A/N: And here we finally are, the last chapter.

Please enjoy! And for more information about what I plan to do next, read till the very end.

Elsa had been pacing back and forth and biting her lower lip for minutes before she finally heard the knock on the door.

The sound had her snapping to attention in a panic, but she was quick to regain composure, turning to greet her visitor with a demure smile. "Master Alvar, please have a seat."

The man warily approached the chair, as if he couldn't be quite sure of the reason for his summons. Elsa didn't blame him. She herself hadn't yet decided whether he was friend or foe, and she wasn't sure how to go about figuring such a thing.

You're thinking too much. Just say something and see how it plays out.

She straightened her spine and folded her hands before her, "I hope you have been treated well in your time here."

"Yes, ma'am." The man replied curtly, his eyes falling to his lap.

Is that an act or an admission of guilt?

She pressed on, "I'd like to begin by thanking you yet again for saving my life, Master Alvar. My kingdom, and I, find ourselves entirely in your debt." Her eyes flickered to him, "If there is any way I can repay you-"

She could feel the man's flinch as though she'd struck him.

"Is something wrong?"

The man bowed his head, his gray eyes dropping to the floor. "Ma'am, the truth is-" He seemed on the verge of tears, "Well, the truth is that you owe me nothing for my efforts. Because I'm the one that caused your pain to begin with."

Elsa felt herself relax. "I know. And I do not fault you for it."

His eyebrows shot skyward. "What?"

Elsa smiled, "Sir, you will find that there is little in this kingdom I do not know. As soon as I awakened, I learned of your involvement in my…condition."

"And yet, you do not blame me?"

"I was not sure whether I should, but seeing you regret your actions and your willingness to admit to them freely has told me all I need to know about your intentions."

Wonder dawned in his old eyes. He smiled openly, "Bless you, Queen Elsa. Bless you and your merciful nature."

"Please, sir, call me Elsa." She ducked her head, "And know that what I do is not merciful. In fact, you will find my reasons for forgiving you rather selfish indeed."

She swallowed, wishing she were wearing her gloves right now. Cursed though they were, they'd always afforded her a stable source of comfort, the kind she craved right now. She gripped her fingers tightly instead.

"You see, for years now, almost since I was old enough to begin considering my place in this world, I have wondered about these powers I possess." Her gaze fell to the floor, "I know of no one like me, not a single family ancestor, not a single person in this kingdom…I might go so far as to say I know of no one like me in this world at all."

"But now…I've found someone I can talk to. Someone who may have answers to my questions. Someone who may tell me what my purpose is in life." She looked to him, pleading, "My sister told me what she knows about you, what Grand Pabbie said to her. I know the life you used to lead before you came here, and that is why I ask you. Please, Master Alvar, if-if there is any way for you to tell me who I am and why I was born this way…I'd–I'd forever find myself in your debt."

She was shaking by the end of her little speech. And if it would have behooved a queen like her to fall to her knees, she would have, for right now, there was very little other than the rigid laws of decorum that kept her upright.

Her entire life she had spent in this vacuum of knowledge, forever perplexed by her inexplicable existence, forever aggrieved by powers she did not understand the purpose of but that had ripped her apart from her loved ones nonetheless.

Decades of pain and grief and questions…surely she deserved at least one answer.

But Alvar didn't seem as willing to help her as she'd hoped. "Elsa, I wish I could help you, but the ways of fate are not for me to disclose."

"But you can see my fate, can't you?" If she sounded a desperate, pathetic soul, she didn't care.

"Master Alvar, I know learning about the future is rarely a good thing, but all I ask is a glimpse of the life I was meant to live. This magic has spent years wrecking havoc on my life, my family, on my peace of mind. I need to know what it was all for."

She took a wobbly step forward, "P-Please? Just once?"

The man seemed to be wrestling with himself, but then he nodded, "Alright, if it means that much to you-"

Elsa nearly collapsed on the floor with sheer relief. "It does. It really does-"

"But I should warn you, Elsa. Such knowledge rarely provides the tranquility that is sought after. Let us hope that by finding out your destiny, you do not lose whatever peace of mind you have left."

The words didn't dampen her spirits. They couldn't. She'd waited far too long for her to care about what good or bad lay ahead. She needed to know.

She lifted her chin, "Whatever it is, I'm ready."

When Alvar took her hand to glimpse into her future, he did not know what to expect. Many a soul he had guided over the centuries, but whenever he had had to glimpse into their future to guide them on their path, there was a stark clarity. Like gazing into a crystal clear pond, straight into one's own reflection.

Their destinies were simple, straight-forward. Magic-born though they were, their lives were uncomplicated, their purposes often to do good and aid in the balance of the natural world.

But when he took Elsa's hand, the old sorcerer suddenly felt himself knee deep in a rushing current, surrounded by the densest of fog and the harsh cackle of a deep, raspy throat. Flashes of color caught his attention in every direction, red, green, black. An emblem of a snake, white and gold, so many symbols he did not understand.

Faces he did not know, but he knew them to be cruel and dangerous nonetheless.

Screams, loud, painful screams, echoed around this mystic swamp, rang rancorously in his ears so that he was sure they would haunt his nightmares if they'd been a part of his destiny.

And yet, underneath all of this chaos lay a steady drumbeat, a constant thumping of a heart that contained the most potent magic of all: love.

It grew louder and louder and louder, drowning out the screams and the wicked laughter, filling him with such overwhelming emotion that he began to weep at the sensation. For how could someone possess such an inestimable capacity for love, especially in a hellscape such as this?

But then, a voice called out to him.

"Alvar…"

"Master Alvar?" Elsa found herself terrified beyond all reason, because the sorcerer who was holding her hand was weeping, but he had yet to respond to her growing worries and he had yet to withdraw himself from whatever vision he was in.

Was her destiny truly so terrifying?

"Master Alvar?! Please, you must snap out of it." She pulled her hand out of his grasp, but even with what should have been a severed connection, the man seemed rooted to his spot. Unthinking, unseeing.

"Master Alvar, is everything alright? Please say something!" She shook him a little roughly.

To her immense relief, he responded, taking in the deepest of breaths before his eyes began to register their surroundings.

"Oh thank God," Elsa breathed out, "You were so lost in whatever you saw that I thought you were lost."

"I…" Alvar cleared his throat, reality sinking into his now agitated mind. "I apologize, Elsa."

"What did you see?" Elsa's eyes shimmered with unbridled curiosity.

But the old sorcerer could only grit his teeth. He could not tell her what he had learned. Nothing about the uncertainty of her future, nor of the pain, nor of what the voice had told him.

But looking at her eager blue eyes, yearning for some answers to her years of grief, Alvar did not know what else to do.

So he bowed his head, "I'm afraid whatever destiny has in store for you, it is not yet time for you to learn of it, Elsa."

Her face fell, "So…so you learned nothing?"

"No." It was easier to lie to her when he remembered the horrid screams he had heard. "It is not unheard of, to be unable to glimpse into someone's future. It does not mean your destiny is not bright."

"But that doesn't tell me what my destiny is at all, does it?" Elsa closed her eyes, willing herself to keep her tears back just a little longer, "When will I learn what I was put on this Earth to do? Is there even a point to my existence?"

"Everyone put on this Earth is here for a reason, Elsa. Some have more to give this world than others…" He offered her what he hoped was a reassuring smile, "It can be hard to hear, especially now, but all will reveal itself to you in due time."

"And then what?" Elsa glanced over to him, "For the first time in forever, I have a life worth living, and now, just when I should be happy, all I can think about is what might become of my happily ever after if my destiny comes knocking on my door. How do I prepare for something I cannot know? How do I sleep peacefully at night when I can't help fearing what Fate has written for me?"

"What comes next will require all the faith and patience you can muster, Elsa. Facing one's destiny is rarely a smooth journey, and I do not need to know yours to understand that your journey will be unlike any other." He smiled, "But if there is anyone who has no need to worry, it is you, because you possess a strength greater than any other on this planet. Love."

"Love?"

"Love." He found himself smiling widely at those words. "Elsa, in the short time I have spent here, I have come to understand just how much love your sister holds for you. Her dedication to you, her loyalty, and her concern for your wellbeing are unlike any I have ever seen in my centuries on this Earth. And it is her love for you that will carry you through whatever destiny throws you way."

"In my lifetime, all who have approached me have done so for guidance towards their true purpose, but none have been so lucky as you. Having the support of your loved ones, and having someone like your sister in particular…there is no greater gift to be had."

He looked into her shining blue eyes, "Keep her close, Elsa, let her support you in your time of need. And then, when your destiny comes calling for you, you can meet its challenges with open arms, because where there is love, there can be no room for fear."

Elsa felt her troubled soul finally settle at his wise words.

Love…the answer to all her questions was love, and of course it was, why wouldn't it be? Her love for Anna, Anna's love for her, their love for the kingdom. That love had saved her kingdom from her magic, saved Anna from an icy death, herself from a miserable existence.

If all she had to do to prepare for her destiny was to keep her love close, then she could handle that. She had plenty of love to give, after all.

"T-Thank you, Master Alvar. Perhaps I should have realized Anna was the answer to my problems." She managed a sheepish, watery chuckle, "She usually is."

Alvar returned a smile of his own. "I can't say that surprises me, Elsa." And why would it? Even after everything he had seen and heard regarding Elsa's future, Alvar found himself relaxing at the reminder of the fiery red-headed princess, the one who had faced insurmountable odds to save her sibling.

For Elsa to triumphantly face the destiny that awaited her, she would need her sister by her side. And now that he had pressed upon her the importance of such a relationship, Alvar could consider his work here done.

He bowed to her, "It has been an incredible honor to be of assistance to you, Elsa. But I fear it is past time for me to return home."

Elsa's face fell. "Surely you could stay for just a few more days?"

"I wish I could. But the truth is that since your sister's arrival, I have realized my mistake in hiding from the world for so long."

Alvar looked out the window at the slowly setting sun. "There are many needy souls out there, looking for guidance from someone who can understand their struggles. You are fortunate to have your sister, Elsa, but many are far less so. It is time to be a coward no longer. I must resume my travels once more."

Elsa swallowed. As much as she longed to keep him here and ask of him every question she had ever had regarding her powers, she knew the thought was selfish.

She offered him a warm nod, "I can't thank you enough for everything, Master Alvar. And if you do ever decide to return to Arendelle, know that this kingdom will always welcome you with open arms."

Alvar's eyes gleamed with gratitude, "I will not forget this kindness, Elsa. And perhaps, once the time comes for you to embrace your destiny, we will cross paths yet again."

It was with renewed hope that Elsa was able to smile back, "Perhaps we will."

The evening sky was a sight for sore eyes and a welcome blanket of darkness to cloak the harsh truths unearthed by that day's light.

Anna sighed with relief as she looked out the window, "Thank God today's done. I just want this hellish week to be over already."

"Hmm." Elsa leaned back against the couch, her eyes already drooping, "You can say that again…"

"So?"

She cracked open one eye to glance down at her sister, "So what?"

Anna groaned, "Ugh, I've been waiting all day for you to tell me what Alvar said. Didn't he tell you what your destiny is?"

"Oh, that." Caught up in the whirlwind of activity that followed Alvar's departure, she had been forced to put aside the whole interaction, but thinking about his grim face and the destiny he had not been able to find for her brought about a bag of mixed emotions.

She returned a half-shrug, "He didn't tell me what I didn't already know." Which was true, but incomplete.

Thankfully, Anna didn't press for details, instead choosing to curl closer to her side. "Oh…that sucks. I really thought he'd be more helpful."

"He was," Elsa admitted, because it was the truth. "But it just wasn't the kind of help I've been looking for."

Anna raised an eyebrow, "That doesn't really make sense."

Elsa just chuckled and leaned into her sister, "Let's just say that whatever is waiting for me, I'm going to need you by my side for it."

Anna let out an amused snort, "Of course, like you even have to ask."

Her heart filled to the brim with love, Elsa couldn't stop herself from smiling into Anna's hair, "No, I didn't think I had to."

The sisters fell into a peaceful silence, listening to the crackling sounds of the warm fire as they allowed the sweet bliss of sleep to wash over their weary forms.

"Elsa?"

"Hmm?"

"What are we going to do about the…" Anna's gaze fell to the floor, "You know, about…everything that happened?"

Elsa pursed her lips. She didn't know what to tell Anna, mostly because she didn't know yet what she should do. She sighed, "The investigation has yet to wrap up. Perhaps we'll have a better idea of what to do after it's done."

"But what about the other stuff?" Anna sat up, a frown on her lips, "There are people out there that want to hurt you, and it's not just enemies anymore, Elsa. It's people we work with, people you meet everyday… what do we do when we can't even trust those around us anymore?"

The queen just shrugged, pulling Anna back into her arms, "I don't have the answer to that right now, love. But we'll figure something out together, that much I'm certain of."

She smiled softly, "And perhaps, once we've managed to sort out all of this chaos, we can actually have ourselves a real vacation."

"Yes, God, yes!" Anna replied with vociferous excitement. "I so need a holiday after all this. Because in case you forgot, I fought a bear for you."

Elsa giggled, "Will you hold that over my head every time you need something?"

"Till the end of time." Anna smirked, "Or, you know, at least until I do something much cooler and even more dangerous. Because it's really a matter of when, not if that happens."

Elsa ignored the way her heart fell at those words, "If we're lucky, that won't be for a good long while."

"Right," Anna rolled her eyes, "Because it's not like we literally attract trouble just by existing."

She couldn't argue with that, so Elsa just shrugged instead, "Well, we can hope, can't we?"

Anna nodded, curling into her sister's side once more, tracing lazy patterns on the back of Elsa's hand. "It would be nice to have some peace and quiet around here."

Somehow, the chances of that happening seemed to dwindle every day. But Elsa gave her a reassuring smile. "Hopefully we will. But either way, as long as I'm with you, I don't care what lies ahead."

"Good," Anna replied with a sleepy smile, "Cause neither do I."

A/N: I'd like to give a shoutout to all of the wonderful people that followed this story till the end and left comments telling me how much they loved it, and left little reminders whenever I left the story hanging for too long...I appreciate all of you!

Now that this fic is finally over, I'm turning my attention to my WIPs. I once mentioned a pandemic-related fic, The Darkest Night. I'm in the process of wrapping that one up soon, so most likely, that's what I'll upload next.

As for my other work, Dying Lanterns, I'm at an impasse as to how to approach the story. Until I figure out how best to write it, I won't be publishing it here. You guys deserve a good reading experience, and right now, that fic can't give you that.

In any case, I have enjoyed writing this fic and hope to be back pretty soon with "The Darkest Night."

See you in my next story,

the-frequent-daydreamer