(EDITED FOR SPACING ISSUES:P My apologies for forgetting to put in line breaks:))
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's followed/favorited and/or is reading but not reviewing:)
AnacToria Sky-Yeah, but Elsa thinks it's just a regular cell...and I'm keeping it that way:P
bananas-rule-2015-That actually IS happening in this chapter...:/ Hmm, I think I'm going to call this chapter something besides 'Hurricane Part Blahblahblah', so I guess the hurricane series is over:)
Guest-Congrats for catching my (probably bad) foreshadowing on that:P Yep, that will definitely be an important piece in the story. I'm glad you're enjoying the story!:)
Fatten Saad-Lol, yes, I will kill them off in either the next chapter or the one after.;) Glad you like my writing:)
brunetti33-Well, I'm flattered that you like my story enough to want longer chapters, but I can't guarantee that they'll be longer:P (I split the chapters up as I see fit as I go along, so some end up way longer than others...;)) PS Since I want to keep this in canon, Anna will find out about Elsa's powers when she does in the movie. Cool idea though...*files idea away for future AU story*:) Your writing's fine:)
On to the story!:) Get ready for lots of depressing feels:/
Elsa reluctantly followed her father out of the cellar. "Elsa, it's just till the hurricane is over," Agdar said.
Elsa frowned, but she didn't reply. Great. Not. I hope the hurricane ends as soon as possible. I don't want to stay down there.
When they arrived in front of a certain dungeon cell, Agdar opened the door and Elsa stepped inside without a word. I will not cry. I won't. I'm not going to break down. You can't make me. Elsa stepped over to the latticed window, then turned back a moment later when she heard a suspicious rattling sound. She immediately knew what was going on. Why, Dad? Why? You're going to chain me up down here…I wasn't going to leave. That's not fair. It's not. You didn't even give me a chance, to just ask me if I'd stay here without a fuss. I'm no liar. I wouldn't have lied about that. Elsa just stood and said nothing as the shackles clamped over her hands and wrists. She would not cry. She wouldn't. Conceal, don't feel. Just get out of here and leave me alone, all right?
"Just until the hurricane is over."
Elsa bit her lip and turned her back on him. It better be. But I don't trust you. What if you change your mind and leave me here longer? She heard the door lock, and she plopped down on the bench against the wall, wishing she were anywhere but here.
Anna mulled it over while their dad took Elsa somewhere-Anna didn't know where-and came back. Ok, it's "downstairs"; Elsa would rather go back to her room; she said I didn't want to know what it was; and there are no other cellars in the castle. At least I don't think so…wait a second! Dad wasn't talking about the dungeon, was he?! That was the only logical solution she could come up with, but it was horrible and creepy. Something told Anna that was exactly where Elsa was, but she still didn't want to accept the fact. Elsa doesn't deserve that. She needs someone to understand her and be her friend, not lock her up for no reason.
"So, Dad," Anna said casually when he came back, "why did you put MY SISTER in the dungeon?" Then, "ELSA DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING!" she exploded.
"Elsa isn't in the dungeon."
Anna crossed her arms. "Then it's totally ok if I just go down there and look, right?" She actually didn't want to get anywhere near the dungeon-it had creeped her out when she was little-but she'd go down there if Elsa was there.
"All right, Anna…Elsa is down there, but there isn't any other place in the castle that's safe during a hurricane."
"What was wrong with Elsa being right here?!" Anna wailed. "It's not enough that you guys have made her scared of her own shadow practically, and make her stay in her room all the time…you went and put my sister, Crown Princess Elsa of Arendelle, in the dungeon! How could you do that to her?!" Struck by an idea, Anna added, "If Elsa's gotta stay down there, can I go down there and stay with her?" Elsa's gotta be miserable down there. Maybe I could try to make her feel better…
"No, Anna, you can't. It's not safe."
"I wish Elsa was queen of Arendelle already and locked you down there instead," Anna muttered angrily.
"What did you just say?"
"I said, I WISH ELSA WAS QUEEN OF ARENDELLE ALREADY AND LOCKED YOU DOWN THERE INSTEAD!" Anna shouted, not caring in the least how rude she sounded.
"Anna, be reasonable…"
"I am being reasonable! Why would you lock a seventeen-year-old girl, who also happens to be your own kid, in the dungeon?! It's horrid! SHE DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING! I mean, how would you feel if you were in Elsa's place? She probably feels hurt and abandoned. How could you do that to her?!" Anna did her best not to yell, remain reasonable, and give logical arguments. She was successful in being reasonable and giving logical arguments…but not yelling? Eh, not so much. "Elsa should've made a huge stink about going down there, but noooo; she wants to please you, so she went along with it!" Either that or she was too scared to do anything…
"She went along with it because she knew it was the right thing to do."
"No. It is NOT. She should have made a humongous fuss and insisted it was unfair and stupid," Anna said firmly. Another thought popped into her head, "Dad, you didn't…chain Elsa up too, did you?" The thought made Anna sick, but she asked the question anyway. I've gotta find a way to talk to Elsa after the hurricane is over. To tell her what happened to her was wrong and unfair. She probably thinks she deserves it, after what I heard her call herself last night… And this is partly my fault-if I hadn't tried to hug her, she wouldn't have freaked out and gotten in trouble.
The absence of a response told Anna that her worst suspicions were true. Anna's eyes filled with tears as she thought about Elsa chained up in the dungeon alone, with no one to talk to or to let her out. "How could you do that to her?!" Anna screeched. "That's just plain hateful! You left Elsa chained up in the dungeon, AND SHE DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING! I'm the one that hugged her! She didn't hug me! Not that hugging was wrong in the first place, but anyways…that's not the point! All Elsa wanted was someone to really, truly care about her for once-even if she didn't really admit it out loud. And did you guys understand that?! No, you didn't! You just shot her down again! Elsa already thinks she's dangerous and a monster and a freak. And THIS sort of thing is why! You've hurt her! Not physically, but on the inside. She's going to snap eventually, whether it's by getting super mad and revengeful, or going completely crazy. I don't know for sure since I'm a kid too, but I think Elsa's already depressed. She needs help, not you guys mistreating her. And Elsa is my sister, and I'm never, ever gonna stop trying to stick up for her. If she's not going to stand up for herself, then I'm going to do it for her." This sort of thing is also why Elsa thinks she's not worth spending time with. What is she supposed to think when her own parents put her in the dungeon? I have to find a way to help Elsa. I've got to!
'Downstairs', Elsa sat slumped on the bench in the cell she was locked in and examined the shackles that bound her hands. Maybe she could get them off. I won't go back upstairs; I'll stay here like I'm supposed to; but I want those horrid things off me. They pinched her wrists; they were heavy; and the whole situation made her feel sick. I know I'm abnormal and a freak and I hurt Anna, but I do not deserve this. Dad's wrong this time. I should have just gotten sent down here and left it at that. I didn't have to be chained up besides. Now she wished she had made more of a protest when those things were put on her, but no; she'd just stood there in a sort of daze and said absolutely nothing. That was stupid. Why did I do that?
Elsa stood up and started yanking on the chains, but they wouldn't budge. I can freeze the lock open off my door, so maybe I can just do that… The only trouble was that this metal was definitely much stronger and thicker than the metal on her door's lock. Still, she had nothing to lose, so she went ahead and attempted to break the shackles open. Fifteen minutes later, the only things Elsa had gotten out of her efforts were sore arms from yanking and pulling, and a sharp piece of ice jabbing her hand inside one of the shackles. Great, just great. I guess I'll just have to wait for that ice to melt, if it melts at all since it's sitting right on my skin… Elsa walked as close to the latticed window as the chains would let her and stared outside. It was still raining hard, and she could see leaves, small branches, and shingles flying through the air. The fjord water also appeared higher than usual. It crossed her mind that it was probably not safe to stand so close to the window, but right now, she didn't particularly care. There was nothing to do in there, nothing to entertain her except her own dejected thoughts. Which is not a good thing. Leave Elsa alone with her thoughts and she's going to go batty eventually. Okay, Elsa, STOP THINKING. Zone out. Make yourself be anywhere but here.
'Anywhere but here' turned out to be daydreaming about playing on the North Mountain with Anna. Anna, I miss you. Why did I try to push you away like that in the cellar? If I hadn't been so noisy, I wouldn't have ended up here…it doesn't matter what I do. I tried to do the unselfish thing and get Anna away from me and I still got in trouble. Anna tried to explain what happened and they wouldn't even listen! It's not fair. And I want these stupid things off me-now! Elsa began pulling against the chains again, but it was useless. They were stuck, and they'd stay stuck until someone took them off for her. The sharp piece of ice was still poking her hand, and it hurt. She tried wiggling her fingers around to dislodge it, but that didn't work either. "I want out of here!" Elsa almost shouted. What if I get left down here forever? What would I do? Maybe Anna would find me eventually.
Elsa curled up on the bench and finally let herself cry. Who cared if she lost control down here; there was no one to see it. She felt lonely and depressed, and very, very isolated. I want Anna back. At least she doesn't make me feel horrible about myself, even if she doesn't know my real problem. What would Anna say if she knew I had ice powers I couldn't control? That I hurt her when she was five? Would she understand or would she be scared of me or hate me? She should hate me…I don't deserve all her understanding words. Still-she made me happy again, at least for a little while. I have to figure out how to control it; I have to; I have to! Then I can have Anna back. I know I can't get rid of my powers, and that's the only other solution. I'd rather be normal so I don't have to worry about this…
Elsa managed to fall asleep that night, but she kept waking up and shifting uncomfortably. Her hands felt stiff and sore, and she couldn't do anything about it. Whenever I get out of here, if I get out of here, I'm making it perfectly clear that I will not come down here again without making a fuss. This stinks, and I'm still…hurt that Mom and Dad made me come down here in the first place. The only good thing about being unable to sleep properly was that she didn't have to deal with bad dreams. That's a good thing, I guess, right?
The next morning, Elsa was very pleased to see that the hurricane seemed to be over. It was still overcast and cloudy, but the rain had stopped. Elsa closed her eyes and thought hard. Yes, the storm is over. I know it is. Okay, somebody, anybody, come down here and let me out. I'll go back to my room like I'm supposed to. I just want out of here.
Just as she was thinking that she might start making lots of noise to try to get someone to come, Elsa heard a quick knock on the door and the key in the lock; then Gerda appeared in the doorway. "I was starting to think nobody was going to come…" Elsa's voice trailed off.
"If you'll pardon me for saying so, your parents had no right to put you down here, Princess Elsa," Gerda said, looking at Elsa with concern. She probably hardly slept last night… Elsa looked tired and upset, and she had dark circles under her eyes.
Elsa gave Gerda a small smile. "Do stop worrying about me and just take these heavy things off," she said, holding up her shackled hands.
"Of course, princess." Gerda found the key and quickly released Elsa's hands. "Princess Elsa, what is that?" she asked, eying the raw blister on Elsa's hand.
Elsa glanced at the sore spot and winced as she tried to get her hands to stop cramping up. "I tried to freeze the shackles off and it didn't work. There was this piece of ice poking me all night," she muttered. It should have melted, but I guess it didn't since it was in direct contact with me the whole time. "I wasn't going to go back to the cellar; I was going to stay here…I just wanted those things off," Elsa added quickly.
Gerda frowned, but didn't say anything. "Let's just get you out of here now; shall we?"
Elsa was only too glad to go along with that. She gave one of the shackles a kick as she headed out of the cell. "Thank you for coming to let me out, Gerda." I hate that place. I never, ever want to come down here again.
Elsa was surprised to see Anna waiting for her at the top of the steps leading out of the dungeon. "How did you know where I was, Anna?" she asked.
"Oh, I figured it out pretty quickly. Elsa…I'm really, really sorry…if I'd kept my word and didn't hug you, you wouldn't have gotten scared and got in trouble," Anna apologized.
"Don't apologize, Anna. It wasn't your fault," Elsa assured her. "It was probably bound to happen anyways…" Elsa suddenly realized her hands were bare, and she clasped them behind her back, out of sight; but not before Anna noticed the blister on Elsa's hand.
"Elsa…is that blister from what I think it's from?" Anna asked.
"And what do you think it's from? If you thought from being chained up since around lunchtime yesterday, you'd be correct," Elsa said flatly. Anna already knows I was down there, so it's not a super big deal that I told her that, right?
Anna made a face. "That's what I thought…Elsa, did you sleep at all last night?" Did Elsa even eat anything all that time…? I bet she didn't. How could she with her hands chained up?
"A little…Anna, I'd better go…" Elsa replied. I don't want to hurt you, and I don't want to get sent down there again, either. She turned away from Anna and started heading toward the main staircase.
"Elsa, wait. Lemme just tell you something first," Anna said quickly. She ran in front of Elsa, who immediately stopped in her tracks and didn't reply.
Make it quick, Anna, Elsa thought. Before I lose control. I have to go to my room and find some gloves.
"I'll make it quick. I just wanted to tell you that you did nothing wrong. You did not deserve to get sent down there, Elsa," Anna said all in a rush.
"I…didn't?" Elsa asked, sounding as if she weren't sure herself. Yes you did. You risked hurting Anna by letting her hug you.
"No, Elsa, you most definitely did not. You need somebody to be your friend, no matter what. And I'm gonna be that friend for you. Forever and always."
Elsa's eyes welled with tears, and she took off up the stairs as fast as she could go, hoping she wasn't leaving icy footprints behind her. Conceal, don't feel. Emotions on lockdown. Control it, Elsa! At least till you get in your room. Elsa darted into her room, shut the door, and immediately iced it shut. Anna…Anna…she said she was my friend. My friend! Why didn't I even just tell her thank you before I ran off? She scrambled to find a pair of gloves in her dresser, her bare fingertips icing every surface she touched. Elsa, stop it! You're making a mess! "I know! I didn't do it on purpose!" Elsa finally found what she was looking for, and yanked the gloves on her hands; then promptly took the one on the hand with the blister off again. Ouch. That hurt. What am I supposed to do now? She flopped on her bed, holding her bare hand to her chest in an effort to keep from making another icy mess. I thought I was sick of this room, but now I'm happy to be back in here after being in the dungeon half a day and all night. At least I'm not chained up in here, and I have books to read, and I can draw blueprints if I want to. The only thing missing is Anna…
Anna stood at the bottom of the stairs, wondering what she could have possibly said to Elsa that made her run off like that. "Gerda, what'd I say wrong? I just told Elsa I was always gonna be her friend…and she ran away!"
"You didn't say anything wrong, princess. She's just overwhelmed. You have to remember Princess Elsa just spent an entire night chained in the dungeon. Then you come along and tell her you'll always be her friend. How would you feel if you were in your sister's place?"
Anna balled her hands into angry fists. "I would've made a huge fuss and screamed and yelled all night. You'd have to knock me out before I'd go down there! And just say I did get locked down there somehow…you can be sure I'd make it crystal clear that it was stupid and unfair and ridiculous!"
Gerda sighed. "All right, Princess Anna, that might be what you would do, but you and your sister aren't the same person. She isn't going to react the same way you do…"
"You mean because Elsa's…hurting inside? Is that why she didn't make a fuss about going down there?" Anna asked. Elsa needs someone to help her…and she feels like she can't let anyone do so. What am I supposed to do?! "Gerda…is Elsa depressed?" Something told Anna that her sister most definitely was, but she was still hoping her hunch was wrong.
"Princess Anna, I am not a doctor, but I would have to say yes. She's-"
"Then I'm gonna help her," Anna interrupted. I just don't know how. "And Gerda, she calls herself rotten names! Why does Elsa do that? I think it's 'cause she's gotten brainwashed! I mean, what is she supposed to think when people who are supposed to love and take care of her go and chain her in the dungeon all night?! I want to help Elsa, but I don't know how!"
"Princess, just keep letting her know that you're there for her. That's all you can do right now."
Anna bit her lip, thinking. "Do you think Elsa might like it if I sang a song in front of her door at night before I go to bed myself?"
"Maybe you should stick with pushing notes under her door. You're apt to get yourself in trouble if you do much else…"
"All righty…I'm on a mission now! And it's called Operation Make Elsa Happy." Anna took off up the stairs and paused in front of Elsa's door.
Inside her room, Elsa still just lay sprawled flat on her bed, clutching her bare hand to her chest and staring blankly at the ceiling. Elsa was just realizing that she was hungry when she heard Anna's signature knock on the door.
"Don't answer, Elsa, 'cause I don't want you to get in trouble again. I know you're depressed, and I'm gonna help. I love you, Elsa." Then Anna's footsteps faded away down the hall, and Elsa was left feeling slightly happier but also rather puzzled. Did I really just hear Anna tell me not to answer her? Usually she talks and talks for ages, and tries to get me to reply. She sounds…different, somehow. Determined or something. Elsa pulled an apple out of her stash of food and started eating it as she continued mulling over what Anna had said to her.
That afternoon, Anna paused in front of Elsa's door again, making sure no one was around to see her. Then she knocked again.
Elsa smiled on the other side of the door. It's Anna again…just please don't start asking me to reply again. I can't.
"I love you, Elsa. I'll be out here for you whenever you're ready. Bye, Elsa." Anna continued on her way downstairs without saying anything more.
Anna, I…I don't know what to say. I don't know what you're doing, but it sure is nice to hear your voice without being asked to reply, since I can't do that, Elsa thought. Someday I will be able to repay you for being so nice to me. Someday. It might be years and years or not even here on this earth, but I will repay you. You deserve it.
A/N: Next chapter coming soon:)