Next thing I knew, I was with my father on a horse, galloping at top speed under a bright autumn moon. Mama was on her own horse right beside us, with Anna safe in her arms. The sound hooves hitting stone echoed sharply throughout the serene night. I didn't know where we were going, or how long it would take for us to get there. All I knew was that we had to save Anna, and as quickly as possible. All the while, I fought a losing battle against my emotions, trying my best to be strong for Anna.

At our urgent speed, our trip only took five minutes, though it felt like hours. We finally stopped at a small valley. Round stones were scattered all over the rocky landscape. I looked around to see if there was any life in the area, but not a single person was in sight. The horses' heavy panting was the only sound that broke the deafening silence. Up in the sky, the Northern Lights put on their nightly show, formless green shapes that shifted aimlessly across the darkness, giving the night sky an eerie, green glow.

Papa helped me off the horse and held my hand as we hurriedly made our way down a rocky ledge. Mama hastened behind us, holding Anna in her arms. When we made our way to the bottom, Papa called out to no one in particular, "Help! My daughter!" For an uncomfortable five seconds, there was absolute silence. I looked around in desperation, hoping someone would come help us. Why did Papa bring us here? Anna was getting worse by the second, and there was no one around to help us. Then, I heard a low, rumbling sound. I whipped my head around and noticed that the round stones were moving towards us...by themselves. Fearful, I scooted closer to Papa as the rocks surrounded our family.

"Papa?" I whispered as they rolled ever closer to us.

Before the stones could reach us, though, they stopped in their tracks and, to my surprise, unfolded themselves, transforming into these...creatures. They were tiny, with rock-hard, gray skin, stubby limbs, and bright, expressive faces. In my dazed state, it took me a while to recognize them, but when I did, it took all I had to hold back a gasp. Trolls, I thought to myself, they're trolls. I had only seen them in my old mythology books; I never knew they were real. I stared at them, fascinated and scared at the same time. I wondered how Papa knew of their existence, or how they could possibly help Anna.

Meanwhile, the trolls curiously gathered around the four of us, likely wondering what the royal family was doing in their humble valley. Then the crowd parted, and an older troll, who the others referred to as "Grand Pabbie," came forth. He wore an outfit of moss and glowing yellow crystals, and had a mane of grass, which I could only guess identified him as the chief.

"Your Majesty," the old troll said in a gruffy voice, bowing ever so slightly. Then he turned to me. His eyes had a strange mixture of kindness and seriousness in them. "Born with the powers, or cursed?" he asked Papa, still looking at me.

"Born," Papa quickly replied, "and they're getting stronger."

Pabbie then turned to Mama. She bent down, allowing him to examine Anna. I watched nervously as Mama and Papa left Anna's safety in Pabbie's hands. He put a hand on my sister's head and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Then he opened his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. "You are lucky it wasn't her heart," Pabbie remarked after scrutinizing my sister, "The heart is not so easily changed, but the head can be persuaded." I didn't quite know what that meant. I only wanted him to save my sister.

"Do what you must," Papa responded solemnly.

Pabbie put a rocky hand on Anna's forehead. "I recommend we remove all magic, even memories of magic, to be safe," he stated. Suddenly, a small, glowing cloud appeared from Anna's head. It displayed pictures of the two of us playing together. Her memories, probably? "But don't worry," he continued, "I'll leave the fun." Instantly, the memories depicted in the cloud began to change. Pictures of me and Anna playing in an indoor winter playground were changed to show of the two of us playing out in the snow instead, like ordinary children. Many other memories involving my powers were also changed into "ordinary" memories. When the change was complete, Pabbie replaced the newly altered memories back into Anna's head, and a small smile made its way onto her face, which had already regained some of its color. She remained unconscious, however, and the ice-white streak in her hair stayed ever-present.

"She will be okay," Pabbie remarked, a note of compassion in his voice. Papa and Mama exchanged looks of relief.

There was just one problem, though. "But she won't remember I have powers?" I asked.

"It's for the best," Papa responded in a comforting tone. My heart fell at the news. To Anna, I would just be an ordinary child, no longer her sister with the special powers. All those times we spent playing in the Great Hall would be forgotten. At least she would also forget about my terrible mistake. She would never know that I nearly killed her. I allowed myself to be slightly comforted by the thought.

Pabbie turned once again to me. "Listen to me, Elsa," he began, "your power will only grow." As he spoke, he waved his arms. In response, the sky itself displayed strange lights, forming stunning patterns and designs. Pabbie continued speaking. "There is great beauty in your magic." He controlled the lights in the sky so that they showed an adult woman - me? - creating beautiful, blue snowflakes. I marveled at the intricate magnificence displayed by the lights in the sky. "But also great danger," he finished his sentence as the snowflakes burst into red spikes. I gasped as I stared at the threatening lights with wide eyes. "You must learn to control it," Pabbie further stated, as the lights in the sky showed the woman from before surrounded by two more figures. They, too, seemed to be afraid of the red spikes. "Fear will be your enemy," he finished, as the figures, panicking, attacked the woman in a flash of red light. I swore I heard a woman's screaming echoing throughout the night. I gasped and hugged Papa, not wanting to watch any more. Was that really going to be my fate? I thought back to the incident in the castle, after I hit Anna. Ice had formed on the walls without my own control. Would I really lose control of my powers in the future? Papa wrapped his arms around me protectively. He stayed in deep thought for a while. I sobbed silently, soaking Papa's coat with my tears.

"No," he said unwaveringly to Pabbie, having made a decision, "we'll protect her. She can learn to control it, I'm sure." He turned to Mama. "Until then, we'll lock the gates. We'll reduce the staff. We will limit her contact with people and keep her powers hidden away from everyone...including Anna."

I flinched away from Papa, visibly hurt by his decision. Was that really what he had in store for me? Seclusion in my room? How long was I going to be cut off from the world? From Anna? Then Papa turned to me, his expression softening. He knelt down and put a hand on my shoulder. "Elsa, please understand," he said, seeing the pain in my eyes, "it's only temporary. I promise, there will be a day when you will be able to control your powers. Until then, can you try your best to control them?"

Despite the tears welling up in my eyes, and the realization that I was going to spend a good deal of my life all alone, I only nodded submissively and responded, "Yes, Papa."