AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm fairly certain—as I've brought up before—that the The Warning Shot/Anything/Everything segment is the darkest part of Ice Alliance. However, I feel that it's a necessary part of the plot because this particular ship has an inherent "great danger" aspect to it that I believe the characters need to be forced to come to terms with.

In this relationship, Jack risks losing Elsa. Meanwhile, Elsa risks losing everything.

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87: THE WARNING SHOT

Queen Elsa's heart dropped to her feet, her entire body rigid as ice. Gripping the newspaper in trembling fingers, her gaze frantically darted back and forth across the columns, the words and sentences fading into a nightmarish blur before her on the page.

Structures destroyed…

Livestock deaths…

Fatal injury…

Missing persons…

The world spun. A freezing wind starting to pick up around Elsa's ankles, fluttering the cloth on the bottom of her skirt and capelet, and the Fifth Spirit stumbled back a few steps, collapsing against the edge of the dining table for support. Still gripping the newsprint as the nausea swept over her, Elsa's heart turned to stone, her stomach twisted into a knot as her eyes fell onto the article's subheading.

Not-So-Merry Christmas: Old Man Winter Strikes Neighboring Kingdom on Winter Solstice

Her face went pale.

Old Man Winter?!

"What can we say?" King Kristoff choked from beside her, his voice somehow feeling very far away. "It looks like Snowmeo's got a violent streak."

On the other side of the room, Queen Anna stepped forward. "I still don't think we should jump to conclusions," she shook, "When we talked to him, he wasn't like this. I mean, he wasn't happy, but—"

"—What do you mean, when you talked to him?" Kristoff jolted, spinning around.

"Yes." Anna drew herself up, crossing her arms over her chest. "We talked to him. I—"

"—You got involved." Kristoff's eyes were wide with panic as he hurried back towards them, "I told you not to get involved! That I was taking care of it—"

"—THAT was 'taking care of it!?'"

"Jack Frost and Elsa, with their matching powers! Oh, they look so cute together!" Kristoff stammered, his hands flying to the sides of his head to grip his hair, "Has everybody been so obsessed with how cute they are together that nobody's taken two seconds to think about the implications of this? Grandpabbi was right! There's DANGER, here! If the Spirit of Winter decides to start getting abusive—"

"—Abusive!?" Eugene exclaimed.

"Then what is Elsa supposed to do?" Kristoff continued, dropping his voice to a hiss and gesturing, "It's not like she can hide!"

"Now, hold on," Eugene interjected, "Frosty was desperate, but it wasn't THIS kind of desperate. It was the fall-onto-his-knees-and-beg variety, not the MAKE DEATH THREATS variety."

Kristoff's muscles relaxed slightly. "You think so?"

"I talked to him, too. Remember?"

"I just don't get it," Rapunzel choked, crossing her arms over her chest and looking down towards her feet. "Do we really think Jack could do this? I mean, we all know he hates Frederik, but—but what could make him THIS angry?"

Kristoff spun around and threw his hands into the air in frustration. "I don't know! Maybe that his girlfriend has been openly cheating on him!?"

"Elsa isn't Jack Frost's girlfriend!" Anna spat.

Kristoff's expression turned ice cold. He crossed his arms over his chest, his voice terrifyingly quiet as he looked to his wife.

"Does Jack Frost know that?" he whispered.

After a moment, Eugene cleared his throat. "Now, wait. I still think Anna a had a point earlier," he started again. "We don't know that this was Jack."

"But what if it was?"

"Uh… guys?" Rapunzel said softly.

Everyone stopped. All turning to her, they fell quiet, Princess Rapunzel staring across the room in worry.

"I don't think Elsa's okay," she choked softly.

Still standing frozen on the opposite side of the private dining room, the Fifth Spirit was gripping the newspaper, staring at it without seeing anything as snow fell from the air all around her. An indoor wind was flapping her capelet against her legs, her eyes wide and glassy, her face pale as she struggled to breathe.

Realizing how quiet it suddenly was, Elsa looked up. Seeing the others all staring at her in dismay, she opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Her eyes blurring, she closed it again, and—

"Out," Anna ordered.

The others looked to her, taking a moment to register the command. Elsa's sister drew herself up again.

"Everybody, OUT," the young queen stated again. "Leave us. And tell the staff to hold off on breakfast until I give word."

Eugene and Rapunzel sprang into action, quickly hurrying from the room. King Kristoff—his face pale—turned to Anna.

"Look. I don't know what to tell you," he choked to his wife, so softly that Elsa could barely make it out, "But Elsa can't run from this."

Queen Anna responded by shooting her husband a glare that contained both fury and fear. Seeing it, Elsa tore her gaze away from them and looked down to her fingers.

Anna hadn't disagreed.

Without looking up, Elsa heard her brother-in-law rushing from the room, his hurried gait making the floor shake with soft thuds as he quickly paced for the door. Grasping the handle, he pulled it back, then disappearing with the others into the hallway.

Ca-CHUNK.

Anna and Elsa stood for a long moment in silence, standing at opposite sides of the room.

The Fifth Spirit still felt completely paralyzed with shock, hearing nothing but the sound of her skirt thwapping against her legs in the indoor wind that was sweeping around her body. Looking up through the softly falling snow, her eyes met with her sister's, her own stinging and blurred as she tried to keep it in.

Elsa gasped.

The tears seemed to break from her all at once. In an instant, Queen Anna was rushing forward to embrace her as she crumbled, the uncontrollable swell of emotion exploding through her mind like a wave of water bursting through a collapsing dam. Her chest heaving as she helplessly gasped for breath after uneven breath, Elsa fell into her sister's outstretched arms and sobbed, unable to hold it back anymore.

"It's okay," Anna whispered, stroking her hair, "You're going to be okay…"

"But I—"

"—Shh…"

Gulping with a nod, Elsa obeyed, trying to focus on her surroundings. Her sister's arms were familiar and warm, Anna's hand moving gently over her hair and encouraging her to calm down. Closing her mouth, the Fifth Spirit tried to breathe slowly through her nose, her heart still pounding as her mind spun.

Jack Frost had made an attack on Kingsley.

She felt limp. Her skin and head were numb.

An. ATTACK. On. KINGSLEY.

Gripping her sister as well as she could over Anna's pregnant stomach, Elsa could finally feel herself starting to settle after the shock, the snowflakes in her peripheral vision slowing in the air. As they began to fade—her breaths becoming more and more regular, the struggle to stay still abating—Elsa closed her eyes. This—this could all be a mistake. A terrible coincidence, despite the terrifyingly perfect timing.

But was it?

She pulled a bit back from the hug and Anna stepped back as well, letting her fingers slide down Elsa's arms into a double hand-hold. Sniffing, Elsa let out a breathy, bitter laugh, pulling one of her hands out of Anna's to rub her sleeve across her nose.

"I know Jack hates Frederik," Elsa choked, gasping for another disbelieving breath of a laugh, "But I—I never thought—!"

Queen Anna shook her head, reaching up and brushing back a strand of her sister's hair. "You are not responsible for his choices, Elsa," she said sternly.

Elsa broke off eye contact. Feeling sick, her gaze wandered over to the newspaper, discarded on the dining table.

Just those deaths.

"NOR the consequences of those choices," Anna interjected more forcefully, as if reading her mind.

The Snow Queen looked down to their hands—her hands—as Anna gently placed her palm onto Elsa's cheek, encouraging her to look back into her eyes. Elsa gulped, complying.

"What are we gonna do?" she squeaked, "I—Prince Frederik—"

"—I'll take care of smoothing things over with Prince Frederik," Anna promised. "I'm on maternity leave, not dead. I'm still a queen of Arendelle."

Elsa nodded, a swell of gratitude sweeping through her. Even in the most dire of circumstances, her sister Anna was always ready to be a knight in shining armor.

"You just focus on dealing with Jack Frost," her sister added. "If he's coming back, then this can all be figured out."

The sudden positive emotion vanished.

"But what if this was him?" Elsa stammered, "What if this is meant to be a threat? Kristoff is right, Anna. If the Spirit of Winter is threatening me—"

"—NO match, for my sister!" Anna passionately declared.

"He's immortal."

"So are you."

"We don't know that for sure. Is this how we want to find out?"

Anna fell quiet, pressing her lips together. After a few moments, she then gave her head a tiny shake, and Elsa let out her breath.

"If this comes down to the idea of fighting back, I—there's no way. I can't," she choked. "I can't beat him. And this is technically my fault anyway, when—"

"—Oh, no. No, no, no, no, NO," Anna groaned, her hands flying to her cheeks, "He's inside your head. You're letting him get inside your head, Elsa."

Elsa froze. Her eyes bulged, and her sister stepped up to her, leaning in close to her face.

"Grandfather Ruenard. King Edvin. Hans," Anna hissed, dropping her voice to a whisper as Elsa's eyes bulged at her sister's use of the name, "All of them had one thing in common, Elsa! They got inside your head! Queen Elsa is COMPLETELY UNBEATABLE, unless some GUY gets inside her HEAD!"

The Fifth Spirit was speechless. In frustration, the enormously pregnant Queen Anna reached over to the dining table, grabbing the back of a chair and yanking it out.

Creak!

With another creak, she collapsed into it, looking relieved to sit down. Leaning her elbow onto the table, Queen Anna kneaded her eyebrows with one hand.

"You question yourself, and then you lose," she groaned, glancing to her sister. "It's literally the only time you EVER LOSE."

Her cheeks flushing, Elsa swallowed hard, crossing her arms over her chest. She shook her head.

"This is different," Elsa choked.

Anna scoffed, sitting back up with a glare. "Arendelle's been threatened before," she snapped, "And we've gotten through it. TOGETHER. How is this any—"

"—Because THIS time, Arendelle is being threatened by the only person on the face of the PLANET that I CAN'T FIGHT OFF!" Elsa cried, "He can MELT my ice! I taught him how!"

Anna startled. "You WHAT?!" she gasped.

"I mean, I didn't mean to, but—!" Elsa cut herself off, shaking her head and pulling in another breath, "Snow monsters, useless! Ice barricades, useless! Even a confounded offensive blizzard front would be useless, against him! The Spirit of Winter?! If there's a single man on earth who could actually overpower me, he's it! Anna, even if there were some sort of ice I could come up with that could stop him, I doubt that my ice could—"

Elsa's voice trailed off, her eyes widening. All of a sudden, in her mind's eye, she was back in the Royal Records Collection with Jack Frost the previous week, the winter spirit sitting on the table beside her and blushing and eagerly stammering his way through an extremely personal confession.

Her ice.

Her—ice.

Freezing where she stood, Queen Elsa could practically feel all the color draining from her face.

Oh.

Oh.

A wave of nausea sweeping over her with the realization, Elsa clapped her hand to her forehead, shakily stumbling backwards and bumping into the table. A new flurry of snowflakes began to materialize out of the air around her, a swirling whirlwind picking up in the room as her face went pale to the mental echoes of his words. She could practically hear his voice.

She had thought that their fight had been about Frederik. But this wasn't about Prince Frederik. It wasn't about politics, or the pranking, or Kingsley, or even Arendelle.

This was about her.

Elsa's heart started pounding, painfully beating against the inside of her ribcage as her stomach turned to stone. Feeling sick, her mind awash with recent memories, each one of Jack's flirty remarks and reminders of her gender was now a stab, a dark taunt of how much power he held that she did not.

The thrill was now a threat.

Her insides cold, Elsa's gaze wandered over to the newspaper on the table, and the chilling headline printed across it.

But I trusted you, she thought.

Reaching forward, she shakily picked up the newspaper again, her eyes falling onto the article. Her vision blurring, Elsa swallowed, the panic rising within her as an icy wave. How could she have been so naive?

… Again?

IDIOT girl!

"Anna…" she began shakily.

Anna's eyes were filled with worry, anxiety clearly written across her face. She waited for her sister to go on.

"We can't fight him," Elsa said, shaking her head. "I can't fight him. It's too risky. Even if I stood a chance of beating him somehow—there are just too many other factors that could break Arendelle in the long run. Even if Jack doesn't listen to reason, a fight isn't the answer."

"Well, I don't see any other options!" Anna exclaimed in frustration. "If this guy is threatening you, then you have to fight back!"

Elsa closed her eyes. Forcing herself to act calm, she pulled in a long, slow breath.

"Actually…" she shook. "There is one more option."

Queen Anna drew herself up, her eyebrows lifting. Leaning her forehead into her hand again, her elbow once again resting on the table, she gestured with the other for her sister to continue.

The Snow Queen nodded.

"We know that Jack Frost can't be after money, or political power, or… well, anything like that," she started carefully. "He'd already have those things, if he were."

Her sister, for a moment, said nothing.

"Okay…?" Anna offered.

Elsa took in another deep breath. "And when people don't believe in him—like, when they don't realize he exists—they pass through him," she went on, "They pass through him completely. But, I believe in him. Not to mention the fact that I can withstand very cold temperatures, myself."

Queen Anna's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying?" she whispered.

Her stomach twisting, Elsa squeezed her eyes shut. Gathering her courage, she opened them again, crossing her arms over her chest and hunching into them.

The Fifth Spirit hesitantly looked up into her sister's gaze.

"I'm saying…" she shook. "That he can touch me."

Elsa fell quiet, letting the silence take over the conversation.

She watched her sister's face. After a few moments of confusion—then sensing Elsa's meaning—Anna's eyes bulged in horror.

"Wait," she quavered, "No. NO, Elsa."

Elsa shook her head, looking away as Anna scrambled to push herself up from the chair. "It's the last option, if—"

"—If what?" Anna hissed, lurching forward and grabbing her sister's arm, "That you're—that you're going to try to seduce him? That you're—"

"—Do YOU have any better ideas!?"

Queen Elsa's face flushed bright red, and Anna froze, dropping her arm. Struggling to fight back the stinging in her eyes, Elsa clenched her hands into fists, dropping her voice to a whisper.

"Because—if you do—I would love to hear them," she stammered. "Right now."

To this, Anna blushed furiously as well. Scoffing, she shook her head.

"You can't do this!" she choked.

"I got involved. I pay the price!" Elsa snapped, "Not the people of Arendelle."

"But—"

"—The last time I put personal interest before the safety of the kingdom, I almost died! YOU almost died!"

Anna snapped her mouth shut. Swallowing hard, the Fifth Spirit shifted on her feet, taking another tiny step back away from her.

"Arendelle was almost destroyed," Elsa went on, her voice shaking, "And I am NOT about to put everyone at risk like that ever again!"

"We'll get the Spirits," Anna stammered, "Or—or we'll call in some allies. We can fight him, Elsa. I believe in you—"

"—And then what?"

Anna paused. A look of confusion swept over her face, and she shook her head. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Queen Elsa crossed her arms over her chest, hunching into them again. She drew in a long, trembling breath.

"Alright. Let's say I have some—some boss battle with Jack Frost," she stammered. "And let's say I win."

Queen Anna shrugged. "I guess—he leaves?" she choked hopefully.

"No."

Anna scoffed. "But if you beat him, then Arendelle should be safe!"

"And when he starts attacking other kingdoms?"

Queen Anna's eyes bulged. Stumbling back a step, a look of confusion swept over her features.

"But—" Her voice trailed off. Shaking her head, Anna moistened her lips, then pulling in her breath to try again. "But why would h—"

"—BECAUSE I WOULD BE BLAMED!" Queen Elsa burst out, uncrossing her arms and gesturing to herself as her eyes stung with tears, "Arendelle would be blamed! If a slew of random blizzards started blasting all the right kingdoms and all the right times, it would be a diplomatic death sentence! Everyone would come for Arendelle, Anna!" She let out a bitter scoff, shaking her head and leaning an inch forward. "Jack Frost is smart. Do you think he wouldn't REALIZE that!?"

She walked over to the table, picking up the newspaper again. The haunting phrases standing out against the newsprint, the Fifth Spirit swallowed, feeling a shiver of dread ripple down her spine.

"Anna… if this was Jack Frost…" she started, "And if it was intentional… and if this is meant to be a threat against me…"

Her voice trailed off.

Elsa looked upwards to her sister. Her face grave, the redheaded young queen drew herself up. Clasping her hands together in front of her stomach, she bowed her head slightly, gazing into her sister's gaze with a tiny nod.

"That's a lot of ifs, Elsa," Anna said quietly.

"I know."

The Fifth Spirit squeezed her eyes shut. Feeling the snowflakes beginning to materialize around her again, she opened them, looking down at the newspaper.

"But we still have to consider the possibility," she choked.

The horrible words seeming to float off of the page to hover in her vision again, Elsa swallowed hard. Her hands trembling, she slowly turned back towards her sister.

"Anna… If this was Jack Frost, then it very well could be that Kingsley was only the beginning," Elsa shook, holding up the paper. "A warning shot. And if that's the case, then I'm the one who has to set this right. Whatever the cost."

"But there has to be another way. Something else you can do."

"HOW? If he's actually threatening me, then what power do I have to stop this?"

Pulling the newspaper back, Elsa took it in both hands, her stomach twisting again. Her face was pale.

"To stop him?" she quavered on an afterthought.

The tense silence fell again, snow softly falling around the sister queens as they stood together in the otherwise empty room.

"Elsa… we still don't know that this was Jack Frost," Anna groaned, leaning into the table for support. "It—it could still be a coincidence."

Elsa pressed her lips together.

"The timing is too perfect," she admitted miserably.

Anna's brow furrowed again. Elsa placed the newspaper onto the table in front of her, gathering her courage.

"Anna… this would have been right after our fight."

Queen Anna's eyes bulged, her gaze snapping to the newspaper. As Elsa stepped away from the table, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, she silently noted the increase in snowflakes falling around her.

The least she could do was to get this building indoor snowstorm away from her poor sister.

"Right after your fight?" Anna asked, "Like—he could have left the castle, taken to the sky, and—"

"—Gone straight to Kingsley. Yes."

The Fifth Spirit was now pacing the length of the room, her capelet flowing behind her as Anna stood at the table and rubbed her hand over her forehead, her face grave once again. She let out a breathy, bitter laugh.

"So…" Queen Anna choked. "What I think I'm getting here is… if Jack Frost is threatening you, then Arendelle is out of options."

"Because our matching powers, coupled with his invisibility, gives Jack Frost the world's most powerful political blackmail against me. Yes."

Saying it out loud made the Snow Queen's skin go ice cold and clammy once again. The room swaying, she stumbled to a stop in her pacing.

"But Elsa… you have to remember, he might not be blackmailing you," Anna said again, her gaze intense. "Which is why you have to promise me that you'll TALK TO HIM. Before anyone else gets hurt. Technically, we still don't even know if the Kingsley Blizzard was him, perfect timing or not."

"I promise."

The words felt hollow, like a fruitless formality before an execution. Trying to ignore the feelings of dread and terror building in her mind, Elsa shook her head.

Just as she was about to speak, Anna groaned.

"I know that Grandpabbi freaked Kristoff out a bit," her sister mumbled, rubbing her forehead, "And he's been waffling back and forth on whether he supports Jack Frost in pursuing to ever since. But he was right about one thing."

Elsa chewed on the inside of her cheek, already guessing what Anna was going to say next. "Which is…?"

Anna pulled her hand down from her face.

"In the midst of all the drama, we've all been collectively forgetting who this boy actually is," she said quietly, "We haven't been thinking of him as—as a super-powerful immortal winter spirit, who could casually send the entire continent into disarray whenever he felt like it. We've been seeing Jack Frost as…"

Her voice trailed off, her face grave. Slowly looking up, Queen Anna met her sister's gaze.

Elsa nodded.

"Cute," she choked.

To this, Anna nodded solemnly as well. Elsa bit her lip, the sting of humiliation in her throat as she turned away.

She'd been, largely, seeing the immortal Guardian of Fun as a cute boy who flirted with her. And he was. It wasn't an unfair summation, to describe Jack as being cute.

And that was perhaps the biggest danger of all.

IDIOT. GIRL!

The Snow Queen closed her eyes, the reality of it all gripping her like a vice. Turning back around to face her sister, she pulled in a slow, shaking breath.

"Anna… even without the threat of extreme blackmail, Jack Frost isn't anything close to a normal young man we're talking about," she whispered. "If any mortal man posed this level of threat to Arendelle and its allies, I would just. Kill him."

"And since he's not…?"

"Even if I could somehow overpower him," Elsa looked back to her sister, "Even if he weren't immortal. Anna, he—I—!"

She abruptly cut herself off, and look of concern swept over Anna's face. Elsa then swallowed hard, pulling in a long breath to try again.

"I—cannot—kill Jack Frost," she whimpered.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: On the assumption that a lot of people are going to skip reading the Author's Note/Content Warning on the next chapter, I'm copy-pasting it into the end of this one.

Chapter 88 (aka, the next chapter to post) is the hinge point of Ice Alliance. Everything we've been through so far has been leading up to it, and everything coming afterwards will be significantly affected by its events. A major theme I like to use in all of my fiction writing is the idea that beliefs lead to choices, choices lead to actions, and actions lead to consequences. I think that I would also consider Chapter 88 to be the darkest chapter of the entire piece.

Three things:

1. Everything within Ice Alliance is PG-13, and my earlier promises about sexual content/character conduct still apply.

2. The original theme of the Frozen franchise: "True love is putting somebody else's needs before yours."

3. "Characters are like geodes. To see what's inside, you have to break them."

Deep breath, everybody.

Into the belly of the beast we go…