Chapter One:
It was snowing, cold, very late at night and the streets were devoid of people who sought shelter from the chills of winter. I couldn't stand the thought of lying down in some stranger's roof, so it made me decide to walk around the woods. It was a first for me, since I am always flying around when I need to.
Ever since I became a Guardian, I never felt belonged. I'd known from all of my travels that I'm the only legend that isn't well known. The others had books made for them, they even had days celebrated just for them. Probably all the kids know who they are in just a glance! It made me realize that they are just smiling when I'm there. They are just smiling because they need to. Behind my back, they are questioning the Man in the Moon. "Why did he become a Guardian?", "Is he really one of us?", "Why is he so cold to everybody?" I was supposed to be the Guardian of Fun. But the fun wasn't clearly something I deserved.
So I left. I left and decided to do my job on my own. I still do my duties but I don't meet up with them. My relationship, if there was even a relationship, with the other Guardians is strangers doing the same job except I had no desire to rekindle it.
Ever since the night I had left and had that accident, they've been treating me like a nuisance over an acquaintance. My insides would just burn with hate whenever I saw them or heard them call my name so for years, I chose to stay out of sight whenever the Man in the Moon called for us.
Tonight, I had no idea where exactly I was going but it didn't matter at all. To me, being outside during the winter was my freedom. Being immortal isn't that great when you realize. You see the kids growing up, and the next thing you knew you're looking at their grandkids. I can never be at the same time they are currently living forever.
After much wandering, I ended up in the mountains by coincidence. The mountains here in Arendelle are beautiful, they looked perfect with the rows of dormant trees below them waiting to awaken from the dead of winter. I made it sure that whenever winter comes around at this kingdom, I freeze this mountain first. They were my personal favorite.
Feeling a little tired, I stepped towards one of the rocks and sat down. For moments, my eyes stared emptily at the little stars up in the sky. Everything was so calm and peaceful. But I feel lonely.
No matter what time of day it was or what weather had enveloped this kingdom, this one spot was a place I enjoyed taking a moment for. But after about 15 minutes, I decided it was time to move on before I bore myself to death. Right when I was about to stand up and leave, I heard loud voices coming from my left. Five meters away from me, I saw a girl with white blonde hair bundled up in a blue and two tall guys that seemed to be looking for trouble. Talk about right timing. What the hell are they doing in the woods?
"Little girl, you shouldn't be wandering around the woods at this time of night." The guy was holding a long dagger on his hand, looking at the girl with hunger in his eyes.
"It's not a good idea for girls to be out this late, you know?" the other guy remarked, he wasn't holding anything but I can assume that he's ready to pounce on the poor girl.
They were a bunch of bandits. I thought they weren't any of them around this area, but it looks like some of them finally settled in. And I guess they're already looking for trouble. I looked at the scene once more. The girl stared blankly at the ground, ignoring them. Her fists were clenched tight; she looks like a trapped rabbit between two wolves. I simply looked on. My joints were stiff and unable to move at the trepidation that I could have attracted unwanted attention towards myself. I knew in my mind that I should have done something but I questioned whether my actions could really make a difference.
Nobody can see me. What can I even do to help them?
"Hey kid, you hear me?" the one with the dagger asked.
A bit of my consciousness rushed in. I looked around the area behind me; searching for anyone else who could have noticed or were watching, just in case things escalated. But there was no one. Was I really the only one who could do something?
Just then, I heard the girl reply in a stern, foreboding tone. "How about you leave before I beat you both down into the ground where you belong?"
It was a good distance from my spot to hers but I could tell her eyes were glaring at the two men. Idiot, was she not even scared? These guys didn't look like the type to screw around.
"What's she saying?" the dagger guy said mockingly. "This is the first time I've heard a little girl talk back like that. Don't you know your manners, kid?"
"Damn it, just take her already. The others will be happy to know that we've got goods to sell." the second guy yelled impatiently.
This was bad. Something clicked in as I jumped out of my spot and sprinted towards the girl. But before I could even get half-way towards her, she had already subdued the bandits with inhuman speed and a few wide, bone-cracking kicks. In less than a couple of seconds, I could see the man with the dagger down for good while his partner started struggling on one knee to get up.
"Damn you!" the second guy pulled out a knife from his pants.
No time to think. I charged straight for his back and tackled him from behind combining myself with the wind. He fell forward and I could tell the knife had fallen far from his hand by the sound of a heavy object crunching in the snow. As I held him down to the ground with my snow, I could tell this person was much larger and stronger than me.
His eyes were closed, probably because of the impact so he didn't realize that he was fighting an invincible opponent. It didn't take him a lot of effort to roll over and somehow push me off before raising his fist and giving me a solid punch. I panicked but realized he couldn't touch me, so his hand took a blow from the frozen ground.
I grinned in satisfaction as I heard him scream his lungs out. I couldn't blame him; hitting a frozen ground with such force is enough to break your bones. He was about to stand up but I flicked my wrist just in time for my staff to hit him behind the head. It was a good blow that he immediately fell towards the ground, unconscious.
While I pushed myself off the ground, I could see the patch of snow where the knife had fallen. I picked it up and began to freeze it before breaking it into pieces. What is with these guys? I wondered looking at the unconscious body of the guy with the dagger. I saw the girl standing in a defensive pose looking at me.
"Who are you?" she said. Her voice was soft as the snow that lay around us, nothing like the menacing tone she gave to the bandits earlier.
I gasped. "You can see me?"
"Of course I can, did that guy hit your head or something?" She answered, lowering her guard.
"No… but, you're not supposed to see me." I answered, my voice cracked probably because it was unused for a long time. "I am Jack Frost, the Spirit of Winter."
She looked at me curiously, her eyes studying every inch of detail of my body. "THE Jack Frost? As in the one in the books?"
This is surprising. I never thought that I would get to see a believer who's old enough to be a lady. "Yes, the one and only." I grinned, creating a snowball with my right hand.
Her eyes twinkled in surprise. I wasn't used to anyone being too interested in me so it was kind of embarrassing seeing her stare at me. She held her hand out and to my surprise, she magically formed a snowball the same way I did.
"You have the same powers as me!" I exclaimed, shocked by the sudden turn of events. "That's so cool!"
The girl was still smiling when I heard shouts from the nearby. It was probably the friends of these bandits. I looked around the area and thought what would happen if we stuck around for them to come. "We better get away." I said as I produced a small blizzard opposite the way we are heading to. I took her small hand with me and ran away from the scene.
We both started running towards the mountain without looking back and without stopping. It was only when her lungs and stamina gave out did we pause to catch our breath. (Like I ever get tired of doing anything.) It wasn't like we were criminals on the move but I didn't want to sit out any longer out there, explaining to the bandits that this was all done in the act of self-defense. They could've taken it the wrong way and decided to deal with us harshly.
Luckily, we had stopped in front of a castle made out of ice.
"What the hell?" I said out loud, looking at the magnificent building right in front of me. How come I've never seen this before?
Without hesitation, the girl climbed the stairs and stepped inside the castle. It opened with just a touch of her hand. We were greeted by the sight of a large room made out of ice with stairs leading to the second floor. A frozen fountain was situated in the middle of the room. There wasn't anything to see but I was too speechless with the sudden turn of events. Without a word, the girl started to take the stairs so I just followed quietly. She was probably tired from all the running to even talk to me.
We ended up in some sort of kitchen. It was also made of ice, but I can see some normal food sitting by the table. She started taking out cups from the cupboard, and a bunch of containers from another place.
"Would you like some tea, coffee or cocoa?" She asked without turning around.
"Cocoa please." I answered.
There was an awkward silence as she made the drinks for the both of us, she shortly returned to me with two small cups of cocoa. And they're cold.
She must've noticed my expression when I began to drink it because she said, "Sorry. I can't really produce hot water with me freezing it before trying to heat it in the first place."
"No, no! It's fine. I'm not a fan of hot beverages myself anyway." I said quickly. "Thank you, by the way."
She smiled at me, drinking her own cocoa. For five minutes, we stood silently sipping our drinks with a few glances towards each other's face. It wasn't until I had a quarter of a cup left that she finally spoke.
"Thank you," the girl said quietly, "for saving me. I'm very grateful you were there to help."
I stared at what was left of my drink. "It was nothing. Besides, you took them down pretty well without my help."
"Still, you were brave enough to actually come help me." I turned my head towards her to notice she was smiling. The girl was really beautiful, even after getting into a fight and looking a little ruffled, I thought she was still very beautiful.
My mind started to play back the images of her taking down the bandits, "Where the hell did you learn to do all that back there?" I asked.
"I taught myself a few things. I really don't want to hurt anybody with my powers. So I practiced doing some self-defense on ice dummies." She blushed, brushing back a strand of hair behind her ear.
I chuckled, "Really? It's still really amazing how strong you are, despite knowing that."
"Well, I have to. I always come here at my castle. So I may have gotten into a few fights with some bandits and pirates lurking around the woods. But you were pretty amazing too; you managed to take that guy down with your staff. You even destroyed that knife."
I smiled at her and looked at my cocoa. The sudden silence made my eyes return back to her, "What is it?"
"You never told me your name."
"Sorry. It's Elsa."
It was a beautiful name for such an amazing lady. It suits her perfectly.
"What are you doing in the woods anyway?"
I told her. Elsa's affectionate smile widened, "Really? I'm glad."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because that means we'll be seeing each other again since I tend to take walks during winter."
"But I've never seen you before. Even this castle surprised me. It wasn't here last summer."
"Yes. I might have to tell you the whole story someday."
"Why not now? I've got an endless amount of time."
She laughed, "I'll tell you some other time." she sipped the rest of her cocoa, "I guess it must be fate that we met, tonight."
The fight earlier must've drained her because her voice sounded tired. I guess I need to leave for now. I have a bunch of questions waiting for her but I need to keep it in. A lady wouldn't like a pushy man.
"I guess I'll be going then." I said, placing the empty cup back to the table.
"Yeah, it was very nice meeting you."
"Do you want me to make sure the bandits aren't around to trouble you anymore?"
"N-no, it's fine. They wouldn't be able to come up here anyway."
I looked at her face. Was she blushing or was she just cold? "Ok. I'm pretty sure you can hold them on your own anyway." I grinned.
Elsa smiled, "Of course." She stared at me for a second before saying, "Will I see you again, Jack?"
That statement made me realize that she was expecting me to see her again. I tried to hide the happiness I felt. "Of course, as long as you believe in me. You will always see me."
A smile formed on Elsa's face. It was enough for me to smile back at her.
"Good night, Jack."
"Good night, Elsa."
And like that, we went on our separate directions.
