Ok so just to restate, Arendelles Crimson Eclipse was cancelled since I completely lost the plot line. Now back to your regularly (?) scheduled story. This chapter will be interesting no doubt, as we take a look at how one person can be affected by something but the rest of the system be just fine. So far, 6 months pregnant and all is good. I now return you to your fiction.

TW: assault, self-harm (?)

Chapter 6-Shards (Elsa, Arcy, Kiri)

Nothingness, numbness, not even gravity as present. Elsa opened her eyes and saw nothing but black. 'Am I still alive?' She couldn't feel anything, couldn't hear or see anything. Even her pulse felt frozen in her veins. 'I must be dead.' She wandered, or rather floated around the blank space, unsure what to do. 'Is this what the afterlife is really like? No Heaven or Hell. Man, do most religions have it wrong.' She floated around, enjoying the free falling in zero gravity feeling. No worries, no life. "I won't have to worry about school, Hans, my supposed disorder, the altars, the other world…I'm finally free." She laid her arms under her head and just let herself float around. "But I won't ever see Mom again…" Severe depression settled over her. "I'm gonna miss her." She heard muffled voices and went in the direction of them. Other spirits maybe? She got as close as she could before the voices finally became clear, although she could only pick up bits and pieces of the conversation.

"…she…alright?" Was that her mom?

"Broken….concussion…..severe….coma…"

"…wake up?"

"Hard….Months…Years….Trauma…bad…"

Who was her mom talking to? And about what? She just shook herself; convinced her mind was just going through the denial part of death.

Arcy felt different somehow, warmer. She didn't feel the pretty lady's wings around her. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was in a room with a window, a curtain around the bed, a small tv on the wall parallel to her, and she was hooked up to some machines and a dripping bag. "Where is she?"

Diane heard her and looked over the doctors shoulders. "You're awake?! Elsa, are you alright?! What happened?! I was so worried I couldn't sit still. Why didn't you call me?"

Arcy blinked and curled into a ball, defensive. "It's not her fault…She doesn't know…She's sorry…Whatever she did, she's sorry and it won't happen again."

The doctor beside Diane stared bewildered at Elsa. "I really didn't think she'd wake up this soon. Does she always talk like that?"

Diane sighed and improvised. "It's a speech thing she's had since she was born. When something bothers her or upsets her greatly, she'll begin talking like that. I do have her in treatment for it. She only recently began so there won't be any significant improvement yet. Thank you, doctor. I'd like to speak to my daughter alone, if you don't mind." Diane waited until she saw him close the door and walk away. Elsa was in her own room so there was no risk of others overhearing the conversation, either. She turned to her daughter and observed her behavior. It had been a while since this girl had been around. What was her name again?

"Why do you look at her like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like she's done wrong…"

"Oh sweetie she hasn't done anything wrong. It's just been a while since I've last seen her. It's a bit embarrassing but I'm trying to remember her name." Diane had to adjust how she spoke, remembering this altar spoke in 3rd person.

"Why not just ask her?"

"I didn't want to hurt her feelings."

"No, it's ok. It has been a while. Her name is Arcana. You can call me Arcy for a nickname."

"Of course! How could I forget such a pretty name like hers? I'm sorry, Arcy."

"You're ok. Why is she here?"

"I was hoping she could tell me? Does she remember anything?"

Arcy blinked. "Well, she remembers pretty lady and black and red lady talking about the mean lady. Pretty white and red lady told her to hide in her room. So she ran and locked the door, curling up in bed. Pretty red and white lady asked to come in, she let her in. She must have fallen asleep because she woke up here. She misses the soft feathers…"

Diane sat back in a chair. So Arcy didn't know what had happened. Eye witnesses had reported to officers that Elsa had been seen talking to herself and even appeared to bargain with herself before falling. The cops that had gotten there moments before Elsa had let go told Diane that Elsa appeared terrified and thrilled at the same time. It made no sense. Elsa had never before shown thrill at her life being in danger. She got up and stood on the other side of the room, taking out her phone. She flipped through her contacts, stopping at Dina's cell number. Diane's thoughts stilled hearing Dina pick up. "Dr. Dina? It's Diane, Elsa's mother. Is there a way we can come in sooner? We've had a life threatening emergency and I need to know what happened and why." She paused, Dina asking what went on. "I got a call from her school saying she just got up and left. I was on my way to her school when cops stopped me and redirected me to the highway bridge near her school. She had jumped from it and now we're at the hospital."

"Is Elsa there?"

The impulsive answer was yes but under the circumstances and given Elsa's disorder, Diane knew what she really meant. "No, Arcy is here. After I calmed her down, I asked her what she knew. But it seems she was switched to. I think Elsa is in the other world."

"I see. After she's discharged, feel free to come in. Just give me a call ahead of time so I can let my receptionist know to let you in. Hopefully we can figure this out before anything else happens. Is Elsa doing alright?"

Diane sighed heavily. "She's broken some ribs, suffered a severe concussion, there's trauma to her hips and her elbow was shattered. The doctor said she would be in a coma and in the middle of the conversation is when Arcy spoke up."

"Ah yes, an altar wouldn't be affected by what happened to the body if they weren't fronting or co-hosting. So of course Arcy would be able to talk and maybe even move. Though from what you described, it sounds like she might be in crutches or even a wheelchair for a while. It's possible that Elsa herself is in the other world in a coma while the others are able to function perfectly fine. It has to do with the wiring in the brain of what's called the system in D.I.D. I can explain it all when you come in. I hope her recovery will be smooth."

"Thank you, Dina. I'll call you as soon as she's cleared to leave." Diane closed her phone and sat by Arcy again. "After we can leave here, would she like to see Dina? Does Arcy remember Dina?"

Arcy tilted her head. "She thinks so. She's the lady who takes notes and is real nice about everything right?"

"That's right."

"Okay then, she wouldn't mind. Why does her body hurt?"

Diane frowned. "Because she had a nasty fall. She hurt her head, hips, elbow and ribs. She's going to be here for a while."

"How long is a while?"

"Until her body and head feel better. And after that, she might need to move around on crutches or in a wheelchair. But she'll be alright. The doctors will take really good care of her. They won't let anything happen to her." Diane stroked Arcy's hair. "And I'm here for her, too if she needs anything. Don't be afraid to ask, okay?"

Arcy paused for a few moments. "Can she have some paper and crayons? She wants to draw."

"I'll go down to the gift shop and get her some. Sit here and rest, okay?"

Arcy nodded and watched as Diane left. 'What does mom lady mean nasty fall? Did she somehow hurt herself coming here? Did someone hurt her? She'll be on crutches or in a wheelchair…It sounds scary. She doesn't like it…It isn't her fault, she didn't ask for this.'

'It's alright Arcana.' Astra's voice soothed the growing feeling of sadness. 'It's not her fault, she's right. Just trust me when I say that she's safe here now. No one is going to hurt her.'

'Pretty white, where are you? She can hear you but not see you.'

'When Arcy is there, she can only hear pretty white. But don't worry. Pretty white is always with her and will always protect her.'

'Thank you pretty white.'

'It's what I'm here for. Just do whatever it is she's asked to do, alright? Can Arcana be the big, brave girl I know she is and do that?'

"For pretty white, she'll try."

"Thank you Arcana."

"No, thank you pretty white for making her feel safe."

"Anytime, child."

Arcy heard footsteps and turned to the door. Diane returned with a pack of crayons and a notebook. "Thank you, mom lady. She'll feel much better after she draws."

"Whatever you need to feel better." Diane gave her the supplies and sat by her. While Arcy drew morbid scenes of a lady with red hair standing over her with lightning all around, Diane sat back and rubbed her face. This was almost too much to handle sometimes. But Elsa and the others needed her so she would just deal with it. For her daughters sake, she would deal with it.

Elsa had gotten used to this black floating void. It reminded her of the void when she went to the inner world. But unlike the void, there was no light anywhere to be seen, no sense of being pulled one way or another. It was just suspended animation-like. Death was turning out to be fun but boring. Anti-gravity but nothing to do with it. Where was the fun in that? She sighed and floated around some more until she heard a laugh that chilled her. Had Nassiri died with her? Well, if Elsa had died, the others had too, right? But wouldn't that mean they'd go away? It had to work like that. So why was she hearing Nassiri's laugh? Elsa moved herself away from the sound, a little unnerved by it. No matter where she went, she heard that cold, musical laughter. "Where is it coming from?!"

"Don't you get it yet? You're trapped here with me."

That voice nearly froze her heart. "Trapped here? Where? In death?"

"Psh, if that's what you want to believe, I'll let you have that one bit of comfort."

"Well if you're so smart, where is this?"

"Nope, I'm not saying. I like your idea better. It makes things all the more fun." Nassiri casually walked into Elsa's area. She wore a skin tight dark violet gown that was to her knees in front but had a train in back. Her black stiletto boots clicked in the silence, her black wings shimmering despite the lack of light. Her long, fiery hair hung loosely around her waist. Her nails were more like claws as they scratched against something invisible. "Now this is my idea of having fun."

Elsa's heart sank as Nassiri drew closer. She backed up until she couldn't anymore. Why didn't Elsa realize that her dying with Nassiri next to her would mean that Nassiri would come with her to wherever she ended up after death?

Kiri paced the living room multiple times, a groove already setting in from her path. "I just don't understand it! Those bars were reinforced and locked! How was she able to just break through them like that?"

Astra sat on the chair, calmly writing. "It doesn't matter how. She's out. Elsa is in a coma and since Nassiri was co-fronting with Elsa, that means Nassiri is with her as well. We have to get to Elsa and protect her. But how can we get to her if her mind is out of our reach?" Astra rubbed the pencil eraser on her forehead, biting her lip as she tried to think.

"I don't know and it's pissing me off that I wasn't able to do anything!"

"You wouldn't have been able to. Nassiri somehow gained gate control. We have to take that from her and keep Nassiri in that coma mind set while getting Elsa out of it. As it is there's no telling what Nassiri is planning on doing."

Kiri stopped in her pacing. "Of course! It's so simple! Why didn't I think of it sooner?"

"What?"

"We are part of Elsa. If we manage to get unconscious ourselves, we can reach her!"

"I'm not quite sure that's how it works," Astra tilted her head.

"It's the only lead I've got." Before anything else could be said, Kiri went to the kitchen and took a frying pan out from under the cabinet. "I'm coming Elsa. I vowed to protect you no matter what." With a deep breath, Kiri began to beat herself over the head with the frying pan. Astra, shocked, got up to stop her. But the determined woman was on the floor unconscious and bleeding before Astra could stop her.

"Good luck." Astra whispered, picking up Kiri to tend to her wounds.

Nassiri had cornered Elsa and pinned her on the floor. "Look at you. Such a pretty little face." She grabbed Elsa's face between the claws of her right hand. "Wouldn't it be a shame if anything were to happen to it? Oh whoopsie!" She jerked Elsa's head to the side hard enough so her claws left bloody trails. "I can see why my Hans would be attracted to you."

"Please, just stop!" Elsa's voice shook as she pleaded with this insane angel. "I won't go near him! I won't even dare be in the same building as him! Just please stop!"

"You said those same words to him when he was trying to show his love for me," Nass grinned. "Too bad he couldn't hear you." She was about claw Elsa again when a sound caught her attention.

"I'm back, you bitch! And you better get off of Elsa before I rip you apart with my bare hands," Kiri stalked toward them, a deathly glare on her face. She glanced at Elsa, who was paralyzed in terror and crying. "Or I'll just skip to ripping your flesh apart."

"Now this is where things get interesting." Nassiri, intrigued, got off Elsa and stood face to face with Kiri. "Let the games begin."

Another cliffhanger! XD Sometimes I think you guys hate when I do this to you . But uh, at least it leaves you in suspense to wonder what will happen next. That was one hell of a chapter wasn't it? Don't you just HATE Nassiri? Cause you're supposed to XD I make people you love to hate :) Anyway, that was all for this chapter. Hope it was another great chapter for you guys. I'm back in the flow of my writing. As always, thanks for reading/faving/following and I'll see you in the next chapter!