Introduction
'Fire and Ice' is but only one story about the sisters of Arendelle. There will be many more to follow I'm sure. But for now, let's begin this adventure.
Most stories start off with, "Once upon a time…", but that story has already been told. As we grow older we come to understand that a good story never truly ends and is subject to change. Life goes on. With that in mind, this story begins with a slightly different opening.
"Once upon another time…"
They raced down the icy slide picking up speed as they came out of every turn. Anna tightly held the leather straps of the toboggan at full arm's length. A girl named Christina sat in front of her and two more children of Arendelle sat behind Anna tightly holding the waist of the person in front. They made the last turn; but, just barely. "Whoa!" every rider said in unison as they rode the top of the embankment. The toboggan slid across the market place and the bottom scrapped against the cobblestones as the ice ran out. They pulled to the left and the ride came to a stop. Every rider cheered! "Let's do it again, Again!"
Anna turned to look back at the course, waiting to see her sister make the final turn. Elsa's left hand was chest high with elbow bent and her left foot forward. Her right hand was behind her and holding the hand of an older child behind her. That child in turn was holding the hand of the next child. There were four children of Arendelle trailing behind her, and like their beloved queen, they were all up on their feet mimicking Elsa's every move. Being able to do something improbable became possible when the Snow Queen was around.
Blue ice sprayed from her hand and the embankment of the turn grew higher. They rode the high track through the turn all while surfing the slide. Elsa's face was filled with excitement and determination as they skated through the market place. "Ready, Now!" Elsa yelled to her companions. The children let loose their grips and drifted four different directions.
Elsa made a thin sheet of ice grow across the cobblestones because the children were still moving. The youngest surfer, a boy, sat down with his legs straight and apart. He rotated on his rear end laughing hysterically.
Elsa slid to a stop next to Anna and looked at her sister triumphantly. Anna looked up at Elsa with a smirk on her face, "Cheater!" she grinned. Elsa covered her mouth with her right hand but could not hide her laughing eyes. The sisters giggled together.
The children raced away. They were heading back up to the higher part of town where the slide began. Some of the adults could be seen carrying their own sleds heading in the same direction. The fun was for everyone young at heart.
There was a familiar voice quickly approaching. "Come on flurry keep up. Oh no! I'm going too fast!" Olaf shot through the market place with no signs of slowing down. "Look out Anna!"
Elsa acted instinctively to protect Anna and created a solid wall of ice two feet high between Olaf and her sister. Olaf smacked into the wall and his whole body compressed like a pancake. He raised his twig of a hand with the thumb up, "I'm good!" in a muffled voice.
The sisters both winced in sympathetic pain for Olaf. But, Olaf was a snowman and could not be hurt—as long as he didn't melt. Anna helped her little friend to his feet and he said, "That was fun! Let's do it again!" But, in a softer voice said, "This time, let's do it without the wall." The sisters resumed their laughter.
It was a beautiful day in late spring; the next spring after the frozen summer. The mid-morning sun shone through white cotton clouds and the air was sweet and crisp. It had stormed the night before and the kingdom of Arendelle had been washed clean; everything was fresh.
After all those years confined to the castle, Elsa and Anna made it a habit to, not only keep the gates open, but to routinely walk through the town of Arendelle. They visited the shops, met with the town's people, and even played with the children.
Later that morning, "Sail Ho!" cried the Harbor Master. A heavily damaged ship limped into the harbor. The foremast had been snapped in half and its rigging lain across the middeck, partially hanging over the starboard side. Many of the other sails were torn or missing. Slowly, the battered ship turned and edged to the dock. There were no flags left flying. Only tattered cloth remained.
Elsa, Anna and many of the town's people stopped what they were doing and walked down to see where the ship came from and who was aboard. As soon as the gangplank bridged the distance between the ship and the dock, a womanly figure scampered across and leaned against the stone wall. Actually, she was more like hugging it. "Land! Stop moving. Why is the land still moving?" cried the woman.
Anna was half a step in front of Elsa as they approached the young woman. Anna wanted to see if she was alright. When Anna stepped closer she recognized her. It was their cousin, "Rapunzel?"
Rapunzel looked over her shoulder with panic still in her eyes. She reached out to Anna and hugged her cousin dearly. "We're alive! Anna! I'm so happy to see you."
"What drama!" said Eugene as he stepped off of the gangplank. "It was just a storm."
Elsa asked, "What happened?"
Rapunzel reached to Elsa for a hug, but stopped short. She remembered how powerful Elsa could be.
Sensing her uneasiness, Elsa took the initiative and pulled Rapunzel into a warm hug. Rapunzel relaxed, smiled and lingered in Elsa's embrace. "You're safe now." Elsa assured her.
Eugene and Rapunzel told their tale of how they barely survived a horrific storm at sea the night before. Most of their belongings were either washed away or tossed overboard. Rapunzel even lost her shoes. But, she didn't mind because they hurt her feet. Besides, going barefoot was something she was use to anyway. Rapunzel pulled up on her dress, lifted her bare left foot and wiggled her toes.
With her left palm down and fingers extended, Elsa called upon her magic. A glowing frost covered Rapunzel's feet and slowly transitioned into comfortable, low healed slippers with snowflake designs on a dark blue material. "Wow!" exclaimed Rapunzel. "A little cold on the toes at first; but Elsa, they're beautiful. Look Eugene. They're comfy too! Thank you."
Rapunzel stopped for a moment and thought. "These won't turn to pumpkins at midnight, will they?"
Elsa gave a coy smile, "Only if you are a princess."
Rapunzel smiled back. But still…in the back of her mind she wondered. "Thank you again your majesty."
Elsa asked Rapunzel and Eugene to address her only as Elsa. After all, they were family.
After observing the display of magic Eugene asked, "What is it with the women in your family? Everyone is magical."
Anna chimed in, "I am perfectly normal." smiling at Elsa and Rapunzel. Eugene wasn't buying it but Anna grabbed Eugene's arm anyway as they walked toward the castle. "You guys are staying with us. It's not like we don't have the room."
Enjoying having another pretty girl hanging on his arm Eugene said, "It's nice to know that I still got it." He made his 'smolder' look. All three ladies looked at each other for a moment then sandwiched Eugene in a three girl hug.
He was surprised at first but then, "I could get use to this!" Eugene said jokingly.
As they were leaving the dock area Elsa asked the Harbor Master and shipwright to do whatever needed to be done to help repair the ship. The Harbor Master estimated that it will take at least a week before the ship would be sea worthy again.
On the way to the castle a group of young girls intercepted Elsa and Anna. One of the girls, Christina, was smiling and wiggling her tooth. "Look Queen Elsa! My tooth is loose."
"Oh, No! Christina! Not before the party!" Elsa exclaimed. The girls ran off giggling.
"Princess Party?" asked Rapunzel.
Anna, still hanging on Eugene's arm, told Rapunzel about the Princess Party that night. "Once a year every girl in Arendelle gets to come to the castle ballroom and be a princess for one night.
"You see" said Elsa, "Every girl is a princess. So this evening, Arendelle will be home to about two dozen princesses!"
"Oh! That sounds like fun." said Rapunzel.
"You're also invited Punz." quipped Anna.
"You too Eugene." added Elsa. "All those young princesses will need a dance partner."
Eugene stopped, "Oh no."
Once inside the castle, they run into Kristoff, who just finished his last ice delivery. Anna introduced him to Rapunzel and Eugene. Kristoff said, "Hello, it's nice to meet you." That was a lot of words for Kristoff. He wasn't one for long conversations.
Rapunzel suddenly remembered that her clothes were lost at sea and she didn't have anything to wear to the party. Eugene tried to take advantage of the situation and excuse himself from the evening's party and his Royal duties, "Oh dear! I don't have anything to wear either. I'm sorry ladies, as for the party—no can do."
"Oh, no you don't!" Kristoff said, "If I have to go to the party, then so do you."
Anna reassured Rapunzel that they should be able to find something in the Royal wardrobe room. "We can find something for everybody." Anna smiled sheepishly at Eugene. The ladies excused themselves and went into the wardrobe room. Before going in, Anna turned to Eugene and Kristoff and suggested that they find something else to do. "This could take a while."
Kristoff asked Eugene, "Fishing?"
"Do you have another pole" asked Eugene.
"Yeah" Replied Kristoff, "Worst case, we could always tie a fishing line to one of Olaf's arms.
"Don't you dare!" Anna called from inside the room.