One day when Ashley was around two years old, Elsa and Jack announced that they were having another baby. Aunty Anna sat down next to little Ashley.
"Ashley, you're going to be a big sister!" she squealed as she lifted the toddler into the air and spun her around. Ashley didn't really understand what this meant, but she was soon infected by the happy atmosphere around her and began to laugh with everyone else.
A few months later, the baby arrived. But it wasn't just one. Elsa and Jack had twins, a boy and a girl. They named the boy Jasper and the girl Allie. It became apparent early on that the twins were born with their parents' powers. They had white hair, just like their parents. As soon as they could walk, Allie and Jasper were causing mischief. They froze windows, put ice on the floor, and sent snow flurries down the hall after servants.
They also were very musical. Like their mother and aunt, they made up songs.
We Know Better
Allie and Jasper: One, two, three together, clap
together, snap together
You and me together,
knees together, freeze together
Up or down together,
royal crown together
Always be together,
you and me
One, two, three together, clap
together, snap together
You and me together,
knees together, freeze together
Up or down together,
royal crown together
Always be together,
you and me
Jasper: They say a prince is charming and unique
Allie: They say a princess is quiet and meek
Jasper: They say a prince wears lots of suits and bows
Allie: They say a princess doesn't squirt milk out her nose
Jasper: they say he's calm, they say he's kind
Allie: they say she never speaks her mind
Jasper: or freezes nanny's big behind
Both: but you and me, we know better.
Allie: they say a princess is super-duper sweet
Jasper: he doesn't fight, he doesn't sweat
Both: and they're always very neat!
Allie: they say a princess wouldn't fall and scrape her knee
Jasper: they say a prince wouldn't freeze his tutor's tea
Allie: they say she's poised
Jasper: they say he's fair
Both: they never mention underwear!
Allie: or long to see the world out there
Both: but you and me, we have big ideas of our own, for a distant someday when we're grown
Allie: when we're older and its our chance
Jasper: we'll get to travel throughout the land
Allie: we'll tell them of our family and the wonderful things we can do
Jasper: we'll take care of our people
Allie: and they will love me and you!
Both: no one can tell us how royals should be, as long as we're together, you and me!
Robert, now an adult and tutor to the royal family, tried to be patient when dealing with the twins. They loved to play tricks on him and he always took it with good humor as long as the kids eventually got their work done. Allie was very studious and always did, but he had some trouble convincing Jasper that what he was learning was important.
"Reading is very important for many reasons," he tried to explain to the boy.
"But that's not my fault!" Jasper complained.
Robert sighed and tried to continue, but Jasper was being incorrigible. He looked up from the table to see his mother, Clara, looking at him and smiling.
When the kids were very young, Jack Frost and Elsa told them stories of other spirits like the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. As kids, they had loved the stories, but as they got older they believed less and less. One Christmas, they even got in an argument.
"Santa is not real, Dad, stop with the stories!" a ten year-old Ashley cried.
"What are you talking about? He totally is real!" Jack argued.
"Now Jack," Elsa said.
"But he is! He's as real as you and me!"
"Yeah, right," Ashley said, putting her hands on her hips. "Prove it."
"I will." Jack soared out of the room. A few minutes later, he came back. "Okay he's coming,"
"Who's coming?" Ashley asked.
"Santa."
"Oh Jack! The castle is a mess! You can't just invite people here and not tell me." Elsa cried as she went about arranging for the castle to be cleaned.
"Don't worry Mom, it's not like anyone is coming! You can't believe that too."
Elsa ignored her. "Are Bunny, Sandy, and Tooth coming too?" she asked Jack.
"The tooth fairy? Come on mom!" Ashley exclaimed.
"I think so," Jack replied. Elsa threw her hands in the air, leaving icicles suspended from the ceiling.
Later that day, a knock came on the front door of the castle. The servants were perplexed when there was no one behind the door. Jack flew up.
"Hey everybody!" He greeted the main four Guardians.
"Hi Jack!" Tooth replied. When eight-year-old Allie and Jasper saw who was at the door, both of their jaws dropped. "Oh there they are!" cried Tooth as she flitted over to them. "Allie your teeth are fabulous!" Allie smiled brightly.
"Thank you, Tooth Fairy!"
"Tooth Fairy, Tooth Fairy!" Jasper cried. "I have a looth tooth! Ith right in the front! Thee?"
"What is going on over here?" Ashley said as she walked into the front room of the castle. Her eyes widened when she saw the four Guardians.
The big man with a long white beard walked over to her. "So this is little girl who does not believe eh? Vat is your name, small von?" he said in a thick Russian accent.
"A-Ashley."
"Hmm, Ashley." He pulled out a long piece of parchment. "Let me see. Ashley. Ah ha! It is right here. Do you know vat zis is Ashley?"
"Umm,"
"It's the naughty or nice list!" Allie squealed.
"You're little sister is right. Zis one in particular is ze naughty list. And your name is right 'ere on ze second to top." Ashley started to cry and ran off to find her mother.
"Who's the top?" Jasper asked.
"Jack Frost. He is alvays ze top."
Allie and Jasper giggled. "That's daddy!"
"I know," Santa winked at them. Just then Elsa waked into the room carrying a still crying Ashley.
"North," she sighed, smiling. "Must you tease her every time?"
"Elsa!" the guardians all said at once.
"It's good to see ya girl," said the large rabbit with an Australian accent.
"It's good to see you too, Bunny," Elsa replied. Ashley stopped crying and looked up at him.
"You're the Easter Bunny?"
"Easter bunny!" Jasper and Allie cheered. Allie ran up and hugged him.
"I love you Bunny!" she cried. Bunny said nothing and just patted her back awkwardly.
"Ooh!" Jasper said as he saw the sand shapes that the Sandman was making.
Santa sighed. "I am sorry to have been here so short a time, but it iz Christmas Eve, and I have much vork to do, I must be off." He walked over to where Elsa stood with Ashley. "And don't vorry small von, your name iz not on naughty list for long now eh?" Ashley nodded, and Santa disappeared.
"I told you so," Jack whispered to Ashley. She stuck out her tongue at him. The rest of the Guardians stayed for a while, telling stories and playing with the kids.
Ashley loved playing with her younger siblings, but they didn't always get along. By the time Ashley was thirteen, the twins started to go to lessons to learn how to use their powers. As they learned how to do new and exciting things, Ashley began to feel left out. Her family was cool and interesting, and Ashley was completely ordinary. She felt like the odd one out, the only one in her family without ice powers.
One day as Ashley sat alone in her room, she heard a tapping on the window. She looked up and saw a dark shadow condensing in the air. The shadow shifted, forming a man. He had a long dark face, and spiky black hair. Though his appearance was frightening, Ashley was not scared. The man did not look at her with malice, so she didn't call out for the guards or her parents. She opened the window to talk to the man.
"Why so sad little princess?" the man asked kindly.
"I just feel left out, you know? There are tons of powerful people in my life, but I'm so useless and boring."
"Ah yes, the little normal girl in a family full of magic. I'm sure it's lonely," the stranger said.
"Exactly!" Ashley cried. Finally someone who understood!
"What would you say if I told you I could give you powers of your own?"
"That would be wonderful!" Ashley shouted with excitement, then realized she probably didn't want to be heard. She glanced at the door to make sure it was closed. The man grinned, almost wickedly. Suddenly the room was ablaze in great, fiery light. Ashley held back a shriek. When the light faded, the man was gone. Ashley started to feel very hot, like her room had become a sauna.
"What is wrong with me?" Ashley whispered to herself. "What did he do?" She looked at her hands where the burning was the most intense. They were on fire! Ashley began to wave them about, trying to extinguish the flames burning on her skin. Instead, smaller tongues of flame spread out from them, setting her room on fire. Ashley frantically tried to calm down. If she was causing this, freaking out was not going to help. She could not let her family know about this!
"Don't feel, don't feel!" As she simmered down, the room's flames gradually lowered until they were barely licking the walls. Only a few minutes ago her room had been pristine, and now it was all ash and cinders. Ashley felt the urge to cry, but she knew if she did the flames would start up again. Instead she sat on her mostly charred bed and wallowed in self-pity.
As dinner approached, Ashley tried to undo the damage she had inflicted upon her room, fearing her mother's reaction when she saw the blackened walls. But it turned out she didn't have to worry because the queen was preoccupied with the eleven year old twins. They were as mischievous as their father and always causing trouble. Instead, Ashley's father stopped by to get her for dinner. Jack was usually oblivious to anything out of the ordinary.
"Hey honey, it's time for- did you redecorate your room?" Jack started looking around at the blackened walls and burnt up furniture.
"Yes daddy, do you like it?" Ashley figured that her father wouldn't know anything was wrong if she played along.
"It's... dark. But a good dark, like an interesting dark. Um, why did you redecorate?"
"I just felt like a change. And this is how everybody is decorating now." Her plan was working. Ashley couldn't believe how credulous her dad was sometimes, but she guessed being supposedly made up did that.
"Oh really? Maybe I should tell Elsa." Or maybe her plan wouldn't work. Though she could safely convince her father there was nothing out of the ordinary going on, her mother was much more perceptive. There was no way Ashley could trick her mother into thinking everything was fine once she saw the burnt room. Ashley had to save herself quickly.
"No- no, there's no need. I'm not sure it's really Mom's style."
"Okay. Don't be late! We're having sandwiches again!"
"Again?" Ashley groaned.
"You know your Aunt. Just be glad your uncle convinced her that chocolate fondu doesn't go well with peanut butter."