Chapter One

Chapter 2: Revelations

ELSA

Elsa stared out of her cabin window into the darkness, feeling a draught of winter breeze blowing through the cracks. She couldn't believe it. She had known about Peggy and her intentions here, and she'd also just found out about Anna's descendant. It was hard to fathom and wrap her mind around the whole idea, but even then, that wasn't what was consuming her thoughts right now.

My sister is pregnant. Elsa didn't know what to think or feel about it at all. On the one hand, she was so elated for her sister and Kristoff, but on the other, she could not think of a worse time for their child to be born. The Empire was still out there, and now that the Coalition had lost the war, there was nothing stopping the Empire from colonising the rest of the continent, and potentially the rest of the world too. Given time, what was to stop them from conquering the nations across the ocean? How could Anna and Kristoff safely raise their child in a war-torn world?

"You've been pretty quiet since our descendants dropped the bomb on us."

Elsa spun, a hand misty with cold air. She relaxed when she realised it was just Kristoff standing at the entrance to her quarters.

"Sorry, the door was open," Kristoff took a couple of steps into the cabin. "I thought maybe Anna would be here. I'm worried about her."

"You haven't seen her?"

"She said she needed some time to process things. Thought she would eventually end up here," Kristoff grimaced. "Guess not."

"Give her time. Suddenly learning that you're actually pregnant and your own descendants are standing in front of you can be pretty daunting."

"I get that," Kristoff scratched his head. "I mean, I don't know what to think either. I'm going to be a father, and our family line extends so far into the future that they have the technology to travel back to our time. That's just…"

"Insane?" Elsa said. "We've seen all sorts of magic. Maybe this thing from the future is just magic that we don't understand yet."

"Whatever. The point is, I'm not sure I'm ready to be a father. I don't even know what it means to be a father. I never knew mine," Kristoff paused. "Sorry. Didn't mean to suddenly heap this on you."

"It's alright," Elsa mustered a smile as she got to her feet. She crossed the room and put a hand on his arm, which incidentally was trembling a little. "It's alright to be scared. But Anna's going to need you to lean on, and you'll need her. You've got to stick together, now more than ever."

"It's not like there's anywhere else for us to go right now," he gave a half-hearted laugh and shook his head. "Sorry. I'm just really worried about what this means for us. I'm worried for Anna. How is she going to carry our child and answer to the Confederation and lead us all at the same time?"

"I don't know," Elsa said truthfully. She'd been asking herself all the same questions. "I wish I had the answers. But we'll all be here with the both of you every step of the way."

"We?"

"The Warriors. We'll stand with you, that's for sure."

"Thanks," he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Do they already know about this?"

Pensively, Elsa looked at him. "Tracy and Janus already know about Peggy."

"Do you think we should tell the rest everything?"

Elsa grimaced. "The descendants should. It's their story, after all."

"But our friends. Do you think they're ready to know the truth?"

"They deserve to know it. Besides, after everything we've already been through, I think they can handle it."

"This is insane," Deirdre said.

"Bloody right it is," Tracy put her feet up on Deirdre's desk and had them angrily swatted off by the fiery sorceress. "I mean I already knew about Peggy here and the whole 'come back to change history' rubbish, but now you're telling me there's been another spy from the future embedded within our midst and none of us knew about it? And what, Anna's pregnant too?"

Pursing her lips, Elsa exchanged a glance with Kristoff before surveying their band. They'd convened at Deirdre's shared cabin with Eleanor, and Tracy, the Witch Hunters and the two descendants had showed up. The only two not present were Janus - who was still taking time to rest and recover - and Melody - who hadn't been in her quarters when Elsa had come calling. Oh, and of course, Anna, who was still taking the time to process things by herself.

"I suppose congratulations are in order," Eleanor smirked at Kristoff as she stretched out her legs on her cot. "Having fun with your wife in between battles? You've got more cojones than I gave you credit for."

"What the hell is she even doing here?" Kristoff gestured at her.

"She's bunking in with me," Deirdre turned to Eleanor. "Shut your mouth."

Eleanor rolled her eyes but made no attempt to retort further.

"Gotta admit, this whole time travel thing is more than we signed up for," Hansel said, and Gretel nodded. "So why involve us? There a job you want us to do?"

"Just wanted to keep you in the loop first," Elsa said. "For whatever's next to come."

"Great," Hansel said. "So there are more contracts on the way."

Gretel rolled her eyes.

"Look, I know it's a lot to take in," Talya said. "But I hope you believe us. We're only here to help."

"Help?" Deirdre snapped. "Then why didn't you stop the war before it started? Or before Hans was even born?"

"We can't do that," Peggy said level-headedly. "Time just doesn't work that way."

"Then how does it work?"

"We can't alter the timeline however we please," Peggy explained. "We're trying to make as few changes as we can, but we're trying to get history back on track to the way it was supposed to be."

"And what happened to my family? The messed up way our lives turned out? Is that the way it was supposed to be?" Deirdre growled.

"Deirdre," Elsa put out a hand to stop her. "Please."

"No, she has a point." Talya said solemnly. "We're not at all sure how time travel works. And we can't be sure. The truth is, we're meddling with history in hopes of undoing whatever chaos the Emperor has sown."

"I mean, it's not like things could get any worse than they already are, right?" Tracy mumbled.

Elsa sighed. This isn't going very well.

Eleanor looked straight at the two descendants. "Tell me. What happens to me in history before that bastard changed everything?"

"We can't tell you that," Peggy said. "I'm sorry. Telling you about your fate could create even bigger messes."

Eleanor scoffed. "Losers."

"Hey, we're trying to help you!" Talya insisted indignantly. "You don't have to be an ass about it."

"Ass?" Eleanor stood up.

"Stop this!" Elsa said through gritted teeth. "All of you. We just wanted to keep you all in the loop so that we can be ready."

Tracy raised an eyebrow. "Ready for?"

Kristoff turned to Peggy and Talya. "I assume you time travellers have a plan to stop Hans."

"Ah," Talya drawled sheepishly. "Well, that's going to be a bit of a problem."

"What do you mean?" Hansel asked.

"Our plan extended as far as making sure you all survive the Siege of Steinfall, just like you did in the original version of history," Peggy explained. "Beyond that, we hoped you all had a way of taking him down."

Deirdre blinked. "So you're telling us that you thought we would have the answers?"

"Yeah. I mean, you're the fabled Warriors. The pioneers of the League of Sorcerers." Talya said.

Tracy snorted. "Guess they don't know that half the time, we're more like the League of Screw-ups."

Vexed, Elsa shook her head. This wasn't going well at all.

"So you don't actually know how to stop Hans?" Kristoff asked in disbelief.

"We don't."

"Great," Deirdre muttered.

"But we're going to work on it," Talya said quickly. "We'll figure it out."

"She's definitely Anna's descendant," Eleanor remarked. "Shares that same blind optimism."

"Quiet," Kristoff demanded.

Defiantly, Eleanor locked eyes with him. "Pretty obvious her brains don't come from your side of the family though."

"That's enough," Elsa said harshly. "We're done here. Sleep on whatever you've just learnt, and we'll talk again tomorrow."

With that, she turned and strode out of the Tal Yin sisters' shared cabin. It wasn't until she got back to her own quarters that she let out a long sigh and sank into a chair, putting her heavy head in her hands.

"Well that could've gone better."

Elsa's head jerked up from her lethargic position. Talya stood alone at her doorway. Got to remember to shut my door. "Can I help you?"

"The team meeting," Talya continued. "I read so many stories in Anna's journals about the Warriors. The League of Sorcerers. I never thought I'd actually get to witness one of your team meetings."

"Not as glamorous as you imagined, I'm assuming," Elsa muttered as she reached for a bottle of Exonian whiskey that she'd managed to nick for herself from storage following the Coalition's ransacking of Steinfall.

"Not really," Talya admitted. "I always imagined you all to be the well-oiled, cohesive team that I kept reading about."

"Now you know the truth then. Don't believe everything you read, kid." Elsa poured some whiskey into a small glass. "You want a drink? Wait. Are you even old enough to drink?"

Talya drew herself up. "I am."

"Alright then," Elsa poured her a glass and handed it to her. "I assume you didn't just come here to tell me how bad a job we're doing."

"No, no, no," Talya said hurriedly. "That's not it. Sorry if it came across the wrong way. I admire all of you. Really. You're all my heroes, especially Anna. And you."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Me?"

"Yeah, of course! You're the legendary Snow Queen, Pilgrim of the League of Sorcerers, the Fifth Spirit of the Northuldra Forest!"

"Wow. Okay," Elsa took a long sip from her glass and set it down. "Just now, you said you never thought you'd see me again in my prime. You've met me before?"

Talya made a face as she took a sip from her glass, and set it aside. "I have, actually. You were the one who taught me how to use my powers."

Elsa stared at the girl. There was no indication that she was joking, or lying for that matter. "I don't understand."

"It's a little complicated. Long story short, I had to learn how to use my powers to save Arendelle from a warlord. Peggy, Val and I found you on Ahtohallan, and I begged you to train me. No offence, but you were a cranky old recluse who wanted nothing to do with the outside world."

Elsa's eyes widened and her body tensed. "Hold on, back up. I'm still alive in the 21st century?"

Talya placed a palm on her forehead. "Ah, shit. Probably said too much. Val's going to kill me."

"Talya."

"Screw it. Yes, you….are alive in the 21st century. We don't know why, and neither did you. But that doesn't matter. You helped me learn how to control my magic, and we saved Arendelle together. It was like the Warriors of the future or something."

Elsa blinked, then took a long pull from the glass before refilling it. "And here I thought I'd heard everything."

"Don't you see? That's why it's so amazing that I get to see you here. In your prime," Talya was practically bursting with excitement. "See, you were pretty sour when I first met you on Ahtohallan, and I've been wondering how you were really like as a young woman. This…this is so exciting!"

Taking another pull, Elsa slowly swallowed the refreshing liquid down her throat and shook her head. "Look, I'll be honest, I really don't know what to make of all this."

"It's alright," her admirer looked rather pleased. "It's just something I wanted to get off my chest. I wanted you to know that it was you who inspired me to be a hero and to take up your mantle as the new Snow Queen and Pilgrim of the League of Sorcerers."

"The League still exists?"

"Well, sort of. I've been recruiting, trying to revive it and build a new alliance of sorcerers to work together, but it's been difficult finding people who dare to practice magic in our day and age. But anyway, that's not the point. I just wanted to thank you for helping me become the sorceress I am today. If you hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to save all those lives on that beach."

"Ah. Thank you for that," Elsa said awkwardly.

"There's another thing."

"Another thing?"

"My skills are still kind of unrefined. Sure, I've had some training but it's nowhere near enough for me to become a seasoned sorceress like the rest of you." Talya twiddled with her thumbs. "I was wondering - since you were the one to train me in the first place - whether you could continue to help me?"

Elsa's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"You taught me how to control my powers, that is, in the future. But here, I have a real opportunity to continue learning from you. The best of the best." Talya looked exhilarated as she leaned forward eagerly, already flushed from the little that she'd drank. "What do you say?"

ANNA

One hand caressing her stomach, she looked down at it. It'd been an unconscious reflex, but she now noticed that she'd been gently stroking her stomach every now and then since she'd just learnt the truth a couple of hours ago. It was weird to imagine that all this while, she'd been carrying another life with her.

As the ship cruised through the water, Anna stood on the ship's vast and empty deck, gazing out into the dark, feeling the cold night's breeze beat against her face and throw her hair into disarray. Somewhere far out there, Hans and the Empire were busy plotting to destroy and invade new cities. And to think that over the past few weeks, she'd subjected herself to the rigours of a Warrior's life, and put herself in a position of danger where her child and her were at risk? A chill ran down her spine at the thought. If only I'd known earlier…

"Anna." The voice cut through the silent night, penetrating through the whispers of the winter chill, warmly touching her ears like no other sound could.

She turned at the call of her husband, to see him briskly pacing across the empty deck towards her.

"Finally. I was getting really worried," Kristoff stopped before her and gently wrapped his thick arms around her. "When I couldn't find you, I-"

"It's alright," she whispered. "I'm here."

He refused to release his hold on her. "Where have you been?"

"A little bit here, a little bit there," she chuckled half-heartedly at her own joke. "Sorry. I just needed time to think things through."

"No, don't apologise. I understand," He put his cheek against hers. "But I'm glad I found you."

"I'm glad you came," she nuzzled into the side of his neck.

He removed his jacket and draped it around her shoulders. "It's freezing out here. I'm pretty sure we can find somewhere better."

"Yeah, I know. But up here," she gestured at their surroundings. "It's so quiet. Gives you space to think and feel."

"So what've you been thinking about?" He draped an arm around her as he joined her at the ship's starboard.

"You know exactly what I'm thinking of."

"Our child? Or the fact that our descendants from the far future have come to try and set history back on course?"

"Both," she paused and glanced sidelong at her husband. "Wait, you actually believe it?"

"Never thought I'd say this," he grimaced. "But I've seen enough weird things in the past few years that this isn't too much of a stretch anymore."

"Hah. You're right. Never thought I'd see the day," Anna grinned for what might've been the first time in hours. "Prince Kristoff, believer in the supernatural. But I suppose it's the world we all live in now."

"Unfortunately," he said. "So, any thoughts?"

"Probably too many," Anna leaned against the starboard. "For starters, I have no idea how I'm going to deal with this." She put a hand on her stomach again.

"May I?" He reached out slowly and then paused.

A giggle escaped her lips. "Go ahead."

With some hesitance, his hand hovered near her belly before he finally placed a hand on it gently. "Is it supposed to feel any different?"

"You're asking me?" Anna chuckled. "I don't feel any different yet. Apart from the constant throwing up and headaches and all."

"What did I get us into?" He groaned softly and shook his head. "Damn it."

"Hey, hey, hey. It's not your fault," She took his face in her hands. "We both knew what we were getting into. We're both adults."

"And now we're bringing a child into a world of war and darkness," Kristoff averted her eyes. "A world that's being conquered and ruled by Hans and his damn Empire. It isn't right. Our child doesn't deserve this."

"Growing up in a harsh, cruel world?" Anna slipped her gloved hand into his. "That's what we're here for. To make sure he or she grows up safely. That's a job for parents, isn't it?"

"I have no idea how to be a parent," Kristoff still avoided her gaze. "You already know that I never knew my own parents. How am I going to be a good father?"

"You start by wanting to be one, I guess," She gave him a reassuring smile, though she felt no more confident than he did.

Kristoff finally met her eyes and she saw fear there. The same fear and uncertainty she did, just that she was able to mask hers a lot better. "You've got to promise me something."

"What is it?"

He inhaled deeply. "Damn it, we just argued about this. You're going to hate me."

Anna raised an eyebrow.

"Things are different now. You're not just a queen, or a sister, or a wife anymore. You're a mother now. Which means you can't be out there with the Warriors. No more putting yourself in danger," He squeezed her hands. "I mean it. You've got a commitment to our child now, and I need you by my side. I can't do this alone."

"You know, it's funny. Frederick told me the same thing."

"You told Frederick?"

"Yeah, he knows," Anna confirmed. "Don't worry, we can trust him."

"Of course, I know. If there's one person I would tell, it'd be him too. What did he say?"

"Pretty much the same," Anna said. "In typical Frederick fashion, he convinced me that staying on the sidelines would be the best thing for our family. And I agree."

Kristoff's eyes widened a little in something that was either shock or disbelief. "You do?"

"For the sake of our child, I'm done being a Warrior," she laid a hand on her belly again. "I'm a mother now."

He blew out a long breath. "That's a relief. Was afraid we would start another war because of this."

"No. No more fighting. We do this together."

"It's going to be difficult," Kristoff finally said after an extended silence.

"No one said it was going to be easy."

"I mean our whole world is about to change."

She looked out into the darkness again. "It already has."