Jdogrey: Thanks for the review!
Austrian: Glad that you found it cool, I had fun while writing about the Snow Queen. Ich hoffe alles ist gut bei dir. Pass gut auf dich auf.
Guest: Oh, you realized the similarities! This made me happy, thank you for the lovely review!
Alright. I am super nervous about this chapter... I hope, I really hope you will like it.
Chapter 20: The Past of the Future
"Hi, my name is Olaf and I love warm hugs!" the goofy snowman introduced himself with his usual jovial self, caused everyone, of course except Katherine, to flinch in surprise.
"A-A talking snowman!" Bunny cried out in disbelief whereas North was chuckling loudly at the horrified expression on his face.
Jack, although his gorgeous blue eyes were mixed with puzzlement and amazement, he kept his cool posture while he was glaring at Olaf. He seemed so content at that moment, probably because of the fact he has just discovered that there was someone like him.
At least, he thought that way. What he didn't know was that he had met this talkative, very much alive snowman and the woman who shared the same powers as him a very, very long time ago.
It was too much.
She staggered with a violent tremor and withdrew her gaze from him immediately, then she whirled around and uttered a few words whereas she was trying not to mind the terrible nausea that was turning her stomach upside down. "Excuse me."
She did not give them the opportunity to stop her, she rapidly walked away. She was a bit relieved when she heard Katherine speaking, she knew no one was going to follow her. Olaf could talk hours about literally everything and Katherine would be there to assist him.
When she leaned her back against a thick-bodied tree and collapsed on the ground in resentment, she could breathe more or less. However, instead of calming down, she knew her condition was getting progressively worse.
Elsa brought her hand to her mouth, she was striving to stop the loud hiccup coming out of her mouth. Her whole body was trembling, she pulled her knees towards herself and she held them tight. Her hiccups got violent and she knew, soon, she'd burst into tears... However, she managed to prevent herself from weeping.
They looked different from the last time she has seen them.
Sandy had been through the biggest change. Surely, his hair has always been golden yellow, as well as his powers. Elsa always thought this color defined him, but now, his entire body was golden and consisted of magic sand... This physical appearance made Sandy even more magical than he was before. It was also an interesting detail that Sandy was not capable of speaking. The man that Elsa knew has never been a chatty person, nonetheless he would say a word or two every once in a while. Now, he could only communicate through the signs that appeared on his head.
Even though not as much as Sandy, North too seemed different. His outfit consisted largely of red now, the fancy, royal clothes had been replaced with more casual ones. Also, she couldn't help but associate his coat and black furry hat with a traditional Russian outfit. On top of that, North was now speaking with a heavy Russian accent and although Elsa was a little surprised when she first heard it, she immediately got used to it.
North wasn't the only one whose accent had changed, Bunny's accent had changed too. Even though Elsa had heard the way he spoke before, she realised it was an Australian accent only years later.
Katherine, Tooth and... Jack... These three have hardly changed. Nevertheless, there were a few differences that were a good thing.
They were all smiling, their eyes filled with tranquillity, warmth and all other positive emotions... They were content. They were much, much happier than the last time she had seen them. Especially by the end of the war, they had all a mental break down, they seemed like they aged due to stress, fear and pain. Now there was a shadow of their former self.
Now, they were... more like themselves.
Even better, they were still the same individuals who were her friends. North was still fatherly and joyful, Bunny seemed tough and harsh but deep down, he was caring. Sandy was quiet, understanding and wise, Tooth was energetic, friendly and bubbly, Katherine was calm, compassionate and clever as always.
And Jack...
Elsa shuddered in agony, she was feeling a tightness in her chest. She clutched her knees stronger, dug her nails into her palms harshly and gritted her teeth to hold her sob.
Jack didn't remember her.
She had predicted this, of course she was anticipating this, it was as plain as the nose on her face. If Jack or the others... If the guardians had remembered her, they'd have found each other much longer ago. Jack aside, even Katherine, the most omniscient person she has ever known, couldn't remember her until she saw her.
Even though she had prepared herself to this for a long time, she had failed. In the end, she was crouching on the ground, writhing in pain because this was simply inevitable, not even acceptance and patience could help her out.
Her friends that she genuinely cared about, the man she fell in love with didn't remember her, they didn't even know of her existence until now.
"Hey... Are you okay?"
Elsa leaped up, thankfully she didn't let out a cry in shock, it would be embarrassing. Still, she felt jolted and he probably discerned that. "Ah, yes, I am totally fine..." her voice trailed off whereas she was thinking of a good excuse and trying not to panic.
She cleared her throat and fixated her posture, then stared at Jack cooly. "It is just... It's been a while since someone saw me. It feels weird to be able to make eye contact with a human... They can't see me." she reasoned with a strict manner. Technically, she wasn't lying.
"Well, I am not a human but yeah, I get what you mean... It must have been hard for you." he muttered under his breath, his fascinating eyes that she missed so much were full of empathy.
"It's alright." she prevaricated to avoid this topic, she didn't have the energy to work herself up.
"Umm... May I call you Elsa?"
She forced a smile and just nodded to approve, she didn't trust her voice because there was a lump in her throat.
"Elsa, look, we... I would really appreciate it if you'd come with us to North Pole, to North's workshop. We need to discuss an important topic with you." Jack requested politely, he surprisingly sounded nervous.
"Sure." Elsa retorted curtly, caused the young-looking spirit startle in awe... Speaking of his appearance, how old was he? She brushed that question off hastily, it was not the right time to mull over.
"I thought you would decline." he admitted honestly with a low chuckle that escaped from his lips as they were walking towards the guardians.
Elsa eyed at the red enormous sleigh... It was, well, she didn't know what she had expected but certainly not this. There was a globe on the front point of the sleigh and two wings attached to the body. "It wouldn't hurt to travel by Santa Claus' sleigh.
North grinned from ear to ear when he heard that statement, "Everyone loves the sleigh."
"Tangerine cake?" North proposed in his typical joyful manner, he was holding a huge cake.
"No, thank you." she shook her head and declined his offer gently.
Her eyes widened when North basically threw the cake without taking a second glance at it. Fortunately, an elf caught it, which resulted in him, plunging on the floor. She never knew that elves and yetis actually existed, moreover, she always imagined the elves tall, gorgeous human-like creatures. Apparently, the descriptions that were written in books were just a myth.
North narrowed his eyes and caught the glimpse of Katherine, she was the only person who was standing in his office, besides Elsa and him. "Now, dear Elsa, I and Katherine would like to talk to you about being a guardian."
"May I have a word with Katherine... alone?" Elsa blurted out rudely and interrupted the old man. She could feel her cheeks burning, she swallowed and let out an apologetic smile. "I am sorry, I just really want to catch up with my dearest friend."
Katherine and North exchanged a glance. As she slightly tilted her head, Father Christmas simply offered Elsa a warm grin, then left the room silently. They were clearly close friends, just like how she knew them in the first place.
"Els-"
She threw herself to her friend's body, a sensation of satisfaction was filling her heart. She refused to let go of Katherine and grasped her tighter, she was overjoyed to finally be reunited with the only person that recognized her.
"I missed you, I missed all of you so much." Elsa confessed shamelessly, her voice was filled with so many different types of emotions.
"I missed you too. They will too, once they recall their memories and comprehend who you are." Katherine spoke with an appeasing tone, she was rubbing her back soothingly.
The platinum blonde retreated with a hint of a smile on her lips, it faded away quickly after she exhaled deeply. "Katherine." she called out her name with a gentle but strict tone. "I need an explanation of everything that had happened nearly 172 years ago."
"You may want to sit down."
"I rather stand."
Katherine only shrugged, she didn't insist. "First of all, I should explain what a guardian is. I am sure you remember the Man in the Moon, aka Manny... He is the one who gives us immortality in the first place, we were all someone else before we became immortals, we had a past. Manny is also the one who chooses the guardians. We take an oath to protect the children all around the world, our duty is to keep them safe no matter what. Each of us, me, Jack and others... We all represent a center that helps the children, North is wonder, Jack is fun, Bunny is hope for instance." she started to clarify her questions immediately. Elsa stayed silent, waited for her to continue.
Katherine's gray eyes filled with clouds, her expression darkened... She was recollecting the memories that she certainly didn't want to recall. "It all began this year, in 2019. Jack defeated Pitch in 2012, that's why it shocked all of us that Pitch was back only seven years later..." her voice trailed off, she wrapped her arms around herself to cease her shiver.
"What happened, Katherine?"
"A war. It was brutal, Elsa. We've been battling against Pitch for centuries but this war... It was something I've never seen before, even the War of the North is a child's play compared to this war. When Pitch arose, he wasn't alone. He had an ally... The Dark Lord."
Elsa's jaw dropped the ground, her eyes were popping out of her head. "The Dark Lord? The very same mysterious guy who the Northern Island fought against?"
"Yes... But not limited to this... The Dark Lord, he is the Nightmare Man."
She felt her legs getting weaker, her hands were shaking uncontrollably, but she couldn't bring herself to care. "What do you mean?" she inquired, feeling beyond baffled.
"Let me explain step by step... During the war in this year, the Dark Lord was the reason why Pitch was so near to defeat us. Together, the two murdered thousands of people... Pitch is evil, but he was never this fierce and ferocious before. I believe, the Dark Lord somehow manipulated Pitch, maybe even summoned him."
"This is like how the Nightmare Man always made everything worse whenever Pitch held himself back... He was inside of Pitch's head and slowly eating him." Elsa claimed and cut her off excitedly. Soon after, she furrowed her eyebrows in utter confusion. "So why isn't there a disastrous war now? Did the guardians somehow manage to win?"
"The war never occurred, Elsa."
"Pardon me?"
"This is where everything gets tangled... Manny sent us to the past because we would surely be defeated in 2019. We had to win for the sake of children who we vowed to protect. However, we couldn't have fulfilled our obligations without you."
"Excuse-"
This time, Katherine was the one, who didn't let her finish. "Manny teleported us and the others to 1847, to your time because he chose you as the seventh guardian, Elsa. Basically, we traveled in time just to find you, so that you could help us to gain a victory against Pitch and the Dark Lord."
"I don't understand."
"If we won in the past, it would affect the future and give us a chance to win. Two timelines collided together, we were never destined to meet if it weren't for the war. The two timelines collided together and they become one to defeat the Dark Lord and Pitch... We deleted a reality and created another one to replace it. We rewrote the past so that we could change the future." the Guardian of Storytelling told her dramatically, her voice got deeper.
She proceeded after exhaling and inhaling to catch her breath. "And there are the parallels between the past and the future... The Man in the Moon choosing us and giving us powers, Pitch corrupting Sandy's sand and supposedly killing him, the Nightmare Man controlling Pitch and many other more. We all had the trails of who we are... Pitch being good at first, then him losing his mind when his daughter got murdered... These parallels makes the two timelines compatible."
"Then why were you nobles ruling an entire kingdom instead of being the guardians you are in reality?"
"If there are parallels, of course, there are differences. We didn't remember who we were, Elsa. Time-traveling has a price... A few recent memories were erased from our minds, that's why the rest of the guardians can't recall who you are. I wouldn't either, if I wasn't the storyteller... Anyway, due to the lack of memories, we did not know we were immortal, we were under an illusion... We had false recollections, Jack, Bunny and North were never related by blood, we did not come from royalty, our childhoods were all lies. It was all an illusion so that we would adapt to the past better. In reality, we had been stuck in the year 1847 only for a couple of months." she tried to clarify her question.
"What about Pitch and Sandy, being brothers? And Emma... She vanished in front of our eyes immediately after you left. Was she also a part of the... illusion?" Elsa popped out another question.
This question had obviously a bad effect on Katherine. The auburn-haired woman flinched, Elsa could see she was disturbed due to her timid, slightly vulnerable expression. "Pitch and Sandy are not brothers. However, those two have a history... About Emma... This was Manny's gift to us. When he created the illusion, he put in the people we loved most. For Jack, it was Emma, for North, it was Mrs. Claus, who is supposedly Jack, Emma and Aster's mother in that illusion..."
"For you, it was Nightlight." the Fifth Spirit declared, her facial outlines, her voice were completely apathetic, she did not reflect any kind of emotion.
Katherine winced in agony, she averted her gaze away from her as she shut her eyes down. "Yes." she replied curtly and grimly. "Could we please move on from this topic?"
Elsa hesitated for a brief moment, after letting her lips curl up bitterly, she stretched out her arm and gave a light squeeze on her friend's shoulder. "I am here if you want to talk."
"I know."
She decided not to pester her, besides, she had more questions. "Why didn't Manny choose me as a guardian right before the modern time war? Why bother time traveling? I was an immortal before I met you."
"Elsa... You weren't immortal back then."
"What?" she exclaimed with a deep scowl on her face. She tilted her head to indicate her perplexity. "I died in Ahtohallan, then was brought back to life when Anna saved Northuldra."
"That's your assumption, which is quite logical. You came back to life, yes, but you did not become immortal that day, Elsa." Katherine insisted in a composed manner. "You become immortal when you said three basic words in the War of the North."
Elsa did not feel confused at Katherine's argument... Quite the opposite, she somehow discovered the answer thanks to her friend. She raised her chin, her elegant posture truly made her look like a queen. "Don't hurt him." she announced those three words confidently.
"Exactly," she nodded in agreement, "Manny made you immortal when you attempted to protect Pitch. Elsa you... Even though he had done so many unacceptable things, even though he hurt all of us, you still... cared for him."
"I do not care for Pitch." Elsa retorted, her voice was harsh and furious. "I..." she desperately searched for the right words, nonetheless, her voice trailed off.
Elsa's anger ceased all of a sudden, her expression became dull. "If Hans didn't save my life, I would never have the chance to be immortal..." The platinum blonde turned her head sharply and sighed in frustration, it was an attempt to get Hans of her head. "I have another question, it will sound selfish." she mumbled promptly.
"Go on."
"Why... Why did you leave?"
"You mean, why did Jack leave you?"
Elsa did not respond, regardless, the crestfallen, ashamed look on her face was enough.
"Jack didn't belong to that time. There were to many unknowns. We did not know what would happen if Jack was stuck in your timeline, maybe it would change the whole future, which meant that perhaps he would never be able to defeat Pitch and become a guardian. He had to continue his path alone... Just like all of us did."
"How did you find me? After 172 years, I was pretty positive that we would never meet again."
"Weeks ago, when Manny choose you as a guardian, I finally remembered you. That day is the very same the day when we were so close to losing against the Dark Lord and Pitch. The very same day, Manny teleported us to your time. We won the War of the North and went back to our time in just one day."
"So all those months in 1847... It was equivalent to just one day of 2019."
"Exactly. After I finally remembered you, I told Jack about you... He was the one who found you. He said that he heard the voice of a siren, which led us to the Enchanted Forest."
Elsa paled visibly at the mention of his name, her eyes filled with anguish.
172 years... It meant a single day for him. She waited for him 172 years and yet, he didn't even know who she was.
"I need to sit down."
"Elsa, look, Jack loves you, okay? He may not remember you, but that doesn't mean that he gives up on you." Katherine strived to soothe her friend, she instantly understood why her mood was so low.
"We have to find Pitch and the Dark Lord. Once we take them down, I... I need a break, I need to get away from all of this."
Did you like it? Feel free to criticize, I am always open to constructive reviews. See ya soon, love ya all!