"Uh..oh, pardon me…just trying to squeeze by…phew!" Huffed a well mannered princess. She had been roaming Game Central for at least two hours now in search of her sister, Elsa. She really had hoped to see her after the arcade had closed, maybe they both could explore and catch up on lost time…maybe?
Game Central was much more crowded than it was earlier. More characters, mains or not, were going into different games. Most likely to hang with their friends.
Anna had been asking around various characters for her sister, but the ones she asked hadn't seen her. "Oh…well thanks anyway." The younger empress smiled and watched as the players went in their marry way.
'Where could she be…?' Anna thought glumly. She had walked passed an animated board that had a certain blue, furry, hero speaking.
"If you leave your game, stay alert!" This caught Anna's attention. She walked towards the board and listened more to what the furry hero had to say. "If you die outside your game, you don't regenerate, ever—game over!"
The princess was usually optimistic, but after being informed on this, Anna's aqua eyes became filled with worry. What if Elsa was in trouble? She was sure her big sister could take care of herself, but what if this time was different?
"Ooooh…!" She exclaimed while squishing her cheeks together. She turned away as the board had already begun to replay itself. She hoped that Elsa had known about regenerating inside and outside of her game.
'Wait a minute, of course she does.' Anna thought matter-of-factly, 'She's always updated with rules, regulations, and such!'
Anna let out a relieved sigh, followed by an excited smile; she didn't want to give up hope now! She knew she'd find her sister sooner or later, either through the outside world bringing them together or some other act of fate.
Anna was almost lost in her excited thoughts, until a voice broke her concentration. "Excuse me ma'am! Are you searching for Queen Elsa?" This voice was very polite and friendly and an accent she had never heard before, which made Anna eager to turn around, but when she did she didn't see any- "Down here!" The voice chuckled while nervously waving a hand.
The princess's eyes darted downward, "Oh! I didn't see you there!" She giggled a bit, which caused this certain carpenter's cheeks to flush. He had never seen such a pretty face before.
The polite man removed his hat, with a slight goofy grin on his face. "I'm Fix-It Felix Jr., ma'am. From the game, Fix-It Felix Jr." He stated dreamily.
"It's nice to meet you Felix! I'm Princess Anna of Arendelle, from the game Frozen…um, you mentioned my sister, Queen Elsa?"
Felix's dazed look was quickly replaced by a brief look of shock, "Your sister?" The surprised man shoved his hat back onto his head, "The Bad Guy of your game is your sister?!" He had only heard of Elsa from a few NPCs earlier when the arcade closed, they over exaggerated how they saw her with Ralph earlier, and how they seemed to be plotting things.
But Felix had better judgment, he just had a really tough time standing up for the underdogs, and had a slight fear of being shunned and rejected.
Anna huffed as she instantly defended her sister, "My sister isn't a bad guy!" She argued, completely missing the fact that he was talking about her role.
Felix quickly apologized, if anything, he hated seeing a lady upset. Especially if he was the cause. "I didn't mean offend you."
Anna sighed, she just wanted to see her. "It's just...I've been looking for her for since the arcade closed. I've searched my game, Game Central…" She trailed off, but soon the bright idea came to mind, "Maybe she's in another game!" The quirky princess perked up. "Haha! I'm not giving up on you!"
Felix didn't want to assume anything bad, since Anna seemed to think so highly of her sister. "Well, princess, that's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about."
The carpenter caught Anna's attention again, "Me? About what? Do you know which game she's in?"
Felix shook his head no, but he was more than happy to help Anna find someone she cared so much about. The carpenter and the princess began train hopping to different games, starting with Felix's own game.
"You see, there's this term here called 'going Turbo'…"
"So this is Arendelle? It's a lot warmer than what you described." Ralph announced as the pair exited Elsa's castle and headed down the steps that separated the queen from her freedom.
"That's because the game's not started," she explained before flexing her fingers out in front of her, just ready to release her powers, "but if you were hoping for snow, just give the word!"
The giant grinned, "I'm ready for snow!" He shouted. Elsa laughed and launched a trail of snow into the sky, just for it to explode and cause snowflakes to fall. The snow that fell softly to the ground gave her an even better idea. She held her eager hands out in front of her and began to cover the ground in thick snow.
"This is amazing!" Ralph chuckled, while holding his hand out to catch a few flakes and bask in the snow.
Those words struck something in Elsa, she remembered her little sister saying something like that when they were kids. Remembering her sister's baby voice gave her a warm sensation in her he—
"Think fast!" Ralph shouted before launching a snowball at the dazed queen.
Elsa gasped as the snowball hit her square in the chest, usually she wasn't bothered by cold things, but this caught her off guard.
The expression on Elsa's face made him feel a bit guilty. "Sorry, sorry! Didn't mean any harm!" Ralph frantically apologized only to have Elsa respond between his apologies.
"No, no it's ok! I'm alright," she smirked as her hands moved in a circular motion to form a snowball ten times the size of Ralph's puny snowball. Elsa's voice was calm as she held the giant snowball above her head, "really!"
Ralph was amazed, but at the same time, terrified. He waved his hands out as he tried to convince her not to throw it at him. He failed miserably, as Elsa stepped closer and launched the giant ball of snow, hitting Ralph square in the face.
The giant went rolling down the steep mountain, turning into a snowball himself. Lucky for him, there was clef deep enough to stop his movement.
The worried queen was quickly chasing after him, of course, thinking of how she'd have to be a tad bit more careful. "Ralph! Are you ok?" She called out as she fast approached him.
Before Elsa could get any closer, a giant hand appeared over the ledge giving a thumbs up. The queen chuckled, "I'm sorry," she started while slowly approaching him, "I'll be more careful next time."
'Next time?' The thought earned Ralph a warm smile on his face. He was very grateful that there'd be a next time. "Yeah, you better hope so, missy!" He answered back while trying to move, it was very difficult since he was basically a snowball now.
Elsa chuckled, "Let me help." She waved a hand out in front of her, letting her finger create a circular movement. The snow was beginning to lift from Ralph, and with a flick of Elsa's fingers, disperse.
Ralph rose from the crevice of the mountain that saved him, and leaped back over top the ledge. "Thanks a lot. Phew…thought I'd never get out of there…"
A finger curled over Elsa's lips as she giggled, "Anytime!"
A smirk formed at the edge of Ralph's lips. He didn't understand how anyone could see the beautiful Queen as a monster. He wanted to prove the citizens of Arendelle wrong. "Say, Elsa, let's take a stroll into town!"
Elsa found it odd that he would suggest such a thing, especially after the way he was treated all these years. Maybe he really didn't care anymore, but Elsa, she wanted to keep her distance. She didn't want to endure the heart break of being called a monster or a wicked sorceress all over again. "No, Ralph, I don't think that's such a good idea." She replied, a hint of a nervous chuckle embedded in her tone.
Ralph placed his hands on the small of his back, "Ah, c'mon, blondie!" he tried to persuade, but little did he know, the thoughts were slowly flashing back as Elsa's heart raced and Ralph's convincing words played in her mind. The Queen was finding it difficult to hide her feelings, but Ralph kept trying, "Just a quick lit—"
"I said no!" She snapped, causing Ralph to flinch a bit. The harshness of her tone took him by surprise.
Elsa's eyes burned with sorrow and regret. She didn't mean to snap the way she did, but she was grateful that her powers hadn't answered for her. Elsa turned to face her ice castle and heaved a shaky sigh, "Y-you better go."
"Wait a minute," Ralph began as he stepped closer, a comforting hand, ready to place on the Queen's shoulder, "Elsa!"
"Ralph, please! I don't want to hurt you." She strained as she tucked her hands under her arms and began to trudge back to her icy fortress.
Ralph began to notice bits of snow falling from the sky, and forming around Elsa, it seemed like a light blizzard was forming.
"Elsa, please, let me help you!" He desperately offered as he gently grabbed her shoulder, but before he could turn her around, Elsa had snapped around in fear.
"Don't touch me!" She shouted as she swatted his hand away, this she would regret. Elsa produced a chilling touch that transferred to Ralph's hand.
Ralph cringed and groaned in pain, while holding his giant hand with the other, it had stung while a freezing, yet, burning sensation had occurred. Ralph hunched over and tucked his hand under his arm, while Elsa gasped in horror. Again, she had hurt someone that she was close to. The Queen shook her head in fear and darted off towards her castle.
"Elsa, wait…!" Ralph groaned the instant he saw Elsa running away, but Ralph's call was in vain. With a look of defeat, the giant sighed in regret for starting her up the way he did. The sensation in Ralph's hand had finally subsided, and when he realized it did occur, he took a moment to see the damage she had done to his hand. "Aye…" Ralph exhaled, while raising his hand to eye level, to see that it was frozen in a thick ice.
"Elsa…Wait! Please!"
Begged a feminine voice in the distance. Ralph heard the pitched voice and assumed that must have been Princess Anna. Elsa instantly recognized that voice, it was Anna. The princess raced to her sister, fighting through the bits of snow that had swirled around them.
"Wait! Princess!" A short carpenter called out while trying to catch Anna.
'Felix?!' Ralph rose to his feet and began sprinting towards the two; Elsa's powers were growing beyond unstable. He could tell due to the light blizzard that was rapidly growing around them. They had to get out of there now, or it could be the end for Felix, Ralph, and their entire game.
Ralph had to get the two to safety, who knew what Elsa's power was capable of in this state. But Anna continued calling out to her sister, hoping to the high heavens that she could console her. She wanted her dreams of being reunited with her sister to come true so badly, that she ignored every obstacle that got in her way. That is until a giant hand scooped her up and tucked her tightly under the owner's arm.
"Felix!"
"Ralph?" The carpenter answered with uncertainty.
"We gotta get out of here! Now!" Ralph alerted, causing the carpenter to follow right behind the giant.
Anna's eyes widened in shock, as she noticed the sight of Elsa's ice castle was shrinking. Her aqua hues darted down at the large hand that carried her away, this was killing Anna. She was so close. "No!" Shouted the feisty princess as she wildly thrashed and bucked in Ralph's grasp. "Put me down! Please, you don't understand! She's all I have!" Anna stressed, but her cries and demands had fallen on deaf ears. Ralph knew how much Elsa cared for her sister, if something were to happen to her, even in their own game, it would torture Elsa.
"I know, kid. Believe me." Ralph responded indirectly.
The storm was growing more and more out of control, Ralph and Felix could barely see two inches in front of them. They continued on through the white storm, until Ralph's foot hit something cold and metal. It was the train! But to their misfortune, it had frozen over. Even if Felix fixed it with his hammer, they wouldn't have had enough time to start the train and leave in time.
"Ralph! We'll just have to make a run for it!" Felix suggested while sprinting towards the tunnel that ran to Game Central. Ralph raced behind Felix; the aggressive princess squirming more and more, but Ralph's grasp was unbreakable. "No…please…!" She begged once more before howling,
"ELSA…!"
The young red head's cry had pierced through the hands that covered the isolated queen's ears. That desperate cry was the string that broke Elsa's heart. She whimpered and fell to her knees, the blizzard scattered, followed by a large; brief, reverberation. There was a deathly silence; almost immediately followed by the roar of an avalanche. The thick snow slid off the North Mountain and rushed throughout the land. Arendelle was now covered in a thick blanket of deep snow; luckily for the three who were escaping, they had rolled through the exit just in time. They were almost caught by the snow.
Ralph and Felix panted as Anna finally broke free of Ralph's grasp, and rushed toward the gate of her home game. The passageway was clogged with snow, there was no way the princess would get to the queen now. Was this a new way of shuttering her out? Anna shut her eyes tightly and fell to her knees in defeat, before whispering her sister's name once more.
"Thank you, Ralph. I'm sorry for my behavior earlier." Anna had sipped a cup of warm tea, which Felix had prepared, to help the princess relax. Anna had long since calmed down from her previous state and was just finished being filled in by Ralph on how he knew Elsa, and what set her off. The princess had walked into Felix's cozy living room and took a seat on the couch. She eventually began removing the extra gear that kept her warm as she explained her sister's actions, "Elsa has always been distant. Especially from me. But I'll reach her one day, I know I will!"
Ralph was almost jealous of Elsa, the amount of loyalty Anna had for her sister was amazing. "Ah!" Ralph yelped as his left hand begun to burn above Felix's stove. He was grateful the carpenter invited him in so he could melt the ice from his hand. Ralph had also never been inside the apartment building before, it was really tiny for him; he even had to squat a bit just so he could maneuver around. Even for Anna, the apartment was pretty small, but her head didn't touch the ceiling like Ralph's did.
"Thank you, for helping me find my sister, and letting me stay over." The princess thanked, while expressing her gratitude with a warm smile, sending Felix's little heart into a flutter.
With his cheeks becoming rosy again, he replied, "I-It's really no problem, ma'am!" He admitted his voice in a dreamy state. Ralph had taken a seat on the living room floor, noticing the delirious state Felix was going into.
"And Ralph, thank you for watching my sister and keeping her safe. I owe you a lot!"
Ralph's expression perked up, "Uh…! Well, it's what…friends do, y'know?" He responded while rubbing the back of his neck. "Hey, you don't have to owe me anything." Just the thought of Elsa and her loved ones being safe were all that mattered to him.
Fortunately for them, it was a Saturday night, and the arcade was closed on Sundays. They didn't have much time to get things right before Monday, but that wasn't going to stop Anna from trying. She had to at least get back to her game before then. She wasn't sure how things really worked around here. All she knew was to not die outside her game, and whatever her programming destined her to do. Anna knew she was going to need a little more help getting through the snow that clogged the tunnel to home, and she was more than determined to get through. Even if she had to do it alone.
"Hey, princess," Ralph's curiosity was getting to the better of him; he needed to know why Elsa was so freaked out about someone beating the game. "Your sister seemed to be a bit freaked out about the game's ending. She told me that you were supposed to reach her and bring back summer, but what's so bad about that?"
Anna began undoing the left braid in her hair before answering, "I can't really answer. Since no one's beaten the game, I don't know exactly what happens." Anna pondered on the thought. "Maybe it's got something to do with her powers…? Or me…" She gently shrugged her shoulders and went to undoing her two toned braid. This caught Felix's attention; he hadn't really noticed the light coloring in her hair due to the cap that was on her head.
"Your hair, I didn't know you had a dyed streak." Felix pointed out, as he watched her hair became a wavy mess, nonetheless it was still beautiful.
"Oh, this? I was struck by Elsa when I was younger—it was an accident of course!" She quickly explained, "She'd never hurt me on purpose. We were playing, and she tried to save me, but instead she hit my head." The princess nervously chuckled as an awkward silence filled the air. "Um, well I'm gonna try to rest as much as I can. Goodnight!" And with that, the red head wandered into her room for the night.
"Night." The boys said in unison.
Ralph took this upon himself to leave too. Felix nodded his head and helped Ralph out the door. The large man thanked Felix for letting him thaw his hand, in which the carpenter nervously, but sincerely, replied, "No problem."
Back on the North Mountain, Elsa had finally composed herself, after hours of the scene. Actually, she had just woken up from passing out on the floor. The lonely queen sat up on her knees while being glad that she was in her game. If she were in Ralph's game at the time…
She sighed, today she could have permanently erased Ralph, and since she was so distraught, she didn't even see the little guy who was with Anna. Elsa finally rose to her feet and walked onto her balcony; she couldn't believe what she saw. The whole kingdom was frozen over, but it was different than its regular programming. Arendelle was literally buried in deep snow.
"What have I done?" Elsa whispered. She knew someone was coming for her, she didn't know who, but it wasn't good. Especially since she was the Bad Guy, they would probably come to curse her, and then some.
Elsa needed to get help; she fled her castle and ran towards the tunnel that connected her game to Game Central, but when Elsa got there she gazed in horror at the clogged tunnel. "No…" She gasped.
"Queen Elsa!" A man had called out, "Don't be afraid. I can help you."