Work Text:
All my life I’ve been kept locked up. My parents wouldn’t let me go anywhere, do anything. So, I did a little something. A little something no one knows—yet. My parents aren’t the only ones who did something wrong, though. When I accidentally showed my power, the people wanted me dead. Gone. They called me a monster. If that’s what they think I am, I’ll be much, much worse than they ever imagined.
I look back towards the kingdom from my balcony. The blizzard is still raging there. I can sense it—its cold winds feel like a small breeze against my skin. I smile. The people can suffer. Suffer like I did all those years. From here, I can see nothing but mountains. Just how I like it. Isolation. I’m about to turn around, when a glint catches my eye.
It’s a torch. A torch held by Anna; I’d recognize her from anywhere. My smile gets wider. She’s always so optimistic, always thinking she can fix things. She’ll learn she can’t fix this mess, no matter how hard she tries. There’s a person next to her, with what looks like a reindeer by their side. Another little snowy figure stands on Anna’s other side. It’s a creation of mine; I can sense my magic from here.
I turn around and walk back into my castle. Deciding to prepare a little surprise for them, I start making, designing, building. It took more than I thought it would, but it’s worth it. The final product is a monstrous beast of ice and death. I sit down on my throne, the monster by my side, the silence offering comfort, and await the arrival of my sister.
She got here a few hours later, her presence announced by her knock at the door. After a few beats, it slowly swung open, Anna poking her head in before entering. She looked around, clearly in awe of what I've made. Another person and my little creation stepped in after her, followed by a reindeer. Then, she spotted me.
“Elsa!” Anna said hopefully.
“Hello. What are you doing here?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.
“I’m here to help,” she replied. “We can fix this.”
“Fix what?” I growled. “There is nothing to fix. Just leave me alone. Go home. Take them with you.”
“No!” she said. “Kristoff, Sven, Olaf and I aren’t leaving without you!”
The name Olaf dredged up memories I didn’t want to relive, but they came anyway, flooding my mind before I could stop them. Anna and I playing, her leaping column to column, fast. Much too fast. The blast nailing her in the head, Mother and Father rushing in, the trip to the trolls. Being locked up for life. Never being allowed to leave. Never being allowed to—
“What can I do to help?” Anna pleaded, interrupting my train of thought.
“Nothing,” I said coldly. “Nothing can help.”
“There has to be something,” she pleaded again. “Something, anything!”
“Maybe a warm hug!” Olaf, my creation, said.
I glared daggers at him.
“Or not,” he said, retreating behind Anna.
I sat for a moment, thinking. “Alright,” I eventually sighed. “We can chat for a bit. But,” I got up off my throne, “on one condition.” I paused for a moment. “Those two,” I pointed at Kristoff and Sven, “need to go.”
“No!” The man, who I assumed was Sven, said.. “I won't leave her alone in here with you.”
“She won’t be alone,” I reminded him. “She has the little snowman.”
Sven glared at me and the reindeer, who’s probably Kristoff, huffed. Well, thankfully I have a backup plan if they won’t leave. I discreetly motioned for my precious monster to come on out of the shadows. All their eyes widened.
“Elsa?” Anna looked at me, seeming calmer than she was. “Please don’t hurt us.”
“He won’t hurt them,” I told her.
My baby moved towards them, Sven shoving Anna behind him while Kristoff stood, ready to charge. My monster roared and scooped Sven and Kristoff up, the two of them looking like little ragdolls in its hand.. He stomped toward the doors, each thunderous step rattling the ice beneath us, and left as I opened the way out. Once they were outside, I looked back at Anna. She seemed to worry more than usual. She probably loved Sven. If so, I wonder what went down with Hans.
“Come now,” I told them, walking from my throne. “Time for our little chat.”
I led the pair to an empty portion of the castle, creating a table and chairs when we got there.
“Sit,” I told them.
We all sat down in the icy chairs. Anna still looked pitifully hopeful. I envied her optimism. She always saw the best in everything. She won’t see the best in this, though. I’ll be sure of that.
“Elsa,” Anna started. “We can figure this out.”
I raised my eyebrow, my jaw tightening. Small, unnoticeable spikes slowly creeped out of the arches above us.
“Oh, can we now?” I asked her through gritted teeth.
“Yes, we can. I can still see my sister inside of there. Come on,” she pleaded.
I stared at her for a minute. “Hmm, no,” I told her eventually, dragging the words out.
“Please,” she begged again.
“As I told you before, there is nothing to fix. Nothing that can help.”
“Elsa there has to be something!” Anna drew in a breath. “At least tell me what happened.”
“What happened?!” I shrieked. Those small spikes became large, pointy icicles in an instant. Olaf shrank back in his seat and Anna flinched as the ice glowed red. “What happened is that our parents locked me in my room for years. YEARS! I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere, do anything, see anybody. They saw me as a monster, Anna. So I just became what they saw.”
For the first time in my life, I saw fear flicker in Anna’s eyes. It was thrilling, yet I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped. I felt guilty stirring up in my chest.. But I crushed it before it did too much damage. She made just as many mistakes as our parents did.
I stood there, heaving deep breaths as the castle seemed to do the same. With each breath out, the ice slowly turned back to its normal blue. But unbeknownst to me, a small crack had formed under my chair. A small, subconscious reminder of what could happen if I don’t keep it together.
I stalked out of the room, leaving the pair in their seats. I was only partway to my throne before I heard footsteps behind me. I scowled and stopped. Turning around, I glare. Glare at the sister who did nothing for me, who couldn’t understand that I was struggling and trying. Struggling and trying to control myself so I could see her again and know her as a sister. I never could. But she didn’t care enough to help then, so there’s no way she cares enough to help now.
“Leave me alone.” I growled.
“No, Else, I won’t leave you alone. You’re my sister and I love you,” Anna said, taking small steps towards me.
I laughed. “You love me? Let’s see, you never asked if I was okay, never asked about me. All you did was wait and beg for me to come out when you knew full well I couldn’t.”
Anna faltered with each little blow. I turned and continued back on my way. I didn't hear her follow. But Olaf did. The naive little thing. I sighed.
Turning, I growled, “What do you want?”
Instead of answering, Olaf squeaked and took a step back. I took a step forward. With each step Olaf took, I matched him, slowly closing the distance between us. Soon enough I backed him into a wall where he stood, trembling. I regarded him for a few seconds before speaking.
“You’ll be useful..” I drawled.
“What for?” Olaf barely managed to squeak out, trembling harder than a leaf in a blizzard.
I only gave him a knowing look. I took a few steps back, far enough for him to flee if he were brave enough. He didn’t even try. I flicked my hand and watched him become something beautiful. Beautiful and wrong. I sent him to hide in the shadows. Turning, I head back for my throne. I do believe it’s my favorite place in the castle.
It took a while, but Anna finally came back. Only this time, she was looking for Olaf.
“Have you seen him?” She asked me.
“Who?” I inquired.
“Olaf,” she replied with panic.
Pointing in a random direction, I said, “Saw him go that way.”
Anna ran off in that direction. I sat on my throne, debating what to do with my naive little sister. I could just let her walk out, but she’d only come back again and again and again. I might as well invite her to stay here. The thought made me grimace.
Too annoying to have running free; too determined to let pester; too happy to be…around. An idea popped into my head, colder than ice. Any thought like that is always welcome. I look to Olaf then to the doorway at the top of the grand staircase. There was a door up there, leading to a large room with a balcony attached to it.
I could use it. She’d never see it coming.
I sat formulating a little plan and after a while Anna came back. She looked almost heartbroken. Poor, poor thing.
“Didn’t find him?” I asked with no sympathy.
She shook her head. “Did you do something to him?” It was a quiet question.
“If I had, wouldn’t you have heard it?”
Anna was silent for a moment.
“Thought so.”
We basked in the silence. Or at least, I did. Anna looked very uncomfortable.
Standing from my throne, I told her, “Come. I want to show you something.”
She pressed her lips together and followed reluctantly. I led her to the middle of the room and covered her eyes. With an icy blindfold, of course.
“If you find me,” I whispered in her ear, "you find Olaf.”
I leave and silently climb the stairs with Olaf behind me. I can feel her struggling with the blindfold. By the time she finally gets it off, I'm in the giant ballroom upstairs, where my balcony is.
I felt every step she took, felt every breath she breathed. She went in the complete wrong direction every time, but she eventually found me.
“So?” She asked, breathing heavily, likely from running. “Where’s Olaf?”
I smiled and waved for him to come out of the shadows. Anna’s eyes widened as she took in his now massive form. Ice spikes on the shoulders, sharp teeth, crooked carrot, and giant spindly arms.
“Wha..what did you do to him?!” she yelled at me.
“At least he’s here,” I responded. “But…you're an annoying little thing, and to keep you from bothering me again after you leave, you can stay here.”
It took her a minute to process what I said. When she does, she said,
“Really?”
I nodded. And when she smiled in relief I threw a bolt of ice at her before she could react. Her head wasn't a good enough target the first time, but her heart is much more lethal. And I was right. She froze in seconds.
I looked outside, looked back at Anna, then faced the stairs.
I walked away, leaving my sister frozen there with Olaf guarding her.