Chapter Text
So as I said in my review of the film, I enjoyed Frozen. As I thought about it more later, though, I realized I would have written the film differently and closer to The Snow Queen had I been in charge of the script. I even had idea for a fanfic that would have done just that. The story would have been called Shards. While I probably won’t write it, I thought I would share the summary for those who are interested.
IF ABBY REWROTE IT: FROZEN, OR
SHARDS, A SUMMARY
Once upon a time, the land of Arendelle was ruled by the Troll King. He and the other trolls could take on many forms and were gifted with the magic of snow and ice, which no mortal could bear to carry. Even so, mankind fought the trolls, hoping to drive them back. During the war that followed, the Troll King made a mirror of enchanted ice, which cursed all who looked into it to see only the worst in themselves, and all who touched it would be consumed with sorrow, fear, and bitterness as their hearts froze within their breasts.
Many warriors of men were ruined by this mirror and the war turned in the trolls’ favor. Then came a girl - a brave girl of common birth - who sought to destroy the mirror, for it had cursed her best friend. She had their friends, the ravens, take out her eyes so she couldn’t look into the mirror herself, and afterwards asked them to guide her to the Troll King’s castle. She wore a dress made of flowers so the trolls could not smell her. She rode on the back of a reindeer until, finally, she reached the castle.
When she found the mirror within it, she wrapped her hands with her best friend’s scarf and threw the looking glass down, shattering it. The Troll King’s power, which was embedded in the ice, was broken as well. Mankind soon succeeded in driving the trolls back once and for all. But the Troll King wouldn’t let mankind or the girl go unpunished. With what remained of his magic, he enchanted the shards of the mirror to be blown in the winter wind. Those who had shards blown into their eyes would only see evil in themselves and in others, while those who had shards blown into their breasts would have their hearts turned to ice. The shards would draw on their victim's strength and add it to his, until there was nothing left of them.
The first victim the shards was, of course, the girl. She returned to her best friend, who was now free of his curse, but she herself was much changed. Not only was she changed, but the shards had given her a fearsome gift, which drove away many who tried to help her. They gave her a fraction of the Troll King’s power, allowing her to bend snow and ice to her will. This power would only grow stronger and wilder with time, until she was corrupted by it.
To touch one who bears such a curse carries a price. One kiss would make a person forget the cold and their pain. The second would make them forget their past and purpose. The third would bring death. For the one who carries the shards, as well as those around her, it would only be a matter of time before winter took them all.
Yet every curse has its cure. The boy, unafraid, embraced her and wept over her. He didn’t know that the most powerful magic of all - the magic that could break all curses - was love. His love was enough the melt the shards of ice in her eyes and heart and the undo the Troll King’s magic. In time, the two - happy and triumphant - married and were made king and queen by the people. However, they didn’t know that the shards that had cursed the girl were only a few of many. The others drift in the winter wind, waiting to fulfill the Troll King’s will…and the Troll King himself, though weakened, was not yet gone from the world.
The story proper opens centuries later with Princess Anna’s birth. There have been warning signs throughout the pregnancy and, due to complications in childbirth, the queen is now dying. However, before she dies, she introduces Elsa to Anna and makes her promise to protect her. Elsa agrees and spends the next few years looking out for her sister.
The girls, at one point in those early years, find a raven’s nest that has been knocked out of a tree. There are two intact eggs, which they hatch. Elsa names her bird Kai, while Anna names hers Gerda. As the ravens grow, they follow the girls on their adventures.
Then, one winter when Anna is about four, she wakes up to snow on the ground. She goes to Elsa’s room and asks, “Do you want to build a snowman?” Elsa agrees and the two girls go play in the courtyard outside. After a few hours, though, a blizzard blows in. Elsa urges Anna to come inside, but Anna, thinking she hears someone calling through the storm, goes further onto the grounds. Elsa follows her and sees something reaching for her sister. She keeps her promise to her mother and pushes Anna out of the way. Anna hits her head when she falls. This injury, along with her youth, will muddy this incident and the years before it for her.
When Anna wakes up, she finds herself back in her room. There is a fire going in the hearth and her father and Elsa are both there. Strangely, though, Elsa looks different. Instead of having her usual brown hair, her hair has gone white. Anna asks about this, but neither her father nor Elsa answer her. Instead, Elsa gets up and gives Anna a kiss on the forehead, telling her to go to sleep. She does so almost immediately thanks to the magic in Elsa’s kiss. This will also be the last time Elsa is allowed to touch anyone, for fear of what her powers can do.
From this day forward, Anna begins to see Elsa less and less. For some reason, her once protective sister is now shutting her out. Her father tells her that she hasn’t done anything wrong, but that Elsa’s lessons are taking more and more of her time now. Anna is doubtful, though.
Even with Gerda, Anna grows discontent and bored, so she explores the palace and the grounds surrounding it, and one days meets a girl - Kristina - who has sneaked into the palace to steal food from the kitchens. Rather than telling on her, Anna befriends Kristina and asks her to bring her with on her adventures. Kristina agrees.
Over the years, the two make a habit of leaving the palace and being a nuisance to the local shopkeepers. When the king finds out, he scolds them both and tries to find a way to discipline them. First he tries to make them do chores for the Duchess of Weselton, but they end up eluding her. Then he has them muck out the reindeer and horse stables. This is ineffective, because the girls love the animals and adopt a fawn – who they name Bae - together. He then has them do garden work for the wise woman north of town, but they end up calling her Granny and getting stories from her. Since their mischief seems like it can’t be curbed, he ends up compensating the shopkeepers for the trouble the two cause. Since the girls are harmless and become more responsible as they grow up (with Kristina and Anna learning more about the merchants’ trade), they end of being more endearing to the townspeople than not.
The one trouble for them both - if it can be called that - is that the two end up falling in love. They both know a relationship between them might not be accepted, because of their different social statuses and matching genders, but that doesn’t change how they feel about each other.
While all of this is going on, Elsa is facing troubles of her own. Ever since the incident in the blizzard, she has been cursed with wintry magic. She has to wear gloves because a single touch of her hands frosts whatever – and whomever – they touch. Despite her and her father’s attempts to find a way to control her power, it has only grown stronger and wilder with time. As it does, and as Elsa’s isolation takes its toll, she becomes increasingly anxious and depressed. She starts thinking of herself as a “danger” and a “burden” to her family and wonders if she’ll ever be fit to be queen. Her father urges her to have faith, but as the years pass by, that becomes harder and harder for her.
There is also a kernel of bitterness growing in her heart - for she has seen Anna and Kristina through her window. Despite how much she cares for Anna, she is envious of her sister’s freedom. Anna can leave the castle whenever she pleases, spend time with her friend, and live without the burden of a curse. On top of that, she is blissfully ignorant of Elsa’s struggle. Elsa can’t help but resent that a little – and even with Kai at her side, she is desperately lonely.
When the girls are teenagers, the king thinks he finds the cure to Elsa’s curse in one of their ancestors’ books. He will have to travel to reach it, however. Due to needing to keep Elsa’s powers a secret, he claims he is going to check on their northern border and goes with only a few guards. Unfortunately, his quest ends in failure – and with his death.
During his funeral, Elsa cannot attend. If she loses control in her grief, she will harm the people around her, including her sister. Anna, however, doesn’t know this. She assumes the worst: that Elsa doesn’t care about their father or about her. “I had to bury him alone, Elsa!” she yells through Elsa’s door. She could almost understand Elsa hating her, because she’s the reason why their mother is dead. But Elsa and their father were always close, so she can’t understand this. When Elsa doesn’t respond, Anna angrily declares that Elsa must have a heart made of ice. She then walks away, not knowing that her words will drive her sister deeper into despair and self-loathing.
Three more years pass and the day of Elsa’s coronation arrives. Anna and Kristina are courting now, with their relationship being one of the most well-known secrets in Arendelle. When Kristina returns from a trading expedition, she gives Anna the ring she’s been saving up for and asks Anna to marry her. Anna says yes, but they both know they’ll need the queen’s blessing. No one could protest their union if Elsa approves. Anna resents having to ask her sister for this, but she’s willing to do so for Kristina.
Meanwhile, many nobles are arriving at court from all over the land and from other kingdoms. One of their guests is the Duchess of Weselton, who hasn’t been able to see Elsa in years. When she does, she remarks on how strange it is that Elsa’s hair is now white. Before Anna can ask her what she means, the Duchess starts talking about trade embargoes, which distracts the princess.
Another arrival is Hans, the Thirteenth Prince of the Southern Isles. The Duchess looks a little confused, but admits that after the seventh son, she lost count. Hans introduces himself and attempts to charm Anna, but Anna laughs and says he’s talking to the wrong princess. He should try talking to Elsa; he might have better luck there, though she doubts it (the Duchess, perturbed by this comment, walks away). Hans says he will try and asks if he can accompany Anna to the ceremony. Anna says he may.
The coronation goes well and, at the after party, Anna introduces Hans to Elsa. Hans, as promised, is charming and shares some interests with Elsa, including advanced mathematics and architecture. Anna, while watching them, is jealous of and disappointed by how easily Hans seems to break through Elsa’s shell, so she goes to find Kristina.
Sometime later, the two of them approach Elsa and ask to speak with her. Elsa, guessing what this is about, dismisses Hans and takes them to another room. She tells Anna that she can’t marry Kristina or even confirm her as her consort, since Anna, as a princess, has a duty to marry someone of her station - someone she can make or strengthen an alliance with and have children with. Anna can, at best, have Kristina as her mistress, but if word gets out about it, it may ruin her chances of making a good match.
Anna is not pleased to hear this. She tells her sister that ever since she abandoned her when they were kids, that she’s only been happy with Kristina. She refuses to let her go and, if need be, will leave the castle and give up being a princess entirely. Elsa turns away and says that maybe that would be for the best. She walks back into the ballroom, unable to continue the conversation.
Anna, however, isn’t done yet. Interpreting Elsa’s words as a rejection, she follows her sister and demands to know how she can be so cold. Elsa responds that she’s just trying to do what’s best for Anna, but Anna disagrees, saying she’s trying to do what’s best for herself. “You always have! If you’d ever loved anyone at all-!”
At this point, Elsa snaps. “Enough!” she shouts, losing control of her ice magic and driving Anna back. With her power revealed to the world, she flees. As a blizzard rises in her wake, the court begins to whisper that the queen must be a witch. Anna, as angry as she is with her sister, realizes that she needs to diffuse this situation to keep Elsa safe. She tells everyone to calm down, that she’s going after the queen, and that she’ll find out what this is all really about. Kristina wants to go with her, but Anna tells her to stay at court, because she needs someone she trusts to remain behind. She asks the Duchess to rule in her stead, which she agrees to do.
Kristina insists that Anna take Bae with her to get through the snow. She agrees and prepares for her journey appropriately. Hans asks if he can come with her, since he’s worried about Elsa, too. Anna allows this and then fetches the ravens, thinking that Kai can lead her to Elsa. The Duchess and Kristina see them off, giving Anna hugs and pleading for her to be careful. Kristina also reminds her to see if their Granny might know something about Elsa’s magic. Anna says they’ll be sure to stop at the cottage.
Meanwhile, Elsa has made her way to the North Lake. At the center of it, she creates her ice palace and many snowmen and snow-animals. These latter creations come to life and become her new guards. Elsa’s mood, as she realizes she no longer has to hide who she is or worry about being a terrible sister or queen, shifts from sorrow to jubilation. She tosses her diadem away and, for the first time in forever, feels free. She doesn’t realize that winter is sinking its roots into the land around her.
Anna and Hans, riding through the snowfall (Anna on Bae and Hans on his horse), finally reach Granny’s house. The wise woman knows the answers they seek, but wants something in return. She asks them to harvest the herbs in her garden before they freeze and become useless. As they’re gathering them, Anna asks Hans to tell her more about himself. He describes the Southern Isles as being rich in resources, but vulnerable to attack due to having a small navy. He’d hoped he could discuss strengthening his kingdom’s alliance with Arendelle, since its navy would be strong enough to protect the islands and, by extension, his people. His father, however, didn’t want to admit that they needed help, so Hans came to ask himself. Anna thinks this is noble of him and says so. Hans appears flustered by that and asks if she thinks Elsa would agree. Anna then teases him about “liking” Elsa, which only embarrasses him more.
By this point, they’ve gathered the herbs, so Granny calls them inside. There are plants - including several kinds of flowers - hanging from the ceiling. The wise woman tells them that Elsa has been cursed with her powers for quite some time, but that the king insisted it be kept a secret. Anna realizes this must be why Elsa withdrew from her and feels guilty over her behavior towards her sister.
Hans asks if there is any way to break the curse, since Elsa’s magic is now threatening Arendelle. The wise woman repeats the story of the Troll King, his mirror, and the children who broke its power. She tells them that only an act of true love can save someone bearing the shards, but that the king refused to believe this (“I won’t risk my daughter’s life on the chance that true love will find her. There has to be another way.”). He thought he’d found another solution, but died pursing it.
Anna, thunderstruck, admits to Hans later that night that everything she knew about her father and sister was wrong. “I thought she hated me because of our mother.”
“It sounds like it was never about you,” Hans tell her.
She responds that she has to find her sister and find a way to make it up to her. She hopes that she isn’t too late to do so. She also wonders if Hans might be the true love Elsa has been waiting for. Hans isn’t certain of this, since he’s only just met Elsa, but he admits he’s fond of her. Anna takes that as a good sign. The two then go to sleep.
Meanwhile, Kristina is helping the townspeople out. She’s delivering food and blankets to houses and telling them that the castle is open as a shelter. When she returns to the castle, she takes another bundle and goes in search of the Duchess. The Duchess is pouring over books in the library with a frustrated expression on her face. She keeps saying that something isn’t right, which Kristina rolls her eyes at and gestures out the window. The Duchess scowls at her and gets back to her reading - on family history - but thanks Kristina for the food. The once Robber Girl goes back outside and looks north. She whispers that she hopes Anna is alright.
Anna and Hans make their way again in the morning. A few days pass and the two face different challenges along the way: they are pursued by wolves, they have to navigate through fields and forests covered in ice (where the ice is, oddly, growing like thorns), and they have to take shelter from the increasingly strong storms. Finally, they reach Elsa’s ice palace, over which the aurora glows. Once there, they have to cross the frozen lake and elude the guardians of the palace, who seek to drive them back. They fight their way through and reach the castle, which is cavernous, dark, and still.
Anna is amazed at what her sister has made and calls for Elsa. Elsa, hesitantly, comes out to meet them. She expresses surprise that they came all this way for her. Anna admits that they didn’t part on good terms, but now that she knows the truth, they can move past that. She offers Elsa a pair of gloves, which makes her sister back away. Elsa says it isn’t that simple – that this is who she is and she can’t return and pretend this never happened. More to the point, she doesn’t want to.
Anna is shocked. “But you have to! You’re the queen!”
“A queen that no one will accept, now that they know about my magic.”
“They will! We’ll convince them! It doesn’t matter-”
“Yes, it does, Anna! I could have hurt someone! I could have hurt you!”
“But you didn’t!”
“But I could! What if I lose control again? Do you have any way to stop this winter? To stop me?”
“Yes! An act of a true love can-”
“Who would ever love someone like me?!”
There is a stunned silence at that. Finally, Anna says, “…Father did. He did everything he could to help you.”
“And he died for it. Do you think I want that for you, Anna? You’re my sister.”
“Elsa….”
“I promised our mother that I would protect you. I’ll do that, even if it means protecting you from me.” Elsa, again, turns away from her sister. “It’s for the best that I stay here.”
“…Alone?”
“…I’ve been alone for a long time. I’ll be alright. Besides, you’ll all be safer this way.”
“Actually….”
Anna then explains the winter that is overtaking the kingdom. Elsa is horrified. While Anna tries reassure her, Elsa slides into self-loathing, thinking that no matter what she does, she can’t escape her curse, and now everyone else is suffering for it. She was a fool to think she could be free. As she sinks farther into despair, a snowy wind begins to whirl around them, the walls of the palace grow icy spikes, and the floor beneath their feet starts to crack. Hans shouts to Anna that they can’t stay here, but she begs him to try, since she clearly isn’t getting through to Elsa. He agrees and, as walls of ice start going up around Elsa, cutting her off from them, he manages to get over to her just in time. The walls separate Anna from them and she can’t see or hear them through the ice.
Elsa is on her knees, hugging herself and crying. When Hans approaches her, she flinches away and says that he should leave. He kneels in front of her. She looks at him and asks him why he’s still here.
“Anna thinks I can still reach you.”
“Because she thinks you’re my true love?”
“Maybe I am. We had a good time together, didn’t we?”
“…Yes. You weren’t afraid of me. You didn’t hate me or think anything was wrong with me. You made me feel normal and happy.”
“It would be wrong for me to blame you for something you had no control over.”
“Maybe - but that doesn’t matter anymore. This is what I am. I can’t change it. I’m cursed. I have a bad heart - a frozen heart. No matter how much I tried to control it, I’ve hurt so many people. Even Anna….”
“Everything you’ve done, you’ve done for her. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“She shouldn’t have come for me. She shouldn’t have risked her life for me.” She looks up at him. “Why would you risk yours?”
“Because I felt like we had a connection. A special connection.”
“Hans….”
“Oh, Elsa.” He takes her chin in her hand and leans in to kiss her…but then he pulls back and smirks. “You’re right. No one could ever love you.”
Despite telling herself that for years, Elsa is still shocked. “Hans?”
He stands up. “How could they? You pushed them away and lied to them about who you really were. You never let them in. You only ever thought about yourself - about your problems and your misery. You never saw how much you were hurting them. Honestly, you didn’t care to. You wanted to believe they wanted you. You wanted to believe they cared. But you know the truth. Their lives would have been so much easier without you. All you ever were was a burden to them - but now they don’t have to worry about you, do they? You’ve taken yourself out of the picture.”
His words pound on Elsa like physical blows. She seems to shrink further and further in on herself.
"Of course, let’s give credit where it’s due. The shards usually drive their bearer mad in a year or two. Your sister wouldn’t have lasted this long. But you, Elsa - you lasted ten years. You didn’t even off yourself or kill anyone. Your father would have been proud.”
She looks up at him. “You knew him?”
“Of course. He came to me years ago, demanding I cure you. He thought his sword could convince me. I disillusioned him of that.”
Suspicion makes her brow furrow. “…Who are you? You’re no prince.”
“You’re right. I’m a king. The Troll King, in fact.” With that, he drops his human guise, revealing his true and monstrous form. “And you, my dear, have helped me more than you know. For that, I owe you a debt. So I will spare your life - if you can call what you live a life.” He uses his magic, which has been growing stronger over the past ten years. Shackles of ice lock around Elsa, chaining her to the floor. “But you will never leave this castle."
"No! You can’t do this!”
“Who is going to stop me? You? You gave up your kingdom and your family. You can’t save them now. You can’t even save yourself.”
"My sister-”
“Will give up on you, once I tell her you turned me away. You closed the door on her too many times. Why would she believe now would be any different? Why would she believe in you?”
Elsa can’t think of a response to this. The Troll King smiles and continues, “But don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her and Arendelle.”
“I’ll stop you. I’ll find a way to free myself and-”
“You may tell yourself that, but you know the truth. If you could free yourself, you would have done so years ago. You weren’t strong enough then and you never will be. So just give up. Aren’t you tired of fighting? Why not rest? There’s no future ahead of you to worry about anymore. Just close your eyes and sleep.”
Elsa sobs. The Troll King strokes her hair. “Goodbye, Elsa. You’ll have only yourself for company now. This is what you wanted, right?” With that, he leaves her behind.
With his own magic, he turns the castle’s defenses against Elsa. The doors and windows fill with ice and her guards will fight to keep her in. Anna, however, knows nothing of this. All she knows is that the castle seems to be getting more dangerous to stay in - something that is underscored when Hans comes running out of another door, which caves in behind him. “She wouldn’t listen! We have to go!”
Anna doesn’t want to leave, but she looks at the wall of ice in front of her and sadly agrees. She and the others turn and flee, not realizing until later that Kai has stayed behind. They have to escape the guards once again and cross the lake, the ice of which is now unstable and cracking. Nonetheless, they make it back to shore safely and unharmed. Anna, to her horror, also sees that the storms over Arendelle aren’t dissipating. The winter is only getting worse.
As they journey back to the town, Hans asks what they should do now. Anna, who’s been thinking about the people she’s now responsible for, remembers what Hans said about the Southern Islands and what Elsa told her about her duty. She then suggests that she and Hans get married. She will send her ships to defend the islands and he will send ships filled with food and the other resources back to Arendelle. They’ll need all the help they can get to survive this endless winter. Hans asks her if she’s sure and, after a moment, she says she is.
They pass Granny’s cottage, which has a note on the door saying that she’s taken shelter in town. When they arrive back at the castle, they tell the others they failed to get Elsa to return. Some of the nobles ask if the winter will break if the witch is killed. Anna forbids any of them from trying and outlines her plan to save the kingdom. The Duchess looks distressed – and gives Hans a wary look - but agrees that it could work. Knowing there’s no time to waste, Anna puts a rush on the ceremony. It helps that she already has a dress prepared.
Anna then has to break the news of her impending marriage to Kristina. She returns her ring and tells her that this is something she has to do. Kristina desperately says they’ll find another way, but Anna smiles sadly and shakes her head. “I love you, but I need to put Arendelle first. I’m sorry.” They’re both heartbroken as Anna turns and walks away.
The Duchess, meanwhile, looks through the books in the library frantically. “Something isn’t right,” she insists.
The story then returns to Elsa. She is out of tears and is staring at her distorted reflection in the floor. Suddenly, she hears the caw of a raven. Kai lands beside her and starts pecking at her chains. “Kai. You stayed.” As he continues to peck at the ice, she tells him that it’s no use. He caws again, flies up, and starts tugging at her clothes. When she tells him to stop, he flies away. A moment later, something falls to the floor in front of her. It’s the diadem she threw away when she made her ice palace. She reaches over and picks it up. As Kai lands on her shoulder, she closes her eyes…and looks much more determined when she opens them again. She puts the diadem back on and tells Kai to get back.
She then focuses her magic and, as frost creeps over her skin and hair, she uses a powerful blast to break free of her chains. She gets up and runs, shattering the walls in front of her. She then uses her magic to fight the snow guards that attack her and Kai. Finally, the two of them escape from the palace. Summoning a strong winter wind, Elsa uses it to carry her and Kai forward at a breathtaking speed. It is time for them both to go home.
Back at the town, the wedding will soon begin. The guests from Elsa’s coronation are in attendance, with the exceptions of the Duchess and Kristina. Anna, in the dressing room of the church, stares at herself in the mirror. She then looks down at her hand, which no longer bears a ring. Sadly, Anna puts on white gloves and picks up the bouquet of flowers that has been left for her. Someone off screen tells her it’s time.
The story then cuts to Kristina, who is walking through the hallways of the castle. When she passes the library, she hears a shout and looks in. The Duchess is there. When she asks what’s wrong, the Duchess turns to her and says, “It’s Hans. He’s not who he says he is!”
“Then who-?”
“I don’t know, but there is no Thirteenth Prince of the Southern Islands!” When they hear church bells ringing the hour – the hour the ceremony is supposed to begin – the Duchess gives her a horrified look and yells, “Go! You have to stop them!” Kristina turns and runs as fast as she can out of the castle.
In the church, Anna walks down the aisle and reaches the priest. Hans smiles at her. She weakly smiles back. The priest says the first few lines of his speech. Outside, Kristina turns onto the street the church is on, but looks up as a fierce gale blows overhead. It’s Elsa. Kristina shouts to get her attention and points to the church. Elsa nods and turns, slamming her magic into the church doors.
As they explode inwards and the winter wind howls in, the windows and the walls of the church frost over. Elsa lands in the aisle and marches forward, demanding that Hans get away from Anna. She uses another blast of her powers to knock him back. Anna protests, but as Hans gets to his feet, some of his human guise has been stripped away. His eyes no longer look human.
When the others draw away from him, he realizes this and laughs. “So you escaped. How did you manage that?”
“I remembered what I promised to protect.” Elsa glances at Anna.
Letting his human guise fall, he gathers his own magic around him. “How touching. But you cannot win this fight. If you use that magic any more, your heart freeze solid.”
“As long as I defeat you before then, it doesn’t matter.”
The Troll King smiles at her. “You can try. And when you fail, all of this will be at an end.”
She ignores that and looks at Anna. “Anna, get everyone out of here.”
“But what about you?”
Elsa smiles at her sister. “Don’t worry.” She looks back at the Troll King. “I’ll take care of him.”
“You better,” Anna says. Then she turns to the others. “Alright, everyone. You heard the queen!”
As they rush out, Elsa hurls a blast of ice at the Troll King. He bats it away, sending it flying into a window, which shatters. He then sends another blast at her, which she raises an ice wall to shield herself against. As the two continue fighting, the frost continues to creep over Elsa, making icy patterns over her cheeks and blackening the tips of her fingers.
Anna, after everyone else is out, goes back in, wanting to help Elsa. Kristina follows her, but doesn’t manage to grab her before she charges into the gale. The Troll King, seeing this, hurls ice at Anna. It strikes her and she falls to the floor. While unconsciousness, she remembers seeing the Troll King in the snow all those years ago. He was holding a piece of his mirror and thrusting it at her. She remembers being pushed out of the way and seeing Elsa getting stabbed instead, before she blacked out.
When Anna wakes back up to Kristina screaming her name, she sees that Elsa is struggling to hold off the Troll King. Anna staggers to her feet, embraces her sister from behind, and tells her, “You can do this! I know you can!” and Elsa, gathering up all of the last of her magic, hurls it at the Troll King. It cuts through his own attack and freezes him. He falls and hits the floor, disintegrating into a heap of snow and ice.
Elsa falls as soon as it’s done. The frost has nearly finished covering her. Anna is horrified. “Elsa?”
Elsa looks at her now blackened hands. “I don’t think I have much time left.”
“No, you can’t go!”
“I don’t have a choice.” She gives Anna a sad smile. “You’ll be okay. You’ll be a good ruler…and you’ll have her,” Elsa says, looking at Kristina, who has finally reached them now that the gale has died. “You’ll take care of her, won’t you?”
“Of course,” Kristina promises.
“No! I don’t want this. I want you back, Elsa. You’re my sister. You’ve always been there, protecting me.” Anna is crying now. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize it sooner. I’m sorry I was never there for you.”
“No. It’s my fault. I should have let you in. I should have opened that door a long time ago.” Elsa shakes her head a little. “But it’s too late now.”
“No! Just hold on! We’ll find a way. Please, Elsa!”
“I’m sorry.” The ice is freezing Elsa’s tears now. “I love you.”
“Elsa!”
Elsa freezes completely. Anna murmurs no, over and over again, and cries over her sister. She whispers that she loves Elsa too and, holding her, begs her to come back. As her tears fall on Elsa, their warmth spreads into her and thaws her. Her skin regains a healthy parlor and her hair darkens from white to brown. When she stirs, Anna gasps and sit up. The sisters both stare at each other, uncomprehending.
“An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart,” a voice behind them says. They look up and see the wise woman standing there, ahead of the rest of the crowd.
Elsa lifts a hand in wonder, but her face falls when a small flurry rises from it. “I don’t understand. The curse….”
The wise woman shakes her head. “You used too much of its power, my queen. While it has been broken, a part of it will always linger in you. I’m afraid you will always have to fight to keep it under control. But,” she smiles at her, “I think you will find that much easier now.”
“And I’ll be here to help you!” Anna promises, hugging her.
Elsa smiles and hugs her back. “So what now?”
Anna looks over to the remains of the icy Troll King and lifts an eyebrow. “Do you want to build a snowman?”
Elsa laughs. It’s a lovely sound. “Okay, but maybe with some other snow.”
“It’s not like that’s going to be a problem,” Kristina says, gesturing outside.
“Do you think you can fix that?” Anna asks Elsa.
Getting to her feet with Anna’s help, Elsa says, “Yes, I think I can.” The crowd parts as the sisters, supporting one another, make their way outside. Elsa then concentrates and wills the snow and ice to melt. As summer returns, the people cheer.
Anna grins at Elsa and jokes, “Well now how are we supposed to build a snowman?”
Elsa, looking hopeful and a lot happier than she’s been throughout the rest of the story, says, “We’ll find a way. Together.”
Anna beams. “Together,” she agrees.
Over the following months, the people of Arendelle rebuild. The first place they focus on is the church. Once it’s complete – with new glass windows reflecting the events of the story – Anna and Kristina marry with Elsa’s blessing. The sisters also work together on ruling the country. Elsa still struggles with anxiety, depression, and her magic, so on her bad days, Anna rules in her stead. On her good days, the sisters walk through the castle and the town together, talking and doing their best to rebuild their relationship after all of these years. When winter comes again, naturally this time, the two go out into the courtyard and build a snowman. They might have a long way to go before everything is okay, but they are on their way there, together, and that is the happiest ending they both could have wished for.