"Jack!" Hiccup whispered as he climbed onto the bed. "Ja-ack! Wake up!"

"Hiccup?" Jack groaned. "Go back to sleep."

"I just can't!" Hiccup exclaimed dramatically. He pointed outside at the aurora borealis. "The sky's awake, so I'm awake. So we have to PLAY!"

"Go play by yourself," Jack mumbled, pushing him away.

Hiccup clung to the sheets, refusing to fall off. He sat for a moment, thinking. Then he had an idea. He knew what would get Jack up! "Do you wanna build a snowman?"

Jack finally opened his eyes and smiled slyly. He had rested for long enough, and now he was ready to make some more fun. He leaped out of bed. Hiccup took his hand and pulled him silently through the halls to the ballroom. Rapunzel heard them and followed, ready to tell them to be quiet and get back in bed. But by the time she caught up, there was already an ice rink surrounded by snowy hills.

"Come on, Rapunzel!" Jack called. "Just like we used to!"

Rapunzel hesitated for a moment. Then Hiccup hit her with a snowball.

"Oh, all right!"

She formed a sling in her long hair and launched a snowball back at him. Soon there snowballs flying everywhere. Some of them Jack didn't know where they came from. When they tired of that, they went sledding, and ice skating. They made snow angels, both in the normal way, and the "Let's jump from the hills and spread our arms out and see how that looks" way. Finally, they actually built a snowman.

"What should we name this one?" Hiccup asked.

"How about Olaf?" Rapunzel suggested.

"Why Olaf?" Jack asked.

"He just looks like an Olaf."

"Can't argue with that!"

So they named him Olaf. After that, Hiccup wanted to do something a little different.

"I want a big ice slide! A really really big one!"

"Bigger than the one on the stairs?"

"Yes!"

Jack thought for a second, then led them to the window. He and Rapunzel lifted it open. A soft spring breeze blew in. Very slowly, he formed an ice slide from the second story window, over the castle walls, parallel to the bridge, into the town, and down to the wharf. It was a VERY big slide.

"Wow!" Hiccup yelled. "That's really big!" He started to climb on, but Rapunzel pulled him back. "What?"

"I'm scared. I don't know if we should do this."

"Don't be afraid, it'll be fun! I'll go first to make sure it's safe," Jack said.

Cautiously, he stepped out of the window and slid down on his back, arms flailing at the sudden speed. It was fantastic. He reached the bottom and shot up a giant snowflake to signal the others. Rapunzel came next, making sure to control her arms. Her golden hair flowed out behind her, and she landed on the soft snowbank a little farther along than Jack had.

And then it was Hiccup's turn. With no one to make sure he was doing it safely, he went down head first, on his belly. He screamed with joy as he went faster and faster. Jack saw him coming and extended the landing platform. But to his surprise, Hiccup sailed over the entire snowbank and towards the ocean. Both of them screamed with fright, and Jack tried to form a snow mound in the ocean for Hiccup to land on. Unfortunately, he miscalculated the angle of his brother's descent, and an icy blast hit Hiccup's head and knocked him unconscious. He dropped into the chilly water.

Despite loving the cold, Elsa also enjoyed sitting with her family by the fire, as they often did in spring evenings. As Kristoff told them more about his travels, she washed Anna's hair. She accomplished this by coating it in ice and melting it, letting the water rinse the dirt, soot, and flour into a frosty bowl. Then, she froze every droplet and dissolved it, leaving Anna's hair perfectly dry. Finally, she braided it into two equal plaits. Now, Elsa was relaxing as Anna fixed her own hair into the single braid she preferred, while Kristoff played his mandolin softly. It was perfectly peaceful.

And then they heard the scream.

Immediately Elsa jumped up. "That's Hiccup!" She raced upstairs, Anna and Kristoff following her. Then both boys screamed. "JACK!"

They reached the ballroom and followed the draft to the open window. They could see Rapunzel standing alone at the edge of the wharf, looking out to sea. The boys were nowhere in sight. In a panic, Elsa dispersed the slide and formed a steep snow mountain in the courtyard. She quickly fashioned ice snowboards to their feet and practically flew down, screaming at the guards to open the gate. She continued the path with ice and skated to the dock just in time to see Jack rising out of the water on a pillar of snow, Hiccup in his arms. They reached Rapunzel at the same time.

"Hiccup! What happened?" she asked, taking Hiccup in her arms.

"I'm sorry mama," Jack wailed. "It was an accident."

"Jack accidentally hit Hiccup in the head with ice," Rapunzel explained as Anna and Kristoff arrived. "He was trying to stop him from flying into the ocean but it didn't work. Let me in."

Elsa realized she was holding Hiccup too close to her body. Instantly, she loosened her grip and allowed Rapunzel to wrap her hair around Hiccup's head. She began to sing in a rich voice, unusually deep for her age, and her hair began to glow.

"Flower gleam and glow.

Let your power shine.

Save what has been lost,

Bring back what once was mine,

What once was mine…"

Hiccup woke up, blinking uncertainly. "Mama?"

"Oh, Hiccup! Thank goodness you're safe."

"What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"He's had head trauma, Elsa," Kristoff reminded her. "It's pretty common to have slight amnesia for a little while afterwards. Let's get him inside and in bed. Don't worry about it, Hiccup. You're fine now, that's all that matters." He scooped Hiccup into his strong, powerful arms and started back towards the castle.

"Why is there snow? I thought it's supposed to be spring," Hiccup said, puzzled. Everyone stopped and stared at him.

"Okay…Maybe more than slight amnesia," Kristoff said.

"Should we tell him?" Anna asked.

"Not tonight," Kristoff said. "It might scare him or confuse him even more. Wait till tomorrow. If he doesn't remember by then, we can explain."

They continued walking; only Jack stayed behind, still crying. Elsa turned and went back to him.

"Hey, it's okay. I know it was an accident, I'm not mad at you."

"If Hiccup doesn't remember, don't tell him it was me."

"Alright, that's fine. He doesn't have to know it was you who hurt him."

"No, I mean…don't tell him that I have powers."

"Why not?"

"Because then he'll want to play with me and I'll hurt him again."

"Jack, you won't hurt him again. It's okay for you all to play together, just not at night when we're not around to say what's safe and what's dangerous. Besides, he'll see you making snow eventually."

"I'm not going to use my powers again."

"Jack, listen. I know you're scared, but you can't…"

"NO! I don't want to! I don't want to hurt anyone!"

Elsa sighed. It was late, and her son had just had a frightening experience. He wasn't thinking clearly, but perhaps after a night's sleep he would come to his senses. Reluctantly, she let the matter drop.

But the next morning, Hiccup still did not remember last night's events or any kind of magic. He remembered snow in the castle, but now how it had gotten there. Unfortunately, it seemed Rapunzel's magic hair had no effect on memory loss. So after breakfast, Elsa explained the situation to her family and all of her servants.

"Don't tell him I have powers," Jack said firmly.

"Jack, you share the same room with him. You can't hide the fact forever."

"Then I want my own room."

Everyone was too shocked to say anything. Finally, Elsa nodded, and told one of the servants to prepare a guest bedroom for Jack. Then she went up and told Hiccup about how she and Rapunzel had powers, and how he had hit his head the night before. Jack moved out that day, much to Hiccup's sadness and confusion, but Jack told him that he had been planning on moving out that day anyway, whether or not the accident had happened. Hiccup accepted this, believing that Jack would still play with him, just sleeping in a different room at night.

But that was not what happened.

Jack shunned everyone except Elsa. He hardly spoke a word at mealtimes, and spent the rest of the spring and summer locked up in his new room, devoting his time to his studies. It was the only thing that kept him occupied, and despite doing it without a tutor (for he refused to see him as well), he got along splendidly and made excellent grades.

Rapunzel went back to being a princess, and went on several diplomatic trips with her father and mother that summer. This, however, left Hiccup all on his own, with nobody to play with. He tried convincing Jack to come out and play with him. He remembered that he and Jack had been really good friends, and that Jack had written some songs. And if Jack liked to sing, maybe Hiccup would show him that he could sing too.

So one snowy winter day, Hiccup ran up to Jack's door and knocked.

"Jack?

Do you wanna build a snowman?

Come on, let's go and play!

I never see you anymore,

Come out the door.

It's like you've gone away!

We used to be best buddies,

but now we're not.

I wish you would tell me why!

Do you wanna build a snowman?

It doesn't have to be a snowman…"

"Go away, Hiccup," Jack said without opening the door.

Hiccup's face fell. "Okay, bye."

Jack stared out the window, and a few minutes later he saw Hiccup, Rapunzel, Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff playing together. The window involuntarily frosted over. Jack tried to clear it, but found he could not. He had slowly lost control over his powers. So instead he swiped the pane clean with his sleeve every time it fogged it up. He watched his little brother longingly, and although he knew Hiccup couldn't hear, he sang back to him.

"Of course I wanna to build a snowman,

There, I've said it, I've confessed.

But I need to stay locked up inside

Although I hate to hide,

I know it's for the best.

You know you're still my best friend,

I wish that I could be out there by your side!

Of course I want to build a snowman,

Oh how I'd love to build a snowman."

Years passed, and still Jack stayed in his room. He even secluded himself further, sleeping in till close to 10:00 AM and eating brunch on his own. No one could convince him to come out for anything other than dinner. And yet, Hiccup continued to try. He coaxed and pleaded for hours outside Jack's door, but Jack hid in the closet in a fort made of pillows and clothes, muffling the sounds. But whenever Hiccup sang, he poked his head out and listened.

"Do you wanna build a snowman?

Or ride our bike around the hall?

I think some company is overdue,

I've started talking to the pictures on the wall!

My favorite's Bork.

It gets a little lonely, all these empty rooms,

Just watching the hours tick by!

Tick tock tick tock tick tock…"

He kept clicking his tongue for nearly ten minutes. Jack waited for him to stop, but he never did.

Finally he called out, "Hiccup, stop, that's getting annoying."

The sound stopped. Hiccup had finally given up. After three years of asking, he was finished. Thirteen year old Jack kept expecting him to come back, but he never did. For a second time, he sang back.

"Of course I wanna build a snowman!

And run around and dance and play

I'm really lonely stuck inside my room,

My life's all glum and doom,

But I have gotta stay!

I know you're feeling lonely,

I know I am too,

My powers will not subside!

Conceal, don't feel, conceal, don't feel!"

More time passed, and eventually even the kingdom forgot that Jack had powers. While Hiccup appeared at public events alongside Elsa, Jack published poems to convince Arendelle he was still alive and well. He grew quite famous for them, and nobody minded his absence, although a few girls were heartily disappointed he did not show up to read them in person. Rumor was, he was considered, ironically, to be the hottest guy in town. But still he did not come out.

When he was eighteen, however, Elsa decided that he needed to start showing an interest in the kingdom.

"What? No way!" Jack protested when he was told. "I don't have any control over my powers. I'll hurt someone!"

"Of course you don't have any control!" Elsa snapped. "You haven't been practicing with them for eight years!"

"Because they're not safe!" Jack said, wrapping his arms around himself.

"Well then, let's you and I go up into the mountains. Pretend you're going to the University of Dale or something so nobody thinks it's suspicious. I'll help you practice and you can live up there for awhile until you get better."

"No, mother. I don't ever want to use my powers again."

"Jackson Lopet Frost, you are being completely ridiculous!"

"I'm too scared!" Jack yelled, sliding down the wall to the floor. Ice started to form in the corner of the room.

Elsa took a deep breath, calming herself down. "Jack," she said gently. "You don't have to be afraid. You have a rare gift. It's a blessing. Use it, be proud of it! It's nothing to fear."

"It's not a blessing, it's a curse," he growled.

"Don't say that."

"It's true! I nearly killed Hiccup, and I've been alone for eight years, all because of them!"

"It was your choice to stay alone for eight years and not tell Hiccup that I'm not the only one in this family who can make snow! You didn't have to do this. We tried to convince you otherwise but you wouldn't listen!"

"This is the only way!"

"Not it's not!"

"YES IT IS!" Jack screamed.

A cold blast of snow hit Elsa and absorbed right through her. She could barely even gasp as she crumpled to the ground. It took Jack a second to realize what had happened. And when he did, he was too afraid to go near her. There was only one solution. He ran to the door and threw it open, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"RAPUNZEL! ANNA! HELP!"

Luckily, they were nearby and came running immediately, bringing Kristoff and Hiccup, sixteen, as well. Rapunzel immediately wrapped her hair around Elsa and sang…but to no effect. Everyone asked Jack what had happened but he couldn't think up a believable lie with Hiccup around. Kristoff carried Elsa to her room and started a fire.

Every doctor in Arendelle that could be spared was summoned and examined her. They finally reached the conclusion that Elsa's lungs were somehow damaged. Exactly how they could not say, only that they could hear cracking. Jack, for the first time since the accident, dared to approach. He grabbed the stethoscope and listened. To his horror, he knew exactly what it was.

"It's ice. Your lungs are filled with ice!"

He quickly moved away again.

"How did you get ice in your lungs?" Hiccup asked.

Elsa didn't answer. She just looked at Jack, but he refused to answer truthfully. "We…had a fight. She got angry and the ice shot out of her hands at the mirror. It must have reflected back at her."

Anna rolled her eyes. It was a horrible lie, but Hiccup, innocent as he was, believed it.

Now that they knew what had happened, new tactics were tried. Both Jack and Elsa attempted to remove the ice, but both failed. Desperate now, sorcerers and magicians were called, but nothing worked. Growing weaker by the second, Elsa finally requested to speak with Jack alone.

"This is all my fault!"

"Don't feel guilty," Elsa said soothingly. "I hadn't told anyone but Rapunzel yet, but I'm sick anyway. I wouldn't have lasted more than a few weeks." Jack was silent. "Anna and Kristoff will take over as acting King and Queen until you are of age."

"Which is?"

"In three years, when you turn twenty-one."

"I…I think I can learn to control my powers by then."

"You have to stop being afraid. You can do this, I know you can. When you were little, you had perfect control, except for the cleaning up part, but you were still learning. Jack, just believe that you can, and you will. You're going to make a great king someday. Bring in the others, quickly."

Jack ran to the door and beckoned the others in. Elsa motioned Hiccup to come closer; she could no longer talk above a whisper.

"Don't ever feel like just because you don't have powers you weren't as special to me, okay? I love you so much." She smiled feebly at him. "You remind me so much of your father. And you," she said, pointing at Rapunzel, who also came near. "Don't you feel guilty for not being able to heal me."

Both of them nodded tearfully. Hiccup didn't quite know what she was talking about, since obviously she and Rapunzel were the only ones with powers, but he decided to go along with it. Finally, Anna and Kristoff came beside Elsa as she gave some last instructions for running the kingdom. She died in Anna's arms and holding Hiccup's hand a few minutes later. Jack, who had refused to go close to the bed for fear of hurting somebody else, fled the room. Ice coated the room and the hallway outside, following him as he ran back to his own sanctuary. Despite being mid-autumn, a blizzard howled outside. It took a whole day for Jack to calm himself down enough to stop it. Anna later told everyone, at Jack's request, that it was Elsa's power leaving her body.

Inside his room, which was also covered in ice, snowflakes hung in suspended animation. He sat with his back up against the door, his grief so great that he could not form any ice or snow. Anna came and asked Jack if he was going to the funeral, but he didn't answer. Instead, he stayed indoors through both the funeral three days later, and Anna and Kristoff's somber coronation a week after Elsa's death. Shortly after the coronation, the gates to the castle closed in mourning. Hiccup, even more lonely than before, wandered to Jack's room and knocked one last time.

"Jack?

Please, I know you're in there.

People are asking where you've been.

They say 'Have courage,' and I'm trying to.

I'm right out here for you,

Just let me in…

We only have each other.

It's just you and me.

What are we gonna do?

Do you wanna build a snowman…"

He slid down the door and buried his head in his arms, ignoring the intense cold that came from the other side. The whole castle was freezing, and he suspected it was Elsa's powers, still lingering. When Hiccup finally left, Jack replied.

"Hiccup…

Yes, I know you're out there.

That must have been rough on your own.

But now my powers have grown much too strong,

I feared this all along,

I must be alone.

You deserve much better, than what I can be.

There's nothing that I can do.

Of course I wanna build a snowman.

But I can't," he whispered.