"Astro?"

The queen had made it back to the castle, and stood outside her guest's door.

A quiet, gentle knock.

Gerda had told her how the ravenette had rushed into the room and locked it, no response given, nothing.

It must have really affected her.

"Astro, it's Elsa. We are worried."

Silence.

Elsa leaned her pale hand on the wooden door.

Is that how Anna had felt all those years? When the queen was but a child, and she had locked herself away from the world, her family, her sister, in fear of hurting them with the magic she was fighting so hard to control and repress.

Elsa hugged herself. So many memories, now seen from Anna's side of the door.

She slowly sat down, her back leaning against the wooden surface, like she had when Anna and her were kids and shared long hours of silence, isolation, seeking for connection whilst also running from it.

She wanted to believe Astro was doing the same. The idea brought her comfort.

"Astro, I know you are in there..." The queen began. "It's okay, take the time you need."

Silence.

"It's okay..." She sighed. "You know... This brings memories, from when I was little."

Silence again.

But somehow, that was more inviting, as the queen continued to open up.

"When I was 8 and Anna was 5, I hurt her by accident... With my powers. The trolls in the woods said how dangerous my magic can be if not controlled properly. My parents... King Agnarr and Queen Iduna... They locked the gates of the castle to protect the kingdom, and I never once left my room." A pause. "...I left Anna alone."

There was a faint noise from inside, and Elsa felt warmth inside as she could tell that Astro was now indeed moving to sit with her back against the door. She was listening.

"All those years I spent inside did nothing, as my power kept growing outside of my control. At first gloves helped me repress it, but sometimes, even then it would leak. Then..."

The queen breathed shakily.

"Then my parents went on a trip to the Dark Sea... But their ship sunk."

Her voice weighed at those words, as it still hurt to remember that heavy loss.

"I couldn't go to the funeral if I wanted to keep my people safe. Anna had to deal with all of it, alone."

A small pause.

"But at the coronation my powers leaked and well, I ran, and some people did call me a monster too. I could see that same fear in their eyes."

Elsa grew quiet, now wondering... Having said all that, was it really doing anything?

"...what happened next?"

Astro's voice radiated concern, curiosity, empathy, all concealed within a tired and apparently emotionless tone.

Elsa felt a slight warmth stir within her.

"Well." She contained her excitement. Astro was there, listening, she was okay. "I made a castle up in the north mountain, with my magic."

"I saw it." The woman at the other side of the door replied softly. "On my way here."

That made the queen giggle softly, in a kind of embarrassed way. "Anna came all the way up to find me, but..." Her smile faded. "I panicked, and I hurt her again. I froze her heart. Eventually that turned her to ice."

There was a silence. What was the right question to ask? Anna was alive now, but how?

As if reading Astro's thoughts, Elsa continued. "An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart." She quoted. "Anna saved me, and our love for each other brought her back to life."

"She saved you...?"

"Yeah. Well. A man was about to kill me. She stood between the sword and I."

"Who was trying to kill you?" The foreigner's voice became somber. It sounded like she would tear that man apart.

"Prince Hans, from the southern isles." The queen replied. "He had manipulated Anna into loving him, but left her to die. Olaf rescued her, and that's how she got to me."

There was a small pause.

"But then, our sisterly love gave me the power to fix the eternal winter I had cast upon Arendelle, and bring summer back. Then the kingdom accepted me as their queen again, and learned to appreciate my magic."

A happy ending, and Elsa could tell Astro had relaxed at the other side.

The silence that came after invited the ravenette to speak.

"You have spent all your life hiding your powers to protect your loved ones... I have spent all my life fighting to survive, and my powers were my only ally. I mastered them, but at what cost?" Astro sighed. "I have always been seen as a demon or a monster. Out of fear or envy, I was always attacked. I have lived mostly in the wild. Every battle would deform my body further with another scar."

Elsa hesitated, before asking once again. "What about your family?"

A sigh. "My father and siblings passed away before I was born. They were peasants. My mother was a healer, and as she raised me, she taught me the basics of medicinal herbs... But one day our village found out about my magic. They began to think I was of the devil or something, and wanted to exorcise me. My mother protected me with her life so I could escape."

"...how old were you?"

"Five, I think."

"I'm so sorry..."

Silence fell once again, as both struggled to figure out what to say next.

"Well... Thanks to the basics she taught me, I survived whenever I was sick or injured, and learned everything else on my own. I also became a good fighter."

It was hard to tell if Astro was trying to stay positive, or if she was just trying to put Elsa's anguish at ease.

"Astro... I don't think you are a monster. You are a warrior, a healer, a survivor... And most of all, a kind-hearted individual." The monarch inhaled, before continuing. "I have a bad tendency of pushing people away... But I want you to stay with us. I want to learn from you. I want to teach you as well. I just... Want us to keep sharing moments and experience. You and your powers, are safe and free in my kingdom."

After a few seconds, Astro stood up, and slowly opened the door. Words were scrambled, and caught in her throat.

Their eyes met, and she finally spoke.

"I am so lucky I found you." The warrior said. "I don't know if I deserve this kindness. I have never been on the recieving end of it, but if my mother loved me, then I trust people like her can exist around the world. I... Trust you. And I am thankful."

Elsa's lips pressed again, and she slowly moved forward to hold Astro's hand. She could feel her fair skin, the scars on it, the callouses from a life of struggling.

The queen emanated a faint, sweet scent that relaxed the ravenette, who closed her eyes as she felt her thin fingers around hers.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Gerda peeked from around the hallway's corner, and saw the door open as the two women held hands. She smiled in relief.

Scary as Astro could be, the maid was happy everything was okay now.

.

That night, before sleeping, the queen walked into her sister's room.

"Elsa? Is everything okay?" Asked Anna, looking at her older sibling in slight confusion.

The platinum blonde sat by the princess's side, and embraced her dearly.

"All those years you knocked on my door... Thank you. For never giving up on me."

A smile graced the younger woman's freckled face, and she returned the hug, closing her teal eyes.

"You are worth every second, Elsa. Besides, that's what sisters are for."

"I love you, Anna."

"I love you too, big sis."