Disclaimer:
The Mad Doctor claims no ownership to the Kingdom Hearts franchise. It belongs to Disney and Square Enix.
Notes from the Mad Doctor:
Greetings readers! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter posted. Between a few personal issues and this one being a bit of struggle to write, I really had to take my time with this one. Anyway, this chapter will set the stage for Arendelle's upcoming big fight scene. Enjoy!
Chapter 20: To the North Mountain
Arendelle
A short while later, after getting herself dressed, Kairi paced back and forth around the room, racking her brain for any possible explanation for last night's unexpected show. Pluto watched from his spot on the bed.
"I just can't understand it, Pluto. How was I able to see one of Sora's memories? I mean, I've had many dreams about him since he was lost. But none of them were about things that actually happened. Why am I having them now?" she asked.
Pluto just gave a shrug of his shoulders and a whimper to indicate he had no idea either. Kairi sighed and sat down on the bed next to him.
"Do you think maybe I was supposed to learn something from that memory? But if so, then what was it? When I returned to the Islands, Chirithy filled all of us in about what happened in that world when Sora was trying to save me. So, if there was nothing in that memory that I didn't already know, then what was the point of even showing it to me?" asked Kairi holding her head in her hands.
Pluto whimpered and pawed at her shoulder. Kairi gave a small smile while she put her arm around her canine companion and stroked his back.
"I know you can't possibly have the answers, Pluto. But thanks for listening anyway. It's just not easy having so many unanswered questions while we're on this quest. Between the Wayfinder, the woman in my dreams who gave it to me, and the Memento Card from Never Land, I just don't think I can handle any more mysteries."
'It's times like these I wish I could go to someone wiser than me like Master Yen Sid, Merlin or Ansem the Wise. But, besides the fact that I can't get to their worlds from here, they'd probably just tell Riku and the others and then I'd be dragged back home to the Islands. I really am on my own here.'
Just then, there was a knock on the door followed by an elderly female voice who said, "Miss Kairi? The queen and the princess were wondering if you've awoken yet. They're awaiting you in the dining hall for breakfast."
"I have, Gerda. Please tell them I'll be there soon," responded Kairi.
"Of course," said Gerda's voive as the sound of her footsteps walking away were heard outside the door.
Kairi let out a large sigh. "Actually Pluto, watching that memory did get me thinking about something regarding Anna and Elsa. In fact, it's actually something that's been on my mind ever since we were preparing to face Xehanort."
Pluto looked at her in confusion. But he gestured for her to continue.
Kairi rose to her feet and faced the dog. "In the memory, Sora mentioned that we fought against Xehanort and the Organization even though it was what he wanted to happen in order to keep them from going after Anna, Elsa and the other new Princesses of Heart. But I've been wondering for the longest time if we could've done a little more than that. Like maybe warning them about the danger they could be in. Or even gathering them all together and bringing them to somewhere they might be safe."
Pluto gave a yelp of surprise in response. Kairi gestured for him to be quiet.
"I know. I know. If the others were here, they'd probably give me a big lecture about how those ideas would be a major violation of the world order. And yes, I admit I did say differently to you last night after Elsa left. But I can't help it. It just doesn't seem right to keep the other Princesses in the dark like this. There could be others like Maleficent and Xehanort out there and I hate to think of what might happen to the Princesses and their worlds if they come after them especially since they would have no idea why. Personally, after everything I've been through, I'd certainly want to know of any potential threats that might come after me regardless of the rules," stated Kairi.
Kairi let out another sigh before she continued, "I don't know, Pluto. If it were truly up to me, I'd tell Anna, Elsa and the rest of the new Princesses of Heart everything. And I'm sure if Sora was here, he'd probably agree with me. Do you think I'm wrong for wanting to do this?"
Pluto considered Kairi's words. Ever since his master had taken up the Keyblade, he too knew how important preserving the world order was. But, at the same time, he had to concede that Kairi was making some good points. Unable to give a definite answer to his friend, he simply gave an uncertain shrug.
Suddenly, a loud roar rang through the room causing Kairi and Pluto to jump. It sounded as if it was coming from outside. Kairi rushed to the window and parted the curtains. She gasped in shock.
Her window looked out into the courtyard. And currently squeezing through the gates was a giant monster that looked like it was made of snow. It had claws made of ice and protrusions of ice coming out from its knees. Its face was composed of two empty holes for eyes and a large wide mouth that was the source of the roars.
"Pluto! There's some kind of monster outside! It might be a Heartless after Anna and Elsa! We've got to fight it off!"
Quickly, she opened the window and climbed onto the sill. She quickly leapt to the ground with Pluto landing shortly beside her.
The snow monster had just finished pushing through the gates. It was now lumbering across the courtyard towards the doors. So far, it hadn't noticed Kairi and Pluto
'I may have failed with Sora. But I will not fail to keep Anna and Elsa safe!' Kairi thought as she summoned her Keyblade and pointed it at a spot on the ground between the snow monster and the doors.
"Fire!" shouted Kairi as she shot a fireball from her Keyblade. It struck the ground right in front of the snow monster. It roared in fright.
Taking advantage, Kairi and Pluto charged in and stood in front of the doors. They struck defensive poses before the snow monster.
"Back off, you beast! If you're looking to hurt Anna and Elsa, then you're going to have to go through us first!" she yelled with Pluto barking in accompaniment.
The snow monster let out an enraged roar as it raised it's claw in preparation to swipe it at Kairi and Pluto. The girl raised her Keyblade to meet the oncoming attack.
But just as the snow monster was about to attack, it stopped. Its empty eyes gazed at Kairi's Keyblade. A look of what seemed to be recognition crossed its face.
"Sora?" it bellowed.
Kairi's eyes opened wide in surprise upon hearing what the snow monster had just said. She lowered her Keyblade as she and Pluto both glanced up to the snow monster in confusion.
"What did you say?" asked Kairi.
"Kairi, if you wanted to play with Marshmallow, you could've waited until after breakfast. That way, we could all play together."
Kairi looked behind her right to see Olaf walking toward them. Oddly, he didn't seem too concerned that there was a giant monster in their presence.
As he walked past her, the snowman's eyes fell on Kairi's Keyblade and he gasped in surprise. "Oh! Sora has one of those too! Only not as flowery."
Olaf walked up to the snow monster and hugged its leg. Kairi's and Pluto's jaws dropped in surprise.
"So good to see you here, little brother!" Olaf said joyfully.
Kairi's surprise increased. "Little brother?!" she exclaimed in disbelief.
"Oh, I guess you two must've started playing with each other so quickly, you didn't properly introduce yourselves. Allow me," said Olaf as he clutched onto one of the snow monster's claws and led him up to Kairi. The snow monster hesitantly walked alongside him.
"Kairi, Pluto, I'd like you to meet my little brother, Marshmallow. Marshmallow, this is Kairi and her dog Pluto," said Olaf.
Kairi unsummoned her Keyblade and hesitantly held out her hand to Marshmallow's claw. "Uh, nice to meet you, Marshmallow," she said unsurely.
Much to her surprise, Marshmallow regarded her with uncertainty. 'I guess I can't really blame him. I did almost attack him.'
"Now don't be shy, Marshmallow. Kairi's very nice. She's actually a very close friend of Sora's," said the smaller snowman whispering the last sentence.
A small smile came to the giant's face. He placed the tip of his claw into Kairi's palm allowing her to shake it.
Kairi returned his smile before it was replaced by concern. "Olaf, doesn't he feel a little moist?"
Olaf glanced at his stick hand and took note of the moisture now on it. "Not to worry, Kairi. All Elsa needs to do is give him a flurry of his own and he'll be okay for his visit."
Kairi gazed at the giant snowman. Now that he wasn't creating an uproar, he looked like he was a pretty gentle giant.
Although, there was one feature of Marshmallow that disconcerted her. She noticed several holes scattered around his body. They almost looked like battle scars.
"Olaf! Kairi!" exclaimed Anna's voice.
Kairi turned and saw Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Sven approaching. Behind them was a crowd composed of the castle staff. All of them seemed to be concerned with Marshmallow's presence.
"Anna! Elsa! Marshmallow came to visit us!" exclaimed Olaf.
Anna looked at all the holes over Marshmallow's body and gasped. "What happened to him? Why does he look so roughed up?"
"You mean he doesn't look like that normally?" asked Kairi causing Anna to shake her head in response.
Olaf finally noticed the holes himself and his eyes opened wide. "Oh! I'm sorry, little brother! I was so happy to see you; I didn't notice you were hurt. Elsa, can you help him?" he asked worriedly.
"Don't worry, Olaf. I'll take care of this," said Elsa as she waved her hands. Her ice magic travelled from her hands and flowed around Marshmallow. The holes filled up with new snow as he let out a sigh of relief.
"And just to make sure he doesn't melt while he's down here," said Elsa as she conjured a larger version of Olaf's snow flurry above the giant snowman.
"There! That's better! Now you'll be nice and cool for your visit down here," said Olaf.
"Something tells me he didn't come here for a visit, Olaf. Look how distressed he looks," said Kairi.
"Kairi's right. And even if he wanted to visit, Marshmallow knows that shouldn't come down from the North Mountain when it's not winter," said Kristoff.
Before any of them could press the matter further, they heard from behind them say, "I heard the uproar and saw everyone running out. What ever is the matter?"
Everyone turned behind them to see the Duke of Weselton making his way through the crowd. Upon seeing Marshmallow, he gasped in surprise.
"Oh my! Erik and Francis told me of your larger snowman that guarded your ice palace, Queen Elsa. But to see it in person is quite a sight indeed. But why on earth has it come here?" inquired the Duke.
"Marshmallow is not an 'it', Your Grace. He is a he and I'm sure he would prefer that you referred to him as such," snapped Anna causing the Duke to back off in surprise.
"Anna, don't be rude," chided Elsa before turning to the Duke. "You'll have to forgive my sister, Your Grace. Marshmallow's unexpected appearance is causing all of us a little concern."
"Oh no. It was an error on my behalf. I meant no offense to er Marshmallow. Please accept my apology, Princess Anna," said the Duke.
Anna looked as if she was ready to lash out again at the Duke. But a look of warning from both Elsa and Kristoff made her reconsider.
She took a deep breath and said, "It's fine, Your Grace. Now if you'll excuse us, we need to find out why Marshmallow is here. You may continue on your returning home."
Elsa, in the meantime, addressed the rest of the crowd. "You can all return to your duties. My sister and I will attend to this matter," she said as the crowd heeded her words and returned to the palace.
Anna turned her attention back to Marshmallow. "Marshmallow, not that we don't like seeing you, but why are you here? You know Arendelle isn't safe for you during the spring."
Marshmallow gave an apologetic look. "Chased! From palace!" he cried causing everyone's eyes to open up in surprise.
"Chased? What on earth would an immense creature such as him run away from?" asked the Duke's voice.
Anna turned back to the Duke who had stopped shortly of entering the palace. She shot him a deadly glare causing him to cower slightly.
"Uh right. You were probably about to find that out. I'll just return to my preparations to leave. Forgive my interruption," said the Duke as he turned around and walked quickly back into the palace finally leaving the group alone in the courtyard.
'Boy, if looks could kills, the Duke would be dead right where he stood. But as much as I hate to agree with him, he is right. Marshmallow looks like something others would run from, not the other way around,' thought Kairi.
"Marshmallow, who chased you?" asked Elsa.
"People! With fire!" groaned Marshmallow who looked almost traumatized just mentioning it.
"Oh no. No wonder you ran," said Olaf as he hugged his brother's leg.
Kairi regarded the giant snowman with sympathy. 'The poor thing! He must've been terrified! And I just had to shoot a Fire spell to get his attention,' she thought with regret.
Kairi approached the giant snowman and grabbed onto one of his giant hands. She gave it a reassuring rub. "I'm really sorry, Marshmallow. If I knew who you were, I wouldn't have tried to attack you."
Marshmallow was surprised at the sudden gesture of comfort. But he gave a grunt of thanks.
"Why would anyone chase Marshmallow out of the ice palace?" asked Anna.
"I don't know. Maybe they were seeking shelter in the mountain and found the ice palace. They may have assumed he was dangerous, and they ended up in a fight. A fight that they apparently won," said Kristoff.
"That's not very nice. Marshmallow would've probably let them stay with him if they had just asked nicely," said Olaf.
"Yes. But unfortunately, Olaf, not everyone knows Marshmallow as well as we do," said Kristoff.
"Well, whoever they are, we can't let them get away with treating him like this. I say we march right up to the North Mountain and demand an explanation from them," said Anna pounding a fist into her palm.
"Now, Anna, let's not do anything too rash. We have to think this through," said Elsa.
"What's there to think about? There's a group of people in your ice palace who attacked our friend. He was probably lucky to get out of there alive. We can't just do nothing," said Anna.
"I never said we were going to do nothing. I'll travel up to the North Mountain and try to negotiate with them. It may just be a misunderstanding and we can resolve this peacefully," said the queen.
"But what if it's not a misunderstanding? What if these people are dangerous? I'm not letting you go up there alone if they are. Certainly not without me or the boys," said Anna with Kristoff, Sven and Olaf nodding in agreement. Marshmallow nodded too although he looked a little hesitant.
"Anna, no. With my powers, I can protect myself from whatever might happen up there. Besides, if we all go, then no one's going to be able to help Kairi search for Sora," Elsa said.
Anna gasped in realization. She turned around to face Kairi. "Oh, Kairi! I'm so sorry! We're supposed to be helping you today," said the princess apologetically.
"You know what, Anna? It can wait," said Kairi bluntly to everyone's surprise.
"But Kairi, what about Sora? Don't you want to start looking for him?" asked Olaf.
"More than anything. But who knows how long it will be before we actually find anything? We should deal with this right now," said Kairi.
Anna's surprise increased. "We? You mean…"
"Yes. If you're going up to this ice palace, then you can count on me to help you out," stated Kairi as Pluto barked to show his desire to help as well.
"I don't know, Kairi. I don't want to put you in danger," said Elsa.
Kairi held out her hand and summoned Destiny's Embrace. "I think I can handle any kind of danger."
Everyone gasped in surprise. "You have one of those giant keys too! Just like Sora!" exclaimed Anna.
"Yes, she does. I saw it earlier before all of you came into the courtyard. You know, there must be some pretty big doors somewhere for these big keys," said Olaf.
"I watched Sora use his to fight off the Heartless with Donald and Goofy. It was amazing what he could do with it," said Elsa as she looked at the Keyblade.
"If you've seen what he can do with his, Elsa, then you know that like him, I'm not going to stay behind when there's a wrong to be righted," said Kairi.
"Kairi, are you sure?" asked Elsa.
Kairi smiled at the queen. "I am. The most important thing that we do right now is get Marshmallow his home back. Sora would do the same thing if he were here now."
"I can see why you and Sora are such good friends. You're both so helpful," said Olaf.
"Indeed. Thank you, Kairi," said Anna gratefully before turning to her sister. "Elsa, we know you just want to keep us all safe. It's always been one of your best qualities. But that doesn't mean you have to do everything by yourself. I believe that with all we have to offer, we can pull this off. And if Kairi's willing to put her search for Sora on hold to help out, the least you can do is accept it."
Elsa gazed at everyone around her hesitantly. Throughout most of her life, she dreaded any harm coming to the people she loved especially Anna. But she had to admit that her sister was right. With so many willing to help, including their newest friend, it would be wrong to decline.
Finally, the queen let out a sigh and smiled at her sister. "I guess I'm really outnumbered on this one. You win. Kristoff, can you get your sled ready to go?"
"Right away, Elsa. Let's go, Sven," said Kristoff as he and the reindeer dashed off to the stable.
"Come on, Kairi. If we're going up to the North Mountain, you're going to need some warmer clothes," said Anna.
"Do you think you have anything that'll fit me?" asked Kairi.
"I'm sure we can find something," said Anna as she took Kairi by the hand and led her back into the palace with Pluto following behind leaving Elsa and Olaf alone with Marshmallow.
"Don't worry, Marshmallow. We'll get your home back. Right, Elsa?" asked Olaf as he petted his brother's hand.
"We'll see, Olaf. Hopefully, whoever chased him out can be reasoned with," said Elsa worriedly.
A short while later, everyone who was going up to the North Mountain was gathered around Kristoff's sled to which Sven was hitched up. Anna was dressed in the winter clothes that she had got at Oaken's during Elsa's winter. Kristoff was in his ice harvesting outfit and Elsa remained in her snow gown.
"Are those clothes you found comfortable for you, Kairi?" Elsa asked the princess of heart who was now dressed in a brown winter outfit complete with boots and gloves.
"They are a little big, but it'll do. I will admit, I'm not used to wearing something like this. Where I come from, the weather doesn't usually require clothing this warm," said Kairi.
"Well, at least you're better dressed for cold weather than Sora was when he was here," said Elsa.
"Yeah. I can imagine he probably was pretty vocal in his complaints about freezing. But Elsa, don't you want to dress a little more warmly?" asked Kairi gesturing to the queen's apparently flimsy gown that one probably wouldn't normally wear in the cold.
"You don't need to worry about me. The cold never bothered me anyway," said Elsa.
"Yes. And you won't believe how many times she's made that point," said Anna causing Elsa to chuckle.
Kairi smiled. It looked like Anna and Elsa were on their way to getting over their conflict.
"We'd better get going if we want to make it up to the North Mountain and back before dark," said Kristoff.
"Can Sven make it in that time, Kristoff?" asked Kairi.
"Oh yes. I'm pretty strong and you will not believe how fast I can go," said Kristoff in his Sven voice causing Kairi to laugh.
"At least you won't have to carry Marshmallow with us in the sled. He'd definitely slow you down," said the Princess of Heart gazing up at the giant snowman who had Olaf sitting on top of his head.
"Oh, he doesn't mind walking. And I'll be right up here so he won't get lonely," said Olaf giving his brother a pat on the head to which he let out a grunt.
"Let's get going, everyone. We've got some bad guys to chase out of the ice palace so we can get Marshmallow his home back!" exclaimed Anna.
Everyone boarded the sled. Kristoff sat up front at the reins with Anna at his side. Kairi climbed into the back with Elsa and Pluto.
But just as Kristoff was about to command Sven to leave, a voice from the palace called out, "Queen Elsa! Princess Anna!"
Everyone turned toward the doors. To their surprise, the Duke of Weselton was running toward them with a pair of guards following close behind.
'Now what does he want?' thought Kairi.
Once the trio had reached the sled and stopped, one of the guards said, "I'm sorry, Your Majesties. We were about to escort him back to his ship. But he ran away from us."
Elsa rose to her feet, walked to the edge of the sled and gazed at the Duke. "Your Grace, one of the terms of your visit was that you were to be escorted by the guards at all times and only go where you were supposed to," she said sternly.
"I know and forgive my violation, Your Highness. But in light of the circumstances, there is something I feel I need to ask you," pleaded the Duke.
Anna was about to say something until Kristoff gently grabbed her by the arm. "Let Elsa handle this," he whispered.
"Very well. What is it?" asked the queen.
"I know this may be too much to ask of you and I know I have no right to ask in the first place. But I humbly request to accompany you on your journey to the North Mountain," said the Duke causing everyone's to shoot open with shock.
'Why would he want to come with us?' thought Kairi.
It seemed Elsa shared the same train of thought with Kairi. "Your Grace, why do you wish to come along?"
"Because if those ruffians that chased your giant are anything like I used to be, then perhaps I could be of assistance to you in persuading them of their error. You both could consider it part of my atonement for my offenses against you."
"Your Grace, the best way you can atone to both of us for your offenses is to let the guards escort you to your ship and return to Weselton. We are all perfectly capable of dealing with whoever is in the ice palace without any need for your assistance. Right, Elsa?" asked Anna.
Much to Anna's surprise, Elsa didn't seem to agree. In fact, it almost looked like she was actually taking the Duke's request into consideration.
Anna gasped in horror as she rose to her feet and faced her sister. "Elsa, no! Letting him come along is going way too far!" she exclaimed.
"Anna, please think about this. He's abided by all our conditions during his visit here and up to now, he hasn't asked anything of us. In light of that, I think maybe we should allow him to come with us," said Elsa before leaning toward Anna and whispering to her sister, "This is still about keeping things civil between our homelands. It would be foolish to jeopardize that now."
Anna looked like she wanted to scream. She looked over to Kristoff who held up his hands indicating he didn't want to get involved in this.
Anna looked to Kairi. All the Princess of Heart could do was give a shrug showing she had no idea of what to do either.
"Errgh! Fine! You can come along, Your Grace," said Anna begrudgingly before shooting her sister a glare. 'But if you're waiting for me to like it, you'll be waiting for a very long time.'
"Oh, thank you so much, Princess. I promise you that you will not regret this, and I will do everything I can to assist you all in your endeavor. I also look forward to seeing this fabulous ice palace of yours," said the Duke.
"Oh, you're going to love seeing it. It's quite a work of art, Mr. Weasel Town," said Olaf.
The Duke's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "It's Wesel…," he nearly shouted before catching himself and clearing his throat. "I mean, I'm sure it is."
"Well, if you're coming with us, then climb on in," said Anna as she climbed off the sled.
"Anna, where are you going?" asked Elsa.
"To ride with Olaf," she said curtly.
Kairi watched Anna walk up to the giant snowman. Marshmallow gently picked up Anna in his hand and raised her up to his shoulder allowing her to climb on top of him.
Kairi let out a sigh. 'Just when it seemed that everything was about to be fixed between them, this had to happen.'
"Elsa, I'm going to ride with her and Olaf. Maybe I can calm her down," said Kairi.
"Thank you, Kairi," said Elsa as she climbed up front to sit next to Kristoff.
Kairi was about to climb out of the sled just as the Duke entered through the back. "Oh! I don't believe we've had a proper introduction, young lady. The Duke of Weselton, at your service," said the Duke with a bow causing the rear half of his wig to flop forward.
"Uh, nice to meet you, Your Grace. My name is Kairi, and this is my dog Pluto," said Kairi as she bowed back while Pluto eyed the Duke with suspicion.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both, Miss Kairi. Am I correct in assuming you are a newcomer to the queen's circle of friends?" asked the Duke.
"You could say that. We all have a mutual friend who has gone missing. We were supposed to begin our search for him today before this problem came up," said Kairi awkwardly.
"I'm very sorry to hear that. I do hope you find him," said the Duke sympathetically.
"So do I," said Kairi as she walked past the Duke and hopped off the end of the sled.
"Pluto!" she whispered as the dog came over to her. "I know the Duke seems like he's not up to no good. But keep an eye on him just the same."
Pluto gave a salute with one of his ears. He then turned around and kept his eyes on the Duke who was now seated behind Elsa.
'Having the Duke come along is going to complicate things especially since I don't know how he's going to react if he sees me and my Keyblade in action. I guess I'll just have to trust Elsa that he really is trying to turn over a new leaf.'
Kairi then walked over to Marshmallow. Knowing what she wanted, the giant snowman picked her up like he did with Anna and raised her high enough that she could climb up to where Anna and Olaf were.
"Nice of you to join us, Kairi," said Olaf pleasantly.
"Glad to see you didn't want to be around the Duke either," said Anna bluntly.
Having overheard her sister, Elsa sighed and turned to Kristoff. "It's time we got started. Go ahead, Kristoff."
The ice harvester nodded and snapped the reins. Taking the signal, Sven began to pull the sled toward the gates of the castle. Marshmallow trudged close behind at a similar pace.
Their trip to the North Mountain and Elsa's ice palace had begun.
A few hours later, the party had travelled far away from the village. The signs of getting closer to the mountain were beginning to be seen as they entered an area of snow-covered ground.
As Kairi rode atop Marshmallow, she mulled over how the trip had gone so far. 'According to what we learned when we stopped at Oaken's trading post earlier, neither he nor any of his family heard anything come past them last night. So, whoever these people in the ice palace are, they must've come from outside Arendelle.'
Kairi then glanced over to Anna who was shooting a hostile look at the Duke in the sled. She had been doing it throughout the whole trip.
'There's got to be something I can do to help Anna end this hostility towards not only the Duke, but her sister as well.'
Suddenly, Marshmallow halted. Kairi, Anna and Olaf looked ahead and saw that the sled had stopped as well.
"Okay, everyone out," said Kristoff.
"What on earth for?" asked the Duke.
"I need to take the wheels off and replace them with the runners. Otherwise, we can't go any further, Your Grace," said Kristoff.
"Oh. Well, carry on then," said the Duke as he, Elsa and Pluto disembarked the sled.
But just as Kristoff was about to get to work, he saw something up ahead. He rushed toward it.
"Kristoff, what is it?" asked Anna from on top of Marshmallow.
"There's a trail of tracks over there. They're heading in the direction of the ice palace. I'm going to take a closer look," he said as he pointed ahead.
Once the ice harvester reached the tracks, he kneeled down. He studied them closely.
"Does he know what he's doing?" the Duke whispered to Elsa.
"Kristoff grew up in these wilds, Your Grace. So, if he thinks there's anything that can be learned from those tracks, we have to trust him," said Elsa as Sven grunted in agreement.
"If you say so. But I do hope we get to our destination very soon. The way this dog has been looking at me is making me rather uncomfortable," said the Duke pointing over his shoulder at Pluto who was still keeping a close eye on him.
After a few minutes, Kristoff returned to the sled. "What did they look like, Kristoff?" asked Kairi.
"From what I saw, there's footprints, hoofmarks and sled tracks which means there may be a lot of them. But I can't tell how many exactly," said Kristoff as he resumed work on swapping the wheels for the runners.
Elsa gazed up toward the mountains 'What kind of people are we dealing with and what could they be doing up there?'
"Do you think it would be a good idea to turn back and resume this journey with reinforcements?" asked the Duke.
"No. We've come too far already to turn back now. Besides, we have everything and everybody who can handle this, Your Grace," said Anna sourly.
Elsa glanced up at to Marshmallow. Her heart sank as she saw the persistent unpleasant look on her sister's face.
Seeing the Duke was on the opposite side of the sled and out of earshot, she walked up to Kristoff and asked quietly, "Kristoff, do you think I made a mistake in bringing the Duke along?"
"I know you're just trying to keep things good between you and him, Elsa. But I won't deny that it is a bit of a setback to things getting back to normal around here," said Kristoff as he worked.
Elsa's frown deepened and Kristoff offered her a comforting smile. "Don't worry. I have a feeling that the other feisty redhead up there can talk some sense into her."
In spite of herself, Elsa managed to smile a little as she recalled her conversation with Kairi the evening before. 'Kairi does seem like the type of person who could do that. It's no wonder she and Sora are good friends."
"I think there may even be a little more than friendship between them," said Kristoff causing Elsa to give a look of surprise.
"He did grow up with love experts so he can recognize it when he sees it," Kristoff said in his Sven voice to which Sven nodded.
Elsa thought about it some more. 'Kristoff may be right. The way we've heard Kairi talk about Sora, even though it's tainted by sadness, is very similar to how Anna talks about Kristoff.'
Then a small frown came to her face. 'I can only hope after this, we can find some way to bring the two of them back together.'
Much later, after the wheels had been swapped out for the runners, the trip had resumed. The party was now travelling even higher into the mountains.
Ever since the earlier stop, things had been pretty quiet between Elsa, Kristoff and the Duke. None of them was willing to start a conversation. They sat in silence in the sled.
On top of Marshmallow, however, Olaf was as vocal as usual. He was laying on his back and pointing out the shapes in the clouds.
"Look, Anna and Kairi! There's a cloud that looks like a fluffy bunny! It's so cute!" exclaimed the snowman pointing upward.
Kairi looked at the cloud in question and smiled. "You're right, Olaf! It does look like a rabbit. Don't you see it, Anna?"
Anna said nothing. She just continued to glare at the Duke in the sled.
'Okay. Peacemaker time,' thought Kairi. "Anna, I know you're not too… enthused about having the Duke with us."
"Now there's the biggest understatement ever, Kairi. Any second now, I know he's going to turn on us and hurt Elsa," said Anna.
"Anna, I doubt he's going to try anything especially since we outnumber him eight to one. If we're going to deal with this problem, we're all going to need to work together and this frosty attitude towards your sister isn't helping things," said Kairi.
"Anna?" Olaf asked causing her to turn to him. "Kairi's right. I don't like it that you've been making Elsa feel so badly," he said sadly.
A flash of regret shot across Anna's features. "I'm sorry, Olaf. I don't like making Elsa feel bad either. It's just so hard being around the Duke after everything he did."
"I understand, Anna. I've actually been in a position similar to this one before," said Kairi.
Anna turned to the other redheaded princess. "You have?"
"Yes. Very recently, I had to train and fight alongside someone that I wasn't on very good terms with," said Kairi.
"What exactly did this person do to you?" asked Anna.
"He tried to kidnap me in order to force Sora to do what he wanted," said Kairi.
Anna's eyes opened wide. "He did? And you had to work with him? How did you manage to even be in the same room with him?"
"Believe me, I was asking myself the same question. But after some time, I realized that though his methods were wrong, his reasons weren't and just because he did bad things in the past didn't mean that he was incapable of doing good. And what also helped was the fact that he ended up helping to save Sora from a very terrible fate."
"Saving Sora does sound like a good reason to be friends with this person," said Olaf.
"That was the biggest reason I decided to forgive him, Olaf," said Kairi.
Anna seemed to consider Kairi's story. But she still didn't look one hundred percent convinced.
"You don't have to become best friends with the Duke, Anna. But don't rule out the possibility that he may have turned over a new leaf because I have seen it happen," said Kairi.
Anna let out a sigh. "I get what you're saying, Kairi. And I guess it is pretty admirable that Elsa is willing to give the Duke a chance. It's just…"
"Just what, Anna?" asked Olaf.
"It's just that every time I see the Duke, I'm reminded of all the danger Elsa was in after the coronation. Especially since it was all because of me," Anna said remorsefully.
The last sentence of Anna's struck Kairi and Olaf by surprise. "Anna, what do you mean?" asked Kairi.
"If I hadn't been so desperate for love and accepted a marriage proposal from someone who never loved me, Elsa's powers wouldn't have been revealed in the worst possible way. Then the Duke would never have tried to kill her. I caused so much trouble for her and having him around is just a painful reminder of it," said Anna who looked like she was about to cry.
'So, a lot of the anger Anna's been showing has actually been at herself. I certainly know how that feels. Sora ended up in so much danger because of me in the past that that all I ever wished more than anything was that it would never happen again,' thought Kairi.
"I'm sorry, Anna," said Olaf patting her hand.
"Me too," said Kairi.
"It's okay, Olaf and Kairi. You didn't know. But you are right that I haven't been very fair to Elsa during all this. The Duke has behaved himself during his visit so maybe if he does manage to help us out at the ice palace in some way, I guess I could consider letting bygones be bygones a little," said Anna.
"That's the spirit, Anna. If he can help get my little brother his home back, then I'm sure we can all be friends," said Olaf.
"Well, I don't think I'd go that far, Olaf," said Anna with a small chuckle causing Kairi to smile. It was good to see Anna taking her words to heart.
"Anna, there's been something I've been meaning to ask you: does Olaf know what the word 'little' actually means? Because that really isn't the word I'd use to describe Marshmallow," said Kairi.
Anna chuckled. "When Olaf calls Marshmallow his little brother, he's not actually referring to his size, Kairi."
"That's right. Marshmallow is my little brother because Elsa made him after she made me with her powers," said Olaf.
"Oh, so it's matter of who was 'born' first. Now I get it," said Kairi with a laugh.
"Glad we could clear that up for you, Kairi. Oh look! We're nearly there! The ice palace is just up ahead," exclaimed the little snowman pointing ahead to a bend in the path.
"Oh, you're just going to love it when you see it, Kairi. Elsa's ice palace is one of the most wonderful, amazing, beautiful…" Olaf stopped just as they rounded the bend.
Everyone's eyes widened and their jaws dropped. But not in awe.
"Oh no," said Anna in a tone of shock and despair.
Notes from the Mad Doctor:
Ooh! Cliff-hanger! Until the next chapter, I'll leave it to the readers' imaginations to picture what sort of state the ice palace is in. I hope I end up matching or topping them when I write it down. One thing is certain though: it's not going to be pretty. Believe it or not, I never realized Kristoff's sled in the first movie was could actually convert between wheels and runners until I looked a little closer for research for this chapter. I guess it's safe to assume that his new one is the same. I give my thanks to everyone who read this chapter and special thanks to AnimeMaster24 and The Not-So-Ultimate Writer for their reviews. Reviews are much appreciated! Stay tuned!