everything from the last chapter was technically resolved in this one, but it was too long and I had to chop it in half. 5k words is too many for one reading... So, part 2 will be up asap.

I'm already mad that this chapter is gonna get more clicks (& maybe more attention) than the other seventeen but c'est la vie. It's time. (still not 100% canon so pls be nice, thank you)

Finally making a real appearance: Elsa.

Enjoy!

(ps - tusen takk, a thousand thanks, for all the support, patience, reviews, follows, favourites, etc. I really appreciate it! xx)

It worked. You did it. I knew you could do it.

Ahtohallan was empty. There wasn't a single soul around; she was alone. The statues that once filled the depths were now piles of snow on the icy floor. It was so dark; the last remaining bit of magic that pulsed through the walls left barely enough light to see. She was in a pit; there was nowhere to go. Jumping down seemed like the right idea at the time… Now she was wishing she'd thought of a way out.

She'd tried to conjure her own exit, but nothing happened. She felt weak; lost. She was freezing to the point where she was beginning to feel numb. She was starved to the point where she had no appetite. She was hopeless. There was no way out. To die twice…

She'd lost her connection with the spirits; those that guided her to her sister. Those that gave her a voice; a second chance. They were gone now. They'd remain gone until she was able to fix this. She couldn't blame herself, although she felt a tinge of guilt in her soul, knowing that things would've gone differently if she'd made different decisions. But what was done, was done, and there was no point in obsessing. She had to find Anna. She had to tell her the truth; what she'd discovered; what she wasn't able to send before the magic consumed her.

She felt an overwhelming pride in her soul. Anna was the spirit after all. The one the world needed. Oh, sis. If only you knew.

An end was near. A battle they were unprepared for was fast approaching. And Arendelle would not survive… Unless Anna did something. And Elsa knew exactly what that "something" was.

But how was she going to relay the message? She was trapped; dying. She'd been here for almost a year. Her body felt deceased. She was lying on the ice, helpless. She needed a boost. Just a boost. Then she'd do the right thing.

Nobody was going to help her. They'd done more than enough, by their own standards. They gave her a second chance. They reunited her with her sister, in the only way they felt she needed. The rest was up to her.

She had to try. Her magic was weak. She'd tried to use it, but barely anything happened. Building a staircase or a ladder wasn't an option. She'd tried calling the Nokk, but was unsuccessful. She had no idea how long she'd been here. Surely, it had only been a few days at most. The magic must've taken a toll on her, but she'd be all right.

She couldn't admit to herself how much pain she was in. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her torso in an attempt to aid the agony in her gut. It was also, in part, to bring herself comfort. She hadn't felt this alone in years. Still, a part of her remained thankful that she hadn't let Anna come along. The thought of watching her die again was too much. Clinging to her frozen form was a nightmare she had yet to heal from. She couldn't do it again.

And then she felt guilty. She didn't care about the what ifs. She didn't care how things "could have" gone differently if she'd let Anna come along. She knew damn well she'd caused her sister pain, and that was okay. Because Anna was alive to feel it. She was alive. That was all that mattered. But her guilt… Her guilt of causing pain. Of abandoning her; betraying her. She was upset with herself for knowing that if things hadn't gone like this, she wouldn't have thought twice about her decision. But she instead felt like she'd been thinking of absolutely nothing else for… months?

Time didn't matter. One day, one week, one year- she hurt her, and that pain wouldn't heal with time. She had to let her know she was sorry. She had to make it right.

There'd be no time for that. When they meet again, they have to act fast. As soon as they touch, the magic will be activated. The spirits will be heading for Arendelle. It made her feel sicker than she already felt. If there was anything in her stomach, she would've vomited by now. The pressure that Anna would feel, knowing the world was in her hands. What if she choked? What if she didn't know what to do?

No. Of course she'd know. Anna always knows what to do. She's got the brain for it. She's always been capable.

I should've trusted her more.

If she could just get to the surface. If she could just feel the sun… She couldn't die here again. This was her chance. Why would they give it to her only to leave her? There had to be a way.

There has to be a way. She was able to brace herself up slightly on her arm, and lift her head just enough to look around. There was an exit. She just wasn't sure if she could get to it. It was a path clearly cut by the spirits that freed her. She knew if she followed it, she'd be led to safety. But how?

She tried crawling. At this rate, it would take her hours to get out. She didn't feel like she had hours of life left in her. Go. They wouldn't give you air just to suffocate you. You have to try. For Anna.

And try she did. She had to stop every ten feet or so to gasp for air. Her chest hurt; there was no air down here anymore. It was dark and cold, like an oversized grave.

She was beginning to lose hope. This tunnel was never-ending. She was ready to give up. Stopping benefited her; as the cave went silent, she was able to hear rain falling. It gave her hope. I'm almost there.

She kept crawling. There was light ahead, coming from seemingly nowhere. She knew it was magic-oriented. It didn't slow her down. She made it fifteen more feet before the light was simply overwhelming. Her ears started ringing, and her head felt tight. She pressed her forehead onto the ground beneath, and held her arms over her head for protection. Something was hitting her, but she couldn't register it. A loud flash of lightning made her shriek; she jumped with a burst of energy she didn't know she had, and fell to the side. The loud rumble of thunder that followed hit her deep in her chest. She crawled backwards on her hands, stopping when she felt something scratching. She'd backed into a berry bush. It woke her up. Feeling the real world; feeling rain and grass. It felt like she'd just been outside for the first time. A feeling she never thought she'd feel twice.

She looked around to get a better view of her surroundings, though it was difficult in the rain. She was in an ancient forest; the trees were massive; the trunks larger than any she'd ever seen before. Her hands felt warm; she looked down at her palms with confusion. They were covered in mud and blood. Had she ever been this dirty? She held her hands out in the rain; the cold water made the wounds feel better.

Her stomach rumbled as she remembered her hunger. She put her hand on her core and felt a wave of fear as she felt her ribs. She was starved. She felt light-headed because of it. What was she supposed to do? Where was she?

She fell forward onto her hands and knees, trying to keep her consciousness. She couldn't see anything. It was too dark, and too stormy. There were no obvious landmarks; trails or rivers. Was she supposed to just roam and hope for the best? She'd have to.

She grabbed onto some low tree branches and pulled herself to her feet. Though she was worried about her overall health, she knew she was already a very slender person; her stomach being a bit hollow wasn't too concerning, since her arms and legs felt fine. She was able to walk, with shaky steps. She was nervous and shivering, but was willing to try until she was absolutely incapable. She didn't know where to go, but she'd find something as long as she kept moving. Maybe she'd find Anna.

Out here? No. Don't get hopeful. Just keep walking.

Or stumbling. She fell into the trees as she approached them. Without them, she would've hit the ground many times. The bush was thick around her; the sharp leaves and vines were cutting up her legs as she pushed through. Her skirt got caught more times than she wanted to admit; she'd pull at the fabric with a huff of frustration, about ready to rip the whole thing off. And she did; after the fifth time, she ripped the skirt from the bodice and left it in the mud. Her white, form-fitting leggings weren't necessarily appropriate for a queen, but she never cared for dress-codes anyway.

She'd also eventually ended up ditching her shoes, as it was easier to walk barefoot than to let the straps keep getting caught up on things. She wished she knew the woods. She had noted that the autumn rain was particularly warm for autumn-approaching-winter. It felt more like a mid-summer rain. It confused her, but her brain was elsewhere.

Find Anna.

She was trying not to overthink every message and bit of information she needed to deliver. She knew that the more she thought about it, the more likely it was that she'd forget, especially with no fuel in her system. She needed a village. She knew she was far from any kingdom, but surely there was a civilisation of some kind out here. A camp, even. Someone. Hunters? Fishers?

And then she lost her way entirely. In the thick of the bush and dark woods, she hadn't seen the drop ahead. With one wrong step, she lost her footing entirely as the ground disappeared from under her feet, falling down a relatively steep rock-cliff. She let out a scream as she realised she was falling, catching herself on her hands. A pain shot through her wrist as it broke her fall, and within a few short seconds, she was tumbling helplessly down the side of the mountain. She tried to grab all she could, cutting her hands on rocks as she fell. She barely remembered crying.

The real fear hit when she realised it led to a straight drop off at the bottom. She was going to fall, and there was nothing she could do about it. To die three times.

She gave a final attempt to save herself as she flew helplessly off the edge, but failed. The rocks she grabbed weren't secure, and went with her over the edge. She only fell about twenty feet, landing on grass below; but a few rocks beat her to it, and her head met with one as she landed.

She slowly opened her eyes. The sun was out now; the world around her was barely dripping. Had she lost consciousness?

She lifted her hands to look at her palms; the burning was deep into the bone. She was covered in bruises; her pale skin now black, purple, and entirely blood-soaked. Her stomach churned when she felt the pain in her arm. Oh my god. She knew without knowing that it was broken.

She looked slightly to her left, staring blankly at the rockcliff beside her. Had she fallen? It took her a moment to remember. When she did, her fear returned. How badly was she injured? Nobody would find her here. Was she going to die? Again? Why was death out to get her?

Her head hurt, far more than her arm did. It felt like her skull was broken. She put her hand by her head, and nearly lost her breath when she felt the pool of blood. She looked at her hand, and the blood dripped from her fingers onto her face. She felt a scream creep into her throat, but could barely breathe. It felt like someone had wrapped a band around her chest and was pulling it tight. Had she broken her ribs, too?

Oh my god.

"I can't breathe," she wheezed, voice weak. Her throat hurt. She must've screamed more than she thought. A few rocks bounced by her head, and she winced. Things must've settled and shifted above. The pain in her stomach returned; she needed to eat. Her legs felt too restricted; her pants were too tight when wet. As she moved, she felt the warmth of wet between her legs. She knew she'd wet herself, but couldn't care. Not now.

She wanted to move, but even the thought of it made her gag. Her stomach was in a knot. Her arm draped across her core; the bones rubbing against bones. It was uncomfortable. You'll be okay. You'll be okay.

A woman's voice chimed in. Anna? Is that you? She looked to her right, and could barely make out the figure of a person looming over her. "Sweet little thing," the woman said empathetically. "How did you end up like this?"

Not Anna. "I need help," she pleaded, but she could barely hear her own voice. "My head…"

The woman knelt down. "I see," she said with concern. "We'll get you cleaned up."

She closed her eyes. Her instincts told her the woman got closer to her. She felt hands on her body, and then nothing at all.

To be continued...