It would cause such surprise it would make all of their minds electric
All thoughts flee her mind, so that whatever she'd been about to say leaves her mouth hanging open. Eventually she wheezed out, and with some difficulty,
"Excuse me?"
"I'm coming with you." Anna repeated, but with a conviction that burned through her veins. Her mind was racing, pulse thundering. It was throbbing in her temples such that she felt dizzy. But that might've been the excitement. She could taste it, sweet on her tongue like a melting sugar cube.
She squeezed the hand still wrapped up with her own, though the grip was significantly weaker. And that was all that was needed. Blinking rapidly, her hanging jaw shut with a sharp click of teeth meeting and she pulled her hand from Anna's, taking a (stumbling) step backwards. She was shaking her head back and forth, though when Anna peered into those shadows Elsa's face was still shell shocked.
"Why?" She spat out eventually, folding her arms together across her chest. Anna stepped closer. She was tempted to make a run for it. This was usually the part where her now-cured patient would thank her profusely and run to the nearest loved one to proclaim their health. This was the part where she gets thanked and then forgotten in the excitement to show off one's new and improved longevity. This was the part where her magic takes its toll upon her quite readily and harshly and she's glad to be left alone.
This isn't normal. This isn't right. This is terrifying and strange.
"That was magic," Anna says and Elsa is tense. It's hard to breath. "You aren't denying it..."
"Not magic," she coaxed the words out of trembling lips. "Miracles."
"Call it what you will," Anna took a chance and another step forward. "That won't change what it is." There was that pressure again. The bubble of Elsa's energy-something expanding, expanding. Her magic. And then, in the darkness of her hood those brilliant bright blues darken, a snarl twists at her lips. She steps closer to Anna, they could be touching if either of them twitches forward.
"Are you trying to threaten me?" She says it very lowly. But close as they are and with the bubble of magical something about to burst between them, it's the loudest thing she's said thus far.
"My grandmother taught me about magic," Anna says, back to whispers lest she break the moment and burst the bubble. "Before she died. No spells but... I know it when I see it. Feel it." She doesn't look away from Elsa's glaring eyes. Reaches blindly (haha blind jokes... She can still make those right?) for one of Elsa's hands. "Can you teach me?"
Well. She could pretty much say for certain that she didn't like this new kind of patient.
"Err, please?"
But at least she was cordial.
"Is..." Her anger cools however, so that she is soft spoken again and quite hesitant as she ventures, "Is this a joke?"
"Of course not!" Anna squeezed the hand she'd captured, that same fiery conviction searing into Elsa through the eyes she'd just healed. "I'm entirely serious!"
This had to be a joke. It was unbelievable. It was just. Wrong.
"No. I don't believe you. I CAN'T believe you. What girl in their right mind WANTS to pursue magic? If what you say is true and your grandmother taught you anything you should know that magic is NOT an art you wish to dabble in." It was the most she'd spoken thus far. It was even enough that Anna paused to consider it.
Because she wasn't wrong. In any way. That was her grandmother's first thing to note about magic. It was why she wouldn't teach her anything. Too dangerous. But... but that still doesn't explain Elsa. Better than anyone else, she would understand the exact deadly nature of magic, but she uses it anyway. And... And if what Anna's fresh eyes had seen was indeed true...
That price was heavy.
"I don't care," shameless, the words burst from her lips. "I don't care. I want you to teach me." Maybe mood swings are a part of magic. She's snarling again. Pulls her hand back from Anna's grip to grab her by the shoulders and shake her.
"You stupid girl," she growls. "You stupid, blind, foolish girl. Do you even understand what you're asking!?"
"Y-yes!"
"NO YOU DON'T!" Elsa releases her flinching back as if burnt. Holding her hands to her chest. "Stupid girl..." She mutters almost to herself.
"I'm not stupid!"
"YES you are! Too bad for you," she's sneering now. "I can't cure stupidity!"
How could anyone tell them that some things are not what they seem
Damn. Damn damn damn. She can feel it now. She can feel it writhing about beneath her skin. She can feel it leaking out from her, thickening the atmosphere. Anna's breathing heavily and she probably can't tell that it's not due to any amount of anger. Hell, she's getting angrier and she was hardly even angry to begin with. Shocked maybe, and a tick terrified. But not angry.
And yet she's positively consumed by the heat of fury. Can hardly control herself. It's choking her too. It's magic. And no matter what she uses it for, magic never forgets it's core. So it infuriates her. It pours off of her in waves and streams, waterfalls and rivers. It makes the air in her lungs hot with rage. It makes her more than aware of Anna.
Every haggard breath she takes is an explosion of sound that nearly ruptures Elsa's eardrums. Touching her is like trying to hold lightening. The sight of her hair burns her lovely eyes blind. And for whatever reason as long as she is near Anna her magic won't exact it's pound of flesh.
And that does do an awful thing to keep her calm. Kinda the opposite in fact. Anna's eyes well up with frustrated tears, or angry tears, or just tears. And it stills Elsa for a moment. A moment long enough for Anna to push her as hard as she can.
"Nobody ever told me you were such a jerk!" On the last word she feels the skin on her back spilt. It takes her breath away. Anna stalks closer. "Everyone said you were great!" She pushes her again and across her chest she's split from shoulder to hip. "Everyone said you were amazing!" Her mouth fills with blood. Her vision is dimming and warping.
The next time Anna pushes her, she falls to the floor. It's ok though. She feels fine. Doesn't even hurt. Not a little. She closes her eyes for a few seconds and when she opens them again she sees a familiar face. She smiles and blood slips from her mouth, pooling beneath her cheek.
"Marshmallow!" She reaches out for him, trying to bring his fuzzy face closer to hers. But it's like grasping at smoke and his image wavers and escapes from her. And that's just frustrating. "Comeeere." She whines. It feels like she's moving. Her vision is swimming and she can't focus on anything.
She hears someone or something trying to talk to her but it's like she's underwater. She doesn't mind though. She still feels fine. Kinda. Kinda floaty.
Elsa, she makes out, Elsa Elsa Elsa ELSA!?
She coughs very violently, spitting up an obscene amount of congealing blood so dark it was nearly black. But as it leaves her and she sucks in a desperate breath, she's out of the water and straight into a furnace. Pain races madly throughout her, each heartbeat throbbing in the awful tattoos carved into her flesh. She pushes herself up on shaking limbs, only just barely registering her name still being called and a hand on her shoulder.
Her vision has black spots dancing about and that's making her even more dizzy and nauseous than she feels. She opens her mouth to groan or protest or something but she hacks and heaves and spits up more blood. There is someone on either side of her. Anna, and... Marshmallow?
"Elsa I don't think you should move just right now! You're really hurt and I'm REALLY sorry I didn't know that I was... I'm so sorry!" Definitely Anna. She swings her head slowly around to check and... she's right. Marshmallow. His head is tilted curiously, ears flicking. He's watching her with his mismatched eyes. It's him she asks,
"Where's my," she coughs, wet and painful and tasting distinctly of copper, then continues, "Where's my walking stick?" He blinks and jerks his head forward. She looks past the puddle of blood she'd left on the floor and sees it leaning against the wall. Before she can ask, Anna scrambles forward and grabs it. She's slower to return, holding the stick like it's a fragile glass something that might shatter should she handle it too excitedly.
"Here," she meets Elsa's eyes when she hands it over, but quickly looks away. "I'm sorry." She repeats. "I really didn't mean to hurt you."
"You didn't," Elsa rasps, using her trusty stick to stand on uncertain limbs. She leans her weight against it, weary. Marshmallow leans against her leg to offer support as well. It's all he can do given the company. "That was magic."
She almost expects Anna to protest, but she doesn't. She looks down, at her feet. Guilty? Good.
"Do you still want me to teach you, knowing that's what happens?"
"No. Not really," she admits lowly, looking up once more. She can still see it. The face Elsa hides in the shadows of her hood. She's smirking. Anna frowns, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin high. "But I'm still coming with you."
Marshmallow looks up at Elsa, and she nods. He turns to Anna and begins growling in the back of his throat at the same time as he begins to stalk forward.
"Oh that's just not fair! I got your stick for you!"
"Yes," Elsa allows. "You did. And the violent nature of your previous blindness was painful to cure. So."
"And that's MY fault?" Her back hits the wall and the dog wolf (FEROCIOUS FURRY MONSTER) keeps stalking closer. "Why-why'd you cure me just to turn around and kill me?!"
"I'm not going to kill you," Elsa steps closer, smiling. She passes marshmallow and stops right before Anna. "I'm just inspiring you to be truthful. Big Fluff-" Marshmallow growls. "-over there is very inspirational, wouldn't you agree?"
"Uh huh," she's nodding her head so fast it rattles her brain but, you know, Marshmallow - err, Big Fluff? - really IS quite inspiring and she'd answer anything and everything right now she felt such glorious inspiration.
"So, Anna... you wanna follow me? Learn from me? All that jazz?" More nodding. "Why?" Anna's shifting restlessly and eyeing Marshmallow over her shoulder but the question stills her. That same serious, grim expression she wore when requesting Elsa's name falls over her features. She meets those bright brilliant beautiful eyes.
"To lessen the burden you carry." She seems almost surprised by her words. Elsa certainly is. But she nods once and repeats it, "I want to lessen the burden you carry. I want to help you heal and help chase away the pain that follows healing another. I don't like pain, I'll admit, but I see you. I SEE, and you did that... I want to lessen your burden and learn your secrets that I might heal you too and take away the pain, even if only for a second, a minute, a moment-"
"You talk a lot," Elsa sighs, stepping back and waving Marshmallow off. "And you aren't blind so you'll have to come up with a better excuse as to why that is if I'm to put up with it." She starts to slowly limp her way towards the door.
"Sooooo?"
"Tell who you need or tell no one. Pack what you need or pack nothing. I'm going, and far be it from me to stop you from being foolish and blind even despite my efforts and magic." she's seized from behind, the pain flaring up fresh as Anna squeezes her tight, squealing all the while.
"ThankyouThankyouThankyou-"
"LET GO OF ME!"
Marshmallow watches, laying his head down on his paws. He should probably help but... nah.
Marshymoo is important but that's going to become obvious. THANK YOU EVERYBODY, reviews favorites all that shit... I seriously love you guys THANK YOU, did I say thank you?
Alright, peace.