Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. This is a work of fan fiction. I make no claim of copyright.

"Elsa?" a tentative voice calls pleadingly. "Elsa? Please! Please, wake up!"

That voice. It sounds so familiar and far away. I can't quite place it. All I know at that moment is that my head is absolutely killing me. I am sinking into a black sea of pain, surrounded by utter darkness. Someone shakes me, sending waves of pain crashing through my skull. I hear a moaning sound. It takes me a few seconds to realize that the sound is coming from me.

"Elsa? Come on, please! Please wake up," the voice begs again. I fight to open my eyes, to see what is going on. My eyelids refuse to move. Everything feels too heavy, as though my body had turned to lead. And my head! It feels like someone is drilling through it with a dull bit.

"Keep trying, Anna, honey. Her eyelids are fluttering," comes a voice that I don't recognize. Anna calls again, her voice cracking despite the hope I hear in her tone.

I fight my way back to consciousness and finally force my eyelids to crack. Everything is far too blurry for me to recognize anything. And the light! It is like someone is driving needles into my eyeballs. I quickly shut my eyes tight with a groan and try to lift my hands to shield my eyes. My arms refuse to move. They feel like they've been weighted down and I can't find the strength to move them at all. I can barely twitch a finger.

"Elsa!" Anna hugs me tight, her joyous squeal hammering my ears. I moan in pain "I..I thought I had lost you!" she whimpers, her voice quieter in volume. Something drips onto my face. I scrunch my nose and try to turn my head away from whatever it is but can't.

Wha...what is that? "An...Anna," I murmur softly and briefly force my eyes open again, slowly blinking to try to focus them.

Anna is openly crying from joy and relief, tears dripping onto my face. I feel a large, rough hand touch my forehead. It feels like...stone? Who is this? I wonder, confused. I feel...something flow into my head, probing my mind and body. Magic? I wondered. My own powers go on high alert. I can feel my magic shifting, building, ready to force the intruder out. The other magic retreats and I hear a deep, gravelly voice come from somewhere beside me. It sounds vaguely familiar. I...heard it somewhere, a long time ago.

"Anna, your sister is still suffering from the concussion. Rapunzel's magic reduced the swelling but it wasn't strong enough to completely heal her." The hand moves but I leave my eyes closed, too tired to open them again. Rapunzel's magic?

"What? Why not?" a soft female voice breaks in from my left. That voice. I remember it from the coronation. Someone I talked with that night... Ugh! My brain isn't working. I can't think, can't remember! "My healing powers used to be strong enough to bring Eugene back from the dead. Why can't I completely heal my cousin?"

Rapunzel? It finally clicks in my groggy mind. She's here? Eugene? Powers? What? That gravelly voice comes again.

"You hadn't used your powers in three years, Your Highness, and always channeled it through your hair before. This is the first time you have used your hands. Given time and practice, your magic will grow strong again. Come, we must hurry. Bulda? Is the medicine ready?" Bulda? That's not a name I've heard before, I wonder.

"Yes, Papa," a matronly voice replies. I hear faint, muffled footsteps, like someone is walking on moss. "Hold her head up, dear. Yes, just like that." Small hands lift my head and I feel a rough stone cup on my lips, tilted so the liquid inside makes contact with my slightly parted lips. I make a face at the bitter liquid and try to turn away. Anna holds me still, her arms tightening around my body while Rapunzel held my head still. "Ah, ah, ah, Your Majesty. You need to drink it. It will help your headache."

I give in and gulp it down, gagging as I do so. Revolting! Whatever it is works quickly. I can feel my pain already fading a little as Anna lays me back onto her lap. I open my eyes again. I can just make out her happy, tear-streaked face right over mine. Everything else is still blurry.

"Hi," Anna croaks out. "You gave us quite a scare."

"Wha..what happened?" I manage to mumble out, closing my eyes with a groan as a shaft of sunlight caresses my face. I feel a presence pressing down on me as if trying to push me away but it doesn't feel like a person. I try to puzzle out what it is but thinking makes my brain hurt.

"What do you remember?"

My brows draw together as I concentrate, trying to sort through my murky thoughts. Anna, for once, waits patiently. "You..you had...just punched Prince Hans then hugged me. I hugged you back. That's...the last thing...I remember." I sigh as someone strokes my hair.

"You collapsed. One minute, we're hugging each other, the next, I hear you groan and then I'm trying to hold you up. You just went completely limp. Kristoff helped me lay you on the deck and stayed with you while I called for help. Dr. Rivsen said that your brain was swelling and that you would...n..never wake up. He tried everything and even worked through the night, but nothing helped. Then I got the idea of bringing you here and asked Kristoff to be our guide."

"Wh..where is 'here?'"

"The Valley of the Living Rock."

I gasp as my eyes fly open and I tremble in fear. "T..trolls?"

"Your Majesty." That deep voice again. I laboriously move my head — when did my own head become so heavy? — so I can see to my side. I startle as I make out an blurry shape close to me. He draws closer until I can see that it is the troll leader, the one who removed my magic from Anna's head. What's his name? Great Pebble? No, that's not it. Grand Pebble? No. Grand Pabbie! Yes, that is it. His eyes look at me with deep sorrow and pity as he takes my hand. "I am deeply sorry. If only I had explained myself better, none of this would have happened."

"Wait, what?" Anna asks. "Hold on. Explained what better?"

"May I?" Pabbie searches for an answer in my eyes. I nod, closing my eyes as I do so. It is too tiring to keep them open longer. I hear Pabbie turn to Anna, his moss cloak whispering over the ground. "Thirteen years ago, your parents brought you and your sister here. You had been struck in the head by her magic, apparently while you played. I removed the magic but had to remove your memories of magic as well to be safe."

"What? And no one told me?" Anna asks incredulously. I had wondered that myself over the years.

"I...I'm sorry, A..Anna. I..didn't m..mean to hurt you," I whisper. "Papa…" my voice fades out as I try to rein in my emotions. I can still feel the terror of that night rising up, making it hard for me to breath, threatening to overwhelm me.

Anna lightly squeezes me. "It's okay, Elsa. I know it was an accident. You would never hurt me on purpose."

"I warned Elsa and your parents that her power would only grow." He waves his hands, recreating the vision that he had shown us then. I heard Anna gasp and muster the strength to see what is happening. I squint to focus my sight. A look of wonder rests on Anna's face as she sees me using my magic in front of a crowd. "There is beauty in it...but also great danger." The crowd turns an angry red. "I said then, 'You must learn to control it. Fear will be your enemy.'" The crowd attacks me as the vision ends in a swirl of red and a scream. I shiver involuntarily. Anna's arms tighten around me and she huddles over me protectively.

"Shhh, Elsa, it's okay. I got you. You're safe," Anna comforts me. "So, what happened next?"

"Papa…" I try again, "He said that he would protect me—close the gates, reduce the staff, keep me away from people, and hide my powers from everyone—including you. He...taught me that I couldn't let anyone know or they might...kill me."

Anna's face turns pale, then a bright red. Rapunzel must have seen the look in her eyes and breaks in. "How should we care for Elsa now?" Anna blinks as the non-sequitur interrupts her angry thoughts.

Pabbie turns and blinks at her. "She must rest for quite a while. Weeks at least, likely months. No strenuous activities, no reading, minimal thinking at first then she can resume her activities. Keep her quiet and make sure she eats. I can sense that she hasn't eaten in some time. Now, come, you must take her from this place."

Anna glances down at me. "Elsa, when was the last time you ate?"

"Wh..what day is it now?"

"Tuesday," Anna squints up at the sun. "Right around noon."

I try to think of the last time I ate but it is hard. What is wrong with me? I can barely hold a thought together! Every thought feels half-formed, everything blurring together. I finally whisper, "I haven't eaten since last Wednesday or Thursday."

"What?!" Anna and Rapunzel exclaim together loudly. I groan in pain as Pabbie tries to shush them. The presence I sensed earlier is even stronger now, the weight of it almost unbearable. Pabbie looks at me with increasing concern. He begins chanting softly and waving his hands over me. Anna recovers. "You mean you haven't eaten in...what...five or six days? I know you didn't take any food with you when you ran from the coronation ball. Wait. You didn't eat anything during the banquet or the ball?"

I weakly shake my head. Relief coursed through me that at least I could move something other than my eyes but the movement still makes me feel sick to my stomach. The unpleasant memory of repeatedly vomiting during the days before the coronation percolates through my mind. Dry heaves are definitely not pleasant. Whatever Pabbie is doing is working. The presence lifts a bit. "No. Too nervous...sick to my stomach. Threw up everything...couldn't keep anything down."

"Wait, wait. So you were sick all week, couldn't eat anything—and then ran away without food?"

"Um-hmm." I shift in her arms. Anna tightens her grip and holds me closer as blackness tries to tug me back under. She must have noticed I am starting to pass out.

"How long did it take you to get to the summit of the North Mountain?"

Her question drags me back from the brink. I look at her through leaden eyelids. "I finished my ice castle at daybreak."

"What? Are you kidding me?" Anna's mouth hangs open. "Sunrise is 4:30 in the morning this time of year! It only took you five hours to run on foot all the way to the North Mountain, climb it, and build that awesome castle? When you were sick and hadn't eaten anything? It took me nearly two days just to get there and I had a horse, a sleigh, a reindeer, and a guide! How...I mean, I always knew you were the athlete of the family, what with your archery, your running, and all, but I never knew you could do that!"

"I..I don't even know how I did it."

"Fear," Pabbie interjects, "is a powerful motivator. Now, please, you must get the Queen to safety. She will be safe once you leave our valley."

"Wait, safe? You mean she isn't safe here?" Anna stared at him.

He gently touched my forehead. "No. Our valley is warded against her kind to protect us. She was in no danger as long as she was unconscious but now that she is awake, she must leave or she will be in grave danger." I see him stare at Anna with a curious expression on his face. I get the distinct impression that he is not telling her everything.

"Well, we'll definitely talk more later, Elsa," Anna tells me. "Right now, let's eat before we head back to Arendelle. Gerda packed a lunch for us and I'm starving and I know you should be, too. Kristoff, would you please carry my sister back to where we left the guards? Thanks. And thank you, Pabbie, for helping my sister and telling me the truth. Although I'm furious at everything."

"My pleasure," the elderly troll bows his head in contrition as Anna's friend begins to pick me up. "I understand your anger and it is well justified. I hope eventually you will forgive me. Kristoff? Please, stay for a few minutes. I have something important to tell you."

Kristoff looks at Anna, then at the troll. Anna nods. "Go ahead. I'll have Geoff carry her out. Captain?"

I feel strong arms lift me away from Anna but don't bother trying to open my eyes. The blackness nearly has me. My guard captain shakes me a little as he carries me away. "Queen Elsa, stay with me. You need to eat first." Anna touches my head. I try to focus on the feel of her small hand, barely holding the darkness at bay. Then after a few minutes of walking, he lays me down, my head lying on Anna's lap. Anna quickly props my head up and pulls the cowl of my cloak off my head. I hear a murmur of voices and a soft command from my sister but can't make anything out.

"Stay with us, El," she pats my cheek until I open my eyes then holds a cup to my lips. "We brought chicken broth for you. Drink up!"

The warm liquid spills down the corners of my mouth as I drink. Someone—I have no idea who as my eyes have already snaked shut—wipes my mouth when I am through. Then there is another low babble of voices before I am wrapped in the blanket and picked up again. I managed to open my left eye. I...recognize him. He was with Anna in my ice castle and on the boat. What was his name again? Ugh! I can't remember and it bothers me. My head starts swimming again and my attention is diverted to keeping the broth I just drank from making a reappearance. Leather creaks before someone — it sounds like Captain Heinrichsson — speaks.

"Are you sure I cannot carry Her Majesty, Your Highness?"

"I'm sure, Geoff," Anna replies.

"But, beg your pardon, isn't the Queen too heavy for you to support? You barely made it here. Allow me to carry her."

"She's my sister," Anna declares earnestly. "I want to take care of her."

"Very well," my guard captain tells her, "but I want you to promise me that you will let me know if Her Majesty gets too heavy for you. After all, we do not want both of you falling off and injuring yourselves."

Anna stiffens. She apparently hadn't considered that possibility. "I promise."

"Well, Freckles, are you ready?" Freckles? That sounds like Eugene. I faintly recall that he likes nicknames. After all, he calls Rapunzel "Blondie" when we met at my coronation although her hair is not blonde.

"Yep! Let's do this."

I am lifted up to sit in a large saddle behind Anna. I slump to the side, my body feeling completely boneless, and nearly tumble off. There are a few yelps of alarm around me and hands grab me and hold me steady as soft ropes are wound around me, tying me securely to Anna's back. Anna reaches back, grabs my hands, and holds them as someone ties my wrists together in front of her. She positions my head on a small pillow on her shoulder and tugs my cowl back up to cover my face and hold the pillow in place. I hear a command and hoof beats and snorts break the stillness of the forest. "Anna?" I whisper, too tired to muster the strength for anything louder.

"What is it, El?"

"No carriage?"

She pats my hands. "This was way faster. I wasn't going to sit around and wait for them to get that thing ready with you dying on me. Besides, I don't think we could have gotten it up here."

"Oh."

Anna stroked my hair. "Go to sleep, El. I've got you."

I settle into Anna's back, allowing myself to be lulled by the rocking gait of her horse. I startle as I am pulled down off the horse. "Hu..huh?"

I hear my guard captain's voice. "You're okay, Your Majesty. Princess Anna is tired so I will carry you the rest of the way."

"Tired?" I hear Kristoff's amused voice. "She went to sleep and nearly fell out of the saddle."

"Hey," I hear Anna grumble with yawn, "you go four days with no sleep and see how well you do."

"I went three days."

"Yeah but you slept last night. I didn't." I hear her yawn again. "Let's just get back to Arendelle."

I felt Captain Heinrichsson settle me into his arms as his horse began walking down the trail. He chuckled.

I open my left eye and squint. I can just make out his face through the opening of the cowl. "What's so funny?" I whisper.

He looks down at me. "It just hit me that this is the second time I've carried you out of the mountains in as many days, Your Majesty." He closes the cowl around me. "Go back to sleep. I'll tell you about it later." I feel his arm tighten around me, cradling me close. A thought trickles through my mind, I'm safe. Anna is safe. With that on my mind, I close my eyes and quickly fall back to sleep.