"I llllliiiiiiiiiiivvvvvvvveeee!" – Mushu, 1998.
Hello, everyone!
I am back! Sorry it took so long, finals and everything, y'all know how it is. This chapter is really long this time around, so I hope it makes up for it!
Okay, so this chapter wasn't originally going to be posted today. I was going to just write the entire story of this chapter as one giant chapter, but it was driving me crazy to write something that long and I was itching to get you guys a new chapter. So, instead of finishing the huge chapter that is currently 26 pages, I finally decided to break it in half. You guys are getting the first 17 pages and the rest will be posted possibly within the next two weeks since I'm almost done.
Thank you to everyone who sent world suggestions to me. You guys really helped me out pacing-wise!
This chapter—and the chapter after this one—is dedicated to Tashasaurous and their idea to send Nightly and Aqua to Arendelle. This world and character combination was completely their idea, I just wrote it! :D
Tashasaurous: thank you so much for all of your ideas! I really appreciate your responses!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, nor do I own Frozen.
TRIGGER WARNING: PTSD flashbacks, dissociation. (sorry if this spoils, just wanted to cover all the bases)
Also, I have "visual references" in this chapter to help you guys picture certain outfits better by just telling you what they are after I describe them.
Okay, enough rambling. On to the show!
Riku, Aqua, and Kairi walked briskly through the Badlands of the Keyblade Graveyard, Aqua taking the lead as the other two flanked her from behind.
The constant haze and beating sun were finally interrupted by an overhang in the rocky walls that covered the entire ground in shadow. Upon entering the cave-like structure, Aqua announced, "It's right around the corner."
Riku's eyes struggled slightly to adjust to the darker area, but indeed, he could see a bend in the rocks that lead to the left of where they were. He gave an encouraging smile to Kairi, who gave a small, nervous nod in return.
Aqua rounded the corner first, stopping short with wide eyes.
"What is it?" Riku asked, coming up beside her. He followed her gaze, stopping short as well.
Keyblades sat crooked and lifeless among the parched earth. They were arranged in four sections, paths perfectly separating them and creating a crossroads out of the remnants of the Keyblade War. And in the center of the crossroads, was Nightly.
She was on her knees, her front towards Aqua and Riku and Kairi. Her head was tilted upward, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. Her arms rested limply in her lap, where a familiar, small, purple figure stood, its tiny paw touching Nightly's cheek.
"Nightly!" Aqua shouted, running to the two. Riku and Kairi followed suit, the two recognizing Nightmare Chirithy at the same time.
At the commotion, the Nightmare turned toward the three running. "No, wait!" he shouted.
Aqua got to them first, seeing the far-away look in Nightly's eyes as they darted slightly back and forth, seeing something she couldn't, her mouth slightly open in a daze. Aqua grabbed the Nightmare and pulled him away from her.
Master's Defense summoned, she pointed her blade at Nightmare Chirithy. "What did you do to her?"
The Nightmare just lay there, croaking out, "My purpose." He tried to pick himself up, only to fall back down again. Aqua hesitated at how weak he seemed, Riku and Kairi standing just as confused by her side.
The Nightmare once again spoke, "My purpose…was to return…her memories." He looked up at Aqua, then his eyes shifted to a spot between Aqua and Kairi.
Aqua felt a hand on her arm. Startled, she jumped back, seeing Nightly right behind her. Nightly's dead gaze panned up to Aqua's eyes, and she was silenced by their pitiful look.
Nightly's eyes fell back to Nightmare Chirithy. She let go of Aqua's arm and stepped toward him, kneeling by his side. She gently picked him up and held him close.
Her mouth opened, closed, then opened again. "If that's the truth, then why…how am I…?" she choked on her words, unable to finish her question.
"That's something I don't know," Nightmare Chirithy replied. He looked up at his wielder's eyes and said softly, "Maybe your friends can help you with that one." Flakes of darkness began to rise from the Nightmare.
Nightly drew a shaky breath at the sight. New tears began to fall as she begged, "Please…please don't go."
"'M sorry, kiddo," the Nightmare apologized. He gave her a small smile, "Please don't be sad. When you're sad, I'm sad."
Nightly sniffed, nodding to Chirithy as she pulled a pitiful smile on her own face. "I'm not sad, see?" she said with a lump in her throat.
Nightmare Chirithy's smile deepened. "I see, kiddo…I see." With a final sigh and small laugh, the dark flakes surrounded Chirithy, floating upward into the dry atmosphere. Nightly watched them go, looking back down at her hands to see Chirithy no longer there as the rest of the darkness faded away.
Her hands shaking, Nightly slowly wrapped her arms around herself, hugging her stomach, her eyes unfocused as she looked to the ground.
Aqua watched the young girl, unsure of what to do. It took her a moment to notice Nightly wasn't breathing. This realization made her snap out of her stupor, and she knelt down beside Nightly.
She put a hand on her back, Nightly flinching slightly at the touch. "Breathe, Nightly," Aqua said softly.
Nightly's head rose slightly, her bangs hiding her eyes, but her mouth open like a fish out of water. Rocking slightly, Nightly let out a shaking breath before inhaling hard, letting out a sob. She covered her mouth with both hands, stifling her sobs as best she could. Aqua pulled Nightly into an embrace, and Nightly buried her face in Aqua's shoulder, throwing her arms around Aqua's neck.
Aqua heard a small sniffle behind her. She looked up with tear-filled eyes to see Kairi trying to keep in her own tears. Aqua gave a forced smile, and Kairi got down on her knees, wrapping her arms around the other two on the ground.
Riku observed the three girls before him, feeling a deep sadness within him as well. His eyes left the three before him and looked around the Keyblade Graveyard. He couldn't even begin to imagine the madness and bloodshed that could have left a place in such a state. Seeing how so many died so long ago in a War so big…the very thought was just…sobering.
'What have we gotten ourselves into?' Riku thought, feeling a fear rise up in him in realizing the very reason these wielders fought before is why he and his friends were fighting now.
'Will this be our fate, too?'
After what felt like hours, Nightly no longer felt strong enough to cry. She paused in Aqua's and Kairi's arms, taking shaking breaths until she regained as much composure as she thought she could.
She pulled her arms off Aqua, and felt Aqua and Kairi shift as she looked up at them. Upon raising her head, she felt a shift in her chest, and the familiar feeling of a dream crept up to her. Almost knowing what to expect, she blinked.
The sky above her darkened, the familiar lights of hearts floating off into the night sky above her. She looked back and forth to the three people in front of her.
Glancing at her over his shoulder, Master Ira stood in Riku's place. Master Invi, likewise, knelt where Aqua just had, tears staining her face, just as Aqua's had. She looked to her side, where Kairi had knelt. Her eyes widened slightly.
Golden eyes reflecting the hearts rising from their wielders, the mask of the Fox stared back at Nightly. Master Ava perched on her knees where Kairi had been just seconds ago, her hands folded in her lap.
Master Ava's mouth opened, and both hers and Kairi's voices came out. "Are you alright, Nightly?"
Nightly jolted, blinking in the process. The sky returned to its brightness, the Masters replaced with their doppelgangers. Nightly hesitated before looking back to Kairi and giving her a small, curt nod.
The three kept their eyes on her for a moment, collectively chalking it up to the sudden stress of the situation.
Aqua spoke up first. "Nightly, we should get back to Ephemer and Skuld. They're worried about you."
Nightly shook her head fiercely, hugging herself tightly. She opened her mouth to say something, but could only clench her teeth. She hesitated before finally speaking through her teeth, "I…I can't."
Kairi's shoulders slumped in sympathy. "I know this is hard for you, but you should really get back to them. They can help you."
"Oh, like they've been 'helping me' for the past year of my life?" Nightly snapped, her head up, sorrowful eyes suddenly filled with rage. "Yeah, I'd love to have my memories taken away again only to remember again a year later."
Kairi's mouth hung open slightly as she looked visibly hurt. Nightly's eyes widened at her mistake, and she buried her eyes in the palms of her hands. "I'm sorry. I just…I can't even think straight about what they did." Her hands moved to her hair, clutching her bangs as if she were about to rip them out.
She stood slowly, taking a tentative step back. "I just…I just…" Another Corridor of Light appeared behind Nightly, and she stepped back in a daze, her eyes glossing over again.
Aqua rushed forward as Nightly began to step through. "Nightly, snap out of it," she warned.
Her words fell on deaf ears as Nightly continued to back up, her thoughts completely disconnecting her from the rest of the world. The Corridor of Light engulfed her, and Aqua shot toward it.
"Aqua," Riku called, reaching for her as she slipped through, the Corridor closing behind her, leaving Kairi and Riku alone in the middle of the wasteland of the Keyblade Graveyard.
Aqua grabbed Nightly's arm as soon as she saw the distressed girl. The touch made her flinch, but succeeded in snapping her out of her daze.
Nightly's gaze refocused, and she looked up to Aqua, letting go of her hair. Her eyes shifted to behind Aqua. "Where are we?" she asked.
Aqua turned around, finding the Corridor of Light had disappeared. Instead, she found herself on a steep hillside overlooking a small town at the edge of the sea. At the end of the town, right on the shoreline, stood a castle. Square in symmetry, it rose dull and gray as it reached into the night sky, its roofs round and pointed, tinted with a dark green coloration. A small bridge led from the castle into the town, where the cobblestone path continued up the hill side until Aqua found herself looking down at her own feet.
She turned, seeing the large wall close behind her that served as the little kingdom's border. The large arch in the wall stood as an opening between the kingdom and the outside world. Beyond the entrance lay acres upon acres of forest and mountainside that reached into the heavens above the two standing on the cobblestone road.
"I…don't know," Aqua answered Nightly. "I've never been here before." She looked down to Nightly, whose eyes had finally gained and retained focus. "Have you been here before? You summoned the Corridor."
"I did?" Nightly asked curiously. She looked around again. "I haven't been here before, either. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly again. Sorry…" her head lowered in embarrassment and sadness as she clutched her arm.
"It's okay," Aqua replied happily, putting a hand on her shoulder, feeling a small burden lift when Nightly didn't flinch. "Let's just figure out where we are so we can—"
Aqua was interrupted by the sudden fear that the world was splitting open from under her. A sound like that of an earthquake rocked the air around them, and Nightly gasped, staring at something behind Aqua.
She turned in time to see the sea below them quickly freezing over. It started from the right and fanned all the way to the left, a blue light leading the way as it stopped the ships within the land's borders right in their tracks.
The two stood breathless, unsure of what just happened. At the same time, they became aware of a sudden chill that cut through the warm night air. They shivered, rubbing their arms as Aqua noticed something from the corner of her eye. She looked up, seeing small specks of white floating gracefully down to the ground.
"It's snowing," she breathed incredulously, reaching up, the flakes of white brushing her fingers. Nightly stepped up beside her, holding her hand at eye level as she caught snowflakes in her palm.
"But…how? It was summery just a moment ago," Nightly said as the snow melted in her hand.
"Make way!" a voice called from down the path, accented by the sound of hooves on the stone.
Aqua saw her first. A young woman on horseback sped toward them. Having just seen the two girls as well, she held a panicked look in her blue eyes. Aqua grabbed Nightly's arm and pulled her away as the ginger girl passed them by, her green dress billowing in the breeze behind her.
"Sorry!" she called back.
Aqua stared after the girl in shock, her heart racing. She looked to Nightly to make sure she was alright.
Nightly, too, watched the girl go, her fist clenching her scarf over her chest. "Princess," she breathed.
"What?" Aqua asked, breathing a little heavily.
Nightly broke from Aqua's grip, going back to the middle of the road. She looked at Aqua, a new light in her eyes. "Didn't you feel it? She's a Light!"
"A light?" Aqua questioned. "What are you talking about?"
"She's a Princess of Heart," Nightly clarified breathlessly.
"What?" Aqua joined her, trying to find the girl; but she had already disappeared into the trees. "Are you sure?"
Nightly nodded, beginning to walk where the mysterious girl had gone. "We have to help her. She's going up the mountain in the middle of a sudden winter with nothing but a summer dress and a horse."
"But what about us?" Aqua asked, making Nightly stop. "One: we don't have winter clothes, either. Two: we don't even have clothes that could help us blend in in the first place."
Nightly paused, turning back to Aqua, her eyebrows knitting together in thought. She went up to Aqua, stopping to look up at her before walking around her.
"Um, what are you doing?" Aqua asked, looking behind her to watch Nightly as she walked all the way around to her right.
"Thinking," Nightly answered, taking Aqua's wrist, looking back up at her. Aqua looked back at her with confusion in her eyes.
Nightly closed her eyes, and Aqua looked at herself in surprise as her body began glowing from an unknown source. She had to close her eyes from its brightness.
When the light finally subsided, she heard a happy sound come from Nightly. "It worked!" the girl exclaimed.
Aqua opened her eyes, looking down at what now adorned her body.
A heavy dress-coat hugged her upper body, flaring slightly as it covered her legs, with thick sleeves running down her arms. She felt similar pants on under the dress that fit into thick, furry boots, while gloves fit snuggly over her hands.
The dress itself was a deep, navy blue with red and green patterns running around the hem of the skirt as well as the collar that raised up around her neck. Similar patterns covered the arms, with flowers below the pattern on the sleeves and above the pattern on the skirt. (Visual reference: Fur Coat without the hood or pom-pom. The fur on the boots and gloves isn't as thick, though.)
Aqua stared in awe at the outfit. "How did…?" she began, looking to Nightly with a smile on her face.
"It's the power I was telling you guys about before," Nightly explained. "I wasn't sure if I could transfer it onto someone else, but it worked."
"Huh?" Aqua mused. She looked down at Nightly. "What about you? Please don't tell me this is the only piece of winter gear you have."
Nightly laughed, a sound Aqua didn't realize she had missed among everything that had been happening recently. "Don't worry, I'm good." Nightly clutched her shoulder, and she too became enveloped in light before appearing in a different outfit.
Her outfit was a red winter dress that fell down below her knees complete with thick leggings, black boots, and black gloves. The dress had a plaid pattern with green, gold, and darker red colors around it. Grey fur completed its hems, peeking out at the bottom of the hem, the collar, and the sleeves. The gloves also had similar fur coming out of them, leaving a bit of her arms exposed to the winter air. (Visual reference: Winter Minnie without the ribbon, hairstyle, or Mickey doll. The dress isn't as poofy here as it is in the game.)
"Are you alright?" Aqua asked, gesturing to her exposed arms.
Nightly looked down before nodding, a wide smile on her face. "Mm-hm! We should go before we really lose where she's going."
The two set off, suddenly noticing how heavy the snowfall had gotten. "At least we'll be able to see the horse tracks, soon," Aqua added optimistically.
"True," Nightly agreed as the two began their trek into the now-winter woods.
Aqua and Nightly were slowly losing feeling in their toes. The snow had stopped falling, but the white ground was now above their ankles. They had to lift each foot with effort to make progress, their steps leaving a satisfying crunch in the snow. Aqua was right, they had found the horse tracks right as the sun began to fill the sky with pinks and blues and yellows. Now high in the sky, the two were almost blinded by the whiteness as they followed the well-defined snow tracks of the girl's horse.
Aqua looked down at Nightly, noticing something different about her companion. "Nightly, where did your glasses go?"
"Hm? Oh, I took them off a little while ago. I…feel like I don't need them anymore. I felt like I was hiding with them on, but now I don't feel like hiding," she explained, not taking her eyes off the path in front of them.
Aqua observed her friends face for a moment. Before, her glasses had covered the bridge of her nose and some of her cheeks. Now off, Aqua could see the freckles that peppered her face and highlighted her youth.
Aqua smiled at Nightly's resolve and turned her attention back to the tracks as she heard a voice coming from in front of them. Having also heard it, Nightly stopped for a moment, listening.
The two exchanged a look before picking up the pace, knowing they were close to the girl. They heard the voice go quiet, but didn't stop in their pursuit.
Among their own footsteps they didn't hear the sound of hooves in the snow until it was right in front of them. They ended up throwing themselves out of the way for the second time that day as the white horse from before sped away from the direction the tracks led.
The two glanced at the horse, then to each other, before running as fast as they could to follow the rest of the tracks.
They rounded a bend in the trees, seeing the girl from earlier pulling on a cedar tree to try and pull herself up from where she'd fallen. Her hand slipped, sending the tree back upright as all the snow on top landed on the girl, covering her completely except for her arms, which stuck out to the sides in defeat.
Aqua made it to her first, sticking her hands under the snow about where the girl's underarms were and pulled her up gently.
"Woah, hey!" the girl yelped. Out of surprise, she jerked away from Aqua and whirled around to see the two girls standing out-of-breath before her.
Recognizing them quickly, she smiled. "Oh, thank you. And, uh…sorry for almost hitting you with my horse earlier."
Aqua smiled in response. "It's completely fine," she said, waving her hand in dismission. "We just wanted to make sure you were okay." She gestured to herself, then to Nightly. "My name is Aqua, and this is my friend, Nightly." Nightly gave a small wave and smile.
The girl responded by pulling the sides of her dress slightly in a small lady-like curtsy. "Princess Anna, of Arendelle."
Aqua's mannerisms kicked in immediately once she heard 'princess'. "Oh, Your Highness." Aqua curtsied as best she could in the heavy coat. "Please forgive my friend and me."
Nightly, surprised at Aqua's sudden gesture, looked between her and Anna quickly, before mimicking Aqua's pose as quickly as she could with a small sound of shock.
Anna gasped, "Oh, no no no, it's okay, really. You don't have to do that." Aqua and Nightly stood from their curtsies as she explained, "I'm not that princess, don't worry." She paused, observing their faces. "You two weren't at the ball. Are you from Arendelle?"
"No, Your Highness—" Aqua began.
"Please…just Anna," Anna interrupted.
"Right, Anna," Aqua corrected sheepishly with a small chuckle, "We aren't from Arendelle. We're from…far away,"
"Oh, so you came for the coronation?" Anna asked innocently.
Confused, Aqua and Nightly exchanged a glance. Thinking fast, Nightly perked up. "No, sorry. We didn't hear anything about a coronation. We travel around a lot from place to place. I'm afraid we never heard anything about that."
"Ah, that makes sense why you were at the gate," Anna concluded to herself. "Well, my sister, Elsa, turned eighteen a couple days ago, so her coronation was held today to crown her queen of Arendelle." Her gaze turned downward, as did her mood. "I kinda made her mad, though, and she ended up turning the summer into winter. So, I gotta go find her so she can turn it back again." She ended her explanation with a new look of determination in her eyes.
"Well, Anna," Aqua said, "We would like to accompany you while you try and find her. It can be dangerous up here, and my friend and I can help you get up there a little safer."
Anna hesitated. She hadn't even thought about the dangers of coming up here on her own. Heck, she'd never really been outside the castle before. 'What was I thinking?' she asked herself wearily.
Pulling on a smile, she said, "It would be really nice to have some company, actually." Aqua and Nightly smiled back at her.
"Now, which direction did you sister run off to?" Aqua asked as all three began to walk up the mountain.
"So, she's just been able to do that for…how long?" Nightly questioned.
"I'm not sure. I guess forever," Anna replied, holding her dress as they all trudged through the snow.
The party of three had walked the rest of the day, their only known destination being The North Mountain. The day had passed, and the late hours of the day had turned into the early hours of the night.
Anna continued, "I mean, if she had powers this whole time, that's fine. It's just…she couldn't tell me about it?" She continued to struggle up the hill, beginning to shiver. "And of all things—snow! H-had to be snow. She couldn't have had tropical magic that covered the fjords in white sand and warm…" she trailed off, coming to a stop at the top of the hill and staring longingly. Aqua and Nightly followed her gaze, seeing a yellow light with smoke rising from its source at the other side of the hill.
"Fire," Anna finished with a laugh. Her luck seemed to take a sudden turn, however, as the snow below her suddenly gave way, sending the red-head tumbling down the hill only to land in a previously un-seen creek at the bottom of the hill.
Aqua and Nightly exchanged a panicked glance, running down the hill as fast as they could before realizing Anna had lost her shawl in the process. Before they could get to her, though, she had pushed herself up and was trying to get to the fire source as quickly as possible, muttering "cold" repetitively.
Instead, Aqua ran past them to get the door of the tiny cabin they had found, while Nightly stayed by Anna's side, eyeing her frozen-solid dress with concerned amusement.
Anna made it to the steps, but her dress prevented her from stepping up at first. She glanced down, Nightly taking her arm as she twisted to step up onto the porch.
She straightened, and Aqua opened the door to let her in. Before she did, though, Anna took the time to hit the snow off the sign and read it, letting the others know they were at—
"Wandering Oaken's Trading Post." Another bit of snow fell off the sign. "Ooh! And sauna."
Satisfied, Anna walked in, nodding a thanks to Aqua as she shut the door behind them.
"Yoo-hoo," came a call to the left. The three girls turned to see a man wearing a sweater, overalls, and matching hat with a pom-pom on top. His hands held in a pyramid shape, he tapped his hands together and announced, "Big summer blowout!"
While Anna listened to the man describe what he was offering, Nightly and Aqua exchanged a glance, not knowing whether to take the man seriously or not.
"Why is he selling summer clothes on a winter mountain?" Nightly asked Aqua quietly.
Aqua just shrugged, "I guess it's not normally wintery up here," she said, turning her attention back to the tradesman.
"Oh," Nightly replied, nodding in agreement.
"For, now, how about boots—winter boots? And dresses?" Anna asked.
"That would be in our winter department," the tradesman replied, gesturing over to the far wall.
The trio looked to where he gestured, only seeing a chair, whereupon sat a pair of boots and two pieces of clothing.
Nightly's head tilted to the side in confusion. 'Seriously? That's it?' she thought incredulously.
Anna hesitated before approaching the garments, picking them up as she asked the tradesman, "I was wondering: Has another young woman—the queen, perhaps, I don't know—passed through here?"
The tradesman replied jokingly, "Only one crazy enough to be out in this storm is you three, dears."
The four were startled by the door suddenly opening to reveal a tall man covered head-to-toe in snow-layered winter wear. He looked around before his eyes landed on Anna and the tradesman.
The tradesman corrected his original statement. "You and this fellow," he said quickly before announcing the sale to the man.
The man approached Anna, his heavy breathing sounding menacing under his handkerchief. Aqua pulled Nightly behind her protectively, not sure what was happening but ready to pounce should the man try and hurt Anna.
He stood in front of her before stating, "Carrots."
Anna stopped in her humming and asked, "Huh?"
The man leaned in closer before clarifying, "Behind you."
Anna pulled her slowly-thawing dress out of the way, revealing the carrots on the shelf right at her knees. "Oh! 'Scuse me," she apologized, moving out of the way. The man grabbed the carrots, tossing them onto the counter.
The tension diffused, Aqua and Nightly parted to get out of his way as he turned, heading for the "winter department" of the tiny trading post.
The tradesman tried to strike up a conversation. "A real howler in July, yes? Wherever could it be coming from?"
The man grabbed the rope and the pickaxe before answering, "The North Mountain." He came back up to the desk and placed his items on the counter as Anna mused over what he said.
"That'll be forty," the tradesman said upon reviewing what the man wished to buy.
"What? No, ten!" the man protested.
Nightly leaned to Aqua and asked, "Forty what? Munny?" Aqua once again shrugged at the question as the tradesman gave an excuse having to do with supply and demand.
"You wanna talk about a supply and demand problem?" The man fired back. "I sell ice for a living!"
Aqua peeked out the window, seeing the man's sled full of blocks of ice as she pulled in a breath between her teeth.
"Ooh, that's a rough business to be in right now," Anna laughed. She glanced over at the man, seeing his glare before correcting herself. "T-that's unfortunate."
"Still forty," the tradesman said before offering, "But I will throw in a visit to Oaken's sauna." He waved at the sauna calling out, "Hi, family!"
"Yoo-hoo!" came a chorus of voices behind Aqua and Nightly, who both jumped to see the family of five sitting in towels in the small sauna. Aqua's eyes widened as she was struck with the realization that they had been there the whole time and she hadn't noticed, while Nightly's head just tilted in confusion again.
Anna waved back at them as the man replied, "Ten's all I got. Help me out."
"Okay," the tradesman said, pushing the carrots to the front. "Ten will get you this and no more."
Anna, ignoring the bartering happening right in front of her, questioned the snowy, annoyed man, "Okay, real quick: what was happening on the North Mountain? Did it seem…magical?"
The man pulled down his scarf in frustration, giving an exasperated, "Yes! Now back up…while I deal with this crook here." He gestured to the tradesman.
The floorboards creaked, the desk and chair shifting as the tradesman stood slowly. Suddenly aware of the mistake he had made, the man's eyes could only widen in shock as he stared at the moving mountain before him.
"What did you call me?" the tradesman asked, looking hurt, which did nothing to stint the tension in the room that had become almost palpable.
Even Master Aqua, who had always thought of herself as a level-headed individual with a demeanor to match, found herself dumbfounded and downright confused as she saw the man exert a surprising amount of strength and speed in coming around the desk, scooping up the now-flustered man and opening the door.
A couple protests came from the man before Aqua saw the tradesman pitch him into the cold, only to turn right back around, throwing a "Bye-bye!" over his shoulder.
The tradesman, now calmer, sat back down and said to the three girls still in the shack, "I'm sorry about this violence." He put a bottle of what looked to be preserved fish parts on the counter. "I will add a quart of lutefisk, so we'll have good feelings."
Nightly found herself holding back a gag at what was in the bottle. She looked anywhere other than the monstrosity that was that bottle, trying her hardest not to think too hard about how the contents of the bottle got where they were as the tradesman asked Anna if the outfit and boots was all she wanted to purchase.
"Uh…" Anna thought, looking down at the counter full of wares. She glanced outside, where the man had been thrown. "Actually," she continued, "I'll take the carrots and supplies, too, please." She gave the tradesman a winning smile.
The tradesman's eyes glimmered as he told her the total. "That will be eighty-five."
Again, Nightly and Aqua wondered what kind of currency they were talking in, but got their answer when Anna pulled out eight gold coins and one silver coin from a small pouch tucked in at the back of her corset. She gave the tradesman the coins. "Thank you so much. Uh, do you have a couple satchels I could put these in?" she asked politely.
"Absolutely, dear," the tradesman replied. He stood again. "I will go get them for you."
"And is there somewhere I can change?" Anna asked sheepishly.
"Oh, of course!" The tradesman gestured back to the "winter department", and for the first time, the trio saw a small door at the corner, hiding a small closet-sized changing room.
"Thanks," Anna said, picking up the boots and dress and heading over as the tradesman went to the back to get some satchels.
Aqua stopped her on the way to the room. "Anna, are you seriously gonna go with that guy that came in here?"
Anna nodded, ducking around Aqua. "He knows his way to the North Mountain. That's where my sister headed, that's where I'm gonna go."
She entered the changing room and continued to talk, "But none of us—ugh—really know how to get up there." The rustling of clothing preceded her green dress being thrown over the door. For the third time that day, Aqua had to dodge something. Nightly, however, wasn't so lucky. Not expecting the flying fabric, she gave a yelp of surprise as it landed softly on her head.
Anna continued, "So, I figured, if he knows the area, he could take us."
"What makes you think he'll do that?" Nightly questioned, pulling the dress off her.
"Because I—" Anna opened the door, revealing the blue winter dress she now wore, "have the supplies he wants." She pulled the pink cloak around her shoulders, clasping it at the front before reaching up and letting her hair down.
She started shaking it out as the tradesman came back, holding two brown satchels. Nightly joined him at the desk, putting the carrots in one bag while he put the pickaxe and rope in the other. She nodded her thanks to him, smiling shyly as he handed her the other bag.
By the time she came back to Aqua and Anna, Anna had already braided her hair so it fell on either side of her, each braid resting comfortably on her shoulders. She then pulled on a bonnet that had come with the outfit. Aqua handed her a pair of mittens Anna had asked her to hold while she worked on her hair.
After a couple short hops, she had donned the boots and began heading for the door. Suddenly remembering, she stopped short, looking to the desk, seeing it void of the other items. "Where did…?"
Nightly held up the satchels, smiling at Anna. "Oh, thanks!" she said, taking one of the satchels—the one with the supplies—before opening the door to the cold outside. She stopped again, leaning in past Aqua and Nightly and giving the tradesman a cheery "Thank you so much!"
The tradesman, a laugh in his voice, replied, "You are very welcome! You three come back any time you want!"
Aqua nodded to the tradesman, as did Nightly, before heading back out into the cold.
Anna stood on the porch, clutching the strap of the satchel, staring at the sled that sat in the cold. "Where on earth did he go?" she asked herself.
The three stood on the porch, all wondering the same thing. A slight breeze blew by, carrying the strum of a lute through the air. The girls looked toward its source, seeing another small shack—this one more like a barn—half-covered in snow. A light shone from underneath the door.
"Ah, there!" Anna said happily, hopping down from the porch and heading over to the door.
She reached for the handle, hesitating before pressing her ear up to the door. She drew a silent breath, giving Aqua and Nightly a look that screamed "CUTE!" before covering her mouth in delight.
Aqua stood closer to the door, as did Nightly. The two looked at each other as they heard what it was Anna was hearing.
On the other side of the door, the man from earlier was singing, "But people smell better than reindeer. Sven, don't you think I'm right?"
The man changed his voice, apparently fitting the description of whoever this "Sven" was. "That's once again true, for all except you."
Nightly stifled a giggle as his voice returned to normal. "You got me, let's call it a night."
"Goodnight."
"Don't let the frostbite bite." He strummed the final chord.
Anna, taking this as an invitation, pushed open the door. "Nice duet."
The man startled, calming when he saw Anna, Aqua and Nightly. "Oh, it's just you. What do you three want?"
"I want you to take us up the North Mountain," Anna said assertively.
The man, however, just raised an eyebrow. He lay back down, dropping his hat on his face. "I don't take people places."
Anna's jaw set. "Let me rephrase that." She threw the satchel of supplies at the man, which landed squarely in his lap, startling him up again. He looked in the satchel, seeing the supplies with wide eyes.
Anna continued, "Take us up the North Mountain. Please."
The man, still being a stick in the mud, lay back down again, dropping his hat on his face once again. "We leave at dawn," he said grumpily, adding, "and you forgot the carrots for Sven."
Anna motioned to Nightly, who handed over the other satchel. Once in her hand, Anna chucked it at the man. Her aim slightly off from her previous throw, the bag ended up slamming right in his face, the carrots spilling out onto his chest.
He gave her a look of surprise as she apologized, catching herself and saying sternly. "We leave now. Right now." She turned and began heading to the sled, Aqua and Nightly joining her as the three waited for the man to come out of the barn.
The sled slid precariously toward the edge of the cliff before righting and continuing on the path. From the back of the now-iceless sled, Aqua asked Nightly, "Are you okay?" The poor girl had turned sheet white, her arms locked around the side of the sled, refusing to let go.
Nightly gave a shaky nod. "And I thought flying the Gummi Armor was terrifying," she said, eyes frozen open in shock.
Aqua reassured her, "Well, at least we're away from the cliff now." She glanced up at the two sitting in the front seat, as part of their conversation caught her attention.
"Hang on," the man—Kristoff—said, shocked. "You mean to tell me you got engaged to someone you just met that day?!"
"Yes, pay attention," Anna fired back, trying to explain what she had told Aqua and Nightly earlier about Elsa.
Aqua, having this been the first she'd heard of this "engagement", interrupted her. "Didn't your parents ever warn you about strangers?" Kristoff pointed at Aqua in agreement.
Anna paused, looking hard at Kristoff before scooting away slightly. "Yes, they did." She continued talking to Kristoff as Aqua shook her head and sat back down next to Nightly. She looked back at the young girl, who was now holding her head, eyes shut tight.
"Hey, you okay?" Aqua kneeled in front of her, seeing the tears squeezing through her tightly-shut lids. It suddenly hit Aqua that all this commotion probably wasn't good for her.
Not entirely sure what to do, she tentatively reached forward, lightly touching Nightly on the arm. Nightly jerked, her eyes flying open as she tried to move away from the disturbance, only to hit the back of her head on the side of the sled. She gazed at Aqua, not really seeing anything.
"Nightly," Aqua said calmly. "It's me, Aqua. Are you okay?"
Nightly's eyes slowly refocused. A moment passed, and she rubbed her tears dry on her glove. She nodded to Aqua, giving her a small smile.
Aqua returned the smile, feeling the sled slow down. Kristoff made Anna quiet down as he stood, dropping the reins and grabbing the lantern on the hook in one smooth motion. He looked to the right, then the left, then turned. Glancing down at the two in the back, he leaned over them, sticking the lantern out as far as he could.
Aqua looked up at his squinted gaze, then followed it. At first, nothing but darkness stared back.
But then, in rapid succession, pairs of glowing, yellow eyes gazed at the sled with ill intent.
"Sven, run," Kristoff commanded immediately, turning back around.
"What is it?" Anna asked as the sled jerked back into motion, Sven in an all-out sprint.
"Wolves," Kristoff replied, panic beginning to take over his voice, putting the lantern back on its hook.
"What?!" Anna exclaimed. "What are we going to do?"
"Let me take care of it," Kristoff said in a huff.
"Actually," Aqua interjected. Kristoff and Anna looked back to see Aqua and Nightly standing behind them, bracing themselves against the sides of the sled, Nightly on Kristoff's side, Aqua on Anna's. The two blinked at the oddly-shaped weapons that had suddenly appeared in their hands. The look of determination on their faces was reflected in Aqua's voice.
"Let us take of it."
The two up front nodded, returning their focus to the front. "Faster, Sven!" Kristoff commanded, whipping the reins.
Aqua and Nightly exchanged a nod, then turned to the advancing wolves.
As the wolves advanced, the two shot fireballs at them, hitting them directly and making them fall away. This didn't deter them, though, as two seemed to replace every one that was hit.
Nightly felt Aqua pause. She glanced at her partner, seeing her eyes narrow at the advancing crowd before she raised her Keyblade. She aimed it at the wolves, a large fire spell shooting off her Keyblade. Instead of one giant fireball hitting a big area, as Nightly expected, the fire split up, multiple shots firing off and aiming specifically at about four of the wolves. The wolves that were hit went to the ground and didn't get back up.
"Woah, how'd you do that?" Nightly asked in awe.
"Don't focus on one at a time," Aqua quickly explained, not having time to go into detail as she began firing again, this time normal attacks.
Nightly paused, looking back at the oncoming swarm, processing the words. She mentally took a step back, seeing all the wolves lined up just at the edge of the lantern light. She became suddenly aware of just how many there were. There were about ten that she could quickly count, and who knew how many were out of sight.
She had a strange feeling overcome her, almost like vertigo. Time seemed to slow as she looked over the crowd. Her mind seemed to split, each piece targeting a different wolf as they passed her gaze. She raised her Keyblade.
Aqua watched out of the corner of her eye as Nightly raised Starlight and took aim. She turned in time to see her execute a fairly good Shotlock. It hit the targets, but only one of the wolves went down, while the other six she hit only stumbled.
Still, Aqua couldn't help but smile as she fired a volley of shots at the wolves Nightly hit, making them go down with just one shot each, helping her finish the job.
"Nice job!" Aqua praised, smiling at Nightly.
"Thanks," Nightly said breathlessly. "But why didn't they all go down?"
"While you shouldn't focus on all at once, don't focus on too many, either," Aqua explained as they continued to fire at the advancing canines. "I'll teach you a little more later."
"Okay!" Nightly said happily.
"Get ready to jump, Sven!" Anna exclaimed.
"Huh?" Aqua asked, looking over her shoulder to see that they were all heading towards a huge chasm. Nightly gasped at the sight.
"You don't tell him what to do, I do," Kristoff argued, shoving a pack into Anna's arms and throwing her onto Sven. He reached behind him and grabbed Nightly. He hauled her to the front of the sled and threw her with a surprisingly accurate toss onto Sven's back behind Anna before she could even process what was happening.
"Jump, Sven!" he cried, cutting the rope tethering the sled to the reindeer.
Feeling the weight of the sled leave him, Sven took one last mad dash for the cliff before bounding over it with all his might, Anna and Nightly holding on for dear life. The sled followed, tipping right over the edge.
"We gotta jump," Kristoff half-yelled, throwing a look at Aqua, who nodded back at him. Before beginning its descent, Kristoff threw himself off the sled while Aqua jumped gracefully as close as she could to the other side. 'We're not gonna make it!' she thought suddenly, noticing their descent beginning far too early.
Thinking fast, she summoned Master's Defense and cast an Aeroga behind them. The extra boost from the spell sent them over the other side of the cliff. Aqua stumbled slightly next to Nightly, who helped her steady herself, while Kristoff landed in a faceplant next to Sven. He rolled over, staying there for a moment. Once the shock of the landing wore off, Kristoff crawled toward the edge to see the broken wreckage that was now his sled.
"Aww," he moaned, "but I just paid it off."
Anna, Aqua, and Nightly leaned precariously over the cliff's edge, seeing the wreckage.
"Ooh…" Nightly couldn't help but say softly.
"I'll replace your sled…and everything in it," Anna promised weakly.
Kristoff only groaned, flopping over and covering his eyes with his arm.
Anna continued, "I understand if you don't want to help me anymore…" Her gaze low, she turned around and began trekking up the mountain.
Nightly looked from Kristoff, to Anna, to Aqua. She nudged Aqua, her eyes conflicted. Aqua looked to Anna, then to Nightly, and tilted her head in Anna's direction. Nightly gave one last glance to Kristoff before following Aqua, who began following Anna.
Anna looked back, seeing Aqua and Nightly following her. She gave a grateful, sheepish smile before turning back around, a little to the right. "Okay, I think it's this way to the North Mountain," she said, pointing the way she was facing.
"Um," Aqua thought, looking toward the left, at the higher-peaked mountains, "I don't know. I think that might the way." She pointed the direction she was facing.
The two simultaneously looked to Nightly, who stood looking between the two, dumbfounded. "Uh…" she droned, not knowing what to say.
"Hold up. We're coming," Kristoff called stiffly, unknowingly saving Nightly from an awkward situation.
"Really?" Anna said happily, clapping her hands together happily.
Kristoff groaned, trudging up to meet them, Sven following behind. "Yep," he sighed. "This way," he said, walking up the mountain right in the center of where Anna and Aqua were pointing.
The three watched him for a moment, Nightly's snort of laughter breaking the stunned silence between them. Aqua and Anna looked to each other's dumbstruck face before chuckling lightly and following Kristoff.
Riku held the door open for Kairi as the two entered Yen Sid's office. Chirithy and Mickey looked up expectantly as they came in.
"Where's Aqua?" Mickey asked.
"Well," Riku answered, "with Nightly, we think."
"Are you sure?" Chirithy asked, hopping up from his spot on the floor.
"Well, we found her at the Keyblade Graveyard, and then she summoned a Corridor of Light, and Aqua followed her through," Kairi explained. "So, yeah, we think they're together."
"Oh, good," Chirithy breathed. "I can feel her mind is a little clearer, but she's still troubled. I'm glad Aqua's with her."
"Honestly, I'm not surprised," Riku asked. "We kinda ran into Nightmare Chirithy at the Graveyard."
"WHAT?" Chirithy exclaimed.
"Don't worry," Kairi said sadly, "he's…not around anymore."
Chirithy hesitated. "What do you mean?"
Riku replied, "When she remembered everything, he disappeared. Apparently, that was his purpose. Now that she has all of her memories back, his purpose was over, and he faded away."
Chirithy took a moment before speaking. "Oh…that…that explains everything, then…"
"Explains…what, exactly?" Mickey inquired.
"The nightmares," Chirithy explained. "And the guilt he was talking about. If that guilt comes from her memories, then that's why she's feeling troubled. It's just her guilt coming back to her." He turned a little away from the others, beginning to speak a bit more to himself than anyone else. "Coupled with the unease I feel from her, and the forced happiness…" He concluded to himself, "She's running from her feelings. She's completely ignoring them."
"And…how bad is that, exactly?" Kairi asked.
"Well," Chirithy replied, "depending on what will help her and how she's coping, it might be best to just let her run for a little while longer. She knows she'll have to face them, but until we figure out the best way to help her do so, we should just let her be and wait until she gets back."
Kairi, Riku, and Mickey looked between each other, silently agreeing with the Spirit.
"Okay," Riku replied.
And scene!
One of the reasons I wanted to write such a long chapter for this part of the story was solely because I'm essentially rewriting the entire movie to fit the story. That's an interesting endeavor, to say the least, but I enjoy the challenge!
Speaking of challenges, I have started a DeviantArt account, and will be beginning a series of character concepts for characters that will be making an appearance by the end of the story. I wanted to post one with this chapter, but I am not done with it yet, so it will come out with the next chapter, which will hopefully be out within the next two weeks.
Well, I'll see you guys soon with the conclusion of the visit to Arendelle. Stay tuned!