Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen.

Chapter One: Frostbite

Shutting the door tightly wasn't something Elsa would usually do. Especially if it was for absolutely no reason but to experiment with her powers without fear of hurting someone.

Even though the Snow Queen had finally been freed of her fears, saved Anna, and finally understood what it meant to be a queen and sister, she couldn't ignore that tiny little voice inside of her that warned her not to get too comfortable with herself. She might accidentally freeze someone else, and that was one thing that she would not do. She had saved Anna, well, okay. Anna had saved herself through almost pure luck.

Therefore, Elsa had made sure that Anna was out riding Sven with Olaf and Kristoff before she locked herself in her room.

Elsa sank onto the bed and sat there, frozen in her own way, for about fifteen minutes before standing up. She made herself and new ice dress and then looked around her room before filling it with three and a half feet of snow.

Elsa laughed with the sheer joy of being alone, being free, and having no eyes on her as she made little ice figurines and watched them come alive. She divided them up into two groups and gave catapults to one, a little fort to the other, and snowballs to all of them.

While they were having their snowball fight, Elsa made a small castle that was an exact replica of the one she had made three years ago, during the Great Freeze.

Pretty soon, the snowball fighters came over and started exploring her castle, their fight forgotten. Elsa made some houses, a market, and horses and roads for her little town. The castle sat on a little island and houses were neatly placed on the surrounding land. Ships were in the "harbor" and little kids were playing in front of the houses. With some shock, Elsa realized that she was staring at a passable diorama of Arendelle. The only difference was that the royal castle was replaced by her own.

Just as Elsa was going to give a little ice girl a flower, whose original ice flower had been run over by a horse, a knock sounded on her door. Elsa froze. Kai couldn't see her like this, playing with ice dolls and messing up her room.

"Elsa?" Anna's voice said. "I thought . . . I thought you said that you won't close the door any more." Her voice was trembling and Elsa sat down with a surge of guilt. She couldn't dissolve this ice and snow now. Not when she was scared like this.

"Elsa?" Anna's voice sounded exactly like it did when she was little, pouting because Elsa couldn't speak to her. When she was still locked in her room.

"Just . . . go away," Elsa choked. "Go away . . ."

Anna's footsteps walked away and Elsa nearly sagged with relief. Then she felt guilt. Why would she be feeling as if Marshmallow had gotten up from sitting on her when her sister walked away?

Elsa started to tremble. Conflicting thoughts bounced around her head and she wondered this was what Anna's head felt like. At the thought of Anna, Elsa felt like Marshmallow had sat on her and was there to stay.

You are a monster, the first voice said.

No, you're not. You just want to protect your sister, the second voice argued.

But you're crazy, the first voice insisted. You're playing with little toy dolls when there are other duties to be taken care of.

You am NOT crazy, the second voice snapped. You are just being rational!

You're talking to yourself, her conscious answered. What better evidence is that? Voices in your head–

Elsa firmly shut out the voices, slamming the argument to a screeching halt, its headlights blaring and wheels making skid marks on the well-worn street of her mind.

"Queen Elsa?" Kai asked through the door. "You have a meeting with the Duke of–"

"No. Please. Kai, can I have some time to myself? Please postpone the meeting for an hour," Elsa ordered.

"Your Majesty, I really don't think that is possible. You see, this meeting was the one that you postponed a day because you were reading in the library, and you wanted to play with Anna and Olaf," Kai said patiently. "It's in fifteen minutes."

Elsa just remained silent, and eventually Kai's voice reached her ears again. "Elsa? Should I call Anna?"

"No, Kai," Elsa said. "Please leave me alone."

Kai walked away but soon came back with another pair of footsteps. Elsa sighed softly, and thumped back on the icy bed. Already, icy vines were starting to creep up the walls. The window was frozen, so that when Elsa looked out of it, it looked like her world was shattered.

"Elsa?" Anna asked. "Um, would you like to build a snowman?"

Elsa rather enjoyed the shushing that signified that was not the thing Kai wanted Anna to say.

"Kai, what else should I say? I . . . what?"

The talking turned into whispers, and Elsa could hear no more. Frustration was building in her. She didn't want Anna to see her like this, not when she was panicked and definitely not in control.

"Elsa?" Anna tried again. "Your meeting is . . . very fun," she offered. "I have chocolate we can share after."

As much as Elsa wanted to, she didn't answer and paced the room. She didn't want to tell her sister that the door probably wouldn't open anyway. It was frozen closed, and the temperature in the room was subzero. Nope, Elsa was not going to open that door.

"Elsa!" Anna yelled. Then she got quieter: "I'm sorry, Elsa. But this is your last meeting for today. After we can play."

Elsa rolled her eyes, her sassiness taking over. Not happening, Anna. "Go away," she said, raising her voice.

"No! Elsa, I will not go away. If everyone knows that you are not coming out of your room, and not doing anything, what would the townspeople say?"

"Stop!" Elsa screamed, letting her emotions go and blasting the door open, greeting Kai, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf with an icy tempest. Her hands trembled uncontrollably for a few seconds before she pushed her mind to the limit and magic flowed out of her hands, not caring for any barrier except that of her mind. "Do not threaten me!" she yelled. "DO NOT THREATEN ME!" Within fifteen seconds, a majestic ice dragon rose out of the ruin of her shattered mind and room, as magic still poured from her hands into the creation.

Elsa's only thought was, I created that thing? before several things happened at once. The dragon roared triumphantly, Elsa's magic shut off like coffee dispenser, and her world went blissfuly and utterly, utterly black.