I don't own Frozen or Rise of the Guardians.


Chapter 3


Elsa felt an undercurrent against her skin.

Snow was drifting around her, but she barely noticed. The boy with the blue eyes was lowering his staff, and as exhausted as Elsa felt, he barely even looked winded. Without a shadow of a doubt, she knew that he was the one who'd been fighting her back; she could feel his power somehow when she looked at his face, and she understood at once that it was much, much stronger than her own. Her heart was pounding hard, with fear and something else, something that was certainly not fear...

"So this is our warm welcome," said a growly voice.

Elsa turned quickly and nearly jumped out of her skin; the Person who had spoken was not a Person, but indeed a Rabbit, and at that a Rabbit that was at least a foot taller than she was.

"I knew we were wasting our time!" the Rabbit continued. "And boy, it's cold in here."

"Shh! Bunny!" said another voice, one that had a light, tinkly sound to it. This came from a small, multicolored, feathered person whose gossamer wings kept her floating about a foot above the ground. "Don't insult her!"

"Oh, sorry," said the Rabbit, rolling his enormous eyes. "I insulted her. Even though she's the one that blasted me - me, the Easter Bunny! - the second I showed up!"

"Oh, be quiet, Bunny," said a large, slightly gravelly voice, and Elsa had to crane her head up to look at the fourth of the ensemble. An enormous, burly man with a great white beard and a heavy fur coat smiled as he lowered his head to her.

"Greetings, Your Majesty," he said courteously.

Elsa stared at him, feeling as if she was missing something. They break into my castle, and then they give me a royal greeting? she said - but she said it inside her head, of course.

But she drew herself up and answered, as the queen should, "Greetings," and then stopped, completely at a loss. She was almost too astonished and confused to feel afraid. Besides, as strange as the others might be, there was something about the man in the coat that seemed to calm her the second she looked into his bright, beady eyes.

"I am North," the big man announced. "This -" he gestured to the Rabbit, who was scowling heavily, "this is Bunny. That is Toothiana," the fairy, "and this is Jack." The boy with the blue eyes held her stare for a moment, and she had to force herself to look away. She could still feel him watching her, like a cold breeze against her skin.

Toothiana darted in front of Elsa, lowered herself to the ground, and bowed gracefully. "Thank you for your hospitality, your Majesty," she said.

Hospitality?! Really. As if Elsa had invited them.

"Oh, and that is Sandy," added North apologetically. A small golden person was floating just above the ground, near North's foot, and was tapping his leg; Elsa had overlooked him in all the previous excitement.

"Wonderful," said Elsa, cringing at the forced tone of her voice. What was going on? Who were these people? Why were they in her castle? Did someone intend to explain anything to her anytime soon?

"Wonderful?!" Anna shrieked. "What about th-th-this is wonderful?"

Until this moment, Elsa had forgotten her sister's presence entirely. Anna stood behind her, covered in snow and shivering, but with her usual obstinate I'm-totally-fine expression.

"Anna!" said Elsa, alarmed. Are you all right?"

"Oh, fine!" Anna said, her voice shrill. "Just a little COLD is all, considering it's SNOWING in here!"

"Sorry," said Elsa anxiously. "I'll take care of it in a minute, I'm a bit drained right now."

Anna lifted her chin. "Why don't you take care of...them first?"

"In case you haven't noticed," Bunny remarked, "them happens to be standing right here."

"We're doing this all backwards," Toothiana said anxiously, fluttering in front of Elsa again. The moonlight made her feathers look iridescent, and her eyes shone brightly. "We're scaring her, people!" To Elsa, she said, "What we haven't explained yet is that we're actually here here to help you."

To help me? Well then maybe you shouldn't have broken in my balcony window! There are DOORS, after all! Elsa shouted - but in her head. "Here to help me what?" she asked aloud. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call in my guards."

"I'm getting there! You're the queen, right?" asked Toothiana hastily.

"Yes," said Elsa simply; it seemed pointless to ask how they knew that.

"Well, the Man in the Moon sent us because he knew you were in trouble. That's all."

"The who?" asked Elsa. She could only think to herself, beware the moon, beware the moon. She knew Anna was thinking the same thing, because she heard her sister gasp.

"The Man in the Moon," repeated Toothiana. "He watches over every single land that has children in it and when they're in danger, he sends us to their aid. We're the Guardians, you know."

Elsa was sure she felt a headache starting. "The Guardians of what? And why would my children be in danger?"

"Because your whole kingdom's in danger," said Toothiana, simply. "And we're the Guardians of childhood, selected by the Man in the Moon himself."

"What do you mean, my whole kingdom's in danger?!" Hadn't the trolls said the same thing? But then again they'd also said to beware the moon, and Elsa had little doubt now that this was what they'd meant.

"Well," said Toothiana, "we have an old enemy. His name is Pitch, and he tried to wreak havoc on the world we protect a short while ago, but we defeated him. But now he's making his way here. And here, you see, his power works on more than just children. Here, unlike earth, even the adults have young hearts and happy dreams, and they believe in the impossible. So this is Pitch's playground."

Elsa had so many questions crowding her mind that it seemed impossible to ask any of them at all. So she settled on, "Who exactly is this Pitch?"

"His old name is Nightmare King," said North. "He once was Lord High General of the Galaxies. No more! He was corrupted long time ago. He is now nothing but darkness and fear and bad dreams."

"And that's what he wants the whole world to be," said Toothiana. "But since he couldn't get that, he came to Arendelle instead. He's started the spread of fear by taking a hostage."

"A hostage?" Elsa echoed.

"Yes, a hostage," Bunny growled. "A person seized and held as security for the fulfillment of a condition."

"I know what a hostage is!" Elsa said. "But who has he taken hostage?"

"Kristoff!" Anna cried.

"Bingo," Bunny muttered.

Elsa and Anna stared at him, and he had the grace to look somewhat ashamed. "She's right, though," he said. "You're right. It's Kristoff."

"Well, where is he now?!" Anna cried. But then her face turned blue and she swayed a little.

"Oh, no," Elsa said aloud. "Oh, no!" She hurried to Anna, catching her as she sagged.

"Guards!" she shouted.


Don't worry, nothing's really wrong with Anna. I just thought that was a good place to end. And I didn't make Pitch's backstory up, it's in the books.

Thank you to the awesome people that are reading/following/favoriting/reviewing! It means a lot! Remember that your feedback is vital - if you have a thought, let me know, negative or otherwise.

Thanks thanks thanks! One more update before Christmas.

-Kenzie