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cjupsher · 2 years

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ROTBTFD Star Wars: Wrath of Darkness chp 9

Another Enemy Revealed

In one of the hangar bays of Prime sat a DeepWater-class light freighter named the Iduna. Inside was the ship’s owner, Anna. She was Elsa’s younger sister and had joined the Rebellion after reuniting with her after years of separation following the Clone Wars. She was in her quarter’s and had on her black body glove. Over it was her gold colored Mandalorian armor.

She had obtained it and the skills to match after being adopted into a Mandalorian clan during her search for her sister. She’d suspended her goal for a time after deeming she lacked the necessary skills to face the dangers of the galaxy. So she trained with them, learning their customs and martial ways all in order to get stronger. After spending some time with them she left to continue her quest to reunite with sister.

She’d obtained her ship in the process, needing a makeshift home for the prolonged lengths of time she was sure to spend scouring every corner of the galaxy, chasing every whisper, and looking for any trace of the Jedi in hopes of finding her. She’d named it after their mother to honor her, and perhaps invoke her spirit to aid her in her travels.

As she finished putting her armor on, save her helmet and jetpack, she looked toward her pair of WESTAR-35 blaster pistols on her cot before reaching a hand out to grab them. She grabbed one and holstered it but before she could grab the other she stopped midway. She cocked her head and decided to try something. She closed her eyes, hand outstretched and took a few deep breaths.

She relaxed her mind and body. Focusing before opening her eyes and focusing her will on her pistol. Her hand trembled in effort as she attempted to call it to her hand. Anna, like her sister, was Force sensitive. Unlike her sibling however, her connection to the Force was somewhat weak.

Anna had never practiced with her power. Only discovering it upon reuniting with her sister. At first she was certain she didn’t need it, believing her skill set and combat abilities were more than enough. But recently she’d begun to reconsider. She figured that this could be another weapon in her arsenal. Perhaps one day even save her life.

So she’d asked her sister to give her some pointers and tips on how to use some of the abilities the Jedi could use. Anna’s Force powers were primarily used instinctually to enhance her reflexes. She also had a weak sensory ability, able to detect other Force sensitive beings or objects. Though this power was most strongly attuned to sensing her sister, as it had during her search for her. It was what led her to believe she was still alive, despite having not having seen her in years and having no evidence supporting her belief.

She also got bad feelings every now and then which would alert her to dangers that were hidden and beyond her awareness. A sort of precognition the Jedi were known to have.

The skill she’d been practicing at the most was her telekinetic ability. She found it to be the most useful to have, figuring it may one day mean the difference between life and death if she could learn to use it.

But it had so far proven difficult to master.

She grit her teeth, eyes narrowing and hand shaking. “Come on. Come on,” she muttered quietly.

The blaster gave an almost imperceptible tremble, and she could swear she saw it move just a tiny bit. But ultimately her most recent attempt proved as unsuccessful as the last as she dropped her arm with a defeated sigh.

“You’re trying too hard.”

Anna turned her head to see her sister standing there. She’d been so engrossed in what she’d been doing she hadn’t noticed her enter.

Anna sighed again and frowned. “You guys make it look so easy,” she whined.

Elsa chuckled before turning her attention to the blaster. She focused on it, and a moment later it rose from the bed before drifting through the air and to her. She grabbed it out of the air and walked to her sister, offering it for her to take.

Anna scowled at her. “Show off,” she muttered as she took and holstered it.

“You’ll get it in time,” Elsa assured her.

“But you could already move stuff when you were a kid,” Anna pointed out.

“True. But I had an unusually strong connection to the Force for my age,” Elsa explained. “And when I joined the Jedi it took me some time to fully master my ability. You just need to have patience.”

“I’m trying to.”

“Do or-”

“Stop. Just stop,” Anna said with a raised hand to cut her off.

Elsa gave a light laugh in amusement. She then commended Anna on her efforts in the previous raid on the Imperial city. Anna not so humbly accepted the praise with a grin. Anna was assigned to no particular squad or unit. Instead she tended to serve as what they dubbed a “force multiplier” to whatever unit or operation she was attached to, bolstering the offensive capabilities of the group she was assigned and increasing the overall chances for success.

Anna was skilled in a variety of weapons and had extensive training in hand-to-hand combat. She was also skilled in tracking, stealth(most of the time), and explosives. And she had quite the varied arsenal at her disposal. All of these factors made her a valuable asset. Her skills were considered second only to her sister and the other Jedi, and matched the upper echelons of even the most elite rebel officers.

She was generally considered a substitute for when a Jedi was needed, such as when facing an Imperial Force adept or other elite imperial forces.

“So what’s up Elsa? We got a mission?” Anna asked, sensing her sister hadn’t come just to make small talk.

“Indeed,” Elsa confirmed as they entered the cockpit. Anna took a seat in the pilot’s chair as Elsa took the co-pilot’s seat. “Merida asked me to make contact with one of our spies and I could use some transport,” she explained.

“Ah. Ok,” Anna said. She began hitting the ship’s controls and preparing the engines to take off. “I assume we’re clear then?” she checked to be sure as the ship rumbled to life.

“Yes,” Elsa confirmed.

“Should we get Kristoff?”

“Merida’s pulled him for something else,” Elsa revealed.

“Oh yeah? What?” Anna inquired curiously.

“She didn’t say.”

With a hum and a shrug in acceptance, Anna activated the repulsorlifts for the Iduna. After hovering off the floor of the hangers she activated the engines and directed the ship out of the bay and into space.

Elsa gave her the destination and she inputted the hyperdrive coordinates before sending the ship into hyperspace and shooting off into the void.

*******************************************************************************************

In another part of the galaxy two starfighters were flying over a forest. Their pilots were on the lookout for anything amiss. But so far all they’d made out were trees and fields as far as the eyes could see.

In one starfighter was Hiccup in his Delta-7 Interceptor. He flew with his fighter tilted at a slight angle to the side for a better view. He hummed to himself, eyes scanning the forest below. “Sharpshot, do another scan for any communication signals,” he said aloud.

His droid co-pilot replied with a series of beeps and complied. A small dish on the droid’s head popped out and rotated, scanning for any signs of communication on the planet. After a moment of silence the droid followed up with another string of beeps.

“Nothing huh?” he said in disappointment. “You getting anything Rapunzel?” he asked his comrade in the other fighter.

Flying a few meters at his side was a starfighter that was also from the Clone Wars era like Hiccup’s Delta-7. It was an Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor. It was a bright yellow with a pink undertone to reflect Rapunzel’s personal tastes. Adorning its S-foils were golden suns, a reference to Rapunzel’s position as leader of Sun Squadron.

It was one of the few within the Alliance’s possession and Rapunzel had requested it for use as her personal fighter. She’d named it the Sundrop and had allowed Hiccup and Jack to modify it, granting it light shielding and hyperspace capabilities without the need for a hyperspace ring.

She’d just returned to base from her visit with the younglings and meeting with Eugene’s old friend when Merida had assigned them all missions. Merida had told her to go with Hiccup, which she gladly accepted. They’d been informed that they were on a search mission and that their combined powers may be able to find what scanners could not.

An Alliance astromech in the Sundrop’s astromech socket was also scanning for any signal or beacons on the planet. She hummed before replying, “No. I’m not getting anything either.”

“You feeling anything?” he asked.

“I’m not sensing anything through the Force. You?”

“No. Just the general stuff,” Hiccup answered. He hummed before righting his fighter. He thought for a while before opening his communication channel. “Let’s let Jack know what we got.”

Waiting in orbit sat a Consular-class cruiser with more rebel forces waiting for the Jedi to report their findings. Jack stood in the cockpit behind the pilot and co-pilot awaiting their report. They’d been sent to do some reconnaissance of the planet and look for any survivors after one of the scouting party had been found in space in an escape pod.

“Come in cruiser,” came Hiccup over the comm channel.

Jack stepped up to the controls and pressed a button to respond. “Go ahead Hiccup.”

“We’re not seeing anything down here,” Hiccup replied.

“Nothing with the Force either?” Jack inquired.

“No. No signals, no distress beacon, no signs of life save for what’s to be expected for a terrestrial planet.”

“Yeah, we’re not getting anything on our planet wide scans either,” Jack added.

“I’m thinking we need to get on the ground,” Hiccup proposed.

“Copy that,” Jack said in agreement. “Takes us down,” Jack said to the pilot. The pilot complied, directing the cruiser down and into orbit.

They found a large field within sight of the crashed Separatist frigate and set the cruiser down. A few moments later Hiccup and Rapunzel landed their fighters in the same field, but at the tree line. The Jedi exited their fighters to join the others after telling their astromechs to continue scanning and to keep the engines prepped in case a quick escape was needed. They gathered at the cruiser as the rebels filed out, bringing out speeder bikes as well.

There were 22 in total. Including the Jedi, Jack, and Toothless who’d come due to his experience navigating and tracking in forest environments. Alongside them were 18 more officers. Six of which were clone troopers from black regiment and another six that were members of Sun Squadron. The rest were an assortment of rebels of different species that’d come to help in the search.

They gathered as Hiccup began giving orders. “Alright, from what we know the scouting party was using that Separatist ship as base camp,” he said as he pointed at said ship. “We’ll use that as our starting point and spread out from there. Sun Squad, split into two teams and cover the area to the Starboard side. Black, you split into two teams and cover the port. Rapunzel and Toothless go with the rest of the group and cover the stern. Perform sweeping searches within half a mile diameter of the ship and we’ll go from there. Understood?” he finished as he looked at everyone.

They all nodded in confirmation. “Alright. Take the bikes to cover more area. Go.” With his orders given they broke away and split into their search groups before heading to their bikes.

As they left he raised his wrist comm to talk to the pilot in the cruiser. “Keep the engines warm gentlemen. And keep those scanners on alert for Imperial activity. Last thing we need is to be ambushed and we may need to make a quick escape if we are,” he ordered.

“Copy that, General,” came the pilot’s response in compliance.

Jack remained where he was in confusion. He hadn’t been given any orders. “What about us Hiccup?” he asked curiously.

“I want to check out the inside of the ship,” Hiccup answered.

A few minutes later Hiccup and Jack were walking through the corridors of the ship. They’d found the entrance in the ship's outer hull and were exploring with glowrods in hand. The lights in the ceiling were dim and flickering as they went.

“Guess they were able to restore some power to the ship,” Jack commented as he noted the lights.

“Guess so. Remind me why these guys were here again?” Hiccup asked.

“Looking for a potential ground base from what I understand. Somewhere the fleet can fall back to and regroup if everything went to poodoo,” Jack explained.

“Ah,” Hiccup replied in understanding.

“You think Imperials got them?” Jack asked.

“The survivor didn’t say?” Hiccup inquired.

“Nah, he wasn’t doing so hot when we found him. All he managed to get out was that they’d been attacked. Then he blacked out and hasn’t woken up since.”

Hiccup hummed thoughtfully. “Hard to say. Nothing to go on yet. Could be the Empire. Or maybe Mandalorians. Maybe pirates or scrappers,” Hiccup said to answer Jack’s earlier question.

As they walked through the ship they passed by a hole in the ship’s hull. Hiccup examined it closely. Running fingers over the scorch marks along the walls and picking up fragments of metal on the floor.

“This isn’t old, is it?” Jack asked.

“No. Definitely recent,” Hiccup confirmed.

They kept going, following a trail of dried blood until they reached a set of blast door with a large opening cut into it. On the other side of the doors was a body. They stepped through the opening and kneeled down to examine the body. Hiccup turned the man over to get a better look and let out a breath.

“Damn,” Jack muttered quietly. He reached a hand out and searched the body before recovering his ID tag. He pocketed it, intent on returning it to whatever loved one he might have had.

Hiccup inspected the body before homing in on a hole in the man’s shirt. He examined it closely alongside the exit wound. He grabbed the corpse by the shoulder and turned him over to look for the entry wound. After a brief examination he stood up before looking at the opening in the blast doors.

He took a step toward the doors before running a hand along the cut.

“What’s up Hiccup?” Jack asked, noting his intense expression.

“This door was cut open,” Hiccup said.

“You thinking fusioncutter?” Jack offered.

“No,” Hiccup replied. He stayed silent for a few moments in thought. “I’m pretty sure a lightsaber did this,” he revealed.

Jack’s eyes widened in surprise. “You sure?”

“I know a lightsaber wound when I see one,” Hiccup said as he motioned toward the dead man. Jack looked down and inspected the stab wound. “And this door was definitely cut by a lightsaber blade,” Hiccup confidently added.

“That’s…” Jack trailed off as he stood. “So we thinking Empire then? An Inquisitor or other Force user on their side.”

Hiccup looked down in thought. “Could be. But there was that bounty hunter we ran into a while back, he had a lightsaber,” Hiccup pointed out.

“Oh yeah. That guy,” Jack recalled. “Still, Empire seems more likely,” he reiterated.

“It does...but…” Hiccup began.

“But?” Jack pressed.

“I don’t know. Just got a feeling it's not,” Hiccup said with a shrug.

“Alright. We’ll leave it open for now,” Jack said in acceptance. He was still leaning toward the Empire, but he trusted Hiccup’s instincts and could wait till they had more evidence.

“Come in Master,” came a voice from Hiccup’s wrist comm.

Hiccup raised his wrist up and pressed on his comm link to reply. “Go ahead.”

“Found something off the port side. You should take a look,” she answered.

“On the way,” Hiccup said back. “Shall we?” he said to his comrade so they could leave.

Jack paused, looking down at their fallen comrade sadly. He didn’t know the man personally, but he still grieved for him as a comrade in arms fighting for a higher cause.

“We should bury him,” Jack decided.

Hiccup looked to the corps as well. “Yeah. It’s the least we can do for him,” he said in completed agreement.

After leaving the ship and burying their fallen comrade the pair met up with Rapunzel and Toothless’ group. They were greeted by the sight of what had definitely been the sight of a battle. There was broken and trampled flora everywhere. Blaster bolt scorch marks riddled the trees around them. Wood spikes were poking from the ground and log traps were hanging from rope and vines.

But the most telling evidence of all was the sight of a dead Wookie lying flat on the forest floor. The Jedi, Jack, and Toothless were gathered around their fallen comrade and did a brief inspection of the body to find the cause of death. When they had it they took a step back to allow Toothless to say a prayer for his dead brethren.

“His neck was broken,” Hiccup said. The others nodded in agreement.

“How’d it happen though?” Jack asked.

Hiccup glanced back as he spied Toothless picking up his fallen kinsmen before walking into the brush to bury him. With him gone he walked back over to the sight of his death and kneeled down to take a closer look.

“Come here Jack,” Hiccup said to his friend.

Jack arched a brow but obeyed as he walked over to him. When he reached him, Hiccup reached a hand out to his shoulder before gently coaxing him to turn around and put his back to him. He did so and waited.

“Can you get on your knees for me Jack?” Hiccup requested.

“Sure,” Jack complied. He lowered himself to his knees and after a beat he heard Hiccup move behind him. Then Hiccup’s arms came around to encircle his neck in a light choke hold.

After a moment Hiccup released him and stepped back. “Lay down for me Jack,” Hiccup asked. Jack complied as he let his upper body fall forward to lie on the ground on his stomach.

“I think we know how it happened,” Hiccup revealed.

Jack stood up and Rapunzel walked over as Hiccup pointed out indentations on the ground where footprints and knee prints could be seen upon a closer inspection.

“So you think they broke his neck like that?” Jack asked skeptically.

“It seems to fit.”

“Well I’m thinking pirates then,” Jack proposed. “No way a human could do that to a Wookie, which eliminates the Empire or Mandalorians.”

“One of my people could,” Hiccup chimed in.

“Well I doubt it was a Berkian,” Jack retorted flatly.

“Agreed,” Rapunzel chimed in. “It would have to be something bigger and stronger than a human. What about a Trandoshan?” she proposed.

“They didn’t take his pelt though,” Hiccup countered.

“That’s true,” Rapunzel said as she reconsidered.

They were offering alternative theories and suggestions when they heard a rustling. Everyone was on alert and grabbed their weapons. The Jedi drew their lightsabers and Jack drew his blaster, a white handled X-8 Night Sniper. The other rebels also drew their weapons, pointing them at a rustling bush tensely.

The group kept their gaze fixed on it, waiting as the rustling continued and came closer. The Jedi furrowed their brows as they attempted to sense what was coming their way, but they could feel nothing in the noise’s direction.

They waited until something small stepped out of the brush. Something bipedal and a vibrant green color. It peaked out at them and then retreated before peaking out once more, debating whether to fully step out.

Rapunzel blinked and lowered her weapon. “It's a droid,” she said in realization. The others relaxed, lowering their weapons as they continued to watch the small droid looking at them from the cover of the brush.

With their weapons down the small droid felt it safe to step out into the open. As it did it dragged its left leg slightly in effort.

“It’s hurt,” Rapunzel said in concern as she walked toward it. It froze before taking a few steps back and then shrinking in on itself as Rapunzel stood over it.

“It’s ok little guy,” she said softly. She lowered herself and sat down before reaching a hand out. “See, we’re friends,” she said. The droid’s optical sensor looked at her, zooming in and likely scanning her as it assessed her intent.

But seemingly sensing no danger it stepped toward her hand before nuzzling it and then continued to climb into her lap. “Aww. There you go,” Rapunzel cooed softly as she rubbed it’s head.

“It's a BD unit,” Jack commented aloud.

“Yeah,” Hiccup agreed.

“Those are used in exploration and research. It must be one of ours,” Jack surmised. “Guess so,” Hiccup said in agreement. They walked toward it and Rapunzel. It leveled them with a stare as it shook nervously.

“Hello little friend,” Hiccup said as gently as he could. “Are you the only one?” he asked. The droid responded with a nod and followed up with a string of binary. “I see,” Hiccup said dejectedly.

“You know, BD units come with holorecorders and projectors,” Jack reminded everyone.

“True,” Hiccup said before looking back to the droid. “You think you can show us what happened to your friends?”

The droid nodded before starting its holoprojector. It displayed a small hologram in the air. It was a recording of the scouting party as they explored a new area. They would have the small droid record landmarks they could use for navigation and building references. They would show him flora to scan and document fauna of interest they happened to come across.

It was peaceful until the sounds of blaster firing began to play out in the background. Things went rapidly downhill as they were ambushed. The group shouted and yelled before grabbing their weapons and putting up a fight.

Then the holo changed to an image of one of their attackers.

“Mandalorians,” Hiccup muttered in disdain. They watched as a small party descended on the group. Firing blasters and missiles.

Then a louder metallic shriek overshadowed every other noise on the recording. It switched to one of the rebels speaking directly to the droid and telling it to hide itself when something large pounced on it. They watched in horror as the man was ripped apart by something they could barely comprehend. Soon the sound of the man’s screams filled the quiet of the forest and everyone suppressed a shudder at the noise.

“That’s enough,” Hiccup said.

The BD unit shut off the recording and gave a sad beep before leaning into Rapunzel. She looked down at it ruefully as she stroked it’s head. The poor thing looked so sad. It must have been awful for it to witness the death of its friends.

“What the hell was that with them?” Jack asked in bewilderment. “Some kind of animal?”

Hiccup shook his head. He looked to him and opened his mouth to answer when his wrist comm went off. “One sec,” he said before answering it. “Go ahead.”

“General, we’ve found bodies and signs of battle about one klick northeast of the frigate,” came the response from one of his men.

“Survivors?” Hiccup asked.

“Negative sir.”

“Anything else?” Hiccup asked.

“It’s hard to say sir. It looks like a tank bulldozed its way through the forest. But instead of treads we’re finding claw marks. Got some prints too. It’s as if we’re tracking an animal,” the trooper said in bafflement.

“Got it. We know the situation. Found one of our droids. Looks like Mandalorians did this, and they had a bas-” Hiccup was about to explain before stopping.

He suddenly turned and stared out into the distance with narrowed eyes. Everyone stared at him in confusion and watched as Rapunzel turned in that same direction. She stood up with the droid in her arms as she kept staring in the same direction of Hiccup.

“Hicc?” Jack inquired.

“We need to leave,” Hiccup suddenly said.

“What?” Jack asked, perplexed by the sudden change in demeanor.

“We should leave. Now,” Hiccup said more firmly. He pressed down on his wrist comm. “All units return to the cruiser. We’re pulling out. Now,” he ordered. Everyone could see and hear he was serious as they made their way to their bikes.

“What’s up Hiccup? Are we in danger?” Jack asked as he looked in the direction his friend was. He couldn’t make out anything amiss.

“Not sure,” Hiccup admitted. “Don’t want to find out,” he added.

“Alright. Good enough for me,” Jack said in acceptance as he turned to get to his bike.

The Jedi remained on the spot for a moment, trying to assess what they were feeling.

“Rapunzel. You feel it too?” Hiccup asked.

She nodded. “Yeah. It feels like we’re being watched.”

*******************************************************************************************

A few miles away on a distant ridge five individuals were watching the group from afar. They had the scanners in their helmets zoomed in on them. Taking particular note of the two Jedi in the company.

The five individuals were Mandalorians. They were clad in dark, almost black, armor and well armed. Littered around them were six dead bodies belonging to others of their kind. They’d stripped off their armor and taken their weapons so as to not let their cherished metal fall into the hands of outsiders.

The leader of the group standing closest to the ridge’s edge had the only survivor at his feet. The man was hogtied and gagged, struggling uselessly as a foot pressed against the side of head to keep him pinned. He and his group had been lying in wait to ambush more rebels when they’d been pounced upon themselves.

The leader received a transmission. He raised a finger up and pressed a button on the side of his helmet to respond.

“Report,” he heard in his ear.

“Got the jump on a group of traitors lying in wait for an ambush,” he relayed.

“Any survivors?”

“One,” he answered, pressing down on the head of his foe beneath him in contempt. “Also got my eyes on a small company. Looks like a search party. I’m guessing it the rebels,” he added.

“How should we proceed?” he asked.

“Let them leave,” he ordered.

“They have two Jedi with them,” he added.

There was a brief pause from the other end before he got his response. “Your orders are to let them go. We’re not at war with the Jedi or Rebel Alliance...yet. First we have to deal with the blasphemer and his forces.”

“Acknowledged,” the Mandalorian said in acceptance.

He dropped a hand to watch the rebels retreat and go to their ships. One of his comrades came up behind him.

“What are our orders?” he asked.

“Leave them be,” he relayed. “We’ve got bigger gorg to fry at the moment. Get ready to move out once they leave the sector.”

“Got it,” his comrade said before going back to the others.

The Mandalorian watched the cruiser rise alongside the two Jedi fighters, climbing higher and higher before leaving the planet’s orbit. He silently wished he had a chance to face the Jedi. For he wanted to test his mettle against one of his people’s longest and greatest foes.

But, as their leader had made clear, their priority was overthrowing this fake Mandalore leading his people astray. Forcing them from the true way.

They had to destroy him and his forces before he permanently defiled the very heart and soul of their people.

*******************************************************************************************

Located in the Outer Rim Territories was the humid rainforest-covered planet of Elerion. It was infamously known to be a haven for gamblers. And to accommodate its most frequent and loyal visitors several major cities dotted the planet’s surface, hosting many large and small casinos where fortunes could be won, or lost, depending on one’s skill or luck.

Making their way through the planet’s capital city of Kushal Vogh were Anna and Elsa. They’d come to meet their contact, slipping under the notice of the Empire as it tended to turn a blind eye to the people who frequented the world for its dubious attractions.

Elsa had the hood of her cloak up so as to not draw attention to herself. Anna wore a brown hooded cloak as well as to not draw attention to her highly valuable beskar, which would make for quite the collateral in this gambler’s paradise.

As they walked through the dark city they skimmed the building signs on the lookout for their meeting location. They had the name, but weren’t told what kind of establishment they were meeting. They hoped for a diner or cantina. Anything but a nightclub and especially not a-

“A casino,” Elsa said in exasperation as they stood outside the entrances to a medium sized casino named the Veda Pearl. Just the type of place she hadn’t wanted to step one foot into.

“Come on sis, lighten up,” Anna said in good humor.

With a sigh she and Anna walked in and their senses were immediately bombarded. They could smell alcohol and the faint scent of spice. Various distinct incense aromas also permeated the air. All around they were surrounded by shady and rugged looking individuals of numerous species that drank and gambled, barely paying any mind to the two of them as they went.

They walked up to the bar and were greeted by a male Xexto serving as the bartender. The short, pale skinned, spindly, four armed alien with large black eyes smiled at Elsa and spread his arms out to gesture to the bar’s selections.

“Greeting new customers. What’s your poison?” he asked in a friendly tone.

Elsa paused before glancing to her left and right. There were several individuals at the bar. One of which should have been their contact. She’d been given a few phrases to discreetly signal them. Deciding to proceed she looked to the bartender and offered a friendly smile.

“I’ll have one Moognan Tea,” Elsa requested politely.

“One Moognan Tea coming up,” the Xexto said in confirmation. With a peppy whistle the Xexto’s hands reached out, grasping all the ingredients and a glass. With the length of his arms and his six fingered hands he barely had to move to grab everything.

Soon enough the frothy orange beverage was before her, smelling of spices and a sweet scent. Elsa smiled as she grabbed it and slid it to her. “Thank you sir,” she said as she reached into the pockets of her robes. She found a few credits before placing them on the counter.

The Xexto smiled as he secured them and thanked her for her patronage. He glanced behind her to Anna, asking for her request. She shook her head in rejection and he moved down the bar to serve another customer.

“Moognan Tea huh?” someone chimed in.

Elsa turned to her right and looked down to meet the eyes of a vulpine being. He was male Amaran and bipedal, holding a drink in hand with an easy going and relaxed expression.

“I like Arkanian sweet milk myself,” he continued.

Elsa kept her facial features smooth. His choice of drink was the code word to signal their identity. To verify, she added a confirmation phrase, “Not a bad choice. But I don’t believe anything can beat-”

“Tsiraki,” he and Elsa finished in unison. With that they’d each confirmed who they were.

“Follow me,” he said as he motioned away from the bar.

They followed him close as they weaved through the crowd. “Good to meet you mister-” Elsa started.

“Wilde. Just call me Wilde,” he responded evenly.

“Good to meet you Mr. Wilde. I’m-” Elsa started.

“I know who you are,” he interrupted. He led them to a corner of the room so they could talk in private. “Alright. Let’s chat.”

“I believe you know why we’re here,” Elsa said quietly, just loud enough for them to hear. Anna stood on guard, making sure no one got too close to them. “You had some valuable intel to pass onto us.”

“That I do. You gonna drink that?” he asked as he pointed to the drink she’d ordered earlier and had taken with her on impulse.

“Oh...not really,” Elsa said. She offered it to him.

He happily took it before taking a hardy swallow. “Thanks, you’re a peach,” he said in gratitude.

“So...I believe you had something for us?” Elsa continued.

“Yeah. Been in contact with the Governor of Balmorra. He was able to pass on some valuable info on the Empire. Convoy and shipment schedules, clearance codes, all that,” he explained.

“Excellent. We’ll take it and be on our way,” Elsa said happily.

“Woah, hold your blurggs lady,” Wilde said. “I don’t have it on me,” he revealed.

“Ok, where is it?” Elsa asked.

“Back at my place.”

“Ok. Shall we go get it then?”

He sucked in air through his teeth with a wince. “Yeah, you see there’s a small hitch,” he said with a weak chuckle. “You see while I was waiting for the meeting time I did a bit of gambling. Had a bit of a streak. Might have gone in too deep. I kind of owe the casino some money,” he explained.

He paused to point at the exits. She and Anna looked and saw that the exits were being guarded by several Nikto. They were glancing around the room and looking for signs of unrest, but Elsa didn’t miss how their gazes passed over them and Wilde and lingered a second too long before resuming their scan.

“They’re not just going to let me walk out unless I can turn things around,” Wilde explained. “And that's where you come in,” he said looking to Elsa with a cheeky grin.

“I doubt we have the credits on us to pay your debts,” Elsa said, annoyed.

“No. But I bet you could win it all back and then some,” he said with waggling brows.

“We did not come here to gamble,” Elsa said with a scowl.

“Yeah well we don’t have much choice,” Wilde argued.

Elsa frowned down at him. She didn’t come to gamble. She didn’t want to gamble. But the guards wanted Wilde and weren’t likely to let him go.

“C’mon sis,” Anna said to her. Elsa glanced back at her. “You just play a few games and we’re out of here. Worst come to worst we blast our way out. Not that we’ll need to,” Anna said with complete confidence.

Elsa held her sister’s gaze before looking back toward Wilde. He held his grin and kept waggling his brows. With a sigh and a shake of her head she agreed.

“Fine. But I’m only doing enough to pay your debts,” Elsa said firmly.

“Oh for sure,” Wilde said with a nod. With that he stepped around her before heading toward the floor. He looked back and held his hand out toward the floor. “Shall we?”

With a breath Elsa followed after him with Anna in tow as they went to find a game to play. The patrons of the casino and the establishment itself would soon understand the veracity of the old wisdom.

One should never gamble against a Jedi.

*******************************************************************************************

Within an hour the trio were walking down the streets of the city. Wilde laughed loudly in triumph, having won back what he’d lost thanks to Elsa. Elsa only needed to play a few games, winning all of them and earning enough to pay back his debts.

Wilde tried encouraging her to play more. To earn him more credits. But Elsa was firm on her earlier statement to only play until they’d earned back what he owed. So to his disappointment they ended her winning streak and left the casino.

“”Woo man pale skin, that was some streak you had. I guess it really is true what they used to say. Never make a bet with a-”

“Wilde!” Elsa cut in sharply before he could finish his statement. He was so high off his win he wasn’t controlling himself.

“Oh yeah. Sorry,” he apologized. “Got a little carried away,” he said with a laugh.

“Now we’re heading to your place. Correct?” Elsa asked.

“For sure. A deal is a deal,” Wilde confirmed. “This way,” he said as he waved them along.

They continued on, eventually coming to an apartment building. A run down looking one at that. The halls were lit by flickering lights and insects scurried about the floor of the hall. They proceeded up to the 11th floor and came to a door to Wilde’s apartment.

“Here she is, home sweet home,” Wilde said as she fished around his pant pockets for before finding his keycard. “There we go,” he said before sliding it through the reader. It beeped and the door opened a moment later.

They all entered the apartment. Wilde hit the lights and they were greeted by an apartment of modest size, though rather shabby. It had a large window in the living room and there was a desk in the corner of the room with equipment and a dish. The women figured it was for monitoring Imperial chatter and communicating with the Alliance.

“Can I get you ladies a drink?” Wilde offered.

“Just the disk please,” Elsa rejected politely.

“I’m good,” Anna added as well.

Wilde shrugged good-naturedly before walking up to his table and equipment. He reached out and pushed against the table. It slid a few inches across the floor with a loud creak before Wilde knelt down. He smacked his hand against a floor tile, causing it to jut up at a corner.

Wilde grabbed it by the corner and then pulled it up, revealing a hidden space beneath the floor. Under it sat a few items. A blaster, an ID card, and most importantly the data disk. He picked it up before standing and turning to present it to Elsa.

“One data disk. As promised,” he said with a sly grin.

“Thank you Wilde,” Elsa said gratefully before reaching out to take it.

She suddenly stopped. Her senses were immediately on alert. She sensed danger from something she couldn’t explain.

Wilde arched a brow in confusion at her sudden hesitance to take the disk. “Something wrong?” he asked.

Suddenly he felt a sharp sting on his shoulder. He flinched before looking at it. He found something small protruding from it. It was some kind of orb. He reached out and pulled at it, finding it was attached to a needle.

“Wilde!” Elsa yelped in shock. Wilde’s eyes glazed over and drooped as he fell sideways and to the floor.

Elsa whirled around, on alert. Anna too.

“We’re not alone,” Elsa said as her eyes scanned the room. Now that she was aware she could sense a presence. Someone was here.

“Yeah. I’m starting to feel it too,” Anna said as her senses also detected something amiss.

Elsa was still looking for their attacker when her eyes were drawn to a spot in the corner of the ceiling. They stayed there peering at something almost imperceptible hiding in the shadows of the dimly lit room.

Her eyes suddenly caught a glint of something in the air. On instinct she twisted her body to the side as another small projectile, a dart of some kind, sailed through the air her torso had just been. It hit the floor and bounced away.

Another glint alerted them to another dart coming at them. This time it was aimed towards Anna. Anna quickly raised her vambrace up and deflected it. The needle of the dart broke against her beskar before hitting the ground.

Following the trajectory it’d come Anna drew a blaster and began firing at the corner. Before her shots could land, something moved from its spot and fell to the floor. The women’s eyes fell on what could only be described as a being of living smoke or mist.

It danced around the room as Anna fired on it. Using furniture as cover that was blown apart before it leapt through the air at them. They saw a flash metal above it and broke away from each other as a blade swung through the spot Anna had just been.

Anna backed up and raised a vambrace as the blade swung through the air at her. There was a clang of metal and sparks flew as she blocked the strike from whatever was attacking her. Before she could counter the thing leapt and she felt something collide with the front of her helmet that caused her to stagger back.

The thing was definitely a person and had thrown a kick right at her head. It then turned on Elsa. It spun to gain momentum before slashing at her. Elsa intercepted the attack, throwing up her forearm and blocking her attacker's wrist before grabbing it.

Before she could apply any kind of hold the blade fell before being caught. Elsa twisted away from a stab at her stomach. The thing then proceeded to dive for Wilde. Elsa realized what it was going for and extended a hand out. The data disk flew from Wilde’s still hands before the being could pounce on it.

Elsa secured it in her left hand and watched as the thing lunged at her with its weapon poised to attack. Elsa held out her right hand, using the Force to catch the thing before it could reach her. It floated in the air, struggling wildly at the force holding her off the ground before thrust her hand forward.

The thing was sent hurtling away in a violent push before colliding with the wall next to the window. A split second after crashing against the wall the smoke evaporated away, revealing a person. Elsa and Anna saw a woman garbed in red, hiding her face behind a mask and cowl.

Anna had her blaster trained on the mysterious woman while Elsa held the data disk firmly in hand and awaited her next action. The woman glared spitefully at the two of them, eyes flicking to the data disk and the women, assessing the situation.

The woman tensed and Anna opened fire. Her blaster bolts hit the wall behind her head as spun away and dove out the window. The glass shattered with a crash and the two women rushed to it and looked out to see the woman falling several stories.

Anna was almost certain the woman had just leapt to her death. But Elsa felt otherwise.

The woman fell before landing in the street below in a crouch. A few passersby were startled at the sight of the woman literally falling out of the sky and stared dumbfounded as she looked back up at Elsa and Anna.

Elsa narrowed her eyes at her as the woman tensed before running away.

“Check on Wilde,” Elsa said as she tossed the data disk to her sister. She vaulted out the window and fell, cloak and robes flapping in the wind before landing on the street with graceful poise.

She looked at the woman’s retreating form before sprinting after her. Elsa was fast. Faster than any normal human woman should have been thanks to the Force empowering her body. But she could sense the woman wielding the Force as well as she too moved at remarkable speed.

The woman pushed through throngs of people and vaulted over speeders and obstacles as she fled. But Elsa managed to close the distance and keep her in her sights. The woman darted down an alley and Elsa rounded the corner to follow.

The alley was narrow and coming to a dead end. Elsa was almost sure she had her. But she watched in amazement as the woman leapt at the wall at the end and clung to it like some kind of insect. Elsa’s jaw dropped as the woman clambered up it with little effort.

But overcoming her surprise Elsa narrowed her eyes in focus. She leapt to her right and planted a foot against the wall before pushing off to the opposite. She ran a few steps to keep momentum before jumping back to the other wall. She repeated the process, gaining more and more height until she finally reached the top of the building.

The woman was still a good few yards ahead of her as Elsa continued her pursuit. They came to a building bordering a street. Not slowing down she sped up before leaping. She leapt a distance only possible by a few creatures in the galaxy before landing on a distant rooftop, rolling before getting her feet under her and continuing on.

Elsa did the same, making a Force enhanced jump as she cleared the streets below to land on the same building and also rolling to her feet and continuing the chase. The woman suddenly grabbed something from her back before spinning around and activating it.

Elsa flinched as the woman revealed an energy bow. A string of pinkish plasma connected to form a string at a grip. The woman pulled on the grip and quickly fired a few plasma bolts at her. Elsa quickly grabbed for her saberstaff and ignited both blades. She spun her weapon in both hands as she continued on, creating a wall of fast spinning plasma blades that knocked the plasma bolts away.

The woman continued to retreat whilst firing. Leaping over vents and ac units while trying to stop the pursuing Jedi. But Elsa nimbly dodged while deflecting and batting away her shots and closing the distance until finally the woman was forced to stop her retreat as she’d come to a dead end.

There was no other building close enough to leap to. She glanced around, debating as to whether she should jump back down to street level or try and finish off her pursuer. Elsa capitalized on her moment of hesitation and closed the distance. As the woman raised her bow to fire, she swung with a horizontal arc that cut through the middle of the bow.

As it fell away she reached down to her waist and started hurling knives at her. Elsa spun and weaved her way through the flying projectile before thrusting out her hand. The woman was pushed back, rolling across the rooftop until she hit the edge of the building.

She stood up and faced Elsa. As she reached down for her bladed weapon a plasma bolt came down, nearly hitting her feet. She froze and looked up to see Anna descending on them from the sky, her jetpack’s thrusters roaring and keeping her aloft.

She circled around to her back and cut off her escape.

“Surrender,” Elsa demanded as she pointed one of her blades at her. “You’re trapped.”

The woman glared hatefully as she glanced over her shoulder at Anna. What the Jedi said was true. She was trapped and she was sure she couldn’t fight her way out of this either. She could sense the Jedi was stronger than her, maybe as strong as her sister. The Mandalorian only made the matter more difficult.

She’d failed her mission and now the wise move would be to surrender and let herself be captured.

But she couldn’t allow that to happen.

Elsa watched the woman deliberate. As she did she inched closer slowly. She kept her eyes fixed to the woman the entire time before flicking them to Anna. She made a subtle gesture with her head toward the woman. Her sister nodded in understanding as she switched her blasters to stun so they could take her alive.

But when Elsa looked back to meet the woman’s gaze she was met with a mischievous glint. The woman tensed and Elsa readied to rush her. But before she could the woman turned and leapt off the roof. Anna fired a shot but the nerve pulse met the roof.

They watched as the woman reached the height of her jump but before gravity could take hold there was a bright flash of green fire and in an instant she was gone.

Both women blanched as they looked around for her. Anna landed and lowered her rangefinder on her helmet to scan the area. But she found no signs of anything but them close. Likewise Elsa’s senses couldn’t detect the woman anywhere nearby. It was as if she’d truly vanished.

“What the hell? She’s gone?!” Anna said in astonishment.

“Indeed,” Elsa said as she deactivated her saberstaff and clipped it to her belt. “How’s Wilde?” she asked.

“Alive, thankfully,” Anna revealed. “Guess she’d planned to bring him in alive or get some info out of him. We must’ve been unexpected,” Anna surmised.

“A good a theory as any,” Elsa said with a shrug. She looked down before picking up the woman’s destroyed weapon.

“What the hell was that sis?” Anna asked. “I could sense she was Force sensitive. Was that an Inquisitor?”

“No,” Elsa answered as she inspected the weapon. “She was of the dark side, no doubt. But it was different than anything I’ve ever felt before,” Elsa said, perplexed.

“So not an Inquisitor then.”

“Definitely not,” Elsa reiterated. She looked to her sister. “You have the disk?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Let’s return to Wilde quickly and then leave,” Elsa suggested. Her sister nodded in agreement.

Elsa took the weapon with her, intent on showing it to her fellow Jedi and the Alliance. She would regrettably have bad news to report. But they needed to know the full extent of what they were facing.

Not just Sith nor Mandalorians.

Now they had witches to worry about.

*******************************************************************************************

#star wars au #merricup #rotbtfd #jelsa #tangled fanfic

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arendellesfirstwinter · 4 years

Note

Bubbles, handle, wipe

Me? Writing Frozen fanfic in the year 2019? It’s more likely than you think!

Thanks, as always, to Punchy here for the three word prompt, and for encouraging me to jump back into writing after all these years!

Also on ao3

——-

“‘Ahhh, save me!’ the princess cries!

“‘Don’t worry, princess, for I am here to rescue you!’

“‘Oh, Prince Handsome, save me!’

“‘Well duh!’ And then he leaps forward and swish swish and the princess is free and then they kiss, mwah mwah mwah - “

“But wait!” Elsa chimes in, quickly conjuring another figure with a wave of her hands. “Because the evil pirate captain jumps out from behind a tree! Rrrrgh!” Her growls are interspersed with giggles as she crooks her fingers into claws. “‘You’ve fallen into my trap!’” she says, voice as low as a young girl can make it, “‘And now, you’ll both pay!’”

“Eeek!” Squealing, Anna grabs the ice figures of the prince and princess and pretends to have them run away. “‘We must get to the ship!’” she yells in her best impression of a posh prince, and guides the two figures to the edge of their forest-y playground. When they reach the end of the trees and hit the carpet, Anna whispers, “Psst, Elsa, we need a ship!”

Elsa squints. “Won’t the pirates also be out there?”

Blinking, Anna pauses. Then, she gasps. “Oh no! What will they do now?” She spins the figures around to look at the pirate Elsa’s advancing through the trees. “‘We have no choice!’” she states dramatically in a high-pitched princess falsetto.

With another twist of her wrists, Elsa creates two ships, one with a fearsome skull and crossbones at the front and cannons to either side, and the other with a smaller mast but sleeker build. The ship’s captain appears in a flurry on the ship’s bow, and Elsa moves his arm back and forth in an urgent wave. “‘Quickly! Get aboard as fast as you can!’ And then he moves over here,” she quick-walks him to the side of the ship, “and he yells, ‘Raise the anchor!’”

Anna hurls the prince and princess aboard the ship with a dramatic jump, and commands, “‘Set sail!’”

Elsa crawls around Anna to grab the slow and abandoned pirate captain, and now it’s his turn to burst through the edge of the forest. “‘Curses!’” Elsa runs him to his ship with one hand, but in the other, she creates a slick icy path for the heroes’ ship to follow. As the pirate captain stands aboard his ship, Elsa returns to the captain of the heroes’ ship, and lets out a joyous “‘Hooray! We’ve done it!’” And with a gust of her magic, the ship coasts across the carpet (which will probably be soaked later, Elsa thinks with a wince) and away from the pirates.

“Safe at last,” Elsa says, in her own voice once more. “And so, the - “

“Nonono, wait!” Anna pleads. “It can’t be over yet, we need more, more, uh, more - “

“Peril?”

“Yes! More peril, more peril!”

Laughing, Elsa relents. “Okay, Anna, okay. Suddenly, the winds pick up, and whoosh!”

Elsa sends the pirate ship careening across the same path of ice towards the heroes, and switches her voice into that of a (debatably) menacing villain’s. “‘You thought you could get away from us so easily, aye? Fire the cannons!’”

Anna gasps. “‘Oh no, Prince Handsome, what should we do?’ ‘I don’t know, Princess, but we have to act quick!’”

“‘Too late!’” the pirate captain crows, and Elsa chucks a snowball at the heroes’ ship, and then another. She switches to the captain of the heroes’ ship: “‘We’ve been hit! We’re sinking!’”

Anna shrieks and runs the prince and princess figures all around the ship’s deck in a panic, avoiding the relentless pelting of snowballs, until suddenly, Elsa makes another whoosh sound and raises her arm and blasts an entire snow drift all around the ship.

The prince and princess’ heads pop up above the top of the snow drift, their bodies still clutched in Anna’s chubby, child hands, and she gives another shriek, a combination of laughter and intense investment in the story. “‘We have to swim - blblbllblb!’” Anna puffs her cheeks and bats her palms against them.

Blinking, Elsa cocks her head. “Wait, what are you doing?”

“I’m making the sound of the bubbles, duh, now pay attention - ‘But how will we make it back to shore? There’s no one to save us now bllbblblBbBLBL!’”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that! For ‘tis I, the brave, oh, hm. Help me out here, darlings!” With practiced ease, Mama tucks her dress beneath herself and kneels to the floor. (Elsa’s not surprised that she and Anna didn’t notice her enter - the story was just getting good, after all, and Mama’s quieter than Kai and Gerda combined.)

Mama holds an open palm out to Elsa, who breaks into an ear-splitting grin.

Elsa turns to Anna and leans in close, whispering loudly, “Who should save them?”

Anna scrunches her nose a brief second, before her eyes light up and she shouts, “The Fairy Queen!”

Nodding sagely, Elsa twirls her fingers and passes a new figure into Mama’s waiting hand. Mama accepts the figure gracefully, and clears her throat. “‘With my fairy magic, I will first lift your ship up from above the waves!’” And she digs her hands into the snowdrift to grab the capsized vessel, lifting it and its drowning occupants back to the “water’s” surface. “‘And next,’ the Fairy Queen booms imperiously, ‘I will - ‘“

“Imperslee?”

“Imperiously,” Elsa corrects, earning an approving smile from Mama. “It means like, a command. Like super serious.”

“Like your papa when he gives orders,” Mama adds.

Anna snorts. “Like when we get in trouble for going into the kitchen when we’re not supposed to and taking cookies when we’re not supposed to especially when Olina’s just made a fresh batch, which means we’re extra not supposed to?”

Mama raises an eyebrow as Anna rambles, and Elsa hopes she doesn’t notice that Elsa’s been frantically motioning for Anna to stop throughout her example.

The corners of Mama’s lips turn upwards, and she eyes both of her daughters.”Which is something neither of you have ever done, yes?”

“Well, I mean - “

“Yes, Mama, we’ve never done that, isn’t that right, Anna?” Elsa hisses, elbowing Anna gently in the ribs.

“What? Oh, that’s right, never ever ever! Anyway, the Fairy Queen!” Anna leans in in anticipation, and Elsa rolls her eyes at the lack of subtlety, but Mama thankfully seems to find the two of them more amusing than anything else.

Eyes twinkling with mirth, Mama coughs lightly and continues, “‘I will banish you pirates from these waters!’ And the Fairy Queen uses her magic to send the pirates’ ship far far away!” Mama picks up the pirates’ ship and places it as far away as her reach allows, Anna giving added magical sound effects: pew, pew, pew!

“Then, with a gust of her magic,” Mama narrates, “the Fairy Queen brings the heroes’ ship safely back to shore.” And Elsa takes her cue and guides the ship back to the miniature frozen forest, and she disembarks the ship’s captain as Anna does the same with the prince and princess.

“‘Thank you sooo much!’” the ‘princess’ squeals. In a lower pitch, Anna adds, “‘A Fairy Queen, whoa.’”

“‘Now, wait a minute.’” Elsa wiggles the ship’s captain in her grip as she voices him. “‘How do we know we can trust this strange person?’”

“Elsa!” Anna admonishes, offended. “She saved us!” She glances tentatively up at Mama, but Elsa notices that Mama doesn’t seem nearly as hurt. In fact, she’s simply raising a curious eyebrow at Elsa. Instead of speaking, Mama motions for Elsa to continue. The Fairy Queen figure stays hovering above the forest in Mama’s hold, silent and ethereal, with a billowing cloak and delicate wings and frosty eyes.

“Well, I mean,” Elsa coughs into her fist and deepens her voice, “‘I mean, I’ve never seen this stranger here before! She’s certainly no one from this kingdom!’”

“‘But she saved us!’” Anna argues as the princess. “‘So she has to be good!’”

“‘That’s true, I guess.’” Elsa glances at Mama, waiting for her to jump in, but Mama always has preferred to sit back when the girls play, preferring to enhance the story the two are already choosing to tell.

With an excited squeal, Anna leaps to her feet, nearly startling Elsa into falling backwards. “I know!” She claps her hands and rocks on her heels. “We’ve never seen the Fairy Queen before because she’s from super far away, from the Fairy Kingdom! And, and, and she got lost!”

Elsa’s entire focus is on Anna, but she swears, for a brief moment she sees Mama stiffen in the corner of her vision.

“She’s so brave because she’s just trying to go back home! So she’s helping the prince and princess in return for them helping her get back to her kingdom! Oh, how tragical!” Anna flops to the ground, an arm draped over face as she heaves a dramatic sigh.

“Does that sound right, Mama?” Elsa asks, and she furrows her brows just a bit at the almost far away look in Mama’s eyes.

But then Elsa blinks, and the look is gone, and Elsa is probably imagining the extra crease in Mama’s brow as Mama speaks, “Of course. ‘I chose to help because you are good people, and I hope you can help me in return.’ But first - “

Mama lunges forward and scoops her two daughters into her arms, ignoring their shrieks of surprise. “First, we need to get you two ready for dinner.”

“Awwww, but Mama!” both Elsa and Anna cry out in dismay.

Laughing, Mama shakes her head and pulls them in for a tighter hug. “It’s getting late, you two, and if you don’t clean up now, then I’m afraid we’ll just have to skip dessert for tonight.”

Elsa hurriedly waves away all the ice and snow in the bedroom as Anna wriggles against Mama’s grip, shouting, “Let me go, I have to get ready!”

Mama relinquishes her hold and chuckles as Anna sprints to the door, her tiny fingers barely managing to grab the handle and pull it down before bolting down the hall at breakneck speed.

“You wouldn’t actually take our dessert away, would you, Mama?” Elsa asks nervously, her voice feeling oddly out of place in the stillness of the Anna-less bedroom.

“Hmm,” Mama ponders, tapping her chin, “perhaps. It’s a good thing you accepted the Fairy Queen though, now isn’t it?”

Elsa rises to her feet along with Mama, brushing the snow from her gown. “I was always going to accept her,” Elsa states, reaching her hand up to hold Mama’s. The two of them move towards the door. “I only wanted to keep playing, but of course I know the Fairy Queen’s always good, especially if she’s you!” And, Elsa thinks, she uses her magic for good, just like me! “Plus, now we have to help her get home!”

“Indeed,” Mama murmurs as they step into the hallway.

“After all,” Elsa continues, “everyone deserves to be happy, and no one should ever be separated from the ones they love! Papa says that Anna and I should always lean on each other for help, and I can’t imagine ever being away from Anna, so I can’t imagine how the Fairy Queen must feel, being so far from home!”

Nodding resolutely, Elsa declares, “So that’s why it’s now mine and Anna’s mission to make sure she gets home safe and sound!”

Elsa feels Mama squeeze her hand. “A noble goal, from two noble, big-hearted young girls.” Puffing her chest in pride, Elsa looks up just in time to see Mama brush her free hand under her eyes. Elsa’s concerned for a split second before Mama smiles widely. “Now come on, let’s wipe your face and see what Olina and the cooks have prepared for us tonight, yes?”

Stepping hand in hand, Elsa’s bare palm warm against Mama’s, the mother and daughter duo walk through the halls of their home to rejoin the other half of their family.

#frozen 2 #elsa #anna #snow sisters #iduna #frozen fanfic #aren writes #aren answers asks #HI IT'S BEEN ACTUAL YEARS #anyway have some young snow sisters #because of course if i'm starting with ANYTHING after all this time #it's gonna be focused around this stupid wonderful family #i am crazy rusty but also amazed at how fun it was to dive back into writing these characters #anyway yeah hopefully more to come!#and i'm still working on a masterpost of lore from the frozen young adult books #they're just taking a bit longer than i realized to write out and organize

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loonysama · 2 years

Text

Goldie

Kristoff stood atop the ladder, picking the best apples from one of the last fruiting trees on his orchard for the pie Anna promised him for their two year anniversary. He didn’t think he could top his grandmother’s gold apple necklace and loving words he gave her last year, but he had no idea what to do. Then he felt a sharp breeze ruffle his hair and he heard a faint “mew” from a few trees down the way, where two golden orbs beckoned him from the almost barren tree. He had hoped that tree would bloom later like it did last year, but last year was a fluke. He moved his ladder to rescue the tiny black kitten who rubbed his head all over Kristoff’s chest and neck in gratitude. Kristoff reached for the last two apples hanging from the tree’s branches and the kitten’s golden eyes pleaded for attention and his minuscule nails kneaded into Kristoff’s sweater.

"How’d you get up there?” he asked, looking around in vain as he climbed down the ladder. “Where’s your mom?” Not finding any other cats, he tucked the kitten into his apron and immediately headed toward the Anna’s farm. He spent the entire trek telling the kitten all about how wonderful Anna is and how much he’ll love her. The kitten mewed and stretched against the canvass hammock, which Kristoff interpreted as excitement, even though he slept most of the trip.

Kristoff’s heart skipped a beat when Anna came into view.

“Kristoff! I didn’t think I’d see you until later,” she said as she ran towards him. Each time Kristoff saw that smile he fell even more in love with her.

“Well, I picked a couple of apples for you and I couldn’t wait to give them to you,” he said as he caught his breath.

Anna’s face slowly shifted to a look of sweet surprise and pure joy as he pulled the kitten from his apron.

“Awwww! He’s so cute! Kristoff!” she said with a deep blush as Kristoff handed the kitten over to his new mom, who had already decided on a name. “Well, hello, Goldie! It’s so nice to meet you,” she said to the kitten.

“Happy anniversary,” Kristoff whispered.

Anna smiled and said, “You brought me two golden apples!” as she kissed him.

“Better keep him away from Sven!” he joked. Just then Sven, Anna's goat, hopped over the fence. Kristoff was ready with a golden delicious of his very own. When Sven finished that one he came back for more, and Kristoff was prepared. The two floating apples were for Anna but the hanging apples were for Sven. Sven playfully bit at Anna’s shawl a few times until Kristoff tossed a couple of carrots for him to catch.

"So where’d you find him?” she asked, still very focused on Goldie.

"He was just hanging out in one of the apple trees,” Kristoff said.

“The golden delicious?” she guessed.

Kristoff chuckled and wrapped Anna and Goldie in his arms. "I love you, Anna. The past two years have been incredible.”

Goldie squeaked and Anna set him down on the ground to roam around.

"I love you, too, Kristoff,” she said with eyes growing larger as she stood. Then she lowered her eyes just briefly and stopping his heart again.

“And I love the feel of your hand in mine," Anna whispered flirtatiously as she played with a couple of his fingers, eventually pulling his hand to rest on top of her heart, her hand on top of his.

Sven grunted and stood up just then, the motion shifting Kristoff’s focus for a moment. Then Kristoff winked at the goat before he leapt towards the midday sun. Kristoff was already smiling from giddiness.

“You’ll always have me, you know,” she stated.

Kristoff already knew what to get Anna for their third anniversary.

“I’m holding on tight to you, too.”

**********************************************

This is an outtake from my story “Iduna’s Apple” posted as part of the Kristanna Harvest Day 2021 collection @ AO3. It didn’t really fit with the story, but I loved the kitten too much to completely scrap it. So I revised it to make it a short epilogue taking place on Anna and Kristoff's 2nd anniversary, in honor of the Frozen II’s 2nd anniversary.

*The cat model is Binx.*

#frozen #frozen fanfic #Kristanna Harvest Day #kristanna #kitten #black cat #sven's a goat!

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katzkinder · 3 years

Text

I've kind of been thinking about this for a bit, and rereading (again) C3 arc has just cemented it further for me

Servamp has a lot of important messages in it, but one that kind of gets... I don't want to say overlooked, but it does seem to fall by the wayside, even in real life, is forgiveness as an act of self care, rather than an absolution.

What I mean by this is how things like guilt, hate, and regret hold us down and prevent us from thriving as people. The first major example we get of this presents itself in Kuro.

Kuro has been wallowing in his doubts and regrets for two centuries when we meet him. It has exacerbated his depression to the point that not only does he refuse to feed himself, he also refuses to make his own decisions. Only once Mahiru helps him to confront that he made a choice he considers wrong is Kuro able to let go and move forward. He later on thanks Lawless for not forgiving him, because that grudge, the emotional pain he caused someone he loves, is what kept his worries in forefront of his mind and prevented him from rationalizing his decision to the point that he believed his own lie.

Now, C3 arc in particular has not one, not two, but three examples, at the least, of this coming into major play as well.

The most obvious examples are:

Touma

and Shuuhei

Once Touma finally learns to let go of his anger and his hatred towards his parents for the way they abused him, he's able to move forward as a person and do what he needs to to care for the individuals in his life who have loved him, namely Tsurugi. I have a post that’s been sitting in my drafts for over a year now about how Servamp deals with the concept of “breaking the cycle of abuse” that focuses on Touma because of how important the way Strike handles his arc is, because I got distracted and then never went back to it, laughs.

Meanwhile, for Shuuhei, his overwhelming and all consuming desire for revenge nearly cost him the life of not only himself, but also deeply, deeply hurt his best friend. Once he lets it go, he saves not only himself, but Shamrock, Iduna, Freya, and the lives of every single person, human and subclass, inside C3 by leading them through the most efficient routes to safety during the collapse.

The third act of forgiveness as self love can be found in Iduna. Yes she is holding herself accountable for the sins she has committed in creating what she now realizes to be incredibly vile weaponry, but rather than pity herself, she takes the encouragement others offer and moves forward to save people rather than hurt them. She forgives herself for unwittingly pushing Shuuhei to the brink and giving him the tools to become a monster, and in doing so, saves both him and herself, whether that be in a literal or a metaphorical sense.

Forgiveness does not mean forgetting

It just means not giving the people who hurt you the power to keep doing that

Even when that person is yourself

#kat's katerwauling #servamp #servamp meta #shuuhei tsuyuki #touma taishi #servamp kuro #iduna nobel

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greenjacketwhitehatdocmui · 3 years

Text

Frozen: In the Details

Summary: Sometimes, the simplest of tasks can have a deeper meaning. Agnarr muses on what washing the car has meant to him in the past, and possibly the future. This was written for the “Summer Lovin’” issue of @frozines on Tumblr. Modern AU, Agduna and Kristanna.

This story can be found on @frozines and at Fanfiction.net and Archive of Our Own.

Enjoy!

--Pearson “Doc” Mui

Frozen: In the Details by Pearson “Doc” Mui

Agnarr awoke early on a Saturday. With some grumbling, Iduna released him from their bed as he prepared for the day. She understood that this task had to be done early in the morning, but she didn’t have to like it. If things worked out, however, it would have been worth waking up early for.

After a quick breakfast and some cleanup, Agnarr trotted to the garage. The spring in his step ran counter to the occasional crackling sound in his knees. Even the projected thirty percent chance of rain did nothing to dampen his spirits.

Eyeing one corner of the garage, he chose his tools for the day’s task. Buckets, wash mitts and car soap were laid out on the garage floor. After a moment, he opened up some folding chairs and a small table.

Opening the garage door, he smiled at the sight of his girls coming home, if only for today. They were adults now; Elsa was working on her PhD while Anna was a year into graduate school. The nest was never empty for too long, thankfully. They made time to visit, even if it was just for small talk.

Elsa eyed him ruefully before accepting a quick hug. She had a pretty good idea of what he had planned for their incoming guest. Anna, on the other hand, was pouting.

“Dad, are you really going to put Kristoff through this?” Clearly, his youngest wasn’t pleased at the prospect.

Agnarr raised an eyebrow. “The way you’re talking, you’d think that I was going to torture him. It’s just a car wash between men.” He sighed. “You used to love helping me wash the car.”

“I remember that you loved using the hose,” Elsa reminded Anna. There wasn’t any real bite to her words, though. “We used to help while wearing swimsuits.”

Anna’s pout faded as she sighed, briefly lost in nostalgia. “Those were good times, weren’t they?”

Iduna folded her arms and sighed. Both of her girls were wearing swimsuits underneath their shirts and shorts. Anna eagerly fingered the trigger to the hose while Elsa made sure the supplies were in order.

Elsa was having a good day. It hadn’t taken too much cajoling to get her outside. Anna’s puppy-dog eyes were a formidable weapon, especially at the tender age of eight.

Most men would have insisted on doing “man stuff” by themselves. Agnarr wanted to have as many family activities as possible. Everyone had a job: Agnarr would wash the car, Anna would rinse it off and Elsa would take care of the windows. Iduna was there for spot-checking and refreshments.

“Is everyone ready?” he asked enthusiastically.

“Ready!” Anna piped up.

“I’m ready, Papa,” Elsa said more demurely.

He nodded. “Well, let’s get this car clean, shall we?”

Iduna marveled at their coordination. Everyone worked their roles admirably. Of course, a family wash like this was more for fun than work. There wouldn’t be any intensely-detailed work like Agnarr had done before—

She suppressed a shudder. Agnarr’s father had been a cold taskmaster. He was more of a sire than an actual, warm father figure. While she took no pleasure in anyone’s passing, she had admit that the town had been the better for it.

The calm lasted almost the entire time the car was being washed. Then Anna got a little overzealous with the hose and sprayed into the air.

“Look, Elsa! Look Papa! I’m making rainbows—oops.” Anna laughed nervously as she realized that both Elsa and Agnarr were soaked.

Iduna sighed, safe in the garage. She knew that it was going to end up like this.

With calm, deliberate steps, she retreated further into the garage and grabbed a third, covered bucket from its hiding place. She and Agnarr had prepared this little surprise last night. With some effort, she hoisted the bucket to the driveway and uncovered it.

Iduna reached into the bucket and grabbed a water balloon. She gestured for everyone to do the same.

“On three,” she said firmly. “One, two—“

“THREE!” Anna squealed.

The battle was joined. When it was over, they were collapsed on the lawn, soaked through and basking in the summer sun. It had been a good day.

“Morning, girls,” Iduna greeted them. “Have you had breakfast yet? I could fix something up.”

“We’re fine, Mom,” Elsa reassured her. “We ate before we came here.”

Anna blinked and winced as she ran back to her car, an unassuming Honda Civic. Rummaging around, she extracted a bag and jogged back.

“We stopped by Hudson’s Hearth,” Anna said. “Destin and Halima say `hello.’” She opened it up and the three women sniffed deeply at the smell that wafted out.

“Hmm…chocolate,” they chorused. For a moment, they were lost in the smell of the pastries.

Agnarr tried not to chuckle. The apples didn’t fall far from the tree.

He turned away from them and tried not to look too anxious or expectant. In the brief encounters he’d had before, Kristoff had seemed like a nice enough young man. It was clear that he cared greatly for Anna.

Unfortunately, Anna hadn’t been so lucky the first time. At first glance, Hans had seemed like a good person, too. But the devil was always in the details—or, in this case, the detailing.

Hans had pulled into their driveway in a Ferrari. To Agnarr, this was the first clue that the young man might have been trying too hard.

“Good morning, Mr. Arendelle!” Hans greeted him enthusiastically. “So, who’s going to get the royal car wash treatment?”

“We’ll be taking care of Anna’s car,” Agnarr said. “I already waxed our cars last week. I figured that Anna’s car could use a cleanup.”

Hans’s smile froze. There was a dark shadow of disappointment in his eyes.

“Oh,” Hans said simply. Then he rallied. “Oh, of course,” he agreed. “Nothing but the best for Anna.”

“I’m glad that you agree,” Agnarr said. “I have all the supplies in the garage. Was there anything you needed?”

“Thank you sir, but I brought my own things,” Hans said smoothly. He almost strutted to the Ferrari and pulled out some high-end detailing supplies from the little trunk. They were all brand new and still in the package.

“Do you use all this on your own car?” Agnarr asked.

Hans paused. Then he smiled in an ingratiating manner. “I don’t compromise on quality, Mr. Arendelle. As I said before, I want only the best for Anna.”

As the time passed, Agnarr noticed several things he wasn’t sure that he liked. Hans insisted on doing it all himself, even though Agnarr had offered to help. Whenever Anna caught his eye, Hans flexed and winked.

It was clear to Agnarr that Hans had never washed a car in his life. He was washing randomly instead of methodically, “politely” refusing any suggestions. He was sloppy applying the wax, squirting a long line on the car and working from there. Furthermore, when Hans thought that neither Agnarr nor Anna was looking, he scowled.

Agnarr did not have a good feeling about Hans. He tried to voice his objections to Anna, but she was entirely captivated by how charming, selfless and helpful he was. Hans was, in her eyes, flawless. It was not a good sign.

“I’m not sure it’ll work out,” he admitted to Iduna later on. It pained him to see Anna clinging to Hans’s every word. It was obvious that Anna was utterly besotted with Hans.

“I didn’t know that a car wash was a personality test,” she joked. Her smile faded as she noted his grim expression. “You’re serious?”

He sighed heavily. “He doesn’t take any suggestions or criticism. He shows off when he knows that people are looking. When he thinks nobody’s looking, it’s obvious that he’s not really enjoying himself.” He paused. “And honestly, even Anna could see that he did a terrible job of it.”

“Elsa doesn’t like him, either,” she said. “Something about how he seems insincere to everyone except the person he’s focusing on.”

“Dad had that kind of charm,” Agnarr admitted. “He was better at it, though. Hardly anyone saw his dark side.”

She flinched. “We should warn her.”

“I’m not sure she’d listen. She has an incredibly forgiving heart and Hans will take full advantage of it. You saw how besotted she was with him. I could practically see the hearts floating from her.”

“So we do nothing?” Those words left a bad taste in her mouth.

“No.” He shook his head. “We hope for the best and prepare for the worst. If he tries to isolate her, we find ways to keep in contact. Elsa’s ready to intervene if she has to.”

She nodded. “And what if he goes too far?”

His expression darkened. “Then I will make certain that he never huts anyone again.”

“Just you?” she asked. “You never let me have any fun.”

“Fine, I can go after you,” he sighed. “Not that there would be much left.”

Anna’s enthusiastic greeting to Kristoff’s truck broke Agnarr out of his reverie. He chuckled as Kristoff parked his truck on the side of the road. It was a small gesture of consideration, one of many that he’d observed. Kristoff wasn’t rich and he hadn’t been able to afford the best education, but he was kind and sincere.

“Woof!”

Oh, and Kristoff had a big, friendly dog. The girls had taken to him almost immediately, with Anna babbling baby-talk as Elsa looked embarrassed. Iduna was not immune to Sven’s “puppy in a big body” charm. As for Agnarr, he was fond of the big dog as well—though he tried to be restrained about it.

“Mr. Arendelle,” Kristoff greeted Agnarr politely—and a bit nervously. “Um, I hope you don’t mind that I brought Sven. The big lug didn’t want to stay home.”

“That’s fine,” Agnarr said reasonably. “As long as he behaves himself, I don’t have any problem.”

“He’s a total sweetie, Dad,” Anna said from behind. “Want me to keep an eye on him?” She asked Kristoff.

“That’d be great, thanks,” he said. “If he gets fidgety, you know what to do.”

Opening the door, he grabbed Sven’s leash. The big dog jumped out and waited for Anna to accept the lead. After the obligatory scratch behind the ears and baby talk, she and Sven headed to the shelter of the garage.

“So, um, I brought some stuff with me,” Kristoff admitted. He rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous gesture. “Of course, if there’s something you want to use, I’m okay with that.”

Agnarr scrutinized the equipment in the back of the truck. The microfiber towels had been neatly folded in their own, zip-locked bag. Two buckets with grates inside met with his approval. He did arch an eyebrow at the orbital polisher and pads, something that his late father would have taken issue with. There were spray bottles of wheel cleaner, “ceramic wax,” something for the upholstery and something called “instant detailer.” Everything was in good condition, but it was obvious that the equipment had seen some use.

“Do you think I brought too much?” Kristoff asked nervously. “Maybe I overdid it.”

“I think this will be just fine,” Agnarr said. He turned towards Anna. “What are you in the mood for today?” he asked.

“Well, I really don’t need anything fancy,” she replied. “Why? What did you have in mind?”

“I could probably get rid of some of those swirl marks,” Kristoff suggested. “If you want, I mean. Think of it as kind of exfoliating your car.”

She lifted an eyebrow at the metaphor. “Well…maybe just the hood and the trunk,” she allowed. She quirked the corner of her mouth in amusement. “You just want to use your little toy, don’t you?”

“Well, I saved up for it,” he admitted. ��So, smooth out the hood and trunk, got it.”

Agnarr tried not to chuckle. “You have a polisher, don’t you?”

“It’s nothing fancy,” Kristoff said. “I saved up for it, so I figured I might as well get some mileage out of it.”

“He waxes his truck every few weeks,” Anna said. “You know, I kind of feel bad that you’re doing all this for my car. Maybe I could take care of the upholstery or something?”

The two men shared a look. Anna was dressed practically for the warm weather. There was nothing objectionable about her jean shorts and t-shirt. However, crawling around to wipe down the seats would have been awkward, to say the least.

“How about I walk you through getting your trunk polished?” Kristoff suggested. “It’s not that hard.”

“You’re letting me touch your baby?” Anna asked dubiously.

“My polisher is not my baby,” Kristoff protested. Then there was a warmth in his smile that made her flush. “I trust you.”

“So…you’d let me wax your truck?” she teased.

“Why don’t we start with your car first?” Agnarr gently interrupted. “We don’t want to wait too long, after all.”

Elsa quietly smiled as the men worked on the car. They had been surprisingly efficient and coordinated well together. There were moments when one man had to offer feedback to the other, but neither of them took any offense. It was an unusual kind of camaraderie.

Kristoff was a vast improvement over Hans. What he lacked in funds, he more than made up for in heart. He may have been a little rough around the edges, but there was no doubt that Anna was the most important person in his life.

She heard one breathy sigh, then another. She noted the very contented looks on the faces to either side of her. Then she noted that even in the relatively cool summer weather, Kristoff and her father had worked up quite the sweat, their shirts clinging to them.

With a quiet, resigned sigh, she went into the house. Her sister and mother were oblivious to her absence.

A few moments later, she returned with a tray of drinks and two towels. She set the tray on a nearby work bench and took two tall glasses of lemonade with her.

Anna still had a dazed, dopey expression on her face. Iduna wasn’t much better.

Elsa took Anna’s free hand, the one that wasn’t holding Sven’s leash, and gently placed the glass in her palm. With a start, she blinked as if she were coming out of a spell.

Elsa did the same for their mother. Iduna’s reaction was much the same as Anna’s.

Elsa couldn’t resist a little smirk. “I thought you two might want something to drink,” she said. “You both looked…thirsty.”

Iduna and Anna rolled their eyes at the double-entendre. Behind the cool exterior that Elsa projected, she could be quite the joker—even if her humor tended to be on the dry side.

“Very funny,” Anna returned. “We’re just appreciating their hard work.”

“We certainly are,” Iduna agreed. “Both of them are very diligent.”

“Well, maybe we could reward their diligence with a towel and a sports drink?” Elsa suggested, gesturing to the tray. “I think they could use it.”

Agnarr wiped the sweat off of his forehead. While he still enjoyed washing cars, he was reminded that he wasn’t a young man anymore. Even though he and Kristoff were cutting the workload in half, he was still going to be sore tomorrow morning.

Still, it was gratifying to see how seriously Kristoff took things. He was methodical and, more importantly, he seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself. He concentrated on the job at hand and accepted feedback.

“You’ve had some experience,” he observed. “With washing cars, I mean.”

Kristoff gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I worked part-time at the car wash one summer,” he replied. “I guess it kind of stuck.” He wiped at his brow. “I wouldn’t want to do it for a living, though.”

“I had to…earn things by washing cars,” Agnarr said. “My father was a big believer in hard work.”

Kristoff said nothing. He could tell by the older man’s tone that there were mixed emotions.

Agnarr wiped the sweat off his brow, if only to not drip on his father’s Cadillac. The “beast,” as he jokingly called it, was an ostentatious symbol of his father’s wealth and practicality. It was practical in that any repairs or maintenance could be easily obtained within the town.

As he wiped off a clear path in the baked-on wax, he saw his tired, sweaty reflection in the black depths of the “beast.” He had just spent the last four hours under the hot July sun. Every detail had been supervised by his father, who was resting in the shade with a beer. Every once in a while, his father would shout words of—

“Come on, boy!” Runeard exclaimed. “Put your back into it! In my day, we had to deal with Blue Coral. You’ve got it easy with that wax!”

Agnarr said nothing. His father often deducted from the anticipated payment if he talked back. It was one of the little ways that the family company kept people in line.

It took another half hour to clear off the last of the wax. His arms trembling, he stood up straight and awaited judgment—and hopefully, payment.

Runeard took one last draw of his beer and got up. He circled around the Cadillac and murmured in—well, it wasn’t quite approval. It was more like he acknowledged that the job had been done.

Agnarr tried to keep calm. He didn’t dare show how eager he was to get paid. He couldn’t ever let his feelings show, not in front of his father.

Runeard wiped his index finger down the hood and felt for any errant wax. There was one last murmur as he nodded.

“It’ll do,” Runeard declared. With exaggerated magnanimity, he took out a twenty and handed it to Agnarr. Then the scowl returned as his nostrils flared. “Get cleaned up before you go, boy. And you’d better stay away from those filthy people.”

Agnarr nodded once. The less his father knew about his outings with Iduna, the better.

With one last scowl, Runeard shooed him away from the car. It was the same dismissive gesture he might have used for a servant. It certainly reinforced Agnarr’s place in the world—at least in Runeard’s mind.

Agnarr trudged back into the house. He didn’t have to play up his muscle aches. He did have to remind himself not to smile in front of his father.

Those long, hot hours had been worth it. The aches had been worth it. Above all, Iduna was worth it.

Agnarr forced himself to take long, slow sips of the sports drink as he toweled off the sweat. The exterior had been cleaned and dried, including the wheels. All that was left was the interior and waxing the car.

“You’re in good shape for your age, but don’t overdo it,” Iduna warned him gently. “There’s no one to show off to.”

“I’m not showing off,” he replied. “I’m just…enjoying the moment.”

“What moment?” she asked.

He turned his gaze to where Kristoff was showing Anna the bottle of detailer spray and some sort of yellow clay. He sprayed the hood and wiped the clay across the surface. Then he took a microfiber towel and wiped off any residue.

“See these little dots and specks?” Kristoff pointed to the clay bar. “These are contaminants that stick on your paint. We want to get rid of those before we polish out the swirls. After that, we put on the wax and we’re all set.” He paused. “Here, feel where I just cleaned it up.”

Anna tentatively brushed a finger across the surface. Blue eyes widened in amazement.

“Whoa, that’s…really smooth,” she said. “So, you do this every time you wax your truck?”

He shook his head. “No, this is only once or twice a year. This used to be a big secret for the car shops until a few years ago.”

Iduna turned back to Agnarr and nodded in understanding. There wasn’t a hint of arrogance or condescension in Kristoff’s voice. He merely wanted to inform Anna about something he liked.

As the morning went on, Agnarr noted how patient Kristoff was with Anna. He was a good teacher, putting his polisher in Anna’s hands. It was obvious that Kristoff trusted her implicitly—and she felt the same about him.

By the time they were done, Anna’s Honda had never looked better. Anna and Kristoff took a moment to bask in their shared accomplishment. The car gleamed in the light, despite the clouds coming in.

“Good job, feisty pants,” Kristoff complimented her. “She looks great.”

“Oh, I didn’t do all that much,” she demurred. “You and Dad did all the hard work.”

“Oh, it’s not as hard as the old days,” Agnarr chimed in. “Believe me, I would have been a lot less sore if we had that ceramic wax back then. It’s a lot easier to take off than baked-on Turtle Wax.”

Any further comment was forestalled when Sven sniffed the air. The big dog made a dissatisfied, grumbling sound. Moments later, the sky darkened with an ominous rumble.

“Oh, no…” Agnarr groaned. “There wasn’t supposed to be any rain today!”

“That figures,” Kristoff sighed heavily. He eyed the back of his truck.

Elsa checked her phone. “Looks like there’ll be heavy showers for an hour or two.”

“But we just finished it!” Anna groaned.

Kristoff perked up a little. “Well, I’ve got a tarp in the back of my truck. I could cover up your car until the rain stops.”

Anna blinked. “You’re prepared.”

He shrugged. “Sometimes life is like that. You get little bumps in the road and do the best you can. Experience is the toughest teacher. C’mon, let’s get this done.”

Moments later, Anna’s car was safely covered just before the deluge hit. Everyone watched the rain from inside the garage. Kristoff and Agnarr were toweling off their hair. They were both soaked form the rain.

“Sorry it didn’t work out, sir,” Kristoff said.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Agnarr replied. “I’d say that this was a very productive day.”

Kristoff looked at him quizzically. “How so?”

Behind him, Anna looked puzzled while Elsa looked satisfied. Clearly, something was going on.

“Do you have anywhere you need to go?” Agnarr asked casually.

“Not until the rain stops,” Kristoff replied. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, until then, I suppose that you and Sven are our guests. Do you have any requests for lunch?”

Kristoff held up his hands. “Sir, I really don’t want to impose. I’m sure you were looking forward to time with your family.”

“I am,” Agnarr acknowledged with a nod. “Of course, this can include prospective members of my family.”

“But Sven—“

“He’s covered,” Elsa said. She reached in her purse and held up a can of dog food.

Kristoff blinked as Sven leaned against Elsa. “Did you know about this?” he asked Anna.

She shook her head. “Nope. It’s news to me.”

“Relax,” Agnarr said calmly. “I’m not bringing out the shotgun for you two. I’m just asking if you’d like to stay for lunch.”

“I—sure, if it’s no trouble,” he agreed.

“No trouble at all,” Iduna reassured him. “There’s plenty in the Instant Pot to go around.” She opened the door to the house and the smell of hearty stew wafted outside.

“Useful, isn’t it?” Elsa remarked. She paused and dug out something else from her purse. She handed a large, folded square of cloth to Kristoff. “You’ll need this.”

He grimaced at the t-shirt he’d been handed. It wasn’t his, but it was definitely his size. The words “love expert” were boldly emblazoned on the front, complete with hearts.

“Elsa!” Anna exclaimed.

“Yes?” Elsa could not have pretended to be more innocent if she’d batted her eyes.

“You are a stinker. No, you are a scheming, plotting stinker. This was a conspiracy!” Anna declared.

Elsa and Agnarr had matching smirks. That was unsettling to both Anna and Kristoff.

“Well, I didn’t plan on the rain,” Agnarr admitted. “You are welcome in my house.” He paused. “While you are in my house, I do expect you two to…mind your manners.”

Agnarr turned to go inside. He only briefly paused when he passed Elsa.

“They’re blushing, aren’t they?” he murmured.

“Oh, yes,” Elsa agreed.

“Good.”

Elsa lingered for a moment, a smug little smirk on her face. Then she tapped her thigh and Sven followed her inside.

“Your Dad really doesn’t have a shotgun, does he?”

“I…don’t think so. I think he likes you.”

“That’s…good,” Kristoff got out awkwardly. “I mean, it’s better than the alternative.”

Wordlessly, Anna reached out. He gently took her hand as her eyes shone.

“Come on, Mr. Love Expert,” she said. “Let’s have a family lunch.”

Kristoff’s expression softened. “Sounds good to me.”

The End

#frozen #frozines #summer lovin'#agnarr #iduna #agduna #anna #elsa #kristoff #hans #kristanna #my writing

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annaofthenorthernlights · 3 years

Text

It´s your life

Chapter 2

First step…

Kristanna Modern AU

Rating: G

Word counting: 1833

Previous Chapter (AO3)

Summary: Kristoff takes Anna away off her studies – she´s a mess before exams…

Kristoff hastily pulled over to the road´s side.

Anna clung to his neck, nearly strangling him. He could hardly see the road. When he had stopped the engine, he turned and held the little mess in his arms.

Anna hung at his chest, sobbing, and laughing all the same. “Thank you, thank you.” She muttered, tangling her fingers in his hair, literally melting into his body.

“It´s okay, honey. You do deserve a good treat!” Kristoff nuzzled into her hair, pulling her tightly to him. She was such a precious pearl, and he hated the thought of her being in such a pressure of no reason for whatsoever.

Anna pulled a bit back and smiled up at him. “This is so awesome. I can´t believe you did this. You hate those places. Are you sure, you really want to launch into this fantasy world of fools?” She lowered her face, taking a deep breath, while a strange feeling spread in her abdomen. “You know,” she whispered, “it´s just a place of dreams and imagination. But that you would surprise me with this… I know it sounds stupid, but this means so much to me and makes me feel so… special…” The words trailed off and she just sank back into that strong chest.

“Hey princess.” Kristoff muttered back into her hair. “You´re most special, don´t you know that?”

Anna smiled and pulled on his shirt collar for affirmation. They would stay a bit longer like this, when Anna´s mobile startled them both, having them jolt out of that cosy position.

“Oh no. It´s Elsa.” Anna grimaced when she saw who was calling her. She took a deep breath and snitched her head to the side as to make herself relaxing, somehow.

“Hey there.” She tried to sound casually happy to have her sister on the phone. “What´s up?”

“Anna! Where are you?” Elsa´s demanded in a controlled but outraged tone.

“I´m with Kristoff. Why?”

“Why aren´t you at your home, studying?” Elsa sighed audibly. “I came to pick you up. How long will it take you to come here?”

“Why?... Oh no, don´t say it´s today… I thought it´s next weekend?” Anna turned pale and her heart sank into the lowest department.

“Yes! It is today and you better get your little head cleared and back home, now!” Elsa stated in a clear and not misunderstanding command. “Where are you? Tell Kristoff to bring you home, now.”

By now, Anna had turned the speakers on, so Kristoff could listen to the conversation. Elsa had noticed the change of the echoing sound and would address Kristoff now.

“Hey Kristoff. Listen. I´m sorry. Whatever you two were up to. Anna needs to get back to her flat immediately to get ready.”

“Hi there Elsa.” Kristoff greeted Anna´s sister formally, but kindly. “Just hang on, please, yes?” He turned to Anna, “what have you forgotten about… I mean, where were you supposed to go tonight?”

Anna was kind of panicking by now. Kristoff put a hand to her arm, trying to calm her down. She then tried to explain with a timid voice.

“It´s a dinner party at my grandfather´s house. He has invited some important people. A lawyer’s office, our family is collaborating with since decades, if not even centuries…. He wants me to meet them on a professional basis as to get a position at their office for the start. You know, like a start off into the famous world of “Rendelle” law business.

“Anna!” Elsa interrupted Anna´s explanation. “You can explain this to Kristoff on your way back. Please hurry and head back now. Kristoff, will you please take her home, now.”

There was a silence for a moment.

“Anna! Kristoff! Are you guys still there? Hello?”

Kristoff looked at Anna and increased his squeeze on her arm. “Anna! Whatever you want to do, it´s your decision and I will go the mile with you. Do you want this? Do you want to go to this dinner party? If yes, I turn the car and bring you back.”

Anna stared at him with big restless eyes. “I don´t know. I mean I know what I´m supposed to do. Bu I don´t know if I want this myself?”

“It´s your life, Anna!” Kristoff said, firmly, but kind and in his softest voice. “I actually wanted to talk to you over dinner, in a quieter situation. But now, you must decide. But, hey honey, whatever you decide, it´s okay for me. We can postpone this trip. I stand by you. Okay?”

“Hello there. You two. Stop this fussing around and nonsense talk. Get yourselves back here, now!” Elsa´s voice bounced through the car, ineffectively actually.

Anna stared at Kristoff, then at the mobile resting in her lowered hand, then back at Kristoff. “You mean that? I mean, you would not drop me like a hot coal if I´d asked you to bring me back?” Tears forming in her eyes, she breathed heavy, waiting for his affirmation in disbelief.

“Yes Anna. I mean it. I love you. And I want you to live your life. However, you see it to live. What´s my part in it, we will find out. But I want you to live your life, because it´s your life, and not the life of others, no matter who.” He had emphasised the last phrase. It was so important to him, that she would understand to live her life in her way.

Anna´s lips quivered, she chuckled, giggled and sobbed all in same. She would not take her eyes from Kristoff´s friendly look, while she lifted her hand and spoke into her mobile.

“Elsa. Please excuse me for tonight. Tell them I´m unavailable or something. I won't have Kristoff bringing me back. We're going to Disneyland!”

“An…” Elsa´s voice was turned off by Anna pushing the red button. She dropped the mobile and threw herself into the welcoming embrace, to embrace the edge into a new world.

**********

Elsa stared in disbelief onto her mobile. Anna had hung cut her off. Her little stubborn sister. Did she actually have a clue of what she was doing, of how she was just about to ruin her life, her career, her future? Elsa nearly shook with fury. How could she. How could she behave so childish, so foolishly, so senseless, like a dreaming idiot?

She turned to her car, to get back at the Arendelle estate, the home of the Rendelle family since two hundred years. How should she explain this to her grandfather…? Her parents would have understood, would have sat to reason over this. But her grandfather… Runeard Rendelle was a stern man, focused on family wealth and on representing their name. He was not particular mean in person, but business came before personal affairs. He was convinced that a good name, fortune and power in the upper classes would provide for good living and fulfilled life. His son, Agnarr, had followed the elder´s advices. Still, Elsa´s parents had lived family in a kind manner and taken care to teach their daughters to care for each other. But then, business had over throned all plans for family and personal matters.

A few years ago, Agnarr and Iduna Rendelle died in a car accident, and Elsa´s and Anna´s future lay completely in their grandfather´s hands.

Would Anna really take the risk and step out of the family´s tradition and run off with this half portion of a carpenter? Not that Kristoff Bjorgman was half a portion, physically spoken… But to the terms of Runeard Rendelle, a carpenter would not even deserve a nod of the head for acknowledgement´s sake. No college degree, no money, no well-known name…

Anna had never listened to the warnings. Apparently, she had set her mind to stick with the man. After all, he had helped her a lot. He had been a good friend to her when everyone else had frowned at her foolish situation she had manoeuvred herself in with Hans back three years ago.

Kristoff had never made efforts to befriend with the family, nor to make himself a name within their circle of friends. He liked it best to have Anna to himself in his surroundings. And Anna seemed to like it. She seemed to feel at ease with his family and friends.

Elsa had met Kristoff´s family once, being co-invited to a birthday party. They were kind and friendly. A bit weird in her opinion, but if Anna felt happy with them… Kristoff´s best friend Sven was a funny chap, with a sincere smile and jovial manner. The two men were about to establish their own business as partners. Elsa knew by Anna that they were working hard to accomplish their plan.

Elsa mused over this awkward situation, while driving into the carport next to the big house. She remained behind her steering wheel and a thought had pinned in her mind. ´Anna might have the courage to do the next right thing for herself. Had she not heard how Kristoff told her that it was her life and not the life of others? He had not pushed her, not been manipulating, just reassuring her to choose the next step for herself. For her own life. ´

Elsa stepped out of her car and made her way up the estate´s pathway to the great front door. She held her head high, like she would do when entering the family´s home. She braced herself to meet up with her grandfather…

**********

Anna leaned back in her seat, staring out in front of the window into the last sunrays that were sinking behind the horizon. The evening light was faded into a soft pink, mingled with soft blue strokes in the skyline, mixed along with silent hanging clouds, drifting in the spring wind.

“I can´t believe I´ve cut her off like that. Do you think she´ll be fine?”

“Anna. She´s the big girl and she´s not the one heading off to Disneyland. Your grandfather won’t decapitate her.” He tried to sound jovial, but Kristoff was not stupide and understood Anna´s concern. “Don´t worry, honey, I´m sure she will find a way to explain. And then, it´s your decision. I fear you will be the one who will have to deal with Runeard Rendelle yourself: But Anna. You´re not alone!”

Anna had turned her gaze towards him, tired now, but still feeling kind of free. After the decision had formed within her and then crawled up to her mind to finally being spoken out into the mobile, she had felt a weight falling from her, invisible but fully present. She placed a soft hand on Kristoff´s arm. He would pat it with his other hand, putting it then back onto the steering wheel.

“So, I took the first step out of my life.” Anna mused quietly.

Kristoff kept eyes on the road, but spoke softly, and reassuring. “No Anna. I´d say you took your first step into your life!”

#Kristanna fanfic #Modern AU #my fanfic #surprise trip #decision #love #Fanfiction

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hereisisa · 4 years

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Another thing where Frozen 2 went wrong was focusing on the lore and explaining Elsa's powers. Did we really need an explanation for her powers? Was that something people really wanted to know? Does it really matter how she got them? I mean, explaining Elsa's powers is not gonna make the movie good or better. What fans really wanted was more interactions between Elsa and Anna, them doing things together after being separatee for many years. No one gave a fuck about the lore or magic.

You and me both, anon.

I think Jenn Lee and Chris Buck said this was one of the questions kids asked them....but I never thought of that. I was never interested, and I think that “explaining it” takes the magic away.

And what is the explanation again?

She’s a present to Iduna for saving her enemy?

But why that specific present?

It’s conveniently useful when it's time to understand what’s happened between Runeard and the Northuldra, and let Anna know...Or when it’s time to stop the wave.

But really, the explanation is confusing at best.

Kids want explanations they can understand (Spiderman got bit by a spider and now he’s spiderman!) and the F2 one is a mess.

I also believe that it’s not appealing to kids. Even IF they understand it, it’s not “magic”, it’s not “dreamy”, it’s not something they can hope to get too.

It’s not the “Hogwarts letter” that changes your life, you know?

#Frozen 2 #Elsa #Queen Elsa #BringElsaHome

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let-it-show · 4 years

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Someday, Maybe

Ah I just wanted to do a little something for Mother’s Day, but not Iduna focused. Elsanna and a conversation, with an admission that comes perhaps as a sliver of a surprise? A life moment with the girls. ------------------------------------------------ A popped stitch on a doll and a quick repair led to a conversation Elsa hadn't anticipated. Maybe someday she knew she would have it, knew she would have to think about it, but she still hadn't expected it at all. However as she sat on the library couch fixing the little hole in the doll-version of herself made years ago, it inevitably came up. "That's the doll mother made, isn't it? I'm surprised we didn't damage them any more than we did as children," Anna had said and Elsa had offered a little smile. They both knew after they separated, play with the dolls had been light when it did happen. Elsa knew both of them mostly used the dolls as comfort, to cry with when suddenly their lives were disrupted. For a long time Elsa had imagined her dolls would be passed on to whatever child she might have since they were kept well. She told Anna that much as she finished fixing her smaller self's little dress and examined her stitching. Anna laughed and said she had thought the same but hoped it wouldn't happen for a long time. That surprised Elsa. "I thought you planned to have a whole family as soon as you could, honestly." "No, I craved love and giving love, but not exactly having children," Anna answered, curling into Elsa in her nightgown. She kissed Elsa's cheek and gazed at her. "Everyone seemed to think I was going to marry Kristoff and immediately have a couple of babies, but I wasn't thinking about any of that really. Being a mother was a little scary to think about, and our own was hardly the best role model." Elsa simply stared back at her in surprise at her harsh words, even if she understood where they were coming from. "I see. And now...?"

"And now what? It's still not on my mind Elsa, even if it should be. I see the children in town often when I am out, and we are frequently busy with our duties, or each other," she said, running her hand over one of Elsa's bare legs. Elsa's own nightgown had ridden up slightly where she sat.

Elsa nodded, having not expected Anna's response - well, not entirely. It was true she didn't think Anna would want kids right then with them settling into their roles even still. To know she wasn't thinking about it though? Admittedly it was a bit of a relief, as she couldn't give her a baby. That brought about her own thoughts. "I...I've thought for a long while it would be nice to have a daughter," Elsa admitted, her cheeks a little pink. She was sure no one thought she would feel that way, but she kind of did. She wanted someone she could spoil and raise to be an amazing person, and give her all that she never really got growing up .Anna blinked at her, and tilted her head a little. "Oh?" She looked adorable, her twin braids falling against her. Elsa reached for the end of one and rubbed her hair between her fingers gently, eyes still on Anna's face. She opened her mouth and tried to find the words to express herself. "Growing up, I did things for you if I could, snuck you some desserts or toys to wake up to..." Anna giggled. "Hehe. I know." "I wish I didn't have to sneak, I wanted to do those things openly. And now, I...I want to do those things for...ahhh..." It felt odd to say a child of her own. Elsa was never permitted a very normal life, and the idea of having a normal relationship with a daughter of her own was a very foreign thought. She faltered. Of course, to have a kid, there were certain requirements with the opposite sex, and Elsa had zero interest in that so she knew it was only a dream, only a thought. Anna took Elsa's hand in her own, pulling her from her braid and to her lips. She kissed her hand and nuzzled it. "I understand, Elsa. I think, maybe if I felt I wasn't robbed of a childhood, if we both weren't...maybe I'd be in a similar place. But I'm still learning about having fun too, still remembering I'm not alone." "Oh." Elsa sighed but kept a smile on her face. "I don't expect that of you Anna. These days I don't think about motherhood anyway, we just happen to be on the topic now." The question of an heir would surely come up and then the thoughts would be forced in her head but for the time being, it wasn't something that came to mind often. She still held the doll and settled it on her lap. Someday she was sure she would pass it to someone out there. Anna pulled their hands to her chest. "I'm still happy you've said something. Olaf is always playing with the kids at the orphanage, it's not impossible that maybe we'll meet someone there and grow fond of them. Ha, Olaf...he really is kind of our kid." "You say that as if you just now realized it," Elsa teased. "No, no, I realized it when I met him...I don't think you got it until after the thaw," Anna said with a smirk and Elsa just sucked her lips in because she didn't have a comeback. Anna squeezed her hand. "...You'd make a nice mom once you get out of the habit of risking your life." Again, Elsa was without a comeback. Anna was right about that, probably. "Um, thanks," she replied awkwardly. Her admission had felt good, but the conversation was starting to feel like a bit much for her. She had other things to think about, like whether or not she could legally marry her own sister. It was definitely not a good time to think about a daughter. "Can we change the subject? To...anything," Elsa asked meekly. "Of course," Anna murmured and leaned up to kiss Elsa briefly, only offering a brief teasing swipe of her tongue against her lips. It was enough to give Elsa a little shiver. She chased the kiss and managed to catch Anna in another deeper one. Anna let go of her hand and returned her fingers to Elsa's leg as she danced them along her skin. Elsa shivered again and then suddenly broke the kiss, reaching for her doll. "What?" Anna asked in confusion as Elsa was moving awful anxiously. "It's just-she-...I don't think she should see what's about to happen," Elsa said, turning red at her own silliness. Did she really just say that? Anna just stared, and then burst into laughter.

#Elsanna #ficlet #elsa #anna #mother's day

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lovewillthaw-j · 4 years

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Forest of Shadows review

I finally read FoS, because my recent post on the “Secret Room” led me to search FoS and I also had some time on hand. I’m writing this post to share my views and invite conversations. Spoilers ahead! Also; I have not read any other full reviews of FoS. This is also the first Frozen-related official fiction I have read other than the Dark Horse comic True Treasure. Long post ahead.

Background: Ever since joining the fandom, I have seen mentions of FoS by other bloggers and get the general feeling that it’s a great book; thus I had high expectations of FoS. I had obtained the book in early February, read the first chapter and found it interesting. Didn’t have time to finish the book till now. Unfortunately, to be honest and true to myself, I did not like it.

The Good: I give credit to the author for 1) Exciting writing, it is truly quite a page turner, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in a day, reading into the night way past my usual bedtime. 2) A complex plot that did not feel drawn out for the sake of filling pages 3) Focusing on the sisters throughout and the climax being about their love for each other 4) The new characters do not take too much focus away from the sisters 5) Countless F2 references such as the scarf, Iduna singing the lullaby and cuddling both children, mention of a Dark Sea on the map, mention of Runeard and the Northuldra.

The Bad: I will touch on 6 areas (with some unavoidable overlap): 1) The premise 2) Anna’s characterisation 3) The Nattmara 4) Aren and Revolute sword 5) Myth vs Reality 6) Plot holes. Spoilers ahead!

1) In this story, Elsa is 24 and Anna is 21 - 3 years post Frozen 1 and in the same year as F2. The premise of the story is that Elsa is fearful of being a bad queen, and Anna is insecure about how Elsa feels about her. Elsa is also about to leave, without Anna, on a world tour on a ship. Elsa has planned for Anna to be the “keeper of the kingdom” while she is away but for some reason, has not told Anna, even up till 3 days before the voyage. The Blight starts and Elsa feels powerless, amplifying her fear, which brings on the wolf form of the Nattmara. Anna, who is insecure for almost the whole story, gets freed from her insecurity when it is revealed to her that Elsa intended for Anna to be the “keeper of the kingdom” all along. And then, Anna figures out the Nattmara is Elsa’s nightmare (and not Anna’s) and in the climax, uses “true love” to free Elsa and the whole kingdom. I feel that the entire premise of this story is thin and very OOC for the sisters, at least in my headcanon.

It is illogical to me that after 3 years of rule, Elsa feels fearful of being a bad queen. Surely she would have feared she would be a bad queen for the entire time since Agnarr died 6 years ago? Why now? Why would she feel this way 3 years after the great thaw and when she has Anna by her side? It is illogical to me that Elsa wouldn’t bring Anna on the world tour, and illogical that she would make Anna the keeper of the kingdom but not tell her about it or even give her some preparation and instructions, up till 3 days before the voyage. In the library, the sisters spent a whole afternoon together reading books and they couldn’t find the time to talk to each other?

Regarding the climax, I acknowledge that the author found a clever word play with “Revolute” being an anagram of “True Love”. But, using an act of “True love” to save the day felt stale and rehashed from F1, as if Anna’s act of true love in F1 was insignificant. I was sorely disappointed when I reached the climax.

2) I was very irritated with how Anna was characterised in this story as it clashes with my headcanon of how 21 year old post F1 pre F2 Anna should be. The author decided that “Anna is really, really, REALLY insecure” and bombarded us with reminders every few sentences about it. For example, when the sisters talked to SoYun, Elsa told SoYun “you did the right thing coming to me” and Anna felt insecure that Elsa had not said “us”. When Anna suggested to send Kristoff to look for the trolls, Elsa hesitated and Anna felt insecure that Elsa did not seem to like Anna’s idea. When Anna discovers the secret room, she is reminded of how she was always “the last to know” as a child. When Elsa talked to Gerda, Anna “would have been even happier if Elsa had told Gerda that Anna had found something important”. Anna also has a nightmare that there is another “Anna” that Elsa and Kristoff interact with, while she, the real Anna watches from outside. Why is Anna so insecure 3 years post F1 when she knows that Elsa’s love for her is so great that Elsa would willingly lock herself away from her? The book also tells us that Anna felt that she needed to “prove her worth” to Elsa, and this led to Anna becoming fixated on fixing the Blight, to earn Elsa’s approval and to bring her on the boat trip. To me, Anna giving up her life for Elsa in F1 has “proved her worth” for all time!! The author also took pains to bombard us with reminders of how ditzy and clumsy and awkward Anna is eg always waking up late, walking into the great hall in her nightgown, interrupting Elsa and embarrassing Elsa in front of the people, running off with Revolute sword with no plan. This is not what I headcanon 21 year old post-F1 Anna to be. She might be awkward, yes, but not to this level.

Anna also did a couple of immature things. 2 big examples: Elsa held a meeting in her bedroom and Anna wasn’t invited, but Anna could hear that the meeting was going on (outside the door) and was upset and fled to her room. I would have expected Anna to knock on the door and go in and be helpful, after all, she is the royal princess and Elsa’s confidante. Anna’s belief in the spell that grants dreams is also rather immature, as a 21 year old adult I would have expected her to know better.

I also expected Anna to sleep in Elsa’s bed every night to be there for her, especially when Elsa has been troubled by events (think about F2). Since when does Anna put anything, including her own insecurity over her love for Elsa? but no, upon finding Elsa’s bedroom empty, she goes back to sleep in her own room, and Elsa also didn’t come over to look for Anna. Why couldn’t the sisters just TALK to each other?? At the end of F1 they couldn’t stop touching each other, holding hands, hugging each other, making up for lost time.In summary:

I just cannot see my darling Anna as this person, sorry!

Yes she could have been like this before F1, but not after her epic F1 journey to save Elsa and not after 3 years with Elsa by her side.

3) The Nattmara. I have trouble with the Nattmara’s existence. As mentioned above, Elsa should have been fearful of being a bad queen 6 years ago - Nattmara should have appeared way earlier, why now?

The powers of the Nattmara were also ill defined. First, it was a sickness on animals and crops. Then it became a literal, physical wolf with capabilities to inflict real physical harm. Then, it also gained the ability to scare humans (not as a wolf, but as some unseen, spiritual force) but additionally, turn humans into zombies (Kai and Gerda, while half-awake, were able to hold weapons against Anna) Next, the Nattmara gained the ability to turn into black sand, reform into a wolf, and turn back into black sand effortlessly. IIRC, the Nattmara only demonstrated the ability to turn into black sand after they read about it in Sorenson’s book, and then it started to use this power extensively. But even more confusing, when they were leaving the Huldrefolk and rushing back to Arendelle, they met up with Sorenson who was “possessed” by the Nattmara but didn’t have the yellow eyes and was able to speak normally and deceive the main characters about a magical water source. And after that, “possessed-Sorenson” (an old man) gained the physical ability to take on Kristoff in a fight.

I feel that the author twisted the powers and capabilities of the Nattmara to keep the reader on the edge. (doesn’t everybody like zombies) I’m not sure if the Nattmara is just darkness or does it have a mind of its own? And every normal person has nightmares and fears, why hasn’t Nattmara appeared before? In chapter 9, it is stated that “Anna had dreamed of the wolf her entire childhood” - what is the explanation for that from a Nattmara perspective?

4) Aren and the Revolute sword are confusing as the author first introduces it as a myth (a sword that can create an actual, geographical fjord miles wide, is a myth) and the sisters acknowledge that it is only a tale. Sorenson debunks Aren and Revolute. Inexplicably, after Sorenson debunks it, Anna immediately says “So we need Revolute!”, showing that she now believes that there is a real Aren and a real sword, and this leads them to look for the Huldrefolk because “the Huldrefolk always find that which is lost”. To put it another way, a group of adults decided to enter dangerous, abandoned mines, based on the thinnest of suggestions that a mythical sword exists and a magical people that may not exist, somehow have it. Their quest to find the sword then leads them back to the tumulus, which they now believe is Aren’s. After some difficulty, they actually find a physical sword named Revolute, but my question is, do the sisters believe this is a real, normal sword owned by a normal human warrior called Aren or do they now believe they have found the mythical, fjord carving sword? They then try to use a physical sword against a mythical creature - doesn’t that contradict the “myth to destroy a myth” bit?

Nattmara destroys the sword, and eventually the “myth to destroy a myth” is revealed to be True Love, which happens to be the anagram of “Revolute”. Clever, but too convenient! What does the sword have to do with true love? Couldn’t Anna have figured out that the answer was true love by another way?

Historically speaking, warriors would be buried with their swords next to them or laid on their bodies with their arms crossed over the sword, so why is the sword found in the ship’s dragon mouth? And, the book said that the tumulus may be thousands of years old, how can a sword that old not have rusted and disintegrated by now?

Additionally, the Earth giant’s passage starts from the castle and passes the tumulus of Aren; Iduna knew the existence of the passage because she wrote about it in her book, so why wouldn’t any other king, Agnarr included, have examined/exhumed the tumulus and made it a museum, or store the artifacts in a museum, and research to see whose tomb it was? These are the 1800s after all, archaelogy had already begun post-renaissance.

5) As an extension of point 4, the treatment of myth/magic and reality is confusing. The story starts off on the premise that aside from Elsa’s magic and the rock trolls, we are in the real world dealing with real botanical and animal farming issues. Sorenson is introduced by Oaken as a “mystic” but in person, Sorenson is actually a scientist (reminds you of Varian from RTA/ TTS). Sorenson makes an excellent speech debunking the Nattmara, Huldrefolk and Aren and Revolute. When I got to this point in the book, I thought, that’s an absolutely correct 21st century mythbuster/human psychology explanation of nightmares and magical creatures and other unexplained phenomena. The book that he is holding is even called “Psychologia”. I was expecting that there would be a real world, logical explanation for the wolf and the Blight and Kai and Gerda going mad (Zootopia and the “night howlers” serum causing savageness comes to mind) However, the author then throws this away and the Nattmara is shown to be a real magic force, the Huldrefolk are shown to be real, Aren and his sword are actually real. Sorenson is the one who said “you can only defeat a myth with a thing of myth” but in the same breath says that all of these don’t truly exist; Yet, the rest of the story rests on defeating Nattmara with a thing of myth.

If the author had intended to portray this as a magical world and Sorenson as the “skeptic”, she didn’t write it clearly enough; or she shouldn’t have inserted so many sentences on debunking to maintain the suspension of disbelief.

6) Plot holes: Why is Elsa the only one who can deal with mundane problems like cracks in chimneys and animal illnesses? Hasn’t she heard of delegation?

Why isn’t Elsa interested in the contents of the secret room, as an educated adult and ruler? She took one look at the portrait of Aren, thought about “great leaders”, felt consumed by fear that she isn’t one, and decided that she will shut the secret room and inexplicably says “mother and father intended for it to be hidden, so it should stay hidden”. A great leader would read extensively and do research and build on what your forebears have done; here is a treasure trove of work done by her parents, the previous rulers.

If Elsa could make the massive snow bear, Bjorn, then why didn’t she make an army of snow bears to fight possessed-Sorenson? Instead she left Kristoff to face him alone?

When Elsa was consumed by the black sand and Anna ran towards her, it is clearly written that Elsa attacked Anna with the black sand, but in the next chapter Anna is still Anna and not zombified.

Wow, I have really written a lot. I guess I was really invested in the story, but my disappointment at the ending and the overall premise is too great. I really wanted to like this story. I don’t mean to start any wars, I hope I haven’t offended anybody and I’m willing to consider other perspectives. Please talk to me in the comments! Thanks for reading if you reached here!

#frozen #frozen 2 #frozensnetwork #frozensource #forest of shadows #disneyfeverdaily #disney frozen #disney #elsa #anna

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yumeka36 · 4 years

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Frozen 2 review

I’ve seen Frozen 2 twice now and feel like I’m ready to review it (somewhat) objectively. Obviously there will be spoilers so read at your own risk.

I’ve looked at a number of reviews of the movie both from fans and general critics/moviegoers, and it made me realize exactly what kind of movie this is: pretty much all of the criticism I’ve seen has to do with the plot being unfocused and rushed at times, with points made about the convolution of the mythology elements. On the other hand, the praise I’ve seen has to do with the growth of the characters, how appealing Anna and Elsa’s development is, and the overall message of accepting change, righting past wrongs, and being who you’re meant to be. It’s almost like the critics who didn’t like the movie and the fans who did had completely different expectations for what they wanted to see, with the former expecting some intricate fantasy plot that all clicks together and is fully fleshed out, while the latter is expecting to see their favorite characters face new adventures while growing their relationships and personal identities. And this latter interpretation is the defining point of Frozen’s appeal, even more so in the sequel: the franchise is all about the story arcs of Anna and Elsa and how their bond as sisters helps them grow stronger together as well as individually. In Frozen 2, it’s the characters that are driving the plot instead of the plot driving the characters. And because of this, the movie would rather spend more time focusing on character songs and interactions (not just Anna and Elsa but Olaf and Kristoff too) than exposition and fleshing out of story elements. It would rather spend time showing Kristoff singing about his pining for Anna’s love, give Olaf scenes showing how his new-found knowledge has made him view the world, and give Elsa a follow-up to “Let It Go” in “Show Yourself,” than to spend time explaining, say, the Northuldra culture, how the spirits can make decisions like giving Elsa powers, or exactly how the magic of Ahtohallan works. Yes, this does make some story points lacking and hurried, but I feel that the filmmaking team relies on the fact that we’re so in love with these characters that not understanding every detail in the lore and plot won’t ruin our enjoyment. And, from the acclaim the movie’s getting, I’d say they’re right.

Frozen has always been about quality character story arcs as opposed to quality world-building, but the reason this is more prominent in Frozen 2 is because the first movie had a smaller scale story with minimal lore to focus on, so the character arcs stood out more. Because the sequel brings in more world-building elements, it’s easy for someone who’s not invested in the characters to focus on and judge the movie based on the fine details of the plot. Of course it would be nice if we could have both: intricate, solid world-building as well as character development, but that would probably make the movie too long – it could work for an ongoing series but not for a time-restricted Disney movie that only has a degree of creative liberties and still has to adhere to certain story flows and formulas. So then the questions are, did I feel enough was explained in Frozen 2 to make sense of the story even if a handful of things were lacking? Did the quality of the characters and their developments and relationships make up for a plot that was a bit messy and unfocused? I’d say the answer to these questions is yes.

With that in mind, as a fan judging the movie based more on how the characters are handled rather than the plot, and considering the hype the movie had to live up to and the insane number of directions they could have gone with the story, I think the final product turned out to be very good. The few things I had issue with are as follows:

-as I discussed in most of this post, I admit that the movie is a bit rushed at times, with certain scenes and plot points that needed more focus being glossed over. An extra 5-10 minute runtime would have benefited it immensely: a few more scenes of Agnarr and Iduna in Ahtohallan, more discussion in the finale of Anna becoming queen and what Elsa’s role as the fifth spirit is…even just another 30 seconds for each of these would have made a big difference. But at the same time I feel enough is explained to satisfy a general audience and the main appeal of the movie – the character arcs and relationships – is very well done.

-Kristoff’s failed proposal in the wagon felt way too forced. Anna was just way too quick to misunderstand him, making it feel very unrealistic and it only made their relationship look regressing rather than progressing. The other attempt in the forest was a bit forced too but not as bad as this one. These scenes definitely could have benefited from another rewrite. But thankfully they’re short.

-the new characters like Matthias and Honeymaren contributed virtually nothing to the plot: they could have been replaced with just nameless Northuldra and Arendelle soldiers and nothing would have changed in the story. I think the only reason these characters were made is because there’s some rule that Disney sequels have to have new characters and can’t just rely on the strength of the old ones, so these guys were created even if the movie didn’t necessitate them. Even the four spirits were more plot devices than actual characters. As cute as Bruni is, as soon as I saw him I was like “yeah, he’s just there to sell toys, not gonna contribute anything to the narrative flow” and I was right. This again goes back to what I was saying before about how Frozen 2 chooses to focus more on its (star) characters than world-building through new characters. So in a way, having these new characters isn’t a flaw and it actually shows just how good the original Frozen characters are: they still have so much depth and personality that hasn’t been explored that they can carry this new story on their own without the help of new characters.

But other than a few missing and rushed plot pieces and a little poor writing in Kristoff’s scenes, I thought the movie delivered very well. The love Anna has for Elsa is so amazingly conveyed in this movie that you don’t even need to see the first movie to understand it. All of their interactions and conversations felt so genuine. Olaf was very funny even if all of his jokes didn’t hit their mark. Most of the songs were great and really felt like they were written to move the characters and story forward and not just to be earworms kids will always want to sing. “The Next Right Thing” is one of the darkest moments I’ve seen in any Disney movie, but also one of the most emotionally moving and I have to give kudos to the creative team for keeping it in. “Show Yourself” is the true successor to “Let It Go” (why do they keep pushing “Into the Unknown”?) and is such a beautifully sung and beautifully animated sequence. Speaking of the movie’s animation, it’s gorgeous and it’s so amazing how far the technology has come since the first Frozen. There’s so much detail and nuances in the characters’ expressions and actions that only multiple viewings can pick up on.

Of course, I can’t complete this review unless I discuss the elephant in the room – the ending. Anyone who’s been around the fandom the past couple months knows how bent out of shape everyone got once a vague description of the ending leaked online. Now that I’ve seen it for myself and know all the context, I’m okay with the message: Because Iduna did the right thing and saved Agnarr despite him being her enemy, the spirits gifted their child with powers that could be used to correct the past wrong, should she choose to. And because Anna did the right thing by choosing to destroy her kingdom to save the forest, the spirits freed Elsa who, in turn, was able to save Arendelle. Elsa fully embraced herself and is able to live as she wants, but still able to see her family when she wants. It’s not that she didn’t like being queen of Arendelle and living with Anna and the others, but now that she knows exactly what she is – the fifth spirit – she wants to explore that, but is still able to have a life with her family too. Likewise, Anna has found a purpose she never had before. Even though it’s a major change, she’s happy because she knows Elsa is happy and they can still see each other whenever they want. But as I said, exactly what Elsa does as the fifth spirit should have been explained more (hoping it does in future installments). For what we got though, it was a happy ending, but I won’t say it’s satisfying until we get some more information in future books, filmmaker interviews, and, hopefully, future animated shorts and sequels.

I’m still trying to get over the shock, not just of the fact that a movie I’ve been speculating and daydreaming about for six years is finally here and known, but also the fact that it ended up being very different from what I ever imagined in my theories and headcanons. But now that I’ve watched it twice, I understand the direction the filmmakers went and can appreciate the message they wanted to convey even if the execution was a bit messy. I’m hoping I’m high on Frozen 2 for a while because once it wears off and, assuming, there’s no announcement of new Frozen content by then, I’ll have to figure out what to do with my life! This movie is all about coming to grips with change and I’ll definitely be doing that in reality depending on what the future holds for the Frozen franchise. But as of now, I’m still willing to follow Anna and Elsa into the unknown.

Art credited to @pacota22ma on Twitter

*Crossposted from my main blog, Yume Dimension*

#frozen #frozen 2 #frozen 2 spoilers

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the-blue-fairie · 4 years

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Why Elsa’s arc in F2 doesn’t work for me (and why it does.)

Yesterday, I got into a conversation with a friend where I tried to articulate why I disagreed with certain writing decisions made in Frozen 2 pertaining to Elsa’s arc. It was tricky for me to articulate because, on paper, Elsa’s arc is pretty solid. There are many good ideas and compelling aspects to Elsa’s arc and I can see why a portion of the fandom likes it so much. Elsa coming into a better understanding of herself is a great concept. Elsa being able to broaden her horizons and create a larger support network is a great concept. Elsa and Anna both coming to terms with Arendelle’s colonialist past is a really great concept. While I might personally have issues with the ending and Elsa staying in the Forest based on the material we were presented in the film, I can’t deny that conceptually, that is compelling.

Conceptually, Elsa’s arc works. My issue is in the finished film’s execution.

Personally, I feel that the plot device of the Voice unnecessarily distances us from Elsa’s emotions. By making the catalyst for Elsa’s emotional journey the Voice, the film distracts audiences from Elsa’s internal journey. Instead of having a song that fully explores Elsa’s conflicting feelings and own personal sense of denial and yearning, we focus on an argument between Elsa and an External Force.

Yes, the film tries to make connection between the Voice and “a little voice in the back of your own mind,” but it isn’t from Elsa’s own mind. The writers could have written a less convoluted conflict for Elsa by making “the Voice” Elsa’s own personal internal conflict, but they didn’t. Instead of seeing Elsa simply making a decision for herself, we have to watch her be acted upon by an outside force first.

Now, defenders of the Voice plotline will likely say to me, “But, Liza, Elsa wants to follow the Voice. The Voice gives comfort to Elsa, allows her to realize that it’s okay to express feelings that she has already been having!”

And that’s where my frustration with the film’s execution comes into play again. Because the film never gives us a time of self-reflection for Elsa before she starts hearing the Voice. We are told in Into the Unknown that she wants to come into a better understanding of herself independently of the Voice, but we are not shown it.

What makes this even more frustrating is the deleted moment from the prologue where Elsa asks Iduna about her powers. This little moment (which was already fully animated apparently?) does show that Elsa has this yearning even from childhood, long before the Voice. It actually sets up that Elsa wants to know the source of her powers, which is a major motivation for her actions as the film proceeds. BUT IT’S NOT IN THE MOVIE. THEY CUT IT. It’s like the filmmakers just assumed, well, audiences want to know where Elsa’s powers come from, so obviously audiences will accept that Elsa wants to know too, even though that was never a plot element of the first film, so we don’t have to clearly establish that motivation until Show Yourself an hour into the film.

The finished film, intentionally or not, distances us from Elsa’s emotional journey. It has an amazing conceptual arc for Elsa that could provide great insight into Elsa’s internality, but, in my opinion, it fails to live up to the potential of that concept.

Moreover, there are lyrics from Elsa’s songs in F2 that I feel put the focus on Elsa’s “destiny” and her abilities rather than on Elsa herself and her inner feelings:

“Or are you someone out there who's a little bit like me? / Who knows deep down I'm not where I'm meant to be?”

“Every day's a little harder as I feel my power grow...”

Now, partly, I acknowledge that I am speaking from personal preference. I don’t like destiny narratives. I don’t like narratives that hinge on “the reason I was born,” as Elsa puts it in Show Yourself. I don’t like narratives that focus on a character’s birth and make so much about them rooted in their birth instead of who they are as a person - and I feel like Frozen 2 ind of falls victim to that. The film handles itself better than, say, Star Wars - but the awkwardness of certain implications leaves a bad taste in my mouth. And the funny thing is, I think those implications could have been cleared up with just a little bit more time.

I think the film wants to establish that Elsa’s powers were a “gift” from the spirits because it counters Elsa’s desperate line in the first film about them being a “curse.” The film wants to validate Elsa emotionally and I value that.

But at the same time, by going beyond that and stressing the whole “fifth spirit destiny angle” (and again, I love than Jen Lee has gone on record to say that Elsa and Anna are both the fifth spirit, but considering the amount of people I’ve seen who didn’t pick up on that, I’m kinda holding it against the film that it wasn’t made clearer), it takes the focus away from Elsa’s own agency.

Again, I’m not saying that Elsa doesn’t have agency in the film, but that the film’s choices obscure and distract from that agency.

Making Elsa a gift of the spirits as a reward for her mother’s action and as a peace offering for her grandfather’s action takes the focus away from Elsa as a person, as an individual, as a human being. It puts her on a path in life before she is even born, before she even has the capacity to choose.

Now, you might say, “But it all works out in the end! Elsa chooses to take up her destiny.” But that’s the thing. It just happens to work out in the end because the narrative was written that way. What if Elsa wanted to reject her destiny? She had no choice in the matter while she was still in the womb.

But I’m supposed to think it’s all okay because Elsa makes the choice to follow her destiny and the film doesn’t even take the time to explore the ramifications of the destiny angle it establishes.

And that’s frustrating because, as a concept, that might be a really cool and unique take on destiny. We’ve seen heroes and protagonists who have felt burdened by their destiny before, but exploring Elsa’s feelings of validation that come from learning about her destiny after Elsa spending years feeling inferior could be an amazingly fresh take!

But instead, the destiny angle is just sort of... there... Brought up in a couple lines and a couple song lyrics, seeming to have some positive implications and some really negative implications I don’t think the filmmakers were really aware they were imparting... and we don’t get that exploration - even when further exploration of that angle would only enhance the depth of Elsa’s personal journey.

Now, on a conceptual level, there are two distinct and really rewarding questions that emerge from the adventure Elsa goes on in F2. Those questions are, “What can you do for others?” and, “What can you do for yourself?” The film wants to interrogate Arendelle’s colonialist history AND give Elsa a fulfilling arc of self-affirmation - and that’s great! Both of those concepts are great! But, in execution, I feel like the finished film falters by trying to intertwine those two concepts in Elsa’s arc.

I bring this up because what if someone says to me, “But Liza, if Elsa were to hypothetically reject her destiny then the Northuldra and Arendellians would be still be trapped in the Enchanted Forest and then Runeard’s wrong would not be righted, are you arguing for extreme individualism and selfishness?” Which... No. I’m not. Elsa absolutely needs to right the wrongs perpetrated by her grandfather. Elsa absolutely needs to reflect on the ways her grandfather’s actions reverberate into the present day. That’s an amazing message for young audiences.

But Elsa’s taking responsibility for her grandfather’s actions and finding personal fulfillment are two completely different aspects of her character arc.

And I feel both concepts are done a disservice by the interpolation of the “destiny” elements and the “focus on magical abilities at the expense of character” elements into the greater plot.

If the film wants to be about coming to terms with the colonialist past and about Elsa finding a greater sense of fulfillment in a new place, why not give the Northuldra more screentime? Why not show more scenes of Elsa bonding more with her mother’s people? Again, there are a few such scenes - but after Elsa and Anna and Olaf head out, the Northuldra barely appear until the end of the film. Why not have them actively take part in their own deliverance? Maybe have Honeymaren and Ryder join the quest, which would allow them to develop further as characters and give Elsa characters to play off of as she makes important decisions about her life. That would make everything more personal - and on top of that, it is ALWAYS a good thing to allow characters of color more screentime and depth.

Instead, the film focuses more on Elsa’s connection to the spirits - her friendship with Bruni (which is the most developed bond), her fascination with the giants (with whom she also barely interacts) and her respect for the nokk (which is illustrated really well by her graceful bow.) All that is decent, but it ties more into the “mythic” aspects of Elsa’s character than her humanity... and, to be honest, Elsa’s relationship with the spirits comes off as pretty underdeveloped too.

I’ve harped on this before, but what does Elsa have in common with the giants beyond the fact they are both magical? Why does Elsa say, “I feel like I am home,” when arriving at Ahtohallan? Yes, Ahtohallan has a connection to her mother and the Northuldra, but again, I’m frustrated that the film doesn’t explore Elsa’s connection to the Northuldra more through her interactions with the Northuldra.

The filmmakers had the outline of a deeply personal, internal story for Elsa - but I feel like they didn’t capitalize on the most personal and compelling aspects of their story.

And it just doesn’t work for me.

But at the same time, I respect and value the ambition of Frozen 2. I respect its thought-provoking concepts. And I can understand why so many people do connect to Elsa’s arc in F2 - because again, Elsa still has agency, it’s just agency that’s obfuscated by the unnecessary convolutedness of the plot and a destiny angle that isn’t really needed for the story the writers are trying to tell and (I would argue) actively hampers it. I don’t want to take anything away from those friends of mine that love Elsa’s arc in F2. Your perspective is beautiful and valid and wonderful.

But at the same time, I also feel that people who argue something is “off” about Elsa’s arc in F2 come from a valid place as well (at least, the arguments of people who are arguing in good faith - not the people arguing in bad faith).

Everyone’s perspectives on a piece of media are valid. Everyone’s perspectives emerge from their own experiences in life. I’m simply trying to give voice to mine - based on my particular emotional connection to Elsa as a character, my interpretation of Elsa, and my personal distrust of destiny narratives.

#elsa #frozen #frozen 2

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fericita-s · 4 years

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A Woman of Consequence

A new Agduna story from the canon-compliant WAIL series with @the-spastic-fantastic who also helped me brainstorm this piece and wrote all of Henrik’s best lines, remaining the best beta ever! This takes place right before Only in Dreams.

Summary: Iduna attends a garden party hosted by the the king and attended by several eligible young ladies, one of whom is particularly unpleasant.

Agnarr hadn’t even meant to invite her, she didn’t think. He had mentioned the garden party while she was tending to the comfrey shrubs in her medicinal gardens, pruning them a bit so they didn’t take over other sections of the neatly ordered rows. Agnarr had come out after a council meeting focused on international relations and sighed.

“Lady Wollen has invited just as many foreign women to come this time as she did for my birthday ball. I’ll have to speak to them all and at least pretend to consider proposing courtship or a better trade partnership. I’m not even sure which they want.” He rubbed at the back of his neck and then his eyes. Iduna didn’t know if the flare of anger she felt at his words was for him or these nameless women who would come and hold his hand and promise riches from their kingdom in order to secure a good relationship with his.

Her response was a muttered “Mmmmmm,” as she continued her work, careful to keep her attention on the purple blooms of comfrey and not on his eyes. What good would it do to even hope she could be one of the women he considered for a bride? She had lived in Arendelle long enough to learn that kings didn’t marry commoners. Especially orphaned commoners from lands that were at war with their kingdoms. His friendship would have to be enough, even if there were days when sharing what was on their minds - like the need to court and marry a foreign royal - was a thorn deep in her palm, pulsing with every movement.

“Could you come, Iduna?” She moved her hand to the next section of green brush to trim, only then seeing his hand come to rest in the spot where hers had been only a moment before. She paused and looked at him. Had he been about to touch her hand? “I would like to have a friend there. Among the wolves.”

She smiled at him like she would for a customer, not letting him see the longing her heart felt for a different question. “Yes, Your Majesty. Of course I’ll come.”

So now here she was, a month later, pressing her hands along the pleats of her dress, a simple but well-made blue silk borrowed from Maddie. It was not as formal, perhaps, as the dresses on the other women present at the garden party, but it was fancier than the dresses she wore when working at Mr. Visser’s Apothecary. Besides, Greet had insisted she at least change clothes before walking to the castle from her job in Market Square and Greet was very convincing when she wanted to be.

The decorative gardens weren’t a part of the castle grounds that Iduna knew very well. The medicinal gardens felt like her own land and technically they were ever since Agnarr gifted her with the plot upon her graduation from the academy. The council meeting room, the library, the rooms that had been used for classes – all of them felt comfortable to her. She had even spent the night on two occasions – once during the Rock Pox epidemic and once years before when a blizzard kept her and some of the other students from walking home.

Today, though, the castle felt unfamiliar.

Maybe it was the dozens of visiting dignitaries, most of them young women hoping to find a match with the young king. They were dressed in finery that was surely not borrowed from a slightly shorter friend and walked in the graceful, dainty steps of those not used to avoiding cobblestones cracked in the street or darting past an errant cart or the leavings of a horse. She recognized a few of them from the ball on Agnarr’s birthday. Some even wore the crocus pins he had given out that night as gifts from the kingdom.

Her hand went to the necklace hidden beneath the high collar of her dress, a fossil inlaid with gold on a delicate chain. It had been her present from Agnarr that night and, though she normally admired it from its spot hanging on her bedpost instead of wearing it and worrying it might be damaged during her work, today she had worn it to feel its cool weight on her skin. It was a reminder that Agnarr thought of her, of the time they had spent together while still young and unencumbered by the future, and of her hope that they could remain friends even as he drew closer to selecting a bride. A talisman she could draw strength from, a token of his care.

She saw Elias and Captain Calder speaking to a man in the naval uniform of the Southern Isles and Henrik smiling winsomely at a woman in a heavily brocaded gown. Iduna laughed to herself, wondering if she’d soon have to brew one of the remedies that Henrik was so dependent upon for his thriving relationships with women. This woman leaned close to Henrik and whispered something in his ear and Iduna watched as Henrik’s hand disappeared between her shawl and her skirt.

Agnarr, Lady Wollen, and a young woman dressed in a white gown with lace dripping from the sleeves and collar entered the garden from the gate closest to the castle. Agnarr raised a hand in greeting to Iduna and steered his companions over to her. When they were only a few steps away from each other he made introductions.

“Iduna! This is Lady Alexsandra, sister to the Duke of Weselton. I believe-”

“And granddaughter to the Tsarina,” the woman said, eyelashes fluttering at Agnarr. He looked a little confused and Lady Wollen fixed the young woman with the same glare she reserved for councilors who spoke out of turn.

“Um, yes.” Agnarr rallied. “I believe you both met briefly at the ball?”

“Enchanté,” she said to Iduna, looking anything but.

“Nice to see you again.” Iduna nodded to her and was about to ask about her travel when Lady Wollen spoke.

“We were just talking about you, Iduna. Agnarr mentioned that we should be sure to include your medicinal gardens on a tour for the visitors.” Lady Wollen turned to Alexsandra with a smile and added “Iduna is the best of Arendelle, an example of how well foreigners are welcomed and become citizens, how they have helped build our kingdom into the wealthy state that it is.”

Lady Alexsandra pursed her lips, like she’d just noticed her own hem was already soaked in two inches of mud though Iduna didn’t think the tilt of her upturned chin gave her the range to see down that low.

“Yes I’ve been quite shocked by how...permissive Arendelle is in citizenry. In Weselton, only fourth generation families have the right to apply.” She looked over at Elias and Captain Calder, pointing with her pointy chin. “And it’s certainly never granted to those who are more Antilles françaises than français.”

Iduna was so shocked that she could only watch as red crept up from the skin at Agnarr’s collar all the way out to the tips of his ears. “The Calders are a beloved family.”

Alexsandra smiled and put a hand to her chest. “Oh, I’m sure they are! Doubtless they have served the monarchy well to be so close to you. And a strong queen would no doubt steer you even more dependably.”

Iduna wasn’t sure where to look at that particular pronouncement, but hazarded a quick one at Lady Wollen who seemed to be very preoccupied with breathing through her nose and then at Agnarr who was slowly shaking his head and opening his mouth without any sound. Eventually, he stumbled over a goodbye.

“If you’ll excuse me, I must make the rounds to my guests. But Iduna, I will seek you out once that is sorted.” He kissed the back of Lady Alexsandra’s hand, but his eyes were on Iduna and he bowed his head to her and Lady Wollen before walking briskly towards the groups of ladies who were already watching his approach.

“I must leave as well,” Lady Wollen said and Iduna thought she heard a note of apology in her voice. “We weren’t expecting your presence at the close of our council meeting, Lady Alexsandra. There are some details I must discuss with Lord Hannesel before he leaves.”

Iduna watched as she left, wondering what she could possibly say to this woman who had apparently attended a council meeting uninvited and then besmirched the heritage of the Calder children. She watched as Gerda walked nearby with a tray of ice water, offering it to the gathered groups and as Lady Wollen put a hand on Henrik’s arm, drawing him away from his latest lady of interest, and spoke to him. Alexsandra seized upon the silence between them.

“I remember you from the ball. The king started the dancing with you. And then he spoke of you through most of our dance.”

Iduna flushed and nodded, unsure what was expected of her in this conversation that felt more like an accusation.

“His little orphan friend, so brave to start anew after losing her whole family. You know,” she said, as she put a hand on Iduna’s elbow and then took it away quickly, wiping her fingers on the handkerchief that was draped over the beaded reticule on the crook of her own elbow, “Most queens don’t even mind when the king chooses a mistress or continues a romance established prior to the marriage. Especially with a commoner like a shop girl or a servant. A king can seek satisfaction wherever he pleases, but it’s the queen’s chambers he’ll come to every night for an heir and the glory of the kingdom.”

Iduna blinked and took a step back. “Excuse me?”

“I know I wouldn’t be fussed about a mistress. It’s all very inconsequential when one is wearing a crown.” She reached in her reticule for a fan and snapped it open, waving it quickly in front of her face and sighing.

“But not all the women here are as likely to be as open-minded and understanding as me. Now, do be a dear and fetch me some water. This bright sun is bringing on a headache.”

Iduna took a breath as if slapped, too stunned to speak. She thought about telling Alexsandra she would never get her water, or getting a glass and then tossing the contents in her face, but decided appearing to comply with her rude directions gave her the perfect opportunity to just leave. And as her heart was pounding and something was rising in her throat and behind her eyes, leaving quickly was suddenly very important. She gave an exaggerated curtsey and managed to walk several paces away before she felt tears hot and heavy in her eyes and ran into the solid form of Henrik.

“Here, come with me,” he said gently.

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and he put an arm around her waist and guided her into the castle courtyard, walking briskly all the way across the bridge connecting the castle to Market Square and slowing his pace only when they were in a small side street that would eventually lead to Fiske’s. As they walked, Iduna untucked the necklace from her bodice, gripping it tightly.

She had been so stupid.

She was just like the necklace. That's all she could be to him. Hidden. Something beautiful once, but now on a chain, kept out of sight.

“Well, she certainly seemed vile,” said Henrik, his voice light and almost teasing, even though the quickness of his pace and the furrow of his brow indicated a different weight to the interaction he must have witnessed.

“She didn’t say anything untrue. Or nothing much untrue, anyway,” Iduna said softly, straightening a bit so that she wasn’t leaning on Henrik as heavily.

Henrik stopped and dropped his hand from around her waist and looked at her. “If she said that Agnarr doesn’t care for you, or that you don’t have a place here, that was untrue. That was a damn lie.”

Iduna had stopped when he did, but began walking instead of answering him. She didn’t know what to say.

“She was a ridiculous woman in a ridiculous dress, trying to wear white like Queen Victoria on her wedding day. Like she hoped it might give Agnarr a sudden idea and they could head to the bishop instead of the party.” He huffed a bit as he walked, running to catch up to her. “Slow down, Iddy. I’m out of breath.”

Iduna slowed her pace but still didn’t speak. Swallowing down the lump in her throat was taking precedence.

“But listen. Iddy.” Henrik was next to her again, keeping pace and speaking so earnestly it made the lump bigger and she wished he would stop. “If you ever want to leave Arendelle, if you ever want to start anew, you can. My mother is always looking for sound investments and your medical concoctions and skills are sorely needed in England and on the continent.”

Iduna wiped at her eyes and nose, turning her head away from Henrik. He fumbled in his pockets and pulled out a handkerchief, thrusting it into her hands.

“I leave soon for England and I can set you up with a job there. With my mother’s company or as my own personal remedy maker or we set you up with your own shop. Believe me. There is quite the market there."

Iduna used the handkerchief to wipe at her eyes and then nose and then balled it up and clutched it in her hand. "Caused by you?"

Henrik laughed. “There you are,” he said and Iduna didn’t think he was talking about Fiske’s, now just yards from where they stood. He patted her awkwardly on the arm. “But, please, don’t pay any mind to what people like her say. She’s jealous because for all her airs, she knows that you’re better than her.” Iduna rolled her eyes, but Henrik just shook his head. “No, I mean it. You’re the one who saved Arendelle during an outbreak. You’re the one who got invited to the council not because of family connections, but because of who you are. And you’re the one that Agnarr cares about. And someone like her - who looks at him and just sees a crown, it must drive her mad.”

They stood in silence for a few moments until she gave a small shrug and wiped her eyes. “He is a good friend.”

Henrik opened his mouth as though he was going to say something, then sighed and rubbed his face. “Just - Iddy, if you need to leave Arendelle, you’ll have opportunities elsewhere. You have my word. But please don’t consider leaving because of a woman like that.”

She held out her hand, offering the handkerchief back and he took it, squeezing her hand as he did.

“Thank you, “ she said.

“You’re welcome, Iddy. And remind those roommates of yours about my going-away party. I want to have everyone I care about there.”

Iduna nodded and took a shaky breath. “Sounds like I should start a new batch of your most frequently requested treatment in preparation.”

Henrik smiled and waggled his eyebrows. “That would be very wise.”

Iduna turned and walked the rest of the way by herself and before she was all the way up the stairs she had taken off the necklace, vowing to find a new place for that wouldn’t be visible from her bed. She would bury it out of sight and maybe the memory of today would hurt less.

***

Lady Wollen sighed as she undid the buckles on her shoes and rolled down her stockings, then put her feet up on the stool and settled against the down pillow. The large window of her bedroom looked out over Market Square and had a beautiful view of the castle, but tonight she kept her eyes closed.

She needed a break.

The young king was so earnest and so kind and had so many wonderful ideas for advancing the kingdom’s interests as well as those of its citizens. He was more patient than his father had been and more compassionate as well. He understood the gravity of his position and took it seriously, even at the tender age of eighteen. But sometimes he could be a complete idiot.

He hadn’t recognized Alexsandra’s uninvited arrival at the council meeting as the serious problem that it was. He hadn’t perceived the language of manipulation and patronizing tone in her interactions with Iduna. And he apparently didn’t understand the workings of his own heart which were literally painfully obvious to those around him.

Today, it had been painful for Iduna. If Henrik hadn’t gone to rescue her from what was surely a dreadful conversation with Alexsandra, worse things than bee stings and spilled lemonade would have marred the garden party. And perhaps had a permanent international impact if Agnarr had realized what was happening and ordered the Weselton delegation to leave or cut off trade relations to censure the rudeness of its delegates.

She reached for the flask in her pocket and set it down on the side table with a sigh. Empty.

If the king didn’t ask to court Iduna soon, she might have to retire early. Or kidnap them both and lock them in a tower together. Or the dungeon. Or the clock tower. Anywhere that they could remain until he confessed his feelings and Iduna stayed still long enough to hear that no one in Arendelle cared about the bloodline of the king’s bride.

For now, she could ring the servant for a glass of mulled wine and think on her parting words to Alexsandra, reveling in the delightful look of anger and frustration on the young woman’s face as she had told her “Iduna may have left his party early, but she’s the only one out of the two of you who will be invited back.”

#WAIL #Agduna #mama and papa arendelle #Henrik #Henrik being awesome #Agnarr being clueless

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