This epilogue isn't exactly 5k+ words long. It just counted my note at the end too.
It had been a week since Elsa had left. She and Anna hadn't talked much since then either. Their last conversation took place when Elsa announced she was already in Corona and Anna telling her to rest after a long arduous journey. After that, Anna placed it upon herself to limit her conversation with the blonde because it would only lead to missing her more. Besides, Elsa had other things to worry about for the time being.
Anna, too, wanted to mull over some things.
Laying flat on the bed, Anna did her best to think about everything that happened this past year with a clearer head. Ariel, Rapunzel, Meg, Clara, and even Vanessa... Every single person that she had a meaningful conversation with kept appearing in her memories, repeating their words over and over again. They worded things differently, but there was something in common inside their message—to help herself.
Anna released an empty chuckle. How far had she gone down the drain? Was she truly blinded by fear to not see these people's genuine concern? Her small smile faded as tears pricked the side of her lids. She blinked them away and frowned, sucking in a lungful of air and forcing herself to sit up.
A lonely movie case on top of her desk captured her attention. Her fingers trembled and she pressed them closer on her bed, hoping to ease the rising tension. With a soft inhale, she stumbled all the way to her desk and reached for it. A small watery smile grew on her lips as her fingertips slid softly on the beat-up case.
Anna wiped her eyes, the memory from her first sleepover at the Daltons rushing to the forefront of her mind. "Getting smart with me," she grumbled. "You're not being fair." Her breath shook as she tried to calm down. After a minute passed, she opened the case and grabbed the disc inside.
She froze.
Under the disc for the film was another disc she didn't remember being there when they watched Mulan together. She carefully set the Mulan disc aside and stared dumbly at the new disc and the words written on it.
For Anna.
As soon as she read her name, her heart skipped a couple of beats. Alarm bells rang in her ears in an instant and her mind ran a million miles per second. The fingers that had once been calm were once again trembling as she forced herself to reach for the disc. With her throat dry, she placed it inside her computer and waited for it to load.
There was only one file inside.
Anna swallowed softly when she saw a girl that was undoubtedly Elsa in the thumbnail. Elsa... in front of a keyboard. Her ears began to buzz, unsure if she should open it. "She said it's for me," she murmured. With that said, she straightened her back. "...okay" She breathed.
"Uhm, okay, so it's on, right?" Elsa pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at the camera. She nodded and leaned back, tapping a key on the keyboard. "Okay, good. So..." She paused. "The moment this disc reaches you, I'm sure I'm not in Arendelle anymore."
Anna curled her fingers in tight fists and forced her eyes to remain on the screen. Elsa was toying with the tips of her hair with both hands, her eyes away from the camera.
"I do hope you watch this before I come back. But if not, that's okay too." She sighed. "That day, when your brother got married, I told you I was supposed to be the one to perform. It's true. I hated myself for not being able to do it, but now... now I think I'm glad."
Anna frowned.
"Those lyrics... I changed them again after the wedding," Elsa confessed, reaching for a piece of paper. "There are two versions of it now, I guess. One is the one that Sen sang, and the other is this." She raised the paper for emphasis. "The thing is... this one isn't really a love song." She set the paper down and smiled softly at the keyboard. "The one your brother heard at the studio more than a year ago? It was the first piece I ever created after everything. That's why I had a hard time trying to write romantic lyrics for it. I know how that sounds, considering how I still wrote it for his wedding. I think it turned out alright? So that's nice too. But... I think I like how this turned out better." A soft blush bloomed on her cheeks and nose. "I was thinking about you when I wrote it."
Anna hit pause, a noticeable heat rising on her face. Confusion and longing grew inside her chest, along with a subtle hint of frustration. Really, Elsa? After hearing such a heartfelt confession followed by that single sentence—exactly how was she supposed to take it? She licked her dry lips and inhaled deeply, deciding to shoulder on and clicking play again.
"I want you to be the first person to hear it," Elsa said, rubbing the back of her neck. "It's not the best, I'm sure. And I probably won't be able to play it in front of people anyway. Not now at least. But... I hope you like it."
Anna continued watching as Elsa inhaled loudly, a hand pressed against her chest. She then began to tap along the keys, enveloping the entire room with a relaxing, melodious hum. It was small, but due to Anna's background in music herself, she was able to notice the tiny differences between the two versions. She would have tried to differentiate them more, but then—
"Here I am again, staring at a blank wall
Trying to convince myself that everything's alright
How long am I going to sit in the dark and willingly avoid the light?"
Elsa's voice was soft, barely audible over the music her keyboard provided. There was a serious look on her face, an unbreakable concentration Anna had never seen before. Anna rubbed her arms as the tiny hairs stood. It was only the first verse, and yet, it gave her chills more than anything.
Like the first time she heard the instrumental.
"Times have changed, and still, I remained the same
Frozen solid as the world around me moved ahead
Take a step forward, I can hear a voice inside
A whisper, soft and clear"
Anna's shoulders stiffened, gaze focused solely on the blonde's face. The seriousness there was fading and was slowly being replaced by a more peaceful expression. Her lips were curled a bit upwards on both ends, and then she closed her eyes.
"Hear me, listen to me, I am here
Breathe in the calm and let go of the storm
Step out of the shadow and live under the light
It's time to be fully seen and heard, and stop being an outline
A silhouette of the girl you used to be"
Anna's breath shuddered as the words slowly sunk in. She could easily picture a young teenage girl, shoulders hunched while fiddling around with music software, slowly but surely on her way to creating her first musical piece after the incident. Elsa's voice—her words—flowed so smoothly like the original instrumental.
"I used to hide behind the things that are perfect
Never moving ahead and straying from the usual
Hiding among the shadows of the things I could never let go
But now I want to take that step, closer and closer as the future gets brighter"
The lyrics whispered to Anna like a mother's lullaby, comforting and encouraging. Hopeful. Her eyes slid shut, letting the music flow inside her. Every beat in her chest ached as if something was squeezing the blood out of it, and yet... the words were gentle. So much so that they felt like warm hugs.
"I am ready, I feel alive
So in control of the mind that often breaks
It's not enough, the then, now, and the unknown that is coming
But I am ready to take it on
So hear me and listen to me
Hear my voice 'cause I am letting go
I'm not an outline of who I used to be
That girl is still here, but she's not afraid anymore
She's stepping out of the shadow, reaching out to the light
It's time to be fully seen and heard
No, she's not a shadow, not running away anymore
She is here, and here I am"
A choked sob left Anna's lips as she continued to listen. She hadn't realized that tears were already flowing until the salty taste spread from her tongue. Still, she didn't wipe them away. Somehow, she didn't mind. For the first time in a few months, maybe even years, her heart felt infinitely lighter.
This was not just a song. No, there was more to it than that, she felt. These were Elsa's feelings. Her voice. How she truly felt about things. And strangely enough, they resonated with Anna more than any other song ever did. Elsa was doing her best to step outside the struggles of her daily life. To move forward and actually try. Where she found the strength to do so, Anna had to wonder. But even then, she couldn't help admiring the girl even more.
"I like you, Anna."
Anna's eyes flew open and her mind went blank. Everything around her fell silent. She simply stared dumbly at the fidgeting girl on her screen. The seconds stretched between them and for a moment, Anna thought there was an error on the file. She nearly jumped when Elsa inhaled sharply and coughed.
"More than just a friend." She grinned shyly. "It's... not quite love yet, but I do know that I can't imagine a future without you anymore in it. That's why... I'm going to take this time to sort out my own issues. I really did want to stay and spend your last summer vacation as a high school student with you, but right now, there are still some things I have to figure out about myself. Things that I need to know. It's not that I don't want you there with me. I just... have to learn how to face my problems on my own... before I learn how to face them with someone who isn't just a friend."
Another set of tears spilled forth, but this time, it was due to Anna not blinking for a long time. She could feel the tracks they were making on her cheeks. They were uncomfortable, but there were more pressing matters at hand. Her heart was jumping at irregular intervals and her pulse was thumping loudly inside her ears. She swallowed hard and held her breath, trying to get the beats in control.
"I want to be the best version of myself, Anna, so that I would be able to show you how much you mean to me without anything holding me back anymore." Elsa bit her lip and twiddled with her thumbs. "I know I'm being selfish by deciding this on my own, but I wish you will be patient with me again this time. For one last time. I promise I'll do my best. So... please don't worry. We'll see each other again. I promise."
The video ended, leaving Anna staring at her own reflection. The trails of tears on her face were sticky and hot, but the words Elsa left behind echoed in her head far more than the worry of such discomfort. They were foreign to her. She had never heard these words or anything similar to them from anyone before.
This realization made her fingers twitched.
You're so unfair.
Anna whimpered, crossing her arms on top of her desk and pressing her forehead against it. She shut her eyes tightly until she saw little flashing lights. Her heart was about to burst not because it was painful, but because of Elsa's simple act of leaving this message behind despite her insistence—lie—that she would be okay.
How can I not cry when you're being you?
She wiped away her tears and blew her nose on a tissue, throwing the sodden item on the trash bin beside her desk. With a sharp inhale, she squeezed her cheeks to get her head straight. After watching that and hearing everything Elsa had to say, how could Anna simply stand by and do nothing?
Knees buckling among themselves, she stumbled her way to the door and went down to the kitchen where her sister and mother were busy baking some cookies for the afternoon. The first to notice her appearance was Meg.
"Now this is a surprise." The older redhead smirked. "I thought you were glued to your bed this entire time."
Idunn glanced at her from placing chocolate bits on top of the dough. "Here to lend a hand?"
Anna pursed her lips, ignoring the light laugh her sister emitted at their mother's question. She looked around the table, studying the ingredients placed on top, and walked over to it. Silently, she grabbed a small piece of dough and poked it lightly as a way to busy her hands.
"Hey, no playing with food," Meg chided.
"Meg?"
The older woman frowned. "What?"
Anna's breath shuddered as she placed the dough back on the tray. "If I... If I go to a counselor..." She licked her lips and lifted her gaze, curling her fingers as her sister and mother stopped what they were doing to focus on her. "Do you think I'll really be able to get over it?"
Meg and Idunn shared a glance before Meg wiped her hands on a nearby towel. "That would depend on you, little red. Are you willing to express your feelings in front of a stranger?"
"It... sounds uncomfortable."
"That's understandable," their mother agreed, washing her hands on the faucet. "You can try going once and see how you feel about it. If you think you can manage, you can continue, but if not, we can look for other ways to help."
"You won't mind?"
"Hm? Why would I?"
"Nothing. I mean... a counselor..."
"Did you think I wouldn't allow it?"
Anna swallowed past the forming lump in her throat and glanced at her sister. Meg raised an eyebrow and grinned knowingly, making the younger redhead's shoulders relax. "Sorry," she said. "So it's okay?"
"I told you, didn't I?" Meg crossed her arms. "I wouldn't think any less of you if you decide to see one. I'm fairly certain everyone here agrees with me."
"Of course," their mother confirmed. "You can ask Hans too if you need more confirmation. He should be visiting with Belle tomorrow."
A weight was lifted off Anna's shoulders as she heard their assurances. Meg and their mother exchanged a few more words, discussing whether they should ask Clara for some information or get in contact with their family's old counselor. Anna let them break down the options while staring blankly at the cookies resting on top of different trays. A tiny smile tugged at her lips as she realized how supportive her family was of this.
How blinded was I?
"I'll do my best, too," Anna whispered. She lifted her gaze and tensed up when she noticed Meg and their mother staring at her curiously. She cleared her throat and shook her head. "Nothing. I... Let me know if you decide on something?"
Meg hummed. "Sure."
With a nod, Anna excused herself and left for her room. Every step she took felt lighter than the last and she found herself smiling without much effort. She flopped herself down in front of her computer and opened the same video from earlier, listening to the song once again.
I'll do my best, too, Elsa.
Elsa jolted, snapping her head to the front door. Alice's squeals echoed around the house, followed by Charlotte's chiding and little warning threats. They had been preparing for the little girl's recital that would happen in a little over an hour when suddenly, a shiver ran down Elsa's spine.
"Is something wrong?" her mother asked.
Elsa blinked, and then she shook her head. "Nothing. I... thought I heard something."
"Last song syndrome?" Her father chuckled. "You have been listening to Alice practice every day."
"And I'm grateful for it," Kristoff said, carrying the excited little girl back to the living room. "I would've loved to listen to her all the time, but work calls. It's a real blessing you are here for this summer."
"I will make Papa and Mama proud! I made a promise with Elsie!" Alice grinned, one tooth missing. It had been a disaster when her tooth fell two days from Elsa's arrival, but after eating ice cream and listening to a short song from Kristoff, the little girl seemed to have forgotten about it.
"That's my girl." Kristoff kissed his daughter's forehead.
Gerda stepped down from the staircase, locking a bracelet in place. "Is everyone ready? We should head there soon."
Elsa jumped when she felt a touch behind her neck. When she looked, her mother was there, fixing her hair. "It feels nostalgic, seeing Alice off to perform in front of a crowd. It makes me wish I was there to see yours back then."
"Mom..."
Queenie shook her head. "Will you be okay?"
Elsa's breath shuddered, hand reaching for the musical note pendant wrapped around her wrist. Memories of her first and last performance invaded her thoughts, even more so now that they would be going to the same venue to watch Alice's own. Her fingers curled around the pendant.
"I will be."
Her parents looked at her, silently gauging her reaction. Elsa breathed in and out and faced them fully, pulling off a determined nod. Words didn't need to be exchanged between them. Everyone knew what going there could do to each of them, but they were willing to push through. Together.
"I'll get the car ready," her father said.
"Oh, I'll go with you," Kristoff announced, giving his daughter another peck on the cheek.
Charlotte rushed back to their room after finding out she forgot Alice's ribbon, leaving Alice with Gerda, Elsa, and Queenie. The child was hugging the case of her violin, humming softly while waiting for her mother to be back. It was her first recital and Elsa was glad to see that she was more excited than nervous about it. As she kept listening to Alice's hum, a memory flashed inside her head. It was of Cindy helping her get dressed for her first recital back then.
She shook her head.
"I'll go on ahead." Elsa grabbed her phone by the table. "I'll see you there."
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" her mother insisted, looking at her worryingly.
"It's not that far and the weather feels great." Elsa glanced at Alice. "I'll be there before your turn is up, okay? I'll be cheering you on."
Alice pouted. "Promise?"
"Promise."
"Just be careful and keep track of the time," Gerda reminded.
"I will." Elsa flinched when she heard some items crashing from the second floor. She stared at the ceiling and raised an eyebrow. "What is she doing exactly?"
"Charlotte, what's going on?" Gerda yelled. "Alice, go upstairs and see what your mother is up to."
Alice placed the violin case on top of the sofa and ran towards the stairs, not stopping despite hearing Charlotte answer, "I'm okay! Some things just fell from the cabinet! Be down in a sec!"
Gerda rubbed the side of her forehead and sighed. "Go on, Elsa. We'll see you there."
Elsa nodded, facing her mother who simply gave her an encouraging smile. She excused herself and went out of the house, stretching her arms and breathing in her hometown's fresh air. Summer had always been the best season to stay in Corona. It was peaceful, birds chirped day and night, and the sun was not a scorching as one would expect. It was also Cindy's favorite weather.
"I'm going back there, sis," she spoke softly to the mild summer breeze.
The same event, the same venue. To think it would also be the place Alice would have her first recital. Elsa could not say she was wholly surprised. It was the only place where medium-sized events could be held in this city. It simply caught her off guard to face such a predicament so early in her vacation. She needed this walking time to mentally prepare herself.
I wonder if she watched it already.
Elsa blushed and covered her face, a strangled whimper escaping her mouth. No use getting worked up about it now. You already said it. She lowered her hand and glared at the wall across her aunt's gate, ignoring the squeak of a girl around her age. After getting her bearings together, she went on her way.
The venue was about a thirty-minute walk from her aunt's house. Not too far, but not too close either. It was the perfect distance to give Elsa enough time and regain her composure. Uncertainty nagged at the back of her head, but knowing that she was not fighting this battle alone anymore and that she had her parents' backs this time, she plowed through. They promised to make it work, and they would.
As she went on her way, Elsa pondered about the situation. What was it that she was looking for? Why did she have a feeling she would see it here? Elsa lifted her gaze up to the sky, following a flight of birds overhead. She had a feeling she was this close to finding it out. Whatever it was.
"I can't disappoint her either."
A tiny smile curled on her lips. Memories of the redhead's laughter filled her head, echoing in her ears like a chime in a breezy summer's air. Elsa relished those happy moments, drawing courage from them. Before she had met Anna, she couldn't even open herself to the possibility of a bright future where her parents and she got along. But after everything that happened the last few months, ever since Anna came into their lives, Elsa felt that she can finally face everything she was once afraid to tackle.
Just a little bit more.
Elsa sighed, stopping on her tracks as she made out the gates to the venue by the distance. Her throat constricted and her head fell, eyes studying the curve of her shoes. There was no turning back. No matter how badly this place reminded her of that fateful day, it wouldn't change the fact that Alice would be performing there in a few minutes. She had to go.
With a hard swallow, she urged herself to move. One, two, three small steps. The wind blew past, her hair flowing smoothly on its gentle caress. Somehow, the tension on her shoulders loosened. Another step, and then everything else followed. She made her way through the pavement, excusing herself to some walking pedestrians, and focused her gaze on the small arena. The closer she got, the quicker her heartbeat escalated. Her steps went faster due to adrenaline; she was almost running.
Don't turn back.
Elsa gritted her teeth, her knuckles white from being clenched hard. She kept walking, running, until something crossed her vision, causing her legs to stop. Her mouth parted slowly, eyes widening a little as it took in the scene.
On the ground beside a huge oak tree laid four bouquets.
Her limbs shook, hand reaching to an elbow to rub unconsciously. Pursing her lips, she forced her right foot forward and to the direction of the flowers.
Thud.
Another step.
Thud.
And then another, and another, and another, until she stood in front of the bouquets. Until she stood... in the very place where Cindy took her last breath. There were different sets of flowers on each bouquet, as though they were simply combined together due to their bright colors—red, blue, yellow, pink. Elsa bit her tongue, the words stuck somewhere at the back of her throat.
"Elsa?"
She flinched. Her back and shoulders tensed as she heard the coarse voice. The pitch was definitely lower, but she would recognize that unmistakable intonation of her name anytime. She had heard it way too many times to forget about it.
...
"HAH!" said one of the boys who kicked on Cindy's notes. "You always read and read and read and read and read! You're so boring and a complete nerd!" He laughed.
"You love these so much, right? Come and get it then!" One little girl said and threw the book to the nearby fountain and the other kids let out a long 'oooooo'.
"HEY! LEAVE HER ALONE!" Elsa bolted to the other kids and threw herself at them.
"Elsa!" Cindy cried, grabbing on her shoulders and trying to pry her away from the kids.
"STOP!" Punch. "HURTING!" Punch. "MY SISTER!" She tugged on a little girl's hair who started screaming and crying in agony.
"Elsa, stop!" Cindy wrapped her arms around Elsa's waist. "Please stop it." She sobbed.
Panting, Elsa looked at her swollen knuckles. She clicked her tongue, deciding to get Cindy far away from these children as soon as possible. Before they could move a single step, the girl she had been beating up tackled her, sending Elsa and Cindy to the ground. The other children joined in, jumping on them and pulling on their hairs.
"HEY!" They all stiffened and snapped their heads to the side to see Marshall running in their direction, pulling the other children forcefully away from them. "LEAVE MY SISTERS ALONE!"
...
The straightness of her bangs and tightly braided hair resting on her back, the distinct slang on her tongue as she spoke, and the sharpness of her brown eyes. Even the two guys and the other girl with her. Elsa took in every detail of them, her mouth shutting close. There was no way she would forget how they looked like. Not after all the nightmares she and her sister had to endure.
"It's... It's you, isn't it?" the girl asked.
Elsa frowned, carefully watching the four teenagers around her age as they fidgeted under her watchful gaze. Only that same girl could look her in the eyes while the other three shied away, dropping their gazes to the floor or to the sky. Various expressions showed on their faces. Surprise, fear, and guilt. Elsa swallowed back the rising anger, focusing on the present instead. Her eyes went back to the bouquet of flowers resting on the floor, and then back to the group of friends.
"Yes... I am."
AUTHOR'S NOTE
If I told you this whole thing is a prologue to a much bigger fic, would you believe me?
Just kidding!
Or... am I?
I never expected this story to grow as much as it has. For that, I would like to say "thank you" to all my beta readers, readers, and followers for supporting this. For those who have stayed no matter how many months passed by with no updates, you have no idea how much that means to me. I've hit way too many walls as I wrote this fanfic and you've met me with nothing but patience. Thankfully, I was able to reach a conclusion that I, as the writer, am satisfied with.
I hope you don't think of this ending as a troll or a complete waste of time. It's just that for me, this seems like the most logical place to end it and my beta agreed with me too. Of course I am not dense enough to not know that some of you might not agree with us. I have been warned that it won't satisfy those who want a 'fluffy' ending, but the thing is if you've reached this point of the story, you would know that it isn't really that fluffy anyway. Yes, there may be other ways on how this could go and maybe I can even extend it for another fifty or hundred thousand words, but for now, this is the path that I chose because it felt the most right when taking both this story's Elsa's and Anna's situations into consideration.
As I've mentioned before, this fanfic means a lot to me (despite all the headache it caused) because it resonates with me on a deep level. You can scratch the whole 'maybe Reithel got tired and just wanted to finish it' from the reasons why I chose to end it like this. I love this fic too much to do that. I did worry about how you would react to this conclusion and I've agonized over that for a very long time, but in the end, this is still my story and the person I want to be satisfied with it the most is myself. If I managed to make you feel even half as satisfied as I am, I'm glad. If I didn't, I hope you at least enjoyed the ride. Honestly, this turned out to be more like a coming-of-age fic (as was pointed out by my beta, averiarose) and the surprising thing is I'm actually fine with that.
For now—and I would like to emphasize this point—I don't have any intention of writing a full-blown sequel. Again, emphasis on 'for now'. I'm not entirely shutting out the idea of writing it. After all, I've fallen in love with all the characters here and I want to give more life to them. But at this moment, this is where their story ends. A sequel is going to be difficult to write and, not to mention, time-consuming. Unfortunately, time is not a luxury that I have nowadays due to being occupied with work and other things. As long as I can't find the time (and inspiration), there won't be any promises of a sequel. I do have a list of other stories I want to write after all and I don't know which of them I'm going to get inspired to work on next.
Overall, I had fun writing this and sharing it with you! If you have anything you want to tell me even if it's just to complain about how this turned out, feel free to message me any time. My inbox is always open. To the amazing guests that had been leaving reviews for the last few chapters, I really want to reply to you, but since you don't have an account, please consider this entire note as my reply instead. I don't know when I'll be writing another multi-chaptered fic, but I hope that once I do, I will be able to see you all again.
Take care out there everyone! And once again, thank you!