Note: Concerts can be hard to write.
Thank you for being patient, loves.
Sweat was beading on her forehead, her naked palms were sweaty, and her heart was pounding against her chest. Life moved in slow motion, her boots hitting the stage floor, the surrounding area dark and quiet. She could hear her breath as she moved, and the hush of the crowd in front of her was deafening. Were they waiting, or did they leave?
Elsa closed her eyes as the intro music continued on. It was the only thing that kept her grounded. She faced the audience and opened her eyes, shoulders rising and falling with her breath. The music got to the part where she was supposed to sing, and she did, but the light were still off. She was opening with a song by No Doubt, "Settle Down," in tribute to her love of them and the inspiration they gave her.
Once the music picked up, the lights flashed on and Elsa was greeted with a sea of people. Everyone started screaming, but not in malice. In excitement. Her heart was no longer pounding but racing. It was far less anxious than before, that's for sure. These people in the crowd were fans. Pure, die-hard fans. The fans that had her back, that were still there in spite of everything. The boys were just as stunned and excited as she was, exchanging grins with each other and almost playing even better than before.
Immediately, Elsa got into her usual groove; swaying her hips, dancing, and landing every single note. She felt odd not having her gloves on, but also free and loose. She felt confident enough to run across the end of the stage and high-five every single person screaming and cheering in the front row. When it dawned on some of them that they had touched bare flesh, they grew even more excited, proud of their idol for taking off the gloves.
As the song moved on, she grew more and more comfortable. She was back and better than ever. Nothing was going to knock her down. Anna was right: nobody, not even Hans, was going to make her career end early.
Speaking of Anna, the red head was still slack jawed side-stage. Kristoff had appeared at her side mid-song and shared an expression of shock. He recovered first and smiled at her.
"You good?" he asked.
"Uh..." Anna gawked. She looked up at him. "Holy shit?"
"Yeah, no kidding. Should I call Oaken to get you in the pit?"
"Actually, I think she'll be okay." Anna finally smiled at her girlfriend, who was dancing with Olaf. "She's a big girl."
"Alright. Just let me know if you need me."
"I will."
Kristoff clapped her on the shoulder and went to prepare for a small set change. Anna leaned against the wall and watched Elsa. They locked eyes briefly and Anna winked at her. That sent a surge of love toward the blonde, and she ran to the end of the stage and jumped up and down as she sang. That got the crowd jumping in synch with her. Her energy was contagious, and everyone was eating it up.
"Hello, New York!" Elsa shouted once the song ended, and the response was intense. The stadium seemed to shake with the shouting and cheering of the crowd. Elsa clapped her hands, a big, dopey grin on her face. "I fucking love every single one of you! Thank you so much for coming tonight! Let's have some fun tonight, huh?" Olaf and Sitron took their cues to play "Waking Up in Vegas." "This song takes me back to the first concert of this tour in a little place called Las Vegas. Sing with me!"
The voices of the audience rose with Elsa's, but hers was more powerful than all of theirs combined. Somehow, Anna noticed from where she was standing, the crowd seemed to grow more excited, the lights became brighter as though Sven was trying to reflect Elsa's mood, the three boys were playing their best, and even the backstage crew was dancing and bobbing their heads to the songs as they passed. Anna watched on, heart swelling with pride and love for Elsa.
Every sway of her hips, grin on her face, and note hit flawlessly sent her soaring ever higher. Anna was sent back to when she first saw Elsa perform back home. The energy was balanced, the same. The euphoria of the beginning of the tour to the end of the tour. Elsa intended on going out with a bang, and she was succeeding beautifully.
Anna once looked at Elsa with malice, thinking she was the most overrated thing on the planet. She had refused to fall alongside the crowd and fawn over Dry Ice. Now, and she still can't believe it, she was their biggest fan. Elsa's biggest fan.
After a couple of more songs, Elsa brought the energy down some by raising a bare hand for silence, like a queen commanding her people. They obeyed, anticipating what she was going to say next. She took in a breath and looked out into the dense population of the stadium, time slowing down for another second. What kind of reaction was she going to get now that she's just talking to them? Would they respond positively, or turn on her once again? Using the high she was rolling on, she finally found the words and started to speak.
"You might have noticed that I'm not wearing my gloves tonight," Elsa said seriously. The reaction was only a couple of claps and murmurs, as though the crowd was unsure of how to react. Her confidence fell some but she pressed forward since she didn't know how she even wanted them to react. "I wanted to tell you the truth before I continue. These scars are... well, they're a reminder." She spread her arms, as though she was trying to embrace the audience, exposing her scars. "They're a reminder that I am who I am. They were forced upon me by someone cruel for loving the way I do. She made me ashamed, and I hid them because I was ashamed. But I can't be anymore.
"This is it. This is all me. And I'm proud that it's me." That got the crowd applauding. "Scars are not something to hide. Embrace your scars. They make you you. They're not always ideal, but hiding them hurts you the most. I'm not going to pretend they don't exist! I have to face them!" The crowd erupted in praise. Even Olaf, Sitron, and Marshmallow were clapping for her proudly, and her fear dwindled with each beat of the applause.
Elsa walked around the stage, still speaking. "Look, this wasn't the ideal end to the tour—these rumors, I mean. The guy who spread them was an ex-employee... and an ex-boyfriend." The crowd booed, but Elsa could tell they were geared towards Hans, especially when she said, "Right? Isn't that fucking lame?" The boos turned to cheers on her behalf. "He's not a good man, and frankly, I don't think I'll be doing business with him or his family ever again. Boys?" She looks at her bandmates. "What do you think?"
"Hell no," Olaf nodded in agreement. "He's a douche-canoe."
"I bet he's crying that the concert didn't get cancelled," Sitron snickered into his mic, making the audience laugh.
"You're probably right," Elsa chuckled. "Let's show our lovely audience how much we appreciate their support."
That was the cue for "Applause," and the crowd ate up every lyric. Then she sang "Pour Some Sugar On Me," telling them all that it was in honor of her high school English teacher that encouraged her to follow her dreams, admitting her fleeting affections at the time. Sometime later, her eyes landed on Anna as she watched them speak from side stage, still smiling affectionately.
"I think," Elsa said to the crowd, but was still looking at Anna, "I'm gonna have some fun." Anna squinted at Elsa, who merely grinned.
The intro to "Do I Wanna Know" played and Anna's eyes widened. Kristoff, who had returned to her side not too long ago, snorted into his fist.
"I'm gonna need some cold water," Anna told him weakly.
"You got it," he laughed before jogging off.
Elsa put on quite the show during the song, and it drove not only Anna crazy, but the rest of the crowd as well. She was back to her usual grinding as her honeyed voice sang the song as seductively as possible. Anna would have passed out if it weren't for the bottle of water, and Kristoff patting her back with a shit-eating grin on his face.
Using all the energy the concert gave her, Elsa even got on her back and gyrated the air as she sang. Anna choked on her last gulp of water, and the crowd went wild.
After that song, Elsa made sure to pump up the crowd again with "Fuckin' Perfect" and "Shut Up and Dance." Anna glared at her, but was smiling, when their eyes met again as Elsa basked in the cheers and applause from her beloved fans. Elsa's face turned slightly serious, and she called for silence once more.
"Now, there's one more rumor I need to address... Remember when I punched a paparazzo in the face for grabbing my roadie, or as our dear rumor-mill put it, my whore? Well, that's the most disgusting rumor we heard in all of this." The boys nodded darkly, and Anna raised her brows in surprise. "That girl is not a whore. In fact, she's innocent in all of this. A by-stander that is just trying to do her job. But what about those photos, you may think. Well, I don't force her into anything. Want proof? She's here tonight." Elsa turned her head toward Anna and jerked it slightly, asking her to join her on stage.
Anna blinked, looking at Kristoff. He shrugged and gestured her to the stage. Anna handed him Elsa's gloves before slowly making her way on. The lights instantly blinded her, having never been on the stage when it was fully lit. She could hardly make out the faces watching her, but could feel every single eye locked on her. They started to clap politely, albeit with some confusion.
"This is Anna," Elsa said with a smile, grabbing her hand as Anna came to a stop by her side. "She's my girlfriend, and I'm in love with her."
Like a sonic boom, the crowd exploded with excitement, the initial uncertainty gone. Anna was winded and laughed awkwardly. She flushed as Elsa pulled her into a side hug. The boys all ran over and hugged her, too.
"She's the best fucking roadie ever!" Olaf yelled.
"She's the reason we're still here!" Sitron told everyone proudly.
"Our staff doesn't get enough love," Elsa grinned. "We have two other great members named Kristoff and Sven, so give them a round of applause!"
Kristoff merely stuck a hand out side stage and waved, making laughter ripple through the crowd. Sven flashed the stage lights to show his presence before returning them to normal.
"I love you," Elsa mouthed to Anna, leaning her forehead onto Anna's.
Anna giggled and shook her head. "Show off."
"Should I sing to her?" Elsa asked the crowd, and got instant approval.
"Wait, what?" Anna said audibly, and the mic near Elsa's mouth caught it.
"You heard me." The boys returned to their places and got ready. "I mean, we know what the next song is gonna be, but I want it to be all you, baby."
"Elsa—"
Elsa lifted her mic up and kissed Anna, in front of God and everyone, and even though the crowd was going crazy, Anna couldn't hear a thing. She melted in the cheesiness of the moment and kissed Elsa back. The band started the intro to "Sweet Child O' Mine", which was long enough for the girls to share a deep and pleasant kiss. When they parted, Anna was beet red but beaming. She shyly lifted her hands over her mouth, not knowing what to do in this situation. Elsa lowered her mic back to her lips and lifted Anna's hand in the air, joined with her own.
"Chant her name!" Elsa ordered, and the audience complied.
"Anna, Anna, Anna!" was the reply, and Anna was stunned.
Elsa started to sing to her and dance with her. Anna was laughing, following Elsa's cues and letting herself loosen up. This was beyond anything she imagined she would be doing in her life, but there she was, dancing with a rockstar on stage, and the rockstar was none other than her own girlfriend. Rapunzel, Anna thought, must be freaking out in her room over the live-feed.
Elsa made sure that Anna was having fun, showering her with love and attention as she sang her heart out to her. When they danced, they did their goofy little dances they often did in their hotel rooms or in Elsa's bedroom when the boys were none the wiser or absent from the bus. They would play songs on blast and just be dorks for a while before they ran out of breath and couldn't dance anymore. Anna couldn't help herself and was singing along, though her voice wasn't heard over the music and, of course, Elsa's powerhouse singing.
When the song was over, Elsa kissed her one last time before saying, "thank you," in her ear. Anna kissed her nose, waved shyly at the crowd, who all cheered at her, and returned side stage.
"Well shit," Kristoff said.
"I think I just crossed something on my bucket list that I didn't even know was on my bucket list," Anna panted.
"Did you have fun?"
"I did... I had a lot of fun."
"I'm glad you did," snarled an all too familiar voice.
Anna and Kristoff turned to see Hans storming over, his face contorted into an ugly scowl.
"Excuse me, but who you bypass security?" Anna spat.
"And how did you get here so fast?" Kristoff asked.
"The band I sponsored had a gig here—" Hans started, but Anna cut him off.
"Is that past tense I hear?" she said gleefully.
"Yeah! Your fucking girlfriend told the entire world that I did what I did, so when they saw that on the live-feed, they fired me!"
"Fun fact: Elsa never used your name," Kristoff pointed out.
"It doesn't matter! They knew it was me! And I'm going to see to it that her career ends once and for all." He started for the stage, but Anna grabbed him back and gripped the collar of his shirt.
"You listen to me right now," Anna growled, her eyes flashing so dangerously that it clearly reflected Elsa's influence on her. "You take one step on that stage and you'll regret it for the rest of your life. You stay away from my band and my girlfriend. Kristoff—call Oaken."
"On it." Kristoff activated his earpiece.
Anna kept going on Hans. "You have no right to make her life any more miserable and difficult as it has been for the past couple of weeks. I'm going to see that you never touch them again, do you understand me?" Hans swallowed hard but Anna didn't let up. "I asked you a question. Do you understand me?"
"Y-Yes," Hans croaked.
"Good." Anna released Hans right into Oaken's grip. Oaken scowled down at Hans, who was shrinking with every passing second. "See to it that Hans is escorted far from here."
Oaken nodded and dragged Hans off. The adrenaline left Anna's system and she deflated, letting out a long breath. Kristoff stared at Anna with a newfound respect.
"Damn, Anna," he said, impressed.
Anna ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know what got into me."
"Manager instincts?"
"Don't start that again, please."
He shrugged. "I'm just saying."
Anna shot him a look and he shut up. They turned back to the concert, which was still going strong. Elsa and the boys didn't notice a thing, keeping their fans well entertained.
The final song was, of course, "Let It Go." Elsa stood in the center of the stage, letting her voice carry over the audience and loving the fact that they were all singing with her. All around the world, unbeknownst to her, her fans watching the live-feed were singing just as passionately with her. Elsa paused a moment before the final verse.
"I want you to sing with me. Who wants to come up here and sing?" Elsa asked. "Kristoff, can you grab me a mic?"
Kristoff took one from a nearby tech table, walked onstage—earning a round of applause—and handed Elsa the mic after testing it. He waved to the crowd before disappearing side-stage.
Immediately, the audience tried to gain her attention once she started to search for her new singing partner. Elsa pulled up a girl from the pit no older than nineteen and handed her the mic.
"Whats your name, sweetie?" Elsa asked.
"Belle."
"Alright, Belle, do you think you can sing with me?"
"It's a dream of mine."
Elsa laughed. "Awesome, then! Give it up for Belle! Boys, hit it."
The boys played the first verse for Belle, who sang beautifully. The crowd supported her the whole way, and she was blushing with joy when she finished.
"Awh, thank you, Belle! Stay up here a second." Elsa grabbed a couple more people, who all got their chances to sing the first verse.
Elsa then grouped them all together and held the mic aloft for them to sing in unison. When they finished, Elsa thanked them and had a nearby security guard safely escort them back to their spots.
"I think we have time for one more person to sing. Or two? Anna, Kristoff, do you want to join us for the grand finale?" Elsa said, gesturing for them to come on stage.
"Bucket list!" Kristoff chimed at Anna before running on.
Anna laughed, following after him. Anna stood on one side of Elsa and Kristoff stood on the other. Sitron took his place beside Kristoff and Olaf bumped hips with Anna. Elsa wrapped her arm around Anna's waist and waved her hand to get everyone to start singing the final verse.
This was a joint effort, Elsa had decided. She couldn't have gotten this far without her fans, her band, or her crew. They all deserved to be in the spotlight tonight.
All of Dry Ice, and all of Madison Square Garden, sang "Let It Go" together. And when they all chanted "the cold never bothered me anyway" one last time, the entire place shook with cheers and screams. Elsa coaxed her friends to bow, waving to her fans.
"Thank you so much, New York! I love you!" Elsa hollered.
The band and the two crew members left, and the lights finally dimmed. Once they all entered the dressing room, the group exploded into tearful excitement, embracing each other and talking over one another. The tour was over and they finished it with great success. When Sven came into the room, he joined in on the fun.
Elsa took Anna in her arms and kissed her over and over again, earning bouts of giggles from the roadie.
"Thank you for everything, Anna," Elsa breathed.
"You did it all on your own," Anna insisted. "I'm so proud of you."
Elsa pressed their foreheads together and caressed Anna's face with her bare hands. "I did it."
"You did it," Anna repeated, beaming.
"I love you, kid."
"I love you, too, punk."
As the band started to head back to their bus to be transported to their hotel for the next two days, they were greeted outside by die-hard fans chanting Elsa's name. Marshmallow lifted Elsa onto his shoulders so she could see just how many fans came out. Elsa choked up and waved, blowing several kisses their way. He put her down when they reached the bus, where they all had another celebration inside, Oaken guiding the bus along the busy New York streets.
"What are you doing here?"
Elsa turned around in the water of the pool to find Anna standing at the edge. It was way past midnight, and Elsa managed to talk her way into getting the pool all to herself for a little alone time. Her body ached from the concert and the cold water soothed her muscles.
Anna had grown tired of waiting for Elsa to come to bed, so she had asked the woman at the front desk where Elsa had gone. She was directed to the pool and also given access once she showed her crew member badge to the concierge.
"I'm just hanging out. You okay?" Elsa said, floating on her back.
"Yeah." Anna sat down and dipped her feet in the water. "You?"
"Well, my adrenaline rush has certainly gone down. I'm nice and cool, though. The water helps."
Anna nodded. "I see. I can go, if you want."
"No, please. Stay with me." Elsa smiled. "Why don't you come in?"
"I don't have a swimsuit."
"I'm in my bra and underpants. Nobody is around, who cares? Come on, baby."
Anna sighed with dramatic exasperation, as though Elsa's request was incredibly taxing. She stood up and took off her shirt and jeans before jumping into the water. Elsa beamed and swam over to where Anna was surfacing.
"Ooh, this is nice. I haven't been swimming all summer."
Elsa wrapped herself around Anna and kissed her nose. "Neither have I." Elsa tucked a strand of wet hair behind Anna's ear. "Thanks for coming on stage tonight. I hope it wasn't too overwhelming."
"It was at first, but it was fun. I was really proud to be your girlfriend. I can't believe I got all that applause. I was expecting some boos."
Elsa laughed. "Nonsense. Their queen is in love and I think that's more important to them than their love for me. I have pretty selfless fans."
"You really do. Rapunzel blew up my phone after our kiss. I didn't have it on me during the concert so when we were driving over here, I saw all her texts. All caps."
"Of course."
"My parents even tuned in. . . my mom texted me a loooooot of 'omg's."
"Is that so? Well, I can't wait to officially meet them when we return to Arendelle."
Anna frowned. "Yeah. . . about that. What's gonna happen to us when we get back?"
Facing the music was terrifying, but Anna needed to bring it up. She needed to know if she and Elsa were going to stay together or if this was going to be their last hoorah. The last thing Anna wanted was to ruin this perfect night with a discussion about reality, but it would put all her thoughts to rest.
"What do you mean?" Elsa said, lifting a brow.
"I mean, are we going to still be girlfriends when I return home?"
"Of course we are. Why, what's up?"
"It's just. . . I broke up with Merida because I can't do long distance. I want to be able to see you everyday. I know you left your mom's place in Wisconsin and I know you've lived with the boys for a while, but I still have roots in Arendelle. I want to stay home with my family."
"Well, it's a good thing I'm moving to Arendelle, then, isn't it?"
"I guess—wait, what? You're doing what?"
"I'm moving to Arendelle. What? Did you honestly think I wasn't going to live in the same city as my girlfriend?"
"But. . . but. . . what about the boys?"
"They go wherever I go. But they probably won't move to Arendelle for a while."
"You hate Arendelle."
"I do not. I think it's a quaint little city, I just poked fun at it to bug you when we first started to tour. I've already looked at some places to rent. Are you okay with that?"
"I. . . Elsa, you don't have to do this for me."
"I want to be in the same city with you. In fact, I want to live with you. I've grown quite accustomed to having you in the same bed as me. Will you move in with me when we get back?"
"Really!?" Anna's eyes were as big as dinner plates.
"Really, you nerd."
Anna pressed a powerful kiss to Elsa's lips, eliciting a goofy grin from the punk. Anna kissed Elsa all over her face, grinning as well when she finally moved away.
"I would love to!"
"I also have one other question."
"Oh my god, please tell me you're not proposing, I'm not ready for that."
Elsa burst out laughing. "Oh, god, no! I mean, I think I will one day, but no. No, no, it's actually a business opportunity. I was talking with Kai and the guys, and I wanted to know if you'll be our manager?"
Anna blinked. "Did Kristoff put you up to this?"
"No? Has he been saying the same thing?"
"Yeah, he has. A lot."
"Then he knows you've got what it takes, too. Anna, you're manager material. Kai is only our agent but we need someone on the road with us always."
"Why can't Kristoff do it?"
"Because he's a good techie, and he and Sven are a team. I want you to be the manager."
"I have no experience."
"Sure you do. You just spent your entire summer traveling around with us as a roadie. You'll get to boss us all around with even more authority than you have now."
Anna bit her lip, unsure.
"Look, if you want to do good by us, I'll pay for some business classes and such for you to attend for two semesters and hook you up with an intern or two," Elsa offered sweetly. "Then do you think you'll have some extra experience?"
"Would you really?"
"If that's what it takes to get you on board."
Anna sighed. "Can I think about it?"
"Of course."
"Okay. Thank you."
"You've just kept us all together on the road. You've handled certain matters beautifully. I don't want anyone else as our manager."
"So who will take my place as roadie?"
"That would ultimately be up to you. You'll be in charge of the crew."
Anna found herself smiling. "I might know someone just right for the job."
"See? Look at that! You're already thinking like a manager."
Anna splashed her. "Oh, stop."
Elsa laughed and let Anna go. They swam around for a while before retiring to one of the hot tubs, where they allowed jets and steam to hide the fact they were getting a little naughty beneath the water. Elsa had pulled Anna into her lap, and they exchanged long, lingering kisses until they finally decided to wrap up and go to bed.
They bundled up in towels, grabbed their clothes, and returned to their room where their fun in the hot tub continued beneath the sheets.
Elsa had met with her father's lawyer before they left for their drive back to Arendelle. The band went to collect things from a storage unit and pack some items in Anna's room since she wasn't using it anymore. A lot of what Agnarr had in his unit was very useful to the band, so they made sure to keep it. Other stuff Elsa had to sell like some old clothes that the guys didn't want.
They also had to bid goodbye to Kristoff and Sven at JFK since they would be flying back home now that the tour was over. Anna was an absolute puddle of tears when she hugged them both goodbye.
"Before you go, I gotta tell you something," Anna said to Kristoff, wiping her eyes.
"What is it, Miss Emotional?" he teased affectionately.
"Your amp name sucks. Tell Pabbie to change it to Rock 'n Troll because it's funnier and has a nice ring to it."
Sven laughed. "I like that!"
"Me too," Kristoff said. "I'll keep that in mind." He moved on to hug the others goodbye, and the band watched as Kristoff and Sven entered the terminal and vanished from view.
Anna sniffled, feeling Olaf pull her into a warm hug.
"Relax, kid. They'll be our techies forever. You'll see them again," he assured her.
"It's just really hard to say goodbye," Anna whispered.
"We know," Sitron said. "It'll be tough saying goodbye to you."
"Don't!" Anna wailed. "Don't talk about that right now, okay!? I'm not ready for that either."
"Yeah, Sitron, what the fuck?" Olaf said, tightening his grip on Anna, protecting her from the bitter reality that was coming from Sitron. "Let the poor kid get over this tragedy first."
"You guys aren't helping at all," Marshmallow deadpanned.
Elsa rolled her eyes at them. "Come on, losers. We have a long drive ahead of us."
They all piled back into the bus and Oaken hit the road. Anna made sure to spend plenty of time with her little family as the days went by. She and Elsa didn't need to do too much since Elsa intended on moving very soon, but the boys and Anna did all they could. She played video games with them, hung out with them in the booths, or grabbed lunch with them whenever they stopped by briefly to stock up on supplies.
Several days later, they were pulling into the Arendelle limits. Anna's bags were all packed and although she was sad to say goodbye to the tour, she was happy to be home. She and Elsa would be apart for a little while as she got everything situated, so the goodbyes were far more heart-wrenching than she wanted them to be.
The bus stopped in the very same parking lot where Anna had boarded the bus for the first time. Oaken helped Anna put down her bags, and she took the moment where she was waiting for her cousin to come get her to address the band.
She looked at Sitron, who was giving her his usual lopsided smile. He had just finished his cigarette so his shirt still smelled like ash. Anna didn't care when she embraced him. She thanked him for being her protector, for being a friend, and for helping her see the light. He told her that he cared deeply for her, and if she ever told that to anyone he would kill her. Anna laughed, telling him too bad she was going to tell the entire world.
She turned to Marshmallow next. He was, like her, a blubbering mess. For such a tough guy, Anna adored that he was a big ol' softy. His hug was bone crushing, but Anna invited it. He cried about how much he was going to miss her and that he was so happy she joined them. Anna felt her own tears grow more as she said she was happy that he was her friend.
Olaf yanked Anna into a hug once he got the chance. Anna clung to him, holding onto the best hugger ever. He really had become one of her best friends over the course of this tour, and she was sorry to have to say goodbye for as long as she had to. He told Anna that he loved her and was going to miss her like crazy. Anna responded likewise.
Finally, Elsa. Even though they were eventually going to move in together, it wasn't going to be for another month or so. It was goodbye for now, and Anna didn't think she was ready. She pulled Elsa into a deep kiss, hiding her tears. Elsa let her own tears fall and didn't try to wipe them away when they parted. Elsa promised to keep Anna updated on everything, and Anna merely nodded, unable to speak.
She stepped back to look at them all. They were tearful but smiling, nothing but love and thankfulness radiating from Dry Ice. Anna heard Rapunzel's car pull up behind her, but her feet stayed glued to the ground.
"I'm gonna miss this," Anna sniffled.
"We are, too," Olaf said.
"You really are the best thing that has ever happened to us, kiddo," Sitron said.
"Thanks for being our roadie," Marshmallow said through his tears.
"The boys will visit us, don't worry," Elsa assured Anna.
"I know, but. . . I liked being on the road." Anna's eyes widened. "Oh my God. If I'm your manager—"
"You'll get to do this all the time," Elsa said. "But you still have classes you're gonna take to help you out in the long run."
"I mean. . ." Anna gave the boys a once-over. "I don't want to miss my family too much."
"So, you'll be our manager!?" Olaf gasped.
"Next year, when I'm ready, I will be."
The entire band surged forward and wrapped Anna in a group hug. Anna laughed and hugged them back as best as she could.
"You guys are nerds," Anna told them, her voice muffled.
"We love you, too, Anna," Sitron chuckled.
Anna was soon released and gathered her things. She retreated to Rapunzel's car and threw her stuff in the back before sitting into shotgun. She hugged Rapunzel tightly.
"I missed you," Anna said.
"I missed you!" Rapunzel said.
"I'm surprised you didn't come out to fangirl over them," Anna smirked.
"You were having a moment. I'm sure I'll see them again." Rapunzel waved at them through the window, and they all waved back. "Besides, you being home is more important to me."
"Thanks for getting your priorities straight," Anna giggled.
"Let's get you home. I know your Mom and Dad are very excited to see you."
Rapunzel started pulling the car away, but Anna craned her neck to gaze longingly through the back window. They were all still waving goodbye, and Anna blew them kisses.
Two tour buses idled in front of Anna. One was for her new crew. It was a smaller bus than the main one, but it was comfortable and willing to accommodate four people and a driver. She had collected some willing recruits from some ads she placed online and from her own city. Rapunzel was a willing volunteer of course, and she even managed to convince Eugene to tag along. Anna got the attention of siblings Moana and Maui, who had seen the ad online and were interested in building up their resumes with exciting experiences. They were a great start to her staff, and Moana even had some tech experience to assist Kristoff and Sven in their lighting and rigging. Maui was incredibly strong so he was placed in helping move the chandelier and heavier equipment with Oaken. Rapunzel and Eugene were not only tasked in helping with setting up the stage, but they were ready to run errands for the band. She even got a new driver named Philip.
The other tour bus was the original Dry Ice bus, and the band was about to go on its first international tour, starting with several locations across America. They just released their first official album filled with new and original songs and even bonus tracks of an acoustic version of Let It Go, because of course that had to be included. Anna would be staying in the Dry Ice tour bus, of course, in the comfortable little room that she and Elsa occupied.
And Elsa herself stepped out of the tour bus, reminiscent of when Anna stood before this very bus. Although instead of donning a sports bra and skinny jeans like she had almost a year ago, she was wearing Anna's college sweatshirt that she still claimed to hate, and jean shorts.
"Nice, right?" she asked Anna, gesturing to the other bus.
"It looks great inside." Anna adjusted Mose, her beloved sloth stuffed animal that she still had, under her arm. "They're all ready to go."
"Are you?"
"I am. This is my first official tour as manager."
"Good." Elsa smiled. "I made sure that everything was locked up at home."
Anna nodded and started toward the bus. Elsa helped her carry her luggage into the back bedroom. Anna paused, however, when she got to where the driver's area met the main room. Sitting there like a day never passed between the first tour and now were Olaf, Sitron, and Marshmallow already gearing up for a competition of Guitar Hero. Even though they had often paid her and Elsa visits throughout the time Anna was in school, she forgot how much she had missed their consistent company as well.
"Hey," Anna said.
They looked up at her and immediately shot to their feet. They embraced her, their warm greetings clashing with each other and Anna's excited laughter. They all let her go when she claimed she couldn't breathe, but they couldn't stop smiling.
"It's our new manager!" Olaf cheered.
"Don't let the power go to your head, now," Sitron teased, pinching her sides.
"You're gonna do great, kid," Marshmallow encouraged, his big paw of a hand tossing her hair.
"Hey, you updated your white stripe," Olaf observed, touching the shock of hair that was once faded from lack of upkeep. "Nice, nice. I approve."
"Elsa told us you got a tattoo," Sitron said excitedly.
"I did." Anna shuffled her feet bashfully. "In celebration of becoming the new manager, I got a tattoo to really fit in with the crowd."
"Can we see?" Sitron urged.
Anna lifted up the bottom of her shirt slightly. On her left hip was Elsa's name in beautiful writing. The curves of the lettering swirled almost hypnotically across her tan skin. The boys gaped.
"Well, shit," Olaf giggled. "That's basically a wedding ring."
"Oh, stop it." Marshmallow nudged his brother. "I think it's sweet."
"I have a matching one," Elsa said as she left the room. "Surprise!"
"Say what!?" Sitron whirled around.
Elsa lifted up the jacket and shirt underneath to reveal a similar tattoo on her right hip.
"Woooooow." Sitron shook his head. "You're both so whipped."
"Shut up, Sitron," Anna said.
"Yeah, shut up Sitron. Listen to our manager," Olaf cackled.
"Yeah! Listen to our manager, who I totally knew was going to be our manager because I'm always right!" Kristoff said from the door, Sven's head over his shoulder.
"Kristoff!" Anna chimed, running over to give him a hug. "You made it just in time!"
"Damn right I did. No way am I gonna miss the start of the tour like last time."
Anna gave Sven a hug next as Kristoff went to greet the others.
"We're all back together again," Elsa said, grinning at her band. "And we have some extra help thanks to the best manager in the world."
Anna flushed. "Flattery will get you nowhere."
"Except in bed," Elsa smirked.
"Elsa!"
The others roared with laughter. Even after all that time apart, nothing had changed. Oaken soon lumbered in, gave Anna a hug, and sat down at his seat. Everyone was getting themselves situated, Kristoff and Sven also staying in the main bus because they had definitely made their mark on them all from the first tour.
Philip popped his head in a few minutes later. "Yo, boss, are we ready to go?" he asked.
Anna turned to him. "Yeah. Once Oaken starts driving, follow him."
"Got it." Philip vanished and headed to the other bus.
"Are we ready for our first international tour?" Elsa asked the group.
"Fuck yeah we are!" Sitron said.
"We're about to take over the world with Elsa as the queen!" Olaf threw his fists in the air.
"Look out planet Earth," Marshmallow grinned.
The engine of the bus roared to life. Oaken honked cheerfully and Philip honked back. The cheers from the crew were loud enough to reach the first bus, and the band laughed. Once they hit the highway, it was back to the old grind. With pride in her heart, and Elsa on her arm, Anna looked out the windshield of the bus at the open road. She shared a gentle kiss with Elsa, both of them ready to start this new chapter in their lives together and with their closest friends.
"Here we go again, punk" Anna whispered to Elsa.
Elsa smirked. "Here we go again, kid."
The End
Fun fact: there's one more chapter. A little bonus chapter, if you will. This is the actual end of Scars' main story, but I wrote a little something for it a while ago. Stay tuned.
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See you next time!