The thundering of hooves tore through the forest as the sisters rode their steeds into the Valley of the Living Rock in search for answers to the mysterious calling Elsa had been receiving. Upon reaching their destination, the sisters dismounted and tied off their steeds and entered, being greeted by a rolling rock, which reshaped itself into a troll. "It's the queen and the princess!" it announced. Elsa and Anna were immediately surrounded by the other trolls. Grand Pabbie pushed his way through. "So, your majesties, what brings you to my neck of the woods?" he asked. The sisters looked at each other before Elsa spoke.
"Well, lately, I'm hearing this voice that's beckoning me away from Arendelle," she began but Pabbie signalled her to stop.
"It has begun. Listen to me, Elsa, the past is not what it seems. You must find the truth. Go north across the enchanted lands and into the unknown", he said. This puzzled the sisters, so he continued, cueing up a vision of two men shaking hands and then swords clashing. "If the past isn't redeemed, I foresee no future for Arendelle. The spirits are very angry and if given the opportunity, they WILL destroy you. Arendelle is not safe anymore," he said. Elsa nudged Anna.
"Anna, remember that bedtime story Papa told us about how he visited an enchanted land when he was a boy, but that visit turned sour? Maybe this is all connected," she reasoned. Anna nodded.
"But, he only focused on the parts where he had seen a girl floating in the wind, he specifically said he didn't remember why everyone suddenly started fighting," she said. Elsa nodded.
"We'll do it. We'll take the trek, fix whatever wrong that needs to be righted," she said as she grabbed at her braid, undoing it and letting her hair flow freely. "And most importantly, do the next right thing," she finished as they fistbumped. Pabbie smiled, but then he turned serious.
"I must warn you two. You may lose yourselves in the allure of both your powers. Both of you need to watch over and protect the other," he warned. Anna steeled herself.
"I WILL NOT let anything happen to her," she said as she undid her own braids, letting her hair flow freely. "If anyone tries to hurt her, they will receive a fireball. Elsa would do the same for me if I was in danger. Right, Elsa?" Elsa nodded.
"Exactly," she said. Pabbie cleared his throat again.
"Also, I will watch over your people," he said. The sisters thanked the troll for his advice, mounted their steeds and rode back to the kingdom. Back in the kingdom, the sisters informed everyone what needed to transpire. Naturally, everyone was surprised.
"But, if we haven't been attacked yet, why do we need to take shelter in the mountains?" one asked.
"It's not the matter of IF, it's a matter of WHEN. I haven't answered the voice yet. Your safety is our priority. Get whatever you need. Anna's fiance and Hans will accompany everyone," Elsa announced. Meanwhile, Anna informed Kristoff and Hans of what was to transpire, charging them with watching over the populace.
"We need your wagon," Anna said. Kristoff nodded and got the reindeer from the stables and hooked him up to the wagon.
"If he's harmed in ANY way, consider that my resignation," he jokingly threatened. "In all seriousness though, be safe," he said as he wrapped Anna in a hug. "I love you," he said.
"I love you too," she responded. While he was stroking her hair, Kristoff noticed that Anna was wearing it down, making it easier for him to stroke it.
"Your hair," he said. Anna was puzzled.
"What about it?"
"It's not braided," he said.
"You don't like it?"
"Like it? I love it. Besides, you're more sexy that way, not that you're not gorgeous enough. I, Okay, I better stop before I embarrass myself further", he stated. Anna blushed before she turned to shake hands with Hans.
"If anyone can save Arendelle, it's the two of you. I know it. Also, if anything does happen that's not on our side, thank you both for giving me a second chance and taking me in in spite of what I had done and how I treated you two before. I know I still have a long way to go before I'm fully accepted here", he said.
"We were always taught that a person's background does not shape their personal character. You always had the potential to do good, Hans, you just let yourself get corrupted by your own issues," Anna said. Hans gave her a platonic hug.
"On that note, safe travels," he said before him and Kristoff met up with the citizens to escort them to the Valley of the Living Rock. The snow creatures Elsa had created would also be taken up there. But then Kristoff doubled back.
"Anna, one more thing! Be careful!"
"I will!" Sasitified, Kristoff took his leave and Anna turned to head to the castle, where Elsa was preparing for the trek and getting whatever they needed. Ditching her dress, she chose a light blue jacket with a pale blue dress adorned with a sky blue belt, with her top having long blue sleeves showing her shoulders. She also put on pale blue tights and boots. Anna also ditched what she was wearing, choosing a gold turtleneck and tights, along with black-heeled boots. She also had on a purple-magenta vest and a long black-sleeved covering with a brown belt. Upon seeing her, Elsa began tearing up and reached out to stroke Anna's face, realizing that the baby she held so tenderly was now the beautiful young woman standing in front of her. This action, of course, puzzled Anna.
"Elsa? What's wrong? Why are you crying? Is it my outfit?" she asked. Elsa shook her head and wiped her tears.
"Nothing. It's just, you look so beautiful," she said. Anna blushed.
"Awwww, thank you," she said. As the sisters continued packing for the trek, something caught Elsa's eye. It was purple. "Is that Mama's shawl?" Anna asked. Elsa pulled the fabric out of the corner and gasped.
"It's Mama's shawl", she muttered.
"She was wearing that when Papa told us the story," Anna realized. "And she sang us that lullaby too", she added. "How did the story go?" she asked. Elsa scrunched her nose, trying to remember it.
"Well, he said it was before we were born and he was 14 years old. Him and his personal guards accompanied Grandfather to make a peace arrangement with an ancient tribe called the Northuldra, who were so connected to nature that they shun civilization and live in nature. Grandfather proposed he build them a dam and the leader agreed to it. He didn't remember what happened, because he went off to explore the land but when he returned, everyone, for whatever reason, was engaged in battle, which had enraged the Spirits, who cursed the forest. When he recovered, he was told that Grandfather and his personal guards were all dead. He never did learn who it was that saved him that day because the forest he claimed to have visited was sealed away. They said he must have dreamed the whole thing", Elsa finished. Anna sighed.
"Do we bring the shawl or not?" She asked. Elsa nodded.
"Bring the shawl, Anna. It may help us on our quest", she said. Anna nodded and went to toss the shawl into the wagon. But as soon as she said that, the voice sounded and this time, Elsa responded, sending up some of her magic in response. Recognizing that Elsa was the chosen one, the spirits woke up.
"Elsa, follow us into the unknown", they were saying. Anna nodded to Elsa as she climbed into the back end of the wagon where their supplies and essentials were. Elsa nodded as she climbed onto the perch that allowed the driver to control the animal. Elsa looked back at Anna before she shook the reins, signalling the reindeer to take off north. The trek had begun.
AN: If some of what I'm describing seems familiar the farther we go into the fic, It should because I'll be repurposing some events from a prior fic I had written, Elsa and Anna's Enchanted Forest Adventure, which actually started as an attempt to do this story (Anna having fire powers there was a holdover. That's why I bonded her to Bruni there, which, I'm gonna come out and say right now, Bruni will be bonded to Anna here as well), but eventually it became "essentially Frozen II but it was just Elsa and Anna and Anna had fire powers" and the only thing I was really satisfied with in the story was the fact that with Kristoff and Olaf removed, it resulted in a more smoother story but I found that even with that change, the resolution was still the same: Elsa chooses the Enchanted Forest over Arendelle after finding her true role and Anna becoming queen of Arendelle, like that was their condition: They will only let Arendelle live if Anna agrees to rule it, powers or no powers (I tried to get around that by treating it as "Anna was blessed by The Fire Spirit, but Elsa was chosen by Ahtohallan", because the writers, from what I could gather, treated it as 'Elsa was chosen by Ahtohallan to bare the powers, Anna was not'). Usually when I write canon compliant fics or Canon!AU fics, I try to combine my material with what the writers have done, but tweak the writers' material if I personally disagree with it. I'll concede that I could have tried to tweak the ending of Enchanted Forest Adventure a little bit more and the ending was rushed, which resulted in me defaulting to the ending the writers gave, so hopefully this story will be more thought-out. R&R!