The door creaked as Kristoff poked his head into North's personal office. Anna was sitting on the windowsill opposite the door, the window itself taking up almost the entire wall. Snow flurries danced on the wind, some falling into the window, becoming wet drops of rain.
"Anna?" he called hesitantly. He saw Anna's shoulders slump as she sighed.
"What is it, Kristoff?" she asked, her voice dripping with sadness. He could hear Olaf and the others- the Guardians, they and called themselves- arguing over how a snowman could come to life. He cringed as there was a shriek- Probably the fairy, he thought.
"I just wanted to see if you were okay," he said, closing the door behind him. The magenta colored shawl Anna had worn was now bunched up in her lap, revealing the blue sleeves of her dress.
"Yeah, well, I'm great," she replied harshly, "just peachy!"
"Well, I just wanted to say-" he began, taking a step back when she whirled her head around. He saw her face was red from crying, tears creating small trails on her cheeks.
"No! Don't say anything!" she sobbed, "I don't want to hear it!"
"I just wanted to apologize, Anna," Kristoff retorted, crossing his arms.
"Well, I won't accept it!" Anna shouted, curling her hands into fists, "because no one will every accept any decision I make!" Kristoff raised an eyebrow in question.
"What are you talking about?!"
"Elsa didn't accept that I decided to get engaged!" Anna's voice rose with each word, "Hans didn't want me to go find my sister!" Kristoff shrugged.
"Well, in his defense, you're his bride to be-" In his opinion though, he thought Elsa was right. Anna shouldn't be marrying a man she had just met. But then again, he thought, she did almost set me on fire in the woods...
"But she's my sister!" Anna was letting the waterworks flow freely now, tears staining the cushion she sat on as they fell, "and you won't except the fact that I want these people to help!" Sighing, Kristoff walked over to the window and plopped himself on the seat next to her. Her cheeks were red from the cold, as was her nose. reaching out, he wiped at the tip of her nose, snot coming away on his glove. He was definitely going to have to disinfect them later.
"I realized that," Kristoff agreed, "but you have to understand that Elsa has to take care of every person in the kingdom." Anna cast her eyes down, her gaze focused on the bright fabric of her shawl.
"I know, but I just want her to understand that she can't keep hiding and pushing people away, you know?" Anna sounded hopeful, sniffling as her eyes began to brim with tears again. Gently, he held her head up so she was looking straight at him.
"Do you want some hot chocolate or something to eat?' he asked kindly, "I mean, if we want them to help, we'll need to fuel up, you know?" Smiling, Anna nodded as Kristoff added, "And the big guy- I think his name was North? Anyway, he was having his, uh, elves make cookies and whatnot…." He could feel his face burn as he rambled on, feeling uncomfortable talking about things like elves and magic.
"I'd like that, yeah," she agreed, pushing herself up off the seat. Kristoff followed, grabbing the shawl, folding it carefully before he tucked it under his arm. As soon as they left the office, Anna started laughing.
"What are you laughing at?" Kristoff asked her as he came out, then grinned. Olaf was being decorated by the elves, much to his delight. Spotting them, he waddled over, the red, blue and yellow lights blinking.
"Anna! Look! I'm a Christmas tree!" he exclaimed. The bells on the elves hats jingled as they laughed synonymously with one another, jumping when North shooed them away.
"I have idea!" he said excited, his face looking like that of a child who had discovered the meaning of life. Jack- who was sitting on the floor with his back against the large globe, rolled his eyes. I guess his ideas are not very good then? Kristoff thought as North shot the teenager a glare. Anna shrugged, asking, "Well, what is it?"
"We go in sleigh-"
"Not the sleigh!" Bunny suddenly groaned as he hopped over.
"- and fly to Elsa's castle!" he finished exuberantly, ignoring Bunny's comment.
"I'm not so sure about the sleigh, North," Tooth sounded her opinion, putting a loving hand on his shoulder, "maybe Bunny's tunnels?" Bunny pricked his ears up at this, nodding. He was always uncomfortable with flying in North's sleigh.
"Tunnels?" Anna asked. Bunny nodded, standing to his full height- six-foot-two, if they were to be exact, "Yeah. Just bang my foot no the floor and hop right in!" North shook his head.
"No! Sleigh!"
"No! Tunnels!"
"Speaking of a sleigh, "Kristoff said, "Anna, you owe me a new one." Anna rolled her eyes.
"I know, I know!" Anna said, stomping her foot with frustration, "but can we please focus on my sister?"
"So, I know none of you care for my opinion," Jack Frost cleared his throat, "but why don't we just use the snow globe?"
"If we use the globe, Jack," Anna said, "please do not throw me and Kristoff in a sack again!"
"You don't like the sack?" North asked, slightly hurt that no one liked his idea of travel. Jack scoffed, "Sorry to be rude, Tubby, but no one likes the sack!" North glared, his already red face getter redder by the minute.
"Guys! This is no time for fighting!" Tooth shouted above the din. The Sandman had been ignoring their arguments, instead decorating Olaf with his sparkling gold dream sand. The snowman was currently trying to build a sand version of himself out of it as well.
"Everyone Shut up!" Anna suddenly yelled, everyone going quiet as she continued, "we have no time for fighting! We need to focus!" She opened her mouth to say more, but suddenly clutched herself, rubbing her arms as a deep chill creeped into the room, "What… what's going on?"
"No….no, no, no!" Tooth muttered to herself then to North, "North!"
"I know, Tooth," he replied, turning his attention to the globe, particularly the one light that was out, "everyone look!" A strange blackness was seeping from it, gliding through the air.
"What is that?" Kristoff asked, watching it intensely as it swirled around the globe, slinking along the floor at their feet. Olaf and Sandy were cowering together- although it was more like Olaf was hiding behind Sandy, clinging to him like a leaf on a branch. Jack gripped his stage tightly, pointing the crooked end at the black mist.
"Guardians," came a voice, "Ise you're all doing well, unfortunately," came a voice, creamy and menacing. Anna jumped, grabbing Kristoff's arm.
"Who was that?!" she asked in a hushed whisper.
"What is it you want, Pitch?" Bunny asked, his voice dripping with hatred.
"What is it I want?" Pitch mimicked, "well, isn't it really what she wants?" Where the globe stood, in front of it was now Pitch, his black hair spiked in random directions, his gray body cloaked in the same black mist. The only thing colorful about him was his eyes, a bright gold like the sun.
"What does who want?" North questioned. Pitch chuckled, letting his eyes inspect the room until they stopped, resting on Anna, "So you must be her."
"What?" Anna asked, fear creeping into her voice.
"Queen Elsa," he said simply, "you must be her sister, correct me if I'm wrong." Anna widen dyer green eyes- he knew her sister?!
"You know where my sister is?!" Anna exclaimed, "where?!"
"Poor Anna," Pitch said, as if he were talking to a child, "so naive…." Anna narrowed her eyes at him, shaking a fist.
"What did you do with my sister?!" she demanded, charging at him, suddenly being pulled back by Kristoff, who had her arm in a vise-like grip. She tried jerking her arm away, "Kristoff! Let go of me!" Pitch grinned evilly at the blond man.
"Yes, Kristoff, let go of her," he teased with a laugh. Silently, he pushed Anna behind him.
"Kristoff-" Anna began, shutting up when he sent her a glare.
"Anna, you don't know what he can do, don't go running at people like that!" he scolded. Anna scoffed at him.
"Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?!" she accused.
"I'm just trying to protect you!" he said. Pitch watched silently, feeling the glares of the Guardians pierce him from every direction.
"Well you don't have to!" Anna said, "I'm old enough o make decisions for myself!"
"Yeah, well they've been pretty stupid decisions so far!" Kristoff yelled. Anna gasped.
"You're despicable," she spat at him.
"That may be so, but I want what's best for you!" he said under his breath to her, feeling the uncomfortable looks of the Guardians and Pitch.
"Are you two lovebirds done squabbling?" Jack interrupted, "I mean, there dis a bad guy in the room, so…." Pitch waved his comment away.
"Please, Jack," he said, sending a smile the teenager's way, "don't mind me. The life of her sister only hangs in the balance."
"What did you do to my sister?!" Anna shrieked at him, trying to push past Kristoff as he held her at bay, "Kristoff, stop!"
"I'm simply helping her," Pitch sid, turning so his back was to her, only to find his nose pricked by the tip of North's sword. Pitch smirked, "you know your swords will not work against me."
"Where are you keeping her, Boogeyman?" North commanded, his deep voice becoming curt as he spoke. Pitch shrugged.
"Really, it's where she's keeping herself," Pitch answered, "I am merely…. a friend for her, if you like to put it that way." Anna sent a trail of spit in his direction. Pitch suddenly flung a hand out and he trail of saliva became a balk icicle, as he added, "creating so mud beauty in the world. Like that." They watched as it fell to the ground, shattering into blackened dust. Jack gasped- it was just like what pitch had done to him.
"Oh, and Jack?" the boogeyman said, turning his attention on the boy. Jack said nothing, holding his staff defensively.
"Elsa and i will be waiting for you," Pitch said finally, snapping his fingers. The lights flickered before going out completely.
"Find the switch, North!" was Tooth's order.
"I am! I am!" North retaliated, then shouted with glee, "here it is!" When he flipped the switch, the lights flickered back on.
But Pitch was gone, having disappeared into the darkness, enveloped by the shadows.
"Who was that?" Anna asked, shaking.
"That," Tooth said, "was the boogeyman."
"Boogeyman?" Anna said, "are you kidding me?!"
"No," Bunny interjected, "not really. He's also known as Pitch Black."
"Well, what does he do?" Kristoff asked.
"He lives off the fear of men and women and children. Remember the Dark Ages way back when? Yeah, he was like a king, living it up," Jack Frost said, "if enough people are scared, you can see him."
"See him? So he's a ghost?"
"Well, kind of," Jack said, "kind of like us. Mere fairy tales for kids. If you believe in us, you see us- which reminds me, how come you guys can see us?"
"I guess we believe in you?" Anna suggested sheepishly, "you know, when i was younger, Elsa was always locked in her room and wouldn't talk to me, so you guys were pretty much all I had."
"She was trying to hide her powers from you?" Tooth asked, "but why? You're her sister!"
"I don't remember. I never knew she had powers in the first place," Anna said. Jack pointed to her hair, asking, "Then what's up with the white strand in your red hair? Kind of sticks out like a sore thumb, you know?"
"I was told I was born with it," Anna explained, touching it absentmindedly. The strand as pure white, like Elsa's hair.
"Well, maybe Elsa can explain a little more to you then just saying you were born with it," Jack said with a grin, "so do you know where she might be?"
"We were headed up the North mountain," Kristoff said, "before your yetis destroyed my sleigh. And just for the record, we have to find Sven as well."
"Sven?" Jack asked.
"His best friend," Anna said. Jack nodded understandingly. Olaf laughed- should he have told them that Sven was really a reindeer? No, he thought, they would find out for themselves once they did find him.
"So when are we going?" Olaf piped up.
"Well, now, I suppose," Anna answered, looking at everyone, "right?"
"We just need to deice on transportation methods," Tooth said. Anna shook her head, saying, "No. We really don't have time for that!"
"Then i guess we'll use the snow globe," North grumbled- after all, he had really wanted to ride his sleigh. Pulling the snow globe out of nowhere, he shook it. Fake snow swirled around inside the glass ball, obscuring whatever it was that rested inside it, "Get ready!" North threw the snow globe, and a portal suddenly opened, ripping through the very matter of the atmosphere.
"That is so cool…" Kristoff said in astonishment as Sandy, Tooth and Bunny jumped through, disappearing into the image- a large mountain covered with snow, a castle mad elf ice resting atop it. At the entrance to the castle was a large snowy guard, icicles making up its hands and teeth.
"Whoa," Jack said in amazement, staring at the image, "is you're sister trying to one up me or something?" Anna laughed as he went through, North following him. Next was Olaf, who whooped and hollered as he was swallowed by the portal. Anna hesitated as she watched Kristoff approach it.
"You coming, Anna?" Kristoff asked, peering over his shoulder at her. Anna fidgeted, playing with the ends of her braids.
"I-is it safe?" she stammered. Kristoff rolled his eyes, holding a hand out to her.
"I'll be right next to you the whole time," he assured her. She took his hand gratefully and they jumped together, voices echoing as the portal closed behind them.