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Chapter Text

Elsa looked back down to her paperwork. Her father had mentioned once that her job would be much harder than it looked, and she knew now that he was not kidding. The stacks of papers that she needed to sign grew by the day, until they rivaled the North Mountain itself. Though she no longer wore gloves, she still had to focus on her hands, doing the best to get work done and yet not getting cramps in her hands.

If she never had to sign another paper again in her life, then she was sure that her life would improve dramatically.

"But," she told herself, picking up another paper from the stack. She read over it. Even if she didn't always sign it, she still had to read it. There was always a chance that someone could try to get her to agree to something awful. "This is just how it is."

She sighed.

Other than the sound of her pen scrawling down her signature, there was no other noise in Elsa's study. No one wondered in, though she did sometimes hear the shouts of Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf from somewhere else in the castle. If she got some more work done than she would go see what they were up to.

"Just get through this," she told herself, dropping her pen and flexing her fingers. "Soon enough this will all be over."

The sound of her pen scrawling soon returned. Most of the things that she was sent were rather reasonable. After all, who would want to mess with a queen who could control ice and snow?

The door jerked open, and Elsa let out a small gasp. She turned around.

"Ooh, sorry," Merida said, taking a step back. Her bright red hair blocked some of her face, and she wiped it away. "I promise that I didn't mean to scare you, Elsa."

"Oh," Elsa responded, her eyes turning back to her paperwork. "Just knock next time, please."

"Yes.." She looked away from her. "I was just wondering if you wanted to go outside with us. I'm teaching Elsa and Kristoff how to shoot, and I figured you might want to be around to make sure that they don't hurt anyone."

"Oh," Elsa said again. "Yes, I suppose that I should. I don't want my sister and friend hurt."

Merida squinted over her. "Elsa, I told you not to worry about those papers so much; it's not good for you. My mum will tell you the same thing if you ask her."

Elsa sighed. "I know. Still, it needs to be done."

Merida smirked. "You definitely need a break." She raised an arm, flexing it. "I thought you would want to see me put these muscles to good use."

Elsa chuckled. "You are certainly better than a pile of papers that need to be signed."

"Definitely!" Merida motioned her forward. "Hurry up, we need to get going before something happens."

Elsa moved forward, wrapping her hand around Merida's own. Merida's hands were larger than her own, and she rubbed Elsa's palm with her thumb. She used all her energy to keep up with the red head.

If she noticed some of the papers falling off of her desk as she ran away, then she didn't bother with them.

Chapter Text

It was even bigger than Merida's (failed) wedding. Her mother had mentioned that a lot of invitations were being sent out, but until then Merida had not realized just how many she actually meant. There were people from everywhere, and dignitaries filled the DunBroch's castle.

"Well," Merida said, holding her bow to the side. "This should be interesting."

"This is even worse than my coronation." Elsa was one of the few people that Merida had invited. "My coronation was a small party compared to this."

"Jealous?" Anna asked, bouncing forward. As always, she took things easily - something that Merida could not help but envy her a little for. With her luck, she would be chasing after the other red head all night.

"Oh no," Elsa said. "I am just fine with how its size."

"Do you think that we'll have to go searching for my mum?"

"I hope not." Elsa wrapped a careful hand around Merida's own. Tonight, any others looking for her hand would come to face to face with the queen of Arrandell, the queen of winter itself. "I don't know how we would find her in here."

Merida squeezed Elsa's hand. "You're certainly right."

Noise was everywhere, and every sound could be heard - every clink of a glass, conversation, or footstep echoed throughout the castle.

A shiver ran up Merida's spine, and she looked down to find ice forming below Elsa's feet.

"Elsa," Merida said, tangling her fingers between Elsa's own, "we can go somewhere else. My mum will understand."

Elsa smiled. "I would love that."

Anna looked back over to them. "Oh, you two are leaving?"

Elsa nodded.

"Meet us near the stables if you need us, Anna." Merida looked back to Elsa, and then again to Anna. "Could you just do one thing for me, please?"

"What?"

"Carry that bow I gave with you everywhere. You never know if some lads from the Southern Isles came."

Anna giggled. "Oh, I would make sure to clean that up."

Merida looked back over to Elsa, who was smiling as well. "Enjoy the party."

Merida led Elsa outside, glad to hear the noise recede. She'd had enough of fancy parties and guests for one day.

Chapter Text

"What do you think?" Rapunzel held the egg up, holding it with only two fingers, and in her other hand she still held her paintbrush. The egg was lavender with light pink striped.

"It looks nice," Tiana said.

The brunette beamed. "I think it's great. This is my favorite time of year."

"That's what I remember you saying about Christmas and Valentine's Day." Tiana looked back down to the frying pan below her, a birthday gift from Rapunzel. The oven was still heating up.

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "Who doesn't love Christmas? Besides, how could I not be excited about Valentine's Day when I have you?"

Tiana couldn't help but smile. "You certainly make a fair point." Tiana looked back to the egg. "So, when should I crack it?"

Rapunzel frowned down at her egg. She wrapped a few more fingers around it and pulled it protectively towards her chest. "You weren't kidding when you said that we would steal eat these, were you?"

"I would never joke about that." Tiana held her hand out, and Rapunzel gently placed the egg in, only removing her hand when Tiana wrapped her own fingers around it protectively.

"Now we can't just let good food like this go to waste."

"I suppose you're right." Rapunzel looked back down to her paint set. "It's a good thing that we have more eggs."

"At this rate," Tiana responded with a sigh, "I'll never finish making us breakfast."

"Don't worry about it; it's Easter, so we really do have all day."

Tiana chuckled. "I suppose that we do."

Chapter Text

With a slight creak, Rapunzel got up from their shared mattress. Elsa opened her eyes just the slightest, watching the brunette girl stand. Just as quickly, she again closed her eyes. Though it was expected that the queen of Arrandell was to get up early, that did not mean that she could try to get in a little more beauty sleep.

Behind closed eyes and under warm blankets, Elsa dreamed of snow and ice, of friend's and family, and a beautiful girl who had a smile made of sunlight. In her dreams, they were never separated from each other or weary of their powers. Her dreams were better than the truth, everything that their pasts should have been. Her dreams were where the sun and snow met, yet never melted. The sun, after all, had a way of complimenting the snow and letting it shine before others.

Elsa could still hear Rapunzel. Currently, she was digging through her dresser for something to wear that day. Sometimes, when she couldn't find anything else that she wanted to wear, she would borrow something from Anna, who would happily agree. After this, she would do some warm up exercises, and the noise would finally force Elsa out of bed.

However, her dreams deepened, pulling her in. Elsa, a few years younger, ran alongside a girl with what must have been at least seventy feet of long, bright golden hair. She looked over to bright emerald green eyes, and could not help but catch her infectious smile. Around them, snowflakes began to fall.

It was a kiss to her cheek that really woke her up.

"Ugh?" Elsa sat up, rubbing the side of her cheek with two of her fingers.

"Elsa, it's time to wake up!" Rapunzel beamed. "You need to get dressed so that we aren't late for breakfast."

Elsa nearly responded that the servants wouldn't mind (not to mention that Anna and Kristoff were often late getting up as well), but instead remained quiet. Like in her dream, Rapunzel could not help but make her smile.

Elsa pulled herself out of bed. "And a good morning to you."

Her dreams were about the past, but right then she had the future, and it would always look bright with Rapunzel by Elsa's side, and her sister and friend's there for her as well.

Elsa's smile never faded as she got dressed, and remained well into the day while she performed her duties as queen.

Chapter Text

"Well, it's official," Hades said, stepping closer to Megara. "You have officially found a girl with a heart as cold as your own."

Meg rolled her eyes. She turned away from him, and stared up at the night sky. For a guy who claimed to be the ruler of the underworld, he sure spent a lot of time up on the surface; then again, who could blame him? Down there you couldn't get the same view.

"What does it mattter to you?" she responded.

"Oh, I don't know." Hades shrugged, though a smirk remained on his blue lips. "Maybe it's just the fact that you still have a deal to be made with me."

"And I will get that done." Meg sighed. "Believe me, right now I have better things to worry about - a better person, for that matter."

His smirk widened. "So you love her?"

"I won't say that I'm in love." It was a lie, and they both knew it. Still, how else could Meg respond?

"You know, that Elsa girl is royalty. Even more, she's got ice powers. Are you sure that you can handle that?"

Meg nodded. "Why wouldn't I be able to?" She smirked herself. "Besides, now I can finally get hell to freeze over."

For a moment, Hades only stared at her, his eyes blank. Then, surprisingly, he began to laugh. "You know, I was actually a little worried about you for a moment, but I'm sure that you can actually figure this out."

Meg raised an eyebrow. "Are you lying?"

"Nope," he responded. "I've seen some of that ice stuff, and if anyone can handle it, that person is you." He leaned forward, bringing his voice down to a whisper. "And just between you and me, I really wouldn't mind if you froze the underworld. Zeus definitely owes me a new place."

Chapter Text

She made a good enough servant, though the rags had not worked as the queen wished. There was nothing it seemed that could deny the girl of her beauty. Not only did the queen see that, but also that pesky prince, the boy who seemed as if he would never leave back to his home kingdom, and the peasants who came to complain to her. Their eyes passed over the girl, lust running through their veins as they saw the fair girl.

For a moment, the queen stood and surveyed her. Snow White stood tall and straight, her blood red lips turned in a slight smile and her blue eyes wide. Even dressed in rags and holding a push broom, there was nothing that the queen could do to hide the girl's beauty.

With one quick, long, and careful step, she closed the gap between them. The push broom dug into her skin, and she quickly tore it from Snow White's hand; the sound of it crashing against the floor echoed through the stony hallways.

"If you are wondering about the chores that you asked me to do for you-"

The queen placed a finger over her lips, freezing the girl in her place. Even with wide eyes only then showing fear (she was beautiful, the queen would admit, but far too naive), she looked beautiful. Her already pale skin lightened even more.

Wordlessly, the queen put her hand on the girl's chin and moved her head. Even after all the work that she had put her through, she still looked glorious. It was as if she had some sort of enchantment over (and the queen would hardly be surprised if she really did).

She leaned closer and closer, the girl ever quiet.

"What is it about you?" the queen asked, running some fingers through her hair. "What makes you so beautiful, so perfect?"

Snow White only remained silent, her eyes ever wide.

The queen turned away from her. Her footsteps echoed throughout the hall.

"You are to go clean the upper stairwell." As beautiful as she was, she was also useful. With her around, the queen had been able to cut quite a few unneeded extra staff.

"Yes." From the corner of her eye, the queen watched Snow White lean down and pick up the push broom from the ground. "I will be right on it, Your Highness."

The queen had to attend to the prince; he had spent too much time dawdling around in this castle, pretending to know of politics. He could return to his kingdom empty handed - the queen could care less.

The sooner that he was out, the better. With him away, the queen could find Snow White's secret alone.

Chapter Text

It was everything that she hadn't expected. For one thing, it was certainly warmer, the coldness from earlier melting away. Now, she felt neither hot nor cold and could not quite put a word to it - no one had ever seemed to think of the absence of temperature before.

"Anna," Elsa sobbed, "no, Anna!"

No, Anna herself thought. No.

She could not peer down to look at her sister, her eyes remaining forever affixed on her hand and the dark, cloudy sky above her. Snowflakes still fell, and Anna could only wonder if they would ever stop.

She could just barely see Kristoff, and he stood just as still as her, his mouth open. She couldn't see his lower body, nor could she see Sven. If she hadn't seen her friend running to save her across the ice earlier then she would have thought that he was a ghost.

You said that ice was your life, Anna thought, though she couldn't remember who said it. In one thought, she could hear Kristoff's voice saying it. In another, she saw her sister, standing tall and proud in her ice dress, looking both perfectly akin to and completely out of place in her ice palace, speaking first those words and then telling Anna that she wanted (needed) her to leave.

Her heart, she noticed slowly, did not beat either. It remained ever still, just like the rest of her.

It was certainly one thing to see Elsa use her ice magic, and another to feel it, let it be a part of herself.

Maybe Elsa was touching her, though Anna could hardly tell. The ice was strong, cutting off whatever feeling she might have had left for the skin of another.

The top of Elsa's head obscured Kristoff, bits of platinum blonde hair running through Anna's range of vision.

"Anna, how could this happen? How could I let it happen? Why did I do this?"

Even if Anna had any way at all to communicate with her, she wouldn't know how to respond.

Anna stood still as a statue (and maybe she was one, she realized).

"Anna..." Elsa continued to sob.

Still.

Trapped.

Frozen.

Chapter Text

Elsa's ice only melted when the Snow Queen wanted it to. Anna had been surprised when she saw it again, but could not help but be filled with glee. Finally, Elsa wanted Anna to be there with her.

It had been empty, Marshmallow long since having joined their family down at the Arrandell Castle after being found (by Kristoff and Sven) wondering the North Mountain.

Everything had been exactly as Elsa had left it, save her chandelier and balcony. Slowly, she returned it back to its original form. Anna could only stand and watch, eyes wide and jaw ready to hit the cold, icy floor. Elsa moved with grace, silently rebuilding the broken pieces of ice into a thing of beauty.

When she finished, Elsa stepped back and allowed Anna to admire her handiwork.

"This is," Anna said, looking up. The chandelier was perfect, exactly as it had been before. "This is incredible. You, Elsa, are incredible."

The queen blushed, her normally pale white cheeks turning a light pink. "Thank you, Anna. I'm so happy that you like it."

"Why wouldn't I?" Anna grinned. "This is incredible!"

"I rebuilt it just for you." Elsa smiled. "Some part of me told me that you would like this."

"Of course I do!"

Elsa leaned forward, her hand out. "Then I couldn't be happier."

Anna took her hand, standing still for a moment and allowing herself to truly feel the queen's touch. It certainly was not warm, but neither was it unwelcome.

They danced slowly and silently. It was clumsy, hardly suitable for the Arrandell ballroom, but in here there was no one to judge. The two giggled every few seconds, and both helped to pick the other up when one fell.

It was amazing, being allowed to be by the queen. Touching her, being with her, and knowing her was both strange and exciting. It made her heart ache just a little less when she looked into the past.

When their lips met, neither of them was surprised.

They may not have been able to reveal their relationship to the kingdom of Arrandell, but that was fine so long as they had there.

Chapter Text

She didn't know how much longer that she could actually handle standing. Collapsing onto the couch, Tiana closed her eyes and let out a sigh. Even after a long day of working at her restaurant, she couldn't imagine actually going to sleep.

At least, Tiana thought, sighing again, this couch is comfortable, and I actually have time to fall asleep.

Back when she hadn't owned her restaurant, sleep was a rare gift. If she actually managed to get home in time to sleep, she had to be lucky enough to sleep like a log from the moment that she closed her eyes, lest she still be tired the next day.

Work, however, wouldn't be starting for a good half a day.

Her eyes still shut, she listened to the sounds around her. A bit of the wood in the house creaked, and outside she could hear crickets chirping, the normal stuff. There was one other sound though, one that she wasn't used to - footsteps.

Tiana opened her eyes. "What's going on?"

"Tiana," a familiar voice responded. "It's just me."

Tiana's eyes began to adjust to the dark. "Oh, Charlotte, it's you. You had me worried for a moment." She rubbed her eyes with her hands. "What are you doing up?"

Charlotte had taken her own job at the restaurant, though she tended to leave earlier than Tiana did. She mainly dealt with advertising and designing the layout of Tiana's Palace.

"Oh, I was just having some trouble sleeping. I can't put my finger on why, so I just decided to get up and see if you had made it home yet." She smiled, the only real facial feature that Tiana could make out in the dark. "Are you feeling okay, Tia?"

"I'm just tired too. Who knew the work day could drag on for so long?" She closed her eyes again. "It's nice to have my dream, but it can get tiring sometimes."

"Oh, please don't say that!"

Tiana opened her eyes. "Why?"

Charlotte stepped forward, moonlight drifting over her white nightgown. "You worked so hard to get it, and you should be so proud of yourself. Imagine if you didn't get to say that and never got your restaurant."

Tiana gave a quick chuckle. "Well, when you mention it like that..."

"Mind if I help you feel a little better?"

Tiana nodded. "That would be wonderful, Lottie."

Charlotte flexed her fingers, and then got straight to work. Her foot massages were the best that Tiana had ever had, especially now that she actually had the money to pay people to do them for her. Those she had hired in the past, however, had never been able to compare to Charlotte, who never would have asked for a penny from Tiana.

"How did you get so good at this?"

"I took classes when I was younger. My Daddy would get tired from working all day, and I wanted to make him feel better. I'm glad that these can help you, too."

Her whole day had been spent on her feet, from going from customer to customer and then back to her kitchen. Her legs had ached by the end of the day with even more business than usual.

"This is wonderful." Tiana yawned.

"I'm glad that I can help you, sweetie."

Tiana closed her eyes again.

"Hey, Tia?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Tiana smiled. "I love you more."

Sleep that night came easier than usual for her.

Chapter Text

Tiana's eyes widened, and she reached a slightly shaking hand forward. When she had seen the sky cloud over, she had expected to hear thunder and see hot, intense lightning flashes.

Instead, she felt a small, delicate snowflake fall on the palm of her hand. It rested there for a moment, the white snowflake contrasting heavily with her dark skin. Then it was gone, the snowflake nothing but a small drop of water.

Luckily, there were other snowflakes to replace it. More and more snowflakes filled the sky and landed on Tiana's skin, a cold relief from the hot and humid day it had been yesterday. When she looked up to the sky, it was filled with white.

"This is incredible." Tiana turned to Elsa. "How are you doing this?"

"I'm not really sure." Elsa leaned down and grabbed a handful of snow and began to mold it. Slowly, the shape of a small frog formed. "It's just something that I've always been able to do."

"Well, they are amazing!" Tiana held out her tongue and let a snowflake fall on its tip.

She used to read about snow in books or hear about it on the news. It had seemed strange, so different from what she experienced down in New Orleans. It had seemed just as strange as the idea of a talking frog or a carriage turning back into a pumpkin once the clock struck midnight. Never could she have imagined that someone could actually control it.

Elsa ran forward. "I would be happy to show you more."

"You would?"

"Of course." Elsa smiled, and then took Tiana's hands. Though they certainly were not warm, there was definitely something comforting in them.

"Cold hands," her mother had always said, "just mean that the person has a big, warm heart."

Her mother was correct.

Elsa broke away one hand and began to move around her finger that was pointed to the ground. The hard sidewalk vanished, being replaced with a shiny coating of ice. Tiana's shoes had vanished as well, and were replaced with the finest ice skates that she had ever seen in her life.

"Have you ever done this before?" Elsa asked.

Tiana shook her head.

"I would be happy to show you." Elsa skated forward, still holding Tiana by one hand. "Knowing you, I am sure that you will catch on quickly. It isn't as hard as it looks."

Tiana looked around. New Orleans certainly looked different with snow, but it was a good different. It was another way to make her home city look beautiful, even if it was only for a short time.

She hadn't been sure what to expect when Charlotte had mentioned that the famous snow queen of Arrandell was coming to visit, but she had stayed optimistic and kept her restaurant with wide, open doors.

"I like this." Tiana said. The reflections of her and Elsa followed along after them on the smooth, clean ice.

"That's wonderful." Elsa winked. "How about when we're done we go have some hot chocolate at your place?"

Tiana grinned. "Oh, there was no need to ask about if we could do that."

Chapter Text

Anna had woken up that morning to an unusually empty bed. For a few minutes, she had still been half asleep and had thought that she was dreaming. It had made sense, and she had considered going along with it. After all, if she did that then sooner or later she would wake up.

However, accidentally tripping over a book (of Elsa's) and having to stop her fall had woken her up. She picked up the book - solid and hard - and placed it on Elsa's nightstand. It was never a good thing when Elsa got messy. Those must have been some boring papers that she was working on if she could not even put her books up.

A few other papers were littered around on the floor. As Anna picked them up, she used that as a chance to stretch out her arms and legs.

Anna held the papers to her chest and grabbed the papers again. Elsa could always use a little extra help. Plus, she wouldn't mind if Anna stayed in her nightgown all day. Though she was strict and traditional on some issues, in a lot of ways she was very liberal.

As she walked down the halls, she began to hum. Sunlight shone in through the windows, and she could not help but smile.

She entered Elsa's study without knocking. On the inside, messy sketches that Anna had made of the two of them hung on the wall along with a few political maps.

"Elsa," Anna said. "You left something in our room."

"Thank you, Anna." Elsa did not even bother to look up from her papers. She too was wearing her nightgown, and her hair was completely down. Most days she put it in a braid or loose bun. Around her were even more stacks of papers, and her hand was moving quickly.

Anna walked slowly to her desk. "Elsa, are you okay?"

"Of course, Anna!" As she spoke, she turned towards Anna. "What would make you think-" She froze midsentence, her eyes and mouth wide.

"Elsa?"

"No." Elsa stood up from her chair, knocking a few papers to the ground. She did not even look down at them. "No, no, no, no."

"Elsa, what is it?"

Elsa stepped forward, her hands shaking. "Your white streak..."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Your hair is turning white."

A shiver ran up Anna's spine, and goosebumps covered her arms and legs. Her nightgown did little to protect her from the cold. "It is?"

"Oh, what did I do?" Elsa turned away from her. "All these years I've tried to make things right and keep you safe." Ice began to cover the floor. "I thought that I would never hurt you again; how foolish could I be?"

Anna felt years younger, and all the worse for it. Her sister had always struggled with fear and sadness, but it had been a long time since she had seen Elsa get like this.

She pulled a strand of her hair. Soon enough, her laughter echoed across the walls.

"What is it?"

"Elsa, my hair is turning white because I'm old!" Anna continued to laugh. She had gained some weight over the years and gotten wrinkles, though up until that point she had not paid much attention to it. Anna felt the same as always, and Elsa looked at her with the same wide, adoring eyes as she had years before.

Elsa froze, though the room's temperature began to slowly rise.

"You are too." Anna grinned. "Your face is getting wrinkly, and you're tired more often. If your hair had not been white before then surely it would be now."

Slowly, a smile formed on Elsa's face. "You speak the truth."

The chill subsided.

Chapter Text

It didn't take long for a visitor to the castle to learn who King Triton's favorite daughter was. It took even less time for someone who actually lived in the castle.

Aquata continued to run a blue shell comb through her hair, though it remained messy. As of late, it had started to float around everywhere. With a sigh, she tied it back into a bun once more, holding it together with a comb herself like she had seen her sisters do before. They always came up with fancy little tricks like that.

Ever since their mother's death, their days had lost most order. Other than when she had rehearsal with Sebastian and her other sisters, she rarely had anything that she was required to do. Unlike some of her sisters, she had finished her lessons, and being princess was her only job.

Before her father became king, being a princess had been more than just singing and looking pretty. Back then, princesses had actually had duties. Now, her father took control of everything.

Other than her title, she was not that from different from all the other girls in her kingdom.

Aquata sighed. Why did she even bother to think about this? She had delved into it before, thought over it for hours at a time. All it did was make her feel worse.

Aquata took one last look in the mirror, and then swished away from the mirror without comment. Perhaps she would go swim around for a while; the ocean was peaceful that day, and it would be a shame to stay cooped up in the castle.

Before she could head out the door, however, another entered the room.

"Aquata, I have news!"

"Andrina?"

Andrina was wheezing slightly, and leaned against the wall. Her tail swished in only the slightest movements, and her blond hair floated around her. "You remember what happened with Ariel, right?"

Aquata rolled her eyes. "Oh, how could I forget? It's not as if the entire kingdom has not been talking about it."

"Well," Andrina replied, "yes, they have. I've heard. However, that's not the thing. I just heard that father is making Sebastian follow around Ariel."

Aquata huffed. Ariel this, Ariel that - that was all her father ever talked about, the only princess that the kingdom had taken a notice to (even if she was often spoken of in a negative light), and the girl herself was no better. All she ever spoke of was her adventures with that yellow fish (Flora? Flutter? Aquata couldn't remember his name as she rarely listened to whatever her sister said). Rarely did she ever ask about anyone else.

Now, Andrina was talking about her!

"Oh, there is no need to look angry."

"How can I not? All I ever hear about is Ariel?"

"But this will be good for us!" Andrina grinned. "With Sebastian following Ariel around, then all singing rehearsals are cancelled. Father is still busy with the kingdom, Ariel is being Ariel, and all our other sisters are gone." She grinned. "If I were you, I would be happy; to think, I swam as fast as I possibly could here to tell you the good news and yet you're angry."

Aquata grinned. "Well, I never thought of it that way." She swam forward, meeting her lips with Adrina's own; her lips were soft and smooth with the taste of salt.

Their father used to ask them if the two had caught any merman's fancy, and they both replied no. Their answer never changed, and he eventually stopped asking them and their other sisters (though he would still ask about Ariel, always Ariel). Not that it mattered much - there were some things their father, king of the sea, did not need to know.

A few of their other sisters had caught the attention of the other; even if they did not immediately say it, everyone else could tell.

Adrina and Aquata were good at keeping secrets hidden.

"We should do something together today." Adrina entwined her hands with Aquata's own. "You and I both deserve it."

"How about a swim? It's nothing fancy, but it would be fun."

Andrina quickly squeezed Aquata's hands. "I would love to." She swam for the door, and Aquata followed her out.

Chapter Text

Admittedly, Meg was no great hero. Very few would probably want to hear a song about her.

Maybe that was what drew Calliope to her. In all her years of existence, she had seen great heroes and deities, monsters like no other.

Meg was just, well, Meg. She was snarky and her jokes always made Calliope laugh (though Meg never heard her). She stood up tall and straight, always looking men in the eyes.

Unlike the women that Calliope sang about, the women that she herself just could not relate to, Meg spoke her mind. She didn't need a hero to complete her.

She was normal but extraordinary, and she probably did not even know about it.

Calliope watched, sometimes from far above and other times from a pot or painting. She blended in, never catching Meg's eyes.

The other muses suspected something of her, though they had (thankfully) yet to figure out what.

Songs came to her mind, though they were nothing that she would proudly proclaim. Few would probably want to hear them, and few should. Those songs were personal, the kind that Calliope sat up all night thinking about, the kind that went on for hours and could fill entire pages if written down, even if they were only for her alone to hear.

Chapter Text

"Look, Charlotte," Tiana said, turning away from her. "I'm really glad that you invited me to dance and all; it was very nice of you." She looked out the window. Outside, the rest of New Orleans moved on. It was a dark night, but the city was lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Nice?" Charlotte sighed. "Tiana, I am your wife! I'm the only person who should be inviting you dancing."

Tiana looked back to her. Charlotte had her hands on her hips and was scowling.

"Oh, don't give me that look, Lottie. You act as if I've disgraced you."

"You turned down a lady to dance." She gestured towards herself. She was wearing a short pink dress and high heels, and her hair was in a bob. "I made sure to look my very best for you."

"I thought that you always tried to do that for me." Tiana shook her head once again. "I can't go, Lottie, and I'm sorry for that."

"Why not? You have your restaurant now."

"Yes, but..."

"Oh, what's your latest excuse?"

"I can't dance."

Charlotte stood as still as a statue, her eyes stuck on Tiana. After a moment, she began to move once more, though the shocked look on her face never left. "So you don't know how to dance?"

"None of the new stuff," Tiana said. "My mother did teach me a little of the classic; I at least know how to spin around."

Charlotte walked forward, her link high heels blacking on the floor. "Oh, you could have just told me!" She grinned. "I would be happy to show you how." She reached her hand out to Tiana.

Tiana took it, warmth running through her. "I'm sorry if I got you worried earlier, but it's true. Back before I got my restaurant, I never had time to dance."

"Well, that is about to change." Charlotte stood as straight as a board. "Tonight, you are going to learn how to dance."

Charlotte spoke the truth. There was no better dance instructor that Tiana could think of. Charlotte moved with grace, helping Tiana along the way.

"Am I doing it right?" Tiana asked.

The two had cleared out the living room to make room for them to dance in the center. 

"You're doing great."

"Really?"

"I've definitely taught worse!"

Tiana chuckled.

As the night wore on, the lights outside the windows turned off. Still, the ones in the living room stayed on. Shadows grew deeper, though Tiana and Charlotte hardly noticed.

By the time that Tiana had mastered a number of dances, it was morning. Neither questioned it, just fell into bed.

"Tiana," Charlotte whispered.

"Yes?" Tiana said with a yawn. She pulled the blankets up around herself tighter.

"We can go out dancing some other night. What we did last night was a lot of fun."

"Yes," Tiana responded. "Yes it was."

Chapter Text

It shouldn't have bothered her any longer. It was years ago, perhaps decades or even centuries. In here, no one had calendars.

Still, the images were sharp and fresh, as though Anna had only turned to ice the very day before. Elsa could still see her, hair white and skin turning blue. She took uneven steps, like a puppet that its master just could not control correctly. The look of fear and confusion had stayed on her face forever.

"Elsa," Anna had yelled, even to the very end. "Elsa!"

She had turned to ice shortly thereafter, frozen forever.

No one had held back after that. Hans had attacked her, and she had struck back. Others had swarmed after her, yelling curses. The only person who came to her aid had been the ice man and his reindeer, and even then he could not do much against the army of attackers.

Elsa, however could do plenty. She sent ice forward, letting it build a wall between her and the others. Then, she had run.

No matter how much her legs ached, she kept going, even long after she had escaped the fjord and could no longer hear the rioting citizens and their curses.

"Elsa."

Elsa gasped, and looked up. Maleficent stood behind her, her staff raised and her raven on her shoulder.

"Elsa, is something wrong?"

"Y-yes." Elsa stood up, only then noticing the large patch of ice covering the ground beneath her. The white ice contrasted heavily with the green grass and dark dirt. Anyone who saw it would know that she had been there. "I apologize. I was thinking of the past."

"You were focusing hard on something." She raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, are you fine now?"

"I will be." Elsa looked to the ground. "I am sorry again for having bothered you, my queen."

Maleficent put her hand on Elsa's shoulder. Elsa looked up and froze beneath her gaze.

"Believe me, Elsa, I know that the past can hurt." She closed her eyes. "Those that you loved can hurt you. Just when you are ready to fly, your wings fall." She removed her hand from Elsa's shoulder and promptly turned over.

Maleficent's raven looked back to her, its eyes never leaving her.

Finally, when she was gone and Elsa's heart had stopped racing inside of her chest, Elsa walked away. Surely she could find something to get her mind off of what happened.

There was no point in dwelling on the past. Back then, she had not known Maleficent, nor had the queen so kindly allowed her into her land.

There was no way to ask for amnesty from Arrandell now, and certainly not in the future. What happened to Anna could never be stopped.

Elsa was lucky now. Finally, she had found someone who seemed to care for her and did not question her about her powers. She was in a place where she did not have to fear about hurting anyone ever again, and for that she should have been happy.

Elsa needed to put her past behind her. Heroes, redemption, true love - all of it was a myth, a fairy tale. What happened in the past happened, every fact frozen in time. It was ice that even she could not crack.

Chapter Text

Perhaps, deep down, you knew that this would happen. After all, you were the one to break into the kingdom and set the curse.

Who was the one who said that Aurora would grow in beauty and grace, beloved by all?

You did, fair queen. You were the one who spoke the curse, eyes raging and hands held back. The world turned green around the child, the curse wrapping itself around both you and her.

Were it not for what you yourself said, then perhaps you would have saved yourself. The princess would grow with the pesky pixies and you would hide away in the Moors, brooding over your wings and waiting for time to pass.

Sixteen years would pass, the princess would sleep forever, and Stefan would suffer.

But instead, you watched over the princess; she believed in you. Even as a child, before she knew of the Moors and long before the idea of being a princess was pure childs play (and the idea of being cursed nonsensical), she adored you.

Even now, were you to wake her from her bed, she would still love you. Aurora would do anything if it meant pleasing you.

Even with her eyes shut, she must dream of you. Perhaps dreams lost their magic now that she has you and the Moors.

You tried to revoke the curse and it failed, but there must be another way. Surely you, dear queen, could stop it. There must be some loophole, some way to reverse it.

Please, dear queen, try. You can do it.

There is true love in your eyes, even as they close and release tears.

You must save her, Maleficent.

Chapter Text

Anna could have cared less if anyone saw her licking her fingers. It didn't matter if someone thought that she wasn't acting like a "proper" princess should; Anna was the princess, not them, and she only had herself to answer to.

It was a good thing that the queen was thinking the same thing as her.

"If only you had the power to make this!" Anna looked back to the table where it was placed on.

"I wish that I could!" A chocolate mustache hung above Elsa's lips.

"Want to go get some more?"

Elsa nodded. "It is only going to be here for a short time."

Though Elsa was a fair and wise ruler, famous for being both the queen of ice, snow, and Arrendell, she was also known for her parties. Anna couldn't have asked for a better sister.

"Ice cream," Anna whispered. She prepared her and Elsa each a large cone. "And to think - it comes in chocolate!"

There was also vanilla and strawberry available, but neither sister had yet to try those flavors.

"It's so delicious!" Elsa began to lick away at her cone. "I must have invited some wonderful guests if they brought this with them."

"Truly."

Anna ate as much as she pleased. The party was going to be over once the night ended, and the chocolate ice cream went with it.

Before she went to sleep, belly full and eyes heavy, she gave Elsa a kiss. Her lips still tasted of sweet chocolate.

Chapter Text

Queen Grimhilde came from her own land and had her own ways. When she had been crowned queen to the then sick (yet still alive) king, the entire kingdom had known that she was their true ruler. With their king wilting like a flower taken from the sun, they had to turn to others for aid. Their kingdom had no heir of age, and the king had been unlucky enough to have a very, very small family.

She liked the land of course; the people were good enough, always willing to acknowledge their place. Trade was improving, and more and more of the people freely praised her.

None questioned what she did in her dungeons; they had their own lives to look after.

A beautiful queen she was, and she would not deny it. Nor would Grimhilde deny the power that she held over others, or the way that she could control her subjects.

There were a select, small few who denied Grimhilde of her power. They spent their last breaths feeling it in her dungeons; their bodies still littered the walls and floor. She had enough political messes to deal with already; there was no point in cleaning up another.

No one in the land had any right to deny her of anything. She had saved their small kingdom, and the praise she desperately craved had to be given. Yes, she would talk to her mirror, but it was nice to hear it from villagers as well.

Still, there were still some who denied her requests. Some may not even have meant her ill will. And, sadly, the kingdom would notice if she went missing.

Grimhilde had never been close with Snow White. Ever since Grimhilde had arrived, she had been polite to the queen yet kept her distance. She smiled and waved to the queen when she walked, and the princess sat next to her at royal events. Still, there was a distance between them that Grimhilde had no way of crossing.

From her distance, she watched the girl. She was as beautiful as any princess in a fairy story, and just as careless and naive. When a prince had come with the intentions of wooing her, she had missed his innuendo.

The queen had sent him off as soon as she found out. Snow White had been saddened for a while, but then returned to normal.

When Grimhilde began her own courtship for the princess, she had made her intentions quite clear.

"No." The word flew off of the princess's apple red lips. "I apologize, your highness, but I cannot accept this. It is quite kind of you, and though I am flattered, I cannot accept."

Only a day later she had been stripped of her title and declared a servant.

Rags had a way of complimenting her. The princess had a beauty even Grimhilde lacked.

Queen Grimhilde had brooded alone; none of her royal staff had asked why. Her business was her own.

She called her most trustworthy huntsman, one that would surely lay his life down for the queen if asked. But it was not his life she wanted, but Snow White's.

"I want her heart." Grimhilde pulled the knife from her cape. "Bring it to me."

The huntsman nodded.

"Do not fail, or I will take someone else's life as well."

Queen Grimhilde brought her own ways to a dying kingdom and helped to save it. No one would question her motives or actions; to them, that was just the way she was.

And if she wanted the fair princess's heart, she would get it - whether the princess give it freely, or the queen take it by force and keep it tucked away safely in a small chest. Only the queen could be able to unlock it and admire the treasure inside.

Chapter Text

Solim had taken after her father in both looks and height. When she looked into the looking glass, she saw her father's nose and facial shape, his ebony skin and black hair. The only thing she seemed to have gotten from her mother were her eyes - black, but with small specks of brown in them.

Still, it was her father's skill in archery that had gotten her here. She was his only child, and he was all the more proud because of it.

"The leader of the clan's daughter is requesting that this year's event be archery." He grinned. "All those years of shooting down deer and rabbits have paid off."

All of the clan leaders had brought their first born; the others looked far from ready for the competition. Had those boys ever touched a weapon in their short lives? None had her muscular body shape, nor had their already been a bow in their hands.

Each took a moment to stand before the princess. Most of them struggled to think of the words to describe her, and she only looked more annoyed than before.

From up close, Solim could admire Merida. She certainly looked nice, like someone who could hold a bow. Her blue eyes sparkled, and sometimes she would catch a smirk on that face. Only a small bit of her red hair could be seen; there were rumors that it was messy, far from the straight, shiny hair of her mother's. Still, Solim could care less; her own dark hair moved freely.

"Princess Merida," Solim said, getting on one knee and bowing. She placed her bow down. "It is an honor to meet you." She met her eyes. "I promise that I will do everything in my power to win this competition."

Merida smirked.

Solim smirked back.

It seemed that she would just have to wait and find out.

Chapter Text

It took Ursula a moment to remember that the prince even existed. She pulled away from Ariel's lips, though her human arms remained firmly around the other woman's waist. Ariel was still, her legs wrapped around Ursula's waist.

She doesn't even know, Ursula thought.

Being close to Ariel had made her forget what body she was in. It was too thin and gangly for her, and she only wore it out of necessity. Her tentacles could do little on land, and she did not need the sea princess recognizing her.

Ariel's eyes were wide with shock. She looked away from Ursula.

Every part of this was wrong. To Ariel it was because she still thought of Eric.

A spike of anger ran through Ursula, and for a moment her grip on the mermaid turned human tightened. Ariel gave her an odd look, bits of fear hanging in her eyes, and Ursula loosened her grip.

Both bodies were all wrong. Ursula could not deny the truth; Ariel was a mermaid. That was just the way that it was. 

To Ursula, it was wrong because she knew she was no human either. This Vanessa charade was tiring, a costume that she was ready to tear off.

It didn't take magic to read Ariel's mind. Anyone could see that the rush between them had vanished, the lust dissolving. Now, all Ariel thought of was the prince. She had forgotten him for a moment, and her mind was forcing her back to him.

Ursula had to swallow the bile rising in her throat.

She shook her head and stood up. Ariel stood up as well and looked across the room. Though they no longer touched, Ursula could still feel the electrical like connection between them. Ariel had stiffened, and surely she could feel the same.

For the first time since breaking apart from the princess, she smiled. Whatever they shared surely outshadowed what Ariel had with Eric. After all, she had already forgotten him and embraced Ursula, even while the sea witch was in a new body.

Already, Ursula could see the mermaid's true form again. Her red hair would be free, and she would wear no dress. A green tail would cover her, binding her legs together once more forever.

She had the whole sea right in front of her. Ariel had promised her father's throne in return for her legs, signing away her rights as heir. Her father really should have thought before destroying her collection of human items.

Soon enough, Ursula would have everything, even her own body.

She smiled and walked out of the room, leaving a frowning Ariel behind. By the time that she reached the beach, she was all but running.

The moment she hit the water, Ursula's transformation began. Her body stretched out, breaking free from its bony, pale prison, her skin turned purple, and her tentacles returned.

She took one last look at the castle in the distance. Though she could not see Ariel, she knew that she was there.

Time was passing, and barely a day did Ariel have left. Even then, Ursula knew that the prince could do nothing to save Ariel.

In a short time, all the puzzle pieces would click together and things would be just the way that they were supposed to. Already, Ursula could feel the mermaid wrapped in her arms.

Chapter Text

If anyone had asked her brother what he thought the weirdest thing in Gravity Falls was, Dipper Pines would pull a long piece of paper from his pocket. From there, he would take off on a long, one way conversation. Rarely would he pause from talking to take a breath. Mabel Pines, however, was much simpler.

Pacifica Northwest probably should not have liked her, emphasis on the probably. Mabel Pines had never been sure why the blond girl had hated her so much, but it felt even weirder knowing that she liked her back. Out of nowhere, her teasing had stopped and she had simply refused to make any rude comments around Mabel or her friends. She showed off Gravity Fall's library to her brother.

Pacifica's friend's, in turn, had stopped being rude to Grenda and Candy. Sometimes, if they interacted (which wasn't hard considering how small of a town Gravity Falls was), they would have small conversations, even say a few nice compliments.

Her friends were happy about it, and Dipper had given up his suspicions in record time.

Whatever happened, Mabel couldn't be sure. There was no way that she knew how to voice her questions, so she remained silent.

Yes, Pacifica being nice to her was weird. Still, it was nothing compared to the rush that ran through Mabel's body when she thought about her, or the way that she actively sought out her out. Whenever she went into town, she would keep her eyes peeled for the blond, and check the door every time a new customer entered the Mystery Shack. Even if they were never who she wanted to be, Mabel always checked again.

Sometimes Mabel did see her. Pacifica would grin and wink, and Mabel would do the same back. A rush of heat would run through her body and her cheeks would turn bright red; they usually ended up staying that way for hours.

Gravity Falls was a strange place.

Chapter Text

"Taffyta, you need to stop crying!"

Taffyta did not open her eyes. She could clearly remember the last time that she had cried; at the time, realizing that everything had been a lie, that her memories had been fake, had seemed like the worst thing in the world. Now, that was nothing but a rough patch before sunny, race filled days.

Vanellope never touched her. Taffyta opened her eyes to see Vanellope's face only inches away from her and her hand out. It glitched as she touched it.

"Please, Taffyta," Vanellope said. "Smile for me."

"How am I supposed to?" Wiping her eyes was futile; she was sure the years were never going to stop at this rate.

"President's order."

Taffyta forced a smile while tears still leaked from her eyes.

"There's no need to be sad, Taffyta." Vanellope grinned. "They're getting the new remake of Sugar Rush at the arcade. I heard that it's going to be even better than the original! Plus, you'll be able to see me again."

Taffyta bit her lip. Her entire face was wet and dirty. At that point, she was sitting on the ground; her legs were too shaky to keep her standing up.

"But don't you get it, Vanellope? That won't be you."

Vanellope spoke on, but Taffyta never understood it. Her eyes remained shut and the tears still fell. She only opened them again when two strong arms picked her up and pulled her from the floor.

"I'm sorry, kid." Calhoun said. A heavy frown covered her lips. "I was sent to get you, to make sure that you were alright."

Taffyta looked away from her, back to where Sugar Rush once stood. All she saw was blackness.

"I'll come talk to you later, okay? I know you and the rest of your friend's are having a hard time." Calhoun bit her lip. "Death is tough, kid. You can feel the pain running through your code. It changes you."

Taffyta didn't respond. The tears just kept falling, no matter how hard she tried to stop them.

Chapter Text

Ariel had never known that water could be this way. Back in the ocean, it had been everything; she was forever suspended by it, filtering it through her gils and letting it flow past her as she swam. She had been around it so much that she had forgotten that it even existed at times.

With wide eyes, Ariel watched the ice melt beneath her feet. It was cold against her toes, but she had faced even deeper chills before; the depths of the ocean were not known for their warmth.

Elsa sat beside her, her hand interlinked with Ariel's own. She looked even better than before, and was certainly far more lively and healthy than the half alive girl that Ariel had rescued from the sinking boat three years before.

It was curiosity that had made Ariel go to the sea witch; that was the only way that she had known that she would see the girl again.

Water ran down Ariel's toes, and plopped onto the ground.

"Do you want me to freeze it again?" Elsa raised her hand up.

Ariel shook her head.

Elsa put her hand down once more.

Ariel moved some red hair away from her eyes.

"Are you sure?"

Ariel gave a firm nod.

"Okay," Elsa responded. She smiled.

Ariel's heart fluttered in her chest; it was that same smile that she had seen on the ship that fateful night before the storm hit. That was the smile that had haunted her dreams for years, and had made Ariel take many trips to the surface. Just one extra glimpse of the princess would have filled her with joy.

Now, however, she could look at her all that she wanted.

Ariel wrapped an arm around Elsa's waist and pulled her closer. She was starting to learn more and more about humans; they weren't nearly as strange as she had originally thought. Still, that did not make them any less exciting.

She knew the names of most of their items now, and had memorized them by heart. By day, while the queen was busy at work, Ariel would either explore with her sister or read big, long human books for hours. She had learned how to speak with her hands, every motion and shape meaning something different from the other. Her legs could move in ways that she had never imagined.

Elsa leaned in closer to her; a chill ran across Ariel's skin, but her smile widened.

After years of wishing and waiting and dreaming, she finally had everything that she could truly ever want.

Chapter Text

Enough staff had been hired for that night, a huge day for business, so that Tiana herself could stop working and head to the rooftop. She had promised all her workers a hefty bonus for working that night, and they had happily agreed.

Downstairs, the restaurant was packed. If Tiana looked over the edge, she could still see a line of people out waiting to get a table inside.

The roof, however, had fewer people. Most people downstairs were still eating, though a few sat outside, looking up expectantly at the sky. The fireworks had yet to start, but if Tiana's watch was correct, then soon enough the sky would start glowing.

"Tia!"

Tiana grinned and turned towards the direction of the noise. Lottie sat on a small wooden chair, the kind that could easily be moved. There was a second one right beside her, and she patted it with her hand.

Tiana walked forward, her short green skirt flowing. She plopped down beside Charlotte and rested her legs.

"Oh, Tia, honey, aren't you excited?" Charlotte handed her a small American flag. She held one as well, and quickly waved it through the air. She was dressed in a more lavish dress than Tiana's own - a puffy white dress that had been dyed once more to have streaks of red and white.

Tiana nodded. "I've been waiting all day for this." Earlier, before night had settled in, Tiana herself had dealt with customers. All the while, her eyes had watched the window, as the sun slowly sank down the sky.

"Oh, Tia, it's going to be beautiful." She laced her fingers through Tiana's own and squeezed her hand.

Tiana's eyes returned to the sky, to two familiar stars. For the first time in a long time, she closed her eyes and made a wish. After getting her restaurant, she had been sure that she would never need upon a star ever again, even if they did only take her halfway there most of the time.

"Tia, what was that?" Charlotte asked. "I couldn't hear you."

Tiana never answered; wishes were best kept as secrets after all. Besides, she need not say more as fireworks lit up the sky. Some were the classic red, white, and blue, while others were different colors, often in neon shades. The sky glowed bright, and Tiana could not move her eyes away.

She squeezed Charlotte's hand back.

Chapter Text

Sometimes Merida had to wonder if Rapunzel knew that she was the luckiest girl in the world. She really was, in all honesty and truth. No other girl could defend herself quite so well with a frying pan (though Merida had made sure that her soft, perfectly smooth hands could still hold and fire a bow), nor could they make such fantastic art. Merida couldn't even draw proper stick figures.

Wherever Rapunzel went, she always was met with greetings or smiles, and she always had one to give in return. Rainy days only made her shrug and grab an umbrella, and she was the first one outside when it snowed, no matter how cold. Her grades were good, and her looks seemed like something fit for a supermodel, not a high school student.

Had they met earlier, Merida would have been sure that Rapunzel was the daughter that her mother always wished that she'd had. Though Elinor did enjoy her company, Merida at least now knew that her mother was just fine with the red head that she had. And impressing her mother could be hard, and yet Rapunzel had made it look so easy. Only a few smiles and light conversation later and Elinor had already asked if this was who Merida was taking to prom.

And Merida would - in a month.

Now, however, she had more pressing issues to face.

"I can't believe that it took me this long to realize it," Merida commented. She dropped the comb back onto the bench and stood up.

"Realize what?" Rapunzel asked. She was the only other track team member still in the girl's bathroom, having stayed with Merida after practice to help clean things up.

Merida pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed an old number. She hadn't called it in nearly a year, and she hoped that the salon her mother attended hadn't changed numbers. "I'm going to get a hair cut. I can't keep constantly dealing with this mess."

"Can't you just tie it in a ponytail?" Rapunzel blinked.

"No," Merida responded. "That doesn't fix the mess. It won't hurt you if I cut it, will you?"

The brunette shook her hair. Her own short hair was easy to take care of, and Merida couldn't help but envy it.

"Welcome to Crystal's Salon," the voice on the other line of the phone said once it had finished ringing. "A service member will be with you in a few moments. We appreciate your call."

With the click of a button, Merida's phone was off and her head hanging down. A growl came from the back of her throat, something that sounded more fitting for a bear than a girl her age. "Ugh, they couldn't even pick up the phone! Now what am I supposed to do about this mess?"

Her voice echoed across the walls. Merida hoisted her duffel bag over her shoulder and got up once more. Maybe she could just go home and ask her mother for help. Besides, going home now seemed better than going to a salon - her legs ached and her sweat from practice had yet to dry.

"Need help?" Rapunzel asked suddenly, her voice close to Merida's ear.

Merida turned around.

"Sorry to shock you." Rapunzel frowned and looked down to her fidgeting hands. "I just had some tips for you."

For a moment, Merida was completely silent. After releasing a sigh and taking a long breath in, she spoke again. "Actually, yes, help would be quite appreciated."

Rapunzel grinned. "Then sit back down."

Merida sat down without a word and pulled out her phone, texting her mother not to be worried if she was home a few minutes later than usual.

Rapunzel's soft fingers entered her hair, and Merida instantly relaxed. It was hard not to, with Rapunzel pretty much massaging her scalp. It probably would not fix her hair problems, but Merida could at least unwind a little.

Rapunzel began to hum, and Merida joined along, even if she ended up humming a completely different tune.

The scalp massage was nice, but Merida was surprised when Rapunzel put a comb, Merida's comb (had she almost forgotten it again?), and ran it through Merida's hair. Rapunzel couldn't have just been lucky, but also magic if she could remove tangles like that.

By the time it was over and Rapunzel had placed Merida's comb back in her hands, Merida's red hair was as curly as ever, but at least it was out of her eyes and easier to deal with.

"Thanks," Merida said, running a few fingers through it. "You're a miracle, Punzie."

Rapunzel simply leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "I do what I can." She pulled away and hoisted her tote bag on her shoulders. "See you tomorrow?"

Merida nodded.

"I'll bring you some hair supplies, okay?"

"Okay."

And then she was gone, out of the locker room. Merida placed her comb in her duffel bag and left after her.

No product was used today, Merida thought. Now that was lucky, Punzie.

Chapter Text

The raven on her shoulder watches you with dark, beady eyes. Just like its mistress, the beast is analyzing you. You stand up taller - had you still had your wings then perhaps you might (just might) have appeared threatening. You clutch your staff tighter, and the end glows green.

Maleficent merely rolls her eyes and chuckles.

You do not have your raven now; you sent Diaval off for a few hours, gave him a quick break. Maleficent seems happy about that.

Aurora had asked you if there were any other Maleficents in the world, other witches with hearts of stone and eyes of glass and skin like ice. You had replied with no to the crying girl, and let her run away from you.

The curse, after all, was your fault. You were the one who invaded the party and cursed the sweet babe, too angry to realize it was her father who deserved the punishment.

Maleficent's eyes run over you. She stands only a few inches taller than you, and shows no signs of wings. Her power is found all over, from her staff to her body. An air of power hangs over her, and though the Moor folk bow to you, surely they would get down on their knees were they to see her.

"Who are you?" you had asked, staff raised at the woman who appeared out of smoke.

"Maleficent," she had replied. "But most simply know me as the Mistress of all Evil."

She reaches forward with a light green hand. She does seem Fae, but not completely, as if an outside force has consumed part of her. A smile crosses over her rose red lips, and her fingers wrap around your chin. Her touch is cold, as if she has never really seen sunlight. Ice must flow through her veins.

Yet she seems familiar. The rush of cold that runs through you is not an unusual feeling by any means. Keeping away the chill can be hard, and Aurora had commented before on how cold your skin felt.

Green skin, like that of an evil witch.

"Get away from me," you say, suddenly breaking from her.

She merely smirks in reply. And just as suddenly as she appeared, she is gone in a gust of smoke, leaving you alone.

Your own tears finally fall, surely as harsh and cold as the ones Aurora herself surely felt on her cheeks.

Chapter Text

Ping, no, Mulan, looked so different from when Jasmine had first seen her. Now, she no longer held herself behind false smiles and fancy sword tricks. Her armor was sprawled out on the floor, and her sword untouched on her back. Dark hair covered part of her face, but it could not hide the worry in her eyes or the ever deepening frown on her lips.

Jasmine reached a hand out and brought it to her shoulder. She met Mulan's eyes, looking past her trembling lips and the lines of worry sketched across her face. "Thank you," she said, doing her best to keep her voice from shaking, to sound like the royalty she truly was, "for telling me the truth."

Mulan's face morphed to one of shock, her mouth opening and eyes widening.

The truth, Jasmine had to admit, was the last thing that she had ever expected to hear. Though she had admired this "prince", who was not as cocky or selfish as other suitors had been, she had always expected "him" to mess up in some way and quickly lose her favor. When a private chat with the princess had been requested, her father had been thrilled and Jasmine had already been planning ways of seeing her suitor off.

It was not every day that one of her suitors admitted that they were really a woman, and then gave Jasmine an abridged version of their life story (which Jasmine had to admit seemed much more exciting and adventurous than hers).

"No one ever tells me the truth. They either hide it behind pretty words or do not tell me at all. I am a princess, but I feel as though I know nothing." Jasmine looked across her garden, to the distant tops of the castle's stone walls. "I do not even know what the world outside of this castle is like." She motioned towards the fountain, and the two both sat on the edge. Their faces reflected back at them from the water.

Rajah sat at Jasmine's feet, though he was stretched out and looked to be nearly asleep. He too liked Mulan.

"That sounds horrible." Mulan's frown returned, though she placed her hand over Jasmine's own and squeezed it. Her hand was large, warm, and covered in calluses - so different from
Jasmine's own soft and smooth brown hands.

"Believe me, it is." Jasmine traced her other finger along the cool water's surface. "When you first arrived, I was afraid that you would be conceited and vain - so many other suitors were. But you're different, and I like that."

Mulan's face turned red, and she looked away, until all Jasmine could see was her dark hair reflected on the pond's surface. Still, their hands stayed together, fingers entangled together.

"I'm glad that you like me - the real me,"

"I can't understand why anyone would not like you, Mulan. You're incredible."

Jasmine leaned forward, meeting first Mulan's eyes and then her lips. The kiss was sweet and slow. Mulan wrapped her free arm around Jasmine's waist and pulled her closer.

When it ended, both were silent. Mulan's warm hands remained on Jasmine, and she closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the feel of her touch.

The sun was setting.

"Mulan?"

"Yes?"

"Do you promise to continue pretending to be Ping? I will be the only one who knows your secret, and I won't reveal it to anyone." She leaned forward, though she did not meet Mulan's lips this time. "Please ask my father to marry us. He will be so excited, and surely will say yes."

Mulan nodded. "I promise to do it for you, Jasmine."

Jasmine smiled, and looked up to the stars that were coming out to sprinkle the sky.

Mulan stood up and picked up her armor. She put it on quickly with practiced ease. Jasmine could not help but admire the hard, well defined muscles in her back.

She only needed Mulan to keep up this lie a little longer, and then things would finally be right - the way that they were supposed to be.

Chapter Text

Mabel pulled the microphone closer to her lips. As she moved, her legs and arms swayed along with the fast paced beat of the music. It was infectiously catchy, the &ndra song having topped the top forty charts easily.

Her brother, however, wasn't about to sing it out loud to his reflection in the mirror.

Not that he mattered now. With the zombies gone, Mabel knew that neither he nor her Great Uncle Stan were about to sing karaoke with her.

Not that Mabel cared. She didn't need them or their approval, and she didn't care if they complained about the sleepover's noise. It wasn't as if she would be able to hear their whining over the song anyway. The night belonged to Mabel, Candy, and Grenda.

"Oh oh," Mabel sung. "We're taking over tonight!"

"Taking over tonight!" Grenda yelled before pumping her fist into the air.

"We are going to party all night!" Candy spun around, a wide grin spread across her entire face.

"Boys are a bore," Mabel went on.

"Let's show them the door!" Candy and Grenda sang in unison, before both pointing in unison to the large wooden door. No boy was actually inside the room, however. The locked door kept them away, as it should.

The three sang on, until the words blurred and they didn't even bother to get the lyrics right. Karaoke wasn't meant to sound beautiful, just to be fun. By the time it ended, Mabel was squished up against Candy's left side and Grenda against Candy's right. The two took their turns, giving the center girl a kiss straight on the lips (and that was the only thing straight about it). Candy's lips felt so right against Mabel's own, which was so different from how she felt when touching a boy's lips. No wonder she hadn't kept any around for long.

Candy returned the favor, giving both Mabel and Grenda kisses of their own before giggling. An adult would probably oppose the idea of them all being together, but none of them cared. What did their approval matter?

The music roared in Mabel's ears, and the kisses were hot on her lips. She had wanted an epic summer romance, and she had gotten it. Neither Candy or Grenda were vampires, but that didn't make them any less amazing. After all, there were no other girls in the world quite like those two.

Mabel danced on, even as both her eyes and legs grew heavy. If she fell asleep, there would surely be two girls to help pick her up.

Chapter Text

Anna burst up from her pillow, nearly hitting her head against the edge of the bed frame. Her blue eyes were wide, searching the room for what caused the sudden noise. Sunlight streamed in through the window and danced across the floor, though it had yet to reach Anna's eyes before the sound came.

Searching her eyes across the room, she saw nothing at all out of the ordinary. Everything was exactly as she had left it the night before, even though the end of it was a blur. Anna had collapsed into her bed and slept in her dress from the day before after a long day of entertaining visitors, two of whom had been fast paced twins, both small girls of the age of five. But Anna was alone - May and June were not inside her room. Still, the idea that they were the ones causing the noise remained lodged in her mind.

The sound happened once more - a knock that came three times in a row, a steady thumping. Her eyes shot towards the door.

Funny, Anna thought, forcing herself out of bed. I would have thought the two girls were the type to burst into rooms.

Seeing her hair in the mirror, she quickly made it look decent before opening the door.

For a moment, Anna did not move. Her eyes were wide, and she had to wonder if what she was seeing was correct. She blinked a few times, but her sister remained standing at the door.

"Anna," Elsa said, "is something wrong?" She stiffened.

Anna shook her head. "No, no, everything is fine. I just thought you would be someone else."

Elsa raised a blond eyebrow. "Disappointed in seeing me?" Her tone was light, and Anna could not help but laugh.

"Actually, I'm really glad to see you. So, what do you need?"

"To ask you something." Elsa took a few deep breaths. "I've actually wanted to ask you this for a while."

"What?" Anna bit her lip.

"Do you want to build a snowman?"

Anna froze, unsure of what to do. Would a simple nod work? Or a yes?

In the end, she did neither and wrapped her arms around Elsa, engulfing her in a warm hug. "You already know my answer, Elsa."

Chapter Text

By the time it was over, Jessie was exhausted and her hair was a mess. Andy had left her hat up on a shelf, a bright red dot next to his pile of books and papers from school. She would have to climb up and get it later, once she had the energy.

For now, however, her boots could only take her a few feet. She sat down, watching other toys pass her by. Others were so lucky lucky that they didn't even realize it. Some could take just about anything and do just fine, like Mister Potato Head (not everyone could put themselves back together as easy as him), and others could regroup like the army men.

"Is something wrong?"

Jessie jumped up.

"Sorry to have frightened you." Bo frowned and lowered her staff.

"Oh no, you're fine. I just didn't notice you there." Jessie looked to the ground.

"Jessie, what's wrong?" By the looks of her, no one would expect Bo to be so blunt. However, for as long as Jessie had known her, she rarely waited to get up to something. If there was a point to get to, then Bo got there as fast as she could.

"Nothing."

Bo pursed her lips. "Really? Because things don't look so fine."

"I said," Jessie repeated. "It's nothing." Her voice was weak however, and she couldn't even believe herself.

"Is it about your hat?"

"Sort of." Jessie rubbed her arm, hard plastic meeting soft fabric. "I'm just tired. Today was a real hard play day."

"I know." Bo smiled. "After all, I was there." She stepped forward. "You helped me earlier, so I feel that I should return the favor. Let's start with moving along."

"Alright," Jessie replied.

The two walked forward slowly. Bo wasn't as fast of a walker as some other toys, but Jessie didn't mind. It felt good to take things slow.

"I want to thank you again for saving me earlier."

Jessie smiled. "It was my duty." Had she had her hat then she would have tipped it.

"It was still quite kind of you. Andy's games can get rough sometimes, so it's nice to know that I can depend on someone."

"That's my job. If I see a damsel in distress I just have to help."

Bo giggled. "Then I'm quite glad that you do. I couldn't ask for a better heroine." She leaned forward and have Jessie a quick kiss.

Jessie grinned from ear to ear and her cheeks turned red. Had she had her hat, she would have covered her face.

Bo simply looked back at her and simply smiled.

Chapter Text

Honey absently stretched out her legs, her eyes on the girl in front of her. Gogo's eyes were closed and her teeth gritted; despite that, she brought the large weight down to her chest and then put it back up. She had been stretching like this for a good few minutes.

Honey's eyes ran over her; rather than wearing her usual workout gear of athletic shorts and a T-shirt, she wore medium length pants and a black sports bra. It gave Honey a good view of Gogo's chest - with its hard muscle and tight abs, but also showed off her muscular arms.

Honey bit her lip.

Gogo sat up and wiped sweat and black hair from her forehead. Her eyes met Honey's, freezing the girl in place.

"Still on your warm up exercises?" She raised an eyebrow.

Honey bit her lip, her eyes turning away from Gogo's (wonderful) chest and arms to the floor. "Oh, you know, you can never be too safe." Using energy she didn't know that she had, she turned around and looked across the room. Walking over to where a set of large plastic exercise balls sat, she picked one up. For a moment, she was still, as if she had forgotten how to use it.

Honey had certainly been impressed by Gogo's family's basement that had been converted to a gym. It was sleek and new, and had all the exercise equipment a regular gym would have (without all the people). However, the space suddenly seemed small, and she was the only other person in the room.

Turning, she began to exercise once more, her eyes placed firmly on the ground. Oh, what was Gogo thinking of her?

All she could do was hope that the other girl thought that she was red faced from exercise.

Chapter Text

The only place Elsa liked more than her room was Litwak's Arcade. It wasn't that far of a walk from her home, and it was one of those older arcades where a few quarters could still go a long way. The local mall had an arcade too, but it was too new and speak. There were no games older than seven years old there, and the prices were about as high as the clothing stores next to it. What made it worse was all the people there, everywhere from screaming little kids to adults who couldn't shut up about the game that they were currently playing.

Litwak's wasn't quiet, but it wasn't loud either. It got good business, and Elsa knew not to come when it was really busy.

She had memorized the arcade; so much so that she could have given someone a tour of the place. All the games were good. The claw machines weren't actually rigged, so Elsa could bring her little sister home a brand new stuffed animal. Those teddy bears would have been won with nothing but pocket change.

The retro games were cool. Elsa had played them for a while, and had mastered how to beat a number of levels without losing a single life. Her thumbs and wrists would ache by the end of it, but her pockets would still be filled with quarters?

The best game, however, was Hero's Duty. The newest game at Litwak's, it cost two dollars to play. Elsa had at first ignored the game, favoring ones that costed a little less. However, curiosity had gotten the best of her one day. After a long evening of gaming, she had almost been ready to go home.

Something had called her over to the game. Maybe it was because she didn't have anything at home to do, or maybe because it was a Friday night and her parents wouldn't care if she was home a little late. Whatever it was, she had found herself inserting eight quarters (and hearing eight heavy clinks as she dropped them down into the game), and then clicking the bright red start button.

The intro had been pretty average for a science fiction game. Part of her wondered why she didn't just leave, but the other part of her wanted to put her money to good use.

That part (quite luckily) won out.

The game started, showing a blond woman in body armor. Her eyes were ice cold, giving an intense stare that made Elsa freeze up for a moment. Looking back, it was a bit ridiculous, but it had seemed like the woman was staring straight at her. It was impossible to look away from her; she was both sharp and intimidating, yet beautiful and reserved.

The game had started, and she had shot at the enemy Cy Bugs on screen. They were ugly things, but easy to shoot at. Every pixelated bullet brought her one step closer to winning.

However, just as she was about to reach the Cy Bugs' base, she had lost. She nearly threw her plastic gun in anger, but calmed herself. She almost considered dropping in two more quarters, but stopped herself. The "Continue? Insert Two Coins" screen had stayed on for a few more moments, and then vanished.

The game had remained in her mind. On her next visit, she felt her heart drop when she saw another girl playing.

But I want it, she thought.

The other games had been fun as usual, but hadn't captured her full attention like they usually did.

Once she saw Hero's Duty was empty again, she rushed over and played it again. Like the last time, she lost.

It was a repeating cycle, one that Elsa couldn't be sure would ever end. She kept losing, but returned anyway to play more. Never did she skip the introduction or instructions; Elsa kept her eyes pressed on Tamora whenever she appeared in a cut scene.

Some would think she just wanted to win.

Elsa couldn't be sure that she wanted a digital gold metal or her initials on the high score page. She came back for the Sargeant; one day, she knew that Tamora would look straight ahead at the screen once more. She would freeze Elsa in place and send goosebumps running up her arms.

That feeling was worth every single quarter Elsa spent.

Chapter Text

The first thing that Gogo noticed was the wetness below her lips and on her chin. Sitting up with a groan, she looked down at the pile of papers below her. Part of them were drenched wet, and the others were a pile of hastily written notes next to margins full of messy doodles.

"Sleeping beauty finally woke up," a voice suddenly said. It was followed by a laugh.

Gogo blinked for a moment, and then finally recognized the voice. Sitting beside her was Honey, her bangs slightly blocking her eyes, and her face turned down towards her own notebook. It was full of neat, loopy handwriting, and the page was gradually filling with more and more.

"What happened?" Gogo put a hand to her face and wiped away the drool, before using both of her hands to wipe the sleep out of her eyes. Even then, the world was still a blur in her eyes.

"Isn't it obvious? You fell asleep." Honey's tone was casual, and she wrote while she spoke. "I tried to wake you up, but you were out cold. You had been asleep for..." She paused, looking down to the bubblegum pink strapped watch on her wrist. "Thirty-two and a half minutes, not counting the time that I've been talking to you. That makes you that much more behind on studying for your chemistry final."

Gogo groaned. Her nap had been an unexpected but blissful break from the notebook below her.

"While you were in dream land, I made some flash cards." She picked them up from her desk and shuffled them. Gogo didn't see much more than a few swirling letters. "How about we take a break over looking at notes and just use these? It'd be nice to try something different."

Gogo groaned.

"Hey, whether you like it or not we have to study for this." She reached out, putting a hand on Gogo's shoulder and giving it a firm squeeze. A rush of heat ran through Gogo's skin, and she had to look down to her hands. Inside, her heart raced and her stomach fluttered. "You need to especially. You won't get a good grade by doing nothing."

"Yeah, yeah, you've said the speech a million times before." For a moment, she almost wanted to lay her head back down and go to sleep again. "You don't need to waste any more time saying it to me again."

Honey chuckled. "Alright, I won't." She held a flash card up and grinned. "But hey, at least this cloud has a silver lining."

"Uh, what?" Gogo raised a dark eyebrow.

A smirk crossed Honey's thin lips. "Oh, I thought you would know."

"Know what? Is this something else about the final?"

Honey shook her head. "No, it's just something to think about. Since you fell asleep and are behind on studying, you'll have to stay a little later at my house tonight."

Gogo returned the other girl's smile. "I never thought of it that way."

Chapter Text

Maleficent kept to the side, her eyes wondering from her staff to the queen and her mirror. Some would have called the queen vain, but it was to be expected. If there was one thing she loved, it was to be looked upon with reverence and desire. It was what had driven her to take full power over her land, to take the heart of a young girl (quite literally), and what made her wake up every morning in the hopes of more praises.

And what a sight she was, with her apple red lips and piercing eyes. She walked with the grace of a royal, never denying what power she held over others.

However, though Maleficent looked to her, she surely had no power over her.

The queen was a queen. Maleficent herself was the mistress of all evil.

Still, it was hard not to look at her, and the queen knew that quite well.

Maleficent supposed that she was another one of her mirrors.

Maleficent walked forward, her cane tapping against the ground as she walked. The sound echoed through the dim, stony castle. Unlike the queen's other mirror, Maleficent was not separated from her by glass.

Wrapping her arms around her thin waist, Maleficent leaned forward and breathed in a bit of the scent of her perfume through her green nostrils. She smiled, relaxing as the queen leaned into her touch.

The face in the mirror vanished, the slave returning to wherever it hid when its mistress had no need for it.

"It has been some time since I have last seen you." Back then, Maleficent had entered in quickly, passing by a dark haired servant girl in rags. When the girl had seen her, her pale face had gone even whiter with shock, and the look on her face had made Maleficent chuckle for weeks. Now, all that was left of her was in a wooden box.

"Have you missed me?"

"I thought of you every day."

She had shown Maleficent the box, the bottom stained red, with pride. It had been quite a sight, one that had brought a smile to Maleficent's lips, but she was by no means satisfied. The queen was self serving; if only she knew the joy in hurting others. Then she surely could do so much worse.

Oh, Maleficent could only imagine.

"And you, my darling," Maleficent said, leaning in closer to whisper in her ear, "look even more beautiful than when I saw you last."

Chapter Text

How could Elsa have spent over a decade wearing gloves? Anna picked her left one off and began to scratch at the palm, hardly noticing the chill against her skin. She could barely keep her pink ones on for more than a few minutes at a time. It was no wonder that they had been the only ones left in stock at Oaken's.

"What are you doing?" Merida asked, turning her head to face the other red head.

Anna felt her cheeks turn as pink as her gloves, and quickly looked down. "Nothing."

"Are you trying to catch frost bite?" Merida clutched her bow tighter, and used her other hand to block snow from her face.

Anna shoved her glove back on, the sting of the wind against her fingers vanishing. It was only a small comfort, however, as the wind only blew harsher and colder. Snow was everywhere and Elsa was only in one place - with Anna's luck they would never find her and wonder the endless mountain forever.

"Have you seen any more wolves?" Not only did Anna's breath fog in front of her as she spoke, but her teeth chattered so hard that she couldn't be sure if Merida even understood what she had said.

"Thankfully, no," Merida replied. "I don't think that they can live this far north. Down near the bottom of the mountain it's not nearly as cold."

"It feels all the same to me." Anna shivered for what must have been the thousandth time.

They continued forward, their footsteps being covered by fresh snow in a matter of seconds. The world was an unforgiving white, trapping the two between snow on all sides.

Anna didn't think when she grabbed Merida's hand. No one had held her during blizzards when she was a child - her parents too busy and Elsa locked in her room. No one comforted her as her window turned white and her room cold.

Now, she didn't even have castle walls to protect her from the storm.

Merida squeezed Anna's hand back, the surprise sending a wave of shock through Anna's body.

For a moment she saw through the white, and for a moment the fire inside Anna flamed once more.

Anna held Merida's hand tighter and walked faster. There was still more of the mountain to navigate, and she couldn't risk losing Merida.

"Do you think we're almost to her?" Anna asked.

"We're as close as we can be, princess."

Chapter Text

Charlotte couldn't quite place the time when fairy tales stopped being fairy tales. On one hand, they were nothing but stories and always had been, even when she traipsed around in pink gowns and plastic crowns. Or maybe it was when she wasn't a girl but not a woman, when everything was confusing. Or could it have been when she grew up, when princess gowns were worn only for special nights?

No matter what time it had been, nothing could change the way that Charlotte looked at fairy tales now. The heroines no longer spoke to her, nor did she try and imagine herself in their shoes. The princes were drawings and words - figments of a hero passed down through lips and paper.

There would be no stories in her books like what she faced. Princesses never fell in love with other princesses, let alone waitresses.

But, as Charlotte watched Tiana spin across the floor in her satin green dress that stuck to all the right places on her, she supposed that was alright. Why would she need a worn out old children's book to reassure her when she had Tiana? Tiana, warm and soft skinned, with a bright smile that no artist could recreate. Every word she spoke in her satiny, smooth voice was better than any printed on a page.

Charlotte didn't those old fairy tales any more.

Not now, when the pen was in her hand and she was writing her own story.

Chapter Text

The first time that Rapunzel had met Elsa, her hands had been in purple gloves and her white blond hair held back in a tight bun. Rapunzel had first seen her at her coronation party, though the two had never spoken. Rapunzel had been busy enough with attention of her own and hair problems. Still, the queen had caught her eyes and the image of her had remained in her mind even long after Rapunzel left the kingdom of Arrandelle.

Elsa was like a queen from the fairy tales that Rapunzel had read when she was a child. Elsa walked and held herself with regality; Elsa was the picture of sophisticated grace.

Rapunzel supposed her own life was like a fairy tale, with her magic hair and royal blood. Still, she would hardly consider herself anything like Elsa. Rapunzel tripped, spilled paint all over her dresses, and never let her brown hair grow out - nothing that she had ever read about in her stories.

But, she supposed, that was why they were just stories. Though their second meeting would probably never be written down and illustrated, the pages bound together and made into a book for future generations, there had been something magical about it. Elsa's eyes had lit up with recognition, even if it had been a few years since they had last seen each other, not to mention that Rapunzel no longer had her eye catching sea of hair. Elsa's hair had been down in a loose braid that bobbed as she walked, and her pale hands had been free and visible for Rapunzel to see. She had laughed and smiled, and Rapunzel had done the same, enjoying what time she had. Elsa was a story come to life, and Rapunzel could only watch the pages turn with glee.

Chapter Text

Elsa wasn't allowed to care about others, not if her powers had anything to say about it. Sometimes it was hard to remember that they were apart of herself and not a separate entity housed inside of her, a parasite that froze its host.

She had cared for Anna, she truly had. She still did, in this strange new place with talking black boxes and metal horses and shops full of useless trinkets.

Ice surrounded her. Her head was foggy, and Elsa couldn't help but wonder if it was closing in on her and Emma.

"Tell me more," Elsa said, shaking the woman below her. Before she had looked so strong and determined. That was before the cold set in, before Emma closed in on herself in a struggle to warm herself once more. "Tell me whatever you want, Emma."

The only reply was the chattering of her teeth.

"Tell me, please!"

The cold that ripped through Emma barely registered through Elsa herself. The cold was the cold, she supposed, but that wasn't the same for Anna.

"You promised to help me!" Her voice rose, and for a moment she sounded like a child. A careless child who would do anything to get what they want, no matter who they hurt. "Emma!"

For a moment, her vision blurred. For a moment the woman below her morphed and changed.

For a moment it was just her and Anna again, alone in the cold and with no one able to rescue them.

Elsa tried to care.

Maybe if she just tried harder then she wouldn't ruin everything in the process.

Chapter Text

The streak of white in Anna's red hair was hard for Elsa to miss. For a moment she didn't even move, just stood still and stared at her sister, contemplating the change in her. A bright grin was on her sister's face, and her blue eyes sparkled.

"So," Anna said turning slightly to show off her white streak even more. "What do you think?"

Elsa wanted to reply that she was glad that the bathroom hadn't been destroyed, if not at least eternally stained, while Anna had messed with hair dye.

"It doesn't make me look old, does it?" Anna winked.

Else couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh no, it's not that."

Anna's eyes widened. "Do you like it?"

Elsa nodded, yet still raised an eyebrow. "Why white?"

Her reckless, headstrong sister seemed like the type who would get something pink or blue or purple (or even black, considering that was the only color she consistently wore). White was the last color Elsa would have expected.

"Of course I chose white," Anna said with a smile. "I got it to remind me of you."

Chapter Text

It was relaxing, in its own ways. For once, Merida did not have to listen to anyone or try to please others. She could set down her bow and rest her arms, not have to keep an eye on her brothers to make sure they weren't getting in trouble, and didn't even have to deal with trade agreements.

Judging by the way Elsa was acting, she was thinking the same thing. Most of the time, her hair was held back and her back straight; the only person who ever got close to her was her sister Anna. Now, the two were hunched over, their bodies entwined and Elsa's white hair falling free and loose. They were so close that Merida could feel the beating of the other girl's heart and hear each breath that she took.

Elsa bit into Merida's neck, her lips cold and teeth hard - as hard as Merida imagined ice to be (and like ice, hiding something wonderful underneath its frosty surface). For a moment, Merida's neck ached. It was only a second of pain, but it seemed to spread through her entire body.

"Are you sure that I should keep going?" Elsa asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her cold hands were on Merida's arm and stomach, holding her close.

"Keep going," Merida replied. "I'm strong enough to handle a little cold."

And, she thought, as the sting on her neck slowly faded away, I can deal with a little pain.

Elsa laughed, the sound filling their otherwise almost completely silent room.

Merida smiled, twirling her finger through a lock of Elsa's hair. "Well, keep going."

Elsa's cold lips met Merida's neck again. When her teeth were not digging into Merida's soft skin, her cold lips were inching down further and further. Chills ran up Merida's back and goosebumps formed along her arms.

"Keep going," Merida repeated, as Elsa's lips went further and further down Merida's skin.

Chapter Text

Grenda's mouth watered. The smell of freshly baked cake was overpowering, filling in every part of her nose.

Her eyes shot over to the pan, just recently taken out of the oven.

"No,' Candy said, not even looking up from the book that she was reading.

"They're out of the oven!" Grenda's stomach rumbled, as if it were trying to add to the conversation.

"No," Candy continued. "Those are for school tomorrow."

Grenda groaned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Would the chess club really notice if I took just one?"

Candy nodded. "Have you seen them when they get hungry?"

Grenda shook her head. "Whatever." She walked over to the cabinet and began to dig around. After years of going to Candy's house, she still hadn't memorized her cupboards. Usually, there were some sweet treats hidden around. But Grenda couldn't find anything.

"Are you sure I can't have just one little cupcake?" Grenda batted her eyelashes, the way her mother did when she and her father couldn't agree on where to pick up dinner.

Candy sighed and stood up. "Just one," she said, walking over to the oven. "Just one half." Grabbing a chocolate cupcake, she tore it in half. Then, she quickly slapped some pink frosting on it before pulling the piece of cupcake out of the paper wrapper and handing it to Grenda.

"You're amazing, Candy!"

The smaller girl chuckled. "Just don't ask for any more."

Grenda took the piece from her hand. A bit of frosting remained on Candy's hand, and Grenda leaned down and gave her hand a slight kiss.

Candy giggled before pulling her hand away. Her cheeks were flushed red and her eyes wide.

"Hey," Grenda said. "Candy and cupcakes just go together."

Candy laughed again. "You could say that."

Before Grenda left for home that night, Candy handed her a Ziploc bag.

"In case you get hungry on the way home," she said.

Her smile was infectious, and Grenda couldn't help but grin back. "Thanks, Candy."

The cupcake was neater that time, the frosting having been carefully applied. Attached to the plastic bag was a stickie note covered in smiley faces and hearts. Written in loopy handwriting was the word "Enjoy!"

"See you at school tomorrow," Candy said.

"Yeah."

Just as Grenda was about to turn away, Candy leaned up and brushed their lips together. It was a quick kiss, one that Grenda barely had time to enjoy.

The one thing that she did notice was the taste of frosting on Candy's soft lips.

Chapter Text

Ariel's feet hung above the water, her toes never quite reaching the dark water below her. In it, she could see her reflection looking back at her. The image was not quite as clear as it would be in an amazing mirror (no wonder, Ariel now knew, humans had so many) or in a photograph. Still, it was enough for Ariel to see what truly mattered.

The lower half of her body wasn't the only part that had changed. Her hair was held back in a right bun, showing off the sharper edges of her face that had once been hidden behind red locks. Her eyes seemed wider than before, as if they had grown from looking at everything the human world had to offer.

Ariel smiled. There certainly were many wonderful things to see.

When her toes finally touched the water, she bit her lip. The water was thicker than ocean water and colder. The sensation spread through her entire body; she could only imagine what it would feel like if she jumped in completely.

Not that I could, Ariel thought. Not any longer.

She wasn't a carefree child any longer. The closest that she got to water most days was in a bath tub.

And I'm all the better for it, Ariel reminded herself.

Still, as her eyes gazed over the water's surface, she couldn't shake away images of the world below. In waters further east, far below the surface, mermaids must have still lived on.

"Ariel!"

Ariel's eyes widened, and she turned her head.

"There you are!" Tiana ran forward, her shoes clacking on the wooden dock. "I've been looking all over for you!"

Ariel stood up, pulling her foot from the water. She turned to Tiana and opened her arms. Tiana quickly returned the hug, leaning her head up and pressing a soft kiss to the side of Ariel's neck.

Ariel closed her eyes. The smell of Tiana, a mix of the scent of beignets and the lavender soap she used, filled her nose and her warm body pressed into Ariel's own. Ariel's mind went blank, her worries melting away.

I never knew anyone who made me feel like this undersea. Ariel thought. But that's why I left, didn't I?

Tiana pulled the hug apart. Ariel pointed ahead and began walking forward.

Tiana grabbed her hand. The wooden dock creaked under their feet as they walked.

"To my restaurant?" Tiana asked.

Ariel nodded. It was always warm and full of happy people, the kind of people who always had a story to tell or an incredible trinket to show off.

The two walked on, hand in hand, even long after they had left the dock behind.

Chapter Text

"Jasmine," her father huffed, his eyes low and small (almost completely hidden by dark bags that, Jasmine noticed, he had not had when she'd last seen him). "Did you have to do this again?"

Jasmine's eyes fell to the ground, to her torn clothes and dirty feet. She looked out of place there, in the castle that she had once called home. Her clothes were a mess and her hair fell nearly to her back.

"Do you know how much work it takes to get you back?" He was trying not to sound angry, she could hear it in his voice, but the look did cross through his eyes. "We've done this more than enough times. When will you finally stop? And to think, I actually thought guards could stop you."

A shape moved in the corner of Jasmine's eye. She turned, locking eyes on Rajah. He looked thinner than before, and his yellow eyes lacked their former gleam. The tiger turned and walked towards her, each step looking harder to take than the last.

No, no, no! she thought. She would have taken her pet with her if she could; she had loved Rajah, ever since he was nothing but a little cub.

Her little cub.

Despite herself, she ran towards the beast, wrapping her arms around it. Rajah let out a soft growl, the closest noise that he could make to a purr, and rubbed her neck with his furry snout.

"Oh, I missed you." Jasmine said, combing her fingers through his fur.

It had been so long since she had last seen him. Ever since that fateful night, the one where Jasmine had put months of planning into action, the night where she sneaked past countless guards and carried all that she would ever need on her back... How long had it been since that night? That night where she had run past the castle, until it was nothing but a speck in the distance, a memory from another land...

How long?

It had been a warm night, Jasmine remembered. A warm, windy night, where the world seemed open, so much bigger than it had been before. Not even her pet's pleas could have stopped her.

"There's a whole world out there," Jasmine had spoken, gesturing towards the garden walls. "Mulan and I are going to find it."

Mulan... It had been hard to think of her, at least when Jasmine had been captured. Now, the name filled her mind, the memory of the other woman settling over her mind.

They had promised each other that this would be the last time that Jasmine ran away, the last time either had to worry about seeing the other again.

"This time," Mulan had said one night, right after the two had made camp, "will be the last time that we ever see Agrabah again."

Jasmine had nodded.

Mulan held her sword in her hand, and waved it high into the air, as if daring any hidden monster to come forward and fight her. There had been a gleam in her eyes, something powerful that had made Jasmine never want to look away. The way that Mulan had said it had made the change easier. Yes, she would be leaving her country, but with Mulan at her side it had seemed easier. Mulan, after all, had been everywhere, ever since she herself had left her home country so many years before.

But Agrabah hadn't truly been her home - only its castle. She was the princess, and that was where princesses resided.

At least according to the law.

"Come inside, Jasmine," her father said, tearing her away from her thoughts. "You need to get changed. After that, I have business to attend to." He shook his head and sighed.

Jasmine pulled away from her pet and looked around. The castle garden, so smooth and serene.

So crafted.

So fake.

Already, she could feel the walls closing in on her.

As familiar as the castle was, it wasn't where she should have been. Jasmine knew she should have been with Mulan, knew it in her soul and her heart, knew it even more than the list of laws that she had been forced to memorized as a child (laws that princesses were supposed to know, even when they had not the power to put those laws into effect).

No, she thought.

She was supposed to be in a marshy wetland, a grassy field, or in a dry desert, places that she and Mulan had been to before. She had also offered to show Jasmine deep jungles and dry forests, with trees that seemed to scrape the sky. She was supposed to be in the places that Mulan had promised her father's soldiers would never find her.

But they had, hadn't they? The plains that they had been exploring had seemed so pristine and far away from her former country, and yet that hadn't stopped her father's soldiers from trampling in and finding her.

And Mulan? That was the last place that she had ever seen her. Where she was now, Jasmine could only guess.

Maybe she'll come back, Jasmine thought. She certainly had before, even when her face, both her true face and the disguise she wore (a handsome, at least if Jasmine were to be honest, soldier named Ping, was on wanted posters.

Jasmine looked above the garden walls. She saw only an empty sky and thick, white marble walls. If Mulan had returned, or was yet to, then Jasmine had yet to see her.

"Jasmine," her father said again. "I am serious; we absolutely must get inside."

Jasmine sighed and turned away. With heavy steps, she walked towards her father and into the palace doors. Rajah followed behind her, moving a bit faster than before "Coming, father."

Just as the doors were about to close, Jasmine turned her head to look outside. She saw only her garden, the white walls, and slowly darkening sky. Then, nothing but smooth stone when the doors closed, sending an echoed thud through the castle's walls.

Chapter Text

She had never been a material girl, too caught up in her work to have time to dream of fancy dresses or shoes that couldn't be worn while working; those were pleasures saved for other girls, girls like her stepsisters, who weren't covered in dust and ashes because they need not clean, and had finer companion animals than mice.

"How about," the princess continues, her eyes (so clear and blue, never once looking away from Cinderella), moving towards the other piles of clothes she has laid out (to lavish dresses and bright jewels, to silk scarves and shoes - row, upon row of brightly colored, high heeled shoes) , "we try another pair?"

"If you insist," Cinderella replies, shooting her fiancé a smile; she must admit, the last pair the princess had asked her to try on was a little tight, and the woman seemed ready to make sure their upcoming engagement party was a success - a success that needed a good pair of clothes (shoes included), even if it did make Cinderella feel a little spoiled.

Chapter Text

Elsa let out another sneeze. Luck was on her side, and her tissue captured whatever germs and ice magic she released before yet another little Snowgee could be made. As cute as the things were, there were enough of them around already. Both (an overjoyed) Olaf and (grumpy as ever) Kristoff had their hands full dealing with them.

"Bless you," Anna said. She held out the tissue box. "Grab a few more just to be safe, okay?"

Elsa nodded. Even when she looked down at the box, she could still feel Anna's gaze on her. It was nice, being the center of attention once and it not tying in with her being a queen or having ice magic. This was pretty normal, right? People got colds.

Except for Elsa. She would have remembered; her parents never would have let a younger version of herself forget it if she released tons of Snowgees on the palace back then.

Anna reached out and placed a hand on Elsa's own. "I hope that you start feeling better soon."

Elsa's cheeks heated up. If Anna asked, she would claimed she had a fever (which, technically, she did, though her skin felt as cold as ever).

"Sorry that this had to happen on your birthday," Elsa said.

At least if it had happened on a different time than Anna wouldn't have to worry so much about her. Right then, her sister could have been at the party eating cake and laughing with her friends. Instead, she was stuck cooped inside with Elsa.

"Oh, it's not your fault." Anna smiled. "I just want you to feel better."

A lump formed in Elsa's throat. Anna's eyes were wide and shining, her smile stretching across her entire face. There was the same glimmer in her eye as the one from before, back when she had so eagerly arrived at the north mountain to try to convince Elsa to come back home.

"You shouldn't have to be worrying about me today," Elsa said. She sighed. Grabbing a tissue from the tissue box, she blew her nose. "In fact, you shouldn't have to be worrying about me at all."

"Of course I should!" Anna stood up from Elsa's bed and stretched out her arms. "I would hope that you would worry about me if I were sick."

"Yes, but... Well, you wouldn't be magically making little snow people."

"But I would be sick."

"But I had to get sick on your birthday." Elsa sighed. "I just wanted to give you a special day."

"And you did," Anna said. "It was a lot of fun."

"Well it isn't over yet," Elsa said, looking out her window. The sun was still in the sky and a few birds fluttered past. "But instead of enjoying that you're in here worrying about me. You should be out having fun."

Anna giggled. "And what's not fun about this?" She reached over and picked up the tissue box and grabbed a few tissues before crumpling up and throwing them in the air. "Look, I'm Elsa and I have magical ice powers! Feel my snowball attack!" Her voice rose a few pitches higher than usual.

"I do not sound like that!"

"Yes you do!" Anna stood up straight. "I am the queen of ice and snow. Listen to me or I'll freeze your shoes to the floor!"

Elsa chuckled. "I would not do that."

"Not to me," Anna said. "But there are probably a few people that you would."

"Maybe, but they're miles away from Arrandell right now."

"That's good."

Elsa felt another sneeze coming and grabbed a tissue.

Things had been different ever since the two had reconciled. Elsa was a queen, Anna was always there for her, and she could use her powers freely. That wasn't the only difference of course. There was something else, something unspoken between the two.

"Anna," Elsa said.

"Hmmm?" The girl cocked her head to the side, her braids swishing as she moved.

"If you got sick, I would worry about you and look after you." Elsa paused. "I hope you don't get sick after being around me."

"Me too," Anna replied. "And if I do, so what? I've faced stuff way worse than colds before."

Elsa smiled. "Yeah, you have."

She wasn't sure when her eyes began to get heavy. Had it been before Anna brought her a bowl of steaming chicken soup from the castle's kitchen or afterwards? Either way, her eyes grew heavier, seeing less and less until she didn't see anything at all. Before her mind slipped away into the darkness of sleep, she felt a pressure against her forehead, soft and cool. A few moments later, there was the same feeling, though a bit firmer than before, on her lips.

"Good night, Elsa. I hope you have sweet dreams and feel better."

Chapter Text

Ella could not tell which moved faster, the horse or her beating heart. It slammed against her chest, harder and faster than it had in ages, a steady thumping that echoed throughout her entire body.

The forest moved by her in a blur of greens and browns, the colors shifting the further that the sun set. When she had first set out, back when her tears had still been wet against her face, the sun had been high in the sky. Now? Now it looked as if it too wanted to hide, sinking away from sight.

Her horse steadily slowed, its whinnying and wheezing growing more constant. Each step further seemed bumpier than the next, and beneath her fingers hung a bony frame grasping for air.

Her mother had told her to always be kind.

Her horse stopped with a slight jerk, but relaxed once Ella got off. Leaning her hand up, she rubbed at its grey muzzle. Instinctively, her hand reached in her pocket for an apple that was not there.

Ella sighed. She knew it was silly to berate herself for not bringing anything, yet she could not help but wish that she had grabbed food of some sort and a few coins.

Or just food, she thought as her eyes wondered the forest. The trees had grown denser and closer together, their branches going so high that Ella was sure if she climbed one she could touch a cloud. The wood on most of the trees was more grey than brown, and the trees' roots were thick and deep, looking almost as if the earth clang to them rather than vice versa.

Ella bit her lip. She had not meant to come this far, to... To wherever this was.

The sight was the same in front of her as in the back, all tall trees for endless miles. Above her, birds cried. Shadows thickened, bits of orange sunlight, at least whatever was left of it, barely breaking through. The world of night seemed ready to appear at any moment and was simply biding its last bit of time.

A chill ran up Ella's back. The moon had yet to appear, but the night's chill had not bothered to wait.

She supposed she could turn back, but she doubted that would do much good for her. While her father had been a man of the world, going anywhere and everywhere, her world had been the manor and her town. The world was certainly not a straight line, but one of twisting curves, ones that she had followed earlier without a second thought.

Her stepmother and stepsisters may have been gone, but that did nothing to lighten the ache in Ella's chest.

The fatigue and hunger from her impulsive journey finally caught up with her and her horse. One hand went further against the horse's side, solid and dependable unlike the shaking ground below her, and another to her head. Her stomach growled as loud as any wild beast.

Her horse whinnied.

"I know," Ella replied, voice low. A chill ran up her spine and her teeth chattered; the spring warmth from earlier had vanished, almost as if it had never been there at all. "Let's just get a bit further and then we can stop and rest."

She doubted there was much up ahead. She had been traveling all day and, save for a fields, all she had seen was more forest. Nothing but trees, reaching out into forever.

Have courage, Ella reminded herself. She straightened her back and pulled her cloak up around her tighter.

Though she had no food, she at least was away from her stepmother and stepsisters. At least there was a positive in all of this. Knowing her stepfamily, they might not even know that she was gone.

Or, if they needed something done for them, then they surely had. But would it really hurt them to do something for themselves for once?

Ella and her horse moved at what seemed like a snail's pace. Her feet ached, the ground seeming to grow harder and harder the more steps that she took on it. Beneath her feet, twigs cracked.

There's no turning back now, Ella reminded herself. Nowhere to go but to move forward.

Surprisingly, her chest lightened, if only for a moment. She was never going to see her stepfamily again. After everything that had happened to her because of them, and in Ella's house no less... Oh, at least her mother had never lived to see such things.

Ella sighed. They could have the house. The house and everything in it, from the books that she read thousands of time to the hidden mouse holes only she knew of (ones that not even Lucifer could find), had belonged to her parents once. But that was long ago. Even their presence seemed to have faded, vanishing from the objects that they had once held so dear.

There was nothing left for Ella there, not any longer.

Ella picked up her pace with what little energy she had left. If she could just find a clearing...

"Hello!"

Ella froze, she and her horse stilling.

"Hello!" The voice called again, louder than before.

"Hello?" Ella called back.

The voice had come out of nowhere, seeming to travel on the wind.

Ahead of her, in the dim light, a figure raced forward waving a hand. Ella continued forward once more, her eyes squinted and hand kept on her horse.

Eventually, Ella drew close enough to see who the other figure was, a girl who looked to be near her age. She had wind swept blonde hair and bright eyes, her cheeks red from running.

"Hello!" the girl called again. "Do you need help?"

Ella looked down. "I..."

"Not many people come to these woods," the girl said, her words quick.

"I," Ella picked up again. "I have been on a rather long journey."

"You must have," the other girl replied. She held a pale hand out. "Though I must wonder what kind of journey would bring you here. The only people around here are me and my aunties." The girl smiled. "I'm Aurora."

Though her dress, worn and dirty from her long journey, hardly looked fitting on a girl such as her, she curtsied anyway. She may have still looked like a servant, but Ella would never again act like one. "My name is Ella."

"What a pretty name." The girl held her arm out. "Would you like to rest at my aunties' house? I am sure that they would not mind a guest."

Ella paused for a moment. The girl in front of her, though dressed in plain clothes and carrying a small basket of what looked to be herbs and flowers, had a grace to her. Beautiful was not even enough of an adjective to describe her.

Have courage, Ella reminded herself.

"It would truly mean so much to me." Ella replied.

Aurora giggled. "Oh, it will be nothing. My aunties won't mind at all."

Have courage, Cinderella repeated.

Yet for once she would be the one receiving kindness. Reaching out, she took the other girl's warm hand and clutched it tightly.