Anna did as instructed, waiting in her cell until at least five minutes had passed. Even if she hadn't been told to remain for that amount of time, she might have done so anyway. Her sword felt far too heavy in her hands; if she met opposition, she'd have to grow somewhat used to her new level of strength. The former Knight swung her sword around as best she could in this cramped space, trying to get a feel for it.

The loss of her magic wasn't her only disadvantage. Anna's duel with Elsa had given her a broken left arm, and her skull was still matted with drying blood. Shards of ice had left a dozen small cuts in her wrists, many of which were sealed over only by a thin red line.

No matter what, I can't face her again. She beat me before...now it would be effortless.

At last, she judged that five minutes had clearly passed. Fingers trembling with anticipation, she pressed her hand against the stone door and slowly swung it outward. The more was revealed of the dungeon beyond, the faster Anna's heart raced. What if this was all a ruse...another sick game that Elsa was playing on her?

The first thing she saw helped to dispel that notion. Two people, one man and one women, were slumped against the wall outside her cell, both unconscious. Whoever her rescuer was, he certainly had some skill.

Strange. Both defeated lookouts were wearing the uniform of Arendelle's Royal Guards, but Anna recognized neither of them. After a year spent in this Castle, the former Knight had believed herself capable of recognizing every man who guarded it on sight.

It didn't matter now. No matter what happened, Anna would not allow herself to be a prisoner in this dungeon for another minute. Any life spent here, subject to Elsa's whims, was not worth living. If she was discovered and certain to be captured, Anna would impale herself on this very blade before surrendering.

Ha! Anna nearly laughed at herself as she began to creep down the tunnel. As if her life would ever be worth living, in the dungeon or outside of it. What awaited her if she escaped? A life on the run, with no money and no one to turn to. The trolls might be willing to let her live among them in relative comfort, but she wouldn't risk bringing the Queen's wrath down upon them.

Then an idea struck her. It was a terrible, appalling idea, but it was the only chance she might ever have for a life beyond the nightmare her world had become.

First things first. The dungeon's hallways were nearly pitch black, the only illumination coming from moonlight that shined through the small windows etched out of stone. That darkness was both her enemy and her greatest ally. It helped keep her hidden, but one careless trip on a stone and a dozen guards would be on her in seconds. Anna wouldn't survive an open confrontation.

She moved as quietly as possible, listening for any sign of the periodic guard patrols. Her destination was a secluded pathway that was not too far from her cell. The Castle dungeons stretched underground, having been carved out of the dirt long before the Castle had first been built. One seemingly dead-end tunnel contained a hatch that led to the grounds above. In more turbulent times, it had been intended as a secret passage out of the Palace if an enemy army ever took the Castle. After she'd explored the dungeons several months ago and found a seemingly useless pathway, the Queen had explained to her about the secret hatch. Most of the guards didn't even know about it.

Not your brightest move, Elsa.

Footsteps down the hall! Stifling a gasp, Anna took a few quick steps backward and scurried into a side corridor. As the footsteps grew ever closer, accompanied by a yellow glow that could only be a lamp, Anna flattened herself into the wall and prayed that the darkness would protect her.

Her heart was beating so quickly that she was certain that he would hear it.

If the guard had looked down, he would have spotted her. But he was tired, bored, and confident that the cells in this dungeon were impenetrable. The warm yellow glow of his lamp washed over Anna, but with his vision firmly planted straight ahead, the former Knight escaped his gaze.

We should probably hire some new guards.

The thought hit her like a gut punch. There was no we any longer. This Castle, the large comfortable building that she had long since embraced as her home, was now a hostile environment. She wasn't part of this household. The guards here weren't her guards...they were enemies.

Anna waited there for several minutes, not willing to leave until long after the glow of the lamp disappeared from view. Even then, she was almost too afraid to move. She'd suffered so much pain already, more than anyone on earth had any right to experience. What was the point in getting up if she would only be hurt yet again?

Because getting caught would be even worse.

Taking a deep breath, she steadied her nerves and rose to her feet. Slipping out of the side corridor, Anna started to creep down the larger hallway. She was almost there. Another minute and she'd be at the secret hatch. Seeing no signs of guards, the former Knight turned down the next hallway...

Anna froze. Sitting on a bench was a single guard, his unlit lamp placed on the ground beside him. He was obviously slacking off, a man content to sit and wait quietly until his shift was over. Unfortunately, he was still awake. And a sword was in his hands!

For a moment, the two of them stared at one another silently. Her clothes, the weapon in her hands...it was all too obvious that she was an escaped prisoner.

Then he was launching himself at her, his sword angled for a killing blow. Anna raised her own weapon just in time, intercepting the attack with a rapid parry. Her blade, held only in her right arm, was battered aside easily.

Anna ducked, avoiding a swipe at her head, then brought her arm up in a cleaving slash that her opponent just barely sidestepped. Her icy blade cut into the dungeon wall, sending a flurry of sparks into the air.

She had to end this fight quickly. It would only take a few moments for the panicked guard to regain his wits and realize that all he needed to do was call for help. Even now, Anna could see his breathing begin to steady.

Training with a sword had become Anna's favorite hobby. She had practiced for at least an hour every day, to ensure that no harm came to her Queen. Although her strength and speed were gone, Anna's skill and natural talent remained. The former Knight had been smart enough to realize that if her magical abilities enabled her to defeat a dozen men, those abilities coupled with training would allow her to triumph over twice that number.

Raising her blade in a diagonal angle, Anna blocked his next attack. Rather than oppose the resulting momentum, she embraced it...using it to drive the pommel of her sword forward.

The hilt slammed into her opponent's forehead, knocking him backwards into the stonewall. As Anna backed up, he slumped to the ground.

"You'll wake up," she mumbled to herself. He was, after all, just a young man doing his job (albeit doing it poorly.) Lowing her weapon, Anna braced herself for the sound of approaching reinforcements, but none came.

"Time to go."

\

BANG! BANG!

Kristoff's eyes shot open. Having just fallen asleep after a hard day's work, the last thing he wanted was to answer his front door. BANG! BANG! Groaning loudly in frustration, the ice-harvester forced himself out of bed and made his way down the steps. "Coming!" he growled grumpily.

He opened his door.

Given how loud and insistent the knocks had been, he was not terribly surprised that Anna was his late-night visitor. What did surprise him, however, was the dried blood staining her clothes, the numerous tiny cuts in her wrists, and the injured arm that was hanging limply at her side.

"I'm so so sorry for this, Kristoff," Anna babbled breathlessly. "But I have no one else to turn to. You have to get me out of here! Now, before she realizes I'm gone! Oh, gods, this is going to be the first place she checks!"

Fear began to clutch at his heart. "What the hell is going on?" he demanded. "Did someone attack the Castle? Did...is Elsa in danger?"

"Elsa is the one who did this!" Anna hissed. "Everything...it was all just a lie. She was using me since the beginning! I didn't believe her, but then she tried to fucking arrest me! She wants to punish me just for forcing her to put up with me! She's...she's a monster, Kristoff. We have to leave! Now!"

Kristoff had seen Anna upset, but never had the Knight been nearly as distressed as what he saw now. The night she had learned of Drell's betrayal had been terrible, but this...she looked so scared, angry, and saddened that it seemed as if a light breeze would be enough to shatter her.

His mind rapidly examined the facts before him. Kristoff had never been overly fond of royalty, but his dealings with Elsa had never rubbed him the wrong way, and Anna had clearly been madly in love with her. Yet he hadn't spent enough time with the Queen to truly know her, and given Anna's situation...homeless and starved of affection...it was easy to see how a malicious person could have fooled her.

And with Anna's powers, who else possessed the ability to injure her so? What else could make her as panicked as he saw her now?

At the moment, details didn't matter. If Elsa truly was evil and intent on making Anna suffer, then the former Knight was correct...this would be the first place she would look. They might only have minutes.

He could abandon Anna to her fate. But he never would. She had risked almost certain death to save him from the conspirators; only a monster would now leave her to die. Even then, Kristoff still didn't have a choice. The ice-harvester was still new to the idea of friendship, but he knew that it didn't entail leaving your friends to suffer at the hands of an insane Queen.

Even if you were exhausted and would give anything for a good night's sleep.

\

"You mean to tell me," Elsa said slowly, "That two capable users of magic were overpowered by a single Ungifted and a blade of metal?"

Will, a loyal member of the Faithful and one of the two assigned to guard Anna the previous night, lowered his head in shame. "Forgive me, Your Worship. We were taken by surprise. I...we failed you and will accept any punishment you deem fitting."

The Queen glared at them angrily. Will was capable of unleashing small bolts of electricity from his hands, a useful ability so long as you were smart enough to not be taken unawares. Enobaria, his partner, could manipulate sizable quantities of liquid and carried a water skin on her person at all times. Both were too powerful to face the ultimate punishment, but Elsa would see them pay for their mistake.

It had not been until early morning that Anna's escape had been discovered. Immediately, the monarch had raced to Kristoff's home only to find both of them long gone. Then, she was faced with a frustrating decision.

Their destination was obvious. They had nowhere else to go but the trolls, and only they might be able to fully heal Anna's injuries within a short amount of time. It was possible that Elsa could intercept Kristoff's sleigh during their journey, but there was more than one route to the trolls. Even Anna and Kristoff wouldn't be foolish enough to take the main road.

She could cut them off immediately, going to the trolls' home and exterminating them then and there. But the trolls, pitiful monstrosities that they were, could prove a nuisance to her. They were a pathetic race, created as an experiment by some of her fellow gods and gifted with non-combat magic. Still, Elsa was not aware of the precise range of their abilities, and if some of them escaped her assault, they could well prove dangerous to her plans. She could likely overcome them regardless, but it was not a certainty. And Pabbie wouldn't be stupid enough to battle her openly.

It would be better to leave that hornet's nest alone until her full powers returned. Then, she could wipe them out at her leisure.

Elsa wasn't fond of allowing Anna to walk free. She had apparently lost her powers, yes, but the girl was still a loose end. The Queen would have preferred to eliminate that threat completely, but now that the former Knight had come to terms with the 'fact' that her love had all been a lie, it was all but impossible that she would ever wield magic again.

There was always a slim chance, of course. Overall, however, it would be smarter to wait until her divinity returned to before provoking the wrath of the trolls. Besides, Elsa could guess what Anna's next move would be. And if she was correct, the girl would be well out of the way until Elsa's powers returned. She'd put up wanted posters and hope for the best, but she doubted that Anna would remain in Arendelle.

Fine. I'll allow her to suffer, ignorant and alone, until that day comes. Enjoy your return to the streets, dearest Anna.

\

"Pabbie, it's...I'm certain. She attacked me. She nearly killed me. Part of me still can't-" she stopped to stifle a sob.

Wincing, Kristoff decided to step in. "It's not a curse. I've seen it a dozen times...people who've come to you for help being cured by a kiss from their loved ones. Anna kissed her. Even then, we've never heard of magic that can control someone's mind or allow them to be possessed."

The troll eyed them sadly. He'd been extremely skeptical of Anna's story, having met Elsa and seen her supposed concern for the Knight first hand. Yet the only conclusion they could come to was that the Queen's betrayal had been genuine. Pabbie had no record of any magic capable of turning someone against those they love, and such a spell would certainly fall under the category of a curse.

"Legend claims that the gods imbued such a convenient condition within the fabric of magic, so that any magical malady placed on human or god could easily be cured by their loved ones," Pabbie said slowly. "I suppose it was a clever idea. Never, neither in my own experience or in the writings of my predecessors, have I ever found mention of True Love's Kiss failing to act as a cure."

Anna just stared at the ground. The last spark of hope in her eyes blinked out of existence.

Seeing that look on her face made Kristoff more than willing to wring his hands around Elsa's neck if given the opportunity. Never had he seen someone simply so...broken. Anna had barely said a word during their entire journey here. She hadn't slept. He'd practically had to force food down her throat to get her to eat.

This wasn't simply a 'bad break-up'. Anna's entire being had revolved around her relationship with Elsa. In a single day, Anna had lost her home, her job, and nearly all of her friendships. The only person who had ever loved her had revealed herself to be nothing more than an elaborate and vicious ruse. Thanks to Elsa, Anna had gained everything she'd ever wanted. And then, in an instant, all of it had been taken away forever.

Kristoff had seen Anna gain confidence and self-respect as she'd spent more time living with Elsa. Now, that all been wiped away. Anna had lost what made her Anna. All that remained was an empty and broken shell. The trolls had healed Anna's body, but there was little they could do for her mind.

At least, that was what he believed.

"I want to forget," Anna said suddenly.

Kristoff frowned. "Forget what?" he asked. "Taking away your memories of the last few days won't solve anything. You'll wake up back here, demand to see Elsa, and then have to go through all of this again. I'm sorry, but...I don't think that will work."

The former Knight shook her head fiercely. "I'm not talking about the last few days. I want to forget this entire fucking year! I don't want to remember anything about living in the Castle, or being a Knight, Elsa...I just want it all to go away."

For a moment, there was utter silence. Then Kristoff watched as Pabbieslowly walked out of his seat and gently placed his hands on Anna's shoulders. "Dear child. I understand your pain, but to remove so much memory from your mind...all the happiness you experienced. There's no telling what that would do to your personality."

"Anna," Kristoff added firmly, "That wouldn't work anyway. You can't wake up surrounded by rock trolls and be told you're going to be living with them and not have questions. I know you, Anna. You'll never stop searching for the truth."

"I'm not going to be living here," she replied glumly.

What? For their entire journey here, he'd assumed that remaining with the trolls was Anna's plan. "But you have nowhere else to go!" he protested. "You're not safe in Arendelle-"

"I'm not safe here, either," Anna shot back. "Elsa wants to punish me. Eventually, she'll look here. Even if I didn't want to lose my memories, I couldn't remain here. My presence is too much of a risk. I have to go somewhere that she'll never find me. If she found me with you-"

Kristoff stared at her.

"Elsa's family in Corona...they were in on her act. I wouldn't be safe there anyway, even if they wanted to help me. I have to disappear. I can't stay in Arendelle, and I can't stay here."

"Anna," Pabbie intoned gently, "That doesn't mean you have to lose your memories. It is not worth the risk-"

"No. It is. It's the only way I'll be able to go on. I can't go back to a life of poverty and isolation if I remember what...what a good life was like," the former Knight noted grimly.

"Poverty?" Kristoff demanded incredulously. "You can't stay here; I understand that. But I'll give you the rest of my money. I can stay here; I don't need it. With all that I have left, you could live in relative comfort for a long time."

Anna smiled slightly, but it didn't reach her eyes. "That's not going to work. Elsa probably has men already watching your shop. If you try to bring that money back to me, we'll both end up dead. And besides, I can't stay in Arendelle. I'd have to go to a currency exchange, and there I'd almost certainly be caught. I need to go straight to another country, probably the Southern Isles. Elsa destroyed my necklace, so she can't use that to find me. And Pabbie's spell still protects me from any locator spells not created by him."

The ice harvester couldn't believe his ears. Anna seemed determined to go back to a life of homelessness and thievery. It was unthinkable.

"Kristoff..." she placed a hand on his arm, "I appreciate your help. Really, I do. But it has to be this way; we both know that. I...I have to go back to where I belong. It's the only way you and the trolls will be safe. And the only way I can move on from this without ki-"

Killing myself. "Anna, no!"

She ignored him, turning back to Pabbie. "You know I'm right. The most important thing is for your people to be safe. It's too dangerous for Kristoff to go back to his business, but as long as I'm not around, Elsa probably won't attack you. She'd have no reason. Send Kristoff back to the city discreetly, have him keep an eye on things and see if she's planning an attack, but I doubt it. And if she did...I wouldn't be any help to you."

"It's possible I could discover a way to restore your powers, Anna," Pabbie offered, though his tone was doubtful.

Anna shook her head. "They'd just make it easier for Elsa to find me. Please, Pabbie. You have to do this."

"And then what?" Kristoff questioned angrily. "He takes away your memories, and you wake up in a tavern somewhere? You'll have no idea where you are, end up finding out that a year has somehow passed without you realizing it, and be stuck in the middle of Arendelle. Elsa might find you before the updated wanted posters force you to leave! Even then, you'll be reading posters that picture your face perfectly and describe you as former consort of the Queen. How can that possibly end well?"

A sigh from Pabbie redirected his attention. "It will not be so difficult, Kristoff," he said reluctantly. "I can't create memories, but I can alter them slightly. You can place Anna near the border with the Southern Isles. My magic can place the suggestion within her mind that she decided it was too dangerous for her to remain in Arendelle and best to enter another country and continue her thefts there."

"I was near Hammerfest before I met Elsa; that's close to the Isles," Anna noted. "And it's not as if I was ever looking at a calendar while sneaking into houses. It's been almost exactly a year since I met Elsa. Odds are, when I wake up, I won't even notice that I skipped one. I might be surprised that I'm wearing different clothes and have an ugly scar on my cheek, but I'll chalk it off to a drunken episode the night before. I'll leave my sword here; I'll need to take a small knife if you have one lying around."

"And in the Southern Isles, it's unlikely you would hear the tale of Queen Elsa's traitorous consort," Pabbie mused. "And even if you did, it would be almost impossible for you to..."

"You're actually agreeing to this?" Kristoff demanded.

"I'm simply being honest about the choice that Anna is presented with. It's true that this path could allow her to escape her previous life. But-" he turned again to Anna, "Losing all of those memories could have a terrible effect on your mental state. With all those happy memories erased, it's very likely that you will become a bitter, selfish woman. And once you drink the potion, nothing will be able to reverse the effects. It creates a wound that cannot be mended. And because you will drink it willingly, it will not be considered a curse."

Anna nodded, closing her eyes. A single tear glistened down her cheek. "I know. But I have to keep you safe. If I forget everything, I'll at least have a slight chance of one day having a good life again. It'll be as if this year never happened. Maybe I don't get a happy ending...I don't think I was ever meant to have one. But this way, at least I won't be taking all of you down with me."

\

It took Pabbie an hour to make the potion. Kristoff kept begging her to reconsider, to find another way, but Anna ignored his pleas. She truly did appreciate his concern, but nothing he said could make any difference. The former Knight had thought about his the entire ride here, over two days, and there was no other solution. The only way for her life to go on...and for the trolls and Kristoff to remain safe...was to erase the previous year from her life.

Then Pabbie was holding it out to her...a small bottle of purple liquid. One sip and she would fall unconscious, only to wake up with the last twelve months erased from her mind forever. Carefully, she took the bottle from his hand and held it in her fingers.

For a moment, she hesitated. All of her happy moments...spending time with Elsa, talking with Rapunzel, becoming a Knight...was she really ready to forget them all? Then she remembered that each had been a lie, and every shred of happiness in her heart was replaced with a stake of despair. Yes, she was ready. Nothing could be worse than this.

She brought the bottle to her lips and drank.

\

Elsa couldn't move.

She could see everything, hear everything, but she couldn't do a damn thing. The very second that the Goddess had entered her body, Elsa had lost all control. She was not privy to the thoughts of the being that now controlled her limbs, but she was there to witness every excruciating second.

Trapped in this limbo, Elsa had done nothing but watch as the person she loved most in this world was fed the most vicious lies imaginable...right before being beaten within an inch of her life. She'd wanted to scream...cry out that it was all a lie; she loved Anna powerfully and unconditionally! But no matter how hard she strained, the Goddess's control over her physical form remained absolute.

There had only been a single moment...a brief ray of hope. When her rage and desperation had reached their peak, just for an instant... But nothing had come of it, and though she continued to struggle, Elsa remained a passenger inside her own body...a silent and ineffectual companion to the goddess who planned on committing unspeakable atrocities.

Anna had escaped, and it was to Elsa's immense satisfaction that the goddess was livid. Yet what would happen next seemed to placate her. The goddess had conferred with Evangeline; both agreed that Anna would go to the trolls and relinquish her memories. Going after her was not worth the risk of antagonizing the trolls. Without her powers and bereft of allies, Anna would be powerless to oppose the goddess.

They were wrong.

If she'd been capable of it, Elsa would have been brought to tears by the knowledge that Anna was going to return to the miserable life the Queen had gladly saved her from. But at least this way, she'd remain safe for a time. The attention of the goddess would turn to the ritual, leaving Anna and the trolls alive. When the right opportunity presented itself...

The goddess did not know everything, and neither did Grand Pabbie. Elsa suspected that an antidote to the trolls' magic was hidden in plain sight. As long as Anna survived, there was a chance...however slim...that her memories would return.

Thanks to the prophecy, the goddess and her Faithful were confident that the future had already been written. In a year's time, with the ritual ready, the world would fall to their whims without the slightest opposition. But Elsa wasn't ready to give in just yet. She might have been taken off the playing field, but Anna was still out there. Her magic and memories were dormant...that didn't mean they were gone.

\

Sunlight streamed through the window of the inn's room, forcing Anna out of her deep sleep. Immediately, she was hit by a profound sense of loss. The thief couldn't remember what she had been dreaming, but it must have been something good.

Her memories of the previous night were hazy. Dammit. I must have gotten drunk again. It's not like I have the coins to spare! Throwing the covers off herself, she looked down at her body in surprise. Where did I get these clothes?! And why do I feel so full? Gods, it must have been a wild night.

Anna's panic mounted. Had she spent all of the money gained from her most recent 'acquisition'? The wanted posters in Arendelle had become too accurate. She needed to get to the Southern Isles soon; it wouldn't be safe to commit another robbery in Arendelle. Gingerly she reached a hand into her pockets...

Metal! Her fingers traced the outlines of several coins. Hardly daring to believe it, Anna plucked them out of her pocket and held them as if they were a newborn child. Ten gold pieces! "Where the hell did these come from?!" she thought aloud. "Maybe I can even eat some breakfast today before setting out." Forced to ration her coins carefully, Anna always limited herself to two meals a day. With this treasure trove, however, a splurge on breakfast wouldn't be out of the question.

\

Thirty minutes later, Anna was walking out of the tavern with a half eaten loaf of bread in her hand.

"Spare a coin, milady?"

The thief turned around, instinctively responding to the honorific. Standing before her was a young girl who looked to be about ten of age, dressed in a once-fine garment that was nearly worn out beyond repair.

Anna's heart panged. Usually, she was the one asking for charity. With the food in her hand and the clothes she was wearing (so fine that Anna wouldn't have been surprised to discover that she'd had a drunken fling with a nobleman last night,) this was perhaps the first time in her life that someone thought she was rich.

I'll only need one gold piece to make it to the border. "Of course. Here, you can have these." With a smile, she held out nearly her entire stash of gold to the poor girl.

The child's eyes grew as big as saucers as she reverently accepted the coins. "Nine pieces! Thank you ever so much, Miss! I haven't seen this much money since my da-" she stopped suddenly. The happy glow around her quickly faded.

Dad passed away. Gods…she must be homeless. By the looks of her, it happened pretty recently. She probably doesn't know about the orphanages.

"Use the money to travel to Trondheim. It's a big city not too far from the capital. There, they have a place that will take in anyone younger than sixteen. Look for a big building made with red bricks in the center of the city; don't be afraid to ask around if you get lost. Whatever you do, don't stay in Hammerfest; this is the poorest part of the country. You won't find any help here." Wait, how do I know that?

"I...I will, Miss! Thank you!"

With a sad smile, Anna watched the girl leave. "And so ends my time as a rich woman," she muttered. Now with only one gold coin left on her person, traveling to the Southern Isles wouldn't be easy. Reluctantly, she began to walk out of the city.

There was a long road ahead.

Responses:

MilandaAnza: Yes, but she can't stay.

Vidgamelords: It's not going to be that easy.

Tsl4m0n: No more rape and torture! The ending I have planned has been set in stone from the very beginning, and I've been keeping it in mind constantly. The thing I hate most about stories are endings that aren't satisfying, so I'm making sure it's something that I as a reader would find fulfilling.

Wardicus: Two feet of snow! And my shovel broke.

Gwiley16199: Anna was told that Elsa kept her alive because she was a useful bodyguard. She doesn't know the truth about her powers.

It was hard for her to swallow, but if someone in real life who you thought loved you told you they didn't, had a plausible reason for making you think they did, beat you within an inch of your life, then imprisoned you, what would you end up thinking? Anna did consider the possibility of a curse, but no dice. Even Pabbie doesn't know of any magic capable of possessing a person.

Shaza: We'll see!

WinterWolfDragon: Thank you!

CoolNickNack: She might never.

BreeBear98: Hang in there!

Flame: She didn't. Anna's magic comes from the fact that consorts of gods and goddesses receive abilities as the romantic attachment between them increases. Once Elsa's 'betrayal' sunk in, Anna's faith in that attachment and thus her powers were removed.

NarutoUchica999: Thanks!

SummerStormWar: The cliff dream was actually a vision of the past (when the war between the gods ended.) Not a vision of the future.

DimensionalLover: She IS thinking, but no other explanation presented itself. It wasn't so much losing faith in Elsa than losing faith in herself. 'Wow I must really be that stupid and got tricked.'

Sarah82011: There's one of your questions answered.

Moosedrool: Me too!

ClaireCooper: Don't give up hope just yet.

Shtoops: Why? Anna had no idea that Elsa's past self was evil, or that that personality still even existed. It's easy to see from our perspective, but not from hers.

MCLMM: Two thousand years is a long time. Trolls aren't immortal. History becomes legend and legend becomes myth.

Katarr: Elsa worked for days on that blade, making it the strongest and most stable ice on earth. Undoing all that work isn't easy. If she had a few hours alone with it, she might be able to melt it, but not in the middle of the fight.

That other theory is possible, but remember that although she's smart enough to perceive Anna as a threat, the goddess doesn't know that Anna is the hero of the story (like we do.) Rapunzel, her family, and the influence of Corona are (to Elsa) more of a threat than one girl with magic.

Ggg: Power isn't the only way to win a fight.

SnowfallenAngel: Me too!

Arekanderu: Here it is!

Shadowfax321: She's alive for now, and that's a victory in and of itself.

Sedryn: Hopefully next chapter will provide some relief.

Mpsantiago: I'm very happy about the 2K milestone. The magic users on guard were knocked out. If the Faithful have a weakness, it's overconfidence. I bet you're not happy about the losing memories cliché being employed, but it keeps Anna alive and safe until it's time for round 2.

MindMadness: After Elsanna, Korrasami is my favorite paring.

Guest 1: School is keeping me busy; going as fast as I can!

RR: Elsa told her that Rapunzel was in on the scheme; going to her would be too risky.

Tithi: I'm sure the real Elsa would agree.

ObsessiveImaginings: Elsa is certainly the strongest character in the story.

XTNZ: There is a smutty bonus scene in the back of my mind…

Coincidencless: Anna gave it her all, but Elsa's magic is overwhelming.

Jydr: I can't answer everything!

FrenchToastPumpkin: Kristoff feels the same way. Unfortunately, life isn't fair when it comes to dolling out suffering.

Shalifi: Eventually, with no other possibilities presenting themselves, Anna was eventually left with 'I guess I really am that gullible.' If something happened like this to you in real life and you were betrayed by a loved one, would you eventually accept it if they tried to kill you? True, we don't have magic in this world, but in Anna's world no spells capable of possessing someone were ever recorded in written history. The time-tested way of dealing with curses completely failed.

GeneralNavri: Did you see this coming?

IdealSpectator: Going as fast as I can given schoolwork!

DVINM: Sorry if I spoiled a bit of Season 4, but you definitely need to watch it!

PascalDragon: Her powers are gone because she accepted that the romantic connection between her and Elsa was never real.

Datteboy: Thanks a lot! Though I hope you were kidding about the anxiety attack…