The old stories say that winter is brought by the Snow Queen, alone in her castle of ice far above the world of men. But the old stories are wrong—she is not alone. High up on the mountain, the soul of summer lies entombed in ice, never to be released until the frozen heart of winter finally thaws.
—the story's summary
For the Last Time in Forever is a Frozen fanfic written by Wordmangler. It is written in First-Person, and serves as a dark alternate ending for the movie.
In saving Elsa from being killed by Hans, Anna still turns into an ice statue, but is not thawed. Instead, Elsa's fear and horror at her sister's fate causes her to preserve Anna in her castle and hide herself away from the world, becoming a spirit, and the winter in Arendelle never ends. Many years pass, and the legend of the Snow Queen fades into a distant memory. But ever since then, two trolls journey up the mountain to the ice castle once a year to conduct a ritual that reminds the Snow Queen of happier times with her sister, in hopes that she can learn to love again and the winter will finally end.
It can be read here
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This fanfic contains the following tropes:
- Adapted Out: Marshmallow doesn't exist while Olaf is non-sentient. Kristoff and Hans are mentioned, but not referred to by name.
- The Atoner: For their role in creating the Snow Queen, telling her that "fear would be her enemy" but not about the power of love, with disastrous consequences, every year the trolls journey up the mountain to her castle and conduct the ritual of rebuilding her little snowman friend to remind her of happier times of playing with her sister, in hopes that she will remember and be brought back to her humanity.
- Bittersweet Ending: The Snow Queen isn't able to free her sister, but the narrator's grandfather notes that she came very close that time. By the time the narrator is an old troll himself and conducted the ritual many times, she still hasn't succeeded. But the trolls will not give up on her, and will keep coming back every year until she is finally able to free her sister, no matter how long it takes.
- Crapsack World: Arendelle is stuck in an eternal winter, and has now been reduced to a tiny, poor fishing town that only few dare to live in.
- Distant Finale: The narrator is a young troll being told the legend of the Snow Queen by his grandfather. The ending reveals that he is now an old troll himself, telling the story to a young member of his family.
- Endless Winter: Arendelle is now stuck in one. It can still be stopped, though. According to the narrator's grandfather, once a year, the Snow Queen gets the chance to thaw her sister's frozen heart. Once she has successfully done this, spring will return to Arendelle.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Elsa is only referred to as the Snow Queen. It seems that her name has been forgotten or erased from living memory, since even the narrator's grandfather does not appear to know what it is.
- Hope Spot: Though she has failed to thaw Anna's frozen heart initially, Elsa the Snow Queen has a chance to thaw it each year on the anniversary of when it had happened. And according to the narrator's grandfather, she gets closer with every passing year.
- Humanoid Abomination: The Snow Queen, who appears as a tall, beautiful woman with skin made of white snow and pure blue eyes of ice, her hair and gown made of frost. Once a human girl with the power to control ice and snow, now transformed into a hibernal spirit by grief at her sister's fate and fear of her own magic. The narrator describes her as "both wondrous and terrifying to behold."
- No Name Given: The narrator is never given an actual name.
- "Ray of Hope" Ending: The Endless Winter in Arendelle never stopped, Anna remains an ice statue in Elsa's castle, and Elsa herself has become a hibernal spirit, reduced to an inhuman state by fear of her own magic. But once a year, on the anniversary of the last time the two princesses played together, two trolls journey to the castle of ice to conduct a simple ritual—rebuilding Olaf to reawaken the Snow Queen's memories of playing with her sister and being able to feel love. Someday, many years from now, when Elsa is able to love again, she will become human, Anna will be freed, and spring will return to Arendelle.
- Sealed Good in a Can: The princess remains within the ice castle in the form of an ice statue, preserved until the day her sister's love can save her.
- Schmuck Bait: The beautiful ice bridge that the Snow Queen created is still standing, even all these years later. However, the trolls do not dare to step foot on it, as it would shatter under their weight and send them plunging to their deaths.
- Title Drop:"One day, perhaps many, many years from now, she will finally be able to. But until that day comes, it is our family's fate to come here and create this guide once a year, on the anniversary of that long-ago night when the two princesses played together for the last time in forever."
- Youkai: Probably unintentional, but the description of the Snow Queen bears some resemblance to a yuki-onna, a spirit from Japanese folklore that takes the form of a beautiful snow woman said to live on a frozen mountain.
