The pair sat behind a fallen tree, hiding in its shadow, waiting for the soldiers to pass them. They had spent about six minutes getting to the ambush point according to Robert, so they should have about a quarter of an hour before Anna would have to power up again. Seeing as Robert was sitting with his eyes closed, Anna tried gathering her jumbled thoughts, everything had been too blurry for too long.
Her morals were smudged. Just a few years ago, she wouldn't even begin to think that she could take a life. Then one night she was told that she was ready to join the arena. The day that she figured out just how strong she was, the day that spawned her evil counterpart. The day she lost her innocence.
She didn't want to think about it. But she did. And when the images started she couldn't make them stop. She couldn't even move, she kept seeing the face of the young boy, contorted in horror as she stabbed him in the chest, over, and over, and over again. The way he had pounced on her, the fear she had felt, knowing her life was in danger at that very moment. Then the feeling of blood running down her arm. She snapped, all the years of training suddenly manifested in her muscles. She didn't think, in fact, she wasn't even there. The only thing she knew was that the next time her eyes opened, she lay chained to a bed with bits and pieces of memory flashing in her mind. Memories that weren't her own, but still felt so unnervingly real.
And the longer she sat against the trunk lying on the ground, thinking about things she didn't want to think about, even more memories surfaced. Memories that seemed to be distant, unfamiliar. Whatever these new scenes were, she couldn't recall ever seeing a long hallway filled with armor displays and paintings, a room painted sky-blue and a couple of people with crowns resting atop their heads.
The last flashing image did however bring with it an emotion she was slowly getting used to, calmness and love. It still felt strange to her, having something to, not hate. Something that didn't immediately scream danger, something nice. It wasn't as if she didn't understand the emotion, just that she never had anything to relate it to. A life of hardship and trials, slowly watching the people around you go insane, constantly having to be on your toes and being ready to fight back. It left her with scars that rooted deeper than just the surface of her skin.
Anna was only interrupted when Robert poked her in the ribs, "What are you thinking about? You've been awfully quiet since we sat down, wanna talk about it?".
"In time, I don't think talking about this is going to fix it…" she was silent for a brief few seconds, but Anna being Anna spoke anyway, "…have you ever had dreams that felt so real you started questioning if you're awake?".
"Hmm, I have yeah, once or twice. Is it about your nightmares?" he asked in concern.
"No, it's nothing like that. It's something else, and I'm not sure what it is. We've never been taught about anything like this... Am I supposed to still see the dream when I'm awake?" she asked after leaning a bit closer to him, even if they were the only two people out there right now.
"Of course not, it might linger for a few minutes after you wake up but that should dissipate from your mind. Are you seeing these things right now?" Anna almost thought that he sounded a bit apprehensive in his choice of words.
"I… I am, yes. But it doesn't feel as if they are my dreams, it's hard to explain, sorry" she fixed her gaze on her feet, going a bit rigid. Even with her lack of knowledge about mental health and human interaction, she still felt odd when revealing that information.
"I see. Is it having a negative effect on you?" using his former experience as a field medic he tried to see this from an objective side, as he had done multiple times with people in different states of shock.
"I don't think so"
"Are you able to focus without being distracted by it?"
She lifted her intact hand and focused on the power she was most familiar with, a lavender colored mist came to between her fingers, twirling around her hand before clinging to the surface like a tight fitted glove, ending by interweaving with her skin.
"Yes"
"Do you feel like okay with the images?"
"I don't feel okay in general, but they are… I don't even know. They just feel so vivid, as if I've been there myself, like I know everything about the places I see, and at the same time I don't know anything at all."
"That's okay, I just wanted to know if anything causes you more trouble, I hate to see you hurting, and knowing I can do nothing about it", he wished he could just stand inside her brain and unravel all the confusion and anger she had inside her. But alas, such a thing wasn't within his grasp, not yet at least. The same way he was taught healing magic, he would strive to learn more about these mind-spells Jonas had been using. If he succeeded he would not only heal bodies, but minds too. It filled him with a determination he hadn't felt since the first time he successfully healed a soldier.
"I don't blame you, I did kind of ruin your necklace, didn't I?" she chuckled, when he had told her about it she simply shrugged it off and told him it had happened before when she was being tested. The expression on his and Jonas' face was still amusing to think about.
"Aye, you did, but don't fret. I'll acquire a new one as soon as we get to civilization." He patted her on the shoulder, and he noticed she didn't flinch away.
'Perhaps she's finally getting used to being around people' he smiled at his own thoughts.
"Did you hear that?" Anna whispered as she turned and poked her head above the trunk, Robert followed suit.
Further down the road they could hear heavy armored people walking along the road, the clanging of metal meeting metal. Some distant voices, too far to make out what they were talking about, but close enough to know they were joking around and laughing.
Anna ducked down again, closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. She could already feel her magic flowing from her neck to her legs and arms, empowering her muscles and bones. The most basic of fighting techniques when dealing with magic, easy to control with practice. Incredibly difficult to master.
In Arrendelle, Elsa was at her wits end, she and a teacher had tried regaining her powers but it wouldn't manifest as it usually did. It would be there for a few seconds then vanish into thin air.
She head been at it for only a couple of days, but there was no progress. On top of that the timing couldn't be worse ,the short amount of time she had without powers were great. But she understood her duty as, not only the princess, but as the most important piece in their defense. Having been able to hold hands without concentrating on raising her body temperature, without focusing on reigning in her powers, without hurting anyone, had been pure bliss for Elsa.
She wasn't at all happy about the circumstances, but it was necessary to the survival of the kingdom. Unfortunately. And although she knew it was the right thing to do, she couldn't help the nagging feeling of sadness, that she would have to give up on her biggest dream. To be rid of the responsibilities her powers brought upon her.
Arrendelle didn't have a massive army like the southerners', and they didn't have a vanguard full of experts and skilled fighters, they built their success on trading. And now they were on the brink of war, the south was fortifying the forts closest to the northern borders, they were gathering a large amount of metals from the mines in the western part of their country, and fortification spells from the east. Not to mention the large fleet being built by the coastlines.
It would spell the downfall of Arrendelle if Elsa didn't get her powers back, never before had it been more important that she was in peak performance. Just when all she ever wanted came true. That wasn't at all fair. But she still understood, perhaps a little too much.
"This won't work your highness, we need something to jumpstart the flow again. Whatever happened to you while you were away has blocked off your connection to the natural energies" the scholar told her.
"What do you suggest we do to accomplish that?" she sighed, feeling a little lost.
"It's quite obvious, we find whatever did this to you. It would take an incredible amount of magic to sever such a connection, something that is equally or more powerful than even you, your highness" he answered, but in the back of his mind he knew it could take a long time, finding a single person in the vastness of the world.
"That seems to be an impossible thing to do, I only really got in close contact with the old lady we stayed with, and her family… and then there was this one incident, I'm sure you've heard the rumors by now, "the crazy princess who sees things that doesn't exist", she said in a mocking voice.
"I have yes, but that doesn't mean I believe you are. I believe anything is possible at this point, I've seen some incredible things in my travels, and what you've seen isn't even worth mentioning in comparison" he chuckled.
"What makes you say that?" Elsa asked curiously.
"I've seen people changing their shape, from man to animal. I've seen people stand in front of you one second and then be gone the next. I've seen people have houses thrown at them leaving only scratches. I even heard about someone being brought back from the dead, although I have a hard time believing that one. It's just not possible to cheat death." He ended the sentence in a solemn sigh, making it a bit obvious that he had lost someone close to him.
"Teleportation and empowerment, things we have used ourselves during espionage, traveling and fighting. That is nothing special, although shapeshifting seems a little far-fetched." she said unimpressed.
"Yes, nothing special when it's one or two people teleporting over a short distance as you know yourself, but a frigate at least 100 feet long is something else. And it wasn't just the regular empowerment we have our vanguard use. It was incredible, he stopped a sword with his bare arm as if it was a shield." He explained enthusiastically.
"How will this information help me?" She said exhausted from today's training.
"Well, as you know magic has existed in the world for a long time now, but it's rare that we see powers like yours and Rapunzels. You defied everything we knew about it. Your father then sent me and a few colleagues on a journey, we were to find other people like you. And we did, but their control was minimal at best. Which is when we came across a small kingdom lead by the Giraldus family. Both the king and the queen had incredible power, and incredible control. They were neutral in the feud between north and south, but it was also their downfall only a few years back…", he turned his head to the sky and smelled the dirt, reminding him of the little kingdo, "King Isanbardus the 14th who is the current king in the south, sought them out when you came to your powers. He wanted them to fight his cause, something that couldn't have been easy on his pride. But they declined him, they didn't want to hurt a fellow hybrid. Speaking as if we are different species, it made the king furious of course. Then a year later he found a young man, working in a basement in some tavern. This youngster had a mind like no one else, he could see the inner mechanics of magic. It allowed him to create his own unique magic, enchantments powerful enough to withstand the strongest mages. He then attacked them when he had his armies ready. The rest you already know. They lost, the king won against not one but two hybrids, and now he wants the north." After summarizing the events he turned to the princess who seemed to be distraught, a little scared, but underneath it he could see strength and determination.
It took a good half minute before Elsa had processed the information. She put her palms together rubbed them a couple of times and separated them, gathering power in the gap. The ice crystals started forming, swirling around in erratic patterns. But as soon as she tried shaping the ice she lost control and it disappeared again. Without saying a word the scholar went to the canopy set up and took a seat, observing the princess training once again.
When the moon was well above the horizon the princess was still hard at work, she was soaked in sweat, yet she hadn't managed to gather enough magic to even shape a snowball. Exhausted to the point of collapsing she fell to her knees and had to brace herself by putting her hands on the ground too. The Scholar still sat in his chair, reading up on various texts involving magic. Anything from history books to fairy tales. Anything was welcomed at this point. After reading a certain passage from a book before the Eruption he called the princess over.
"Your highness, come sit and take a break, we don't want you to strain yourself." A servant had brought them a pitcher of water and some food.
"I'm already straining myself. But you got a point, I feel famished." she took a deep breath and pushed off from the ground, almost losing her balance in the process. As soon as she sat, the scholar pushed a plate in her direction, and she started wolfing down the meat and bread. Only a soft laugh being poorly obscured stopped her.
"Oh no, go ahead, it's good to see you being improper. You need to have more fun you know, not everything can be work and serious business." He said in an oddly commanding, authoritative voice, considering he was an employee of the crown, and she was the princess.
"I don't feel like I have time for that, this past week has proven that much. I can't walk around in fantasy land thinking only about myself. I need to think of the people, and the people need my powers. There isn't much to it, I need to get it back so I can protect us." She tried sounding like she was a peace with her words, but a heavy sadness laced the undertones. The scholar knew a lot of things, but not about comforting a teenage girl. So, he did what he knew, he distracted.
"Have you ever read about the world before The Eruption?" he said, and it worked Elsa's expression changed from sadness to, something else at least.
"Hmm, let me see… I recall reading about a man called Napoleon, he conquered most of the land they called Europe, hmm. Something about attacking Egypt, and that he found something down there but never made it back from his voyage. And, that thing is supposedly the reason why the Skymountain suddenly shot through the clouds, displacing an incredible amount of land and water, destroying the old world, and leaving us with this new one." She explained the best she could from what her memory had held on to.
"Right you are. It is said that, that thing drew magic to the earth long ago, but it also brought chaos and mistrust. It sent the world into a state of panic, the southerners gathered under the leadership of King Isanbardus the third, he blamed the magicians and witches, a sentiment that the southerners still hang on to. Up here we embraced the change. We need your family's leadership, and we need you to get back your powers. Without it we can't stand against their armies."
"I'm perfectly aware of that, it's just not fair, having this responsibility, this burden. It's… difficult to carry alone." Elsa admitted to the scholar, having the strength of an entire army residing under your skin was tough, getting it back after losing it was even more so. But it had to be done, and finding that girl could be the answer.
Little did he know that she had launched her own investigation. Elsa had sent a letter to the neighboring country of Corona, asking the crown-princess to help locate her. She knew that her country was experts in subterfuge and spying. Where Arrendelle got their strength from unity, Corona got theirs with information. Seeing that the two kingdoms had been close allies for ten years and being friends with those in power, she had crafted a letter explaining her situation and asked for help. And she had been very adamant in this being kept a secret. The rumors were bad enough as it was, no need to add fuel to the flame.
Rapunzel had been more than happy to help, though she requested a visit in two months' time, to relay whatever she could find out in person. A request Elsa was more than happy to oblige in.
"Your highness, I know you've been speaking to almost every expert on magic this past week. And I've also heard that your search has been less than fruitful. So, forgive me if this is rude and disrespectful, but are you absolutely sure about what you saw?" he had his head bowed to show he hadn't meant any hostility with his question.
"I'm a hundred percent positive. If I wasn't I wouldn't bother with all this research. I just don't get why no one has ever heard of anything like it." Her brows knit in thought.
"It's easier to dismiss when you haven't seen such a thing in person. But of you're that sure, I'll devote my time to gather whatever knowledge I can about this. But I must request a guard detail to accompany me on the journey, and a boat. I'll have to cross the ocean and go west."
Elsa nodded and walked to a table underneath a small canopy and wrote a contract that would allow him to get whatever he needed to, and the crown would pay the expenses.
"This should do it" she folded the paper and handed him the contract, "With this everyone should know that you're on official royal business" as he took it he bowed and left the princess in the courtyard.
"This is getting ridiculous. My own family thinks I'm a nutcase, the people are already talking about me as if I already lost my mind. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when I'm proved right. Just, FUCKING SHOW ME I'M RIGHT", with her last thought and a first slammed into the table, she was thrown backwards, landing with a thud on the grass. Pain was registered all over her body. Her right leg, back and right hand was all hurting. Every nerve in her body sent pulses to her brain, overwhelming her senses. A ringing started in her ears, her eyes became unfocused. Before she was thrown back she could smell the dirt and herself, now she couldn't even register the tiniest scent.
She felt paralyzed, but her field of vision changed from the sky to her leg? Was she nursing her leg? Surely, she wasn't, she had no reason to. The pain from before was slowly subsiding. She then felt something run down her left temple and lifted her right hand to wipe it away, it wasn't something she registered at first, but when the hand came to a stop in front of her, and her eyes focused on the blood smeared on it she started questioning her sanity.
"Is that ice?" Elsa thought to herself.
She then started wiping her head back and forth between two people she didn't know, both asleep. Her eyes started searching the woods around her. An unfamiliar surge ran from her neck down her spine, and into her legs and arms. She shot up and took a defensive stance before yelling out "Who are you!? Show yourself!". But her voice was different, and she wasn't as tall as she used to be. The people around her stirred from her voice. One of them turned and blinked a couple of times, "What the hell Anna, I'm sleeping here" the young man grumbled.
"Who is Anna?" Elsa thought.
"Shut up!" I yelled as I wrapped my head with my hands. Thoughts entered Elsa's mind.
"Get out, get out, get out. I… I.. You aren't trying to take over?" it was a question.
"Take over what?" Elsa was confused, wasn't this her? "Something isn't right, I was just in the courtyard then I… What did I do?" She was certain she was in the courtyard, but it was fleeting.
"Yeah what did you do? You come into my head without warning, are you insane, you can get trapped in here. Get out now!". That was my voice Elsa said? She shook her head, this was strange.
Elsa found the strength to sit up, wait wasn't she standing? She then looked to a familiar courtyard filled with trees suddenly. Under the table at the canopy was a small campfire, she rushed over to get the table away so it wouldn't burn. It made a loud crash when all the cutlery landed on the stone flooring. Elsa shut her eyes tight, willingly trying to make all this confusion go away. When she opened them again the campfire was gone? But the table was still flipped over.
"Okay, okay... Calm down Elsa, this can be explained. You are not crazy, at least I hope I'm not. Although I guess talking to myself is a bit crazy, and seeing all these things is also crazy... FUCK, I am going crazy, aren't I?" pacing was good, she had control over pacing. Back and forth, back and forth. Simple.
"You never answered my question, crazy girl" Elsa's voice rang in her head again, wait not hers, this was another voice. Everything was overlapping, memories, senses and emotions. She stopped dead in her tracks. She felt something with the voice as it came out calmer than it had before.
"Just give me a minute, this is very overwhelming" She answered the distant voice.
"You've surely linked with other people before, since you got into my head without touching me?" that voice, where had she heard it before?
"No, but it feels like my head is about to explode, can you shut off that incessant ringing?" Elsa desperately tried tuning it out but it was burrowing through her skull, rattling her brain.
"I'm sorry, I can't. I've been told it's a side effect of the mental strain put on the one holding the spell if the one he or she connects with doesn't put up some sort of barrier or helps controlling the spell." The voice of Anna came clearer.
"Then please do that, this hurts quite a lot" Elsa pleaded, but the answer she got wasn't comforting, "I can't".
"What do you mean you can't?" She got angry… Urgh everything is too intense.
"I haven't learned how to, why don't you just stop the spell and get out" Anna's curiosity shone brightly in Elsa's mind.
"I… I don't know how I got into your head" it sounded pathetic, but she honestly didn't know.
"Alright. Then let's figure out how this happened. Tell me what you've been doing these last couple of days." Anna asked.
"Wait, you believe me just like that? Without knowing who I am or what I want? That's a little naïve of you, isn't it?" Elsa facepalmed, she wasn't supposed to be hostile towards the voice, she had simply expected a fight or at least expected she would have to convince her innocence.
"Calm down princess, I can hear your every thought, and I also feel the sincerity behind your words. No need to convince or nothing. Just think it or feel it, I'll know, if we're connected like this… So, your name is Elsa, and you're living up north in a castle." Anna nonchalantly struck up a conversation.
"I feel like I should take some precautions with you, how do you know my name and where I live?" Elsa poked the bear, but the bear seemed to not care at all, in fact the bear laughed as she swiped the stick away.
"Ahahaha, you literally just had the same experience as I have, I see your name on the papers in front of you, and the castle could be seen when you were lying on your back." Anna answered rather matter of factly.
"But why aren't you freaking out? And you can see through my eyes?" Anna's calmness rubbed off on Elsa, but only slightly.
"Of course I can. Wasn't that what you just did before? I just can't stop them like you did. Try and let it flow, don't drown them out." Elsa did as she was told, but not before setting herself down on the chair.
The vision started warping again, some stuff appeared inside one another. Like having two three-dimensional things occupying the same space. It was incredibly disorienting and she started feeling a bit dizzy. Once she could focus properly again she turned Her head, seeing the courtyards image change while the other remained still in her vision, like a painted canvas burned into her eyes.
"Whoa, that felt… odd, are you seeing this?" Elsa said, as she focused on the second set of images.
"Mhmm, I do. So, what do you wanna do with this spell? Actually, I know, show me your magic, I'll show you mine too." Anna was suddenly filled with wonder, and excitement.
"I can't do that right now. I was on a journey, and on my way home something happened, and I've felt drained ever since." Elsa looked to the ground.
"Then I'll show you mine, you can always show me yours later. Just close your eyes so you can focus on my side" Anna jumped up and focused her magic to empower her muscles and bones. It made Elsa more curious than she had been in a long time. I almost felt like it was Anna's feelings that affected her, but it was nice feeling that childlike wonder. As Anna set into a sprint where she bobbed and weaved through a dense forest, Elsa curled into the chair, gripping the armrests tightly.
"How are you doing this?" Elsa's voice was way louder than before, it was enough to make Anna stumble and hit a tree with her shoulder, dislocating her left shoulder. Both girls cried out at the same time.
"Owww, fuck that hurt", then Annas voice alone, "And I forgot my other injuries in the process of freaking out".
"I didn't think you were freaking out" Elsa asked smugly.
"How could I not freak out just a little bit? I suddenly had another girl inside me" Anna rolled her eyes. And craned her neck to see the damage. Yep, dislocated. Then she felt a faint embarrassment, most likely stemming from Elsa. Why? She didn't know, and she didn't have time to question it as she was setting the shoulder again, because Elsa suddenly had questions, and a lot of them.
"What is with that hand? How did you just sprint though the woods faster than a horse on a road? And why are you so calm when your shoulder just dislocated?" that was only a few of them, Elsa's mind was sent into overdrive as some of the puzzle pieces fell into place. Anna was the girl from the mansion.
Long time no see. I feel like I should apologize, but then again, I did say I had no idea when I would update again. More words than the precious chapters it kind of felt wrong stopping before this.
First real interaction with the girls, slightly more on the worlds story. I feel like I should explain that one… My 'AU-ish' thought was that the technology follows the movie, the magic doesn't ofc.
The Eruption happened in the real 1807, making the world count that as the new "Year 0". It creates a lot of freedom to shape the world and have locations otherwise impossible if I went with the real world as so many Elsanna stories do. Been on the fence about referencing land names without just calling them those names, so countries are now the last name of the king or queen controlling those places. With a lot of unclaimed land where the supernatural stuff lurks. But those things can wait till later.
On a last note, I hope that the "bonding" was confusing to read without ruining anything, it's meant to be confusing ofc If you feel something missing tell me (or ask if you want, although I don't hold back spoilers from my replies, you're warned), I'm sure I forget to include the reader in some things and if it at any point becomes a mess tell me and I'll fix my shit.. Happy to get criticism, without it I can't improve!
Love Mr. Turtle.