Anna bursts into song on her way to find Elsa, Disney-style

A/N: Happy New Year, everybody! I was planning to update earlier, but I ran into some technical issues. Regardless, I did promise something new and different from my usual chapter standards in the last author note, so here it is: my very first chapter with a Disney-style song interwoven into the chapter I made myself. And more than that, after developing the lyrics to my satisfaction, I was able to eventually get the lyrics sung and the melody produced by using an AI music service I have been experimenting on for a while.

It took several refinements, but I finally have a version I am pleased with sharing. And I already have more future songs developed, waiting for their chapters to shine. So, with that in mind, here is the second half of the announcement: I am not posting it on YouTube anytime soon for several technical reasons I have yet to solve, but for those interested in rereading the musical section of the chapter with the background music, just leave a comment expressing something you have enjoyed about this chapter in particular or this story branch in general while saying you want to listen to the song I developed. Then, I will send you the MP3 file turned into a link via Chyoa messaging for your personal enjoyment.

Hopefully I will be able to overcome the technical issues I mentioned soon enough but until then, this is the quickest option I have that would not require me to delay the otherwise already finished chapter from getting posted for longer than necessary.

Regardless, I hope you enjoy this kind of unprecedented chapter of mine and if so, please let me know.

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Arendelle Castle: The Great Hallway – En Route to the Royal Sauna

Anna sprinted through the castle halls, her slippers skidding slightly on the smooth marble floors. Her heart hammered wildly against her ribs, as though it might burst free and lead the way itself.

“Please let her still be there. Please don’t shut me out again.”

The thought beat in her head like a frantic drum as she turned corner after corner, barely acknowledging the startled glances from a passing servant or two. There was no time. Anna knew that Elsa’s routine—the rigid schedule she kept with the regency council—would begin soon, and if Elsa disappeared behind that emotional wall of hers again, who knew when Anna would get another chance?

And so it was that in that moment of concern, with the halls feeling more than a little empty as Anna’s footsteps echoed faintly with the stone floor, the newly divine princess started processing her recent epiphany in a way she had perfected in her last 13 years of solitude: with singing. So, after one last sigh to gather her thoughts, she opened her mouth again and let it all out, her voice soft but full of emotion.

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[Verse 1]

I see it now, the truth so clear,

The love you gave through silent years.

The snow, the games, the laughter bright,

The day you hid your gift from sight.

(She pauses, voice softer.)

You held it all, you took the pain,

To keep me safe, you stayed away.

________________________________________

[Pre-Chorus]

Locked doors, cold halls, I didn’t see,

The weight you bore alone for me.

But now I know, I see the cost—

It wasn’t you who left me lost.

________________________________________

[Chorus]

Because you loved me, you pulled away,

You feared your magic might betray.

But I see now, your heart is pure,

You’re not the storm; you’re my cure.

Because you loved me, I understand,

I’ll take your fears and hold your hand.

No silence now, no walls between,

I’m here, my sister, my queen.

________________________________________

[Verse 2]

I saw the tears, the nights alone,

The dreams you buried on your own.

The gift you feared, the love you gave,

I’ll break the walls you tried to save.

(Her steps quicken as the music builds slightly.)

You’re not alone; I’ll fight for you.

We’ll find a way, just us two.

________________________________________

[Chorus]

Because you loved me, you pulled away,

You feared your magic might betray.

But I see now, your heart is pure,

You’re not the storm; you’re my cure.

Because you loved me, I understand,

I’ll take your fears and hold your hand.

No silence now, no walls between,

I’m here, my sister, my queen.

________________________________________

[Final Verse]

(The music softens, intimate and delicate.)

The snow, the ice, the laughter bright—

They’re yours to own, not yours to fight.

I’ll hold you close, I’ll help you see,

Your magic’s part of you—and me.

(slower)

Because you loved me…let me love you too.

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Anna took a deep breath as she finished, noticing that the area of the cold baths within the Royal Sauna complex was just ahead, the faint chill in the air growing stronger with each hurried step. Anna pushed through the heavy wooden door without ceremony, her breath catching as the cold mist greeted her face.

And there, in the center of the room, Elsa sat submerged in the still waters of the frigid bath.

The sight of her sister, quiet and still as the water gently lapped against her pale skin, made Anna pause. It was such a stark contrast to the sauna’s heat from earlier. Of course, Anna thought faintly, as if another puzzle piece had clicked into place. The cold. She’s always been drawn to the cold.

It felt so obvious now.

Elsa’s back was to her, her slender frame partially hidden by the steam rising from where her body met the chilled water. She looked…small. Isolated. Alone.

Anna swallowed hard and took a step forward. The faint splash of her slipper against the water’s edge broke the stillness.

Elsa tensed. Her head turned slightly, just enough for Anna to see the flash of pale skin, damp strands of platinum blonde hair plastered against her neck.

“Anna?” Elsa’s voice was soft, but there was a sharp edge of surprise to it. Her shoulders stiffened instinctively, and her posture immediately guarded.

Anna hesitated only for a moment before blurting out, “I remember everything now.”

Her voice cracked on the last word, and when Elsa turned fully to face her, Anna saw it—the guarded confusion in her sister’s crystal-blue eyes.

“What…?” Elsa whispered, her brow furrowing.

Anna stepped closer, her hands clenched tightly at her sides as tears pricked at her eyes.

“I remember, Elsa,” she said, her voice trembling. “The magic. Your powers. The snow and ice. That night, when we were little…and the trolls—”

Elsa’s expression changed instantly, as though Anna had pulled the air from her lungs. Her pale face went whiter still, her lips parting slightly as her eyes widened.

“You…” she breathed. “You know?”

“Yes,” Anna said firmly, nodding through her tears. “I know.”

“No…”

The word slipped out of Elsa’s mouth, so faint it was almost lost beneath the sound of the water. She shook her head slowly, her breathing already beginning to quicken.

“No, no, no—Anna, you can’t know.”

Anna’s heart twisted at the sheer panic on her sister’s face and the way her blue eyes darted around the room as if searching for an escape.

“Elsa, it’s alright!” Anna said quickly, stepping closer. “It’s okay. I’m here now. I know why you shut me out. You were just trying to protect me, and I’m so, so sorry I didn’t try harder to—”

“Stay back!”

The words came out sharp, slicing through Anna’s reassurances like shards of ice. Elsa’s hands shot up instinctively, trembling slightly as the air around her seemed to shift. A deep, cold chill spread through the room, and Anna gasped as she saw the bathwater shudder.

Before she could process what was happening, the water froze...solid.

The transformation was instant. The once-rippling bath turned into jagged ice, locking Elsa bare form in place. The sharp crackling sound of freezing water echoed ominously through the chamber as frost spread outward from Elsa’s body, crawling up the walls and across the floor in glittering veins.

Anna’s breath caught as her legs were suddenly trapped—ice spreading from her feet, snaking up to her thighs. She shivered, both from the physical cold and the stunned realization of what Elsa had done.

“Elsa?” she gasped, her voice wavering.

Elsa’s eyes were wide with panic as she realized what had happened. “No! No, no, no—I didn’t mean to...”

Her hands flew to her mouth, her gaze darting to Anna, whose neck barely hovered above the frozen surface of the bathwater.

“Stay away, Anna!” Elsa shouted, her voice cracking as she squeezed her eyes shut. “I—I can’t control it! You’ll get hurt! I can’t… I can’t let that happen again!”

Anna’s heart ached at the fear in Elsa’s voice.

“It’s okay,” Anna said softly, her voice calm despite her shivers. “Elsa, it’s okay. I’m here. I’m fine. You don’t have to protect me anymore.”

“Please…” Elsa choked out, her hands shaking. “Please, Anna, just…stay back!”

Anna could see it—the spiral happening before her eyes. Elsa’s panic, her fear of losing control—it was swallowing her whole.

“She’s breaking,” Anna thought, her chest tightening painfully. “She’s so scared...she’s been scared for so long.”

Anna closed her eyes tightly.

“I wish,” she thought desperately and quickly, her heart hammering in her chest, “that Elsa’s heart would find peace so that she can finally control her powers.”

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A/N: Well, that's it for now, but I hope you enjoyed it. Like I said in the upper author notes, feel free to review if you want me to send you the link of the full song version. Either way, what do you think will happen next due to Anna's sudden, barely thought out wish? Or, what would you like to see happen as a result? As always, please let me know, and until next time, happy reading to you all.

P.S. As of last chapter, I finally made it past more than 200 direct followers on Chyoa, so, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for the continued support. Very much appreciated.