Episode 00: The Letter

"Ms. Elsa, please come with me."

Elsa turned towards the speaker. It was Mr. Aarons, one of the guidance counselors of Corona University. She gave him a puzzled look, but all she found in his eyes were sympathy. Elsa's mind sounded an alarm; she just finished her final exam for the semester, and was getting ready for her family's visit that evening. As far as she knew, she was not supposed to be in any trouble.

The whole walk to the Mr. Aarons' office, she tried to rack her brain for any infractions she may have unconsciously committed that could warrant a visit to the office. Was it sneakily refilling her soda cup in the cafeteria's vending machine? Was it when she took a handful of blank copy paper from the copier? Was it…oh gods…when she fell asleep during her Economics class?

Elsa was about to think of another scenario when she her thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Aarons' sudden halt. The counselor held the door open with one hand and beckoned her towards the office with the other. Nodding in thanks, Elsa quietly slipped in and took a seat.

Mr. Aarons took his seat behind his mahogany desk and rummaged through his main drawer, obviously looking for something before pulling out a thick envelope. He placed it on the desk, clasped his hands together, and heaved a sigh. Elsa looked at the beige envelope, her eyes widening slightly as she wondered if she was facing expulsion. Mr. Aarons separated his hands, slid the envelope towards her, and whispered, "I'm really, really sorry."

Elsa's thoughts of expulsion flew out the window as she noted her family's crest in white wax sealing the envelope. With shaking hands, she broke the seal and opened the letter to find a copy of her father's last will and testament. Her vision became blurry, and before she could stop her tears, fat drops began hitting the page. Elsa knew that receiving this document meant that she was acting Chief Executive Officer of Arendelle Ice Industries: effective immediately in the event of her parents' death.

"They got into an accident; they slipped on a patch of black ice on the way," Mr. Aarons began, going around and laying a hand on Elsa's shoulder. Elsa didn't say anything; the tears stopped but she still couldn't bring herself to look up. Somehow, she felt deep down that it was her fault that this happened because the family was on their way to see her.

"I…see." She quietly responded, hands still fiddling with the thick document, still lost in thought. Suddenly, she jerked her head up ." What about Anna? My sister? She was supposed to be arriving today with my parents." A cold dread settled into the pit of her stomach as she feared the worst. Mr. Aarons stroked his beard, trying to recall whatever information he may have heard.

"Anna…oh! I heard she got some bruises and scratches; she was spared thank goodness," the counselor nodded. "She was sent to Arendelle's hospital to recuperate after the…"

Before he could finish, Elsa was out the door and all Mr. Aarons heard was a faint "Thank you!"

Elsa quickly made her way back to her apartment. Upon reaching her home, Elsa finished packing her belongings, threw them into the trunk of her car, and sped off towards home. She was going home tonight, Anna was not going to spend the holidays alone, damn it.

With every mile behind her slowly dissolving the distance between Corona to Arendelle, Elsa reflected back to a home she barely knew. She'd been away from Arendelle for a good 10 years. At 8 years old, her parents sent her overseas to a private boarding school in Corona against her wishes. Elsa remembered how they feared her innate ice powers would further harm her sister Anna, after she accidentally injured her younger sibling during a snowball fight. It was only then that she consented to go out of fear of further harming Anna.

During vacations or term breaks, only her parents would visit. The couple still had their reservations about bringing Anna with them, despite both siblings' protests.

When her parents came over during the recent spring break and Elsa demonstrated mastery over her powers, it was only then that they agreed to spend the holidays with Elsa. But then the accident happened, and now Elsa knew that they could never spend any holiday as a complete family again.

"It was my own selfish insistence that caused this," Elsa noted sadly, "and now Anna's affected by the consequences of this as well." She would be there for her, no matter what it takes. Brushing away her tears with one hand, she resolved that Anna would never feel the loneliness she had, and that she would make it up to her for bringing this tragedy upon them.

It was nearing midnight when Elsa reached the hospital. She quickly disembarked and ran towards the front desk, quite out of breath as she fumbled for her purse containing her driver's license. "Listen, uh, what room is Anna? She's my sister, you know, victim of the car accident off route 87…" Elsa stammered as she pushed her driver's license towards the clerk for inspection.

The clerk briefly glanced at the card, and as she passed it back to the frazzled blonde, she responded, "Most patients from the emergency room are sent to the third floor—go ask the people over there. They can give you more accurate information about your sister."

Elsa nodded in thanks and headed towards the elevators. Getting off on the third floor, Elsa repeated her inquiry at the nurses' station and was given directions to Room 353. Elsa paused briefly before opening the door, hand lingering on the knob, feelings of anxiety and concern suddenly replaced with nervousness and doubt. It's been 10 years, after all, Elsa mused, and she might not even remember me. She might see me as a stranger, or worse, the big sister who abandoned her.

Elsa shook her head to clear those unwanted thoughts. No, that's not right. I shouldn't be so self-centered when my younger sister needs me most right now. Finishing her inner monologue, Elsa turned the knob and stepped in.

The room was quite dark, with the overhead light dimmed to facilitate sleeping for its sole resident. Elsa quietly pulled up a chair beside Anna's bed. The younger girl seemed alright, save for a few bruises, bandages and an IV line. Elsa watched the redhead's chest rise and fall with her serene breathing. Elsa smiled as she saw how much Anna grew during her absence, and she slowly reached out and stroked Anna's cheek. To her surprise, she found it slightly damp.

Teal eyes fluttered and met bright blue, and Anna blinked a few times to orient herself. When she was focused enough to recognize her midnight visitor, she broke out in a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

"Oh, hey big sister," the strawberry blonde grinned, "welcome home!"

Author's Notes: Hey everyone, MidnightStriker here. It's been over three years since I actually wrote fanfiction, so please forgive me as I may have gotten a bit rusty. Anyway, congratulations on making through the end of this (slightly boring) prologue! I hope it caught your attention enough to stick with me!

Thanks for reading!

-MidnightStriker