I do not own 'Frozen' or anything related.
Commentator: Welcome back my non-fairy tale and snow queen wannabe friends to the next chapter in 'Frozen: What Could Have Happened'! Before we begin let's take a look at some of the reviews you've sent us. PROFESSOR! OPEN THE SHOOT!
(The Professor does so, and out pops an envelope)
Commentator: Right then! Our review comes from Erinmilne:
Gosh, the feels in this chapter are astounding. Gerda must especially be heartbroken. And what does Elsa - the Snow Queen, I mean - want with the mirror? I can't wait to find out. I also liked how you included Olaf (gotta love him!) and that song (is there a tune to it?).
Ah yes well Anonymius didn't actually enjoy coming up with that song, considering that he had to make it from scratch rather than using any template. But if we were to give it a tune I would say it would start off sounding like 'A Rumour in St Petersburg' from 'Anastasia' for the first couple of stanzas before turning into 'something there' from 'Beauty and the Beast'. So here's the next chapter, 'For The First Time In Forever'!
The village was trailing into the church. Everyone was gathered. It wasn't just his family, but the whole community, who were in mourning. Of course, for most of the village the real Kai had died long ago, and it was that Kai who they were paying their respects for. The fact that there was no body actually made it worse, that they had nothing to say goodbye to or give a sendoff apart from the sled. The priest came to the pulpit.
"Fellow villagers," He opened up with, "we are gathered here today to commemorate the memory of a dear young member of our community, taken before his time."
Kai's parents and grandmother were beside themselves. Even the boys who bullied him were doing their best to hold back their tears.
"Let us remember a boy who was kind and thoughtful and generous and protective and-"
"HE'S NOT DEAD!"
Gerda had spoken up.
"Gerda, please."
Her mother in tears was trying to calm her down.
"No! Why won't anyone listen to me? Kai didn't drown in the river! He was captured!"
The congregation went silent. They were muttering to each other.
"Captured? By who?" Asked the priest.
"By snow men!"
The congregation went silent again. Then they roared with laughter.
"Gerda, will you please be quiet?" Her father asked hoarsely.
"I saw it!" Gerda said again, "Kai was captured by snow men!"
"Snowmen?" One of the villagers jeered, "You mean ones with twigs for arms?"
"And raisins for buttons?"
"And carrots for noses?"
"Well I don't know how far they could have gone without any legs!"
The congregation roared even harder.
"No!" Gerda said hotly, "These weren't ACTUAL snowmen, they looked like men, only they were made of snow, and they had horses made of ice as well-"
Gerda trying to correct herself did not in any way make her story ever more plausible as they continued to laugh. Her parents looked humiliated. Gerda's grandmother had a thoughtful look. The laughter died down when Aland the chief elder, whose house Kai and Gerda had once bombarded with snow balls, stood up. He walked to the front with his walking stick in toe.
"Shame on you," He told them, "You should all be ashamed."
He placed his hand on Gerda's shoulder.
"This traumatized child is clearly having difficulty coming to terms with her brother's death, so this fantasy she has created to cope with it is no laughing matter."
"I'm not fantasizing anything!" Gerda took her shoulder away, "I saw it!"
The chief elder gave her a patronizing look that said 'I understand, but I really don't'.
"Forgive me, if we find your story hard to swallow. Think about it rationally. How could snow move like men?"
"The Snow Queen."
Everyone looked at Gerda's grandmother.
"The Snow Queen has the power to make living beings out of snow and ice."
Aland chuckled.
"It seems in your advanced age, my dead madam, that you have confused reality with fantasy. The Snow Queen is just a fairy tale."
"She is no fairy tale!" Gerda's grandmother said angrily. Gerda had never seen her grandmother look so insulted, "Elsa the Snow Queen is as real as you and me! I saw what she could do with my own eyes!"
Aland addressed the rest of the village.
"What say the rest of you? Shall we abandon reason and logic, and start believing in magic and the supernatural on the words of a grieving girl and a senile old woman?"
"What do you think caused the northern lands to freeze overnight during summer!" Gerda's grandmother shouted, "Go to the other villages! There are still those alive who saw Elsa's powers at first hand! You saw it too, Aland!"
"I don't know what I saw," Aland shook his head, raising his hand, "Anyway, what is more logical? That a natural change in global temperature caused the north to be covered in permafrost, or a witch with the power to control ice and snow MAGICALLY froze the entire north?"
Aland bent down again to look at Gerda.
"I know this must be hard for you to do, but you must accept facts. Your brother is gone, and he is never coming back."
"No, he isn't! You never even found a body! You're just assuming he's dead because you found his sled in the river!"
"What other rational explanation is there for his disappearance? There weren't even foot prints where his sled was found, no sign of a struggle. How can you explain that, using logic?"
Gerda turned to her parents.
"You believe me? Don't you?" She asked desperately, "Don't you?"
Her parents look at each other. Gerda's mother walked towards her.
"Gerda," She said softly, "I know this is hard, but-"
"No!" Gerda shouted, "NO!"
And she ran out of the church.
"Gerda, wait!"
Gerda's mother raised her hand. Gerda's grandmother placed her hand on her shoulder.
"I'll go after her."
And she walked after Gerda.
"Let us all grieve in our own way," Announced Aland, and everyone sat back down.
Tears flew passed Gerda as she ran. Idiots, she thought. Morons! They're treating Kai as if he's dead even though he's not! Gerda ran into her house. She sat down on her bed. Maybe she shouldn't have said that they were snow men, she thought. Then again she thought about what the chief elder said, about there being not even footprints at all! Gerda also thought about what her grandmother said. Was the Snow Queen really behind her brother's capture? If so, then why did she want him? She looked over at the empty bed that was Kai's. That is Kai's. She thought of all those times in the past where he comforted her, sang to her, protected her, all those times they played together, even putting puzzles back together. Gerda knew her brother was alive. So why was she mourning him? It was probably because the real Kai had died long ago, in the lake. The Kai who she had been sharing her room with for the past four years was not her brother. It was like his body without his soul, or that a demon had possessed him. And now, with him gone, staring at an empty bed that wasn't slept in, Gerda was reminded that in many ways Kai was dead, and has been for years. No. She refused to believe that. She knew that her brother was still in there somewhere. She thought about the last time she saw him, the look of terror and desperation on her face, the New Kai ACTUALLY asking her for help.
"GERDA! GERDA HELP ME!"
"I'm not crazy," Gerda sniffed, "I'm not!"
And she knocked Kai's pillow away. She saw a jar fall off and roll on the floor. Gerda saw a snowflake inside. She picked it up. Gerda thought about how much the New Kai loved snowflakes.
Wait a minute. Why was this snowflake hovering?
Gerda took Kai's magnifying glass to take a better look. She gasped at what she saw.
"What - are you? Are you some kind of - snow bee?"
The snow bee was clearly agitated, probably from being trapped in this jar all this time. Gerda took a closer look, to make sure it really was made of snow! And if this snow creature existed-
"It means I'm not crazy!" She said cheerfully. Which means Kai really was taken by the Snow Queen! This was fantastic! She can take the jar to the rest of the village and prove that snow creatures exist and -
Gerda thought about what would happened if she tried to do that.
"Mama! Papa, look!"
She held up the jar to the procession.
"I've got a snow bee! I told you I wasn't crazy!"
"Enough, Gerda."
"No, look! LOOK!"
Her parents looked.
"Gerda, this is just a snowflake."
"No, it's not! Look, just take this magnifying glass, and you'll see-"
"I SAID ENOUGH, GERDA!"
Gerda was knocked away, the jar smashing on the ground, the snow bee escaping, the only proof Gerda had of the existence of snow creatures existing literally flying away.
"No! NO!"
Gerda came back to reality.
"Oh who am I kidding? They probably won't believe me, will they, even if I show you?"
The snow bee shook its head.
"Wait a minute! You can understand me?"
The snow bee had a guilty look showing that it should not have done that.
"Has the Snow Queen taken my brother? Do you know why?"
The Snow Bee didn't answer.
"Will you take me to the Snow Queen?"
The snow bee shook its head again, rather vehemently this time.
"If you take me to the Snow Queen, I'll let you out."
The snow bee thought about this. It nodded its head.
"You promise?"
The bee crossed where a heart would be. Gerda smiled.
"Alright then."
Gerda's grandmother found her granddaughter in the shed.
"Gerda, what are you doing?"
Gerda was gathering supplies.
"I'm going after my brother. Since everyone else has given up on him it's up to me to bring him home."
"Gerda, no!"
Gerda's grandmother ran to her, placing her hands on her shoulders
"I've already lost one grandchild, I can't lose you too!"
"KAI ISN'T DEAD!"
"I know."
Gerda stared at her grandmother.
"You believe me, don't you Grandmama?"
"Yes, I believe you. I would go out there myself, but I'm too old and frail. And you're too young. There's nothing we can do."
Gerda couldn't believe what her grandmother was saying.
"Nothing we can do?"
She knocked her hands away.
"So you know he's alive, and we're supposed to just abandon him?"
"Gerda-"
A tear emerged in her grandmother's eye.
"I know this is a hard fact for a young girl to accept, but sometimes in the harsh world, you have to cut your losses. No matter how much a loved one is lost, we cannot save him or her if it means losing more loved ones."
Gerda shook her fist.
"No. I won't believe that. I can't believe that! I won't abandon my brother like Princess Anna abandoned her sister!"
Gerda's grandmother stared at her.
"You think she - abandoned her?"
"Anna could have gone after her! She could have brought her back from the northern mountain, repaired their relationship, ended the winter! Instead she left her there in the cold, and maybe if she hadn't, there wouldn't even be an eternal winter, and Kai wouldn't have been taken!"
Gerda had tears in her eyes. Gerda's grandmother turned away.
"Perhaps you are right. Maybe if Anna had gone after Elsa, then she could have saved her, and Arendelle wouldn't have remained frozen."
She turned to look at Gerda.
"Oh Gerda. I just don't want to lose you too."
"You won't. I'll bring him back, and make things right."
Gerda's grandmother smiled.
"Anna couldn't save her sister."
She bent down again, and placed her hands on Gerda's shoulders.
"But maybe you can save your brother."
She checked her bag, to see if she had everything she needed for the journey.
"Now go," She said after making sure, "before my senility wears off!"
Emerging from the shed, Gerda turned around and hugged her grandmother before setting off. She thought about the last words of advice she had given her.
"You'll find what you're looking for if you keep going north. You may find allies or those who want to help you along the way. Watch out for such people. Beware of bandits. They prowl the north like a pack of wolves. You might also want to watch out for actual wolves as well. And above all child protect your heart! For if the Snow Queen strikes you there, then you'll turn into a block of ice, and no power from Earth can save you."
As Gerda walked through the wilderness, fear gripped her:
Oh What on Earth am I doing?
what on Earth was I thinking?
At first I was determined
but now I feel like sinking
I'm just a little girl in the open world
away from those I know
Gerda stopped in her tracks. Suddenly she started to smile.
but suddenly the fear is melting away
Just like the ice and snow
And so fear gave way to excitement. Gerda started running through the countryside.
The birds are singing songs over there
so many types of flowers everywhere
who knew there was a cherry orchard here?
For so long I've been stuck at home,
starring so long at the sky dome
finally adventure waits this year!
They'll be a ton of different people
it'll be totally strange
wow am I so ready for this change!
Cos for the first time in forever,
there's adventure, there'll be fun
for the first time in forever
I'll be walking in the sun
don't know if I'm latent or gassy, but I'm somewhere in the zone!
cos for the first time in forever
I go in the unknown
A number of sparrows and a raven perched themselves on the trees above Gerda.
"Good morning Mr and Mrs sparrows."
Gerda passed them.
"You too, Mr Raven!"
Gerda picked up a twig.
Imagine me with sword in hand
fighting off foes across the land
Bandits and witches all over the place
She sang as she swung.
and then I'll see him standing there
a handsome prince both tall and fair
I want to stuff something sweet in my face
Gerda put a couple of branches on her head.
and we'll meet a talking reindeer
which is totally bizarre
nothing like the life I've led so far
Gerda was swinging from a tree
for the first time in forever
there'll be magic, there'll be light
She climbed it up
For the first time in forever
know it's gonna be all right
Gerda jumped down.
And I know it's totally crazy
She jumped on another hill.
To go off to save Kai
But for the first time in forever
I swear I will not cry.
Gerda became sombre at the thoughts of Kai. She imagined his face in a nearby puddle.
Oh brother dear
Where could you be?
Why have you been taken away from me?
She grabbed some snow.
So cold, so cruel,
just like the snow!
where is your warmth and kindness I don't know
drops of water fell into the puddle, Kai's face disappearing. Gerda wiped her face.
But it's gonna be okay
"Let me out of this net!" Kai protested
I know what I must do
I have someway to be!
Hold on Kai I'm coming after you!
Gerda ran across the landscape
Save me!
Kai cried as he was being carried by the snow men.
For the first time in forever
Please let me go
I see the future's looking bright
I'll do anything may you ask of me
A chance to save the one I love
Oh please
A chance to make things right
Oh please, please set me free, please let me go
I could lose him tomorrow
so it has to be today!
Gerda trekked up a hill.
Cos for the first time in forever, for the first time in forever.
Reaching the top, she spun on the spot.
Nothing's in my WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY - OH AH!
Gerda slipped on some ice, sending her sliding down the hill
WHOOOOOOOOAH!
She went up and into the river. Getting out, she walked away.
"Cold cold cold cold cold cold cold..."
A carriage was riding along a path in the wilderness. Inside were a couple of merchants, a younger man and an older man.
"So is this your first trip, son?"
The younger merchant nodded. The older one laughed.
"Well you picked a heck of a journey to be on! The north is a dangerous place to travel through. There are bandits afoot."
"HELP! OH SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!"
The younger merchant looked out of the carriage. On a hill up ahead, where a reindeer was grazing, he saw a woman wearing nothing but a night gown, tied to a pole.
"It's a girl! DRIVER, HOLD UP!"
The driver did so, pulling his carriage to a halt. The young merchant got out and ran to where the woman was.
"Wait, son!" The older man called after.
The younger merchant reached the damsel.
"You all right, miss?"
He untied her from the pole.
"Oh thank you so much!" The tearful woman threw herself around the merchant, "A bunch of bandits robbed me and left me out here to freeze!"
The man looked startled.
"It's okay, miss," He assured her, patting her on the back, "You're safe now. Here."
He took off his fur coat and wrapped it around her.
"You need this more than me."
"Thank you, Sir," the woman sniffed, "You're so kind."
"HAH!"
A bunch of men leaped from the bushes. They surrounded the merchants, their driver and guard. They were a looking nasty bunch, with broken teeth and broken faces.
"Get behind me, Mam," said the man, drawing his sword, "I'll protect you!"
The woman drew a dagger at the man's neck.
"If I was you," She told him threateningly, "I'd put down your weapon."
"Wait, what are you doing? AH!"
The woman held her dagger closer.
"PUT down your weapon NOW."
The merchant did so.
"The rest of you do the same, unless you want this man's blood on your hands."
The driver and the guard were about to drop their weapons.
"DO NO SUCH THING!" The older merchant ordered them, "The value of this boy's life is nothing compared to the goods we're carrying."
"WAIT, WHAT?" The younger merchant looked alarmed.
The reindeer suddenly attacked, kicking the driver and guard in the back with its hind legs, sending them to the ground. As they looked up, the bandits pointed their swords at them. Seeing that he no longer had any protection, the older merchant dropped his sword.
The leader of the group, an elderly woman with a stubby chin, emerged from the crowd.
"Valuing your cargo more than your associate. You are totally despicable."
She smiled.
"You're my kind of guy!"
The bandits had robbed them of everything, leaving them only with their undergarments, left shivering in the snow. They were laughing around the fire, admiring their latest booty.
"Why exactly do I always have to be the bait?" The young woman asked, taking off her wig, revealing her short, blond hair. She had removed the fur coat that the merchant gave her, and slipped back into her typical clothing, a skin tight fur catsuit with a hood attached. She also wore leather boots and a belt where she kept her dagger. The other bandits laughed.
"Well," Asked the leader, "Do you see any of us being able to pull the damsel in distress thing off? Besides it always brings in the greatest number of goods. And now for your cut."
The leader tossed a coin over to the woman.
"Hey, come on! I think I deserved a little more than that! I mean me and Bae (referring to the reindeer that was with her) did all the hard work!"
"As I have told you before, Hanna, the way our sharing works is based on seniority rule, so the longer you've been in our band, the greater your share! But don't worry, Hanna, the older you get the more your share increases."
"But- since we're all getting older, won't my share stay the same in proportion to yours?"
"Huh." The leader considered this, "That is an obvious flaw in the system. Oh well!"
The bandits laughed. They went over to the money bags and boxes, to count how much they had taken.
"Hey, what the-?"
They found them all empty
"I thought you would say that," Said Hanna, sitting on top of Bae with several large bags tied to him, "So I've decided to go my separate way and seek my fortune elsewhere."
"Come back here with our gold you-!"
But Hanna rode off.
"After her!"
A couple of the bandits went for the horses they had stolen from the carriage. However the horses rode off, their tethers having been cut.
"I'm just taking my share for today!" Hanna called after them, holding up her hand, "But here's your share!"
And she threw them a bunch of coins, one for each bandit. The leader picked one up.
"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS BETRAYAL, HANNA!" She yelled, "NO ONE DOUBLE CROSSES THE ROBBER QUEEN! NO ONE!"
Having made some distance from the other bandits, the robber maiden celebrated her success.
"I've been meaning to get away from those guys for years." She told her reindeer.
She took out a bottle of wine from one of the bags.
"Plus I managed to get away with some of the goods as well!"
Hanna suddenly noticed below the people they had robbed earlier, still shivering. She didn't give them another thought, and decided to ride on. Bae, however, stopped in his tracks, and stared at Hanna.
"What?"
Bae sniffed, looking down at the shivering people below. His eyes remained fixed on Hanna. The robber maiden groaned.
"Oh fine."
The robbed men were surprised to see their furs dropped down to them. Hanna continued to ride on.
"I didn't need those furs anyway."