The three of us are seated at a large, stone table. If a table could be considered intimidating, I suppose this one would be just that.
I allow myself to look around the strange room. My eyes dart from one corner of the room to the next.
Everything is made of stone: the walls, the floors, the bookcases, the table, and so on and so forth.
It is rather dark in this room, as there are no windows. There is an old chandelier hung up on the dead center of the ceiling. Cobwebs and years of filth drape from it's ancient arms. It does succeed in illuminating the room with a dim glow.
"This is the Kingdom On The Top Of The World?" I cannot help but ask, even though I already know the answer.
"I suppose it could be considered as such." The wizard responds. "Perhaps it was slightly exaggerated by the authors of the past. You know how they are," he lets out an exasperated sigh. "Always trying to get a good story, so they stretch out their details."
"This is, indeed, my realm," The wizard goes on. "And it is, indeed, located at the exact top of the world. It is more of a cottage than a kingdom."
"You seem to enjoy stone..." Ember remarks. "I am not at all opposed to the concept. I have been stuck aboard a ship made of wood. I find the stone to be quite a relief."
"I like to ensure that my home be sturdy." The Wizard Fate explains. "Being that it is built upon nothing but clouds."
Ember and I exchange glances.
"Clouds?" I am the first to say it.
"Indeed." The wizard nods. "Your ship passed right underneath me. You never would have made it here had I not told you to come to the water."
Ah! That is how his voice is so familiar! He is the one who called to me when I was trapped by Hemmin in my room!
"For once, one of you humans had the intelligence to listen." The wizard huffs.
I don't know if I should be flattered or offended. Perhaps I will not read too much into it.
"No matter, you came all this way for something you could have fixed upon first meeting one another." Fate rambles. "Silly humans, they always expect me to fix things for them."
"We do not need to ask you to expel our powers anymore." This comes from Ember, he sounds almost uncertain. "Being united with Elsa's ice has restored the balance, has it not?"
"Indeed, it has." The wizard answers. "Just in the nick of time. Rather, just out of time. It is because of the blizzard's compassion that you are here, Elsa." He mutters to himself, "I imagine he should get in a bit of trouble for that one, now won't he?"
"Trouble?" I gasp. "What do you mean?"
"My brother is the Time Keeper." Fate explains. "He is not a cruel man, I assure you. His brain just works on a very... strict schedule. Time is time to him. Time is something much more meaningless to me, because I am Fate. Fate sometimes must reach beyond time to get to it's goal. That was the case with you, Elsa."
"Will the blizzard be all right?" That is all I really wish to know.
"I presume." The wizard nods. "I will do my best to explain the situation to my brother, but he does not like it when I tamper with his affairs."
I feel remorse for the blizzard. He was so unexpectedly kind. I hope the Time Keeper has the same compassion for him as the blizzard did for me.
There is nothing more that I can do to help him, however.
I mustn't dillydally any longer. There is important business in this land that I must tend to. This is business that I can do something about.
"I must get back to Arendelle." I declare.
"Indeed." The wizard agrees.
"I will get you back." Ember promises.
"Indeed, Indeed." Fate nods, enthusiastically. "I have the perfect thing for you. Come this way."
We follow the Wizard Fate out of his stone cottage.
He was not lying when he said that it was built upon clouds.
The wizard strides across the clouds without hesitation.
I take a cautious step out onto the fluffy, white surface.
Will it hold my weight?
Yes, it will.
Ember and I trail behind the wizard, our fingers entwined with one another's.
It is quite an intriguing sensation to walk upon the surface of the clouds.
The wizard leads us into another stone building, this one being much smaller.
It seems to be a stable.
There is a single stall.
In place of what would have logically been a horse, is a glorious Pegasus.
"Her name is Celeste." The Wizard Fate informs us.
Celeste is the color of the sun's golden beams shining down upon the Earth. She really is quite magnificent in the most breathtaking way.
"We are to fly back to Arendelle upon the back of a Pegasus?" Ember does not seem convinced.
"If you wish to make haste." The wizard seems annoyed by Ember's uncertainty.
"Indeed." Ember proceeds to mount the beautiful animal.
Taking his hand for support, I swing myself up after him.
We are ready to take off into the heavens so that we might return to Arendelle.
"One more thing." The Wizard Fate speaks just as we are about to set off.
"Yes?" Ember turns his attention to the great wizard.
"Fate never hiccups." The wizard declares. It almost looks as though there is a playful humor within his eyes. "I have never once hiccupped."
Ember smiles.
Celeste takes off into the air, swirling around the stable, out the door, and up into the blueness of the sky.
This is how it came to be that Fire and Ice flew across the expanse of the great sky, upon the back of a Pegasus named Celeste.
Fate has willed it to be so.