A week past. during that time, the members of the SSS met at Hiccup almost everyday, to practice and find their limitations.
Elsa slowly found herself getting less afraid to use her powers, firstly because the room was sealed and because she felt no one would get hurt because they could all take care of themselves.
She also began learning more about her comrades. Ralph, it turned out, wasn't the bully she had originally thought he was, and Sandy had some pretty neat ideas on where they could improve, so she learnt that he wasn't just the dumb loudmouth she had known before.
Jack too had changed. Instead of acting like a fool, he took his powers very seriously, eager to learn as much as he could. He quickly gained control and much knowledge on how to do certain things, such as remove ice, which Elsa had never known how to do, or to command the wind and other aspects of winter.
Hiccup eventually decided that Elsa and Jack had very different powers, only linked by the fact that they were both for cold.
As for the rest of the group, they were constantly exposed to roaring heat or freezing cold terrains. And that as you can imagine was rather unpleasant.
But one thing that was the same was the questions about their powers that they continuously: Where did they come from and why did they get them?
"Until i have created my Power Mesure, I cannot tell you how." Was Hiccup's only answer.
-i-
The bell had just finished ringing On a Friday afternoon as Elsa and Kristoff marched out of science class, eager to go have lunch, when Jack called for them to wait up.
Stopping, Elsa raised an eyebrow, wondering what could be so important that it couldn't wait until practice with the SSS later that day.
"I kinda need a favor." Jack began, looking uncomfortable.
"Yeah...?" Elsa wasn't sure she liked where this was going already.
"I promised Mom I'd take Emma ice-skating tomorrow, but now she won't unless you come with."
Now he looked slightly frustrated, as if he couldn't believe his own sister didn't trust him enough to look after her alone.
Elsa would have been amused, but she was still thinking about what Jack had said.
Kristoff however snorted. "Like you'll get Elsa to ice-skate. She never does."
"Please Elsa." Jack begged, ignoring Kristoff.
"I-I don't know..." Elsa began, only to be interrupted by Aster, who yelled to Jack, "Oy! Hurry up, Jack!"
"Just promise me you'll think about it..okay?" Jack persisted, beautiful blue eyes widening.
Elsa nodded, and with another yell from Aster, he said a hurried goodbye, and sprinted off to catch up with his crew.
"Why didn't you say no right away?" Kristoff demanded as soon as they resumed walking to the renovated lunchroom.
Elsa chose not to answer, lost in the past.
-i-
Later that day, at the end of SSS practice, Elsa pulled Jack aside. Almost everyone had left, and Hiccup was fiddling with one of his inventions, too involved in whatever he was doing to listen in.
"Look, Jack," She began. "I've given what you asked of me close consideration, and before i tell you my answers I want to know something about my past no one else knows."
Jack was silent, leaning against the wall and waiting for her to continue.
Elsa took a deep breath, sitting down weakly on one of the chairs "It was spring. Anna and I had been away for almost all winter...so we didn't get to see any snow or anything that year. You might have already noticed, but Anna's favourite season is winter...and she really wanted to go ice skating. Mama promised we could go to a rink, but that wasn't good enough for Anna. When she found out that the ice rink was closed for renovations until further notice, she made me go into the woods and search for ice that hadn't yet melted."
"The exact same one that Emma was on. The night had been cold, and...and i should have known better...but we got onto the ice anyway. Mama and Papa had no idea where we were...and we were to far in the forest for anyone to head us... this was before the high school was built of course."
Elsa paused and Jack waited in silence until she could continue. "I had wanted to be a figure skater then... I was showing off to Anna of what i could do... when she dashed across to the center of the ice."
"I tried to call her back but it was to late. The ice cracked and she fell in. There was nothing I could do."
"What happened then?"
"A hiker had been walking past when he heard us playing and was on his way to see what was happening...he was the one that saved my sister. Anna was in a coma for three weeks...it was the worst time of my life."
"When did this happen?" Jack asked.
"I was five." Came the reply.
A long silence came over them, Jack thinking about what she had just told him, while Elsa relived what had actually happened.
There had been no ice. she had created it with the powers she had been born with, unaware of the consequences. And what had started out as an innocent child's game, had ended up as a death trap.
"I understand now." Jack broke the silence and she looked up surprised.
"It's okay that you don't want to co-"
"No." Elsa interrupted him. "I have to let go of the past. Anna won't be coming with, and it's an ice rink! Perfectly safe...right?"
Jack nodded hard, his worried face breaking into a relieved grin. "Thanks Snow Queen, you won't regret this."
He began to leave, but Elsa grabbed his sleeve, "Just... just promise you won't breathe a word of this to anyone else...okay?"
Jack smiled, pity for her tragic past in his eyes, amd something else she couldn't quite decipher. "Of course, El. You can trust me."
Then he squeezed her hand and then hurried to the exit of the 'lab' calling a goodbye over his shoulder.
Elsa glanced at the door, and then down at her hand, a blush creeping up her checks.
Maybe tomorrow wouldn't be so bad after all.
-i-
But when tomorrow came she was having quite different thoughts. Her stomach was clenched with nerves and she was taking short gasps of air, like she'd run a marathon. Jack walked over with Emma, stumbling in the ice skates and gave a low whistle.
"Nice skates." He said as they came to a halt beside her.
Elsa glanced down at her own shiny white ice skates with light blue glitter swirls on the sides and shrugged. "Gram and Grandaddie never understood why i wanted to give up ice skating. They buy me a new pair every other Christmas."
"Let's go on the ice now!" Emma demanded, interrupting them. Elsa and Jack followed the enthusiastic child to the edge of the ice, until Emma lost her nerve and backed away again.
"What's wrong, Em?" Jack asked, as the eight year old girl buried her head in his jersey.
"What if it cracks again?" She murmured.
"It won't, okay. You've got the magical fairy snow queen Elsa to keep you safe anyway."
Elsa couldn't help smiling at that, and forced herself to relax and be confident for Emma's sake. Magical Fairy Snow Queens couldn't keep other kids safe on the ice if they were scared to!
"Besides," Jack continued to Emma. "At ice rinks, the people make the ice very thick so it can hold a hundred people... maybe more."
Emma lifted her brown eyes to stare into Jack's blue eyes doubtfully. "Even fat people?"
"Even fat people. Like Mr. Tinkleberry."
Emma broke into giggles despite her nerves at the mention of their overweight neighbor, and Jack took her hand. "We go on the count of three. One.." Emma's face lost the smile, but she still looked determined.
"Two." Elsa reached out and clutched Jack's other open hand, and he turned to smile at her.
"Three."
Three pairs of skates left the ground and touched down on the ice. Elsa squeezed her eyes shut and Emma wobbled like jelly until she got used to the feeling of skating.
Elsa let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, and relaxed. This was what she loved.. and oh how she'd missed it! Every graceful move felt natural, how could she have stopped doing this for so long?
As Jack led the girls around a full lap, he glanced at Elsa. "You okay?" Elsa grinned back at him. "More than okay."
And with those words, she let go.
-i-
I know a cliffhanger! how horrible of me! This has been one of my favourite chapters to write...
And of course, thanks again for the reviews favs and follows! Every single one makes me so happy and motivates me to write more! And a personal thanks to my Reviewer, Nikolai, You have some very good insight but I'm not denying nor confirming anything yet. :)
So long Fanfiction world
-Foreverafangirl101