It wasn't Anna's first time running a meeting of some kind. Elsa had allowed Anna a chance to do so back in Arendelle on a number of occasions. While it was always a little nerve-wracking, it's not as though she ever performed the task alone. Leonard was almost always present, and the risk involved was rarely worth getting bent out of shape over. Elsa would never place Anna in such a stressful situation knowingly, more than willing to head the more problematic, politically charged gatherings herself. She was used to having thousands of lives in the balance of her decisions, completely conscious of the fact her final say sometimes impacted the joy or despair of more individuals than she could easily count.
But Elsa wasn't with Anna anymore. That safety net was gone, and it felt as though the younger royal sister of Arendelle was balancing on the edge of a cliff, staring at powerful figureheads around her waiting for an intelligent plan that might lead to a freedom Elsa had been more than confident promising.
Again, the pings in her heart were telling, but a numbness was helping Anna overcome that particular pain, and she gathered herself as best she could amongst the Northuldra, Arendellians, Kristoff, Sven, and the two spirits that seemed content staying with the group from here on out. She had gotten herself changed and combed her hair into a semblance of collectiveness. Anna was at least somewhat presentable. Now, she just had to lead her first meeting on her own, outside of Elsa's shadow or expectation. Nobody to clean up after her. It was more daunting than Anna wanted to admit.
'Ahem…' Anna cleared her throat, a small fire at the centre of the group. Yelana, Ryder, Honeymaren, Lieutenant Mattias, Kristoff, Sven, most of the Arendellian guard trapped in the forest, and a few Northuldra waited for Anna to begin, aware there was some severe news to be shared depending on how much Yelana had revealed. The scene felt horribly desolate without Olaf and, obviously, Elsa. More wounds Anna had to push past. Further proof Elsa wasn't coming back…
'I…um…It's hard to know where to start with this kind of thing, you know?' Anna laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head.
'Take your time, Anna. You're among friends.' Yelana was surprisingly supportive. She acted so severe most of the time, it was a little strange to feel such consideration from her.
'Ah. Thanks. Yeah. This is kinda tough…' Anna thought about the number of times Elsa had explained to her how difficult it was to not allow her judgement to be clouded by personal feelings. The memory forced her to refocus, needing to push forward for Elsa's sake as well. 'But I'm sure being trapped in a forest for a few decades wasn't easy either, so, I'm trying to keep it together.'
Anna saw Lieutenant Mattias' expression shift between conflicted and tentatively prideful.
'So…' Anna held her breath for a second, seeing the way Kristoff and Sven seemed to be doing the same before she said the words that would likely always feel like twisting a knife in her own stomach. 'Elsa is gone.'
A universal gasp followed by low rumblings from the Arendellian guards and remaining Northuldra. Apparently, Yelana had enough consideration to leave the reveal to Anna.
'Gone...?' Lieutenant Mattias verbalized in disbelief.
'She became the fifth spirit, and now acts like a bridge between the spiritual world and our physical world.' Anna's brain hurt trying to wrap around it all, still. 'If she didn't, I'm guessing things were going to get really messy. She had to prove herself worthy, and she did. But in trying to find the answers she needed to help the Enchanted Forest become free again…she went too far into Ahtohallan and...and isn't coming back.'
'No. Not Elsa…' Lieutenant Mattias continued.
'Anna…' Kristoff looked like he wanted to leap to her side, and part of Anna wished he would, because even if they were on a break, she could really use a nice warm hug. Now that she thought about it, why were they on a break? That was weird.
'I'm guessing most of you figured as much when I pretty well couldn't get out of bed for a couple of days.' Anna shrugged, grinning weakly and wondering if she would ever smile sincerely ever again. 'Elsa was my world. Always has been. Always will be. But she thought bigger than my tiny wishes of being together forever in some way. She knew she was meant for more, and she found her purpose. I…I'm proud of her. And I can't let her down now.'
'What do you mean, Anna?' Kristoff sounded unsure.
'Elsa sent me a message. Her final words represented by a snow sculpture. To free the forest, and reunite balance to a progressively unbalanced world between the spirits and humans, we have to bring down the dam.'
'What!?' One of the Arendellian knights shouted.
'That's not possible!' A Northuldra nearly echoed.
'Quiet.' Yelana hardly raised her voice, but it was enough to bring forth her wishes, the fire snapping more fiercely as if in response.
'It's like a plug, I'm guessing. For as long as everyone's been trapped in here, the forest has likely been in some kind of self-preservation mode until Elsa was ready to take over as the next bridge. Once she did so, I'm guessing there was a plan to have her use her powers to bring down the dam and right the wrongs of the past.' Anna was really trying to make sense of everything while handling her grief. It was no small task, but focussing so intently on something other than the fact Olaf wasn't making silly jokes near her and Elsa wasn't at her side helped slightly.
'But the dam was a peace offering by King Runeard. Why would it be considered a "wrong" from the past?' Mattias' tone was full of nerves, but committed to his late king, as expected.
Anna saw the anticipation in the eyes waiting for her answer. Bad news. She had to deliver bad news. More queenly expectations. It all bore down on her like a weight she'd never experienced before. How did Elsa do it day in and out? Anna could never understand the pressure until this moment. Her poor sister. Even if Anna liked to help here and there with royal duties, knowing Elsa was ultimately in control and suspect to handling any negative feedback on behalf of Arendelle brought Anna relief. No wonder Elsa had thought about leaving. This wasn't easy. This was downright terrifying. And Elsa already had severe anxiety from her childhood. She was more amazing than Anna could have ever imagined.
Oh, Elsa. I'm so sorry…
'King Runeard,' Anna uttered soberly. 'Grandfather betrayed the Northuldra people. He attacked one of them in cold blood and that's what started the fight between you all the day the forest fell. The dam wasn't an offering...'
'It was used to weaken the land and bring all of the Northuldra together. King Runeard was…scared of those that lived with the spirits. He was scared of the power your people had…' Mattias mournfully placed the remaining pieces together for Anna, thankfully, because she wasn't completely sure she was on the right track.
'Hmph. I never had a good feeling about that man. Now I know to trust my instincts more than ever.' Yelana huffed in annoyance. 'That will teach us to trust outsiders ever again.'
'No!' Anna's heart throbbed. 'That's not the message here! Not at all!' She raised her voice, emotion lacing her words but the need to interpret the bigger picture more important than anything discussed prior. 'Elsa was blessed by the spirits because my mother, a Northuldra, and my father, an Arendellian, represented the beauty of unity and looking past cultural differences. Magic shouldn't be feared! It should be praised, and respected, and…' An image of Elsa winking at Anna and creating a wondrous, fantastical scene made of pure snow including fairies, forests, and unicorns flickering in the princess's mind. 'And loved for its majesty. For the joy it can bring life.'
'This is our chance to make things right.' Kristoff finally intercepted, standing next to Anna. His presence gave her strength, the support not unappreciated. 'I know how easy it is to get wrapped up in our own worlds, but if we don't look beyond them sometimes,' he gave Anna a shy glance. 'Well, we don't know what we're missing out on.'
A long pause, but Anna could see that her words – alongside Kristoff's – had an effect.
'Well, I'm too tired to hold a grudge on a man long gone anyway. Lieutenant Mattias isn't my first choice for a neighbour, but he's proven himself a decent person well enough.' Yelana sighed, if begrudgingly.
'I'm honoured, Yelana.' Mattias touched his heart mockingly. 'But it's true. If my late king had any ill-intent, it's partially my fault for not preventing it. I…I guess I really do owe you an apology after all these years.'
'You don't.' Yelana turned her head away from the man stubbornly. 'You did nothing. That's the end of it. I'm more interested in bringing down the dam and what sort of repercussions such an extreme act might bring with it. A dam is meant to hold water back. Should that construct be toppled somehow, what does that mean for the surrounding area? Are there any towns or the like we should be concerned about?'
'Arendelle…!' Mattias obviously recalled just how close his kingdom was to the forest, in the grand scheme of things. 'It could…it really could flood the city at this point. The fjord would scoop up the water and bring it back over the place. Everyone would…Oh!'
'That's right.' Anna nodded, glad the lieutenant was quick on figuring out the details available to him. 'The spirits already made everyone evacuate. They weren't "attacking", necessarily, they were getting Arendelle ready for what had to happen next for their world to return to normal. It was like a last-ditch effort once Elsa awakened them. She might've even given them a boost in power to start moving around again.'
Yelana's calculating eyes seemed unconvinced.
'Then why wouldn't they simply tell you what needed to be done if they had an idea?' Her expression hardened. 'Why the song and dance prior?'
'Well,' Anna didn't have all the answers. Honestly, she wasn't even completely sure everything she was saying checked out. 'Because they wanted to test Elsa first?'
'She's already gifted with magic. Did she not have their blessing at birth?' Yelana was pressing, and rightly so, but Anna couldn't be expected to know everything, right? Another aspect of being a leader Elsa had learned to handle over and over again. Simply saying "I don't know" wasn't an option. Even if Elsa didn't have a clue, she was able to present a response that indicated she would do what she could to change that. She really had a way with words, didn't she?
'Maybe the previous fifth spirit was okay with Elsa but the other spirits weren't?' Anna tried.
'If the balance of nature was on the brink, I have difficulty seeing how they would waste time with such a thing when Mother, or Ahtohallan, or the fifth spirit declared Elsa Her successor.'
'True…' Anna felt herself shrinking. There were some gaps weren't there? Why would the spirits ever delay their own liberation? What about Elsa wasn't worthy of becoming their new boss lady, or whatever? Something didn't add up. What was Anna missing? It felt like it was on the tip of her tongue but she just couldn't get the words out.
'Easy, Yelana.' Kristoff interjected suddenly, his deep voice both calming and a little strange to Anna. 'I think pressuring Anna to figure out the way spirits work is a little unfair right now.'
Yelana's glare widened for a brief moment, and Anna figured she was about to let Kristoff have quite the earful before she settled, seemingly reflecting on the words directed toward her.
'You're not wrong.' She calmed herself. 'I apologize, Anna. That was inconsiderate of me.'
'Oh? Yelana backing down from a fight? Today really is a crazy day.' Mattias attempted to lighten the mood, but even his tone was weighed down, as if nobody could quite get past the idea that Elsa was gone.
'Quiet, you.' Yelana muttered.
'All the meanings and stuff behind why the spirits did what they did aside, I'm still not sure how we're breaking that dam down.' Ryder brought the conversation back to the core concern, and Anna felt relieved but also disappointed in herself for not exactly handling the interactions as gracefully as Elsa would have.
'Without Elsa, it really does seem sort of hopeless.' Honeymaren had her arms crossed, her brow furrowed as if she was honestly attempting to solve the puzzle.
'Breaking it piece by piece would take forever, but at this point, it might be our only option.' Lieutenant Mattias suggested while cupping his bristly chin.
'If it means being free finally, I guess I'd be okay with a little grunt work…' Ryder still seemed unsure, and rightly so. The dam was massive. Like, ridiculously huge. Was there any other choice? What would Elsa do? She'd have an answer. She could always think of something. Anna couldn't just wave her hands and make something happen. She needed Elsa. Elsa was all she ever wanted and now…now…!
'I…uh…I need to have a second.' Anna felt her heart caving in. The shoddy walls she had built around it to allow even this much interaction with others was already breaking apart. If she wasn't careful, the tears would be coming back any second. She wanted to at least muster up some dignity.
'Of course, Anna. We'll try and think of something. Take your time.' Yelana smiled dryly. She wanted to by sympathetic, and she was being amazing about the whole situation, but she was finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel, and now she had to deal with a mopey princess with a sister complex.
'Thanks. I won't be long.'
Anna held her burgundy cloak tight as she departed into the forest, not caring where she went so long as she was isolated from others for a bit. She eventually stopped at a birchwood tree and found herself leaning her head against it, the rough bark scraping her forehead as she whimpered helplessly, biting at her bottom lip in an attempt to prevent an all-out bout of despair.
Shoulders shaking and body trembling, Anna sighed audibly, tears filling her eyes and streaming down her cheeks.
'This is impossible…' She gasped. 'I'm trying but…without Elsa I'm…I-I…'
She was able to at least get out of bed, but the sheer willpower something as simple as that took was unbelievable. Anna was already drained emotionally, and she was only actively engaged with others for half of an hour at most. How on earth was she supposed to become queen? How could she face Arendelle and deliver such tragic news only a couple of decades after the last heart wrenching announcement involving her parents? At least then she had Elsa, for the most part. But now…Now…!
'Hey.' A soft, masculine voice that was like another layer of comfort over her quivering form. 'I know you said you wanted to be alone, but…'
'Kristoff…' Anna's chest felt light.
'Yeah. Sorry. I can go, if you want.'
Anna hesitated. She had loved Kristoff once. When did that feeling stop? Had it stopped? Why was her stomach filling with butterflies all over again? This wasn't so bad. Not at all, really. Yet, there was something off about such a familiar infatuation.
'Kristoff.' Anna repeated herself.
'Hi.' He chuckled awkwardly.
'Why…did we stop being, like, a thing?'
'No idea. I was talking to Ryder about it not that long ago, actually.'
'Yeah? He seems nice.'
'He is. I think we'll be hanging out a lot when we get them out of here.'
'I can see it.' Anna smiled.
A pause, only distant, muffled sounds from the Northuldra camp barely making it to Anna.
'Listen, I'm here for you, okay? I know I'm not Elsa. I know I can never be like Elsa. But I can and want to take care of you. Even if it's just as friends.'
Anna almost giggled wryly.
'That seems mean if you still care about me…'
'Doesn't matter. Like I said: we're friends first. I don't expect anything else; especially right now.'
Anna could finally look at Kristoff, although she figured her eyes were red and her face puffy, it was sort of nice to see a familiar, comfortable face in a foreign, isolated part of the world that didn't have Olaf or Elsa anymore.
'I know,' She shrugged, seeing Kristoff's eyes sort of dart around uncomfortably. 'I'm a mess.'
'N-no.' He shook his head. 'I've always thought you were…uh…really pretty. That's all. It just kind of crossed my mind again…'
Anna held her breath, her cheeks flaring up but a strange knot tying itself around her heart. Another emotion was twisting inside the one attempting to push into her mind. She could be with Kristoff again. Heck, she could even see them getting married. The question kept bugging her: why had they broken up? The answer was at once so close and ages away.
'T-thanks…' Anna played with her hair, tucking it behind her ear.
An awkward beat.
'So, yeah. Nobody's upset or whatever with you. You just lost someone more important than anything else in the world. I think Mattias, Yelana, and all them are impressed that you're trying to push forward like this. I know I am. It's…really amazing. Then again, you've always amazed me. But it's sad. It's really sad. I'm trying not to think about the fact I won't hear Olaf's crazy facts and stuff anymore. And even though Elsa was a little distant, I never got tired of seeing how happy you were around her. So…I don't know what I'm trying to say. Maybe that it's okay to be sad. I'm bad at this stuff.'
Anna blinked back another urge to cry. She then let herself lean into Kristoff, feeling his arms wrap around her body in a kind and almost protective embrace that was painfully calming. He was obviously a little stiff about it all, but after a minute or two, his strong hands were rubbing Anna's back encouragingly, and another ping in the princess's heart tickled a vacancy she couldn't comprehend.
This…feels so right but…so wrong. What the heck…?
Still, more than anything, Anna just needed some semblance of security in a world that was slipping from stability. She prayed Kristoff didn't feel like he was being taken advantage of. Part of Anna wanted to really look at their relationship with fresh eyes sooner rather than later, but not now. Not yet. She was too vulnerable and fragile. Bad decisions got made in such a state.
'Thanks…' Anna nuzzled into the man's broad chest. He was so tall. So built. So firm. He was also considerate. Compassionate. Tender. Funny. And committed. Seriously, what had gone wrong exactly?
The earth rumbled under them both, then. It was subtle enough to almost pass off as nothing until it happened again. And again. And then again.
'What the…?' Anna broke away from Kristoff, searching the forest.
'Earth Giants. They're on the move, I bet.'
That's why the sensation seemed so familiar. The Earth Spirits were prowling around again? No. Yelana had mentioned something about them acting weird.
'We've had to put out all fires and go into hiding about three times since you and Elsa left. Yelana says they've never been so active. It's like they're really looking for something.'
'Or someone.' Anna's face tightened. Elsa had never won the Earth Spirits' approval. She skipped them thinking simply taming the Water Spirit might be enough. But what if it wasn't? What if the Earth Spirit was still waiting to be won over? What if they felt lost or even left out? Anna and Elsa had attempted to talk with this particular spirit before but had failed. Honestly, trying not to get crushed by ginormous boulders being lobbed through the sky became the focus once that conversation went south. Was it up to Anna to finish that chapter before moving forward with breaking…the…dam…?
'Oh, my gosh!' Anna jumped, an idea ricocheting through her head so suddenly she was beginning to wonder if she was losing touch with reality again.
'Whoa. What?' Kristoff flinched back at the sudden excitement.
'I just had the craziest idea!'
