"Hey, are you okay?" Elsa asked the injured boy in her bed. After the incident in the main hall, she had Marshmallow carry Jack to the top floor for him to be treated. It goes without saying it was a bit embarrassing for her to see someone half naked for the first time. She used frosted fabric-like bandages on the lower half of his abdomen and around his right shoulder. It was her only means to numb the pain and cover the wounds.

"Heh, yeah, I'm doing better. Funny enough, this isn't my first time being thrown against a wall and crashing to the floor and I doubt it'll be my last." Jack chuckled. He tried to pull himself up from the bed but Elsa wouldn't let him.

"Oh no you don't. It might not be your first time getting hurt but it's my first time fixing someone up. Please just stay still and heal up, okay?" Elsa was still distressed about his injuries. She was upset by the fact it was always her fault when someone was hurt. Jack gave a defeated sigh, resting his head on the pillow.

"Alright, you win queen Elsa."

"Don't call me that…" she whispered.

"Hmm? Why not?" He glanced over to her. He knew half the reason but he wanted to hear it from her. She paused for a moment. Elsa cleared her throat.

"Because… I'm only a danger to them. All I do is cause trouble for everyone. The one day I leave my room, I end up freezi— Why are you giggling?" She looked at the young man in the bed laughing to himself.

"It's… it's nothing. It's just that… this is the first time I'm talking with you without writing. It's nice!" Jack grinned before coughing a few times. Elsa blushed.

"Yeah, I guess it is… Then again, last time you were invisible. Why couldn't I see you?"

"I'd say you won't believe it but… well, the whole point 'is' believing." Jack cheered. He raised his hands up and slowly generated a snowflake at his fingertip. Elsa watched curiously as he formed the crystal from thin air. "Now's a better time than any to properly introduce myself. The name's Jack Frost. I'm the winter spirit of the world and the Guardian of snowballs and fun time!"

"Excuse me, are you making fun of me?" She turned to look at his face.

"Nope! That comes with later, heh. But, I'm telling you the truth. Now, the reason you can see me is because you actually believe in me." Jack's smile was as bright as the sun. He was overjoyed she could see him and talk with him.

"I… I don't want to believe you—"

"But you do." He smirked at Elsa in victory. She couldn't comprehend what he was saying but all she knew was that she trusted him. Deep down, she trusted this random, strange person and didn't know why.

"Fine, let's say I believe you. Why are you here now? Couldn't you have gotten me to believe in you sooner? Maybe then, I might not be—" Elsa was interrupted again.

"I did, trust me. Writings on a window don't make themselves. You tried very, very hard to not believe and it's even harder when you're locked in your room." Jack tilted his head. Elsa pouted her lips. "But! But something made you believe. While I was gone, you started to trust in me. I'd like to say it's my amazing crafting skills but I know it's something else."

Elsa sat their silently for a moment. She put her hands on her lap and looked to the flower by her bedside. "Maybe I just wanted someone to believe in, now that I'm alone and all." She cupped her hand and formed a crystal flower in her palms. She flinched when Jack suddenly nipped her nose.

"You have a loving sister and a giant kingdom with hundreds of people that care for your. You have plenty of opportunities to be with—"

"What do you know?!" Elsa snapped. "My powers were a curse that I had to keep locked away from everyone! I was a danger… What could you know about being lonely?"

"300 years." Jack glared at the maiden at his bedside.

"What?" she asked in bewilderment.

"You could choose if you wanted to be with people. I didn't have that kind of opportunity. It's a bit tough when no one can see you…"

"Oh, Jack, I'm… I'm sorry…" she muttered, lowering her head. She didn't mean to offend him. She jolted when he started petting her hair.

"Don't worry about it. Right now it doesn't matter. I've got a beautiful queen sitting at my bedside, tending to my every need!" He laughed. Elsa giggled alongside him. "If there's one thing I've learned is when you finally get to be with someone you care about, the loneliness pales in comparison."

"Yeah…" she spoke in a quiet, monotone voice. She agreed with the feeling but she was still afraid of what she'd done to her people, what she did to Anna.

"My, my, aren't we having fun." Both Elsa and Jack turned their heads to the balcony. At the doorway stood an all too familiar dark figure that had been causing them constant issues.

"Pitch! Elsa, get back!" Jack jumped out of the bed and took the staff in his hand. He stood in front of the frightened queen, ready to strike.

"Oh, dear me, you're quite beat up, aren't you? Have you gotten taller since we last met? I'm surprised, really. I thought you'd live out the rest of your days in your happy life with your family."

"Yeah, but I had a wakeup call. Turned out someone was causing a mess while I was away." Jack sneered.

"Believe me, I wasn't the one causing it." Pitch leaned to the side to get a better look at the scared queen behind the winter guardian. Elsa huddled closer to Jack.

"Jack… how do you know him?" She whimpered. She was shaking heavily.

"His name's Pitch Black, also known as the Boogeyman that enjoys hiding under beds and scaring little kids."

"Oh, she knows all too well about the nightmares. Actually, the little queen seems to be much more frightened of me. Oh, oh, oh! I know! You did it again, didn't you? Hah! Let me guess, you hurt your sister, right?" Pitch leaned forward and grinned menacingly.

"Shut up!" Jack swung his staff, launching a fury of lighting-like frost in Pitch's direction. He gripped his side and held himself up. He was still in pain from the impact earlier. The wave of energy completely missed the man in black. Pitch chuckled at the attempt, leisurely looking at his fingertip.

"I don't think you're in any position to command me. Unlike you, who lost his guardianship for so long, I had the luxury of feeding off the richest fear I've ever tasted. Now, I'm even enjoying a lovely fright-filled winter." He laughed maniacally as he took a few steps closer to the couple.

Elsa summoned a wall covered in icicles. He shattered the wall with a large scythe made of black sand. However, Jack noticed ice encrusted in the weapon. Before he could say anything, he pushed Elsa away and was struck into the wall by Pitch. Unlike his last fight with him with the other guardians, Pitch's weapon felt way more solid and painful.

"Jack!" Elsa dashed towards him. She was blocked off by a wall of ice and black sand.

"Ah, ah, aaaah… not so fast, Queen of Arendelle. It's time you knew of the boy who cursed you. It's about time to face your— umph!" The figure was sent flying by a tackle. Both him and Jack went through the balcony door and into the snow covered cliff side at the entrance of the castle.

Jack was writhing in pain from the impact. Pitch picked him up by his neck, rage filled his eyes. "You have always been a pain in my side! Even after the trouble you've caused me, I still gave you a way out. I gave you the opportunity to live a happy life and die peacefully! No hardships, no worries. You could have been with your family, enjoyed your new life. You should be thankful!" Pitch scowled. Jack started chuckling.

"Yeah, I am thankful. I got to see my sister and be at their side. But, you want to know what I'm thankful for right now?" he grinned, mischievously. Pitch tilted his head in curiosity.

"Marshmallow!" a female voice cried out from the castle.

Suddenly, a roar could be heard from behind the black figure. Pitch jolted his head back to see a giant snow monster rushing them. While he was distracted, Jack pulled himself away and took Pitch's hands. He put them together and froze them solid. Rushing to his staff, he also froze Pitch's feet and ran behind a boulder.

Helpless against the assault, the snowman gripped the black figure and chucked him into multiple boulders and trees. The monster punched him around and threw him like a rag doll. Finally, he picked up Pitch and catapulted him as far away as possible. Jack could see a star glimmer in the distance as he watched Pitch disappear in the sky. The injured boy got up from the large rock and staggered his way towards the fuming behemoth. He pat the giant snowman on the arm.

"Good, Marshmallow. I'll be sure to keep off your bad si—" Jack was caught off guard by a large fist sending him flying a few meters. As he heard the large snowman giggle, he blacked out once again.

"You seem to get yourself hurt a lot, Jack." Elsa giggled as she was patching up the significantly more injured winter spirit.

"Hey, hey, Marshmallow didn't have to sucker punch me and laugh. It was totally uncalled for—" Jack groaned. He lied in bed, practically immobile.

"Give him time, he still doesn't trust you yet. I'm still trying to get around to it."

"Come on, who wouldn't want to trust this handsome face" Jack grinned wildly at the queen. She gave him a quizzical look.

"Mhm… sure. Anyways, how do you know that man so well, were you friends?"

"Do we look like we're friends?" he grunted. She shook her head. "I know him because he tried to pull this little stunt before. Trying to cause nightmares and feed off of it. The Guardians and I stopped him befo—"

"There are more of you?" Elsa interrupted.

"Yeah, it's a full cast of characters. I'm pretty sure you've heard of 'em."

"Are they with you now?"

Jack paused a moment. He wasn't sure how to explain to her exactly how everything turned out the way it did. "It's… a bit complicated but… I'm on my own on this one."

"Well… I can help but only because I want him out of my life. I don't want to be afraid anymore…" She gripped her hands. She was shaking in her seat, almost ready to burst. She suddenly jolted when Jack popped a snowflake on her nose. He smiled at the reaction.

"Not to worry! I can handle him. I just need to… you know… be a bit less beat up next time." Jack groaned in pain as he readjusted himself in bed. Elsa giggled again, wiping her eyes.

"Um, Jack, I wanted to ask you… Pitch said something that I'm still trying to figure out. What did he mean by the person who cursed me?" Elsa asked. Jack got quiet. He wasn't sure how to respond to her or tell her how he has known her since the day she was born. His whole reason for coming back was to stop a storm that started with her.

"Okay, I've gotta go a little back in time to really explain it. Heh… in time… anyways, I was called to the North Pole by my friend, Sandy, and—" They both heard rumbling from outside. Suddenly, they heard Marshmallow's thunderous roar.

"Give me a moment, Jack. I'll check what's going on."

"Wait, Elsa, what if it's— argh!" Jack clutched his chest in pain as he tried to get up from bed.

"Just wait here okay? I'll be right back." Elsa walked out of the room and made her way to the stairs of the castle. Unable to get up, Jack laid there and tried to think of how he was going to explain to Elsa that it was because of him that she has her powers. As he pondered to himself what he was going to say, he couldn't help hear more rumbling from outside. It sounded like a fight was going on.

"Up there."

"Come on!" He heard two men shouting from below.

Jack was getting increasingly more troubled. He struggled through the pain as he crawled his way out of bed, using his staff as a crutch. Making his way to the bedroom door, he could see Elsa running from the stairway. He noticed two figures in red running up the steps.

"We got her!" one of the men called out.

"No, please." Elsa begged, backing away from the two armed men. The large, bearded man raised his crossbow.

"Elsa, no!" Jack shouted, he summoned a wall of ice just in front of Elsa, blocking the crossbow bolt millimeters from her face. "Elsa— argh— fight back!" he shouted, stumbling to the ground.

"Stay away!" the frightened girl cried out, firing multiple shots of ice at the assailants.

"Fire, fire!"

"Get her!"

Elsa was desperately trying to fend off the two large men. She tried to keep them from aiming their weapons. Both men began to position themselves opposite of each other. She quickly turned her head back and forth to each of them, focusing on when they would strike. Jack noticed one of them taking aim.

"Look out!" he yelled. She jolted her head to the man with the sideburns.

She summoned multiple icicles that shot around his figure and pinned him to the wall. One icicle slowly grew longer, closing in on the man's neck. The second man was about to ready his shot but she disarmed his crossbow with a frosted blast. She blocked off his path of exit with multiple walls and created a pillar of ice in front of him, pushing him through the door and just barely over the edge of the balcony. Jack started crawling his way towards the angered queen.

"Queen Elsa! Don't be the monster they fear you are!" a man shouted from the front of the hall. Jack recognized the voice. It was Prince Hans accompanied by various guards of Arendelle. Elsa looked back to the ginger man, lowering her hands and ending her assault. As she calmed herself, Jack saw the man pinned against the wall aim for Elsa.

"Elsa, get down!" Jack shouted. Prince Hans also noticed the man take aim. The prince charged him, quickly pointing the crossbow towards the ceiling. The shot cut right through the ice supporting the chandelier above her and falling above the queen.

Elsa gasped, looking at the falling structure. She started running away from the center of the room. With all the energy he had, Jack called forth a powerful gust of wind to launch him towards her. He caught her in his arms, knocking both of them away from the shattering ice. He used his body to protect her from the oncoming shards. The gale sent both of them crashing into the wall of the castle. Elsa blacked out from the impact.

"You two, get him down from the spikes. You, help me carry the queen." Hans commanded. Two men rushed over to the man who was pinned. They used their blades to cut the ice hanging him. The large man at the edge of the balcony rushed over to his crossbow. The other three guards tackled him to the ground.

"Get off me! We have to kill her and stop this storm!" the bearded man demanded, struggling to free himself.

"We will do no such thing! The winter may be her doing but she is still Queen of Arendelle. We will bring her back and keep her in a cell until we figure out where Princess Anna is and what must be done." Hans took the crossbow and handed it to one of the men. He made his way to Elsa. Jack's vision was blurry. He could only identify people by the color of their clothes. He watched as the prince got closer to Elsa lying beside him.

"Your majesty, should we cuff her?" one of the guards asked.

"For now, we'll bind her arms. When we reach Arendelle, be sure to shackle her hands in case she tries to escape."

As Jack watched Prince Hans pick Elsa up from the ground, he thought he saw the man smirk before he turned away, making his way down the stairs of the ice castle. The winter spirit was helpless as the group of people exited the room, leaving the remnants of the conflict in their wake.

Barely conscious, he noticed from the corner of his eye a growing light. His first thought was the moon but the sun was still setting in the sky. Then he watched a figure glowing bright rush from the broken doorway and over the railing of the stairs. The figure seemed to be looking at the people leaving the castle. He turned back around and rushed over to Jack lying on the ice. The shimmering figure placed his spear to the side and put his hand to the injured boy's chest.

"Are you… okay?"