3/10/22: Started

6/22/22: Completed

NONE

Chapter Summery: Anna uses her new talent to visit her family and Emory.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Frozen, Tangled or any other Disney characters or locations that appear or are mentioned in this work of fiction, Disney does.

NOTE: this part took longer than I expected to finish, I got hung up on fleshing out two scenes that I felt were lacking, but I managed to do it to my satisfaction. I don't anticipate the last part taking as long as this one did, hopefully.

- 3:41 P.M. -

- Outside the walls of town -

After departing from Elsa, Anna located her father, who was not in the Castle's Garden but the Library and relayed everything she had told Elsa. While Agnarr was amazed by the development of Anna's new abilities and the possible convenience and ease of cross-kingdom communication and travel between Arendelle and Corona, like Elsa before, he also scolded her for recklessly leaving Arendelle without telling anyone.

After resting, Anna made her way to her usual location just outside of town, facing the castle and fjord, ready to depart to the Enchanted forest to meet her mother, Grandmother and Emory. Anna also wore a small bag, positioned on her left side with the strap resting on her right shoulder, which carried a little snack, particularly two apples, one for herself and the other for Emory. Along with the apples, though, was a smaller pouch of bite-sized chocolate chunks to have Emory try.

"Alright..." commented Anna with a smile as she lifted her right hand out in front of her. "Portal number three to the Enchanted Forest!"

With the now third attempt, Anna was quite confident. However, she was no quicker than her second attempt and still required the same amount of effort and heat. A third portal soon appeared before her, revealing the familiar sight of the trees of the Enchanted Forest, specifically, the location near the river she and Elsa had met Nokk yesterday to return home. With a proud smile on her face, Anna stepped through the portal, turned back, lifted her right hand, and slowly closed it.

Moments later, about a yard to the right of where Anna's portal formed, an icy door-frame materialized from the ground up. The door-shaped ice wall glows brightly before the ice shattered outward in a flash of light seconds after forming. The glass-like shards suspended briefly just a yard away before dispersing into snow, followed by the glowing light of the doorway fading to reveal Cassandra on the other side, along with Rapunzel and another man standing to Rapunzel's left, who whistled at the sight.

"That's mighty impressive Cass." commented the man with a smile. "Yanno, there's quite a few distant places I'd like to re-visit."

"Heh, well, you're out of luck, for now, Eugene." commented Cassandra as she walked through the portal and turned around to face the couple. "I have to practice this a bit more before I start offering trips to places."

"Oh yeah, yeah, work out all the kinks first; Don't wanna walk through your portal and grow extra toe or something." replied Eugene teasingly, which prompted a chuckle from Cassandra, who commented...

"It was nice seeing you again Eugene."

"You too Cass." replied Eugene, before Rapunzel added, waving her right hand...

"Seeya Cass."

"Later Raps, Eugene." replied Cassandra. She waved goodbye with a smile before the portal closed, leaving an ice wall like before, which soon dispersed into snow, before another chuckle left Cassandra. "Well, that was fun." she added before turning and walking away. "Just gotta let Elsa and the King in on the news. Although I'm sure Anna already did it, I still have a message from Corona's King to Arendelle's to deliver."

Upon returning to the castle, Cassandra first headed to Anna's room to tell her she was back. After a few knocks on the door, however, found Anna was not present. Turning to walk away, Cassandra heard Elsa call to her from behind and looked back to see Elsa at the other end of the hall and both headed towards each other, with Elsa speaking first.

"You're back. Anna told me about the progress you two have made with your portals; Congratulations."

"Thanks." replied Cassandra. "So Anna told you about us visiting Corona?"

"Yeah. Didn't like that she left unannounced, though."

"Heh, yeah, sorry about that." replied Cassandra with a nervous chuckle. "I brought it up to her, but I should've been more insistent. If the situation comes up again, I will be; I promise."

"Thanks. So, Anna also told me you are willing to be an intermediary between Corona and Arendelle."

"Yes, I am." answered Cassandra. "Given my new abilities and my connection to Corona, it just made sense. I've spoken to King Fredrick, and he's open to it as well and was delighted to know your parents were found and are alive. He's also looking forward to meeting your father as well."

"Wonderful."

"Where is the King, by the way?" asked Cassandra.

"At the moment, I dunno; I'll let him know you want to speak to him when I see him."

"Alright, thanks." replied Cassandra. "Where's Anna?"

"She left a little while ago to visit our mother."

"Ah, heh, ok."

"So, do you mind telling me about your portals?" asked Elsa with a smile. "Was it hard to do, or was there a particularly tricky part to it?"

"I don't mind." answered Cassandra. "I'd be happy to. I wouldn't say it was hard; it was a matter of figuring out how to go about it. Anna said she burns the air, and I figured that approach wouldn't work for me, yanno, freezing the air. So, I first created a door frame and focused my effort on that. The process itself was pretty simple. It's just the matter of being able to do it."

"Really?" asked Elsa curiously.

"Yeah, I'd compare it to lifting something heavy. The act of lifting it is simple, but are you strong enough to do it?"

"Huh, I'm surprised it sounds so simple to do."

"Heh, yeah, once you 'get it', it is." replied Cassandra with a chuckle. "But it still takes effort, though; for me at least. I'm sure you'd have an even easier time doing it."

"Hmm, Anna also told me your first attempt failed, but there was no explosion." stated Elsa.

"Yeah, the resistance I felt increased more than I was expecting, and it repelled my hand so hard it knocked me to the ground." answered Cassandra. "It also caused my hand to go numb for a few minutes. So if you do attempt it, expect a fight; maybe use two hands instead of one."

"Alright, thanks for the advice. So how did you actually create the portal?"

"Well, like I said, I created a doorway and focused my energy there, picturing where I wanted to go. The door started to glow, and the closer I got to succeeding, I sorta, felt it, and the resistance was still there, even more so. I made one last push and thrust my hand towards the door. There was a blinding flash of light and the sound of glass shattering, and once the light faded, there was the Corona bridge."

"Wow, that does 'sound' simple."

- Meanwhile -

- Enchanted Forest -

Upon closing the portal, Anna felt the now expected wave of fatigue hit her, but it wasn't quite as intense, not resulting in leaning over with her hands on her knees or sitting on the ground anyway.

"Oh, man, I must be improving already." commented Anna with a smile, however, she soon heard a comment from her magic.

'That's not the reason.'

"Oh, really?" asked Anna, "Then what is it?"

'Rather than outright telling you, think back to the two previous times.' replied Felsa.

"Hmm, well, the first time winded me pretty good, but the second time didn't."

'Even less so, now.' commented Felsa, 'So, what are the differences?'

"There's a difference?" questioned Anna.

'Yep, there's a reason why you were more tired the first time compared to now.'

"And it has no relation to me improving in anyway?"

'Right; if you can't figure it out though, I'll tell why.'

"Alright, hold on; let me think." replied Anna, lifting a hand up to her chin and her gaze lowered to the ground. "Hmm... the first time, I spent time testing parts of my portal with Cass, and I got really tired when I closed the portal. The second time, I did a bit of testing before I walked through and closed it. I still felt tired, but not as much. The only difference between those two events I can think of is... the amount of time the portal was maintained?"

'Correct.' stated Felsa. 'The longer you keep any portal active, the more energy it takes to maintain. Thus, when you close it, you will experience a drain of energy in relation to the time spent maintaining the portal.'

"Ohhh, that's nice to know." commented Anna. "So I just have to use the portal and then close it without wasting time if I don't want to end up passing out when I close it."

'Right.' answered Felsa.

"Heh, kinda weird, you know this."

'I didn't.' replied Felsa. 'I was unaware you could make portals as well before Edith taught you. However, I have learned from your repeated attempts as well. It is a taxing experience for you, given the energy required, and being new to you- well, both of us. So, I have an offer: with your third successful attempt now, I'm confident that I could provide some assistance the next time you make a portal to make the creation process less of a strain.'

"You can do that?" asked Anna, wide-eyed. "Wait, Elsa did say Sanna can act on her own."

'Yes, I can.' Answered Felsa. 'With your permission, though, I can ease the strain.'

"Hmm, considering that I'm doing well so far, I'd normally decline, but I'm curious how much you'd be able to assist. Could you make the portal for me?"

'Hehe, no. A feat of that magnitude is beyond my capabilities; even if you were to give me permission, I'm simply incapable of expending that much power."

"Oh, then what's the limit of what you can do on your own?" asked Anna as she faced the familiar river that she and Elsa met Nokk yesterday to head home. "Show me."

Just seconds later, a ball of fire appeared in front of Anna about a yard away before its color shifted from the usual orange-reddish flames to white.

'Power-wise, this is my limit.' stated Felsa.

"Interesting, so you can make white fire on your own."

'Yes, although I do not share your flexibility in using your magic.'

"What do you mean?"

'For example, while I could manipulate your glass dress to some degree, such as taking over the multi-tasking effort of maintaining its flexibility, I could not create further glass; that requires a level of control I do not have.'

"Ohhh, so what you're saying is finesse isn't your strong suit; you can't manipulate things." stated Anna.

'Correct, although I can protect you if needed.'

"Well, that's the important part." replied Anna with a smile as the fireball dispersed before she turned around and walked towards the Northuldra Camp. "So, say I allowed you to protect me without my life being in immediate danger; what could you do?"

'Well, I could deter an attacker with launching fireballs at them while you ran away, or make a wall of fire to also prevent them from approaching, or produce an aura of heat around you to also deter an attacker.' answered Felsa.

"Ohh, right, you could act while I focused on escaping from an attacker. That's a huge benefit. Oh, one more question: Does you using magic for me tire me out like it would if I did it?"

'Technically, yes.' answered Felsa. 'But not to the same degree, and it takes just a fraction of the energy you expend. So while me using magic could tire you, I would need to use magic constantly, and I don't realistically see that happening. As long as you are alive, I can protect you. So if you were to pass out for some reason, due to fatigue or being struck, I could still act. Unfortunately, in that scenario, I could only act if your life was threatened, given you would be incapable of permitting me to act on my own.' explained Felsa.

"Huh... so what do you consider as my life being threatened, exactly?"

'If the action of an outside force would threaten your life.'

"Ok, but what exactly does that include?" asked Anna. "Would you be powerless to act if someone tried kidnapping me if I was knocked out? Or do you mean if someone is standing over me with a sword and tries to stab me in the chest?"

'The first scenario, I could not act.' answered Felsa. 'But the second one I could.'

"Ah... so immediate threats to my continued living." commented Anna.

'Right.'

"So... if I were to pre-emptively give you permission to protect me from all possible threats if I were knocked out or unable to defend myself for whatever reason, like someone trying to kidnap me or..." asked Anna before grimacing. "Putting their hands and other things where they shouldn't go, could you act?"

'Well, I should be able to.' answered Felsa. 'I would have your permission, but you would be unconscious.'

"That needs to be tested." commented Anna. "Remind me later when I head back."

'Alright.'

"I gotta say, though, I find it interesting you require my permission to act on your own outside of protecting my life. I mean, I get it if you were some evil spirit inside me that was just itching to cause trouble, but you're not. I trust you."

'Hehe, it's just the way it is.' replied Felsa. 'I'm bound to certain limitations, that being permission; I'm unable to act against your wishes.'

"Wow, that sounds like you're, my slave." replied Anna sadly.

'Oh, no, no. That was a poor choice of words!' quickly commented Felsa, clearly flustered. 'While yes, I cannot act against your stated wishes, I do not consider myself a slave to you. I am your magic given voice, and my ultimate desire is to see you safe. I willingly assist you.'

"Well, ok, if you don't consider yourself a slave, then I'm happy." replied Anna. "I wouldn't want you to be my slave either. I consider you my friend after all."

'Thanks Anna.'

"Heh, besides, you can call me Anna without me giving you permission like Elsa had to give Sanna. Do you have any insight on that, by the way? Sanna could say Elsa's name in reference to her when she wasn't looking at her but couldn't directly address Elsa by her name."

'Hmm, the simplest way I could describe that is a form of self-imposed respect towards Elsa, akin to addressing an older person as sir or ma'am, or royalty as 'Your Majesty.' Sanna's manner of respect opted for the particular word of 'Master', which as you know, made Elsa uncomfortable.'

"Ohhh..." replied Anna before chuckling. "So you don't respect me, is that it?" she asked, which prompted a chuckle from Felsa.

'Hehe, nope, not at all.' answered Felsa, which prompted another chuckle from Anna.

"This is all very interesting. So even as a magical spirit, Sanna and I guess you, by extension, have subconscious needs or desires. In this case, to show respect towards Elsa by addressing her with a title, and needs direct permission to address her more casually."

'Correct.'

"So..." added Anna, pausing in her walk. "I'm just shooting in the dark here, but would that mean the limitations you say you have are self-imposed? You can't act against me BECAUSE you don't want to act against me?"

'I... hmm... that is an interesting suggestion. I can't give a confident answer either way, though; I'll have to think about this.'

"Oh, ok, no rush though; Take your time."

'Then I will leave you to enjoy your visit with the Northuldra and speak to you afterward. I may have an answer to give then.'

"Alright." answered Anna before continuing her walk towards the camp. "Well, that was an unexpected but informative conversation. Nice to know that detail about my portals, though. Oh, Felsa, one more question!"

'What is it?' asked Felsa.

"Earlier, you said you willingly assist me. So does that mean you can also choose not to? ... and what does that mean for me? Could you prevent me from using magic?"

'Heheh, no, no.' answered Felsa with a chuckle. 'As I said before, I am your magic given voice. You control your use of magic; I can only assist or not. I can't prevent you from using your own magic.'

"Oh, ok then." replied Anna.

'My primary method of assisting you is sharing my thoughts and input. Such as correcting your assumption on your portals based on the knowledge I've gained from your attempts.' continued Felsa.

"That is pretty helpful." stated Anna. "After all, two heads are better than one."

'Heh, right. Lastly...' added Felsa. 'If for some reason I chose to no longer assist you, the only major changes you would notice is no longer feeling my presence or hearing my voice or having the twenty-four-hour protection. It would be completely on you to protect yourself. However, if you were to die, I'm pretty sure I would too, and I don't wanna die. So I will continue to protect you until old age takes you.'

"Heh, well, thanks for being willing to talk to me and be my friend." replied Anna with a smile. "I wish I had some way to give you a body like Elsa can do for Sanna, though, or some kind of gift."

'I appreciate the thought, but it's unnecessary.' commented Felsa delightfully. 'Your safety and happiness gives me all the delight I could want and is the best gift I could receive.'

"Yeah... but I'd still like to show my appreciation towards you. If you manage to come up with something you want from me and I'm able to do it, just let me know, ok?"

'Hehe... alright.'

- Northuldra Camp -

After a ten-minute walk, Anna arrived at the camp, to the surprise of many who noticed her arrival, whom Anna happily greeted. Most were content to greet her as she walked by. Crossing paths with one young man of similar age to her, he stopped in front of Anna to happily greet her.

"Hello, Anna. Surprising to see you here again so soon."

"Heh, well, I had some delightful news to share with my mother, and I couldn't wait." answered Anna.

"Oh, well, that's nice. Where's your sister?"

"It's just me today. Elsa didn't wanna come."

"Ok, I won't delay you anymore." he added and lifted his hand in farewell as he began to walk away, but Anna stepped towards him.

"Oh wait, how's Emory?" asked Anna, which her first response from the young man was a chuckle before he answered...

"She's doing great; Very eager to help out with anything. Eeeven if she may not be very good at her chosen tasks at the time, she's even made a few friends, Honeymaren and Ryder specifically."

"Well, that's good." replied Anna. "I'm happy she's fitting in. You wouldn't happen to know where she is at the moment, would you?"

"Hmm, at this moment, no. Last I saw her, she was with Honeymaren, helping her with tending to the reindeer."

"Oh, alright then." answered Anna, before the young man repeated the farewell wave and departed from her as Anna continued on.

On the way to her grandmother's home, Anna encountered more people to have a short conversation with, including a few children.

When Anna finally reached her grandmother's home, she was delightfully surprised to see her grandmother sitting outside, resting back against her home, while Iduna sat to her right, and Magna to her left.

Approaching from Magna's back, Iduna first noticed Anna's arrival.

"Oh, Anna?" questioned Iduna, which prompted Magna and Rona to look at her.

"Hey." greeted Anna with a smile, walked to Iduna's right, and sat beside her before looking to Magna and Rona and greeting them. "Hey Magna, Grandma." to which her grandmother happily replied...

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise. It's good to see you again."

"Yeah..." added Magna. "Has something happened?"

"No, no, hehe." replied Anna with a chuckle at the fact that their previous visits were because of an event. "I just wanted to visit. I also have some awesome news to share, but this is mostly me wanting to spend time with you; now that I can."

"Oh, well, ok then." replied Magna with a smile. "Where's Elsa?"

"In Arendelle." answered Anna. "So it's just me today." she added before looking to Rona and commenting. "It's nice to see you outside."

"Heh, yeah..." replied Rona with a chuckle. "I don't want to spend all my remaining time inside. I enjoy feeling the sun on my face and the commotion of everyone walking about."

Although Rona was clearly comfortable with mentioning her limited time in conversation, Anna found it slightly uncomfortable, a nervous chuckle leaving her before she commented...

"Well, that's good. Being cooped up inside all the time can really drain you and your mood."

"Exactly." replied Rona, smiling, before looking up to the trees. "When my time comes, I want to be outside, admiring the beauty of the sights and sounds..." she added before lowering her gaze to Iduna and Magna, who both looked a little saddened by Rona mentioning her final wishes. "... and the people around me."

"Yanno Mother..." commented Iduna with a little smile. "Starting off a conversation with 'I'm going to die soon', isn't exactly a mood lifter."

The remark prompted a small chuckle from Rona before she lifted a shaky hand up to Iduna's cheek.

"You're right." replied Rona, before she looked to Anna and added, "I'm sorry."

"It's ok." replied Anna with a smile. "I... kinda admire that you're at peace with it. Heh, you're taking this much better than I would if I were in your place." she added before Rona lowered her hand to her lap and offered her hand to Anna, palm up, which she took in both of hers.

"I do not deny being saddened at leaving everyone." stated Rona. "Especially after reuniting with Iduna and meeting you and your sister, I'm also delighted that I'm here long enough to have this reunion and to see the sky again. I will enjoy the remaining time I have left."

Anna smiled and squeezed Rona's hand a little tighter as she thought, 'You could enjoy us for even longer if you accepted my healing.' However, Rona had made her decision, and Anna knew she needed to respect it.

"So..." stated Anna. "How have you been?"

"Good." answered Rona. "Just tired."

"Any pain?"

"No, nothing to complain about anyway." answered Rona with a smile. "But enough gloomy talk of my departure; what about you? How are you and your sister doing?"

"We're doing great." replied Anna with a smile. "Since we last met, our Father has returned, and it's been awesome having him with us again. We have breakfast together sometimes, like this morning; we walk through town together talking with the people. Father has even settled back into his job as King."

"Well, that sounds wonderful." replied Rona.

"It is. I'm sooo happy our parents are back again." stated Anna, looking to Iduna, who smiled back to her daughter. "And we discovered more family we didn't know we had." she added, looking to Magna, who also smiled. "Aunts and Cousins we get to know... and a Grandmother."

Aside from a small moment of giggles from the group, they said nothing following Anna's remark, all content to simply enjoy each other's company and the sights and sounds around them for the next couple of minutes as Anna had now turned to look out to the village. Iduna resumed the conversation as she commented on Anna's bag...

"So, is there a reason you're carrying a bag this time?"

"Oh, right!" gasped Anna, looking back to her mother. "I just brought two apples and a little pouch of chocolate. One of the apples is for me, the other and the chocolate is for Emory. She's never eaten chocolate before, and since I intended to come, I figured I could have her try it."

"Well, that's nice of you." commented Iduna.

"How's Emory been so far?" asked Anna.

"She's been great." answered Iduna, before Magna added...

"She's very eager to help out and really trying to improve the negative opinions people have of her; heh, a little too much, though, but I can tell she's genuine in her attempts."

"Well, that's good to hear." replied Anna, before she looked to Rona and asked, "Have you met Emory, Grandma?"

"Yes, she's very sweet." answered Rona. "It was quite a pleasant surprise to meet Ahtohallan in the flesh, who turned out to be a kind young woman."

"Awesome!" replied Anna happily.

"Speaking of awesome..." commented Magna. "Didn't you say you had some awesome news to share?"

"I do!" declared Anna delightfully. "Speaking of my snacks, I brought an Apple for me because of a new trick I learned to do with my magic that can really drain me. And that trick is... Portals!" explained Anna happily.

Iduna and Magna looked at Anna with shock and surprise, while Rona looked confused but smiled at Anna's excitement.

"W-What?" asked Iduna and Magna in near unison before Iduna continued...

"W-Wait, wait, you mentioned this yesterday, saying you were going to practice that. You've succeeded in that already?"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" added Magna. "You mean you can do what that woman did when you and your sister first left?"

"Yep, it's how I got here!" answered Anna happily, before Rona asked...

"I'm sorry, but what are you all talking about? I'm lost."

It was Magna who then replied...

"You remember when I told you the sisters, their father, and their two friends had left through a magic door?"

Rona looked to think for a moment before her eyes widened in understanding.

"Oh, right. So that magical door is called a portal?"

"Right." answered Anna. "And here's the best part! It makes travel from here to Arendelle SUPER easy! I still need to practice 'cause the edges of my portals are pretty rough and dangerous, and I make a lot of heat when I create one. After I perfect making portals, though, you can come visit Arendelle grandma, and you too, Magna!"

"Oh..." replied Magna with surprise, while Rona also looked surprised and added...

"That sounds wonderful. I'd love to see Arendelle."

"Heh, I know you can't walk very well, so that's why I need to practice so there's no risk for you." stated Anna happily.

"Well, thank you." replied Rona. "But don't rush and exhaust yourself for my sake. Take your time."

"Don't worry, I won't." stated Anna with a smile. "I'm really looking forward to you visiting and showing you around!" she added, prompting a chuckle from Rona.

"So do I."

- Twenty Minutes later -

- 4:13 P.M. -

Walking towards the camp with Honeymaren at her right, Emory, now dressed in the Northuldra clothing and her hair down but not quite reaching her shoulders, looked at her prize with pride in her left hand, a rabbit, while her right hand held a bow and a couple of arrows.

"You're gonna be in my belly!" commented Emory delightfully, which prompted a little chuckle from Honeymaren.

"Yanno, I honestly thought you'd have problems killing an animal, let alone a cute little rabbit."

"Heh, being cute won't save it from being food." replied Emory. "My first successful hunt of my new life, this rabbit is going to taste so good! If I can't do anything else, I can go out with others to hunt and provide food to everyone else."

"You don't have to be sooo focused on what you can do to contribute."

"I know. I just want to show that I have skills that I can provide and learn new skills, like when you showed me how to take care of the reindeer. Which, to be honest, I prefer hunting; but I'm glad I have an idea of how to do what you do."

"Just don't stretch yourself too thin trying to do everything, ok?" replied Honeymaren with a smile as she patted Emory's shoulder.

"I won't, trust me. I know when to take breaks. Can't be useful if I collapse from exhaustion. Then someone else has to take care of me. I'm just excited to prove myself." stated Emory before the two arrived in camp just moments later.

"Well, I'll see you later Emory." commented Honeymaren. "I'm gonna visit my grandma for a bit."

"Ok." replied Emory before she saw Honeymaren walk in front of her to her left.

However, with both looking towards the direction Honeymaren was heading, they saw the curious sight of Anna a few yards away, happily talking with a young man.

"Anna?" questioned Honeymaren before she looked back to Emory and asked, "Did you know she was coming?"

"No, I'm just as surprised as you." answered Emory. "I hope nothing's happened."

Honeymaren and Emory headed towards Anna, who was walking away from the person she was talking to with a farewell wave of the hand and towards them. Upon Anna directing her attention ahead of her, she smiled as she saw Honeymaren approaching and jogging the short distance towards her.

"Hey, Honeymaren!" greeted Anna.

"Hey, Anna."

"Heh, and don't worry, there's nothing wrong." added Anna with a smirk as Emory walked up to Honeymaren's left, drawing Anna's gaze as she continued... "I just wanted to come and visit, specifically for-" However, Anna paused as she stared at Emory curiously before her eyes widened in surprise. "Emory?"

"Yeah?" replied Emory curiously.

"Whoa, I didn't recognize you for a second. You're dressed like the Northuldra, and your hair is down."

"Heh, I don't plan on having it stay down." replied Emory, smiling before she and Honeymaren noticed Anna's gaze lower to the lifeless rabbit in Emory's hand.

"So, did you kill that yourself?" asked Anna, pointing to the rabbit.

"Yep!" answered Emory, proudly lifting the rabbit and presenting it to Anna, who took a nervous step back. "Just gotta skin it, gut it, and it's dinner!"

"Oh..." replied Anna with a grimace. "So you're gonna do it yourself, or..."

"I'll do it." answered Emory. "I know how to prepare a fresh kill to eat."

"Well, that's good." replied Anna with an uncomfortable chuckle. "Anyway... picking up from where I left off, I came specifically to visit my mother, Grandma, and you, Emory. I asked around, and most of the people say you're fitting in."

"And I'm happy about that!" replied Emory. "Honeymaren has been a big help in showing me around; it's been really helpful." she added before Honeymaren smiled and commented...

"She's even made a couple friends already; my brother and I being two of them."

"Great, I'm happy for you Emory." replied Anna.

"Thanks. So where's Elsa?" asked Emory, which prompted a smirk from Anna and placed her hands on her hips.

"Geez, people keep asking me that; I do things and go places without her."

"Heh, ok, ok."

"Oh, before I forget..." replied Anna, before reaching into her bag and pulling out one of the apples in her left hand and the pouch of chocolate in her right. "I brought you an apple." she added as she offered the fruit.

"Aww, you didn't have to." replied Emory with a smile as she reached her right hand up but paused as she still held the bow and arrows before Honeymaren commented that she'll take them, allowing Emory to take the apple. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." stated Anna. "I still owe you some Chocolate-covered Apple slices, though. In the meantime, I brought another treat!" she added happily, offering the pouch, but paused as she realized Emory's hands were full. "Oh, right, well, here Honeymaren."

"What is it?" asked Honeymaren as she took the pouch and opened it to see what was inside as Anna answered...

"It's chocolate. Emory said she's never eaten it before, and that just won't do! Everyone should enjoy the sweet taste of chocolate."

"Chocolate?" questioned Honeymaren, before she lowered the bow and arrows down at her feet. "I've never tasted it either."

"Oh, then go ahead, try it!" eagerly suggested Anna.

"Alright..." replied Honeymaren before reaching a hand into the pouch and pulling out a chocolate nugget no bigger than her thumbnail. Honeymaren briefly examined the treat before placing it in her mouth, and nearly immediately, Honeymaren's face lit up in delight. "Oh wow! It's so sweet! ... and creamy, it just melts on my tongue."

"I'm glad you like it." stated Anna, before Honeymaren retrieved another chocolate nugget and commented...

"You gotta try it, Emory!"

Honeymaren presents the treat to Emory and nearly feeds it to her before Emory leans back with a smile.

"Whoa, ok, you don't need to feed it to me."

"Well, your hands are full, I don't mind." commented Honeymaren before Anna teasingly cooed, prompting Emory to look at her with a smirk.

"It's not like that."

The remark prompted Honeymaren to giggle before she popped the chocolate into her own mouth before presenting her free hand to her.

"Alright, then I'll take the apple for now, and you can get one yourself."

Emory took the offer and gave Honeymaren the apple and used her free hand to reach into the pouch to take out a piece of chocolate and placed it in her mouth, and just like Honeymaren, Emory's face lit up in delight.

"Hmmm! Wow! Honeymaren's right; it's so sweet, and it just coats my tongue in a creamy sweetness! It's delicious!"

Emory then retrieved another piece of chocolate and closed her eyes, moaning in delight, relishing the taste.

"Awesome." replied Anna. "You can keep the pouch and the chocolate. Just to warn you, though, you shouldn't eat too much of it at once. Especially since this is your first time, it can give you a stomach ache. So you can share the rest if you don't think you can resist eating the rest."

"Alright, thanks." commented Emory before taking a third piece of chocolate, then reaching out her hand for the apple, and Honeymaren gave it back to her. "So, if you came here alone, how did you get here? Gale, Bruni or Nokk didn't mention you were here. Plus, Nokk isn't allowed in Arendelle- oh right, you can fly."

"I didn't fly here." replied Anna with a proud smile. "Do you remember what I said yesterday about being able to come here really quickly in the event-" she added before glancing at Honeymaren, hesitating. "If, something important happened?"

"Uh..." replied Emory in a moment of thought before gasping. "No way! Already!? You can make portals now!?"

"Yep!" declared Anna delightfully before Honeymaren added...

"Seriously? Like Silvia could do?"

"Yep." repeated Anna. "There's still some kinks I need to work out and some limitations. So I'm far from perfect in creating a portal, but for now, I have access to traveling long distances with just a few steps forward!"

"Well, congratulations!" praised Emory. "That's amazing!"

"Yeah, congrats." added Honeymaren.

"So, after you eat your rabbit, do you wanna come back with me to Arendelle for a bit?"

"Oh..." replied Emory, clearly surprised by the offer but smiling. "Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass for now. Everyone here was nice enough to welcome me, and I feel it would be kinda rude to leave so soon, even briefly, so I want to establish that I want to be here before making trips like that."

"Oh, ok then." replied Anna with a smile. "Well, I'll be visiting more now that it's easy. When you're ready to visit, just ask."

"Alright, thanks." replied Emory, before Honeymaren commented nervously.

"H-Hey... uh... a-actually, n-nevermind."

With Honeymaren nervously averting her gaze, Anna smiled and asked...

"What? Go on."

Honeymaren hesitated for a moment before meeting Anna's gaze.

"Well... since travel from Arendelle to here is so easy for you now, could I take the offer Emory turned down?"

"Oh." replied Anna, wide-eyed, before smiling. "Sure!" declared Anna.

"Really?" asked Honeymaren with a smile.

"Yeah, I'd love to introduce you to the people in town and show you around. I plan to visit Grandma again before I leave, so you can tell your mom too."

"When do you plan to leave?" asked Honeymaren.

"Well, if I hadn't run into you and Emory, I was gonna head back soon after." answered Anna. "Heh, Elsa's probably worried about me. Now that I've met you two, I can stick around a little longer." she added before Emory asked...

"Hey, since you've brought me some treats, I'll share my rabbit with you."

"U-Uh, heh, I'll pass on that, but thanks." replied Anna glancing at the dead rabbit in Emory's hold.

"Oh, come on." urged Emory. "With all you and Elsa have done for me, and you even bringing me an apple and chocolate, I wanna share my first kill with you, and you too Honeymaren."

"I appreciate that, I really do." replied Anna nervously, "But I don't wanna see you cut open the rabbit and pull its guts out." she added before shuttering."

"Heh, I'm sure you eat meat, right?" asked Emory.

"Yeah, but it's already prepared to eat or already cut up to be cooked."

"Ohh, right..." replied Emory with a smirk. "Princess' get their food served to them all ready to eat. You don't see that cow or chicken you're eating skinned and gutted before it reaches your plate." she added teasingly, which prompted a small annoyed smirk from Anna as she said nothing in response. "I say you join me and watch me prep the rabbit to eat."

"I really don't want to."

"Come on." urged Emory. "You can't just visit and not see how your family eats; embrace your Northuldran roots!"

"I've eaten their food." answered Anna. "The animal was already gutted and cleaned, though."

"Then this'll be a new experience for you! Come on." urged Emory before lifting the rabbit to look at Anna, who leaned back with a grimace as its dead eyes stared at her. "Doesn't this guy look delicious?"

"Not while it still has a face to look at me." replied Anna, before Honeymaren chuckled and commented...

"Come on, Anna, I'll join. If it's too much, you can walk away."

Anna continued to grimace; she looked at the rabbit Emory still presented in front of her before reaching to Emory's hand and pushing it down, breaking eye contact with the life-less rabbit.

"Ok, ok, I'll watch... JUST watch."

"Awesome!" declared Emory. "I just have to get a knife, and we can head out."

"Head out?" asked Anna. "You don't do it here?"

"No, no, no." replied Honeymaren. "It's not a good idea to do it where we live; the guts and smell can attract other animals and predators."

"Yeah." stated Emory. "I would've already started skinning and gutting this rabbit, but neither of us had a knife on us when we went hunting."

"Oh, alright then."

Anna followed the two back to Honeymaren's home to retrieve a knife and store the bow and arrows, chocolate and Emory's apple. Shortly after, the trio walked out of the camp. Honeymaren to Emory's right and Anna to her left, who glanced down to the rabbit in her hold and commented...

"Yanno Emory, you did say you can hunt and all, but I was not expecting to see you actually holding an animal you've killed."

"Heh, 'cause I don't look like the type of person to do it?" asked Emory with a smile.

"Well..." replied Anna with a nervous smile. "Yes and no. I mean, I know living out in the forest, you have to hunt for your food. It's just... I dunno, it was a surprise." she added before Honeymaren chuckled and commented...

"Maybe someone here can teach you to hunt one of these days."

"I'll pass on that, thank you." replied Anna with a chuckle. "I know I wouldn't be able to kill an animal." she added, followed by a giggle from Emory, who teased...

"... and if you did, you'd probably revive it out of guilt."

"Probably..." agreed Anna with a sigh.

"Hehe, you'd happily eat an animal, but won't kill it yourself." teased Emory.

"Yeah, yeah..." replied Anna.

"Well, good thing you'll never be stuck in the wilderness now." commented Emory. "Since you can fly and-"

Emory suddenly stopped as she stared at Anna, who was quickly confused as Emory appeared to be suddenly distracted; she was still walking along with them but simply stared at Anna oddly.

"Emory?" asked Anna.

"Oh, sorry." replied Emory. "Elsa just called to me."

"Oh." replied Anna, before Emory looked ahead and spoke to neither her nor Honeymaren.

"Hey Elsa... ...Yeah, Anna's here." stated Emory, looking at Anna. "She's gonna watch me prepare a rabbit to cook and eat... yep, skin it, cut it open, pull the guts out... Hehe, yeah, probably..." continued Emory as she looked at Anna with a smirk, which prompted a curious look from Anna to Emory at what Elsa was saying. "...Will do... I'll ask her..." stated Emory before asking Anna... "Elsa wants to know when you think you'll be returning?"

"How long will it take you to prepare the rabbit and cook it?" asked Anna.

"Hmm, about thirty minutes, from draining the blood to cooking it." answered Emory.

"Hmm, then tell her forty minutes."

"Alright." replied Emory before looking ahead. "Forty minutes to an hour... ok, bye."

"So what were you two talking about that you found so amusing that you were smiling at me?" asked Anna.

"Just how squeamish you'd be watching me prepping this rabbit." answered Emory, to which Anna could only respond with an annoyed groan.

Minutes away from the camp and near a small stream, Emory proceeded to prep the rabbit, first cutting its neck and holding it by its legs upside down, allowing the blood to drain, which the sight of already made Anna feel a bit queasy.

"This'll take a few minutes." stated Emory.

"Then let's talk about something else other than the blood-dripping rabbit in your hands." commented Anna nervously.

"Well, I have a question for you, Anna." stated Honeymaren. "About your portals, you said you weren't perfect in creating them. What else do you need to practice if you can already come here?"

"Well yeah, I can make a functioning portal." answered Anna. "But I can improve on that. One limitation I have is that I create a lot of heat in making one, so I need a wide-open space to reduce the risk of starting a fire."

"Is fire the only risk?" asked Honeymaren.

"It's one of two." answered Anna. "The other is easily avoidable; the edges of the portal are dangerous, they can cut things really easily, but I can just increase the size of the portal to reduce that risk."

"Ah, so you've already tested some things with your portals."

"Yeah, I've actually created portals three times." replied Anna. "I was with Cassandra; she made an ice wall to protect the trees. The second time, she wasn't with me, but I had a slightly easier and quicker time making the portal, so nothing caught fire. Same thing for the third time that lead me here."

"Wow, so already, you don't need to worry about lighting things on fire." commented Honeymaren.

"Maybe, but I want to improve enough that I can make portals quickly. Like Silvia and Emory can; they can snap their fingers, and a portal just appears."

"Oh..." replied Honeymaren, looking to Emory. "You can make portals too? I know you said you can reveal memories to people; Those are portals?"

"Heh, no, no, Anna's talking about my reality-viewing powers."

"Uh... reality viewing?" questioned Honeymaren curiously. "What's that?"

"Well, there's multiple realities." answered Emory. "The you that lives in this reality is different from another you that lives in another reality."

"So... you're saying there's more than one me?" asked Honeymaren, wide-eyed.

"Well, she wouldn't be an exact copy of you." stated Emory. "You might look the same, you might not, and you experience different things in your life, which could make another version of you have a completely different attitude and personality."

"Wow... so, you're saying there could be a me somewhere that's a selfish, loner jerk that would backstab people for their own personal gain?"

"Sure." answered Emory. "Heck, the reason Anna and her sister were here yesterday, which led to me being free and living with you, is because an Elsa from another reality had come here, and the sisters came here to determine if she was a threat."

"Which she wasn't." commented Anna.

"Wow, another Elsa from a different reality?" asked Honeymaren. "What was she like?"

"A lot like our Elsa." answered Anna. "She came from a reality similar to our own, but the major difference there was that Elsa herself was the fifth Spirit and lived with the Northuldra, and her Anna is the Queen."

"Wow..." gasped Honeymaren, wide-eyed. "So instead of Emory, it's Elsa."

"Yep, and I'm the Queen there. Oh, hey, Emory, do you mind letting us peek in on the other me? I really wanna see Queen Anna!"

"Not at all." replied Emory as she closed her eyes and lifted her right hand out in front of her before Honeymaren looked on in awe, and Anna smiled with delight as a square window appeared in front of them, displaying Queen Anna, walking through the town, with Olaf by her side.

"Ohhh, wow..." gasped Anna in awe. "She looks good! Not a fan of the tied up hair, but I know that's for the crown to sit right. Everything else, though, I like. Her dress is beautiful, the black top and sleeves with the green dress and cape, with the purple underneath. She looks like a Queen."

Emory and Honeymaren shared a chuckle at Anna's delight, while Honeymaren was still in awe at the sight, looking between the two Anna's.

"Wow, it's really a different version of you. And is that a living snow-man walking beside her?"

"Yep." answered Anna. "That's Olaf. Elsa created him. Hmm, but he doesn't have his flurry."

"Flurry?" asked Honeymaren.

"Yeah, Olaf's made of snow and it's a middle of summer, so Elsa gave him his own snow cloud that hovers over him to prevent him from melting."

"Oh."

"I'd like to talk to her..." commented Anna as she returned her gaze to her double with a smile, who greeted others as she walked by them. "But, I dunno if her Elsa has told her about what happened yet."

"Plus..." added Emory. "She's in the middle of town, so not a good time to open up a portal where she is."

"So she can't see us?" asked Honeymaren.

"Nope." answered Emory. "We can see and hear her, but she has no clue we're here."

"Well, that seems kinda rude."

"Well, we're just peeking in on her." replied Emory before looking to Anna. "Satisfied?"

"I wanna watch her a little more, but it would be rude." replied Anna. "Yeah, I'm satisfied. I got to see her, and I'll eventually be able to meet her face to face."

"Really?" asked Honeymaren as the view of Queen Anna disappeared.

"Yeah." answered Anna. "When the Other Elsa was here, we agreed that we could meet again, and she'd bring her Anna."

"Wow, that'll be a sight to see."

"An exciting one too!" added Anna delightfully before Emory looked to Honeymaren and asked...

"You wanna see your other self?"

"Uh... I dunno." answered Honeymaren.

"Alright, if you change your mind, just let me know; I don't mind." commented Emory, which Honeymaren gave her 'ok' before Emory lifted and checked the rabbit, seeing that the blood was still steadily draining. "Hmm, maybe a couple more minutes."

Anna grimaced at the sight before she asked...

"Do you have to drain the blood?"

"Well, it's not 'required'." answered Emory. "But it's less mess to deal with. There will still be blood, of course, but a lot less." she added before Honeymaren also added...

"It also gives time for the body to cool, which makes skinning it easier."

"Well, I'm already learning something." commented Anna, before Honeymaren giggled and added...

"Maybe instead of hunting and killing an animal, you can learn to prepare one to cook."

Anna simply responded with a wary chuckle before she commented to Emory...

"Anyway, Emory, Elsa and I were talking yesterday about you giving us and Cassandra magic. Are you still able to do that?"

"That I do not know." answered Emory.

"You were confident you could do it with Cassandra though." commented Anna.

"Yeah, that was when I was stuck in that castle." stated Emory. "Granting people magic isn't part of my original abilities."

"And neither was opening traversable portals to other realities." pointed out Anna. "...but you can do that."

"True..." commented Emory. "Based on the two times I've granted magic, though, those came from agreements between myself, Iduna and Cassandra."

"So maybe you could still do that."

"I guess?" replied Emory. "But, I wouldn't be able to take away the power if I could give it; I don't think I could anyway. So, I'm not very interested in testing that particular ability, if I do still have it."

"Hmm, you make a good point." commented Anna. "That's a big unknown on the other side of it."

"Yeah... unless Honeymaren is willing to be the test subject. I'm fine with it remaining a mystery."

"Heh, I'll pass on that." replied Honeymaren with a chuckle. "I've done fine so far without magic, and I could ask the spirits if I needed some magical assistance for something."

"Wow, I'm impressed you're willing to leave it a mystery." stated Anna. "If it were me, I'd probably try to find someone who wouldn't mind having magic just to have an answer."

"Heh, well, I'm not so proactive in finding answers." added Emory with a smile. "I'm familiar with my natural born powers, and I'm satisfied with that. If those powers grow in capabilities, then great, but I'm not going to go out and experiment outside my normal range of powers. Besides, looking through memories and allowing people to remember things they have forgotten, and looking into other realities and being able to cross them now, is good enough for me." she added with a smile, returned by Anna before Honeymaren commented...

"Be happy with what you have."

"Exactly." stated Emory. "I'm not alone or isolated anymore. I'm making new friends; I'm part of a community... I couldn't be happier." she added before lifting the rabbit. "And I got food! Anyway, enough blood should be drained now. I like to remove the head first anyway..."

Anna's eyes silently widened at Emory's remark. The 'process' was about to begin as Emory knelt and placed the rabbit down on its side. She gripped it around the neck with one hand and the head with the other while Anna grimaced and partly averted her gaze.

Following a twist and soft pop of the rabbit's neck, Emory proceeded to cut off the head. Once separated, Honeymaren and Emory felt a gust of wind in Anna's direction and looked to see her unconscious, limp form gently lowered to the ground, thanks to Gale, prompting both to giggle.

"Wow." commented Emory. "Thought she'd last at least until I started gutting it."

"Me too." added Honeymaren, walking to and kneeling beside Anna. "I was gonna keep my eye on her during that; ready to catch her. Guess I should've started sooner. Thanks Gale."

- Ten Minutes later -

Coming around, Anna was very confused to be waking up. Sitting up was met with... not sitting up as she felt bound by something covering her whole body.

"What... the..." groggily commented Anna before she heard Honeymaren commenting.

"Back with us Anna?"

Opening her eyes, Anna saw Honeymaren kneeling in front of her with a smile.

"When did I pass out?" asked Anna before she quickly realized why she couldn't move; her glass dress had hardened, prompting her to quickly rectify the problem as she heated it up.

"It was after Emory removed the head of the rabbit." answered Honeymaren.

"Oh... right." replied Anna, seeing to Honeymaren's right, Emory's back was to her and as she was knelt down, still working on the rabbit, while Anna was able to sit up. "How long was I out?"

"Maybe ten minutes." commented Honeymaren.

"Ugh, so embarrassing. Well, did I sleep through the worse of it, at least?"

"Yeah." answered Emory. "I'm just finishing up here."

Anna saw Honeymaren offer a hand to help her to her feet, which she accepted and looked over Emory's shoulder to see the rabbit was skinned and gutted. The entrails in a pile off to Emory's right, along with the head, which Anna grimaced at, while the skin was to her right.

After cutting a few more bits of the carcass, Emory stood and proudly presented her work to Anna.

"Looks closer to something you'd eat now, right?"

"Well, yeah." replied Anna.

"Now I just have to get rid of the guts and the head, clean the blood off my hands, and we can cook this beauty!" commented Emory before she placed the carcass back down and gathered up the entrails and the head. "Be back in a bit." she added before walking away towards the nearby stream.

"Don't feel too bad about passing out." commented Honeymaren to Anna. "It happens."

"Did it happen to you?" asked Anna, which prompted a blushing smile from Honeymaren.

"I ended up throwing up from the sight." answered Honeymaren. "But, I got used to it."

"What about your first kill?"

"I was actually fine for that; No hang-ups there. Like Emory, I was happy and excited to be able to contribute that developing skill to the group."

"Heh, if I lived here, I wouldn't be able to do this." replied Anna. "I'd prefer a task with no killing and gore." she added, which prompted a chuckle from Honeymaren.

"Well, there's plenty of other tasks. Tending to the reindeer, for example, which is my main job. You could also make clothes if you have that skill, I don't, heh. Like I mentioned before, you could cook what the others have caught after getting it ready like Emory did. Or, using your unique gift, you could be a healer; that would be a massive contribution alone."

"Yeah, true; I wouldn't want to 'just' be a healer though. I'd want to contribute in a more tangible way. I have a reindeer friend of my own, so maybe I could try your job one day."

"I'd love to teach you." replied Honeymaren with a smile before Emory returned, her hands clean of blood and picked up the carcass and skin of the rabbit.

"Alright, let's head back and eat!" commented Emory happily before she asked Anna with a smile. "Unless you'd like to use your magic to cook it?"

"Heh, I'll pass. I don't want to possibly burn and ruin what you took the effort to prepare." replied Anna.

"Alright then."

Upon returning to the camp, Emory suggested the two didn't need to stay with her while she cooked the rabbit, which Honeymaren took the opportunity to visit her grandmother, as she had intended, which Anna joined.

Once the pair reached Rona's home, Anna saw her mother, grandmother and Aunt still where she had left them, although Rona seemed to be sleeping, resting against the side of her home.

"Hey mom, hey Auntie." greeted Honeymaren in a lower tone as she walked up.

Following the two greeting her back, Honeymaren and Anna saw Rona open her eyes and smiled at the sight of them and greeted back as well.

"Hello, you two."

"Sorry." commented Honeymaren. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's ok." replied Rona with a smile. "I was just relaxing and enjoying the breeze. I am getting a little sleepy, though, so I'll be heading in, in a little while."

"Oh, alright." replied Honeymaren, before she sat next to Magna, while Anna sat next to Iduna. "Anna's gonna let me return to Arendelle with her for a little while."

"Oh, how wonderful." replied Rona, before the sisters both commented curiously, looking at their daughters...

"Really?"

"Yeah." answered Anna with a chuckle. "I offered Emory a brief trip back to see Arendelle, she wants to stay here for now, though; but Honeymaren asked to go in her place, and I'd be happy to show her around. I won't keep her long, though; an hour, maybe two. I figured one Northuldra visiting wouldn't cause too much commotion." she explained before Rona looked to Iduna and commented...

"Iduna, why don't you join her?"

"W-What?" asked Iduna.

"You haven't returned since you've come back to us." stated Rona, before Anna delightfully added...

"Yeah! Everyone would love to see you in person, alive and well!"

"But, I can't return." replied Iduna. "I have to be with you, Mother."

Rona smiled and lifted her hand up to caress Iduna's cheek.

"It's just an hour or two. I don't expect to leave you all in that brief time. I still have some life left in me. So give your people peace of mind seeing their Queen."

Iduna briefly averted her gaze in thought before returning her gaze to her Mother and asking...

"Are you sure it's OK if I leave for a bit?"

"Yes, I'm sure." answered Rona. "I'll be fine."

"Yeah, go." added Magna with a smile. "You are a Queen; after all, you should at least show your people you are alive. It's been over a week."

"... Ok, I'll go." replied Iduna with a smile after a sigh.

"Awesome!" declared Anna. "Elsa and Father are going to be so surprised to see you!"

"When we leave..." started Iduna, looking to Anna. "Are we going directly to the castle?"

"Well, I intended on walking through town to the castle." answered Anna. "But if you want to go directly to the castle first, then meet the people, we can do that."

"Hmm..." hummed Iduna, averting her gaze in thought. "I'll go with what you first intended."

"Alright. Will you change your clothes?" asked Anna.

"I'm not sure right now." answered Iduna. "I'm torn between returning as I left, with the clothes I wore, heh, 'properly dressed as Queen'; but now, I don't want to hide where I've come from."

"Well, whichever look you choose to go with, I'll be happy either way." replied Anna.

"Thanks."

- Ten minutes later -

Following Rona retiring to her home to sleep, Anna and Honeymaren returned to Emory, near the edge of the camp, to see how the cooking of the rabbit was doing.

"Hey, Emory." greeted Anna as she and Honeymaren walked up to Emory, who had set up the rabbit over a spit and was also joined by another person sitting across from Emory, one of the twins. "How's it looking?"

"Still needs some time." answered Emory. "Probably should've cut the legs off so those cooked quicker, instead of the whole thing at once."

"That's ok." stated Anna. "I'm not in a rush." she added before she and Honeymaren sat beside her, and the young girl across from them lifted a hand towards Anna and greeted her.

"Hey, Anna."

"Hey..." greeted back Anna, before briefly staring at her in thought. "uh... As-Ella?"

"Your first thought was right." Asta said with a smile."

"Darn." replied Anna with a snap of her fingers and a smile. "I can't tell you two apart."

"Hehe, well, here's a tip, Ella tends to have her hair braided." stated Asta. "I prefer a loose ponytail or having it free, like it is now."

"Thanks for the tip." replied Anna before speaking to Emory. "So, Emory, my mothers going to join us in returning."

"Really? Well, that's great." replied Emory with a smile. "Elsa and your father will certainly be surprised."

"Yeah, and so will everyone in town." added Anna.

"Join us?" asked Asta. "Emory, you're gonna return with Anna?"

"Oh, no." replied Emory. "Honeymaren's heading back with her."

"Really!?" gasped Asta as she looked at Honeymaren. "You're going to Arendelle?"

"Just for an hour or two." replied Honeymaren with a smile. "Anna first asked Emory, but she declined; so I asked to take the offer. I just wanna see what Anna's home is like."

"Oh, why'd you decline?" asked Asta, looking to Emory.

"Well, everyone here was nice enough to welcome me." replied Emory. "I figured leaving so soon, even temporarily, wouldn't give the best impression." she added.

"Oh, ok then." commented Asta, before looking at Anna and asking excitedly. "Is there room on Nokk for one more!? I'd love to join you!"

"Sorry..." replied Anna reluctantly. "I'd like to welcome you too, but I figured bringing one Northuldra wouldn't cause too much commotion. Given our past-"

"Oh, ok. I get it." replied Asta, though disappointed. "You're 'testing the water' with one of us."

"Yeah, sorry again." stated Anna. "But if Honeymaren's visit goes well, then that opens the door for more people to visit."

"I hope it does." replied Asta. "Besides, it's probably for the best you turn me down. I couldn't keep this from my sister, and she'd want to come too." she added before groaning. "Then there's the issue of asking our parent's permission, who'd probably say no, ugh. Guess riding Nokk is gonna wait." she added, which prompted a chuckle from Anna.

"By the way, I didn't ride Nokk here." stated Anna. "I've learned to make portals."

"Seriously!?" gasped Asta. "Like that woman that was with you and your sister?"

"Yep, but I'm not as proficient as she is though. Not yet anyway." answered Anna.

"That's amazing!" declared Asta. "So we wouldn't be limited to how many people can ride Nokk!"

"Yep." replied Anna before Asta happily looked at Honeymaren and commented.

"Be on your best behavior, Maren! I wanna visit Arendelle too!"

The remark prompted giggles from not only Honeymaren but also Anna and Emory.

To be continued