Hello! I realized while doing my typo run to update chapters that I never wrote a chapter to show how everyone dealt with Elsa's diagnosis. So, here ya go! Better late than never, right? Enjoy!

TW: none

Chapter 63- Meeting (Elsa, Alters)

It was the next day and Elsa and all the alters, aside from Nassiri, were in the living room. Kiri and Nia had called everyone there for a meeting. There was silence for a few seconds before Astrania stood. "Okay, everyone, it's time we had this meeting. So, we have a psychiatrist and we have a diagnosis. Does everyone know what that means?"

"It means I've gone nuts," Elsa slumped against the couch.

"Who is Nia talking to?" Arcy was on Nia's back, like usual.

"Sweetie, Nia is talking to some people that Arcy can't see. But trust me, she'll see them soon enough. And don't worry, none of them will hurt little Arcy." She ruffled Arcy's hair and turned back to the others. "So, who knows what all this recent news means?"

"It means that life is going to be complicated and that we have to work together!" Anna replied, her hand in the air.

"Exactly!" Nia nodded. "It also means that we have to make sure that our little Snowflake here is safe."

"That's why we all exist," Kiri sighed.

"So what does that mean? Like, why are there so many of you?" Elsa looked around. Aya, Nia, Kiri, Arcy and Anna were all in the living room. The only one not there was Nassiri. But no one wanted her around.

"Well, if I were to guess, I'd say that Kiri is your persecutory adult side, I'm the guardian angel and caretaker, Anna is your social alter, Arcy is your naïve and little, Aya is a mute and traumatized middle alter, and Nassiri is all the pain, anger and hatred manifested into an alter," Nia tapped her chin. "I don't much about this disorder but that's my guess. Dina could more accurately answer who does what in this system."

Elsa blinked. "That's a lot. So that's why all of you exist or something?"

"Well, Dina can explain it better to you later on in more sessions but that's just my guess."

"Nia, can she have a juice box?"

"Of course she can, go get it sweetie," Nia set Arcy down and let her run to the kitchen. "So, is everyone okay with what Dina told us all?"

"I guess. It's still hard to believe that I'm real but at the same time not, I guess. But that does explain why I don't look like myself," Anna kicked her feet around, leaning on Aya.

Aya just twitched her mouth and tapped her fingertips. She was hearing voices but not seeing anyone other than Anna. But these voices didn't sound menacing at all. And the one who sounded oldest and like the leader had a soothing voice. She could listen to her talk all day. So, there was a diagnosis given to Elsa and that was why her and these other people existed? Was that even a thing that could happen? Maybe? It didn't really make sense to her but if someone with a medical license said it was so, than it was so. Aya didn't have a clue about medical conditions, just basic anatomy.

"Aya, what do you think about all this?" Anna poked Aya's forehead.

Aya just stayed silent, staring up at the ceiling.

"Anna, Aya is a mute, she doesn't talk or communicate," Kiri rubbed her eyes.

"I dunno, she usually nods, shrugs or shakes her head when she talks to me."

"Well, she's close to you. But for everyone else, we get nothing," Elsa waved her hands.

Arcy jumped back onto Astra's back, having finished her juice and thrown the box away. "Nia, what is the disorder again? It sounded really hard to say."

"It's Dissociative Identity Disorder."

"What's it mean?" Arcy wrapped her arms around Nia's neck.

"It's when a kid is put through a lot of bad things and so their brain makes up people to handle it for them. It takes a lot of bad things happening over time for the disorder to happen."

"But then why am I here?" Anna tilted her head.

"Because I can't handle social situations. I freak out and retreat to the castle."

"Oh, okay! Cool!"

"So guys, are we all okay with this situation?" Astra sat and flexed her wings slightly.

"I have no choice in the matter so I might as well be," Kiri replied from her book.

"I might need some time but yeah, I guess so," Anna hummed.

Aya just looking up at who she could see. There was Elsa, Kiri and Anna. Two others were talking but Aya could only see a vague glowing outline of two people. Was the one called Nia the leader of the group? She seemed nice. And this disorder seemed intriguing. Maybe Ayalah would do some research into it and see what she could learn about it.

Kiri looked to Arcy. "So Nia, why does Arcy talk the way she does?"

"My guess would be she's like Elmo from Sesame Street. And that's the only way she'll talk. So if anyone talks to her, talk to her in third person. She's more comfortable that way."

"So, is that all for this little meeting? Just to make sure that everyone knew what was up?" Elsa exhaled deeply.

"Yeah, pretty much," Kiri nodded. "Nia and I just wanted to make sure we all knew what was going on."

"I'd say we're all good here, what about you, Kiri?"

"Yeah, I say so, too."

"Alright! Everyone is free to go about doing what they want to do. Just call me or Kiri if you guys need anything," Nia smiled and waved as everyone went on their own way.

Elsa went to the backyard to sit by the pool. She was still bewildered about what Dina had told her. There would no doubt be more sessions, which meant more chances to get answers. Elsa's thoughts were spinning as she sat in a pool chair and watched the clouds roll by. Who had caused this to happen to her? Was there a way to reverse it? Could she ever live a normal life again?

Aya walked to her room, hands in her hoodie pockets instead of laced in front of her mouth. This diagnosis seemed interesting. How could she be real yet not real? Did that mean that nothing Aya knew was real? Elsa was real, obviously, but were Kiri and Anna? Was she? She frowned and sat on her bed, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She could see, smell, taste, touch, hear and even had emotions. She had to be real. What exactly was Dissociative Identity Disorder? Did she have it? Is that why all these people and this castle existed? Aya wrung her hands as she tried to understand it all. Glancing to her laptop, Aya typed in the disorder into the web browser. Several links came up and Aya read through every one of them. When she was done, Aya felt a little less confused. Elsa had the disorder and that was what created each of them. Maybe, just maybe, Aya would do something got communicate with Dina to learn more. She wanted to understand more about her life and role in what the outline named Nia had called "the system." She was less confused but the somewhat relief turned to anger as she threw her pillows from the bed. She was her own person but she wasn't! It was so infuriating! Did this mean she couldn't do what she wanted if she was in the outside world? Couldn't she just separate from everyone else and be her own person? Aya fell face down on her bed and cried as the anger was replaced with depression.

Kiri had known from the moment she was created what was going on with Elsa. She couldn't explain it but Kiri had just known that Elsa was dissociating. In her early days, Kiri wasn't too happy about dealing with the stress that Elsa couldn't handle. But as Kiri was around longer, she had realized that it wasn't necessarily the situations as it was the people. Elsa's parents had started this whole spiral with their home done exorcisms and shock therapy, the school kids had made it worse with their constant mocking, Hans added to it with his physical brutality and rape of Elsa. Well, it was more Nassiri responsible for the rape incident, Hans hadn't known any better about what was going on in Elsa's head. It was people that Kiri couldn't stand. Everyone was a threat to Elsa and their system. The only one's who proved to be actually helpful were Dina and Dina. Kiri was still wary of Dina but that was just natural. Ian? Forget him, he was the cause of all of the problems. Had he listened to Elsa as a child, none of this would have happened. Kiri simply sighed as she put her book down and went to make herself something to eat.

Anna had retreated to the white forest behind the pool. So, Elsa was dissociative. Did that mean that any time she was in the inner world, someone had to be out in the real world? Anna frowned. It just didn't feel right. Anna was the one who was real and everyone else was made up. She balled up some snow and threw it at a tree. "I'm real, I know I am. I'll talk to Dina about all this. She can help me feel better. I might not look like it when I'm out there, but I'm the one who's real and everyone else is made up." It didn't matter what all the other people in the castle said, Anna was the one who was real.

"Nia, is Arcy real?"

"Of course she is."

"But if that Elsa girl is the one who has the disorder, that means that she and all the others aren't real. She feels like it doesn't matter anymore," Arcy frowned.

"Now sweetie, don't say that. She's just as real as my wings. And Arcy can feel my wings, can't she?"

"Well, yeah. How does Nia feel about all of this?"

Nia smiled. "Nia is fine with it, sweetie." She sat on the floor to be at eye level with Arcy. "Nia knows what she has to do. And that's protect and take care of everyone. That includes little Arcy. Sure, it can be confusing to see someone else in the mirror when I'm out there in the real world, but that's just something that Nia needs to adjust to. But don't worry, Nia will be right here beside Arcy to help her and make her feel better."

Arcy frowned. She still wasn't too sure about what had been going on. She was only 8 and it was all so much to take in. "Okay, as long as Nia is there to help her and guide her." Arcy smiled and continued her drawing, Nia sitting beside her. "And will Nia take care of herself? Arcy doesn't see Nia eat that much and it makes her worried for the pretty white."

As expected, Arcy took refuge under Nia's wings. Nia just smiled and stroked Arcy's hair. "I'll take care of myself when I can Arcy, okay?" The situation all of them were in was confusing but in time everyone would be able to adjust to the life they had together.

I hope you guys enjoyed this extra chapter! I figured I'd add it in as a little bonus chapter. Don't forget, the sequel "Control The Curse" is still ongoing with new chapters being added!