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I feel something...something...warm...?...There's light...is that...the light you see...before you die...?...No...I'm already...?
Air purged through his icy nostrils, and Eugene gasped as feeling came back to his face. "...I'm alive? How?"
As the ice covering his body melted away he saw the the fiord was thawing, snow and ice being drawn up into the sky and swirling around a certain ship at the center.
"...Elsa..."
The ice beneath them crumbled, and he found himself and Rapunzel sitting on board of another ship, missing a sail and the entire mast, but stable enough to float about the rest.
"It's over," Eugene whispered to himself as he watched a large snowflake appear in the sky before exploding into a fresh batch of sparkles, "it's really, really over...Rapunzel?"
Rapunzel had fully thawed, and her brown hair was back, along with the color of her face and jacket. Her eyes returned to green, and closed as her head dropped against his chest.
"...Rapunzel...? You're...you're okay, Rapunzel...really..."
The magic is gone, isn't it? Elsa took it away...or, rather, melted it away...right?
"Rapunzel, please, wake up."
No answer.
"...Please..."
Still nothing.
"...The magic," he sighed, "I was...too late."
He looked away and heard the sound of someone yelping, followed by a loud splash.
...Hans...?
"...Did I ever tell you I've got a thing for brunettes?"
Eugene almost lost himself in overjoyed astonishment as Rapunzel's eyes opened, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Rapunzel, you're alive!"
He held her tighter than he ever had, and held her for as long as he could without choking her. "I thought...you didn't respond, so I...I..."
"I'm sorry, Eugene, this is all my fault."
"What?"
He and Rapunzel stood up, still holding each other. "I was the one who made us come out here and look for Elsa, and in the end, we...didn't do anything, except nearly die in a blizzard, all because I was impatient."
"...No, Rapunzel," Eugene kissed her on the forehead, "because you were courageous."
"...I don't know."
"Come on! We braved wolves, jumped over a pit of fire-"
"Eugene, it was a sled on fire at the bottom of a cavern."
"...Close enough. We took on Elsa's magic, escaped a snow monster, and survived a ferocious blizzard. If that isn't courage, then nothing is."
"No," she smiled at him, and he realized how much he had missed it, "courage is braving death to save a woman who doesn't even recognize him."
"I knew you'd bring yourself back."
"Yes – because I heard my dream calling."
"HEY! YOU TWO!"
They glanced over at Anna, who was waving ecstatically at them from their ship and Elsa spoke to a blonde man and his reindeer, a tiny snowman rolling about with a cloud over its head. "Are you guys alright?"
Eugene glanced at Rapunzel. "I do't know...are we?"
"I think we are, now."
"An ice pond!" Rapunzel gawked as Elsa transformed the courts into a field of ice, and she smiled as Anna held onto Elsa's arms as they skated, Kristoff following behind along with Sven and Olaf.
"They all seem so nice."
"Here we are," Eugene stepped beside her, holding out two pairs of skates, "Ready for your skating lessons?"
"You bet I am!"
As soon as they were all laced up, Eugene took hold of Rapunzel's waist, and guided her over the ice, gradually gaining speed, until they were keeping up with Elsa and Anna. "Elsa, this is amazing!"
Elsa grinned brightly at her. "Thank you – for everything."
"Everything? I didn't do anything, though. All I did was nearly drown."
Eugene and Elsa traded partners, and Rapunzel did her best not to slip or trip as Elsa guided her around the frozen fountains. "You did more for me than you realize."
"How so?"
"You guys came for me, risking your lives to try and save me and the Kingdom."
"Anna's the one who saved you, right? She let her heart freeze for you."
"Yes, but you were willing to die for me, too."
"Of course, you're my family, Elsa. I would do anything for you."
"Without even knowing me?"
"I'll risk being naive over being ignorant."
"Elsa!"
They glanced over at Anna, who was being spun around by Eugene as Kristoff stood to the side, ready to catch her if she fell. "Look how fast Eugene's spinning me! Wheeeee!"
Elsa and Rapunzel shared a hearty giggle. "You two."
"Queen Elsa! Princess-er, Rapunzel!"
Rapunzel turned as Marco slid onto the ice towards them, Maximus stumbling behind. "Where did the ice pond come from?"
Elsa gave a quick whip of her hand.
"Oh, right."
"Marco," Rapunzel hugged him, "you're feeling better?"
"Much, thank you. I finally thawed out near the fire, and luckily for us, Hans is being sent off for some serious prison time – cleaning up his own Kingdom, bit by bit."
"Perfect," Anna skated over, Kristoff holding her hand, "he so deserves it."
"I'm just glad you're safe," Kristoff kissed her before blushing, "uh, and, you know, everyone else."
Sven and Maximus whinnied together, and Olaf laughed. "Summer is so perfect! Everyone's happy, and...oh! Look! A yellow Sven!"
Frosting trotted in, immediately crowded by Maximus and Sven, who equally admired her now glowing fur. "Well, well, well," Kristoff whispered to the others, "maybe we won't be the only ones having a wedding...eventually."
The group chuckled together, and Rapunzel looked up into the clear blue sky.
This is really happening. The blizzard's over, Elsa and Anna are together, Arendelle is thawed...but...how were me and Anna saved, anyways? What happened to unfreeze us all?
"Ooh, ooh!" Olaf danced around. "Let's have a big fire tonight!"
"Olaf, you could melt!"
"Not with my personal flurry by my side...on top of my head!"
"Very well," Elsa announced to the people, "tonight we hold a celebratory bonfire for the safe return of Princess Anna, and the survival of Arendelle!"
The people cheered out in hoots and hollars.
...This is it, Rapunze thought to herself as she watched Eugene help Marco into some skates of his own, we're going to be a big, happy family...and maybe now's the time to tell Eugene...