After what felt like it could have been a whole day on its own, lunch finally wrapped up. Neither sister had any idea what to do with themselves now, still stressed over one thing or another… Luckily, their guide happened to approach them at just that moment.

"Hey, if you guys still wanna check out the Lion King show…" The situation looked pretty awkward. Had to be careful not to press any more buttons. "There's going to be one in about half an hour. You should try to find seats early. Oh! And I managed to get backstage passes for the both of you."

Well…not like they had anything better to do. Maybe the change of pace would help some. Elsa stood up first. "Thank you very much, ma'am. It does sound enjoyable."

"Can I see your map?" she asked. Elsa handed one to her, and she took a marker out of her pocket and traced the route that would lead to the theater. "Be careful out there, you guys. Let me know if you need anything," she finished with a smile.

"Er, thanks. We'll keep that in mind." Truthfully, it felt like they needed a lot, but she doubted a normal tour guide would be able to do anything about any of it. All either of them could do was just go on with their day. And so they set back out on the trail and into the public.

As expected, it didn't take long at all to find the theater building. But it would be at least half an hour before the next show started. In fact, inside it was nearly empty. They would've had no problem snagging front row seats, but Elsa preferred to keep toward the middle of the audience. Not draw too much attention to herself. Did Anna look disappointed? No…she never really put up much of a fuss over something like seating…

She had been a bit harsh on her earlier, hadn't she? And Lord knew neither of them could handle too much conflict at once. Thinking about it, she hated the idea of not talking to each other at all the rest of the day. Maybe the tension would go away on its own, but then again, maybe it wouldn't. Anna was usually the one to start talking first, but she'd been so quiet, and it didn't look like that was going to change. So…maybe she had to take the initiative?

That only left the problem of what to talk about. Perhaps she spent too long thinking about it; the silence felt deafening. After a very long few minutes, she cleared her throat. "So…"

"Hm?" Anna didn't look particularly angry. That was a good sign. But she didn't look particularly happy, either. Better not bring up that subject again. Just stick to small talk for now. Oh, she was terrible at small talk.

"It, um… This stage is very beautifully put together, isn't it?" What the heck was that?! Talking about the stage? Was that really the best she could come up with?

But Anna didn't show any signs of thinking the question was strange. "Yeah," she nodded, her voice a bit quieter than usual. "Like a jungle."

"Savannah," she corrected automatically, though as she looked around it really did appear more like a jungle.

"I know!" she snapped. Uh-oh. Should've kept her mouth shut… But her sister must've seen how Elsa reacted, because her expression didn't stay frustrated for long, shifting into sadness almost immediately. "S-Sorry."

"No…it's all right." Well. That could've gone better. But they were only getting started. Obviously it would take some time to get back on the proper footing…right? Maybe they could keep talking? Change the subject, of course.

But right as she opened her mouth, music echoed through the hall. When did all these other people fill the seats? Had they really been sitting here that long? Never mind - the show was getting started now. Nothing left to do but watch and enjoy. She could worry all she wanted after.

Oddly enough, it was mainly people on stage first. Or, she supposed that made sense. How could they even begin to get wild animals on stage? Sure, they could do circus stunts or the like, but something this precise would be a good deal more difficult, especially with all these other people on stage.

But then…enormous, elaborate parade floats made their way into the aisles of the seating area. And sure enough, something stood on top. The meerkat! Timon, wasn't it? He was so small, it was hard to see him from so high up; she had to squint. Wow, was it strange seeing real animals act like this. She'd already grown used to Mickey and the like, but this was something entirely different.

Then the warthog followed. What about all these monkeys? She didn't remember any in the movie - not of this particular type, at least. On this last float coming up…there he was! The lion king himself! Something about his presence really struck her. Actually, she found herself thinking about Simba a lot lately, ever since she first saw the movie. There was certainly a lot to relate to.

So the show began in full, with some songs epic, some humorous, some foreboding. Listening to all the music again, she found tears coming back up… Evidently the day must have already taken its toll on her. Everything seemed like it was perfect, and now here they were in danger again…

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Anna. Anna always stuck with her, no matter how badly she messed up. And she knew she didn't even remotely deserve it. Did her sister only stick with her because there was no one else she could turn to? She had Kristoff, but…after her first boyfriend gone wrong, she couldn't blame her for not wanting to go straight for him. On the other hand…Elsa didn't even have that. There were her snowmen, but however you looked at it they were basically just different versions of herself, so did they even count? But Anna had to be here out of more than pity. She did give her life… She still couldn't understand it. Love she was starting to get the hang of, but didn't even the toughest of people have their limits?

Elsa saw her sister's lips moving. It was obvious she was trying to say something, but this music made it impossible to hear anything else. No luck reading her lips, either… But god, they were talking again. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so relieved. She gripped the smaller girl's hand tighter, and that seemed to satisfy her, as her green eyes relaxed and went back to the spectacle on stage.

And before they knew it, it was over. The crowds slowly dispersed and the performers left their view, but the duo continued to linger even after everyone had gone. Just who were they supposed to go to with these 'VIP' passes, anyway? Good thing the theater usher happened to see them and was kind enough to lead them to the right place.

Compared to the thorough staging of the show area, backstage everything looked so sparse. The walls and floors plain, maybe with a poster or two up. Even the costume area was minimalistic, nothing like those glamorous dressing rooms you always heard of big stars having. "So where are the animals?" Anna wondered out loud.

One performer rolled her eyes. "They have their private space. Big stars and all. You could try to go see them, but don't get your hopes up." Indeed, a heavy door adorned the wall across from where all the dancers gathered. What was so important that it had to be kept under such tight lock? Elsa had really wanted to meet Simba in person, but maybe it was better that they didn't disturb them…

"Let's go check it out!" Anna exclaimed without hesitation, rushing over there.

"A-Anna, wait!" That was Anna - always had to poke her nose into everything. "They probably need their privacy."

But once Anna started something, there was no stopping her. Not even acknowledging Elsa's scoldings, she delivered a loud, hard knock to the door.

A harsh voice responded from the other side. "I told ya, can we talk details later?! I'm in the middle of my 3 o'clock grub!"

Ouch. What had been going on back here? "Uh, hello?" Anna cautiously called back.

There was an awkward moment of silence. "Wait a minute, that's not the director…" All the sisters could hear were shuffling little footsteps. The door started to creak open…and then it shut again. A sliver open…slammed shut. Evidently whoever was back there was having a tough time. "Just…just give me a minute here."

Should one of them reach for the handle? Or maybe that would get him all irritated again. Anna tried to reach out for it, but the door suddenly swung open in front of them, and she had to quickly dodge being hit in the face.

The warthog stood there with an oblivious smile, massive tusks holding the door open. Timon hopped atop his friend. "There, see? Am I stronger than I look or what?" Pumbaa didn't seem to mind him taking the credit. "Hey, aren't you those new princesses? Boy, we don't get those here too often! Prissy types don't wanna ruin their glass slippers, I guess? Now, the lionesses, on the other hand…"

Drowning out the one-sided conversation, the two of them stepped in to look at their surroundings. It really looked just like the African savannah! Anna had to double check they hadn't accidentally stepped outside. With grass, sand, a watering hole, even real trees. No wonder the room was sealed so tight; Elsa supposed it would take a lot of work to keep this environment in good shape. Heck, it could be an exhibit in and of itself.

"Enjoying yourselves?" The voice and the humungous presence of the figure startled them both, though it was only Elsa whose jumpiness caused any issues, as a little ring of ice burst out from where she stood.

"Er, sorry about that…" She quickly whisked it away. Right, this was what she'd come here for in the first place! Meeting the lion. God, she didn't know lions were this tall. Seeing one from a distance wasn't anything like seeing it up close. She was completely paralyzed. What was she supposed to do? What in the world what she going to say. "H-Hi…Simba."

The lion smirked. "Relax. You act like you've never seen a lion before."

"W-Well, I haven't, really." Nor had she ever really talked to one. Or even thought that she would. "Um, great show today! Yeah, we both really enjoyed it."

He nodded. "Glad to hear it. Although it can get to be kind of a pain, doing the same show and going over the same lines every day. But I'm sure it won't take you long to get used to it."

What was he talking about? Would she and Anna have their own show, too? Oh, no, would she have to PERFORM in front of PEOPLE?! She wasn't an actress! She could still just barely give public speeches! Maybe she could talk whoever was in charge into pushing it back some…

Anna didn't show even the slightest sign of concern. "That sounds like so much fun! Ooh, I wanna lead a parade!"

"I got to do that once, too! It's pretty nice. As long as you don't have a problem with heights."

"Pfft, me? Nah!" How high were these floats anyway? Elsa had spent so much time worrying about battles, she hadn't realized until now just how little she really grasped what went on here during peace times. She thought she'd come to terms with everything… Obviously not, because here she was fretting in the corner when she was supposed to be meeting one of her idols.

After a while, Simba seemed to notice something was wrong. He cut off his lively conversation with Anna, suggesting maybe she spend some time with his good friends Timon and Pumbaa. And he tried to approach the queen cautiously. Startling her again could very well just lead to more problems.

"Is there something you wanna talk about?" he asked, trying hard to come across as sympathetic.

"Huh?" Oh, Simba was back. Guess she was making more of a scene than she thought. "No, I-I'm fine, really. I just need some time to think."

"You sure about that? Talking can help." He decided it was time to sit down. Knowing how these things went, this could take a while.

Okay, he was making himself comfortable. Obviously he wasn't planning on letting this go any time soon. "Well…" Where to even start? From day one, this trip had been such a mess! But she didn't have to get too detailed about it, did she? "I'm just not used to being in this place. It's a lot to take in. People have been trying to make it nice for us, but…I just can't wrap my head around any of it!"

He chuckled. "How do you think I feel? At least you're surrounded by other humans. A lion doesn't blend in most places around here."

Wow. He did have a point. To her surprise, she actually found herself chuckling along! The image of a cat his size in a big, crowded kingdom. It was hard not to laugh at something so ridiculous. "But…you do fit in at home. I'm the odd one out no matter where I go."

"Well, that's not so bad," he shrugged, or shrugged as much as a lion could, anyway. "It's good, to have something unique about you. Helps people remember you better."

But she didn't like the attention, she wanted to protest, but as the queen she really didn't have any right to avoid the spotlight. Some of it was inevitable. Just…there was a difference between being a queen and being something like a theater star. She could do politics, but she had only a very basic idea of how to entertain people.

"I mean…what was it like when they brought you here?" she asked him.

"It was a mess. I didn't have any idea of how to act around people. I wasn't allowed out in public much at first." A fond smile formed on his face. "But you know…seeing the look on kids' faces when they saw me, it kind of made it all worth it. And I learned to adapt."

She smiled. It had only been a few days. Maybe this would get easier with time like he said. "I guess I'm just letting the stress get to me," she sighed. "That and incredibly bad timing."

"Oh, yeah. I did hear there's been some havoc going around." Thankfully, Animal Kingdom hadn't seen much of it. Seemed like other parts of the resort had more magical power to take advantage of - here, they tried to keep it at lower levels. Afraid to bother the animals, he guessed. "I don't blame ya for not liking the situation. No queen OR king ever wants too much conflict."

"That's very true…" The idea of traditional warfare had already brought on an anxiety attack once. Wars of magic…she could hardly bear to think about it. How many casualties? How many deaths? They'd said there were protection measures in place, but if those failed… Well, she could only hope they didn't. She had a rough idea of how to fight, but she could only push herself so far.

Simba thought for a moment. "You've heard of hakuna matata, haven't you?"

"Of course," she nodded. "But don't we have to worry? Or we'll be caught off-guard when something happens."

"It's always good to have a plan," he agreed. "But I guess what I'm saying is, sometimes when bad things happen, you forget about the good things you have."

Good things. What good did she still have? "I have Anna." Right, Anna was still alive. That was better than anything else. "A-And I guess we're both still having fun. Most of the time. And we've made some new friends…"

He nodded along. "Now you're getting it."

"But I almost lost Anna - twice this week. Maybe I need to stop being so harsh on her."

"What did she do, anyway?" he wondered.

"Just what comes naturally to her, I guess," she shrugged. "Trying to care for me. But everything's too drastic now. She keeps getting hurt."

"But is she okay with it?"

"Nobody should be okay with that!" she snapped back, but thankfully managed to calm down. "I just…why does she think she has to do anything for me? I'm the one who hurt her! I should be the one making up for everything. But she just doesn't understand it!"

"Well, you're sisters, right? You're supposed to be helping each other. It's gonna be weird if it's all one-sided."

"But…" Maybe he was right. But it sure didn't feel that way. Anna was the normal one, and back then, normal always seemed to mean better. She knew her parents liked their younger daughter more, as much as they tried to deny it. And she just seemed to have a better handle on everything.

As the conversation grew silent, Simba wasn't quite sure what to say next. "Uh, maybe you need some more time to think this over. Have you tried to talk to her about it?"

"Yes, this morning. We just broke into shouting and then didn't talk to each other for hours after." It was working out to be an endless loop. Silence, then arguing, then silence again. Was there ever an end? Could she even hope for resolution?

"Then you could wait until you've both calmed down some. Maybe a couple days."

"But will there be time?" Who knew when the next attack might be?

"When something is that important, you find ways to make time." Really, he was just making this stuff up as he went along. But he couldn't just do nothing. Hopefully someone to talk to would help somewhat.

She paused for a moment to think. "I…I guess so." They had to find time to reconcile soon. She wouldn't be able to stand being on such shaky terms for much longer. Maybe over dinner? But they still had quite a bit of time before then. She'd have to pick out some of the best rides, then maybe they'd forget all about what they were mad about before. At least, she hoped.

Out of nowhere, they heard something that sounded like a bird call. "That's our signal," Simba explained. "Means we have to start getting ready for the next show."

"Oh, y-yes! Of course." She supposed she had overstayed her welcome a bit anyway. So she pulled herself together and got back on her feet. "It was very nice meeting you, Simba. I hope we see each other again some time."

"Always nice to meet fellow royalty," he grinned, leading her and their friends back out the door. It shut and the animals were out of sight; the dancers were busy with their own matters, so Elsa figured they ought to head back outside pretty quickly so as not to disturb them. Soon it was just her and Anna again. Should she try to say something?

"Hey…so…" And once again, Anna was acting first. No, she couldn't let that happen every time. She had to try and start things off; after all, she tended to be better with words.

"That was a fun little visit, wasn't it?" she interrupted. Good to ease into the main topic; not too abrupt.

Anna smiled. Good! They were on the right track. "Hehe, yeah. Timon and Pumbaa are really fun."

"Were they?" She hadn't payed much attention to them, now that she thought about it. Maybe she should've made an effort to spend more time with them. But then she had to get too invested in her own problems. "Simba seemed…wise, as well."

"He did seem pretty cool. Really laid back about everything."

As opposed to herself? Elsa wondered. No, there was no reason to take offense. She was overthinking it. "I wish I could be that easygoing," she muttered.

Anna shook her head. It was impossible to imagine Elsa as anyone other than Elsa. "You shouldn't. It's good that you worry about people. It means that you care."

"You think so?" Perhaps her problem was that she cared too much? But how could she bring herself to care any less about her sister? She was everything. "I-I thought you found it stifling. You've always wanted freedom, right? To not have anyone telling you what to do?"

"Well…I do sometimes, but that's not really realistic, is it?" It was just from being cooped up inside all the time that she always wanted to run around everywhere, really. And seeing more the world had helped to curb her more outrageous ideas. To have the best sister in the world and be surrounded by people and things to see, she didn't need much else. "It was one thing when I never knew what was going on. But you've helped me make sense out of a lot of things. And you're a lot smarter than me, so I have good reason to listen to you."

Right. All those years of keeping secrets. "But I'm really not! If I was as smart as you think, I wouldn't have been so afraid of nothing."

"Well…I mean, you did kinda kill me, so that was something legit to worry about…"

She just had to bring THAT up. Elsa buried her face in her palms.

Oh, no. No, no, no. Anna should've known that was a bad idea. Quick! Damage control! "But, but I guess maybe we could have avoided it, if we talked it out a little better… But it doesn't matter! We're here now, and we're talking it out now. A-And you couldn't really help what you did back then. None of us knew any better, really…"

"Anna!" This was not getting them anywhere. "What are you trying to say?"

"Um…I guess…" Where had she been going with this again? "I know it hurts for you. It hurts for me, too. But I don't want you to feel guilty about it. We're not alone anymore. So why do you still insist on suffering alone?"

Elsa tried to come up with an answer…and she couldn't. Not one that Anna would agree with anyway. She had just always felt she needed to suffer in some way. She brought Anna, her family, her kingdom pain, therefore it was only right that she experience an equal amount of pain in turn. But why did it never feel like enough?

"Like, if you're hurting, at least let me share some of it," she continued. "It'll be less for both of us if we split it in half."

She cringed at the very idea. "No. You shouldn't be in any pain at all."

"But everyone has to hurt sometimes..." she shrugged. "I mean, I'm gonna feel hurt about some things no matter what. But I think I'd feel better if I know how you're feeling."

How was she feeling? She thought she was happy for a while, but… She was just so desperate for everything to be okay, and there might have been some problems she ignored or didn't pay enough attention to. "I don't think I'm doing well," she admitted quietly.

Anna nodded. "That's okay. I mean, I could be doing better to. So…" She took her sister's hand. "Let's both try to figure out how to make things better. However long it ends up taking. And let's try to support each other for real instead of…whatever we've being doing so far."

It took her a while, but…eventually, the idea sort of clicked. Even after the thaw, neither of them had thought very highly of themselves. So they never really functioned as equals; she saw Anna as better than herself, and it sounded like the same was true the other way around. And it created this feeling of constant competition with each other… If they were going to get along, that had to stop.

"Yes," she agreed with a smile. "We'll make this a team effort."

"And if I want to pitch in every now and then, you won't get too touchy about it?"

Hm…that could be going a bit too far. The idea of her sister on the battlefield still didn't sit well with her. "We'll see," she smirked.

"Aww…" Whatever. They'd come a long way for the time being. Time to focus on fun again. "Why don't you pick our next ride?" she grinned, pulling out their map.

"Oh! Of course." Now, what looked like it would be most entertaining? They'd already seen the most of the savannah area, so there wasn't much point in doing the safari. What was this, a mine train? Oh, no. She did terribly with roller coasters. Now what was the area in the back here with dinosaurs…?

"I think I like the look of this one here," she said, pointing to the spot…but before Anna could get a good look at what she was indicating, her sister was knocked onto the ground by some unseen force.

"Elsa?!" She immediately ran to her and offered a hand. Thankfully, it didn't look like she was injured. "What the heck was that about?"

Elsa groaned, slow getting back on her feet. "Your guess is as good as mine." She really hoped it wasn't what she thought it might be. So soon after they'd worked everything out… No, she was just paranoid. It was probably just a pedestrian that bumped into her. They could've apologized, in that case…

"Well, as long as you're not hurt, we better get going before the line gets too long!" Though she was eager to get going, she tried not to rush, in case Elsa was still sore or got too tired.

Still…something did feel odd. She paused and took a quick glance at her surroundings. Nobody spared more than a passing glance at them in return. So why did she feel like they were being watched…?

Never mind. It probably wasn't a big deal, and anyway, in these crowds anyone who had an eye on them would surely lose them before long. The best thing to do now was relax and take in their surroundings as they made their way to their destination.