CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
PLAYDATE
Merida walked closer to the three, unaware of the forces waiting her arrival. The sight of Elsa gave her the immediate feeling of hatred. The burning sensation seemed to delight her as her own eyes turned pale yellow.
Elsa stood up and raised her right hand, palm facing the red-haired girl. An orange aura emanated from Merida, the same went for Jack. Merida saw hers as a light blue one, and never minded the one next to her. Elsa began to walk towards her, triggering Eunice's consciousness to get lost in a trance. Without anyone else hearing she mumbled, "This has to be done". And just like that, Elsa released the power brimming inside and shot Merida in the chest.
Merida grimaced in pain and took a few steps back. The two had finally snapped out of their trance. Merida lost her balance and fell to the ground on her back. Elsa rushed to her side and instantly regretted what she had done.
"I'm sorry." She said with a hand placed on Merida's. Merida slowly smiled, with what energy she had left, and said, "Thank you". Merida's body began to fade away into nothingness. Elsa hadn't clearly understood what had happened but she did know it was her fault. Her eyes fell to the soft, green grass of summer. What was left of Merida was a small blue orb flying near Elsa's face. She looked up to see it flying around her. And soon enough, a yellow orb joined the first one. She noticed Peter hovering over the grass next to her.
Elsa gasped in disbelief. "You're flying!"
"Yes I am. Would you like to try?" He offered with a smile.
Before Elsa could answer, the two flying orbs circled around her from her feet to her head, leaving a trail of some sort of shiny dust in their wake. She started to rise into the air, but dropped down before her toes could leave the ground.
"What's the matter?" Peter asked.
"I can't. I'm sorry." She said glumly. She heard footsteps from behind her.
"Jack!" Peter happily announced. Jack didn't pay him any attention. Instead, he gripped Elsa's wrist and dragged her back to their shady spot underneath the tree. Peter and the two flying orbs were left with a puzzled look on their face.
"Ow! Jack stop it!" Elsa complained while trying to take his hand of her left wrist with her other hand. Jack didn't let go. He merely stopped in his tracks and turned to face her, eyes still glowing pale yellow.
"Jack?" she asked with a frightened voice. The grip Jack had on her wrist only tightened as he continued dragging her back to where Eunice sat. Only when they have reached their destination did Jack let go of her wrist which had gotten red and sore.
Peter shot her a puzzled look, eyes begging for an explanation, but Elsa shrugged, no more confused than he was. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Peter flying off in the distance.
Eunice snapped out of her trance and faced the two. When she saw the color of Jack's eyes and Elsa's bewildered face her eyes widened in horror.
"He won't snap out of it. What's wrong with him?" Elsa asked her trusted maid. Eunice sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose like there was no hope. The princess took a quick glance at the boy who had a blank expression plastered on his face with his eyes fixed on the tree.
"While you revealed Merida's true form, I had a vision. I saw an orange beam of energy collide with a white beam of energy. I didn't see the sources of these energies, but I do understand they are opposite. I'm assuming the orange colored energy belonged to that of Chaos, but about the white beam of energy, I can't be sure except for the fact that it belonged to a being of light." Eunice explained. But before Elsa could ask any questions, Eunice continued.
"The two energies are warring inside his body, fighting over his mind and soul. If Chaos prevails, who knows what sort of havoc he may wreak upon us." She explained further, bobbing her head slightly towards Jack.
"So what should we do?" Elsa asked, her blue eyes fixed on Eunice's own gray orbs in search of hope.
"I suggest we take him to The Valley of the Living Rock. Gran Pabbie should be able to fix things."
"But how are we supposed to do that? I'm not even supposed to leave my room!" Elsa was getting hysterical.
Eunice exhaled deeply before answering.
"I don't know. For now we should go back inside, maybe let him rest in his room."
"Yes, that should be good for him." Elsa said in agreement. She stood up while holding the boy's hand. To her satisfaction, he stood up with her and followed her.
They led him to his room and made him lie down. Elsa sat on the chair at the foot of the bed while Eunice fetched some refreshments.
After a few moments of silence, there was a sudden knock on the door followed by a voice familiar to Elsa.
"Jack? Are you in there? Can we go strolling in the town now like you promised?" The voice belonged to Anna. Elsa shuddered in nervousness. She frantically looked for a place to hide. But the small room held no hiding places. It only had two single beds with a nightstand in the middle, two comfy chairs at the ends and a dresser beside the door.
What do I do? What do I do? She thought to herself in panic. She looked at the bed and an idea popped into her mind. As fast as a heartbeat she slipped under Jack's bed and hoped Anna wouldn't suspect a thing.
The strawberry-blonde haired girl opened the door and walked inside to see if anyone was in the room. When she had spotted Jack, on the bed with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling, she grinned cheerfully.
"I knew you were awake." She said walking near the bed. Elsa saw Anna's feet right next to her and her heart couldn't beat any faster.
"Come on, lazy head." Anna gripped Jack's arm and dragged him out of the room and into the courtyard. Elsa sighed and crawled out of hiding, when Anna came back, seeming to have forgotten something. Elsa immediately crawled back beneath the bed.
"Hmm…I wonder where he keeps his shoes." Anna thought out loud. Elsa mentally face-palmed herself and noticed something collide against her back. She let out a loud gasp and turned to see what it is. It was exactly what Anna was looking for. She shifted herself in order to move the shoes over to the side of the bed not closed off by the wall.
"Maybe they're under the bed." She head Anna say. Elsa involuntarily took a deep breath and didn't breathe for that moment Anna stuck her hand under the bed and patted the floor for any signs of the boots. Luckily, she was too far from Anna's reach. But her luck almost ended when Anna bent down on her knees to look under the bed herself. Suddenly Eunice came through the door with a tray of drinks in her hand, just in the nick of time.
"Princess Anna." Eunice said with a surprised expression. Anna wore the same surprised look on her face.
"Oh, uh hi. Is that lemonade?" Anna asked with a cheery grin.
"Yes. Here" Eunice offered with a sweet smile. Anna held the glass of juice in her hand and said, "Thank you."
"Anyway, since you're already here, could you help me look for Jack's shoes?" Anna asked after taking a sip from her glass.
"Yes of course, ma'am." Eunice said after placing the tray on the bedside table. Her first instinct was to look under the bed. When she did, she spotted Elsa who immediately pressed her index finger to her lips mimicking the 'shush' gesture. She moved the boots over to her reach and Eunice grabbed it and announced her triumph to Anna.
"Thanks." She said and rushed off to where she left Jack. Elsa crawled out from under the bed and Eunice helped her get up. She patted the dust off her clothes and shot Eunice a worried look.
"She has him." Elsa said first.
"Do you have any idea where they're going?" Eunice asked.
"No." Elsa replied. The town of Arendelle wasn't exactly a labyrinth, but the place was still big enough to get lost in.
"Then come on, we must follow them." Eunice said and searched for a cloak in the dresser. When she found one she wrapped it over Elsa. The two girls ran after the hyperactive Anna and the vegetable Jack.
They followed them all over town. It was quite silly watching Anna not notice how lifeless Jack looked, but she just wanted company. She didn't seem to mind him not saying anything, except for nodding his head occasionally.
Anna pulled him into a dress shop. Elsa and Eunice followed. They watched her try on a dress then ask for Jack's opinion about it. To her dismay, he never said anything, he just stared into space. After a few attempts to make him say something, she sighed. "I guess you're not into dresses, huh." She said to Jack, still motionless and emotionless. She brought her chosen dress to the counter and paid for it then left the shop. The two stalkers continued their stalking.
Anna stopped in her tracks when she spotted her definition of heaven. Her eyes widened in ecstasy while everything seemed to move slowly. She walked inside, still pulling Jack along with her and ordered at the counter.
"Two Banana Splits, please", She said to the clerk and proceeded to a table. Elsa and Eunice sat on a table near them. They were close enough to hear their conversation, if they had any.
When the waitress gave what they ordered, Anna started digging in. Jack just stared; he seemed to be looking behind her. Anna tried to look behind her back, but no one was there. She just shrugged it off and continued eating.
When she was halfway done, she finally spoke up. "Jack, your ice cream is melting."
Jack didn't say a word. "Do you want me to eat it for you?" Anna offered in a suspicious manner. Once again he didn't speak, so Anna placed her hand on the glass bowl and began to slide it over to her side. However she stopped at Jack's sudden eye movement. She slid it back and Jack dropped his gaze on her. She was scared at the color of his eyes.
"Sorry." Anna laughed sheepishly.
"I have an idea." She suddenly said. She picked up his spoon and shoved it into his ice cream. She brought the spoonful of ice cream to his mouth. "Open up! The ice cream train is reaching its destination." She said, trying to lighten the atmosphere. Nevertheless, no matter how hard she pushed the spoon against his lips, he wouldn't take in the ice cream. She let out a sigh of defeat and returned the spoon to the bowl. There was still a small amount of ice cream on his lips.
"I wish I could be there for her." Elsa mumbled softly to Eunice.
"Then why don't you?" Eunice asked.
"It's papa, who knows what he'll do to me if he finds out I've spoken to her." She said while tilting her face down.
"Well, you've already broken a lot of his rules already, why not go for it?" She kindly suggested, but this made Elsa more uneasy.
"That's what I mean. I'm already in so much trouble. I don't want to get in any more." Elsa explained. Eunice mouthed an 'o' as a reply.
Elsa turned her neck once again to see Anna, but what she saw instantly made her blood boil.
He was responding. He was alive. And he was, feeding Anna?
The two were feeding each other with ice cream. Anna wore a cheerful smile on her face. Elsa knew she was only 12, but the fact that Anna was able to wake him up rather than herself made her palms grow cold.
"Elsa, control yourself. This isn't the time and the place." Eunice warned. Easily Elsa's nerves were calmed down by a bit, but at least she didn't freeze the entire shop, just a small part of the table.
"We need to go back. He doesn't look like he's going to go crazy." Elsa said, a hint of frustration in her voice.
Eunice took some time to answer. "Hmm…" she hummed to herself. "The only time he got infuriated was when Merida was near; now that she doesn't exist he probably won't go crazy."
"We should go." Elsa said firmly, a sour expression plastered on her face.
However, Eunice never minded her master; her mind was too busy to be interrupted.
"I've got it! The only thing more powerful than Chaos besides Peace itself. Chaos is a power love can flaw, a frozen heart is something love can thaw."
"I'm sorry, what?" Elsa asked in confusion.
"The answer! Love is the answer to our current problem!" Eunice cheered.
"Love?"
"Yes. I'm absolutely positive it will work so long as there is love in his heart. Somebody he loves must awaken that power and it will drive Chaos away. For him to be possessed by Chaos in the first place, he must have felt envy or hatred while you lifted Merida's spell. The presence of that negative energy opened the gate for Chaos to pass to his body."
"Then we must act fast. They're leaving the shop." Elsa remarked when she noticed Anna dragging Jack towards the door. Eunice quickly nodded and the two followed after.
Elsa and Eunice followed Anna back to the castle where she left Jack standing alone in the courtyard. Quickly while she had the chance, she pulled him up to her room and sat him on a comfy chair.
"So what exactly should we do?" Elsa asked Eunice, who found herself busy setting Elsa's bed.
"Well, we could send him to his family, or we could bring his family here, or you could probably cool down the Chaos yourself by using your powers like you did with Merida, or you could kiss him and be done with it."
"There really are no other choices?" Elsa asked and felt a bit of warmth rise up to her cheeks.
"Or we could take him to Gran Pabbie, your call." She said while fixing the pillows.
"Since he's already here, I could try to blast him. But what if something goes wrong?"
"We wouldn't know until it happens." Eunice grinned.
"You're not helping." Elsa furrowed her eyebrows.
"Really?" Eunice asked defiantly while raising an eyebrow.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh nothing." Eunice turned her back against Elsa and smiled playfully.
Elsa huffed some air out of her lungs and breathed in deeply.
She took a few steps away from Jack and turned to face him, palm out in his direction. "Jack, I hate to do this to you, but it looks like I don't have that much of a choice."
She summoned a ball of energy in her hand released it, aiming for his heart. The ball of energy went flying to his chest, but when it got near to the necklace, it transformed into a string of energy and circled around the crystal before finally entering it; making it a shade bluer.
Elsa widened her eyes at the realization. It was impossible to awaken him this way, at least, not with the necklace dangling around his neck. So she walked towards him and bent over a bit, in order to reach the crystalline pendant. She wrapped her cold hand around the crystal and began to lift it over his head.
However, something hard pushed her in the fold of her knees right before she could lift the necklace of his head. The force caused her to lose balance and tumble forward. Elsa found herself gripping the chair's arms for support while her face was pressed against Jack's. Her lips were on his and her eyes were open wide. Jack's pale yellow eyes began to return back to its original shade while Elsa quickly scrambled to her feet. She shot Eunice a suspicious glance, but Eunice was still busy tidying up the room. She merely shook her head.
Elsa took a look at Jack to see if that changed anything. To her delight, he was blinking his eyes and his eyes were the correct shade.
"What just happened?" he asked in bewilderment while he massaged his throbbing head.
"You were possessed by Chaos. But you're alright now." Elsa explained.
"What? Ho-how did that happen?" he asked, his face more puzzled than ever.
"Envy, hatred, rage, all while Chaos was removed from a body, it found yours with all that energy. It found a food source. Chaos feeds on everything bad and feels bad." Eunice explained without stopping from what she was doing.
"How did you get it out?" the boy asked, finally relieved from his headache.
"You don't want to kno-" Elsa began, but Eunice had unknowingly cut her off.
"An act of true love." Eunice said and giggled afterwards.
"Okay…" Jack said in a way as if he'd heard too much. Elsa shifted her weight awkwardly and took a few steps back.
"What's done is done. I'm glad you're still alive, end of story." She said, still turned away from the boy.
"How long have I been out?" he wondered, disregarding Elsa's uneasiness.
"About two hours", Elsa replied, finally turning back to face him.
"And you spent those two hours trying to help me?" he questioned quizzically.
"No, only about 30 minutes. Those remaining hour and thirty minutes, you spent on your little date with Anna." Elsa explained a bit too coldly.
"You mean stroll around town? You see, I promised her a little trip-" He began to explain but Elsa cut him off.
"Eunice, would you get us our lunch? I'm getting hungry." She ordered the maid, intentionally not listening to his explanation.
"What was that for?" Jack asked once Eunice was off. His eyebrow was slightly raised.
"What was what for?" Elsa asked back curiously, though she turned her head to hide her traitorous lip-biting. It seemed to give her lies away.
"Were you even listening?" Jack was starting to get aggravated.
"To what?" Elsa replied again, seeming to be oblivious regarding his short monologue.
Jack groaned in irritation and rubbed his face with his palms.
"Alright then, I'll tell you again. I said I promised your sister a stroll around town." He repeated, Elsa now faced him as she sat on her bed with her arms crossed.
"So? I already know, while you were busy 'strolling' around town, me and Eunice had to make sure you wouldn't go crazy like my father." She hissed coldly, fractals of frost slowly crawled along the floor beneath her feet.
"I don't understand! Why are you so upset?" Jack stood from his chair while reality slapped Elsa in the face. Why indeed was she upset?
Her eyes fell to the floor. She was assuming too much. Though it did feel right, she couldn't help but think it's wrong. It took a few moments of silence before Elsa could speak. And when she did, her voice almost cracked.
"I-I don't know. I guess I was just…" she paused to look up into his warm brown eyes. They held visions of family and joy. In his brown orbs she could see her colorful past, yet the present and future remained a blur to her. What was really going on between the two of them? Could it just have been a simple crush? Or maybe even a mutual understanding. It couldn't possibly be anything more…
"…jealous" she strained to say. She regretted it the moment the word slipped out of her mouth. She tilted her head down so the shadows could cover her blushing cheeks. It was a shot in the dark, clearly impossible, but she had hope. When she stared into his brown eyes, she felt a vague emotion. Though she didn't quite comprehend fully what it was, it did feel right. And in the end, that's all that matters, is what feels right.
Jack felt the atmosphere tense up and he looked guiltily back at the princess. He sat back in his chair and ran his left hand through his disheveled brown hair and stifled a sheepish laugh. "Jealous?" he asked with uncertainty. His repetition of the word made Elsa more on edge as she braced for impact.
"Elsa, you don't have to feel jealous. You know I'll never forget about you."
Elsa realized what he meant and gave a nervous laugh. "Right."
"So, what now?" the brown-haired boy asked the blonde-haired girl. Elsa exhaled deeply before answering.
"I don't know. Let's just wait for Eunice…" Elsa suggested. Jack nodded in agreement.
"I guess we should."
"So when are you leaving?" Elsa asked curiously.
"Woah Els, do you want me to leave?" Jack said teasingly. Elsa let out a few giggles.
"No, I was just curious. So really, when?" Elsa beamed a bright smile at the boy. She hadn't felt this way in a long time. She imagined herself in her past, in the town of Burgess, having a snowball fight with Jack and some other kids their age at the time. She wished she could go back to that time when everything seemed to be in its rightful place. When everyone was…happy. But like all things, the only thing that remains constant in the world is change. Sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse, as Eunice would say.
Jack threw his head back, his hands behind his head in a seemingly relaxed position slumped on the couch. His eyes wandered the room before he could form words in his head. When he finally had something to say, he said, "I don't know. Depends on when Hiccup wants to go home. Sir Stoick said so himself. That I shouldn't go home without his son by my side. I guess he was hoping we'd make amends and be friends."
"Well, is he right?" Elsa asked quizzically. She sat in the chair beside Jack, her chin resting on the palm of her hand with her elbow on the arm of the chair to support her whole upper frame. She had her legs crossed despite the uncomfortable position, so she shifted around until she did get comfy.
"He's half right, I guess. He almost quit bantering with me ever since Merida became my girlfriend. But now that she's gone, things just might go back to the way they used to be." Jack said and closed his eyes at the mention of Merida. Elsa told him what happened to Merida, a truth Jack had to painfully accept. He never blamed her for it because he knew it wasn't all her fault, and even if it was he could never stay mad at her for a whole hour.
"Speaking of Hiccup, where on earth is he? I haven't seen him since this morning. And speaking of missing people, where the devil is Eunice?" Elsa quickly remembered. She checked the clock; Eunice had been gone for half an hour.
"Oh, I'm sure he's busy showing off his metal leg and telling everyone how he conquered a dragon. I can't believe people would fall for that story." He grumbled in distaste.
"I think it's true." Elsa said in a serious tone, completely forgetting about Eunice.
Jack groaned. "Aww, you believe that lie too?"
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. "Someone help me please?" a familiar voice came from the other side of the wall. The two rushed over to help whoever was on the other side and it turned out to be Eunice carrying trays on each of her hands and one balanced on top of her head.
"Ah, thank you, and please pardon my unpunctuality. The regular chef was out sick today and the new one was utterly busy so I had to cook up something myself. Enjoy." The maid said when the trays were placed on the small round dining table.
"And if you need me, I'll be in the kitchen." She quickly added before rushing out the room, giving no chance for Elsa to say a simple 'thank you'.
"She's so strange." Jack remarked with a puzzled expression.
"She's a riddle. Anyway, shall we have our lunch, Sir Jackson?" she said in the most formal way she possibly could without bursting into a fit of giggles.
"Yes we shall, Milady Elsa." He said while bowing with a grin on his face. The two burst into laughter when Jack regained his posture.
"This smells delicious!" the peasant boy exclaimed and immediately started digging in. Elsa just smiled at the fact that he's enjoying.
"You should try this, Elsa", he said to her while pointing his fork to the dish he was referring to. Despite his mouth being full, Elsa managed to understand what he meant, and giggled at his excitement. She understood how even in Eunice's cooking, she made people feel happy. It was a gift Elsa wished she had, instead of the icy power that made people fearful and scared.
"That's what I'm eating, Jack." She happily said. Being with her best friend made her feel genuinely happy. It placed her in a blissful atmosphere. Everything around her seemed to glow in joy. How she wished this moment would not end, but time cannot be bargained with.
"Elsa? Is Jack in there?" a voice called from outside Elsa's bedroom. The two abruptly stopped talking and turned their heads in the direction of the door. They had already finished their lunch, and a maid already picked up their dishes. So the two merely sat the same table and conversed.
"Hiccup? Is that you?" Elsa asked back to verify his identity.
"Um…yeah." His reply was muffled.
"Yes, Jack is in here. Come in." She merely said and they both watched him enter the room.
Hiccup headed directly towards Jack. "We're leaving tomorrow morning. I already asked permission from King Kai earlier. Agreeable?" He said in otherwise a straightforward way; not bothering to look him in the eye.
"Agreeable." Jack said in reply. Hiccup uncomfortably scanned the room. Elsa opened her mouth to say something, but Hiccup spoke out first.
"Where's Merida?" Hiccup asked curiously.
"She's…" Elsa started to say, but she didn't know quite how to explain what happened to her, so she tried her best.
"She doesn't exist." She finally came to say.
"What do you mean she doesn't exist?" Hiccup asked with a raised eyebrow. No way was he going to fall for their practical jokes again. No sir.
"It's a long story. I'll tell you when we get home."
Hiccup scanned their eyes intently and furrowed his eyebrows.
"Fine." He grumbled. "But we need to talk. Princess, I need to borrow Jack for a while."
Elsa nodded in consent, slightly surprised that Hiccup called her 'Princess' instead of just 'Elsa'. Jack took it as a bad thing and narrowed his eyes. He stood from his seat and followed Hiccup into the hall. Before the door closed, Eunice entered with a tray of small bite-sized chocolate on a silver saucer along with a glass of strawberry smoothie.
Elsa stared at the tray with wide eyes and a grin reaching her ears. "Are you trying to get me fat?" She chirped.
"If that's what you want." Eunice beamed back and placed the tray on the table. "Really, there was nothing else to do in the kitchen so I decided to whip you up something."
"How did you know Jack wouldn't be here?" Elsa curiously asked, referring to the single glass of frozen delight on the table.
"I had a vision." she said and quickly winked at Elsa.
"I think the power to see into the future can be kind of scary." Elsa said while popping a piece of chocolate in her mouth.
"Sometimes, but most of the time it's just a bunch of minor occurrences. Besides, not all of them are bound to happen." She said while observing the vase of flowers in the center of the small round table.
A great force gripped Jack by the shoulders and pinned him against the wall.
"What were you doing with my fiancée?" His eyes burned a fierce jealousy as he spoke through gritted teeth.
"Fiancée? I don't know what you're talking about." Jack struggled to say while Hiccup pried answers from him.
"The king promised me his daughter's hand in marriage. Wretched peasant, are you listening to me? I'm talking about Princess Elsa. She is mine and I forbid you from getting any closer to her. Do you understand?" He almost shouted. He released his grip on Jack's shoulders and took a step back.
"Elsa didn't say anything about that." Jack explained, massaging his aching shoulders.
"She doesn't know anything yet. And if you tell her, you'll definitely get it." Hiccup threatened.
"Can I at least get the chance to say goodbye?" He requested with sorrowful eyes. Hiccup crossed his arms and studied his face.
"You love her don't you?" Hiccup came to a conclusion. Jack exhaled heavily and looked down to the floor.
"That's a bold accusation." He looked up to grin mischievously.
"Don't push your luck, Overland. You have the rest of the day to bid your farewells…but only because I respect her."
Jack turned to the door and began to walk toward it. "But not enough to let her make her own choices" he mumbled to the air.
"What was that?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing" Jack spat and left the room.
"That's what I thought." He barely heard what Hiccup mumbled.