10 years later
"Hot chocolate?" A man offered, startling Jack whom almost slipped from the roof he was sitting on.
Jack stared at the mug then to the man who offered it. He was a big burly man with red winter sweater and long brown breeches. He was rather old, with graying beard and hair and kind blue eyes. "Heh, it's just you, North." Jack accepted the mug. "It's summer. Isn't it too hot for hot chocolate?"
"It's never too hot near the spirit of winter," North patted Jack on the back. North or commonly known as Santa Claus was a great benefactor among the spirits. He was the reason spirits were able to enjoy mortal goods such as a mug of hot chocolate. Jack Frost met the man not long after the Man in Moon woke him up. He taught him the basic of being a spirit and introduced him to others too. He was the closest one to a company Jack ever had.
Jack took a sip of the soothing beverage and stared to the distance, his back against Arendelle castle's chimney. It was the peak of summer in Arendelle and dusk was nigh. Arendelle couldn't be more beautiful. The sun was rolling down the horizon, reflecting its glistening orange light to the fjord. The sky took a purple and amber hue, basking the castle with similar color. It was breathtaking.
"You've been pouting on this roof for a decade, Jack," started North.
"Really?" Jack glanced at North. "Didn't feel that long."
"Everyone notices your absence. Even Bunny is starting to miss your pranks."
"Bunny misses me? Ha! Isn't that the news of the decade," Jack chuckled.
"He won't admit it if you ask him, but I know. I can feel it," North patted his stomach and gave Jack a wink. "In my belly."
They both laughed but afterward silence ensued. "It's about the girl, isn't it? She troubles your mind?" asked North. Count on North to know about everyone in the world. The saying 'he knows if you've been bad or good' was true after all. "I'm not going to force you to spill everything Jack." He put a hand on Jack's shoulder. "I just want you to know I'm here to listen, whenever you're ready."
Jack mood turned somber. He slid to a sitting position, almost splayed. "It hurts, North," he said almost sighing.
"Hmm?"
"That day, she almost believed in me. She was opening up. She could hear my voice." Jack looked up. Dusk had settled and the moon began to shine its pale light. "But only to be shut out again the next second. You don't know how hopeful I was that day. I thought finally someone could see me, finally I could correct my mistake," Jack raised his hand and opened his palm. A beautiful snowflake danced over it. "Finally I could help her." Then he closed his hand into a fist, crushing the snowflake. "Then my hope was crushed, just like that. Eleven years of waiting, North, only to realize she would never let anyone in."
"Yet still here you are, ten years after. Why?"
A sad laughter escaped Jack's lips. "I wonder why too."
"You still hope that someday, one day, she can see you, don't you?"
"Ever since I woke up, not a single person had heard me but her. She's my greatest chance of being believed in." Jack leaned toward North and whispered. "And I promised a troll too."
However, Jack wondered if he still was qualified to watch over her. During her most troubling day, when her parents perished at the sea, Jack hadn't been there for her. He had watched from outside the window, impotent, when she had wallowed in despair, her sister in the same state just on the other side of the door. He hadn't come inside, hadn't try again to reveal himself. The pain of rejection had still been raw in his heart.
"But today is her special day, is it not? The least you could do is to stand by her, invisible or not." Jack pondered the idea while playing with his staff, spinning it here and there just to stall having to answer North. "You know I'm right, Jack."
"Argh what the hell," Jack stood abruptly. "It's Elsa's coronation day. I should show some support." He grinned.
"That's the spirit."
Just before Jack could fly down to the celebration, the gates of the castle were slammed open. Out came Elsa, running out greeted by the townspeople, but Jack noticed something wasn't quite right with her. A woman with a baby in her arms approached Elsa. She too noticed there was something odd. Elsa backed away from her, cornered against a fountain. Her ungloved hand touched the rim and in an instant the fountain water froze. Peopl1e stared at her, chattering in horror.
Another person stormed off from the castle, a noble, pointing at Elsa. "Stop her!"
"Please, just stay away from me. Stay away!" Ice escaped from Elsa's hand, blasting the noble and his bodyguards off their feet.
"Monster..." the noble sat up, again pointing at Elsa. "Monster!"
Around her, people began taking a step back. Some even hid their children, as if trying to protect them from her. Elsa turned and ran.
Just a moment later, Anna too came out from the gate. "Elsa!" she called her but Elsa ignored her. Anna took off after her, followed by a guy Jack never saw before.
"What happened?" asked North as he approached Jack.
"It's Elsa. They know now."
"Know what?"
"Her power," Jack said still staring at the figure of Elsa getting further from his sight. "I have to go." He called the wind to carry him, following Elsa wherever she might go.
"I'll catch up to you!" Jack heard North shouted to him before he was too far from hearing distance.
Elsa stopped at the edge of the water. Hearing Anna approaching, she turned her body and took a slow step back. Her foot touched the water but instead of submerging, the water turned to ice. Without a second thought she turned again and ran for it. Anna had just arrived at the shore but Elsa was already halfway across the fjord. She tried to go after her but she tripped. The guy who followed Anna helped her up but by then, Elsa had reached the other end and ran toward the mountains.
Jack didn't give up chase. He followed her through the woods, wondering when or where she would stop. He too wondered how or where she found the strength to scale a mountain in one night. Was her fear of her own power so great that it could drive her to that extent? It must be so. She never even once looked back when she ran. She must have wanted to escape for so long. Guilt began to tear at his heart again, reminding him of all the time he should be there for her but hadn't.
Jack stopped mid-flight as memories raced in his mind. He remembered when Elsa had crouched against the door, weeping for her lost parents. He remembered when Elsa had cried for help and Jack answered her. He remembered how he had been so close to be believed in, only to get thrown out the window and shut out, quite literally too. Most of all he remembered how it was him. He was the one who caused so much pain in Elsa's life, although unintentionally. A visit, a simple visit had gone so wrong. Why had he so insisted to see the baby anyway? Had he so longed to be seen, he couldn't help himself? If only Jack hadn't been there that night, he wouldn't inadvertently give his power to Elsa and thus ruining her entire life. Did he still have the right to chase after now? After all that he had done?
Sensing his unwillingness to press on, the wind began to lower Jack to the ground. Jack dropped to his hindquarters, leaning against a tree. Staring up, he saw the moon shone its pale light. "What am I supposed to do?" Jack asked the moon.
"Take more responsibility," Jack heard a voice said but it wasn't the moon. The troll king, he remembered, had tasked him to take responsibility of his mistake regardless how he felt. Jack squeezed his staff and willed himself. He had promised Pabbie and it was one promise Jack intended to keep.
Jack summoned the wind again and took flight. High above the canopy of the forest, he searched left and right for any trace of Elsa but the storm she summoned had since buried all traces of footprints. Then, high on the top of the North Mountain, Jack saw it. A blue castle rose from the ground, majestic and regal. Not wasting another moment, he flew there.
Jack arrived shortly after to find Elsa had built a castle of ice and even decorating it. She was finally letting her power flow, letting herself free from the clasp of fear. Jack was too stunned to move from his spot, only observing as the castle rose even higher until finally it stopped.
Jack marveled at the structure before him. He found himself smiling. Pride and a sliver of envy collided together inside him. Just a moment of letting go and look at what Elsa could do. He touched the handrail of the stair that led to Elsa's castle, so smooth and pristine under his hand. Jack chuckled. That chuckle turned into laughter as he climbed the stair to the gate of the castle.
"Elsa!" he called out knowing full well Elsa wouldn't be able to hear him. Jack pushed open the gate and beheld a frozen fountain in front of him. He smoothed the rim, grinning to himself again. To his right, he found a long staircase leading upward. He climbed it too, increasing his pace to a brisk walk.
At the topmost floor he found Elsa. She was out on the balcony, bathed by the ray of sunrise. She had made a blue glittery dress for herself along with a transparent cape. Her tightly bound hair was now a tied into a French braid decorated with snowflakes. Jack could only see Elsa's back but nevertheless the view was breathtaking. Elsa was breathtaking.
"Took you long enough, Jack," North appeared behind him, breaking Jack from his trance.
"Nor... North," Jack flustered but quickly composed himself. "Where have you been?"
"Checking out this castle. I must say, your girl is powerful."
"Yeah, we love each other so much that she is so used to my presence to the point I'm invisible to her," Jack said sarcastically. "Wait, she can't see nor hear you either? But you're Santa Claus!"
"She's a 21-years old woman, Jack."
"Right..."
"What do you want to do now?"
"I don't know." Jack turned to Elsa whilst leaning on his staff. "She looked happy here. Maybe she doesn't need help after all."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm not. That's why I'm staying here for a few days until I make sure she's perfectly fine then..."
"Then?"
"Then I'll leave. It's about time I move on. Twenty-one years is long enough," Jack said with conviction in his eyes.
North put both his hands on Jack's shoulders. "Good call," he said smiling at Jack.
There was a knock which made the three of them turned toward the door. Elsa dashed past them, completely oblivious to their presence. Jack was about to run after her but stopped himself and glanced at North. North nodded and Jack followed after Elsa.
Elsa stopped and beheld Anna just at the bottom of the stair. Jack couldn't help but to commend the Arendelle sisters' fervor. If driven, it seems they could accomplish anything. Anna tried to convince Elsa to return home with her but Elsa walked away, running toward her chamber. Anna persistently followed her.
"We can head down this mountain together. You don't have to live in fear," Anna said. "I will be right here."
"Anna," Elsa turned to Anna, eyes filled with love and concern for her sister. "Please go back home, your life awaits. Go enjoy the sun and open up the gates." Jack finally caught up to her. North was still in the room and they both observed the two sisters.
"Yeah, but..."
"I know you mean well, but leave me be. Yes, I'm alone but I'm alone and free." Elsa walked to the balcony and Anna walked with her. "Just stay away and you'll be safe from me." She shrunk away from her sister and went back inside her chamber.
"Actually, we're not."
"What do you mean 'you're not'?"
"I get the feeling you don't know."
Elsa rolled her eyes at Anna in frustration. Her sister always had that annoying trait of beating around the bush. "What do I don't know?"
"Arendelle's in deep, deep, deep, deep snow…" Anna said slightly reluctant.
"What?" Elsa, Jack and North's voice echoed together in the room although to Anna's ears its only Elsa's voice she could hear.
"You kind of set off an eternal winter… everywhere."
"Everywhere?" Her emotion starting to become a jumble again and the room started to snow.
"It's okay. You can just unfreeze it." Anna looked at Elsa with hope.
"No, I can't! I… I don't know how!"
"Sure you can. I know you can." The revelation of what she had done and how bad it was made the snow became a blizzard, swirling around the room with Elsa at its center.
Elsa averted from Anna, the blizzard starting to become stronger. "Oh! I'm such a fool. I can't be free."
"You don't have to be afraid."
"No escape from the storm inside of me." Elsa was so busy with her own emotion that her sister's voice was nothing but a distant call.
"We can work this out together."
"I can't control the curse." Jack felt a prick in his heart. A curse, of course that was what Elsa thought of her power. Heart full of ache, Jack began to walk away.
"You want to leave now, Jack?" asked North.
He glanced somberly at North. "Yes." It was all Jack could muster to say.
Jack began climbing down the stairs with downcast eyes while North switched glances between the two sisters and Jack. He then decided to go after Jack. As they climbed down, a man and a snowman (?) climbed up with haste and passed through Jack and North. Jack didn't even look at the face of the man or wondered why there was a walking snowman.
"Jack wait," said North panting. They were quite the distance away from the castle and were at the edge of the forest. "She clearly needed help there, Jack. She wasn't truly happy."
"You heard her!" Jack said full of rage. His patience was growing thin. "She thinks her power is a curse, from a curse. Even if she can see me, she would never let me help her because it's me. I'm the one who gave her that CURSE." He hissed the final word, throwing all his anger and frustration at North. North looked at him disbelievingly. "I…I'm sorry, North. I didn't mean to…" Jack stammered then sighed. "I'm so tired. I'm tired trying to be responsible for my mistake, for her. How can I be responsible for someone who doesn't even know I'm there?"
North looked at Jack with pity. He then slung his arm around Jack neck. "What you need is a good long walk. Let's go."
"I don't that will help, North."
"We'll see."
So Jack followed North, half walking half dragged, but soon he willingly walked by himself. North was right, the walk helped clear his mind a bit. They lost all tracks of time and for spirits and guardians like them, time didn't really matter. They were deep inside the forest when suddenly a horse galloped through Jack and North to the direction of the North Mountain and then a second one and another few. Although he only caught a glimpse, Jack recognized one of them to be the man who was with Anna the night Elsa ran away. Jack also noticed they were all armed.
"Where are they going?" asked North.
Instinct made Jack thought about Elsa. "They're coming after Elsa! I have to help her!" Forgetting about North, Jack took flight and rushed to the ice castle.
The men were there already. Jack saw from afar the men dismounted and approached the stair. Suddenly, the snow mound just by the staircase shifted and showed its face. It stood up revealing a horrendous snow monster. The men fired at it, but their arrows were easily blocked by the monster. With a single fling of his arm, it swept them off their feet. Two men dressed in red noticed Elsa closing the door. They took their crossbows and quickly chased after her.
Jack furrowed his brows and charged after them when something knocked him on his side. He rolled and tumbled on the snow before finally regained his footing. He crawled and looked behind his shoulders, seeing he was now a distance away from the castle. He turned and glared at his attacker. "Pitch," he hissed.
"Hello again, Jack." Pitch smile smugly.
"Looking for another beating?" Jack readied his staff, aiming at Pitch.
"But that's where you're wrong, Jack. I'm here to thank you."
"What?"
"You see," Pitch circled Jack, still grinning smugly. "I fed off quite well of Elsa's fear. She wouldn't supply me with such delicious delicacy if it wasn't for you." Jack charged at Pitch. Pitch raised his arm and as easily as that, Jack was thrown away. "I'm stronger now, Jack, and remember, it's summer now. You're at your weakest, aren't you?" Pitch smirked victoriously.
"I'll beat you nonetheless," Jack aimed his staff and shot an ice shard from it. Pitch raised his palm and deflected it easily.
Jack didn't give up attack. He swung his staff to send flurries of shards at Pitch. Again, Pitch just deflected it as easily as the first. He deflected everything Jack threw at him whilst he closed the distance between them. Finally, standing in front of Jack, he grabbed Jack's neck and lifted him off his feet. With his other hand, he summoned a scythe. Jack struggled, trying to free himself from Pitch's grasp, his staff thrown away in the fight. "Have a nice nightmare, Jack Frost."
"Ho! Ho! Ho!" Someone laughed as his body checked Pitch, sending him sprawling to the snow and releasing Jack from his grasp.
Jack fell to the ground, grasping for his staff whilst coughing all the while. A hand was offered to him and Jack took it. "Nice timing, North. Thanks," Jack said as North helped him up.
"You're welcome," North said while unsheathing his twin swords.
"He's stronger because of Elsa's fear. I can't beat him now."
"Well two can accomplish much more than one." North gave Jack a meaningful grin.
"You really think you can beat me, North?" Pitch stood up, dusting off the snow from his robe.
"I don't think, Pitch. I know."
North roared as he rushed toward Pitch, swords ready and poised. Pitch summoned his sand scythe again and swung it at North. Their weapons clashed together. There was a momentary test of strength before North came in the upper hand and shoved Pitch back. He began a series of slice and dice which Pitch block and dodged. Pitch sidestepped to the left when he suddenly skidded and fell. Jack had turned the snow into slippery ice moment before Pitch laid his feet on the ground. North jumped, ready to deliver the final blow when Pitch chuckled and dissolved into shadow to the ground. Carried by momentum, North struck the ground instead. "We'll meet again," Pitch's voice echoed his last parting words.
North pulled out his sword from the ground and sheathed them. "You have something to do, Jack."
Jack nodded and flew to the castle, hoping in any way he could help Elsa. However, when he arrived at her chamber there was nobody there and it was a complete mess. Elsa's ceiling decoration had fallen to the ground, her balcony in ruins and there were jagged spikes of ice everywhere. Jack ran out to meet North. "She's not here! They got her!" he exclaimed in panic.
"Go! Go back to Arendelle! They must've taken her there."
Jack flew as fast as the wind could carry him. From high afar he could see a storm brewing in Arendelle. Driven by urgency, he begged the wind to carry him faster. He searched for the eye of the storm, knowing Elsa would be there.
There was a figure, not too far from the eye of the storm walking with swaying steps on the fjord. Jack stopped and saw it was Anna. He was shocked at the state she was in. Her hair had turned white much like his and Elsa's and slowly her body was covered with frost. Her fingertips too had turned blue. What had happened to her?
Suddenly the blizzard stopped and there was a sound of sword being unsheathed. Both Anna and Jack turned to the source of the sound. It was that guy leading the horsemen, his sword raised high to strike a kneeling figure in front of him.
"Elsa!" both Jack and Anna cried, one running and one flying toward her.
Jack stopped in front of the man, staff raised horizontally to block his sword but it passed through him like he was thin air. No… Elsa… Jack thought as he reflexively crouched down and embraced Elsa in his arms, trying to protect her. He closed his eyes. In his heart he knew the sword would pass through him anyway and struck Elsa.
"No!" a shout then, there was a sound of metal hitting something hard. Shards of blade shattered around them. Jack and Elsa looked up to see Anna, one hand raised, frozen. The man who had attacked her was sprawling on the frozen fjord.
"Anna!" Elsa screamed frantically. She scrambled to her feet. "Oh Anna… No… No… Please… No…" She touched the cheeks of her frozen sister. They were perfect ice, cold and pristine. Elsa threw herself at the frozen statue of her sister, weeping.
Jack stood up. He was dismayed. A little devil in his heart told him it was good that it wasn't Elsa who died. He squeezed his staff and shook his head. How could he even think of such a thing? Elsa just lost the only family she had left in this world.
There was a blonde hunk, a reindeer and a snowman approaching them but Elsa couldn't care less. "I'm sorry, Anna," she whispered to the statue again and again. "I'm so sorry."
It was a miracle out of the blue. Before their eyes, Anna began to thaw out starting at her heart. Elsa felt Anna moved and locked her eyes to hers. "Anna?" she cried out in a joy and hugged her like never before.
"Oh Elsa," Anna sighed.
Releasing Anna from her embrace, Elsa cupped Anna's hands with hers. "You sacrificed yourself for me?" Elsa asked.
"I love you," Anna said, an answer so simple yet so beautiful.
The snowman gasped. "An act of true love with thaw a frozen heart," it said.
"Love will thaw…" Elsa repeated then looked at Anna with surety in her eyes. "Love! Of course!"
"Elsa?" Anna looked back at her expectantly.
"Love…" Elsa directed her hands to the ground and slowly lifted them up. The snow and ice all around them and Arandelle followed her movement. A ship rose from the frozen lake where they were standing. Elsa clasped her hands together and all the snow combined into one giant snowflake and when she spread her arms again, the snowflake dispersed. Summer had returned to Arendelle.
"I knew you can do it," Anna smiling at his sister.
"Hands down this is the best day of my life," said the snowman as it began to melt, "and quite possibly the last."
"Oh Olaf," Elsa and Anna chuckled. "Hang on, little guy." Elsa twirled a finger, reassembling the snowman and made a cloud of snow just above its head.
The snowman gasped. "My own personal flurry!" he exclaimed and chuckled bashfully.
The man who had aimed his sword at Elsa began to regain his consciousness. The blonde hunk marched to him but he was stopped by Anna and she personally approached him.
"Anna?" the man stared at her confused, "but she froze your heart!"
"The only frozen heart around here is yours." Anna walked away only to turn back a second after and gave him a good punch on the nose that send the man overboard. There was a cheer from the onlookers and Anna hugged her sister again.
Jack smiled. His heart was a mix of happiness and sadness. He was happy Elsa finally found control over her power and no longer lived in fear of it, but sad that he had no part in that revelation. Elsa didn't need him after all.
Jack flew off the ship and left. It was the last time he ever set foot on Arendelle.
Whew. This is one long chapter, although somehow I managed to finish it in just 2 days.
Anyway this is the end of the build up chapters. For all the Jelsa fans out there, don't mope. Jack will find Elsa again soon.
Sorry for those who wished Jack would look stronger in this chapter. His power you see is seasonal.
Thank you for reading. Look forward for the next chapter :)
SPOILER ALERT
Elsa finally sees Jack.
