I do not own 'Frozen' or anything related.
Commentator: Welcome back my non-fairy tale and snow queen wannabe friends to the latest instalment of '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 did so, and out popped three reviews)
WAIT A MINUTE, WE ACTUALLY GOT REVIEWS? Phew! That's a relief! For a moment I was worried that people would stop reviewing, meaning that Anonymius would end up giving up on these openings and I'd have to go back to living in his head while I'm re-enacting video reviews that will never get made, possessing him dressed up as a tokusatsu super villain! Don't ask. Anyhoo, let's look at the first review. Hey, it's from our regular reviewer Erinmilne! Let's see what she has to say:
I'm sorry I didn't get to review the past two chapters - I've been real busy. Anyway, I was impressed by the integration of my favorite song, and by Olaf's dialogue about Elsa. Your description of the palace was very realistic, and the action scene?! OMG!
Wow, really? It has to be like the only Frozen song we've taken where we just describe what Olaf is singing about rather than featuring actual lyrics! Of course one of the reasons for doing that is because unlike the others it is on the whole unaltered, and it's no fun just repeating what someone else wrote! However I'm also pleased that you liked the description of the palace AND the fight scene! Although really, that was one of Anonymius' least favourite parts to write. Even if he was able to write it down in a day! So I'm glad it was worth the effort!
Professor: Our second review is from - huh. This appears to be a new reviewer named Vinzgirl:
Good chapter. I feel bad for Olaf. Can't wait to read more.
Yes, Olaf does appear to live in some kind of abusive household, with bigger brothers tormenting him physically while the 'mother' crushes his dreams and likes and expects him to carry on working. But that is just my observation.
Sammy: Our third review is from a guest:
Where's Anna? Huh?
Commentator: Oh don't worry! Anna's fate will be revealed at the end of the story! So here's the next chapter, 'Meet the Oakens'!
After making some distance from Arendelle, Hanna, Gerda and Bae were walking through the countryside.
"Hey Hanna, can I ask you something?"
"Nope."
But Gerda asked anyway.
"What was the deal? You know, between you and those bandits?"
Hanna sighed.
"Kid, if you must know, I was with them for a time, okay? Actually for most of my life."
Gerda gasped.
"You mean you're - YOU'RE A BANDIT?"
"Was. I mean, I still am, I mean, I haven't done any banditry since leaving them! It was only a short while ago before I ran into you!"
Hanna looked at Gerda.
"It shocks you, doesn't it?"
"Well, yes. I mean, I thought you were a good person, Hanna. A little, rough around the edges, maybe, but I never pictured you as a robber!"
"If it makes you feel any better, I didn't become one willingly. One day they came to the palace, took it as their own, and thought I'd be useful as bait for anyone passing through."
"Oh. So you didn't have a choice!"
This made Gerda happier.
"No. Although, I don't regret it. Banditry."
"Oh."
This made Gerda less happy to know.
"Look Kid, don't judge me, okay? I mean it's probably easy living an honest life in the south where it's winter for only like a quarter of the year, but here, life is harsh, and you have to be harsh in order to survive, so let's see you try to live up here WHOAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The group ended up sliding down a hill, before ending up in a stream.
Afterwards, they were still shivering.
"How is there even a running stream in a place where everything is subzero, anyway?" Hanna asked, to anyone who cared.
"Hey, what's that?"
Gerda saw some smoke up ahead. Going towards it, they found a cottage.
"Great!" Gerda exclaimed, getting off, "A warm place to stay!"
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa, kid!"
Hanna stopped her, placing her hand on Gerda's shoulder.
"You can't just go barging into some place! I told you, this is the north! There aren't any friendly people here!"
"So we're just supposed to go our way?" Gerda asked, "And ignore a perfectly good place to stay the night when it's right there in front of us?"
Hanna considered this. Bae also looked eager to check it out. She looked at her friend.
"Fine," Hanna gave in, "But get behind me."
She pushed Gerda behind her, dagger drawn.
"I mean it's not like we're going to be greeted with a friendly smile and welcome!"
She opened the door. It looked to Gerda like some sort of shop. Up ahead, a smiling man with a moustache and beard sat behind a counter. He looked old, probably in his sixties, but was still quite muscular.
"Yoohoo!" The man greeted, "It's quite chilly, outside, yah?"
Hanna looked disarmed at such a warm greeting. The way he said it was as if it was only a brief spell outside when most of the year was sunny.
"Er, yeah. Listen," She lowered her dagger, but still had it out, "We need a place to stay-"
"Of course, of course!" The man said cheerfully, "We'll have beds prepared for you, and you can join us for dinner! But first you must be cold. Luckily we have a sauna available."
"Oo, you have a sauna?" Gerda said.
"Sor-na?" Hanna asked.
"You don't know what a sauna is?" Gerda asked.
"Of course I Know! It's some place - or some thing - that can warm the body!"
"Please come with me!"
Standing up, the man led them to the sauna. Hanna was still suspicious. Delighted, Bae tried to join them.
"Er, no, I'm sorry mam, but no pets are allowed inside! However there is a barn that he can use instead."
Hanna and Gerda looked out to see the barn.
"I'm sorry," Said Hanna, "But me and Bae stick together always-"
Bae made a sound and a look that said, "That's okay, Hanna, you stay here. I'll check out the barn."
"No, Bae, we stick together-"
He then made a sound and a look that said "Hanna, don't be a-"
"Oh Bae!" exclaimed Gerda, "Such language!"
Hanna looked at her.
"Yeah, Bae! We have a kid here! All right, fine, I'll check up on you, later."
Bae nodded, and walked out. Hanna looked at the small girl. She found it uncanny how she could seem to understand Bae just like Hanna could!
"The Mrs will take your clothes. Oh Mrs?"
"Yoohoo!" Greeted a woman of similar build and age to the husband, "Oh you poor dear!" She said to Gerda, "You must be freezing! Here, let me get you out of those wet, freezing clothes and you and your mother can enjoy the sauna!"
"Oh no, we're not related!" Gerda and Hanna said straight away.
"No?"
The Mrs raised her eyebrow.
"Well I didn't think you looked alike. But if you're not related, then what is a little girl doing with this stranger."
"It's none of your-" Hanna started to say, before Gerda interrupted her.
"Let's just say she's my guide."
The Mrs seemed to accept that answer.
"Oh, okay!"
After helping Gerda out of her clothes and giving her a towel, she turned to Hanna.
"I can see you haven't undressed yet. If you need any help-"
The Mrs raised her hands, but Hanna instinctively raised her dagger. The middle-aged woman continued to smile, as if she didn't feel threatened.
"You won't fully enjoy the sauna if you have your clothes on!"
"I'm fine, how I am!"
"Oh no, I insist."
Eventually giving in, Hanna started to strip.
"Can I at least keep my clothes with me?"
"Not if you don't want me to get them dry for you."
She held out her hands again, but Hanna clung onto the pile as if it was something precious and she was worried that it would be taken away and never be seen again.
"Hanna, let the nice lady take your clothes!"
"Oh no, it's quite alright!" The Mrs said cheerfully, "You can just where this nice dress for dinner!"
She held up brown dress with flow patterns on it. Taking a look at it, Hanna instantly surrendered her clothes.
"Can I at least keep my dagger."
The Mrs laughed
"You won't find it of any user here!"
"I'd like to keep it, regardless."
The Mrs shrugged.
"Suit yourself."
They entered the sauna.
"Oh, it looks like it's already occupied!" Commented Gerda.
The room was filled with blond-haired people of all ages and genders, all of similar build.
"Oh don't mind them, it's just the family," Explained the Mrs, "Say yoohoo, family!"
"Yoohoo!" The family greeted back.
"Oh no, we couldn't intrude," Gerda started to say.
"Nonsense!" Replied the Mrs, "In you go!"
And she pushed Hanna and Gerda in. Hanna at once swiped with her dagger. None of the family seemed to notice, or care. Gerda enjoyed the sauna. She hadn't been this warm in ages. Hanna looked rather uncomfortable, as if she wasn't use to heat. Later they joined the family, who introduced themselves as the Oakens, for dinner. They seemed quite a large, extended family. Gerda could only guess that it included the senior Oaken's brothers and their wives, along with all of their children and grandchildren, and they were all a warm, friendly bunch, seemingly oblivious to the fact that their cottage was in the middle of a winter wasteland.
"They seem really nice," Gerda whispered.
"Please," Hanna whispered back, "They probably want something in return."
Gerda looked at a couple of young children, a brother and a sister. They seemed very close, the brother showing the toddler sister how to use her utensils. It reminded her of how Kai once was, showing her the same thing when she was little.
"You alright, dear?" Mrs Oaken asked, "You haven't even touched your meal yet."
Gerda looked down.
"Oh yes. It looks delicious, thank you. It's just you've done so much for us, I don't know how to repay you!"
"I have gold," Hanna offered, "If that's what you're after."
"Oh no, gold is quite useless to us," Mr Oaken replied, raising his hand.
"What? But- but gold is useful to everyone!"
"Oh no, not to us! You see, gold is very pretty, but aside from that there's not much use for it here. As you can see, we have everything money could possibly buy. Warmth. Shelter. A greenhouse to grow food. And an inside pen for livestock too, both of which provide us material for clothing as well! Of course there is one thing we are low on, and sadly it's something money can't buy."
"And what's that?" Hanna asked.
"Stories."
"Stories?"
"You see, we get very few visitors, and because we're cut off from civilization we hear very little from the outside world. But if you can tell us anything about the outside world, or about yourselves, then we can consider that payment enough!"
"You want us to talk about ourselves? Sorry, but I don't-"
"Sure!" Gerda happily replied.
"Kid, what are you doing?" Hanna whispered.
"What, it's the best way to pay them for their kindness. And I don't mind telling them about myself!"
"So tell us, Dear," Mrs Oaken asked, "What brings you out so far?"
And so Gerda began to tell her story, telling them about the village in the south she lived all her life, about her parents and her grandmother and her brother; How he was captured by snow men, LITERAL snow men, how no one believed her when she told them what happened, how they all thought he had drowned in a river, how she later found a snow bee in the jar that her brother had (She even brought up the jar to the whole family, who awed at the flying snowflake, although she realised the bee was melting in the warmth, so Gerda ran outside to gather some snow and put it in the jar to keep the bee cold), how she had decided to set off to rescue him, how she had run into bandits but was saved thanks to Hanna and her reindeer Bae, how they ventured to the ruins of Arendelle, how they found that it was where the bandits lived, and how they escaped them, before coming here. The Oakens were hooked on every word, especially when she described their escape.
"Oh, so you're out to rescue your brother!" Mrs Oaken, dabbling her eyes with a handkerchief, "So, so wonderful!"
The Oakens all nodded.
"So what about you?" Mrs Oaken turned to Hanna, "What story do you have to tell?"
"I'm sorry," Hanna replied, not sounding sorry at all, "But I don't do that sharing, touchey feely stuff."
The table went silent. All of the Oakens were staring at Hanna.
"Well," Said Mrs Oaken, "If you don't want to say anything about yourself, you can always tell us something about the outside world. I'm sure you have something to tell about that.
"Not really."
"Or, maybe there is some tale you can tell us that you've heard. I'm sure there's something!"
"Nothing that comes to mind."
Mrs Oaken frowned.
"So, you're not going to tell us anything? At all?"
"Nope," Said Hanna, going for another bite.
The family looked at Mrs Oaken, who stood up.
"Right then-"
She grabbed Hanna by the collar before she could take another bite.
"Hey, what are you doing! HEY!"
"Goodbye."
Having grabbed her by the pants as well, Mrs Oaken burst open the door, preparing to throw Hanna out.
"Think you can swindle us like that after we fed and kept you warm you-"
"WAIT!"
Gerda had run after them.
"Wait, please! I'll tell another story! Accept it as her payment!"
"Dear, you've already paid your due, you don't need to do any favours for this cheapskate."
"CHEAPSKATE?"
"No, please, I want do, just don't throw her out!"
Mrs Oaken stared at the little girl. She put Hanna down on her feet.
"You're very lucky to have such a generous girl as your companion," She growled at the robber maiden.
And so Gerda told the family more, told as much as she could. She went into further detail about her life and her village, told them how their grandmother moved in after her funny grandpapa had died; how she wanted to play all the games the boys played, but was told not to because she was a girl, how her big brother looked after as long as she could remember, even though he never said 'I love you' to her, and never wanted her around when he was with his friends. How despite all this they did play together, but how one point she got so upset with Kai that she stamped on the ground, not realising that she was on the lake, how she fell in, how her brother rescued her, how although she was fine how he was at death's door, how when he recovered - well- he wasn't the same after that. How he had become cold, not just to her, but to everyone, how he had become obsessed with snow and ice, how they had drifted apart, how she had found new friends yet still wanted so much to be with her brother, how she tried to never give up on him, how she tried to tell him that she would never give up on him, how she told him that no matter what, she would always love him.
"Even though," Gerda tried to hold back her tears, "Even though, after saying, that, he said to me-"
"What, child?" Mrs Oaken asked, "What did he say? Don't worry if it's too painful, you've done enough on your friend's behalf-"
"No, I want to."
Gerda felt the need to tell, as if saying what happened will somehow make it better. It was easy to remember, the words were seared on her mind.
"He said, – he said, "Oh Gerda. Who could possibly love a skinny, ugly little wild boy child like you?""
The Oakens gasped. Being such a tightly knit family, for a family member to say something like that would undoubtedly be shocking.
"He actually said that to you? Oh dear, how you must have been hurt!"
"I was. But regardless, I still went after him, because as my Grandmamma told me, what matters is that we never give up on the people we love, so I won't, no matter how much he tries to push me away."
The Oakens actually clapped at this.
"So you still went your way to save your brother, despite what he said to you? Oh my dear!"
Mrs Oaken was dabbing her eyes.
"You brave, wonderful girl!"
It seemed all of the Oakens were in tears listening to Gerda's story. Even Hanna appeared to have been listening intently.
"You know what, I think that's enough. Oh goodness, look at me! Well, I just need to get out desert, then you can go to the beds we've prepared for you."
"Actually, if it's alright with you," Hanna said, "I'd rather sleep in the barn with my reindeer."
Mrs Oaken raised her eyebrows.
"Really? You'd rather sleep in the barn?"
"I've slept in worst."
Mrs Oaken shrugged.
"Suit yourself."
"And I think I'll sleep with Hanna as well."
"Really? You're sure you don't want to use one of our beds?"
"Thank you for the offer, but I want to sleep with my friends."
Mrs Oaken smiled.
"I understand."
The barn was actually quite warm. Bae seemed quite happy where he was. True, it might have been better to sleep in a bed rather than on a bed of straw, but Gerda wanted to sleep near Bae and Hanna anyway.
"Thank you for 'paying' on my behalf, Gerda," Hanna thanked, "I know it mustn't have been easy to tell your life story to a bunch of strangers."
"Oh no, it was no trouble at all! I really didn't mind."
"Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Nope! Just kidding, go ahead."
"Why are you so eager to save your brother?"
Gerda was taken aback by the question.
"Why? Cos he's my brother!"
"I know but, why go through all this just to save someone who is so cruel to you?"
Gerda raised her eyebrow.
"You don't have any siblings, do you Hanna?"
"No, I don't. Although, I guess Bae is the closest thing I have to a brother."
As if in response, Bae muzzled Hanna.
"Hey Bae, none of that in public."
Gerda was reminded of when Kai ever told her to go away when he was with his friends, before he changed.
"You two must be really close."
"Well yeah. I found him in the snow one day all alone when he was a baby. The bandits wanted to cook him and use his hide for clothing, but I managed to convince them that he could be useful when he grew up. Being on his own, with no family, I knew how that felt. So we've been best buds ever since. Hey, Bae! Seriously, no!" Hanna protested when the reindeer licked her.
"Maybe you should have told that story at the dinner table."
"Kid I'm not gonna tell a bunch of strangers private details! I'm only telling you because, you know, you're sort of a friend. So even though we're not related, we're more than friends. Which is why I can't understand how you can go to such lengths to save someone who is so mean to you."
"Because no matter what, we're family."
"Why? Just because you guys have the same parents, that means you have some sort of obligation to him? Kid in my opinion, being related by blood means nothing. True family is made out of the bonds you make, not who's blood you happen to share! So in my opinion, this guy doesn't seem like family!"
Gerda was shocked.
"He wasn't always like this! He used to be-"
"I know, I know, he used to be kind to you and played with you and once risked his life to save you from drowning, you said so in your story, but whoever he was before, that's not who he is now. I'm sorry Kid, but it sounds to me like you're trying to save someone who no longer exists."
Gerda stared at Hanna. Tears started to form in her eyes.
"Oh no wait. Please don't do that."
Gerda sniffed.
"Hey, no! Don't start crying on me-"
"WELL MAYBE IF BAE WAS CAPTURED YOU'D TRY TO SAVE HIM EVEN IF HE STARTED ACTING LIKE A JERK!"
And Gerda ran off.
"Hey kid, wait!"
Hanna looked at Bae, who growled at her.
"What?"
It was true, though. Hanna would at any lengths to save Bae if he went missing, even if he was captured by the Snow Queen. And if he started acting differently, more hostile, and wanting nothing to do with Hanna anymore?
No. She would save him regardless.
"Oh man!"
She smacked herself on the head.
"I've been an idiot, haven't I?"
Bae nodded. Hanna groaned.
"Fine, I'll go after her. Hey, Kid!"
Hanna started looking for her.
"Kid, where are you? Gerda?"
While looking for her, Hanna came across something that caught her eye. There was a room that was glowing inside. She opened the door. Inside was a blacksmith's workshop.
"Yoohoo, can I help you?"
Hanna jumped back. One of the Oakens was already inside, a younger adult, muscular like the others, although he didn't have any facial hair.
"Er, yeah."
She looked back at anvil in the centre of the room.
"I couldn't help but notice that there is a forge here."
"Yah, what about it?"
The Oakens have been rather cool towards her ever since she refused to say anything at the dinner table, as if she had been caught trying to steal someone of their merchandise. Hanna was considering something. If they were really going up against the Snow Queen, then she needed a better weapon than her dagger.
"Hold on, I'll be right back."
She ran back to the barn. Bae looked at her.
"No I haven't found Gerda yet. Don't worry I will! I just need to do something first. Trust me, it's important!"
searching through the hay, she found the package she had brought with her from Arendelle. Hanna ran back to the forge, where the young Oaken was still there.
"Hi, I was wondering-"
Hanna unwrapped the cloth,
"If you could fix this."
inside were two pieces of a sword. The Oaken gave her a cold look.
"I'm afraid we don't do anything for free."
"I know I know, you only accept payment in stories. Well I have a story."
She held up the fragments to him.
"It's about this sword. And once you hear it, you'll fix it for me."