Chapter 2
"Oh I don't believe it!"
No one noticed Bunnymund entering the work room with Jack, North, and two of his helper elves. He had silently come in through his magic hole in the ground, interrupting the standing Jack in mid-story. North was on his work seat, actively listening until Bunny interrupted. Upon his sudden arrival, North jumped back in fright, accidently bumping his ice palace sculpture with his hand. Luckily, the two elves jumped under it, able to break its fall, though one of the elves was crushed underneath, while the other held it so as it wouldn't fall over.
"What the... why doesn't any one knock! Not to mention my blinking work light is still on! Doesn't anyone see it!" North grumbled as he picked up the still intact sculpture. The one elf pulled his friend up, who was still wobbly from the impact.
"And what do you mean by that? This actually happened!" said Jack.
"You're just mad because there was an unseasonal winter that year and you weren't the one behind it" Bunny retorted.
"Oh, you're just worried that that polar vortex will creep into Spring."
"If it's another '68 blizzard, I swear..."
"Calm down Bunny" said Jack with a mischievous smile on his face. "I promised I wouldn't make any more blizzards on Easter didn't I? Besides, if Winter wants to creep its fingers into Spring, it's not my fault."
"Can you two please stop with the bickering and the yelling!" said North, annoyed by yet another argument between the two about the same darn thing. "Jack was in middle of good story, and I would like to hear it through!" he said as he sat back down with crossed arms.
"Ha ha!" laughed Bunny "Jack? Telling a good story? Let me guess, he's gallivanting about how he misuses winter weather for his merriment? Then whines to the Man on the Moon for the millionth time?"
North raised his finger to retort, but lowered it. "Well... yes, there was some of that. But he was getting to the good part I swear!"
"Thank you North!" said Jack. "Now, were was I before I was so rudely interrupted?" he said, glaring at Bunny, who just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, taking a seat on one of the chairs in the room. "Ah yes, so Elsa ran out, her magic out of control..."
Elsa burst out the main castle doors, forgetting that much of the city had turned out to see their new queen. She froze as everyone cheered for her, none of them knowing what just happened inside. Knowing she was being followed, she ran through the crowds, pushing her way through, ignoring the people showing her due respect. She couldn't think straight. Her secret of 13 years was just exposed to the world, before God. She honestly didn't know what to do, but isolation was the most comforting thing that came to her mind. She saw the man standing with a daughter, a young child. She backed away, afraid of hurting her.
Jack finally found his way to the front door. He floated out, seeing Elsa trying to escape, but is blockaded by her own people.
"Oh boy, this isn't good" he muttered. He flew forward, hoping to somehow remedy this.
Elsa thought she had a break and ran around the fountain, but is stopped by a woman with a baby in her arms.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?" she asked. Elsa, afraid of harming both her and her child, backed up.
Jack immediately flew around and landed in front of Elsa. "OK, listen, I know you can't hear me, but you really need to calm down. Trust me, panic will only make it..." Elsa leaned back, touching the fountain with her hand. Magic flowed out her hand and immediately froze the fountain, freezing the water in mid-air. All around, the people gasped in both awe and shock. Elsa looked up in horror. "...worse" Jack finished in a mutter.
"There she is, stop her!" shouted the Duke, standing on the steps with his body guards.
"Please, just, stay away from me, stay away..." Elsa raised her hands, hoping they would not come any closer, but in fear, magic shot out again, shooting beam of magic at the Duke.
"No!" Jack screamed, knowing the magic was going to hit the Duke head on. Acting fast, he jumped in front of the blast. He didn't exactly know what to do, never having to stop ice magic before. On instinct, he slapped the magic with his hand in mid flight, redirecting it down to the steps instead of the Duke. The steps now covered in ice, the Duke and his guards slipped and fell back. Jack landed nearby, crashing onto a hard wall and falling to the floor.
Elsa immediately recoiled her exposed hand, afraid to that more ice would escape. Jack watched helplessly as Elsa drew more into herself.
"Monster, monster!" called the Duke, pointing an accusing fingers.
"Hold on!" said Jack. He got up and floated over to the Duke. "Are you blind! You think she's doing this on..." he went to grab the Duke, but forgot yet again that he couldn't see him and just fazed through him. "This isn't fair" he said, feeling helpless. "There has to be something I can do."
Elsa looked around, seeing her subjects look upon her with fear. Only one option ran through her head.
Run.
She turned and ran, and ran and ran. Reason was gone, replaced by panic. Words and sounds bounced off her ears, none of it reaching her brain.
Not even the cries of her sister.
"Elsa!" Anna cried, running out the double doors. Her words fell on deaf ears as Elsa ran through, the people clearing out of her way. "Elsa!" Anna tried again.
Elsa ran out the courtyard and to the fjord. She had ran so fast and blindly, she failed to see that she had virtually trapped herself. Unbeknownst to her, Jack had followed her.
"Calm down. Please, calm down. Your sister can help. Listen!" said Jack. Elsa turned around, staring directly at Jack, but not seeing him. For the first time, he was able to see the years of fear and worry written on her face. She looked older than she was. She was shaking all over, like cornered deer, surrounded by wolves. And those eyes; never had he seen such hurt written in someone's eyes.
"Who are you?" he asked. He floated down, standing on the ground before her, staring right at her. "How, how do you have my power? You're mortal, right?"
Elsa took a few steps back, oblivious to Jack's questions. When she stepped down into the water, she felt her magic form ice, preventing her from stepping through it. She gasped, realizing what she was doing. Anna called again.
Elsa looked down to the ice, and made a decision.
"Oh no" Jack thought. As Anna burst through the doorway, Hans close behind, Elsa faced the fjord and ran. With each step, ice burst out, forming a pathway. Elsa ran and ran, leaving her sister, her kingdom, everything she had ever known, behind.
Jack stood there, watching her just vanish across the fjord. He found himself unable to move. He felt something wrong, very wrong in the world around him. He didn't budge when Anna and Hans phased through him. He felt pain and fear all around, like the world as encircling him, crushing him, wanting to destroy him. He felt like he didn't belong.
But they weren't his thoughts.
Jack backed up from the scene of Anna slipping on the ice while Elsa made it to the woods on the other side of the fjord. He felt dizzy, and suddenly lethargic.
"What's... going on?" he asked weakly as he fell to his knees.
"The fjord" said Hans ahead of him. Jack looked to the fjord. It continued to freeze, far beyond what Elsa had intended.
Then he noticed the snow, and a wave of negativity overcame him.
Jack was stunned. He could make ice, snow, everything that winter could do. But never to this extend. He was an extension of the season, not it's bringer. He could make blizzards, bring snow days, freeze entire lakes, but only within the winter season. Outside of it, he could only freeze at most a cup of water, and shoot a icy gust. He was tied to the season, and this derived his power from it. It powered him, gave him strength.
And he could feel it's grip coming upon this land.
"This isn't right" he murmured. As Elsa's winter swept through the country, Jack felt his own power increase. But this winter felt wrong. He felt sadness coming from it, and regret, and fear... so much fear. It was the opposite of his yet unknown center, and it was fighting him.
"Something's wrong..." he muttered, losing consciousness. As the negative energy wined out, he grew weak, and fell unconscious on the ice. "This winter, it's... sad..."
It was hours before Jack finally woke up. By that time, It was now early morning, and Elsa's winter had overtaken the land. At first, Jack felt grawgy. When realization of the situation finally kicked in, he shot up.
"Wait, what?!" he asked, shooting up and looking around. There was no one there now at the edge of the fjord. No Anna, no Hans, and no Elsa, just snow, lots of snow. He was baffled by the sight. All around, it was clear that winter had overtaken the kingdom. Not only did she have the power of ice, but apparently she was immensely more powerful with it than Jack had ever dreamed. "What, what happened? What the heck is going on?" he asked himself. He knew now that he was dealing with powers far greater, and dangerous, than his own.
He flew up over the castle wall and into the courtyard. Upon arriving in its center, he found it to be a flurry of activity. It had been snowing all night apparently, and a thick layer of snow has accumulated on the ground and the roofs of the buildings. People were walking about in a panicked state. Guards were about, handing out blankets, coats, and hot soup. It pained him to see so many people shivering, longing for warmth. Yes, he brought blizzards at times, but he never brought it to hurt people. Though he loved the season, it would sometimes bring out pain and suffering on its own, and he was powerless to reverse the natural processes.
Only this winter wasn't natural, and he could still feel the negativity engraved in it. It wasn't fighting him anymore, but it was defiantly there, hanging in the back of his mind.
He looked up. The moon was full, though fading as the sun rose. It seemed to Jack that whenever things got interesting on earth, or when he felt the need to talk to him, the moon was full. "This all you, isn't it?" he asked the Moon. It's been while since he talked to the moon. He didn't do it often, but every now and then, he would, if not out of boredom or to let off steam. This morning, however, he was angry. A woman with the power of winter itself, and it has run amuck, and there was only one entity that could have been responsible for it.
"You gave that woman these powers didn't you! Like you gave me them! And for what?! She's running scared, and I haven't been seen in over 200 years!" Jack yelled, fuming. ""You never even spoke to me about it! About who I am, why I exist in the first place! And what about her?! Does she know where she got her powers? What is the point! Do you do this for fun? Do you like messing with us lower beings because it amuses you?! Is that it, do you find this entertaining? Watching us try to figure out why we're here, and why we are what we are? At our expense?!"
No reply, as usual.
Jack looked down and shook his head in disapproval. He then looked back up. "Well you know what? I'm going to fix this, because you're sure not going too." Jack shot one last glare at the moon before flying off. If he was going to end this winter, he had to find the woman responsible. An extension of the winter, he could feel its epicenter coming from a mountain north of the city and he figured that was where Elsa would be.
I am really sorry about how slow this is going. As of right now, I have three active stories going on, two on hiatus. Yes, I know, too much on my plate.
Feel free to leave a review. Do you like how it's going so far, especially involving the nature of Jack's and Elsa's powers?
-Batman
