A/N - Been a long time coming, apologies!
Welcome to the last chapter.
I recently created a video tribute to Frozen to the song Tessellate, took about two days and I am immensely proud of it I did my best to pick each clip carefully and match it with a song, should anyone wish to watch, the link is here : /x0-r8HWT22w and in my bio! (It's also one of three videos under the hashtag BringElsaHome, and the only video under the hashtag HappyBirthdayIdina so that should be an easier find lol)
That Guest - Awh! That's the sweetest thing I've heard! Thank you!
Hopeful-Husky - I'm glad you liked that!
Guest - Thank you so much, welcome! I'm really happy you're enjoying it!
Guest - I haven't watched OUAT, I heard that they did Frozen, was it an episode? Truly I'm not where I could go about watching it. Edit; I just searched it on youtube and found one clip from series 3 and another from 4. I'm very confused as to what the franchise is tbh, it doesnt focus on just Frozen I swear bc I've seen it had other stuff, so like, do they just switch it up each episode or do they somehow merge franchises? The playlist - which might I add was JUST Elsa scenes had a whopping 98 clips. I don't know where to begin omg.
It was though they had cleared a mist of their own, just as they had in The Enchanted Forest. For the first time in a long time, both sisters could see sky. The clouds overhead were clearing, and sunlight was breaking through. They were going to make it. They had got this far.
Anna had fully immersed herself into helping Finn. It was what she did best, helping the community. It had been a distraction tool created by Iduna when she was a child. Sitting at her desk into the late hours of the night, formulating a tactful plan in aid of her new cause. The secret to happiness, is helping others her mother had mused. Everyday brought new challenges for Elsa and their family, and young Anna had persisted in her willingness to be there, for her sister and for her struggling parents. Being rejected time after time, falling back on repetitive note and drawings, she often felt pushed to the side. As she grew older, she began to feel untrustworthy, her acts of service not only redirected her her need to be needed, but presented her with the opportunity to display to her family just how useful she could be. She discovered a love for meeting new people, a refreshing break from habitual home life. Then she got to know them, and they, her. She was loved, the beautiful princess, down to earth and there to help.
The candle Anna had lit barely reached across the room in it's entirety, the scene resembled The Cave - but hopeful. She was focused, the oranges flickered around her little corner of the room as she waded through the mountain of paperwork she had collected.
"Hot chocolate?" Elsa peeked round the bedroom door, holding two mugs in her hands. With a relaxed sigh, Anna motioned for the side table next to her. "Why are you up?" Elsa asked, her blue eyes gazed over the magnitude of papers.
"Reading these." Anna said. "I got Kristoff to survey the kingdom." She paused over the document, and glanced back to Elsa. "There's more Finns, it's just.." She trailed off. Taking one for herself, Elsa read over a few for herself. Accounts from parents and sometimes, children. How they were unhappy in their living situation. Others were simply notes from Kristoff, telling Anna that action is needed if what he saw spoke for itself, and no comment was made.
"I didn't know.." Elsa choked. It was harrowing.
"They need us now, Elsa. It can't wait until morning." Anna took a quick sip of her hot chocolate as she continued to hastily write on a notepad that Elsa was sure had been collecting dust the last few months.
"We also need to make wise decisions. Anna, sleep is important too." Elsa set aside the survey she had been scanning, resting her hands on her lap. "You taught me that."
"I couldn't sleep." Anna admitted sadly. Grabbing a handful of more papers, she searched for a specific one before handing it to Elsa. "Does this not sound at least a little familiar?"
Distance, having to figure things out alone, a lot of unhappiness. She knew it well. "Yes." Elsa's eyes stayed fixed on the page, reading it over and over again.
"If our parents could have had some help, things could have been different." Although she couldn't be certain of that, it was what she held hope for. But Elsa had powers, and so her parents were left to make choices alone, choices built largely on emotion. They had struggled through alone, and it didn't have great outcomes. "I don't want the children in this kingdom to feel anything close to what we felt. Nor do I want parents to worry just like ours did."
"Okay" Elsa said quietly, "What are you thinking?"
"I have no idea." Anna admitted, she had been writing disjointed ideas for the past hour. It all led to nothing. Showing her scrawls to her big sister. "I was hoping you might be able to help."
"I am here however you need me"
On Elsa's recommendation, the sisters roamed around and beyond the castle as they discussed possible solutions. Elsa had been right, the night air was the perfect environment for deep thinking. There was a freshness in the new air that hadn't yet broached the day. It was never lost on Anna how precious moments such as these were, how she was now able to ask her big sister for help when she had problem, and how Elsa would show up. She wasn't a forest away either, they had actually made it back together. They were united.
The sun was rising gently, with rays of gold that lit up the sky, sparking a glow that felt most fitting. They had come to a conclusion, Anna and Elsa sat at the top of a hill that overlooked all of Arendelle.
"Do you know what this reminds me of?" Elsa asked. The mix of sunrise and platinum hair, Anna hadn't seen it in a while. Distant were the days were she was ever awake early enough to see Elsa before royal duties seized their hours.
"What?" Anna asked, tentatively turning back to her older sister.
"All those times you would come up with some kind of crazy plan. They were grand, and oh so fun." Elsa mused. "You always needed an accomplice, and would beg me to help. It never took much convincing"
"You loved joining my adventures." Anna laughed, she had realised very quickly into their childhood that all Elsa needed was a little coaxing, she was equally as mischievous as her, but was just better at hiding it to anyone that wasn't Anna. "This is kinda like that, just more grown up" Anna said thoughtfully. She had proved to Elsa she was a responsible woman who was more than capable of anything asked than her. And though Elsa's opinion mattered more than most, it still warmed Anna's heart to know that now, her name would accompany her sisters on an official document with the intent of bringing good to the kingdom.
"I still see the little girl in pigtails at the heart of this." Elsa smiled, "You always just wanted to make those around you smile. Your plans - albeit occasionally dangerous, never had any ill intent. If it wasn't fun, it was to make someone feel better." Taking Anna's hand into her own, Elsa glanced back to the kingdom. The civilians looked to be ants from up here, little dots with big lives being watched over by Arendelle's new protector. "They don't know how lucky they are to have you, Anna." Reaching over to their final draft, Elsa held the document in her palms. "You're going to bring a lot of good to these people."
The following month was the beginning of building a better future. The afternoon arrived with a breeze, sweeping the citizens into the town, Kristoff and other volunteers worked tirelessly day after day engineering Anna's hope into a functional building, creative merchants from the market offered their artistic touch to add life, vibrant colours and lots of blanket throws. The grand opening was the talk of the town.
"Thank you all for coming.." Elsa hesitated. She still hadn't quite got the hang of public speaking. "My sister and I have built this home as a refuge for any of you with children who are struggling, this can be a place of care and long term living." Elsa glanced to her sister, who was itching to speak. "Anna and I, we know all too well the effects of an unhappy childhood. As Queen, I'm doing everything in my power to make this a better place for you. This is change."
"As well as providing a permanent home for children, it's also a place to go to for advice. Me and Elsa, we just want to say we're here for you. I personally, will be here frequently" Anna intervened. "Other kingdoms have also introduced Orphanages, and we hope to be on the right side of history, with Arendelle being a happier and safer place for you all." Smiling, Anna looked out to the crowd. "The reason we brought you all here is so you're aware of what's happening here, in your home, and also to let you know we are welcoming donations, the involvement of this community would be really helpful."
There was light applause as the doors were opened. And other staff members took over, taking questions from attendants. Pulling her baby sister aside, further from the crowed, Elsa grinned "You did good, sis" swinging her arm around Anna's shoulder.
"It was better received than I expected." Anna said. "I just hope this achieves what we're hoping it will, do you think we have enough for now? Maybe I should visit some neighbouring kingdoms and see if they have anything spare, I need to help Finn move-"
"Anna you've done it, you did amazingly."
"We." Anna corrected.
"We make a pretty good team." Elsa said proudly.
Anna took a deep breath, revelling in the sentence. A pause to allow space for those words, words that would have hurt in the immediate aftermath of the forest. Times had changed, they had grown.
"We do, don't we?" The younger sister agreed. This to her, was what the bridge metaphor had meant. All those months ago it had been wrongly used to justify working apart from each other with little to no communication. "I still need to visit some neighbouring kingdoms, just in case"
"You sound like me." Elsa giggled. "As you always tell me, take the win."
"I just want it to be the best it can be." Anna asserted, "This." She motioned to the building, and the happy crowed before them. "I think this might be my purpose. To do good."
Elsa thought momentarily, picturing the small red head outside her door doing everything in her power to make sure she was okay, drawing pictures, telling stories and providing a myriad of invitations. How liked she was amongst Arendelle, and how often she sat down to listen to their troubles. This was perfect for her. Only now, Anna wasn't knocking on Elsa's door, she was knocking on Arendelle's, sharing her love beyond the castle. Her soul lifted at the thought of Anna's light spreading through the home, all the games she would teach them and plans they would embark on. Not tied to a desk for hours each day, but still fulfilling the one thing she had enjoyed as Queen, being able to bring change.
"I can't think of anyone better." Elsa gently nudged Anna, seeing a spark in Anna's eyes again.
If only the Anna standing before her had been able to knock on 8-year old Elsa's door, armed with the knowledge of what was happening and holding the key to warming her soul. Things could have been different.
Shaking the thought, Elsa glanced back to her sister. "I'm really proud of you, Anna." She said sincerely, "and I'm so happy I get to see all of this." Music had begun playing, a small band taking advantage of the already existing crowd. A myriad of candles were being lit, adding to the ambience of celebration, setting Arendelle aglow.
"- and me! I'm so pleased for you, Elsa! Everything you've worked through, who you've become. I'm immensely proud of you. It makes me so happy to see you happy." Anna leapt into a hug, holding on tightly to her big sister. This was where love resided, where loneliness was vanquished. Together in happiness, and able to enjoy each others companies as sisters without an overcast of worry to cloud their joy. This was what they had been waiting for, what Anna had sought after when she first invited Elsa back to the castle to discuss everything, from her role as Queen to The Enchanted Forest. It felt like a lifetime had passed since that day. "I love you so much."
"I love you too" Elsa squeezed Anna back, before dragging her down into the crowd to join in with the dancing. The look on Anna's face was worthy of a portrait.
"I thought you didn't dance." Anna smirked, Elsa's only response was to grip tighter to Anna's hand, as she began to sidestep in the form of a circle in circles on the dance floor, ever so slightly leaning back, to see ever so light traces of stars waiting to emerge through the hot pinks and oranges that painted the sky. It was magical.
They continued to dance through the evening, and ended the night with Kristoff, Sven and Olaf for a game of charades. A new chapter of their lives was commencing, one that they couldn't wait to see. The future was bright, their souls were complete.
Bless this happiness that we've found,
Bless this good and solid ground,
Our home.
A/N - Thank you so much for coming on this journey with me. I hope this is a good ending for you all. Frozen is apparently set in 1843 (the first movie) and oprhanages grew in America between 1830 and 1850, so hey, I'm glad that worked out, the dates work out (I settled on this ending a few chapters ago, and wasn't aware of the fact.)
I've truly loved writing this story. Thank you for all the love you've shown me. I'm so glad this was my introductory fic into Frozen, this community is wonderful and I can't wait to write more fics in the future.