It was the sea that told her.

For weeks the ocean looked like a cold, rotting soup. Not a roiling storm of anger, but an inert, lifeless lapping against the shore. No wind, no swells, no waves. It became impossible to sail a ship without rowers.

Ariel was human, but she still had a kinship with the sea. When she placed her foot in the water, the sparkle of life's flux seeped into her skin, filling her with that sense of nostalgia. Her blood danced. It was the same euphoria of singing at a concert or swimming from a shark or finding a new human treasure. The sea gave her life, and opened its arms whenever she returned.

But not this time.

There was no joy when she put her foot in. No blessing. Even if the sea was cold, it was never absent of the vital warmth. Something had happened. Something big. Something sad. And that was when she knew.

The full story she gathered over time, asking the few oysters or panfish that floated close to shore. It happened suddenly. Without pain, but without warning. Some said it was meant to be--he had done everything he was meant to in this life. The kingdom was at peace. His last daughter had grown up and married. He started falling asleep on his throne, staying in bed longer. He still recognized everyone. Still smiled at his girls when they came to his bedside.

And one day he just... faded away.

But Ariel couldn't come back for the interment. There was simply no way for her to return to the sea. Once she had seen a human in a metal fish sink to the edge of Atlantica, but she never found anything like that on the surface. Nothing that could let a human revisit her birthplace.

Eric would have helped her, if she'd told him. But they'd been fighting about... well, lots of different things since the honeymoon ended. Living up to being a ruler. Bearing an heir. Shirking responsibilities.

So, one day, she woke at sunrise and spent the day watching the ocean, making a wreath of flowers. At sunset, she threw the wreath on the water and wept as night fell.

Eventually, the sea brightened and the winds returned. Because the Earth keeps spinning, clocks keep ticking, and trees keep growing, no matter who left or arrived.

The royal graveyard lay at the edge of the palace's land. She had explored it a great deal when she was four years old, and thus, hadn't explored it since. And like always, devoid of anything except floating jellyfish.

Moss and coral covered the oldest tombstones, rendering them unto a reef reaching all the way back to a canyon wall. The first grave, Oannes, had grown into the rockface of a cliff. A fitting fate for the first king of the seas.

The freshest graves were the nearest, each a testament to their resident. She passed by Neried, the most recent queen. Seeing her great-grandfather Neptune's tombstone reminded her of the time her father tried to teach her the sea calliope. Of course, she had no talent for it, and sloughed her lessons so she could tinker with the Stringamajigger she'd found, which she now knew was a harp.

Ariel smiled to herself. So many adventures she'd had. She still had adventures, now that she was human. But they were more about self-discovery. Learning that shoes were not "foot bags" and snow could burn your skin. But these were all things everyone else knew. People at the castle gave her a sense that, after a year, her stumbles were no longer cute.

Then she reached the final grave. She ran her fingers along the name, embossed in brass lettering. A bas-relief of his torso stood above, holding the trident across his muscular chest and wisping beard. He looked regal, majestic, except for his eyes. Below the white, bushy eyebrows and wrinkles, there had always been tremendous weight on his soul. All that was gone now at least.

Below the bust was the royal prayer he delivered at his coronation, before any of her sisters were born. Each king or queen had their own--an oath of the ideology with which they intended to rule.

"To protect Atlantica from all enemies. Let us keep harmony and affection and reject the wicked and malicious. Bear every burden, support every friend. Unite every world in one heart," she read.

It wasn't a perfect era. Atlantica had its problems: the ten year moratorium on music, war with the octopans and sharkanians, the death of the her mother at an early age, constant xenophobia of the surface world. But at the end, it all worked out.

"No more problems, Daddy," Ariel whispered to the grave.

It felt good to grieve, but she couldn't do it forever. The obligation to stay human gnawed at her. Everyone had sacrificed so much to bring her to this point, every moment as a mermaid felt wrong. To change back, she would need the power of the trident. She needed the power of a god.

The ruler of the sea was the only one who could properly wield the trident. And the heiress presumptive was Aquata, her oldest sister. She was good-hearted, but a little aggressive. She could make a good ruler.

In fact, each of her sisters would make a good ruler. They all fell into the role. All except herself, who'd rather be searching a dank cave than doing anything princess-y.

In the dark blue, the palace was a glowing, golden beacon. The human world had nothing like it. They made their castles small and stout, covered in walls and towers to keep people away. You couldn't do that in the sea. Maybe that's why Atlantica was so full of diversity and harmony.

She scurried along a jagged trench, hoping not to be seen by any passing fishfolk. News of her reappearance would only cause delays.

In the distance, near the outer grounds, was a curious sign that wasn't there before. The writing wasn't the greatest, so she had to squint and read slowly.

"If you are being chased by a giant crab, head towards the red dot."

Ariel looked around. Way in the distance, there was a signpost with a red dot in the middle of some spires. But a giant crab? How ridiculous. Why would there be a giant crab so close to the castle? The only way-

The trench wall below her burst open. A giant claw sliced through the cloud of silt and rocks.

Ariel dodged back. The claw latched onto the end of her tail. Its gnarled grips held her fluke so hard it could tear. She beat against the crab's carapace.

The claw held her up to its eyes--one coal-black, the other a bad opalescent orb on its eyestalk. Hanging like a fish in market, she banged against the pincer thumb. It loosened just enough to free her tail as the second claw came swooping down. She darted out of the way and floated up.

The crab was the size of a cottage. A crosswise crack in its top shell exposed the pulsating alabaster skin underneath. Ariel took the chance to catch her breath. At least crabs couldn't jump-

The giant beast hunkered down, then burst out of the trench. Sharp pincers jabbed at her like darts in a wind. She weaved in and out but her muscles were tired--she had been out of the sea for so long.

Red dot! Red dot!

As fast as she could, she swam to the red dot. The crab leaped after her. With its buoyancy, it could jump from sand patch to sand patch. Ariel looked back once. Its spotted claw ripped a seam of bubbles behind her.

The red dot was in front of an rope and metal framework, with links big enough to fit through. She swam through the fence and up to the red dot in the middle.

"Now what?" She looked around.

"Head towards the blue dot!" someone called out.

Blue dot, blue dot. Where was the blue dot? She searched all around. Fences to the sides. In the back. On top. This whole thing was a cage.

The crab crashed against fence. Clanging metal reverberated in her ears. It bashed against the cage, trying to get through, but unable to. She relaxed-

The bottom of the fence bowed forward as the crab pushed. It rose like a drawbridge, letting the crab slip under. The gate slammed shut behind it.

Ariel backed away. Where was that blue dot?

The crab lunged for her, its mandibles rotated like a corkscrew. She rushed to the other side of the cage as its claw raked behind her.

"Over here! This way!"

Where was that voice? Ariel saw it. The blue dot. Against a cliff wall.

Except the crab had her backed against the fence. A claw stabbed into her path whenever she tried to escape. She couldn't go through the legs, they were moving too fast. One wrong step would spear her like a shrimp.

She grabbed a rock from the sea floor and lobbed it into the air. Please land right, please land right, please land right.

The giant claw seized her pause as its opportunity. Its claw lanced forward, piercing the fence and trapping her between the pincers. The moment it closed its grip, she'd be scissored in two.

The rock landed on the crab's back. It reared up and burbled with pain. Ariel took the chance and slipped through the fence, rushing to the blue dot.

The crab slammed its claws against the cage, searching for where it came in. But the doors only swung one way, keeping it trapped.

"Yyyy-ess!" called out a voice, hiding behind a rock. A pudgy yellow and blue fish wearing silver shoulder pads jumped out, pumping its fin. "Are you all ri-... Ariel?"

"Flounder?" It couldn't be. Not Flounder. Flounder was a scaredy-catfish. Why was he wearing a royal uniform?

"I... I can't believe it. Ariel!" He launched forward and hugged her. They tumbled end over end. "I haven't seen you since you turned human. What are you doing here?"

"I... it's a long story. What about you? Did you build this?" She gestured to the angry crab, slashing at its bonds.

"Yep. That guy's been terrorizing the outer palace for a while now. He's got a nasty temper. We call him Mr. Pinchy."

"We?"

He puffed out his yellow, scaly chest, showing the silver sash across his chest. "Official warden of the royal defense force. Charged with outer grounds security."

"I can't believe it." Ariel's jaw dropped. "You're a palace guard?"

"Can't call me a guppy anymore, eh?"

"Never again," she grinned. "Never in a million years. This is what you do now? Chasing giant crabs? Building giant cages for them? The Flounder I knew would turn eight shades of yellow at that."

Flounder shrugged. "When you left, I had to find some way to... well, I guess without any adventures, I had to grow up and make my own." He grinned sheepishly. "I got the idea from a human thing we found. Remember? I got stuck inside and you freed me?"

Ariel nodded. "Scuttle said it was a fazzamagorff, that humans used it for a sport called blonskerball."

"You tried to get the ball inside, but no one could get the ball out, so they threw the net away after each game." Flounder chuckled.

She offered her arm to Flounder. "Well, would the palace's finest guard be willing to escort the youngest princess into the palace?"

"Of course, my lady. These are dangerous waters. I hear there's giant crabs about."

Ariel giggled. "I hope there are brave fish about who know how to take care of them."

"Nope, no one here but us guppies."

They swam by the crab. It snapped a claw at them, bouncing against the cage. Ariel and Flounder jumped. Then looked at each other and laughed. They stuck their tongues out at it and continued on.

"You know, technically, you're not a princess anymore. You're a queen."

"Not just yet," Ariel said. "He's still a prince until his mother and father relinquish the crown. They rule from the mainland. Eric's castle is like their summer home. He lives there since he loves the ocean so much-"

"No, I mean here," Flounder said. "Even though Attina is the eldest, but she never had a coronation. She kept putting it off. There was almost going to be a second Sargasso War, but Alana jumped in and signed a big treaty. Then Dudley found an old law that whoever held the king's crown at his passing was the next ruler. And that was Adella. Meanwhile, Andrina has been holding the most court time. But Aquata and Arista have been traveling to other kingdoms, handling foreign affairs."

"So basically, they're all queen at the same time."

Flounder nodded. "Too much time passed. So all six of them were trying to claim it and there was a huge fight. Sebastian came in and told them all to stop."

"Sebastian's still around? I thought he retired by now."

Flounder sighed. "The king's death hit him pretty hard. He spends most of his time sleeping on the throne."

"The throne?"

"The girls don't use it. The girls spend all their time in the meeting chambers, arguing with each other. I think he feels responsible for them. He has to stick around and make sure they don't kill each other. It's... not been the most successful reign."

"Really? I always thought I was the black fish in the school. They always got along great, and I was the one who made father mad."

"It's been constant bickering for the past six months--what ministers to appoint, what laws to sign. It always seems they're split down the middle--three against three." They arrived at the top of the steps to the palace. "Maybe you could help break the stand-offs."

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Ariel chewed her lower lip. "You know what? I think I'd like to talk to them on my own. I mean, it's been a year."

"Sure, sure," Flounder nodded. "I bet it'll be a touching reunion. You'll be all 'hey' and they'll be like 'waaah!' and then everyone will be all 'yay!'."

Ariel held her mouth as she laughed. Same old Flounder.

He waved a fin. "Let me know how it goes. I've got to check on Mr. Pinchy. See you later."

Ariel kept waving until Flounder was out of sight. Instead of entering the palace, she swam up and around the many spires, sneaking through the pores of the towers. Everyone in the castle was asleep.

At least, she thought so. Until, close to the throne room, a burst of shrill noise emitted from the meeting chambers.

"You can't expect all the oysters to get up and move like that!"

"We don't have a choice. How do you expect the caravans to get through the gulch?"

The first voice was Attina. The second, Aquata.

Unable to resist, she ascended to the ceiling and peeked through a hole. Down there were her sisters, sitting around a semi-circle table. Arista's head lay on the table, her pink tiara over her eyes. Adella was doodling something. Alana stood next to an easel of seaweed parchment. Aquata and Attina pointed at each other while Andrina tried to call their attention to a scroll in her hand.

"Why do we need all those shipments of octopus ink anyway? It's expensive," Attina said.

"How else are we going to write up all these laws!" Aquata said. "Sawfish-head here keeps creating new ones."

"I am not a sawfish-head," Andrina said.

"Ahem..." Alana tapped her pointer on the easel. "We still haven't talked about the Memorial Garden. If we put it closer to the Grand Tetras, we can put in an extra row of sea daisies."

"I thought we already made a decision on this," Aquata said. "Adella, what do the notes say?"

"I don't know," Adella said sleepily. "Arista's supposed to be the pen pusher this time."

"Then what are you writing?" Andrina looked over her shoulder. "Is that a list of boys coming to the ball?"

Adella covered her page. "Maybe. Shut up. Bug Arista. She's the one sleeping."

"Arista, wake up," Attina yelled.

Arista perked her head.

"Stop napping. You're supposed to be taking notes," Attina said.

"I can't help it," Arista yawned. "These meetings are ruining my beauty sleep. I'm going to look terrible for the Mermaid's Ball."

"Remember when we could solve everything by having a party?" Adella said.

Ariel shrank back. Yes, she remembered those times. Now Attina had bags under her eyes, Arista's fingers clenched like a sea spider. Ruling the sea had taken a heavy toll on their youth.

This was not the time to make her presence known, even if she'd wanted to. If they knew she was returning, they'd pull her into their problems. She was only here to turn herself back to a human. The trident wasn't with them, so she left the window.

The throne room's walls were dark and grimy. The chair had begun to grow barnacles and they hadn't remodeled the room to fit the new regime. Six sisters couldn't sit in the throne at once, and so it became underused.

The trident sat in its holder--a golden metal flower--behind the throne. It also looked neglected. The sea kingdom was at peace, so no one needed to take it out. It wouldn't be like her sisters to declare war on anyone. Nevertheless, it still maintained a guard complement of one--an old friend.

"Sebastian..." Ariel whispered. Then she hummed a tune Chef Louie always sang. "Les poissons, les poissons..."

His yellows eyes bulged. He jumped up, shrieking. "Aieeeee! What are you-? How could you-?"

Ariel giggled. "It's just me, Sebastian."

Sebastian blinked. "Am I seeing tings... Ah-ree-el? Is dat you, child?"

She smiled. "It's me. You're not dreaming."

"I never taut you'd come back. Not after..." he looked away.

"Do you always sleep on Daddy's throne?"

"Well, since your father is passing, it just... reminds me of him."

"I understand," Ariel said.

"And he never told me how comfortable it is. Mmm, like a sea sponge on a bed of sand."

Ariel laughed. "Well, he did have to sit in it a lot." This felt like old times. Sneaking around the palace, talking to Sebastian, escaping danger with Flounder.

"What are you doing here?" He gasped. "We got to have a celebration."

"Shh, no, no. I'm not... I'm not here for long. Somehow I turned back into a mermaid. I don't know who or what did it or how. But I need the trident to change back. I figured if it turned me human once, it could..."

Sebastian followed Ariel's gaze to the holstered weapon. "But only de true ruler of the sea can use its full power."

A few times in her past, she'd... ahem... acquired the trident to defend herself or the palace against some nasty thieves or octopuses. She'd never been able to get it to do anything but shoot energy bolts.

"I know. But if the daughters of Triton are the rightful rulers of the sea, I could use it now, right?"

Only members of the royal bloodline could take it out of its pedestal. Ariel reached and took out the trident with ease. It hummed with an ethereal metallic sound.

Sebastian sighed. "I don't know child. De king told me it took a lot of self-control using de ting."

She held out the trident, brandishing it like a long sword. What did she have to do, just wish? Will it to happen and it would?

Ariel turned the weapon so the three tines pointed at her. She looked like she was about to stab herself. Just as she was about to try, she remembered she was deep underwater. She remembered transforming in Urusla's lair, flailing her arms, struggling to breathe and only taking in horrible deadly water.

"I'm going to take this to the surface... just in case something goes wrong."

Sebastian chuckled like an old crab. "At least you're finally learning from your mistakes."

"See? I did pay attention in school."

"School wasn't de problem. I was always finding you in school. It just was nevah your school!"

"If everything works, I'll return the trident as soon as I reach shore. Tell my sisters what I did and I'll send a message where I dropped it." She bent down and kissed him. "I promise, you'll see me again. Once I get this all straightened out, I'll drop you a line. Er, I mean..."

"Hah, you have been around humans too long," Sebastian barked. "Go on, child. Go back to your prince. I'll keep de throne warm for you." He yawned and settled back into the chair.

Ariel rolled and rose past of the castle. She halted at the ocean's ceiling, short of breaching it.

After a deep breath, she gripped the trident with two hands and concentrated on turning herself human. Nothing happened at first. Then it began making its signature thrumming sound. The golden glow brightened.

Lightning shot out of the central spire. The staff flashed, bolts of electricity shooting left and right. It vibrated in her hands.

"Wha... what's going on?" She tried to let go, but her fingers stuck fast, no matter how she writhed.

The water around her roiled, churning up and down as if stirred by a great spoon. Cerulean colorant darkened to a sickly gray. Streaks of lightning whorled out like crossbow bolts.

Ariel struggled to the surface as waves tossed her about.

Above was no better. Whirlpools formed under swelling tides, cresting in frothy white foam. The sea had become a seething vortex of destruction.

What was happening? Why couldn't she control it? If she couldn't stop it, it might spread across the whole ocean.

----------------------------------------

The K.N.M. Freya cast a long shadow over the dock, encapsulating Elsa and Anna.

"That's a big ship," Anna commented.

Captain Hemming leaned over the edge of the ship. He was middle-aged, but still kept a tone frame.

"Ahoy, my queen." He shivered. "Bit nippy out today, isn't it?"

"You could say that," Elsa called up to him.

"We're ready to sail when you are."

The first mate shoved a loading platform over the side. It landed with a thunk, scattering ice chips.

Elsa took a deep breath. She turned to Anna. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise. Remember, you're in charge until I get back, so try to be a role model. That means not stuffing chocolate in your face."

Instead of laughing, Anna looked away, despondent. She leapt forward and embraced her sister. "Please, please be all right."

"Everything will be fine. I sent word for Kristoff to return. He'll be back in a day or so."

"I know. It's just... ergh, everything is so floopy. Just... be careful."

"I will," Elsa nodded solemnly. "Come on, Olaf."

"Elsa, someone crushed this tree flat. We need to take it home and help it," Olaf said.

"It's not a tree, Olaf. It's how we get on board."

"Ohhh, okay." He stepped onto one of the wooden nubs. "Okay, I'm on the board. Now what?"

Elsa rubbed her nose. "Just... wait for me."

"Elsa..." Anna said. "One more thing before you go. I'm sorry, I have to ask. You aren't leaving to... avoid dealing with the people?"

"What? No. Of course not. I'm leaving to find a solution for our problem. It's just good luck that Corona happens to be our allies."

"Okay, good. I didn't think you were trying to run away."

"Run away? What do you mean? I've never run away."

"Well, right. I mean, except last year. At coronation."

"That was different. That was..." She turned away. "I have to go."

Olaf and Elsa climbed up onto the ship's deck.

"Welcome onboard Her Arendelle Majesty's Ship Freya. We'll take off as soon as you give the word," Hemming said.

"The word is given, captain," she said. "How long will it take us to get to Corona?"

"The Freya is the fastest schooner in Arendelle's fleet. We'll get to Corona in a day if the weather's good."

The captain signaled to his crew on the forecastle, who set to work throwing ropes and turning gears. Olaf walked past them, oblivious of the action. "Wow, this is bigger than I thought."

"This is the magic snowman? Your... creation?" Hemming asked.

Elsa nodded. "Is it okay?"

"Oh, yes, of course," he stammered. "Just that... well, I was expecting something... er, is he always like that?" the captain said.

Olaf approached the main mast and wrapped his twig arms around it. "Hi, Freya. My name is Olaf and I like warm hugs."

"Most of the time. You get used to it," Elsa said.

As the ship left port, the queen and her companion waved politely to those on the dock. Elsa blew Anna a kiss before she could see her no longer.

Her kingdom faded into fog. A wispy mass of clouds swirled over the city. It didn't look to be following her, just like she had suspected.

"But if it's not me, then who is it?" she whispered to herself.

Elsa headed to the bow to watch the sun set and to get out from under the sailors' heels. She leaned forward, bracing her arms on the cabers where the bow came together. Wind pelted her face.

The sea felt like a different world. One where nothing stayed still and pleasant. It was constant change, constant motion. Here one moment and gone the next.

Maybe this was a bad idea. Could Anna even handle running the kingdom for a few days? She never took to schooling as well. Elsa threw herself into her studies because that was a way to control her power. Her parents let her get away with less education in the ways of queendom because they pitied her. She had to remain in seclusion through no fault of her own. They probably expected--and quite correctly--that she wouldn't need to take the throne.

And what did Anna mean--trying to run away? She never tried to get around her responsibilities. Leaving to find help was an unfortunate consequence. Her people loved her now. She was "the snow queen"

The people could hardly be blamed for being suspicious. But when she tried to explain that the evidence was circumstantial, they jumped back to distrust.

Why did this keep happening? The ice skating parties, the open gates. Didn't they understand she wasn't a monster anymore? What if they were standing at the docks with torches and pitchforks on her return? She'd never be able to come home again. This might be the last time-

The wood under her hands crackled. A film of frost spread outward. She yanked her hands away.

"No, no, control it. Control it."

She remembered Anna, Kristoff, Anna and Kristoff together. Sledding and royal feasts and traveling minstrels and all the new people they had met. New people that made her self-conscious and awkward-

No, don't think about that!

"Hi, Elsa. Whatcha doin'?" Olaf said.

Elsa unclenched her eyes. The little snowman looked up with doe eyes.

"Olaf? Am I a good queen?"

"Of course! Wait, why? Is your crown not fitting anymore?"

Elsa touched her tiara. "No, the crown's fine. I'm just not sure people want me to wear it. Since I was coronated, there's been nothing but trouble. Always fixing past mistakes, and there's these new ones. What if it's me? What if I'm not a good queen? Or even, what if I'm not a good person?"

Olaf gasped. "Of course you're a good person. Anna loves you so much it thawed her frozen heart."

"Anna thinks I'm running away from the troubles."

"Oh... like you did on coronation day."

"Right. But that was because people thought I was a witch."

"And when you ran into the castle when they were chanting 'take it back'."

"I... That was different. They jumped on me. If they would just wait until I'm ready..."

"And when you didn't answer Anna's question at the dock a few minutes ago."

"It's not my fault. It's only been a year since we opened the gates. I'm still getting used to everything. It's like being a new me. Why can't they understand that?"

"Ye didn't stay to make 'em understand," said a third voice.

A sailor sat on a barrel further down deck, cutting up an orange with his utility knife. He offered a wedge to her.

Elsa shook her head. "What do you mean?"

He swallowed his orange. "You don't do well with eyes staring at you, do ye? Surprises. The unexpected. Not your fancy."

"No. But it doesn't matter. The people will get their answers as soon as I find them. It doesn't mean they have to act like a mob."

"An' how about your sister, the princess? I saw how ye reacted on her. Bit of a shut-'er-out ye gave."

Elsa scowled. "That's not your concern. Maybe I acted a little like I used to, but I was under stress. I'm still getting used to being queen. She needs to understand that. Everyone does. Everyone needs to wait while..."

"How long you expect them to wait?" the sailor said. "Because they don't wait around forever. Can't spend a lifetime expecting someone to shape up. Take me." He swallowed his orange. "First thing I did on shore was shack up in a tavern. M'wife didn't understand. She hated that I didn't come to her first. Waited for me to figure it out. I didn't. She left and found another man who didn't need a drink by the fire and a few friends."

"I think she was right. You couldn't give her what she wanted."

"Didna say she was wrong." He gestured with his knife. "I'm saying people only got so much patience for flaws. They only got one lifetime. Can't spend it cooing over some bad piece of meat. If they can't find it, they'll find something to replace it."

Elsa looked away. She almost destroyed the kingdom to escape her isolation. Even after the castle gates were open, people still gathered at them calling for her head.

And Anna... she had made her sister wait ten years before opening up to her. And when times got tough, she lapsed. She had a decade to make up for and Elsa still had trouble tearing herself away from work. Arendelle could replace their queen, but what if Anna wanted to replace her sister? Would Anna stay if things slipped back to the way they were?

The sailor's eyes widened. He stood from his barrel and looked into the horizon. In the distance, dark gray clouds were sweeping towards them, made more ominous by the absence of sun. Like the black wool of a sheep, the clouds roiled toward them, spreading in all directions.

"Ooh, what is that?" Olaf said, struggling to see over the edge of the boat.

"Storm coming," the sailor said, his mouth full.

"They usually come up this fast?" Elsa asked.

"No..." he trailed off. "This ain't no natural storm."

The ship's deck tossed up and down more violently than when they started. Streaking bolts of lightning of yellow fired from every which way, as if the sky was raging.

"Ohhhh!" Olaf said. "The stars are exploding with joy!"

The captain called from the man deck. "Man the rigging. Batten down the hatches. All hands! To your stations!"

Elsa stayed at the bow, out of the way of the yelping sailors, creaking wood, and growling thunder.

Then the rain came. Tiny needle-sharp pellets stung her skin like tiny darts. The wind added to the blast, forcing her to turn away. Olaf slid back and forth, waving his stick arms in the air.

Sailors rushed around the deck, tossing ropes and tools to each other. Others swarmed to the mast as the ship rolled like a baby cradle. Heavy gales tossed the men swinging on ropes like wind chimes.

One of the sailors heaved a shoulderful of rope across the deck, knocking into Olaf. His head bounced across the deck.

"Whoa, here I go." Olaf's head spun along the deck, caroming off the kicking legs. "Look out! Here I come! Watch your feet!"

Elsa chased after him, weaving between the passing workmen. Wind and rain pushed against her. A rough hand grabbed her shoulder.

"Queen Elsa! Best you get down below!" Captain Hemming shouted over the wind.

"I will," she shouted. The wind carried her words out to sea before they left her lips. Another midshipman pulled the captain toward him.

"The ship can't take this! We weren't ready!"

Elsa took the opportunity and grabbed Olaf's head.

Olaf said, "You know, this is my first time on a boat, but I'm having mixed feelings about it."

Elsa ran across deck to Olaf's body and put his head back on. A sound like the rending of earth rose muted every gust of wind and shout. The erratic sailors ominously paused. Elsa didn't see what they were looking at.

"Watch out! The main mast! The main mast!"

Sailors scattered at the tremendous creaking, trying to avoid or repair the damage. The giant tower careened like a giant chopping arm and smashed into the deck.

Elsa snapped back from her gaze of horror, and ran to the front of the ship. Shards of wood joined the rain stabbing her face. All she could think was that her parents died while sailing into a storm.

Ice formed under her fingers, spreading along the wood. No, no, Elsa thought, not now. She turned around, lifting her hands free, even as the boat threatened to toss her off deck. Icicles trickled down the crossbars of the sails. Iceball chunks formed in the air and dropped, gouging the deck. She turned back to the sea.

There was an iceberg in the water below her, maturating from the pounding rain. It grew larger with each lightning flash. Sharp, jagged spires protruded from the mountain. The waves carried them closer together.

Elsa shouted to warn the crew. They were too busy trying to save the ship. She pointed. She jumped up and down.

Then the iceberg hit.

Her panic set in as the ship's hull shuddered from the impalement. The deck shook back and forth. Gravity grabbed her and yanked her over the side. In her flailing, she found the edge of the boat. Hanging over the side as the boat rose and fell, she yelled soundlessly for help. The wind sucked her words out into nothingness.

Olaf leaned over the side. "Elsa! I'll give you a hand!"

His arm separated. She stuck it back in his snowy body.

"Okay, not what I intended. Um... maybe the other arm."

A huge wave buffeted the ship. Ice cold water reached up and licked her feet. Olaf fluttered his arms and fell over the rail.

"Olaf!"

The three sections of his body separated, drifting away from each other in the swells. At one crest, his twig arms waved as his head shouted "I'm good!"

The frosty ice forming under her hands gave her some traction. Elsa looked down at the pitch black seas.

The waves reached up like formless fingers, greedy to grab and consume her. Bright light flashed again. She couldn't risk turning her eyes away. In the murk, she thought she saw a glance of red. On a girl floating in the waves...