Elsa woke up to a gorgeous glowing orb at the end of the horizon. The orange bounces off the water into the sky and Elsa pets the lizard by her side. That humming noise echoes over the hills again, and she looks off into the water, and something amazing happens.
A crater of ice bursts from the water causing a huge splash that sends dangerously high waves which crash on the shore down below. Elsa's eyes light up.
"Oh my God." Elsa stands up, stomping her feet on the ground to get feeling back in her legs before jamming her feet into her boots. "Hey. Will you protect those people in that village for me?" The lizard looks up at her with sad eyes. "I'll be back one of these days." The lizard looks happy again and bounces its way into the bushes, out of sight. Elsa makes her way down to the water.
Thirty Minutes Later
She's staring at the water which is brushing up against her boots. Ok. One. Two. She sprints forward, using her ice to push the water back so she has a path. She gets decently far, running as fast as she ever has before. Then a huge wave that could knock the life out of her is coming from twenty feet above her head and she panics. She puts a shield of ice over her head, but the weight of the water is too much for it, and it shatters. Elsa falls deep into the water. The strength of the wave continues to push her down, and she struggles to swim back to get air.
Hhhh. She's losing her strength. Her heart is pounding in her ears and neck yet her eyes start closing. She's suffocating on water which is filling her lungs. It's more painful than anything she has felt in her whole life.
….
It all goes black.
….
Then she's back on top of the water, she feels like she's galloping. And she is. On top of some sort of water horse that startles her to the point that she falls back into the water, waving her arms and legs wildly. The horse swoops back down and she freezes it, grabbing onto it and jumping off it to get out of the water—
"GAaaasp!" The vibrant blue horse gets between her legs and takes her off on the direction of the ice castle. She swats her drenched hair out of her eyes and hugs the horse by its neck. "Ok," Elsa croaks, almost crying. "Thank you so much." Her voice is shredded so she chooses not to talk again. Just keeping her eyes set straight ahead on the castle that's coming better and better into view. The closer she gets the harder her heart pounds. I'm not sure I've ever been so excited for something in my entire life. It feels more right the further I've come.
Woooo-oh, oooooh-oh!
The horse gallops over the last inches of water and kicks at the ice on the brand new shore. Of course it's an ice castle… water and ice are so similar in what they can do. Elsa swings her leg over one side and drops off the horse. It bows it's head to her and she nods her head back. It turns with it's watery hair that splashes the land and leaps back into the water. Elsa feels herself tremble, knowing it isn't from the cold. She looks up at the massive ice structure in front of her and makes her way inside.
"This is amazing," she says with her jaw hung. There are pinks and blues and yellows underneath the tight ice corridors that she has to crouch down to pass through.
Woooo-oh, oooooh-oh!
"Show yourself!" Elsa calls out, dragging a hand along the wall. "Don't be afraid of me! I've wanted to see you all of my life. Let me see you!" The numb fear she was so aware of slips out of her mind. A bright orb of light below her feet sings and scurries down the path. Elsa sprints after it, creating ice pedestals to hop over a huge open pitfall. She leaps a foot into the air and continues chasing after the light. Her geels dig into the ice and she's faced with a cliff, seeing the light drop down into it until it flickers out. "Here we go!" She jumps into it, bracing herself for anything.
THUMP!
She gets low to her knees to take the impact and she stands shakily. There's dark blue water up to her ankles. Olaf says water has memories. Elsa bends down and hesitates before touching her ice to top of the water. SHWWWWWWWW—TCH—TCH. The pit she's in slowly comes to life, and it lights up with bright pinks, where moving sculptures of her and people in her life erect from the water. She walks through them, her eyes wide and her chest soaring.
Let it Gooo! Let it go— Elsa groans and looks away from that one with a pout on her face. I don't even know WHAT I was thinking back then, Elsa thinks tiredly. She steps over a white snowflake on the ground and suddenly five diamond shaped pieces of ice came up from the floor. She inspects them one by one.
"Earth. Wind. Fire. Water." The one on the center is the fifth, and Elsa pokes it. The piece lights up. It's freezes over. "Ice…?" Elsa gasps. "ICE! I'm—I'M the fifth element?!"
Woooo-oh, oooooh-oh!
Elsa's eyes water and the pieces drop back into the water he's standing in. She looks up and there's a hand on her shoulder. She spins around, her braid hitting the other side of her face.
"M-Mother?!" Her mother is standing in front of her, made of solid blue ice. She's smiling at Elsa and she opens her arms wide. Elsa's eyes explode with tears and she throws herself into Queen Iduna's arms, taking them back a step. She cries against her mother's shoulders. "I-how is this—did you have any idea? I never thought there were more—I—" Her mother shushes her and she feels her hard lips kiss the side of her head. Elsa sniffs and her mother lets go. The sound of a quiet moan breaks Elsa from her crying and both she and her Iduna look to the left. The scenes of her life are still scattered around this place.
And then a very specific moment lights up in front of her and her mother. Elsa's whole body clenches and she's absolutely mortified. Burning anxiety and sickening stomach pains are what she's feeling the strongest. She hugs herself and tries to block this particular scene from her mother with her small frame.
"Oh God—Mother I—" her mother shushes her again and Elsa grabs at the back of her neck, scratching it roughly. It's the moment Anna gave herself to Elsa for the first time a few months ago, fully replayed in all of its intimacy. Elsa's brows are nearly meeting and fresh tears are coming for a different reason. She and her mother are just standing there, experiencing it in a new bizarre way Elsa never thought was possible. Her mother turns to her, her face looking peaceful. "I'm so sorry," Elsa says with her head down. "I couldn't control myself. I never wanted you to know." Elsa sniffs and her mother lifts her chin for her.
"I always knew," Iduna says in the soft voice Elsa remembered so well. "I'm not in the same place as you two any longer. I've come to appreciate life in a new way and I don't care whether you two stay as sisters or somehow become more than that." Elsa's looking at her like she's speaking some sort of foreign language never heard with human ears, and Iduna smiles at her. "You're just like your Father," she chuckles. "You can never get past the logistics." Iduna kisses Elsa on the forehead and Elsa feels a different, larger hand touch her back. She turns.
"Father?!" Elsa hugged him and he hugs her back, pressing her against his broad shoulders.
"You've gotten so tall," he comments, rubbing her shaking back. I can't stop crying, she thinks frustratedly, wiping at her eyes and nose. "By the way, you've been an amazing Queen thus far. I am so proud of you." His voice is deep and she feels it rumble in his chest against her own.
"That's funny, I almost killed our entire kingdom with my ice." Iduna and King Agnar grin at each other. "The only thing that saved them was Anna."
"Ohh," Queen Iduna responds, holding a hand over her beatless heart.
"You two are like a bridge," her father comments, pushing Elsa away by her upper arms. "You need each other, in every way," he says, looking right through Elsa like he always did. She looks away before looking back up at him with a firm brow. He runs his hands through her hair and gently undoes her braid, fixing her hair over her shoulders. "Will you tell Anna we miss her?" His eyes look wetter somehow. Elsa almost cries again but she nods yes.
Her mother hugs her from behind and a bright white light beams down on Elsa, blinding her partially. There's a swirl of water and ice that goes far above Elsa's head and she's raised up, a foot off the ground, before the dress she's wearing now becomes shorter and white with cuts down both legs and white tights cover down to her ankles. She's gently placed back on the floor and the light is gone along with the ice… and her parents. She hugs herself again. It feels cold. She looks down at her dress with a weary smile. Almost looks like a wedding dress in some ways. Never thought I'd think such a thing in my entire life. Her feet are one with the water again, and she looks up at the dark ceiling.
"You have our blessing," comes the echoing voice of both parents. Elsa's heart bursts and it threatens to climb out of her throat. She smiles wider than she has in a while and she jumps up, creating steps of ice to get out of this pit. She finds herself smiling wider with each step until she physically can't smile anymore. She brings her fingers to her mouth and whistles when she steps outside into the bright gorgeous sea. The happiness makes her jitter, and every nerve in her body feels heightened and intensified. The horse leaps out of the water onto the land and she lifts a hand to crystalize it, jumping onto it's back and kicking her feet into the holders.
"Let's get back to my sister!" She tugs on the harness of the horse and leads them North.
Forty Minutes Later
"Your Majesty!" Shouts a group of Arendellian people. She really should have been more discreet instead of galloping through the center of Arendelle on a water horse straight toward the castle. Too late now, she thinks with a hearty grin. She waves to all of the people she passes and they bow their heads or wave back. She's crossing over the bridge to the open gates of the castle, and Olaf and Anna are already sprinting out of the doors.
"Mom!" Olaf screams, his little legs being stretched to their limit. Anna swoops him up and they sprint up toward Elsa who hops off her horse.
Gyt! The force of Anna and Olaf's hug knocks the breath out of Elsa. "Easy," she warns, but Anna's not letting up, with her arms wrapped around Elsa's neck while the snowman is smashed between the two sisters.
"Oh my God I can't believe you're already back!" Her sister is crying into her hair and Elsa looks back to see all of the Arendellians turning away with smiles on their lips. That's wonderful to see. The horse bows down to her again and it leaps over the bridge and into the water. Anna lets go and Elsa grabs Olaf, holding him against her hip. He swats at her hair.
"You look hot!" He says with a toothy smile. Elsa chuckles and Anna whistles in appreciation.
"Oof you really REALLY do though." Anna bites her nail and Elsa shakes her head at her.
"Save that for later," Elsa jokes, setting Olaf down and laughing at the drawn-out guttural groan Anna gives her. Elsa takes her sister's hands and excitedly whispers, "I have so much to tell you."
An Hour Later
Anna's hand is over her mouth and Elsa hasn't stopped smiling at her since they first saw each other again. Olaf is nestled up on Elsa's lap while the three sit cross legged on the plush library carpet in front of the dim fireplace.
"We always knew you were special," Olaf shouts, wiggling around like he's dancing. Elsa pinches his nose and Anna leans her head on her sister's shoulder.
"I can't believe you got to talk to Momma and Pappa again. And I can't believe they saw us… nnneh-ing." Olaf raises his brow.
"I still have no idea what that means," he pouts. Elsa pats his head and kisses Anna's nose.
"At least they got to see how good you were," Anna says with a frisky raised brow. Elsa gasps and covers Olaf's ears. "Oh come on! Embrace it, baby!" Olaf giggles out of Elsa's hold and jumps around the room, blissfully unaware.
"The last thing they said was to tell you they missed you… and they give me their blessing."
"Blessing?" Anna questions, brows disappearing behind her bangs. "Like… marriage?" Anna sits up and Elsa shrugs.
"They put me in a white dress," Elsa hums. Anna's head bobs back and she scratches her nose.
"Great let's just do it now!"
"Not yet," Elsa grins, shaking Anna's grouchy look off her face by grabbing her cheeks. Anna swats at her and puffs out her mouth. "I want to," Elsa says softly, running her thumb over Anna's pink glossy lips.
"Me too," Anna confirms needlessly. They were about to lean in for a kiss when a knock on the door interrupts them. They both stand, Elsa picks up Olaf.
"H-hey guys," comes a hesitant Kristoff.
"Kristoff!" Anna greets, waving for him to come in.
"Oh is Sven outside?! I wanna go play with him! We have a quest to go on!" Olaf jumps out of Elsa's arms and rushes out the door between Kristoff's thick legs.
"Don't get him all muddy like last time," Kristoff calls after Olaf with a scratch of his chest. He looks back to Elsa and puts a hand up. "High five. Come on." Elsa scratches her neck and raises her hand. SLAP! "Nice one," he says with a big grin while Elsa stares at her bright red palm, hissing.
"Oh, Kristoff," Anna says, swaying side to side. "Elsa met someone. Get this; he talks to reindeers too!" Kristoff's eyes get wide like a little kid at Christmas time and he slaps his hands together.
"That's awesome! I've gotta meet him!"
"And I have to meet this girl you were talking about," Anna says with a hint of jealousy in her voice. Elsa gives her a tense look and Kristoff chuckles.
"You jelly Anna?" Kristoff puts his hands on his hips in mockery.
"Yes!" Anna squeaks, hitting him on the arm with all her might.
"Ow you dingus!" He jabs his fingers into Anna's side and she kicks him in the shin.
"Alright, alright," Elsa sighs. "We can go tomorrow first thing."
"Great!" Both Kristoff and Anna shout, sticking their tongues out at each other before slapping their arms around whacking Elsa once or twice by accident. Elsa rolls her eyes and brushes past the two.
"Hang on," Anna yells, "Where are you going?" Elsa walks backward toward her study, waving at a maid walking by.
"To work."
"Wait I already did everything for today." Anna rubs Kristoff's arm and he leans against the doorframe.
"Really? You even ordered food for the castle for next week?"
"Mhm."
"And you made sure the new lands were being attended to?"
"Yup," Anna hummed with a confident nod. Elsa's lips turned up on one side.
"I'm impressed."
"Oh thank you, thank you," Anna bows at the waist and Kristoff kicks her back foot. "Oh stoppit!"
"Don't forget that I helped," he whispers loudly with a big grin on his face.
"How could I?" Anna grins, blowing her bangs out of her face. "He was here with me anytime he wasn't working. This guy's a beast. He works nonstop."
"Just like you, Elsa." Elsa smiled appreciatively and shakes his hand.
"I'm happy she had you." Elsa and him share a knowing look. She still has sympathy for him losing Anna, and she's never going to forget the good he did for her sister. He must really love her to stick around knowing he's going to see the way she and I look at each other. That's pretty brave.
"Well I'm just happy that she has you now," he says gently, letting go of Elsa's hand and stuffing his hands in his own deep pockets. "I'm gonna go see what Sven and Olaf are up to. Have fun." Anna hugs him and he pats her on the back respectfully high above her waist. He walks off, greeting another maid, and Anna spins around as fast as light, hugging Elsa as tight as she possibly can around the neck.
"You're gonna suffocate me to death one of these days," Elsa chokes, holding her sister's slim waist.
"Oh shut up pouty pants. Let me have this!" Anna holds her for as long as she can, and Elsa finally breaks the revere.
"Let's go out? I could finish up the ice rink and everyone can join us." Anna looks ecstatic and Elsa has her answer.
Thirty Minutes Later
Almost all of Arendelle came out to see Elsa create the huge ice rink on the edge of town near the Southern forest. Elsa made it flashy with extravagant lights bursting out of her palms. And Anna looked around at all of the smiling faces in awe, and she hugged Elsa as soon as she was done. Everyone hurried to get on their skates and slid right into the wide rink. Elsa took Anna's hand and snapped her fingers, keeping Anna still when she almost slipped in surprise.
"I hate when you do that," Anna growls under her breath.
"No you don't," Elsa laughs, tugging Anna along with her. They hold each other's hands and Elsa spins her sister, wrapping one arm around Anna's side. Their steps are in perfect sync as they glide around, avoiding other people. They stare almost exclusively at each other, lost in one another like always. Anna leans up to Elsa's ear as their skates scratch the ice. Elsa's heart is beating in her ears, and she smiles even wider when she notices just how pink Anna's face is looking. They pause for a moment, looking right into each other.
"You are totally getting laid tonight," Anna snickers. Elsa shivers and rubs her eyes.
"I figured," Elsa responds blandly. Anna flicks at Elsa's nose and hisses,
"Ok jerk. Who said I was going to do anything, hm?"
"You did with those eyes of yours the second you saw me."
….
"Fine you win." Elsa kisses her sister's head, forgetting where they were. Realization comes quickly and she looks aroundly worriedly. "It's ok." Elsa's shoulders relax. FWP! A snowball as soft as cotton covers the side of Elsa's face and she dusts it away. Anna coughs out a laugh, holding a hand up to her mouth.
"You're gonna get it this time!" Kristoff yells. "SNOW FIGHT!"
"Oh no," Elsa drags her sister behind her and makes a few barricades around the rink while she and Anna dodge countless balls of snow that are littered around the inside and outside of the rink. The loud laughs and breathy shouts are music to her ears. Elsa is acting as her sister's personal supply of snow while Elsa watches their backs, poking Anna to whip a snowball at someone close by every so often.
"I got it—I got it!" FWPP! "Ow," Anna spits out snow. Elsa dusts her off and kisses her head. "That was so cute," Anna coos and Elsa rolls her eyes, pretending not to love it.
Finally, there are only a few people left on the rink, many of the kids were called to dinner and many of the adults went back to their shops. Olaf and Sven are slipping and sliding everywhere while Anna and Kristoff are giving their all into one last showdown. Elsa's sitting with her legs crossed on a short glassy bench, cheering,
"Get her Kristoff!" FWP! A snowball connects with her chest. "Nevermind!" She says, flicking off the snow, "You GO Anna!" Sven makes a noise of encouragement and Olaf claps his hands cheering Anna on.
"I get NO SUPPORT around here!" Kristoff yells from behind a low barricade. It's so low he's got his face pressed against the cold ground. Anna sneaks from the opposite direction and smashes together one huge ball of snow between her hands, dropping it on Kristoff's head.
"Cold! AHHH!" Kristoff wiggles all over the floor and everyone laughs until they're blue in the face. Anna slides into the seat next to Elsa and touches her thigh.
"Well I won. Does that mean I get my prize now?" She winks and Elsa shrugs with straight lips. "Oh COME on!" Anna collapses onto Elsa's lap and Elsa pets her head.
"Hey Mom! And other Mom!" Olaf kicks his way over and jumps on Anna's back making her cough. He looks up at Elsa with his hands clasped, shaking in her face. "Can I please please please stay with Sven and Kristoff tonight?!"
"Yes!" Anna cries, jerking him off by sitting up quick. His head rolls off somewhere behind them and Anna is fast to pull Elsa up. "That sounds greatlet'sgogogogogoGO!" Elsa nearly falls over about twenty different rocks.
"Have you ever ran this fast?!" Elsa's hair is blowing all over the place, and she's blowing it out of her face every other second.
"I haven't had the need to—but right now," Anna growls, "I GOT A NEED!" Elsa laughs the whole way through the castle, getting weird looks from the staff.
"Don't you two want dinner?!" A chef calls from downstairs.
"I already have dinner!" Anna shouts after him, "As well as dessert and then breakfast and then lunch and dinner again!" Elsa sighs loudly and it echoes down the halls. Her mouth is gonna get us in SO much trouble one of these days.
SLAM!
"Clothes off," Anna says hurriedly, undoing her dress and throwing it at Elsa's head in record time.
"Slow down," Elsa complains, peeling the dress from her face. "We have a whole life to spend together, let's just enjoy this."
"I will enjoy this. Right now." Anna's already naked, locking the door and throwing herself under the covers. She pats the bed impatiently and Elsa reaches for the back of her own dress. The window creaks open and a hard blast of wind forces its way in. Anna shivers under the covers, lifting them up to her chin. Elsa runs to the window worriedly.
"What's wrong?" She asks. Her eyes glaze over the top of Arendelle to check for anything out of place. Another blast of wind makes her take a step back.
"HELP! HELPPP!" The screams sound like they're coming from a teenage boy. Elsa listens closer. "Honeymaren, look out!" Elsa pushes off the windowsill and it cracks with ice.
"Anna! We have to go—NOW!"