A/N: Um, hi. This was a story that I wrote in the course of a day. I watched Rise of the Guardians pretty recently and fell in love with the cute little frostbite couple Jack and Elsa, like a lot of others have. I hope you enjoy my story!

I: Shadow Guardian

Elsa was a treasure.

Jack remembered the day she came into this world, her strong yet tiny voice bouncing against the walls of the chamber as the maids and nurses cried out in relief and happiness at the queen's successful delivery. Jack heard her first wail echo over the lands like she was calling out to him, like she had a secret to share. He left his branch in the snowy forest and was pulled to her voice like a string of fate slowly winding them together.

Elsa was a healthy and beautiful baby girl, and the king wanted nothing more than to pinch her cheeks and carry her on his shoulder by the time she was able to toddle around her mother's bedroom. Everyone adored the little princess with her white-blonde hair and stunning blue eyes.

Her sister Anna came into the world soon after, her own cry full of warmth and vigor. Jack only heard it because he was standing in the hallway beside Elsa during the delivery, a doll of a child clutching at her father's pants as she gazed at the closed door with wonder, eyes widening when the call of Anna's voice reached her little ears.

Jack watched over the two of them, particularly Elsa once she revealed her secret one day in their bedroom, while she and Anna were playing together. The cry of surprise from Elsa and the gasp of excitement from Anna as they watched the snowflakes dance around in the air was nothing compared to the feeling of something strong and heavy swelling in Jack's chest when he watched Elsa clutch her tiny hands together like she was frightened of her own gift.

"Do that again!" Anna exclaimed excitedly, her toy horse lying forgotten on the ground as she bounced up and down on her knees. Elsa looked at Anna, her precious little sister with the copper hair gleaming like fire in the afternoon light and eyes bright with wonder. Anna didn't see it as anything less than extraordinary, so neither should she.

Days and years passed by like a bright blur as Jack watched the two siblings play around in the sparkling snow that Elsa captured from the moisture in the air. Elsa reveled in the power that sang like an icy tune in her veins whenever she used it, and whenever she wasn't using it. Jack knew that feeling all too well, the rush of something cold and brilliant, constantly begging to be released.

It was said that a child born with the power of ice only came by whenever the Man on the Moon willed it, and Jack couldn't help but listen to the slight tugging within him, the whisper that Elsa had been born and given as something special to him, a girl to be nurtured and guarded by the wintry spirit.

But the memory of that one night was forever burned into the back of his mind, the night when Elsa grew to fear her gift once more. Elsa and Anna had been playing in the ballroom while the rest of the castle slept, delighted giggles and shrieks echoing throughout the vast room as they danced around on the ice and climbed through the snow. Jack felt the tug of a smile that was wont to appear whenever he watched the little princesses tug each other around on the slippery floor as he leaned against a tall pillar. But Anna was moving too fast, leaping from one snow mound to the next and Elsa struggled to keep up with her sister. One slip had her sprawled on the ice and Jack's smile faded as he grew alarmed.

Something bad was about to happen, he could feel it thumping against his chest as he watch Elsa cry out to her sister; the seconds slowed down when the older princess shot out her hand and the frozen spark zipped through the air. It hit Anna on the side of her head with a quiet, furious noise and with a small grunt Anna fell to the floor still. Jack was leaning over her before he was aware that he moved, the pounding of blood rushing through his body almost drowning out the gasp of Elsa as she ran to Anna's limp figure. "Anna!" Elsa cried in a fearful whisper as she cradled her sister's head in her lap, running a hand over the streak of white in Anna's hair; Jack watched her face, the mixture of shock and tears twisting her features as she wailed for their parents.

Jack's hand reached out to touch Anna's head and it passed through, like he was a ghost. Anna's mouth was slack and her eyes closed loosely, as if she were slumbering. He sensed life in her still, fragile and threatening to extinguish with the smallest whisper. But he couldn't help her. He couldn't help Elsa either, as he sat on his knees beside the weeping girl and listened to the thumping of footsteps from the hallway.

"You're okay, Anna… I've got you…"

The king and queen burst through the door, and Jack already knew where they were going to take Anna. He zipped by in the air close to the rulers of Arendelle as they sped through the night, leaving a carpet of ice behind them. Jack almost didn't notice the little boy idling though the forest on a small sled pulled by a reindeer calf. He didn't know the child as he had spent the past five years watching over the two girls, and the boy was all too eager to follow the trail of frost left by little Elsa, too worried over Anna to notice her powers seeping through to the earth.

The rock trolls were a group of creatures that Jack used to spend many days with, as their boisterous and friendly ways drew him in like a magnet. He stayed hidden this time, however, not wishing to draw any attention to himself as he watched from a safe distance. The old troll Grand Pappy told the parents what he had to do to Anna, why he had to erase the memories of the days she'd spent with Elsa playing in the snow. It was hard to watch Elsa's delicate features fall as she looked at her hands, a mixture of sadness and something akin to guilt shining in her eyes.

"Listen to me, Elsa," Grand Pappy said gently to the young girl, and even with the wind carrying their voices to Jack's ears he had to lean forward to hear the next words. "Your power will only grow." Pappy lit up the night sky with images of Elsa weaving magic with her hands, fascinating the other bright figures that drew near. Jack already knew what Pappy was going to warn her of, but it didn't keep the tears from burning his eyes as he watched Elsa gasp in fright and clutch for her father, red light flickering on her face. She was afraid of it, and so were her parents. This gift of ice, which Jack saw as beautiful, was only wicked to the girl who wielded it.

Fear will be your enemy.

When the family left, Jack stayed behind, finally allowing himself to slink down beside Grand Pappy. Pappy didn't look at him, but the small grin on his face showed that he knew Jack had been there all the while.

"I thought I felt a nip in the air."

Jack wanted to smile, tried to lift the corners of his mouth, but for once he wasn't in a cheerful mood. Grand Pappy turned to him with knowing eyes. When Jack spoke, his words came out slow and thoughtful. "She's…her powers are becoming stronger because of me, aren't they?" Pappy's eyes grew solemn and he nodded. "I'm afraid the presence of a winter spirit will only exacerbate what little power she has control over."

Oh Moon, he didn't want to believe it. He had to stay away from Elsa, the girl who could weave crystals out of thin air, the girl whose spirit called to his in a way that he'd never felt before. He had to, or the powers will strive to control her, turn her blood into ice. But he didn't want to leave her entirely. He had to visit her from time to time, for why else would the Man on the Moon command Jack to look over her?

Jack spent the years zipping around to different places, causing bits of mischief that were brushed off by the people as coincidence. He was still a ghost to the world, and this knowledge left him hollow inside.

One day, he decided that he needed to see Elsa; he had to be around her, or else he would go crazy. Her absence from his life left him empty and aching, and all he cared about was seeing that sweet little face that brought joy from delighting her sister.

Jack flew to Arendelle and slid down the roof of the castle. He gazed upside down through the large window, into the room shared by Anna and Elsa, where Elsa first discovered her powers. But Elsa's bed and dresser were gone. Only Anna's possessions remained.

The spirit knew, however, that Elsa was still in the castle as he could feel her presence humming steadily in his veins. He swept through the window and landed on the floor, looking around the room. The furniture had been moved around, trying to fill the empty space that Elsa's bed once filled; the room seemed large, much too large. The castle was also silent.

Then, he heard three crisp knocks, muffled but nearby. He swept into the dark hallway and saw a slender figure clad in black, standing by a door. "Elsa?" The figure called out quietly, and Jack saw that it was Anna. But her face was no longer bright and flushed like when she was a child. Her happy aura was dimmed by all the black, and she looked tired. "Please, I know you're in there," Anna called quietly to the door, her sweet voice threatening to break. "People are asking where you've been."

Silence continued to fill the gaps of Anna's pleas, and as she turned to slide her back down the door, defeated by the lack of response, all Jack heard from her lips was, "We only have each other. It's just you and me."

It's just you and me.

Realization clicked in. Anna and Elsa were in mourning. Jack stepped through the wall, into the room where he felt Elsa's energy, but it was throbbing like she was wounded. He saw her sitting on the floor clutching her knees. A small flurry of snow lay suspended in the air, and to Jack the room radiated a slow and dull pain. He bent down to where he was eye level with Elsa, and saw the red in her eyes, the tightness of her lips as she stared right through him. She wanted to call out to Anna.

The spirit reached out, slowly, aching to touch her face and just feel her. But his hand touched nothing; it grazed over Elsa's cheek like a cruel mirage. Jack's throat tightened as Elsa made a small noise and buried her face into her knees. It was as if she wanted to curl into oblivion.

He had always been there for her, but he had never been there at the same time.

His life had never felt emptier.

Three whole years passed. Jack knew by then that Elsa's powers were going to grow no matter whether or not he spent time around Arrendale. He stuck around Elsa more often, only allowing her privacy whenever she bathed or changed. Many times he felt tempted to peek, just a quick glance as she slipped into the bath tub, but he refused to play his powers for perversity. He treasured her presence above all.

Both Elsa and Anna had grown into beautiful young women, and Jack couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in the two of them, and how Anna was like the light of the castle, flittering about and drawing laughs from the otherwise solemn servants. Her spirit was bright and strong, like Elsa's…but much warmer.

The day finally came for Elsa's coronation into becoming queen. Elsa's features were tight with anxiety as she clutched the makeshift scepter and cross, trying to keep the nervousness from seeping through her fingers and staining the metal with frost. Jack stood beside her, and saw Elsa's futile efforts draw a noise of frustration from her as she laid the iced candlestick and jeweled box back onto the table. She tried to hide her powers with gloves.

A man named Hans arrived from the Southern Isles for the coronation, a dashing young man who wooed Anna with eyes like a stormy sea. Being around Hans filled Jack with this stinging sense of uneasiness; this man's spirit was muddled and murky to the winter spirit, like staring into tempestuous waters. He didn't like Anna being around Hans.

Elsa did well enough at the coronation, and as she and Anna stood side by side in the ballroom, Jack idled behind them. He could sense that both of them were anxious, poor little Anna especially as she tried to say something to her sister without the words catching in her throat. Elsa decided to take the pains of breaking the silence first.

"Hi," She said gently to the younger woman, startling Anna. Three years since the passing of their parents, and nothing more than a few words had ever passed between them.

"Hi, hi me? Oh, um, hi?" It was adorably sad the way Anna wasn't used to the sound of her sister's voice, and the reason for it left a bitter taste in Jack's mouth. Elsa turned to Anna once more. "You look beautiful," She said with a sort of sincerity that rang melodiously in the air, the words colored soothingly. It sent Anna stumbling for a reply, trying and then giving up after tripping over the words a few times. But the brightness of her voice carried her meaning across as Elsa chuckled and replied with thanks.

A more comfortable air settled between them as the words flowed smooth and easy, like it did when they were children. But then Anna was swept away by Hans, and that sick clench in Jack's gut as he watched them dance made him wish he were real just so he could wrench Anna away from Hans, away from the muddled spirit. Hans had a charming seduction about him that Jack knew he didn't like.

But Anna was a woman who wasn't familiar with attention and the taste of it, especially from a beautiful man like Hans, drove her into a kind of giddy love that blinded itself to everything but the one who commanded its interest. She thought she was in love with him.

Jack, of course, knew otherwise.

As Anna nudged her way through the crowd with Hans' hand clutched in hers, Jack followed with a barely concealed blizzard within him. He could unleash a storm on Hans, but he wouldn't. Not with Elsa and Anna and all these other people in the same room. Elsa didn't give her consent, as Jack expected. By the way she clutched her hands together and picked at the gloves, she disliked Hans' presence as well.

"May I talk to you, please? Alone?" Elsa asked Anna with a voice tight like a drum. Anna refused to leave Hans' side, cornering Elsa into announcing her decision to both of them. "Fine," Elsa stated, her words cool and colorless, "you can't marry a man you just met."

Anna's voice came back resentful as she held onto Hans' arm. "You can if it's true love." The way she said that made the winter spirit want to roll his eyes. He wasn't sure what he would call the love he had towards Elsa, but it was strong and it ran deep. Anna and Hans' love was shallow like a river.

Elsa's tone was still cool, perhaps a bit patronizing. "Anna, what do you know about true love?"

"More than you. All you know is how to shut people out."

The newly appointed queen was taken aback by the bite of the words, words that came from the only person she could call family anymore. But what stung the most was how true they were. Elsa retained her posture, but the hurt in her voice poked holes in her words. "You asked for my blessing, and the answer is no. Now excuse me." She rebuked Hans when he extended his hand to her, like she was afraid of his touch. Jack couldn't blame her.

"The party's over."

"Elsa, please-"

Jack felt Elsa's spirit tremble as she snatched her hand away from Anna, who grabbed away one of her gloves. He felt something immense rise in the queen, a quiet thunder that had lain dormant for too long as Anna poked and prodded at poor Elsa, trying to drag words from her, a reason for all of the years that they never talked, a reason for why Elsa shut herself away, a reason for why she hurt Anna a reason a reason a reason-

"I said enough!"

With a harsh swoop of her hand, ice exploded from the tips of Elsa's fingers and created a brilliant arc of icicles on the floor, right at the stunned Anna's feet. The ballroom air was thick with stunned gasps as someone hissed, "Sorcery," like it was a black and treacherous word.

Elsa turned, and at the sound of her name breathed in an awed whisper threw open the doors and ran, ran until she reached the courtyard thick with her joyous subjects. Jack could only watch as she stumbled through the crowd, her spirit raging like the blizzard she had kept inside for many, many years. A woman holding an infant stood in her path, her voice edged with concern as she asked, "Your highness, are you all right?"

Elsa backed away and brushed the stone of the fountain, a bolt of ice from her hand freezing the water and weaving a spectacular sculpture of sharp edges and fear, her fear. The citizens stood stunned and Jack heard the cry echo into his ears, "There she is! Stop her!" The duke of Wesselton stood by the safety of his guards as a skinny finger jutted accusingly in the queen's direction. "Please," Elsa begged, her voice choked with terror and warning, "stay away from me, just stay away-"

She put her hands up, and the sparkle of frost that gleamed in the air and slammed into the ground created jagged tips of ice that burned Jack's eyes with its raw energy, knowing that Elsa was terrified. She was terrified of herself and the hands she never asked for. And then the people backed away, the air turned bitter with the scent of fear as they cuddled their wailing children away from Elsa, this witch, this monster.

And when she turned with tears glistening in her eyes and fled the castle, away from her sister and subjects and allies and everybody, Jack stood in her way with one arm extended, beckoning her with icy fingertips. She passed into him for the first time and an empty feeling sliced through Jack colder than any north wind. It tore apart his entire being, the all-consuming yet familiar sting of loneliness that never lost its bite, and never ceased to stop his breath.

Of course she couldn't see him. He was just a ghost.

The winds carried Jack as he watched Elsa stumble through the dark and over the water, the tips of her shoes sending a swathe of frost that extended over the whole of the fjord, blanketing the water in a thick sheen of ice. It was marvelous, the extent of her power. But all Elsa wanted to do was run, and all Jack could do was follow her.

The queen ran for a while, ran until the kingdom of Arendelle was gone from sight and immense mountains surrounded her, running through snowy gusts of wind that bit through the skin. But Elsa was numb to them, as Jack knew she would be. He found that he couldn't stop the blizzard inside of himself, like it was crying out to Elsa's own storm. He wanted to say something to her, and have her hear him for once.

"Elsa," Jack whispered to himself, tasting the name. "Elsa Elsa Elsa."

He had dim hope of her hearing him. Eighteen years, and he knew practically everything about her. She didn't even know he existed.

But he watched as Elsa threw her remaining glove into the howling air, the wind eagerly catching it and carrying it far, far away. Jack wanted to see her use the full extent of her power.

And he wasn't disappointed.

Glowing patterns of snowflakes arced through the wind, in brilliant swirls that filled the winter spirit with awe and pride. Elsa was smiling, smiling so wide and beautifully than Jack had ever seen her smile before. She unclasped her cape and threw it into the wind, a dash of purple disappearing into the distance.

Elsa threw her hands forward, and right before them appeared a staircase swathed in snow, painting itself into existence as she kept running through the air, Jack laughing as he flew beside her. A solid stomp of her foot, her hands stretched beckoningly upwards, and all around them Jack saw the glass walls of an ice palace stretching up from the ground, gleaming bright like crystals and it was breathtaking, watching the walls forming around them and carrying them upwards up into the night sky.

But not as breathtaking as Elsa when she pulled her crown from her hair and tossed it with gusto, pulling her hair out from its tight little bun into a wild braid. More twirls from those wonderful little wrists of hers formed a sparkling blue dress that clung to her ivory skin, and Jack watched her with his breath caught in his throat. By the Moon…

She was gorgeous.

She had always been gorgeous, but seeing her beauty so free like this made Jack want to laugh and dance and kiss her senseless. Here she was, his treasure, his baby, unleashing herself from the confines of her castle, from a life that squandered her gift. She could do whatever she pleased now.

"Elsa," Jack breathed longingly, all these feelings swirling inside of him as he watched her strut out to the gleaming balcony towards the rising sun. The turning of a new page for her life, and she greeted it with outstretched arms.

With a magnificent swoop of a cape that sparkled in the sunlight, she turned and slammed the doors behind her, but then stopped.

And gasped as she stared at the place where Jack stood.

Jack suddenly froze, his eyes staring into Elsa's widened ones. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out as whatever he planned to say never connected to his lips. Could she…

…see him?

She walked towards him, glass heels clicking on the ice and echoing through the palace, and stopped right in front of him. Jack looked into her face, her large eyes and small nose and finely sculpted jawline that he wanted to run a finger over, and feel the delicate bone underneath.

He reached out again towards her, but stopped a hair's width away. He was afraid to know.

"This place," Elsa murmured, "I feel something here."

It's me, Elsa. It's me you feel.

Her spirit flared, and his flared in response. He wanted to grab her and scream at her, he wanted her to see him. He stepped closer to her, breathing his chill into her face. She closed her eyes then, and turned away from him.

"My whole life…I've felt like there was someone watching over me, guarding me…" Her voice came out quiet and pondering, like a child talking about an imaginary friend. A dam broke inside of Jack, and the words flowed past his lips quick and relentless. "I have been, Elsa. I've been watching over you and Anna since you were infants. You have no idea how precious it was to watch you discover your powers, and it hurt to see you hide them from the rest of the world. They're beautiful like you, and you should never feel ashamed of what you're capable of. You can heal the wound you've inflicted on Anna, you can right everything."

He stopped. She hadn't said anything while he talked; she just stood with her back turned to him, still as the ice palace around her. He didn't care if she couldn't hear him. He needed to let go of the words that had built up inside of him for years, threatening to pull him down with the weight they carried in his chest.

Then her voice broke through the silence, a sharp and clean little whisper.

"Can I, now?"

Jack reached out then, towards her shoulder.

Her skin was cool to the touch.

A/N: R/R if you wouldn't mind me continuing!