Author's Note: This picks up the instant Elsa finishes singing Show Yourself in Ahtohallan and then veers off from there. Everything before that point is exactly the same as it is in the movie, with one exception - When Anna and Elsa begin to leave the Northuldra camp and realize Kristoff and Sven aren't with them, Anna sends Olaf to find them. This means Olaf is with Kristoff and Sven, not the sisters, and that Anna gets sent away in the canoe alone. But aside from the relocation of Olaf, everything else is exactly the same. And now, without further adieu...

"Hi, I'm Olaf! And I like warm hugs!"

"I love you, Olaf!"

The sound of those voices sent Elsa reeling. It was as if she had been sent back through time to her own childhood. When things were good. Of course, it wasn't actually herself and her sister she was looking at. It was more like... an echo, a copy, made entirely of snow, far more detailed than any of the creatures she had brought to life before. As she looked around at the rest of the cavern, she found more and more of these 'snow echoes' appearing around her, going through more and more of her past. There seemed to be no order to them, appearing completely at random.

Sneezing out a small group of Snowgies as she attempted to celebrate Anna's birthday.

The coronation ritual which resulted in her becoming Queen of Arendelle.

The realization that Olaf was her and Anna's Christmas tradition.

Creating Marshmallow to escort Anna and Kristoff out of her ice palace.

"Anna!"

Had she known what the voice was coming from, she never would have looked. Unfortunately, she turned towards the source of the voice just as the beam of magic collided with five year old Anna's face. Elsa shuddered as the memories came flooding back. That was the night everything changed... She forced herself to move on through the room, spotting other echoed memories as she went.

Her and Anna's argument at the coronation ball.

Setting up Anna's birthday party with Kristoff.

Her mother, Queen Iduna, singing a lullaby to her and Anna.

The birth of Olaf.

She took a moment to watch and appreciate the snowman's creation, since she had somehow completely missed it when she had done it before. Just as she started to smile from the memory, she saw her father King Agnarr nearby, along with a young version of herself. Elsa's smile widened as she approached the duo, only to inhale sharply as she realized the scene she was witnessing was the day her father introduced her to her concealing gloves. Wrapping her arms around herself, Elsa frowned and continued on though the memories.

"HERE I STAND, IN THE LIGHT OF DAY...!"

Oh, no, Elsa thought, wincing at the sight of her former declaration of freedom. Not that the moment itself was cringe worthy, but rather a certain aspect of it she was noticing for the first time. I really DO move my hips like that. I... I need to be more careful with that. She chuckled softly as she watched 'herself' in disbelief for another moment before moving on.

"Like a chicken with the face of a monkey!"

Elsa rolled her eyes as she recalled how amusing the Duke of Weselton's dance moves were. It's a shame he turned out to be a treacherous attempted murderer.

"Prince Hans of the Southern Isles."

Elsa's lip curled in disgust as she watched the would be slayer of her and her sister introduce himself to Anna. With a wave of her hand, Hans - or at least his snow echo - was instantly destroyed, crumbling to pieces. Deeper into the cave she trekked. Soon the snow echoes became more than just her own memories. She began to see her parents, Agnarr and Iduna, as teenagers, something Elsa clearly had never witnessed before. She smiled as she watched the two flirt with one another.

"Why, hello, Iduna."

"Greetings, your Majesty."

Elsa smiled as she saw her parents in a way she'd never even imagined them being before, early in their courtship. She made her way past their first real date, then their wedding. As she continued on, she came across a scene of a young Agnarr along with his father, King Runeard.

"Grandfather..." Elsa gasped as she recognized the man, surprised to see him even in this setting. Almost as if on cue, the Runeard echo's head turned away from Agnarr and looked directly at her. Elsa's heart stopped for a second and she raised an eyebrow. Surely this was just part of the memory...?

Runeard smiled. "I never would've thought... My own granddaughter."

Elsa's eyes widened.

"Hello, Elsa."

Elsa let out a cry of surprise and leapt back, raising her hands and generating icy magic within their palms, ready to defend herself. "Wh-what?!"

Taking a step back, Runeard lifted his hands in a reassuring manner. "Forgive me! I didn't mean to frighten you."

"Explain. Now!" Elsa demanded, her magic still pulsating in her hands. "What are you?"

"Elsa, it's me. Your grandfather."

"I can see that! I mean what are you really?"

"No, Elsa, you don't understand. It's actually me. I'm not a memory. I am King Runeard of Arendelle. Your grandfather."

Confusion crossed Elsa's face as she tried to understand. "N-no, it can't be. You..."

Runeard nodded. "Died. I know. I... I'm pretty sure I still am. Dead, that is." He watched as Elsa still tried to comprehend the situation. "But, for what it's worth, even though the circumstances aren't ideal, I'm glad to finally meet you."

Calming down slightly, Elsa nodded, the magic fading from her hands. "I suppose it is good to meet you as well, grandfather. Forgive my reaction, I just..."

Laughing softly, he waved his hand dismissively. "Please, it's completely understandable. This is a rather strange situation. I don't blame you for being wary."

Elsa finally lowered her hands completely, taking a moment to breathe. "I just... I don't understand. How are you alive? Are you alive? Everything else in here is just a memory. Why aren't you? I mean, clearly there's magic involved, but..."

Runeard laughed softly, nodding as she tried to work it out. "I know, it's all so crazy. I'm not entirely sure I understand it myself."

Elsa slowly circled her grandfather as if inspecting him. "You're made entirely of snow..."

"I think there's some ice in there somewhere too," he joked. After a moment of Elsa looking him over, he continued. "I think I was just so desperate to watch out over my kingdom, my family, everything I had created... I think my soul, or whatever you'd like to call it, was brought here and kept alive by the magic of this place, this... Ahtohallan."

Elsa nodded as she listened to him theorize, digesting all this. "How long have you been here?"

"Ever since we were attacked by the Northuldra."

"Thirty four years...?"

The former king was clearly stunned. "Dear lord, has it been that long already?" he asked. Elsa smiled sadly and nodded. Runeard sighed. "I can only hope they haven't completely destroyed Arendelle. It's alright, isn't it? Our castle still stands strong?"

"You don't know?"

Runeard shook his head. "I don't have... everything," he told her, reaching up and gesturing to his temple. "Pieces, mostly. Things I've been able to stitch together from the memories held within this cave. I've got a vague idea, but..."

Elsa nodded in understanding. "Arendelle is good. Our castle stands and the people prosper."

Runeard let out a sigh of relief. "Good, good. I knew Agnarr would make a fine leader. Tell me, how is he these days?"

Despite her already snowy white complexion, Elsa paled and frowned slightly. "You don't know."

Runeard had been beaming proudly at the idea of his son leading Arendelle into prosperity, but turned and looked at Elsa when he heard her quiet response. "Know what?"

"King Agnarr... Both our parents... They're dead," she told him, looking up at him. "They've been dead for six years now. I currently rule Arendelle along with my sister, Anna."

Runeard deflated with a heavy sigh, looking down in sadness. "My poor boy." After a moment, he lifted his head, attempting to smile as he looked at Elsa. "But, you said Arendelle is thriving?"

Recognizing that he was trying to push past the pain, Elsa nodded. "Yes! With Anna at my side, the two of us have taken great care of it."

"Well that's some good news, at least!" Runeard said happily, reaching over and placing a hand on Elsa's shoulder. "Glad to hear my granddaughters have become such fine leaders! I look forward to meeting your sister."

Elsa glanced down at Runeard's hand, then back up at him. "Meeting...?"

"Of course!" he replied with a smile. "You don't plan on staying here forever, do you?"

"Well, no, of course not, but... But how would you leave? Aren't you... here?" Elsa asked, gesturing to the cave around them as confusion overtook her once again.

"Oh, Elsa, I apologize," Runeard said, softly laughing at himself for a moment. "Living among all these jumbled memories sometimes makes me forget what has and hasn't happened yet."

Elsa nodded, understanding the statement but not yet seeing where he was going with it.

Runeard smiled as he looked her in the face. "It's a plan I've had in mind for some time now. I don't know if it'll work or not, as I'm no expert in magic, of course..."

Elsa's face was scrunched in confusion as she tried to understand.

"...but I think your powers can help me."

Her eyes widened. "Wh-what do you mean? How...?"

"You have power over ice and snow, don't you?" he asked her.

She nodded slowly. "Well, yes..."

"And you've created life before, haven't you? Your little snowman friend?"

"Olaf, yes," she answered, nodding. "But how can I-"

Calmly, Runeard stepped towards her, gently taking her hands in his. "Elsa, all you have to do is make me a new body with your powers. One that's not tied to Ahtohallan," he told her, smiling. "With all the magic coursing through this cave, and maybe a little luck, I can transfer over to the new body. Yes, I'll still be made of snow, but I won't be stuck here anymore! I could finally leave this place! I could come home to Arendelle. Finally spend some time getting to know my granddaughters."

Elsa gasped slightly, pulling her hands from his and taking a step back, her head spinning.

Runeard looked at her, confused. "Elsa...?"

"I'm sorry, it's just..." She took a moment to collect and steady herself. Finally, she inhaled and addressed her ancestor. "I want to help you, grandfather. I truly do. But what you're asking of me... I'm not sure I can accomplish."

The former king gave her confused a look. "But you've created life before!" he reiterated.

"I've only ever done it intentionally once," she clarified a little sheepishly. "And even then, those instances were just... animating snow. With you... You were a real, living human being with a soul. I would have absolutely no idea how to factor that into the process."

"But, Elsa..." Already the desperation could be heard creeping into Runeard's voice.

Elsa started wringing her hands together as she tried to think. "I... I'm not saying 'no.' I will not leave here until I've done all I can to help you. Just... Let me think about it for a while, would you? Please?"

Standing up straight, Runeard nodded, stone faced. "Of course, granddaughter," he answered, turning and looking off to the side. "I shouldn't have pushed. Take as much time as you need."

"Thank you," Elsa said, sighing with relief.

Despite his understanding response, Runeard was internally fuming. He didn't need this foolish uncertainty from her, not when he was this close to being brought back. Nevertheless, he decided to distract himself for the time being and, still looking off to the side of the cave, spoke to his granddaughter.

"Tell me... How did he die?"

Elsa tilted her head, uncertain. "'He?'"

Runeard turned and stared directly at his granddaughter. "My son."

Elsa mentally slapped herself and sighed sadly, closing her eyes. "They... Their ship went down in the Dark Sea."

Runeard shared his own mournful sigh. "Oh, Agnarr... My poor, poor boy. To die like that..."

"It was all my fault," Elsa said, her eyes starting to water. "They were trying to make their way here. They thought this place would hold answers as to why I... why I have my powers. If it weren't for me, they... they never would have..." Her sentence stopped there as she found herself unable to finish it.

Suddenly, Runeard's hands were on her shoulders. "Elsa. It was not your fault. The Dark Sea is a dangerous, dangerous place." Elsa looked up at her grandfather and offered him a weary smile. She didn't fully believe his words, but she at least appreciated the sentiment. "You were not responsible for Agnarr's decision to try and cross it," he told her. He lowered his head and sighed. "That filthy Northuldra woman... She's the one to blame. It's all her fault."

Elsa went obviously stiff in Runeard's hands. Concern building on her face, she looked up at him, uncertain. "'Filthy Northuldra woman'...?" she asked him. She certainly didn't like how he was referring to... whomever he was speaking of. She had a sinking feeling she knew, but she wanted to make certain. "You mean Elder Yelena...?"

"Who?" Runeard asked, unfamiliar with the name. "No. I mean that tribal girl my son foolishly took as his queen."

"Wh-what...?" Elsa reacted as if she'd been slapped across the face. She swatted Runeard's hands from her shoulders and took a step back. "That's my mother... Anna's mother... She didn't do anything to your son. She loved him."

Runeard glared at her, as if completely disgusted by the idea that Iduna truly cared for his heir. "Someone like her could never have loved my Agnarr. She was a dirty savage who bewitched and tricked him, up until his death. She deserved worse than a shipwreck!"

For a brief moment, Elsa was in pure shock from his words. Within seconds, however, her shock was replaced with fury. Her lip curled in anger. "That is my mother. She gave her life for me. You will not speak of her that way!"

Snow began to rise and swirl around the furious Queen of Arendelle.

Despite the ordinarily fearsome display, Runeard simply chuckled and shook his head. "Such childish emotion. There is no need for all that flashy magic, girl. That is your mother's influence. You need to do away with that unless you want your power to control you."

Elsa narrowed her eyes at the former king. "The only thing that needs to be done away with here is you," she sneered. Lifting her right arm, she motioned with her hand the same way she had upon seeing Hans' echo earlier. But unlike Hans, Runeard did not break into pieces. He remained standing tall in front of her, completely unaffected.

"Wh-what...?" Elsa's face turned even paler. She was stunned, her mind racing. She looked at her hands in a panic. Why hadn't that worked? She knew her powers were still at full force. She was the queen of ice and snow! That should have worked.

"Hah, you see, you foolish girl?" Runeard laughed, watching her as she tried to comprehend what was happening. "You've become far too reliant on magic solving all your problems. Just like your mother and her people. That's why they couldn't be trusted."

Despite her unease, Elsa managed to strike a defensive stance as she glared at her grandfather in anger. "If it weren't for my mother, I wouldn't even have these powers that you covet so much! They were her gift to me!"

"Oh, really? And how have they served you thus far?"

Elsa was thrown as Runeard's question cut deep. The storm around her flickered and the snow began to fall back to the floor. The former king smirked.

"That's what I thought. I know what she did to you, Elsa. What your life has been because of your powers." Runeard stepped towards her. "So unfair of your loving mother to burden you with such strength before you were even old enough to comprehend it."

Elsa took a slow step back. "That... That's n-not what h-happened."

"Isn't it, though?" he asked her. "You know I'm right, Elsa. She didn't love you. She cursed you. And she fooled my son, your own father, into tormenting you alongside her."

The tears welling in Elsa's eyes threatened to spill. "N-no..."

"Tell me, Elsa," the old king said, crossing his arms as he stood directly in front of her. "If your mother was Northuldra and grew up with magic as a part of her daily life, why didn't she ever bring it up with you once your powers became an issue?"

Elsa stumbled as his question pierced her to the core. Whatever type of man her grandfather was... The question he had just asked was a valid one. No, there must have been a reason her mother hadn't mentioned her old life. Her knowledge of magic. She loved Elsa. Didn't she? "S-stop..."

"How many years did she lock you away in that room?"

"STOP IT!"

Her legs were no longer able to sustain her own weight. Mentally overwhelmed, Elsa collapsed to the cave's icy floor, now openly sobbing. She was lost in her sorrow, the years of trauma she thought she'd suppressed surging back to the surface, temporarily paralyzing her. After a moment, she was vaguely aware of her former grandfather stepping up beside her, but was still too distraught to do anything about it.

Runeard clicked his tongue, shaking his head as he watched the crying girl below him. "Poor girl. Too much baggage. Too badly broken. What a shame."

Elsa wiped her nose with her sleeve and glared up angrily at Runeard through her teary eyes. "I. Am not. Broken."

The previous king let out a chuckle. "No, Elsa, of course you're not. However, it's become quite obvious that you are either unwilling or unable to help your grandfather, the former King of Arendelle, in his time of need. It's a shame, really. We could have made quite the team together." Taking his attention away from Elsa, Runeard looked out into the rest of the cave at the snow echoes as they continued to move about. His eyes fell upon an echo of Anna as she and Elsa rode a bike together through the halls of the castle. He smiled. "But perhaps it's not a total loss. Maybe the princess will be more loyal to her family's legacy."

Elsa's eyes snapped open, her own pain instantly forgotten. Lifting her head, she glared up at her grandfather. "You stay away from her." Snow began to rise from the cave floor once again.

Runeard raised an eyebrow and smirked as he saw the reaction his words received. "I'm sorry, what was that, granddaughter? I couldn't quite hear you."

Elsa's eyes briefly flashed white. "You. Leave. Anna. Out. Of. This."

"Or you'll do what, exactly?"

In one fluid motion, Elsa rose to her feet, fists clenched at her sides. If looks could kill, Runeard would most certainly be dead, regardless of his true nature. "I will not warn you again."

The former king's expression changed from amused to stern, returning Elsa's glare. "Mind your tongue, witch. You are speaking to a king."

The white glow overtook Elsa's eyes completely as the rising snow began to swirl around her. The ice on the walls of the cave began to thicken. "Your rule is over, Runeard," she declared. "I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle. And you will go nowhere near my sister."

"Such disrespect." Despite the threat from the powerful woman before him, Runeard seemed rather unconcerned, shaking his head at her words. "Hopefully your sister remembers her place better."

With an angry cry, Elsa lunged towards Runeard, firing a powerful blast of ice from her hands. Maybe she couldn't deconstruct him, but she could certainly trap him, contain him within so much ice he would never be able to-

A powerful shockwave shook the cave as Runeard essentially backhanded Elsa's ice beam, sending it veering off to the side, blasting into the wall and creating a rather large hole. With inhuman speed, Runeard lunged at Elsa, who barely managed to scramble out of the way in time. Turning around, she fired off another blast at the echo, but he dodged the attack, surging towards her. She quickly raised a wall of ice in front of him, but he effortlessly bust through it, sending chunks of ice flying everywhere.

I have to get out of here, Elsa thought in a panic as she tried to defend herself from the... ghost?... of her grandfather. Have to get to Anna. Have to warn Anna. Have to keep Anna safe.

She raised another wall, then another, but Runeard destroyed them without even breaking a metaphorical sweat. Her attempts were increasingly futile, but what else could she do? Finding herself backed up against the damaged wall, she saw the former king speed towards her, and unleashed a powerful blast of ice to at least push him back, if nothing else. Unfortunately, Runeard struck back, punching the ice with his fist as soon as it reached him, sending the beam back at Elsa, blasting her with her own power. Elsa let out a pained groan as her own blast hit her in the gut and sent her smashing through what was left of the damaged wall. She rolled across the icy floor of a new, darker chamber, one she would have never even guessed was there. She didn't even realize she was skidding towards a ledge until it was too late. Rolling over the side, Elsa managed to reach out and quickly grab the edge with her hand, just barely stopping herself from plunging... she wasn't sure how far down. She couldn't even see the bottom from where she was.

Her elation at having saved herself from falling was quickly done away with as she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Reaching the edge, Runeard smirked as he watched Elsa struggle to hang on for dear life.

"Oh, Elsa..." he said, shaking his head as he knelt down by the edge. "What trouble have you gotten yourself into now?"

"Get away from me," she growled at him, gripping the edge as tightly as she could. "And stay away from Anna! She won't fall for your lies."

Runeard let his lips curl into a malicious grin. "Oh, I'm afraid that she will," he taunted her, standing back up on his feet. "We both know she has a bad habit of that."

Already Elsa was erecting a pillar of ice to act as a platform beneath her, planning to lift herself back to the ledge and try to attack her grandfather again. But just as the ice began to touch her feet, Runeard lashed out with a vicious kick to her face, stunning her and sending her careening back, plummeting off the edge and into the cavern's dark depths. She regained her wits mere seconds before hitting the floor below. She started to generate a pile of snow beneath her, but was only able to summon a little of it before making impact. It was enough to save her, but the landing still hurt.

Cold. The thought ran through Elsa's dazed mind as she lay there for a moment, trying to recuperate from the kick and the crash landing. So cold.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been laying there, but finally, Elsa was able to pull herself up to her feet. Shaky at first, but she was slowly regaining her strength. She looked around to see that she was standing in a cold, dark, seemingly endless void. She looked up at the ledge she'd fallen from and was about to lift herself up with her magic, when she heard Runeard's voice again. She panicked and struck a defensive position, but when she saw the source of the voice she realized it was not the same evil man she had been facing just moments prior, but another harmless snow echo as she'd seen before in the main chamber. This one was of Runeard speaking with one of his advisors.

"...You see, the dam will weaken their lands, so they will have to turn to me."

The advisor nodded as he listened to his king.

"They will come in celebration and then we will know their size. And strength."

Elsa began to follow the two figures as they spoke with one another. She tried to listen to what they were saying as best as she could, but she was having trouble focusing on anything other than how ungodly cold it was.

Cold? she suddenly realized. Why am I cold...? How...?

She couldn't focus on that realization for very long as she and the two echos were starting to be surrounded by echoes of the joyous Northuldra, whom Runeard began to address. Elsa looked around at the crowd, unsure as to just what was about to unfold.

"As you have welcomed us, we welcome you. Our neighbors. Our friends."

Elsa heard an eerily familiar crackling sound. She looked down at her hands... Ice. They were coated in ice. Heavy clouds of icy vapor came from her mouth each time she exhaled.

My hands... I... what? Elsa shook her head as she tried to understand what was happening. I'm... freezing? No. No, that can't be...

She had to leave. Whatever secrets lay down here would have to wait until she returned after thawing out and recuperating.

"King Runeard, the dam isn't strengthening our waters, it's hurting the forest. It's cutting off the North-"

The voice of the then Northuldra elder caught her attention. She turned to look at him and saw him speaking with Runeard, away from the festivities. Despite everything within her screaming for her to leave, she stepped closer towards the pair, ignoring the crackling sounds as her body moved.

"Let's not discuss this here," Runeard interrupted the Elder. "Let's meet on the fjord. Have tea. Find a solution." Reluctantly, the Elder nodded his agreement.

S-so cold...

Elsa turned away from their meeting to focus on getting out, but as soon as she did, she was faced with the Northuldra Elder kneeling in a peaceful, almost meditative position as he prepared his tea, awaiting Runeard's arrival on the fjord. Elsa watched with horror as Runeard approached from behind, unsheathing his sword, preparing to bring it down on the Elder's neck.

"NO!" Elsa screamed, reaching out for the Elder and... not taking a single step. Catching herself, she looked down and gasped in terror at what she saw: Her legs were now solid ice. And the ice was rising, quickly consuming her body, just as once had happened to her sister. Elsa struggled and tried to fight it, tried to use her magic to reverse the transformation, but even her power was nothing compared to... whatever this was.

For a split second, her thoughts went to her sister. With a heavy heart, she realized that the last time she would ever see her beloved Anna was as she disappeared down a hill in a boat of Elsa's own making. That her last act as a sister was to push Anna away from her.

Again.

Elsa reached out for help that wasn't coming as the ice reached her head.

"Anna...!"

The misty vapor of Elsa's final word escaped from her mouth as the ice finally consumed her completely, turning her from a once powerful queen into a solid statue of ice, victim of Ahtohallan's dark, ancient magic.