The wind is always the strongest before it stops, just like the night is the darkest before dawn. Before Elsa was able to truly accept her sisters’ love, Anna froze to solid ice. Before the Thaw brought back warmth and summer, icy winds and snow brought darkness and danger. Before sunlight could shine again inside through the windows, all the doors had to be closed.
All the happy moments of their early childhood, were for years placed far too distant for the sisters. Unspoken words stood always between them. They walked through empty halls, lost in not knowing what to search for. Was it good education and self discipline? Was it the lust for adventure and constant dreaming? Was it friendship or compassion? Understanding or empathy? What is it that we want, and what is it that we truly need?
Each time they saw each other, a simple greeting were the only words exchanged. The dinners were spend in silence, only broken by the sound of the clock. All the years they spend apart, their childhood days frozen in time and left behind.
But blood is thicker than water, and family is the strongest magic.
And Anna did thaw. Her transparent cold body became again flesh and blood, she started to breath again and her heart to beat again, just as strong as before. Elsa did thaw. She noticed how much the one life we have means and she decided to embrace it, decided to trust on both her strength and on that of others. The skies cleared and sunbeams were again able to reach even the smallest flowers and help them grow. The magic that we humans call life was able to shine again.
And from now on, each time Elsa turned her palms to the heavens and Anna´s eyes became wide and clear, snowflakes started to merrily dance. And each time the sisters laughed and enjoyed their time together, the lonely times became forgotten.
It was a rainy and lazy summer day when two sisters where siting on a couch and doing the only thing possible on a day like that. They were watching movies. All over the coffee table were DVDs placed they had borrowed from the library. Anna wanted to interest her sister in Superhero movies, and as Elsa had agreed to watch the newest Captain America movie next week, they had much to catch up.
“So, how many movies have we left to watch?” asked Anna with a smile, not a bit tired from the last 5 they had already watched.
“I don´t know, not many I think. But I´m done for today. Don´t tell me you could watch some more?” said Elsa as she leaned her bag against the couch, putting her hand across her head to point out how exhausted she was.
“Why not? Just kidding. Sooo, sis… what do you think about them? Do you like them? For someone who said I don´t like action movies you sure did look interested in these we saw.”
“Well… I have to admit these were not so bad at all. I very surprised how good they actually are.”
“See? Prejudice against a genre is not nice.”
“True. What I most liked is the balance between good characters, good story and visual effects. Like in…”
“Do you have to analyse everything?”
“Why not? If it’s worth it. The characters are quite complex, but still not too much so everyone can find something to agree with them.”
“Even with the villains? I don´t know. The bad guy from Iron Man was quite boring and bland. I already forgot what his plan was. The same with the Abomination guy from The Incredible Hulk. Why do they always seek power anyway?”
“Well, maybe because they are spiritually weak and search for a more physical way of expressing them self. Or they are clever sneaky like Loki.”
“Why do you bring up him? Oh no. Are you one of those Loki-fan girls that squeak and scream every time he is on screen because of his good looks and I don´t know what else? Stay away from me you traitor!” Saying that Anna grabbed two bars of chocolate and placed them in her outstretched hands so they formed a cross, like a creature of the dark was about attaching her.
“No, its not like that silly. But you have to admit that in the beginning Thor did not always act right”
“True…” Anna put her hands down and opened one of the bars to eat a bit.
“Exactly. And the person who knew how to use this for his advantage was Loki. First he started off slowly and small, but as the plot evolved and secrets came into the light, he could not stop himself. He always had a dark side, but in the end he did nothing to stop it from consuming him. Plus, I could never be on the Loki side as I think Thor is definitely more handsome.” At this last words Anna had to giggle so hard that she nearly spit some of the chocolate out.
“You think Thor is hot? Uh la la. And I thought he is not your type. All muscles and that.”, she said grinning.
“True, he is impulsive at first, but he does learn. He is strong, carrying, and has beautiful blond hair and…”
On a sunny summer day, on a simple day in the week, in a little living room, two sisters could be heard.
“Anna! Give it back!” Elsa shouted at her strawberry blond sister for the hundred time, while trying to catch her. Anna, meanwhile, was running and jumping around the room, not even making halt from walking over the coffee table or on the couch.
“Com ´on. Today I want to decide what we watch.” She said with a grin, getting slowly out of breath.
“But they are showing the newest episodes! You know how hard it was to live for half a year with that cliff-hanger? Now give it back!” Now it was enough for Elsa. The living room already looked like a tornado came through it. And slowly it also became ridiculous. She, the 21-year-old older sister was running in circles like an 8 year old. With on swift of her hand she made a pile of snow, so when Anna was about to run further, she was stuck in it.
“Got you!” With a triumphant grin Elsa took the object of her desire and sat down on the couch, putting the pillows back where there belonged.
“Hey! Its not fair! No cheating with magic powers. I thought I was your sister.”, said Anna as she sat down angry.
Since Anna could remember, the moment of the first snowfall in winter had always been special to her. When November came she would spend hours looking through the window waiting for it to start to snow. One or two snowflakes would usually be enough for her to ask for her boots and run in the courtyard, the stone bricks not even barely covert under the thinnest layer of snow. But she didn´t care, for she loved playing and she loved fun.
Winters were cold and dark in Arendelle, with the sun only peaking for a few short hours over the mountains before disappearing again. The white snow was the only thing that made the world look less dreary.
For many years Anna kept in her mind the memory of enjoying games in the snow with her sister Elsa. All the snow-fights, snowman, snow angels and sleigh races left a shining and happy mark in her mind. The more it was harder to accept the growing distance that appeared between them. Over night, all that was and had been seemed to be an illusion and dream, not connected to the lonely reality she felt. Now, every snowflake filed her with emptiness. She still did play in the snow and laugh, but neither the good servants nor her parents could fill the gap.
Seasons came and went, just like the years that passed. Some wounds never heal, other just take more time to do so. It took a while, but Anna never regretted waiting for her sister to heal and was right by her side when she did.
It must have been the second week in November when winter came to Arendelle in the year of the Thaw, as from now on that year would be remembered and called. For some days the rain had stopped to pour and a cold wind came. The mornings were dark, and when you stepped out of bed you would feel the chill in the air.
The little clock on the mantelpiece in the small dinning room where Anna sat and ate breakfast showed 8:27 in the morning. Although the sun did not shine on this morning, it was already light enough to not need candles or lamps. On the other end of the table was Elsa, who had breakfasted, and now while keeping her sister company read the morning papers Kai had brought her.
Suddenly, as Anna was about to place the last bit of her breakfast in her mouth, something cached her gaze. Elsa, noticing her sisters look to the window, turned her head to see what it was about, but could see nothing unusual.
“Is something wrong?”
“Wait, what? No, nothing´s wrong. I just… thought I saw something. Nothing thaaaat important”, said Anna putting on a big smile. But just at the moment she said that, her head snapped again to the window and now Elsa had to turn again too. And she saw. Every minute a few small snowflakes flew down in front of the window, and with every snowflake Anna became more and more restless. Elsa stayed silent for a moment or two. The last few years flashed through her head, but she pushed them aside, knowing that she had to cherish the things she had now, and not live in the past. As she put down the papers, she looked again at her dear little sister and put all her courage together.
For Frozen AU week, more Wicked AU! (which, honestly, you can pretend is just boarding school AU or something for this drabble)
A... somewhat happier part of the show? Takes place in the middle of Dancing Through Life. (here's the incredibly depressing No Good Deed dabble I wrote yesterday) At least no one's presumed dead this time. Playing Hans as Boq instead of the WIzard this time. And Anna as both Nessa and Glinda.
-
Anna flips through the dresses in her closet. “Are you sure you don’t want to go?”
“No, Anna,” Elsa says without looking up from her book. She’s curled up on the bed, engrossed in a dusty tome, probably some history of Oz or textbook. Anna pulls out a lovely green dress, lacy sleeves and black bodice and long pleated skirt. She holds it to herself and poses in front of the mirror.“Oh come on! It’ll be fun!”
“If by ‘fun’, you mean boring and possibly painful, then yes. Lots of ‘fun’.”
Anna shakes her head, but she’s getting used to her sister’s sarcasm. She tries one last tactic - “Everyone in school will be there, Elsa. You’ll be the only one in Shiz, sitting here in the room, all alone.”
“Everyone,” Elsa deadpans, flipping a page.
“Everyone,” Anna confirms.
“How about the new Winkie boy… whatshisname….”
“Kristoff?” Anna scrunches her nose, like she’s named something disgusting. Elsa raises an eyebrow, finally looking up from the book.
“What was that? You mean to say you’re not one of his adoring fans?”
“Pfffft. As if!” The idea is clearly unthinkable to Anna. She turns to Elsa with the dress. “What do you think of this one?”
“Fine,” Elsa says lazily, back to the book.
“Elsaaaaaa.”
Her sister obliges and lifts her eyes. Looks the dress over once. Twice. “Hmm,” she muses. "Hmmmmmmm." Anna is distressed.
“It’s bad, isn’t it?” Elsa says nothing, but continues staring intently. Anna whirls around, hiding the dress from her view. “You’re right, you’re right, it’s awful!” She returns it to the closet and resumes her hunt, now more frantic.
Elsa laughs, unable to keep a straight face any longer. “Anna. It’s beautiful. Wear it.”
Anna pauses, narrows her eyes at Elsa. “You mean it?”
“I mean it,” Elsa promises. “Come on, I’ll help you get ready. Anna beams and lays the dress out on her bed while she starts undressing. Elsa bookmarks the book and clambers out of the bed.
“Okay, but you should still go to the dance,” Anna says when she can’t stand the silence any longer, probably about fifteen seconds. Which might be a record for her, Elsa thinks. “Ooh! You could go with Kristoff.”
“I thought you hated him.”
“I hate him for me. But you guys have so much in common! He’s uh…” Anna grabs the dress, starts to climb into it, if only to buy herself time to think. “…studious! And… punctual! And…”
“Boring?” Elsa helps her tug the dress on and starts to lace the back of the bodice.
“That—is not the word I was going to use. ..but a word for it, yes.”
“I am not going to the dance,” Elsa repeats, pulling a little too tightly on the laces. “And I am especially not going with the Winkie prince. I’d rather go with Hans.”
“What’s wrong with Hans?” Anna asks innocently. Now it’s Elsa’s turn to make the disgusted face.
“He’s vile. Have you talked to him? He’s not the same kid we grew up with.”
“He’s not the same kid you grew up with cause you didn’t see him after—“ Anna checks herself, but they both know how the sentence ends. After we were separated. Elsa ties off the bodice lacing and just stands silently behind her sister. The silence is oppressive, so Anna continues, but the unfinished sentence hangs over them. “i just… I saw a lot more of him growing up than you did, and he was--he's always been good to me. Plus it's nice to have another familiar face around here, you know?”
“You don’t have class with him," Elsa shakes her head. "You don’t hear the things he says—about Animals and Trolls and Snowmen—“
“You’re condemning him because he’s not an Animal rights activist?” Anna asks incredulously.
“Of course not, but you haven’t heard—“
“I can take care of myself, Elsa.”
“I’m not saying you can’t, I’m just saying you need to think these things through.”
“He asked me to the dance,” Anna blurts.
“No.”
Elsa realizes she’s overreacted. That in her head 'no' meant what do you mean he asked you? but it came out as no you’re not allowed to go with him. But even though it came out wrong she doesn’t want to take it back. Anna can only stand there, stunned, trying to form words.
“Wait, what?” she finally manages. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”
Elsa tries not to give ground. She doesn’t want to smother or control Anna, but she does not approve and she’s not going to sit idly by while Anna makes a stupid decision. “You shouldn’t go with him.”
“Well,” Anna sniffs. “That’s your opinion.”
“He’s trouble, Anna. He’s no good,” Elsa insists. Anna’s not listening, though. She’s gathering her things. “What are you doing?”
“I should get going,” Anna says. The dance isn’t for hours, though, and Elsa knows she just wants to leave. She doesn’t blame her, honestly, but the whole situation still hurts.
“Anna,” Elsa sighs, but this too comes out wrong, it comes out like she’s exasperated with Anna—which, okay, she is—but mostly she just doesn’t know how to talk to her sister anymore and it frustrates her. She doesn’t know what else to say, and Anna’s at the door before she can stop her.
“I’ll see you later,” Anna mumbles in the doorway. She pauses and Elsa thinks she’s going to stay and talk some more, but the moment passes and she’s gone, the door still hanging open behind her. Elsa sighs again, sitting on the bed.
