"You're Queen now. It's your responsibility to deal with her."

Marie let out a light groan as the throbbing of her head woke her. She flinched as light met her eyes. "Ugh…shit…" She was still in the same room with the wooden canopy. Elsa was leaning against the stone wall by the fireplace, her blue eyes glaring at Marie. It was far from what Disney had depicted. She was angry and tense, nothing like she even looked when Hans had stormed her ice palace and threatened her life with his guards. A real human stood in front of Marie, not some mis proportioned, smiling idol, yet seeing her stand there, Marie felt the child in her squeal with delight at the sight of her fictional role model. Marie sat up and rubbed her forehead, meeting Elsa's gaze.

Anna stood near the door but turned when she heard Marie. "Oh, good! You're awake!" Elsa narrowed her eyes, causing ice to form all around Marie's body, locking her in place. Anna sighed. "Really, Elsa? We don't even know for sure if she is-"

Elsa leaned back against the wall coolly. "She can't go jumping out of windows now."

Marie attempted to move her head, slight panic rising in her chest. "Can I just wake up now?" The cold was unsettlingly real that seeped into her pale skin.

"You just-!" Elsa started, but stopped when Anna glared at her. "Sorry."

Anna cleared her throat. "You just did." Even though the young woman before Marie was younger, she did have an air of sophistication about her. Marie imagined a college graduate having the same level of intelligent confidence. Her red hair rested on her small shoulder with a small braid holding her bangs back. "You're not dreaming. My sister saved you when you tried to jump out the window, but you hit your head against the castle wall outside and were knocked unconscious."

Marie shivered and looked around the room, searching for an abnormality that her brain could process as being fake, thus proving that she was indeed dreaming. "This is great and all, but I really should wake up now. I need to ask my brother if I took a hit with him, and I have to ask my stepdad what he put in that wine…"

"Took a hit? Like beat each other up?" Anna questioned. "And you really think-?"

"You really think that wine caused all of this?" Elsa half yelled, interrupting her sister. Her fist clenched, causing the ice to tighten. Marie grunted uneasily.

"Elsa, let me handle this, okay?" Anna offered. "My sister can explain-"

"You never let me explain! You just jumped out the window!" The ice tightened even more around Marie's frail body as the former queen approached her. "You might just be an illusion of it."Marie let out a slight whimper of pain but bit her lip. She could not let her dreams taunt her. Not anymore.

""You're Queen now, Anna. It's your responsibility now, Anna!" Tch!" The younger sister turned around and started for the door. "Kristoff! She's awake now!"

Marie began to breathe heavily due to the pressure. "Go ahead. Squash me," she hissed. "Then I'll wake up from this shit."

The women's eyes grew wide. "That's not nice language!" Anna said in shock. "Feces has nothing to do with this!"

A small smile formed on the corner of Elsa's pretty pink lips. "Tell me. Have you ever frozen to death?" Anna opened her mouth in protest, but her sister took a step forward. "If you are an illusion, then my magic will destroy you. But if you are real, then my magic will keep you alive. But you will still feel the cold." She clenched her hand into a fist, causing the breath to squeeze out of Marie's lungs.

"This is NOT the way to treat people!" Anna rested a firm hand on her sister's shoulder. "Look at her, Elsa! She can't breathe!" The ice mage faltered. "Elsa!" Marie forced herself to relax. No. Her mind was not going to do this to her. Not this time.

"We have to make sure this isn't a trick, Anna!" Marie could tell by Elsa's tone of voice that she was not enjoying this. "Its illusions don't last that long."

Marie gritted her teeth. She was four years-old, running for her life. No…stop. She had no boots on her small feet that sprinted through the deep snow. Her real body flinched whenever her memory fell into the snow, the cold stabbing her. No! she thought frantically. She was running from him…She was running as far as she could. "Stop," she whispered.

The sisters looked taken aback. "What is this?" Elsa whispered. Marie's memory was being played out around the room, Elsa's magic taking the form of a four-year-old Marie.

"Water has memory…" Anna grabbed Elsa's shoulder. "It's her." Her younger self cried out as she fell into the snow for the last time, her body unable to push itself any further. Marie closed her eyes and shook. She slowly drifted into the numb whiteness, her little body drifting into the eternal sleep that the cold brought. Marie opened her real eyes and looked straight at Elsa, who flinched at the pure animosity in her eyes. "You can't keep doing this to me," Marie seethed. Elsa put a hand in front of her sister protectively. "I've conquered you. You can't control me anymore!" Elsa hesitated before conjuring an icicle that pointed straight for Marie's throat.

Anna started but was held back. "Elsa, no!"

"Wait, Anna." Elsa looked at Marie. "You can escape my ice, but there's only one way to do it."

Marie's eyes lowered in thought. The foreigner exhaled, and suddenly the ice shattered

around her. Her body fell to the floor as she coughed violently. "The rift…It was you that

was there." Her vision faded in and out. "And you saved me…in the woods." Her arms and legs shook. "And…this isn't a dream."

"Marie." Elsa rushed to her and knelt. "Thank goodness you weren't an illusion."

"So she's…from another world?" Anna knelt and attempted to help Marie stand, but she turned away, shaking her head.

A snowball, seemingly out of nowhere, rested on Elsa's hand. Marie stared at it. "I don't understand," she rasped. "You're from a movie…You're not real."

"And you're from a children's book." Anna threw a dark pink blanket over Marie's shivering body as she spoke. "Forgive us for doubting. But you have to understand from our perspective." She moved to her side and squeezed her shoulder when Marie continued to shake. "We thought you were a part of that strange wind that's been sighted in the forest. But if you were part of it, Elsa's magic would have crushed you."

The snowball drifted back into Marie's vision as Elsa offered it once again. "Do you remember?" Elsa asked. Marie took it, suddenly feeling five years old again. Without a second thought, she bit into it. The snow melted joyously in her mouth and slithered down her throat. Marie could somehow feel what Elsa must have been feeling when she conjured it. A sense of wonder, longing and regret overcame her. Elsa said, "There's been a strange dark wind that has been appearing out of nowhere and attacking people. It makes that person's fears come alive before causing destruction." The image of the dark wind that had surrounded them in the forest filled Marie's mind. "I…appeared in your world. I didn't have my magic. But when I saw the wolves run at you in the forest, I knew they were going to kill you. I begged to myself, to anyone, to make it to you before they reached you." Elsa's scream filled Marie's mind as the puzzle pieces fell into place.

"…How did you come into…my world?" she asked.

Elsa shook her head. "I was walking and saw the rift by the bank. It looked exactly like it did when we were children. I heard your voice calling a girl's name, and when I reached out, it pulled me in. The next thing I remember is hitting the wolf with that stick and falling into the water, and you collapsing after we came back to Arendelle." The royal leaned back as her face was overcome with emotion. "You made a deal with it, didn't you?" Anna kept looking back and forth between the two women, her large eyes entranced.

Marie sat back. "Yeah…I thought I was dying, so I went with what it offered. I didn't think it was real. I didn't want it to be real." Hot tears splashed down on the brunette's hands. She wiped them away shamefully. "Sorry…I'm just overwhelmed. C-can I ask you something about the author of that book that I'm in…Is she still alive?"

"She came for your coronation!" Anna chimed. "But unfortunately, she was an old woman then, and we received a letter not too long ago that she had passed. I'm sorry."

The women moved backwards as Marie pushed herself up with shaky long legs. She smiled. "She was real…That's amazing. As a writer, that's our biggest dream, you know? For our characters to become real." She lifted the blanket closer and covered half her face. "Who's to say that my reality is the only one?"

The peaceful ambience was interrupted by Marie's stomach roaring. Elsa and Anna giggled as she hid her face in embarrassment. "Why don't we go downstairs and grab a snack?" Elsa motioned towards the door. "I think I might have a dress that was too long for me in the wardrobe that you could try on." Marie nodded, suddenly feeling like a schoolgirl at her idol's house. Anna gave them a smile before departing. Marie lifted the pink blanket up once more and stood by the dim fire, watching the former queen out of the corner of her eye. Her chest buzzed with a sense of childish wonder. A part of her was still expecting to wake up at any moment, but every detail felt too real. The snowball, the fire, the ice, even the feel of the blanket resting on her shoulders. As real as her dreams had been before, they did not mimic life this realistically. She sniffled. The most realistic thing was nearly dying…

"You were muttering something earlier." Elsa's voice made Marie flinch. Now that they were alone, her demeanor changed. Her voice was still melodious and soft, but it was also cautious and slightly quivering. Her shoulders were tense even though her movements were fluid and graceful. She pulled out a long, faded maroon garment and held it in front of her. "You kept saying, "God, help me. God, please."" Her thin fingers ran over the fabric to smooth it. "He exists in your world?"

Marie faced her but lowered her eyes to the floor. "Of course, he does," she responded softly.

A small smile formed on Elsa's pink lips. "That's good." She looked up at Marie. "Here it is. I'm sorry that it's not much. We can have our seamstress make you something else right away."

"No, no, it's alright. I'm not picky." Marie measured it against her own body. "I'm sure it'll work just fine."

"That's great to hear." Elsa played with her hands absentmindedly before slowly turning around. Nervousness pricked within Marie's chest. She was never one to change in front of people, not even her own mother. But she had to consider that she was wounded, and that she was also not yet allowed to be alone in their home. She walked a few feet away and set the blanket on the bed. Reaching through the bottom, she observed the dress before slipping it over her head. She did not observe it close enough though, because the waist got caught around her head and arms.

"Uh…I might need some help." Marie's face grew beet red. She could only imagine what she looked like in that moment: a tall, lanky maroon tower with legs on the bottom. "I will definitely not be offended in any way if you laugh." She felt two hands grab onto the dress and pull down.

Her head popped out of the top, and though her brown hair landed in front of her face, she could see Elsa bite her lip and turn around, holding back a laugh. "Our clothing is much different from each other, so I understand." When Marie fixed her hair, she adjusted the dress. It was slightly itchy, but comfortable. The sleeves came halfway up her forearms, something she was used to from being so tall. The fabric hugged her small chest and waist but flowered out at her hips. It was a couple inches off the floor. Her hands felt her chest in surprise at the built-in brassiere. Marie reached behind her and felt strings with a slight groan. Elsa turned around and came to her side. "Forgive me. I should have known better." Her hands were quick and sure, proving this was an everyday thing for her and everyone else.

Hearing the distance in her voice, Marie looked around. "It's very cozy here." The feeling of embarrassment flashed within her once more as Elsa took a step forward and left only an inch between them. Marie clenched her hands in front of her. "Do, um…do you usually have help getting dressed?"

"Yes." The tone of her voice indicated that Marie had asked a rhetorical question. "Do you not?"

"No. Our clothes are pretty easy to slip on and off." Elsa stopped at Marie's response. The foreigner laughed. "Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like, too. Our world is obsessed with…matters of the flesh." It was the only thing she could think of saying without using modern slang that the royal would not understand. Marie's thumb nails clicked together nervously. She had a habit of speaking too much sometimes.

She could feel Elsa's fingers move slowly over her lower back as she finished tying the string into a knot. She nearly stopped as she asked, "Were you…one of those people?"

Marie felt her skin grow hot. "U-um, I had a couple of boyfriends, er…lovers. And a couple that promised love but ran as soon as it was over." She looked at her palms and the royal stopped to gaze at her. "I felt like a fool, to be honest. People often called me a prude, saying that I was wasting my beauty by not being more sexual." Marie breathed in, her shoulders dropping. "I didn't want just that. I never did. I felt that I was more than that, you know? If someone could see my heart, then maybe it would be enough." Her eyes grew wide. "That was unnecessary! COMPLETELY unnecessary! I apologize!"

A gentle hand rested on Marie's shoulder blade. She froze. "Some princesses were like that, too," Elsa said quietly. "But I never wanted to let myself get close to anyone. I was afraid I would hurt them."

Marie turned her head. "It's an awful feeling, that's for sure." She looked up towards the ceiling, gazing at the strong wooden pillars above. "Especially when people use it against you."

Her hand slid off Marie's shoulders. "Or when you use it against yourself."

Marie turned and looked her in the eyes. "That's why I related to you so much," she admitted rather sheepishly. "I felt trapped, but the only person who could free me was myself. You, or your character, showed me that I wasn't alone." She had only met one other person who had such expressive eyes as the beautiful blonde in front of her. As Marie took the time to delve into Elsa's gaze, the memory of this person filled her mind. They were a close friend that had shared everything: hopes, dreams, secrets and desires. But then…

Marie took a step back and tore her gaze away. No. Never again. Elsa blinked and tilted her head to try and catch her attention. "What's wrong?"

"Uhm…nothing. It's nothing. I'm fine." Marie let out a fake smile. "I think it's just my head bothering me."

The royal turned and walked to the other side of the bed, pulling out a small drawer of the oak end table. "What is a movie? A time portal?"

"Oh gosh, no! We are smart in the future, or my world, but not quite that smart to time travel." Marie began folding the blanket that she had set on the bed. "It's short for motion picture. It's like…thousands of pictures in a row so it looks like it's moving. They've made two of them so far."

Elsa pulled out a hand mirror and held it up to her face, looking at Marie in its reflection. "So, it looked like…this?" She slowly moved the mirror over her face. Marie caught a glimpse of herself and could not help but compare their faces. Her own was square with a pronounced jawline while Elsa's was softer with higher cheek bones. Elsa's face was slender yet newly mature, a kind of beauty that most women longed for. Her blue eyes were set farther apart than Marie's, and her platinum hair framed around her face that would make anyone's fingers twitch with the urge to brush it behind her ears. She held herself with nobility and reserve, her eyes observant but her body confident. She was stunning. She paused when it caught Marie in the reflection. "You still look the same, even twenty years later."

Marie pulled her brown hair to the side when Elsa gave her a warm smile. "I usually have my hair pulled back now." She internally chastised herself. Taking compliments was never her strong suit.

"I always tried to go back to that spot." Elsa walked over to her, the mirror in her hands. "I only saw you once more, but no matter how much I screamed, you couldn't hear me." The mirror was offered to Marie. "You…were in pain. Like your heart had shattered into a million pieces. I wanted to help, but-…I couldn't."

Gently, Marie took the mirror. "Do you happen to remember how long ago that was?"

"Eight years this spring."

Marie turned the glass towards her abdomen. "Oh. Then." When nobility's gaze met commoner's, Marie became uneasy. "It happened a long time ago. It's nothing."

She was expecting a flippant excusal, or even an outburst of anger. After all, that was the only thing Marie knew. That's not what she got. Elsa rested her hands on Marie's arms and stared into her eyes. "I won't press. My hope is that one day, you'll trust me enough to tell me. For now, I know exactly where you're coming from. That's how I know you need one of these." She soundlessly wrapped her arms around Marie's torso and pulled her in tightly. Marie froze. Elsa's hair fell over the brunette's shoulder as she squeezed her tenderly. It wasn't the hug of a mother, or even a sister. It was the hug of someone who had experienced the same pain. Her slender face nestled in the crook of Marie's long neck, and she could not help but shiver.

Marie had willingly closed herself off from others. So why were her arms unwillingly moving across the royal's thin frame to return her embrace? The person that had lingered in the back of their minds were now in front of them. Marie stepped into her hold and squeezed tightly. The royal tremored slightly when Marie nestled her face on the side of Elsa's head and closed her eyes.

"I could have baked a chocolate cake by now!" The door suddenly burst open, and an exasperated Anna stood with her arms outstretched dramatically. "Seriously, what is taking you so lo-?..." Elsa tore away from Marie in an instant. "Oh." Anna grabbed the door handle and slowly backed out. "I'll just, uh…be out here." The door slammed.

The young woman refused to turn around and face her long-lost companion, but Marie could see that her face was a brilliant red. "…She usually knocks." Her nervous eyes darted to Marie. "Hey, are you okay?"

Marie clutched her head and slowly moved backwards, feeling for the bed. "Yeah! I think I just need to lay down." As soon as her body felt the mattress, she tipped over.