The snow blew around the mountains as Elsworth climbed. All he could think of was what he had perceived as fear in Anna and Y/n's eyes.

It was all his fault. His sister just wanted to be loved. He was unable to give her that love.

At least, as far as she knew. But Elsworth had always loved her. That was the whole reason he had stayed away from her.

And Y/n...he definitely cared about her, but that was all he would ever let himself have. Monsters had no time for love, especially any kind of romantic love.

Elsworth:
The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint, not a thing
A kingdom of isolation
And it looks like I'm the king...

He stopped walking, looking at the storm he had caused on the mountain.

Elsworth:
The wind is howling like the swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in. Heaven knows I've tried...

He rubbed his shoulders, then continued to the mountain, remembering what his father had always told him.

Elsworth:
"Don't let them in, don't let them see
"Be the good boy you always have to be
"Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know..."

He looked at his glove: his prison. Consumed by anger, he ripped it off and threw it into the wind.

Elsworth:
Well, now they know!

He let a bit of ice come from one hand, then the other.

Elsworth:
Let it go
Let it go
Can't hold it back anymore

In a swirl, he made a snowman that looked eerily similar to the last one he and his sister had made together as children.

Elsworth:
Let it go
Let it go
Turn away and SLAM the door

He shot his arms out, the snow around him falling suddenly.

With his hands, he sent a swirl of snow energy one way, then another.

Elsworth:
I don't care
What they're going to say
Let the storm rage on

He unclipped his cape and released it, letting the wind take it.

Elsworth:
The cold never bothered me, anyway

Confidently, he walked on, breathing in the cold air around him. There, he finally felt at home.

Elsworth:
It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all

He ran off to where a large chunk of mountain oversaw the rest.

Elsworth:
It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through

On it, he created a staircase of snow.

Elsworth:
No right, no wrong
No rules for me...

Stepping on it, it turned into pure ice.

Elsworth:
I'm free!

His hands outstretched to the bannister. Much like the ocean, it turned to ice at his touch as he ran up the stairs.

Elsworth:
Let it go
Let it go
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go
Let it go
You'll never see me cry

Once he reached the top, he stomped hard on the ground, creating a snowflake shape that pushed the snow aside made entirely of ice.

Elsworth:
Here I stand
And here I'll stay
Let the storm rage on...

He checked his area, then, with all his power, pushed the ice out of the ground just by raising his hands. Around him formed a solid ice castle, the walls quickly growing around him.

Elsworth:
My power flurries through the air into the ground

He went in a circle to solidify the ground.

Elsworth:
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around

The ice moved upward to the ceiling, solidified, as well, then gave forth a chandelier.

Elsworth:
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast

He took off his crown, the one thing that still connected him to Arendelle as their king.

Elsworth:
I'm never going back
The past is in the past!

He threw it, rotating in a circle, the crown going out the window. He ran his hand through his hair that had been smothered back for his coronation, ruffling it up.

Elsworth:
Let it go!
Let it go!
And I'll rise like the break of dawn

He held up his arms, his coronation suit becoming blue see-through sleeves. His bodice was a darker blue and boots and cape darker still.

Elsworth:
Let it go
Let it go
That perfect boy is gone

He shimmied onto the balcony with his arms spread out wide.

Elsworth:
Here I stand
In the light of day
Let the storm rage on!

He shouted into the cold air, then, like the diva he was, looked out over his shoulder.

Elsworth:
The cold never bothered me, anyway ~

He tossed his cape as he entered back into the palace, the door slamming behind him.

-

"Elsworth?" Anna called, riding Kjekk, who trudged through the powder, through the now-frozen fjord with Y/n on him with her. "Elsworth! Elsworth, it's me, Anna. Your sister who didn't mean to make you freeze summer. I'm sorry! It's all my f - fault." Under her breath, she added, "Of course, none of this would've happened if he'd just told me his secrete." She laughed to Y/n, who raised a brow, concerned that her friend was losing it from excessive exposure to the cold. "He's a stinker."

Before Y/n could scold her for being less than understanding of her brother's situation, a tree branch fell in front of them, spitting snow all over them. Panicked, Kjekk threw them back, Y/n landing on top of Anna, as well as flashing the horse. Kjekk ran off, Anna trying to call him back. "Oh, no. No no no, come back! No no no no!" She looked around for something to help her. "Ooookay..." Grabbing onto the pine tree, she went to stand, the snow coming off and landing on top of Y/n, who was now almost completely unable to speak from the coldness.

"Burr. Shit. Cold," was all she could say. [Shout-out to my dad for the phrase.]

-

All day, they chugged through the snow, Anna and Y/n's skirts hitched [if you chose to wear a skirt] as they went.

"Snow..." Anna mumbled, trying to huddle herself in her cape. "It had to be snow. He couldn't have had tropical magic that covered the fjords in white sand and warm -"

"Fire!" Y/n cut off, pointing to a trail of smoke seeping into the sky. This had been her first word since the pine tree incident.

But Anna slipped before she could take a step down the hill, knocking Y/n down and taking her with her. They both landed with a splash into the river.

"BURR. SHIT. COLD COLD COLD..."

"Cold cold cold..." Anna agreed.

Their clothes stiffened, they waddled over to the small wooden cabin. Anna reached up and knocked the snow off of the sign. "Wandering Oaken's Trading Post," she read.

Y/n's eye caught the small sign as the snow fell off of that one, as well. "Ooh, and sauna!" she read excitedly. She could really use a sauna, or at least some heat.

Stepping in, they were insanely greeted by a cherry, "Yoo-hoo!" Behind the counter was a stalky man with a handlebar mustache and a sweater. "Big Summer Blowout. Half off swimsuits, clogs, and a sub balm of my own invention, ja?" He held up the balm helpfully.

Anna blinked as Y/n took the balm, reading the back to see what was in it. "Oh, great. For now, um, how about boots? Winter boots? A - and some warm clothes?"

He nodded and gestured to a corner. "That would be in our winter department."

Two outfits were folded on the chair with two pairs of boots, along with a rope and pickax. One of the two snowshoes fell pathetically.

"Oh." She went to retrieve the dress with a pink cape while Y/n paid for the balm, knowing that, with that kind of winter department, Oaken would probably get less business.

As she paid, she asked, "Sir, um, having you seen a...a young man pass by? Platinum blond? Fancy suit? Maybe, I don't know, the king?"

"Only ones crazy enough to be out in this storm are you dears."

Just as he said that, the door shut and a man came in, his clothes covered in snow.

"You and this fellow. Yoo-hoo! Big Summer Blowout."

The man tromped in to Anna, who backed into the counter, grabbing onto it. Just as Y/n was about to jump on him, he said, muffled through his scarf, "Carrots."

Anna, confused, blinked stupidly. "Huh?"

He motioned at the counter. "Behind you."

She glanced down, indeed seeing the carrots, and jumped away from the counter. "Oh! Right. Excuse me."

He reached past her and took one of the sacks, then, from the winter department, took the rope and ax. Figuring Anna would be fine, she went into the back room to try on her clothes.

"A real howler in July, ja?" Oaken asked him, trying to make small talk. "Wherever could it be coming from?"

"From the North Mountain," he replied, not faltering in his quest. Once finished, he brought his stuff to the counter.

"North Mountain..." Anna whispered, glancing up at the man - he was considerably taller by at least two feet - hopefully..

"That'll be forty," Oaken said with a nod.

"Forty?! No, ten."

He shook his head lightly and explained, "Oh, dear, that's no good. See, this is from our winter stock, where supply and demand have a big problem."

"You wanna talk about a supply and demand problem? I sell ice for a living." He pointed out the window, where there was a sled and a reindeer, ice piled on high.

"Ooh, that's a rough business to be in right now. I mean, that is really..." Anna stopped when she saw the look the man gave her and cleared her throat. "That's unfortunate."

Oaken shrugged. "Still forty. But I will throw in a visit to Oaken's Sauna." He waved towards the door. "Yoo-hoo! Hi, family!"

His husband and children waved back, calling out, "Yoo-hoo!"

Not satisfied, he stated, "Ten's all I got! Help me out here."

"Okay." Oaken pushed away the carrots and ax, stating, "Ten will get you this and no more."

"Okay, just tell me one thing," Anna pressed the man, who was still looking over the items. What was happening on the North Mountain? Did it seem...magical?"

He pulled down his scarf, exasperated. "Yes! Now back off while I deal with this crook here."

Oaken rose at that, at least three feet taller than Anna thought he would be. With a hurt look, he asked, "What did you call me...?"

-

"Okay, okay! I'm out!" the man yelled at Oaken picked him up and carried him to the door, then yeeted him into the snow. "Whoa!"

"Bye-bye!" he called before shutting the door behind him.

The reindeer came over eagerly, trying to smell the man for food.

"No, Sven, I didn't get your carrots," he replied, deflating Sven. "But I did find us a place to sleep. And it's free." He pointed at a small shack up ahead.

-

Oaken came in and sat down as Y/n came out of the changing room, having just seen him throw the young man out. "I'm sorry about the violence. I will add a quart of lutefish each, so we have good feelings. Just the outfits and boots, ja?"

Anna looked at the stuff, then at Y/n. "Uh..."

-

Kristoff plucked a few strings on his lute, lying on Sven on the hay.

Kristoff:
Reindeers are better than people
Sven, don't you think that's true?

He threw his voice for Sven, making it comically deeper.

"Sven":
Yeah, people will beat you and curse you and cheat you
Everyone of 'em's bad except you

"Aw, thanks, buddy."

Kristoff:
But people smell better than reindeers
Sven, don't you think I'm right?

"Sven":
That's once again true
For all, except you

Kristoff:
You got me
Let's call it a night

"Sven":
Goodnight...

Kristoff:
Don't let the frost bite...
Bye...

He shut his eyes, ready to fall asleep on his buddy.

"Nice duet."

He jumped, only to see Anna, her hair now in braided pigtails, and Y/n in their clothes.

-

OR

"Oh, it's just you two," he sighed in relief, slinking back into Sven. "What do you want?"

Anna stood tall, trying to put her status to use. "We want you to take us up the North Mountain."

He looked away from them, his eyes shut again. "I don't take people places."

"Perhaps you didn't hear the princess clearly." Y/n chucked the ax and rope at him, nearly chopping off Kristoff's head.

"Oof! Hey!"

"Take us up the North Mountain. Please," Anna repeated.

Before he could refuse again, Y/n jumped in quickly. "We know how to stop winter. And I do believe you, sir, really need us to stop winter."

Kristoff took his beanie and put it over his eyes. "We leave at dawn. And you forgot the carrots for Sven."

Y/n threw the bag at him, hitting him in the no-no area. "Oh!"

Anna gasped, stuttering, "Sorry! Sorry, we're sorry. She didn't mean to..."

"AHEM!" she cut in, then gave Kristoff an apologetic look. "I didn't, I'm sorry. But, I must insist: we leave now. Right now. So...yeah." She turned on her heel and pulled Anna out, leaving Kristoff to wonder the ways of women and how they always got what they wanted as he shared a carrot with a happy Sven.