Ara grumbled to herself. She has been grumbling ever since her and Hazel had left Heidi's presence. This was how she got her thoughts together.
With a mind like her own, It was hard to focus on one thing. In order to maintain a longer attention span, she would talk to herself. It kept her focused on the task at hand. The answers she wanted.
She wanted to know about what Hades had told her. About what happened when they found him. What did he mean by "punished her for nothing"? Those are the answers she wanted, but they won't come easy.
No one knows her here. While that can be a great thing, it can also be tedious. Her Auradon adjusted to her. This place never knew she existed. It feels nice to have a clean slate, but she is a stranger here. That's where it gets complicated.
"Ugh!" She cries aloud. "Why does this have to be so hard?"
Her ruby haired twin turned to her quizzically. "What do you mean?"
Ara folded her arms and looked to the sky. "We need answers, right? She asked and Hazel nodded. "We know where to get them, but we are complete strangers. There is no way you would hand that kind of info to strangers."
Hazel nodded once more. She had already thought about this. She didn't want to bother Ara with it and allowed her to figure it out herself. She also hoped that she had a plan. By the way Ara is acting, she doesn't.
"So...what now?" Hazel asked her and she stopped walking.
Ara tapped her cheek for a few minutes. "I will see if I can think of something on the way there. Maybe get the boy's opinion, but we are not giving up." She continued to walk until the isle got farther and farther from view.
Hazel looked at the darkening sky. "Okay, then." That's when she stopped. She blinked a couple times before looking around.
Frustrated, Ara began to talk out loud. "One person. Just one that I actually know here! Just one!"
Hazel continued to look about. "Um...Ara?"
Not hearing her sister because of her rant, she exclaimed, "Alright, universe where is my person?! I could really use them right now, and not the boys, either!"
"Levina! Gardenia!"
Ara immediately pailed. "No! Not that person!" She said dropping to her knees.
Hazel sighed. "You ask for lemonade...and life gives you grape fruits…" She turned in the direction of her highly angered mother.
She ran to the two girls quickly. Once she was close enough, you could obviously see the clouds that covered the once clear sky. "You two...are in sooo much trouble."
Ara stood swiftly to plead her case. "But mom! We had to come here! Heidi's all alone in the friends department. We were just visiting!"
Elsa emotionlessly chuckled. "It's one thing to visit a friend down the street, or in another country, but in a whole other world!?" She exclaimed as the wind picked up around her.
Hazel looked at the ground, wanting to be ignored. Ara continued. "Okay, it seems bad, but it's not that far when you think about it." She raised her hands in defense. "We just need to be here for her. We were going to return in a few days. At least three."
Elsa's eyes squinted. "No. You two are coming back home. Now." She turned back around, expecting them to follow.
"What!? Why!?" Hazel unexpectedly exclaimed.
Elsa half turned and barely met her gaze. "She is Hades daughter. The gods are dangerous. I want you both to have nothing to do with them." Her voice lacked variation when she spoke. After that, she turned back around and continued to walk.
Ara shook her head. "Mom, no...Heidi is not like that. She-"
"Let's go, Ara." She snapped at her daughter while cutting her icy irises at the blue haired girl.
Ara blinked in shock. Her mom had never spoke like that to her. Never in her entire life. They were usually on the same page, but now…
Ara sighed heavily and put her head down. She began to follow her mother with a heavy heart.
Hazel remained in her spot, also in shock. Elsa turned to her before calling to her as well, but something unexpected happened.
"No."
Ara and Elsa blinked. Ara abruptly turned while Elsa slowly turned. She couldn't have heard what she thought she heard. "Excuse me?" She asked the girl again for clarification and intimidation.
Hazel stood tall and looked Elsa directly in the eye. The eyes that looked very much like her own. "No. I won't. I'm staying here."
Ara blinked in unexplainable surprise while Elsa folded her arms, indignant with her daughter's behavior.
"Gardenia, this is not a request. You are coming with me. No matter what you say."
"Or, what?"
Now this made Elsa blink in shock before filling up with fury. "What has gotten into her!? It must have something to do with that girl. I bet her influence has rubbed off on her."
The temperature had dropped dangerously low and the clouds swept in much quicker now. Ara watched snow begin to fall as the sun made its way down. "Guys, maybe we could talk this out. Just tell mom."
Hazel's flaming aura surrounded her body and her eyes snapped to her sister. "There is nothing to talk about." She said stubbornly.
Elsa is seething at this point. "You have one more chance. Let's go!"
"No!" Hazel returned her look as her aura flared to life, fueled by her anger. "You can't ban us from seeing her because she's a god! Not all gods are bad!"
"The gods are crazy and only care about themselves." Her majesty replied sharply.
"How do you know that?! You've never met a god in your life!"
"You don't know who I've met!"
Hazel threw up her hands in frustration. "Ugh! More secrets! That's all I get from you! I never get any answers!"
"I'll tell you when you're ready!"
Hazel glared as her fire roared. She glowed so bright that it could be mistaken for the sun's rays. "I am ready! I need to know these things! I was lost for fourteen years and I don't even know who my father is!"
Ice had covered the ground long ago. It cracked and shifted and twisted. It has even encased Ara's feet to the ground in the process. Not like she noticed. She was too busy focused on the shade of red the ice had turned. "Mom...Hazel, please!"
Not able to hear Ara's pleas over the howling North wind, Elsa shouted, "THAT WASN'T MY FAULT!"
"THEN WHO'S WAS IT, THEN!?"
"ENOUGH!" Elsa shouted as a full on blizzard formed. "If you won't listen, fine. Leave!"
Hazel's glare hardened as she teleported away, leaving Ara and Elsa to themselves.
Elsa, then ran off into the distance. The storm and the clouds following their master, leaving Ara alone and stuck to the frozen ground. "That did not just happen…" She said in disbelief.
High above the ground was a black batlike horse that was currently hovering while its rider sat in silence. The goddess who was sitting side saddle let out a soft sigh and clicked her tongue. "Down." She mumbled, folding her arms as she somehow managed to stay on the horses back. The woman looked at her long black dress that she had been told to wear and rolled her eyes. Huh, I didn't know an interrogation required formal attire. She thought as she adjusted the black skull-like crown on her head. "Completely unnecessary." She stated as they went through the few remaining clouds.
Ara, down below, wrestled with her frozen feet. Thankfully, the cold didn't bother her. What did bother her was her two, perfectly good, feet were rendered useless due to them being frozen to the ground.
She jumped repeatedly...well she tried. Her feet were still frozen to the ground, so she didn't actually make it off the ground to her dismay. "Come! On!" She grunted while pulling at her legs. "Ugh...I knew I shoulda practiced my ice magic more… Once again, mom was...r-r-r-r-right." Saying it aloud out a sour taste in the girls mouth. She took a break from her efforts with a sigh.
The horse and its rider descended a bit more before they began circling the area. The woman raised an eyebrow at the fact that the ground was still frozen before clicking her tongue. "Down." She hissed, her hands beginning to turn red as she summoned more and more heat to them. The horse let out a demonic whinny before taking one last circle and began its final descent to the frozen ground.
Ara stopped pulling on her knee to see who was witnessing this embarrassing event. To her great surprise, it was someone familiar. "Heidi?" She tried to stand straight, wobbling in the process. "What are you doing here?"
Heidi's eyes flickered to meet the other girl's as the horse touched down. Hopping off, she brushed off her dress while the ground immediately thawed underneath her. "I was summoned to Olympus for a meeting. They are probably going to ask where I have been." She looked up from her task and tilted her head. "I saw what was going down and decided to...observe before I'd continue onto Olympus." She explained, pointing her red hands at the frozen areas and melting them. "I didn't want to step in…"
Ara shrugged, forgetting her feet. "I can understand why. Even I didn't want to step in, and you know how I am." She said putting her hands on her hips.
The blue-haired woman let out a soft chuckle as she continued to melt the area. "Sometimes, I'd be the one to step in when those kinds of arguments go down." She paused in her actions and sighed. "I don't mind when people bad mouth me but...There are times when I can't help myself. Hades is my dad, afterall."
Ara shrugged. "I know, I know. Look over my mom. She's just doing what she thinks is best. She only got us back a month ago after fourteen years. She's just trying to protect us." She said with a hint of sadness.
Heidi nodded as she returned to her task. "My dad was the same way in the early years. Always would threaten to steal a soul if anyone even laid eyes on me. I guess you could say that they are overprotective at first because they believe that they'll lose you…" She said softly before shaking her head. "She is right about the gods though. Most of my family would love to know your whereabouts, but at the moment they are only concerned with me and my explanation."
"Isn't that reassuring." She said as she finally shook her feet from the weakened ice. "I guess I will head back to Auradon, then find my family. They ran off in different directions…" She looked around as a cold wind blew.
Heidi shook the heat off her hands before looking back at her horse. "And I have to go talk with good ol Zeus." She said, her voice filled with sarcasm. The goddess gazed back at the girl before smiling softly. "I will make sure that there are no gods looking for you guys. I doubt they would hunt anyone down when they have a ten hour interrogation to get through."
Ara smiled back at her and said, "Good, because I have an interrogation of my own." She referred to the purple haired girl she knew she would have to face.
"At least she doesn't have lightning bolts at her dispense, Zeus and I play a sick game of dodgeball during our talks. I throw fireballs and he throws lightning bolts." Heidi said with a laugh before walking towards her horse.
Ara began to back away. "If that's the case, I would hate for you to be late." She hovered, ready to take off.
The goddess hopped up on the horse's back before clicking at it to rise. "Ah, I still have around five minutes before the warning bolts come." She said with a smirk on her face as the horse began to ascend.
Ara shook her head and ascended herself. "Take care of yourself. See you tomorrow!" She kicked causing her to rocket in the direction of Auradon prep in a matter of seconds.
Heidi chuckled before tilting her head up as she heard thunder rumble in the distance. "That's my cue." She clicked her tongue before taking ahold of the black reins. "We have four minutes before I get electrocuted, go!" At the last word, the horse whinnied before taking flight and speeding off towards the tall mountain.
88888888
Ara had made it back to the school in record time. Honestly, she was going so fast that she could barely control it.
As she stared at Mal and Evie's window, She realized the advantage she would have had if she'd teleported instead. The whole reason Ara didn't teleport was in case she saw her mother or her sister along the way. A flash of light in the night sky. A lone snow storm. She has found nothing.
So here she was hovering and knocking on the window. Waiting for someone to let her in. Even Though she was going to get chewed out, She has to confront Mal about this matter. If not, Ara was sure that Mal would hold the boys hostage. With that thought in mind, she knocked harder, her face etched with confusion.
Instead of Mal rising to open the window, it was Evie who rushed over and opened it. The girl looked beyond sheepish as she backed away. "Sorry, I guess I didn't hear you the first time." She said with a smile before looking at Mal with mild confusion.
Mal was sitting on her bed and didn't even bother to look up when the window opened. The purplette was too busy drawing something to either notice or care.
Ara smiled at Evie before sloppily crawling through and allowing herself to splat on the floor. She winced, then Sat up with halved eyes. She immediately took her boot of and shook it out. Snowflakes and ice fractals fell onto the floor with a sound like broken glass. "Thanks, It has been a long day." She slipped her now empty boot back on.
Evie nodded and gave her one last smile before returning to her sewing machine on her half of the room. Mal, on the other hand, peered up in confusion at the sound of the ice. Since when do we have snow and ice at this time of year? She thought before choosing to ignore the odd sight.
Ara sighed, "Well, time to accept my fate." She said aloud. "Yeah...so I got to talk to Heidi. On the bright side she seems to be feeling better." She said, not really wanting to continue.
Mal set her drawing supplies aside and sat up. "Let me guess, she ran off somewhere?" The purplette asked with a knowing look in her eyes.
Remembering the entracate room of gold, Ara agreed. "Yeah. Right now, she is in a meeting at Olympus. She's...gonna be a while…" Ara raised an eyebrow at the thought.
Mal rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Probably another one of those twenty-four hour meetings they love to hold up there." She said, her voice tinted with annoyance as she frowned. "They always do that." She muttered, shooting her annoyed glare at a nearby pillow before kicking it off the bed.
The midnight bluenette eyes the fallen pillow wide-eyed before saying, "Well, it has been fun, but I have a busy day tomorrow…" She said fearing for her own outcome.
Mal's head whipped in her direction. "Did she tell you anything?" She asked abruptly, moving to stand up off the bed.
Ara noticeably became uncomfortable at the question. A single, thin current of electricity licked about her hair. "No." She awkwardly smiled. "Of course not. That's...extra personal...stuff…"
Mal was silent for a moment before she let out a huff and folded her arms. "Of course she said nothing. Even if it wasn't personal she wouldn't talk about it." She sat back on the bed and closed her eyes. "Doesn't even trust her own sister." She muttered under her breath before opening her eyes.
Ara, surprised that she actually bought it, said, "Exactly. I-I was like...so frustrated." She leaned on the wall. "Whatever she is hiding, it must be for a good reason why she keeps it hidden. Kind of like my mom and her sister, I guess. I don't know. I consider this "God stuff"." She said in relief.
Mal nodded a bit as she grabbed her supplies again. "God stuff became our stuff the day they sent her to Hell." She said before opening the book up.
Ara blinked and thought for a moment. Then she shook her head. "Well, I really do have quite the day tomorrow. My mom hopped dimensions and now her and my sister are missing." Ara shrugged as she prepared to teleport.
Mal raised an eyebrow when she heard this and she stopped drawing for a moment to consider what the other girl had just said.
Ara froze for a moment. Then her face shifted into one of annoyance. "Oh come on!" She said before taking off her other boot and shaking the cristaline figures out.
She put her boot back on and smiles when it fit properly. She stamped her foot a couple times to make sure. "Okay, I will see you guys tomorrow, maybe? See ya!" She disappeared in a gust of wind.
Mal closed her eyes before frowning. I should ask Ben if Elsa visited while we were on the Isle. Who else could have created that snow? The girl thought before sighing and opening her eyes to resume her drawing.
Audrey had lost track of what day it was, not like it mattered to her, in her attempt to keep Mal away. The princess was currently flopped on the bed in a very unprincessy way, her hair all messed up from the lack of care while she was still in her pink pajamas from the night before.
If her family saw her now they would surely be disgusted by the way she was behaving. They should try dealing with this. I have nobody. She thought in irritation before closing her eyes. She should be back by now and yet she isn't. What if something happened?
If she had the energy to she might have gotten up and began pacing, but at the moment all she wanted to do was lay there in the pile of blankets that she had gathered. So what if she looked pathetic? She had it harder than the rest of Auradon! Not only was she stopped in her plans but she also had to deal with that stupid VK!
The princess let out a huff as she tried to get a nearby pillow. "I doubt they even care that she's gone." She muttered, reaching for the pillow before pulling it. "They are probably enjoying it." Her eyes opened and she glared at a nearby wall before she closed them again.
A small head peeked from behind the headboard of the bed. A small, red salamander. It sneered at the distraught princess. It observed her for at least a minute longer before releasing a gurgling sound and descended to the floor below.
The princess didn't even open her eyes as she dismissed the sound. She was far too into her own thoughts as the girl sighed into the pillow she had grabbed. "Or she's finally gone and left me." She muttered before pursing her lips. "It would explain a few things...Not to mention the way she looks at her."
The salamander tilted its head before deciding to follow the initial plan. It crept to the other side of the bed, the princess' blind spot and stood there. Observing her.
In its place, in a flash of light. A young woman stood silently in its place. Her ruby hair had crystals of light spattered about it. Her knee length dress seemed to be made from microscopic white opal remnants. Her long scarf, made out of the same genuine stone material, swayed with the slightest draft. She folded her arms causing her wrist length sleeves to glisten under the remaining light. She also wears translucent, clear tights that expose her feet which are caressed by gladiator sandals of diamond.
To match her shoes, she wears diamond chandelier earrings that reflect her ice cold, but fiery royal blue eyes. She glowers at the princess. Studies her, wondering where she would stash the girl away. She was currently thinking about this while the girl was sulking. She only made herself known when she had decided.
"Let's make this simple." She said devoid of emotion. "Do what I say, and you won't be blind. Deal?" Her face remained the same as she spoke.
Audrey cautiously opened her eyes before scowling at the unknown girl. Searching the room for something, she suddenly smirked before letting out a shrill whistle. "Kirby!" She called out, hoping the dog was still in the house.
The red haired woman rolled her eyes at this. She clasped her hands together and disappeared. The only thing was...she was still there in the form of pure light. She remained this way until the dog showed up.
The dog barreled into the room, his body on fire while he looked about the room in alarm before looking at the princess and letting out a howl.
That's when a plant appeared out of nowhere and whipped Kirby directly on the nose. The plant hopped around in a teasing manner before going into the ground. The plant was truly entertained.
Audrey let out a groan as she saw the dog proceed to run around the room. "Magical plants, what is it with you and magical plants?" She asked the hyperactive puppy, peering at it in exasperation.
The woman chuckled. The laugh echoed before she appeared again. However, she did not stop her laughter. Her laughter just stopped echoing. "That was...adorable. Some knight in shining armour." Her voice dropped with sarcasm as she smirked.
The princess scoffed. "He's good enough to stop that VK for three days. Not my fault Heidi never trained him for magical plants!" She said in annoyance, snapping her fingers in an attempt to get the dog's attention.
The woman also snapped. With that, she had summoned an army of potted sprouts. She turned to them and said, "Keep the animal occupied. Oh!" She waved her hands to make three golden bones. "Give these to him. You know...no hard feelings."
The sprouts saluted, took the bones, and began to chase after the dog like an army closing in on the enemy forces.
The dog looked around wildly before it barked in excitement and teleported behind them. The dog then proceeded to look up at Audrey, prompting the princess to face palm. "Just because you can teleport doesn't mean you've escaped them!" The dog blinked at her words as he found himself surrounded again. Audrey looked dryly at the dog before rolling her eyes. "Cute dog, stupid dog." She mumbled under her breath.
The woman smiled and clapped her hands together. "Well, this has been fun, but I have a busy day ahead soooo…" She didn't even have to wave her hands before she teleported to Heidi's workshop.
The woman did waved her hand to summon chains around Audrey's wrist. Then she connected the chains to the floor to make sure she stayed put. She smirked as she looked over her work and began to take her leave.
Audrey looked at the chains before glaring at the girl. "I see what this is...I bet the gods put you up to this. Get rid of Heidi then get rid of me?" She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Perfect plan." She hissed, somehow managing to keep calm despite what just happened.
The ruby one couldn't help the laugh that tumbled out of her throat. "What? No, no. What do I look like, a sidekick?" She stopped walking and smirked. "Actually, pinky pie, you should be thanking me."
"Thanking you? You just chained me up!" The princess exclaimed before sneering at her. "If anything I should be informing the gods about you! There are ways to contact them down here."
"Thanks for telling me...so I can destroy them." She regained her smirk. "Princesses, princesses, princesses. Most of them are...not to bright." She said while analyzing the objects in the room. "Believe it or not. I am responsible for the return of your beloved girlfriend."
Audrey's eyes widened a bit before she scowled. "And I can only imagine the anger she will feel once she learns you not only trashed her workshop trying to destroy all forms of communication, but you also chained me to the ground!"
The woman clicked her mouth at that. "Oh, please. Lots of people get chained to the ground. Hell, my own mother got chained to the ground. Get over yourself." She breaks another object without a struggle.
The princess looked at all the priceless jewelry before rolling her eyes. "Fine, I will get over it. Just remember this, Heidi is the Goddess of the Underworld and her dad likes to steal the souls of those who harm his daughter. Or, just anger him in general." She tilted her head with a smirk. "If Heidi learns of this and tells Hades, it's over for you."
The ground mildly quaked when the woman's eyes shined a blazing purple. She held her hand up, pausing the aggravated earth. "I already live in Hell. What have I got to lose?" Her scarf sways and sparkles behind her as she took her leave. "See you tomorrow, princess." She spat before locking up the workshop.
The princess scowled before shaking her head. "Ah, just your soul. Not like a soul matters or anything." She shrugged her shoulders before returning her gaze to a particular piece of jewelry on the wall.
Ara was grumbling to herself once again. This time, for a different reason. Her mother. Her sister. They could be anywhere! Yet, Ara kept searching high and low.
She kept her eye on the trees and plants for unique signs. Her eyes also scanned the clouds for frost or snow build up. The temperature was a factor too, but everything felt normal. At least she knows her mom is not in this area.
She sighed, "Of course they had to fight instead of telling each other how they felt!" She observed a rock, making sure Hazel wasn't behind it...or wasn't the rock itself.
"They are the same, those two." She continued to grumble as she began to levitate. She kicked and took off to the sky to get an aerial view. "Everyone says that I'm the most like my mother, yeah right." She continued to soar, keeping an eye on the ground and the type of precipitation within the surrounding clouds.
Out of nowhere, a deep whinney of a horse echoed before the dark bat-like horse descended. The woman on its back yawned a bit and peered at the flying girl. "Fancy meeting you up here."
The confused look on Ara's face disappeared when she looked at the formally dressed woman. "Same to you, stranger. Were you just passing through?" She offered her a smile as she dodged a random bird.
Heidi shrugged and stretched a bit. "I told it to take me home and it got lost along the way. We've just been gliding for awhile, avoiding a stray bolt here and there." She said in a carefree manner, closing her eyes as she shifted a bit.
Ara chuckled at her comfortable behavior after mentioning "stray bolts". Her smile fell once she spoke. "I am just looking for a sign of them, but so far I've found nothing. Nothing for each of them." She disheartenedly said.
Heidi opened her eyes and looked around. "Can't say I saw anything out of the ordinary on our little trip." She tilted her head before frowning. "Strange."
"I think that's the point." Ara replied with slight frustration. "If someone was hiding, they wouldn't give themselves away easily. If a random snowfall came out of the blue, we would know it's her without a doubt. Same with Hazel, but she's harder to find."
The goddess nodded in thought, rubbing her chin as she pushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes with her free hand. "Makes sense." She commented absentmindedly before closing her eyes again.
Ara sighed, "I guess I am starting to get a liiiitle bit frustrated." She used her guilty smile.
Heidi tilted her head back and smirked. "I see. Well, I should tell you that no encounter of mine with Elsa has gone well. Something about my dad being, well, my dad always set her off. If I wasn't the embodiment of a flame, I'd still be an icecube over in good old Norway."
Ara raised an eyebrow. "Oookayy… I will keep that in mind." Ara shook her herself out of her shock. "Maybe once she gets to know you better. Then she might warm up, but mom has...layers…" She said as she winced at how guarded her mother could be.
Heidi shrugged and opened her eyes. "Everyone has layers, some have more than others while a few only have a single layer." She stated, running her hand through the horse's black mane.
Ara chuckled. "If I were a house, I think I would only have two stories." Ara smiled before saying, "You guys both love chocolate. That's a good conversation starter."
Heidi raised an eyebrow before gesturing to the horse. "The horse is also a conversation starter. Not to mention the hair…" She trailed off while grabbing a strand to look at it. "The hair always turns people off and makes them run away yelling, "Ah! It's Hades' kid!" The goddess said with a hint of annoyance before shaking her head. "Every time."
Ara's eyes halved. "And that's why I want you to stick with the chocolate. It will show her that there is more to you than being "Hades' kid"." Ara gestured to Heidi's hair and the horse. "Because that and that is going to make her freak the freak out. If she does that, there is a big chance that we will never see each other again." She folded her arms while she continued to glide.
Heidi pursed her lips before shaking her head. "A disguise is sounding more and more appealing now." She muttered, looking down at the horse with narrowed eyes.
Something immediately caught Ara's attention. "Do you feel that?" She asked her companion and stopped her flight.
Heidi's horse landed on a nearby cloud and the goddess looked around before slowly nodding. "I feel something…" She said as concentration suddenly replaced her surprise.
Ara waved her hands aimlessly through the air before humming at her findings. She lands on a cloud across from where Heidi waited. The clouds slightly sparkles when Ara took a look at them. Ara walked atop of the cloud and said, "We might have something here! The temperature has dropped impressively!"
Heidi tilted her head to the side as she summoned a bit of magic to her hands. "Huh, well if that isn't a sign I don't know what is." She commented, discretely hiding the magic-covered hands in the horse's long mane.
Ara offered her a smile and said, "Final test."
Still on the cloud, she dropped down to her knees. Once closer to the cloud's surface, she gathered a snowball-sized portion of the cloud and observed it for a minute. Then she put her hands together and rubbed her hands together as if the cloud ball was foam soap. Eventually, all of the cloud ball whisped away like steam. All that was left were the small snowflakes gathered within. They delicately levitate in Ara's hand.
"She's here, alright." Ara said proudly with a bit of excitement.
Heidi internally sighed as she channeled more magic to her hands. The goddess managed to force a smile onto her face before looking around. We are definitely going with Plan D.
"Come on, slowpoke! Race ya to the bottom! Cannon ball!" She said, jumping off the cloud and freefalling through the sky.
Heidi looked on in amusement before pulling out her hands. "Did dad ever tell you about the fireworks?" She asked the horse as her hands began to glow brightly. The horse let out a whinny that prompted her to smirk. "He hates the sparkles part." Before she could explain what that meant to the confused animal, there was a bright light before an explosion of, yes, you guessed it, sparkles. The sparkles blew away to reveal a strawberry blonde haired woman atop a white pegasus, prompting the woman to let out a laugh. "Hah! I've still got the sparkle trick down pat." She cheered at her achievement before clicking her tongue. "Down!" The horse shook its head before taking flight and quickly descending to the area below.
The area was covered in snow. Some of the ground was frozen solid, but some were also soft. There was an occasional tree that was completely frozen over. For the most part it was just snow. No doubt the Snow Queen had been there.
Ara looked around silently not noticing the now red haired woman. She continued to walk on the path that was calling out to her.
Heidi tilted her head as she absentmindedly changed her dress to a pink one while the crown poofed off her head. "Huh, you'd think she'd notice the similar face. I should use this more often." She said before patting the horse and urging it to stay where it was for the time being.
Once she had gotten to a certain point, she stopped. Chose not to call out because it may frighten Elsa away, so she made sure to stay quiet for now. She looked to her right to see her mother sitting under a frosted tree. Every now and then, she would create snowflakes and allow them to rain down on her head. If she was in a better mood, this would be entertaining.
"Mom?" Ara finally called out to her. She slowly began to walk to her.
Elsa jumped in shock and nearly froze the tree completely. That was before she had gotten a good look at the girl. "Ara?" She smiled at her and stood.
"At least she seems happy to see me." She thought as she gave her mother a hug when she closed the distance between them. "I've been looking everywhere. I've been really worried."
Elsa winced. "I apologize. I-after...I needed some space." She clasped her hands together and offered Ara a smile, which Ara appreciated greatly.
Off in the distance Heidi let out a small sigh as she remained atop the horses back. "Who am I? What shall be my name, horse?"
The horse rolled its eyes as it began to circle, prompting the goddess to fold her arms. "Gee, thanks for the help." She said dryly, resisting the urge to hop off as it would give her away. If she even sneezed she'd thaw the area around her. The woman rubbed her chin in thought before raising a finger. "I vote...using Seraphina as a name. Went with Amora the last time and that sure worked." She said to herself, before shrugging. "I'll need a list of names if I have to keep faking my identity." She muttered in amusement before scowling as she realized they were still circling.
Ara grabbed her mother by the hand. "First we have to get you out of here. Just because you freeze a place, does not mean it's home." She began to lead her.
Elsa chuckled as her child continued. "Second, I still need to find Hazel so I will allow you to stay in our hotel room until I find her. Don't worry it's pretty posh. Hazel picked it out."
Now closer to the girl on the winged animal, Elsa looked in curiosity. She didn't know whether to ask the girl questions or turn and go in the opposite direction.
"Third," Ara still continued, blissfully unaware. "We need to-"
"Wait, who is that?" Elsa's curiosity finally got the best of her.
Ara nodded in understanding. "Oh you must mean my friend." Ara glanced in Heidi's direction, not too focused on her. "Oh, this is my friend-" she turned her head to look at her. "..." She froze mid-sentence just now taking in her full change of appearance.
Heidi glanced at them both before her eyes halved. "Don't mind me, just a damsel stuck on a broken pegasus. Carry on." She said before returning her gaze back to the horse.
Ara blinked for a few seconds before saying, "Darn it...you're not my friend…" She smiled nervously. "Sorry about the confusion...carry on and all of that good stuff…" Ara began to walk off with a raised eyebrow of confusion.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Elsa asked the woman, ignoring her daughter's common mishaps.
The woman atop the horse shrugged. "I've already called someone to come get this thing, there's just a teeny tiny bit of a delay since I'm stuck here and the guy is currently flying around the great big mountain." She responded casually, examining her nails. "He'll be here...eventually."
Elsa looked to the side before nodding. She waved as she began to walk. "Alright, then. Take care." She fell in step with Ara.
Heidi cautiously watched them before letting out a sigh as they were far away enough now. Snapping her fingers, a shower of black sparkles rained down before a strong wind blowed them away to reveal her and the horses' original appearance. "It would seem I am a better actress than I thought." She mused before clicking her tongue. "Up." The horse whinnied in reply before taking off into the cloudy skies above.
88888888
Planning, planning, and more planning. That's what Hazel has been doing with most of her night. Planning.
She has already thoroughly locked Audrey in the workshop. Now was the time for phase two. Hazel would be happy if this phase didn't have so many other phases within it. Now she is working mentally to create something that does not only make sense, but persuasive.
She keeps Kirby busy with sprouts as she looks for something big and hard and glass within the home. She doesn't know why, but everyone freaks out at the sight of broken glass. With that thought, She grabbed a large vase and carried it to an area of her choice then smashed it on the ground.
"Perfect." She thought. "I will be here when she comes in through there. If she comes out of nowhere, like she always does, I will have a couple seconds of reaction time. I can live with that." She thought as she shrugged.
With that, she sat on the floor, in the same room Audrey occupied previously, beside her glass mess. She wanted to be close to the scene when Heidi would appear. It was crucial to her mission that everything went perfectly. So, she patiently sat and waited, listening to her vigorously beating heart.
Downstairs there was a loud crack as Heidi appeared in the living room. She shook her head in exasperation as she held the phone to her ear. "Really, Hermes? I leave for how long and you go and get a phone?" She rolled her eyes and walked through the house. "You never considered a phone to be of need, why is it that you have one?" She paused before her eyes halved. "...Because the school required it? Nice try, Hermes, you need to work on the lying." She told him before hanging up with a sigh. "Saying the school made him get one, hah."
Hazel nearly gasped. If she did, she would get busted, so she kept quiet. She looked around frantically, briefly forgetting her plan. "Oh! Right!" She thought as she laid flat out on the ground.
The bad thing about glass is that it scatters. Hazel knows to be mindful around glass and other sharp earthen materials, but in her panic, she missed her mark and lays her head atop some rather sharp shards.
It took a miracle for her not to scream then and there. She didn't have to look to know she was bleeding. That wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was that she had to lay there, without a twitch until Heidi came and "awakened her". Somehow, she played it off, laying there emotionlessly, eyes closed in a pile of glass. "Well...the blood makes the story more convincing…ow…" She thought, trying to distract herself from the pain of her head.
During this, Heidi was taking her sweet time surveying the mess that Kirby had made at some point. "Geez, Kirby! If you are in here we are discussing this, immediately!" She hollered, picking up a large rock that had somehow made it in. "We have been over this, all things that come from the outside stay outside!" She said as she set the rock on the nearby side table. "I need to find a demon doggy sitter or something." She muttered in annoyance, her eyes flickering up as she waited to see if the dog would appear or not.
"I'm dying up here!" Hazel thought in her mental space. "I'm getting cut like confetti and she is worried about the dog!? In retrospect, I deserve this, but come on!" On the outside, she continued to lay in peace.
Heidi pursed her lips and folded her arms. "He's probably in the woods or something, I really need to set up a fence of some sort." She stated before shaking her head. "Just my luck, I get back and everything has gone to hell. Peachy...just peachy." She said as her eyebrow twitched before she shook it off. "And Audrey's probably up there sleeping." The goddess looked up at the staircase, silently deciding whether or not to disturb the princess.
"Whoa...I feel weird…" The now dizzy girl thought. She had another foggy thought rise into her mind. "How much blood have I lost?" She internally shrugged. "Well, I can't feel my head anymore, but...I'm not sure that's good in this kind of situation. ...Spots. Floating around. Everywhere…"
The goddess unfolded her arms and placed her hands on her hips. "Hmm...Should I risk it?" She mumbled to herself before pausing as she smelled something. "...Is that blood?" She raised an eyebrow and looked around the room. "I swear, if that dog dragged in another dead animal I will send him back down." Taking another sniff, she turned to where the scent was strongest before tilting her head. "Why would it be coming from up there? She knows better than to get injured...not to mention all those precautions." Letting out a sigh, she rubbed her arm before stepping towards the staircase. "If I find a dead animal I am going to call someone to clean it up." She muttered and grabbed ahold of the railing before starting up the staircase.
"Come on, let's go! The jelly bean waterfall is right around the corner!" She called out to a group of rabbits with unicorn horns upon their heads. "Hurry! Hop faster!" She called to them. "We will never beat the jell-o toads at this rate." She and the unibunnies has picked up their pace as they ran to the jelly bean waters.
The unibunnies cheered as the clapped paws and danced around in victory. They all look to Hazel and squeaked cheers for her also. She responds, "Ah, it was nothing, guys. Don't mention it." She told them. She looked at the bunnies again before saying, "Man. My head hurts again."
Reaching the top of the stairs, Heidi let out a sigh in expectation. "Okay, Kirby, what mess have you-" As soon as she looked down her jaw fell. "...Oh boy." She searched the room for something before sighing in relief. "Okay, soul is still in the body. I can work with that." She whipped out her phone and quickly typed in a number as worry crossed her face. She let it ring before nearly growling at the person who answered. "Apollo, get your ass over here now!I am not taking a no for an answer this time and I do not care what kind of lady you are wooing at the moment-I don't care! Just get over here!" She practically yelled before hanging up and tossing the phone over her shoulder.
A bright light appeared in the room and Apollo looked at the scene with a tilt of the head. "What happened to her?"
Heidi scoffed and teleported over to him. "Does it look like I know? I found her like this!"
The god rolled his eyes and raised his hands up. "Easy, no need to be an angry little kitten-"
Heidi promptly slapped him over the head and pointed at the girl. "Shut up and do your job before I will do mine!"
Apollo shrugged and sidestepped around her. "Ever heard of the word 'please'? You and your love life, sheesh." He commented before pointing his palm at the girl as the room filled with a bright light.
Heidi let out an annoyed huff as she was blinded. "Next time give me a chance to put my sunglasses on!"
The god chuckled as the light faded away. "Eh, you should know me by now." He snapped his fingers, causing the glass to disappear. "Next time keep a better eye on the little princess."
Heidi shot him a glare as he passed by her and smacked him on the shoulder before moving to where Audrey was still laying. The anger that was on her face immediately disappeared as she checked the girl over to see if Apollo had actually done his job.
"I'm alive!" Was the first sane thought that Hazel had in minutes. Her royal blue eyes opened to scan the room. Her vision, still slightly blurry, but she kept blinking until things started to make sense. "Hm..?" She let out as she looked around the place in confusion. "This...is not my resort… Oh...Oh! This is Heidi's house. After all that just happened this better work…" She thought while her eyes adjusted the last bit of fuzz.
Heidi continued to look at the princess, silently checking to make sure her soul was still there. Thankfully, it seemed as though she made it in time. If she hadn't she would have had to get someone to grab the runaway soul. Letting out a small sigh, the goddess moved back a bit before looking around the room for the missing object that could have caused this.
Once her vision was normal, she sat up slowly while the goddess seemed to be searching for something. Hazel still had "jitters", but she went through all of this and now she was here. It's now or never. Might as well make it count.
"Excuse me?" She called the woman in a timid voice. "Where...am I?" She questioned while looking about the room cautiously.
Heidi's blue eyes flickered away to look at the princess before a frown settled on her face. "I'm not too sure what happened up here, but you are in our house. I'm trying to find whatever caused this because, frankly, I don't trust my own shoddy magic skills. Knowing me I probably enchanted something the wrong way and it attacked. Good going Heidi!" She rambled a bit before scowling at her reflection in the mirror.
The princess blinked in concern and confusion before saying, "You sound rather upset with this...Heidi person, but I have so many questions." She looked to the blue haired woman, still confused.
"I'm Heidi and I am angry with myself for my stupidity." She turned around with a sigh. "Clearly I gave you a bad case of amnesia or something that even Apollo couldn't fix!" She let out a huff as something glowed behind her. "And now I have to find out howthis happened." She whipped around and quickly teleported the glowing object away before shaking her head. "I wish I had a handbook for the amnesiacs."
The princess raised an eyebrow. "Amnesia? That's not even what I was going for. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers." Hazel thought. "I don't know. Maybe you can find one in a library, maybe?" She asked timidly.
"Maybe, or I'll just borrow Hermes for a while. The guy has crashed into so many windows he's prone to memory loss. AKA, amnesia." Heidi responded as she examined each suspicious object. "I'd like to say I could explain everything, but I am not that good with explanations." She glanced over her shoulder. "I ramble."
She offered her a small smile. "I can tell. I'm fine with it, though. It keeps my mind off of everything that just happened." She stands and begins to wander around the room.
"That's good. Not sure if I ever told you, but I myself am a bit of amnesiac. Four whole days just erased from my memory. The only reason I even know of them is because my dad mentioned them." Heidi said as she plucked a shield off the wall before looking it over. "You can't really explain a condition that you didn't even know you have."
The curious princess nodded and turned her head to her. "Yes, I suppose that makes sense. You didn't find out until after you were better, correct?"
"Better?" Heidi repeated the word in mild confusion before shaking her head. "...I don't think I ever truly got better. I couldn't remember the day before, the day of, and the two days after my memories were erased. I guess I just went on living without an idea that I am missing four days worth of memories." She said uncertainly, pursing her lips as she hung the shield back up.
"Wow, sorry. I had no idea. That was inconsiderate on my part." The princess told her as she walked closer to the goddess.
"It's fine, as long as dad knows what happened I am not concerned to find out. He would have told me if it was important." Heidi smiled softly before shaking her head. "Besides, it happened decades ago, no need to worry about it now."
"Okay." The process said as she returned her smile. "Hmm...you seem to know me well. Would you happen to know what I was called? You know, my name?" She said while looking at her questionably.
Heidi nodded and folded her arms. "Yep. You are Audrey. Daughter of Sleeping Beauty." She informed her before snatching another object off the wall to look at.
"Audrey..?" She tested the name before nodding. "Hm, I can live with that. Did I have a nickname at one point?"
Heidi chuckled. "Many, but you told me to drop most of them since they were a bit...much. At the moment I do not have a nickname for you." She said while running her finger over the object.
Audrey chuckled and said, "Well, Audrey it is, then. Nice to meet you, Heidi." She said happily.
Heidi responded with a smile as she teleported the object in her hands away. "Nice to meet you too." She said with a mock bow before standing up in amusement as she went onto the next object that had her interest.
Audrey looked at the woman in amusement before turning to observe more of the objects in the house. She glanced back at Heidi and inwardly sigh of relief. Then, she went back to her exploration.