*Author's Note*: The name of the story is "Frozen 2.5" but the site doesn't allow periods in titles for some reason. There are original illustrations that go along with each chapter of this story, however I'm unable to add images to chapters. If you want the full story experience, I recommend reading the pdf version of the story, which is available on my blog here (replace |dot| with "."): yumeka36|dot|tumblr|dot|com/648209143723917312/frozen-25-complete-edition

"Are you sure you have what you need?" Anna asked. Clyde ran his hand along the freshly painted wood of the caravan.

"Oh yes, this is more than I could have asked for."

They were standing with Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf in Arendelle's village, at the end of the bridge leading to the castle courtyard. Anna looked around with fond reminisce, recalling the day she'd presented a new sled to Kristoff at this same spot.

Elsa's brow furrowed slightly. "I'm sorry we couldn't replace all the ingredients for your medicines."

"Oh, no, I have plenty to get started!" Clyde assured. "All that ice you gave me will last a long time. And Stein and Bulda just gave me some fresh mushrooms from the troll valley. Oh, and Yelena helped me find a whole batch of lichen in the forest the other day, more than enough for a few jars of Fate's Mercy. I just have to find the other ingredients now." He pulled out a notebook from the satchel that hung on the shoulder of his new green vest. "I've already started jotting down all the recipes I can remember in a new notebook. It'll take a while, but eventually I'll discover all the ingredients again."

As he slipped the notebook back into the satchel, a hint of regret creased his face. "Are you sure you don't need me to stay a little longer?"

"Oh, don't worry about it at all!" Anna waved her hands reassuringly. "You gave Kai and Mattias more than enough information about the guards. They'll all get their fair trials. But it does seem like most of them really didn't know how bad Marjorie was."

Kristoff winked at Clyde. "We can take care of everything from here on."

"You do what you need to do," Elsa added. "You're free now."

Clyde felt a cry of joy start to push against his throat. He gulped and suppressed it, trying to hold back the tears that were welling in his eyes. "I-I don't know how I can thank all of you…for everything."

"I'd say it was an equal exchange," Anna replied with a gentle smile. "It's because you held onto that memory about the trolls, and were so brave to stand up against Marjorie, that you not only saved your own people, but Arendelle too, and all the other kingdoms Marjorie would have attacked."

"Y-Yes, I guess that's true," Clyde stuttered, unused to getting such praise. He cleared his throat and stood up straight. "Well, I guess I'll be going now. I'm not sure how long my journey will last, but I…"

Before he could finish, Anna and Elsa pulled him into a warm, tender hug. He stiffened up, unsure of how to react. After a moment, he felt his body relax and he graciously returned their embrace. He realized that this was the first time in his life anyone held him with true love.

"I'll miss you, Fritz," Olaf whimpered, petting the puzzled ox on his front leg. He wiggled his stick fingers through Fritz's short, white fur. "Our colors matched so well!"

"We'll be back to visit someday, don't worry." Clyde patted Olaf on the side of his head.

"Take care, Clyde," Elsa said.

"Your work is going to help so many people," Anna added.

As Clyde climbed onto the wooden seat on the front of the caravan, Kristoff gave him a friendly nudge on the arm. "And don't let anyone push you around anymore."

Clyde nodded. "I won't."

Clyde flicked Fritz's reins, and the ox began plodding down the streets of Arendelle, pulling the caravan towards the woods that lay beyond. As it disappeared into the distance, a sudden gasp from Kristoff caught everyone's attention.

"Oh, no, I almost forgot!" he exclaimed. He ran his hand nervously through his hair. "I have wagon riding, like, now!"

"I want to come!" Olaf jumped up and clung onto Kristoff's shoulder.

Kristoff turned to Anna and Elsa as he started heading down the street. "Do you guys want to come, too?"

"Actually, we have plans," Anna replied, glancing at Elsa's agreeing smile.

Kristoff nodded, then continued running down the street with Olaf bouncing on his shoulder. As they got farther away, Olaf's rambling and Kristoff's patient reply could be heard through the bustling village.

"How about this time, you stick my head at the top of Sven's antlers, and my stomach and feet at the bottom? Then I can get the highest breeze right in my face!"

"Sure, Olaf, sure."

A few feet away, Nokk was standing under one of the street lamps by the side of the bridge, anxiously pawing at the ground. A little girl came running down the bridge from the other side. She stopped and stared at his glistening coat of ice.

"Pretty horsie!"

She reached her hand out to touch him, only to recoil in fear when he stomped his hoof hard on the ground. She quickly ran back to her mother on the other side of the bridge.

"Hey, behave yourself," Elsa scolded as she and Anna came up next to him. "We really need to work on your social skills." Nokk lowered his head and gave a disgruntled neigh.

Anna squinted when she noticed a small box made of ice strapped to his neck. Elsa's signature snowflake design glittered on its side. "What's in there?" she asked.

"You'll see," Elsa replied with a grin.

As they both climbed onto Nokk, Anna shivered when her bottom touched his frozen back. "Oh! I think I'm getting used to it…but it's still cold!"

"We won't be riding long," Elsa said as the water spirit began trotting through the streets.

The sisters smiled as they observed the day's events in the kingdom. Near the large grove beyond the main village, several Arendellians were sawing and hammering on the wooden frameworks of newly constructed houses. Nearby, some of the Dyrankians were hauling pieces of steel that had been stripped off the salamander and were now being used for the construction. Samuel and one of the blacksmiths were standing close by, overseeing the work. On the other side of the kingdom, Anna caught a glimpse of Rolf running and giggling down the street with a group of children while their parents watched. She felt an even stronger pang of happiness when she noticed one of them was Northuldra.

As Nokk exited the kingdom towards the northern woods, they saw Kristoff and his wagon off in the distance. Olaf's head was inserted into the tip of Sven's antlers and his mouth was open in glee as the wind blew against his face. Two families with a couple of kids were seated inside the wagon. Elsa's smile widened when she recognized one of the kids. He was from the group of children she had encountered when she visited Arendelle the day she first heard about Dyrankia–the one who had expressed that his parents didn't trust the Northuldra.

"Did that one guy decide to live in the forest?" Anna asked as they passed the last section of Arendelle farmland. "'Henrick,' was it?"

Elsa nodded. "Yes, the Northuldra helped him build a home for his family near the river…not that they needed help, since they're a family of carpenters. I guess after I saved him back at Dyrankia, he fell in love with my ice magic," she replied with a giggle.

"You know," Anna said, tucking back a loose strand of hair on her head. "I was thinking about what you told me, the thing that Father said about something good coming out of something bad." She gazed behind them at Arendelle, which was now farther on the horizon and obscured behind the woodland trees. "I think I understand it a little better now."

Elsa smiled. "Me too."

As the path of trees began to disperse into rows of jagged cliffs and mossy rocks, Anna realized where they were. "Is this the troll valley?"

"This was Stein's idea, actually," Elsa explained. "I think he feels bad that he's been so rude to everyone, so he wanted to do something nice for us."

"You're here!"

Nokk slowed down when Bulda jumped into their path. She looked up at them with eager eyes. "We've been waiting. Everything is ready."

Anna could feel her curiosity getting stronger. "Ready for what, exactly?"

Ahead of them, Pabbie was leaning over a pile of stones and crystals that appeared to be laid out in a specific, magical pattern. He was with a group of other elder trolls, all standing in a circle around the pattern. Stein was standing off to the side, watching them intently.

"I'm not sure if this is going to work." Elsa's tone was noticeably serious as she and Anna slid off of Nokk's back. She removed the ice box that was strapped to his neck and tucked it in her arm. "Even though I haven't figured out how to bring you to Ahtohallan, I can at least bring some of Ahtohallan to you…and even more than that."

Anna's curiosity deepened. "What do you mean?"

Pabbie cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "When the magic of the past–Ahtohallan, combines with the magic of futures untold–ancient troll magic, the forces are strong enough to reach beyond our physical world, to a world where the line between past and future is blurred–the spirit world."

"Spirit world?" Anna repeated, trying to guess where Pabbie was going.

"Of course, there are many factors involved," he continued. "Such as the alignment of the stars, the phases of the moon, and other aspects of nature that affect the strength of our troll magic. But…" He smiled and raised his hands. Glints of magic began swirling around his fingers. "I believe today may be a good day."

Elsa held out the ice box and fondly ran her hand over the lid. "I spent a long time gathering the strongest memories I could find in Ahtohallan and condensing them into a burst of magic…memories of Mother and Father, that is."

"Mother and…" Anna gasped, her voice breaking before she could finish her sentence. "We could see…Mother and Father?"

Elsa sensed Anna's overwhelming emotions and put a hand on her shoulder. "Not just 'see,' 'meet.'"

"It may not work, so please don't get your hopes up," Pabbie warned. "But even if we elder trolls carry it out, Stein gets the credit for the idea."

Stein stood as tall as he could on his stubby legs and puffed out his chest. "You can thank me later," he said. Then, more uncertainly, "If it works, that is."

Pabbie nodded towards the other gathered trolls. "Let's begin."

All the trolls raised their hands as spiraling swirls of purple, yellow, and green lights danced around their fingertips. The crystals on the ground began to tremble and surge with bright light that merged into the light surrounding the trolls. The lights converged towards the sky before shrinking and expanding into brilliant arrays of colors that pulsed in the sky above. Elsa took a steady breath, then opened the lid of the box. A shining blast of ice magic burst out, almost knocking her back as it rushed towards the lights in the sky, leaving a trail of blue and purple elemental crystals glittering behind it. The two magical energies pivoted around each other in a turbulent display of light and ice particles. Finally, they became fully blended and soared over the valley before diving onto the surface of a small pond beyond the nearby cliffs.

Everyone stared in anticipation at the rippling surface of the pond. Elsa glanced at Pabbie for direction. When she saw his calm nod, she knew what to do next. She took Anna's hand and led her to the edge of the pond. They held their breath as they stared at the water. After what seemed like ages, Elsa began to think about the painful words she'd have to say about their plan being a failure. Suddenly, particles of magic appeared above the pond's surface, sprinkling down like dazzling dust. Elsa felt her heart pounding when she saw familiar shapes and features appear, floating above the water. She heard a choked cry from Anna, but could barely react as the splitting images of her parents, King Agnarr and Queen Iduna, stood before her. She felt tears brimming in her eyes. These were not the autonomous snow figures from Ahtohallan that she was so familiar with–these were the literal spirits of her parents, colorless and transparent, but real.

A warm smile immediately spread across Iduna's face. She reached out and caressed Elsa's cheek with one hand and Anna's with the other. Tears were already streaming down Anna's face as she lovingly ran her hand along Iduna's arm. Even though she could pass her hand through it, she could feel its warmth. Elsa tried to stand still to suppress the sobs that were rising in her body. She felt Agnarr run his gentle fingers through her hair. Her mind suddenly raced back to the shipwreck she had found in the forest, when she'd discovered that her parents had gone on a journey to find answers about her powers…a journey that had taken their lives. She closed her eyes as a tear tickled her cheek. She knew she couldn't hold it in any longer. She let out sob that shook her whole body, bringing her to her knees.

"I-I'm sorry," she cried. "If only I had learned to control my powers sooner, you wouldn't have had to…"

Before she could finish, she felt Agnarr's hand slowly lift her head up. "No, Elsa." His baritone voice sounded both close and distant. "I'm sorry…for not understanding." He turned to Anna. Even though her eyes were clouded with tears, she could see the deep, pained expression on his handsome face. He laid his hand on her head and stroked it down through the tears on her cheek. "If only we had realized that love, not fear, was the answer, we wouldn't have robbed both of you of a childhood…and a sisterhood."

Anna felt her nose starting to leak and sniffed as hard as she could. "I-It's not your fault. Y-You just did…what you thought was best."

Iduna put her hands on the sisters' arms and pulled them slightly closer. "But even in spite of our blunders," she said, her velvet voice echoing in the still valley, "you were both able to not only become sisters again, but so much more."

She closed her eyes and smiled. A shallow breeze blew by the pond, but her hair and clothes remained still. "One of the last things I saw was a vision from Ahtohallan, of two beautiful women together…and happy. I wasn't sure what it meant, but now I know. It was a memory from the future…your future." She rubbed Elsa's tear-stained face. "My dear Elsa. Your gift has saved my people…our people. And will help so many more to come."

She smiled and reached out her hand towards Anna. Anna took it in her own and held it close as another cry pushed through her chest. Iduna's soothing voice continued, "And Anna, our beautiful queen who always knows the right thing to do. If only we had known sooner just how powerful your love is. A love that can thaw a frozen heart…and restore peace between lands."

Iduna and Agnarr's forms suddenly began to fade, becoming nearly invisible lines against the pale gray of the surrounding cliffs. Anna and Elsa could hear Pabbie mutter to the other trolls, "The magic is wearing off." Even though their parents had almost fully disappeared, they could hear their voices echo against the cliffs and send small ripples in the pond.

"Take care of each other, and all those dear to you," Agnarr's voice said.

"We love you both, always," Iduna's voice followed.

A hush fell over the pond again. Elsa was still on her knees, staring at the stony ground that was wet with her teardrops. She tried to suppress another sob as Anna knelt down next to her and laid her head against hers. Stein rushed over to the side of the pond, his face full of concern.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you so much. Maybe this was a bad idea."

"No." Anna wiped her nose with her sleeve. "This was the nicest present anyone could have given me. Thank you so much, Stein." She turned to Elsa and wiped a tear from her cheek. "And thank you, too, Elsa."

Elsa slowly lifted her head to face Anna, her eyes puffy and still rimmed with tears. Finally, she smiled and nodded.

The stars above the Enchanted Forest shone like miniature suns against the dark blanket of sky. As a cool breeze rattled the leaves on the tree branches, Anna leaned back against the earth giant she was sitting on. He gave a low grunt and shifted his weight slightly.

"Hey, settle down." Elsa was sitting beside Anna behind the giant's head. She patted her hand against the rocky surface. "You're going to have to hold still for longer than this for the migration next week. Better get used to it." The giant gave another grunt, but kept still.

"Feeling better?" Anna asked Elsa as she relaxed again.

"Yeah," Elsa replied.

Anna gazed at the twinkling stars and reached her hand towards the sky. "The stars really are beautiful from up here. They're beautiful in Arendelle, too, of course. Kristoff and I sometimes stargaze on the castle roof."

"You do other things on the roof, too?" Elsa teased.

Anna gave her a playful nudge on the arm. "Maybe."

Elsa's expression grew serious again as she looked up at the blanket of stars. "I know this might sound strange, but with everything that happened with Marjorie, I couldn't help but see similarities…between her and me."

Anna sat up and looked at Elsa, her face full of puzzlement. "What do you mean?"

"I just mean that, if things in my life had been different. If Mother and Father weren't the way they were…if they were more like Marjorie's parents. And if you didn't do the things you did, I could have become…like her. It's like she was…my shadow."

Anna put her hand on Elsa's. Deep earnestness shone in her eyes. "You could never be like her. I definitely wouldn't allow it!"

Elsa smiled at Anna's sincerity. Her tone grew soft again as another thought passed through her mind. "I told Yelena that I still wasn't sure what a fifth spirit is. Even though I used my powers for what they were supposed to do–correct the wrongs of the past, I'm still here, with them. I know right now we're working together to get Arendelle and the Northuldra to like each other again…and I still need to mend the bond between the spirits and the Northuldra. But then what? There must be something more…and I think I'm beginning to understand what that is, especially after what Mother said." She leaned back and felt the breeze sway through her hair before turning back to Anna. "There are probably other Dyrankias out there, and my magic may be able to help save them, and Arendelle, and the forest…from other Marjories."

Anna didn't respond right away, taking a moment to soak in everything Elsa had said. Finally, an affirming smile spread across her face. "In that case, I better make sure I become an expert queen as soon as possible, so I can help you!"

"You're already a wonderful queen," Elsa said. She placed an affectionate hand on Anna's arm. "If you hadn't made the connection between Clyde and the trolls, we never would have defeated Marjorie. Even I didn't think of that. You saved all of us, just like you did by destroying the dam. Only an expert queen has that kind of intuition."

Anna could feel her heart swelling with happiness from Elsa's words. Elsa looked back at the sky as the fading clouds revealed a sliver of moon above the swaying tree branches. "What I do know about being the bridge is what I told you before–that it has two sides. No matter what happens, I'll need you to be part of it." She smiled and put her hand on Anna's. Anna returned her smile with one as bright as the stars above.

"You'll always have me."