How it (Should've) Ended

(NOTE: This is just a quick plot summary of how Frozen Heart was originally intended to end. The story is currently being rewritten; you can check out some character evolution notes down at the bottom if you'd like! Thanks' for stopping by!)

-Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sver, Alek and co. return to Arendelle. Sver is rushed to a doctor. Ina throws Olaf off a cliff (essentially tossing him significantly further ahead on the path) and tells him to let the royal family know about their arrival. Ina, Elise, and Marshmallow begin the trek down the mountain.

-Elsa encounters Amelie. Amelie tells her that more icebreaker ships are heading towards Arendelle to be used to evacuate the citizens in case the situation with Ina escalates. Elsa denies that it will but is unsure. Elsa and Tomas reunite (I wrote this scene a long time ago and was really happy with it. If I ever recover my old computer files maybe I'll post it someday!).

-Sver wakes up and discovers he can't move the lower half of his body (*Ch. 10 babes. My real subtle foreshadowing). Anna and Kristoff blame Elsa for Sver's injury, and they all argue. Elsa continues to defend Ina, and Anna calls her delusional. Meanwhile, Cyril and Tom have nearly reached home when Olaf catches up to them. He gives them Ina's warning, and the group race home.

-Rumors about Sver's injury spread through the kingdom, and Ina's alleged attempt on her mother's life. The townspeople are uneasy and are enticed by Amelie's offer of safety aboard the icebreakers. Matters are not helped when Cyril and Tom arrive with Ina's threats.

-While on the way to Arendelle, Elise demands to know what Ina's plans are. She reveals her intent to take Arendelle by force, using Marshmallow as muscle. Elise finally revokes her support of Ina's cause and denounces her claim to the throne. Ina won't let her go and continues to hold Elise as a hostage. A huge storm wrecks Arendelle as they approach.

-Elsa, Tomas, Tom, Anna, Kristoff and Cyril all prepare to confront Ina, but the families disagree on what approach. Elsa still believes she can be redeemed, but Anna wants revenge for what Ina did to Sver. Anna gives the townspeople permission to flee aboard the icebreakers despite Elsa's wishes.

-Ina arrives in Arendelle, and Elsa confronts her alone. Ina promises to release Elise, in exchange for Elsa creating more "Snow Beasts" (Marshmallows). Elsa complies, just as the rest of the family (short of Tomas) arrive to give their support. Ina immediately turns the monsters upon her family, demanding to be made Queen. Elsa refuses, and the two start fighting with their powers.

-Elise and Olaf realize the Marshmallows are only following Ina because of her crown, and a melee breaks out trying to get it. The snow beasts alliance quickly shifts as the crown is hot potatoed around. Ina attacks Tom, but Elise defends him and apologizes for aligning with Ina.

-The fighting comes to a head when the icebreaker suddenly returns to port and forces the family onto unstable ice sheets. Tom has possession of the crown and gives it back to Elsa. It's obvious that Ina has lost. The townspeople disembark the icebreaker to witness Ina's defeat. Elsa offers Ina a pardon, but the princess declines, refusing to believe she'd been bested. Ina uses her powers to break up the ice underneath her family's feet in an attempt to get them to fall in, but she is shocked by the sight of Tomas (who she still thought was dead). The surprise knocks her off balance and she falls underwater, sealing the ice over top of her.

-The winter begins thawing, and the townspeople celebrate Ina's defeat, while Elsa and her family mourn. Marshmallow regains his crown and leads the other snow beasts back up the mountain. Amelie is angered by the quick conclusion and urges the townspeople to join her in Leighton anyway, but everyone decides to stay and support their royal family. As the kingdom returns to normal, Elise thinks she sees Ina on the other side of the fjord but is unsure. Anna and Elsa reconcile and lean on one another for support.

-Epilogue: Five years have passed since Ina's winter; Cyril, his wife and newborn son are leaving Arendelle for a voyage, Elise is tagging along. Tom has been learning everything he can about being heir. Sver is in a wheelchair, but still energetic. He loves being a big brother to little sister Rune. Elsa, Tomas, Anna and Kristoff haven't fully recovered from Ina's reign, but are healing. As the ship leaves and Rune waves goodbye, Elise notices a cold wind fill the sail.

THE END.

So this was just a quick, rough summary of what the ending to this fic was going to be. I should note that I am still working on the rewrite, and I feel it's different enough from this old ending that I can post my old intent without spoiling the ending for the new edition.

It really bothered me that I never published a conclusive ending to this story. Even though I wasn't satisfied with the ending I settled on, and felt really stuck trying to write it, I think it's almost worse to leave it open ended.

I wanted to thank everyone who was patient with me when I wrote, and for those who stuck with this story for so long. I learned a lot about writing (and a little about editing, lol) while I made this story.

(Continue reading for some rewritten character development notes!)

It was really weird coming back to my old plot lines and revisiting how I would've ended them. When I think of the plot of Frozen Heart, I think of my rewrite. Going back and reading the "published" story is always a trip, because I've abandoned so many of the plot details that were really big in the original (Leighton attacking what? Grand Pabbie Prophecy who?). I have a similar issue with the characters. I've spent a lot of time fleshing them out, and trying to give each one a motivation, so going back and seeing the one-dimensional way I used to write them is really weird.

For example, I tried to write Ina so evil and "edgy" (yikes) in the original, but now that doesn't really match her personality anymore. She's still sort of the main antagonist, but I wouldn't call her a villain or anything. She's sort of this by-the-book overachiever who works really hard to prove she'll be a just ruler.

I also decided really early on (before I stopped writing the original, actually) that I needed to change Ina's motivation. The female-ruler-overlooked-for-younger-male thing was really outdated and wasn't super compelling. Instead, the conflict comes from Elsa trying to remove gender as a factor . . . but also age. Basically, Elsa wants to choose an heir based on their character and capability, not because of birth order or gender (She doesn't think it's fair to overlook Ina based on her sex, but she also doesn't think it's fair to overlook Benn because he's younger). This was a simple change, but it really helped me find the motivations I wanted for the characters. Ina and Benn developed this head vs heart dynamic (is it better to have a ruler who listens to essential facts and logic, or one who lives by an emotional moral code?), and created a conflict with Elsa by forcing her to choose one or the other.

When I go back and read the original, Ina sounds very whiny. I tried to make her bunt and impassioned, but it comes across more like she's throwing a tantrum. I write Ina now as very logical and cool. She isn't overly affectionate or personable, but she's smart and fair. She has a relatively short fuse, and gets frustrated easily. It's not that she isn't emotional, but almost like she finds her feelings to be distractions she has to ignore in order to get things done. So when her emotions start to boil over, she gets overwhelmed and impulsive. I just really wanted Ina's behavior to line up better with her goals and thought-process.

Benn (Tom) also has a bigger role, being less of an obstacle to Ina and more an opponent. He is competing for the throne as much as she is. I didn't try to be super consistent with Benn's character before, but now I try to write him as a calm, compassionate kid who really wants to do right by everyone. He has a strong moral compass. What I like about writing Benn is that he thinks with his heart, but I try to keep him composed. He's passionate about what he believes in, but he's not impulsive or brash.

Cyril's motivation is pretty similar to the original, but definitely expanded upon. He's ready to leave Arendelle and explore the world, but feels a sense of responsibility as the oldest to remain with his family (particularly his mother, who has a hard time accepting the fact that he's not her little boy anymore). He's also aged up a couple years and has a girlfriend now, and (shocker) wants to build a life with her independent from his family. Cyril isn't ready to admit all of this to his family members though, so keeps his feelings a secret for the most part.

I spent a lot of the original following Elise and her actions, but I never felt like I had her wants and ideas completely figured out. I write Elise now as feeling suddenly lonely. Elise and Benn were thick as thieves prior to the story, but Benn becomes too busy trying to prove himself as a competent ruler to spend time with her, leaving Elise feeling sort of abandoned and aimless. As well, Elise's handmaiden Nese is often distracted by Cyril, her not-so-secret boyfriend. Elise feels a little more vulnerable this way, and therefore more desperate to hold onto Ina's friendship when it is offered.

I have a lot more to say and a lot more to write, but that's all for another time and another story.

And as for anyone actually looking for an update on the rewrite- it's coming! Frozen II is going to be out in only a couple of months, so I'm planning on touching up the story so it can continue to fit in with the universe (unless, of course, the movie completely destroys any legitimacy that my plot could exist within the movie's universe, in which case I'll have to publish it as an AU). I'm not sure if you can tell, but I am very obsessed with my plots aligning with canon.

If anyone would be interested, I'd be happy to debut the rewrite characters in oneshots or drawings in the meantime, as I already have a few laying around.

Thanks again so much for reading and supporting me! May Frozen II be as good as its 2nd trailer promises.