After staying for a feast North insisted on making, Elsa and Jack flew back to Arendelle. North and the other Guardians had been disappointed, and Tooth had tried to convince her to stay longer, but Elsa was determined to return for her sister's coronation.

When Arendelle finally appeared on the edge of the horizon, Elsa urged Jack to fly faster.

"Come on, we'll be late if we don't hurry," she said, pulling him along.

"We still have plenty of time," Jack tried to say, but Elsa shook her head.

"I'm not going to be late to my own sister's coronation," she said determinedly. "Now, come on."

When they reached the gates, they hurried through the streets with the other nobles headed towards the palace for the coronation. Jack could barely keep up with Elsa until they reached the front step of the palace. Suddenly, Elsa slowed, staring at the walls of the place she once knew. Despite the darkness that lurked in the shadows of the building, haunting its walls with pain and fear, she knew it as home. She stepped cautiously inside, her body numb as she walked through the foyer. Jack followed respectfully, not wanting to intrude on Elsa's thoughts.

She wrapped her arms around herself as her eyes shifted from left to right, seeing only her childhood memories—playing with Anna, building snowmen, making it snow inside. As they reached the top of the stairs, she blinked, turning back and looking at the dark foyer nostalgically.

"We can come back here any time you want," Jack promised her, and she nodded distantly before taking a deep breath and saying, "We should hurry if we want to make it to the chapel in time."

They hurried down the hall and slipped into the chapel just as the guards closed the door. Instinctively, Elsa began making her way up to the front, but Jack pulled her back, murmuring, "There's a child sitting about halfway to the front; if she sees you, she might make a fuss."

Elsa's shoulders sagged in dismay, and she allowed herself to be led to the back. She and Jack stood against the back wall, and she watched as the cardinal picked up the crown. As the choir sang, Anna bowed her head, and the cardinal placed the crown on her head. She straightened up, and the cardinal presented her with the orb and scepter. She took them in her hands and turned to face the crowd as the cardinal began to chant. Her eyes scanned the crowd, and they widened when she spotted Elsa and Jack. Anna's mouth opened slightly in surprise, and Elsa quickly put a finger to her lip and shook her head. Anna quickly shut her mouth and regained her composure as the cardinal finished, "Queen Anna of Arendelle."

The crowd stood and repeated the words in a cheer, and Jack and Elsa cheered along with them. Elsa felt her heart swell with happiness, but then the little girl in one of the middle pews turned around. The girl's eyes widened, and Elsa gasped, grabbing Jack's hand and fleeing from the chapel before the girl could say anything. Anna frowned in confusion, and she started after her sister, but the nobles stopped her before she could make it past the first two pews, congratulating her and wishing her prosperity and peace during her reign.

"Thank you," she said graciously as she tried to push past them. "But I really, really have to go."

They watched her in confusion as she hurried out of the chapel after Elsa. Kristoff followed her, catching her by the arm and asking worriedly, "What's going on?"

"Elsa was here, but she ran away," Anna said, looking around frantically.

"What? Elsa disappeared last night after her announcement," Kristoff said confusedly.

"I know, I know, but she was here," Anna insisted. "You probably couldn't see her, but she was here."

"Wouldn't someone have said something if she'd been there?" Kristoff asked reasonably, but Anna shook her head.

"No, she's…she's invisible," Anna said, groaning in frustration as Kristoff looked at her skeptically. "It's hard to explain, but only a few people can see her, now."

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" he asked, peering into her eyes.

"I…" Anna started, faltering when she saw Elsa appear around the corner. Smiling in relief, she called to her sister, "Elsa!"

Kristoff turned around, frowning when he couldn't see her. Squinting slightly, he asked, "Anna, who are you talking to?"

"Anna, he can't see us," Elsa said gently. "You're one of the only adults in the world who can still see the Guardians."

"But…" Anna said softly, turning back and forth between Kristoff and Elsa. "But you're still going to come and visit, right?"

"Anna, of course," Elsa said, beginning to move towards her sister when she hesitated. "But it'll be difficult if no one else can see me. After all, you can't be seen talking to air."

People began exiting the chapel, and Elsa said worriedly, "I'll see you later. I promise."

Before Anna could protest, Elsa and Jack disappeared around the corner. Kristoff pulled her back to prevent her from running after her sister, and Anna reluctantly returned to the nobles.

That night, after the coronation party, she paced nervously in her chambers. Kristoff sat in an armchair, watching her concernedly as she walked back and forth across the room.

"Where is she?" Anna asked in frustration. "She said she'd be here. You don't think she'd just leave without saying goodbye, do you?"

"No," Kristoff said. "But you still never explained to me why she's invisible."

"It's like when we were little and used to believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, only they're real," Anna said, and once again Kristoff raised his eyebrow skeptically. "No, they're real. All of the legends that we heard. And, well, now Elsa's become the Snow Queen we used to hear about in the legends."

"So she's a legend from a story? You mean she…then who did we know? Or was she just keeping it a secret from us all that time?" Kristoff asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"I…I don't know. I don't really understand it, but she's invisible now, except to a few people, and she can't stay here," Anna said. "But she promised to say goodbye, and she's not here, and…what if she left?"

"Anna, I left without saying goodbye once, and I nearly destroyed the kingdom," Elsa said from the doorway, and Anna whipped around to see her sister smiling sadly at her. "Do you really think I'd repeat my own mistakes?"

"Elsa!" Anna cried, running to her sister and throwing her arms around her. Elsa hugged her sister in return, closing her eyes and sighing softly. Anna pulled away and asked, her voice breaking, "Will I ever see you again?"

"Of course you will," Elsa said earnestly, squeezing her sister's hands. "I'll never let anything come between us. Not this, not distance, not anything. We'll always be sisters, wherever we go, and we'll always be best friends, no matter how far apart we are."

"You're really leaving?" Anna asked sadly, and Elsa nodded. "What about Kristoff?"

"I've already given my blessing, but—"

"No, no, what if he never sees you?" Anna asked, and Elsa paused.

"He'll have to find his own way of believing," Elsa said softly. "I'm sorry, Anna. I can't promise that he'll ever be able to see me."

"What if I helped him?" Anna asked as Kristoff stood.

"I…perhaps," Elsa said hesitantly. She pulled away from her sister and walked over to the window, where Jack was waiting. She opened it and stepped up onto the windowsill as she said, "I should leave, Anna. My time as ruler of Arendelle is over; it would be wrong to linger."

Anna let out a small choking sound before hurrying over to her sister. She pulled her sister off the windowsill and into a tight hug, and Elsa hugged her back. Without pulling away, Anna said, "Promise me you'll visit."

"I'll visit whenever you want me to." Elsa promised, pulling away. "All you have to do is concentrate, and I'll come."

"Is this really goodbye?" Anna asked, her voice cracking, as Elsa stepped up onto the windowsill once more. Jack took her hand, and Elsa said with a tearful smile, "It is, but goodbyes are never permanent. I'll always stay with you, even when I can't be with you physically. You just have to believe."

Before Anna could say another word, they leapt off the windowsill, the wind carrying them away into the night. Anna waved to them, and Kristoff joined her at the window until Elsa and Jack were out of sight. Silent tears rolled down Anna's cheeks, and she couldn't decide if they were out of sadness for her loss or out of happiness for her sister's freedom.

As they flew low over the fjord, Elsa glanced back worriedly at the lights of Arendelle's palace. Jack squeezed her hand and whispered, "The pain is past, Elsa. You don't have to be scared anymore."

"It'll never fully be past," she said as he intertwined his fingers with hers.

"Perhaps, but now freedom can begin to replace the pain," he said, dipping their fingers into the water and creating frozen streaks below them. Elsa smiled in delight, and North's parting words echoed in her mind.

You will never truly be rid of fear or pain or darkness. None of us will ever be. But if you do not let it consume you, if you keep your center pure and full of love, Pitch will have no power. It is fine line to walk, and at times it will be lonely one, but in it you will find your freedom.