(This chapter has been revised on 7/1/2024)

Going Back Home

February 20th, 1836

Anna was on the upper platform in the foyer. She had been looking for Elsa and was having no luck so far. Anna checked her bedroom, but no one was in, aside from several Snowgies. She saw Olaf on the floor below the platform from the corner of her eye. She decided to ask him.

"Hey, Olaf."

"Morning, Anna!" Olaf greeted with his usual smile. "Need something?"

"Have you seen Elsa anywhere? She wasn't in her room."

"She might be in the balcony room."

"Right of course...Thanks."

"You're welcome!" As Anna headed to the balcony room, the snowman resumed what he had been doing. "Now, where are Slush, Sludge, and Slide?"

Anna soon arrived in the balcony room. She noticed the doors to the balcony were opened and saw Elsa gazing out. Anna walked up to the doorway.

"Elsa?" She called out.

"Anna!" Elsa yelped. "Sorry. I didn't hear you. What are you doing here?"

"You didn't leave me breakfast like you usually do. Everything okay?"

"Oh shoot!" Elsa placed her hand on her forehead. "I'm so sorry. I had a hard time sleeping last night. I didn't mean to forget." The ice weirder was speaking in a matter that sounded like panic.

"Woah, take it easy. It's not the end of the world."

Elsa gave Anna a puzzled look. "You're not upset?"

"Of course not. It happens to everybody. Lord knows I had my moments. Why would I be upset?"

"It's just that...in my previous home, I would get punished if I had forgotten to do something or made any mistake."

"What kind of punishments did they give you?" Anna asked, though she was afraid of the answer.

"You already saw some of the answers on my arms."

That was an explanation Anna was afraid of hearing. Of course, she had the idea that Elsa had been beaten in the past, but being beaten for making simple common mistakes? That's a whole other thing. "They hurt you?"

"To make sure that I would never do it again."

"That's horrible."

"It doesn't matter now. It's all in the past. I got away from them, and they haven't bothered me. But the old habits haven't died it seems."

"What they did to you was wrong. I would never hurt you for making a mistake. Or I wouldn't hurt you, period."

Elsa looked up at Anna. "You wouldn't?"

"Of course I wouldn't! No sane person would ever do that! I'm nothing like those people you were with. I mean, I don't know how bad they were, but I can make a damn good guess that they were pretty bad. They had no right to do that to you! You didn't deserve any of that. No one does."

Hearing those words had made Elsa feel a little...happy. Here was someone she hardly knew just days ago. Now, she's talking like they've known each other for a long time like she cared for her.

"That's…was really nice of you to say."

"I say it because I meant it. Every word of it."

"That makes me feel a bit better. I'm still sorry about your breakfast."

"Well, it's still technically morning. You can still make it."

"Alright. Let's get you some."

The two girls stepped back inside, closing the balcony door. Elsa replayed Anna's words in her head. She never heard from another person that Elsa didn't deserve the treatment she had gotten in her early childhood years. She will never forget the taunts of her holders saying that every beating she got was deserved. Hearing another person say she didn't further Elsa's confidence to ask Anna a question she had been thinking about. And today was the day she will do it.

She was going to ask if she and Anna were friends.

Not far from The North Mountain lay a region of forest. Three of The Snowgies were in it: Slush, Sludge, and Slide.

Being out of the palace and away from the mountain was no stranger to them. Elsa allowed her creations to leave the ice palace of their own will. They would be permitted as long they followed two rules. Rule #1: Be home by sundown. Rule #2: If they see any people, they must return home immediately and not get spotted. Fortunately, only a few people came to the mountains, so following the second rule was a rare occurrence.

Two of The Snowgies were playing a small game of tag with Slush currently playing the role of being 'It.'

"You can't catch me!" Slide playfully taunted.

"Never say never!" Slush declared.

While the duo played their game, Sludge was lying near a bush. He was tired from playing with his brothers for most of the morning. His relaxing came to a halt once he heard footsteps nearby. Sludge merely passed it off as an animal until he heard noises. Not noises animals would make. These were voices. Deciding to investigate, Sludge walked into the bushes. His two brothers didn't notice. As he walked, the voices became more evident.

"Can we take a break again? We've been at it most of the night and morning."

"I have to agree with Adams. Some of the men look like they're about to collapse."

"Very well. We'll take another break."

"But we're so close! We can't stop now. The dog still has the trail."

"I know you're eager, Kristoff, but we won't be no help to the princess if most of the men are exhausted."

Peeking through the leaves, Sludge sees a group of men. Actual people! Sludge took one small gulp of fear as he slowly backed away, mentally reciting Rule#2 to himself. On the other side of the bush, Slush & Slide were still playing. That stopped when they noticed their brother acting odd.

"You alright, Sludge?" Slush asked.

"Run…" Sludge muttered.

"What?" Slide inquired.

"We should start running…" Sludge suddenly sprinted. "Like NOW!"

"What's gotten him riled up?"

"I think I know why..." Slush trembling with fear.

Slide looked over to see his brother looking in the bush. He saw the group of men. Fear was written his face, along with his brother. The duo followed their brother's example and started running for it.

"WOAH, GEEZE! THEY'RE RIGHT BEHIND US!" Slide shouted as he ran.

"Come on, little brother! Let's get outta here!" Slush followed.

The soldiers were resting on the other end of the bush, completely unaware of what had just transpired. Hall's face perked up like something had caught his attention. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Like, a tiny squeak."

The other soldiers just look at him oddly.

"I think the cold air is messing with your head, Hall," Daniels suggested.

Believing his comrade, Hall decided to shrug it off. "Yeah, you're probably right."

After breakfast, the two girls hung out again in Elsa's bedroom. Anna once again looked over the items Elsa had collected. Elsa had been mostly quiet, only saying anything whenever Anna had questions about her items.

"Where did you find this knife?"

"I was following a hunter, and he dropped it," Elsa explained.

"It's cool looking though." Anna kept on examining the weapon. Elsa could see the small admiration she had for it in her eyes.

"If you want, you can have it."

"Really?" Anna asked. "I couldn't, it's yours."

"Please. I have no use for it anyway."

"Gee, well...thanks," Anna said with some joy, though still surprised with the gift.

Anna resumed admiring the knife. Ever since she was a child, she had been interested in weapons and had her father to thank for that.

Despite his overprotective nature, he had never had any issue with Anna liking weapons, much less using one (Though he always made sure to be with her when she did). He had taught her how to use swords, arrows, crossbows, and even guns & rifles. He had even taken her with him on several hunting parties. Ironically, the one thing that Anna considered dangerous was the thing she and her father bonded over. The few times her father didn't constantly have the need to protect her.

Looking at Anna, Elsa decided it was time. Taking a deep breath first before asking her question.

"Anna?" Elsa's voice pulled Anna out of her reminiscing. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

"What?"

"Uh, forget that," Anna abruptly stated, realizing that Elsa wouldn't get the joke. "What do you want to ask me?"

"Are...Are we f-?"

Before Elsa could finish the question, a loud bang echoed throughout the room. Olaf was at the doorway, the doors wide open, and he looked panicked.

"Elsa! You've got to get downstairs now! It's an emergency!"

Elsa immediately got up and followed Olaf, leaving behind a confused but curious Anna. Wanting to know what was happening, the young princess decided to see what was happening. Leaving the room and going down the stairs, she saw the commotion in the foyer.

Elsa, Olaf, Marshmallow, and all The Snowgies were gathered. It looked like a family meeting of sorts. Anna noticed three Snowgies in the center. Two of them looked frightened, while one looked to be talking to Olaf and Elsa.

"Everything will be fine. They'll probably just pass on by," Elsa told them reassuringly.

"Who'll pass on by?" Everyone turned to face Anna. "What's going on?"

"Slush, Sludge, and Slide saw people!" Olaf exclaimed.

"People?" Anna questioned.

"Uh-huh! A small group of them. Just a little south from here. They had horses, a dog, and even a reindeer!"

"It's probably just a hunting group. They wouldn't come here. There's no animals they could hunt," Elsa argued.

Everyone seemed to agree with that statement. Anna had a different idea of who they were. The mention of a reindeer gave her the biggest context clue. "Did they have names?"

Everyone looked at the 3 Snowgies. Slush and Slide's expressions indicated that they didn't know. But then Anna saw Sludge frantically squeaking.

"What's he saying?"

"Sludge said he did hear one of them call someone Kristoff," Olaf revealed.

With that answer, Anna's suspicions had been confirmed. Kristoff, and perhaps several royal guard members, were searching for her. That search had expanded to here. And if the snowgies were right about having dogs, they weren't far off from finding her along with Elsa and her creations. Realizing what she had to do, Anna quickly removed the spare mittens and bonnet.

"Anna, What are you doing?" Elsa asked with a confused tone.

"I have to leave."

"What, why?" Olaf contested.

"If I stay here any longer, those people will come here, and they'll find you all. I have to go."

"I...I don't understand," Elsa stammered.

"Those men aren't hunters. They're looking for me."

"Why?" Elsa remembered Anna mentioning having a family. She expected that they would look for her. Not a group of men.

Anna looked at Elsa with regret in her eyes. At that moment, she knew that she had to tell Elsa the truth.

"Do you remember yesterday when I told you about my home's king & queen?"

"Yes. What does that have to do anything?"

"Those men were sent by them to look for me because...They're my parents."

"But...if the king & queen are your parents," Olaf trailed off before gasping. "That means you're-!"

"Yes," Anna cut him off. "I'm a princess. Specifically, Princess Anna Eriksen of Arendelle."

For several moments, no one dared to say anything. They all looked at each other, except for Elsa, who only stared at Anna. "Why didn't you tell me you're a princess?"

"I wasn't sure how you would react. I didn't want to freak you out. I'm sorry," Anna lowered her face with shame. "But that doesn't matter anymore. I have to get to those men before they get here. And I'm sure any of you guys don't want that. So I have to leave."

"But you can't go!" Olaf protested.

Anna moved her gaze to all of Elsa's snow creations. They all bore the same sad expressions. Even Marshmallow appeared to be upset. She knelt down to the Olaf's level.

"I don't want to leave, believe me. You all have been so kind to me. But I have to go back to my family. I've been away from home long enough."

"But...we'll miss you."

"I'll miss you all too," Anna hugged the snowman.

The princess returned to her feet and looked at Elsa's eye level. Anna gave Elsa the spare mittens & bonnet to her.

"Won't you be cold?" Elsa asked with concern.

"I can't be seen with these. Otherwise, they'll get suspicious. They'll probably have spares. Thank you again for all you've done for me."

"Will I see you again?"

For a moment, Anna didn't answer. She knew it would be a long time before she could ride alone in the woods when she returned home.

"I hope so." She responded, unsure if she was telling the truth. "I have to go now."

The residents of the ice palace watched Anna as she made her way to the grand doors and opened them. Before stepping out, she turned back and waved.

"Goodbye, everyone! Thank you again!"

She then went out, and the door closed. Not a single word was said. Elsa kept her eyes on the door. Her face looked as if she was about to burst into tears.

"Elsa?" Olaf called to her," Are you-?"

"I need to be alone..."

Elsa quickly turned around and made her way to the foyer stairs. Olaf tried to follow her but was stopped by Marshmallow's big hand. "Leave her be." He said to his brother as they all watched Elsa.

Elsa shut the door to her bedroom closed. She leaned her back against it. Snow started to fall heavily into the room. This went on for the next few minutes. Elsa stood in the same spot as snowflakes continue to float down. The snowflakes stopped in midair, looking as if the snowfall was frozen in time. Elsa slid down onto the floor, back still against the door. She closed her eyes as a lone tear fell from her eye before wrapping her arms around her chest as if she were hugging herself and burying her head between her legs.

The only friend she had ever known was now gone, perhaps for good.

Anna slowly trudged south of The North Mountain. She was shivering, and her hands were ice cold. To make it look convincing that she had been surviving on her own in the wilderness, she had buried her hands in a pile of snow for a short period of time and put small patches of dirt on her face and her dress. She hopes it will be enough to convince them.

After putting on her rouse, she walked toward where The Snowgies found Kristoff's group. So far, she hasn't seen anyone.

Anna let out a huff. "I swear to God if they had already left-"

Anna's trail of thought was halted by the sounds of bushes rattling. Remembering what had happened with the wolves, Anna pulled out the knife Elsa had given her. She slowly ambled over to the bush, both hands firmly gripped on the knife sticking in front of her. Something jumped out and knocked her to the ground. When she looked up, she saw a happy-faced reindeer standing over her.

"Sven?" The only response the reindeer gave was rapidly licking her face. "Okay! Okay! Okay! OKAY! You found me! Sven, calm down!" Once the reindeer seized his licking, she petted his snout as she rose. "I missed you too."

"Sven!" A familiar voice called out. "Did you find something-?" Kristoff emerged from the other side. He stopped dead in his tracks. "...Anna?"

"Hey...Kristoff," Anna greeted with an awkward wave. "How are you?"

The ice harvester hugged her tightly. "How am I?! How are you?! Are you alright? By God, your skin is ice cold!"

"I'm okay. Really, I am," Anna reassured. "Um, you're kinda hugging me a little too tight."

"Sorry," Kristoff pulled back. "I was worried about you. I was afraid that you were…"

"Hey now, you're not going to get rid of me that easily," Anna lightly joked.

Kristoff gave a light chuckle. "You spent a few days alone in the cold wilderness, and you're cracking jokes right now."

"Well, you know me. So is it just you or…"

"I'm not alone. The captain of the royal guard and several others are here. I volunteered to scout ahead while they rested. Looks like I made the right choice."

"Where are they?"

"They're not far. I'll take you to them and will take you back home."

"Home...that sounds nice."

"Here, you could use these." Reaching into his satchel, he got out a spare coat & gloves. He even gave her his hat. "You can also ride on Sven. You deserve a rest."

"Thanks."

Kristoff helped Anna onto his animal companion. The reindeer followed his friend with Anna on his back. They didn't notice Anna taking one last glance at The North Mountain. While she was happy to head home, another part of her felt emptiness. That feeling grew the farther she went away from the mountain.

On the outskirts of Arendelle, a house with a windmill next to it lay. Not far from the little home were the forested hills. Outside of the house, three children, two girls and a boy, were playing in the snow while their parents were inside. As they played, the boy, the youngest of his siblings, noticed something in the distance.

"Aren't those soldiers?"

"Where, Thomas?" His older sister asked.

"Over there," he pointed.

The eldest sister looked in the direction her brother was pointing. He was indeed right. There were soldiers walking down the hill. She figured it was the search party for the missing princess, probably returning to rest. Just as she was about to assure her younger siblings of that, she took notice of a figure riding among the soldiers. This figure looked almost like the…

"The princess…" The girl muttered.

"The what, Lucy?" Her little sister asked.

"They found the princess! Princess Anna is okay!"

The older child ran into the house, followed by her siblings. The children excitedly told their parents what they saw. The parents went outside to see for themselves. They realized that their children were speaking the truth.

"By God..." The father breathed out. "That really is the princess."

"I can't believe it," The mother muttered with disbelief.

The Father quickly put on a coat and a hat, much to his wife's confusion.

"Dear, what are you doing?"

"I must spread the word that the princess has been found," the father said before he dashed off.

The father ran down to the town below. On his face lay the most joyous look one can have ever seen. A nearby group of citizens looked at him in confusion. Once he started shouting the news is when they realized why he was in such a high mood.

"They found Princess Anna! The princess is okay!"

Word quickly spread among the town. Soon, the citizens were scrambling to prepare to welcome home their now-found princess. A member of the town guard had just heard the good news. He abandoned his post and made a mad dash towards the castle.

The first person the guard ran into was Kai in the courtyard. He relayed his words to the older servant. Kai immediately jogged inside.

Inside the king's study of the castle, Agdar was about to rejoin the search for Anna. Idun had tried to convince him to stay and rest, fearing for his physical and mental health.

"I'm going back out to find Anna."

"Agdar, you've been at it for two days and barely ate & slept!"

"Are you suggesting that I stay in here while our daughter is still out there?!" Agdar barked back.

"I want her found as much you do, but you're no help to Anna if you're weak!" Idun retorted.

"So you're saying I should sit here and wait for the good news to waltz right in here, right?"

At that very moment, the door to the study suddenly slammed wide open, startling the two monarchs. At the door was Kai, clearly out of breath.

"Kai?" Agdar exclaimed.

"You're majesties...I bring...good news," The servant said as he panted heavily.

"What news?" Idun inquired.

"Princess Anna has been found. She's alive." Kai revealed with a small smile.

Being back in Arendelle was a happy sight for Anna. She rode with Kristoff as they strolled into town. Surrounding them were the captain and the soldiers. Anna could still recall the reactions when Kristoff brought her to them. Captain Storstrand was surprised but relieved. Several of the soldiers were immensely delighted. One soldier, whom Anna recalled being named Johnson, had the most speechless expression she had ever seen.

Now they were all back in Arendelle. The welcoming community was expected, but Anna didn't think that news of her return would spread so fast. Citizens greeted her as she and her group walked through town.

"Welcome back, Princess Anna!"

"We're glad to see you safe!"

"Blessed to you see well, Your Highness!"

"Thank you. Thank you, everyone," Anna responded, albeit a little uncomfortable with all the attention.

"They're just happy to see you," Kristoff simply stated. "They probably won't be the last to do so."

Anna knew what her friend meant by that. "How are they?"

"They're doing alright, but we're also worried like crazy. Your dad especially." Kristoff paused for a moment, face wincing. "Anna...he knows."

"I figured that out..." Anna breathed out.

"Are you upset?"

"No. I understand why you did it, but it doesn't matter now. Papa finding out was inevitable at this point."

The ride through town had still remained silent. In normal circumstances, Kristoff would be worried about that since Anna was usually a chatterbox. Given what Anna had been through, he thought it was understandable for her to be silent. Though unknown to him, she was quiet for different reasons.

The castle soon came into view. Storstrand yelled for the castle guards to open the gates. With each passing moment, Anna became tense for the moment she would see her parents again. They had walked into the courtyard. The soldiers got off their horses, while Kristoff picked up Anna's bridal style and got off of Sven.

"Kristoff, you don't have to. I can still walk," Anna insisted to him.

"Oh, sorry," Kristoff gently placed her on the ground while hiding his blush. "I was just…"

"It's fine." Anna gently patted his arm.

"Princess!"

The two friends turned around and saw Kai & Gerda jogging to the pair.

"Are you alright, princess?" Gerda asked.

"I'm fine, Gerda."

"We need to bring her inside. And get her a warm meal and a drink," Kristoff urged.

"I'll handle that," Kai offered.

The servants and ice harvester walked with Anna into the castle. They soon reached The Grand Hall, where a huge staircase lay. Several nearby servants started to crowd the princess, asking many questions.

"What happened?!"

"Where did you go?!"

"Are you okay?"

"Calm down!" Kristoff cut them off. "I'm sure she'll answer your questions later. But right now, she needs some space."

The servants did what they told and backed off.

"Thanks," Anna told him.

Anna sat down on the staircase steps, with Kristoff sitting beside her. Kai had gone to get the food, and Gerda left to inform Anna's parents of her return. This left the two friends alone as they waited. Anna was nervous about seeing her parents again, and Kristoff could clearly see that.

"Hey," Kristoff patted her shoulder, trying to comfort her. "Everything will be fine."

"I'm so going to get it," Anna quietly shuddered.

"Maybe they'll be so happy to see you that they'll forget about it?"

"Somehow, I doubt that."

From there on, the two friends spoke a few words. This had lingered on for several minutes. Kristoff stayed by her side even though she insisted he didn't have to. Being the good friend he was, he didn't leave. Having Kristoff here made her homecoming more comforting.

The sound of several footsteps was heard. Both friends looked to see the two people who had waited for this moment.

Agdar & Idun stood in the very middle of the grand staircase. Just by looking at them, Anna could tell how they've been for the past few days. Her mother looked tired, while her father looked worse as evident by the bags under his eyes. It looks as if he hadn't properly slept for days.

Anna quickly stood to her feet. "Hey, guys..."

Her mother promptly went down the steps and hugged her tightly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mama." Anna pulled away from her mother. "A little cold, but fine." Turning her head, she saw her father not far behind. "Hi, Papa. Listen, I-" Anna didn't get the chance to finish her sentence, for her father suddenly hugged her.

"Whatever you're going to say, we'll talk about it later," Agdar gently whispered. "Right now, I'm just happy you're back safe and sound."

Anna returned the hug to her father, and Idun soon rejoined the hugging as well. For a long while, the royal family stood hugging each other.

Kristoff watched the family reunion play out. Agdar quickly glanced at the boy and whispered a 'thank you' to him. Kristoff responded with a gentle nod.

For a moment, nothing else mattered to the Arendelle Royals. Except that they were back together as a family again.

So Anna has returned home to Arendelle and is back with her parents. Leaving Elsa back in the ice palace.

I always found it a bit odd that Kristoff and Hans officially have last names (Bjorgman & Westergaard) yet Anna & Elsa didn't. So until Disney gives official last names for the sisters, the Arendelle royal family's last name will be 'Eriksen' in this story.

Anna is totally a weapon enthusiast, no one can tell me otherwise. Kudos to you guys if you caught the Brother Bear & Toy Story 2 reference. Also, the windmill house here is the same one seen in Olaf's Frozen Adventure (Its seen during the That Time of Year sequence when Olaf gets thrown well...on the windmill).

We'll see more of the royal family in the next chapter (I'll give you guys a hint: Life's Too Short).

Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading.

P.S If you guys are into The Legend of Zelda or Super Mario, you're welcome to check out my two other fics, Path of Destiny (Zelda) and Rosalina's Brother (Mario).