Time Waits for No One

They say that nothing lasts forever. However, neither Anna or Elsa could imagine that their happiness would end so soon. It had been three years since Elsa restored harmony to the spirits of the Enchanted Forest and joined them as the fifth spirit. But one day, Elsa didn't feel so good. The Northuldra people could tell that whatever sickness she had was far from minor. So, she traveled back to Arendelle, where she saw the physician, who brought devastating news to her.

"Elsa, you have a disease that is slowly destroying your body. I'm sorry to say that there is no cure," the physician said.

He told Elsa that it was only a matter of time before the disease fully took over and would claim her life. There was no telling how long that could be. It could be months or even several years. Whatever the time, Elsa knew how she wanted to spend the time she had left.

When she broke the news to Anna, her sister was overcome with sorrow. She immediately cried, begging for it to not be true. As much as it pained her to see Anna in such distress, Elsa told her straight up what she wanted.

"Anna, I know you're sad. Believe me, I am too. But crying about it isn't going to solve anything. That's just seconds wasted that could be spent doing fun things together. I want to spend every moment I have left, doing happy things that give me pleasure. And there's no other person on earth I'd rather do that with than you," Elsa said.

Anna could tell that Elsa was serious. She wanted to cry some more but knew in her heart that Elsa was right. It was important to spend Elsa's last months or years with as much joy as possible.

So that's what they did. In the months following Elsa's diagnosis, there wasn't a single minute that the sisters didn't spend together. They rode bikes, had picnics, built snowmen, went to see plays, and even spent time in the Enchanted Forest. But the activity that they most cherished doing was taking walks around the castle together. There they would talk about many different things such as Anna's queenly duties, the Northuldra people, Olaf and Kristoff, etc. All of these conversations made the two so happy. But as the months rolled on, the disease began to take its toll on Elsa's body. She lost a lot of weight, her skin was paler than usual, and she was drained of energy. Anna could see the pain that the disease was inflicting upon her, but she never spoke about it. She knew that Elsa wouldn't want her to bombard her with her sympathies. After a year had passed, Elsa had become so weak, that she couldn't do a lot of the things they used to do. Even a simple walk through the garden was too strenuous for her. Finally, the disease had rendered her completely immobile. She spent all day in her bed, barely eating, and in intense pain. What was worse was that she was starting to lose her eyesight. She could barely make out objects in the room. Nonetheless, she could always see Anna. Every day, Anna stayed by her bedside, talking to her, whispering comforting thoughts. But what Elsa wanted to hear the most was the lullaby that their mother used to sing to them. Anna was always happy to oblige. After she finished singing it, Elsa would say, "Sing it again, please." And Anna did so.

When the time came, Elsa passed away. That's when the pain hit Anna the most. For days, she never left her room, not evening seeing Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven. She knew that Elsa would eventually die, but she never imagined it would hurt this much.

The funeral was a somber, but honorable service. Anna spoke a few words about Elsa to the people who had come out. After it was over, she went back to her room, needing time to heal from her loss. Later that evening, Kai came to visit her. He said that he had a letter for her from Elsa. It was written shortly after she was diagnosed. She gave strict orders to him to give it to Anna after she died.

Upon opening the letter, Anna was touched by its contents.

Dear Anna,

If you're reading this, then the time has come, and I have passed away. I know that you're sad, but please don't let it consume you. Live your life with happiness and pride. Never stop being that optimistic, cheerful, friendly person that I love so much. You are an amazing woman. You've given me everything and more. Forever isn't long enough to thank you for all that you've done for me. But I do want to say that I would have no doubt have waited to long to see the things that I've seen in my life these past years had it not been for you. For that, I am forever grateful. While I will miss you dearly, and I know that you'll miss me, please take comfort in knowing that we will one day meet again. One day, you, me, mama and papa will all be together again. This time forever. I love you more than I can say. You're my sister, my best friend, and the one who means the whole world to me. Thank you giving me such a wonderful blessing.

Love,

Elsa

Anna couldn't stop the tears from falling onto the paper. As she cried over the heart wrenching letter, Kristoff walked into the room. He gently put his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her.

"Are you OK?"

Anna nodded. "It's going to be so hard without her. But I know that I have to keep going. That's what she wants."

"You're right. Elsa would want you to be happy," Kristoff agreed.

"And I will be. For Elsa. For my sister," Anna said proudly.