Ch. 2: Back to the Future
The following morning the palace was charged with positive energy as the queen, the princess, and the Ice Master all anticipated the coming trip to the twenty-first century. I had extended the invitation to Anna and Kristoff with Elsa's permission at breakfast and the tow readily agreed. Well, Anna readily agreed while it took just a bit of nudging with Kristoff. The large man eventually capitulated when Anna turned her pouty eyes on him. No one could resist Anna when she used her pouty eyes. Andrew woke up saying he felt particularly well rested, a feeling that he had almost forgotten with the hours he worked. Breakfast seemed to be a hurried affair that morning with even Elsa seeming to clean her plate faster than normal. For a bit of fun, Andrew and I took longer than we would have normally to finish. Finally after everything had been taken care of we were ready to depart.
"Alright, is everyone sure they are ready?" I asked as Andrew set the coordinates.
"Yes, we're ready! Can we go now?" asked Anna with almost excessive enthusiasm.
"We can go, the coordinates are set," Andrew confirmed with a grin.
"Great, but if you feel like you have to throw up when we land, don't say we didn't warn you."
"Everyone get close together, spatial-temporal displacement will occur in three… two…"
"Wait! I almost forgot something! Just a minute!"
"What is it this time?"
I didn't answer Andrew's question. Instead I just whistled as loud as I could. Seconds later the doors burst open and Shadow bounded in, Hobbes riding on top of him.
"You seriously didn't think I'd leave without these two did you?"
"Shadow I can understand but Hobbes? I'm surprised you still have him."
"Well, he can be problematic but he's grown on me and is a good indicator for where dark magic has been used."
"Right, he starts hissing and arches his back. Is that it?"
Yes, it is."
"Alright, here we go," Andrew said and pressed the stud.
The watch glowed and swirling blue energy flowed out to envelope us in a sphere. The energy swirled around us faster and faster, obscuring our view of what was beyond. The sensation of traveling through time was like trying to stay upright on a rocky road in a car. It's possible but the sensation stays with you for a while after. After less than a minute the swirling slowed down and was drawn back into the watch. When we departed we were in the Arendelle palace, 1843. Now we were in the time chamber of Government Hall in San Francisco, 2019. The royal family looked like they needed a minute to catch their breath but Andrew and I didn't.
"Just give it a minute and you'll find your land legs again," I said.
"That was… that was…" breathed Elsa, struggling to find the words to describe the experience that was time travel.
"Exhilarating? Disorienting? Semi-nauseating?" guessed Andrew.
"A bit of all three, actually. So, we made it? This is the year 2019?"
"Indeed it is, Elsa. You three are now time travelers," I grinned.
"And I'm proud to be the first to welcome you to our century."
In the doorway to the chamber was a young woman in her mid-twenties with light mocha skin, shoulder blade length luxurious black hair and brown almond shaped eyes.
"Daniel, it's good to see you again."
"I can certainly say the same, Elena. Elsa, may I introduce a good friend of mine, Elena Amala. Elena, it is my distinct honor to introduce you to Queen Elsa of Arendelle, Princess Anna, and her fiancé, Kristoff."
"It is a pleasure to meet all of you," smiled Elena as she bowed slightly. "Please, come this way. You will want to change into period clothes before you leave and Daniel is wanted at the scene as soon as possible."
"As soon as possible? Who was murdered? A council member or someone else high profile?" I inquired as we walked deeper into Government Hall.
"No, the murder was not high profile but from what I know it sounds like it's the murderer himself that has the Protectorate on edge."
"Really? Know who the killer is?"
"No, I do not. But I believe you have experience with him and that is why we called you."
"Alright then, sounds like the sooner I get over to the crime scene the better. I'll leave right now. Andrew, take our friends to the wardrobe and keep them company until I get back. Then I'll take you on a tour of San Francisco in the twenty-first century, how does that sound your majesty?"
"That sounds wonderful. We'll see you when you return," Elsa smiled as she gave me a kiss.
"I will return as soon as possible and take you an unforgettable tour of the city and cap it with a dinner at one of the finest restaurants in the city, the Boulevard," I promised and then whistled for Shadow who promptly ran right up to me. Hobbes sauntered up to Elsa and sat down next to her, indicating he was staying. I smiled and retreated down a hallway to the parking garage with Shadow bounding happily along after me.
The group continued to walk deeper into the subterranean building with most of the conversation happening between Anna, Kristoff, and Andrew. Elsa was quiet, sometimes stealing glances at Elena.
"So… how do you know Daniel?" she finally asked the other woman.
"We dated briefly three years ago. Our relationship didn't last long, though. Daniel was still torn up over losing Alana and shouldn't have been seeing anyone at the time."
"Is that the only reason you broke apart?"
"If you're trying to find out if I'm a threat to your relationship with him, let me assure you, I'm not."
"What? What makes you think that?"
"It's only natural. If you meet one of your boyfriend's exes of course you'll want to find out if there's still something there. And for the record, while we admitted that there was an attraction between us, we also agreed we were better suited for friendship than romance. He's all yours, your majesty and besides, he too virtuous to cheat on you. That's a rare quality in men these days, consider yourself very lucky."
Elsa smiled.
"Now what about you? What's it like being a queen?"
"Stressful. There's so much I have to do, so many decisions. I'm grateful that I have Anna and Daniel to remind me to just take some time for myself and relax on occasion."
"What about you and Daniel? Is your relationship good?"
"It couldn't be better right now. We have disagreements, of course, but we always resolve them before the evening. I really feel fortunate to have him in my life. He's helped change the way I see myself and my abilities. He makes me feel special, goes out of his way to do nice things for me, surprises me with some sort of gift every now and then, he's just wonderful."
"He is an extraordinary and increasingly rare kind of guy. Most men these days tend to forget anniversaries after a year but not Daniel, I'm sure. He's been through more in his six years in the Protectorate than others have been in a decade, and with everything he's lost in that time he definitely deserves someone like you."
"When I first met him he mentioned that he had lost a lot in his life. How much has he lost?"
"He hasn't told you already?"
"No, he hasn't."
"Then it's not my place to say. He'll talk about it when he's ready. But he's lost quite a bit. He's lost both his parents and quite a few of his friends when the war started. The hardest loss was Alana, of course."
"He's told me a lot about her. She sounds like someone I'd have gotten along with."
"She was a friend to everyone like he is. We all miss her. But enough with the sad talk, the wardrobe is right here. Men's is on the right, women's on the left. Take your time, we have plenty of it until Daniel gets back. If any of you need help or anything just holler."
I met up with the wizard investigating the murder who offered to take me and Shadow to the scene. I happily accepted and within the next half hour we were pulling up outside the apartment building where the murder had taken place.
"We've still got people sweeping the scene but we're pretty sure we know who killed the vic."
"Really? Can you tell me who it is? I've already been told that I have experience with the murderer and that's why I was called back from the mid-1800s."
"This is something I think you'd rather see for yourself first. It's pretty serious, it's got all the higher-ups in the Protectorate nervous."
"So I've been told," I grumbled as we reached the fourth floor.
As we reached the apartment of the deceased Shadow became tenser, his fur started to stand on end, and he started to growl but a gesture from me made him quiet down. Inside the apartment things were neat and orderly, nothing was disturbed and there were no signs of a struggle or forced entry. The victim was on the bed, a sheet covering her. Dried blood stained the sheets and its stench made me want to vomit.
"Who's the vic?" I asked as I fished into my satchel and removed Danica's crystal and stand.
"We've identified her as Katy Holmes, she's a practitioner and had a job working in the Archives."
"Thanks. Wakey-wakey, Danica, it's time to work."
"It's certainly been a while since I've heard you say that," she smiled after she materialized. "What have we got?"
"We've got a dead librarian in her mid-twenties right there."
"Yah, a murder! It's been ages since I've worked one of these! I do hope the killer is a psychopath, they leave the best puzzles."
"Danica, someone's died! Please try to reign in the enthusiasm," I asked as the sheet was pulled back.
"You know what? I take it back. I wish the murderer wasn't a psychopath."
I looked at the body and the message carved in the flesh and all color left my face.
"Daniel, this is…"
"I know who it is. But it's impossible. I defeated him last time, he's dead!"
"Apparently not. His kind are hard to really kill and I'm sure he's got a grudge. Why else ask for you?"
"And I brought Elsa and her family here! What in the name of Merlin have I done?"
"You'd better tell Elsa this sooner than you told her about the Ragnarok dragon."
"I didn't tell her about the dragon, she found out on her own."
"Exactly. Tell her. Today!"
"I will, I will, just not as soon as I get back."
"When will you then?"
"This evening, while we're at the Boulevard. That gives us time to enjoy the day and actually have some fun. I know Elsa won't be able to have fun if I tell her this story right away."
"Alright, but if you fail to tell her tonight then the next time you need my help brewing a potion I'll make sure it ends bad for you."
"You don't need to threaten me, I don't want Elsa angry at me and I don't fancy becoming a snowman."
"Good. Now let's finish up here and get you back to Elsa. Things are going to be smoking in town tonight!"
"Stop it!"
A/N: Things are getting interesting! Who is the killer? How does Daniel know him? Will he tell Elsa? Leave a review to find out!