Y/n POV

We could've been walking for minutes or hours it was hard to tell. All I do know was that my feet hurt and my worry for Elsa never dimmed. I walked behind Anna and Olaf as they led the way. Some parts of the tunnel were a tight fit while other parts opened up into vast caverns. The ground was slippery and rough but we continued on until we came to a stop. A fork in the road. Two branches of the tunnel leading off in different directions. 

"Hmm. Which lucky tunnel do we choose?" Olaf questions. 

I'm about to answer when a cold gust of wind blows through the cave causing a shiver to run down my spine. blue light comes from the left tunnel and a whisp of snowflakes shoot towards us and circle us. A voice echoes in the cave. 

"You see, the dam will weaken their lands, and they'll have to turn to me."

A statue of snow and ice starts forming in front of us. I can almost make out two human figures in the flurries. A second voice echoes in the tunnel after the first, "King Runeard, the dam, it's hurting the forest."

The statue finishes and the magic disappears. There are two figures in the picture. One kneeling on the ground drinking from a bowl and another posed above him with a sword raised ready to strike. The image turns my stomach. 

Me and Anna share a look before stepping closer to inspect the statue. "Elsa's found it." Anna says. 

"What is it?" Olaf asks from behind us. 

"The truth about the past," I respond. Anna and I share a second, sadder glance. I turn back to the statue, "That's your grandfather..." I trail off.

"Attacking the Northuldra leader," Anna adds.

"Who wields no weapon," I say softly as I look down. "The dam wasn't a gift of peace, it was a trick."

Anna sighs sadly and looks up at the statue of her grandfather. 

"But that goes against everything Arendelle stands for." Olaf says. 

We look towards the snowman whose eyes swim with confusion. I nod. "It does, doesn't it?" Anna says.

"Sometimes the past is not always what it seems," I mutter. 

Anna slowly sits down on a rock, her face full of sadness and grief, "I know how to free the forest." She turns and looks towards the snow statue, "I know what we have to do to set things right."

"Why do you say that so sadly?" Olaf asks.

"We have to break the dam." I say, my voice cracking slightly. 

"But Arendelle will be flooded." Olaf says worriedly.

"That's why everyone was forced out." Anna says understanding, "To protect them from what has to be done."

I sit next to Anna and lay my head on her shoulder while wrapping my arm around her shoulders in a half hug. Olaf comes over too and lays his head on her lap. We sit like that for a second in silence. All of us coming to terms with what's about to happen. Olaf speaks first, "Are you two okay?" He asks.

"We could really use a bright side, Olaf," I say as a tear slips down my cheek. 

Olaf sits up quickly and looks at us trying to think of something to say, "Brightside? umm.... turtles can breathe through their butts." He says with a forced smile. 

"Huh?" Anna looks at me and I shrug before she turns back to the snowman. 

Olaf looks off in the distance and his smile becomes less forced. His eyes widen happily, "Oh. Oh! And I see a way out!" He points in a direction. 

Me and Anna follow his point with our eyes and see light up ahead. We smile to each other as we can finally get out of here. "I knew I could count on you, Olaf," Anna says. 

We stand and begin walking towards the exit, not noticing that the snowman was not following us. 

"Come on Olaf, Elsa's probably on her way back right now." Anna says with hope. "We can meet her and..." Anna pauses as a snowflake floats past her face. She watches it go in confusion before turning around. I turn too and see Olaf surrounded by a flurry of snowflakes that seem to be coming off him. "Olaf?" Anna asks. 

The snowman waddles toward us happily. He waves his hands around in the snowflakes. "What's this?" He looks around in wonder.

"Are you okay?" I ask, my voice laced with concern. 

"I'm flurrying?" Olaf watches more snowflakes float around and his smile falls, "Wait. No... No that... that's not it." He looks down at his hands, "I'm flurrying... away. The magic in me is fading."

I put my hands over my mouth as tears stream down my cheeks, I know what this means, and yet I don't want to believe it's happening. Anna kneels down in front of Olaf, "What?" 

"I don't think Elsa's okay." Olaf says, his voice full of sadness. Anna gasps trying not to cry. "I think she may have gone too far." 

I slide to the floor and hug my knees to my chest. 

Anna shakes her head, "No. No."

"Anna? Y/n? I'm sorry." Olaf smiles sadly and looks at both of us, "You're gonna have to do this next part on your own. Okay?" 

"Wait! Come here." Anna pulls the snowman into her lap. "I've got you." 

Olaf smiles, "Oh... that's good." He chuckles softly. "Hey Anna. I just thought of one thing that's permanent."

"What's that?" Anna asks through tears.

"Love." Olaf smiles.

I smile through my tears and scoot over to be next to Anna. I lay my head on her shoulder. I shudder slightly as a chill sets into my bones. I glance at my hands to see a swirling snowflake pattern on them. I quickly tuck my hands away so Anna can't see.

"What about warm hugs?" I whisper and hug Anna who hugs Olaf, tears running down her cheeks. 

"I like warm hugs." Olaf says with a smile. 

"I love you." Anna sobs. 

We sit huddled like that until Olaf is gone, long gone. We sit with our backs against the rock face and our knees pulled to our chests. Both sobbing into our knees as the truth sinks in and reality cuts at our hearts. I feel broken, like a piece of me is missing and there's nothing I can do about it. 

I shiver and hug my knees tighter. Anna leans against me and hugs her bag close to her chest where she put Olaf's sticks and carrot nose. 

"Olaf? Elsa? What do we do now?" Anna asks through sobs. 

I look up at the exit but it seems so impossibly far away. I look down at my feet and wipe my tears. 

"I've seen dark before,

but not like this

This is cold, this is empty, this is numb

The life I knew is over 

the lights are out

hello, darkness I'm ready to succumb~"

Anna wipes her own tears and sits up. She closes her eyes and just listens to me sing.

"I follow you around I always have

But you've gone to a place we can not find

This grief has a gravity

it pulls me down~"

I wipe my new tears and look up at the exit. I take a deep breath trying to steel myself to something solid.

"But a tiny voice whispers in my mind,

You are lost

hope is gone

but you must go on~"

Anna sits up and looks up at the exit, "And do the next right thing~"

My legs feel weak beneath me. I push myself away from the rock trying to stand but I can't. My hands brace against the ground as more tears drip from my cheeks to the stone. I see the swirling pattern on my fingers and I shiver.

"Can there be a day beyond this night?

I don't know anymore what is true,

I can't find my direction

I'm all alone.

The only star that guided me was you~"

I sit up and look at the exit. I blink away tears, I can do this. I have to. For Anna. For Kristoff. For my family. 

For Elsa. 

I lean back and place my hand against the rock face as an anchor. I slowly rise on my legs. I wobble for a moment before I stand tall. I look down at Anna and reach out my hand to her. She looks up at me and takes it. I gently pull her to her feet. 

"How to rise from the floor

when it's not you, I'm rising for?

Just do the next right thing.~"

Anna puts her bag over her shoulder. I take a step with Anna's hand tightly in mine. We step together towards the exit.

"Take a step~"

We take another step. 

"Step again~"

We walk hand in hand pausing to lean against another rock face.

"It is all that I can

to do the next right thing~"

I begin climbing up the rock towards the exit. I turn around and offer my hand to Anna who takes it and begins to climb next to me.

"I won't look too far ahead~"

I heave myself up over the ledge and take a shuddering breath. Anna pulls herself up next to me.

"It's too much for me to take~"

I stand and look over the gapping trench between the two rock platforms. I take a deep breath and share a look with Anna.

"But break it down to this next breath

This next step

This next choice is one that I can make~"

I nod and begin sprinting towards the edge, Anna in front of me a bit. She jumps and makes it safely to the other side. I jump and my foot nearly slips but I find a grip and pull myself up next to Anna. We stand in the light of the sun coming through the opening in the rock. 

"So I'll walk through this night

stumbling blindly towards the light~"

We shield our eyes as we step out of the cave into the sun. 

"And do the next right thing~"

I take Anna's hand in mine and walk to the ledge overlooking the forest. We stand in the rays of dawn. More tears stream down my cheeks.

"And with the dawn

what comes then

when it's clear that nothing will ever be the same again?!~"

I take a deep breath. Anna squeezes my hand.

"Then we'll make the choice

to hear that voice

and do the next right thing~" She sings.

I hug her tightly as my tears dry up. We stand hand in hand and in the distance, we see the dam. We look at each other silently dreading what we have to do. But never the less we nod to each other.

It's the next right thing.