Chapter 13, The siege of North's Workshop
Elsa twirled her hands before she blasted a surge of magic at the banks of the pond. It was there her magic crated a large mound of snow, much to Bruni's delight. Jack glanced down to the fire spirit that stood perched over shoulder, seeing the smile over his small face. He leaped down off his shoulder and scurried over the the mound of snow, leaping atop the mound of snow. Uttering a small squeak as he sank down into the snow.
Elsa smiled, chuckling down at Bruni. Jack smirked as he came up to the snow queen, flinging her staff over his shoulder.
"He really like snow, doesn't he?" Jack said, glancing up at Elsa.
Elsa smiled, glancing up to him.
"He does," Elsa insisted to him.
"He likes the small snow flakes I make. I'm guessing because he likes to cool off from all the fire."
Jack nodded his head.
"Ahuh," he said.
"It must be pretty hot for him to be on fire all the time."
Elsa smiled as she came up toward the mound. She kneeled down to the small mound, glancing down at the small blue salamander. Bruni then emerged from the snow mound of snow, steam protruding from his small body.
"Back in the forest, I used to make him a whole mound like this," the snow queen proclaimed.
"Sometimes whenever he was on fire, I would make him a pile of snow for him to cool off in."
Elsa extended down her hand to Bruni, who crawled up into the palm of her hand.
"Its the only times that I still use my powers." She said, stroking the head of the small Salamander.
Elsa eyes glanced sullenly to the side, frowning at the memories of those many years she had spent in isolation. Wandering the world with only Bruni, Nokk and Gale, unable to be seen by those around her. Unable to use her powers out of the same fear that had kept them concealed for all that time when she was younger. She would be lying if she said she didn't miss being able to use her powers so freely as Jack did. All the fun times that she used to have with her sister... her people...
She wished that she could have all those times back.
Jack came up to the Snow Queen, crouching down next to her. He glanced to Elsa, seeing the look of awe and contempt she had. Hearing what she had said about when they were back in the forest, it sounded like she used to use her powers a lot like he does now. But ever since being chosen by Manny for some special purpose, it sounded like she wasn't able to use them like she once did.
"Do you... miss it?" Jack asked, curiously.
Elsa glanced to him.
"Huh?" Elsa asked, curiously.
"Using your powers," Jack said, glancing down to her hands.
"You used to use them all the time, didn't you?"
Elsa narrowed her eyes.
"I... I used to... a long time ago." She insisted to her.
"Well, what if you could use them again?" Jack asked, curiously.
Elsa glanced back at Jack.
"What?" she asked, curiously.
"You don't have to be afraid to use your powers anymore, El." Jack insisted to her.
Hearing him call her El, Elsa glance to the side at Jack, her cheeks blushed a bright red. Jack then reached out his hand and delicately took hold of hers. Elsa gasped, glancing down at her hand. Seeing the sudden gesture of the winter sprite, the heart of the snow queen skipped a beat. She glanced up at Jack, staring in awe.
"This is a gift," He insisted to her.
"It's who you are. You shouldn't have to be afraid to be who you are."
Elsa narrowed her eyes. Those words. She had heard them long ago by one that she had loved long ago. One who was now lost to Time itself. But who who would always remain in her heart. And now it was being said by one she had hardly know. And yet at the same time, someone that she has known for some time now.
"I..." she said, unable to think of what to say.
Jack smirked to her.
"You can use your powers again, El," Jack proclaimed to her.
"I can help you."
Elsa looked up at Jack, gazing into his beautiful icy blue eyes. Jack in turn gazed down at her, entranced by the beauty of her icy blue eyes. The two then stood up over the ice, holding one another hands. Though they only known each other for but a short time, these feelings they both were having for one another continued to draw them to each other. Even now they wondered how through all the years, they never known of each other.
It was right at the moment the two had began to close the distance between. Their eyes slowly began to close as their lips were but inches of meeting. Though before they could touch, there was a sudden sound off to their side. A large hole emerged over the nearby banks of the pond off to their right. It was there that Bunnymund emerged. Only to then gasped and shutter from the gust of winter breeze.
"Oh, bloody freezing out here!" He exclaimed, wrapping his arms around himself.
"Why am I always popping out in the snow!"
Jack and Elsa turned and saw the tall humanoid bunny standing over the banks of the pond.
"Bunny?" Jack said.
Bunny glanced up at the two winter spirits. He then paused, staring in awe at the sight of them facing one another.
"Uh, what's going on here?" He said, pointing at them.
Jack and Elsa glanced down, where they saw that they were holding onto each other's hands. Slowly the realization of what they were about to do came to them. They then departed, glancing to the side in embarrassment.
"Uh, nothing," Jack said, rubbing the back of his head.
Bunny shook his head.
"It doesn't matter," He said.
"We get back to the North Pole!"
"What is it?" Jack asked, curiously.
"Pitch is Back!" Bunny exclaimed to him, turning back to the hole he came out off.
"He's attacking North's Workshop! We got help the others, Now!"
Jack turned back to Elsa.
"Elsa, wait for me back at the castle," Jack insisted to her.
"I'll be back to you as soon as I can."
Elsa squinted his eyes, curiously. It sounded as if there was trouble. While she knew knew what the reason as to why, the snow queen could not find it in her heart to stand by and do nothing. The man in the Moon had told her she had a purpose. Whatever it may be, this could be the chance to find out what it is.
She came up to Jack, placing her hand over his shoulder.
"Wait!" she said.
Jack paused as he glanced back to her.
"I'm coming with you." She insisted.
Jack shook his head.
"What, El no, it's too dangerous!" Jack insisted to her.
Elsa smiled up at him, admiring his concern for her.
"I can handle myself, Jack," she insisted to him.
"Please, let me help you."
There was a moment of hesitation on the part of Jack. He didn't wish to place Elsa in any form of danger. Nor more so then if Pitch was there at the North pole. Though he had little time to ponder it as he heard the thumping sound of Bunny's foot, trying to get his attention.
"Jack, come on!" Bunny exclaimed.
"We got to go!"
Jack turned back to Elsa. He was to speak up, only to instead uttered a sigh as he shook his head.
"Alright, come on!" he said, taking her by hand.
The then turned and came up to the hole that Bunny made. Bunny then turned and leaped down into the hole. They gazed down into the hole, staring down into black abyss below. Elsa glanced up at Jack.
"You ever done this before?" she asked, curiously.
"Second time, actually." He insisted, much to Elsa concern as he glanced down at Bruni.
The two turned forward before they leaped down into the hole, which the shut behind them as a flower popped in it's place.
Jack uttered a joyous exclaim as he and Elsa slid down through the Bunny's tunnel. Though Elsa did not share the same feeling as he did. Rather she gazed down the tunnel in awe and contempt.
"Hey, Keep up!" Bunny exclaimed glancing back to them.
Bunny scurried ahead of them, leaping off the walls. Jack grinned. But just as he was to go after Bunny, he then heard Elsa gasp from below. Jack glanced down to her and saw the look of fear and awe. came down next to her. Before he could say anything, Elsa clung to Jack tightly, who wrapped his arms around her as he held her close. She glanced up at Jack, who glanced up at her, grinning.
"I got you." He reassured her.
"Don't worry, I got you."
Once more, Elsa's cheeks blushed a bright red at the sound of his voice. Being held within his arms, Elsa had lost all sense of fear. For the first time in so long, she felt safe and warm within his embrace.
The North Pole
The yeti's quickly leaped out of the way as the Pitch's Nightmares stormed through the workshop. The toys that were atop the table's were all knocked to the floor, much to the dismay. All the while, North, Tooth and Sandy continued to try and repel Pitch's Nightmares. From over the balcony, North and few of the Yeti's tried fighting back against the Nightmares. North swiped one of his swords at a Nightmare that galloped by, causing it to disburse. He then swiped it at another that was charging at him.
From above, Tooth and Sandy fought them from above. Standing over a cloud of yellow sand, Sandy used his wipes over the Nightmares, lashing at them. Though was becoming overwhelmed as there was still far too many of them. Tooth flew up into the air, thrusting forward as she twisted herself around. She struck down several nightmare's in her wake. Only then be struck by one from behind, causing her to tumble to the balcony below. North turned back to her.
"Tooth!" he exclaimed as he came up to her.
Tooth leaned off the floor.
"I'm alright," she reassured him.
"I'm fine."
It was right at that moment they heard Pitch chuckling from above. North and Tooth glanced up at Pitch, who was sitting over the back of one of the Nightmare. He grinned down at them.
"Where's your New Guardian, Now?" Pitch proclaimed to them.
Unannounced to North and Tooth that a Nightmare charged at them from behind. Through right at the spot from which it stood, it was there that a hole emerged over the floor. It was then that Bunny leaped out of the hole and flung is boomerang at the Nightmare, which struck down the black sanded Nightmare before it could attack. The Nightmare disbursed into a gust of Black sand from which both North and Tooth quickly shield themselves.
Bunny landed in a crouching formation, grabbing his Boomerang as it flung back at him.
"Bullseye!" He proclaimed as he leaped forward, joining the fight.
It was right then that Jack and Elsa emerged from the hole. Jack flew up into the air, holding Elsa close to him. They then landed over the floor, where they gazed up at the many Nightmare's that were storming through North's Workshop.
"Oh, no." Jack said.
Elsa gazed up at the Black Horses that galloped along through the air, surrounding the massive glob that was frozen over by ice.
"What are those things?" Elsa asked, curiously.
"Nightmares!" Jack claimed to her.
Elsa glanced to her left, where he spotted a Nightmare galloping toward them.
"Watch Out!" she exclaimed.
Elsa then turned and blasted the nightmare with her ice magic, causing it to disburse. Jack glanced back to her, smirking.
"Nice shot, El." he said.
It was right at that moment the two of them heard the sound of a horse's neigh. They glanced forward and saw more Nightmares coming toward them. Jack leaped forward as he swung his staff at them, creating a wave of his ice magic that struck the Nightmares. As they disbursed, Jack came forward as he continued to blast the Nightmares in his wake. He then flew up into the air, swiping his staff at Nightmare that was to pass overhead.
All the while, Elsa cocked her head, where she saw three Nightmares emerge from the shadows. The Black sanded horses uttered a snort as they slowly crept toward her, drawn by her fear that she had tried to concealed.
Elsa turned to face the black horses. Just as they charged toward her, Elsa swung around her right, shot a beam of her ice magic which created a sheet of icicle over the floor. The Nightmares were too late to stop as they were then impaled by the icicles.
Elsa then turned and saw more of black sanded horses coming toward her. She swung herself around, blasting the other Nightmares around her.
Jack flew up over the Globe, swiping his staff from high in the air, sending waves of his magic at Pitch's Nightmares. He paused for a moment, gazing around at North's workshop. Down below, he could see North, Tooth Sandy and Bunny fighting against Pitch's many Nightmares. But even with how many they had struck down, there was still too many of them.
He narrowed his head. None of this made any sense. There hasn't been any children that feared Pitch since they had defeated him. How was Pitch able to create this many Nightmares?
It was right at that moment, he heard Elsa gasping from below. He gazed down to her, where he saw she was becoming overwhelmed by the Nightmares. The Horses of Black sand swarmed her from all around. All the while, she continued to blast and swipe at them.
"Elsa!" He exclaimed as he flew down to her.
Elsa continued to blast at the Nightmares, but there was still to many of them. She paused for a moment pondering what to do. Unaware that a Nightmare behind charged toward her. Just as she was about to turn and noticed the assailant, the Nightmare disbursed into black sand from a bolt of ice magic. It was then that Jack landed as he came up to her.
"You alright, El?" Jack asked.
Elsa nodded her head to him.
"I'm fine." She insisted.
It was right at that moment, they heard a horses Neigh. Jack and Elsa then turned and saw several Nightmares surround them from all around. Jack turned to face those that were off to their left, holding his staff at the ready. All while Elsa faced the ones that were on the right. She glanced at the black sanded Horses, who snorted at her.
"Well, well, well."
Jack and Elsa gazed up, where they saw Pitch trotting up to them.
"If it isn't Jack Frost, coming to the rescue," he said, mockingly.
"And look, he brought a friend, too. Hello Elsa, it's been a while. Did you enjoy that little Nightmare I gave you?"
"How do you know my name?" she asked, curiously.
"Oh, I know all about you, Elsa," Pitch proclaimed to her.
"You were my favorite. Your fear had given me so much power all those years ago. The Dark ages I believe it was."
Pitch chuckled, thinking back to the times of the Dark Ages.
"All those years you were alone," Pitch proclaimed.
"Confined to your room by your parents. So that you wouldn't be able to hurt you precious little sister with your powers."
Jack squinted his eyes, glanced back at Elsa. Only to be met with her sadden gaze as she narrowed her head, frowning. Hearing her speak of her late sister, the feeling of loneliness and contempt she had endured for many years.
"And then you subjected your entire kingdom to an eternal winter," He proclaimed to her.
"Oh, all that fear was immense. Such happy days for me!"
Though there was a moments pause as Pitch's smile turned to an annoyed scowl.
"But then, it all went away," He said, glancing back at her.
"Thanks to your sister, sacrificing herself for you. Showing you that love is more powerful then fear."
Pitch expressed a look of disgust at the word love, uttering a sigh. Earning a stern glare from Elsa, hearing him speak so ill will of her sister.
"Well, your sister isn't here to save you this time," Pitch proclaimed.
"Nor will there be any love. This time, there shall only be Fear."
Jack raised his staff and blasted a bolt of his ice magic at Pitch, who quickly dodged his attempt. He glanced down at Jack, glaring down at them. Just at his Nightmares charged toward them, Elsa tuned and swiped her arms, blasting them with her magic. Jack then leaped into the air as he swatted at Pitch, who blocked it with his black sand. He then yanked the black strap, turning the Nightmare he was on as he then galloped toward skylight above.
The other nightmares followed suit, seeing that their job here was already done. North, Tooth, Sandy and Bunny gazed up at Pitch as he and his Nightmares disappeared through the skylight.