Conversations over dinner had been…interesting, to say the least. Naturally, as soon as everybody was all together, Olaf couldn't contain his curiosity about what happened behind the closed doors of the conference room. And Anna couldn't help but blurt out the answer.
"We're going to America!" she exclaimed. "To Disney World!"
"What's a Disney World?" the snowman asked. "It sure sounds fun!"
She paused. "…You know, I'm not really sure. But I guess we're gonna find out!"
"Yay!"
"Yay!"
Both of them leapt in the air repeatedly, almost in sync with each other. Elsa almost wanted to join in, but…well, last time she had done that, she'd slipped on her own cape and got a pretty nasty welt on her head. She chuckled at the thought of being the clumsier sister for once. This icy dress did have its disadvantages. Besides that, there was something she needed to bring up…
"O-Olaf," she started, "I'm not sure I want you coming with us this time around."
The two of them stopped jumping – at the exact same time, no less. "Aw, why not?!" they whined in unison.
"I want just us two to go for the first visit. Just to make sure everything goes okay," she explained as nicely as she could.
Olaf's face drooped a bit. "Oh. I understand, Elsa."
"That's right! And Kristoff and Sven can keep you company." She sighed; maybe she was worrying too much? Still, it WAS their first time crossing the ocean. A terrible thought struck her. What was the weather going to be like? If they ended up falling to the same terrible fate as their parents, she didn't think she could forgive herself.
"Elsa? You okay?" Anna took her seat at the dining table next to her sister.
"Huh? Y-Yeah, I'll be fine." Calm down, Elsa, calm down! You don't wanna scare her, too. "I was just thinking about the trip there. I hope the skies are clear tomorrow."
She smiled. "Of course they'll be! They've been clear for the last few weeks, right?"
"That's what I'm worried about…it was like that too, w-when…" Elsa choked on the last words; she couldn't bring herself to continue.
At first Anna was confused, but then it dawned on her. She'd never really let herself move on until recently, had she? "Oh…Elsa…" Soon, Elsa was locked in a tight hug. "I know how you feel. But there's nothing to worry about. You could freeze the whole ocean if it ever came to that!"
The queen couldn't help but laugh. "I don't know about that."
"Well, I bet these guys have something that could help," she said, gesturing to the visitors toward the other end of the table. "Everything's gonna be just fine. You'll see." At that moment, the food was set on the table, and Anna dived her hands headfirst into a large platter of chicken drumsticks.
"Yeah…I guess you're right," she agreed as she filled her plate as well. The strength of Arendelle's fleet had increased threefold since the incident. There wasn't anything to warrant concern in her kingdom. On the contrary, all the things she was unsure of lied on the other side of the water…
Maybe now was the time to get more information. The three visitors were having a lively conversation amongst themselves, from the looks of it. She cleared her throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but is there anything else we should know before we leave tomorrow?"
The leader thought for a moment. "Everything you need to know should be in the videos we gave you," he said. "Let's see…packing, food, health advisories… Oh, that's right!" He seemed to be more enthusiastic now. "I trust you've been practicing your magic frequently, your majesty? Because magic is something that's fairly common where we're going…"
Her eyes widened. There was a really a place like that?! She had started to wonder if she was the only one of her kind – after all, certain species seemed naturally bound to magic, but humans weren't one of those species. She'd reasoned maybe one or two other people like her existed somewhere, but a whole town of them? How was that even possible? "R-Really? Is that true?"
"I know it seems overwhelming now, but I assure you, it doesn't take very long to get used to it," the leader replied, as if he were reading her thoughts. "Still, there are some…incidents every now and then. Nothing that can't be cleaned up."
"All right, then…" That would've been nice to know earlier.
Anna grinned. "Elsa, that's gotta be so exciting for you!"
"To be honest, Anna, I'm not sure how to feel…" Was she excited? Maybe a little bit. But she was more nervous than anything. This was a whole community of people who've shared their powers with each other their entire lives. What would they think of her? Would she be up to their standards?
Anna, meanwhile, had different thoughts. Even though she was extremely happy for her sister, she figured she wouldn't make much of an impression in that sort of place. Should she try to find a way to stand out? Or maybe she should just lay low, try to do her own thing. After all, she didn't want to steal Elsa's spotlight, or be a bother to the others…
The rest of the dinner continued similarly. The sisters discussed their expectations for the trip, their plans, their confusions. Every once in a while, either one of them would stop to ask another question. It eventually got to the point where both parties had exchanged so much information that they were too confused to add anything else.
Still, most of the nerves had worn off for the time being. After all, dessert was chocolate mousse cake! Anna devoured two or three pieces, and, well, Elsa couldn't help having seconds, either. Before anyone knew it, the cake was totally gone.
As everyone's stomachs settled, a burp was heard. Everyone gave each other surprised glances from across the table, trying to figure out who did it. Finally, Anna realized…
"Oh…" Elsa muttered, realizing she'd been caught. "Erm…e-excuse me."
Anna burst out laughing. "Elsa!" Soon the visitors were laughing along, and eventually Elsa, too.
Night fell shortly after the meal. The castle's guests had decided to turn in early after such an exhausting trip. Elsa had said she planned on relaxing for a while, too. But Anna wouldn't stand for that! There was still so much they had to do!
Carefully, she removed the case of movies from the secret spot in her room. Said secret spot was under her bed – no one but her had tried to peek under there in ages. It was full of dust bunnies, old socks, dull pencils, crumpled up pieces of paper… Basically, things she dropped down there and forgot about over the years. But this was different, of course.
She took some time to examine the item more carefully. The black cloth case opened and closed with little teeth that were tied together by sliding a little handle. It made a funny zipping sound when it was slid. She opened and shut one side a few times, amusing herself with it.
Then she kept it open and looked closely at the discs. There wasn't as much light to reflect off them now, but it was still fun to look at her reflection in the mirror-like part. Every disc had a different title written on it with ink. She was surprised to recognize some of them – fairy tales like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty had always been her favorites as a kid! Others were completely unfamiliar. Wreck-It Ralph? What an odd name for a story.
Grabbing the video player, she ran to her sister's bedroom door, delivering the usual knock.
Elsa yawned, getting up from her bed. Anna never had any desire to settle down and relax, did she? A restless spirit, that's what she was. Sometimes she wished she could be like that. She opened the door. "Hi, Anna. What's going o – "
"MOVIE NIGHT!" She sprinted into the room, leaping on the bed with all the equipment in hand. "Come on, Elsa! We haven't even tried one of these out yet!"
She rolled her eyes, but she really was happy her sister had reminded her. She felt like so many things had slipped her mind, what with all the new information to take in. "You're right. Let me see that," she agreed.
She plopped onto the bed next to Anna, taking a look at the discs sprawled out around her. Nothing in particular really caught her eye… "Why don't you pick one first, Anna?"
"What? Really? Okay!" she replied excitedly. How was she going to choose? There were so many! "Um…eeney meeney miney mo…" She thought she had heard Elsa giggle at her, but she shrugged it off. "I choose…this one!"
Elsa looked at the title. "Tangled. Sounds good!" Now how did this machine work again? She pressed the button where she thought the slot was – and the container popped out! Thank goodness she'd remembered that. The last thing she needed right now was to break one of these. She inserted the disc and pushed the container back in.
The screen flickered to life with lush forest scenery. Anna shook her sister's shoulder. "Look, look! It's starting!" she squealed, her eyes wide with anticipation.
So the story began, a story about a magic flower and a queen who was deathly ill. And her daughter gained magical hair from her consuming it? This intrigued Elsa. Maybe she had received her own powers in a similar way? Though she had never read anything about a magical plant that she could think of – and she'd read a lot of books. Still, she guessed it wasn't entirely out of the question.
Such an idea didn't even occur to Anna, who quickly became absorbed in the story's events like she used to listen to her mother's bedtime stories. Soon, however, she realized that this story was a very recent one; in fact, it had gotten popular around the time of Elsa's coronation. Except the details seemed to change depending on who was telling it.
Then suddenly, she recognized a familiar face.
"That girl!" she exclaimed. "The princess! She was at the coronation, right?"
Elsa looked closely at the main character. She did look familiar… "I get what you mean. I've definitely seen that face before. But the hair…"
Well, that was true. The girl she'd seen had a totally different hairstyle. And color, for that matter. "Well…maybe she just wanted a change of pace!" She shrugged.
She chuckled. "Maybe, maybe." But then, her hair obviously wouldn't be magic anymore, right? There was a time when she would wish there was a way to get rid of her powers that easily. Or even for it to just be contained to one body part…
As the movie continued, both girls felt like they were being pulled through a labyrinth of emotions. Adventure, romance, tragedy… This was a tale that had just about everything, and the perfect pacing to pull it all off. Anna was much too engrossed to notice the frost that spread over the sheets and then retracted itself at irregular intervals. Elsa was barely aware of it, but just as she thought of stepping away and taking a breather, the story drew her in again and the cycle repeated itself.
The details seemed to sort themselves out toward the end. Anna was starting to look forward to meeting this person. "Rapunzel…" she muttered the word to herself. It was such a pretty name. Even if it was, well, a vegetable. Anna, on the other hand, was so common, and so boring!
And then finally, everything came to a close, and the screen went black again. The girls remained silent for a while.
"…That was so amazing!" Anna eventually blurted out!
Elsa beamed. "Yeah, you're right! That was wonderful."
"We gotta watch another one!" She started frantically digging through the movie case.
Her sister interrupted. "Hold on! I wanna pick the movie this time!"
And so movie night went on for hours, long after the stars in the sky had faded. Watching every single movie they had been given was impossible, unless they wanted to sacrifice any good night's sleep, but that didn't mean they couldn't fit as much as they could manage into the time they had.
Most of the princess stories had been romance-centric; Anna loved every one of them, but Elsa found herself getting tired of them after so many. Then there were ones about pets and forest animals. Most of them were a bit simpler, not that they minded much. Just being able to watch these 'movies' was enough. But later, they got into some more complex, even epic ones. Bambi had been the most emotional story yet. Both their hearts lurched as the hunter's gun was shot, and awful memories resurfaced. This time, Anna did notice a drop in temperature. Elsa. Was she going to be okay? There had to be some way she could make her feel better…
Suddenly, she had an idea. It was a while before Elsa noticed her sister piling up pillows and blankets around her.
"A-Anna, what are you doing?" she asked, trying to regain her composure.
She grinned. "Makin' a pillow fort, what else?"
A pillow fort. Elsa started to calm down, and let out a chuckle. She couldn't remember the last time they'd built one of those. "All right, let me help you with that." She tried to make the structure a little more stable.
Soon enough, the sisters were both snug in their improvised fort, almost feeling like they were five years old again. Anna let out a yawn.
"It's getting late," Elsa noted. But if she knew Anna, she knew that she wouldn't want the fun to end just yet. "We'll watch one more movie, and then we oughta rest up."
"Yeah, sure thing, sis…" Anna mumbled, already half asleep.
Elsa grabbed the first disc that came into her vision. The Lion King. Another one with animals? Not knowing what to expect, she put it into the player. Immediately a song that sounded like African chanting boomed from the speakers. Now this was something new! This time it was her who couldn't take her eyes off the screen.
Anna dozed off soon after. Pillow forts sure were comfy. As she slept, every story she had seen that night blended together without any real pattern or sequence, creating quite the incomprehensible dream. But Anna, being Anna, didn't see anything unusual about it. At least, she didn't, until all the castles and forests were practically buried in snow…
Slowly, her eyelids lifted. The room was snowing… With that, her eyes were wide open. "Elsa?!"
Her sister's face was soaked with tears, and a thick layer of frost covered up the screen. But there was still sound coming from the speakers. She tried her best to make it out…
"No one ever means for these things to happen. But the king is dead. And if it weren't for you, he'd still be alive."
"What am I gonna do?"
"Run away, Simba. Run…run away and never return."
She visibly drew back. Even to her, those words stung. Papa, Mama…and Elsa. She could only imagine how Elsa felt. No, she didn't have to imagine. The proof was right in front of her.
Elsa, overwhelmed at once by an outburst of emotion, suddenly felt a pair of arms tight around her.
"Anna…"
"Elsa, there's nothing to worry about." Now Anna was starting to tear up, and yet she smiled her best smile in spite of it. "I-I'm here now. You don't have to run away ever again, okay?"
Slowly, the queen managed a smile, and the snow started to decrease. "No. Of course not, Anna." She wrapped her arm around her back, and they watched the rest of the movie snuggled close together.
Anna never returned to her room that night. When the two of them woke up, they were still buried in pillows and blankets, their positions unchanged from the night before. The movie had ended hours ago.
Just a few minutes later, the servants woke up the girls to embark on their trip.
Elsa was still groggy from last night, but if Anna was tired at all, she didn't show it. She was up and getting ready the moment someone spoke up. But soon, she got stuck at her closet.
"What in the world should I wear?" she wondered, flipping through racks of dresses and skirts. Something this special needed an extra special outfit!
"Your companions said to dress lightly," Gerda piped in. "It's going to be very hot where you're going." She tried to recall what else they had said. There was quite a bit… "Oh, and you'll be doing a lot of walking! So try not to pick anything too nice."
Anna pouted. She had been looking forward to wearing something flashier than usual. Well, maybe another time. For now, she packed the lightest of her clothes, and decided to put on an aqua-colored dress that she hadn't worn in a while. Elsa chose to wear something more casual as well. Sure, she loved her ice dress and it would probably be more acceptable wear for a royal visit, but it wasn't exactly easy to move around in. Especially in those heels!
Breakfast was finished quickly, and trunks and suitcases were filled to the brim. The girls did their last minute checks, just in case they had forgotten anything.
"Hmm…I think we're all set!" Elsa finally confirmed. With that, they met up with the visitors, who led them to their ship.
Now that they got a closer look at it, it was so strangely decorated for a royal ship. The vessel was painted a bright blue, some parts even coated in glitter. True, she had quite the guilty pleasure for glitter herself, but on a ship?! She prayed the sun wouldn't be too bright, or they'd be blinding every other sea crew within a mile's radius. The sails were a darker blue, like the night sky, and prominently featured that strange symbol again. A few shields lined the flank of the vessel, but they bore insignia she'd never seen in her life. And lastly, there was an odd creature that she couldn't identify carved into the bowsprit. Maybe from one of the country's myths, she reasoned. That would be the most likely answer. But then, things had been anything but likely since yesterday.
Anna practically flew onto the boat's deck, and Elsa followed close behind. The boat shook with every piece of luggage that was loaded below. Was this really going to be safe? All that extra weight couldn't be a good thing…
Finally, it looked like everything was prepared for the journey. Both sisters' eyes widened with anticipation as the anchor was lifted. The waves slowly picked up the rest of the job, and the boat drifted away from its dock. Elsa gulped; this was it. No turning back now.
Minutes passed, and the kingdom of Arendelle grew further and further away from their vision. Elsa, trying to shake off her nerves, kept herself occupied with a few novels as the time slowly ticked on. Anna had tried too, even though she knew it wouldn't work – and what a surprise, it didn't. She only got through a few pages at a time before she got bored and looked for something else to distract herself with.
She had no idea the sea could be so dull. It always looked so pretty in pictures. But watching the waves move in the same pattern over and over again… It was driving her crazy! She groaned. "How much longer?!"
The woman smiled. "Don't worry. It should just be a few more minutes."
That made both girls turn their heads. "You're kidding, right?" Anna replied. "But Elsa said…"
"Well, this is a little different." She winked.
Just as they were trying to process the statement, the sky started to take on some…interesting colors. Not only blues and greens, but reds, yellows, pinks, purples, and all at once. It was starting to look like someone had fired chalk dust into the air.
"E-Elsa, what's going on?" Anna stammered nervously. But Elsa was just as baffled as she was, even dropping her book from her hands without a second thought. Maybe this really was a bad idea.
Their surroundings blurred, and a wave of dizziness gradually hit them. Anna covered her mouth. "I think I'm gonna be sick…"
Elsa immediately grabbed her sister and tried to soothe her of her nausea, even though she was experiencing the same sensation. What had she been thinking, allowing this?! Now she wasn't even sure they would survive it! No…this'll be okay. Don't panic, don't panic… Anna puked into the water below. Elsa was struggling as she felt ice spreading from the soles of her feet. Don't! Panic!
And then just as quickly as it started…it stopped.
The sky was clear and the seas calm, as if nothing had happened. The girls slowly regained their composure. "What in the world was that?!" Elsa exclaimed, just barely containing her anger. How could they do that to her? How could they do that to her sister?
"Sorry about that. It's a spell we use to get here faster," the woman explained. "You get used to it the more you do it. Still, some people are more sensitive to it than others…"
She was about ready to freeze their feet to the deck right then and there, but Anna grabbed her shoulder. "Elsa, please calm down. I'm fine," she pleaded. "This is supposed to be our vacation time!
Elsa took a deep breath. She was right. She could get through this… "Sorry. I just got worried about you…"
"Hey, I've been through worse than this, right?" Anna smirked. Elsa's eyes became downcast. "W-Wait, hold on! I didn't mean because of you! I mean…what I put myself through…y'know, with Hans and the mountains and that river, and…w-what I'm trying to say is…"
"It's okay, Anna. I get it," she replied. There was still some lingering regret from what she had done. But Anna had moved on, so it was only fitting that she moved on, too. It was…a slow process, but she was getting there.
John interrupted. "Guys, come on already! We docked ages ago!"
"Oh!" Anna ran across the dock onto the grass where the visitors were already waiting, Elsa following behind her. Soon, though, the younger sister was starting to sweat, and stopped to catch her breath. "Whew! You weren't kidding when you said it was hot…"
"Do you need to cool down?" Elsa asked, prepared to pick up the breeze if she needed it.
"No thanks, sis. I'm fine. I just need to take a breather here." After a few seconds, she was her usual energetic self again. "So, this is the place, huh? Not exactly what I was expecting…"
"All the major attractions are a bit further up the way here," the leader explained. "Just follow our lead." The group started walking through the field, and the sisters followed.
It wasn't long before they started to make things out through the trees. There was some sort of lake on the horizon. Something that looked like a chalet lay on the coast, and so did…a track of stone? A train crossed the track. Both girls stopped for a second, stunned.
"Just a little further!" one of the visitors called out, and the group of travelers finally made their way out of the brush, and through a back door of the chalet.
Their eyes widened. Their castle in Arendelle had been very nice, but this place screamed luxury! Three or four chandeliers in the same room, a sunroof, gold statues… For a long time, the girls were speechless.
Another person in a fancy uniform came to greet them. "Ladies! Welcome to the Grand Floridian."
