Part 1- Icy Eyes
Elsa stood on her balcony, watching Kristoff twirl Anna around and dip her into a kiss. She sighed. She was happy for her sister, sure, but she felt an ache in her chest for someone to look at her the way Kristoff looked at Anna. The way he understands her. Turning, she kept the doors open behind her, her braid swinging loosely around her shoulders. She walked up to the roof of the palace and gazed at the sky; it was early July and the sun was beating down intensely down on Elsa's milky skin. She lifted an arm to shield herself from the sun's rays. Good Lord, she thought. If it gets any warmer I'm going to need a personal flurry like Olaf. Spinning on her heal, her ice dress shimmered in the sun. She turned away just before Kristoff and Anna walked off hand in hand to the forest, giggling together and bodies brushing.
Jack paced back and forth on the frozen over lake. He recognized it from his memories, and looked around for whatever could remain of his house from 325 years ago. Looking through the thickened forest, he found nothing. He, being frustrated, kicked a rock over and it revealed a hole. Peering down it, he realized it was the same hole Pitch disappeared into. He thought it had sealed after him when the Nightmares chased him into it. He had to go tell the others. He took off into the sky, soaring up and far over the forest from his old life.
North was the first to greet him as he landed on the North Pole's Globe. North looked up at him, speaking in his thick Russian accent, "Ah, look, Jack chas returned!" He led Jack into his workshop where he was working on a new ice carving of an old pre-American Civil War steamboat. "I actually need to talk to you about something, Jack." Jack shook his head, planting his staff down for emphasis.
"There's something I gotta tell you first," North opened his mouth, but let Jack speak. "Remember that hole Pitch disappeared into a few years ago?" His Russian friend nodded. "I found it again, and it was just open." North's face turned serious, but then he shook his head, dismissing the thought of Pitch returning. Jack was about to protest when North turned and opened up the book that Jack used to swear into the Guardians with on that frosty March morning.
He asked Jack, "Have you ever heard of a place called Arendelle?" Jack shook his head, though the name gave him a warm feeling in his frozen chest. North sighed, and Tooth flew in, bursting at the seams declaring,
"Have you told him about the Ice Queen yet?" North stared at her, open mouthed, and her wings fluttered and covered her mouth. "Oops, hah,"
North face palmed.
"Yes, Tooth, I vas getting to thet." Tooth flew out, rapid-fire spitting out locations and types of teeth that kids were losing all over the world.
"Arendelle? What's in Arendelle?" Jack asked, leaning on his staff, temporarily forgetting about Pitch.
North handed him the giant book, and a picture of a large kingdom with water surrounding it on three sides, and on the other a large path seemed to extend into the forest all the way to a huge mountain, with smaller mountains behind it. "Wow, it's beautiful." North nodded.
"Their queen, she was born with the ability to control ice. Sound familiar?" Jack just stared at him, and he nodded. He flew out of the Pole, and toward the peninsula of Arendelle.
Elsa paced around the courtyard, leaving a trail of frozen grass and flowers when she passed, crunching underfoot like she was walking on glass. Thoughts raced through her mind. She hoped Prince Hans had been dealt with accordingly. Anna seemed over it, especially since her romance with Kristoff was starting, and going so well. Olaf trotted up to her, holding out a blue rose. "Here, Elsa. You look like you could use a warm hug!" He exclaimed, his flurry showering both him and Elsa in small snowflakes. She smiled, and patted his head.
"Thank you, Olaf, I really did need that." Olaf looked up at her, a smile illuminating his face. The children in Arendelle really did seem to have taken a liking to him. Elsa was still baffled as to how she made him. Whenever she tried to make another snowman like Olaf, it just never worked. He gave her another quick hug and started to run around sniffing the different assortment of flowers in the garden. She shook her head, smiling slightly and chuckling. Sighing, and dropping her head a little once again, she meandered into the castle, walking around the rooms humming a tune to herself. Anna came running through the corridors, and almost ran right into Elsa. Elsa luckily looked up and dodged before her sister could plow her over. "Anna? Anna what's the huge hurry!" Elsa called after her scrambling sister as she slipped on the floor. She quickly dropped to the floor and landed with a solid thud, and didn't make any movement to get up; Elsa ran over and crouched over Anna. "Anna? Anna are you ok? Anna!" She suddenly had a flashback to when they were kids and she struck Anna's head with her powers. She felt just as helpless then as she did now, except now she couldn't cry out to her parents to fix everything. Instead, Elsa cradled Anna in her arms, shocked, a single tear sliding down her cheek. She was whispering, "You're going to be ok, Anna I got you. And this time I won't shut you out." She carried Anna to her room with the help of a royal guard who heard Elsa's cries, and the royal doctor said she only suffered a minor concussion and she'd need to rest for a few days. Elsa nodded her head slowly, dismissing the doctor so she could be alone with her sister. As night fell, Elsa crawled into bed with Anna like Anna used to do when they were kids and still shared a room. She could remember Anna whispering fearfully, "Elsa I'm scared I had a nightmare," or "Elsa I got lonely can I sleep with you?" Elsa held Anna in her arms gently now, and set a little burst of snowflakes into the air over the four-poster bed; a trick she always did for Anna before the accident. It didn't get any colder in the room, and Elsa softly hummed a folk song from Arendelle, drifting off. "Over the mountain, and past the stream. Through the flowering fields of green, and baby blue sky. Into the pine woods…"
The sun was just starting to rise, awaking the sky with booms of red, smudges of oranges and blushes of pinks as Jack flew over the North Mountain. He had flown all night to get to Arendelle; it was farther from the Pole then North had led it on to be. As he came around from behind the mountain, he saw an amazing ice palace, tall spiraling pillars reaching up, almost as if it could touch the sky. The sunrise was turning the palace of ice into a palace of fire, the sunrise's colors being amplified and spread like electricity. It sparkled and shone reds, defined oranges, softly shimmered yellows, gave off hues of pink, and the slightest undertones of purple. Jack almost fell off the Wind the site was so incredible. The person to create that must be amazing, he thought to himself. He rode the Wind with new vigor, toward a slowly fading white into green forest, rolling hills and flowering valleys. And then, rising like a mountain on the horizon, a towering castle immerged from the center of a small island, connected by a land bridge and a large bridge going into another small island, full of houses and ports. He sensed ice, and ducked down and saw the courtyard of the palace covered in icy decorations. Except it wasn't cold. It seemed like it was about early July, which it was. He was fascinated. Just then, a blue figure seemed to move on the balcony over the courtyard. Giant fountains spurted up with half frozen water and some running water. It was amazing. He landed on top of one of the fountains, and balanced himself and had his staff laying across his knees. The figure looked like a young woman. Compared to Jack, she must be a baby. She observed her people walk around in the square, talking, gossiping or waving at the figure. She must be the queen. He stood up and flew up on the Wind for a better look, suspended at her eye level about 20 feet from her. The full sight of her took his breath away. She was… beautiful. Her long snow-blonde hair was pulled back in a messy French braid, the tail of it coming over her left shoulder and ending at her waist. She had stray pieces of hair pulled back from her face, like it was windswept. It looked like it had snowflakes woven into it, and a glittering grown of silver ice was perched by the front of her head. It had a glittering opal in the center, and was encrusted with diamonds carved into little snowflakes. Her skin was pale as new snow, and her eyes sparkled like cool, clear blue ice. She was tall, but Jack had about two inches on her. Her cherry pink lips stood out against her pale skin; and her lips parted in a smile to reveal row of perfect, straight white teeth. Jack chuckled to himself as he pictured Tooth inspecting her mouth the way she used to and still did to him. Her dress looked like it was made of ice; a low cut neck revealed her shoulders and dipped a little into her bust. The bodice sparkled and then dropped into a long skirt, free moving but also clung to her hips and had a slit cut into the left leg. The sleeves came to her wrist, and then came up to a point onto her delicate hands. A long train of what looked like woven ice followed her around, moving gracefully like snowflakes on the wind. She was positively breath taking. She looked over her subjects with a calm expression. Then something strange happened. She turned and looked at him straight in the face. Their eyes met, and a thought shot through Jack like an icy wind. Can she see me?
Elsa awoke next to her still sleeping sister, her hair a rat's nest. She allowed herself a small smile. Gently getting up so not to disturb Anna, Elsa got up from the bed and got a brush. She started brushing out Anna's hair, softly so her sister wouldn't wake. When her hair was smooth and combed, Elsa got up and went into the bathroom and to the washbasin. She splashed water on her face, and took the brush and brushed out her own messy mane. After it was all brushed out, Elsa re-braided it, looking at her rumpled dress. With a shudder, she refreshed it, and exhaled a small breath with snowflakes on the wind. She glanced back at Anna, still asleep, and figured she could go get breakfast and come back. When she walked through the halls to the Great Hall, she grabbed a few blueberry muffins, a glass of milk, and a cup of water for Anna. Elsa figured she'd be parched when she awoke. Walking back, she took a bite of one of the muffins. It was freshly baked, and Elsa stuffed the rest in her face when she realized how hungry she was. Taking a sip of the milk, she turned the corner and walked straight into Kristoff. As he stumbled back, the glass fell from Elsa's hand and toward the ground. Reacting quickly, Elsa froze the milk into a long and slender icicle with spikes coming out, and blobbing off in places. She caught it in one hand, and put the muffins down and helped Kristoff up. "Oh, Kristoff I'm sorry I didn't see you there. Are you alright?" Kristoff nodded, and looked slightly worried.
"Have you seen Anna? She was supposed to meet me this morning to go out to see the sunrise over the North Mountain." Elsa sighed and nodded her head; she should have told Kristoff when Anna hit her head.
"Yes, Anna is here. She slipped and fell running through the palace halls, she hit her head and she's asleep in her room. She has been since yesterday."
Kristoff's face softened, then turned into worry.
"What? Oh my God, is she ok? I told her to be careful sliding around the halls in her socks!" Elsa nodded, smiling a little, she picked up the remainder of the four muffins, and handed two to Kristoff along with the cup of water.
"Here, you can go sit with her. Take these, you're probably hungry and the water and other muffin are for Anna when she wakes up." She picked up the frozen milk and took a small bite from one of the spikes. Kristoff's face turned pink.
"Sorry for breaking the cup." Elsa looked down at the cracked mug on the floor. She shook her head and picked up, placing the rest of the milk-cicle in the cup.
"It's fine, and it's only cracked. Go, see Anna. And make sure the snow didn't get too deep. I just made a small flurry in the room; the temperature shouldn't have changed." He nodded, smiling a little and started down the hall toward Anna's room. Elsa wasn't worried; Kristoff wouldn't let anything happen to Anna. She turned to the left, heading down to her father's study. She opened the doors, and walked through the chamber to the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. She walked out, looking over the courtyard, watching the people hustle and bustle around. She sighed and rested her hands on the balcony's ledge. Frost started to form on the sun warmed stone under her hand, but she ignored it. Ever since she thawed everything and used her powers to benefit Arendelle, her people accepted her with open arms. They never thought of her as a monster; just a scared woman who was afraid of being hurt. She gazed around the courtyard, some people seeing her on the balcony, waved to her. She smiled down at them, and dipped her head slightly. Suddenly, something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. A shimmering. Like looking through clear ice, and blurry. Like the figure was vibrating. It looked like it was in the shape of something… A person? No, a man. With a stick, taller then him, and curved into a "C" at the top. He floated over, and hovered in the air. A gust of icy wind whipped around her face as the figure flew up and closer to her. He seemed familiar, but Elsa couldn't put her finger on it. She stared straight at him. Then, she saw a pair of shockingly blue eyes appear, and her breath caught in her throat. They were just like hers. And they were beautiful.
Part 2- Frozen Hearts
Jack flew closer, and heard the woman suck in her breath. He wondered again, Can she see me? He moved a little closer, right in front of the stone railing. She backed up a little; withdrawing her hands from the railing, leaving frost in the pattern of snowflakes. He reached out and touched the frost. He smiled, and leapt over the railing, landing in front of the queen. She retreated back, and then stood her ground with her chest out. She may not have full control of her powers yet or know exactly what she could do, but she knew that she could do a great deal of damage. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath in, and started to feel the snow rise up through her. He smiled, and chuckled, and her eyes snapped open. She whispered, "Who's there?" His smiled faded and he took another step forward, causing her to take another step back. He spoke, softly but clearly,
"You can see me?" Elsa squinted, lines becoming more defined, a face, arms, a body, legs. He still looked blurry, but less so. She nodded.
"Kind of."
"What do you see?" Elsa squinted again, not letting her guard down.
"A basic outline of your body, face and hair. But you're pretty translucent, and it looks like you're buzzing." She saw the man smile, dazzling white teeth sparkling.
"I can't believe this! You can see me! Well, sort of but you can still see me! And hear me!" He laughed, a deep laugh, but lighthearted like a child. Elsa looked at him intently. She repeated her question.
"Who are you?" Jack smiled again and did a flourished bow, dipping his head low.
"I am Jack Frost, your highness." Elsa inhaled sharply.
"The Jack Frost…?"
"The one and only." He smiled again, his face slowly sliding into focus and filling in with color.
"Why are you here?"
"To see you." Elsa's breath caught in her throat. He finally slid completely into focus, and he was gorgeous. His tall and slender frame was covered in a worn-out blue hoodie, frost decorating the end of the sleeves, the opening for the neck, and the rim around the hood's opening. He had on what looked like animal hide pants, tied with a dark brown leather cord around his legs. His legs were bare from the middle of his shin down, and barefoot. He held his staff, a tree branch covered in frost; the bark twisting up the stick. At the top, just over his head, it turned into a "C" shape, like a hook. His pale skin gleamed like opaque ice, his teeth sparkled like snow pearls. He had messy, snow-white, blondish hair, like hers. Just like hers. And his eyes… His eyes looked like crystals of blue ice, set against dark eyebrows and long dark lashes. An omnipresent mysterious smirk, and an angular face and high cheekbones defined his pale pink lips. If Elsa didn't know better, they could have been long lost twins. They stared at each other for a while, and then Elsa looked around at her people, still wandering and mingling around the courtyard. She cast a sideways glance at Jack, who was just smiling at her. She relaxed slightly, still on edge, and gestured for him to follow her inside. He nodded, and followed her into the spacious room of the King's study. He let out a low whistle, and followed her through the room into a maze of hallways and outside into the spacious gardens. She then stopped, and Jack slowed as well, coming to a stop a few feet from her. Elsa whirled around and stared at him, and Jack just looked back. She sighed.
"You seem so familiar. I wonder why that is." Jack shrugged and started exploring the garden. He walked around, letting the end of his staff drag on the ground, spreading frost on the ground. Elsa sighed, pacing in frustration. Elsa heard one of the upper level windows open, and she turned and saw Kristoff leaning out.
"Elsa, Anna's awake and asking for you! Come up." Elsa nodded and started off, and then Kristoff shouted down, "Who's your friend there?" Jack's head snapped in Kristoff's direction and he called up,
"You can see me too?" Kristoff got a weird look on his face nodded, and Jack jumped for joy. "I cannot believe this!" He jumped into the air and did a loop, the Wind carrying him in circles. Elsa looked at him, shocked, and slowly walked in to the castle. After inside, she sprinted up to Anna's room, and burst in. Kristoff was sitting there next to Anna's bed, and Jack was balancing on top of his stick. Elsa ran over to her bed, and grabbed her hand. Anna turned her head and smiled weakly at her.
"Hey, Elsa." Anna said weakly
"Hey yourself, Anna," Elsa said, returning her smile.
"Thanks for taking care of me for right now, sorry I got into this mess."
Elsa shook her head.
"Anna, really it's nothing at all. I'm your big sister, it's my job to take care of you." Anna smiled. "What was so bad that it had you tripping through the halls to get away from it?" Anna's smile faded and she closed her eyes. After a second, she opened them and spotted Jack in the corner.
"Wait, Elsa who's your friend?" Jack jumped up and laughed.
"Looks like everyone in this town believes in me!" Anna looked confused, and Kristoff stared at him suspiciously.
"Just, who are you exactly?" Kristoff asked scooting towards Anna on the bed. Jack tilted his head back and laughed, causing Kristoff to bristle.
"Don't worry Blondie, I won't hurt your girl. It's so funny, all of you see me yet none of you know who I am." Anna stared at him with narrowed eyes. Jack laughed again, and Kristoff shot him a venomous glance. "It's so funny because I've never been here either. You guys just all believe in me." Elsa shot Jack a look.
"Anna, Kristoff, this-" was interrupted by Jack jumping down and advancing towards Kristoff and Anna.
"Jack Frost, please to meet you, your highness," he said slyly, bowing in front of Anna's bed; and lifting his head and winking at Kristoff. Anna's eyes went wide.
"Jack Frost? The guy who controls winter?" Jack nodded his head, planting his staff down and spreading lacy frost through the room.
"In the flesh." Anna shivered as the frost spread up the bed and onto the sheet.
"What is the matter with you? Can't you see she's sick?" Kristoff yelled as Anna shivered more, curling up to Kristoff. Elsa walked over to the bed and dragged her finger over the blanket lightly, thawing the frost. Jack chuckled.
"Take it easy Blondie, I'm just having a little fun." Kristoff was about to say something, but Anna cut him off.
"You and Elsa look a lot alike." Jack nodded.
"Yeah. It's weird, but she's cute so it's all good." Elsa's cheeks blushed a little, and then walked over to Anna.
"Anna, you ignored my question. Why were you running through the halls like that?" Anna sighed.
"I was… scared."
"Of what?" Elsa looked worried, and Jack leaned in.
"It was a… feeling. Like I was being followed by some dark shadow or something. I felt so alone, like I did a lot when I was little. Then I heard this horrible laughing, and I looked behind me and no one was there. A shadow moved on the wall and spooked me so much it sent me running." Elsa understood how Anna felt. She was so scared when they were growing up, but she couldn't run anywhere. She looked puzzled, and Kristoff took Anna's hand and smiled, assuring her it was ok. All the blood drained from Jack's face, and he stood there frozen with wide eyes. Elsa turned to ask Jack what he thought it could mean, and she saw him, frozen. She walked towards him.
"Jack." She put a hand on his shoulder. He didn't respond. "Jack." She shook it gently. "Jack." She shook it more forcefully. "Jack!" She squeezed her fingers into his sweatshirt, and shot icicles out of her fingertips and into Jack's shoulder. He yelped a little and jerked his shoulder back; looking at Elsa.
"What'd you do that for?" He rubbed his shoulder.
"You completely… spaced." Elsa said, looking at him. "As I was saying, Jack, what do you think?" Jack shook his head, sighing.
"I was right, North should have listened to me when I warned him about Pitch…" Elsa looked at him. Jack then noticed something on Anna's face, like a smudge of soot. Jack started over to her, standing at the foot of her bed. Kristoff scowled.
"Hey, back off, Frosty," he said coldly, but Jack advanced anyway, and cradled the side of Anna's face that had the soot on it with his left hand. He ran his thumb along the smudge. Anna inhaled a little at his touch, his tender eyes looking so intensely at her. He withdrew his hand and rubbed his thumb between his index and middle finger. His eyes went wide, and he side stepped out.
"Oh no… how did Pitch even get out of his hole? I don't understand how this could have happened… I was right, I swear, I'll kill that-"
"What are you talking about?" Elsa interrupted. Jack turned and looked at her.
"Elsa, would you mind if I used your castle to host a meeting of the Guardians?" She tilted her head, confused. He didn't want to leave, considering he just got here and he hadn't gotten to know Elsa yet.
"Uh, what are the Guardians?" Anna asked, leaning forward in the bed with Kristoff's help. Jack slightly smiled at her.
"They help protect the kids in the world. They're chosen to help the children." Elsa interrupted.
"Do you know what that, that Shadow that chased Anna was?" Jack nodded grimly.
"Pitch Black," He spat out the name. He ran out to the balcony of Anna's that overlooked the garden, pointed his staff up in the air and shot five bursts of ice, refracting the light of the setting sun and lighting them up, turning them into rainbows. Jack turned back to Elsa. "Sorry to use the castle without permission, but I don't have time to fly back up to the Pole and have North call an official meeting. Plus, I don't want to go just yet. I have some things I'd like to do while I'm here." He shot Elsa a sly smile, and she blushed slightly and looked down. Elsa didn't understand why she felt so giddy like this towards him; normally men feared her or just thought of her formally. And she didn't trust him at all, yet something about him seemed so… familiar. She turned her attention to the balcony and walked outside and stood next to Jack. She glanced and saw he was a bit to close, and stepped to the left. Jack smiled a little, and as the final rays of light stretched out over Arendelle, the streets and courtyard emptied. From inside, Elsa could hear Anna and Kristoff's breathing become regular and slow; and Jack just kept looking to the sky. Elsa turned to look at him; the way his jaw curved up and his eyes were half hidden in his messy mop of blonde-white hair. His blue eyes looked up at the sky, a small smile on his lips. Why is he so familiar? Elsa wondered, and broke her eye contact with his face. She looked up just as a burst of light appeared overhead and something flew through it. Jack laughed and the Wind picked up, sending him soaring into the sky. Elsa turned and closed the French doors, so not to disturb Anna and Kristoff. A shape was flying through the air. Elsa squinted her eyes to try and make it out. A carriage? No. A sleigh.