Every year, every birthday, Elsa received another gift from her parents to help her cover up. To hide her powers.

Gloves.

Pretty, long sleeved dresses.

Thick shoes and slippers.

Every year.

But not this year.

I'm only fifteen.

Elsa sat on her bed and her sheets instantly cooled down at her touch. She jumped up. With her powers intensifying every year, she wasn't safe anywhere. She could hear her younger sister, Anna, tapping on her door. Calling to her.

"Elsa, I'm here.

Please let me in."

A pause. Elsa could hear a shuffle of feet on the other side.

"Elsa, I-

I don't know what to do."

Another pause, broken by Anna's small, reaching voice.

"Do you want to build a snowman? Like when we were little?"

Elsa bit her lip to fight back her tears. At least once a month Anna would come to her door, begging her to come outside. To play. To build a snowman. Even in the middle of the summer, Elsa smiled at the thought, only to be sad again.

"Do you want to?"

Yes.

She fought her urge to scream. There was nothing she could do. Anna was only twelve, and even though she and her sister were alone in the world, she could do nothing to help. Nothing but send her baby sister away. Again.

"Go away, Anna."

Elsa walked to her door and leaned her head against it. She wished she could be on the other side with her sister. It had been so long since she had even seen her sister, much less hugged her. Comforted her. Been there for her. This was one thing she could do.

"Anna?" she called through the door. She could feel a thin layer of ice forming, slowly covering the door, but she didn't care. She had to do this. To be there for Anna, just this once.

"Yes?" It was obvious she was crying silent tears, the worst kind. The most painful kind.

"Be strong, okay? They would have wanted you to be strong. For them."

"For them."

"Good night, Anna."

"Good night, Elsa."

She took her hands away and looked at what she had done. The door was now covered in a delicate layer of ice. It danced with the grain of the wood and, crystal clear, reflected the moonlight from Elsa's window. The reflections cast a beautiful splay of light on her floor. It was a beautiful creation, but Elsa hated it. Her ability to take ordinary objects and make them magical was the reason she could not go outside. And she hated it.

Jack looked on through Elsa's window, invisible to her. He knew this day was coming. He remembered the king's face as he and his wife sunk into the sea. He could still see the way they clung to each other. The king had looked up in time to see Jack, trying to freeze the sea. Freeze the ship. Keep it from sinking. The king saw him trying, but knew it was futile. They had made eye contact. In that second, a pact had been made.

Take care of her.

I will.