Elsa! Elsa!

Cries filled the ears of the fallen Snow Queen, but her mind was still abuzz with the peculiar events that just took place. Too abuzz to take notice of Anna and Kristoff frantically calling for her in a distance as they unknowingly neared her location.

What... just happened? He had... magic? Fire. Flames. Conjured from his bare hands. How was it possible? Was the thief magically inclined, too? Could they have been like me? Are there others... like me?

Elsa was snapped out of her thoughts at the feeling of soft, comforting arms wrapping around her, tightly.

"Elsa! Oh, Elsa, we were so worried!" Anna breathed as she checked her sister's skin for scratches or bruises.

The Snow Queen was merely covered in dirt from the fall, apparently, but her dress appeared to have been burnt, ever so mildly. As did that section of the forest.

"What happened here?" Kristoff openly questioned as he surveyed the area, examining the burnt tree bark, smokey air, and ashes littered throughout the ground.

Elsa could hardly speak, merely muttering something incoherent. Anna listened carefully but couldn't make anything out. "What is it? What happened?" She inquired, looking to her sister intensively.

"H-He had magic."

"What?" asked a confused Anna.

"He had magic... Him, that man! Didn't you see?"

Anna and Kristoff looked to each other in bewilderment. "What man?" Kristoff inquired.

The Snow Queen released herself from Anna's embrace and hastily got to her feet, showing Kristoff and Anna the aftermath of the stranger's inferno abilities. "See this?" She urged, showcasing a piece of burnt tree bark. "He made this! A man swooped down and carried off the thief, but he had powers! Just like mine! Except with fire!"

"What, that's impossible." The mountain man scoffed.

"No, it's true! I know it sounds insane, but it's true!"

Kristoff sighed under his breath, shaking his head. "Elsa, I think you need some rest. Come on, everyone's worried sick, anyway."

"But..." She began before trailing off.

With a hand from both Anna and Kristoff gently placed on her back as they walked off towards the city, Elsa looked to the ground, still confused and entranced by the entire ordeal. She needed to know the answers. She needed to know more. And there wasn't a chance of peace in her future until she did.

Later that night, the kingdom fell into silence as nightfall consumed the land. Practically every citizen had settled down for the night and the royal guards returned from their excessive search throughout the landscape in search of the thief and her accomplice, to no avail, at that. The castle, itself, also fell into slumber, except for one, notable resident.

Elsa paced in her room, her mind crowded with thoughts.

Who were they? What were they doing here? Were they truly just thieves? Or were they here for me?

The Snow Queen could hardly take it any longer and desperately needed an outlet. Quietly, she crept out of her bedroom and headed down the hall to Anna, who was fast asleep with a snowman plush clutched tightly in her arms.

"Anna... Pst! Anna!" Elsa whispered on her knees, by the princess' bedside. "Anna! Hey, wake up!"

The young princess mumbled in her sleep. "Oh, Kristoff, you animal... Mm. No one eats carrots like you..."

"Ugh, Anna!" shouted Elsa.

Anna snapped out of her slumber, jolting up and gripping onto her snowman plush for dear life, her hair a jungle of a mess and her eyes wide and red. She looked over to Elsa fearfully before shaking off the brief trauma.

"Elsa, it's the middle of the night, what is it...?"

"I'm sorry. Can we talk? I can't sleep, and it's extremely important."

With a sigh, but an understanding smile, Anna forced herself out of bed and headed down to Elsa's bedroom, sitting in her lounge chair as the Snow Queen quietly shut the door behind them, prepared to confess all that's been on her mind. Anna, meanwhile, was still droopy-eyed, but managed to stay awake and at least attempt to keep focus, her arms hugging her knees as she sat patiently, waiting for her sister to begin.

"Okay... It's about that man I told you about."

"Elsa..."

"Please, Anna, I'm telling the truth. He was about my height, maybe a little taller, and he had red hair, and, um, green eyes, but that doesn't matter. He was able to conjure fire. And not with a burning piece of wood, or anything, with his bare hands..."

The poor princess had no idea what to think. She never doubted her sister, not once in her life, but this... it just seemed too surreal. A man with fire powers? It was almost too unimaginable to be real. Almost, meaning, not entirely unbelievable. After all, her sister was the Snow Queen.

"I believe you."

Elsa's face lit up. "You do?"

"Yes... But, what does it mean? I thought you were the only, well, you know, powery one."

"I don't know. I want to look into it, further, but, how can I? I have no idea where they went, or how to find them, and, no one else around here believes me." She sighed as she took a seat at the foot of her bedding and looked to the ground in thought.

Her pondering was cut short, however, due to Anna's loud and sudden snoring. Looking over to her sister, the Snow Queen found Anna in a deep sleep. She wanted to awaken her and talk more, desperately so, but she couldn't keep her darling sister awake at such a late hour when she's obviously had a busy day. And it was best she received some sleep, herself.

With that, the older sister assisted Anna in returning to her bedroom, lying her down gently and tucking her in. With a forehead kiss and a goodnight whisper, Elsa quietly left the room. Upon exiting, however, she was surprisingly greeted by a stern Kai, who was awakened in the middle of his sleep by Elsa's creeping.

"You majesty, I heard of your little episode, earlier, and I advise we drop the situation. It's two in the morning and you haven't a moment's rest since."

"But Kai, this isn't something I can just forget. There are people, living people, out there just like me. I can't just sit here and do nothing about it."

"Queen Elsa, there are no magic-makers other than you on this planet. Do you remember that expedition you financed to find the whereabouts of these supposed magic-makers?"

"Yes, but-"

"And what were the results?"

Elsa sighed, defeated. "Kai, this is real!"

"I have to disagree, no!"

"But if you would just listen!"

"Your highness, I know I am in position to speak against you, but as your royal adviser, I must voice my opinion. This has to stop. For months, your obsession with finding these magic-makers have gotten in the way of far more important matters. There are other, far more crucial things to attend to in this kingdom, so I ask that you, for the good of the land and people, think about what's best for your realm and not yourself."

And with those heavy words, Kai took his leave.

The Queen couldn't tell what was worse. The feeling of being deeply offended, or the fact that Kai was right. She has been spending most of her time struggling to find strangers like her, and sidelining other matters for the sake of it. She could only imagine what others thought on the situation.

Kai was right. About everything. No matter what she thought, or hoped, finding people who could relate to her lifestyle, her experiences, just wasn't as important as her kingdom and family. It was time to end the obsession and move on.