AN: I am sorry that I have to put author note here. This is overdue (again) and I apologize. Someone who is very kind has asked a very talented artist for a commission art about this fic. You can see the fic cover image and the artist name is on the description.
"It is by no means an irrational fancy that, in a future existence, we shall look upon what we think our present existence, as a dream."
― Edgar Allan Poe
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The scene was quite poetic. Elsa's figure was elegantly sliding on ice in the middle of pacific ocean. Across the water, the full moon was shining brightly on the horizon, giving the platinum blond vampire an illuminated aura.
Even from a distant Anna noticed a contrast on Elsa's feature. Her eyes were blood red as her usual lips snarled angrily when she was shoving Belle's hand away from her shoulder.
Merida who had been sitting still beside Anna then rose cautiously from her position.
"Wait here, lass. I'm goin to talk to them first." Merida said briefly. Before the redhead teen gave her approval nod, the other vampire had dashed her way. Different from Elsa, Merida was simply walking or dashing above the water.
It was always like this. Anna contemplated.
The three vampires, Elsa, Belle, and Merida were a harmony. Their personalities were all about balancing each other. Anna loved Elsa with all of her heart and she also had a good relationship with Merida, considering her easygoing aura. Merida was like a buffer that could be used for any kind of situation. She was steadfast and unwavering in her principles. Anna admired her for that. Afterall, the vampire was a very famous commander in the previous life.
Belle, however. Anna could never wrap the idea of Belle completely. The brunette vampire was an open book yet difficult to read. Her gift was very unique that simply made the woman always knew the deepest heart of all mankind. But perhaps, in Anna's opinion that kind of gift could be very unpleasant to have in daily life. To listen what have been kept deep inside and to have the burden of knowing.
Anna still could make out the titanic miles away from them. The ship's hull was sinking slowly while leaving bodies floating around the freezing water. She could've saved them. Could she? Merida said Idunn had killed almost everyone on the ship. Even children. The image of the boys who had attacked her on deck came to her mind.
Anna shuddered on the thought.
The next second, a pale hand reached for her body and embraced her into a cold yet terribly missed hug.
"Mon ange." Elsa spoke softly. When the vampire released her hug, Anna saw the angry features on Elsa's face had completely gone. Here, in front of her was her Elsa that she had come to love over all timelines. Can she love the other side of her favorite vampire? The snarl and red-eyes with pair of fangs extended down rosy red lips…
Anna was still scared.
Noticing Anna's uneasiness, Elsa lifted Anna's chin to gain a better look on her favorite human. "Are you alright, mon ange? Did that witch hurt you?"
Looking directly to Elsa's ice blue orbs, Anna was captivated for a moment. "No… I- I'm okay. But the others are dead." Anna stared pass Elsa's shoulder, miles to the wreckage of the most famous sinking ship in the world. "They are dead."
Elsa's expression turned from shocked to become sad, "… I'm sorry. I created an iceberg to stop the ship… I never had any intention to end like this."
Anna felt dizzy for the realization, "you killed them." The red-head time traveler took a step back from Elsa.
The platinum blond vampire looked very hurt when Anna distant herself. Behind Elsa, Merida stepped forward, "Anna, it's not Elsa's fault… it was written…."
In an instant, Elsa froze Merida's tongue, accompanied by Belle's powerful shove to the fiery head vampire.
Anna was stunned by the scene before her. Both Elsa and Belle suddenly strucked Merida violently.
What was Merida trying to say?
"What is it? What Merida was going to say?"
Elsa who was fixing a deadly glare toward her blunt companion answered, "nothing. It's true I killed them all, Anna. I was worried… I thought it was too late that Idunn had been aboard on that ship."
Anna studied Merida's expression then shifted to Elsa's and finally to Belle. The brunette's vampire was unusually looked very upset and looking anywhere but to her direction.
Something was off.
Elsa was not a murderer. The three of them, in fact were pretty harmless across the centuries. Even though they drank blood to survive, Anna never saw them preying or killing human.
Belle finally stepped in to help Merida onto her feet.
"It's done, Anna. Whether it was done by Elsa or that witch, the entire ship was doomed. I think you already got the idea from the future that this ship will drown in the end." Belle exchanged glances with Elsa for a moment before focusing to the confused teenager. "It is a small price for your safety. Get over it, Anna!" Belle said in frustration.
What Anna got from Belle's sentence was… it was all because of her. The sinking of Titanic had occurred because of her.
The notion was so outrageous that Anna had lost her balance on the swaying boat.
The three vampires were too distracted to get to her side in time as she plunged into the freezing ocean.
Years of swimming class had paid off when Anna automatically maneuvered her way back to the moving boat. However, it was really difficult to fight the oncoming waves and low temperature.
She didn't need to suffer too long though as the next second, three sets of pale hands hauled her up with relative ease.
"… she is shivering,"
"Wrap her with a blanket!"
"Be careful with her body temperature,"
Familiar muffled voices surrounded her along with hovering pairs of hands. Anna felt herself to be lifted, dragged onto horizontal surface, and wrapped with uncomfortable material.
"Anna? Can you hear me?"
This time she knew the familiar voice and finally she noticed that she wasn't on a boat anymore. In fact she was inside a big room with Rapunzel's face looking at her with concern expression.
"Am I ba-back?" Anna tried to formulate words but her teeth chattering wildly. No one ever mentioned that the freezing ocean was actually a frozen hell.
"Yes, how is the unsinkable ship?" Rapunzel let out a sigh of relief before talking casually to her student. "I meant, is it like in the movie? Or better?"
Anna didn't follow what Rapunzel was doing to her as she felt a prick on her right arm and warm sensation that suddenly engulfed her shivering body.
"Better, the movie was good, but it didn't do her justice." Anna answered quite loopy as she suddenly felt really sleepy. Where is Elsa?
"Where's Elsa?" Anna asked. She could tell that they were all in the same room but right now she could only see Rapunzel tending to her.
"Belle is few feet away operating on device that keep you sensibly warm, Merida is outside making hot chocolate and Elsa has been holding your hand for quite sometime, she is just quiet." Rapunzel pointed out on Anna's left side.
True to her word, Anna finally saw Elsa who was sitting beside her. The vampire was too quiet to her liking and very still, but her hand never moved from Anna's wrist.
"Uhm… Elsa." Anna tried. It was strange and she wondered if Elsa was upset.
"She is." Belle's voice was heard from across the room. Anna had to crane her neck to figure out the brunette's position. Rapunzel's hand then gently moved Anna's head to normal position. "Stay still, Anna, you move too much."
"Elsa is quiet because I just told her about what happened on that ship. She never knew and I finally told her because it's time." Belle said with a hint of sorrow in her tone.
Anna's mind went to the incident with the boys and scary man on the deck. Her face went pale and she shuddered but not because of the cold. Idunn came to her mind, her golden eyes and red blood fangs under the moonlight, killing her prey brutally yet…
"Anna." Belle's voice raised an octave, "stop."
Anna closed her eyes, willing the images to go away. "No." Anna fidgeted on what seems an examination table. Her body went stiff as wave of emotion warring inside her. "No, Belle. I have enough of you! You don't have right to tell someone's story as you don't have any right to look shit inside my head! Anyone's head!"
"Anna, I- I only want to help you." Belle sounded shocked as Anna could hear something fell and broken into pieces.
"Both of you, stop." Rapunzel tried. "Anna please, I know you are upset but we all just want to help." Rapunzel said with desperate tone. "Belle had been keeping it for years about it and she couldn't stand to see you suffer! Elsa was so furious that she had been kept in the dark until now. She blamed herself, even Merida was very upset that she had to leave to destroy something."
Anna took in Rapunzel's words as she felt how Elsa's grip had tightened around her wrist.
"I'm sorry Anna, that you had to go through all that. I'm sorry I wasn't there. I'm sorry… I was late…" Elsa looked down, too much to look at her precious time-traveler as she had failed her. Moment like this that made Elsa despise herself, she wasn't strong enough, wasn't powerful enough to protect her angel.
She couldn't read minds like Belle, she just loved Anna deeply. Sometimes, secretly Elsa was jealous to Belle's gift as she was given knowledge to the unknown. But then… Anna would pop out of nowhere and tell her over and over that her gift was more impressive, that if she hadn't had power to shoot ice from her bare hand, they wouldn't be able to build snowman together in summer.
Elsa's cold dead heart would give away a beat everytime.
But then… until this point she just figured out one thing about Anna that only Belle had known. Only God knows what else the brunette vampire had been hiding about their time-traveler. One thing clear is that Elsa wouldn't allow such thing to happen again. She perhaps was unable to change the past but she would be certain that no one would hurt Anna under her watch. Vampires have heightened sight to seeing even thing in very far distance.
The platinum blond vampire saw how Anna slowly wriggled her hand away from Elsa's.
"I'm sorry too, Elsa. It wasn't her fault… I- but… can you all leave me alone for a moment?" Anna pleaded.
From Elsa's perspective, it was a ridiculous request since Anna had just gotten back from a frightening ordeal and she just had the red-head teen in her arms again. She wouldn't leave Anna's side no matter what. She needed to make sure that the girl was safe and away from threat like Idunn and the evil human men. No doubt she would've done the same like Idunn had done to the pitiful excuse of a man. Breaking his bone bit by bit, clawing his eyes out, pulling each of his nails and teeth painfully slow until his scream was dead on his throat.
Of course Idunn had to be there and she hadn't.
"Elsa." Anna called her again. "Please… I need time to think."
"I won't leave Anna. Unlike last time, I'm here, I'll always be. If you mind, I will minimize my presence. I have been doing that since you arrived back here. Therefore you were unable to notice me beside you. I was too agitated and I don't want to alert you."
Anna turned her head away. She saw Rapunzel had dragged Belle with her outside the room.
Left alone, Anna's cry broke out. Against her logic, she threw herself to Elsa's embrace as she sobbed her eyes out. The previous dread, terror, sorrow, and horror from last jump came pouring out in tears.
Elsa would've cried too, if she had tears.
Instead, she patted Anna's head gently until the younger girl fell asleep.
She wondered. Did she owe one to her sire who she loathed so much?
Elsa looked down on crying Anna, the girl was broken yet uninjured, she was still whole yet scarred.
Yes she did owe Idunn.
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Anna never felt warmer than right now. Whatever Belle's warming device was for, her body was still feeling the warmth for the next couple of days. The days had been quiet and there were no jumps since the Titanic ship. However something had changed, Anna couldn't help but noticed it.
Elsa would always stay within her eyesight whenever she looked up. While she had other classes going, Belle, Rapunzel, and Elsa would pop out every 20 minutes with various excuses to check on Anna. Even in the bathroom Anna had spotted a shadow lurking in the corner. A shadow with certain vanilla or chocolate scent.
They didn't have choice since Anna had asked them personally to give her space. Anna wouldn't mind Elsa's presence inside her room every night, the truth is she had been looking forward for the evening to come. However, she wanted a bit of normalcy where there was no vampire or time-travel during classes. Anna couldn't control her jumps but she could ask few vampires to stay away for the day.
Lunchtime, Anna sneaked out from cafeteria to eat outside. She loved the football field view across the bleacher.
Megara who was still wearing her cheer-leading outfit and pom-poms joined her few minutes later.
"So, freshman. How's your school life so far? On 1 to 10 scale." Meg asked casually. The cheerleader had a bit of intimidating aura, a blunt yet very casual behavior to those around her. She was very popular yet she didn't seem to faze by other's opinions. The girl was admirable and… human.
Anna nibbled with her sandwich, looking out to the vast green field before her. The field had been the castle ground before it was changed to a football and track field.
"5." Anna replied shortly.
Meg snatched the sandwich in Anna's hand and took a bite. The red-haired teen only threw her a look of surprised and shaking her head.
Megara smiled, "I'll trade you." She then took out a paper bag and deposited it on Anna's lap.
It was donuts and puddings. Chocolate.
Anna blinked, she was indeed yearning chocolates since cafeteria food had been so bland in last few days.
"Too much calories for me, therefore you can have it. You are still growing." Meg winked, nodding at Anna's chest or lack thereof.
The red-head teen blushed and glanced back to her new lunch. She realized that the donuts were from her favorite shop too. Students couldn't normally go out during classes and the donuts were still fresh.
Anna frowned, "how…?"
Meg who was eating Anna's sandwich gave her a knowing grin. "I have my ways." She shrugged and continued to eat.
Anna followed suit and grabbed her favorite donuts.
"Hey, freshman… you know that you can talk to someone if something or someone bothers you in school right?" Meg said after few minutes silence.
Anna looked up to her senior, "am I too obvious?"
"I may be a cheerleader but I'm not blond. I can see your gloominess affecting the whole class even several teachers too."
Anna almost choked on her donut. "Wh-what do you mean?"
"I will not repeat what I said, Anna. I'm serious. Again, you always can talk to me if someone bothers you. I will give them lesson no matter who they are."
Meg was Meg. The girl had higher sense of justice than any average kids her age. Strangely though, Meg's words did give her a little comfort.
"Thank you Meg, but no one bullies me." Anna smiled sincerely.
"Are you sure? Not even a teacher or staff?" Meg followed bluntly.
"NO." Anna replied hastily. If someone was thinking like Meg did, now Anna was worried if her gloominess had raised weird opinion among her peers. "No such things, I promise."
Meg's glare intensified, "promise?"
Anna nodded, feeling like a child who was scolded by her mother.
"I apologize to assume. It wasn't my business." Meg sighed deeply. She had finished her sandwich and balled up the sandwich wrapper before she threw it out into a nearby trashcan. "I'm sorry if I was too nosy."
Anna shook her head, "No, thank you for your concern. I don't have many friends yet in this school. So,…" Anna was puzzled when her cheerleader friend suddenly laughed heartily.
"You have chocolate mustaches here and here." Meg pointed out her own nose and cheek, "You are a messy eater."
Anna hurriedly wiped off the stain on her face with her hands which resulting more chocolates smeared across her face.
Meg's laugh only boomed louder. "You are helpless little thing, let me help." Meg slid closer and took Anna's face in her hand. The chocolate creams now had stained almost half of Anna's cheek.
"on second thought, maybe I'll let you go to class, with sweets and all." Meg bit her lip to hold another wave of laughter.
"No way!" Anna took over again to wipe her cheek, chin, and nose with the back of her uniform sleeve.
"Okay, okay. You will make your shirt dirty."
They were interrupted suddenly by certain history teacher.
Meg's hands were all over her face that she hadn't noticed Miss White's presence until the blond teacher was exactly right upon them. She looked flushed and out-of breath.
"Lunchtime is over, girls." Miss White said. Her eyes were fixated toward Anna especially.
Anna swallowed the rest of her lunch and collected her things immediately. The red-haired teen never realized how Meg and Miss White were having staring match behind her.
"How nice to call out your students during recess, Miss White. Even the bell hasn't rung yet." Meg said casually but with unfamiliar biting tone.
Anna finally looked at the two women before her. Meg was taking defensive stance with both her arms crossed in front of her body while Miss White had both her hands behind her back stiffly.
Anna wondered whether she had missed something.
Then the bell rang.
"Now it has." Miss White said flatly. She turned her attention back to Anna. "Come, Anna."
Meg gave her a little wave when Anna dutifully followed Miss White's firm steps on grassy field.
.
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"Don't wander around like that again, Anna." Miss White said after they reached a desert hallway.
"Are you on the baby-sitting duty?" Anna retorted.
"I am and trust me, you are the most difficult baby to sit around." Miss White bit back a reply.
"Where is Elsa?" Anna was too familiar with the words, it felt like her mind went auto-pilot everytime she needed to see her favorite platinum blond vampire.
"She and Belle have a conference today. We had to literally dragging her to come. She didn't want to leave you. So I promised to keep an eye on you but alas, you disappeared at lunch time. Elsa would have my hide if something happens to you."
"I can manage to have lunch by my own." Anna pouted.
"I see that you had quite a treat." Her history teacher nodded at Anna's chocolate smeared face.
"Meg traded my lunch with hers." Anna didn't know how but she felt like she needed to explain. "she is worried since I have been too gloomy."
Miss White hummed, "how nice of her."
They reached history class in record time since Miss White had led them through shortcuts that only few staffs knew.
"Wait, Anna." Miss White called her softly when Anna was about to enter the classroom.
Anna looked up and her history teacher helped her to clean the sugar and chocolate stain on Anna's face with the back of her sleeves.
Anna frowned and complained, "your shirt…"
"Is fine. Stay still. I should have brought the blasting handkerchief with me this morning." She held Anna firmly and released her after making sure that no sticky stains left.
Anna looked guilty and sad, "sorry."
"Don't be, Anna. Just be okay." Miss White whispered to her. "Just be okay."
.
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She came across the same vast of white field. The wind was cold but she was too fascinated with the scene in front of her to pay attention to sudden cold which engulfing her entire body.
A little girl no more than 10 years old was gliding across the field with frown of concentration.
She knew the girl.
"Elsa."
The little girl broke her concentration and failed her last glide because of sudden intrusion. She fell and rolled on cold hard surface.
Anna winced at the sight and automatically ran to the girl to check on her.
"I'm sorry, are you okay?" Anna reached the girl's side and helped her to stand up. She was too busy to check the little girl for any injuries to notice a full beam of smile directed at her.
"I never feel better that now you're here, mon ange!" Little Elsa jumped for a hug, Anna was almost a second too late to catch her.
The cold was gone, replaced with illogical warmth that now she had a little Elsa in her arms.
"Friend! My friend is back!" Elsa squirmed and held Anna tight with her little arms.
Anna wondered how long it had been since her last jump to Elsa's childhood. She smiled sheepishly, "sorry, I was kind of disappearing on you last time."
Elsa smiled, "Now you are here." She released her hug on Anna and took one of the red-haired teen's hand.
"Dance with me, mon ange." Her clear blue eyes lightened up with anticipation. "I have learned to dance from muther, I don't have someone to practice…"
Anna recalled her dance lesson with Elsa before her Titanic jump.
"Luckily, someone also just taught me how to dance…" Anna grinned.
.
"Step your right foot backward," Elsa reminded her when she saw Anna winced as their foot crashed once again. The red-haired teen had stepped on Elsa's foot multiple times even with Elsa's heightened sense ability. "Are you alright?" Elsa quickly inspected Anna's right foot which had collided with hers second ago.
"Fine, just… I am very uncoordinated for stuffs like this." Anna's face turned red when her gaze met with Elsa's.
"Sorry," Anna shrugged hopelessly.
"Nonsense, mon ange. You will be a dance master in no time. Follow my lead, Anna. Just relax." Elsa placed her hand on Anna's back.
"Wait, what? I will be a pro?" Anna absentmindedly put her hand on Elsa's shoulder and felt both her feet floated on air when Elsa lifted her weight a bit.
"I shouldn't be telling you this but… Anna," Elsa's eyes glinted with mischief. "You were the one who taught me how to dance."
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Elsa's little face frowned, her cheeks flushed while she jutted her bottom lip into an adorable pout.
"I forget the steps." She said finally. "Mother said a lot about etiquette and how a lady should glide. I can't glide, so I practiced but then I forget how to steps."
Anna held back a smile. Little Elsa was learning how to glide while an adult Elsa had been gliding no matter what surface she was on. It was amusing sight.
"I can't tell you how to glide, but I guarantee you that gliding will be the least of your worries in the future." Anna tried to be as vague as she could.
Elsa blinked, "I believe you."
"Give me your hand, I will show you how to 'steps' and dance." Anna winked.
Despite the ice and snow around them, Anna felt the temperature only getting warmer.
Little Elsa did awkward little steps, following Anna's instruction. Anna's hands had been holding her firmly throughout the lesson. Anna hummed random melody which had popped first in her head.
Though like she, little Elsa had stepped on her toe a lot. Anna suggested her to place her feet on top of hers for awhile.
"Wouldn't that be hurting you?" Elsa asked, forehead creased with frowns.
"Your little feet won't even tickle mine." Anna challenged.
"My feet are big enough!" The platinum blond girl disagreed with unpleasant huff. "I will do what you say."
And so, Elsa's little feet moved along with Anna's. They danced, spun, and even had a bit successful gliding on ice surface for awhile.
"So, are you an angel?" Elsa asked quietly.
Anna chuckled, "no… I'm not that holy."
Elsa huffed, "but you fell from the sky yesterday… and…" Elsa looked up, narrowing her eyes to observe Anna little closer. "Are you getting shorter?"
Anna concluded that little Elsa had met with her older self yesterday. The whole notion was too mind-blowing now.
"I do like what you're calling me with." Anna admitted.
"Mon ange?" Elsa tilted her head, her clear blue eyes shone brighter with the sight of Anna's smile.
"Yes, I like that."
"But it's not your name."
So she hadn't had the chance to tell Elsa her name yet.
"Actually my name is…"
Again, she lost the chance as her form was disintegrating to nothingness.
.
.
.
Anna was back in front of the history class. She was greeted with a pair of cold arms she had missed so much.
Elsa embraced her from behind followed by her calming melodic voice, "I miss you."
Anna was immediately engulfed with chocolate scent, Elsa's scent.
"I met you, we danced. I taught you to dance." Anna felt her heart became a little lighter.
"I lied. I knew how to dance, I just wanted you to dance with me." Elsa said, thin smile was gracing her lips when her pale blue eyes gleamed.
"What? You little…"
"Hush, mon ange. Just stay still, I want to keep you like this for a few more minutes."
Anna should've had asked about whether she had missed any classes and reminded Elsa that they were in the middle of school corridor. But she found she was in the most comfortable place in this world.
So she stayed.
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It's short and I hope you forgive me. Each character comes with great deal of background story. Anyway, anyone is an expert in French history? I need help for Joanne d'arc timeline. It's not spoiler, I swear.