Elsa and Anna were hiding behind a painting, huddled together, terrified.
Elsa had glimpsed the picture as she and Anna ducked behind it. It was a strange painting, taller than it was wide, much taller than Elsa. It was on something like oilcloth, held in a free-standing metal stretcher of ingenious design and remarkable workmanship. The dark confusing image was of half a dozen angry people in outlandish outfits, plus one very angry, very large, shirtless green man. There was a great deal of writing, most of it difficult to read, although it was very important to let Elsa know that these people were avengers. She had no idea what they were avenging or who was the target of their vengeance. But now was not the time for that.
"What kind of place is this, Elsa?"
On the other side of the painting was a large, brightly-lit room packed with people. So many people, and so strange! Noisy, chaotic, like Market Day ten times over. Some of the people were in outfits so outlandish Elsa could only assume they were costumes, although even the relatively normal people were dressed oddly. Short-sleeved tunics without collar or buttons, imprinted with words or images, seemed to be the fashion, as well as trousers of blue canvas for both men and women.
"Elsa? they look so strange. Everything looks strange."
There was an unsettling rough texture to nearly everything, as if the world had been crumpled tightly and smoothed flat. People's hands and faces, what she'd glimpsed of them, were covered in miniscule wrinkles. And no one, not the most beautiful of the women or the most adorable of the children, had eyes as large as theirs.
"Elsa? Where are we?"
"I…I don't know."
"But we're gonna do something, right?"
"Yes. We're… Stay behind me. We'll wait here until nightfall. I'll protect you until then."
"But Elsa, people can still see us behind this…banner? Someones' going to notice eventually." And sure enough, a woman with flamboyant hair, dressed like a magical-sailor-themed prostitute, caught Anna's eye and said, "Anji, come here! You've got to see these two."
Anna shook her head, panicked, mouthing no. The woman nodded, smiling with understanding. She mouthed okay, put her finger to her lips, and went off to tell Anji, "Never mind."
Well, the natives seemed to be friendly. "I'm going out to talk to them. Maybe we can find out what's going on."
"Anna, no! You can't."
"Elsa, what did we ask Grand Pabbie to do?"
"Find us a place where our love would be tolerated."
" 'Welcomed,' Elsa. Where our love would be welcomed."
"But this place. Where in the world are we?"
"Maybe we're not in the world anymore. Maybe we're in a better world."
"Not heaven, clearly. But…maybe some other world? An alternate world, where reality itself is different?"
"And if Grand Pabbie's magic can do that much, I'm sure it can do the rest of it. These people will welcome us. I know it."
"Anna! Stop!" But it was too late. Anna had bolted out, and addressed the crowd.
"Attention, People of…Here!" Heads turned. "I am…" She took a deep breath, stood up proudly, and announced, "I am Princess Anna of Arendelle."
The crowd murmured approval. More began to congregate.
"I am here with my sister, Her Majesty Queen Elsa of Arendelle."
More sounds of approval, even one or two cheers. Someone said, "Amazing cosplay." Anna didn't know what cosplay was, but she hoped it was a good thing.
She ducked behind the picture and pulled Elsa out into the open. Elsa put one arm around her protectively, and raised the other, ready to fight. "I love my sister," continued Anna.
"Anna, be careful," said Elsa, but was beginning to be swayed by the cheers and smiles.
"I love my sister very much!" proclaimed Anna. "In fact, even though she is my sister, and we are both women, I love her…like this!" And she kissed Elsa with the full force of her unrestrained passion. Elsa tensed, but between Anna's warm embrace, her soft, probing tongue, and the wild cheers and applause of the crowd, she melted in her sister's arms and kissed her back with all the heat and longing she had been forced to deny.
She pulled back to gaze into Anna's eyes, more liberated than she had ever been in her life. "Anna, we may be lost in a strange alternate universe, but as long as I'm in your arms, I'm home. Thank you for your bravery."
"Thank you for…oh, this." And to the chants of O! T! P! Anna kissed her again. Hungrily, lovingly, free.
