(In the words of Kronk: Oh yeah. It's all comin' together. Enjoy, guys! And don't forget to review. I do so enjoy your reactions!)

Elsa blew into her hands, hoping to warm them. It wasn't that she was uncomfortable with the cold cover her palms. She just wanted to try everything she could to quell her abilities.

What had happened? She'd thought she was free. She'd thought she had everything she'd ever wanted. She'd thought she could control herself, thought she could protect everyone.

Apparently she'd been wrong.

Elsa paced back and forth across her room, murmuring.

"Get it together. Control it!"

She probably sounded like a crazy person. Maybe she was a crazy person. Anyone with her curse would have to be. Around her the walls cracked and a red glow came from inside the ice, reacting to her fear.

Why did she have to live like this? She'd been this way for so long. She'd almost remembered what it was like to be happy, truly happy. For two glorious days she was truly herself.

But of course she ruined that too.

What had she done to Anna? The worry had coursed through her until she couldn't stand in one place anymore. Was it like last time? But she hadn't hit her head. No…Anna had been clutching at her chest. Her heart? All those years ago, the trolls had told her that the heart was not so easily changed—meaning it wasn't easily healed. What if she really had struck Anna's heart? Had it been that powerful? If that were true, it would be difficult to fix. What if Anna didn't get help in time? What if she hated Elsa now?

So be it. She should. I haven't been any good to her yet. Why should she treat me differently than I've treated her? Elsa told herself to stop fretting. Almost everything she'd been concerned about over the years hadn't come true—until the coronation. Then, of course, there were the little things going wrong that she hadn't expected. Like her parents dying, revealing her magic, Anna coming after her. Like losing Jack Frost along the way.

"Don't think about that," she told herself, whispering. "Don't feel. Don't feel!"

And that snow monster—where had he come from? He hadn't returned from chasing Anna and her friends down the mountain yet. He'd been so large, so powerful. How had she been able to create something so unique? A castle and a childhood snowman was one thing. But a beast, a guard made of the brittle, dangerous side of winter? Where had she come up with that?

She'd tried so hard to keep Anna from harm. To keep her safe from Elsa herself. For a time she'd begun to believe she and Anna could one day reunite, be sisters again, be friends again, but she'd crushed that dream all on her own. She didn't know how to put it back together. She wasn't strong enough. She didn't know what to do.

No—she did know something.

She didn't need anyone. She couldn't.

"Stay out of sight, Olaf!"

"I will!"

Jack hovered, looking from Kristoff, Sven, and Anna to Olaf. The two humans on the reindeer's back, rushing to Arendelle's palace, or the gullible, sweet snowman sliding on his back through the upper village. He rolled his head with his eyes, groaning, and shot after Olaf.

Olaf turned and waved at the first person he saw; a woman carrying firewood into her home. "Hello!"

She dropped the wood, screaming. "It's alive!"

Jack shook his head hard as she ran back inside. "Uh, that's not really helping, buddy."

Olaf looked up at him, grinning. "So which way to the castle?"

Jack willed the wind to push him further forward, right alongside Olaf, shawl flapping and hair whisking all around his face. Everything looked different in Elsa's brand of snow. There was much more of it than usual, and the town was so colorless he wondered where exactly they were in the first place.

He halted, arms spread, trying to keep hold of his staff as the wind beneath his feet became unruly. "Ah…that way." He pointed with the crook, but when he glanced in that direction he saw more houses, not the towers of the castle. "No…hang on."

"Okay!" Olaf continued to slip and slide at full speed. "Yeah, you know, that's gonna be harder than I thought." His voice became fainter as he put distance between himself and Frost. "I guess I'll just meet you there! Bye, Jack!"

Jack waved a hand, trying to stop him. "Hey wait, Olaf, don't—"

He slid down a hill and Jack could make out his cheerful greeting to another unsuspecting citizen.

"Hi there!"

"Aaaah!"

Jack gave an angry jerk of his head, frustrated. "Think. Think." He closed his eyes and the wind shot him higher than any of the trees.

Over there!

The castle stood covered in white, with no one outside or walking around the courtyard. The gates were closed again. Squinting, Jack could just see Kristoff and Sven, carrying Anna as quickly as they could toward the entrance.

Jack took a deep breath and rocketed in that direction, the snowflakes and sharp breeze cutting his face and almost tugging his shawl right off his shoulders. This was ridiculous. Anna was getting weaker every second, and though Kristoff did everything he could to keep her warm on the way, nothing was helping. The blonde had continued to insist that what Anna needed was a kiss from Hans. Jack and Olaf exchanged glances the entire ride, Olaf slightly confused and Jack growing more and more irritated.

Olaf had been confused, Jack knew, because the little snowman understood what was missing, and couldn't figure out why no one else had seen it. The one who obviously actually cared about Anna was the boy shoving his only hat over her ears, not the one keeping his sideburns warm and comfortable in a palace that didn't belong to him.

(Two hours earlier…)

Elsa had made up her mind. She was going out.

She was shaking as she descended the stairs. Anna could be hurt, or worse, and it was her fault. All her fault. She had to know—just for now—what was going on with her sister. If Elsa really hadn't done much damage. If she'd delivered a fatal blow. If there was a cure. If Anna had discovered it by now. And the only people to worry for her condition consisted of a sweet (though brainless) snowman and a stranger with a reindeer.

Elsa wouldn't get any sleep tonight at all if she didn't at least check on Anna. She had debated on whether she should make a brand-newsnowman to go and check for her, but the thought of using her powers again to make another monster didn't appeal just yet. Anna couldn't be her friend, but they were still family—somewhat—well, as much as you could be family when you didn't know each other anymore. And who else should be there now if not family?

She wouldn't get close. She wouldn't be seen. She just had to know.

But the moment she opened the doors, her heart almost stopped. Men on horses, with weapons, stood at the foot of her bridge into the castle. Prince Hans led them, and his auburn hair flashed in the early-morning sun as the winter around him grew harsher. Snow whipped past Elsa as she peeked out the door, and she stumbled backward, horrified.

It's true. They're coming for me. They think I'm a witch. She looked at her hands. Maybe they weren't far off. Well, they weren't going to get her without a fight. She'd tasted freedom, and she wasn't going back now.

Once they were taken care of, she could see to Anna. She could make sure her sister was safe. And then she would return here, to live out the rest of her days without the shadow that hung over her, the screams of her ice-cold baby sister in her ears each night. With the assurance that Anna was all right, Elsa could let it go again.

As Hans approached the bridge, Elsa's snow beast—Marshmallow, as she'd heard Olaf yell out—sprang from the ground, roaring out of nowhere into the faces of the guards. Elsa's spirits lifted, just a little. At least someone was on her side, someone she couldn't hurt. She'd thought he hadn't returned to the palace after making sure her unwelcome visitors were given the boot. Surprised, she realized she was very glad to see his bulky form tower over Hans and the other intruders.

As the Prince of the Southern Isles battled Marshmallow, Elsa caught two of the men glaring up at her. They'd seen her. She closed the doors as quickly as she could, not even bothering to use her magic. She'd need to save that particular strength.

Her thoughts blurred together as she fled into the balcony room. It would be the best place to defend herself; she hadn't ever made any furniture here. Glancing around, she realized the castle was glowing yellow, pulsing with the same anger she felt. Why couldn't they leave me alone? Why can't I just get away?

They burst into the room after her, crossbows at the ready, but as she faced them Elsa felt a tremor pass through her heart. She couldn't wound these men! They were people, just as she was. She recognized their accents as they growled out a warning to each other—be careful!—they were from Weselton. Had the Duke sent them? He'd seemed so harmless during her coronation party. It didn't matter. There they were, their arrows pointed right at her. But she was rooted to the spot, paralyzed at the thought of using her powers to hurt again.

They didn't seem to have any premonition. One of them raised his bow, a hard look flitting across his face, as if he were looking at an especially unwholesome animal.

Elsa held out her hands, terror making her eyes fill. "No! Please!"

With a snap the arrow flew cleanly through the air. Elsa raised her arms to cover herself, and immediately shards of ice ripped from the floor to shield her.

Breathing hard with her eyes squeezed shut, the snow queen wondered why she wasn't feeling any pain. Then her eyes flashed open. The arrow had gotten halfway through the ice before stopping, and Elsa leaned backward, its tip almost touching her nose.

She had told them to stay away from her. Hadn't she? When she'd left, she'd warned them she was dangerous. They didn't listen, and that was their choice. No one ever listened to her. No one ever understood, nobody ever cared, no matter how much they said they did. She had to get them out of here. She couldn't just let them kill her. She wanted to be alone, alone, above and far from all of it, all of them, and they wouldn't let her! I don't need anyone.

And that included restrainers.

As the men shouted at each other in their native tongue, one tossing the first another arrow, Elsa tried to swallow her fear and overwhelm it with anger. It wasn't working, but she'd pretend it was.

"Stay away!" she ordered, a blast of ice shooting from her open palms.

This time the ice stretched and climbed across the floor, trying to knock her attackers off their feet. They staggered out of the way, disoriented.

She couldn't slow her breathing. The stress of the situation made her heart drum in her ears, pound on her wrists. She felt the storm roll through her, in time with that beat.

"Fire, fire!" snarled the man on the right to his partner.

Before he could, another round of blue blazed from the frightened royal, and the intruder had to jump out of the magic's path again.

"Get her!"

Elsa turned to shoot at the other man, the one creeping up on her from the side. He dodged, getting a little bit familiar with her unorthodox defense. The next volley threw him to the floor.

She heard a roar and a crash outside. The rest were on their way. What had happened to Marshmallow? A glance through the glassy walls revealed only what was left of one of his legs. What did they do to you?

Elsa made eye contact with one of her assailants. He lifted his bow, squinting, and she felt that same yellow anger rising within her, finally passing her fear. Quicker than the Southern Isle guard aiming at her throat, Elsa let her rage fuel her powers, and the knives of ice pinned the man's coat to one of the pillars.

One blade stretched particularly close to his throat, but Elsa stopped herself in time. Not because she was still opposed to hurting these two, but because his colleague was slowly advancing on her other side. She knocked the crossbow from his hand, creating a small wall to press him backward.

The man fought, pushing against the wall of ice. But Elsa was stronger. She emitted wind that overpowered the attacker, shoving him out onto the balcony and breaking the doors from their hinges.

You shouldn't have come. You shouldn't have tried this. You shouldn't have forced me to fight. Why do you have to be here? She wanted to say it, but her mouth wouldn't work. After everything that had gone wrong in her life—no—basically after her whole life thus far, these two ignorant, arrogant boys playing at being hunters would dare assassinate her, without asking questions or giving her an explanation. She had been shut in, locked up, closed off, dreaded, pitied, and left in an echo. She had been sealed for so long and because she'd let it go, they wanted her dead. She didn't even have her sister anymore! They would take her liberty too?

The wind coming from her hand grew and grew, and the guard hanging from the wall watched in horror. Both doors to the balcony fell onto its railing, and the man battling the ice slab was trapped on the edge, the wall steadily moving toward him until…

"Queen Elsa!"

Elsa did not stop. She didn't turn around yet. That rich voice was Hans. Let him watch. He'd taken them to her. Was this his idea? He'd seemed gentler—but lately nothing in Arendelle was what it seemed. This was Anna's fiancé. She wouldn't do anything to him. But his overconfident lackeys were a different story.

"Don't be the monster they fear you are!"

At the word monster, Elsa whisked her head around to look at him over her shoulder. He was shaken, probably from the battle with Marshmallow or probably from seeing her this way. He was handsome as ever, but there was still something much too perfect about him, and she didn't notice it the way other women might have. Don't be the monster they fear you are. As if they feared her, not him. As if he chose to think differently of her. Elsa wasn't sure she believed him, but she did know one thing.

She had absolutely no desire to kill them. Any of them.

The wind stopped. The snow calmed. The ice began to shrink, just a tiny bit. Elsa was finally able to exhale at a normal pace, and she watched Hans, blinking as if just waking up. What was she doing? How could she even think of—that poor man on the balcony! He must be so afraid. No one should have to be afraid. She couldn't look at the one on the wall, sick with herself.

But she should have.

The crossbow rose for the final time that morning, the hand that wielded it trembling with the effort. Hans took one look at the guard dangling from the pillar and dashed across the room. Elsa didn't have time to think about what was happening. It all went too fast.

"Agh!"

Hans shoved the crossbow toward the ceiling, and the arrow was fired.

Whishhhhh!

The arrow whistled into the air, colliding with the crystal chain holding Elsa's beautiful chandelier.

Shik!

The chain broke, and with a mighty rattling, the chandelier tumbled downward.

Whoosh!

Elsa gasped, looking up. It was directly above her! Move, move, move, move, move!

Clack clack clack clack clackclackclack!

Her heels snapped against the floor as she raced as quickly as she could toward the south end of the room. Questions grabbed her mind and shook it hard. What if she didn't make it? What if it hit her? What if it hit the others? What if she never found out what happened to Anna? What if she never got to apologize to the man on the balcony, or the man on the wall? What if she never got to see…

CRASH.

And then there was silence.

"No—this is completely messed up! Listen!"

Kristoff continued walking, oblivious of Jack's pestering, his attempt at tugging on the blonde's hood. Sven trailed behind them, looking back now and again toward the closed castle gates.

They had returned Anna to her home, and Jack had hated the conflict in Anna's eyes as she'd turned to see Kristoff over her shoulder, the large wooden doors slamming shut between them. He'd hated the way Kristoff had hung his head in defeat, the way he trudged so dejectedly through the snow, back to who-knows-where.

"Hey! Come on, you can't leave now!" Jack stood in Kristoff's path, arms spread, fingers slightly curled in exasperation. "You really believe that's her true love in there, are you kidding me?"

Kristoff passed through him, not even blinking.

"Kristoff!" Jack stayed where he was, shouting at Kristoff's back, wondering when he was going to stop acting as if somehow he'd be heard at times like this. He threw his arms up higher and let them slap against his sides coming down. "At least make sure Hans is even in there, huh?"

Sven gave a mournful bellow, nudging his nose under Kristoff's hand, but Kristoff dropped it again. Jack scoffed, bitter with the world and the way ordinary people worked.

With a last tight-lipped glare at the reindeer and his pitiful master, the winter spirit turned, tightening his hold on his staff, and flew to the first window he came to. If Kristoff wasn't going to do anything more, it was, as always, up to Jack Frost.

He flew from window to window, trying to discover where they had taken Anna. He heard voices coming from one, and wiped away the frost and fog to see the princess among a throng of people. The ambassadors of other kingdoms, visiting for Elsa's stale coronation, crowded her. The Duke of Weselton was there, and so was Hans. Jack wasn't relieved. There was no way this was gonna fix things.

"Woah, woah, woah, slow down!" Hans was saying. His voice was muffled through the glass, and Jack strained to hear.

"We'll give them some privacy," Gerda said, taking charge boldly over the many important men around her. They all followed her out of the room without protest.

"What happened out there?" Hans demanded, Anna clinging to his neck.

"Elsa s-struck me with her powers," Anna explained, teeth chattering.

Hans looked down at her with wide, round eyes, but they were missing a softness Jack and Anna had both seen in someone else. "You said she'd never hurt you!"

"I-I was wrong," Anna rushed, but her tone quivered, as if she had forced the sentence out. Jack knew she didn't really believe that. At least…he hoped she didn't.

Anna suddenly let out a groan, hand to her heart, and Hans lifted her up onto the sofa. Her hair was almost completely white by now. The fireplace roared behind them, and Hans knelt at her side, face the picture of woe.

"She…sh-sh-she froze my heart," Anna stammered, exhaling rapidly, not even feeling the fire. She had to fight around the lump in her throat, and Jack saw the terror in her expression. "Only an act of true love can save me."

Hans' face lit up with realization, eyebrows raised, trying to look in both Anna's eyes at the same time. "A true love's kiss!"

There was silence for a moment. Slowly, Hans reached out and leaned in. Anna closed her eyes and he closed his. Only seconds remained. Jack pressed his nose against the glass, frost creeping around the edges of the window. He used one white sleeve to smudge it off.

Suddenly, Hans stopped. His eyes opened. "Oh, Anna."

Jack's fingernails dug into the wood of the windowsill.

A smirk that defined the word nasty spread across Hans' lips. A distinct cold came to his hazel eyes, and it looked so at home there that Jack wanted to break the window open. What was he doing?

"If only there was someone out there who loved you." Hans pulled away, and Anna's eyelids fluttered upward in utter bewilderment.

"W-W…What?" she whispered, breath coming in shallow gasps.

Hans walked to Jack's window. Jack drew backward, gritting his teeth at the swagger in the Prince's walk. He felt his own breathing become ragged, losing himself in fury. If he was doing what it looked like he was doing…he did not want to be around when Jack got into that castle.

"Y-You said…you did," Anna coughed, trying to understand. Poor Anna. She was so afraid, so helpless, lying there shivering.

"As 13th in line in my own kingdom…" Hans began, pulling the curtains closed.

Jack, now blind to the scene, slammed both palms against the glass, eyebrows down so low over his storming blue irises you could barely see them. "No! No, no!"

"…I didn't stand a chance; I knew I'd have to marry into the throne somewhere—"

Anna's voice cut him off. "W-What…what're you t-talking about?"

Some of the light Jack could see in the crack between the closed curtains went out. Hans was snuffing the candle above Anna! Jack threw his shoulder against the window, but it wouldn't budge. He wanted to scream. What, is this more punishment? She needs help! Huffing and puffing as he kicked and leaned on the glass, Jack listened to Hans' deep voice turn cunning.

"As heir, Elsa was preferable, of course, but…no one was getting anywhere with her."

Jack allowed himself a snarly grin, finding a glimmer of triumph in the Prince's monologue. "Wanna bet?"

"But you—"

"Hans!"

"You were so desperate for love, you were willing to marry me just like that!" Hans chuckled. "I figured, after we married, I'd have to stage a little 'accident' for Elsa."

Frost had never felt this close to burning in his life. Every time Hans said her name Jack wanted to freeze the world—or maybe just a certain royal liar. He said it like he was talking about a child, a witless, pathetic waste of flesh. Jack grabbed a fistful of his own hair, something he did when he was really losing it. He tried going at the window again, but to no avail.

"Hans! N-No! Stop!"

Jack heard a hssssss. The last of the light in the room faded. He'd put out the fire.

"But then she doomed herself—and you were dumb enough to go after her!"

"Please…"

"All that's left now is to kill Elsa, and bring back summer." Hans said it so carelessly, throwing his words about as if his life were one big cushion.

Then Anna's voice came clear and strong, not a single word stammered or chattering. But it was plenty cold.

"You're no match for Elsa!"

For the first time all day, Jack really smiled.

"No. You're no match for Elsa." There was a sneer in him as Hans spoke. "I, on the other hand, am the hero. The hero who is going to save Arendelle from destruction!"

The sound of the door being opened made Jack jump. He flew to the window beside his for the third or fourth time (he'd lost count), but the curtains there were still drawn. Hans was leaving. This was his chance.

"You won't g-get away with this."

The door creaked. "Aww. But I already have!"

Slam!

Jack knocked against the window, hard, hoping Anna would hear him. But to her ears it made no sound. He could hear her pleading, whimpering, calling out in the thinnest of ways for someone to help her. Alone against a closed door. Story of her life.

Jack leaned his forehead against the glass, inhaling through his nose. Even if he could get to her, how could he help her? He couldn't start a fire! He was Jack Frost. All he could do was keep people cold. He could try the door from the inside of the castle, but he'd heard Hans lock it, and he'd already realized how well trying to break things down worked out for him. Couldn't he do anything? He was the waste of flesh.

And suddenly, the most amazing and sunny voice of all sounded. But not from inside. Behind him.

"Hiya, Jack!"

Jack dropped to the ground and whirled around, shawl slapping Olaf in the face. The little snowman staggered. He had packed on a bit more of the powdery stuff on his trip through the village, gathering snow on his body while he slid.

Olaf snorted when he saw Jack's expression, assuming it was because of his appearance, glancing down at himself in an amused way. "Yeah, I know! I had a really bumpy landing. You think I should go on a diet?"

Jack picked him up and tossed him like a ball into the air, catching him and flipping him up again, laughing hysterically with relief. "Yes! I can't believe this!"

Olaf giggled. "Woa-ho! Hey, this is great! I can see my house from here!" He paused in midair. "Oh, wait, I don't have a house. I should get a house. Like a summer home, you know? Down by the beach." He landed in Jack's hands again. Spreading his arms and smiling sideways, he raised his eyebrows. "Whaddaya think?"

Jack could have hugged him right there. But instead he set him down, kneeling in front of Olaf and pointing at him in a serious manner. "Great timing, buddy. Listen—Anna's in trouble. Okay? I need you to go in there—"

Olaf gasped. "The kiss didn't work?"

Jack shook his head rapidly. "I don't have time to explain! Anna's locked in the parlor and Elsa's in danger too. I need you to—"

"Elsa? Oh hey!" Olaf gave a little bounce. "I saw Elsa!"

"What?"

"Yeah, she was in some dark room with these big metal bracelets on her hands."

"Big metal bracelets…" Jack's eyes cut across the snow on the ground, thinking at lightning speed. His head shot up. "She's in the dungeon?"

Olaf nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

Jack felt his heart quake. She was chained up. Not just mentally this time, but physically. They had her in a cell in her own home. She must be going insane with anxiety. He glanced around. The snow falling was getting thicker; the wind was picking up. Definitely freaked out.

"Show me!"

Olaf took him to the prison. It was ground-level, and while Olaf stood back against the wall to avoid being seen by any guards, Jack peered into the closest window. It was glass like most of the others around the castle, but there were crisscross metal patterns running across it, as if to subliminally warn the captive not to try breaking out, because that dream went nowhere fast.

She was standing in the center of the room, her hands covered in some sort of special manacle to prevent her from using her powers. She looked paler than ever and unspeakably frightened. Jack felt that same burning sensation when he saw the way she yanked and struggled at her chains. Hans had done this to her.

"Okay." Jack put his hands on Olaf's wooden shoulders. The snowman smiled up at him. "I need you to—listen—I need you to go inside and get Anna out. All right? Get her somewhere safe, somewhere warm." He stood up, ready to leave.

"You got it! …Ooh! Quick question!" Olaf waved a hand in the air.

Jack turned, blinking in frustration. "Yeah?"

"How do I get in?"

"In?"

"Yeah, you said it was locked, 'member?"

Jack glanced at the window. He didn't trust it. What could Olaf do? He didn't have much strength—okay, none whatsoever—to bust the door open. He didn't even have a key, and if they could find one, it might be too late.

He snapped his fingers. A key!

Rubbing those same fingers together in an I-have-an-idea-and-it's-gonna-work tizzy, Jack got down to Olaf's level again, looking into his eyes to make sure he listened. The snowman would get the job done when it really counted. "Your nose."

"Huh?"

"Use your nose, pick the lock!"

"Okay! Wait, what if it breaks?"

"Don't worry about it, just go!"

Oaf put both hands on his nose. "But I like my nose. Anna gave it to me." He stopped, eyes growing large as he thought about what he'd said. Anna. He saluted Jack. "You can count on me, Bigfoot!"

Jack grinned. "See you later." He summoned the wind and closed his eyes, trying to think of his next step. He couldn't help Elsa if she couldn't see him. He didn't know what to do about that. He had to fix it or nothing he did would amount to anything. He heard Olaf humming as he walked away, breaking Jack's concentration. What song was that? Jack put words to the tune in his mind, feeling something tugging at his center.

True love brings out the best.

He opened his eyes. He knew where to go.