Talking Away
"Mmm," Elsa groaned as she rolled off of Anna, panting heavily. "That was..."
"Awesome," Anna wiped some of the sweat off her forehead.
Elsa giggled as she raised her legs in the air to wiggle out of the strap-on harness. "I'll admit, I was a bit hesitant when you brought this home, but it really is something else," she set it aside and leaned over, wrapping Anna into a cuddle.
The toy they had been using possessed a smartlink feature that allowed Anna and Elsa to connect their neural interfaces together. This meant they could both experience the same sensations that the other was feeling, allowing them to reach greater heights of pleasure. When their brains and bodies flooded with happy, feel-good chemicals brought on by their bedroom escapades, they both felt it twofold.
"Credits well spent," Anna smiled and snuggled closer to Elsa. "Smartlinked dildos, heh. I love the future."
"Toys are nice and all, but it still doesn't beat mouths, tongues, hands, and fingers," Elsa fondled Anna's breasts, waist, and thighs.
Anna scoffed but shivered from the contact all the same. "It's 2101, nobody is fucking like pilgrims anymore," she rolled over to face Elsa. "But you do have a point. Nothing beats organic, home-grown, good old-fashioned finger-blasting and tongue-punching the way nature intended."
"Do you have to make it sound so crude?"
"If it's all civilized, you're not doing it right."
They came together for a long kiss, holding each other's faces as they did. After a while, they simply lay in bed, staring into each other's eyes. When their sweat-stained bodies and sex-addled brains cooled down, they cleaned off their toys and put them away.
"Ooh, I'm all sticky and sweaty now," Anna yawned as she raised her arms over her head, stretching out her body. "Elsa, I'm gonna hop in the shower. You coming?"
"Of course," Elsa emerged from the closet with two towels, passing by Anna as she went towards the washroom. "Ready for round two, the old-fashioned way?"
Anna bounced after her, giggling all the while.
… … …
The next day, the pair were out and about in the city, driving towards Elysium Park to unwind. They had taken Elsa's car. Since it was the weekend and neither of them was working, Anna was dressed casually in a pair of denim shorts and a colorful crop top. Her usual weapons were carried in a fashionable harness she wore over her chest.
As for Elsa, she was dressed in black overalls with one strap hanging loose off her body, along with a white t-shirt. The usual sidearm she carried was kept concealed in her handbag while her katana was stashed in the backseat of her car.
"I've never seen a tiger before," Anna said as she flipped through the zoo pamphlet on her omni-pad. "Well, I don't think anyone on Earth has seen a tiger in a hundred years. How in the hell did they manage to clone one, let alone bring its striped ass all the way to Arcadia?"
"Maybe they were able to recover a DNA sample and rebuild them from there," Elsa suggested as she turned off the road and into the park. "Wouldn't be the first time something like that has happened."
Anna glanced over to Elsa, fixing her with a shrewd look. Elsa was of course alluding to her own creation, but Anna never liked to think of her in that way anymore. Then again, it was just like Elsa to make odd passes at humor like that.
"Anyway, we're here," Elsa pulled into a parking spot. "Ready to see the tigers?" she looked over to Anna and smiled with a cheerful glint in her eyes.
"Hell yeah," Anna opened her door and stepped out of the car. "I want to see what all the fuss is about. Big striped housecats, what's the big deal?"
Elsa closed her door and shouldered her handbag. "Big striped housecats that were brought back from extinction," she said. "That's a pretty big deal, I'd say, especially since no pets of any kind are allowed to be owned in Arcadia."
"Well, not unless you're really stupid stinking rich."
"And these aren't just any tigers, these are Siberian tigers. They're essentially Russian royalty."
"Let's thank good old Uncle Ivan for resurrecting them then," Anna offered her hand to Elsa as they started walking. "Shall we go, comrade?" she asked in a thick Russian accent.
"We shall," Elsa replied, accepting Anna's hand.
Together, they walked from the parking lot over to the zoo, passing by fields of green grass that were lined with trees. The Martian day was bright and sunny, and since living beneath the biodome could sometimes feel like living beneath a sweltering greenhouse, conditions were quite warm. Thankfully, the life support systems of Arcadia had been engineered to near perfection over a century of technological advancement since the colony was first established in 1995, allowing for integrated climate control and air conditioning to make for a pleasant living experience.
They followed along the footpaths through a series of meadows filled with flower beds and hedgerows, interspersed with marble statues. Here and there, small ponds filled with koi fish sat near Japanese Zen gardens. Elysium park lived up to its name and in all ways was idyllic, peaceful, and clean. The rest of the city itself was defined by an amalgamation of eastern European and southeastern Asian cultures, which was reflected in the ethnically diverse population.
All around them, people were walking around, enjoying the day. Families had picnics in the fields, while couples sat on benches beneath the shade. Children laughed and played, and as Anna studied the people around her, she couldn't help but feel an odd sense of detachment from it all. In her entire life, she never once heard children laugh like that when she lived on Earth.
That was the most haunting and disconcerting thing to her. That there were still places where people could simply live and not just survive.
These people have never known what it's like to be hungry, Anna thought. They don't know violence, fear, desperation. Not like I did. Not like everyone back on Earth does. These people have never fought for anything in their lives.
Elsa sensed Anna's unease when she looked over and saw the slight furrow in her brows. "Hey," she squeezed Anna's hand gently, calling her back to reality. "Penny for your thoughts?"
"It's just strange, you know?" Anna replied, not looking at Elsa. "You can see these people carrying weapons, like everyone else in this city, but have they ever used them?" she looked at Elsa. "I feel naked if I leave home without my gun and sword. Defenseless. To them, owning weapons, getting cyberware, it's just a fashion statement. In Arcadia, looks are everything, but what's the point?"
"Hmm," Elsa considered that for a moment. "The threat of violence is often an effective deterrent for actual violence. I don't agree with it, but Arcadia is certainly safer because of that."
"That's not how it is back in New York. Or LA for that matter."
"We came here to escape all that. There's no fight here, Anna. It's okay to let your guard down. Remember when we first moved here, we promised each other we were done with our old lives?"
Anna turned away from Elsa to hide her frown, for that comment struck a little too close to home for her liking. "Yeah, you're right," she smiled at Elsa once she masked her expression. "Still good to be prepared though. Can never be too safe."
Elsa looked at Anna, her gaze piercing but also understanding, though she smiled just as quickly. "Come on," she tugged on her hand and started leading her forward. "The zoo is just up ahead."
Pushing down the rest of the malaise she was feeling, Anna skipped ahead and pulled on Elsa's hand to take the lead instead. Once they came upon the entrance to the zoo, they waited in line for a bit, which steadily moved forward. At the kiosk, they were greeted by a service robot and after paying for their admission tickets, they entered the zoo.
Inside, they stood within a large circular plaza with pathways that stretched off in several directions towards different pavilions. It wasn't even noon yet, and already, the zoo was packed with people.
"Okay, let's find our bearings here," Elsa approached a tourist information terminal and synced her omni-pad to it, which updated her map. "Looks like the tiger exhibit is a part of the Eurasia pavilion. That way," she pointed down one of the pathways that branched off from the plaza. "Do we want to head there first, or take a look at the other pavilions?"
Anna scanned the crowds ahead and saw long queues already forming for the tiger exhibit. "Better hit up the tigers first," she started leading Elsa along by the hand. "Line-ups are already forming."
Elsa happily followed along and as they made their way towards the queue, they passed by some smaller enclosures that held various exotic animals. They were all extinct on Earth, only able to survive in captivity in Arcadia. Once they joined the queue, they found that dozens of other civilians were already gathered ahead of them.
The line moved forward at a slow but steady pace, and after half an hour of waiting, Anna and Elsa were finally admitted into the tiger exhibit along with a small group of other civilians. Inside, there was a semi-circle of benches arranged on raised tiers that provided easy viewing through the large window into the tiger enclosure. Although, at the moment, it was opaque.
Anna and Elsa quickly found a seat near the front, then settled in while other people found their places around them. There was quiet and excited chatter going on, but when a zookeeper emerged from a side entrance, everyone fell into a polite hush. The zookeeper greeted everyone in Russian, so the language interpreter of Anna's and Elsa's neural interfaces activated and began translating her speech in real-time.
For those who lacked language interpreter implants or were hard of hearing, a holo-display appeared over the viewing window which provided Russian, Mandarin, and English speech-to-text conversion.
"Hello, hello, everyone!" the zookeeper smiled affably as she walked back and forth. "Good afternoon, it is great to see you all here. I know you all must be very excited to see Rajah, our Siberian tiger, but before we reveal him, I must ask that you all disable any flash photography from your omni-pads, ocular implants, or any other type of devices."
Anna leaned over to Elsa to whisper in her ear. "Tiger or tigers? Did she mean tiger, as in singular?"
"Singular," Elsa shrugged. "I guess they only have the one."
"With that being said, we encourage you to take as many pictures and videos as you like," the zookeeper continued. "Please be aware that we do have a strict zero-tolerance policy when it comes to any attempts to tamper, interfere, or otherwise sabotage the network infrastructure or physical property of the Elysium park zoo. Remember, you are under surveillance by a team of full-time netrunners while you are here, so be wary of your actions. Violation of our rules is grounds for immediate expulsion from the park as well as potential lawsuits filed on the behalf of the Lazarus Biomechanica corporation."
A few people chuckled in good nature while others simply shrugged dismissively. This type of legal exposition was quite common and megacorporations always liked to make it clear, in no uncertain terms, that they were not to be trifled with.
"Thank you for your attention," the zookeeper finished her lecture and stood off to the side as she snapped her fingers, making the opaque glass turn transparent. "Now, let's give a big, warm welcome to Rajah!"
The full space of the enclosure was finally revealed, showing a large, circular space filled with plenty of trees and shrubs for concealment, some raised pathways through the treetops, a small river and pond, a tire swing, and tall grass all blanketed beneath a layer of artificial snow. Nearby the edge of the river was a large furry mass, sitting eerily still.
Rajah's fur was bright orange with black stripes and a dash of white across his underbelly. Currently, he was lying on his side, facing away from the people. The largeness of the enclosure, combined with the fact that he was the only one to reside in it, made for a terribly lonely existence. He remained still for so long that some people were beginning to whisper among themselves.
"Is he asleep?"
"Mommy, why isn't he moving?"
"No, no, I think he's dead."
The zookeeper laughed in good nature. "Oh, Rajah must be still tired from his last showing," she brought up her omni-pad and turned on a few sprinklers. "This should wake him up!"
Rajah growled miserably as he flipped over to his other side, shielding his face from the sprinklers. When the zookeeper kept them on and increased their intensity, he finally rolled over and rested on his haunches, observing the people through the glass. His fangs were bared and his hackles were raised, clearly unamused by the antics of the zookeeper and the people now regarding him.
"God, he looks miserable," Anna whispered.
Elsa's expression softened in sympathy. "He's all alone too. Poor thing."
The zookeeper focused a sprinkler right into Rajah's face, finally forcing him to get up and move. The people seemed to enjoy that as they pointed and laughed. As he lumbered about, he stalked the edge of the river, across from which was the viewing window.
"There's a good kitty!" the zookeeper laughed and turned off the sprinklers. "Sometimes he just needs a little motivation to get going. Who wants to see him take down a deer?"
A group of children was evidently thrilled at that prospect as they eagerly cheered. Meanwhile, the adults clapped and shouted their encouragement.
"Okay, okay, eager bunch today," the zookeeper pressed a finger to her lips and shushed the crowd. "Quiet now, Rajah needs silence to focus," she snapped her fingers and at the other end of the enclosure, a hologram of a deer appeared.
The deer delicately stepped towards the water's edge to take a drink. Upon closer inspection, Anna could see that it was moving along a track with a holographic projector. Once the deer reached the water, a small compartment opened up beneath it, revealing a plate of synth-meat.
At the other end, Rajah crept low and slow through the underbrush towards his prey. He moved silently and stealthily, his coat of fur affording some natural camouflage in the tall grasses. Once he closed the distance, he let loose a ferocious roar and pounced on the deer – that was to say, he pounced on the plate of meat – and tore into it. All the while, people were snapping photos or recording videos for their amusement.
The hologram of the deer gave a strangled cry of pain and simulated its own death throes as it keeled over and vanished. Rajah devoured the plate of synth-meat, then when he was finished, he licked his chops and lumbered away to bat his paws at the tire swing.
"What a keen hunter!" the zookeeper clapped. "On Earth, Siberian tigers like him would have to eat up to nine kilograms of food a day just to survive in the harsh, cold, wintry taigas of Old Russia. They would hunt all sorts of game animals like deer, rabbits, boar, and could even dive underwater for fish."
A little boy raised his hand.
"Oh, looks like we have a question," the zookeeper smiled as she approached him. "Go ahead."
"What happened to the rest of them?" the little boy asked.
"Well, a long time ago, back on Earth, the taiga got really, really warm because of something called global warming with another little something called thermonuclear war," the zookeeper replied. "Things got too hot for our striped friends in their natural habitat, so they each died off one by one until there were no more."
Nobody seemed particularly phased about the bluntness of her response. Elsewhere in the crowd, a man raised his hand.
"Yes, sir," the zookeeper pointed towards him. "You in the blue shirt, you have a question?"
"Why aren't there any more tigers?" the man asked. "They couldn't make a girl tiger as well?"
"A very good question," the zookeeper said. "One that I'm afraid I can't provide you the answer with since the details of the cloning program are classified. I can tell you that in captivity, a Siberian tiger has an average lifespan of up to twenty years. With the help of cutting-edge medical technology, we can prolong his life even further, so Rajah will be with us for quite a while."
Anna just about to mutter something under her breath, when next to her, Elsa suddenly raised her hand.
"Ah, the woman with the white hair," the zookeeper pointed to Elsa. "What's your question?"
"How exactly were they able to bring the Siberian tiger back from extinction?" Elsa asked. "Did they obtain a DNA sample somehow? Reverse engineer the tiger from the genetic blueprint?"
The zookeeper chuckled easily, then made a dismissive gesture with her hands. "Again, great question, but one that I'm not allowed to answer," she gestured towards the enclosure. "If you're worried about his lifespan, don't be. When Rajah dies of natural causes, we'll just make him again right from scratch. That way, we can enjoy his company for generations to come. Lazarus Biomechanica's work here is truly remarkable, not just for the revival of an extinct species, but all the other animals here at the zoo as well."
Anna looked over to Elsa and noticed the strained and pensive expression on her face. A moment later, they made eye contact and an unspoken understanding passed between them. The details of Rajah's creation were all too similar to Elsa's own, with the repeated cycles of life and death. Being rebuilt from the ground up struck a nerve with both Anna and Elsa. Further still, to repeatedly endure that existence without the true, final release of death was all too horrifying.
As the zookeeper fielded additional questions, a gaggle of children approached the viewing window, pressing their faces against it to try and get a closer look at Rajah. At some point, he had disappeared into the underbrush and busy as the zookeeper currently was, he was mercifully left alone, much to the chagrin of the audience.
"Where'd he run off to, I can't see him anymore."
"Dad, I want to see the tiger!"
"Maybe he fell asleep again?"
Anna and Elsa both scanned the enclosure, searching for any sign of Rajah. When a stand of tall grass was slightly agitated, the movement caught their eyes. After another second, Rajah roared in fury as he charged at a small girl standing in front of the glass. His impact shook the entire thing and caused the entire crowd to gasp and recoil.
Rajah roared and swiped his claws against the glass, desperate to break free from his confinement. As he got ready to pounce again, he howled in anguish when he was overcome by an electric shock. A glowing chip in his neck was sending painful jolts of electricity coursing through his body, eventually rendering him unconscious.
"Ooh, sorry about that, folks," the zookeeper said. "He can get a little too excited and when that happens, we just gently put him down for a little nap. Unfortunately, that brings us to the end of your session today, so please proceed towards the exit. Remember, there are no refunds. Thank you, and have a wonderful day!"
As people began to file out, Anna and Elsa remained seated, staring at the pitiful sight of the unconscious tiger before them.
"Jeez, maybe he was better off extinct," Anna looked over to Elsa and saw that she had become stiff as a board. "Elsa, you okay?"
Elsa didn't respond and instead, her eyes darted around rapidly as if searching for some unseen threat. Her breathing was quick and shallow, her skin had turned a shade paler, and she was anxiously rubbing the left side of her neck where her inhibitor chip once was.
"Woah," Anna reached out to grab her hand. "Come on, let's get you some air."
As soon as she made contact, Elsa jumped and gasped in shock, staring back at Anna with wild and unfocused eyes. Anna herself felt her entire body seize up in apprehension when she recognized the signs of a panic attack. She had never seen Elsa like this before and it broke her heart.
"Easy, it's just me," Anna knelt in front of Elsa, making sure to keep her voice calm and even. "Elsa, give me your eyes now. Look at me, listen to my voice."
Elsa snapped her gaze to Anna, though she was now trembling all over, unable to speak.
"I'm gonna take you away from here," Anna rose to her full height and gestured towards the exit. "You don't have to say anything, but can I take your hand? Is that alright with you?"
Elsa bit her lip and nodded.
"Good, here we go, steady does it," Anna gently grabbed Elsa's hand and assisted her to her feet, leading her back outside.
There, they found themselves back in a main thoroughfare of the zoo. The large crowds that were gathered around and the sheer volume of people caused Elsa to flinch and hesitate.
"Keep your eyes on me," Anna said. "Just focus on me and hang on to my hand."
Once they made it to a shady seating area that was mostly empty, Anna sat Elsa down and settled in next to her. Elsa still remained unresponsive, her breathing was still erratic, and her eyes were now glazed and unfocused as if she was miles elsewhere.
Anna had a good inkling as to where Elsa's mind had taken her when they saw the tiger being shocked into unconsciousness, so she would have to gently pull her down to reality. "Okay, Elsa," she said. "Remember, focus on me. Just take a deep breath now."
Elsa's eyes were still regarding multiple things in the distance, so Anna came in front of her. That seemed to help when she blocked out most visual stimulus for Elsa, who focused her gaze back onto Anna again.
"Breath with me, I'm right here with you. We'll ride this thing out together," Anna gestured with her hands as she inhaled through her nose. "In, hold it, then out. Just like this," she exhaled through her mouth.
Elsa did the same and for the next few minutes, she and Anna repeatedly took deep breaths in and out as a calming exercise. Once Elsa's breathing was back under control, her gaze sharpened back into focus, though she was still trembling and rubbing her neck.
"Good, you're doing good," Anna smiled in encouragement. "Now, try and tell me what you're feeling. Are you hurt?"
Elsa clutched her chest and finally spoke. "I- I- I think I'm having a panic attack," she swallowed a lump in her throat. "I've never had one before, what- what do I- what do I do?"
"Just keep breathing and focus on me."
"Mmhmm."
"I'm right here with you. I'm not going anywhere."
"Okay."
"Things don't feel so great right now, but we'll feel it together. You're not alone."
"I- I don't... I don't want to be alone again. I don't want to forget, she- she made me forget. She put me in the machine to make me forget and it hurt, it hurt, and I'm scared of forgetting again. Forgetting who I am, forgetting who you are."
Wherever Rosenthal is, I hope she's fucking burning, Anna thought. I hope she's in pain and I hope it hurts worse than everything she ever did to Elsa.
Elsa covered her head in her hands and started rocking back and forth. "It hurt, it hurt," she muttered over and over, her voice beginning to break as she neared the edge of hysteria. "I don't want to forget, I don't want to forget," she looked up to Anna and clamped her hand over her mouth, her eyes beginning to water.
"What's your name?" Anna asked, trying to jog Elsa's memory as a meditative and calming exercise.
Elsa raised her knees and hugged them while still rocking back and forth. "I used to be Nora, but now I'm Elsa."
"That's good," Anna replied. "You didn't forget then. What's my name?"
"Anna. Sister. You're Anna and you're my sister. Technically."
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-seven."
"Do you want to go home?"
"Yes, please."
"Okay, let's go," Anna offered her hand.
Elsa grabbed on to it and together, they made their way out of the zoo back to the parking lot towards their car. Anna took over driving and soon, they were heading home.
All the while, Elsa was mute as a stone.
… … …
As soon as they made it through the door to their apartment, Anna led Elsa over to the bedroom. There, they climbed into bed, settled in, and Anna wrapped her arms around Elsa, holding tight. It was then, back in the safety of their bedroom, that Elsa finally let go.
"I'm sorry," Elsa wept and buried her face into Anna's chest as she shook like a leaf, head to toe. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
"Shh, it's okay," Anna embraced Elsa even harder and kissed on the top of the head several times. "Don't apologize."
Although there were able to escape New York, Elsa couldn't escape the memories she had of being repeatedly tortured during her incarceration at VanirCorp. Matilda Rosenthal had subjected her to sessions in the FMR machine which delivered painful electric shocks to make her forget about the memories of her donor, Nora.
Of all the things that Anna wished Elsa could forget, the torture she endured remained a part of who she was, and could not be so easily removed from her mind.
Elsa's memories, some of which were Nora's before her resurrection, and some of which were her own after the fact, were as much a gift as they were a curse sometimes. She had spent much of her life locked in an overbearingly sterile, cold room while being poked, prodded, and studied. Now, she was fully immersed in a space that was warm, soft, gentle, and delicate.
"When I saw what they were doing to that tiger, it just- I was just- it reminded me... reminded me of her," Elsa whimpered as she clung to Anna.
Anna cursed Matilda Rosenthal for the thousandth time and wished that she was suffering endlessly for what she did.
They stayed like that for a long time, holding each other in the safety and comfort of their home that was millions of kilometers away from all the trauma Elsa had endured. Still, it stuck with her like a persistent tumor. She would never fully heal or forget it, and the best thing she could have hoped for was to find a way to live with it. Luckily, Anna was always there for her.
"Sweetheart, look at me," Anna pulled away just enough so she and Elsa could look each other in the eyes. "It's all over, okay? That old witch is dead and gone and she can never hurt you anymore. Say it."
"She can't hurt me anymore," Elsa said, her voice initially shaky but became firm as she continued on. "She can never hurt me anymore."
"Because you have me."
"Because I have you."
"And we'll always stick together. Forever."
A little bit of light returned to Elsa's eyes as she smiled. "Forever and ever."
"Good," Anna kissed her on the lips, then on her cheek, then on her forehead. "I know something that will cheer you up."
Elsa wiped her eyes dry and sniffed. "You do?"
"Uh-huh. I need to get it from the kitchen, but I'll be right back. Is that alright?"
"Okay."
With another kiss on her forehead, Anna quickly climbed out of bed, crossed over to the kitchen, opened the pantry, and reached all the way to the back to open a secret panel. Behind it was a single chocolate bar, which had become a rarefied treat given how difficult and costly it was to produce. Anna retrieved it, then promptly returned to Elsa, presenting her with the decadent indulgence.
"Is that what I think it is?" Elsa asked, visibly brightening.
"Sure is," Anna unwrapped the chocolate and held it out. "From our emergency stash for situations like this. I knew it would come in handy."
Elsa accepted the chocolate bar and scooted over in bed, giving Anna space to climb in. Once they were settled back in each other's embrace, Elsa took a small bite of the chocolate, humming in satisfaction.
"Better?" Anna asked.
"Much better," Elsa held Anna's right hand and kissed each knuckle. "Thank you," she held out the chocolate for Anna to take a bite.
Anna leaned forward and allowed herself to be fed, moaning in pleasure from the taste. "Oh, god, I love this stuff," she leaned back against the headboard. "If I could, I'd inject it straight into my veins."
Elsa laughed as she leaned her head back against Anna's shoulder, staring into her eyes. "Some things are always good," she kissed Anna along her jawline, tracing up towards her scarred cheek. "Like you. I can always count on you."
They remained in bed, passing the chocolate back and forth until they finished it. Afterward, they simply lay side by side with their foreheads pressed together and their eyes shut, but neither of them dozed off. By the time evening rolled around, Anna's stomach audibly growled from hunger, causing Elsa to giggle.
"Uh oh, my tummy is giving me the rumblies," Anna muttered. "I better get dinner started. That is unless you want to cook?"
Elsa reluctantly pulled away from Anna as she stretched. "No, I learned my lesson now from the last time," she waved Anna off. "I think I'll play some piano. Tickle the ivories a bit."
"Heh, you can tickle my ivories if you want."
"What?"
"You know, like my lady bits," Anna extricated herself from Elsa and walked into the kitchen. "Like sex. You get it."
"I don't think that phrase was intended to be used that way," Elsa replied as she went across the living room and sat down on a bench, snapping her fingers to make a holo-piano appear.
"I remember once upon a time when sayings like that threw you for a loop."
"I know. I was so innocent back then until I met you."
Anna blew Elsa a raspberry, then started pulling ingredients out of the fridge to get dinner started. In the meantime, Elsa began to skillfully play the piano, another hobby she had been practicing over their two years in Arcadia. As Anna started chopping some vegetables, her thoughts blissfully vanished as she focused on the task at hand while keeping her ears tuned to the piano music.
Elsa was playing a few scales for practice until eventually, she started stroking the keys to a tuneless melody. Soon enough, she launched into a slow, more somber variation of a song that Anna had once heard in a completely different lifetime.
Then, Anna heard Elsa's soft, airy, and gentle voice as she started to sing.
Talking away
I don't know what I'm to say
I'll say it anyway
Today is another day to find you
Shying away
I'll be coming for your love, okay?
Anna put down the knife and wiped her eyes from the veil of tears that had coated them. She looked over to Elsa, who continued to sing and remained unaware of her current state. In her place, Anna saw both Nora and Elsa, two sides of the same coin and two people that she loved with all her heart.
Take on me
Take me on
I'll be gone
In a day or two
Approaching Elsa from behind, Anna silently sat down on the couch to observe her. However, when she sniffed, the sound caught Elsa's attention and she turned around immediately.
"Anna?" Elsa asked, her eyes filled with concern. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing," Anna smiled valiantly through the tidal wave of memory crashing over her. "It's just... that song. It was Nora's favorite. It's an oldie from way before our time. We used to dance to it whenever it came on the radio back in LA."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Elsa retracted her hands from the piano and placed them in her lap. "The song just came to me. I didn't mean to-"
"No, no, it's okay. I'm fine, I promise," Anna waved away her concern. "I just haven't heard it in a really long time, that's all. Keep going, please."
Elsa's expression softened and she patted the spot on the bench next to her. Accepting her invitation, Anna sat down and rested her head against Elsa's shoulder, who picked up where she had left off, playing the piano and singing.
So needless to say
I'm odds and ends
But that's me, I'm stumbling away
Slowly learning that life is okay
Say after me
It's no better to be safe than sorry
Anna sniffed and wrapped her arms around Elsa's waist, making no further attempt to stem the flow of tears that were streaming down her cheeks.
Take on me
Take me on
I'll be gone
In a day or two
As Elsa finished playing, she put her hands in her lap and leaned against Anna in the peaceful solitude of their home. The living room was dimly lit with purple, green, red, and blue lights were bleeding in through the windows from all the neon signs outside.
"You know I love you, right?" Anna said quietly.
"I do," Elsa replied.
"And you know that I'd never let anything hurt you?"
"I know. Neither would I. I love you so much, Anna."
"Okay," Anna wiped her eyes. "Again? One more time?"
Elsa nodded, then laid her fingers on the piano as she started to serenade Anna once more.