A/N: Now, I'm adding in some backstory here! It may interfere with established Frozen cannon history, but in this case, it's necessary for my story. If there's a conflict, assume that mine is the correct happening- only for immersion's sake, of course. If you find such an error- minus the addition of dragons and events to follow, of course- please review with the detail, and I'll see if I want to/ can fix it.
Ice and Dragons
Chapter 4: Not-So Ancient History
My story begins not with me, but with my parents. My father was a kind man, gentle and nurturing. Like me, he also had no desire for a hoard, or to hunt and kill humans. My mother was a wild and crazy one, full of passions and energy. She, also, had no drive to hoard or hurt humans.
Indeed, most dragon's don't; the hoarding instinct only comes about if they cannot find a mate before their 200th birthday- then the mating bond latches onto the nearest physical object that can hold great amounts of magic, usually something made of gold, and causes the unbearable attraction to said type of object. Most dragons are horrified at this prospect; many who have lost their mate or have not found one commit suicide before their 200th birthday, so as to avoid it.
But, I digress- my father and mother had no such issue, as they had each other. She- a magnificent, blazing red to his lustrous, tranquil blue was the fire to his calm waters. He was the voice of reason and patience to her impetuosity and quick wit.
In fact, it was his idea to settle down on something like a remote isle- a good choice, at least until later. I was, being a child, in need of education.
There being no 'Dragon Preschool', my parents were my teachers.
Mom was the one to teach me to hunt, fly, and to play pranks.
Dad taught me about math, my magic, and the world around me.
Before I came to Arendelle, we lived on a remote atoll (obviously we took my father's suggestion), off the Southern Islands and surrounded by a reef that kept most ships away. We had plenty to eat, and the extinct volcano had more than enough room for even us three. I might mention that we only flew in our full draconic forms, and even then not too often; the Halfling form is our preferred form, not even our natural one feels more comfortable. We had a peaceful life, my father teaching me runic magic while my mother tutored me in human customs and my heritage. I was a late bloomer; I had only just recently acquired my wings and tail, and they were still pure white.
Ah, yes, sorry. I forgot that you were unfamiliar with how we develop. Our scale color references our power and disposition. White scales are for our immature forms, and always change color when we come into our own. But, I digress yet again.
The colors we dragons can become are five.
Red, the color of passion and fire, the Warrior.
Blue, the color of tranquility and knowledge; the Scholar.
Grey; the color of the night and half of the cycle of life; the Dusk.
Yellow; the color of the morning and the other half to the cycle of life; the Dawn.
And finally, the rarest color- my color.
Green; the color of the world's Life-force and the embodiment of nature; the Balance to the world and Magic itself.
Now informed as you are, you can guess how excited my parents were when I came into my color and gained my scales. They flew for hours in the sky, circling and diving in great gouts of scarlet and azure. The display was beautiful, and kept me enraptured for hours as I watched. I wanted badly to join them, but I was exhausted from my powers emerging, and could do little more than smile at their antics. Their little 'dance' lasted far past sunset, and they only ended it when they became so tired that they almost collided three times in a row. We slept that night through, pleased with ourselves and the future we thought was so secure.
We awoke to drawn steel and armed ballistae. The Southern Isles had always hunted us- they, of all humans, seem to have it out for us in a most personal fashion. When a scouting ship came across the unusual lights in the sky, the navy was summoned and surrounded us while we slept. My mother and father put up one HELL of a fight; they destroyed over a third of the fleet and decimated their landing force before they were brought down by massed fire.
I couldn't move on my own yet; I was still too weak to go faster than a hobble. I was so drained, in fact, that my form had pulled down into that of a fully human boy's- I appeared to be a kidnapped child. Although I mourned my mother and father, I had to survive, so I played along as a traumatized child with no memory of his family or home. The fleet's commander- Han's older brother, by the way, Anna- wanted to have nothing to do with me and simply had me dropped off in Arendelle with a supply ship. I had nowhere else to go; Dragon hunters had swarmed the Isles and nearby countries, and I had no place to hide there. I took it in stride as best I could, and forged onwards. I arrived in Arendelle forest by following the scent of Earth magic- that of the troll's. I couldn't miss it; my power, my essence is that of the wind and sky, and so earthen magic's are harsh to my nose. I had hoped to find asylum with the trolls, but when your father came round that bend on the road, Anna, I saw what I had to do.
I drew upon all I knew of diplomacy, of etiquette, and somehow- I still have no idea how- managed to convince a King of all people to let a dragon live within his lands. He only extracted one promise- that I defend you and Elsa, and your family until my end.
I accepted, without regret. Still, I needed knowledge and practice, and a place to acquire them both. I headed up to the North Mountain, and excavated this cave system's entrance myself. Finally settling in, I summoned my Father's library (a magical trick that he showed me). The fleet had never found it, thankfully.
So, I settled in; I read, practiced, and grew in knowledge.
For a few years, I gained more and more information on many, many subjects, but never seemed satisfied- something was missing.
Finally fed up, filled with the infuriating feeling of incompleteness, I took a book on fighting styles and war, and stormed out. I flew to a neighboring peak and made another system of tunnels there, crafted larger and more open so I could work physically.
You see, I was feeling quite restless and needed to blow off some steam. My Mother's side had come out to play, and I gave it free reign for a couple of years, honing my body and mind for fighting should I need it, hoping all the while that it would stave off my feeling of that missing something.
Still, even after years of giving my more primal side reign, I felt incomplete. Now totally frustrated, I went back to my first cavern and read more, learned more. I mixed my schedules up and found a bit of my missing peace there, but not all.
Finally, Pabbie sensed my magics flaring and came to see me.
Ice and Dragons
I was waking up from having worked myself into unconsciousness once more when an odd, acrid smell assaulted my sensitive nose. Feeling the foreign magics like an itch, I stood bolt upright and edged my way to the door just as a polite knock sounded on the stone surface.
Cautiously opening the stone portal, I looked around until a polite, if irritated, cough drew my attention downwards to the troll. Immediately recognizing his race through my studies (and belatedly, my nose), I offered shelter, and he accepted. Soon, we were seated and sharing some tea, and he finally started the conversation.
"Well, young one, I have sensed your magics and activities around the mountain as of late; they are both quite impressive, to say the very least. Still, I sense the unease flowing through you- you still seem to be… incomplete… in your self-perception."
Although a statement, I took it as a question- if only to get to the point.
"Indeed, I feel quite… off. I have studied my parent's specialties to the point where I believe I have surpassed them both! I am proud of that fact. The problem is that something still seems missing; a gaping hole in my magic and my personality. If you have indeed sensed my distress, then I have a question for you."
He smiled, and we spoke the same thing at the same time.
"What is missing?"
And that damn troll just gave me this infuriating smirk.
"What is missing is up to you to find out; but if I may offer a suggestion? Go to the forest below and meditate on your power; don't try to study it, or channel it; you have mastered both in your studies of magic and combat. No, simply feel it."
His smirk softened, and he gave me a solemn look. "I hope you find your center soon; otherwise, I fear your power could destroy you in its attempts to find balance that is not attainable."
Standing, I offer a hand to him, and he takes it. "I will follow your advice; I am quite desperate. I hope that it will help me, but in all honesty?"
"I have almost given up hope."
Ice and Dragons
"Well, that was almost a year ago; everything else is just me sitting around in the forest thinking at my stomach. Any questions?"
Anna raised her hand as if we were in school. Chuckling a bit, I point to her as if I was a teacher, and she speaks up.
"Can I touch your wings?"
I sit there blinking for a moment, utterly thrown by the apparent non sequitor. Finally snapping out of it, I nod, and Anna's up in a flash, running her hands over my wings. I admit, my eyes went half lidded- they are very sensitive to touch, like a cat's tail. Finally, after her examination is complete, I turn to Kristoff who oddly looks more at ease now. I wonder what changed?
As if to answer my unasked question, he pipes up.
"Well, if Grand Pabbie trusts you, I will too. The old coot is too wise for his own good, anyway. On to the next issue, huh? We still need to get to Elsa and end the winter!"
This has the effect of stopping Anna in her tracks. She had apparently forgotten, judging by her mortified expression. She starts pacing, muttering to herself.
"Well, now what! I don't know where we are, so I can't say how long it'll be until we reach her! She could be in trouble! Oh lord, how will we get to her!?"
Rolling my eyes, I stroll over and take her by the shoulders, her shocked jump ending with her staring at me. I give her a half smile.
"Anna, did you forget? I. Can. Fly."
Rolling my eyes for effect, I continue. "Also, I have lived in the mountains here for most of my life, yes? I know exactly where the north mountain is, and I can fly us right there. The only problem I foresee is that Elsa won't want to see me; she saw my partial transformation at the castle, so…"
At this, Anna's blooming, hopeful expression dims a bit, but soon returns full force.
"Well, I can go in to see her! She'll at least see me! If I can get her outside, you can explain it all, ok?"
I mull it over, thinking. Kristoff interrupts my thoughts.
"It certainly seems like a good plan! Can we get going? I only want to fly this last time- it's terrifying!"
I break up laughing at his expression. I can't help it; flying is my favorite thing! It's freedom incarnate. Finally, my hilarity dies down after a good minute of laughing. I needed that. Seeing the two ready to go, I lead them outside, and change again. This time, with no falling-to-our-death issue to deal with, I take the time to change properly.
Previously, I simply morphed into the closest thing in my mind to my full form; it was smaller than my normal one, and had a too-small wingspan that made flight a hassle. Still, it saved our lives. This time around, I focused on the change more.
It showed.
Instead of exploding out, I slowly morphed; my wings growing, the membrane thickening and condensing until only an impact of significant force could damage it. My body elongated, my arm joints re-angling, forcing me onto all fours. My scales covered my body, appearing in waves, overlapping multiple times until I had a defense against all but the largest ballista bolt- and even then, it would have trouble going deep enough for a killing blow. My face elongated, my jaw extending and my tongue splitting and thickening- my least favorite part, but needed to taste the air as I had no real sense of smell in my full form, it being dulled from my internal fire.
Finally ready, I shook myself to settle my sense of body back into place, and laid flat, all the better to give Anna and Kristoff access to my neck and spine to ride there.
They stood there, uncertain, until I rolled my eyes and puffed smoke in their general direction to hurry them up- they took the hint, clambering up and holding onto my spines tightly.
Finally ready, I gathered myself and leapt.
Catching the air in my wings, I headed up and up until my mountain home looked like a small hill. I heard the amazed gasps of my passengers, and I felt the warmth of contentment. I felt good to share this wonder with others.
In retrospect, I see this is where the void in my heart started healing.
For an hour, I circled, looking for any sign of Elsa. I knew she would have headed towards the highest spire, but there were many approaches.
On my third pass at high altitude, I saw something that almost put me in a dive from sheer shock.
A huge, ornate Ice Palace was emerging from the mountain itself! I watched, enraptured, just like Anna and Kristoff did. Finally taking hold of my senses, I took us in on a landing approach.
Since there was not too much space, I put us down on the far side of a chasm I had spotted. I was planning to toss them to the other side and join them by flying over in my half-form, but when we spied the convenient and beautiful staircase made of ice, well, we went across.
All too soon, we were standing in front of the castle/palace/sculpture. Anna screwed up her courage, and told Kristoff to stay. He nodded dumbly, still awestruck with the palace. Before she could enter, I put my hand on her arm to get her attention.
"Anna, please remind her that I mean her no harm, and that she can't hurt me. Also, don't get too close- she can't control her powers at touching range, so she'll be shy about that. Just be gentle with your words, okay? Please don't upset her; she could hurt you."
I see the anger in her expression, so I clarify before Mount Anna could erupt.
"Not intentionally; her powers just go wild when she's agitated. I'm only worried for you both, alright?"
Her expression softens. She gives me a non before entering the castle.
I let out a nervous sigh.
Only thing to do now is wait.
Gah. "I hate waiting."