Circle of destiny

by Hellarn

In fairy tales, it is often the case that the princess is kidnapped by an evil dragon or sorcerer, and then it is the prince who must save his beloved. Best if he has the help of a talking horse or a mysterious old man. Elsa is a newly determined good fairy and her task is to help Prince Hans get to his princess. But this fairy tale is not like the traditional ones.

Circle of destiny

Every fairy tale begins with the words Once upon a time. So, it will be in this case. Once upon a time, in a kingdom called Arendelle, there lived a king and queen, and they had a beautiful red-haired daughter named Anna. The princess was beautiful, optimistic and kind, but there was more to Anna than the ordinary eye could see. After Anna's parents died during their journey to the northern lands, people expected the young princess to marry a young prince and rule with him. So, it came to pass that the young Prince Hans arrived in Arendelle. As soon as he saw the princess, he fell in love with her, and she fell in love with him. What a beautiful moment of complete happiness. Their acquaintance made a deep impression on princes, and she decided to marry the prince. The celebrations, in honour of the princess's engagement, were in full swing when suddenly... the Evil wizard appeared. A horrifying old man arrived at his dragon. He took Anna in his arms and said, "Now princess, I will carry you to my dark tower." Anna reached helplessly for her fiancé before the sorcerer carried her away. Now it is up to the prince to defeat the sorcerer and save his love.

Prince Hans of the Southern Isles was the thirteenth and therefore the youngest child of the King of the Southern Isles. It genuinely surprised him when his father told him to go to Arendelle to arrange an alliance. He met Anna, who was nice to him and gave him kind smiles the entire time they spent together. Which was much more than he received from his parents. But now Anna was gone, and he had to save her from a terrible fate. But how He should find a wizard's tower? "Excuse me, Prince Hans." said the butler Kay, who had been Anna's faithful servant. "The royal council asks: who will represent the royal power in your absence?"

"Appoint the most capable minister or someone who was in charge of the kingdom before Princess Anna came of age." Kay shook his head in agreement. Hans, meanwhile, was reading the third book about the myths of the local kingdom. "Can I recommend something?"

"Of course. If it's something that might help me out, then out with it." Hans urged. Kay paused and looked at the map of Arendelle. "When old King Agnarr was alive, he and the Queen used to go to the magical trolls that lived in the valley. Perhaps they might know where you could go." That wasn't a bad idea at all. Hans thanked the servant for his advice and had already prepared his trusty steed, Sitron, for the journey. He took with him the bare essentials: a drink, food and, of course, his sword. He had been travelling for about half a day when he arrived in the valley.

There was no one in the valley, and Hans thought that Kay had made fools of him. "Hello, I'm Prince Hans and I need your help." A horde of stones gathered around the prince. They were trolls. "What do you want here, human?" the trolls asked him. Hans told them what had happened to him. The trolls listened to him before he paused. "That's nice, but you'll have to tell this to Pabbie." Okay? The eldest troll stepped out of the group. So, Hans told him his story again. "Hmm, an evil warlock, you say? That sounds like old Weselton."

"So you know where he lives?"

"Well, I don't know exactly, but I know a way to get you where you need to go." Pabbie closed his eyes and picked up one crystal he had around his neck. "This crystal will lead you to the right path. In times of the greatest despair, one always sees the light in the darkness. Remember that, Prince!" Then the trolls disappeared. Hans, now with the crystal in his hand, set out on his journey.

Weselton opened the door of his tall, dark tower. He threw the poor princess on the floor, which was covered with hay. "Now, make yourself comfortable."

"What, I'm supposed to stay locked in here and do nothing?"

"Exactly." Anna snorted disapprovingly. Weselton rolled his eyes. "So you're that kind of princess."

"Excuse me?"

"The type that's always nagging and incredibly hyperactive." Anna was about to say something, but the old warlock had already descended to the bottom of the tower. He left the door open, so Anna walked through it and followed him. In the lower circular room were a fireplace and stove. "You can clean up in here. I cook most of my lunches. So, you should be able to take care of yourself as well."

"What? I can't cook."

"That's not my problem." Anna was about to protest again. Only the warlock had just cast some mysterious spell that blew the books up into the air behind her. The princess had to duck quickly to dodge the flying clump of books. "Otherwise?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean?" Weselton sat Anna down in front of a white wall with a colourful tapestry on it. "See that? This is the Circle of Destiny. There are two lovers at the beginning." The evil warlock pointed to the couple at the top of the tapestry. "Then comes the doom." He showed a picture of a burning village. "Then The prince must embark on a journey and overcome all obstacles, whether with the help of magic or other people." A picture of a man using a sphere to light up a room. "The prince fights with evil creatures." A picture showing a duel between a man and a dragon. "The prince defeats the enemy and takes his princess to the castle, where they are married." They ended up in the picture at the top. "That's the end." Anna looked at the tapestry rather sceptically before getting up from her chair. She picked up the broom that was leaning against the wall. What else was there for her to do? She certainly would not bore herself to death, and doing at least something was a partial release for the optimistic princess who liked to spend most of her time outside with her subjects. Hopefully, Hans would rescue her in time. Besides, if the Circle of Destiny was even remotely relevant, then her beloved would save her eventually, anyway. Weselton waved his hand to summon his two loyal minions. "Go on your way to find the prince and make his journey as unpleasant as you can." The two tall men dressed in black coats nodded, then turned to smoke and flew out the window. "Why are you doing this?" Anna asked. "You youngsters. You think everything is free these days, huh? A carefree life without obligation and consequences." Anna regretted even asking. "If I understand this correctly, you kidnapped me because of some tapestry..."

"Circle of Destiny."

"Whatever. You couldn't kidnap me just for that. Don't you have any ulterior motives?"

"You mean besides the fact that I want to harm Arendelle? Then no."

"Then it makes little sense." Weselton had enough of the nosy questions. "I think I've offered you a convincing argument. Arendelle, without the princess, will fall into chaos. Which means more pleasure for me." Weselton's nerves were taut. And there was pure anger in his eyes. Anna preferred to continue sweeping. The whole thing had been crazy. Arendelle had enough ministers to get along without her for a few days. Besides, Weselton's speech didn't sound very convincing. It was like it was all pulled out of a book.

Prince Hans was riding through a deep forest. The crystal he held in his hand was still turning in the direction he needed to go. But at a crossroads, the crystal stopped working. So much for the reliability of magic in everyday use. Hans looked around for something to tell him where to go. He didn't know that the sorcerer's minions were watching him from the shadows. One of them transformed into a gigantic wolf and jumped in front of Sitron. The horse got startled and threw his rider to the ground. Hans was lucky that he broke nothing in the fall. It hurt like hell, but he couldn't deal with it. There was a wolf behind him, hungry for flesh, either his or his friend's horse. Sitron proved to be smarter than the common animal creature and flee. Hans watched helplessly as his horse disappeared somewhere in the distance. He cursed him in his mind. What happened to the promises they had exchanged in the stables? Now he was alone. Thank-you-pretty-much-dumb-ass.

The wolf approached him with slow steps, and the prince drew his sword, ready for battle. At that moment, it was as if something tripped his legs and carried him into the air. Some aerial force toyed with the prince in the air for a moment before carrying him to a spacious clearing. "Welcome, Hans." said a kind female voice. A woman with white hair and pale skin materialized in front of Hans. She was quite tall, and her dress was blue and white as if they made it of snowflakes. It looked similar to this dress: firefly-path/art/Shattered-Frost-Gown-809534387

The fairy opened her eyes, which were the colour of heaven, and smiled sweetly at the prince. He couldn't catch his breath, especially from the adrenaline that remained in him after the encounter with the wolf. "You're beautiful," Hans whispered into the wind as if the very phrase should belong to him alone. Only the air demon had other intentions and carried the prince's words to the fairy. She blushed, but then straightened up majestically again and came forward to the prince. "My name is Elsa, and I am your good Fairy." Hans blinked. "What?" The wind died down. "I know, Gale. Forgive Gale for the kidnapping. Demons are usually fidgety and are very difficult to keep in check." Hans shook his head to get rid of the twinkle in front of his eyes. Was a fairy standing in front of him, chatting with him about an air demon? "Wait! I just need a minute." Hans held up his finger in front of him to buy time to settle the thoughts in his head. "You're my good fairy. What exactly does that mean?" Elsa clasped her hands along her body and gave Hans a sceptical look. "Good fairies help people through their life. For example, one good fairy conjured up a beautiful dress for a girl, so she could go to the ball. Another good fairy conjured up a magical rose for her ward to charm any man."

"I see. Wow, I thought fairies were old ladies."

"Oh, damn the Grimm's. Once they see an elder good fairy, it becomes a stereotype." Hans hadn't intended to offend Elsa, which he probably did know. So, he gave an apologetic bow to the fairy, which made her uncomfortable. No one had ever treated Elsa like that before. "I'm your travelling guide. I'm supposed to protect you from all harm using magic. I will help you rescue your princess." Hans stood up and happily grab Elsa by the shoulders. "Really! Oh, thank you, my good fairy." Elsa rather broke away from the grip. She was not used to human warmth. "There will be many obstacles on your journey to find your sweetheart. First, we must pass through an enchanted forest. Many elemental demons live there. They are similar as Gale here." The air around the prince stirred and ruffled his clothes. "the dark sorcerer, Weselton, took Princess Anna." Anna? Elsa's skin shivered, and a strange cramp spread through her stomach. Did she know the name from somewhere? But from where? Hans was still standing and seemed to think about something. "Are you sad, Prince?"

"Sorry, Fairy godmother." Elsa laughed. "I'm not your fairy godmother. Fairy godmothers are the ones who give you certain abilities when you are a baby, as a gift." She said it like a teacher, rather than the way a friend would say it. "Okay," Hans replied, a little uncertainly, surprised by his good fairy character. "If you need some encouragement, I can sing to you."

"You can sing?" Elsa raised her eyebrows. "Every magical creature can sing." Elsa stood in front of the prince and took his hand in hers. Her skin was as cold as ice and as soft as silk. Elsa slowly sang.

"Where the north wind meets the sea. There's a river full of memories.

In her waters, deep and true. Lay the answers and a path for you.

Dive deep into her sound, but not too far, or you'll lose your heart."

She finished and opened her eyes. Hans gazed enchanted at his fairy. Wait, was she even his? Could anyone own a magical creature? Why had such warmth seized hold of him, and where was the tingling in his stomach coming from? He had eaten before leaving the castle, so it couldn't have been hunger. He couldn't deal with the strange sensations in his gut right now. The song the fairy was singing carried a strange message. "What were you singing about?" Elsa shuddered, probably realizing now what she had done. "We have to go."

"Hey!" Hans grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "That song was about a place, wasn't it?" Elsa sighed. "Ahtohallan is the place where all magical creatures are born and where human destiny and memories are."

"There is such a place? That's amazing! Could you take me there!" What? Elsa looked around in embarrassment. She searched her brain for any excuse.

It was not a good idea to take a human soul to Ahtohallan. "Please, Elsa! I need to know why my parents sent me to Arendelle." What Yelena was always telling them? "You must stay away from human dwellings. Your primary duty is to take care of the person the magical source entrusts to you. We will tie your fate with theirs. Once you've guided him to his goal, your mission will be accomplished, and you can return to our world. At least until he needs you again. Yet, remember, fairy, the important rules: first, you must not endanger your ward by your actions, kill him or allow his soul to be surrounded by despair. Second, you must not lie down and share your body with another being. And thirdly. You must not allow or introduce any being other than a magical being into a magical source, for in doing so you endanger not only the being in question but our magical world as well." Yelena was the chief of the fairies; she was the one in charge of all the laws in a Fairy world. Even if it was Ahtohallan himself who made the rules and presented them with certain prophecies. Elsa knew she couldn't bring Hans into the magic source. But she didn't want to disappoint the young prince. "All right, prince, I will lead you to Ahtohallan." Hans hugged her happily. "Thank you, my fairy!"

"You may call me Elsa. It's better." Hans nodded in agreement. All Elsa had to do was bring him to a random place, and then she would return to the task at hand. How hard can it be?

Anna never thought waiting in the tower would be so boring. Luckily, the old sorcerer let her take care of the tower. Cleaning, washing the windows, making the beds, and painting. Nothing else. Anna was just drawing something on a sheet of yellowed paper when she heard the door open. Maybe it was Weselton who had returned from gathering herbs. He did that every morning. Anna always greeted him afterwards and asked him what herbs he was collecting?

At first, Weselton didn't answer and growled like an angry weasel at the poor girl. Only day by day, he grew more accustomed to her, and it was now almost natural for him to talk to the young princess about the forest and his morning walks. Only it was not the old wizard who entered the tower. Instead, a tall young man with blond hair appeared in the doorway. Right behind the young man stood a reindeer. The young man looked around the room. Anna got a good look at him, and the instinct within her urged her to protect her current dwelling. Slowly, the princess crept up to the young man and struck him on the head with a guitar. The young man staggered, and though he ended up on the ground, the blow was not enough to knock him out. Anna didn't know that, so she tried to check for his pulse on the young man's neck. The man suddenly rolled onto his back and grabbed Anna's arm, pulling her to the floor under him to punch his attacker in the face. But when the man saw the person who attacked him, he froze. He hadn't expected to see a beautiful young face full of charm and freckles.

Anna did not hesitate and kicked the man hard in the stomach. The man staggered and fell into a chair that stood nearby. The young red-haired girl was about to pick up a broom and hit the man. "Wait!" shouted the young man. "I will not hurt you, and I am not a thief."

"What?" Anna tentatively walked closer to get a better look at the young man. Blue eyes, a big powerful body and arms that bore the marks of hard work. "My name is Kristoff and..." at that moment the evil warlock entered the room. As soon as he saw Kristoff, turned on him. "What are you doing here?" He asked sternly. Kristoff dragged a letter out of his coat. "I am supposed to give you this letter. It's from Grand Pabbie." Weselton grasped the letter and read it. "I see. I'm to take you on as my apprentice. What does the old troll think? That I'm going to teach everyone around me?" Kristoff grimaced and stood to contradict the warlock. Anna, however, was ready to attack. She lunged at Kristoff again. "Hey, didn't you hear what the old man said?!"

"Who says it's true?"

"Enough you two." The warlock shouted and used a spell to separate the two. When the surrounding atmosphere calmed down, Weselton calmly spoke. "Princess Anna. This will be my apprentice from now on. Kristoff, he comes from a family of trolls who live in the valley of living rocks." Anna knew that place.

Her parents had told her the story of the magical creatures that live in the forest. She had never seen a troll herself. "Kristoff, this is Princess Anna of Arendelle. The prince should come for her. However, I think I'll be done with your teaching by then. Kristoff smiled contentedly. "I will do my best to accommodate you." The evil warlock smiled as well and turned toward his cauldron. "At least there will be someone to watch over Princess Anna while I prepare traps for her prince." Oh, no. As long as he didn't start going on about... "You're referring to the Circle of destiny, aren't you, sir?" Weselton smiled contentedly at his pupil. "I see you already have the basic knowledge. That's good." Weselton showed Kristoff to his room and the desk where he would study all the magical scrolls. Anna didn't take her eyes off him, she did not quite trust him yet. Just as she didn't trust the beautiful nose between his eyes. Wait, what?

Hans and Elsa were walking through the forest together, and the young fairy was thinking about all the detours that might lead them to the black tower where the Duke was supposed to live. "Is there a story about Weselton in Ahtohallan?" Hans asked suddenly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I only know a few stories about how the old Duke of Weselton became a sorcerer. My mother told me one of these stories. The Duke didn't agree with the King on a suitable sum of grain money. So, the Duke decided to extort money from the people through magic." The prince expected the fairy to contradict him. But Elsa just stared ahead, as if she did not know the meaning of that question. "Hey, did something happen to you?" Elsa flinched. "Weselton was the Duke, but now he's an evil sorcerer who's imprisoning your sweetheart. You should rush to her aid." The snow fairy already thought she'd fooled the prince. "Not until you show me Ahtohallan. I want to come to Anna, having seen that I am the one for her." Damn, this prince was more annoying than Elsa thought. According to the stories of the other fairies, she looked forward to conjuring up a shining armour or a new sword now and then, but she accompanied the prince, who was simply looking for a motive behind everything. Why couldn't she get some prince to take her advice? Why is everything so complicated these days, like guessing pantomimes?

Suddenly, something moved in the bushes. Elsa became alert, and Hans reached for his sword. Suddenly, a purple salamander leapt out of a nearby bush and a tangle of purple flames swirled on his back. The salamander ran across the clearing, leaving a trail of fire behind. Hans barely had time to dodge the fiery creature. "Elsa, I could use some help right now." The fairy snapped out of her trance and came to the prince's aid. She raised her hand and a shower of snow and ice poured out of it. The white-haired fairy spread mounds of snow around her, but besides that, she also conjured the sharp ice spikes which were sticking out of the ground. No, not again! This can't be happening! Elsa squeezed her hands together, fear in her eyes. Purple flames turned the snow into a watery slush. The flames still threatened Hans, but when he saw the helpless Elsa, he had to resolve to overcome the flames. He jumped through the flames several times until finally he grabbed Elsa's hand and dragged her away, deeper into the forest.

Hans sighed loudly. A flame burned his clothes in some places, but his skin seemed to have survived the contact with the fire salamander unscathed. "What happened?" He asked firmly. Elsa stared helplessly at her hands. "I..." she could not answer. She had almost let her protégé burn to death. "What was that?"

"That was Bruni. A fire demon that lives with the others in this forest." Her eyes glanced at the prince, only to discover with horror that the piece of clothing on the prince's back was burned. "Hans, it hurt you!" The prince looked down at his hands and feet. "I'm fine, Elsa." The fairy walked over to the red-haired young man and tore off the charred cloth, underneath which was red skin. "Ow, I know what you mean." Hans's face contorted in pain. She hadn't even been a fairy for two days, and she had already caused Hans an injury. Elsa took a few steps back before hiding her face in her hands with a sob. "What kind of fairy am I? I almost... my powers. I'm impossible... dangerous... useless!" Elsa sobbed unhappily, curling into a ball and hiding her head as she did so. "Hey, it's just a minor injury. I'm not dying." Hans remarked cheerfully. "Besides, you got nervous."

"No, I've had this problem since I was a kid. When Head Fairy Yelena was training me, I inadvertently trapped an animal in the ice. I can't control my powers. I've tried so many times..." That's not what Hans expected. "So I'm in the middle of a dark forest, with a fairy who can't control her magic. And the entire forest is full of elemental demons and dark creatures who want to kill me. Oh, great!" Hans threw up his hands helplessly. This did nothing to help the situation. For a while, they both sat motionlessly.

Why she was so much afraid? Is she scared by her magical ability? What Hans would give for being able to cast spells. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound rude." Hans knelt beside Elsa and took her shoulders. They both stood up slowly. "Elsa, you are admirable. You don't know how lucky you are to have this gift." Elsa looked up in surprise to meet the green-tinted eyes. "When I was little, I was terrified of the dark. My brothers used to make fun of me a lot. Sometimes I was afraid to go to sleep because of that. One day I accidentally fell asleep at a celebration dinner and spilt all the dumpling soup on myself. After that, my mother came into my room." Elsa laughed. It was comforting to hear her laugh. Plus, it made the tingling in his stomach even more intense. "My mother squeezed my hand." Hans fearlessly took Elsa's hands, though her eyes narrowed with worry, and she let her hands rest in his. "And she said 'Don't worry my dear, I'm here with you. You don't need to fear the darkness. I will chase it away with my warmth and my voice.' She stayed with me until I fell asleep. Gradually, I got used to the darkness and stopped being afraid of it. My mother helped me associate the dark with something pleasant." Elsa lost track of her surroundings. At that moment, only the two of them existed. Never had the young fairy felt like this. Yes, she knew how it felt to be loved by animals or friends, but she never felt like this.

Hans let her go. "Do you fairies even have parents?" He asked. "We have one main fairy who takes care of us. Some fairies have their children raised by humans." Elsa only vaguely remembered her childhood. She must have had parents, right? She hadn't been born from the blizzard! Elsa suddenly remembered the gentle voice. "She won't remember anything." Said an old male voice that belonged to a stone creature that stood before a red-haired girl. "So, not even me?" She heard her child's voice full of worry and concern. "It's for the best, Elsa." The male voice could have belonged to her father. "Listen to me carefully, Elsa. In time, your powers will grow. You must learn to control them. Fortunately, in a part of the enchanted forest that is covered by an impenetrable mist. There live fairies and other magical creatures. There, you can learn everything you need to know." She snapped out of her memories. Hans sat beside her, watching her with concern. When he saw that Elsa was sane again, he asked. "Are you all right?"

"Of course, Hans. I'm sorry for scaring you like that. I just remembered something." She smiled at him. "We should continue on our way." She stood up. "By the way. Thanks." Hans just smiled, and they both continued on their way.

"So you're from Arendelle?" Anna asked. She was currently drawing the position of the stars in the night sky in an old book. The evil warlock had many books which needed updating, as most of them were from the Middle Ages. "Well, I grew up with trolls," Kristoff said, turning a page in his notebook. "And now you're apprenticed to a sorcerer?"

"Right."

"Why?" Kristoff pause. "What do you mean?"

"Well, have you always wanted to master black magic? Didn't you want to do something else?" Anna raised her head and looked at Kristoff questioningly. "Well, I harvested and sell ice before I left." He confessed to the young princess. She was a nice girl, and even though she was rude to him at first, they had fun. "That is amazing!" Anna clapped her hands together happily. "It's just that Grand Pabbie wanted a better education for me. To give me a place in the Circle of Destiny." Anna raised her hands helplessly to the sky and sighed loudly. "This is unbearable. All I hear all day is a Circle of Destiny this, and a Circle of Destiny that. Has it ever occurred to you to… I don't know… maybe just ignore it and follow your dream?" It hadn't. The young man had lived his whole life by his principles. He had worked alone and lived alone with Sven. His render was now resting by the fireplace. "I know it sounds cliché. However, my grandfather always told me that in this world, no matter how we decide, the Circle of Destiny always comes true." Okay, that sounded scarier than he had originally intended. Anna glanced at the tapestry. "Everyone is a hero in their own story, and they pass their path through the stages which are depicted in the Circle of Destiny. During these stages, the hero learns about himself and the limit of his skills." Anna has never heard wiser words. "Boy, what are you still doing here? You should have gone and gathered the ingredients for the plant-killing potion." Said Weselton. "Of course, master, my apologies." Weselton just waved his hand at the apology and instead pointed to the empty bag.

Kristoff took a deep breath. He likes the forest and its smell. It reminded him of home. "Where shall we go?" Kristoff staggered and fell to the ground. Behind him stood Anna, smiling innocently at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I decided to help you gather herbs for the potion." The blonde looked towards the tower with concern, but Weselton didn't seem to notice the girl's absence. Kristoff snorted helplessly. "It would be good if you went back to the tower." He stood up and walked calmly along the forest path, while his faithful reindeer followed him. "For what reason? I don't know where I am, anyway." She remarked. "You know there are dangerous creatures living in the forest., right?" Anna stood in front of Kristoff and dug her little finger into his enormous chest. "You think I can't take care of myself?" The young man laughed. He probably shouldn't have done that. Anne frowned menacingly, lightning flashing from her eyes. Sven stepped aside in fright. "I'm not some fragile flower!"

"I didn't say that, Your Highness. I just don't want you to come to your betrothed in pieces."

"Hans will save me."

"So, his name is Hans?" The princess took the list of ingredients for the potion from Kristoff's hands. "Hey, I need this." He protested, but it still didn't do him any good because the princess was already reading the list carefully. "I think purple mushrooms grow in a nearby grove. They like to hide under the heather. The sap from the pine tree. Hah, that is easy!" Kristoff couldn't help but wonder. During the time Anna was imprisoned, she must read many books. Yet, he felt like he had barely been in the tall tower for at least three days. "And for your information, Hans is from the Southern Isles." Kristoff didn't care, he wanted to get rid of the princess. "What colour are his eyes?" This question took Anna by surprise. "Well..."

"You don't know?" She was silent. "You're going to marry him and you don't even know the colour of his eyes? You're going to live happily ever after." He remarked the last sentence sarcastically. "You say that like it's a fact."

"It is. Weselton gave me all the details about the Circle of Destiny. All stories end that way." Anna didn't listen to him. Kristoff just sighed unhappily.

Anna admired the view before her. They were just standing on an outcropping from which they could see a wide and beautiful valley. "So this is all the outside world," Anna whispered admiringly. "Oh, there's Arendelle." She pointed to the castle that stood on the water. She was homesick. "We have work to do." Kristoff urged her on. The two reached the cave, which was quite dark, but contained the mysterious crystal needed to brew the potion. Kristoff lit the torch. "Sven, wait here." Sven sat down on his hind legs and nodded his head. The two of them entered the cave, walking in complete silence for a while before they finally spotted a glowing stone of a yellowish colour. Suddenly, the wind picked up and blew out their torch. And so, they both found themselves in total darkness. "Anna, where are you?"

"Here... Oh, Kristoff, don't touch my leg with those wet buckles."

"What are you talking about? I'm not touching you. You're the one who's always hanging around me." There was a moment of silence. "Kristoff, since when did you get a fur coat?"

"I don't have a fur coat. Wait, I found matches." Finally, the blond lit the torch, and then looked up into giant eyes and an equally enormous mouth containing sharp teeth. Kristoff's blood stiffened in his veins as he slowly straightened up to find an entire pack of wolves standing across from them. Anna also noticed that what she was clutching in her palm was a small wolf cub, whose mother did not exactly thrill about the fact that her pup was in the hands of a stranger. "We should sneak away slowly now." They both took a few steps back, only to find the entrance to the cave blocked by more wolves. The entire pack growled menacingly. One wolf even dared to attack them. But Anna dragged him across the mouth with her torch. The wolf ended up on the ground. "Ha, come on, you snivelling creatures!" Anna said fearlessly. Louise scattered the wolves at the entrance and, together with Kristoff, they made their escape. "You've got nothing to hold them off."

"Forgive me, your highness, but I haven't gotten that far in magic yet." The poor reindeer ran besides its master. Kristoff grabbed him and mounted him. As Sven approached the running Anna, Kristoff grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. But the wolves did not give up. "You're doing well, buddy." Urged the young man to his friend he'd had since birth. But then he remembered he had a pair of crystals he could use. So, he picked up a green crystal and threw it behind him. As soon as the crystal hit the ground, a huge rock grew out of the ground, blocking the wolves' path.

"Wow, that was something." Sighs Anna, who was once again with her feet firmly on the ground. "Next time, do nothing so crazy." Kristoff gave a threatening thumbs up. "Well, it was fun, plus we got out of there. Plus, you owe me..."

"I'm sorry. I didn't think you could handle yourself." That surprised Anna. Kristoff gave her a pleasant smile. For the first time in forever.

The prince's eyes stared into the cold, black abyss. The light breeze played with the grass, swaying among the rocks. Hans thought he had looked into that emptiness for all eternity. Elsa looked ahead. "There is a bridge nearby." As they walked through the forest, the fairy hadn't counted on having to extend their journey, for there were stone giants camped on the path. Elsa knew how such creatures could react to people who disturbed them from their peaceful slumber. That is why she suggested an alternative path. They were now on a promontory that was quite desolate. Elsa suspected that this place must have been cursed recently. "You know, I wonder where your wings are?" Yeah, the fairies used to hear that a lot. "Only some of us have wings, plus they can only carry our weight."

"So, do you have yours?"

"Yes, I have wings. I… Just…"

"Could you show them to me?" That surprised Elsa. No one had wanted to see her wings before, not even her best friends. But the young prince looked at her with dog eyes that were hard to resist. "Maybe later. Ok." This answer seemed to satisfy the prince, as he turned and continued on his way. Elsa bumped her nose into Hans's shoulder blade. "Hey." She groaned. Only when she looked over the prince's shoulder did she immediately notice why the prince stopped. A huge black bear stood in front of them. "Just make sure you don't move. He might leave us alone." The bear opened its mouth and roared mightily before he ran in their direction. "On second thought, it might be a good idea to run." They both fled.

Elsa did her best to put her ice magic into action. Only she couldn't focus very well, so all her aimed shots ended up missing the bear. They ran into a grove that was full of charred trees. And the ground beneath their feet was slippery. Hans slipped and Elsa bent down to help him, but she ended up on the ground, too. The bear was almost at their feet. The fairy could smell his breath, which smelled of meat and blueberries. Suddenly, the ground caved in beneath the bear and the animal disappeared into the hole. Elsa and Hans breathed heavily for a moment. They had just been unprecedentedly lucky. "Oh, wow. Elsa, I'm so glad to see you." A woman's voice echoed. A girl with black hair braided into a ponytail emerged from the bush. This woman was wearing a dress made from furs and foliage. Something like this: violetky/art/Kiriban-03-546959723

"Honeymaren?" What was she doing here? Did they already are in fairy territory? Oh, no. The whole time, she was trying to keep the prince away, and suddenly they were closer to Ahtohallan than ever before. "Honeymaren, who are you talking to?" A young man who was slightly taller than the girl and had similar clothes to her came out of the forest. "Ryder, look! It's Elsa." Rayder looked at the newcomers.

When Hans had shaken the dust from his hair, he looked around the small village. The people who saved his and Elsa's lives were also fairies. Just of a different kind. Honeymaren and Ryder were forest fairies. Ryder looked after the forest animals, and his sister was the one who kept them safe from the dark creatures. The woodland fairies tried to live in harmony with the forest around them and with the demons as well, though the demonic creatures made their lives particularly difficult. Hans did not know that fairies could form communities in human territory. He always thought that fairies lived in a magical land that was invisible to the human eye. It turned out that a special spell protected the fairy village, and if Hans hadn't had Elsa with him, he would never have come across this village. Well, at least they could both rest here. "So, you are his good fairy, then?" Elsa shook her head in agreement. "Oh, what a shame," Ryder said dreamily before clearing his throat and going back to feeding the wild pheasants. "You've gone astray." Honeymaren had known Elsa since school. They had shared an interest in natural magic, so it was no wonder that they become friends. "I know, but don't worry. Soon, we'll be back on the road to the dark tower." Honeymaren nearly cackled with laughter. "Forgive me. Look, Elsa, you know I never lied to you. Be careful what you talk to him about." She didn't need reminding of what was at stake. She was already responsible for one tiny wound on his hand. It had happened when they had just been walking through the thicket and a flock of crows had attacked them from a tree. Elsa had tried to disperse them with a branch from the tree. She had scratched Hans's arm. "It's okay Elsa. Just in case. If anyone asks, we were attacked by a ten-foot wyvern." Hans said carelessly then. "Well, wow, I need to keep a journal. I think I'll have enough material for a book after this adventure." He said this with as much enthusiasm as a child talking about a favourite toy. "You are a writer?"

"Well, yes, though my brothers don't seem to like it much. Writing is for plebs, not for the nobles'. That's what they always told me." In the time that Elsa had been on this adventure, she had discovered that Hans's brothers were pretty big brutes. Of course, she hadn't told Hans that to his face. "Elsa, do you even hear me?" The fairy snapped out of her contemplation. "Just be careful, both of you. Okay?"

Honeymaren and her brother led Elsa and Hans to the middle of the forest, where they separated. In a few minutes, they reached the abyss again. The bridge that originally led over it was now collapsed. But they both needed to get to the other side. "Maybe there's another bridge somewhere further on." Hans looked at her, rather sceptically. "Maybe you could build us an ice bridge." Elsa watched her palm with fear in her eyes. "Come on, what are you afraid of?" Elsa didn't know exactly. Maybe she was afraid of messing up her spell or injuring Hans, which she honestly didn't want to do. "Didn't anyone teach you to control your powers?

"They have taught me about magic since I was a little girl in fairy school. Only I always messed up and accidentally froze one little squirrel." Hans couldn't help himself and smile. Elsa didn't blame him. Maybe that was what she needed. A feeling of joy. "Come on, Elsa, you can do it. Take a deep breath and focus." She whispered to herself. She felt Hans's warm palm on her shoulder. The prince stroked her shoulder blade with his thumb. She looked into his face and felt a rush of warmth in her heart that she had never experienced before. She stretched her hand out in front of her and let her ice magic run freely on the wind. Slowly, an ice bridge adorned with snow-white columns formed in front of them. In the sunlight, the bridge glowed with all the colours of the rainbow. "I did it." Elsa marvelled, placing her foot on the surface of the bridge. It became solid as a rock. "I did it!" She exclaimed happily, running across the bridge to the other side. Hans ran after her instead. Elsa, in her joyful euphoria, conjured up several ice sculptures of animals and also snowmen. Hans watched her with a smile on his face. She then stopped, out of breath. "See? In the end, you..." Elsa ran up to him and hugged him warmly, taking his breath away. "Thank you." That was all it took to make him blush.

"You know, I've never actually built a snowman." Elsa released Hans from her embrace and looked at the group of snowmen standing nearby. "Not even with your brothers?" She asked. "Well, to them, something like that was just child's play." Everyone had built a snowman at least once in their life. It was one joy of childhood. Now that she thought about it. "Elsa, let's build a snowman." She remembered the great hall in which she had played with another girl. The girl had red hair and a warm smile. Elsa thought the girl was important. However, she didn't remember who she was. "Then it's time for me to teach you how to build a snowman." She said, laughing as she used her abilities to create a large ball, which she then placed on the ground. "Wait, Elsa, that's unnecessary at all I..." but before he could finish his sentence, Elsa pulled him down to the pile of snow. "First, it's important to find enough snow to make a ball." She pointed to the pile in front of them. She then produced a small ball, which she then tossed into the pile of snow. "Now we just need to roll it together until it is the size we want." Together, they rolled the ball along the top of the hill. Hans fell a few times. Eventually, they created a medium-sized snowman. "Too bad we don't have carrots and coals." But that didn't matter at all. Even without these things, their joint creation was beautiful. "What will it be called?" Hans asked this time. "Olaf." She didn't even know why the name had occurred to her and why it sounded so familiar.

Hans turned to leave. "Wait!" Elsa called to him. "I want to show you something." Hans turned to her. Elsa closed her eyes and beamed. Gradually, her pure white fairy wings revealed, glistening in the sunlight. "Wow, they're beautiful." Hans came closer to inspect their construction. "Really? Because the other fairies have wings of every colour of the rainbow, some of them even sparkle. I just have plain white fairy wings with no decorations." Hans examined the wings from behind. "May I touch them?" His good fairy smiled at him and nodded her head. So, Hans touched the fairy wing. It was as cold as ice but as soft as satin. It seemed to him, too, as if the spot he touched had been left with the faint imprint of his palm.

Anna was just finishing up her new dress. During her time in the tower, she had learned to mend holes in fabrics and draw and mend book bindings. Weselton… well, it turned out that underneath the veneer of a perpetually bitter person was the patient and caring soul of a teacher. He convinced her of this, especially in the way he taught Kristoff about magic. Anna looked at her creation: pin/70437485776538/. When the princess came down the stairs wearing her new dress, she caught the sorcerer and his apprentice in a heated debate. "No matter how hard you try, the important thing is concentration," Weselton said sternly, conjuring up a black rabbit. Anna was sorry that Kristoff would have to leave them at the end of his apprenticeship. He would have to find a backwater corner of the country and build his dark tower full of monsters. Kristoff tried to concentrate on the spells, but he wasn't good at it. "We could do something else," Anna suggested. Before the old sorcerer could object to anything, the princess sat him down in a chair and placed Kristoff next to him. "When I was little and something didn't go right in my head, my father told me to do something else to take a break from studying." Kristoff thought that was a good idea. Honestly, anything was better than nagging from Weselton. Only the old man had a slightly different opinion. "I guess you learned little." He said cynically. Only Anna smiled at him. "I was excellent in every class." Weselton rolled his eyes, but let the girl represent her program to him. First, they started with simple games, like hiding and seeking. Until they moved on to charades. Those were a little harder, mainly because the old duke was cheating and using magic to help himself. But the young couple didn't mind too much. "You're pretty good at that game."

"Thank you, Kristoff. My parents and I used to play this game all the time." With a smile on her lips, she remembered those times when she was a little girl. Her parents would play with her in the snow. Only, she thought there was another person besides her parents with her. The girl in blue. Strange, Anna never realized she had a childhood friend. "Anyway, it's time to get back to work." Weselton got up instead and walked back over to his cauldron. "Oh, come on, you want to quit so soon?"

"My dear princess, my duty is a given..."

"By The powerful Circle of destiny, I know. Did it ever occur to you to take a break from it all and do something just for fun?" the dark wizard's eyebrows rose, Anna's point completely missing his mind. "Like maybe if you just pick up a mug and start tapping out your favourite song on it." Anna did exactly as she said. It seemed crazy to Kristoff. "Come on, join in!" did Kristoff see the smile on Weselton's face now? The smile on the dark wizard's face was a rare thing that the two young people, now, thoroughly enjoyed.

At that moment, Kristoff realized that he didn't want anyone to rescue Anna. They lived together in the black tower. Anna talked to him about ordinary things. They became friends, maybe even something more. Anna didn't know about his feelings, of course. She found Kristoff attractive, but she had never considered that a bond of love could form between them. "Did you know that you are beautiful when you smile?" Anna blushed. It was late in the evening now, and fireflies flitted across the night sky. The princess stood on the balcony on the top floor of the tower. "Where will you settle when you become a sorcerer?"

"Well, maybe in the swamps or high in the mountains, where it's quiet." Kristoff's gaze fell on his faithful reindeer grazing peacefully. He was just standing next to the princess with his hand on the rail. Anna clutched her shawl in her hand. "That's nice. What is it?"

"It's a scarf that belonged to my mother. I wanted to wear it to my wedding, as something both old and borrowed." She missed her mother. Those nights when she sang to her about a river of memories and the woods. "Well, my troll mother always sang to me about crystals." Anna smiled as she noticed Kristoff's palm move to hers. There was a warmth from that palm and something Anna couldn't quite place. She lifted her head to get a glimpse of Kristoff's eyes, which held a multitude of unspoken sentences. "Anna?" He asked something, but Anna did not know what? Kristoff leaned closer to her and kissed her.

Anna's heart pumped, and her cheeks turned pink. An incredible amount of energy filled her entire body. Kristoff moved away from her. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. Anna interrupted him with another kiss. "You don't have to." Kristoff smiled broadly at her. Maybe she wanted the same thing he did. However, could he interfere with the Circle of Destiny like this? He loved Anna. He knew that, as surely as he knew, the sun would rise every morning. However, his love's destiny was to marry the prince who would save her. Or at least that's what Weselton was saying all the time. "Where are you?" she asked solicitously. "Nowhere." She laughed. "You know, I didn't like you at all at first. It's just that something's happened in the last few days. Maybe it was the tower or Duke's insufferable babbling, but I've grown quite fond of you." Now he doesn't want to let her go. He could kidnap Anna, but where would they go? Kristoff grabbed her hand and pulled it closer to his heart. "I can't tell you how glad I am to have met you." Kristoff couldn't resist another kiss, this one more passionate. He took Anna in his arms and carried her inside, where he laid her on the bed. They both gasped loudly. Kristoff's eyes gazed at Anna with a yet unspoken question. "Will you let me love you?" She didn't know how to answer. On the one hand, she knew she should stop it. After all, Hans... what? How well did she know the prince? Just a few hours... could they have built their future on this alone? It was different with Kristoff. She talked to him almost daily, and even though he was stubborn sometimes, she still fell for him. "Yes." The answer must have shocked him because his lips lifted in a satisfied smile. He kissed her on the lips again and then pecked her cheek. Anna just giggled softly at his actions. "What?"

"Nothing, I'm just happy." She wasn't lying about that. That night, the two of them merged into one entity that carried the scent of love and devotion.

"All demons live in a harmony. What if two demons of the same element meet?" those questions were slowly getting on Elsa's nerves. Sometimes she liked it when she and Hans talked about their favourite things and animals rather than answering stupid questions. "If the demons are of the same element and even the same species, they can create another elemental demon of the same species. If the demon is of a different species, then everyone just minds their own business." Hans already understood how the enchanted forest worked, or at least how life in it worked. Never in his entire life did he think he would come into contact with so many kinds of supernatural beings and magic. Not to mention the shadow creatures that haunted them. Honestly, Hans had noticed them the moment they came out of the fairy village. The shadows were working for the dark wizard, and their presence was causing a stir in the forest. "You know, my brothers always liked to lock me in the pantry. I had access to food and drink, but it was pretty dark there." Hans spoke dreamily of his home, and sometimes with an emotion whose meaning Elsa did not understand. "Most of the fairies laughed at me when I struggled to control my magic. Luckily for me, Honeymaren and her brother were always there to support me."

"Is it already decided up front who will be a good fairy and who will live in the village?" Elsa laughed. "Honeymaren and her brother are forest fairies."

"I get that." The prince remarked and blushed at the suggestion that his good fairy thought him such a fool. "You're not."

"Excuse me?" He paused. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I overhear your thoughts. We fairies can do that." All right. Well, no wonder. "You know, some fairies choose a life in the woods. Most of them take care of animals or plants. The rest care about the balance of magic and keeping the elemental's demons happy. Honeymaren and her brother have always been more interested in the forest and life in it."

"Were you good friends?"

"We still are. Though fairies are friends of all living and magical things." Hans didn't have many friends, perhaps because his nana wouldn't let him play with other children.

Suddenly, big black clouds appeared in the sky. That was not good. The storm was coming. "We should look for the shelter," Elsa said, already looking around to see if she could see any caves or abandoned houses. At that moment, thunder rumbled and heavy drops of water fell from the sky. The stream of water was so heavy that it blew pieces of leaves from the trees to the ground. This was no ordinary rain. The water drops gradually formed a massive water horse. "Nokk?" Elsa whispered in surprise. "What is that?" Before the fairy could answer, the horse ran towards the prince and knocked him to the ground. Hans' entire outfit became wet in contact with the water. Elsa picked him up off the ground. "It's a water demon. It's just that he spends most of his life at the sea. He rarely morphs into raindrops. Something must have lured him out. Nokk re-materialized in her horse's beauty and leapt at the two heroes, trapping them in a water bubble. Hans tried to cut his way through the water with his sword, but it was no use. Elsa focused on the water around her and her abilities. With the help of an ice needle she created, she got them out.

Only the water spirit wasn't done with them yet. He scooped Elsa up on his back and threw her around wildly. "Try to calm him down," Hans shouted at the top of his lungs. "I've never ridden a horse. How am I supposed to do that?" Hans looked at the water horse, who was causing even more of a cloudburst with his raucousness. "Make the reins." Elsa obeyed the prince. With the help of the ice reins, she held on to the horse's back. Nokk tossed and kicked wildly in the air. "Easy, Hou." Hans walked slowly to the horse, arms outstretched in front of him. "We don't want to hurt you. Just take it easy, buddy." He spoke in a gentle and friendly voice. He also speaks in the same tone to Sitron when he was training him. "Come on, whoa, whoa." Nokk calmed down a bit. Hans walked up to him and looked deeply into his eyes. The rain had turned into a gentle shower of drops. The water spirit calmly turned away from the prince and transformed into a puddle of water. Elsa looked at her reins, which she still held in her hand. "You handled that with precision."

"Me? You were not bad, either." Just because the rain had let up didn't mean it had stopped altogether. This time, however, the water demon remained in a puddle. "Let's get to safety."

Fortunately for both of them, there was an uninhabited cave nearby, which was not deep, but it was dark as hell. When they both ran to safety, they sighed and laughed. Elsa had never experienced so much excitement at once. Her chest heaved with rapid inhalations and exhalations. Then she lifted her head to gaze at Hans'. He was in the same state as her, wet and laughing. "What are you laughing at?" the prince leaned his back against the rock wall. "Nothing." They both gazed out at the falling raindrops. It didn't look like it was going to stop at all. When Elsa turned her head at the prince again, she realized they were too close. She could feel the prince's breath on her face. "Elsa...? He whispered uncertainly. She didn't know what he was going to do or why he was hesitant about it. She just felt a close warmth she hadn't felt in so long. Before she knew it, the prince leaned in and kissed her. And she didn't turn away but welcomed the kiss with all her heart. It was as if the last piece of the puzzle had finally fallen into place. She let the warmth and excitement engulf her. Their bodies became one that night as well.

Elsa woke up in the morning naked under a white coat. "Good morning." Elsa sat up to look at the prince, who had berries spread out in front of him. "I hope you like raspberries because nothing else grows in the forest." Elsa grinned. "Really?" Hans noticed her disappointment and was about to offer to go get something else when Elsa grabbed the hem of his clothes and smiled at him. "I'm just teasing you, Hans. Raspberries are my favourite." Hans sighed and ate, but the question in his mind was: What now? Well, he's going to Ahtohallan. Then he'll rescue Anna. Did he want to save her? After last night with Elsa, he wasn't sure of anything. Maybe because Anna was someone dear to him, but she wasn't in the same place as Elsa.

He felt like a fraud. Maybe when he rescued Anna, they could talk about their feelings together. He decided that until then, he would try to be as nice to Elsa as possible. He did not know that the naked Anna who woke up on Kristoff's chest was going through the same crisis. The princess crossed to the window and looked into the distance. Perhaps Hans would not come, and she would have to stay in the tower. Then everything would be sorted out, wouldn't it? What a stupid thing to do if this supposed Circle of Destiny worked, so Hans would come to rescue her. Only she didn't feel trapped at all anymore, and besides, her heart went cold at the thought of having to leave Kristoff. When Hans comes to rescue her, they'll talk. Maybe the prince will understand.

In the wide sea floated a glacier, which was wrapped in flowers and stones. This was her magic wellhead. The place where all the local fairies and magic were born. Ahtohallan. She brought him here after all, though her original intention was different. Well, they'll just look at a few memories and leave. Hans stood beside her, breathlessly watching the horizon. Elsa raised her arms to the sky, and slowly an ice bridge emerged from the water.

Hans stood in the big room. There was silence around him. He didn't know what to expect from this place. He certainly expected there to be more fairies, but there wasn't even a living soul around. "So this is it?" Elsa nodded her head and took the prince's hand. She led him to another room where there were statues made of snow. "These are the memories of water. Everything the water saw is here." Hans saw several of the statues move. People were dancing and laughing. Another statue resembled a ship that pirates had attacked. The people on the ship were shouting in terror. "Save the souls. Captain Flint is here!" Another statue was of a couple getting married at what looked like a monument. Next was a statue of two people in a boat releasing a lantern. Hans wondered, How did all those memories fit into one room? "Where can we find memories from the Southern Islands?" Elsa raised her hands and all the statues disappeared. Then she walked over to Hans and touched his forehead. Immediately after that, more snow scenes materialized around them. Hans recognized himself as a little boy. "Hans, don't run!" an elderly woman called out to him, taking him in her arms. "But Nana!" the younger version of Hans retorted. "No talking back, young man. You should be in bed." Elsa couldn't believe her eyes. "Elsa, what's wrong?"

"I've never quite made it before. Yelena taught me to use the full potential of my ice magic, but I always messed up. Only now..." Hans took her hand. "Hey. Everything's good. I'm right here with you." He smiled at her, and she sensed the sincerity in that smile.

Hans walked through his memories before he saw a group of his brothers. "Hey, are you sure we're going to trust him on this?" One of his brothers asked. "I don't exactly want to send him either, Ignatius. However, we may not get a better opportunity." His brothers moved. Hans followed them to the abyss. Where were they going? Elsa, meanwhile, was intrigued by a memory that depicted Hans sitting on the queen's lap. The queen sang to her child. "One day you will find your special flower." She told him as sweetly as she could. "Because every creature in this world deserves love." Little Hans laughed and jumped excitedly to the ground. "My future wife will be the most beautiful woman in the world." Elsa watched the scene with a smile on her lips. "I'm sure she will be Hans." said the queen kindly. Suddenly, the woman grabbed her chest and coughed. Then she slumped to the ground and the poor boy jumped over to her. "Mama, what's wrong? Mom, Mom!" Hans shook his mother's body helplessly, but it remained motionless on the ground. "Papa, Papa!" the boy shouted, running off into the distance. Elsa snapped out of her shock. Hans was present at his mother's death. The fairy looked around to see that Hans was not near her. She panicked. Where could he have gone? Then she thought about looking into the abyss. Because if he went there, he could be in danger.

"Hans won't make it." Said one of his brothers as he walked through the darkened room. Hans followed them and couldn't believe his ears. "Of course, he can't. Has that mammoth ever accomplished anything?" Both brothers burst out laughing and for Hans, it was like someone had stuck a needle in his heart. "Exactly. Let's send him to Arendelle and get rid of him for good." One brother laughed. "He was no use to us here, anyway. Useless thirteenth, that's what I say."

"My words exactly, Richard. And if Hans will be successful, which I doubt, he can stay in that icy wasteland. I won't miss him." Both brothers grabbed their bellies with laughter. Hans's heart shattered into little pieces. That was the truth. Hans couldn't take it anymore and hurried out of the abyss. Before he knew it, he found himself outside. "Hans, thank God you're all right." Hans couldn't trust Elsa. If his brothers thought he was worthless, what must Elsa think? "I'm fine. I've never been better." He sighed and crossed the bridge. Elsa noticed the sharp tone in his voice. Something was making him furious. Elsa ran after him. "Hans, wait, what happened?" Hans turned around. His gaze was icy. "Why do you care?"

"Because I'm ..."

"A good fairy. You know what? I don't need your care." Why was he yelling at her out of the blue? That wasn't the Hans she'd met. The Hans she travelled with was full of optimism. "Hans, what did you see in the abyss?" She feared the worst. What had happened to her prince? "Stop it, Elsa! You don't care. Who cares about the problems of a useless thirteenth prince?" Hans turned his back on Elsa and headed to the forest. "Don't follow me!" Elsa reached out her hand to him and only had time to touch him before some magical force had moved her to another place.

Elsa was standing in front of the throne on which Yelena was sitting. Her eyes were downcast and her hands clenched. "Elsevier Winterborn Arendelle..." That doesn't sound good. Yelena's formal speech showed the gravity of her situation. Elsa shivered in fear. "You, one of my best pupils, are guilty of breaking the laws of the fairies." Yelena rose from her throne and moved closer to Elsa. "You have broken the most fundamental rules of our world. First, you allowed your ward to be harmed." A stream of tears rolled down Elsa's face. "Next, you allowed your magical body to unite with another. You had an intimate affair with your protégé!"

"Yelena, I... but..."

"SILENCE!" she shouted sternly. "The last accusation. You gave away the place where the centre of our power is hidden and led a human being to it." Elsa slumped to the ground, her heart in a vice-like grip. First, Hans turned away from her and now her teacher.

"You dishonoured your name…" Yelena stepped more forward and pulled Elsa to a standing position. "You have lost your virginal purity." Her eyes gazed shakily into the brown eyes of her mentor. "On top it off, you have defiled and endangered the other fairies." She couldn't speak even if she wanted to. "That's why you're facing the ultimate punishment." Yelena grabbed the hem of her robes and tugged hard. At that moment, Elsa found herself in nothing but a long grey dress, her palms full of stitches and feeling the onslaught of the icy wind. Her wings were gone. She moved her hand to see that her power remained. "You're mortal now. I forbid you to enter our world again. You can talk to other fairies, but I can't guarantee they'll talk to you." Elsa didn't expect something like this. "I take all duties from you. They are no longer your concern. Your only task now is to be a guardian of the sea leading to Ahtohallan. You will never hear his voice again. You will feel no other magic but your own. You are now alone, banished, disgraced, and I will never contact you again." Elsa reached out to her mentor, but she was already in the air. "Think of your deeds in the hut, feeling hungry, cold, and sad, or you can leave. However, I can't guarantee you'll be able to return to the same enchanted forest you left." Elsa tried once more to speak. "I'm sorry, Elsa," Yelena sounded now almost motherly. "That is my decision." With that, Yelena disappeared. Elsa found herself on the dark shore next to a dilapidated log cabin, the sea washing the beach and Ahtohallan glistening in the distance. The former fairy fell to her knees and cried, for she had lost the place where she still belonged.

If he guessed correctly, the building before him should have been the black tower of an evil sorcerer. Hans was disappointed. He expected the tower to be besieged by dark clouds, and instead it was beautifully sunny. Anyway, he had to save his princess. His fairy was gone. Maybe he should wait for her. At that moment, his mind flashed back to white skin, blue eyes, and snow-white hair. All of this is combined with a beautifully soft laugh and voice. "Thank you." Said the voice, and he could feel his pulse quicken. No! These feelings need to go away. He must save Anna. Why was he worried about Elsa? She thought that he was useless, anyway. Only he'll prove them all wrong. Hans gripped his sword tightly in his hand.

The prince opened the door abruptly to be greeted by the sight of a nearly empty room. Princess Anna was sitting in a chair by the fire, looking like she was reading something. But when she heard the door opening, she looked up from her reading. Anna stood up and looked at the prince in shock. "Are you here?" She asked in disbelief. "Why was she so surprised? "Of course. I came to save you." Anna held up her hand. "Hans, we need to talk about something." Of course, before Anna could speak, Weselton came out of the upper floor. The wizard saw Hans, and without the slightest hint of surprise, stepped forward. "So you made it, after all?" His voice sounded the same as his brothers. "Useless thirteenth prince." Hans shook his head again to banish all those memories. "Surrender, wizard!" Weselton smiled. "I will not give up without a fight, young man." At that moment, darkness filled the room and the entire tower shook at its foundations. Bricks cracked, and the stairs crumbled under the weight of the enormous dragon. Weselton transformed into a green dragon and used his maw to bite off a chunk off the roof to show his strength. "No! Stop it," Anna exclaimed unhappily. This took Hans by surprise. Did she not trust him? He'll show everyone how strong he is. He's the hero, he's the one who has to save the kingdom. His sword gleamed in the sunlight.

Elsa sat by the window and looked out at the dark sea. After a while, she stood up to walk over to the fireplace, where the fire was crackling. The smoke was gently drifting out through the chimney, and Elsa wondered if the soup from the mushrooms would satiate her. Now she was glad for the hours she and Honeymaren had spent walking around the area. Someone knocked on her door. Elsa opened it to get a glimpse of her fairy friend. "May I come in?" Honeymaren asked, smiling at the former fairy. Elsa just shook her head and shuffled to the table like a soulless body. "Well, it still needs a few adjustments," Honeymaren remarked and looked at the walls of the cabin, which were empty. "Say it!"

"Say what?" Elsa looked up at her friend. "I told you so."

"I won't say anything, because I know you'd be sad afterwards." Elsa walked briskly to the window and opened it. Towards the floating glacier, she sang a few notes. However, there was no response. Elsa's eyes filled with tears. She had never felt so useless. "Enough!" Honeymaren grabbed Elsa by the shoulders and sat her down in a chair before forcing a cup of tea into her hands. "Now listen to me, Elsa." said the woodland fairy. "You are the most amazing fairy in the world. Do you know why?" Elsa just shook her head. "Because you care about people's happiness. You may be quiet and unsociable, but you're meticulous, and you can organize everything. You may not have realized it before, but Hans needs you." At that, Elsa's lips lifted in a cynical smile. "You're not a fairy who gives up on things, are you?" Elsa looked up from her mug full of hot tea. At that moment, she remembered bright green eyes and red hair shining like fire. "Something happened between you two. You know the other fairies are talking about your expulsion. Only I don't care because I'm your friend, and I am telling you, Elsa..." Honeymaren cupped her friend's cheek. "Get up and follow him. Because your job isn't over, and Yelena can complain all she wants, but she still won't do anything about it." Elsa broke free of her friend's grasp and found herself at the window again. Looking out, she saw a thick forest cover, in which Gale was playing with leaves that had fallen from the trees. "How do I find him?" She asked uncertainly. Honeymaren smiled and offered Elsa her hand. "I think you know." Elsa allowed herself to be led out of the cabin. Outside, she looked up to the sky, where clouds were gathering. Honeymaren was right. Elsa would not give up her duty. She will no longer run and be afraid. Elsa raised her hand and created an ice eagle that was as big as a horse. Elsa mounted it and took one last look at her best friend. "Thank you." Honeymaren just smiled at the former fairy. "Don't thank me yet." Elsa shook her head and let the eagle carry her to the black tower.

Weselton breathed loudly. Hans was exhausted from the struggle. Sweat was running down his forehead and his heart was pounding. "Well, enough already." Anna stood in front of Weselton. "Hans, listen to me. There's no need for you to beat Weselton. Besides, there's no need for you to save me, either." Hans shook his head. Perhaps he was dreaming. "Listen to her." Another male voice spoke. It belonged to a blond youth who stood next to Anna. Kristoff smiled at Anna and then at Weselton, who ignored his smile. "He's telling you the truth. You've already won, now you can go, and no one has to die." Anna turned to Kristoff again at those words. This time her gaze was full of concern. Hans noticed all too well how Anna clung to Weselton's life. That was all she was, a kind and cheerful princess. Hans felt a soft twinge in his heart as if an arrow had pierced it. A laugh came from his lips.

Anna's eyes widened in horror. Hans' laughter sounded nothing like his. "I knew it was true. Even you, Anna, consider me useless." Kristoff noticed that Hans's hair was turning white. "Anna, look, his hair." Not only his hair, but Hans' skin had paled, and his green eyes had lost their brightness. "You never needed me. No one has ever needed me. I can't even stand up to my future wife." Anna took a few steps back. Something must have happened to Hans. Kristoff could feel the magic in the wind, and Hans laughed so hard the laughter made him cough, and black liquid gushed from his mouth. "If I'm not supposed to be a hero. Then I don't even deserve your love, Anna." Hans' words cut into her soul. He couldn't mean it. In all the time they had walked together around the city and the castle, Hans had been an excellent companion. Only his memories were now and then full of bitter melancholy. "If I'm not your prince, then..." Hans didn't have time to finish his sentence before he fell to the ground unconscious.

At that moment, Elsa came down from the sky on an eagle made of snow. The former fairy jumped off the eagle and rushed to her charge. Oh, no. Hans's hair was all white and his skin was icy. What had happened in Ahtohallan? Maybe it had something to do with the song she had been learning since she was a small child. "What happened to him?" Elsa turned to the red-haired princess, and at that moment a feeling of déjà vu seized her. She knew those eyes and that hair. "You want to build a snowman...? Come on Elsa get up, the sky is up, so I'm up too, so it's time to play." All those memories that she sometimes thought were figments of her imagination were true. Even in Anna's eyes, the light of recognition flashed. The woman with the white hair. She knew her, yes. "Elsa, Elsa, Higher, I want to touch the ceiling." They lived together in the castle. "Elsa?" Anna spoke uncertainly at first. Elsa straightened up and slowly walked over to Anna. "I know you," Elsa whispered. Slowly, she reached her hand out in front of her and grasped Anna's. At that moment, they both remembered all their memories. They had once been sisters, only for a tragedy to tear them apart. Her parents decided to erase the girls' memories. The Grand Pabbie Troll performed this ritual. "But I must warn your Majesties. Their memories may return the moment they find a bond or a link that will partially connect them." Elsa then became a fairy and grew up in an enchanted forest. While her sister Anna grew up in Arendelle Castle. "Sister?" Elsa spoke uncertainly. The two girls looked at each other uncertainly before Anna squealed happily and hugged her long-lost sister.

Kristoff could only shed a tear of happiness at the scene. His beloved had found her lost family. Even Weselton shook his head in disbelief. "OCH, HOW touching!" A deep voice thundered. Both Elsa and Anna turned to get a glimpse of Hans. His skin was all pale, his blue veins shining through. His eyes were completely white. "Hans?" Anna was now truly terrified. She had seen nothing like this. "Stay away!" Kristoff ordered, preparing to send some of his magic in the prince's direction. But Weselton outran his apprentice and knocked Hans down with all his strength. Only Hans immediately stood up, laughing at Weselton's pathetic attempt. Even as the wizard tried to use his magic, he found Hans absorbing all of his magical energy. That was impossible. Hans spread his arms and at that moment, the wind picked up. "After such a long time, I'm free again. No more walls of ice. No more dark dungeon." Anna looked towards Elsa, who slowly led her sister towards the tower. "What happened to him?"

"Something in Ahtohallan must have cursed or possessed him." Hans registered Elsa's voice and glanced in her direction. "The little ice fairy. Tell me, little one, are you still afraid of your powers?" Did she know how? "Who are you?" The thing that possessed Hans smiled through his lips. "I am the one who was at the beginning of magic. Together, I united all the nature demons. But that was before they trapped me in that ice prison. They used to call me the Fifth Spirit." That was impossible. "Fifth spirit?" Anna's eyes flicked between Hans and Weselton, who now lay exhausted on the floor. Kristoff bent over his master, making sure his health remained intact. "The Fifth Spirit once oversaw the balance between magic and humans." Kristoff had just spoken and looked up from Weselton. "He could unite all the elements of nature with his power, but one day..."

"The Spirit, over time, craved more power. This desire blinded him completely and darkness filled his heart. Yelena and the other fairies fought to defeat the fifth spirit. Eventually, she succeeded, and she imprisoned the Fifth Ghost in Ahtohallan." Elsa added to Kristoff's story. "Ah, so you get it, little fairy." The Fifth Spirit in Hans's body laughed. "You didn't think Yelena forbade you to bring people to Ahtohallan just like that, did you? She was honestly afraid that a human being might become my vessel. As you can see now, it did." Elsa refused to believe it. "Hans, please, you have to be in there somewhere." The Fifth spirit laughed. "Hans isn't here at the moment. He's overcome with self-loathing and sadness. I am here now. And my intent is clear." The Fifth spirit spread his arms and Elemental Demons materialized in space. Bruni, the fire salamander, Gale, the breeze-bearing tree leaves, the moss-covered stone giant, and finally the water horse, Nokk. Together, the demons awaited the command of their new master. "I wanted to thank you, little one. Now sit down and behold the new ruler of magic." His voice carried far and wide. The entire tower shook at its foundations. The magical plants ceased to glow, all the animals stopped talking to each other, and everything sank into silence.

Elsa couldn't allow that. It was bad enough that she had caused Hans pain, but to allow a ghost over 200 years old to take over the body of someone who had grown close to her was too much for a young woman. She concentrated her strength and made a new garment out of snow, glistening in the sunlight: pin/595812225701428440/

Then she stood, her face grimacing, her hair braided into a simple ponytail, before the body of her protégé, momentarily possessed with mad spirit. "In the name of the fairies, I command you to stop!" The ghost in Hans's body laughed again. "Did you forget, little one? You're not a fairy anymore."

"I may have lost my wings, but I have not lost my conviction." Elsa formed an ice sword and extended her left hand in front of her. "Get out of my ward's body, you old fart!" With that, Elsa went on the offensive. Her sword slash at first was into the void. "Well, never mind. At least I'll enjoy crunching your bones." Suddenly, someone poured the contents of the cauldron on Hans. "Get back from my sister!" Anna smiled, broom in hand, ready to defend herself.

The air demon carried Anna into the air, while the fire demon leapt at Kristoff, who was trying to attack the Fifth spirit from behind. Elsa countered again with a water horse. Only the Fifth Ghost did not know that Elsa had already fought with him. So, Elsa jumped on his back and grabbed onto Nokk's neck. The horse struggled and seemed about to throw Elsa off. However, Elsa leaned down and whispered something in his ear. Then, with one touch, she turned the water horse into an ice horse. The ice horse was already immune to the Fifth Spirit's commands, allowing Elsa to race towards the stone giant, who was trying to cause an earthquake with his stomping. Meanwhile, Anna tossed in the wind and grabbed a broom in her hand. Come on, Anna, there must have been a spell from the book of magic to calm the wind spirit. Her gaze fell on the broom in her hand. Of course. Anna broke off a few sticks from the broom and slowly folded the wooden windmill. "I command to the wild wind." She exclaimed sternly, raising the wheelbarrow in her hand. Gale was still chatting with her, but as the princess slowly chanted the magic words, the wind calmed down. Finally, he put Anna on the ground.

Kristoff tried to put the fire out of his clothes, but Bruni seemed to have no plans to stop. Kristoff focused all his power on the crystal he carried. This spell was giving him the most trouble. For he needed to think of the most precious person in the world. Anna's smile and her joyful singing came to his mind. The crystal at his chest glowed with blue light, and Bruni, enchanted by its glow, which was brighter than the glow she produced with her violet fire, slowly dismounted the young apprentice. "You did it," Weselton whispered proudly from the ground where he still lay. Kristoff felt good. He didn't even forgive himself a victory cheer. Bruni, meanwhile, sat at his feet, ignoring everything around her. Meanwhile, Elsa had ridden up to the stone giant's feet. Quickly and nimbly, she leapt onto the Giant's legs and used her agility to climb up to his head, where she formed a large snowball. Elsa picked up the snowball and dropped it on the giant. The giant looked around his body, snow covering his back and part of his belly. The stone earth giant thought that winter had set in. He yawned wearily and sat down on the ground. Elsa jumped on top of Nokk and watched as the stone giant went to sleep. "How?" The fifth spirit was angry. "I am one of the most powerful beings in the world. You cannot defeat me." He barked through his teeth. Elsa stood in front of the Fifth spirit, feeling her newfound sister and the young wizard join her as she did so. "Maybe we can't beat you, but we can do something." The former fairy walked over to her charge. She wasn't entirely sure what she was doing, but she saw no other way out. "You are using this body as your shell, turning it to your advantage. I'll rid you of your shell, then."

"You will sacrifice a human being which you adore?" Elsa smiled and grabbed Hans by the shoulders. "I don't want to kill you." Her arms linked and trapped Hans in her embrace. Then, with all her strength, she threw herself and Hans off the nearby overhang. "Elsa!" Anna screamed in horror at the scene. Her sister disappeared from her sight. All that was left after she was a piece of her icy bedspread. Tears streamed down Anna's cheeks, wetting the green grass. Never had she thought she would lose her sister again. Kristoff knelt beside his beloved and embraced her. "Is this in the Circle of Destiny?" She asked bitterly. Kristoff had no answer for that.

"Mm, the Circle of Destiny. It's so stupid." A third voice echoed. Anna looked sharply up the slope to get a glimpse of her sister, now standing in a white dress. Anna ran over and hugged Elsa lovingly. "I thought I'd lost you." Elsa returned the embrace fervently. "What happened?" She asked, and as she did, her gaze fell on a body she hadn't noticed until this moment. It was Hans, only again he was unconscious. "The Fifth Spirit needed a human body to control. However, while he was manipulating, Hans threw his sadness and despair I..." Elsa smiled and spread her arms. Snow covered the surrounding landscape. "I concentrated on the happiness that had befallen me, on the love I thought I would never know." Anna released her sister from her embrace. "These positive feelings won out over fear and sadness. The Fifth spirit is in me now. We are one now. You can trust me when I tell you it won't hurt anyone anymore." Anna shook her head happily, not resisting another hug that was now much longer. Meanwhile, Hans woke up and stood up.

"What happened?" Hans looked around. His hair was still white, and his eyes were full of ice. Elsa and her sister looked at the prince. Anna took Hans by the hands. "Whatever you've experienced, whatever someone tells you, believe me, Hans of the South Islands, when I'm telling you: It's not true." Hans lowered his gaze. Anna did what she did best at that moment and hugged Hans. "You're not, Hans. No one is useless in this world." His eyes slowly filled with green. "Hans, you have many admirable qualities. For the first time in a long time, I wasn't alone in the castle." Her smile brought colour back to his cheeks and hair. "Plus, you helped me." This time, however, it was Elsa who spoke. "Your words made me feel more confident, and even though you got on my nerves..." At that, both Anna and Hans burst out laughing. "So you were the best travelling companion. Plus, you're my protégé even if not officially, but..." Elsa didn't even have to finish saying it. Hans grabbed Elsa in a hug and buried his head in her white hair. His whole body was now as it had been before. "I think it's time for you to come back," Weselton remarked, using his returning magic to create a portal. "This portal will take you directly to Arendell." Kristoff smiled at Weselton and the old wizard patted the young man on the back. Anna hugged the old man happy. "Thank you for everything." She whispered and made her way through the portal. Her sister and Hans followed her.

The entire kingdom was glad that the princess had returned to them in health. Not even a day had passed, and they had already prepared the wedding ceremony, which took place in the castle's courtyard. Everyone was there. Anna, dressed in a white dress, looked out into the crowd and looked sadly at Kristoff. The young magician stood at the back and just smiled at her. This was how it was supposed to be. As she and Hans stood together in front of the priest, her heart was empty. The only happiness she felt was around Kristoff and his reindeer. She had to smile at all the memories. "Hans." She spoke suddenly. "We can't do this." Hans sighed. "Oh, thank goodness, I mean, we can't. Why?" Anna found Kristoff's eyes again. "Because I found my true love elsewhere." Hans looked towards the sea, where Elsa stood by a dock, looking sadly in Anna's and Hans's direction. "Anna, my heart belongs to another as well." The princess laughed happily and hugged Hans, then ran across the courtyard and jumped on the startled blond. "Kristoff, raised by trolls. Will you be my husband?" Kristoff picked Anna up and then pressed his lips to hers. "Yes, my dear princess." When Anna was on the ground again. "It may not be a swamp or a mountaintop, but..." Kristoff interrupted her with another kiss. "You're the only one that matters to me. I know that ruling the kingdom won't be any easy, but as you already know, I'm a good apprentice." Anna could only laugh at that before she dragged Kristoff in front of the priest, and he gave them away. Hans watched the happy couple, then his attention shifted to Elsa, who was drifting away to Nokk, who was still in his icy form. "Do you have room for one more?" It shocked Elsa to see Hans beside her. "My good fairy." Hans took Elsa's hand. "I love you, Elsa, and I can't imagine leaving you behind." Her heart was racing. "Hans, I'm banished and ..." Hans interrupted her with a kiss. "I think you have a new role now. Let me be a support to you as you have been to me on my journey," Elsa responded with a passionate kiss.

The two sisters said goodbye by the sea as the sun was setting over the horizon. "Goodbye, little sister." Elsa smiled at Anna, who smiled back. "I'll see you next Saturday, and don't be too busy. There's a lot we need to do together."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty," said Hans, who was sitting on Nokk. "I'll make sure she arrives." Anna also gave Hans one of her sincere smiles of thanks. "I will always love you." Anna gave Elsa one last hug before the young former fairy and current Fifth spirit sat on Nokk. Water demon walked away from Arendelle castle, leaving the new king and queen behind. The horse sped across the frozen water surface, carrying the Prince and his chosen on his back. And they lived happily ever after.

"Olaf, you need to add a little more drama to your story." The snowman gasped in shock. Elsa covered her mouth with her hand to hide her genuine laughter. "I think you did well, Hans," Honeymaren remarked, adding a log to the fire. "I'll do perfectly well enough to win the storytelling contest at the next harvest festival." Hans smiled at that. "Plus, it also prepares me for my future role as an uncle." The snowman remarked cheerfully and sat down on a rock. Elsa rubbed her pregnant belly. With a smile on her face, she sat down next to her prince and kissed him. Honeymaren bent over the blazing fire and told her tale.