Broken and Beloved (7)
The Snow Queen and The Guardian of Fun
Elsa stared at Jack in awe. "You...you're a Guardian?" She had so many questions for him. She didn't know where to start.
Either he must have read her mind or noticed her failure to muster any words, because he cracked a crooked grin and said, "Long story, I know..."
"You say that as if I won't believe you." A small smile lightened the worry that had clouded her features. "I get frequently harassed by horses made of black sand, a man who creates said horses purely for my misery, and I've had the power to control ice and snow since birth. I'd believe anything, Jack."
"That's great," he found himself saying. Then he quickly corrected himself: "Well, not the part about Pitch being an ass and attacking you. I meant you believing in anything. Faith is something truly powerful. It's what keeps me and my friends alive, in a sense."
"Your friends? You mean...there's more of you?"
The corner of his mouth twitched upward in a sheepish crooked grin. "Whoops. I said too much."
Her eyes widened. "Tooth, North, Sandy, and Bunny...are they Guardians too?" Her awe grew as she put the puzzle pieces together in her mind. Elsa thought of the art they had shared with her back in their classroom. The things they drew, their purpose for creating such art...it all made sense to her now. A wide smile spread across her face at the revelation. "The Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, Sandman, and the Easter Bunny...They're all real."
"Mindblowing, huh?"
"To say the least."
Jack chuckled. "I gotta admit that it's a lot to take in."
Elsa sighed and looked away. "Speaking of taking things in...are you going to take me back?"
To his curiosity, she asked with reluctance, as if she didn't want to. He couldn't blame her. She had been through a lot tonight.
"If you want time to yourself here, I respect that," he replied.
Gratitude for him soared in her chest. "Thank you, Jack. I'm so glad that I finally have someone to talk to and confide in. Well, I've always had Anna, but there are some things even she can't understand. I used to think I was alone in my struggle to conceal and don't feel."
Jack frowned. "Conceal and don't feel? Where ever did you get that from?"
"From my parents." Elsa lowered her wistful gaze to the palms of her hands. "They were the first to be aware of my unusual powers. They were afraid with what I could do with them...or what other people would do if they saw. They taught me to hide it at all costs, that I must never be seen using them in front of anyone. Not even Anna. It's a big part of why I had been homeschooled until college."
"That's awful," Jack murmured.
Elsa frowned and even felt a little indignant on her deceased parents' behalf. "My mother and father were loving and kind. They did it to protect me and my little sister."
"Yes, I'm sure...But it hasn't really worked out, has it?"
Elsa opened her mouth to protest, but didn't answer.
Jack reached out to touch her hand. The coolness between them was something they shared and didn't mind at all. "Your powers shouldn't be something to fear," he said softly. "It's a gift, not a curse. It's beautiful, and a part of who you are. If you try to suppress that, it's no different than trying to snuff out the spark of life in you."
Elsa blinked in surprise. "You really think it's important to me as who I am?"
"Definitely. Try to embrace it, not push it away. You have to let it go."
"Let it go..." she murmured.
Jack skipped back and spread his arms wide. "This is the perfect place to do that."
Elsa found herself at a loss. This was a huge change for her, going from fighting to conceal her powers right to being encouraged to unleash it. This was a change she welcomed, but one that would have to take time getting used to. She bit on her lower lip and stared down at her hands with uncertainty. "I...I don't know where to start..."
"Try to think of something you've always wanted to do, but couldn't."
A smile slowly spread on her face as she remembered. "Well...when I was little, I always dreamed of being a princess who lived in a castle."
"A castle, great idea. Come on, architecture major, show me what you got!"
Elsa closed her eyes and tried to picture in her head a castle built entirely of her ice. The workings of her imagination became reality at the wave of her hands, as ice flew and flurried all around her and Jack. He took several slow steps back and marveled at the sight. Icy floors grew and emanated from a central snowflake, pulsating and folding before his eyes like a kaleidoscope. The pillars grew taller until they finally tapered into a steeple just as tall as the surrounding trees.
Jack's mouth hung open, and it quickly became a wide smile. He tucked his staff into his armpit to make a slow clap with both of his hands. "Wow, Elsa...you've really outdone yourself."
Elsa stared up at her creation, her pale face flushed with joy and pride.
He then bowed low to her in a flourish. "Allow me to kindly escort her royal majesty to her lovely ice castle."
Elsa managed to tip her upper body forward a bit to return his bow. "You may, good sir."
Jack gripped the handles of her wheelchair and let his feet lift from the air before gently pushing her forward. He picked up speed as he flew up the spiraling slope, making Elsa tense up at first, but soon she freed her hands from the armrests and laughed as they went up together.
When they stopped at the top floor just below the spire, Elsa felt lightheaded yet elated. "Wow, I never thought I'd be out of breath when I can't even walk."
"It's because you were laughing so much. Don't get me wrong, you have an amazing laugh."
Looking up, Jack marveled at the stunning ice chandelier suspended from above. As an incorrigible prankster and fun-loving Guardian, Jack had a penchant of leaving his icy mark wherever he went. But Elsa's castle was so beautiful that he refrained from such a habit and left it untouched. He thought it'd be quite rude to infringe on the beauty of her work.
He let go of her wheelchair and flitted forward to face her. He rubbed his chin as he surveyed her thoughtfully. "Elsa the Snow Queen...now it looks like you need proper attire to match your lofty title."
She looked down at her dress. "You don't like what I'm wearing?"
"I didn't mean it like that...it just needs more flair. Like a prom dress."
Elsa chuckled. "I was homeschooled. I've never been to prom."
"Now is your chance to experience it, more or less." Jack turned around and kept his eyes to the icy wall. "Don't worry, I won't look. Do feel free to ice me right in the butt if I peek."
Elsa chuckled. She pulled at the baby blue ribbons keeping her hair together. Her braid fell gently down her left shoulder and her bangs brushed the sides of her head. She pulled her bangs back and out of the way, leaving a tiny fringe to hang over her forehead. Just as she had done with her castle, Elsa closed her eyes and tried to imagine herself donning a dress that she had never worn, but would still look as if it was very much hers. With a smooth wave of her hand, she replaced her old dress with one made of her own sparkling ice. Though she wasn't cold, she shivered a little out of excitement. Until now, she had never worn something that exposed her shoulders. She had always admired off-shoulder gowns from afar, but thought it too daring to try one for herself. Now Jack's encouragement invoked her inner desire for boldness and liberation.
"Okay...what do you think?"
Jack's eyes opened, and his mouth soon followed. Elsa looked nothing short of absolutely stunning. What she wore had to be the most creative and gorgeous gown he had ever laid eyes on. She appeared ethereal, like the various women of mystery and magic from fairy tales, emanating an almost unreal beauty beyond this world. His reaction of utter, speechless shock made her blush.
"Um...do you like it...?"
It took him a few seconds to gather himself. "Like it? I...I love it! Elsa, you're perfect. You're so beautiful."
Being the object of such genuine adoration gave Elsa the greatest happiness like never before. The way he looked at her, was as if he didn't see a young woman cursed to stay in a wheelchair, but a young woman blessed with beauty, talent, and a pure heart. Her legs, broken and useless in the eyes of many, only looked pale yet lovely in his.
Suddenly Jack remembered he had brought his sketchbook with him. He fumbled for it and almost clumsily leafed for the newest page as he was unable to tear away his gaze from her. He pulled a pencil from the pocket of his hoodie.
Elsa tilted her head curiously. "What are you doing?"
"Drawing something I've been wanting to capture for a while. This is great! Now I can finish my newest piece."
"I'm in one of your artwork?"
Jack stopped in the middle of drawing the construction circle for the head and met her surprised eyes sheepishly. "Well, yeah. I thought you'd make a great subject for my winter landscapes. Um...you don't mind, do you?"
She shook her head and smiled. "I am honored to be part of your work. Do you want me to do a particular pose, or...?"
"No, you're perfectly fine the way you are." Jack's hand and pencil flitted all over the page as he tried to create a sketch of her likeness. He spent the most time on her new hairstyle. It was difficult to draw, but very rewarding once he finished. Since he didn't bring any colored medium with him, he relied on his color theory knowledge to jot down the names of the colors Elsa wore.
As she sat there, Elsa didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable or violated as Jack studied her with the eyes of an artist. His gaze was studied and shrewd, dedicated to getting every feature and line right on his page. It was almost flattering for her to get this much attention.
After some time, Jack nodded with finality and closed his sketchbook. "Okay, I'm done. Thanks a lot, Elsa."
Curiosity got the better of her. "May I see what you drew?"
He wagged a finger at Elsa. "Sorry, not yet. This is only reference for the piece I have in-progress back at school. I'll show that to you when I'm through with it."
She leaned back in her chair and grinned. "All right, then. I look forward to seeing your work once it's done." She wheeled forward to join Jack at the balcony, overlooking the stretch of woods illuminated by the pale light given off by the ice of her castle. "Beautiful view," she remarked.
'But nowhere as beautiful as you,' Jack almost said aloud. He held aloft his staff in an imperious gesture, as if he wielded a scepter. "It's great, isn't it? I'm the Ice King, and you're the Snow Queen."
"What are you implying, Jack Frost?"
Jack realized what he had said and her light tease made his cheeks warm. He hid the redness of his face by gesturing beyond the balcony with a grand sweep of his arms. "You and me, just the two of us, ruling together over this little kingdom we made."
A sad, wistful smile lingered on Elsa's face. "I wish, but it can't be this way forever."
"I know...but what's the harm in having a little fun?"
"Well, it's not good if we don't know when to stop. But Jack...it's been a long time since I've ever felt this happy. Thank you so much."
"Hey, it's what I do best. I'm the Guardian of Fun, after all."
"Did you choose to be a Guardian?"
He shook his head and turned his gaze to the night sky. "The Man in the Moon chose me. He chose me and my friends to safeguard the innocence and faith of children around the world. It's our sacred duty, until the day we pass on."
"Pass on? So you're not immortal?"
"That's right. We're supernatural, but we can't live forever. When I die, like the Jack Frost before me, the Man in the Moon will choose someone else to take up my name and duty. The cycle continues until..." Then he shrugged. "Whenever the world stops spinning, I guess. Until whenever children don't need Guardians anymore, which I doubt will happen. They'll always need us, I think." He broke the somber mood with a bright smile. "I hope to live a long life while I can. I love my job."
Elsa returned his smile, then followed his gaze to stare thoughtfully at the moon. "What was your birth name, if you were given the name Jack Frost by the moon?"
"My real name is Jackson Overland." A shadow darkened his face for a fleeting second. "My father gave me my first name, but I prefer not to use it anymore." He seemed to be relieved to avoid dwelling on that particular subject. "The Man in the Moon came to me in a dream when I was very little...that's how I knew about my true calling in this world. My friends can't reveal their Guardian forms so easily, especially Bunny, but I get away with it." He gestured to his snow-white hair. "This isn't bleach, in case you didn't know. Other than refraining from flying around and shooting ice in plain sight, I'm free to be myself. That's why I was nicknamed Jack Frost in school. It stuck, and I didn't complain."
"What about Pitch? Is he a Guardian?"
Jack opened his mouth to reply when a dark voice cut him off.
"You called?"
Elsa gasped and stiffened in fear.
Black sand materialized and swirled in the air before them. Like a sinister silhouette with a life of its own, Pitch appeared and leered at the two. Sarcastic acidity dripped from his voice. "All this smiling and laughing between you two is so contagious...I might just catch the bug and throw up."
For an instant, Elsa regretted building her ice castle. What else could have lured Pitch here? Her knuckles turned white as she clutched the armrests. She said nothing out of paralyzed fright that gripped her body.
Jack leaped in front of her and brandished his staff with a fierce glare. "Pitch Black! What are you doing here?"
Pitch's mock frown made his long face look even longer. "Aww, I'm hurt that you didn't invite me to your little princess party. Oh, well. I'm not one for attending parties. I prefer ruining them." His Nightmares appeared in menacing black streaks and pawed at the air, surrounding Elsa and Jack and preventing them from any means of escape. Elsa pressed her back against the chair, her breaths quick and shallow as her eyes darted between Pitch and his Nightmares.
"Stay with me, Elsa. I'll protect you," Jack murmured.
He gripped his staff tighter and braced himself for a mass incoming charge from the Nightmares. What he didn't expect was Pitch fashioning a bow and arrow of hardened black sand. Jack shot a wave of ice to protect Elsa, but Pitch didn't have his sights on her. The Nightmare King took aim below and fired. The arrow of black sand struck the castle's base with a resounding crack.
Tendrils of black sand overtook the pale blue ice faster than either Jack or Elsa could comprehend. The ice castle fell apart and shattered like brittle bone, taking Jack and Elsa with it as the giant black hole the arrow created sucked them in with unrelenting force.
Jack and Elsa plummeted into the dark abyss. Jack surged forward and tried to fly Elsa out, but ice shards rained down on them like cold daggers. One struck Jack at the back of his head, drawing blood and making him yelp in pain. They let out a terrified cry and fell together, never letting go of each other.