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Elsa stood on a dark, secluded beach and bravely faced monstrous waves crashing up ahead. Storm clouds blanketed the horizon—it was just like that day the ocean had taken her parents away from her; she wanted retribution. Lightning raged in the skies above.

‘This is it.’ Elsa thought to herself and nodded. She unbuttoned her coat, removed her boots, and cast them aside while she walked back. Turning around, she undid her braid and tied her hair into a ponytail. Burying a foot into the black sand, she got ready to sprint—right into the waves. She dashed down the beach and into the water, determined.

A wave started to rise, but Elsa continued to run head-on toward it, freezing the water beneath her feet with each step. The giant wave towered over her. Yet with all her might, she tried to get over it but in vain. The wave crashed onto her and washed her back ashore.

Drenched but not one bit less resolute, she got ready for another push. “Okay.” she darted into the ocean once again. This time, she began to slide and took broader, more powerful steps; she made it. Elsa couldn’t get over the wave, but she certainly got through it. She gripped onto a tall rock and immediately made her way to the top of it. Not very far, she noticed a massive wall of water advancing toward her. It was a terrifying sight, but for Elsa, this was no time to be terrified. As she lost her balance atop the rock, she created a steep ice slide and made her way down.

Elsa began running toward it; the wave was too big to get through. As she got close to it, in a flash, she created an enormous ice ramp that shot above its crest. Elsa sprinted over the ramp, almost clearing the wave. At the very last moment, the ramp gave in to the strength of the water and crumbled—Elsa was swallowed by the ocean.

She was still conscious and controlled herself underwater. Holding her breath, she surveyed her watery surroundings. Elsa began to swim toward the surface but was startled by a frightening image: a creature, a spirit. Elsa stared worriedly at the Water Nokk. Its glowing turquoise eyes burned like a fire—it challenged her. Then, it dissolved into the cold water. Neither did Elsa want to know what that thing was, nor did she want to fight it. She swam up under the wild sea torrents and gasped for breath.

What now looked like an equine silhouette began to jet right at her from under the water. Elsa created a floating piece of ice and got onto it, using it as a raft. With all its might, the Water Nokk charged at her. “Aargh!” she was tossed up and plunged into the water. Within a rising wave, the spirit took advantage of her hesitation to attack and came darting toward her. The wave pounced on Elsa, and so did the water spirit—it thrust its hooves into her belly and kicked away from the surface, trying to drown her.

Realizing that it was trying to hurt her, Elsa didn’t hold back: grabbing the spirit by its forelimbs, she froze the Water Nokk to solid ice. The staggered spirit quickly dissipated, undoing Elsa’s frost. Assuming it was all over, Elsa swam up yet again to the surface to catch a well-deserved breather.

The Nokk charged a second time and threw her into the air before she crashed into the water. Using the waves to her advantage, Elsa ambushed the spirit by landing a thick slate of ice onto it—but the spirit dispersed itself. Under the water, it charged at Elsa. In response, she attempted to block its path with a shield of ice shaped like a snowflake. Notwithstanding, the Water Nokk destroyed it and violently tugged at Elsa. Lightning flashed, and the spirit dragged Elsa through the water. However, she seized the opportunity: creating an ice bridle, she fastened it to the spirit. The Water Nokk offered fierce resistance, but Elsa kept that at bay and swung herself over onto its back. The spirit was not going to give in—it kicked and bucked belligerently, refusing to provide control to its rider. But Elsa held on and tightened the reins. Soon, along with the spirit, the waves and the ocean too calmed down.

In the distance, Elsa could see a tiny Arctic landmass. She stroked the mystical horse as it moved with her. “Of course!” she started. “Glaciers are rivers of ice!” A frozen river gleamed up ahead. Elsa declared with great satisfaction, “Ahtohallan is frozen.” The mysterious voice was heard again—this time, it was calm and resonant. “I hear you, and I’m coming.”

She snapped the reins, and the Water Nokk galloped faster. Elsa was proud that she was this close to Ahtohallan, yet she quivered with excitement. Slightly anxious, she entered the still, serene waters of Ahtohallan. The Water Nokk turned as it reached the beach of white ice, allowing Elsa to dismount. She alighted from the Nokk, bowing. Responding in kind, it trotted back into the ocean and disappeared.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Elsa turned away and faced the towering, spiky ice walls. Moving toward it, she noticed an opening. As she entered through it, she undid her hair and let it flow loose—a feeling of familiarity pulled her in. Slowly but surely, Elsa walked through the magically illuminated opening and arrived at a larger cave system within. She confidently called out to the voice; it called back to her, lighting up the way. She had come this far, and these looked like the final steps to the truth. Filled with determination, she pursued the light.

Soon, she found herself running down an ice cave. As her balance on ice was perfect, she preferred to slide. Ahead, she observed a deep crevasse and, at its end, an entrance to yet another cave. Without hesitation, she took a giant leap forward and created ice pillars to jump her way through. With ease, she reached the adjacent cave and ground to a halt. Then, as she placed her hand on the icy wall, it tingled with a brilliant luster. Elsa adored the light and kept her eyes locked on it as it drifted to the end of the cave.

At its end, she saw homogenous shards of ice blocking her path. Without laying a finger on it, she moved all the ice out of the way with a stroke of her powers. She walked into a disorganized hall with pillars of ice lying all around. With deliberate strokes, she erected every ice pillar, which revealed an ice door. She let out a burst of power that instantly decomposed it into billions of crystalline symbols—much like the ones she accidentally created back in Arendelle. Like so, she triumphed over every challenge and had won the respect of each elemental spirit.

First, a formation of crystals formed a leaf, representing Gale. Spinning around her, the crystals consolidated into a diamond-shaped elemental crystal block. Figures representing the fire spirit, Bruni, the Water Nokk, and the Earth Giants followed suit. Elsa moved the blocks around with her powers and placed them rightly on the ground. They formed a familiar shape: like the one on her mother’s scarf. Elsa recognized her place in the formation and eagerly stepped onto it—right in the center. The pattern was complete. A burst of blinding energy that glowed white raced up to the dark cave ceiling and divulged a magnificent dome. Memories from her past played enchantingly on its several surfaces: herself and Anna making Olaf as children, her first encounter with Alex, her sister and herself at the coronation, and many, many more.

Amidst these memories were several other images from her parents’ childhood and youth, which she failed to recognize. These visualizations intrigued her. The voice was heard calling desperately from behind her. Elsa turned back to see young Iduna calling out for help with an unconscious teenage Agnarr in her arms.

“Mother?” she wondered aloud. Again, to her rear, a familiar voice sang to her. It was her mother, gazing at her from a gigantic image on the dome!

Elsa was almost in tears when she stared at her mother. As she sang along with her, a mystical dress formed around Elsa—the Fifth Spirit. Queen Iduna’s memory adored Elsa with pride; Elsa’s eyes were filled with tears of joy: she was looking for herself all along; now, she was found. Eager to put her powers to the test, Elsa created vast clouds of white snow and swirled them around. She surrendered to the magic, engulfing herself in the powdery air.

As the fine particles settled down, she was surrounded by ice sculptures that magically moved and replayed moments from the past. First, she came across a memory of herself and Anna as toddlers. “Hi, I’m Olaf and I like warm hugs.” exclaimed the memory of a little Elsa encased in ice. An amazed toddler Anna ran to the snowman to hug it.

“I love you, Olaf!” Anna cried with joy as she hugged the snowman tight. Charmed, Elsa bent down and cherished that priceless moment. “Oh, Olaf…” she remembered. Another memory came to her notice.

“I won’t go, Anna. I promise.” Alex reassured in his incomplete uniform of the Exploration Corps, kneeling before Anna. Overjoyed, Anna hugged Alex all at once.

“Aww!” Elsa expressed to herself as the icy memory of Alex embraced Anna warmly. Again, her attention was caught by a figure that danced, bobbing around her like an ungraceful praying Mantis.

“Like a chicken… with the face of a monkey… I fly!” squawked the Duke of Weselton. Tucking a lip under her teeth, Elsa grooved along and then laughed it off. A memory of Prince Hans helping Anna up played before her.

“I just wasn’t looking where I was going, but I’m great, actually,” Anna assured the prince. Elsa turned a blind eye and crumbled away Hans’ memory as he introduced himself with a bow, “Prince Hans of the Southern Isles.”

Soon, Elsa’s attention was caught by an embarrassing memory. “HERE I STAND…!” screamed a memory of herself at the ice palace. Elsa braced, feeling silly. She walked on.

Up ahead, Elsa noticed a familiar sight. “Dinner is served, Your Highness.” a teenage Alex informed as he entered Elsa’s room with a food trolley. A memory of Elsa sat on the bed, her mouth watering in anticipation. ‘Ah, the dinner nights…’ Elsa thought to herself as she passed by. Next, she witnessed a band of soldiers moving forward on the royal sergeant’s command.

“Arise, now Arendelle, our kingdom is dear…!” they sang as they marched along. The memory froze to ice. Elsa gingerly walked up to Alex’s solid ice memory. Coming close, she placed her hand on his face and caressed it, ever-so-gently—is it love?