Chapter 11
"The lyrics, they are carved in another memory."
A memory whose door is always open.
This is the By Heart. And, in the By Heart, you can also put your soul.
Jean-Pierre Darroussin
There is not so much things that can resist to time. And memories are not one of them. Only those to whom we are most attached, those who have changed our life, have a chance to survive longer than the others. Like the sands of an unstoppable river. The current carries those on which it passes again and again, bringing them forever into oblivion. But there are some who become big rocks, heavy and colorful. These ones can remain rooted in our mind until the end. For better, for worse, they are as powerful as they were the day of their birth. A rock in the storm or a burden we learn to bear.
The Princess Anna had plenty of time to sift her mind. She had kept some precious and truly beautiful diamonds. Often very heavy, but priceless.
Unfortunately, she was going to discover that it also happens that life decides to take some of our stones to throw them into a well, without mercy or distinction.
Under a bright summer sun, the Arendelle princess was turning around on her bicycle, zigzagging between the fountains. Her bored face was a disconcerting paradox by such a beautiful day. The girl finished her forty-second complete tour of the court (because she was counting them now) before stopping for a second. Her sad face turned to the dream-blue sky. Some gulls passed, shouting merrily above the ramparts. The teenager sighed wearily before starting to turn around again. All this took place under the sad gaze of her mother, the queen, who was watching this melancholy routine from her window.
The lady in purple dress could not help but feeling hurt seeing her daughter like this. She had just celebrated her fifteenth anniversary and it did not seem to matter to her. The princess tried to hide her weariness the other night, when her parents had given her magnificent presents. The king was never very good at seeing what really felt her daughters, but they could not deceive their mother, especially Anna.
With each passing day, the queen saw how her daughters were not happy. She had done everything she could, but nothing seemed to help. Although Anna often shone with a seemingly endless energy, she often fell into apathy because she didn't know what to do. And it was even worse for Elsa as her own boredom added to the anxiety related to this poisonous magic.
The princess whit a white strand pedaled with a face that showed her as partially disconnected from reality. She seemed to automatically roll while her voice was reaching to her mother's ears with a melancholic melody she knew too well.
Come
Taste the wine
Race the blind
They will guide you from the light
Writing noughts till the end of time
The Queen Iduna sighed. She had heard this song in the mouth of her daughter countless times this last years. And she knew exactly because of what. The lady was sad to see her daughter constantly rehashing this melody. But she dared not tell her because she knew how important it was for her child. None of them, not even Elsa, had seen this strange and incomprehensible boy for a long time, seven years. That said, she might think it was a good thing, but this bittersweet chorus sometimes made her doubt of this certitude.
The song interrupted when the princess, lost in thought, put her hand in his neck. This almost unconscious gesture made her lost control of her bike and fell to the ground with a small scream of surprise. The queen, frightened at the time, was quickly reassured by seeing her daughter moving without complaint. She wondered if it was indeed a good thing.
Anna heavily laid on the floor of the court. She felt nothing at the time. She just looked at clouds wistfully passing over her, driven by a silent wind. She wondered if the wind itself had decided to not entertain her.
The sovereign turned from the window with a heavy heart. She sat at her dressing table and tried to put some order in her mind. What could she do to help her daughters? That was the question that arose her every day since that terrible accident with Elsa's powers. She would have offered them the silkiest dresses and the most precious jewels in the entire world if it could make them smile. But she had the feeling of already having done this. And she didn't dare speaking about this with her husband, King Agnarr, convinced that she would fail to convince him to change anything he ordered to protect his little princesses.
She had enough. With Elsa who had locked herself in her, studying all the time and Anna who seemed each day closer from depression, the queen didn't know what to do. She looked in the mirror and noticed how despair was marking her lovely face.
Tired, she began to join her hands and pray.
"Please, she begged in a pained breath. All I want is to see my daughters happy. I'd do anything for them. So I beg you. Whatever I have to do, please make my children smile. I beg you. "
She prayed with all her heart ... for two seconds. A short time which was suddenly interrupted, to the amazement of the sovereign, by a funny confused and completely misplaced voice.
"Well this is new! Where did you sent me Scotty?"
The aristocrat turned her stunned face to the origin of these unexpected words. But what she discovered made her stay frozen in silence. She was not certain to believe what she saw.
Near the window before which she stood a moment ago, a young man in black was standing, not looking in her direction. She could not see his face, but he seemed a little baffled. The intruder spoke lightly, rubbing his messed brown hair.
"And I thought I would never dream again, I must admit..."
He paused before saying, looking baffled.
"Why do I feel like I'm not dreaming?"
The young man began to look at the little room where he was. But, by a strange coincidence, he didn't turn around, and therefore he did not know he was not alone. The Queen Iduna was still paralyzed with amazement because of this stranger appearing out of nowhere. The long black coat that reached his ankles was as dark as a starless night, which don't reassure her.
"But what is this place? Questioned the intruder. The Spencer Mansion? Hmmm ... No, it's not really Victorian ..."
The inexplicable irruption of this man, the strangeness of his style and his words eventually affected the amazement of the aristocrat. She jumped from her chair screaming.
"WHO ARE YOU ?!"
The scream of the woman made the young man turned with a roar and very rude gestures of panic. But they cut themselves off suddenly when the stranger disappeared into the air.
The lady froze again before looking frantically around her. She found nothing. It was as if the stranger had never been there. She wondered for a moment if she had become mad.
When she regained some calm, the lady began to think about what she had seen and felt something that she did not expect: a sense of Déjà Vu.
These sudden and inexplicable appearances, these incomprehensible words ... and when he turned around, the Queen would have sworn she saw some kind of crazy strand on his forehead.
All this reminded something to her. When she remembered what it was, she refused to believe it. It had been so long since his last appearance... Then her room's door opened quickly on his second occupant.
"Iduna! Is there a problem?" Said the worried king.
The queen realized that her scream probably alerted her husband in their office next door. He was also accompanied by a pair of guards. Although she wanted to talk about what happened, she knew it was impossible. She would have to tell him everything and feared the reaction of the Arendelle's sovereign. She imagined him as able to think she was crazy than becoming enraged. She preferred therefore to lie.
"N... Nothing Agnarr. I fell asleep ... and had a bad dream."
The puzzled look of the king embarrassed the purple lady, especially saying this in front of the guards. The ruler sighed before saying with a serious relief.
"Thank God you're okay. You should help me a little to take your mind off in this case."
The woman hesitated before approving with a nod. The sovereign returned to his office to resume his duties as king. The queen felt free to breathe again. However, her concern did not disappear.
This young man who had appeared in the middle of the royal chamber reminded her of the one Anna called Steven Ryan, being the most impossible and incomprehensible person, she had ever seen. That scared her. She wanted to know where he was now. She had an idea about the answer and had the strong desire to go and check, but it would have aroused the suspicions of her husband if she did not join him on.
A deeper memory came to her mind and soothed somewhat her mind. Even if this was not enough to calm her, it was sufficient to make her accept to wait a bit.
She could only pray that the Steven wandering now in the castle was the same boy she hugged and consoled years ago.
At the same time
Elsewhere in the castle
Of all parts of the palace, the quieter at this time was a far too big room for the single bed it contained. Some furniture was indeed present, but they were kind of reduced by the oppressive appearance of the room.
However, the sudden appearance of a miserably screaming teenager in a Stupid Kung Fu position changed this perfectly.
The intruder stood frozen for a moment in this ridiculous position, quite disoriented, before suggesting with puzzlement.
"Uh ... I don't think I'm taking so much risk saying that there was someone right there ..."
He looked around him.
"And that it is absolutely not the same room as before."
He took a more natural posture before proposing, observing around him and pummeling his pentacle with red stones.
"Okay then either I became Diablo from X-men, or my dreams have many bugs..."
He frowned growling before asking.
"But why do I have this feeling of not being dreaming? This is the most logical answer. Even after many years in the middle of completely OP ninjas, despite this Pandora-thing, I never did anything like that ... which a shame because it's super awesome. "
The Geek stopped when he heard the creak of a wooden door behind him, which made him turn around. He saw entering a redhead with pigtails and a dress that had nothing in common with what he was accustomed to see. This was clearly a European style.
The damsel, who seemed a bit younger than him, closed the door behind her before turning her sad face. When the geek was finally within her field of vision, the lady with the white strand froze. First surprise, her mind suddenly became very intrigued. From the moment she laid her eyes on the stranger, she mysteriously thought that he looked familiar, which prevented her from screaming. The Geek, having no idea how to react, just stood there confused, eyes fixed on the girl.
Over the lady was watching over his feelings seemed to confirm. She had the impression of having already seen these three small chains on a belt, this necklace with a pentacle and red stones, these brown hairs slightly mussed... But she had a flash seeing the little slim strand on the foreigner's forehead.
She made a slight step forward by asking shyly, as if she dared believe it.
"Steven?"
The young man became more surprised than before. But he was so lost and tensed that he could only respond hesitantly.
"Uh ... Yeah, that's my name."
And after another second of troubling fixation, the face of the young girl passed really fast from amazement to joy, before jumping without warning on the geek to hug him, screaming.
"Steven!"
The lady jumped with such energy that they both felt on the ground. The boy in black didn't understood anything of course, but he didn't have the opportunity to think long because the girl held him so hard, he choked, suffering like all the bones of his body were breaking up.
"You're back! Exclaimed the girl. You're really back! I'm so happy!"
Steven replied with a choking voice.
"So, stop reducing my HP!"
The lady finally let Steven go, standing up looking very cheerful.
"Sorry sorry. She apologized. But it's been so long since the last time we met that I ..."
"Wowowow calm down power puff girl. Interjected the geek. We know each other?"
The euphoria of the girl disappeared in one go, replaced by misunderstanding.
"Of course we do, she recalled with surprise, you don't remember me? It's me: Anna."
The otaku with a pentacle hesitated hearing that name. He had the impression of having already seen this young redhead somewhere. He carefully observed her, which gave some hope to the princess.
The geek finally had an idea cogito and mentally.
'Red hair with a white strand, the first name is Anna and this in a colorful place ... It looks furiously like one of the Frozen's heroines I saw from time to time on the net. But how could I dream of it? I've never seen that movie. Although Ria tried to convince me to do it. It really must be a dream. '
He had a new deep and inexplicable feeling denying this conclusion. This troubled him much, but he left that aside for the moment. The metalhead was certain of one thing anyway, and he said without hesitation.
"I'm sorry but ... I don't think we ever met."
Anna seemed troubled again. It was like being hit by a dagger in the heart.
"What? She worried. What do you mean? We already met. It was a long time ago but..."
"And I say that it's impossible. I never have or even COULD have met."
"Why?"
"Because I am absolutely not from here and I have no way, right now, to be here, in a place like this IRL."
"Yes, you can, the lady insisted, you have the ability to go from one place to another in an instant. And you it involuntarily."
Steven winced upon hearing this and considered.
'Uh ... It's true that It's technically what I have done two minutes ago, but this is not so surprising in a...'
His mind was beginning to make him hesitate to even think about the word 'dream'. Steven began to stress to not understand why.
"Listen, tried the geek, it's just impossible, okay? Unless I became some kind of character from Dreamfall, I cannot come here. You ... you must be confusing me with someone else."
The girl seemed to find a little more enthusiasm and asserted.
"No, I'm certain. You wear crazy clothes and do odd references that no one understands. It must be you."
Steven thought with exasperation.
'Crazy?! Odd! '
He could not help but replicate quickly.
"What's the matter with my clothes? You see this black jacket? It's as classy as Reaper's one. Just by entering on the arena they give me the play of the game with that. "
Anna replied with a disturbing excitement.
"I don't understand anything! It is indeed You!"
The metalhead was getting angry.
"But I'm telling you it's impossible! And how could my clothes indicate that I'm the one you know and not someone else?"
Anna asked half amused.
"You're going to pretend that you do not possess clothing with wolves before an aurora borealis or with a gray dragon holding a sword?"
This sentence smacked Steven's spirit as a mental rock was falling on the top of his skull.
"Besides, I'm surprised you're wearing something as simple with your jacket."
Steven hesitated but answered to gain time to think.
"Well ... After washing them every day they washed off. I had to buy more t-shirt and plain white suits with my coat."
The Otaku thought anxiously.
'How can she know that? This is clearly not the kind of world where someone would wear the same stuff than me. No, it must be...'
The unknown sentiment declined this conclusion. Steven tried in vain to understand why he had this feeling but could not find an answer. This certainty of not being in a dream seemed engraved in his subconscious.
The metalhead tried again to contradict the redhead asking.
"And how do you explain that I have no memory of you? And do not tell me something looking like Remember Me, you clearly do not have technological level for that."
The lady did not think about the reference and surmised.
"Perhaps you have amnesia. You probably were smashed on the head."
"That's exactly what I was talking about. You could have at least added a device of targeted memories deletion in your assumption to make it more plausible ..."
'How is it plausible?' Thought the princess.
"You don't think you'll convince me with that, I hope. Do you?" Objected the geek.
Anna thought for a moment and then a bright idea seemed to cross her mind. She grabbed a string around her neck announcing.
"If I cannot convince you then ..." She pulled the cord and revealed to the geek the jewel she was hiding under her dress. "Maybe the gift you gave me will."
Steven didn't understand anything of course at the time, but when he saw more clearly what the girl was wearing around her neck, he froze with amazement. What he saw could not be possible except in a dream, but he could barely think about this possibility. The heroine of a Disney movie was wearing his pentacle with blue stones.
Steven stood for a moment in shock before sputtering.
"But ... It's ... It's mine ! I thought it had been stolen a long time ago. How did you get this?"
The damsel answered smiling more than before.
"It is you who gave it to me for my seventh birthday. I didn't want it, as it was your medallion, but you gave me three reasons to accept it against which I couldn't replicate anything."
"That ... actually looks like something I'd do ..."
"And one day, you saved me from a fall that would have been terrible, I understand it today, and you told me that you would never abandon me and take care of me. You promised me. And Steven Ryan ALWAYS keeps his promises. "
The geek had indeed reached the point where he could be messed with a statue. He had not been stunned since the big revelation of the Empire Strikes Back movie. It was embarrassing but it was in fact the kind of thing he would have said to someone he would have given one of his medallions. But it always seemed as impossible.
None of it made sense except in a dream, but this invasive sensation had decided to persecute his doubts about the reality of these places. His reason was hammering him that it was impossible, but something refused this logical explanation. He felt that Mulder and Scully were arguing in his own head.
Only he still refused to believe it. Stress accumulated in him to the point of making him turned his back to the girl and take his head in his hands, groaning. He needed to feel more isolated internally to fight against these conflicting emotions.
Anna, despite her concerns for the young man, thought that, insisting a little, she could probably convince him that they knew each other. She tried to find something that would be powerful enough to tickle his memory.
And finally, a memory came to her mind. One she kept thinking about almost every day for nearly seven years.
While Steven was torturing his head between his hands, the girl sang a chorus with the softness of a spring bird.
Leave the sleep and let the springtime talk
In tongues from the time before man
The Geek stopped suddenly. As if that voice had swept away his thoughts like a caressing breath.
Listen to a daffodil tell her tale
Let the guest in, walk out, be the first to greet the morn
The teen with chains turned slowly, eyes wide. He knew this song of course, but there was more than that. This whole scene seemed a bit familiar.
The meadows of heaven await harvest
The cliffs unjumped, cold waters untouched
The creatures yet unseen elsewhere
Finally your number cam up, free fall awaits the brave
Steven still didn't understand, but his mind wasn't thinking anymore for now. All he could understand was how astonishing this scene was. This song, with that voice, calmed his soul. It was a treasure long lost and forgotten, but finally recovered.
Come
Taste the wine
Race the blind
They will guide you from the light
Writing noughts till the end of time
Come
Surfing the clouds
The Dark Race
It feeds from the runs undone
Meet Me Where the cliff greets the sea
The girl stopped singing as gently as a feather landing on the ground. She watched the metalhead and saw his bewilderment.
The teenager could not understand how or why. He was invaded by a light but so impossible feeling that its very existence was shaking the foundations of his mind. Familiarity, happiness, melancholy ... Nothing he should have felt hearing the song a dreamed character that he had never seen before. His reason felt tired, really tired.
The damsel then innocently gave the final push.
"You perhaps do not remember, she told, but I've never forgotten the day when you used this strange device to make me listen to this wonderful song. I didn't forget the RPG games we did together. Even less the Middle-earth's legends you told me. I know you like the story of Bilbo very much and that keeping your promises is very important to you. "
Under the lost gaze of the geek, the redheaded lady grabbed the side of her dress and did a slight bow announcing.
"If you really do not remember, let me introduce myself again then. My name is Anna, princess of Arendelle and protégé of the best guardian angel ever: Steven Ryan"
There was silence between the two teenagers. But after a strangely long time, in the head of the geek, a small voice said.
'Uh ... Could anyone reboot the system please?'
References:
Star Trek, Resident Evil, X-Men, The Power puff girls, Dreamfall, Overwatch, Remember Me, Star Wars, X-Files, The Lord of the Rings