A/N: Thanks to everyone who's followed/favorited and/or is reading but not reviewing!:)

Lindstrom-Thanks for the review! I completely agree...Elsa should have some reason to like her powers.:)

On to the story!:)

Elsa awoke early the next morning despite the fact she had stayed up half the night. She was happy that she hadn't had any bad dreams during the night. No dreams at all, actually. That's fine with me. Wait, it's Christmas morning! I wonder what Anna is doing… Elsa hopped out of bed and dug through her closet for something red or green. She wanted something Christmas-y even if no one was going to see her. Most of my stuff is blue 'cause it's my favorite color… There was absolutely nothing red or green in that closet aside from a dress that was way, way, way too small for her, which Elsa had no idea as to why it was still in there. That must have been my Christmas dress from when I was eight, I guess, I don't know. Elsa had just decided to put on one of her usual blue dresses when she heard a knock on her door.

"I have a present for you from your sister, Princess Elsa," Gerda said. "May I come in?"

"There's an ice barrier by the door…let me see if I can move it," Elsa answered from inside. Elsa remembered she'd made the barrier before the door was reattached, so if she could move it, then the door would be free to open. She looked closely at the ice, trying to find a weak attachment point. It's stuck to the floor and my side of the wall... Elsa stuck her fingers between the wall and the ice at the small opening she'd found. Then she pulled on it as hard as she could. The ice and wall creaked loudly. Come on, Elsa, you made this thing. Get it…unstuck.

"What are you doing in there?" Gerda asked.

"I've…almost…got it…" Elsa said. One more heave and the barrier slid away from the door in one piece, making Elsa stumble backwards and almost fall. "Ok, I got it moved." Elsa retreated to the opposite side of the room before saying, "You can come in now."

Elsa heard the lock click open, and Gerda came in holding a red dress with green trim. "Gerda, what's that for?"

"Princess Anna wanted you to have it. I quote, 'Elsa needs a Christmas dress! I bet she hasn't got one.', unquote. She'd been planning it for awhile now, but she reminded me yet again about it this morning. She made up the design herself."

Elsa smiled. Anna was planning that when she thought I was mad at her then. "Well, Anna was right. I don't have one. I hope it fits!" Elsa watched Gerda lay the dress on Elsa's bed.

"Oh, it will fit. I took the measurements off one of your dresses when I did the laundry before giving it back to you."

"Please tell Anna I said thank you very much," Elsa said. I don't have a present for Anna! "And give her…give her…this." Elsa pulled a blue-green dress out of her closet, remembering that her sister's favorite color had been green when she was little. "Tell her if she doesn't like it I won't mind. At least she'll know I don't hate her or something…Gerda, do you think my parents would let me see Anna just for a few minutes today? Because it's Christmas?" Elsa asked hopefully. They won't though, Elsa. Don't get your hopes up just to be disappointed.

"I don't know, princess," Gerda said truthfully. "I'll ask for you, but I would suggest not getting all excited about the idea…"

"I know. I don't even want to get near Anna; I just want to talk to her," Elsa replied.

"Well, on another note, I brought you some Christmas cookies and milk as well." Gerda set the plate of cookies on Elsa's desk.

"Thank you."

After Gerda left and Elsa had shoved the ice barrier back into place, Elsa finally got a good look at her new Christmas dress from Anna. The dress was a deep cranberry red with a green rosemaling design along the hem and on the bodice with the slight sweetheart neckline; and it was sleeveless with wide off-the-shoulder straps. I love it except for the fact it's sleeveless. Elsa always wore long-sleeve dresses, all year long. It's so pretty, though…maybe it'd be all right just for today. Elsa slipped the dress over her head and smoothed it down in all the right places before looking in the mirror. I actually look…grown up. Elegant, like Anna likes to call me. She giggled as she looked at herself in the mirror, her messy single braid hanging over her bare shoulder. That girl in the mirror doesn't look like a freak. She actually looks…pretty. Elsa clasped her gloved hands out of sight behind her back. There. Now all signs of my usual abnormal self are gone. Wait…I still have a snowflake in my braid. That needs to go. She took the snowflake out of her hair and put it in the very back of a desk drawer; she couldn't quite bring herself to throw it out for some reason even though she thought she should. So out of sight it went into the drawer. I can't deny that I still like that snowflake. It's mine, and it is pretty. But I don't want to see it anymore. Maybe she would want to see it again someday in the future.

But probably not.

Elsa undid her braid and brushed out her hair. I wonder what would happen if I just left it loose. Nah, I better not. I'm trying to increase my chances of getting to see Anna, not mess it up more than it is already. She wanted to do something different though, something different to go with her Christmas dress from Anna. You know what? I like that single braid best, so I'm going to fix it that way just for today. A minute later, Elsa's braid was finished. She noticed a sprig of holly decorating the plate of cookies Gerda had brought her. Elsa stuck the holly on the end of her braid. Then she sat down at her desk and ate a few of her cookies (which were delicious) and drank her milk.

She wished someone would hurry up and come tell her whether she could see Anna or not. Even if the answer is no, at least I won't be held in suspense any longer. Elsa began pacing back and forth and realized she felt way too exposed in this dress, even with her gloves on. She debated on just taking it off, even though she genuinely liked the way the dress looked; but decided against it. It's just bare arms and shoulders, Elsa. You'll be fine. If I do get to see Anna, I don't want her to think I didn't like her present.

Elsa was very glad she'd kept the dress on a few minutes later when she heard a knock on her door. She struggled to slide the ice barrier away from the door and shove it in her bathroom. Then she shut her bathroom door and glanced around her room to make sure there wasn't any more ice anywhere. Ok, nothing else is in here…wait, there's snow in the corner. Elsa tossed the snow out the window.

"Princess Elsa, if you want to see your sister, you two need to make it quick. Your mother said it was ok-only for today only for a minute-as long as you two were only talking and you didn't get anywhere near her, but I didn't ask your father. I have a feeling he wouldn't have agreed. May I open the door?" Gerda said quickly.

"Yes!" Elsa said happily as she headed to the other side of her room. I'm going to get to see Anna!

Elsa heard the lock click open; then Anna's footsteps come down the hall. Then Anna opened the door and said, "Merry Christmas, Elsa! Ooh, wow, that dress looks sooo pretty on you! I love it! You look all grown up!"

Elsa giggled. "Gerda told me you came up with the design. You would love it! Thank you, Anna. Is your head all right?" Elsa frowned as she noticed the bruise on her sister's forehead.

"Yeah, it's fine. I've got a hard head. I mean, I've still kind of got a headache, but otherwise it's fine," Anna said. "Elsa…I know what you did last night for me after I fell. And that it, like, got you in trouble. Thanks for helping me."

Elsa looked down at the floor. "You would have done the same thing, Anna. It was no big deal. It was my fault for being too slow…" It was my fault anyway. If I'd immediately gone to help Anna instead of mulling it over, maybe she wouldn't have fallen in the first place.

"It was too a big deal. Stop blaming yourself for what happened. Remember what you told me last night? You said, 'You will not regret your actions regarding things beyond your control'. Elsa, it is not your fault I fell. I don't think you could have gotten to me in time without falling yourself," Anna said.

Maybe Anna's right. Even if I had immediately tried to get over to Anna, I wouldn't have been fast enough. I would have been closer, yes, but not close enough. Elsa gave Anna a small smile. "Thank you, Anna."

"You are quite welcome, Elsa. Will you turn around? I wanna see your dress twirl!" Anna said.

Elsa obliged, and spun around, making the skirt of her dress bell out. "Is that what you wanted, Anna?"

"Yeah! Hey, wait a minute…Elsa, why are you wearing gloves again now? I know it's not 'cause you're cold…" Anna looked confused. Elsa was outside in the snow last night without gloves or even shoes, and now she's wearing them inside? That's odd…

Elsa clasped her hands behind her back out of sight. "I…have to," she said. Why did Anna have to ask me that? It's a logical question, but I can't answer it properly.

"Why do you have to?"

Anna's innocently curious expression made Elsa want to tell her sister why, but she couldn't. Not only would I be in the worst trouble on the planet, I can't ruin Anna's innocence by telling her that her sister is a freak. Although Elsa didn't want to admit it, deep down inside she was also slightly afraid her sister would be scared of her if she knew, especially if Anna knew what had happened when she and Elsa were little. After all, Elsa knew her parents were scared of her. She could see it in their faces whenever they were around her. Elsa didn't think she could stand it if her little sister was scared of her too. Or worse yet Anna might hate me or something. Big sisters aren't supposed to almost kill their little sisters. Only monsters would do something like that. "Anna, you…you…you'd b-better leave," Elsa stammered. "I…I'll…I'll miss you. M-merry Christmas, Anna." Elsa turned away and rested her forehead against the wall, trying not to cry.

"Gerda, did I do something wrong? Elsa seemed happy and then…well, she's over there crying in the corner now," Anna whispered.

Elsa heard Anna's whisper and suddenly whipped around in Anna's direction before saying, "You did not do anything wrong, Anna! Just…shut the door, please. I…I need to be alone." Anna, please don't think you did something wrong because of the way I act. Please.

"Elsa, it's Christmas! You shouldn't be alone!"

"I'm just trying to protect you!" Elsa said. From me…

"How does you shutting me out protect me?!" Anna was incredulous at that idea.

You don't understand, Anna. Elsa felt like she was about to lose control, so she ran across the room to shut the door.

Anna just knew what Elsa was going to do. She's gonna shut that door again. "Elsa, wait. Please don't slam-"

Too late. The door slammed shut, and once again Elsa and Anna were separated by a locked door. It wasn't a moment too soon for Elsa, who immediately ended up making ice under her feet the instant the door was shut. Conceal, don't feel; conceal, don't feel…

Out in the hall, Anna gave Elsa's door a kick. "That's no fair, Elsa! I wasn't finished talking to you! We even had permission!"

"Well, I'm finished talking to you! You don't understand!" Elsa blurted before she could stop herself. It's not whether we have permission or not, Anna. I don't want to hurt you again!

Gerda tried to get Anna to leave Elsa's door, knowing nothing good could come of the two girls practically yelling at each other; but Anna wasn't having it. "Yeah, I don't understand 'cause it doesn't make any sense!"

"It makes more sense than you know! Leave me alone!"

"You've been alone for eight years, Elsa! That's plenty long enough! Who wants to be alone for that long? Nobody, that's who!"

" 'Nobody, that's who!' Monumental deduction, Anna! Do you think I enjoy being alone all the time?! 'Cause I don't! I hate it; I abhor it; I loathe it!" Elsa shot back. She knew she should just shut up before everything got worse, but a tiny part of her liked shouting. It felt good to tell somebody how she really felt. Elsa's purely (at the moment) angry feelings made amber-colored ice begin spreading on the floor. I'm so tired of trying and failing to be that perfect, good girl I'm supposed to be. But I have to. If anything, just for Anna's sake so she doesn't have to.

"If you hate it so much, why don't you stop isolating yourself in your room?!" Anna clapped her hand over her mouth a second later. I know Elsa doesn't isolate herself completely of her own accord. She can't stop even if she a hundred percent wants to. But then why did she shut the door on me? No one made her do that just now…

There was dead silence on Elsa's side of the door for a good fifteen seconds. Snow began swirling around Elsa's room, but she didn't make an effort to calm herself down right then. How dare Anna say that. It's not entirely of my own choosing! If I had my way, I'd still stay by myself in my room; but I would talk to Anna through the door and get out of here when there's no one around that I might hurt. I hate myself. I hate everything and everybody! I wish I could disappear so I wouldn't have to deal with this anymore. Or better yet, my powers could disappear. Yeah. That'd be perfect. I HATE THEM. That's why I'm stuck in here. I can't leave. I'm trapped. I have responsibilities for being the queen of Arendelle in the future. I wish I didn't. I wish Anna was the heir apparent, not me. But she doesn't even want to be. I hate this room. I hate that door. I hate my powers. I hate what Anna just asked me. I can't stop 'isolating myself in my room'. I can't tell Anna why. I can't make her understand. I can't even control myself! I can't do anything I want to do! Elsa felt like she was going to explode. Too late, Elsa realized she'd let herself, her powers, and her thoughts become way, way, way beyond her control. "I CAN'T!" Before Elsa really knew what was happening, she felt something explode out of her with a painful yank and the next moment, her room's walls were covered in sheets of ice. Elsa stood in the center of her room, taking deep shuddering breaths and blinking in confusion. What just happened to me? That was…freaky…

"Elsa, what just happened in there?" Anna's voice sounded very far away to Elsa.

"That's what…I'd like…to know…" Elsa gasped out, frowning as she looked around her icy room. There was a thick strip of ice running around her entire room, and then above and below it; the ice spread all over the walls, growing thinner as it got further from the strip. That was so weird. I've never made that much ice in one go like that. And I've certainly never "exploded" like that before. It actually hurt. No more emotions, Elsa. See the trouble you cause when you get emotional? You make huge icy messes and you yell at your sister. Elsa suddenly felt horrible for the things she'd spouted at Anna, even if they had been things she'd said in the heat of anger. Or in my case, icy anger, she thought. And it certainly didn't make Elsa feel any better when she realized that her little explosion episode meant her powers were stronger than she'd previously thought. They were still getting stronger. Great. Just great. If this happens again, next time it might not stay contained to my room. It might leak into the hall or something. Or blast through the walls.

Gerda knew that Elsa had definitely lost control somehow, but she wasn't sure exactly what had happened. She managed to convince Anna to leave, and just in time, as Agdar and Idun were coming down the hall.

"Merry Christmas, Elsa!" was the last thing Elsa heard from Anna as her footsteps faded away down the hall.

Due to the ice explosion episode, Elsa didn't trust herself to go the library as planned to sing and play Christmas carols. She spent the rest of the day eating her cookies, reading a book, and gazing out the window. The one nice thing about the day was that it snowed again outside, which Elsa enjoyed watching. No one knocked on her door the rest of the day. When it grew late and Elsa was tired, she took off her Christmas dress and hung it in the very back of her closet. She would never wear it again unless she was going to be able to be around Anna safely, just being herself, ice powers and all. Which will probably be never. With that pessimistic thought, Elsa turned out the kerosene lamp, climbed into bed, and pulled the covers over her head. Merry Christmas, Elsa. Yeah, right.

Elsa stood on the summit of the North Mountain. There was no Anna with her this time. Elsa could see a blizzard happening far below in Arendelle, but she didn't know whether she was the cause of it or not. "Well, who cares, it's not my problem!" she shouted from her spot on the summit. "I like the cold; it's not my fault if no one else does!" Just for good measure, Elsa whipped up swirling snow on the summit as well. No one could stop her!

"Elsa! What are you doing?!" Anna asked.

Elsa whipped around in surprise. "Why are you here?"

Anna frowned. "I'm here because of you. But you've turned crazy! So this is why you were isolated in your room all the time. You're a freak of nature! You froze everything!"

"I AM NOT CRAZY!" Elsa screamed. "I might be a freak, but I'm not the one calling my long-lost sister names! Get lost if you're going to be that way!" The swirling snow on the summit whipped up stronger.

"Wouldn't you call me names if our positions were reversed?" Anna asked.

"I don't know! I don't know anything!" Elsa cried. "Just leave me alone and go away!"

Suddenly a mysterious flash appeared, and Elsa and Anna switched places.

"Thanks, Elsa," Anna grinned. "Now I can clean up the mess you made with all that ice and snow."

"It isn't my mess now! It's YOURS. I don't have powers anymore. YOU do. So fix it. I bet it won't work." Elsa crossed her arms and watched Anna unsuccessfully try to thaw the huge amount of ice and snow down in Arendelle.

"I CAN'T!" Anna shouted.

"The original freak rests her case! I told you it wouldn't work!" Elsa replied. "It's hopeless! You're an abnormal freak! Dangerous! A monster!"

Another bright flash appeared and suddenly both girls were back in their original places, and Anna was the one shouting the mean names at Elsa. Elsa collapsed into the snow and began crying, but a moment later she jumped to her feet. "You want a monster? I'll give you a monster!" A furious Elsa began blasting everything around her with ice. "Now get out of here before I hurt you too!"

Anna shook her head. "This isn't you, Elsa! Stop! You can do it!"

"IT IS ME! I've just had enough! I can't stop! Leave me alone!" Elsa shouted.

"Elsa, maybe we can-"

Too late. One of the blasts of ice made a direct hit on Anna, and she turned into solid ice.

"NO! NO! I didn't mean it, Anna! I STILL LOVE YOU! Please come back!" Elsa screamed. It was no use. In one last fit of fury, Elsa unleashed everything her powers had within her on the already-frozen kingdom below. Everything was solid ice, everywhere.

Elsa's own agonized screams woke her up. "NO!" She looked around her snow-covered room in relief. It was just a dream. A terrible, horrible dream. Elsa wrapped her arms around herself, willing herself to calm down and stop shaking. Elsa, calm down. That didn't really happen, thank goodness. That wasn't real. Fifteen minutes passed before Elsa had calmed down enough to try to get back to sleep. I can't stay in here anymore tonight. Not knowing where else to turn, she got up, lit a candle, and grabbed a pillow before heading through the secret passages to the entrance to Anna's room. Elsa curled up against the secret entrance and managed to get back to sleep, feeling comforted by the fact that her sister was just on the other side of the entrance.

When Elsa awoke in the morning to see nothing but pitch black around her, she panicked for a moment before remembering she'd gone to sleep in the secret passages next to Anna's room. She fumbled in the dark to find and relight her candle. And that awful dream! What was that all about? It was so…creepy. Like Anna and I weren't even acting like ourselves. Elsa was in no hurry to go back to her room; she wasn't looking forward to trying to clean up all the ice and snow that she knew was all over the place in there. She shuddered, thinking about what had made her make all that mess in the first place. My dream-self got pushed over the edge. I can't let myself get anywhere near that point in real life. Dream-Elsa was even more of a destructive freak than I thought I thought of myself as in real life. She totally lost it and froze everything on purpose! Am I really that rotten? "Do I even want to know the answer?" Elsa whispered aloud. No, Elsa, you don't want to know. You should just accept reality, that you may not be quite like that now, but you could get like that in the future. "I won't!" she hissed. "I will never turn my sister to ice and freeze Arendelle! Never, never, ever! I'll die myself before I kill Anna!" Shut up, Elsa. You want Anna to hear you? Well, Anna's probably still asleep, stupid brain, Elsa retorted to her nasty thoughts. I must be crazy. I'm literally having a conversation with my own thoughts. That is so stupid.

Elsa lost track of time as she just sat unmoving in the passages right outside Anna's room. Hours later, she heard Anna talking on the other side of the wall in her room.

"Mom, for one thing, it's the day after Christmas, so I shouldn't have to do lessons anyway! But, and several more but's, that's NOT why I shan't do 'em right now. I won't do a lick of lessons until I get to talk to you and Dad about something really, really important," Elsa heard Anna say.

"What is it about?" Idun asked.

"It's about Elsa," Anna replied.

Inside the entrance to the secret passages, Elsa immediately stood up and hightailed it out of the area. I don't know what Anna's going to tell Mom, but I don't want to know. She headed back to her room and took a deep breath before stepping inside. Elsa smiled in relief when she realized most of the mess in her room was just snow, not ice. At least snow doesn't look creepy or threatening.

A/N: Elsa's Christmas dress is supposed to look like Anna's coronation dress in the movie, but with the rosemaling design off Elsa's coronation dress's skirt. Oh yeah, and Elsa's Christmas dress is cranberry red with green trim.;) (Hopefully that kinda made sense...I hope so.:P)

Next chapter coming soon!:)