A/N - We passed 11k views!

Notes at the bottom!

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(reposting this chapter to fix some typos!)

She didn't know where she was. It was odd—she'd spent so many years exploring these locations, and always found herself shocked when she came across a new area. She was more surprised that this location was still here. How these tunnels weren't flooded, she didn't know. It was so well secured—and still in great condition.

She'd managed to avoid Eira; she needed to think first. Astrid had convinced her that they were patient and understanding, and so the two of them were currently making their way down a dark, damp, stone corridor in total darkness. The torch barely helped.

It was tough for Anna. The firelight bouncing off the stone; the dripping water; the overall atmosphere sent her back to the worst night of her life. It was triggering for her. She felt genuinely unsteady down here. She tried focusing on their mission ahead to avoid getting lost in thought. She didn't want to go down that path again. It was too much to bear.

"It's just down here," Astrid said gleefully, skipping through the puddles. "I remember we were here before!" She turned around, skipping backwards as she spoke, facing the woman. "We told your mama about what was coming, and she… she didn't like it."

"You frightened her," Anna said simply. "Do you ever wonder if perhaps you caused things to be like this? Maybe she would've made the right decision if she hadn't seen our futures."

"She learned that there was no right thing to do," Astrid revealed. "There is no right or wrong!"

Anna was confused at first, and then she understood. She'd believed for a long while—if not for her whole life—that there was no such thing as good and evil. Everybody is a hero and a villain to someone. Most people think they're doing the right thing, even if it harms someone else. Everybody will be agreed with, and disagreed with simultaneously. People are good and bad. The world is grey. She'd especially learned this as she got to know Elsa and Kristoff—she had to learn that people who perceived things differently to how she herself did, didn't make them bad or evil. And she herself was, of course, grey. A mix. As everybody is.

"Iduna didn't know which would have greater consequences," Astrid pointed out. "That was the conflict. She knew she had two options; do something, or do nothing."

"And she chose to do something," Anna stated. Astrid nodded; "if she'd done nothing, you would've figured things out sooner. About Elsa and about the world. But she wanted to strip Elsa of what makes her extra special, and in the process, ruined all our lives!"

Her tone had a little too much glee for the subject matter. It disturbed Anna only slightly, but she didn't expect much tact from a child. "Right… But she's trying to fix things now. That counts for something, doesn't it?"

Astrid shrugged. "That's for you to decide."

Anna nodded slightly. They walked in silence for a while before she found the courage to ask what she probably should've asked Eira instead. "So… what happened to you and your mother?"

The child seemed to sink slightly, taking her bottom lip into her mouth and turning away as she lifted her shoulders to her ears. Anna noticed, and quickly said, "never mind. You don't have to tell me."

Astrid turned back to her as they walked and held her fingers up next to her mouth, mimicking fangs. She snarled slightly. Anna wasn't sure what to make of it. "We live in nature," Astrid explained hauntingly. "Bad people found us."

"I'm sorry." The words came unconsciously. "It's been a long time, huh?"

She nodded. "Almost forty years," she whispered, eyes wide. The number surprised Anna, too. "That's a long time to be a child."

"Mama said it's an innocent eternity," she said joyfully, swinging her arms. "A lifetime of fun!"

Anna smiled warmly, though there was a sadness to it. A stolen life. "I'm glad you can see the positives!"

She nodded; "me too. I'm glad we don't have to sleep anymore," she said, turning and skipping along. She ran her hand across the stone wall a few times. "And we don't have to cook or eat! Or bathe or worry about temperature."

"So, many good things, then!"

"Yep!" she cheered, spinning back around to face her. "I'm afraid of the dark, though. I don't wanna bleed again."

Anna moved closer to her and scooped her up, almost instinctively. She'd never felt such a strong maternal instinct before. She held the kid close; Astrid wrapped her arms tight around her shoulders. "You're okay now," Anna reminded. "Nobody can hurt you now. You know that, right?"

"Except for the spirits," she replied.

That concerned Anna. She pulled out of the hug so they could face each other, but kept the child in her arms. Astrid wrapped her legs around the woman's waist, sitting on her hips. "The spirits can harm you?"

She nodded again. "We wanna stay in Ahtohallan but the bad spirits won't let us. Mama said you could set us free."

She had too much to lose now. If Ahtohallan fell, the loss would be too great. She had to find a way to reason with the spirits. There had to be a way. "We'll figure this out. You'll be okay. I promise."

She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so memorious. She felt at peace, despite the circumstances. Knowing that Elsa was alive and safe; being given the opportunity to speak to her mother was all she needed, even if she never seized the opportunity itself. She was dreaming of normality; the way things had been before it happened. She had motivation now. Apart from a wedding that she was now truly looking forward to, she also had a great desire to free the spirits; to ensure that Eira, Astrid, and anybody else, would be given the opportunity to be safe. She was nervous; the idea of facing dark spirits didn't make her feel too well, but she knew it would be worth it if it meant that Ahtohallan would be free. And then things could go back to normal for everyone. Normal.

What is normal? She wondered what their version of "normal" was. She'd remembered playing normal games with them; but even their version of charades involved magic. How normal was venturing into the woods on a reindeer? Talking snowmen? It gave her a headache to think about consciously. Sure, it was normal by their standards; they hadn't known anything else. But the more she experienced the real world, the more she began to feel like she lived in a circus.

It was okay, though. It was home. Her family. Her version of normal.

It had been a long time since she'd thought about Olaf; her childhood best friend. The most abnormal part of her life. The friend that died in her arms. Supported her until the absolute very end. She wasn't ready to tell Elsa of the fate that he suffered in that cave. It wasn't something she'd processed yet. She'd buried it at the back of her mind and forgotten until now.

But now she was remembering life as it was before her depression hit. Now she was remembering what light and joy felt like.

Was she in a daze again? She hadn't been zoning out as much lately as she used to, but these days, it hit her without warning and she was entirely unaware of it.

She couldn't really see anything. She was in a dreamworld. Imagining a better life; a life she once had a firm grip on. A life she'd lost. She wasn't sure where she was, but she was watching them. Elsa and Kristoff. They were dancing together. The sun was shining on them. They were dressed fancily, in attire Anna had never seen them in. It was too regal. But they were beautiful; seemingly moving in slow-motion. Kristoff twirled Elsa around smoothly, pulling her in, and dipping her backwards over his arm. They smiled at each other.

It made Anna smile. But then she was confused. This never happened. They would never. Would they? Not like this. Playfully, maybe. Kristoff loved to annoy Elsa, and she was never really impressed by him. They bickered all the time. They were too similar, and yet polar opposites. It was an odd chemistry. They liked each other, but surely not enough to dance together.

It intrigued her, so she started walking towards them. More people seemed to appear around her; also dressed fancily; also dancing. It was a ball. The walls of the ballroom were decorated; the light was natural due to the odd lack of ceiling. As Anna walked, she felt the fabric of her skirt kick out around her. She was dressed up, too. She looked down at her gown. It was white; the skirt large and rounded. The top was sleeveless; a heart-shaped bodice flattered her figure. She looked at the dancing couple, placing her hand over the line of her cleavage. Did she choose this dress?

"Kristoff?" Her voice echoed distantly. She grabbed the fabric of her skirt to make it easier to walk at a faster pace. She'd approached them quickly; her vision tunnelling around her. She reached out to put a hand on her fiancé's shoulder-

Her hand was grabbed, and she was pulled to turn. It disoriented her. Suddenly, the ball was gone. She was in Elsa's bedroom, with Elsa herself. They were in their nightgowns. "Thank you for being so understanding."

Anna hadn't caught up yet. She'd woken up in the middle of a conversation, it seemed. She couldn't quite remember this moment. Elsa spoke again. "I don't really want anybody at this point. I mean, Aela definitely caught my interest, but she's long gone now."

"You know I love you no matter what." The words came without control. She wasn't really here. She knew that. It was a memory. This actually happened.

Elsa smiled warmly. Her cheeks were red and puffy; she'd clearly just finished crying. Her eyes were still glossy. She had a tissue in her hand. But eye contact was easy. She knew she was safe. "Thank you, sis. Truly. I have no idea what I'd do without you."

Anna felt herself smile. "You'll never have to find out."

They hugged. It was mutual. Anna felt like it was needed; something she truly wanted. She needed Elsa to know she was loved. She could remember now. This moment in time. It was one of their more personal moments together. An important conversation. Understanding and acceptance. A big step for Elsa; revealing a secret she'd kept hidden for her entire life so far. It wasn't a secret now. Someone knew. Anna knew. It gave them both peace.

This was normal. Conversing. Connecting. Feeling. One of her favourite feelings was being trusted by those she loved.

She didn't trust anymore. It dimmed the light in her life. She felt empty for a brief moment as a wave of depression ran through her. Her world went dark. She woke up. It took her a second to come to her senses. She remembered where she was going.

She was with Astrid. They were going to Iduna's secret room. But now Astrid was gone, and Anna was outside. She looked around with confusion. It was night time. The woods were dark. She was alone. "Astrid?"

Nothing around looked familiar. She didn't have any idea where she was. It scared her, but she didn't want to admit that to herself. She climbed to her feet, brushing off her pants. The front of her skirt fell to her knees, draping in the back to her ankles. She'd lost her jacket, leaving her shoulders and the better half of her chest bare. It was cold. The breeze made her shiver; she crossed her arms. "Astrid? Are you out there?"

"Are you the chosen one?"

Anna whipped around to face the owner of the voice. The second her eyes found the figure, it disappeared. An echoed voice followed the disappearance; "I don't wish to be seen."

"I won't hurt you," Anna replied reassuringly. "I want to help."

"Are you the chosen one?" the question repeated. It was a woman's voice; not as sweet as Anna's, but close. It was soft like hers, only a bit lower toned. "We've been waiting for you, Princess."

"I've been told that I am," she answered, though a bit more uncertain this time. "I was told by other spirits that Ahtohallan is in danger."

"They made us the villains." The figure appeared in front of Anna, only about ten feet away. She was young, appearing around Anna's age. She seemed nude, but the shadow made it almost impossible to tell. Her dark skin helped her to hide as she wished. "We are not the villains."

"I don't think it's about heroes and villains," Anna suggested. "You want the forest back, right?"

She nodded. "Your mortals stole our land. We do not want a war. We want only what is ours."

"I understand. But why are you threatening Ahtohallan?" She questioned as kindly as possible. "Many lives are on the line. Surely there's a better way to go about this?"

"The spirits from Ahtohallan have been suffocating us," she choked, voice dissipating eerily as she spoke. "They released their elements upon us. They lie. The only lie, princess. Please, save us. Spare us."

She was confused, and very conflicted. Eira had saved her. Could she have lied? "Do you know Eira and Astrid?"

She nodded again. "They died alongside us during a fatal attack many years ago," she explained. "We became divided. Half chose Ahtohallan; half wished to remain in our forest. Those that left decided our land was cursed; that we are dark spirits, existing only for vengeance, but that is not the case."

"May I ask why I'm involved in this? Why my mother was involved?"

"Your mother was destined to die," the woman explained with a gentle tone. "We knew she'd return to us; to protect us. But she too chose Ahtohallan and left us behind. And so, we put our trust into you; her first born. You can save us."

Anna backtracked a little. "I'm not the first born," she corrected. "I have an older sister."

"But she wasn't reliable," she countered. "We needed someone we could trust endlessly. That someone is you. Your sister chose Ahtohallan, too."

Right. She'd almost forgotten about that.

"Princess…" her voice sounded sad; hopeless. "Do you choose Ahtohallan?"

Anna didn't need to think of her answer. "No." She took a few steps closer to the woman, getting a better picture of her. She was, in fact, entirely nude. It surprised the queen at first, but she soon thought nothing of it. "How can I help? What do you need me to do?"

"Remove the Northuldra," she said simply, almost with a pleading tone. "Tell them this is our land."

"They were trapped for over thirty years," Anna replied. "They had been there for easily thirty before. Why can't the land be shared?"

She looked defeated only for a moment before speaking; "they have the entire world, Princess. We only have our forest."

Anna had to think. She was feeling a bit of déjà vu; being asked to choose between two sides; being asked to make the overall grand decision. Was there right or wrong here? Should she do the opposite of what her gut tells her? She thought she did the right thing in regards to her kingdom, but the aftermath left her doubtful as her people faced poverty, and she was without a home. Her head was beginning to hurt again. She pressed her fingers into her temples.

"You set us free when you set our waters free," the woman encouraged. "You gave us a chance. Please give us another. We will protect your people in return. We will leave Ahtohallan alone. We will let those spirits rest. Please give us what is ours. Speak to the mortals. Ask them to leave."

"They move constantly," Anna reminded. "They're never in one spot, and there aren't many."

"Please." She was begging. Desperate. Anna felt bad, but she was also incredibly distrusting. She began to wonder if she was being guilted; manipulated. If these spirits were bad like Eira said, they'd be masters at getting what they want.

"Astrid is afraid of you," she'd stated. "Did you know that?"

"Because of the lies her mother has told." She stepped closer to the queen. She was a good five inches taller. "I don't want to die, Your Grace. I didn't want to die. We do not want to fight. If you give us a chance, we can breathe again. Be whole again. Maybe then we'll be able to share; when we are all mortal."

"You can resurrect yourselves?" It surprised her. "That's what you want?"

She nodded. "But only in our land. Only where our lives were taken. We can be given another chance, but only if you give it to us."

"Why me? Why do I have that power?"

"I already told you." She gently put her hand on Anna's cheek. "We believe in you. Please help us. There are many of us. From all over. People with dreams and aspirations. We aspire to live in the wild. We love it out here. We all ran from various trials we were unable to face. We lost to an unfair battle. Let our voices be heard, princess. Please. I beg it of you."

Anna nodded. She was fully convinced. "All right. I'll help. I'll talk to the Northuldra."

She smiled. A genuine, bright smile. Her hands flew over her mouth as she processed the words, and she quickly wrapped her arms around the smaller woman. Anna smiled and returned the embrace as best she could. "Thank you, princess," the woman whispered. "Thank you."

A/N - There's going to be a bit more Elsa here-and-there, but it will still be mainly Anna-centric. And, be expecting a lot more Kristanna coming up!

Minor disclaimer: I wrote and rewrote this chapter countless times (mainly due to the heat, honestly; I cannot think when it's hot, and it's been over 34c/94f lately), so it may be inconsistent or weird, and for that, I am so truly sorry. I want to put out the best of my abilities, and I'd hate to disappoint. Hopefully it holds up. Next few will be better!

Thank you for your support. Truly. You have no idea how much your words mean to me.

Reviews:

elenasmcanonico - I'm glad it was unexpected! I really don't want things to be too predictable. Glad you enjoyed it! And thank you so much for your care xx

Susan - Velbekomme! (You're welcome!) I'm glad you're enjoying what I write! EA's relationship is definitely damaged, but they will still always have each other's backs, no matter what. Hopefully that was captured in the last ch25! Thank you for your care. Best wishes to you!

BadEnglishSpeaker - Hopefully interesting in a good way! I hope it doesn't disappoint. Thank you!

Element 37 - I'm glad to see another Anna-centric fan! I agree, there's a lot less attention on Anna than on the other. More than happy to put more content out there! Thank you for your review, and for taking the time to read what I write!

Thank you for your care, friends. I'm doing all right for now. One day at a time. Writing helps. It acts as an escape, honestly. Much love to you. Remember to be kind! xx