Music:

The misty mountain song – The Hobbit OST

Chapter 2

"Uh ... Hi."

Steven almost wanted to slap himself. He landed in the room of a little girl, in the middle of the night, and all he could say was "Hi"?

The blonde girl and the little man froze for a moment. She seemed visibly, and obviously, terrified and shocked. Facing her, in front of her window, was an intruder. How could he has entered here? Without her noticing it. And what was this strange clothes? She was scared. Scared that he was there to hurt her.

Hidden behind her blanket, she repeated her question on the same panicked tone.

"Who are you?!"

Steven stepped back a bit.

"Uh ... Do not panic." Tried the young man. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"Then answer me!"

The geek wanted to. But his attention was drawn by the ice on the wall, which surrounded the girl, as a bright white aura. It was both wonderful, with its soft colors, and disturbing, with its acute forms. It reminded him of a huge and terrible snowflake.

But what intrigued him the most was to realize that the ice was spreading slowly. He opened his eyes and stared at the girl, always anxious, before asking her, hesitating.

"Is it ... You ... who's doing this?"

The platinum blonde girl did not understand immediately what he meant. Then, seeming to finally grasp, she quickly looked behind her, discovering the glacial formation, and began to panic. She grabbed a pair of white gloves on her nightstand and slipped them on quickly.

But the spirit of the young Londoner began to fill up with fantastic images. He couldn't believe it, even if it was a dream. He had in front of him, a person with ice superpowers. In a split second, the boy, completely amazed, bolted.

"WAAAW" He ran to the bed "That's Amazing!"

"Stay away!" Ordered the blonde one.

But the geek did not stop. The girl jumped out of bed to get away from him and stood near the wall, which also began to freeze. Steven climbed onto the mattress and touched the ice with caution and enchantment. For the first time of the evening, he really felt like a child.

"That's Incredible!" He raved about the ice. "It's really cold. And there's even a bit of snow."

The little boy turned to the girl and ran to her, asking cheerfully.

"How did you do that?"

But now he walked toward her, she quickly walked away to another wall, which in turn froze. Steven did not understand what was happening to her. But then he saw her defensive posture, her big blue eyes and her frightened face. His euphoria quickly diminished by realizing what he had done.

"Did ... Did I frighten you?" he asked.

Trembling, the girl hugged herself and confirmed with a nod.

Steven felt so overwhelmed with shame. At first, he thought it was strange to feel this kind of thing in a dream. But he concluded that it wasn't more than when there were difficult choices in an RPG. It's to feel nothing pretesting it is unreal that would have been worrying.

He looked down, backwards slowly, and he said with regret.

"I'm sorry ... It's not what I wanted."

The girl seemed to calm a bit. She seemed to grasp the sincerity of his apology. The young man was looking at the floor, ashamed. They were silent for a moment. Elsa then asked again, in a calmer tone, although tense.

"Who are you?"

Steven slightly looked up at her, then he replied.

"My name is Steven ... Steven Ryan." He hesitated a little before daring to ask. "And you?"

The girl also had trouble answering, the atmosphere was really disturbing.

"... Elsa."

The young man's eyes widened.

"You're Elsa?" He Asked. "Anna's Sister?"

"You know my sister?"

"Well ... A little. We spend the evening playing in the hallways."

The blonde looked surprised and asked.

"It was you the noises in the hallway?"

Steven thought.

'Alright. If the world becomes a Role Playing Game, I put all my skill points into Stealth. '

Then he confessed.

"Yeah it was us. She wanted me to play with her ..."

"Wait a minute." The girl interrupted him. "You are an intruder and the first thing my sister ask you... It's to play?"

Steven seemed embarrassed. He rubbed his neck admitting.

"Yeah for me too it seemed odd. I wanted to protest, really. But there's no way to say no to her."

Elsa could not help but smile at that. She knew exactly what he meant. Steven looked at her and told her.

"She told me about you, you know. She missed you today."

Immediately, the smile of the little girl disappeared. The Geek noticed her sad face.

'Me and my big mouth ...' thought he. 'I'm sure it's possible to put the Death Star inside.'

So, he added quickly.

"But she's fine. She was very happy when we separated. We played a long moment after all."

Elsa sighed in relief and smiled, but her eyes remained full of melancholy. Steven, a little sad for Anna, and the heart a little heavy, gently asked to the blonde.

"Why do you not talk to her anymore?"

This question catches Elsa off guard. She just looked at her hands, not answering. Steven watched the child and the ice on the walls. He ventured.

"It's because of your power. Is it not?"

The princess confirmed with a nod, before imploring the intruder, close to tears.

"Go away ... Please ... Whoever you are. I do not want to hurt you."

Steven had to admit he was surprised. A stranger was in her room, frightened her horribly, but she still wouldn't threaten or hurt him. If she had said this stammering, he would have thought she was naive and stupid.

But she was close to tears. She was sincere. She was not naive, but nice. Really nice. Her innocence touched Steven. He was then more ashamed to have frightened her.

He wanted to leave, but a part of him wanted first to try to repair his mistake. He tried to understand, even only a little. Considering what he learned and what he saw, he thought to grasp what she was feeling.

"Your powers frighten you." He kindly concluded.

Elsa approved. The Geek tried to reassure her.

"I think they are great."

The girl acknowledged him, still chagrined.

"I also liked them ... before."

Steven tried.

"What has changed?"

The princess did not answer. She closed her eyes, as full of shame.

Steven then did what he did better than anything. Thinking life as the scenario of one of the stories he loved. He took the puzzle pieces he had in mind and thought aloud.

"You're afraid to hurt people. And you say that before, you loved your powers. That probably means that you have hurt someone. And, overnight, you do not speak anymore to your sister for some reason she does not know, while you were quite spending your entire life together before, she said. But she never told me about your powers, as if she didn't know about it... The most logical conclusion would be that you have hurt her, and she had lost her memory then ... "

'That said, I wonder, given the area, where her parents could possibly have found a Men in Black's Neurolaser.' Steven thought.

But the shocked face of the girl surprised him.

"I am right?" He asked, confused.

Elsa, at the time, did not know what to say. With quite nothing, the intruder had discovered everything. The little princess then began to panic.

"Please." She implored. "Please do not tell her."

Steven arched an eyebrow.

"Why?"

Elsa explained to the intruder.

"It is to protect everyone from my powers that I isolated myself. Until I can control them, I must avoid any contact as much as possible. If she found out all of this ... Who knows how she would react? "

Steven thought it was sad. But somehow, he understood her choice. If she could not control them, she might indeed cause injury. Even if he thought, remembering Anna, she was isolating a bit too much. But he could imagine that, if the little red-haired sister learned about all of this, or she would feel betrayed, or she would do anything to get Elsa out. She was probably too young to know the truth.

"OK." He agreed, reluctantly. "I will not tell her anything."

Elsa seemed relieved.

"But you know ..." said the geek. "She misses you. You could at least talk to her through your door."

The princess looked at the intruder with big eyes. Some ice formed again.

"It's not a good idea." She Said.

"Why?" Replied the young man.

"Because if we start talking ... She might discover my powers."

"She already comes to your door every day. Don't You think she would have noticed something by now?"

He added with a deep melancholy.

"And believe me, you're hurting her much more by ignoring her than anything else."

Elsa tried to reply. But, feeling the emotion he had put in his words, she didn't know what to say. She mumbled weakly but was cut by attempting in vain to hold a yawn.

Steven realized that it must be late, especially for a child. He apologized to her.

"I'm sorry, I'm keeping you awake. You should go back to bed."

The princess incredulously asked.

"... What about you?"

"I'll just go. Don't worry."

Elsa hesitated. But eventually return to her mattress, keeping her icy blue eyes on the intruder. She really did not know what to think. She knew nothing about him except his name. She did not know what he was doing here and how he had entered. This whole story and emotions made her forgot to ask. Elsa went back under her blanket while Steven remained at a good distance, to not worried her. But, after that, Elsa stood for a moment in silence, looking at him from the corner of her eyes. Finally, she had to admit, sighing.

"I'm tired but ... I do not think I can sleep now."

The girl had no peace of mind. With the mysterious intruder, her regrets toward Anna, the fear of her powers, and what that Steven had told her... She had a lot to think.

The Geek understood this. He thought.

'Okay. How to make a princess sleep? A lullaby? No, I do not know any, and I don't like to sing. To prick her with a needle. No, I don't think so. A poisoned apple? Uh No! Calm Down Steven. How would you do with an ordinary little girl? '

He had an idea. He felt a little silly, but he tried.

"You want me to tell you a story?"

The princess looked at the young man with stunned eyes. Steven, red with shame, sputtered, going away toward the door.

"F ... Forget it. I leave you."

He grabbed the handle of the door and heard Elsa saying.

"Wait!"

The intruder stopped. Then he turned his head. The princess seemed both embarrassed and shocked by her own reaction. She should have just let him go. Why did she not? He was a stranger. The truth, she knew it, though she wouldn't admit it: she wanted some company, just a little longer, especially from someone who seemed to enjoy her powers.

Steven let go the handle. Then he asked, a bit surprised.

"You really want a story?"

The girl blushed with shame, almost completely losing her pale skin. She replied, without looking at him.

"Of ... Of course not. I ... I'm the Crown Princess. I cannot waste my time with that kind of childishness."

Elsa was hypocrite. Her parents actually said she was too old for stories, but the truth was that she loved it. She read, of course, but she missed it a little. She just wanted to avoid losing face in front of a complete stranger who infiltrated her room.

But Steven didn't care. Like any geek, he loved to tell adventures, especially those he had lived on his consoles. So he returned to the bed, saying, with a smile.

"Nonsense! Everyone loves stories."

The princess remained speechless again, torn between let him go and do not be alone.

The geek considered what story he could told her.

'I need one she can understand and love. So, no Doctor Who's episodes or Star Wars ... It makes me sad for her. "

Then he remembered the little sister on his arrival. He spoke briefly to her about Narnia. But after careful considerations, he thought it was a VERY bad idea.

'A story with a wicked Witch causing winter ... Not good for her self-confidence.'

He then simply chooses one of his favorite stories.

"Fine. I'll tell you the story of Bilbo the hobbit."

So, Steven began his story, without allowing time to Elsa to say anything. He told the story of Bilbo with all his heart, with a version looking more like the movie than the book, to be sure she has a lot of fun. And it seemed to work. The Ice princess tried to not become milder, but before Bilbo could leave to the adventure, she could not help laughing when Steven the words with actions during the funniest moments. Especially when he sung as the dwarves during their banquet.

But the story didn't last a long time. The more he narrated, the more Elsa felt asleep. And when Steven began to sing the Misty Mountains Colds, Elsa, the fatigue and the soft-deep tone of the song's helping, began to close her eyes.

Steven did not realize it until the passage where Bilbo joined the company of Thorin Oaken shield. He almost felt annoyed that she fell asleep in the middle of his favorite story. But he remembered that it was the main goal. And he had to admit she was adorable when she was asleep.

He sighed, satisfied, and goes to the door, stealthily.

He heard Elsa's bedcover. He glanced at her. He heard her mumbling, eyes closed and smiling.

"Who are you?"

Steven smiled. Seriously, he loved this dream.

"Just a dreamer." He answered.

Then his vision became hazy. He felt more and more ... elsewhere. As if he had one foot here and one at the other end of the galaxy. Until he sees a large white light.

After one minute, not having heard the door opening. Elsa opened her eyes. But she no longer saw any trace of Steven. She looked all around her, but nothing. She did not fell asleep, she believed.

'Did I hear wrong?' Thought the princess. '... Was it just a dream? '

She preferred these possibilities to the third.

'Did I become crazy?'

Concerned at the point to cover the walls of frosts. Elsa chose to try to get back to sleep. She was a little troubled. So, although it seemed a bit strange, she remembered the last song his visitor, or his dream, had sung to her.

"Far over the Misty Mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day,
To find our long-forgotten gold

The pines were roaring on the height
The winds were moaning in the night
The fire was red, it flaming spread
The trees like torches blazed with light..."

In an instant, the princess fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, the king, his wife and their daughter, Anna, took their breakfast quietly. Elsa eating in her room, the little redhead hadn't many people to chat with. Which made her eat and go fast in general.

Today, however, the princess seemed elsewhere. Her mother, the Queen, noticed and asked her daughter.

"Anna? Is something wrong?"

The girl stops to daydream. She tried to tell her.

"No mom. Everything's okay."

"Honey, you've barely eaten anything." Indicated the king.

Anna was thinking about the night she spent with her new friend. And especially about his disappearance. So, she took a certain risk by asking his parents.

"I was wondering ... What kind of being can appear and disappear anytime?"

The King and Queen looked curiously.

"This is what occupies your mind?" Skeptically asked the queen.

Anna insisted inventing a lie.

"Yes yes. I read a story with a character like that, but I do not know how you called it."

His mother was not fully convinced, but the king seemed more receptive.

"What then do this character?" He questioned.

"Well, as I said, he can appear and disappear. Simply."

"Like a ghost?" Tried her father.

"No, it's not the same thing." Gently corrected the girl. "He wasn't bad or scary. In fact, the heroine of the story prays for help, and he appears like that, out of nowhere. He was very nice and helped her a lot ..."

"Oh, like a guardian angel, then?" Suggested the queen.

Anna thought about that and concluded with a smile.

"Yes, that's it. That's exactly what it is. Thank you, mom."

The parents smiled at seeing their daughter regaining her appetite. Then she went out to the white door with blue designs of her sister's room and knocked.

"Elsa Elsa" Called the little girl. "I must tell you something!"

Her sister was finishing to eat at her desk when she knocked. Elsa tried to ignore her as much as possible, even if it hurts her heart.

"Elsa" Insisted the little excited. "Don't tell me you are still asleep."

"Go away Anna." Gently ordered the little blonde.

"But I must tell you ..." The redhead sighed, disappointed. Then she said, sitting in front of the door. "Well, just listen to me then."

Against that, Elsa couldn't do anything. But nothing could prepare her for what Anna told cheerfully her.

"Last night, I was quietly in my bed, I could not sleep actually. So, I went to the window to see the stars and saw a shooting star. I wished that everything came back to normal between us. "

Elsa sighed at that. Especially since her sister seemed to forget that, for a wish to come true, it must not be revealed. Anna continued.

"Then after, I saw a second shooting star! You imagine that? Two shooting stars?! I didn't know what to wish for. So, I asked, politely of course, like Mom's learned to us, to have a friend. "

The blonde princess felt ashamed instantly. It was her fault after all if her sister needed to pray for company. While she drank her tea, Anna said, excitedly.

"And then my closet began to make noises. I was scared I confess. But I approached, I opened the door and then, you'll never believe me, there was a little boy named Steven inside. "

Elsa spat her tea with shocked eyes.

Anna seemed to not have heard it, carried away by her story. She told her how much this little intruder was weird, how he was dressed in a singular way. The amazement of Elsa grew up as her sister described him.

'Impossible.' She thought. 'It was just a dream ...'

Then the redhead talked about her evening in every detail. Elsa came close to the door to listen. The whole fantasy adventure that she and Steven had lived gave a smile to the blonde princess. Although she was a bit disturbed to be the damsel in distress in their scenario.

Then Anna confessed to her sister that she had told Steven what she felt since she was isolated, especially on her birthday. It saddened the ice princess to hear that. But Anna added, smiling.

" When he saw me So sad, he gave me a gift."

This surprised the young blonde.

Her little sister explained that she tried to refuse, but that she was stopped by the intruder. She then did an imitation of Steven telling her the three reasons to accept his gift.

"I didn't know what to say." Anna admitted. "So, I let him pass me one of his pendants around the neck. Look, it is beautiful is it not?"

The young redhead placed her gift in front of the keyhole. Elsa, more curious than usual, looked across and saw the famous silver pentacle, ornamented with small icy blue stones.

"I'll wear it every day I think." Announced the little red hair.

She then told her how their parents almost find him, because of her, but he had disappeared without a trace. Elsa, strangely, didn't thought it was so hard to believe it. She was even reassured.

'Incredible. 'She thought. 'We couldn't have the same dream ... or become both crazy.'

The platinum blonde almost laughed in relief. She had not lost her mind. But it therefore meant that something very strange was happening at the castle.

"Well, err ..." Hesitated Anna. "I'll go then. See you later Elsa."

It was at this moment that, in a second, Elsa remembered the discussion she had with Steven. Especially what impressed her by the sad sincerity she felt at this moment.

'And believe me, you're hurting her much more by ignoring her than anything else.'

"Anna ..." she whispered.

The red-haired princess stopped suddenly, baffled. Her big sister had just spoken to her, and not to tell her to leave. Anna turned, smiling, and then asked happily.

"Elsa? What's the matter?"

"I ... I saw him too."

Anna did not have to think to understand what she meant.

"You have seen Steven?" She asked, excited.

"Yes ... He was here last night."

The blonde princess then told what happened, omitting any details related to the ice. Which obliged her to lie about their first contact. She had to tell him that he was very happy to see her, rather than being fascinated by her ice powers. Then, a little embarrassed, Elsa told her about the story.

"He told you a story?" Asked Anna.

Elsa admitted, with red cheeks.

"That's great!" Spoke the little red haired. "Can you tell it to me? Oh, tell me tell me tell me."

Elsa laughed a lot. She felt strangely good. She had done everything to stop talking to her sister, thinking that everything would go well with time. But she had to admit: to talk with Anna made her happier than ever. And she felt that Anna too. She knew she would not open the door and continue to stay in her office to be learn control, but to talk a little with her little sister could only be a good thing. At least she hoped.

But for now, she didn't preoccupy about that. She just wanted to talk with her little sister.

The Crown Princess told the beginning of the story she could listen before collapsing from fatigue. Anna wanted to know what happen next, as Elsa. They then spoke about the characters, the adventure that awaited the famous Bilbo and Anna even began to sing "That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!", Making her big sister laugh again. To Hear this song from Anna was even more funny and adorable than with Steven. It really was a good time.

After that, Elsa, curious, asked her little sister.

"In your opinion Anna ... Who is this Steven?"

The little red explained.

"I asked Mom and Dad what kind of people could appear and disappear like that, not to mention Steven course, I do not want that they separate us you see. Dad proposed a ghost, but I did not agree. And when I said he was there because someone asked for help, mom said: A Guardian Angel. "

This answer greatly surprised Elsa. Yet, somehow, it seemed the most plausible answer yet.

"He didn't tell you?" Questioned the young redhead.

Elsa almost say no. But she remembered what had happened just before she fell asleep. The blonde then informed her little sister.

"Before disappearing, as with you, he told me ... that he was a dreamer."

Anna was not sure to understand. Elsa admitted that she neither. But they were certain of one thing, they hoped to see him soon.

For better, and for worse, he had brought together the two princesses of Arendelle.

Meanwhile, to the Troll's village, everybody was happily minding his own business. With the exception of the leader of this little gray like stone people, which was a little away and seemed very concerned. Having noticed his attitude, Bulda approached him. She discovered him rotating tassels, with engraved runes, on a drawing made on the ground with his stick. She ventured to interrupt him.

"Grand Pabbie? Is everything okay?"

The old troll turned to her, looking worried.

"That night, I had a hunch ... my daughter."

"What are you talking about? Are we in danger?"

"I don't know. I woke up in the middle of the night with a strange feeling. A feeling that I knew only by the myths that conveyed my father, who got them from his father, who got it from his own, and so on to our earliest ancestors. I then felt it twice. "

He shot again tassels on the drawing but seemed still not satisfied.

"Was it terrible father?"

"It was not terrible or painful." Grand Pabbie reassured. "It's what it might announce that worries me."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It could mean a lot of things ... But I confess that few of them are encouraging."

Bulda seemed even more concerned than her father. She tried.

"Maybe you just had a dream."

"No Bulda. I know dreams. What I felt was very close of this, but much more powerful."

"But then ... What can we do?"

Grand Pabbie looked at her with a reassuring face.

"There is nothing to fear my daughter. I have found absolutely nothing, and I have not felt it since last night. Trust me, if there was something to fear, I would have told you. "

The troll recovered her serenity. Then she left, saying she had to wake up her son and his animal. Only when she was far enough, Grand Pabbie looked once again to the runes, with an anxious face. He retrieved his tassels, erased his drawing and turned to another troll. Just praying that what he had felt does not recur.

List of references:

Dungeons & Dragons, Star Wars, Men in Black, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Doctor Who, Star Wars, Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit