Reaching a small clearing on their way up the mountain, Gazer, Anna, Kristoff and Sven took a minute to look at the scenery.
"I never knew winter could be so beautiful." Said Anna.
"Yes, it really is beautiful, isn't it?" Said a new voice, drawing their attention. "But it's so white. You know, how about a little color? I'm thinking maybe crimson red, chartreuse green, maybe yellow. No, yellow and snow. No way."
They looked down to see the voice of a little snowman approaching them; it was Olaf.
"Am I right?"
Anna screamed, kicking Olaf in the head to send her tumbling into Kristoff's arms.
"Hi." Olaf said.
"You're scary." Said Kristoff, tossing it to Anna.
"I don't want it!" Said Anna, tossing it to Gazer, who seemed unperturbed.
"Honestly, with everything we've seen or been through in the last few hours, it scares you." Said Gazer, more for show, for he knew that if he'd seen this before meeting Elsa, the monster attack at Disneyland, acquired the Vision Driver, and ended up in a fictional world, he'd surely have been terrified.
He then placed Olaf's head back on his body.
"Oh thank you," said Olaf.
"You're welcome." Gazer smiled.
"Now I'm perfect." Said Olaf.
"Well, almost." Said Anna, having regained her composure, pulling out a carrot while Olaf had turned around and when she had pushed it in, it had gone all the way to the bottom. "Ooh! Too hard, I'm sorry!"
"An adrenaline rush!" Said Olaf as Kristoff grimaced and Gazer chuckled.
"Are you all right?" Anna asks.
"I feel wonderful! I've always wanted a nose. It's like a little unicorn baby." Said Olaf as Anna pushed the carrot forward. "I love it even more! Okay, let's do it again. Hi, my name is Olaf and I love warm hugs."
"Wait, Olaf?" Anna asked.
Thinking back, she remembered that she and Elsa used to make this snowman and call him by that name.
"Wow, Olaf." She smiled.
"And you?" Olaf asked.
"Oh, I'm Anna."
"I'm Jayden." Gazer replied.
"And who's that weird donkey over there?." asked Olaf.
"Sven." Says Anna.
"And who's the reindeer?" asked Olaf, while Gazer suppressed a laugh and pretended to cough.
"Uh, Sven," said Anna.
"Oh, well, that makes it easier." Said Olaf as Sven tried to bite his carrot-shaped nose, but missed. "Oh, he's trying to kiss my nose. I like you, too."
"Olaf, did Elsa create you?" Gazer asks.
"Yeah, why?" Olaf asks.
"Do you know where she is?" Asks Anna.
"Yeah, why?" Repeats Olaf as Kristoff removes one of Olaf's twiggy arms.
"Fascinating." Kristoff declared.
"Do you think you could show us the way?" Jayden asked.
"Yeah, why?" Olaf repeated.
"How does it work?" Kristoff asks as Olaf's hand hits him.
"Stop it, Sven. I'm trying to concentrate." Said Olaf as he took his arm back. "Yeah, why?"
"I'll tell you why. We need Elsa to bring back summer." Said Kristoff.
"Oh, summer. I don't know why, but I've always liked the idea of summer and heat and everything warm." Olaf declared.
"I guess you don't have much experience with heat." Kristoff surmised.
"No! But sometimes I like to close my eyes and imagine what it will be like when summer arrives," Olaf says before starting to list all the things he'd like to do in summer.
"I'll tell him." Kristoff says, smirking.
"That's out of the question." Said Anna.
"I'm not usually the type to break someone's delirium. But if it saves his life, I'm all for destroying his dreams with a flamethrower." Gazer commented.
"With a flamethrower?" Kristoff and Anna asked, trying to think of an object to match the name.
"Never mind."
"So, come on, Elsa's over here! Let's bring back summer!" Olaf declared, leading the way.
"Coming." Said Anna.
"Wait for me." Said Gazer as he, Anna and Sven followed.
"Someone has to tell him." Said Kristoff before following them.
In Arendelle, the citizens were doing their best to keep warm.
Outside the gate, Hans and a few guards were handing out cloaks.
"A cloak? Does anyone need a cloak?" Hans asked as a woman approached him.
"Arendelle is indebted to you, Your Highness." She said, taking one.
"The castle is open. There's soup and hot glogg in the great hall. Here, hand them out," Hans said, handing the coats to a guard.
"Prince Hans!" Shouted the Duke of Weselton as he and his two guards approached. "Are we to sit here and freeze while you distribute all Arendelle's marketable goods?"
"Princess Anna has given her orders." Said Hans.
"And that's another thing! Do you realize that your princess could be conspiring with an evil witch to destroy us all?" Accused the Duke of Weselton.
"Don't question the princess. She's left me in charge, and I won't hesitate to protect Arendelle from treachery." Hans says, glowering at them as they hear a horse neigh.
Looking towards the town, they saw Hans' horse coming running.
"It's the princess's horse, but where's the princess?"
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa my boy." Said Hans, calming the horse before looking up at the mountains. "I need volunteers to accompany me and help me find the princess." Said Hans as people volunteered.
"I offer my two men." Said the Duke of Weselton. "Be ready for anything and if you meet the queen, put an end to this winter." he whispered.
As the group left Arendelle, Kai came out of the castle to watch them.
"Jayden, be strong, son." Kai said as he looked out over the courtyard and remembered all the times he'd helped the young man he'd come to think of as a son.
Near the top of the mountain, Jayden, Anna, Kristoff and Sven were following Olaf.
"So, how exactly do you plan to stop this winter?" Kristoff asked.
"I'm going to talk to my sister." Says Anna.
"That's your plan? My ice business relies on you talking to your sister?" Kristoff asks, narrowly avoiding being stabbed in the nose by an ice spike.
"Yeah, maybe I'm the one who should do the talking." Says Gazer.
"Are you two really not afraid of her?" Kristoff asked.
"Why would I be afraid of her?" Anna asked.
"Actually, she's the one who's afraid." Says Gazer.
"Yeah, I bet she's the nicest, warmest person ever." Said Olaf as he stepped into an ice cube. "Oh, look at that. I've been impaled."
As they made their way to the end, they saw a sheer cliff in front of them.
"What now?" Anna asked.
"It's too steep. I've only got one rope, and you don't know how to climb mountains." Kristoff declared.
"Says who?" Anna asked.
"Uh..." Said Gazer as he and Sven nudged Kristoff and pointed to Anna climbing the cliff.
"I'm going to see my sister." She said.
"Anna, get down from there." Said Gazer.
"You're going to kill yourself. I wouldn't set foot in there." Says Kristoff, looking at her slipped.
"You guys are distracting me." Said Anna.
"Or over there." Says Kristoff.
"Anna, would it kill you not to listen to me?" Asked Gazer.
"How do you know Elsa wants to see you?" Kristoff asks.
"I'll just block you out, trying to concentrate."
"Most people who go to the mountains want to be alone." Kristoff explained.
"Nobody wants to be alone, except you." Said Anna.
"It's obvious you didn't know the way I live before you came to the castle." Argued Gazer.
"I'm not alone, I have friends." Kristoff declared.
"You mean the love experts?" Anna asks.
"Yes, the love experts." Said Kristoff as Anna stopped climbing.
"How high am I? Seriously, is the air getting thin?" Anna asked, revealing that she was only a few meters up.
"Wait." Says Kristoff, stepping closer.
"Hey Jayden!" Olaf exclaimed. "I don't know if this helps, but there's a staircase that leads exactly where you want to go."
"Ha-ha, thank God! Catch." Said Anna as she jumped up and landed in Kristoff's arms. "Thank you. That was like a crazy confidence exercise."
They walked down the path to reveal an ice staircase leading to a magnificent ice palace.
"Whoa." Said Anna, Gazer and Kristoff.
"It's ice cream. I might cry." Said Kristoff.
"Go ahead, I won't judge you." Says Anna.
"Bravo Elsa." Said Jayden as he and Anna climbed the stairs toward Olaf.
Sven tried to follow him but kept slipping on the ice and couldn't.
"Hold on buddy, I've got you." Kristoff said before helping him down the stairs. "Stay here." He said before following him.
Gazer approached the door, knocked on it and it opened.
"I hope the suit doesn't bring back any bad memories." Gazer said to himself as he entered.
"Oh uh, maybe you should wait here. Last time I introduced her to a guy, she froze everything." Said Anna, turning to Kristoff.
"What? This is an ice palace. Ice is my life!" Said Kristoff.
"Goodbye, Sven." Said Olaf.
"You too, Olaf." Said Anna.
"Me?" Olaf asked.
"Just give us a minute." Said Anna as she entered and Olaf began to count.
"An incredible job and she did it all by herself." Said Gazer as he climbed the stairs.
"Elsa! It's me, Anna! I brought Jayden too!" Anna exclaimed.
"Anna? Jayden?"
Gazer looked up and his eyes widened under his helmet.
Elsa entered their field of vision, dressed in a beautiful crystal blue dress and her hair was now in a long French braid.
"Elsa, you look..." Anna began, before being interrupted by her friend.
"Beautiful." Said Gazer before covering his mouth, then remembering he was still wearing his helmet.
He'd already seen the real-life rendering of Elsa's ice dress and hairstyle in his world, whether with cosplay, Disneyland actresses, or the Once Upon A Time series. But after knowing her for so long, he was impressed by the beautiful young woman in this outfit.
"Thanks Jayden." Elsa laughed, before realizing what he was wearing, making her blush as she recalled their time in the park, and how he'd protected people from those monsters the first time he'd donned that armor.
"Elsa, this palace is incredible. You're incredible." Said Anna.
"Thanks, I never knew what I was capable of, but Jayden, why did you come back? I relieved you of your vow to my parents." Elsa asks.
"Elsa, I'm not here because of my promise. I'm here because I care about you. Because if the whole world turns against you, I'll still be here for you. No matter what my place in history." Gazer said.
Elsa smiled softly touched by her friend.
"Look, I'm sorry for what happened. I-I should have known." Said Anna as she climbed the stairs, which made Elsa recoil.
"No, no, it's okay. You don't have to apologize, but you should probably go." Said Elsa.
"But we just got here." Said Anna as she and Jayden approached her.
"We're here to take you back." Gazer declared.
"You two belong in Arendelle." Said Elsa.
"You too." Said Anna.
"I belong here, where I can be who I am without hurting anyone." Said Elsa.
"Actually, about that..." Anna began before Olaf's voice could be heard.
"Sixty!"
"Wait, what's that?" Elsa asked as Olaf entered.
"Hi, my name is Olaf and I love warm hugs." He said.
"Olaf?" gasped Elsa.
"Yeah. You built me. Remember?" Olaf asked.
"And you're alive?" Asks Elsa.
"I think so." Says Olaf.
"It looks exactly like the one we built when we were children, the two of us," says Anna.
"Yes." Smiles Elsa.
"We were so close. We can be like that again." Said Anna as Elsa recalled the moment when she had almost frozen Anna.
"Elsa, I know you've been scared for a long time, but I can help you. I know how you can control your powers." Said Gazer.
"No, you don't. Goodbye Jayden, Anna." Says Elsa as she walks away.
"Elsa, wait!" Said Anna.
"No, I'm just trying to protect you!" Said Elsa as Anna followed her.
"You don't have to protect me, I'm not afraid." Said Anna as Gazer and Olaf followed her.
"Please don't exclude me again, don't slam the door." Said Anna, following Elsa as she climbed the ice castle. "You don't need to stay distant. For the first time in forever. I finally understand. We can solve this problem hand in hand. We can overcome this obstacle together. You don't have to live in fear. I'll be there."
"Anna, please go back to the castle, your life is waiting for you. Go and enjoy the sunshine and open the gates."
"Yeah, but..." Anna tried to say, but Elsa spoke up again.
"I know you mean well, but leave me alone. I'm alone, but alone and free. Stay away from me and you'll be safe." Elsa warned, preferring solitude to the risk of hurting her sister.
"I don't think so." Anna retorted.
"What do you mean?"
"You don't know." Anna realized.
"What don't I know?" Elsa asked, worried.
"Arendelle is in very, very, very, very deep snow." Anna confessed.
"What?" Said Elsa, shocked.
"Anna, shut up!" Gazer shouted, but Anna ignored him.
"You've somehow unleashed an eternal winter everywhere." Says Anna.
"Everywhere?" Says Elsa, panicked.
"That's okay, you can thaw it out." Said Anna as it began to snow inside.
"No, I can't. I don't know how. I don't know how." Said Elsa, the consequences of the revelation of her powers on her kingdom, her sister's kingdom... her parents' kingdom... being felt throughout her being, bringing back her fear, her insecurities about her powers, and all the anxiety it aroused in her.
"Of course you can. I know you can," Anna said.
"I CAN'T!" Elsa roared as ice gushed around her.
Gazer was able to protect himself with a drone from his torso, which quickly detached to create a golden force field in front of him, while Anna was struck right in the heart.
Elsa watches Gazer, Olaf and Krsitoff run towards her.
"Are you all right?" Kristoff asked.
"I'm fine." Said Anna.
"Who's that? Just a moment. It's all right. You have to go." Says Elsa.
"No, I know we can solve this problem together." Said Anna.
"How can we? What power do you have to stop this winter? To stop me?" Elsa asked.
Gazer looked at Elsa; she knew what he was capable of. Yet she seemed to believe that nothing could stop him, and that terrified her.
"Anna, I think we should go." Kristoff said.
"I can't leave without you, Elsa." Said Anna.
"Yes, you can." Says Elsa as she blasts the ground, creating a giant monster of ice and snow that roars toward them.
"Anna may not have that power." Said Gazer, approaching the monster. "But you forget that I do."
"Jayden, what are you doing?" Elsa asked.
"Elsa, you know I can help you." Said Gazer.
"Jayden, what are you doing?" Anna asked as they watched the drones on his torso, shoulders and knees come loose.
"Elsa... YOU FORGET HOW FAR I'M READY TO GO!" Gazer shouted in creation before the five drones fired laser beams at the monster, sending it crashing down the stairs.
Everyone looked at the drones surrounding Gazer's body, particularly Elsa.
She could see the firm, determined gaze beneath his helmet. The same one he'd had when confronting the monsters before receiving the Vision Driver.
"J-Jayden." Said Elsa, completely blown away.
"Kristoff, you and Olaf get Anna out of here." Said Gazer.
"Got it." Said Kristoff, grabbing Anna and carrying her out the front door as the snow monster roared at Gazer, who was surrounded by his drones.
"Come and get me!" Gazer shouted as he charged Marshmallow.
Outside the castle, Kristoff set Anna down at the bottom of the stairs.
"What are you doing?! We have to help Jayden!" Said Anna as the doors opened and Marshmallow flew into the snow.
"I think he can take care of himself." Kristoff declared as Gazer stepped outside to watch Marshmallow emerge from the snow.
"Go!" Marshmallow said.
"Not without Elsa." Said Gazer as he descended the stairs toward Marshmallow. "Go! I'll catch up!"
As Kristoff set Anna on Sven, they all ran to safety.
From her balcony, Elsa looked down to see her best friend confronting one of his magical creations with her own.
Marshmallow snatched a tree from the ground and threw it at Gazer, but his drones pushed it aside with disconcerting ease.
Leaping into the air, a drone landed on Gazer's fist as it struck Marshmallow in the face, sending him staggering backwards.
Gazer leapt to attack again, but Marshmallow struck his arm, knocking Gazer into the trees, causing Elsa to gasp.
Groaning, Gazer got to his feet and saw Marshmallow lift his foot to trample him into the snow.
Acting quickly, he moved out of the way before blowing up a tree, causing it to turn and hit Marshmallow in the face.
"Don't come back!" Marshmallow growled.
"No!" Gazer roared as his drones circled around him, knocking Marshmallow backwards.
Elsa watched Gazer slowly approach.
"Even if you beat me today, I'll keep coming back. Every day I'll come back and fight you until I beat you." Said Gazer, looking up to see Elsa.
"I know you're afraid of what you can do. You're terrified because you think you're alone. But you forget that even though my powers come from the Vision Driver I know what it feels like to be afraid of what you can do. Elsa, you're my best friend, you're the reason I've worked so hard to master my powers. I want to help you in any way I can. Not because I'm one of your butlers, but because... I love you Elsa!" He said, making Elsa gasp. "Please come down and let me help you. Like when we first met."
Elsa looked down at her friend and a tear rolled down her eye as she turned away and returned to her castle, unable to deal with these emotions.
"Elsa..." Gazer sighed, hurt.
Using this opening, Marshmallow grabbed Gazer by the legs.
"Hey, let me go!" Said Gazer.
"Don't come back!" He roared before dropping Gazer from a cliff, while giving him a blow in revenge for his defeat, making him scream as his armor disappeared.
"BASTARD!"
In the distance, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven saw Jayden crash into the snow nearby.
"Jayden!" Anna shouted, rushing in his direction.
"Wait!" Kristoff said as they followed, allowing her to finally see what the young man looked like without his armor.
Lying in the big pile of snow, Jayden wasn't too hurt physically, but deep down, he was hurt in more ways than you can imagine.
"He's waking up." Anna smiled.
"Hey Jayden, you okay?" Kristoff asks.
"Yes! You're not dead." Said Olaf as Jayden sat up while Sven licked him.
"Thanks, Sven." Said Jayden.
"That was a nice fall." Kristoff declared.
"Luckily, the snow broke my fall. Even transformed, I think it could have killed me." Jayden said, rubbing the back of his head.
"So, you've got powers too, eh?" Said Anna, crossing her arms.
"Uh, yes, I kept them secret so I could understand and master them without being harassed by the guards or your parents. Only Elsa knew about them, since I acquired them when we met... I thought it would help her feel more comfortable about mastering her powers, if I mastered mine... " Jayden explained.
"What did she say?" Anna asked.
"She let her ice giant throw me out." Jayden replies in a muffled voice when Anna notices the expression on his face.
"Jayden... what else happened up there?" She asks.
"It's nothing. Come on, let's get out of here." Says Jayden as he stands up when Anna grabs him by the shoulder and turns him around to look her in the eye.
"Jayden, what happened?" Anna repeated.
"I... I told Elsa I loved her." Jayden admitted, surprising them.
"Whoa!" Kristoff said, surprised by this.
"Do you love Elsa? Oh my God, that's amazing. Wow, that explains doing so much for her. Wait, what did she say?" Anna asks as Jayden looks away with a hurt expression that makes her gasp. "Did she say no?"
"She didn't. I gave her my heart... my life... and she went back to her castle." Jayden declared.
"Jayden, I'm so sorry, m-maybe Elsa just needs a little time." Said Anna, trying to comfort him.
"Anna, I dedicated 4 years of my life to her. I left my time... my world for her. She's all I have in this world... I don't know if I'm ready to take another rejection." Jayden admits. "She doesn't want us, she threw us out, I gave her my heart and she ignored it, she... oh shit, your hair?" Said Jayden distracted.
"My hair? You just fell off a cliff and you're worried about my hair?" Asks Anna, not realizing what Jayden brought up that it was from another time.
"It's turning white." Says Kristoff, gasping as he sees his ponytail change color.
"That's because Elsa hit you there." Jayden realized.
"Does it look bad?" Anna asked.
"No." Kristoff said hesitantly.
"You hesitated. Said Olaf.
"No, I didn't. Anna, you need help. Follow me." Said Kristoff as he walked away.
"Where are we going?" Olaf asks.
"To see my friends." Says Kristoff.
"The love experts?" Anna asked.
"Yes, and they can probably fix it." Kristoff declared.
"How do you know?" Jayden asked, even though for him it was rhetorical.
He was sure it was going to end up almost like the movie. But because of him, he still had a doubt. And if it did end badly, he didn't know how he'd react to one of the possible bad endings.
"Because I've already seen them do it." Kristoff said as they followed him.
"You know I like to think of myself as an expert on love." Said Olaf.
"Yeah, sure, Olaf." Jayden laughed bitterly.
Upstairs, in Elsa's castle, Elsa was pacing up and down in her room.
"Don't feel anything, don't feel anything. Control yourself." Elsa said as she noticed ice forming around her. Fear overwhelming her, Elsa sat up and grabbed her head. "Please, someone. Somebody, somebody. Help me."
Suddenly, Elsa heard a faint bell ring, the same as when Jayden acquired his belt. Looking up, she saw some kind of screen floating in the corner of the room.
"Where's that coming from?" She asked herself as she slowly walked over to the screen and took it in her hands. "Jayden?"
Suddenly, the screen began to broadcast something as she heard laughter coming from it.
What Elsa saw made her gasp. She saw a teenage version of herself, looking around for help and to find out where she was, afraid to approach people. Then Jayden approached her.
"He was the only one who tried to help me at the time. Elsa said softly.
Elsa then saw the images change to reveal various moments of their stay in the park, all the fun in the attractions or in the restaurant. But also the moment when he had bought her the crystal.
"Those were good times." Elsa declared, clutching the crystal she wore as a necklace in her container.
The memory changed and she saw herself aged 18 in her bedroom, but this time she was completely frozen, lying on her bed, crying in her sleep after learning of her parents' death.
Elsa was confused as to why she'd seen this one when the door opened softly and she saw Jayden, also 18, slowly enter.
He looked around at the pitiful state the room had been in since he left after trying to comfort her, then Elsa before sighing.
He touched the scanner on his Vision Driver and swiped the card, transforming without a sound as usual. He discreetly deployed the drones and set down cloths to wipe the ice from the walls. But what surprised Elsa was when she saw the younger Jayden walking towards her and giving her a hug.
"I'm sorry, Elsa. I really tried to stop it. I tried to save them... I promise that whatever happens, I'll always be there for you." Jayden whispered as young Elsa slowly stopped crying and a smile formed on her face before Jayden grabbed a blanket and draped it over her. "Good night Elsa."
He leaned over and kissed her right cheek before pulling away.
As the images drifted away, Elsa reached for her right cheek.
"I thought it was a dream."
Elsa stood up and finally realized. Whenever she felt scared or alone, Jayden always showed up and made things better. His soothing voice, his gentle touch, the smile that could melt her like snow on a summer's day.
Then the screen showed an event from her coronation, and she saw herself dancing with Jayden in the garden to the rhythm of the music. Elsa saw herself leaning over and resting her head on Jayden's shoulder.
"This dance, these arms, I felt so safe." She declared as the image changed and she saw Jayden running after her after she had revealed her powers to everyone.
"Jayden, please! Stay away from me!" Said Elsa as he caught up with her. "I'm sorry, Jayden. But I don't have a choice."
"You always have a choice. I can help you with your powers. Please... I don't want to lose you." Jayden sobbed.
"Goodbye Jayden, thanks for everything." She said, sliding Jayden down the hill on an ice plank as the image disappeared.
"I tried to fight him off, but he braved the forest to find me." Elsa realized.
But she also realized something else, a detail that added significant value to his actions... something they'd discussed shortly after his arrival in the castle... he only had her. His whole life had been lost to her, because when she was taken back to her room, he took her in his arms. Because he didn't want her to be alone and panic-stricken again if she was taken away to an unknown place.
He hadn't realized it at the time, but he'd sacrificed his whole life for her.
The last image she saw was of Jayden, transformed into a Gazer facing Marshmallow with Elsa watching them.
"I want to help you in any way I can. Not because I'm one of your butlers, but because... I love you Elsa!" He declared, making Elsa gasp as she watched his image slowly let go of the railing.
"No! No, don't walk away! Go to him! Run into his arms and don't let go!" Elsa exclaimed, but she already knew what was going to happen next when she saw herself return to her castle and close the door.
Elsa watched Jayden hurt and crying as Marshmallow punched him and threw him off the mountain and the screen disappeared.
"W-What have I done?" Elsa exclaimed as she realized her mistake.