Disclaimer: all the characters, locations and items in this work are trademarked by Disney, Sega and Ubisoft, unless noted otherwise. All original characters, if not related to existing characters, are owned by the author.
Chapter 7 - The Ice Palace
Thirty-two months after the shipwreck; one week before the coronation
"When you told me that the North Mountain was covered in an eternal winter, I thought you were exaggerating", Jason commented as he set a trap to catch rabbits.
They were on the North Mountain - halfway to the top, to be exact - in a hunt organized by the Guild to bolster the storehouse. Groups of four hunters each had been assembled and scattered throughout Arendelle, each with a specific animal to hunt. The Jason's group was trapping rabbits.
"Well, you just saw for yourself that it's not", replied Marshall, putting a piece of a carrot in his trap. "I just don't understand why Master Adéwalé asked Olaf to come with us, I mean... the boy wants to make snowmen rather than actually work, Kristine is fighting with him, and we have to play peacekeeper."
In fact, a few feet away, the Poulsen cousins were arguing in front of a partially constructed snowman.
Shaking his head, Jason commented in amusement. "Well, some day he's going to have to grow up... and make snowmen after work", concluded the hunter, tearing a chuckle from Marshall. "How are your traps?"
"There's only one more to assemble, and I already know where; see that stone there, Jason?", asked the older hunter, pointing to a rock formation near a precipice. The blue-haired young man nodded in acknowledgement. "I was thinking of placing it there, it might be worth it."
"I suppose so", Jason agreed, before he'd finished setting his trap. As he rose from the snow-covered ground however, he saw that the discussion between Olaf and Kristine was getting more and more heated.
Looking at the two traps still attached to his waist, and then to the Poulsen cousins and Marshall, he decided to take action before the situation went out of control. "Marshall, let's do this, I can see one of them about to slap the other, so... if you break it up, I'll prepare your last trap and mine as well, while you calm them down. What do you think?"
Marshall nodded. "Okay, just don't take too long", he agreed, handing over his last trap.
"Did you forget what I can do, you dolt?" said Jason, grinning.
"No silly, but thanks for the reminder", replied Marshall with another smile, before running through the fluffy snow to try to keep Kristine and Olaf from attacking each other.
Five minutes later, Jason was finishing up Marshall's last trap at his friend's spot when he noticed a whitish glow near his waist. As he looked down, he saw that the light was coming out of the exact spot where his white Chaos Emerald was.
"What will it be this time?", he whispered as he reached for the leather purse where the jewel was. Since he had been accepted into the Guild, Jason made a point of taking the stone wherever he went, afraid that it would disappear or be stolen.
Shining brightly, Jason felt the energy of the Chaos Emerald converge on a point behind him; as he turned, the man felt his jaw drop as he saw the energy forming an ice ladder, decorated with snowflakes and crocus flowers, which connected the platform where he stood to another, a few feet away and much higher than the first.
Cautiously, the islander removed one of the gloves he wore and touched the railing - the intense chill he felt was proof that it wasn't a hallucination. Not that he has had another vision like the one he'd experienced in the carriage a few years ago - but considering what the stones were capable of doing, even on their own, it was better to act with caution.
"Jason, what's this?", asked Kristine's voice behind him. The blue-haired man turned to see the huntress, accompanied by Marshall and Olaf, all three with their jaws wide open.
"A ladder, I imagine", he replied sarcastically. "But, responding to your real question, I don't know how it came about... I mean, I felt an energy coming out of the Chaos Emerald…"
"The stone you always carry when you go hunting?", Olaf asked, approaching the stairs with hesitant steps.
Jason nodded. "In short, the energy that came out of the jewel formed this ladder, and I touched it. It's ice, and it's very real."
"Can you… can you walk on that ice? I mean, I've had a bad experience with thin ice, and I don't want to repeat that, especially considering we're at least 160 feet high", said Marshall.
"No, I don't think it's thin ice, Marshmallow", replied Kristine, ignoring the hunter's irritation upon hearing his nickname. Placing one foot, and then the other, on the first step, she smiled when she saw that she was right. "Come on, this ice is strong enough!"
Slowly, the other hunters followed Kristine up the stairs, advancing at a slow pace, though the ice didn't snap even with their combined weights.
"Your Highness, we have received responses from all the foreign dignitaries", Kai announced, shortly after closing the door to Elsa's personal office.
"How many have confirmed their presence, Kai?", asked the blonde, not taking her eyes off the documents she had separated for analysis today.
"Almost all. However, three answers caught my attention... can I sit down?", asked the Lord Regent, pointing to a chair by the desk that faced the future monarch. After receiving a confirmation, Kai sat down and spread the three letters he had received on the desk.
"What happened exactly?"
"Well... usually, when there's a coronation, the foreign delegations send their heads of state with their respective spouses, and sometimes one of their children, right?" Seeing Elsa nodding, Kai continued, raising one of the letters. "Well... those three answers don't fit the pattern."
"And what are they?"
"The first unusual response came from Soleanna. Duchess Elise the Third confirmed her presence, but... she said that she'll be accompanied by her cousin and heir to the throne, the Count of Soleanna."
"Well, so far, I don't see anything unusual in that answer, Kai."
"I would have agreed with you if Lady Elise hadn't written that the Count has been living in Arendelle for three years", explained the Lord Chamberlain, making Elsa look up in surprise. "I have already asked Lady Ingsborg, responsible for the foreign affairs, to review the immigrant records of recent years, to verify any person who has taken up residence in our country from Soleanna."
"And?", she asked curiously. "Did we find out who it is?"
"No. The immigrant registry indicates that some people have moved here from Soleanna, but none have a direct relationship with their Royal Family". Elsa nodded; It wouldn't help to verify possible connections of immigrants with the nobility, since this title was used exclusively by the heir of the Eagle Throne.
"Keep checking, Kai, we may have missed some detail in all that information", Elsa asked. "Especially taking into account the theme of Gala, I don't want to be surprised."
"That will be done, Elsa", Kai assured her, before turning to the remaining letters. "The next two answers are from the Southern Isles and Weselton."
"Talk about the weasels first, Kai, the sooner we get rid of that headache, the better."
"Right, the duke and his wife confirmed their presence, both at the coronation and at the ball, but they asked to bring a third person with them: one of Weselton's advisers, a scientist. I don't know the reason for this request, but the duke made it clear that he wants to bring this special guest with him."
Elsa raised an eyebrow - usually only the head of state (or his representative) would come, accompanied by her spouse and one of her children. But as far as she knew, there was nothing to stop the duke from bringing a third person. However, she had to know who Weaselton wanted to bring, for safety reasons. "And who is he, Kai?"
The Lord Regent quickly summed up the scientist's life: single and childless, he had worked for years in Soleanna before returning to Weselton, where he had been born, to be part of the country's scientific team. Then, a few years ago, he had taken up a post in the Duchy's Council.
"Well, at first glance, he seems clean to me, Kai... but I doubt we can take him at face value", said the girl, seeing the grim expression of her Lord Chamberlain.
"No, during our research, we discovered something much worse about him, Your Highness…" Elsa felt a shiver; if Kai was using her title even behind closed doors, when he usually allowed himself to relax a little, it was because the subject was extremely serious.
And it was: when he finished his story, Elsa was horrified. "So... so it was him? He was the bastard that tortured that man... Jason Ryan Smith, if I'm not mistaken... Anyways, that damned scientist was directly responsible for Smith's captivity?", the heiress questioned, outraged.
"Yes, and from what I heard... after Mr. Smith fled, he had sixty prisoners killed, four for each of the guards and scientists killed during the escape."
"My God... and I thought Weaselton was already evil, but his chief scientist proves to be even worse!"
"Anyways, Your Highness... how should we respond?", Kai asked, looking at the letter with the Weselton seal in his left hand. Elsa put her hand to her chin and assumed what she called the "thoughtful-queen position": on the one hand, she didn't want the mere presence of the weasel delegation after knowing the role they had after the conquest of Westside Island, on the other hand, an old Avalorian saying came to mind: keep your friends close, but your enemies even closer.
It might be interesting to meet the scientist during the coronation, especially to know what Weselton might be planning. But at the same time, she knew she would have to be especially cautious, since this particular man was unpredictable - the most dangerous kind of enemy you could possibly have.
"Kai, we're going to receive Weselton's full delegation, but... warn the guards to keep an eye on his every action." Kai nodded, understanding who Elsa was referring to. "From the moment he disembarks from their ship until the moment the weasel flag vanishes over the horizon, I want at least one guard to keep an eye on him."
"Alright, it'll be done Your Highness", Kai assured, placing Weselton's letter on the desk before lifting the last letter. "Finally, the Southern Isles' case... well, it is more delicate because it could generate a family feud. Let me explain it to you, Elsa", the Lord Regent hastened, when he saw that the princess ready to making a statement. "The king of the Southern Isles has decided not to come to the coronation, since he is on a scheduled visit to Westside 'province'..."
Elsa had to hold back an exasperated exclamation: everyone knew that Westside Island was far from being treated as a province, it was more like an exploited colony.
"...so he decided to send his youngest son, Prince Hans, accompanied by his wife, whom he was married to about eight months ago."
"Okay, Kai, so far so good: he won't come, and will send a representative with his spouse. How can that generate, as you said, 'a family feud'?"
Kai explained everything, making Elsa's eyes widen in pure surprise. This time she couldn't hold back an exclamation.
"YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING!"
"Wow", Kristine murmured, echoing the sentiment of the other hunters. "You know, I've been working for the Guild for ten years and I've been hunting in the North Mountain area for six years, but I've never, ever seen anything like that!"
Ahead of the quartet, was an icy staircase leading up to a massive (and gorgeous) ice palace at the peak of the North Mountain. Outside, the walls were blue, violet and pink, depending on the sunlight and the angle of the building, but what attracted the most attention were the snowflakes that decorated them.
"Who lives there?" Olaf asked, his eyes wide. "I mean, we're already in one of the coldest places on the planet, and then, inside there…"
"Better question, who built it?" Jason asked, still holding the leather bag with the Chaos Emerald. "As far as I know, the only person I know of who could build a palace like this is Princess Elsa, and she already has her castle. So, I imagine we can scratch her name off the list of suspects."
"Shall we go in?" Kristine suggested, heading for the palace gate. "Maybe the answers to your questions are in there."
Marshall, Olaf, and Jason nodded. However, they hadn't taken ten steps when the Emerald flared up blindingly.
This time, however, the exile realized that they were still on the North Mountain, wearing the same clothes - a very different situation from the last time he had been blinded by a flash.
"Guys, where are you?" Marshall's voice asked in the middle of the flash. Jason blinked, trying to brush away the whiteness in his vision. "Can anyone see anything?"
"No, I can't," replied Olaf. However, before anyone else could answer, a new voice sounded in the middle of the flash. A grave voice, urgent, which was immediately recognized.
"Kristoff?", Jason asked, not believing what he was hearing. "What is he doing here, by all the gods?"
At that moment, the whiteness finally dissipated, allowing the four hunters to see what was happening: they were still outside the ice palace, but they were no longer alone.
There were two snowmen at the entrance to the palace - one of them small, with sticks in place of arms and a carrot nose, and another huge and scary, with claws of ice where their hands should be. The big snowman was holding the little snowman in one hand, and in the other was...
"Kristoff? Princess Anna?", asked Jason, surprised. Kristine and Olaf stared at him as if he had lost his sanity.
"Jason, are you crazy? The princess died more than a decade ago!" Marshall complained, looking at his friend as if a second head had appeared on him.
"Calm down big guy, this isn't the first time I've seen the adult version of the princess. Or, at least how she would be if she were still alive", replied the islander. "However, I didn't expect Kristoff to be here."
"Stop, put us down!", complained the princess, struggling in the huge hand of the big snowman.
"Jason, can't you do something?" Kristine asked, staring at the scene with a terrified expression.
"You took the words right out of my mouth", replied the young man; he immediately released his power and ran towards the snow monster before jumping and performing his standard attack, which he called a Homing Attack: he aimed at the target and released his super-speed to attack the enemy, like an arrow against a wooden target.
To his surprise, however, instead of hitting the snowman's head as he expected, he simply went straight through, tumbling face-first into the snow at the same time as the smaller snowman, Anna and Kristoff were thrown onto the bridge.
"Go away!", roared the monster, opening his huge mouth as he bellowed the order.
The "deceased" princess and the ice harvester slid down the ice steps toward a reindeer, whose tongue was stuck on an ice railing - Jason realized that this was Sven (he couldn't imagine his friend with another animal other than the reindeer who had been with him since childhood) - then, the voice of the smallest snowman (whom the exile found strangely familiar) made itself heard again. "Heads up!"
Kristine let out a scream as she saw the snowman's head land less than two feet from where she was.
"Olaf!" Anna shouted, causing the brown-haired hunter to turn toward the princess, confused. However, the one who answered was the snowman - or rather, his head. "Watch out for my butt!" He shouted, causing Kristine to retreat a few paces away.
"Hell, the snowman has the same name as you, Olaf!", exclaimed Marshall, stunned, as Anna and Kristoff ducked to avoid being hit by the rest of the other Olaf's body.
As the monster turned to enter the castle, Anna grabbed a handful of snow as she rose and stepped forward. "It is not nice to throw people!", screamed the angry princess, being held back by Kristoff, who was trying to pull her back.
"Woah woah woah feisty pants. Okay, relax. Just calm down. Calm down.", said the ice harvester, as he felt Anna struggle with him, furious.
"Okay, alright I'm okay." grumbled Anna.
"Just let the snowman be." continued Kristoff.
"Okay, I'm calm", she murmured, breathing deeply as she let her body relax.
However, as soon as Kristoff released the princess, she spun back around. "Oh come on." muttered Kristoff.
Before anyone could stop her, Anna threw the ball in the direction of the snow monster - it crashed on his back, doing no harm, barely even making sound.
For a moment Jason thought that the monster would ignore the attack, but then he saw that he was mistaken. He felt his famous shiver go down his spine just as the snowman turned, giving a terrifying roar as frost thorns sprang up on it's back and sides, making him even more threatening.
"See, now you made him mad", Kristoff said, nervous, as Marshall, Olaf and Kristine's eyes widened.
"What are you waiting for, RUN!", shouted the blue-haired man to his friends, who fled at the same time as Anna and Kristoff ran to one side and Sven to another, followed by the body of the other Olaf - his head was still on the floor, trying to catch the attention of the others.
The hunters, however, ignored the situation and continued to run as fast as they could (or in Jason's case, as fast as he could without leaving his friends behind) down the mountain, without looking back, until they reached the ice ladder that connected the two platforms of the North Mountain.
Jason hesitated at the sight of the stairs; looking sideways at the Chaos Emerald that was still inside his leather bag. He saw that it continued to shine brightly.
"Jason, you idiot, what are you waiting for? I don't want to be that monster's dinner!", shouted an angry Kristine, seeing her friend slow down before stopping completely, two steps away from the ice ladder. Behind her, Olaf and Marshall chorused in agreement.
"What if... what if this is an illusion?", he asked, quite suspicious.
"It brought us up here, didn't it?" Olaf asked, trying to contain his anxiety. "So let's get down before that thing decides to get us!"
As if responding to the hunter, a new roar echoed through the North Mountain; it was then that Jason had an idea. "Marshall, hold onto me, I'll take you to the other side of the mountain."
"Jason, you... are you sure?", asked the eldest of the hunters. Jason nodded, which made Marshall let out a resigned sigh and hug his friend tightly. "Are you ready?", asked the exile; as soon as his friend nodded, he released his powers and began to running up the stairs, holding Marshall firmly until they reached the other platform.
However, all Kristine and Olaf saw was a blue blur running down the stairs, reaching the other platform in four seconds. After placing the hunter safely in the snow, near a conifer tree, Jason spun around before dashing up the ladder once more at full speed.
"Remind me never to race against you, Jason", commented the youngest of the Poulsen cousins as the blue-haired hunter reached the highest platform of the mountain.
"Olaf, this is no time for jokes!" Kristine scowled, glaring at the cousin.
"Stop it, both of you!", exclaimed Jason, before turning to his colleague. "Olaf, you come with me!" The man nodded, hugging the exile before he ran off the ice ladder, crossing it in even less time: three seconds.
"Stay here, I'll get Kristine and be back soon", Jason said, before resuming the process; in less than ten seconds, the quartet's huntress was reunited with her cousin and two friends, the four of them completely out of breath after the strange adventure at the ice palace - and they were still not sure it had been real.
The presence of a princess who, as far as they all knew, had died sixteen years ago, was the main reason for this questioning.
"And now what do we do?", Kristine asked, looking at her three colleagues. However, before any of them could respond, the Chaos Emerald released a new flash, blinding them all once more.
When the white light dissipated, the ice ladder was gone.
It was as if it had never existed.
The next day, the quartet was in a Hunters' Guild hut, sitting on a thick rug, facing a burning fire, all in complete silence.
After the ladder had disappeared, leaving them all even more confused, the hunters decided to check the traps they had set up - and, to their relief, several rabbits had been captured, which not only helped supply the needs of the Guild for the coming weeks (they had completely ruled out the possibility of the other groups failing in their goals), but could also be sold should an order be placed.
The trip to the hut, however, had been done in silence - all of them were, without a doubt, shaken up with the surreal experience on the North Mountain. Even the irreverent and playful Olaf had not spoken a word during the trip - and Jason didn't blame him: to find a snowman not only with his name, but also with his personality, must have been disconcerting, to say the least.
Even after they had arrived at the hut, the hunters had spoken as little as necessary during the hours they were there - now, they were awaiting the arrival of Adéwalé, who had said before the hunt that, on his return, he would take Sven on loan from Kristoff to take the quartet back to the Royal City of Arendelle as well as the rabbits that had been skinned and had their skins, flesh and bones cleaned, treated and preserved in a snow-lined wrapping.
"Guys", Kristine began, breaking the silence. "What was that?"
"A vision, I think", Jason replied, slightly uncertain. "I... I just don't understand, because the first time this happened, I could interfere with what was happening, I mean, I almost killed a man at that time, and this time..."
"Yeah, we all saw you 'crossing' the snow monster," Marshall replied, making air quotes, "and face-planting in the snow."
"Perhaps what you saw on that occasion was another dimension, Jason, there are some religions that believe in multiverses, with 'copies' of each of us, with different lives, families, friends and lovers in relation to other universes."
"Maybe Kristine, but if... if what I saw three years ago was another dimension, then what did we see yesterday? I mean, I know this was the work of the Chaos Emerald, we all saw how it was shining, but... I don't know, there must have been something different about three years ago!", exclaimed Jason, frustrated.
Marshall and Kristine didn't respond, while Olaf remained mute, still with a thoughtful expression. Jason looked at the leather-bound jewelry bag that was on the waist of the hunter's outfit he wore - it was "quiet," without shining, though that did not leave the green-eyed man restful.
Trying to recall the information he had learned during his imprisonment, the exile recalled a phrase spoken by the Doctor during one of the "sessions."
"They have had other names throughout history, Mr. Smith: they have already been called, for example, 'Infinity Gems', for no one knows how much power a single stone like this is capable of storing. However, as you gather the stones, potential power grows on a geometric scale…"
Would it be that? Could a single Chaos Emerald be capable of such power?
"According to legend, uniting the seven Emeralds can release a power capable of rivaling divine powers, capable of turning any thought into reality. Whoever has possession of the seven jewels, can literally change the world."
"You said…", Olaf began, causing Jason, Kristine, and Marshall to turn to him. "You said you were on your way to the castle when you had the first vision, didn't you?" The blue-haired hunter nodded. "Perhaps you had something on that occasion that you didn't have today, or the other way round, you didn't have something that time which you do now?"
The young man pondered the question: it was quite possible that his friend was right. However, in trying to remember everything that had happened upon his arrival at Arendelle, Jason realized that, after three years, he couldn't remember all the details.
Okay, he remembered the main facts, like the trip, the rescue of Thomas Berget, the vision on the way to the castle, the audience and the arrival of the Hunters' Guild, but remember the details... he wasn't Marshall or Adéwalé, who had elephant's memories.
"I don't know, I'm trying to remember, but I can't", he complained.
It was at that moment that Adéwalé's voice was heard outside the hut, startling the hunters. "Ooooooo, we've arrived, Sven!", exclaimed the Guild leader, seconds before opening the door of the hut and seeing the frightened expressions of his commanders and his pupil. Raising an eyebrow, he asked as he entered, leaving Sven outside. "Did something happen while you were here?"
The four young hunters looked at each other, and Marshall cleared his throat before answering in embarrassment. "Master, even if we explained in detail what happened, you'd think we downed a barrel of wine or beer last night."
"Wow, was it that fantastic?", Adéwalé asked in a tone of surprise and amusement.
"Understatement of the millennium", Kristine replied, leaving the leader intrigued. "Please, master, don't even ask, this story is worthy of a fairy tale."
"Okay, if you say so…" muttered the black man, before rummaging in his tunic pocket, pulling out two sealed scrolls of parchment. "Before I forget... Jason, two letters arrived in the Guild before I left to fetch you and your friends. One is for me, and the other is for you."
The blue-haired man's eyes widened at the roll of parchment sealed with the crocus seal. "Master, is that what I think it is?"
Adéwalé smiled. "That's right, you were invited to Queen Elsa's coronation ball."
Author's note: So that's it...the prologue to Ice Blue Blur: Open Your Heart has finally come to an end. In the next chapter, we will have the first part of Elsa's coronation. You can expect lots of partying, food, new characters... and even the revelation of a few secrets.
As for this chapter... Can you possibly blame Olaf for the shock he had? Also, the incident with the ice palace may have seemed rather random, but it will be explained further on. On the other hand, we were learned a little more about Jason's powers - I believe that even if there were still any questions as to which character he was based on, there's no longer any doubt.
And I'll give you another hint: the character's name was created from the union of the names of the voice actors for the character on which Jason was based.
Thanks to all the readers who left reviews for Chapter 6, your words are the fuel that keeps me writing - every word, be it praise, criticism or a suggestion, is more than welcome and necessary. Thanks to walard and Striga for their good work - I'd say that part of this fic is theirs. And thanks to my brothers AceVermin143 and SeniorCrescent for supporting me.
See you next chapter!