Elsa's POV
The tears that ran down my face had turned to icy crystals from the chilly wind. I huddled under my cloak, trying to block out the world. They all knew. They all knew my secret, and I would never be the queen my mother and father wanted me to be. Everyone thought I was a monster.
I didn't know where I was going. I just ran. Ran away as far as I could go until I could no longer see any signs of human civilization. I found myself hiking up a steep mountain calf-deep in snow. It soaked my boots and chilled me to the bone. I wasn't even remotely surprised that there was snow in the middle of summer. My secret was out; the newly ordained queen of Arendelle was a sorceress. Why did I have to be cursed with these powers? Why couldn't I be like my sister, Anna, who was so ordinary, so simple, so ignorant. It was all my fault that she had to find out about my powers the hard way. I could still remember that fateful day, when I was inches away from freezing her tiny little heart . . .
I was at the peak of the mountain now, and the tears were falling faster than the snow up above. There was so much emotion built up inside of me . . . sadness . . . anger . . . guilt . . . loneliness . . .
I was not much of a singer, but the words and melody flew from my mouth so fast that I couldn't control it. I sang of all my heartache, my longing, my burden of being queen. I was so caught up in it that I didn't notice a slight shadow flit upon the snow, then quickly vanish.
Jack's POV
The girl was literally making ice from her hands. I had never seen anyone do that before, except for me, but I had my staff to channel the power. This girl, ice just sprouted from her fingers.
She was singing. When the Moon sent me here to the North Mountain, I didn't know why I needed to come. But the things that the girl was singing about . . . man, it made my life look easy.
When I saw her hiking up the mountain, she was cold, frail, and dull. But there was light and happiness in her eyes and she twirled around, making ice sculptures rise from the ground. I floated far up above her, only the wind supporting me. I was sure that she wouldn't be able to see me, but I eventually had to fly higher because she started erecting a skyscraping ice castle that could've impaled me if I didn't move.
Man, was it beautiful. The design was so precise, the architecture so detailed. It blew my mind how she was able to create it without even touching it with her hands. And the ice looked different too. It must have contained some sort of magic, because it didn't melt, it was durable and strong, and it was crystal-clear.
I whistled from up above. This girl's got skill. But why did the Moon send me here? Was it because she didn't believe in the Guardians? Did she need to find her center, like me? I tried to imagine what the girl's center would be . . . singing, maybe? I laughed a little to myself. Despite the fact that the girl was a wicked singer, having a center for it couldn't be a thing. Your center needs to be a part of you that describes you, like your purpose in life. Mine is fun. Spreading joy and laughter to all those who needed it. When the girl was crying and climbing the mountain, I was sure that was why the Moon sent me here. But now, with her looking happy and bright and building giant ice castles and stuff, it made me second guess.
The girl walked into her castle and slammed the doors with such force that I was sure they would shatter and break. But they still held up, as if made of stone than ice.
Well, if the Moon brought me here to fix a problem involving this girl, I needed to at least introduce myself. I willed the wind to fly me a little lower to a window in the castle where I could see the girl standing. I flew in and leaned against the wall, twirling my staff and trying to look nonchalant. But it was so hard, considering the fact that the girl changed her clothes from her dark blue dress and cloak. She wore a turquoise dress with a slit near her thigh, and a thin, sparkling trail that I was certain was made of ice. Her hair was in a loose French braid and woven with small pieces of crystal that matched her dazzling azure eyes. Her back was turned to me, so I decided to start up the conversation with one of my famous one-liners.
Elsa's POV
"You have a lovely voice," said a voice behind me.
All the joy and freedom that I mustered when building my palace shattered like ice. I whirled around, completely terrified. Who could have possibly have followed me here? And I thought I was alone when I sang . . .
"Wh-who are you?" I demanded, trying to sound confident, but my voice cracked a little. Fear. I outstretched my hands towards the figure, trying to seem ready for a fight. How did he get here? I realized my hands were ready to attack with my magic, but fear took over and before I knew it, point-sharp icicles whizzed out toward the figure, pinning him to the wall. I looked at my hands in utmost fear. No, I did it again. I am a monster. I looked up at the person I pinned to the wall, and my heart almost stopped, like it was frozen in ice.
It was a boy, somewhere in the age range of fourteen to nineteen, but his voice definitely sounded mature. He had messy, silverish hair, bright blue eyes, and a smile that would make my sister Anna drop dead from love. He worse a casual blue sweatshirt and brown pants, but no shoes, which showed off his white-pale skin. A long, wooden staff hooked at the top clattered on the floor when he dropped it. Even though there were razor-sharp shards of ice inches from slicing his skin, his wicked smile didn't drop.
"Woah, there, princess," he said. "Don't go impaling me with ice; I'd like to keep all my body part intact, thank you."
"Who are you?" I demanded more fiercely. "And do not call me princess."
He held is hands up in a fake surrender. "Sorry. I'm Jack Frost. And I would have shaken your hand, if my sleeve wasn't pinned to the wall with magical ice."
I tried to force down my fear. "Sorry, Jack. You just scared me. Here, let me help you with that." Staying where I was, I released the icicles from his clothes with my magic, and he fell to the floor. He picked up his staff, and I could just barely see a thin layer of frost spread out on the wood from the place where his hand touched it. He held out a pale hand.
"Shall we try this again?" he asked, smiling.
I didn't like physical contact, not even something as small as a handshake, but I had almost killed him with ice, so it was the least I could do. I held out my hand.
"Hi, I'm Jack Frost," he said again. "And I think you have a lovely voice."
Ignoring that last part, I said, "It's nice to meet you, Jack. I'm Elsa. And I apologize for almost slicing you with icicles."
He shrugged and leaned back against the wall. "It's okay. But I can't say I've never thought about what it would be like to have a shard of ice in my abdomen."
I thought it was supposed to be a joke, but I didn't find it very amusing. I crossed my arms and stared at him.
He held up his hands. "Oh, okay, not the funny type. That's cool."
"How did you get here?" I demanded.
"Well, the Moon sent me here."
I cocked my head. "The what?"
He stared at me. "You know, the Moon. That big silvery ball in the sky that lights up the night." He drew a circle in the air with his staff.
"How can an inanimate object send you to me? And how did you . . . or it . . . know where I was?"
He pointed his staff at me and narrowed his eyes. His silver hair fell into his eyes. "Hey, don't insult the Moon like that, girlie. He was the one that chose me to be a Guardian. Have some respect."
"Respect? But it's just a —"
"Don't — even — say it," he warned.
I stepped back, a little scared how his attitude changed from being funny and cool to completely defensive.
"Sorry," I muttered, just so he would point the staff away from my face. "Um, about something you said earlier . . . the Moon chose you to be a . . . Guardian?"
His face relaxed and he resumed his cool. "Yeah, a Guardian. There used to be four — you know, North — or Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Sandman, and the Easter Bunny."
"But aren't they just —" I bit my tongue. My parents had told me when I was twelve that all those characters Jack Frost listed were just myths. Yes, it was sad, but I eventually got over it. "— fascinating," I said, trying to cover up. Jack narrowed his eyes a little, and I could feel them bearing into mine. My cheeks felt warm.
"Yeah, then I was added in to the group by the Moon," he continued. "We give hope to everyone around the world, and keep Pitch away from them."
"Pitch?"
"Pitch Black? The Boogeyman? Whatever you want to call him, he's not a fun guy. He likes to feed on the innocent dreams of children and make everyone believe in fear."
My blood chilled a little. There was that word again. Fear. It seemed to be popping up everywhere. My mind floated back to the day when we brought Anna to the trolls who healed her. Their leader told me that I would need to control my power. That fear would be my enemy . . .
"Hey, Snow Queen, are you okay?"
I snapped out of my daze and realized that my cheeks felt wet from tears. What an embarrassment I was, crying in front of strangers. What kind of queen was I? What would Mother and Father say if they saw me?
I turned a little and wiped my tears. "I — I'm fine."
"No, you're not. I may be a funny guy, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid," he said. "What's wrong?"
Still turned away from Jack Frost, I stared out of my window and into the murky night sky, dotted with soft white flecks of snow falling to the ground. I had created that snow. I had created all this . . . mess. I am a mess. I am a coward. I am nothing. I am not a queen. I held out my palm and felt my fingers tingle with power. A small little ice flurry appeared in my hand, taking the form of a two little girls playing together. I stared at the memory of Anna and I having fun in the magic that I made. It was a wonderful gift then, something that brought joy. The flurry changed into the scene of Anna lying on the floor, my magic knocking her out. Now it was a weapon. A curse. And I would never use it.
"That's some pretty deep stuff," said a voice right beside my ear. It surprised me so much that when I whirled around, I stumbled and felt myself falling. But then . . . I feel support under my back, holding me up, and I see Jack's (alright, fine, I'll say it) dreamy face above me (there, are you happy?). He caught me from falling, and all I could do was stare into those powder blue eyes and smirk on his face for what seemed like an eternity.
I snapped out of my daze and stood up myself, pushing him away from me. "I can stand up on my own, thank you."
"See, that's why I don't wear shoes," he said, apparently not hearing my comment. "They just trip you up." He stuck out his bare foot.
I stepped away from him, trying to forget the feeling of him arms around me. Don't get attached to him, you're not Anna. And you'd probably end up hurting him in some way or another eventually.
"Don't your feet get cold? And don't they hurt from walking around?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Who said anything about walking? I fly."
And just like that, he was lifted up in the air by an invisible force. A playful smirk spread across his face at my amazement. He was set back down. "And no, I don't get cold because I invented cold." He tapped his staff on the floor and a thin layer of white ice snaked across the floor in an intricate, spiraling pattern. But I didn't like it. It did not seem natural to me.
"Well that is nice and all, but can you do this?" I stomped my foot on the floor and his ice melted away. My magic swirled up the columns around me and spread to the ceiling, where it sprouted into a spiked chandelier that reflected off the moon and made the room glow.
"Or this?" I waved my hand toward Jack's direction and a jester's hat, made entirely of ice, appeared on his head, crystal bells tinkling softly.
He looked up and grinned, shaking his head so the bells would clang. "It's a good look for me, right?"
He looked so stupid that I just had to laugh. I waved away the hat, melting it to the floor. Then it suddenly occurred to me that I was laughing while my whole world was in turmoil and stopped abruptly. The comfortable frown replaced my smile and I turned away.
"What was that?" he asked. "We were having fun!"
"Fun," I mocked, the word tasting bitter in my mouth. My parents were dead, my kingdom in shambles, and the world frozen over. "How is any of this fun?"
He cocked his head and looked at me. I could just see the crease between his eyes, looking concerned. He really was good-looking, but thinking that way in a time of crisis just made me feel even more guilty. "I'm leaving. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."
I walked out of the room and through a couple of corridors to a bedroom I created just for me. I waved my hand and more comfortable clothes appeared on my body. And climbed into a bed made entirely of ice and pulled a glistening blanket over myself. I was shivering uncontrollably now. It wasn't healthy for me to be sleeping in such a cold place, but I figured that it couldn't hurt me since ice was practically a part of me.
I closed my eyes and wished that I could forget everything about Jack Frost. He was just another obstacle in my way to make me feel bad for everything I've done and everything I left behind. He was just someone to remind me of all the fun times I used to have with my sister, when we were both so innocent and careless. But that was years ago. And I did not need another reminder of all the wrong I did, and how everything changed because of me.
Jack's POV
For some reason, I felt cold when Elsa was gone. I don't normally feel cold, but her presence made me feel warm. When she stormed away, I actually shivered.
It was almost scary how abruptly she changed, from laughing and happy to moody and distant. I hoped it wasn't anything I did wrong.
The ice was clear and reflective all around me. I glance at a glassy wall, and saw my own self mirrored back at me. I had a center. I knew what my purpose was. I was a Guardian. But why did I feel like something was missing?
I willed the wind to take me out of the castle. I flew just under the clouds, looking down at the white snow piled up below me. I zoomed down to a snow hill and touched it with my staff. The snow hardened into ice, forming a sort of igloo. I rearranged some of the snow and using a little magic, I managed to make a little ice cave for the night. It was chilly inside and I closed my eyes, hugging my staff to my chest. I thought about the girl named Elsa. She was so beautiful and full of light, but she also had a dark side that I only just barely glimpsed from her little snow flurry-movie screen. What really had happened?
Suddenly, my eyes snapped open.
How was she able to see me?
Those who don't believe are not capable of seeing us Guardians, especially if they never even had heard of us. Elsa had mentioned that her parents told her stories about the Guardians, but she never said that included me. Which probably meant that she didn't even know I existed. So how could she see me? How did she know where to place that ice-jester's hat on my head if she didn't know I existed?
The question kept me up all night.
Elsa's POV
I had the dream again. The one with the boy with ice powers and silver hair. I had been having this dream for . . . a long time, just a few weeks before my coronation. He was floating in murky darkness, which I could only assume was water, since his hair floated around his eyes and face. It wasn't always that color, though. It used to be a rich brown, like the color his eyes used to be; the color of his staff.
His body was limp. His eyes were closed. He didn't seem to be in pain, and there was a look of utmost serenity on his face.
Just then, through some cracks in the ice above him, a glowing, silver light shown on him, lighting up his perfect features. It glowed divinely, encasing his whole body in the light, but the boy didn't seem to notice or feel it. Then his hair turned silver. His eyes snapped open, and they were powder blue, like the color of the sky on a snow day.
He floated up to the surface, breaking the ice and rising to his feet. He was breathing heavily and looking at his now-pale hands and feet. He reached for the staff next to him, and a layer of ice spread like ink bleeding all around the wood where his hand touched it. He dropped the staff in surprise, but picked it up again in curiosity. He touched the hooked top of the staff to the trunk of a tree and a delicate pattern crept up all along the bark.
The boy's eyes lit up and he started whooping and freezing anything he could find. He discovered that the wind was his friend and supported his weight, allowing him to fly through the air.
He came to a village of people bustling around. Small fires were lit everywhere to block out the coldness and darkness of the night. He said hello to the people but they didn't respond to him. Some children were running around, playing a game, and came across the boy's path. He bent down to their level to ask them something, but they passed right through him, as if he was made up of nothing but air.
The boy was breathing heavily, clutching at his heart. Then he looked directly at me, his wide blue eyes bearing into mine, filled with something familiar to me and unmistakable.
Fear.
I sat up with a start, my neck and forehead a little moist from sweat even though I was literally sleeping on ice. I then realized that I was shivering uncontrollably and goosebumps were spreading all over my body. My mouth felt dry and then I sneezed. Uh-oh. I knew those symptoms. I was sick.
I couldn't say that I had many experiences with being sick. I just assumed that my powers protected my immune system, making it stronger than the average person's. But Anna got sick enough times to tell me that I, now, was suffering from a fever. What was I going to do? I didn't have any medication with me, and the nearest market that would sell any would be too far away for me to travel to in my condition. Then a thought sparked into my head. If he was still here . . . no, I told myself. You are not getting help from Jack Frost. You are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. I swallowed and it hurt. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and placed them on the floor, immediately turning them to ice. My whole body felt numb and I shivered so hard that my body shook. I needed to find a warm blanket and something warm to eat. I was about to stand up, when his voice startled me.
"What in North's fluffy Christmas shorts were you thinking, sleeping on a bed literally made of ice!?" said Jack Frost. I cursed myself for feeling relieved at the sound of his voice.
"I — I'm fine," I said, trying not to let my voice shake from shivering.
"Of course you're not fine, Elsa," he said. "You have fever."
"How did you know that? And did you sleep last night?"
"Well, I made an igloo outside and camped out there, but then I realized that it was warmer in here so I came in. Then I heard you moaning in your sleep and saw that you were shivering."
"You were spying on me in my sleep?"
He shrugged. "Anyway, I found a place called Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and picked up some stuff for you."
He brought out a warm blanket, some vials of medicine, a box of tissues, and some food. I stared at him in shock. I finally let myself admit that he was the nicest person I had ever encountered in a long time.
He made me sit against my bed and I wrapped myself tightly under the blanket. It helped a little bit, but I still had chills. Jack took out one vial of bluish liquid and gave it to me to drink. It made me feel warm inside and I felt a little droopy. Jack sat beside my bed and gave me some of the food he picked up, which calmed the grumbling in my stomach. After being treated, I was feeling pretty okay, except for the fact that I was really tired. Jack sat next to me and told me funny jokes that I just had to laugh at, until eventually, I lay down, snuggled under the blanket and fell fast asleep.
When I woke up, the sun was a little brighter than before, so I assumed that it must have been noon. I sat up in my bed and wrapped the blanket around me tightly, even though the chills were gone for the most part. I still felt a little groggy, but I looked around for Jack. But the room seemed empty of him.
"Jack?" I said quietly.
Jack slid into the room on the ice, a wild grin on his face. "Hey, there. Feeling better?"
I nodded. "Where were you?"
"Just exploring the castle . . . sliding down banisters . . . all that stuff."
"Sliding down banisters?" I asked, puzzled. Whoever heard of such a ridiculous thing?
"You've never slid down a banister before? Oh, it's the best. When you're over your sickness, I can show you." He slid sideways over to my bedside, his feet squeaking a little on the ice.
He put his hand on my forehead, and I froze with fear. What was going on? His hand was soft, but cold, like freshly fallen snow.
"Hmm, you still have a temperature," he concluded. He looked at me, a glint in his eye. "No sliding down banisters yet."
"Thanks for taking care of me," I said, mumbling a little. "I'll try not to sleep on ice next time."
"That might help," he said. I laughed a little.
"So, quick question," said Jack. "I've been thinking about this. When people don't believe in one of us Guardians, they can't see us until they truly believe. You said yesterday that you didn't believe in the original four Guardians, but I was really confused why you were able to see me."
I looked down at my hands. That was a really good point, but I didn't have a straightforward answer for him. The only information that could be somewhat helpful would be the strange dreams I had of him.
I told Jack about the dreams and when I started having them. He was a great listener, and I couldn't help but notice how cute he looked when he was concentrating on something. Ugh, what is happening to me?
"That's strange," he said. "I don't know how you could possibly know about how I became a Guardian and all . . . maybe it's a plan of the Moon. Maybe he has a reason for us meeting."
I nodded. I was still a little wary about the whole Moon thing, but I decided not to let that get in the way.
Jack brought me some more food and medicine, which was a different kind that didn't make me sleepy, but more awake. I felt energized, and jumpy, as if I had drunk three pots of coffee. I didn't even feel sick anymore.
"Come on," I said. "Teach me how to slide down a banister."
"Elsa, I don't know . . ."
"Please?" I begged, trying for a puppy-dog look. A mischievous grin spread across his face, and he pulled me out of bed. I knew that if I wasn't jumpy from the medicine, my legs would be freezing because I was still in my pajamas: blue shorts and a gray shirt. I took my hair out from my French braid and let it hang, wavy, down my back.
Jack showed me the correct position to sit on the banister and before I knew it, I was slipping down the railing so fast that my hair blew behind me. Jack waited for me down the long staircase, cheering.
I was nearing the end, and I got a crazy idea. I thrust my hands upward and a long bar of ice hung from the ceiling. I reached up and grabbed it, pulled myself up, and stood on it, my feet numb, but I didn't care.
Jack flew up next to me and tried to sit down, but I jumped off and created another ice bar from the ceiling and grabbed onto it, like some kind of magical trapeze artist. Jack looked momentarily surprised, but flew over to me to try and catch me, but I swung off and grabbed hold of another one.
It was fun trying to escape from Jack, teasing him when he got really close. But I was getting tired now, and finally sat down on the bar, letting my cold feet dangle. Jack flew over and sat down next to me.
"Gotcha," he said.
"Okay, okay, you win."
He laughed a little and stared out at the depths of the castle in wonder. "This place is so amazing," he said. "How did you do it?"
I shrugged. "I don't really know." I kicked my feet a little. "I used to think that my powers were something to be ashamed of, but now, looking at everything I made, I never really knew what I was capable of."
"It's nice, isn't it? Feeling free. Being away from everyone and everything, not having to abide by rules."
"Yeah," I said. "Arendelle, my home, probably thinks I'm a monster right now, but it's best this way, me being away. I'm not a hazard to anyone. I won't hurt anyone. I can just live by myself, being me."
"Why does Arendelle think you're a monster?"
I told him about what had happened at the coronation. "Everyone saw who I really was, and they knew that they wouldn't want someone like me to be their queen. So I left. It's really better this way."
"Do you think you'll ever go back?" he asked.
"I don't know. Of course, I would want to see my sister again, but I'm afraid of hurting her again. And I don't want to know what she thinks of me now, seeing that I have powers."
"She's your sister," he said. "She would never hurt you. From what I hear about her, she loves you very much."
I nod. "And I love her. But I can't express that love because I . . . I don't know how. Before I almost froze her heart, we were so close. But when her memory was removed, everything changed. I was forced to stay away from her all those years, and . . . after Mother and Father died . . . our relationship never really improved. It actually got worse."
Jack looked lost in thought. We sat in silence for the longest time, but I didn't mind. I've learned that through all the closed doors at Arendelle, silence can sometimes be a beautiful thing. You can hear your thoughts loud and clear. You can discover who you are. You can hear the ones you lost crying in it. And you can hear yourself crying, because you know that you can't change who you are, no matter how much magic you put into it. You will always be the same person, inside and out. You can't take away what you have done in the past, but you can change the future. And my being away is what is best for all of us.
"Do you want to get down?" Jack asked, pulled from his daze.
I nodded. He put his arms around me and we descended to the ground. He led me back to my room, where I huddled under the blanket, thinking about Anna. Yes, I have learned to accept who I am, but will she? Will she still love me, even if I am a monster?
Jack tucked the blanket around me, and I felt a rush of gratitude toward him.
"Get some sleep," he said. Then he leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. Even after he left, I could feel the tickle of his silver hair on my skin, and the warmth that encased me by his touch. I closed my eyes.
Jack's POV
I stood at the balcony on the second floor of the castle, just a few rooms away from Elsa. My hands squeezed the railing until my knuckles turned white. The Moon was sending me a message. I recognized its silvery glow surrounding me. I knew why it came: Elsa was close to finding her center. No, she was not a Guardian. But she was the queen of Arendelle, and a lot of people depended on her. She needed to find her center in order for her to become the ruler that she needed to be for her people. And I knew exactly what it was.
Love.
Elsa loved her sister Anna, even when they were distant Elsa still loved her. But Elsa didn't know how to show her love, because she never felt love before. She was always criticized and scolded for her powers, which blinded her from the person that she needed to learn how to love before she loved anyone else. Herself.
Elsa needed to know how to love herself. She needed to understand that, no, you can't change who you are, but you need to appreciate everything that is good in your life, which would be the only way to teach her that being Elsa was not all that bad. But how?
I had received help from North to find my center, but I had never helped someone find theirs. I tried thinking about all the ways that North helped me discover who I was, but it occurred to me that I had done it all by myself. I didn't even know how I did it, so how was I supposed to help someone else?
Frustration clawed at me and I picked up my staff. I touched it to the railing and let the ice sparkle its way down around the rail, tracing an intricate pattern that I was sure Elsa would love.
Suddenly I heard a strained cry from down the hall. Elsa, I thought. What could be happening to her? I gripped my staff and began to make a run for her room when someone small and grainy dropped on my head. I sifted through my hair with my fingers and felt in between them a familiar, black, sandy substance that could only belong to one person.
Pitch.
I ran to Elsa's room and threw open the door, poised at the spot with my staff pointed. I saw Elsa in her bed, squirming and clutching the sheets so tight that her knuckles were white. I looked next to her and found none other than the origin of fear.
"Pitch," I said.
He turned toward me and smiled toothily, which matched his dark hair, eyes, and robe. Only his grayish skin was visible of him, but I could just picture that evil smirk.
"Jack Frost," he said in a deep, drawling voice.
I heard the snorting of an animal behind me and whirled around, coming face to face with a pair of fiery orange eyes, just bright enough for me to see the black, grainy body of a hungry horse. One of Pitch's nightmares.
Pitch put his hand close to Elsa's forehead and I could see her strained face streaked with tears.
"What are you doing to her?" I demanded.
Pitch whistled and his mare came over. He stroked the horse. "Ah, just letting her see her worst fears . . . ah, fear." He said the word with absolute delight. "Such a wonderful, beautiful thing. It wakes you up, you know? Oh, soon this poor girl will become the next meal for my mares." He said it casually, as if talking about the weather outside or what was on the menu for lunch. Which, I guessed, was Elsa.
"I'm not afraid of you," I said.
Pitch opened his mouth to speak, but I shot a blast of ice at him that took him by surprise. "Oh, so you want to play it that way, Frost? That's my favorite game."
Suddenly, the room darkened. The glow of the reflective ice was gone, replaced by a consuming, murky darkness. I knew immediately that Pitch's other mares were coming. And I needed reinforcements. Closing my eyes, I gripped my stick and imagined a silver bunny hopping around. I opened my eyes and saw it there in front of me, hopping in mid-air. I sent the bunny outside the window, giving it orders to get help from the other Guardians. I didn't know how long it would take, but I needed to hold off the mares until then.
Streaming through the windows so fast that I couldn't make out their physical definition galloped a swarm of black-sanded, snorting, fiery-eyed horses. I blasted without thinking, shooting arcs of ice and snow at them, reducing the monsters to crackling piles of black sand. One mare tackled me to the ground and threatened to break my staff with its hoof when all of a sudden, a thundering rumble made everything stop.
North's sleigh. The Guardians were here.
Bands and whips of gold sand threaded through the cracks in the ice and demolished the mares one by one. Sandy bounded inside on a bed of swirling dust, lashing his whips in every direction. He gave me a muted wink.
Then I heard a swarm of chittering, buzzing noises and hundreds of little fairies with hummingbird beaks came zooming in, followed by the Tooth Fairy herself, covered in feathers of every color and twittering as she flew around the room chasing the mares.
Next came in good old Bunny, who popped up from a hole in the floor. He's about six foot five and covered in gray fur, which can make him seem rather cute. But he unleashed his boomerangs and crushed the nightmares into black sand castles.
Lastly, priding himself with his yetis, came North, decked out in a black babushka and two seven foot long swords on each side. Between slashing the monsters, he tried to talk to me.
"How did they get here?" he boomed in an accent tinged with Russian.
"I don't know," I said. "The Moon led me here to her." I pointed at a shaking Elsa. "Then Pitch came out of nowhere."
North slashed a mare just above my head. "Go find Pitch. We can hold them off."
I nodded and dashed away. I ran throughout the castle, my footsteps echoing on the ice. He usually liked hiding in small corners or underneath beds, but I already checked under Elsa's.
I stood atop the grand staircase and yelled, "You can't hide forever, Pitch! Come out and face me!"
A dark black mass glided across the icy floor, taking the shape of Pitch's head. He laughed maniacally, then materialized right beside me.
"Boo," he whispered. I whirled around and shot a blast to his heart, which should have ended him, but he disappeared.
"Ah, here we are again," echoed a disembodied voice. I spun a three-sixty on my heel to look for him, but he simply wasn't there. "You say you are not afraid, Jack Frost. But I beg to differ."
"Oh, yeah? Then tell me! Tell me what I'm afraid of!"
"Little Jack Frost, all alone without a family. Poor Jack Frost wondering why the Moon chose him to be a Guardian. Tiny Jack Frost, afraid of losing the only person who understands him."
"You —" I stopped. I didn't let myself believe it. That Elsa and I connected. But Pitch knew everyone's fears, including mine. He knew that I didn't want to lose her. This just proved that fears never truly go away. Conquering them only holds them off until more come along.
"Well, you know what?" I yelled. "I'm not afraid to lose her! Because you will be defeated once and for all!"
Pitch just laughed. "Oh, Jack Frost, you really crack me up sometimes, you know? It's just like you thought about in your little, tiny head. Fears never truly go away. Conquering them only holds them off until more come along."
I was speechless. I didn't even know what to think anymore.
"I will always be around, Jack. Always."
The voice stopped talking and the clanging of weapons and shouts from down the hall ceased. Pitch was gone. For now.
I hurried back to Elsa's room, where Bunny, Tooth, North, and Sandy were all standing, looking desperately at Elsa's bed. They looked at me and I looked at them.
"What happened, Jack?" Tooth asked.
I ignored her and hurried over to Elsa's side. She was shaking uncontrollably. She was freezing cold, but her head was as hot as a furnace. Her eyes were opened, but their beautiful azure color was dull and faded, clouded by fear.
"Elsa—"
She began thrashing and yelling, tears streaming down her face. She was a downright mess.
"Elsa, please—" I placed my hand on hers, but she pushed it away. She couldn't look at me.
"It's—my—fault!" she yelled in between shuddery breaths. She was broken beyond repair.
"No, Elsa it's—"
Was her fever giving her hallucinations? Had Pitch tortured her beyond repair? Nonetheless, Elsa was not okay.
She was wheezing and her eyes were wild with fear. She didn't stop thrashing, pulling the icy sheets out and sobbing. Her eyes were red and puffy. I didn't care that the other Guardians were watching. Pitch was right, I didn't want to lose her. I was not going to let that happen.
I got onto the bed and sat on my knees right in front of her. I took her thrashing wrists and placed them down on my thighs, holding them there until they stopped fighting. I looked her dead in the eyes, which were wide.
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," I promised gently. "Nothing is your fault. You are who you are, which is beautiful and perfect, okay? Your sister loves you still and she never will give up on you. Your parents would be proud that they had such a brave daughter like you. You will be the perfect queen, because all you need is love. Love for yourself. For your family. For everything and anything that you want. That is your center. Love."
Elsa had stopped squirming now and I looked dead into her eyes and saw my own reflection.
"Will you ever give up on me?" she asked quietly.
I squeezed her hands. "Never."
And then, despite the fact that North, Tooth, Sandy, and Bunny were standing right over there, watching the whole thing, I leaned in and kissed her. It was a promise that I would never forget her. A promise that she would never forget me. It was a promise that we would be there for each other, no matter what.
I wasn't sure how long we were there like that, but it honestly could have been forever. I heard harsh whispers and shuffling feet behind me and I heard the door close. Everyone left.
"I saw them," said Elsa. "I saw them ever since Pitch tortured me. I saw them fighting the nightmares and I saw you challenging him by yourself. And I believe I have found my center. Thanks to you, I love myself, my family . . ."
A grin spread across my face. "And me?"
She smiled too and the light was returning back to her eyes. "Well, it's either you or a snowman, Frosty."
"Frosty?"
"Oh, shut up," she said, and kissed me once more. The once cold feeling I had outside on the balcony was replaced by a fire so bright that I thought it would smoke my skin. Neither of us were no longer cold, even though we both had ice powers. Knowing that we had each other was the only warmth we needed, and that was surely something that not even the fuzziest of blankets could top.