Chapter 33-Sleep Song
The meeting eventually ends two hours after it started, lasting slightly longer then what they had wanted, and expected. There was still some matters left untouched, plus some left with disagreements. However, everyone agreed on one thing in the end, and that was to keep the truth about the missing soldiers a secret from their people and army. If the soldiers were to learn the truth of their missing comrades, then they would most likely succumb to fear more easily, and be turn into Fearlings themselves. The same was thought for the civilians and families related to the missing. And in their case, if they succumb to more fear, then the barrier hiding them will weaken. And when the barrier is gone, they'll be instantly found by the Nightmares, or even worse.
XxXxXx
"Eat, sleep; get some rest." These three simplest things that Hiccup told them to do was easier said than done. They could feel their fatigue weighing heavily upon their body, but everyone's mind was too preoccupied with worries; they were all too agitated for action to be done then to rest.
Elsa didn't retire to her room right away when the meeting was over. Instead, she took to her study room. Anna wanted her to go straight to bed, but Elsa made the excuse that there was a few papers need signing. Once they're over with, then she'll go to bed.
Alone in her study, Elsa walks alongside the walls five times while her hand was tracing their surface. She rearranged the papers and items on her desk three times: twice while sitting, three times while standing.
The clock on her desk struck eleven upon her sixth round of walking. Elsa first looks over towards the clock, and then at the window. She waited a moment more before releases the sigh she's been holding in ever since the meeting. "Well," she admits quietly to herself. "I suppose it was a bit too much in hoping to see you tonight." She began to make her way towards the door, but was stop by the knocking on the other side of it.
Getting ahead of herself, Elsa opens the door too quickly, surprising the person on the other side.
"Rapunzel?" Elsa asks in surprise, noting how her cousin was still in her Being form. "What are you doing here? I thought you've gone to bed an hours ago." Rapunzel lifted up her violin in one hand, while lifting its bow in her other hand. "I'm here to perform my Pact."
"In this hour of the night? You shouldn't be pushing yourself Rapunzel, not in your current condition."
Rapunzel giggles faintly. "Elsa, I still have some strength to spare. And I will use it to perform my Pact." Elsa wanted to protest further, but Rapunzel follows in with a light humor. "Oh—but wait, I forgot to apologize."
Elsa was confused as to what her cousin could be at fault for. "What do you mean? You haven't done anything wrong to me."
Rapunzel smiles, while leaning forward towards Elsa. "And yet," she starts, "I get the hint of disappointment form you in seeing me. Not the person whom you were hoping to meet tonight, right?"
The color around Elsa's cheeks brightens slightly. Her lips drew themselves inward as an impulse for her to bite down on the lower half, but she stops herself from doing so. "Funny; I see that I stand corrected. You are feeling better now."
"A little better," Rapunzel admits. "Are you going to turn in for the night?"
"Not quite. But anyway, what are you planning on doing? A bit late for a song don't you think?"
Rapunzel shrug her shoulders. "Perhaps…But not for a Sleep song." She then gently pushes pass Elsa, entering her cousin's study room as casually as she would on regular days.
Not minding Rapunzel using the study, Elsa closes the door, and follows close to her cousin. "But here?" Elsa asks. "There's no one here to hear you except for me."
Walking over to the windows, Rapunzel opens both the one overlooking the bridge and the courtyard. She was met by a cool breeze, and she breaths it in. "It's a good night tonight. Look, even Manny is out," she said, while pointing over to where the moon was. He was still partly covered by some clouds, but his beam was shining brightly, and stunningly as any regular, peaceful nights.
She then took Elsa's chair and placed it where she was best facing both open windows. "Music," Rapunzel said, as she turns to look at Elsa, "has a mystical way of traveling around. Almost magical." Rapunzel then seated herself down, and rested her instrument on her lap. "Surely the more you play, the more the magic will spread, don't you think?" She begins to gently drag the bow across the strings of her violin, creating several strange sounds that Elsa has never heard from the instrument before. Light they were, and hollow too. And yet behind them, was like a whole orchestra of stings wanting to be heard by many people.
Rapunzel was only using one hand to drag the bow. While with her free hand, she slowly begins to tap at the stings, creating short harmonious rings that match with the sounds produced from the strokes.
As a result, the strings started to glow. Their light along with their sound began to take physical form of shy glowing beams, travelling throughout the room. The lights reminded Elsa of the word, vagabond. They were just wandering in elegant slow motion; not in twisting or slithering vines that she'd grown used to seeing in Rapunzel's magic form. They weren't even in waves. But they wander as stardust, bringing the world beyond the clouds and blue skies right in her study room.
The stardust never once touched Elsa. And yet she felt a strange warmness from it, different from Merida's flames and the emotion that they bring. The dust grew in volume. But before it could completely fill the room, the stardust split itself into two, and floated on out through the windows.
Elsa followed first the dust heading towards the courtyard, wanting to see its magical ability. She followed the dust with her eyes, watching them as they wander towards the guards across the yard. Strangely they did not react in alarm to the stardust; they didn't react to the dust at all. It was as though they couldn't see the dust. Or at least, not, until Rapunzel starts to sing.
Loo-li / loo-li / loo-li lai-lay / Loo-li / loo-li / loo-li lai-lay /
For a few seconds, Elsa pulled her gaze away from the stardust to look at her cousin. Rapunzel's hair was glowing, a sign that she was working her healing magic. However, Elsa was confused as to what she was trying to heal when there was no open wound, or bruises, or broken bones around. What was she trying to heal?
Elsa then looks back to the men. Their eyes were half open, their weariness gone. They were replaced by a soothing expression; light hearted they seem, as they pass their hands and body through the stardust, not at all afraid.
Lay down your head, and I'll sing you a lullaby / Back to the years, of loo-li lai-lay / And I'll sing you to sleep, and I'll sing you, tomorrow / Bless you with love, for the road that you go.
Upon the moment Rapunzel added in the lyrics, they men cease in movement for a second, a clear sign that they could hear her voice, and were become enchanted by her song. A small smile touch the guards' face as they grew soft and slow, looking more deeply into the stars than ever before.
May you sail far, to the far fields of fortune / With diamonds and pearls, at your head and your feet / And may you need never, to banish misfortune / May you find kindness in all that you meet…
One by one before Elsa's eyes, she watched as the guards each succumbs to sleep with no resistance.
May there always be angels to watch over you / To guide you each step of the way… / To guard you and keep you, safe from all harm / Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay.
Some of them slid, some of them fell, but they never once hit the ground or walls. The stardust caught them as their muscle relax, releasing them of their stand and strength. The dust laid them all down with gentleness, and acted as their mattress, as their blanket, while still continuing to wander endlessly with no destination.
From the tapping of the strings Rapunzel moved into the long and stronger strokes of the violin. Elsa couldn't hear a single hint of a disconnection during that one movement. Based on that transition alone, from one potion to the next, from one style to another, Snow Queen suddenly realizes the skill of her cousin's playing. Rapunzel music ability is special all on its own, without the aid of her Spirit and Guardian magic.
Something had flown overhead casting its shadow upon the stone of the courtyard, but Elsa didn't see what it was. She followed the shadow over to the second window overlooking the bridge and the town, and froze at the sight she saw.
The stardust had grown into an ocean of stars, covering the sky in its light and warmth. There were also strange orbs and vapors in all sizes scattered throughout, colored in sunset red, orange, and yellow. They added to the fantasy of stars, creating an illusion of various cosmos brought together under one sky. With all these lights, Elsa thought they may be too much for anyone sleep with. But they were like a sort of nightlights. Not so bright that they would blind those who are looking, but nor were the lights too dim to allow the far away stars to be seen easily. Even Manny's moonbeam was overshadowed by Rapunzel's stardust. But Elsa has a feeling that the old Guardian doesn't mind one bit of it.
In the distance, Elsa also saw Merida riding over town on Angus. They were galloping across the sky in majestic slow, with no laughs, no cries, no sounds at all. It was a whole new image to view Merida. And somehow, it was fitting, as much as it has been to see her riding wildly and freely into a sunset. Eventually Elsa realizes that the Summer Spirit had morphed her flames into the orbs and vapors. For they were galloping on them, and upon every touch, the orbs and vapors would release a narrow sigh of fire.
Without having to guess far, the shadow that Elsa belongs to Toothless and Hiccup. They were flying gracefully slow, imitating Merida and Angus' majestic in their own way. Not as if they were flying through the clouds, but were swimming. With every flap, every twist: every swirl, and every spin, toothless bends the stardust to follow in his moment, cladding his black hide in glorious speckles gold. Meanwhile, Hiccup remains seated on Toothless without performing flaring feats and acts, which is all fine for this performance of Rapunzel's Pact.
Elsa continues to watch as the two Spirits dance in the distance. One galloping on made-up land and one swimming in the sea, but both were dancing. They dance in the ocean of stars with their closes partners, but in corporation with each other. Beautiful corporation.
Eventually, Elsa too felt the effects of Rapunzel's song and magic. Her eyelids slowly got heavier and heavier, and she could feel the muscle in her body relaxing. She decided to allow herself to fall when the time comes, just like the men she saw, knowing the stardust would catch her and lay her to sleep. For the matter of sleeping on the ground, she didn't mind. Elsa also predicts that her cousin may even move her to the lounge couch, but if not, then she wouldn't mind.
Her eyes close and she felt herself being lull to sleep, though to her amazement, she could still see the ocean of stars and the spirits. Elsa wonder for a while, if she had completely entered into the world Rapunzel created through her dream. If she did, then it was a wonderful dream to be in for the night. Her mind felt at ease, and she could watch the dancing for hours, or even days with no end.
May you bring love, and may you bring happiness / Be loved in return, to the end of your days / Now fall off to sleep, I'm not meaning to keep you / I'll just sit for a while and sing loo-li, lai-lay... /
Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay /
As Elsa fell, she felt the stardust moving towards her, wrapping around her. It was as if a pair of firm, and mildly strong arms was holding her. Elsa was snugged comfortably in the dust. And surprisingly though the sight of them made her heart warm, they felt cool to her skin. It was an odd combination to experience, and she certainly wasn't expecting to have these separate sensations. But it was one she enjoyed much. So she wished for nothing more but to enjoy the sensation and the sight for as long as possible, as she was lulled to sleep.
Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay / Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li lai-lay / Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li lai-lay / Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li lai-lay / Loo-li, lai-lay…
XxXxXx
"Not bad timing there Jack. Not bad timing at all," Rapunzel said, as she returns the violin to its position on her lap, and resumes tapping at the stings. Jack had entered through the courtyard window, and flown quietly to take Elsa while still in midair before the dust could lay her down.
"So why are you putting people to sleep?" Jack asks. "I thought that was Sandy's job, as well as it's his ability."
"Sleeping is a part of healing in many ways Jack, especially for the mind. Everyone here was in much need of rest but was having trouble getting some. It's only natural for me to do this. It's a part of my Pact, as well as who I am, and what I'm going to become."
Jack nodded his head, and simply said, "Noted."
"But on other subjects, how did you get back so early? I thought it would take some time for you to convince him in handing over the knowledge."
Jack chuckled gently, as he carefully snuggle Elsa into his arm. "I made a deal with him and that was all that it took."
"Let me guess: you promised to never bust into his vault again, and try to take one of the yet to be invented inventions?"
"Hey. The ideas of frozen treats need to be invented now. I mean think about it. Eating things such as shaved ice that's been flavored, or frozen cream in a verity of taste, who wouldn't want that?!"
Rapunzel shrugged her shoulders, but still smile to some truth about it. "Fun, enjoyable, eatable frozen treats?" she comments.
Jack grins and raised an eyebrow at her. For a minuet he stood where he was floating to watch his friends and their dance, looking as though he was admiring their performance as well as the illustrated stars. However, the glances he took towards Elsa did not go unnoticed by Rapunzel, who was keeping a discreet eye on him.
When he was satisfy, he floated over to the lounge couch. But before laying Elsa down, he summoned his magic to form a pile of soft snow, and from it, fashioned the pile into a snow shape pillow. He lays her down carefully, and then he tilts her head slightly while moving her braided hair to the side, so then she may sleep comfortably.
"Jack," said Rapunzel, "I need to talk to you about something."
"You sound serious there Blonde, what's wrong?"
"It's about Elsa." Jack stiffens for a second. He looks over at Elsa once more, before turning to face Rapunzel with a stern expression. "…Well lately, you know how we've been sensing a change in her health right? Like how she's been stressing more and is hurting for some reason?" Jack nodded his head. "And so based on our Pact, these new…issues, fell from your jurisdiction and into mine?"
"So in other words, you figured out the reason for her recent pain."
"…Yes," Rapunzel said, while keeping her fingers taping, and her eyes on her work.
"Well, what is it?"
After a moment, she finally looks up to her friend. "Jack…it's you…"