Narration

'Thoughts'

"Dialogue"


*~*~*~ Chapter Three: The Valley of the Living Rock ~*~*~*


Though the sounds of soft winds gently caressed against him and his ears, for whatever it was worth, Jack thought the world might as well have been silent.

The winter sprite had never, ever felt cold, save for once before. A cold that was unlike the one he felt when people walked through him. When he first awoke in that frozen lake years ago, he had felt deathly cold. Never again had he felt so numb.

Until today, that is. Until he saw a little girl with powers just like his. And those powers had hurt her innocent, little sister.

A good minute had passed, and the older girl had continued sobbing, letting out one wracked sob that echoed out to the window Jack was hunched over. It was enough to snap him out of his stupor.

"H-hey! Hold on, little girl!" he tried calling out from behind the window. "I-I'm gonna go get some help! Just wait right-"

He was interrupted, however, by a loud *THUMP* from the direction of the door to the large chamber. Looking over, he saw that the door had also been iced over in the girl's panic. Yet the resounding bang had knocked off some of the ice.

Another one followed the first. And then another. And another.

Finally, the door burst open. And on the other sides of the doors were the king and queen, looking upon the sight of their daughters with nothing akin of shocked horror.


Long after that night... I would wonder if they were frightened over the state of their daughters... or over what their eldest had done. I really hope it was the former.


"Elsa, what have you done?!" her father had cried out, rushing towards him along with her mother. "This is getting out of hand!"

"It was an accident!" she cried out, before once again cradled the head of her sleeping sister. "I'm sorry, Anna..." she whimpered.


Frost shook his head, his heart breaking from the sight. "Wait, no! She didn't mean to hurt her! It was an accident! She wasn't..."

For all of his cries, though, he knew they wouldn't hear him.


Lifting their daughter into their arms, both the queen and king inspected their daughter. On the surface, she looked fine, save for the change in her hair; the streak. But at the mere touch of her, they could feel a chilling cold. A cold unnatural for one alive.

"She's ice cold!" the queen cried in alarm, her eyes widening in fear for the safety of her daughter.

The king's did, too, for a brief moment, sharing her concern. Then another anxious second passed, and his eyes furrowed together in firmness, determination growing in his eyes.

His hands gripped her left arm, the one holding her youngest daughter's head aloft, which garnered her attention to him. Looking down thoughtfully, his eyes then met hers again.

"I know where we need to go."


The winter sprite watched the whole scene play out, worry growing as his left free hand covered his frown. Then the king and queen got up from their crouch, the king bringing up his eldest daughter to his arms, and stormed out of the chamber, his wife, still cradling the unconscious firebrand, hurriedly following after him all the while.

"Wait, where're you guys going?" he whispered in wonder, before thinking quickly, and ushering the wind to suck him up into the air once more.

Floating along the castle's walls, Jack peered into every glass window he could. Having had a good chance to memorize the castle earlier, he managed to find the royals quickly, finding them as they ascended the stairs to the top floor. They reached the apex, but the window stopped there, obscuring them from his sight.

Flying towards where the larger windows near the roof were, he glimpsed inside each glass, hoping to find the royal family. He went back to the room that belonged to the two sisters, but found no one there. He encountered another room, but it was empty. Rounding back to the sisters' room, he noticed that the door to it was still opened. That was when the boy saw a blur past by the doorway. The monarchs. Going around the corner of the castle, he came upon another window, and let out an exhale of victory when he saw the royals enter.

Gliding to the windowpane, Jack pressed his hands against the glass, squinting his eyes to get a look at the chamber they were in.

Before he can even register the inside, however, the glass gave way, and he fell inside with a startled cry.

The sound of the window opening had startled the queen, as far as Jack could hear from his spot on the floor. "What was that?!"

Pushing himself to all fours, the frosted boy let out a gasp as something cold went through his stomach. "Nothing, dear. It's just the wind."

Looking up over his shoulder, Jack Frost saw that the king had gone over to close the window, locking it. His right foot had gone through his torso as he did so, since, of course, the king did not believe in him.

"Hey!" Jack snapped as he got up to his knees, feeling the cold sensation of the king's foot through his stomach fade as the monarch moved away from him.

It was then that the winter sprite realized where he was.

He was no longer outside the castle. He was inside. And where should the entrance in be... but the castle's library?

"...The only way in would be in the most boring room in the whole castle," he sighed, lips pursing as he used his staff as leverage to get up to his feet. "Really gotta go over my personal biases sometime."

Standing up to his full height, Jack quickly took in his surroundings. The room was actually smaller than one would expect for a castle library. There was a couch over the carpet, where a table with a chess set was placed. Curious knickknacks lined the walls, like various violins, and even a painting of the king. Along the walls was a fireplace, as well as tall bookcases, which was what the king was going through at the moment. His wife and children were across the painting, near a table that had a model ship on top of it. Seeing this, he immediately rushed over to them.

Running to the queen's side, Jack peered up at the little girl in her arms. She was scrunching up on herself, now, shivering. It was then that Jack spotted the streak on her hair. The one that hadn't been a part of her strawberry-blonde locks.

"That wasn't there before..."

Looking down, it was then he finally spotted the magical girl. She was currently watching as her father was going through the book shelves.

Here she was. A girl who could control the snow, just like he could. He was finally in front of her. Crouching down, he saw that the girl was still crying, keeping her eyes on her father expectantly whilst also looking up to see how her sister fared. Reaching out, Jack's hand went towards her nearest cheek, intending on wiping away her tears. To his dismay, his hand only phased through. He couldn't touch her. She didn't believe in him. Any words of comfort he wanted to give, they could not reach her.

If only they had met under better circumstances.

Letting out a sigh, the boy's face fell into one of disappointment. Not at the little girl, though. He was used to that. But right now, she needed help. Her sister, her parents. They needed help.

Even if they couldn't see him, Jack would still try.

Eyebrows furrowing in determination, the boy spoke to the little girl. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. Don't you worry."

With that, he jumped to his feet, and strode to the bookcase the king was going over.

"Alright, Your Majesty, what're we lookin' for?" he asked, looking across the shelves for anything useful... and realizing he couldn't understand any of it. "...Okay, you're gonna have to help me out here, 'cause I can't read a lick of this."

"Where is it?..." the king whispered to himself, skimming through the books lined up before him. "I know I put it here for emergencies..."

"Put what here?" Jack asked. He then looked back at the shivering princess. "Actually, what exactly's going on with your-"

"Here!"

Turning around, Jack saw the king pull out a book from the shelf, and opened it. The boy watched as he skimmed through the pages, seeming intent on searching for a specific one. When he found it, something fell to the ground. Crouching down quickly, the sprite discovered that it was a map of sorts, which had an image of the castle, and dotted lines leading east into the mountains.

He stood up just as the king crouched down to pick the map up. It was only for the briefest of moments, but Jack managed to spot the image on the page of the book the royal was on. It showed what seemed to be a viking figure of importance - perhaps a king - laying down on a table. Above him was a round, shadowy figure, its arms raised up. And from the head of the king came out hazy, wispy blue smoke of some sort.

The frost sprite's brows dipped in confusion. "What are you thinking?"

The king of Arendelle got up in response, and phased right through him as he hurried to his family, ushering them out of the study.

"KAI! GERDA! SADDLE THE HORSES!" the king cried out in the hallway. It was loud enough for Jack to hear it even from the library. "OPEN THE FRONT GATES!"

It was also enough for him to get the idea to follow after them, gliding past the door, landing right behind the royal family.

"Hey, wh-where're you going?! What's the plan?!" the white-haired youth inquired hastily as he kept up with them. "What are you guys gonna do?!"

They were climbing down the round, grand staircase when he asked this, and he continued on down the hallway at the bottom. Another set of stairs brought them to the entrance hall, where servants were already scrambling to get the doors opened.

They were all startled and alarmed, words of worry echoing out amongst them. 'What happened?' they were asking. 'What is going on?' 'Is all well?' The king and queen did not answer them, too focused on heading outside to the castle courtyard. Jack knew, however, that the servants could see that something was wrong. It was written all over their faces, after all.

Striding past the archway, he saw two servants coming up to the royals from the stables on the side. It was man and woman, both in green servant's uniforms of their respective genders. The man was rather plump, with brown hair, but a bald spot on top. The woman was tall and lean, with grayish-brown hair, and a servant's bonnet. Each were leading white, regal steed towards them.

"Your horses, You Majesty. As requested," the man informed.

"Your Grace, is everything alright?" the woman inquired as the king took the reins of his horse from her, and the queen from the man.

"We will return soon," he informed, helping his eldest daughter mount his stallion before getting on himself. "Watch the castle while we're away!" he ordered. The queen took to her saddle as well, holding onto her youngest daughter with one arm tightly, who was growing colder by the second.

With a loud "HYAH!" the royal family rode off toward the castle's gates, and into the town ahead.

Jack watched the whole scene carefully, and his face scrunched up in determination as they sped off. Holding up his staff, he called the wind to him, and had it propel him forward to chase after the family. It did not take him long to catch up, making sure to fly right next to the king's horse.

The frozen boy turned his attention back to the magical princess, whose distress had not abated at all since her father took charge. In fact, tears were still welling up in her eyes.

His face fell in sympathy for her, but then furrowed back to regain his focus.

Jack only could hope that the king's plan to help his daughter would work. Whatever it was.

It had to.


Kristoff and Sven continued trekking down the usual path the ice miners took to unload their cargo for the day. They had indeed fallen behind, but it was partly for their own choice. The duo had almost caught up to the caravan, but had overheard their angry shouts and cries of frustration over their sudden joyride. Needless to say, the reindeer had come up with the plan to stay back a bit further to stem off their punishment, if only for a little while.

Somehow, the young boy thought that, even without that plan, they would have been way behind the other miners regardless.

Crossing a clearing, however, they had both slowed down at the sudden beats of hooves pounding the ground, shaking the earth beneath them. Looking in the direction they were coming from, the child watched as two white steeds sped off in the direction to their left.

What really caught their attention, however, was the trail the pair of horses was leaving behind them.

"...Ice?" Kristoff gasped in wonder, looking in the direction they went to, before sharing a glance with Sven.

Both were in agreement immediately.


Jack had managed to keep up with the horses, though that was never going to be a problem. Still, he had no idea where he was going, or where they were headed, for that matter.

During that time, Jack had gone over to the redheaded princess, who was still frowning in her sleep. He hoped that it wasn't because whatever it was her sister had done was getting worse.

The winter sprite then hovered over to the other horse, where the king held his daughter with one arm. The wind had dried her tears, but the girl was still wracked with worry and anxiety over her sister.

"Don't you worry, princess!" Jack reassured loudly over the wind, hoping the girl could hear him. Or, if not, at least reassure himself. "Your sister's gonna be fine! Just you wait! Your dad's gonna get her-"

He hadn't seen where they were headed, so he didn't see the pair of horses take a sharp turn on a corner. This led him to flying away from them, to his surprise. Frost tried to reorient himself to get after them, but crashed against the trunk of a tree before he could do so. Sliding down to the bottom, Jack pushed himself away from the oak, vision spinning as he stumbled around in a daze.

Shaking his head, the winter sprite made to raise his crook to fly off after them, but was hit from behind before he could. More specifically, behind his shins. He fell onto his back, groaning all the while. In the tumult, he had also felt that phasing feeling again when people go past him.

Lurching up, he spotted a familiar odd pair running past him. One Jack hadn't expected to see, if he were being honest.

"Sven?!" he coughed as he sat up. "Kristoff?!"

"Faster, Sven!" he hissed out to the reindeer, who merely answered with his own grunt. It was almost as if in response to Jack's reaction.

It was then that he felt a strange feeling in his hand as he got up to his rear. Yet, however strange it was, it was not entirely foreign to him.

Looking down, he saw that the grass, usually dark, healthy, and green this time of year, was actually blue, and coated with frost. Then Jack looked forward, and saw a trail of ice following after the direction the royal family had sped off to. He then looked over his shoulder, and saw that the trail extended far back than he realized.

That must have been how the boy and the reindeer had followed them. Somebody had left a trail. But...

"...I didn't do that..." he muttered. He was the only one who could around here.

But not anymore, he realized. Now there was somebody else. And she was likely terrified out of her mind right now.

With that, Jack quickly hopped to his feet, and made a starting run before the wind carried him back on the path. Frost made sure to follow the ice trail, knowing it would lead him to where his charges had gone.

It only took a good half a minute to catch up to Kristoff and Sven. And by then, he had already started to feel the changes in the air. The summer air around Arendelle this year had felt fresh. Not too cold, and not too hot. Yet as they approached their destination - he still didn't know where it was, unfortunately - the air had gotten warmer. Up ahead, he could also see some smoke, too. It was steam, he realized a second later, feeling the droplets of water in the air from where he was.

But it was more than that. It was a certain prickle on the back of his neck. The kind he would get every so often as he traveled the world, or every year when he tried to break into the North Pole. The kind he felt not too long ago, when the princess had shown off her magic. And that was the word.

Magic. There was magic nearby.

Before long, the group had started entering a low area surrounded by large rocks and smaller ones. Kristoff had dismounted the young reindeer, and made to scale a smaller rock nearby. Sven was about to go through the open path, but Kristoff called out to him in a harsh whisper, not wishing to alert the royals to his presence.

"Sven, come here!" he hissed out. The reindeer had his tongue sticking out, likely due to running after the larger horses, but nodded as he trotted to where his best friend hid.

Jack Frost, on the other hand, had no such reservations, and proceeded to hover along the ice trail.

Following down, he came across a large valley surrounded by steam vents, making the place look foggy, at least above. When one approached the center, which was sloped downward, however, it was clearer. All around were rocks covered with moss and grass, which was the same as the floor. Barks of trees also surrounded the garden, lacking any of the greenery present on the floor.

Looking over his shoulder, Jack saw Kristoff and Sven hide behind another boulder from a higher vantage point, the boy having to hold onto the calf to keep him from running off. Meanwhile, in the middle of the valley, Jack saw that the monarchs had already dismounted their horses, and were looking around. What they were looking for, however, Jack could only imagine.

"Please, help!" the king cried out, his voice echoing out throughout the valley. "My daughter..."

For a moment, there was silence. Jack himself was looking around, wondering if the king had misread the map in his haste. However, a moment later, he felt rumbling beneath his bare feet. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a horde of rocks rolling down towards him. With a yelp, Jack vaulted to the top of his staff, placing it firmly on the ground, and watched as every rock rolled past it, all the while hoping they wouldn't knock it over.

From his perch, he could see more rocks tumbling down the hills around the valley to surround the family of four, who bunched up together in alarm. And yet, the rocks, somehow, managed to stop right around them. Almost in a perfect circle in fact. The frosted boy could hear the young boy gasp in shock from behind him.

Then, a strange act had happened. Every rock surrounding them shot up from the ground, as if standing up. Jack then realized that the rocks had, indeed, stood up. The rocks had changed form, and now before the royal family stood diminutive, knee-high creatures made of rock, each with their own moss-like clothing, capes, grass-like hair, and crystal necklaces.

"It's the king!" one of them announced, making everyone of them bow their heads before the king and his family.

"Rock... people?" Jack whispered, his mouth stretching to his side to make a curious smile.

"Trolls!" he heard Kristoff whisper excitedly behind him, as if correcting him.

Jack looked over his shoulder to him, and blinked when he saw that the rock the duo was hiding behind had changed into one these rock trolls. This one had red crystal necklaces around its torso, and yellowish-grass hair that reminded him of a hairstyle a woman would have.

Her gender was confirmed when she shushed the two boys next to her. "Shush! I'm trying to listen!" she whispered, bringing them both under her arms.

Sven then decided to lick her, of all things, bringing her to her senses. The troll woman glanced at both of them, realizing that they weren't trolls like her. Regardless, she still smiled widely.

"Cuties!" she gushed, pinching both youths by their cheeks, before bring them both together in a hug. "I'm gonna keep you!"

Jack let out a chuckle at the scene, happy for Kristoff and Sven, somewhat. Exhaling through his nose, he then turned his attention back to the family, who were being approached by a troll different from the rest.

This particular troll looked way older, and had a dark blond mane, or what could be considered blonde made of what was actually dry grass. This also extended to his large ears, where some 'hair' came out of his eardrums, as well as eyebrows. This was pretty peculiar, Frost realized, because the other trolls had thinner, smaller eyebrows on them. He had dark green attire made out of moss as well, though unlike the other trolls, he wore a long, flowing green cape as opposed to the others' smaller ones. And the crystals he wore were actually shinning the color of yellow, as opposed to the red and pink crystals for the trolls he assumed were female, and the blue and green ones for the males.

It seemed that this troll was the leader of this group, all the more evidenced by the fact that he was the one out of all of them to greet the king and his family directly, bowing to them in respect.

"Your Majesty," he greeted, raising his head again. His eyes then fell upon the eldest daughter, and reached out to her hand, holding it in his own as he examined her. In reality, he was sensing her own magical presence, quickly discerning what her powers were, and what she could do. "...Was she born with the powers or cursed?"

"Born," the king answered almost too quickly, though he did look extremely surprised at how easily the old troll had discovered his daughter's talent. "A-and they're getting stronger."

"Hmm..."

Jack had finally dropped from his perch on his staff, kicking his leg up to have it flip into his hand. He held it tightly against his right shoulder with both hands, and walked over to the edge of the crowd, though having a perfect line of sight to the monarchs due to his height. He saw the troll leader/king-whatever he was beckon the queen with his hands to bring her youngest daughter down to his level, and she did so, kneeling down in front of him. She leaned forward to give him a better view.

The old troll placed his hand on the little girl's forehead, closing his eyes to hone in on the damage. After a few moments' breaths, he opened his eyes again, nodding at them with what looked like relief, though his tone sounded both cautionary and reprimanding. "You are lucky she didn't hit the heart. The heart cannot be so easily changed." He then shrugged reassuringly, relaxing a bit, and taking away some of the urgency in the air. "But... the head can be persuaded."

The King of Arendelle relaxed greatly from hearing this, though not completely. Not until his daughter was confirmed to be safe. "Do what you must."

Upon the king's urging, the troll king went to work, placing his hand gently on the unconscious princess. "I recommend we remove all magic. Even memories of magic. To be safe."

It was then that Frost was audience to a curious display. As soon as the old troll had removed his hand from the redhead's forehead, the blue wisps of magical energy followed his hand's gesture, just like in the picture from that book. Waving his hands around, the troll brought the energy to coalesce together, and form an image so vividly, and picturesque. It was of the two girls, playing inside the ballroom. The winter sprite had to wonder if that image had been from a prior occasion, or if it was actually from that night.

With a wave of the troll king's hand, the scene had changed. Or rather, he realized a second later, its setting had changed. Whereas before it was a ballroom, now it was outside, in the snow. Both princesses were wearing winter attire, and instead of the blonde girl being responsible for their merriment, the credit was given to the snow.

Somebody or something else taking credit for your hard work, especially when it came to spreading fun. He knew what that felt like better than anyone.

Another image appeared, replacing the one of the the youngest sliding on a little sled. It was of them ice skating in the ballroom, but now they were outside in the snow. The last was of them sitting before that goofy-looking snowman they had made before, holding each other in their arms. But where the ballroom had been, they now sat out in the snow.

"But worry not," he whispered. "I'll leave the fun."

That was more than fine in Jack's book. But still...

"Change memories... They can do that?" he muttered to himself.

The old one grasped his hands together, bringing the wisps of memory magic into his hands. He then placed his left hand on the sleeping girl's forehead, he saw a blue light glow between his rock hard skin and her flesh, before dissipating. The troll let out an audible exhale of breath, as if exhausted,

The princess, meanwhile, smiled in her sleep, as if she were having a good dream.

"There," he sighed with finality. "She'll be alright."

He hadn't known when he had been doing it, but as soon as he heard the troll speak those words, Jack let out a sigh of relief, ceasing to hold his breath in anticipation.

The danger had passed. The princess had been saved.

"...But she won't remember I have powers?" the little princess, who had been holding onto the fabrics of her father's tunic throughout the whole display, asked, sounding almost saddened and apprehensive at the prospect.

The king placed a hand on her shoulder in his best attempt to reassure her, squeezing her shoulder. "It's for the best."

The troll king then turned his attention to the little blonde girl, and beckoned her to attention.

"Listen to me, Elsa," he began, turning away from her. " Your power will only grow," he revealed.

Frost watched as the troll king waved his hands again, using his magic to conjure up an image made from the same lights of the north. The image depicted three parts, two of which were the same. A crowd of people.

In the middle, however, was a single figure. It was that of a woman, with what looked like a dress and a cape.

"You must learn to control it," he advised. "There is beauty in it."

The female figure, which Jack figured must have been the princess, waved her hands confidently in circles. And following them were snowflakes coming out of thin air. She then brought her hands together, conjuring the magic just as he saw her do earlier, and shoot it up in the air. Before long, it exploded in the shape of a larger snowflake. One the likes of which he had never made or seen before.

"...But there is great danger as well."

Suddenly, the snowflake shifted into a jagged, imperfect shape, changing its hue from blue to red. Jack's eyes narrowed as the girl let out a startled gasp. More so when the crowds had changed color as well. Before, they had been watching the central figure in awe and wonder. Now, however, they had begun to act differently. They were pointing at her, almost accusingly, shaking their hands in her direction. Screaming at her. The woman in the middle began to coil back, frightened. Startled.

"You must learn to control it. Fear... will be your enemy."

And without warning, the crowds lunged at her, the woman unable to do anything but cry out as they consumed her, before the image itself disappeared in a bright flash.

Jack let out a gasp of horror when it was finished, but it had been drowned out by the little girl's shriek. She retreated back into the arms of her father, who had been just as horrified at what was shown.

He was the first to snap out of that stupor, however, his brows dipping in determination. "No!" he cried out, gripping his daughter close to him whilst turning back to his wife. "We'll protect her," he vowed, nodding to her assuredly, before turning back to the old troll. "She can learn to control it, I'm sure."

His eyes shifted from side to side, thinking quickly over this predicament. "Until then... we'll lock the gates. We'll reduce the staff. We will limit her contact with people, and keep her powers hidden from everyone!"

The king then looked down at his eldest daughter, who glanced up at him with tears in her eyes, before staring down to the sleeping form of his youngest.

"...Including Anna."


...Years later, I still kinda struggle to remember why I did it. Why I reacted the way I did that moment. The only solid answer that I could come up with was this.

I was a loner. I had been that way ever since I became Jack Frost. But I never wanted it. I never asked for that silent eternity. It rankled.

But here was this girl, who had the love and companionship I had sought for so long, not to mention ice powers. And yet here they were, talking about closing her off from the world.

They weren't paying attention. Or at least not to all of it. The girl had caused this. It was a terrible, terrible accident, but her powers had brought this about. It had hurt her only sister. And now, they were telling her that her powers would maybe cause others to want to do her ill?

No... Back then I knew immediately what would happen.

And that was why I spoke up.


"What?... No, no! Don't do that! Then she's not gonna wanna use it anymore!"

All of a sudden, a multitude of rumbling sounds came across his hearing, and before long, every troll in the clearing turned around towards his direction, facing him. Each of their eyes were looking straight at him, blinking almost in unison at his presence.

Even the old troll king, who had been startled as well by his outburst, looked at him with something akin to fright.

This indeed caught the King of Arendelle's attention, who had stood up quickly at their reaction, along with his wife.

Jack, meanwhile, had the most wild reaction of all, having jumped back a good three feet. His jaw went slack as he saw the trolls making eye contact with him, a startled, surprised expression on his face.

No one said nothing for a good minute, Frost tilting his head to the side slightly in the meanwhile, raising an eyebrow along with his left free hand, which pointed out to the colony of trolls.

"...You guys... can see me." It was more a statement than a question.

Before anyone could answer him, the king had spoken up sharply. "What? What is it?! What's going on?!"

The old one glanced back to the monarch, before turning back to Jack. His eyes met the king's once again. "Your Majesty, do you not...?" He didn't finish the sentence, for the troll's face suddenly let off a look of understanding, before slowly shaking his head. "Do not fret, my king. It is merely the wind."

"Oh, really?! C'mon!" Jack cried out indignantly.

The old troll had not turned towards him, but Jack paused when he held a hand in his direction, as if telling him to hold for a moment. "I have done all that I can, Your Majesty. Anna will be fine, but she needs her rest," he expressed. "What happens afterwards... will be up to all of you."

The king nodded in understanding, before bowing his head to him. "Thank you so much for all that you have done for us."

The queen had also bowed her head. "Words cannot begin to express how indebted we are to you for your kindness."

The rock creature merely shook his head. "There is no need, Your Grace. We are merely fulfilling our duty to the Royal Family of Arendelle."

Frost frowned as the king merely nodded at him, before hoisting his eldest daughter to his arms. "Let us return home, then. We must rest... There is much to be done tomorrow."

The trolls all bade them farewell, a mix of waves and calls of goodbye following them as they ushered themselves back to their mounts. For the most part, Jack kept his eyes on the two princesses, one sleeping peacefully now, dreaming of better things. The other, growing with fear by the second, sobbing into her father's chest.

His brows dipped sadly as they rode off for their castle. Jack wondered how the little girl would wake up tomorrow. Would everything seem different, because of the magic done on her? What sort of world awaited the young, redheaded princess?

He hoped that the Sandman's sand was still around. Hopefully, it would give her a good dream on the way home while she slept. For her older sister, too, while he was at it. Both seemed like they could use a break after tonight.

Shifting and rumbling then came within earshot, and the winter sprite looked back to the group of trolls, who had now shifted to form a circle around him. He actually took a step back to avoid getting his feet stepped on, inching another step forward when he saw more over his shoulder. The trolls in front of him then moved apart, forming a path for the troll king to approach him in his slow gait.

As much as he wanted to be seen, he wasn't used to this many eyes on him. It somewhat made him nervous, forcing him to clutch his crook against his right side.

Finally, the older troll stood before him, tilting his head to the side curiously. "...And who might you be, young stranger?"

Jack let out a shaky breath, blinking rapidly as he looked around at the group. "Wait, so... You guys can see me, then?"

"Of course," the troll answered. "Is there a reason why we wouldn't?"

The way he said that, it was almost as if he already knew the answer, but was waiting on Jack to confirm his suspicions.

The white-haired youth merely shrugged. "Well, considering no one's said a word to me ever since the Man in the Moon woke me up all those years ago, yeah... But, maybe that's 'cause you guys are magical... I think."

At the mere mention of the moon, gasps resounded out throughout the hills, each echoing out the name 'the Man in the Man' in reverence, most of them bowing their heads his way.

"I see," the older troll spoke, doing the same as everyone else, and bowing before him. "It is an honor to receive a Guardian, one of the agents of the Man in the Moon, in our den."

Jack frowned, shaking his head and free hand. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, let's get one thing straight, alright? I'm not a Guardian, or one of his, okay? I'm my own... 'agent.' Yeah." He struggled to find a better word to describe myself, wanting to differentiate himself from the Moon's group of servants.

He was on his own, just as he'd always been. The Man in the Moon hadn't involved himself with Jack, or even answered his questions. In that vein, he would do as he had done, and keep himself separate.

The troll king stood straighter, raising his bowed head. "Is that so? If you are not with the Man in the Moon, then who are you?"

"Who am I?" Jack asked, as if he hadn't heard him right. "...Don't you know? I'm-"

"LOOK WHAT I FOOOUUUND!"

The frosted boy's jaw stopped mid-sentence as a voice came from his far right. Turning around almost in unison with the rest of the trolls, he watched as a familiar female troll waddled over to them. And who should be dragged along with her but Kristoff and Sven.

Jack somewhat slumped as the group of trolls scuttled over to the newcomers, surrounding the female troll. They then went on to gush over the young pair, going so far as to inspect the boy's attire, the calf's hooves, Kristoff's hair, Sven's antlers, and so forth.

The winter sprite then felt a tug on his left leg, and looked down to see the troll king's hand on his pant leg.

He gave Jack a helpless shrug. "Perhaps we can continue this conversation in private?"


The troll king had taken Jack into a little hut around the edges of the valley. It was very small, which fit someone of the rock troll's stature. Frost, however, had to crouch considerably to fit inside.

Looking around, he realized that the hut wasn't meant to be used as a sleeping space. In fact, it was actually used to store more of those crystals, some of which were hanging from the ceiling. They were very pretty, he saw, illuminating the room with iridescent light.

"So, uh, what are these things?" Jack asked, tapping against the crystal, and making it swivel from its rope.

"Those are crystals, lad," the old one answered, reorganizing some crystals placed evenly on a rock slab in the center of the room, clearing it, taking the stones to the side. "They serve as containers to capture the essence of the northern lights."

The boy's eyebrows went past his bangs. "You can do that?"

"Yes. There is much power in the northern lights. Both benevolent and dangerous. Which is why I would ask you not to disturb them, lest we find ourselves in the middle of an... accident."

"What... kind of 'accident?'"

"The kind that would be most difficult to clean up, and more trouble than it is worth. So please restrain yourself."

"What? I wasn't thinking of doin' anything!" he defended, inching away from the stone cautiously.

'...Much...'

The old troll gestured to the slab as he himself approached it. "Please, have a seat."

Shrugging, Jack did so, having some difficulty at first due to the cramped space. He leaned forward as he crouched down, before falling onto his rear, crossing his legs. Because there was little space for him to move, part of Jack's staff extended out of the entrance.

The old troll hopped on top of the slab, meeting the boy at eye level. "Allow me to apologize, first and foremost. I had asked you your name, but had refrained to give you mine."

"Huh?" Jack blinked. "Oh, uh... Yeah, no. Don't sweat it."

'If you even can sweat,' he muttered in his head.

Did rock people sweat? Probably not.


They do. Stalagmites, remember?


He bowed his head again, hand over his heart, and arm extended to the side. "I am Grand Pabbie. I am the leader of this fair colony of trolls that you find yourself amongst."

"Grand... Pappy?" the winter sprite tried.

"Pabbie," he corrected. "It's a common mistake, especially from strangers."

"Ah," Jack nodded. "Sorry."

"Now, I ask you again. Who are you, stranger?"

"Who am I?" he returned, pointing his thumb at himself. "I'm Jack Frost."

"Jack... Frost?" the troll, Grand Pabbie, said out loud. "...Huh. I've never heard of you."

At this, the boy's figure slunk in on himself, a deadpan expression on his face. It went away with a sigh. "Yeah, well, if it makes you feel any better, you're not the only one. Been trying to get everyone's attention for a while, now. And after all of my attempts, the only responses I get are from animals... And maybe, every so often, magical trolls."

Pabbie considered his words. "And... how long have you existed?"

"Mmm..." Jack crossed his arms, staff over his lap in thought. "'Bout a hundred years at this point."

"Ah, I see. You're still fairly recent."

Frost's brows dipped in confusion. "Recent? Is a hundred years 'recent?'"

"It is if you're as old as the Earth," Pabbie clarified, gesturing at himself.

"Oh," Frost nodded in understanding, before leaning forward. "Hey, question for you, Pabbie. How're you doing that?"

"Doing what?"

Jack briefly swiped a look to the side, before looking back at the troll, raising his hand to the side of his mouth conspiratorially. "Y'know... Getting them to see you?"

The old troll looked confused. "See me?"

"Yeah!" Jack remarked. "You got the King and Queen of this kingdom seeking you out, and even got a kid and his reindeer, too. How're you doing that?"

"...I'm not sure I follow."

"Well you heard what I said, right?" he asked. "I can only talk to animals, and magical creatures. They're the only ones that see and hear me." He gestured at the troll with his hand for emphasis."I can also speak to leaves, to. They always have something interesting to say."

The troll nodded in agreement. "Indeed, they do. It is usually how I recieve urgent news."

"Right?" he laughed, but his smile fell as quickly as it came. "Yet, no matter what I do, I can't ever get someone human to see me! Every time I try, they ignore me, and sometimes they go right through me!" Jack placed his hand on his chest as he said. "And lemme tell ya, little man, that doesn't feel too good!"

Over the course of his brief explanation, Grand Pabbie's expression shifted into one more understanding. "You believe that I and my fellows are under the same stipulations as you and the Moon's Guardians."

"Which, again, I'm not a part of," the whitehead reminded. "But yes."

Pabbie shrugged. "Unfortunately, we are different in that regard, Jack Frost. Whilst you were blessed by the Man in the Moon's power, we trolls are ancient creatures. We have lived long before the Guardians, or even the Man in the Moon, even existed. Our magic is not the same as yours. We are creatures of nature, and thus abide by its rules. Just as men do."

"...You're that old, huh?"

"Very."

Jack nodded at the troll's answer, but his face fell nonetheless. "Figures. You don't need his magic. You've got your own. That's why you've got royal families knockin' on your doorstep."

At the mention of the words 'royal families,' the frosted youth recalled the very reason as to why he had stumbled upon the trolls' clearing.

"Say..." He shifted from his spot on the floor to get more comfortable. "What exactly did you do to that little girl? The princess."

The troll king stroke his beard in thought, considering the boy's question. "...I could tell you... But first, tell me, what is your interest on the matter?"

"Huh?"

"Pardon my wording, but what concern is it of yours the state of the Crown Princesses of Arendelle?"

"...I asked about the little one. I never said I was interested in both princesses," he deflected.

"Your outburst earlier says otherwise."

"Huh?"

"You clearly stated your disagreement with the choice the king was making for his daughter. That implies you have some concern for the princesses."

Jack opened his mouth to respond, but faltered with a deep frown. Pabbie had him there.

"...Alright, look. I was there, okay?" he admitted to the troll king. "I was there when the accident happened."

"Were you, now?"

"Yeah," Jack answered. "I was doin' my usual thing, minding my own business, watching the Sandman do his sand thing that he does, when I noticed a trail leading to the castle. That's where I saw them. The girls were still up, even after their parents tucked them in. The little one wanted to have fun, so she dragged her sister to their ballroom. And that's when I saw it! The oldest has ice powers!"

His hands gestured wildly, animatedly, as he continued to explain. "She made it snow! A-and she made snowmen, and snowbanks, and they skated, a-and it all came from her hands! And it was all so wonderful! She has ice powers. She's... Sh-she's just like me!"

At this, Grand Pabbie raised a hand to stop him. "Just like you?... How?"

"How?!" Jack snapped, as if offended the troll even asked such a question. Then he stopped himself, realizing that he didn't, in fact, know. "Oh, right. Hold up. Gimme a sec."

Frost then proceeded to try to crawl out of the hut. He had to struggle quite a bit, accidentally hitting the troll in the face with his foot, for which he quickly apologized. Once he was back outside, he quickly shot up to his feet, dusting off the gravel from his person, and kicking his staff up to his hand.

Looking down at the troll, he grinned confidently as he tightened his hold on his staff. "Watch this!"

Taking a deep breath, he allowed the energy within his staff - or so he believed at this time - to channel through the warrior's wood, illuminating it with blue, frosty light. Then he brought the bottom of his staff to floor. Upon immediately making contact, a large splotch of frost extended out around the staff, spreading out past his feet, and even reaching to where Pabbie stood. The crook of Jack's staff also shot out a burst of power, making snowflakes condense in the air, and fall down gracefully, undisturbed.

Grinning even wider at the look of old Pabbie's slacked jaw, Frost then jumped up, and placed his staff under him, sitting on it in mid-air like a bench.

"...You..." the old troll whispered, finally understanding what the frost sprite meant. "You, too, have powers over ice and snow."

Jack let out a helpless shrug, though not really meaning it. "Yeah." He then leaned back and fell backwards, extending his arms out to grab his staff, and landing on the floor with his two feet. The boy then brought the crook over his shoulders to rest, his arms looping around it.

"...How did you come across these powers?" Pabbie inquired with interest. "Were they granted to you, or did you always have them?"

"You mean if I was born with them or cursed?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow, shrugging off his staff so that it fell to his right side. "Well... Bit of both... Maybe?"

"How so?"

"Well... I've had them for as long as I can remember," he explained. "One day, I'm raised up from a frozen pond by the Moon, who told me my name. Then I got this stick." He gestured to his wooden crook. "And I realized I could conjure ice with it. And I could fly! Well, not really 'fly,' so much as be pushed into the air by the wind- anyway, long story short, I've always had them."

The boy then let out a weary sigh. One that belonged to those who had lived for a long time. Too long. "Whether or not I've always had them, or if they were given to me and why... I don't know. Only one that can answer that is the Man in the Moon." He then looked up at the full moon in the sky, and give it a harsh glare. "Not that he's ever said anything to me since, so don't hold your breath on that front."

The old troll nodded, considering his words. "So what brought you to Arendelle, then?"

Jack shrugged helplessly. "Nothing new. Just searching for my next adventure, hoping to find someone who can see me. The usual for a guy like me."

"And that is how you stumbled upon the princesses," he stated, finally understanding the events which led the winter sprite to their land.

"Yeah... But they couldn't see me. Still, I stuck around long enough to see what happened."

"Did you, now?"

"Yeah, it was an accident!" he argued, surprising himself at how vehemently he was trying to convey that fact. "They were just playing around, trying to have fun! But the little one, she got reckless! They were making snowbanks, and she was jumping too fast! Her sister couldn't keep up, and... I-it just came out. She didn't mean to hurt her."

"Of course," Pabbie agreed, holding his hand up to assuage the boy's anxiousness. "However, Elsa must still learn to control her powers, lest they become too dangerous for herself and her family."

"...Elsa..." Jack whispered softly, repeating it after a few seconds. "That's her name? The girl with the magic."

"It is," the troll confirmed.

"...Pabbie, you said that... that 'fear will be her enemy," he asked. "...Whose fear?"

"...It greatly depends," he answered, lifting one hand to side. "But ultimately, it will be the young princesses' fear, and her strength to overcome it, that will decide. If she can learn to control her powers, she will never have to fear herself again, and the people will accept her."

"But... If she cannot learn to control it, if her fear overwhelms her, her powers will grow beyond her control. They could cause damage the likes of which are irreparable, putting herself, her family, and her kingdom in danger." Pabbie then turned to face Frost, his face grave with implication. "...Perhaps even more than that."

"Yeah, but... B-but she can learn to control her powers, right?" Jack asked loudly. "I-I mean, look at me! I figured it out, and can control my powers just fine! Surely she can learn to do the same, can't she?"

"It is my belief that she can," Pabbie revealed. "Though it won't be easy."

"Well, duh! 'Course not!" Jack retorted. "Especially with what they're gonna do! Hide her away from the world? That'll work, but it would take too long!"

"You sound as if you speak from experience," the troll king observed.

"Yeah! I've only been around, what, a hundred years?" he boasted. "Took me the first couple of decades to get it down to a tee, but that's because I didn't hide I away. I went out and did my thing, no distractions. In fact, my distractions were what taught me how to perfect them! But I had all the time in the world to do it. I don't age. She does!"

"They keep her locked up until she learns control, and her whole life's gonna pass her by! She's not gonna go out to play, she's not gonna go out to see the world. She's not gonna be able to be with her sister. You didn't...!" Jack ran a hand through his hair, groaning in frustration, the reason for which still eluded her. "They looked so close. And now they're gonna be forced apart. Not just her sister, but the world. By the time she learns control... she'll barely have a semblance of a life left to live."

What followed his tirade was silence. The old troll was stroking his mane in thought, eyes firmly on the ground. Jack looked over his shoulder to glance at the rock creature, but sighed and looked away, placing his staff over his right shoulder.

"...Then it seems... the princess would benefit from the aid of a tutor. One that can show her how to control her powers of ice and snow."

The winter sprite laughed, but it sounded more like a scoff. "Yeah, and who's gonna do that? Pretty sure that there aren't any teachers versed in that kind of magic. Not from what I've seen so far, at least."

"No, not just any teacher would suffice for her," Pabbie agreed, a knowing smile growing on his face. "But... perhaps Jack Frost will be enough."

The sprite blinked at the very mention of his name, but then furrowed his eyes in confusion as he slowly glanced at the troll over his shoulder. "...What?"

Pabbie said nothing, merely watching him with an expectant look in his eyes.

As the boy's eyes met the troll's, the weight of his words finally dawned on him. "You... You want me to teach her?"

"I see no other person more capable and up to the task."

"O-ho-ho-kay, whoa, whoa whoa, hold up a sec," Jack chuckled, albeit more out of unease than anything sardonic. "I can't... I can't just teach her how to use her powers!"

"Why not?"

"Why not? Why not?!" Frost repeated, running a hand through his hair anxiously. "I mean, c'mon! Look at me!" He extended the cape of his shawl.

"...I don't follow."

"C'mon, man. I'm Jack Frost! Rules and commitment doesn't mix with me!" he cried, bringing a hand to his chest. "Only thing I know how to do is have fun! I can't do that if I'm locked up in a castle!"

"But you won't be alone," Pabbie corrected. "You will be with the princess."

"Yeah, that's the other problem with your plan. No one can see me," he reiterated. "I've tried everything for the past hundred years to get people to notice me, and still, they treat me like I'm invisible! It's as if I'm not even there! Pretty sure that's not gonna change if I don't know what's causing it! The moon hasn't told me why!" A long, heavy, weary sigh escaped his lips. "And judging by how she reacted to my outburst, the princess can't see me either... Kinda puts a whole damper on your whole plan, old man."

Considering his words, Pabbie walked right before him. "True as that may be, there might also be a possibility, if our meeting is any indication."

Jack's brows dipped, his frown lightening in confusion as he kneeled down to the troll's level. "What are you talking about?"

"You and I can interact with each other, though our sources of magic are different," he began. "Yours comes from the Man in the Moon, and mine comes from the very Earth itself. However, it is my belief that when two energies of pure magic come together, that is when the realm of impossibility becomes the realm of possibility. Where that which brings disbelief to some makes believers out of us all."

"...Is this where I wax philosophical, little man, or... what?"

"Your powers, and that of Elsa's, are similar in nature. Should they be made to interact with one another, it may lead to unimaginable possibilities. Wonders. Perhaps... even Belief."

"...Lemme see if I'm hearing you right," Frost sighed, rubbing his forehead. "You think... that because you have magic, and I have magic, and she has magic, she'll be more... inclined to see me?"

"I am not promising anything. It is mere postulation on my part," the troll king reminded. "But considering our meeting today... is it truly so unimaginable an outcome?"

Jack thought on his words, clutching his staff tightly at the implication behind them.

"...Really?" he asked unsurely. A growing, distant thing fluttering in his chest. It felt a lot like hope. "You think I can... get her to see me?"

"...I have been on the Earth for so long. I have seen many wonders. Both great and terrible," Pabbie relayed, almost distantly, wistfully. "But if there is one thing I have learned to be true, it is this: magic has the power to make anything become reality. Where one sees despair, it has the power to bring hope. Where there is darkness, magic has the means to bring light." He then grasped the boy's free hand, gripping it reassuringly. "Where there is loneliness... magic has the means to bring out love."

Once the troll had finished speaking, Jack gently retracted his hand, placing it back on his staff, and letting the frost engulf the wood beneath his grip, his face still scrunching in uncertainty.

Was it really possible? Could the magic this girl possessed really make it possible for her to see him? In truth, after all this time, he had never focused on a single child, at least for too long. Once he had shown off his wonders, only to get silence thrown back at him, he had gone on his way, off to his next destination. But never before had he tried after the fact.

Was it really that simple? Did he just need more patience?

And what of this new girl? This... Elsa? That was her name. She was just like him. She commanded the snow almost as good as he did, save for this unfortunate accident. Could that really be the key, though? Their shared magic of ice and snow? Could it really be strong enough for him to be seen by her? Would it be enough to end all of those years of unwanted isolation?

This past day certainly had its fair share of firsts. His first visit to Arendelle. His first visit to its monarchs. His first sight of another ice user. His first encounter with the rock trolls.

Who was to say he couldn't get his first believer here?

It was just like the old troll said. Considering everything he had seen... was it really so impossible an outcome?

"...Okay," he whispered, looking off to the side in thought, before slowly nodding his head. "Okay, yeah." His bobbing became more animated, a smile slowly growing wide on his features. "Yeah! I'll do it! I'll help her out!" He shot up to his feet, nodding towards the troll. "I'll help her. Get her to control her powers. Get her to see me! Before this is over, she'll be a pro at using her magic! She'll be so good, everyone'll love her!"

At that, the troll king gave Jack a grateful smile of his own. "Then I wish you the best of fortune, Jack Frost. Should you need any assistance or wisdom when you find yourself lacking, you are more than welcome to return to our valley. But I have faith you will find a way. If anyone can help Princess Elsa, it is you, Jack."

"Yeah. Right!" Jack turned to leave, raising his staff to take him away. "Wish me luck! I'm off to Arendelle!"

"Wait!"

Frost had barely left the floor when Grand Pabbie's cry had stopped him. He glanced back at the old troll, surprise etched on his face, considering the conversation both had just had. "What?!"

"Perhaps... you should wait until the morning? The girls need their sleep."

"...Oh... Right. Hehe," he chuckled, scratching the back of his head in mild embarrassment. "Yeah. Tomorrow. Sure... See ya!"

With that, Jack flew into the air, heading for parts unknown. Maybe to spread some snow to where they could use it.

But tomorrow, he would be back in Arendelle.


At first, I was pretty reluctant 'cause of all of my previous attempts to be visible. But right then, I actually found that I couldn't wait for the next day to come.

I vowed to myself, right then and there, that I would do whatever it takes to become Elsa's friend.


-CHAPTER THREE END


AN: Back with a new chapter!

I hope I really did capture the characters correctly here, especially Jack. Ever since that scene with Anna in the troll garden, I felt Jack's first meeting with the trolls would be something similar.

Anyway, I've done some thinking and planning ahead for this story, and have decided that I'm going to do a sequel. I've even got a cover piece being done in the works at the moment.

I have a pretty clear idea of what I want to do for the sequel, bur again, that also depends on how Frozen 2 goes. As for this one, after much deliberation, I've decided to keep it true to the movie, at least during the coronation, with some alterations here or there.

Originally I was going to have this warlock be an antagonist after Elsa's powers, with someone from the castle that is trusted as an accomplice. But it didn't pan out, especially after Frozen 2 leaks started popping out. Still, I'm pretty satisfied with where I'm going to go with this, and I hope that you guys come along for the ride.

Thank you all so much again for keeping up with my story. Again, feel free to send me prompts that I can right about during the ten year gap between now and the deaths of the king and queen. Not just for Jack and Elsa, but for Jack and Anna. Maybe even Kristoff.

And remember...

READ & REVIEW!


Next Chapter: Jack moves into the castle, while everybody else moves out.