Yelena stood in the night. She had gone back to the grove with all of the ice statues that Elsa had created after her fight with the wind Spirit. Yelena stared at the statue of Ahtohalla. She was lost in thought and did not notice Olaf until he spoke.
"Why did you wander off?" Olaf asked her as he approached.
"I needed to think." Yelena said simply.
"What are you thinking about?" Olaf asked curiously, unaware that he was disturbing Yelena.
Yelena sighed and looked at Olaf. "What do you think about your creator and her friends?" She asked him.
"Elsa is great! You should have seen her when she created me, so happy and free, and then her cape wacked me in the face and I stumbled down a mountain. Anna always looks out for others and is just the best friend a snowman can ask for. And Sven and Kristoff are nice and cool, but secretly Kristoff is a dork." Olaf whispered the last part to Yelena.
Yelena smiled at him and then she asked. "If queen Elsa decided to stay in the Enchanted Forest, will you stay her with her?"
"Why would she stay here? Our home is in Arendelle?" Olaf asked.
"But here she is surrounded by her own kind. The Spirits are magical like her, and we are her mother's people." Yelena said calmly to him.
"But her father is from Arendelle, and he entrusted the kingdom to her." Olaf said.
"But what if she had a bigger part to play, and that meant she had to stay here?"
Olaf thought about it, he looked at Ahtohalla's statue and frowned slightly. "Will Anna, Kristoff, and Sven stay as well?" Olaf asked.
"I hope Kristoff and Sven stay, but I believe Anna must return to Arendelle, she would be their queen after all, if Elsa remains here." Yelena said matter of fact.
"Then I won't stay." Olaf said and Yelena turned to him in surprise.
"Why not?" She asked.
"Everyone is leaving Anna, and she would be very sad, someone has to be there with her." Olaf said sadly. "Elsa, Kristoff, and Sven will visit right?" He asked her hopeful.
Yelena nodded. "Yes, they will visit, I am sure. You are very kind to think of your friend."
Olaf smiled at her and then turned to the statue. "Do you think Ahtohalla was sad when she had to say goodbye to Anna and Elsa's mother?"
"I am sure she missed her. But Ahtohalla is different from normal people. She is the Fifth Spirit and brings all together." Yelena said proudly.
"So, you were not her friend?" Olaf asked and this shocked Yelena.
"She was friends with all of the Northuldra, she just happened to spend a lot of time with Iduna and that is why she saved her and blessed her child." Yelena said. "Iduna had simply proven herself to her."
Olaf tilted his head in thought. "I like that no one treats me strangely because I am a snowman. They are all just kind and even help me out. I thought Ahtohalla would be like me because she is made out of snow as well."
"Like you?" Yelena asked curiously.
Olaf looked up at her with a big smile and spread his arms.
"Liking warm hugs!" He said happily.
Yelena frowned down at him. He was a creature made out of magic. Just like the Spirits and Ahtohalla was. Why would he want to stay in Arendelle when there was no magic there, despite him trying to help his friend. Magic was precious, it only belonged to those who are worthy. Only those magic trusts can interact with it. Yelena did not believe that Arendelle deserved Elsa or her creations.
But more importantly Yelena was put off by Olaf's naivety and innocence. It was the first time in her life that she had looked at a creature of magic and thought it could make a mistake.
Yelena shrugged that thought off. Elsa was human, once she reached Ahtohallan and awakened her true self then her magic would be pure as it will truly be a part of her then.
"I think Ahtohalla thought of Anna and Elsa's father as a friend as well" Olaf said, interrupting Yelena's thoughts.
Yelena stared at him in shock. "Why would you say that?" She was not aware that the former prince and king had even interacted with Ahtohalla.
"Oh, Iduna introduced him to her on the day of the battle. They chatted and according to what Elsa told me on the way here, Ahtohalla liked that he treated her as an equal. She even gave him a book to find the trolls with." Olaf informed her happily. "I think that both Anna and Elsa's parents were her friend and when she saw them doing their best to save each other, that is what made her truly trust them and give Elsa magic to help free this forest. After all, you did say she was the Fifth Spirit that brings everyone together." Olaf looked up at her with a grin.
Yelena stared down at him in shock. She then looked up at Ahtohalla.
And then she looked back at the statue of the former king and queen of Arendelle. And this time she truly saw both of them. As they were both being saved by Ahtohalla.
"Ah-ah-ah-ah"
Anna and Elsa had walked throughout the night. And Anna was starting to get a little annoyed with Elsa's constant singing.
"Ah-ah-ah-ahh, ah-ah."
"Any luck?" Anna asked tiredly.
"No, I don't know why it is being silent right now." Elsa said as she turned to Anna.
"You did hear it when we entered the forest right?" Anna asked, making sure that arriving in the forest was not what the voice was calling for.
"No, I heard it after taming the fire Spirit." Elsa said and then she went back to her singing.
Anna sighed and looked around. She saw the fire Spirit on a rock watching Elsa and walked over to it.
"Hey little guy, you don't perhaps know of where we should go do you?" Anna asked it and it looked up at her in excitement. Anna giggled. She reached her hand down to it and the Spirit touched her palm. Instantly Anna retracted her hand as it burned her.
"Ouch!" Anna yelped and shook her hand. The Spirit looked up at her scared. Anna quickly reassured him. "It is okay, I think I should have seen that coming." Anna told him with a smile. The fire lizard then looked sad. Anna frowned and reached her hand down once more.
"Gently, this time." Anna told him and gave him an encouraging nod.
The fire Spirit took a deep breath and then slowly walked onto Anna's hands. Anna lifted him up and the two of them stared at each other.
"See, it doesn't hurt. You are very warm." Anna smiled proudly down at him, and the Spirit licked his eye happily.
Anna lifted her hand up to her shoulder and the Spirit nestled in the crook of her neck. He sniffed at her hair. Anna giggled.
"I was told my hair shines like fire sometimes." Anna said proudly and he smiled up at her. Anna lifted one of her braids and tickled his nose with the tip. The Spirit sneezed and then bit the hair and started to chew it. Anna laughed and looked back at Elsa who was wondering in circles calling out to the voice.
"Ah-ah-ah-ah. Ah-ah-ah-ahh, ah-ah."
"I think she is losing it." Anna stared blankly at her sister.
"Ah-ah, ahh-ah-ah. Ah-ah-ah-ah" Elsa sang backwards.
Anna winced and the Spirit lit on fire. Anna quickly turned her head and blew him out.
"Elsa?" Anna called out as she walked over to her sister.
"Ah-ah-ah-ah." Elsa kept singing.
"Elsa, you have to stop you are going…"
"Ah-ah… hack cough!"
"Choke." Anna finished and then proceeded to rub her sisters back.
"Why isn't this working?" Elsa asked desperately.
"Maybe we are going in the right direction and so you don't need to hear the voice?" Anna suggested.
"I would still appreciate a little reassurance." Elsa complained. "Just a little sign!" She screamed up at the sky dramatically.
"Calm down Elsa." Anna tried to reassure her sister.
"Maybe we should go back." Elsa suddenly said to Anna's surprise.
"Go back?" Anna asked as Elsa started to walk back in the direction they came from. "Why would we do that?"
"I still heard the voice after taming the fire Spirit, but I left the earth Spirits alone. It must be a test! I must tame all of the Spirits before I can go to Ahtohallan!" Elsa said desperately.
"You don't know that." Anna grabbed her sister's arm and got her to stop. "We have come all this way, we can't just go back now, we have to go forward. Arendelle is on a cliff, the Northuldran are waiting for us to free them, Kristoff is hurt, and Olaf, well Olaf is fine, but we need to hurry." Anna rambled on as she listed all of her worries.
"Easy Anna." Elsa calmed her sister. "I get it, we don't really have time to back track." Elsa thought for a bit and then smiled. "Maybe if we both called out then the voice might answer." Elsa suggested slyly.
"Try singing it backwards again, maybe this time it will help." Anna teased with a small giggle.
"Ha, ha, well what do you suggest I do?" Elsa asked her sister with a small huff.
"Why don't we ask the Spirits?" Anna quickly suggested.
"Wait, what?" Elsa turned to her sister in surprise.
"The Spirits." Anna said again. "They lived in this forest for centuries, don't you think they would know the way to where the voice is?"
"That is brilliant Anna!" Elsa said enthusiastically. She then cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted. "Gale! Are you there?! Please show us the way!"
A whistling sound could be heard and then a stream of leaves blew past them.
Anna and Elsa looked at each other and ran after it.
They ran over a pile of boulders and found themselves looking down on a shipwreck.
"Is that?" Elsa said in disbelief.
"Mother and Father's ship." Anna said in worrying confirmation.
The two sisters dashed forward in a desperation to get to the ship.
"Why is it here?" Elsa asked as they looked inside. "The only way it could have come this way is if they were traveling on the dark sea."
"I don't know." Anna said and then she remembered something. "Look for a small compartment, ships always have something that is waterproof in case it sinks."
Anna and Elsa started to search and soon Anna found a latch which revealed a capsule with a scroll inside. Anna unrolled the scroll to reveal a bunch of rune symbols.
"What language is this?" Anna asked.
"I don't know, but look, mother's handwriting." Elsa said as she pointed to the top left corner where someone had written.
"The end of the ice age." Anna read out. "The river found but lost. Magic source. Elsa's source?" Anna looked at Elsa. Elsa grabbed the parchment and stared at it. Anna realized that there was a separate scroll and rolled it out.
"It is a map." She said and started to trace the black line on it. "They traveled north and planned to cross the dark sea to…"
"Ahtohallan." Elsa finished.
"But mother said that Ahtohalla could not give people powers." Anna looked at Elsa in confusion. Elsa was not listening to her, remembering what Yelena had told her.
"Ahtohallan has all the answers to the past." Elsa whispered and then she moved and placed her hands on the ground. "The water of memory takes form in ice."
"What are you doing?" Anna asked concerned.
"I want to know what happened to them." Elsa said as she concentrated. Droplets of water seeped up out of the ships floor and gathered together and formed an ice sculptor of their parents embracing as waves crashed over them. Anna knelt down next to her sister placing her arms around her shoulders as they stared at the statue.
"Ahtohallan has to be the source of her magic." Their mother said.
"We will keep going, for Elsa." Their father said.
"The waves are too high!" Their mother cried out.
"Iduna!" Their father screamed and then all was silent.
Elsa ran away.
"Elsa!" Anna called as she ran after her. She found Elsa outside leaning over a big rock.
"They came here because of me, because they were looking for answers for me." Elsa cried.
"You are not responsible for their choices." Anna told her softly as she touched her shoulders.
"No, only their deaths." Elsa cried out as she yanked away from Anna.
"No, don't even think like that." Anna told her as she forced Elsa to face her. "Why would nature gift you with magic? Because our parents did their best to protect each other when they should have been enemies. Their good dead was rewarded with you. You are a gift, Elsa."
"For what?" Elsa asked.
"If anyone can resolve and save not just Arendelle but the forest as well, it is you!" Anna said and she meant it. "I believe in you Elsa, more than anyone or anything."
Elsa smiled gratefully and then she frowned. She walked away from Anna and came a decision. She would tell Anna the truth.
"Yelena believes that Ahtohalla is dead." Elsa confessed.
Anna looked worried. "Then who is calling you?"
"Myself." Elsa said as she turned to her sister.
"What?" Anna looked surprised as she reached out to her sister but then hesitated.
"Ahtohallan." Elsa rephrased.
"But Ahtohallan is just a glacier that holds memories." Anna said. "How is it calling you?"
"It can, if I am Ahtohalla." Elsa gently said and Anna's eyes went wide.
"But Mother said she could not give magic." Anna repeated.
"But she can pass them down." Elsa explained and Anna remembered what Grand Pabbie had told her. "She was reborn in me, that is why I can do all of the things she can do, why the Spirits are attracted to me and why I can tame them."
"Are you sure?" Anna asked her.
"No, I have to get to Ahtohallan to be sure." Elsa told her determinedly.
"Then we will go to Ahtohallan." Anna said with a reassuring smile.
Elsa just looked at her sadly. "Not we, me"
"What?"
"The dark sea is too dangerous to cross together." Elsa reasoned.
"No, no, we promised that we will do this together." Anna pleaded but Elsa was adamant.
"You said that you believed in me, so believe that I can do this." She said firmly.
"I know what I said, I just, I don't want you to just do everything by yourself, please just let me help you." Anna begged.
"I didn't even want you to be here!" Elsa shouted and Anna flinched, the fire Spirit flinched as well, inside of Anna's hood where he had crawled into. Elsa saw that she had just hurt her sister, but she refused to back down. "I cannot cross the dark sea while worrying about you." She knew it was cruel, but she could not risk Anna coming with her.
Anna stared at her in shock. Elsa took it as confirmation that she had finally realized her situation and that she was powerless amongst all of this magic. Elsa turned and started to walk away. Heading to the dark sea.
"They didn't even think about me." Anna finally said, causing Elsa to turn around in surprise.
"What?"
"Our parents." Anna began. "Even in their last moments I wasn't even in their thoughts, they were only thinking about you."
"That is not true." Elsa said but she then realized that was false.
"They never even trusted me with your secret!" Anna yelled out, tears starting to form in her eyes. "I know I am not strong or magical, and can be immature sometimes, but they never trusted me!"
"No, Anna." Elsa rushed back to her sister and grabbed her arms. Anna grabbed her back.
"Please Elsa, I want to help, please don't leave me alone again. Please don't abandon me." Anna pleaded. She knew what she was doing was wrong. She was guilt tripping her sister, but Anna had had enough. She was done with sitting on the sidelines, not being told anything, and being called useless.
"Please believe in me!"
Elsa stared at her sister, not knowing what to say.
"Grand Pabbie told me to watch over you." Anna said desperately. "He must have known that you were Ahtohalla and was worried that you would share her fate. He wanted someone to keep you safe."
Elsa stared at her in shock. "That is why you snuck onto the cart." All this time Elsa thought that Anna was just being stubborn.
"Yes." Anna said sadly and looked down. "I just don't want to lose you."
Elsa slumped her shoulders. She then lifted Anna's head up and smiled at her.
"I don't want to lose you either. All right, we will do this together." Elsa said and Anna perked up. She through her hands around Elsa's shoulders and hugged her.
"Thank you, Elsa." Anna said quietly as Elsa hugged her tightly back.
The two sisters broke apart. Anna was smiling, some tears still in her eyes. Suddenly she realized something was wrong and looked down at her feet where she saw ice forming.
"What?" Anna asked as a canoe formed under her. Elsa then stomped her foot and ice formed a pathway and the canoe slid down it, taking Anna away.
"No! Elsa!" Anna yelled as she reached out to her sister. Elsa could only look sadly down as her sister was sent away.
Anna yelled in frustration. The fire Spirit had jumped from her hood while they were sliding down the hill and now burst into flames at Anna's outburst.
"I am sorry." Anna said, but she was to distracted with trying to stop the boat to really care. She managed to pick up a stick from the ground and held it triumphantly.
"Ah ha!" She cried out and then saw a low branch up ahead and stuck the stick up in hopes of it snagging. It did the trick, and the boat went off the path of ice, but it started speeding down another hill. It then landed in the middle of a river.
"No, no, no!" Anna cried out as she tried to use her hands to pull her to shore. In her frustration Anna threw the stick at the water. "She promised! She promised that we would not shut each other out! That we would be there for each other and that we would do this together!" Anna yelled and the fire Spirit cowered away from her.
Anna realized what she had done and reached out to him.
"I'm sorry, I, I didn't mean to yell." Anna pleaded. "I didn't mean to scare you, I just…" Anna lowered her arms and slumped over.
The fire Spirit looked up at her. He slowly crawled forward and gently rubbed his head against her hand, trying to comfort her.
Anna smiled down at him and turned her hand for him to walk on and she lifted him up to her face.
"Thank you." Anna told him sincerely. "I am sorry I scared you, I wasn't yelling because I was angry at you. I just have my own problems."
The Spirit made a small growling noise like a purr. Anna knew he was trying to say it was all right and was comforting her. She bent down and gave him a small kiss on his head. The Spirit looked up at her in shock. The he smiled as small tears formed in his eyes. He then curled up in Anna's hands and his purring got louder.
Anna laughed. She looked up and gasped. The fire Spirit lifted up his head and saw what had scared her.
The earth giants were all around them.
Anna looked around. They were even bigger up close, thankfully they were asleep.
"Quiet, we don't want to wake them." Anna whispered down to the small Spirit in her hands who nodded.
Anna then saw one of the giants' head was in the river and that the canoe was headed straight for its open mouth. She quickly sat the fire Spirit down and desperately started to paddle with her hands away from the giant. The giant took a deep breath and then blew out, sending the boat around his head.
"That was close." Anna said, but when she looked forward, she saw they were headed for a cave with a water fall inside.
There was no way of escaping it, so Anna grabbed the fire Spirit and held on tightly to the side of the boat.
"Hold on!" She shouted to the Spirit, and she felt him clutch at her as she held him to her chest.
The boat went straight down and hit the bottom, submerging it a little and soaking Anna, but then bounced up, causing Anna to shake, and hit her head.
"At least, it is still floating." Anna whispered before she blacked out.
The fire Spirit crawled out of her hand. He looked down at her worried that she was unconscious. He then realized that she was shivering after being submerged in the water and was now laying on an ice boat.
He crawled down off her and curled up at her side. He then concentrated and lit himself on fire, making sure that his magic would warm her but not hurt her.
The boat drifted farther into the dark cave.
Author's Notes:
I came to the realization that the middle part of Frozen 2 is really boring. And I have no idea why! It has new characters and action scenes with Elsa and the Spirits, and two goofy songs with Olaf and Kristoff. So why does it feel like too much and nothing at all?
I think because it was all introduced and then stepped aside. We don't get to know the characters, Elsa's fights felt lack luster to me, as soon as she defeats the fire spirit it just disappears from the movie, and Kristoff and Olaf's songs felt pointless and out of place.
I tried adding just a little extra. Yelena looking at the ice statue and talking with Olaf, so we get to know her a little better.
Anna interacting with the fire spirit, and I tried to just make it adorable. I found it weird that only Elsa gets to interact with the Spirits. There is a deleted scene in which Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf are riding the Nokk. And Elsa is supposed to have tamed them so why aren't they coming along for the journey?