Chapter One:

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or Frozen.

Author's Note: First paragraph is in the "present". The rest of this fic is in the "past".

…..

Elsa took a delicate sip of her tea, her hands trembling, then replied mournfully, "It all began when I had just turned eight and my sister Anna was five. I accidentally blasted her in the heart with my Elemental powers, and her condition was critical." She gave a self-conscious laugh. "It was the worst birthday gift ever. Anyways, Mother, Father and I took Anna away to get help, but..…."

….

"I cannot save your daughter," Grand Pabbie said mournfully, bowing deeply to the King and Queen of Arendelle. "I am sorry, your highnesses. I am not powerful enough."

Elsa's father gazed at his child, stiff and pale in his arms, and then stared at the troll with determination in his eyes. "Then send me to someone who can."

There was a pause in which Elsa was certain that she had killed her younger sister. Killed sweet little Anna who had done nothing wrong, condemned her to lie forever beneath the cold, hard earth. Grand Pabbie can't save Anna, she thought hysterically, and he can't name anyone else who could. Anna was going to die. Elsa gave a gasping sob and clung to her mother's skirts tightly, afraid she had lost her little sister forever.

However, her fears were allayed by the troll's next words — "I know of one. Yubaba, the witch of the bathhouse."

Immediately the gathering of trolls gasped, shocked. It was apparent that they all knew of this Yubaba, even if the Royal Family had not. The clearing buzzed with their hushed discussions.

Grand Pabbie continued relentlessly, ignoring the whispers. "This is only if you are truly desperate, Your Highness. Yubaba is dangerous, powerful, and notorious for exacting a harsh price. I ask you again — do you still want to do this?"

Elsa's father caressed Anna's icy-cold cheek. "I am sure. I will save my daughter."

"Understood," Grand Pabbie said seriously. "Then this is what you will need to do."

The ensuing discussion was beyond Elsa, sitting quietly in her mother's lap. Both of her parents were talking with Grand Pabbie. She caught snatches of their conversation — Yubaba, bathhouse, spirits, Anna, power — but she didn't understand any of it. Time flew by as she dozed off, only rousing when her mother gently shook her.

"Elsa," she whispered, "time to get up. Come now, we must be going. Anna needs our help." Elsa stood up blearily, sleepily accepting the trinket her mother pressed into her hand. It was a wooden hand-carved owl with wise eyes which seemed to on the verge of flapping away. "Put it on, Elsa," her mother urged. "The trolls made it, and Grand Pabbie says it shall keep you safe." Turning it over in her hands, Elsa spotted a silver chain as thin as a single strand of hair. She carefully pulled it over her head and, though the owl came to rest over her heart, she felt no different.

Her father scrutinized her once, making sure she was ready. He then gave a single nod to Grand Pabbie. "Begin," he commanded, still cradling Anna's stiff body.

…..

As soon as Elsa's father gave permission, Grand Pabbie began cavorting around shouting nonsensical words. The other trolls, forming a circle around the Royal Family, began chanting as well and skipping counter-clockwise in a way that reminded Elsa of the many games of Ring-Around-the-Rosie she and Anna had played together.

As the singing and dancing reached its climax, a doorway appeared before the Royal Family. Peering through, Elsa spotted a bridge, a bathhouse and all manner of strange creatures. "Step inside!" Grand Pabbie shouted. "The Gate shall not last long — step inside! And remember, your talismans shall keep you safe — do not take them off!" Elsa's father stepped forward urgently, her mother and herself stumbling after him. As Elsa plunged through the Gate, she felt a multitude of emotions: pain, fear, happiness, sorrow, and love so strong it broke her heart. Love, she realized, for her sister Anna lying broken in her father's arms. There was no love for Elsa, only fear, but she didn't let it bother her. She wasn't the one injured, she told herself.

When the Royal Family arrived on the other side of the Gate, they were met with the stares of strange creatures whispering, "Humans. Humans. Humans here," in low voices. With a shiver, Elsa realized that she was in the Spirit World. So as her father strode off toward the bathhouse, she ran along behind him, her tiny legs blurring as she strained to keep up. Anna was her sister and the Spirit World was creepy. She would not be left behind.

…..

Though Elsa didn't know it, her parents were following the troll's instructions exactly. When they reached the bathhouse doors and the greeter simply dismissed them because they were 'filthy humans', her father insisted that they be allowed in. "We must speak to Yubaba," he said imperiously. "We have a business proposition for her, involving copious amounts of gold."

"And, if you help us," her mother chimed in, "we'll be sure to reward you handsomely." She covertly placed a few gold pieces into the greeter's hands. "So, will you let us in?"

The greeter smirked. "Of course," he said with an oily voice. "Simply tell the front desk that Rhood sent you, and that you have an appointment with Yubaba. Enjoy your stay."

…...

Later, standing before the witch Yubaba's ornate desk, Elsa knew she wasn't going to enjoy her stay, however brief. Already fear coiled in her stomach like a heavy snake, making her listless. To make matters worse, the witch was examining Anna avidly. Elsa wanted to run up and throw herself between Yubaba and her dear sister, but she couldn't find the energy.

Suddenly, the witch waved fingers laden with gaudy rings over Anna's prone body and called her parents over. Afraid of being left alone, Elsa ran after them, hiding behind her mother's skirts with only her small head peering around to watch Yubaba like a hawk. "Your daughter has been injured by one with much power." Yubaba began. "I can heal her, but it shall be quite expensive. As for now, she is in stasis while we negotiate. What will you offer me, human?"

Elsa's father gulped. "We offer you our gold."

Yubaba snorted contemptuously. "Your gold is worthless. It will not compensate me for the amount of energy I shall have to expend to heal your daughter. So I repeat, what will you offer me, human?"

With a pained expression on her face, her mother whispered, "we offer our kingdom."

"Worthless again," Yubaba scoffed. "Human land is useless to me. I have neither need nor wish for it." She scowled, irritated. "What do you offer, human? And make it something of use. I am a busy spirit."

Looking beaten and hopeless, her father said, "I offer my life. My life as your slave."

The proclamation shocked Elsa. Her father, giving up his life so that Anna might live? With a cry she ran to her father and pulled him close. It was her fault Anna was dying; it was her fault that her father was going to give up his life to remedy her mistake. She whispered in his ear, "Let me stay here. It's my fault. "

With surprisingly good hearing, Yubaba, eyes wide with shock, turned her gaze on Elsa , "What?" the witch shrieked. "You, child, did this? You froze your sister?"

"Yes," Elsa admitted mournfully. "I did this."

"An Elemental," the witch murmured. Immediately she turned to Elsa's parents, a conniving, greedy glint in her eye. "Give me Elsa as my apprentice and I shall heal your daughter. Otherwise, you condemn Anna to death."

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Special thanks to madamasharpless24601 for inspiring me. I would never have thought of a Spirited Away and Frozen crossover before I read his/her story.