Usual disclaimer. Hey guys. This past week, a huge musical figure has died: Chester Bennington, of Linkin Park. I'd like to dedicate this chapter to him.
Fluffy fluff at the end of this. I don't really have much to say here... That said, as always: Enjoy!
At the end of the meal (which both women thoroughly enjoyed), Elsa had given Anna her address and a kind hug, wishing her safe travels. Though she was excited to have seen Anna, she was still quite nervous for the time where she asked about her mother. She had next to no recollection of her, but she knew how she died. And she did not want to repeat that story to Anna. She could see it in her eyes, the fact that she had wanted to ask. But she wasn't ready, not yet.
Will I ever?
The thought sprung upon her suddenly, but perhaps not unexpectedly. She knew that the process of trusting Anna was going to be long, as it was with Tonna. But, yet again, she had this feeling about her that made her smile, something that made Anna easy to trust. The fact that she had shared the story of her late parents and her scar was not something that Elsa took lightly, no matter how to-terms Anna was with the whole thing. The tale of how you watched your parents be slaughtered in front you was not something that could have been easy to share, and the fact that she had shared it with Elsa was greatly appreciated. Elsa sighed inwardly, agitated that she wasn't ready to do the same back for Anna yet.
As she approached her room in the hotel, it hit her that last night was the last one that she was dependent, not on her own. Tonna would drive her to the airport today, she would fly back to Arendelle Airport, and then be on her own as mentor. Well, not entirely on her own; she had her father, but only for so long. Once she had enough money saved, she would leave for Arendelle.
And with that, she entered her hotel room, packed her things and she and Tonna went. The drive over wasn't sad, but more so planning; planning for the future, for mentoring, the path and pace that she should take with Anna. And, of course, talk of how the coffee date went. Elsa told it how it was: fantastic. While the first date at Geilo was great, it was superficial; this time, they went deeper, discussing their experiences with Magic, their general take on the whole Ignis Magum versus Aqua Magus situation, and their opposing views on chocolate.
Tonna and Elsa had a laugh at that one. Elsa sobered up soon, though, knowing that she wanted to discuss the dilemma that had her questioning about what to do with the eventual question of Elsa's mother, in addition to the possible code of conduct between mentor and pupil.
"Tonna?" Elsa asked, face pensive. Tonna then knew something was wrong.
"Yes, dear?" she responded, awaiting the reasoning. Elsa took a deep breath, then began to discuss the persistent thoughts that kept running through her head.
"Uhm, is there some sort of rule book as to the conduct between mentor and pupil? I just, uh, need to know in case I need to cut the whole potential… more than platonic thing off between Anna and I," she asked, face turning redder and redder as time went on. Tonna chuckled and shook her head.
"Luckily for you, there happens to be no such, ah... rulebook. Just as long as it doesn't inhibit the rigor that you teach Anna at, I don't think there should be a problem with it." Elsa sighed out in relief, happy that there was a chance for she and Anna. One of the things that she had been questioning for a while was the big 'what-if'? Now, a rare sense of optimism shone through, something she hardly allowed; she usually settled for pragmatism and realism.
Once again, she found herself going way ahead of the current state that she and Anna were in.
Just. Friends. That's all you are right now. Even if the way she blows her bangs out of her face while making that adorable pouty face makes you blush, or even if you find her incredibly attractive, all you are right now are just. Friends.
The thought made her woeful, despite herself. Regardless, the next subject to be broached was a tough one.
"Tonna… what if she asks about Mom?" the question hung in the air, the sound of the radio the only thing to be heard in the moment. Tonna thought about how to answer this question, knowing that it was a very touchy subject for her former pupil.
"Well, do you think you'll be able to answer her?" came Tonna's reply. Elsa's eyebrows rose, not even sure herself if the answer was yes.
"I don't know," she said softly, almost drowned out by the sound of an airplane leaving the airport.
Wait, we're here? She hadn't realized they had pulled into the parking lot until she looked around, seeing the sign for the Fijian airport. She and Tonna got out of the black rental and to take out Elsa's bags, starting to roll them toward the door. The Lady thought about her response carefully before answering.
"Then she'll have to gain your trust; it's not just her that has to do the work though, Elsa. She might have to work for your trust, but you have to be willing to give it to her." Elsa let that statement sink in, realizing that it wouldn't just be a one sided process.
We both will have to work; she to get, me to give. What a journey this will be…
The small airport was nearly empty, and Elsa's plane had pulled in about fifteen minutes ago. They immediately went over to Gate A, waiting for flight 1131 to be ready for boarding. The pair sat down, waiting for the instructions to board the plane to commence. Elsa clutched her plane ticket with trembling fingers, her pupils beginning to dilate and leg starting to bounce.
"Elsa?" Tonna called gently, feeling the air temperature slowly but surely begin to drop around them.
"Liten rev," Tonna said, more loudly. She placed her hand on Elsa's shoulder, startling the younger woman. She could see fear and anxiety churning in her eyes, unsure of where this all came from. Her questioning and concerned look spoke for her, however, when Elsa let out a shaky breath and explained.
"I'm scared, Tonna," she said, "scared for myself, for my father, for Anna. Scared that I won't be able to answer Anna. Scared that my dad won't approve of her because of her heritage. Scared that Anna will ask, and run when she knows." Her eyes glassed over.
"I'm scared that I'll have to be alone," she whispered. Tonna pulled her into a fierce hug.
"It's okay, Elsa. It is. You will be okay, and you'll always have me if nothing else," Tonna reassured her. Elsa nodded into her shoulder feeling more calm as time began to pass.
"Flight 1131, now boarding," the announcer echoed throughout the airport. Elsa gave Tonna a shaky smile, one last hug, and a wave goodbye as she boarded, looking back once more. Her former mentor smiled and nodded, and she turned forward, finding her seat on the plane as the door to the airplane closed behind her.
"Y-your Majesties, p-please spare me! I told you everything I know," the man in front of them pleaded, begging for his life. One of the two hooded black figures crouched down in front of him.
"Ah, unfortunately for you… What you know isn't enough Dirk. The Petra Auditor has much more to it than what you've told us, so you're now useless," a familiar voice said to the man named Dirk.
"Th-that can't be… M-Miles?" Dirk asked. He was very lucky that none of the other men were in here, otherwise his death would have been much longer and much more painful than the swift death they were going to deliver him. Dirk was answered by a very powerful punch to the ribs, causing him to cough up some blood.
"That's Your Majesty, udskuk!" He roared, rearing back his fist for another punch.
"Laoch. That's enough. We need his body for later," a not-so-familiar-voice commanded.
"Y-yes, Rí, I understand," Laoch responded, lowering his fist immediately.
"And while he frustrates you, please. Let me do the honors of ending him; you're always so sloppy when you kill," Rí chastised. The process required medical precision, and Laoch had come close to being off his target more often than not. Laoch, of course, conceded and moved to the side.
"Farewell, Bror," Rí said smugly, pulling out a very thin, circular blade from his long sleeve. His eyes glowed red from underneath his hood, the only thing visible of his face, different from the glow of regular Magic. He stabbed the blade through Dirk's glabella, resulting in immediate death and causing him to collapse. Once he was sure that the blade was lodged far enough in his to stay there firmly, he nodded to Laoch.
"Call the men in to take him to the inspection room. I'll deal with him in a bit and prep him. Make sure to have a cryogenic chamber ready too, I want to keep this one for further uses," Rí instructed, "now, I'm going to grab a bite to eat. I'll see you in an hour."
This was a successful day. They had accomplished much with the captured today, and Dirk was a special treat after so long. He always had gotten on Rí's nerves, as well Laoch's; another persistent thorn in the side, eradicated. The satisfaction he felt upon saying that was quite nice; he hadn't killed in forever, and was becoming cranky from not satisfying his blood thirst in such a long time. He smiled to himself.
Soon, Father. Soon.
"It… came back positive, sir. I am so sorry ab…" The doctor's voice faded from his ears as he swallowed the news.
Agðar knew that he couldn't tell Elsa. She needed him, and he needed her just as equally. He wanted to see her happy, and knew that finding out about this was not going to boost her mood or overall happiness at all.
"... ldn't have to go through finding out about Lung Cancer alone. Do you have someone you can call for help, or some support perhaps? Cancer is a scary beast to fight, but there are multiple treatments: chemotherapy, for starters, would probably be the best course of action. Radiation therapy could also work, if you wanted to try that," the doctor said.
"I don't want to call anybody. I'll think about the therapy, thank you," Agðar said curtly, getting and grabbing his coat off the back of the chair. He shrugged it onto his shoulders, jaw locked.
"Take this pamphlet and call the number if you would like to try any of the options and more that I just stated. Once again, Mr. Isånd, I am so sor-"
"Don't say it again. I got it the first time."
And with that, he walked out the door, heading for home, stopping every once and awhile to cough up blood on to yet another ruined cloth.
Anna pulled up to the address that Elsa had given her, the beautiful cabin looking as though it had been built by hand. Maybe it had been built by hand. Realizing her thoughts were drifting, she went up to knock on the front door and found herself hesitating. It was oddly quiet, even for a secluded mountain house, and she felt like she was being watched. Maybe it was just the denseness of the trees? Regardless, she eventually knocked out a rhythm of tap tap ta-tap tap.
When no one answered, she opened the door to find the most beautiful inside she could have thought of. There was a staircase to her left, leading up to what looked like a loft area; there looked to be a few beds up there and a bedroom, along with a bathroom that was visible. As she walked more inside, she noticed a small TV and table to her right, with a couch and two chairs, one being a recliner and the other being normal. The whole area was open, no walls separating said parts.
"Anna?" she heard, head whipping over to the familiar voice. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head at the sight before her.
Elsa.
In just a towel.
Hair down.
Dripping wet.
Anna nearly died and went to the Cael right then.
Realizing she was ogling, she found the decency in her to blush and look away, sitting down before her legs could give out on her. She ran a hand through her bangs and stared a hole through the TV, though nothing was on.
"Uh, I'm gonna go get dressed," she heard Elsa's equally as flustered voice say. She heard quick footsteps patter and turn into the room that she spotted upstairs.
She pressed a hand to her face and tried her best to channel the cold that Elsa had been telling her about into her palms but failing, only creating a lukewarm blast of Magic hit her face, which did absolutely nothing to help her in this case. Elsa came out and walked down the stairs, dressed in leggings and a warm grey sweater, glasses donned as well. Her hair was still down, but brushed and dried, quite unlike before.
"S-sorry about that whole… thing," Elsa said, apologizing lamely. Anna gave out a quick and nervous chuckle.
"Nah, it's alright, don't stress it. You had no way of knowing I was here. I get it," she replied quickly, ears reddening full force again. She looked over at Elsa and realized that her hair wasn't in its usual braid. Before she could stop herself, she asked.
"Do you want me to braid your hair?" Elsa's eyebrows spiked up.
You idiot! She's going to obviously say no.
"That… would be nice, actually," Elsa replied, shifting her eyes and biting her lip.
What. Out of sheer and utter disbelief, Anna started doing what she always did when she was nervous.
She began to ramble.
"Oh, wow, I was totally expecting you to say no! Not that I wanted you to say no, that's not what I'm meaning t-to say. What I meant for that to come out as was that I was surprised that you'd let me touch your gorgeous hair, I mean it's— wait what? Gorgeous? That's so weird, I'm so weird, forgive me for that. Wait, I'm rambling, aren't I? Ugh, of course I am. I'm so sorry that I'm rambling and now I'm gonna shut up before I dig myself a deeper grave," she said, each word coming out a mile a minute. Her cheeks were glowing by the end of mini-speech, and there was a brief moment of silence.
And then, Elsa started laughing. Not her usual 'hiding-behind-my-hand' giggle; she started full out belly laughing, clutching her sides as she fell back on the sofa and let it ring and echo throughout the cabin. This was from-the-gut, real, genuine laughter. Anna found herself smiling and joining in on the laughter as well, cackling and snorting from how hard she was now giggling. Soon enough, the pair had tears tracking down their cheeks.
Anna knew, then and there, that she had made the right decision to move on from the Ignis Magum.
Mama, Papa... I'm gonna make you proud. And this girl is the next step to doing so.
A/N: Hey guys... a lot of stuff happening this chapter, right? Make sure you pay special attention to this chapter in the future; the things that were put in this chapter will be explained later on. Glasses!Elsa makes me really happy, so let me live my fangirl life. Unfortunately, I'm going to be in North Carolina next week on vacation, so there will be no update next week :( well, unless I can do this from my phone. Then there will be. Anyway, I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter.
And now for the reviews! (thanks to everyone that followed, favorited and commented on my story this week. You all kick ass!)
Strasza: Another wonderful chapter, well done. It's just a shame that this story isn't getting enough praise for how high the quality is, and I like the interesting backstory Anna got. However, I feel as if that guy with the sword will be important to the plot later on. Who knows, maybe he has some connections to the X-Wielders. I smell a war brewing, and it'll be awesome
Burns: Ah, thank you! You have no idea how much that means to me :) seriously, I was smiling like a goon the entire time I read that. And thanks, I was heavily debating for a while as to if I should make the Trolls humans or like the canon, and I'm glad the result turned out well. And hm, we'll see…
Strasza, pt. 2: Strasza here, I would like to review this with my account, but I can't review the same chapter twice. I wanted to add a little more to my last review, by saint that I have a feeling that Elsa's grandad has something to do with Anna's backstory, and if that's true, I would love for her and Elsa to get revenge on the man who made Anna's childhood miserable,
Burns: It's cool! Elsa's grandfather has a lot to do with the fourth story arc, as do many more people that will be revealed at a later date. Don't worry, man. Someone has to pay their dues eventually…
(This review was on ch. 9) izobelle: i find it irritating that Tonna slapped Elsa. i get her logic but a slap seems degrading somehow. anyway, this kinda feels like avatar where Anna is the avatar controlling all four elements of sorts. been interesting so far.
Burns: 1. Yeah, I feel you on that. One of the reasons I created Tonna was to be a foil to Anna; Anna is firey, awkward, brash, to the point, but with a side of care and intuition, which I showed last chapter toward the end. The reverse is with Tonna; Tonna is calm, collected, cool, understanding, but even she loses her cool, shown in ch. 9. There were a few reasons for the slap, one is to show the obvious anger that Tonna was feeling; but the second, underlying reason is that she actually views Elsa as an adult now. It's odd to think of it in such a manner, and yes, it might even seem derogatory, but if she didn't think that Elsa would get over as an adult would it she wouldn't have done it in the first place. 2. Yeah, I suppose you could view it like that! Element bending is the only similarity that both have though, really. Thank you so much!
Thank you all for reading my story in your spare time. I'll see you guys next time! ~Burns