Author's Note: Konichiwa, Fellow Otaku's. CosmoK13 here! And yes, I am back again with another story, but this one is different in terms of genre. Now, I will admit I am a bit of a Disney fan. I don't like the company in general, due to certain controversies they have and trying to become an empire by buying everything at this point. But I do like many of their works, old and even new. Heck, I even liked the Kingdom Hearts series as well (Still waiting for a tv show adaptation for that!) But, on the subject of Disney, as you can probably tell by the title… yeah this is Frozen related. Now, I want to confess that I was obsessed with the movie when it first came out and it wasn't until I became older and saw how much the company was milking the franchise that it was something that could do more harm than good. Don't even get me started on the sequel and the shorts either.
But, the more I watched reviews and became self-aware of the damages of the movie, the more it got me thinking: Could Frozen have been written better? Short answer: Yes. And I got the main concept of that idea from HezuNeutral on Youtube with her video: Fixing Frozen 2. Which I recommend you guys checking out because a large chunk of this rewrite was due to some of her concepts. Now, not only do I plan on rewriting Frozen itself, but I do plan on making this into a pentalogy, meaning there will be five of these stories. The first one is of course, this: Frozen-Leaf. (Yes I know the name is a bit odd at first, but there is a theme here.) Now, this will focus on the first movie itself, centered around the sisters: Elsa and Anna. There will be many other changes in terms of plot, characters and there is even a backstory with mythology. Yes, I'm planning on writing a huge mythos about the creations of Elsa's powers and the history of Arendelle and the countries surrounding it, but that will be a separate project that won't come out until near the end of the series. Mainly because I am taking a lot of references in terms of Celtic, Norse, Powhatans, Inuit, Egyptian, Nigerian, Hispanic, and Hawaiian cultures and mythology. So I will have a lot of research to do in order to get a better grasp of the main narrative. But for now, I can focus on this first entry into the pentalogy as I already have a clear idea on where to go. I plan on getting this first series done during the winter since it seemed the most appropriate.
Now, I want to make a note that this is a lot different than the stories I am used to writing. While I'm still writing it in a novel based format, instead of chapters I will refer to the parts as acts and scenes. I want to make this more of a reference in terms of a movie and or play. I did my research and there are usually 3-5 scenes per act and there will only be four acts for this story. (Aside from the prologue and the epilogue.) And yes, there will be singing, but only because it's Disney and technically a musical. I will be more mindful of the songs though, and many of the lyrics will have changed to try and fit more with the rewritten narrative. And remember, this is only one of five I will be writing. So there may be lots of questions, but the answer will come if not in this book, then in the coming ones. Also, these stories will be rated PG-13, mainly because there are a lot of heavier topics that deal with trauma, grief, loss and death just to name a few. Haven't decided if there will be any actual swearing yet, but if it's to make the story 'not suitable for kids' I'll do what I have to. Also, please do not hate on this story just because this one is a variation of Frozen. If you don't like the movie, you don't have to read this. And again, this is my own version of Frozen and its franchise. I'm not going to base this off the Snow Queen itself, which they should have done more research on. This is my own take in terms of story, lore and characters. With that said, I hope you all enjoy the beginning of this story.
Prologue:
Hearing the crackling of fire, our story begins in a cave like home with a fireplace lit. A wooden rocking chair slowly creaks as there sits a being made of rock and moss. With wide eyes of pastel peering out, a smile spread on her face.
"Ah, come in…" She calls out, waving her hand in a gesture. "Hurry now, do not let the cold air in." She giggled, getting up from her chair as she slowly marched towards the fireplace. "Ah, a bit chilly out there, isn't it? It's around this time that it is the coldest of the days. The nights drag on for so long… as the warmth of the days become so short." The boulder woman reached for a piece of lumber next to the fireplace, tossing it into the flames and sighing in bliss. "Good thing I don't have skin, or I would be freezing. But I knew you would be coming, so I figured I would bring some heat into my house. Do make yourself comfortable, chances are you will be here a while." She laughed as she went around, going to a shelf with what appeared to hold many herbs and spices. "Would you care for something to eat? Probably a hot drink? It may take a while to make, being a stone troll we do not really need to consume food or drinks to stay alive. Yes, I know, we are very strange creatures to many. But, we are the most knowledgeable. I assume that is why you are here…" She then began to go to the opposite side of her small cave, still looking over into space, seeing something that was not there. "Well, if you are here to seek out Opal, the eldest female stone troll, you found her. It is a pleasure to meet you, my dears."
She giggled, her eyes casting towards the window where she saw flakes of snow falling from the sky. She breathed a sigh of bliss, a smile spreading on her stony features. "Ah, I love this time of year. Although, I love all seasons. But there is just something special about winter. Many people may see it as very dark, cold and gloomy nights… However, they do not understand how important winter is. Why, the snow that forms blankets the land, preparing it for hibernation so it can be fertilized in the spring once that covering turns to water. The season gives the earth time to rest, after producing so many crops and being drenched in months of heat. Plus, if you are lucky, there are some nights where you will be able to see the aurora borealis. Ahhh, such a sight of colors dancing in the sky."
Opal looked up through her window, gasping as she pointed to it. "Ah, just as I stated." She smiled, seeing the many colors in the sky, just as she described. "Oh, and they are warm colors, that is a good sign that this next cycle will be a blissful and bountiful one." Opal turned around, walking back over to where the fireplace was. "Let me ask you something, do you know why you see that show in the sky during the nights? Well, there is a story behind it. A story involving the love of two legendary beings that helped create the seasons we know of. Oh! Hang on, I have just the way to present this tale! Now where is that bag?" Opal began to scurry around, checking over all her stoned shelves as she was moving some bottles. "Ack! I can never keep track of where everything is. That's the downfall of getting old, you get wiser but not smarter. The irony, as they call it." Her fingers reached up, grabbing a white sack. "Ah-ha!" She opened it, taking out a small pile of what appeared to be shimmering, blue dust. "The best part about this dust is that it can show many illusions. Now then, sit down, and let me tell you a tale of how earth and sea met. The story of the man of the land, and the woman of the waters."
Opal blew the dust, making it spread across the air. As it did, images began to fill the room. All the while, celtic music of a soft guitar and flute played in the background while the Troll woman began to sing the tale. "When the Earth man… met the sea. They had fallen, in a spell so deep. Love and laughter all around. For in each other, all was found." The images of a masculine figure appeared, having a brown appearance as he walked through a forest-like area. Until he appeared near water, where a blue woman was present.
The dust-filled illusions continued, showing the two figures together, as four other smaller figures came around. One that was white, another that was red, one green and the last yellow. "In her waters, deep and blue. Lay her wisdom, and her love for you. For her husband and her kins. But they were lost to mankind's sins.`` The illusion illustrated the family of six being happy, before figures of male humans appeared around them, raising spears and swords. The colors turned red, and the dust figures collided together, creating a cloud of crimson particles. The shade of red faded to a blue, showing a lone female with her head in her hands, weeping. "Yes, she still sings to those she lost. And in her song, her sorrows flow." The hues of the sea turned into a white, transforming the woman into that of an ice droplet. "But in, a kingdom laced with frost. Lived one of her kin, born of snow." Opal transformed the magic to shape into a scene where a castle rested near a port. "In a Kingdom, near the sea. There's a story, of a family. Come, dear children hear this hymn. For here our story shall begin."
The magic in the air faded, Opal then sat down in her chair. As she got comfy, she took out a blue book with a snowflake on the cover. "Well now, that is the beginning of the story. But there are many parts that we must get through if we are to reach the woman of the waters and the man of the land. So, let us start in the kingdom to the northeast, a kingdom called Arendelle, where two princesses were causing trouble in the middle of the night. During a light show, just like this…" She opened up the book, turning to a page with a picture of the castle at the very edge of the sea, where the center of the kingdom was.
Act 1 Scene 1
It was a very bright night, only due to the light show in the sky by the aurora borealis. The kingdom was asleep, no windows were illuminated by the activity inside. Expect for one… the large castle, at the edge of the town. It floated on the sea, surrounded by rocks and a very long bridge that connected it from the commoners and the royal family. The only activity inside was from the King and Queen as well as some of their staff. Though, there was another room in the castle, one belonging to the two princesses of the kingdom. Two beds, one one either side of the wall. The left one belonged to the eldest princess while the right side of the room was for the youngest.
An auburn haired child slowly rose up from her bed, being awakened by the lights displaying in the sky. She looked over at the large window, climbing off the bed to press her hands and face to the glass. Her turquoise eyes sparkled with wonder as she saw the many colors dance in the ocean above. How she wished she could go up there and swim in the fluffy clouds and twirl along the lights. Her eyes soon wandered over to a sleeping figure in the bed across from where she laid. The young girl smirked, slowly jumping from the window ledge to stalk ever so carefully onto the bed of blue. Hopping up, and inching ever so closer to the one that was under the covers. She tried suppressing her giggles, but couldn't hold it anymore as she grabbed the sheets and pulled them back. "Wake up!" She yelled.
To her confusion and dismay, instead of a young child in the bed, she saw a bunch of pillows in the shape of a human. "Elsa?" The auburn haired girl looked for her sister, scanning around for her sibling. Before she could get a good view of the room, she felt something hit her from behind, causing her to tumble off the bed and lay on the floor. She looked up, seeing what happened.
Standing there, in a pale-blue nightgown was a girl with icy eyes and snow-fallen hair. She giggled, holding up a snow-flake pillow. She laughed along, watching her sister get back up. "Looks like that's Elsa 4 and Anna 3."
"You're awake!" Anna smiled, seeing her older sibling jump from the window seat and tossed her pillow aside. "You're never awake at this time."
Elsa walked over to her, ruffling her hair. "I've been awakened by you so many times at this point, you pretty much installed an internal clock in me." Anna pulled back, having her hair slightly static due to what her sister did to her. "Plus, you always wake up whenever the lights in the sky come out."
Anna jumped up, grabbing Elsa's paler hand and smiled. "Then let's go! The sky's awake! Which means that I'm awake! So we have to play~!" She sang out.
"Can't you play by yourself for a change?" Elsa rolled her eyes as she looked at her sister.
"But it's no fun by myself. Plus… I figured we could make a snowman…" She blinked, innocently as she smiled. "Just for one hour… please?!" She begged, holding onto her sister tightly. "I'll keep begging until you agree."
Elsa sighed, knowing Anna wouldn't give in until she got her way. She was stubborn, but admittedly she could rub off on people. "Alright…" She reluctantly agreed. Anna giggled more, jumping up and down as she was happy. Elsa pressed a finger to her lip, shushing her as they went to their door. The eldest opened it, taking a peek outside to see the dark hallway with no one around. With the coast clear, she nodded to Anna as the two sisters started to slowly creep down the hallways. They were sneaking around carefully, with Elsa in the lead and Anna behind. They seemed to be doing a decent job, as no guards were out right now so they could avoid any eyes. Their luck soon ran out when they turned a corner only for Elsa to bump into someone. At first, they thought it was one of the watchers making their rounds through the halls, only to find out that it was two figures of a much higher status.
One was of a man, dressed in green and gold clothing. He had the same colored hair and mustache that the younger princess, Anna, had and they even shared the same shade of eyes. The other was a woman, who wore purple and blue shades of a regal dress, her brown hair was put up in a braid to resemble a crown and her eyes were just as blue as Elsa's. The man was Agnarr, the King of Arendelle and the father of Elsa and Anna. While the woman was known as Iduna, his queen and the mother of the two princesses.
"Uh oh…" Anna looked up at their parents, realizing they had been caught just before they could get to their destination.
The Queen's blue eyes looked down at her children, a curious yet stern expression was placed there. "What are you girls doing out of bed?" She questioned, waiting for an answer as she stood over them. Elsa and Anna looked at one another, hoping the other would explain.
"Uh… well…" Elsa stumbled.
"We were… you see…" Anna fumbled.
"It was too bright out to sleep because of the lights so…" Elsa trailed off.
"We were… going to make a snowman and wanted to ask if you'd join us?" Anna finished, though not confident with her answer. The royal couple looked at one another, brows raised up at the request of their daughter. They turned back to their children, as they expressed their pleading with wide eyes and innocent smiles. A trick that they knew would at least soften the blow from any punishment they may receive. A smile was shared between the King and Queen as their eyes met once more before glancing down at the princesses.
Giggles erupted from Anna as she rushed through large, double doors into a common space. Iduna and Agnarr opened the room so they could all head in. The place lacked any furniture such as chairs or couches, but it made up with the enormous windows which had the glass start from the floor all the way to the ceiling. The light from the aurora borealis streamed into the place so they could see. There was also a large chandelier hanging above, but they figured they wouldn't need it since it was already bright enough. Anna was bouncing around as she could hardly keep her excitement in her tiny body, while Elsa strolled into the center and looked around. An open space so there wouldn't be anything to get in her way. Good thing the castle had plenty of rooms such as this.
"Now remember girls, one hour and then it's back to bed." Agnarr told them as he and Iduna began to shut the doors, so they wouldn't bother anyone else while they were having family time.
"Yes papa." Elsa agreed as Anna rushed to her side.
"Come on Elsa, hurry and summon your magic!" The auburn haired one begged.
"Give me a minute, I need to concentrate." Elsa told her sister, as she held out her palms. Her mother and father soon came over, watching their eldest but kept a distance so she could have room to work. Elsa waved her fingers, moving her palms in a circle around each other until sparkles and glitter of white started to appear within the air. Anna gasped, her eyes glued to the magic that her older sibling was creating. Within mere moments, the white haired princess created a ball of snow, growing it bigger with each motion of her hands. Once it was as grand as her head, the eldest threw the sphere up to the ceiling. At the highest point, it shattered causing flakes of the cold to fall gently down.
Anna couldn't hold back anymore giggles as she twirled around while the magical snow started to fall onto the family. Agnarr and Iduna were just as amused, but not as surprised as their youngest. They knew that their first born would be gifted with such powers, yet they were impressed with how well controlled Elsa had over the Winter. "What should we do first? What should we do first?!" Anna jumped while asking those questions. She was so full of energy, not like Elsa who was more content and well mannered. Even so, the two enjoyed one another's company.
"Since it's Elsa's magic, she is the one to decide the first activity." Their father declared, looking at his first born daughter.
A small smile appeared on Elsa's pale lips, seeing her family waiting for her to make the decision. "Well, it will be a while until we get enough snow to cover the floor so…" Elsa looked down, tapping her slippers on the ground. Out from her feet, ice started to manifest and cover the area within a few seconds, turning the room into an ice ring. "How about a skating competition?" No one had any complaints on such a suggestion. After all, they did have one hour, best to use it.
Anna kept letting out loud cries of laughter as she skated across the ice with her father, who helped to steady her while they moved on the ice. Elsa was holding her mother's hand, being more graceful as the two of them had more practice than the rest of the family. Anna and Agnarr kept slipping up and falling, yet they enjoyed themselves despite the bumps in their performance. After their fifth fall, they became spectators of the show the queen and princess were doing. Elsa was just as elegant as her mother, the two in perfect sync with each other. Afterwards, Elsa pulled away from her mother just as the king walked over to his wife while his hand was held out. "My I have this dance, my lady?" He asked politely.
Iduna produced a smirk on her face, as she took his hand and pulled her husband close to her body. "Only if you let me lead." Iduna twirled Agnarr around, as the two skated together. The princesses watched their parents in their dance, teasing each other lovingly as they showcased their symmetric rhythm of their feet and bodies. Anna was in awe seeing the romance between her parents, and while Elsa was just as invested, she wasn't making googly eyes like her younger sister. Still, they both had to admit the King and Queen had a strong chemistry with one another, which explained why their relationship started when they were children and stayed strong years later.
Eventually, they moved on from skating now that more snow had formed around the room. The family of four decided to test their sculpting skills by creating statues of the frozen water. With some hands-on work and edging the frost, they were able to create a strange creature of myths, a snow troll as Anna called it. They used blocks of ice to create the body, stacking a large one on the bottom and a smaller one on top, both horizontally. Then, they placed an oval shaped snowball that was as large as a head on the two ice cubes. They fixed up the head so there was a large nose, then placed some coal near the top of the head to act as eyes. After a bit more crafting, they created ice and snow mixed arms and legs for the sculpture. Afterwards, they looked at the being that was no taller than Elsa. "It's an… interesting snowman you girls made." Agnarr tried to sound kind to his daughters.
Anna laughed at her father's remark. "That's not a snowman. It's a Troll!" the auburn child explained. "A snow troll."
Elsa rolled her eyes upon hearing her sister's explanation. "There's no such thing as a snow troll. Trolls are made out of stone, not ice."
"There are snow trolls! They live up high on the mountain." Anna argued. "They can only survive in the cold."
Iduna chuckled at her youngests remarks. "Maybe there are snow trolls out there, and maybe we can see them someday."
"For now… what should we call this snow troll?" Agnarr questioned as he looked at the work they all did.
"How about… Olaf?" Anna suggested.
"Olaf?" Agnarr looked at his youngest.
"Yeah! He looks like an Olaf!" Anna remarked, turning back to the snow troll.
Elsa scanned the being they created, thinking the name over. A smile spread on her lips as she couldn't help but think the name suited him. "I can see him being an Olaf." Anna giggled as her sister agreed with her on that.
More snow covered the room, while the family went sledding down the hills. Elsa and Anna on a few of the bunny slopes, then on the bigger ones they each had a parent accompany them. After a few trips down the slopes, Anna decided to try jumping from one of the snow piles to another. Elsa watched her younger sibling climb up to the peak, before hopping to one closest to her. "Elsa, make more mountains, I'm gonna try to go around the room!"
"Alright, but take it slow." Elsa advised, shooting her palms out to cast her magic. More snow piles began to appear, one after another at a steady pace since Elsa was still new to her magic despite being eight years of age. Elsa watched as Anna leapt from one snow pile to another, trying to make sure that they were close enough so she wouldn't fall. The younger princess however was getting faster in her jumps, and it made Elsa grow concerned since she did not want her sister to fall on the ice and get hurt. "Anna, you're too fast! Slow down." Elsa urged, but the younger princess didn't listen as she was having too much fun. Elsa started to panic, as she was not able to keep up with her.
Elsa was incredibly concerned, she ran over to the hill where Anna was currently and held up her arms, in case she would fall. The auburn princess jumped from the last snow hill, expecting to be caught by Elsa's power or her arms, instead was held up by their mother. Elsa sighed in relief while Iduna grabbed Anna by the armpits and looked at her. "Anna… what did Elsa say? You shouldn't have ran so fast on the hills." She set her youngest down next to her other child.
"Sorry Mama… sorry Elsa." Anna apologized to both of them.
"You can not expect others to keep at your own pace. Some like to travel fast and miss the sights, while others take it slow and enjoy the scenery." Iduna remarked.
"What does that mean?" Anna questioned, tilting her head as she stared up at her mother.
"It means you can't get by in life by moving fast, you need to learn how to slow down now and again." Iduna explained while rubbing the hair on her daughter's head. Anna looked up at the woman who had given her life and raised her, despite being from a common household, Iduna proved to be an exceptional queen that led her people. She looked beautiful, graceful, and strong. Elsa got such traits from Iduna, there was no doubt about that. The queen felt her feet shift a bit as she was pushed from an impact. Looking behind, she noticed her dress had some white powder on it. The women of the family turned to see the King holding up a snowball in his hands and a cheeky smirk painted upon his lips.
"But those that are too slow, fail to see what is coming at them." Agnarr joked.
"Oh-ho! That's how you want to play?" Iduna laughed as she went to the snowbank and started to form a sphere of her own. Anna followed her mother's lead, while Elsa crafted her own ball of snow with her magic.
Agnarr realized the mistake he made and started to back away with his hands raised. "Hey! Three against one is unfair!" He tried to defend, but they were already launching their ammunition at the king. He took the hit from the snow, being covered in the sheets of white.
"Get him girls! Show no mercy!" Iduna urged her daughters. They followed her command, leading the King to be defeated with an outmatched fight.
After the exhaustion of the snowball wars, the family of four laid on the ground. Their limbs moved away from their bodies to create snow angles within the frost from Elsa's powers. Laughter could be heard from everyone, as their energy was slowly vanquished with the many activities and fun they had. The lights in the sky were still shining, but they were becoming dimmer as the last hour had passed. Elsa looked around the room, seeing how much snow and ice she had conquered up within the time they were all playing. It was a winter wonderland at this point, but she didn't mind the cold. "I think I overdid it with the snow…" Elsa remarked sheepishly, realizing how long it would take for it to melt.
"Well, this room was overdue for a cleaning anyways." Iduna stated as she stared at the ceiling, being close to her husband and eldest daughter. "We'll have to inform the servants when they clean this room. Hopefully we have enough mops and buckets."
Agnarr mused at his wife's joke, while Anna turned her body over to look at her sibling. "You're so lucky, Elsa. Being blessed with magical powers, creating snow and ice with your fingers and toes. I wish I got to have a cool ability." She sighed, a bit disappointed knowing she was the normal daughter.
"Believe me, it isn't all it's cracked up to be." Elsa tried to dissuade Anna. "Part of me wishes I didn't have these powers… because I'm scared I might lose control one day." The eldest told her sibling as she stared off at the window, seeing the fading lights as they were finishing their performance.
"There is no reason to fear that, Elsa. Only you alone can control the powers you were gifted with at birth." Agnarr told her gently. "They will grow as you do, which is all the more reason you should keep practicing so you can master your abilities. When you become queen, you will use your powers to bring longevity and security for the people."
"But only a few people know of my powers right now…" Elsa pointed out. "Why do I have to wait to tell them when I'm queen?" The rulers of the kingdom looked at one another, their eyes soft as the question bounced from her mouth and around the room. Even Anna was curious, as she was aware the royal family along with the trusted servants knew of Elsa's birth gift. They were told her powers had to be kept a secret, that she needed to only use them if she was alone or with those that knew. Elsa never disobeyed this rule, however even she was starting to question the purpose of such secrecy.
"Your gift… is very special Elsa." Agnarr began as she went close to her daughter, looking her in her icy eyes. "So special in fact, no one in our family has ever had them. You are the first with such powers, and that is a blessing, but it can be scary."
"Scary?" Elsa whispered, becoming a bit nervous as her father explained.
"What your father is trying to say is that such gifts are so rare, people don't know how to act when they see them. Not everyone will accept your abilities right away, Elsa. And even then, they may not until they die. There are many closed minded people out in the world that chose to remain ignorant and hate such things instead of learning how to embrace change." Iduna elaborated.
"Well those people are feiging!" Anna retorted.
"Anna!" Iduna gasped, hearing her child speak such slang, especially a negative one.
"She isn't wrong, Iduna." Agnarr defended their youngest. "Not everyone is going to accept someone because of their differences. That is why, Elsa, you need to master your powers and learn more about them. For when you are queen, you will have to admit this secret. But by then, you can use your gift to win the people over and have a majority on your side. It won't be easy, but we will be here every step of the way. And you already have a good understanding of your abilities at such an age. You'll be a master in no time…" Agnarr was doing all he could to ease Elsa's fears. And while she was still scared for the future, wondering and worrying about what her people would think upon learning of her powers, she was grateful that her family were here. They knew how beautiful her gift was, and how she would never hurt anyone with it on purpose. Knowing such things did help to melt her anxiety away, even just slightly.
"Okay…" Elsa nodded. "I'll do whatever I can to master my abilities." The King and Queen smiled, as they knew she would try. It was a lot to ask for a girl her age, yet the sooner they managed to help her understand her powers, the less trouble she would have dealing with them.
Agnarr smiled down at his daughter, believing that she could do it and would take whatever steps were necessary to get her there. The king was brought out of his happy thoughts as the sound of glass hitting the floor was heard from outside the room. Everyone turned to the door, hearing the crashing as they questioned what the cause of that was. Elsa and Anna went to their mother, while Agnarr stood up and headed to the exit. "Probably one of the servants knocked over a vase again." He told them gently.
Iduna sighed both in relief and annoyance. "That's the fourth time this week."
"Well, they are more for decoration than value." Agnarr smirked to his wife, heading out of the room to investigate.
Elsa looked up at the queen, beaming in reassurance. "If you want mom, I could make you a vase out of ice." She offered.
That sentence made Iduna smile, reaching over to rub Elsa's snow-blond hair. "Thank you dear, I think it would look beautiful in the hall."
"Hey, if you ever do get sick of your powers, you could always give them to me." Anna suggested playfully as she nudged Elsa's shoulder.
"I doubt that's how my abilities work." Elsa rolled her eyes.
"Still! I wished I could have powers of my own. Then that way, you wouldn't be the only one with a gift, and it wouldn't be as lonely." Anna smiled at her sister. Admittedly, Elsa did wish that her sister had some sort of supernatural talent as well. It would have made her feel not much of an outcast in her family or the people themselves. She always wondered though… looking up at her mother, blue eyes shone with curiosity.
"Mom… how come I was gifted with these powers? Why did I get them?" Elsa expected her mother to be hesitant with an answer, since she never told Elsa the truth about the origin of her gifts. After all, if no one else in her family had such talent, then where did she get the gift of Winter from? Surprisingly, Iduna gave a gentle smile that can only come from a mother as she stared at her eldest.
"That… is a long story with a sad one mixed in it. But… it was a deal your father and I made long ago." Iduna seemed like she was about to explain, which made Elsa listen more as she knelt on the ground. Anna joined her, the sisters looking up at their mother as they wanted to know what could have happened that resulted in the king and the queen making a deal with someone to give their first born powers. Just as the Queen was about to continue, her eyes looked up past her children. They went wide as she saw hooded figures dressed as the night standing near the windows, slowly approaching.
Thinking quickly, Iduna grabbed hold of her children and pulled them away. They gasped in confusion, but when the children's eyes landed upon the mysterious figures, their pupils diminished in fear. The Queen placed the girls in a corner, standing in front of them as the four black robes walked over to her and the princesses. "Stay back!" Iduna demanded, being a shield for her daughters while she stared at the nameless and faceless beings. "As Queen of Arendelle, I demand you tell me who you are and why you have entered our castle without permission."
One of the four stepped closer to the Queen, before speaking. "Tha sinn an seo airson Spiorad a 'Gheamhraidh." It was a language they didn't understand, as both the daughters were baffled by the twisted tongue.
Iduna did not trust these figures, between their language barrier and their appearance, they could only be bad news. Thinking quickly, she reached over to one of the suited knights that decorated the room, pulling out the real and sharp sword from its iron hands. The Queen pointed the blade right at the figures. "I will only give you one chance to leave the castle and never return!" Iduna prayed that they would have the moral decency to realize her threat. The hooded group however, did not see it that way. Holding out their hands covered in bandages, shadows like fog appeared around their fingers. Morphing into items of weaponry, they had a sword, a bow, an axe and spear. It appeared they would not be backing down, and were looking for a fight.
Iduna stood her ground, balancing her feet as she was not going to let these monsters hurt her daughters. She may be a queen, but she was more than that. The one with the axe ran towards her, raising up the weapon as they charged to chop her. Iduna was quicker, using the sword to block the blade of the axe from her head. She was stronger than she appeared, pushing the figure back and kicking him in the leg to get him to lose balance. They managed to catch themselves, only for Iduna to use her weapon to slash their own from their hands. The axe flew onto the floor, sliding away since the floor was still slippery. Without a weapon, the hooded one had to resort to using their fists, attempting to punch the Queen. Iduna instead used the ice to her advantage. Sliding around the figure, dodging his attacks. She was one step ahead of them, and while she may not be the strongest warrior, she was the fastest in terms of agility and tactics. Eventually, the hooded figure began to grow tired of hitting only air. With this opportunity, Iduna, used the butt of her blade to make the robed figure fall to the ground. The moment they hit the ice, the hooded figure evaporated into black shadows, and spread throughout the room. Seeing this surprised Iduna, realizing that these intruders were not mere humans. But that also meant she didn't have to hold back in front of her children. The other three were shocked by how skillful the Queen was, especially with how she managed to take down one of their own without breaking a sweat. Iduna held her sword, swinging it around while glaring at the remaining three. She was not going to let them get away with breaking into the castle and frightening her babies.
The one with the sword decided to take a turn, running over and clashing their blade with the Queen's. They dueled with their weapon's, metal on metal as they were at a stand still. Anna was shaking in fear as she hid behind Elsa. The older of the siblings noticed how determined and brave their mother was being, taking on these four assailants while they remained helpless. "Elsa… what do we do?" Anna asked. "We can't let mom fight on her own."
Elsa looked around, trying to think of something. She was the older sibling, she needed to protect her sister at any cost. She couldn't leave her alone, the bad people would try and hurt her. And even though she had powers, she didn't want to distract her mom. The elder princess noticed the door to the room, remembering her father had left not too long ago. If they could escape and get the King or some guards, then these intruders could be apprehended. Taking Anna's hand, Elsa began to walk with Anna slowly towards the exit. She looked back at the auburn princess, reassuring her with blue eyes. "Stay close…" Elsa advised, which Anna did. She tightened the grip on her sister's hand as they tried to get out of the room. Elsa was not worried about her mother, she knew the Queen could take on these figures all on her own. Or at least keep them at bay until help arrives.
The white-haired princess tried to keep close to the wall, doing her best to ensure her and her sister went unseen. Quiet as a mouse, they were mere feet away from the door. Just as Elsa was about to reach for it, she quickly pulled her hand away moments before something flew right in front of her, hitting the wall. She lost her breath as the princess turned to see one of the hooded figures who had thrown the weapon. Holding out their hand, the shadows manifested another one as they approached the two children. Elsa shuddered in fear, as she didn't know what to do. Her mind went blank as she was terrified of this faceless entity that was stepping closer to her.
As the black hand reached out to try and grab hold of Elsa, the figure attached to that arm was pushed back as white powder collided with their body, catching them off guard. When Elsa turned her head, she saw her younger sister making a snowball and threw it back at the figure which stumbled them and caused them to slip on the ice. The older sister was impressed by how brave Anna was, despite her lack of powers and weapons. Elsa turned back to the intruder, as she knew she had to protect her family just as much. "Anna, get behind me!" Elsa ordered, to which Anna followed. She had to concentrate, for all it was worth. Waving her palms and fingers, a small ball of ice started to appear, becoming larger the more she circled around the sphere until she held the ball up over her head. The hooded figure had just gotten back on their feet, as Elsa's snow ball had grown to be the exact same size as her. With her target in eyeshot, she flung her arms forward and tossed the large heap of snow right at the figure, covering them in the powder and rendering them into shadows that disappeared into the room.
With the second of the two down, Elsa felt better as it seemed her family was winning. That was until she heard a scream from behind her. The elder princess whipped her head, staring in shock as the third invader held Anna by the neck with their arm, holding a crossbow in their free hand. Anna attempted to escape, but her struggles were too weak as her child-like body was no match for the adult. Upon seeing her sister in danger, Elsa tried to be brave like Anna was. Standing her ground with her hands raised.
"Na dèan seo nas duilghe na dh 'fheumas e a bhith, Leanabh a' Gheamhraidh. Ma thig thu còmhla rinn gu deònach, thèid do theaghlach a shàbhaladh." The one with the bow told Elsa, but the princess did not understand the language they spoke, nor would she ever listen if they did speak in her tongue. The only thing she knew was that they had entered the castle without any permission, and had threatened her family. She would not stand by and do nothing if it meant watching the ones she loves get hurt. Elsa glared at the figure, clenching her hands as she was ready to attack. Her eyes looked right at the being's chest, going to shoot right at it to knock them off balance.
Anna attempted one last time to get out of the figure's grip, by using her head to smash it against where the face was. This action caused the grip on Anna to be loosened, but as a result Anna was put right in the line of Elsa's attack as the snow princess shot two beams of ice. One of them landed right on the hooded figure's chest, making them gasp and fall to their knees before they evaporated. Unfortunately, the second beam crashed right onto Anna's forehead. It wasn't until after Elsa watched her sister hit the ground in a dazed state, did she realize what she had done. "Anna!" Elsa shouted, not wasting any time to rush over to her side and hold her. As Elsa looked over the younger princess, her ice-blue orbs shrunk in fear as she noticed a streak of Anna's auburn hair slowly turning white, which matched Elsa's.
Iduna had finally defeated the cloaked one with the sword, knocking them back to a formless state. Panting from the battle, the queen turned and hurried over to her daughters. "Elsa! Anna! Are you two okay!?" She slid on her knees, checking over Elsa first as she wanted to make sure neither of them got hurt. While Elsa didn't sustain any physical injuries, she was weeping in distress as she held onto her sister. When the Queen took notice of her younger daughter, she was just as mortified.
The silence was interrupted as the doors bursted open in a violent manner. Guards flooded the room with spears and swords while Agnarr jumped in. "Cover the rest of the grounds! Attack those assailants without mercy!" The king ordered his guards, who were already doing their job. Agnarr looked around for his family, praying that they were safe from the onslaught. He saw the three huddled together, surrounding Anna. Quickly, Agnarr went to them and checked to see what happened.
"I… I didn't mean to… I tried to…" Elsa shuddered in her sentence as she couldn't speak properly due to the guilt she was feeling for hurting Anna.
"She's cold… I think she accidentally got hit by Elsa's magic." Iduna stated.
"Where did she get hit?" Agnarr questioned, doing his best to stay calm.
Elsa tried to speak, but found it difficult as bile rose in her throat. She could only point to Anna's head, where the streak of white was. Agnarr noticed this, turning to Iduna. "If she got hit in the head…"
"Then there is a chance!" The Queen grabbed Anna and held her against her chest. "We need to head to the East of the Kingdom! Set a course for 'The Valley of the Living Rock!" Iduna declared, as she was determined to save her daughter.
Author's note: Feiging is a Norwegian slang which means: Coward.
Also, the language of the people in the black hoods is called Gaelic, which is one of the six celtic languages. I tried to find a translation for celtic itself, but this was the best I could do. For context, what they said was: "We are here for the Spirit of Winter." Then the one with the bow said: "Do not make this any more difficult than it needs to be, Child of Winter. If you come with us willingly, your family will be spared."