Frozen, Rise of the Guardians 1. Prologue

**This one's for all the Jelsa fans out there.**

**-birdywings**

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Prologue

With every life begins a story.

With every breath, begins a word.  
With every opening of the eyes, begins a sentence.  
With every step, begins a chapter.

Some stories are greater than others.  
Some are longer than others.  
And some are truer than others.  
But that does not mean any story is worth less than the other.

No matter how ordinary.  
Or the length.  
Or even the accuracy.

Every story is worth telling in the end.  
Because that is all we are.  
Stories.  
Nothing more.  
Nothing less.

The story I am here to tell you today has been deemed nothing but a fairy tale by many.  
It has been called a myth.  
Nothing but scratches on pages bound together by leather.  
Something left for only bedtime stories, when the colors of daytime have long bled into the navy veil of night.

And it is quite true that it is a story and nothing more.  
But that does not mean that every word does not speak the truth.

It is a story that has long been written in the distant stars that twinkle against a dark sky inky with the night.  
A story that will live long through the ages.  
On the tongues of many.  
In the eyes of countless.  
Within the hearts of millions.

It is a story that will flourish even when the world comes to meet its end.  
When the very sun has set for the last time.  
When the moon has shone upon the earth for one final night.  
When the universe itself has perished into the inevitable darkness that encroaches it and swallows it under until it is nothing more than dust floating through the endless void of the unknown.

Their lives were written from the very beginning.  
From the first breath they took.  
From the moment their eyes that are bluer than the ocean itself opened to a world dark with danger and the unknown, yet colorful with life and possibilities. From the first step they took upon the earth, thus marking their first leap into the great unknown.

Their paths are destined to cross from the very beginning.  
Their roads sealed together by the impenetrable force known as fate.  
Their souls intertwined the way a vine coils around the base of a tree, forever tying them together as one.

Yes, it is a story.  
A story of longing and lonliness.  
Of fun and freedom.  
Of danger and fear.  
Of heartache and loss.  
Of losing and finding.  
Of possibility and in the smallest possible way, hope.

For it is within each other that they find their strength.  
Their hope.  
Their possibility.  
Their love.  
Their fun.  
Their freedom.  
And even their weakness.  
But it is the unwavering vine that binds them that keeps them alive as they survive the struggles they face together.

So turn the page dear reader, and read the true words of fate.  
Of hope and possibility.  
Of love and loss.  
Of freedom and fun.  
Of a story long whispered amongst the stars.  
Of the true tale of Jack Frost and The Snow Queen.


	2. Chapter 1

1

Elsa

_"Catch me Elsa! Catch me!" Anna's little voice sings, her skirts and hair flowing behind her as she leaps into the air._

_"Okay, I got you!" I call back, laughter coloring my tone as snow spirals from my fingertips, conjuring up the next mound of snow in her path._

_Our laughter echoes off the walls and throughout the vast the space, our voices combined as excitement bubbles within us while palace as it sinks with the silence of night. Every one of its inhabitants lost in a deep slumber, completely unaware of the two sisters sharing a spell of midnight fun._

_"Catch me!" She calls again. But as I shift against the ice, preparing to create another mound of soft, fluffy snow, I slip on the slick surface and fall to the floor, my vision growing blurry as darkness creeps at the edges, and I'm left to watch with a sinking heart as Anna leaps into the air with nothing to catch her.  
Time seems to slow down.  
Ice erupts from my fingertips, but instead of preventing Anna's fall, I strike her in the face._

_My body reacts before my mind does. I'm at Anna's side in no time, cradling her in my arms and telling her over and over again that she's going to be okay and that I've got her in a voice that is not breaking so much as already broken.  
I call for my parents but no one comes to my cries and I'm left grasping my sister in my arms in this large, empty room with tears escaping my eyes and I feel nothing but completely alone as I drown in the silence of night._

* * *

I wake with a jolt with sweat trickling down my temple and a drumming heart as its beats ring in my ears.  
I clutch a hand to my chest, trying to calm myself while my breaths come shallow and shaky as I tell myself; _It was a dream. It was all a dream.  
_But it wasn't. It was real. It was all real.  
I hurt her. I hurt Anna.

I press my hands into my lap, attempting to stop the trembling, needless to say I am less than successful.  
That's when I hear voices outside my door and I just can't seem to help myself. I throw my covers off and crawl out of bed, tiptoeing over to press my ear against the wood that separates me from the world.  
The voices are too muffled for me to identify and I find myself twisting the handle and opening the door a crack before I even realize what I'm doing.  
I peek through the crack to discover both my mama and papa in the corridor with Anna climbing all over my mama like a monkey. I suppress a laugh.

"Come along Anna, it's time for bed." My mother says.

I hear Anna heave a sigh. "But I'm not tired."

My father chuckles, stroking Anna's head and planting a kiss in her hair. "Well, that doesn't change the fact that it's bedtime."

Anna looks as if she is about to argue when her eyes lock with mine, and we both tense up.  
We're frozen like that for only a moment but it feels more like days. I can hear my heart pounding in my ears and feel my hands begin to tremble once more as the images from that fateful night seem to be playing over and over again in Anna's eyes as she stares straight back at me.  
Finally my father catches Anna's gaze and turns to me. His face softens, and for a split second I am hopeful he will allow me to speak to Anna, or at the very least see her. But of course I am wrong to get my hopes that high. I watch, fighting the tears, as he quickly grabs hold of the door handle and shuts the door behind him.

I stand there petrified for a long time, releasing the breath I hadn't known I was holding, before I walk dazed and disoriented, as if I had just been struck across the face, over to my window that overlooks the forest beyond the castle grounds.  
I climb up onto the bench at the foot of the glass and stare up at the moon shining brightly in the dark sky, casting both light and shadows in its path.  
I hear the door click open behind me and I don't need to turn around to know that it's my parents entering. No one ever enters or exits my chambers but them.

I feel both their hands on my shoulders as my father tells me, "Elsa, I know it isn't easy for you to hide your abilities from Anna, but it will get better. You'll see."  
And with that, the two of them peck my forehead and leave me with the moon for company.

I press my forehead to the glass, which is fogged over with condensation and cool to the touch, (not that I would notice with my powers and all).  
"Please Mr. Moon," I begin, my mouth seeming to have a mind of its own as the words fly from my lips.

"I know I don't deserve it after what I did to Anna. But please, please send me a friend. Someone to play with. Please, please, please, please." I hear myself begging.

I touch my fingers to the window and frost covers it in no time, crackling as it spreads across the glass, and I can't help it.  
I collapse to the cool hardwood floor beneath me on my hands and knees with the moon for company and only my constant sobs to fill the silence of the room.

* * *

Jack

The wind is strong, whipping against my skin, leaving a sharp pain in my cheek but I'm barely noticing.  
My eyes travel along the ground, up the trees ahead and finally come to rest on the moon sitting in the night sky.  
I glare at it and feel the wind getting stronger, the snow below rising with it, creating a blizzard in the area and I do nothing but allow it to encase me.  
My eyes are stinging as I blink back the tears that threaten to escape my eyes. I bite back a curse, because even though the Man In The Moon isn't my favorite being at the moment, I don't want to discover the extent of his wrath.

I rise from my spot on the branch hidden up high in the tree and stand before the moon, as if challenging him. I hold my staff up threateningly against him, as if I could stand a chance against him. Until finally I collapse to my knees, burying my head in my hands, all the while asking him repeatedly, "Why? Why? Why? Why?"

It has been nearly a century since I awoke in that frozen lake and realized that no one can see me, and the only thing I seem to know about myself is that I am Jack Frost. Nothing more, nothing less.  
Just Jack Frost.

After what seems like forever, I rise from my knees and taking one last glance up at the moon, I jump from the branch and levitate down to the ground, which is covered in a blanket of snow.  
I yank my hood over my head and begin to walk, because I figure, if I am never to be seen by anyone, then I might as well blindly roam the earth and see all there is to see.  
Because I am Jack Frost. Forever to wander the world aimlessly.


	3. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone!**

**Thank you so much for the review, favorites and follows! They really mean a lot!  
Here is chapter 2 and as for the guest who commented; I'm sorry but you'll have to wait in order to have your questions answered, but thank you so much for reviewing! Feedback, (whether constructive or positive ), is always greatly appreciated!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**-birdywings**

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2

Jack

I trudge along, eyes glued to the ground as I drag my staff behind me, leaving a trail of frost patterns in the grass in my wake. The ground is soft and moist beneath me from the rain that took pace last night, leaving a musty scent in the air.  
I halt in my tracks as my gaze lifts to settle on the sun above, the moon long gone by now, leaving the sun to light the multiple paths for us throughout the day ahead.  
I heave a sigh and continue along my journey.

I eventually stumble upon a village, completely unaware of my surroundings until a trio of children brush by me, breaking out into a full sprint as banter erupts among the three of them.  
Rather curious, I trail behind them.

"I win!" One of the girls calls out to her company.

"That wasn't fair! You shoved me!" A boy, who looks about the same age, argues.

"Did not!"

"Did to!"

"Guys wait for me!" I whirl around to find a little girl trailing behind the other two children just before she runs right through me. I cringe as my hand automatically comes to clutch my chest as that familiar ice cold chill runs throughout my entire body from the impact. I shake it off. You'd think I would be used to that by now.

"Hurry up then Abigale!" The boy calls out to her.

The Abigale girl plops down on the ground panting when she reaches her friends, picking at the blades of grass beneath her.

"Mom said you guys can't get ahead of me!" She told the other two.

"Well then, you need to keep up." The other girl said with a smirk.

"Hey what's that?" The boy spoke up, looking in my direction. My face lights up as a surge of hope rises in me.  
The trio walks passed me, and I have to weave around them to avoid being walked through again.  
They gather around and crouch over something in the grass and it dawns on me that they noticed the frost patterns from my staff.

"What do you think it is?" Abigale asks.

"It looks like...snow." The older girl says, her eyes widening in wonder.

I watch, rather amused as the boy takes a twig and pokes at the frost with it, as if this is something he has never seen before.  
I feel a mischievous smile spread across my features as I think, _Well, if they're impressed with this, then wait until they see what else I'm capable of._  
I aim my staff at the sky just as a flurry of snowflakes shoots out, sending the many flakes tumbling to the ground.  
I watch out of the corner of my eye as the children rise from their spot on the ground, completely losing interest in the frost, as they stare up at the flakes in awe, their mouths agape.

Abigale spreads her arms out, trying to catch the flakes as she jumps with glee. I laugh as a snowball forms in my palm. I toss it in the air a couple of times before throwing it at the boy, who in return, looks around in bewilderment. And being unable to see me, he is fails to identify his culprit and decides that the best way to handle this is by sinking down to his knees as he takes some snow in his hands and begins to build a snowball. He stands once it's completed and tosses it at the other girl, who replies by retaliating with another snowball, and pretty soon a number of children come sprinting from all directions, a full-on snowball fight breaking out among the crowd.

I whiz through the air above, throwing the occasional snowball from time to time, but I mostly observe the scene, which is quite entertaining.  
Dozens of children are gathered around this one area, some putting together little forts while they're being attacked by a group of children armed with more snowballs.  
I settle back down on the ground as I notice a few smaller children attempting to put together a snowman and I decide to lend them a helping hand.  
They stand there in amazement as they watch the snow pile up on itself all on its own and I have to chuckle at the startled expressions on their faces.

I add the finishing touches just as an woman appears from one of the little huts lining the street, her eyes widening in astonishment with her mouth gaping.  
I can't contain the smirk that plays across my features as I watch her approach the scene dumbstruck. I turn back to my work when I catch the eye of the boy from earlier, who stares directly back at me, a smile on his face and all I can do is smile back as I think, _Maybe I've done it! Maybe now they can see me! Maybe creating this fun was all I had to do! Maybe I won't have to roam the earth invisible anymore! Maybe, maybe, maybe!_

I'm struck dumbfounded when the boy runs through me, and somehow, realizing he wasn't looking at me hurts more than the cold chill that runs through my body for the second time this morning.  
My body deflating, I turn to watch him run up to the woman saying, "Mom! Mom! Mom! Look at all this snow!"

"Yes Nowell, I can see it." She replies with, without looking at him.

"And that snowman over there built himself all on his own!" He told her, his face lit with excitement as he tries to direct her attention toward the snowman I built off to the side, a group of children now dressing it up in a scarf and hat.

That's when she turns to look at him, a false smile on her face as she tells him with a condescending tone that I have come to loathe, "Nowell, there is no such thing as snowmen building themselves, do you understand?"

His smile instantly fades as he adverts his eyes to the ground, kicking the snow up at his feet. "Yes mom."

As much as I detest not being visible, it's probably a good thing I'm not, at least most of the time because I have a strong feeling I wouldn't get along with a whole lot of parents. Especially the ones who discourage their children's imaginations rather then embrace them, and definitely when I'm chucking flurry after flurry of snowballs at them, which in this case, I am.

The woman steps back in surprise, taken aback by the sudden attack and the fact that she is unable to spot her attacker. She examines her skirts, surveying the damage and marches back into her cottage with a mumbled farewell to her son.  
I smile in satisfaction and sit back to enjoy the show while Nowell sprints over to rejoin his friends.

And that's when I see it. A second snowfall somewhere in the rear of the area.  
I watch, stunned as the thousands of tiny flakes tumble through the air, the children gathering around to catch them. I'm petrified where I stand because I am certain that I am not the creator of that second snowfall. So who is?

I jump to my feet and take off in the direction of from where the snow is coming.  
Who else, besides me, is capable of creating snow in the middle of summer?


	4. Chapter 3

3

Elsa

I awake to the sound of distant laughter.  
My eyes flutter open only to be blinded by the sunlight streaming in through my window and that's when I realize I had fallen asleep on the floor again, ice coating the floor beneath me. I attempt to melt it but my efforts go unsuccessful.  
I slowly push myself off the floor, groggy from the lack of sleep as I drag myself over to the bench at my window. Yawning, I rub the sleep out of my eyes and stare out the window. I'm shocked at the sight.

Over a dozen kids are gathered in a clearing, tossing at each what appears to be... _Is that snow? In the middle of summer?_  
I stare down at my hands. _This couldn't be my doing. When would I have created this?_  
I give my head a little shake, thinking I'm probably still asleep and that this is a dream. A dream where my powers can do good and bring fun? If that is so, then I better enjoy it while I can before reality sets in.

I unlock the latch and push the glass open, the sounds of laughter and banter going on below entering my chambers and filling the silence in it with life.  
I feel the corners of my mouth turn up, the first smile in weeks to play across my lips, and this time, I let it spread until my cheeks ache.  
Folding my arms, I rest my chin on the windowsill and enjoy the sight below.

A full-on snowball fight is taking place.  
I watch as children about my age and younger scramble around the area, collecting snow for ammo and to add improvements to their forts.  
A laugh escapes my lips as I watch two boys battle it out in the center of the area, where the battle is at its peak and when the stakes are high. Until one of them loses their balance from an attack to the backside, causing him to go face-first directly into a pile of snow, but not long passes before he comes up laughing as he retaliates with another snowball.

And then it happens.  
It happens before I even realize it, and I'm too late to stop myself.

With the simple flick of my wrist, the familiar swirling patterns of snow erupts from my fingertips, sending thousands of delicate, white flakes down to the children below.  
I watch as they jump with excitement and glee, trying to catch the countless flakes tumbling toward them.  
I'm incapable of containing the smile on my face as I send more snow down to them before I can begin to argue with myself.  
And more.  
And I continue to send it down long after I have created my very own little winter wonderland outside my window.

Snow coats the trees on every last branch, almost like the layers of frosting on a cake. Ice covers the ground, making it quite the slippery slope.  
I haven't used my powers since the night I hurt Anna. At least, not intentionally.  
Using them today, reminds me of all the fun the two of us had. It's like waking up to sunshine for the first time in days. Like eating your favorite dessert. Like a breath of fresh air after being cooped up in my chambers for more weeks then I can count. Like living rather than surviving. Like _freedom._

The laughter below ensues as it continues to rain snowflakes and I smile down at the sight, the sight that gives me even the smallest bit of hope that maybe my abilities aren't completely dangerous. Maybe they are capable of doing good too. Maybe they can even be, well... _Fu-_

My thoughts are interrupted as I suddenly feel someone brush against me, and I look up in alarm to see my father. I'm relieved it is only him until I watch in horror as he shuts the window with a slam, locking the latch back into place, causing me to flinch at the sound.

"Elsa, we've talked about this, no using your powers. At least not around other people and not until you have them under control." He says, looking down at me with a not unfriendly expression, but also quite serious at the same time. I give him the slightest nod of my head.

He smiles, placing his warm palm on my cheek as he plants a kiss in my hair. "Here," He says, producing a pair of white gloves from his pocket. "The gloves will help." He falters a little on the last word as if a little uncertain. As he slips them on my hands, he reminds me of the words we say as a sort of comfort when I lose control. "Conceal it-"

"Don't feel it." I say in reply.

He smiles, taking my hand in his. "Don't let it show."

He then leaves me to my thoughts, his last words still hanging in the air.  
I know my parents love me. But I also know that they're afraid, and I don't yet know whether their fear is for me or _of _me. I also don't know what they will sacrifice in order to keep my powers hidden from the world.  
I shake my head, ridding myself of these thoughts that haunt me day and night.

No. My parents love me no matter what, and I can't blame them for being afraid of this storm that rages inside of me. Because I'm afraid too.  
Afraid of losing control. Afraid of hurting someone. Afraid of being alone for the rest of my life.  
I walk stiffly over to my bed, my body feeling numb all over, my winter wonderland waiting just outside now forgotten.

I flip onto my stomach, burying my face into my pillows without the need to fight the tears.  
Because this time, there are no more tears to shed.


	5. Chapter 4

4

Jack

The wind ruffles my hair. The cold pricking at my cheeks. My lips numb from the chill in the air.  
And yet, I am smiling.  
Because nothing beats flying.  
It's not even the fact that you can go so high, you're touching the sky. Or that you're able to explore sights you've never seen before. Or even that you're within arms reach of a cloud.  
No. It's the _freedom._  
The rush of adrenaline you feel when you're at speeds no human would dare attempt. The thrill you get when free-falling. The smile that plays across your lips even in the face of danger.  
There's nothing in the world quite like it.

I will the wind to propel me forward. The town and its people below already whizzing by now becoming a blur. I dive straight for the ground as if I'm about to collide with it and, at the very last possible second, I spring back up into the air, kicking some snow up as I go.

"Ha ha! Whoo!" I shout as I do a couple of flips in the air.

As much as I would like to be seen by people, I bet even that doesn't compare to flying.  
I'm having so much fun that I almost lose the trail of the snow that continues to rain over the village. I catch sight of the trail and chase after it once more.  
I'm so focused on following it that I don't even realize I'm approaching the doorstep of a castle. I stop short, admiring the structure. The architecture is certainly complex and impressive but far from my taste.

My head snaps in the direction of the snow patterns, which is now disappearing around the corner of the palace and toward the back.  
I speed after it.  
By the time I catch up, it's gone. Nowhere in sight.  
I halt in my tracks, looking around frantically as I run a hand through my white hair. I search high and low all over the area but the snow has simply disappeared into thin air.

And then, just as soon as it had vanished, it appears again.  
I reach out and cradle a flake in my palm, and I can't help but laugh to myself as it melts.  
I'm close to the destination of this mysterious and unknown source. I just know it.

I float down the the ground, which is covered in layers upon layers of soft, beautiful, fresh snow, and settle on my feet. I set aside the brush and branches as I weave my way through the edge of the forest. And then I see it. Just above me, the snow flutters down from a window at the back of the castle, falling around me, encasing me.

My eyebrows knit in curiosity as I gingerly take to the air again, approaching the window slowly. All the while I am incapable of concealing my excitement at finally discovering what this unknown source is. But as I near the glass, I realize it's not what, but who creates this winter wonderland.

A small girl sits at the glass. Her skin is pale, yet rich and seems to have a kind of glow to it, like fresh-fallen snow. Her platinum-blonde hair is tied into a long braid as it falls down her back.

I watch, mesmerized by her abilities and the joy it brings her as the snow spirals from her fingertips as she waves her hands, almost as if she is conducting the snow.  
Her hands.  
They look so delicate. So fragile. So vulnerable. Like ice. As if not handled with the utmost care, they will shatter.

I give my head a shake, trying to rid myself of the shock that lingers in my mind as I continue to observe her. This small child. This girl. Someone with similar abilities. Someone like me.  
Could it really be? Could she really possess the same kind of powers as me? Then again, the evidence is right in front of me.

She laughs to herself, and though she does indeed appear to be merry, I can tell she is holding back. As if she is afraid to enjoy the gift she possesses. There's more to her and I need to find out what exactly that is.

I lean on my staff for support, laughing when she laughs, smiling when she smiles. Her emotions are contagious. I'm so absorbed in watching her that I don't notice the man who enters the room until he's by her side and shutting the window in my face. With a heavy heart and my stomach in a mess of knots, I watch as the girl tries not to flinch when the man locks the latch back into place, a stricken expression setting upon her features. And that does it. I feel as if my heart is cracking down the center and shattering into a million tiny little pieces all for her.

I settle on the windowsill wiping away at the condensation, and I watch the man's lips move as he tells the girl something, kneeling at her level. He then produces a pair of white gloves and swiftly slips them onto her fragile hands. After a few more words are exchanged, he then leaves her to wander over to her bed and bury her face in the heap of pillows.

I can't explain the sudden wave of anger that washes over me as I feel my hands ball up into unmistakable fists. I do not know who that man is, but it is as clear as day to me that he has upset this girl and I want nothing more than to chuck all the snowballs in the universe at him. But then, something tells me he holds a high rank, living in a palace and all.

My hand comes to rest on the cool glass, which now begins to fog over again, but I hardly notice. I'm barely even aware of the elevation in my heart rate as I intently watch this girl just lie there, motionless on the bed, and I can tell just from observing her this short time that she spends a lot of her time crying, and if not actual tears, she cries on the inside. Suffering in silence. She is the unheard, I am the unseen. We are the ghosts hiding in plain sight.

I do not know who she is or how she came to acquire her abilities or why she cries like she does, nor do I even know her name. But here is what I do know; In the short amount of time I have watched her, I have experienced a number of emotions in forms I didn't even know were possible, nor did I know it was possible to be affected by someone this way. I know I yearn to hear her laugh without holding back. To see her smile without being afraid to. To see her _free._

And I vow right here and now that I will do what ever it takes and with everything in my power to set her free.

* * *

**Hey everyone!**

**So I know it's taking a little longer for them to meet in here than it does in most jelsa stories but next chapter or two for sure, I promise!:) Please bear with me as this is my first jelsa fanfic and I am both extremely excited and nervous to write this as I want it to be as entertaining and as perfect as all the other jelsa stories I have read.**

**Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites and follows guys! They mean more to me than you know! ****So again, next chapter OR two, they will meet:) I also promise some action in this story and of course, lots of jelsa scenes;) Anyway, please review! I absolutely love hearing your feedback!:D**

**Also, I know my synopsis sucks, (I've never really been good at them), but it's also that the one that I wanted to post was just too long so yeah, sorry about that!**

**Hope you enjoyed! Till next chapter!**

**-birdywings**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey Everyone!**

**Thanks so much for the reviews guys! They really keep me going:)  
And to the guest; Yes, I am most definitely a girl so don't worry, awkwardness averted!:D**

**Anyway here is chapter 5, hope you all enjoy!  
-birdywings**

* * *

5

Jack

For weeks I remain at her side, sitting at the window. Always watching her, even while she sleeps.  
I know when she's sleeping and I know when she's awake, kind of like Santa. And I'm well aware that watching a child, or any person for that matter, while they sleep is just plain creepy but I just can't seem to help myself.  
I'm captivated, enchanted, mesmerized, under her spell, however you want to phrase it.  
But one thing is as clear as cut glass, I just cannot bring myself to leave her side.

It is not even her abilities that fascinate me so, but she as a person alone.  
She guards herself like a secret.  
Like a hidden light at the end of a dark tunnel.  
Like an illegible book that I have yet to decipher.  
Like a constellation lost in the maze of distant stars burning against the darkness of the night sky.  
She only reveals what she feels is safe to.  
She remains a mystery that I have yet to figure out.

On those rare occasions that I leave her side, I can either be found causing mischief in the village or wandering the grand corridors of the palace, which alone are larger than the little cottages lining the streets of the kingdom.  
While strolling the halls one night, I managed to discover a few things about her.

I learned that she is the first-born daughter of the king and queen, and is also first in line for the throne.  
I also discovered that she has a younger sister with whom she has an icy relationship with. Though what came between the two of them I do not possess the knowledge of.

But I always return in time to see her awake to the first rays of sunshine.  
And as much as I love being in her presence, despite my being invisible to her, I'm always experiencing this constant, gnawing pain in my gut whenever I see her face.  
The fear in her eyes, the quiver in her lips, the constant threat of tears always there. She always looks as if she is on the verge of her breaking point, like the ice is about to shatter.  
But somehow, she still manages to conceal it all. To hide all the fears that haunt her.  
Except in the late hour of the night. This is when every one of her fears comes to life in her mind and I am helpless to free her from their clutches.

I feel a sharp pain in my chest as I watch from the window as she thrashes at the air, snow blasts erupting from her fingertips and colliding with the walls around her that make up her confinement.  
Her very chambers are her cage. Her prison.  
She kicks at the sheets, snow coating the mattress beneath her as she mutters incoherent protests with fear coloring her every syllable.

And then, just as soon as the nightmares begin, they suddenly end. All goes silent as a number of snowflakes float down from the ceiling above her, landing onto her face and melting with the contact of her skin.  
Every morning she wakes up in a tangle of sheets and blankets, snow coating the mattress where she sits, flakes hovering in the air.

Tonight, she isn't thrashing or fighting or even muttering. But the snow still falls and continues to fall when she awakens in the late hour.  
The moon streams into her chambers, casting a light through the glass and shadows in the dark corners.  
She pulls her knees up to her chest, her eyes seem faraway, appearing calm yet shaken from her most recent nightmare. The tears appear to be absent tonight, but the fear is more noticeable than ever.  
It's always written in her features. Always buried deep in her eyes. Always lurking in her thoughts. Always haunting her.

I sit there, my breath held, my heart racing, my pulse quickening.  
My eyes never leave hers as I attempt for what seems like the thousandth time to read her thoughts. To see into her mind. To uncover her secrets in order to rid her of these fears.  
But as usual, she guards her secrets well. Too well.

She slowly rises from her bed, wandering over to the bench at the glass that separates us.  
My lips part slightly, an exhale escaping them, fogging over the glass as my gaze remains on her.  
She sits there, on the other side with only glass to keep us apart. Her knees are pulled up to her chest, her chin resting in them as she stares directly at the wall ahead on the other end of the room.

She doesn't move. She doesn't blink. I can't even determine if she is breathing at this point. I can't imagine how it is possible for someone to be so still. So silent. So deep and lost inside themselves that nothing in the world may ever pull them back from the brink.  
Maybe not nothing, but someone.

Without thinking, I raise my hand and touch a single finger to the glass, sending frost to spread throughout the surface.  
She doesn't move.  
I trace my finger through the frost patterns, drawing a snowflake in the fog, and I'm so lost in thought that I don't notice the girl watching the snowflake form on its own from the other side.

I freeze, my hand in mid-air.  
Her eyes are wide, lips slightly parted in awe as she turns fully to face the window.  
My hand automatically comes to rest on my chest as I watch her, unblinking, breath held.

She reaches up and traces my snowflake several times. I watch, mesmerized by the motions and loops she makes as she keeps tracing, following the pattern of the snowflake.  
She then turns to another corner of the window, and with a simple touch of the tip of her finger to the cool glass, she creates a snowflake of her own, her's though, is far more intricate and ornate than mine. It also has a certain delicate appearance to it, which, in some way, reminds me of her.  
The winding twists and complex patterns to it like her mysterious personality. The delicateness of it like her fragile spirit. Yet, underneath all that fear and daintiness, ignites a spark of yearning for freedom and a kind of rebellious side to her. And, in the smallest possible way, a little flicker of hope as well.

With a sigh, her hand slides down the glass and comes to rest in the center of her drawing as her head hangs, eyes falling to her lap.  
I feel that all-too familiar knot forming in my stomach, and on impulse, my hand reaches out and comes to rest on the glass, directly in line with hers, and my heart begins to race at the knowledge of being so close with only this thin line between us.

My heart nearly stops when her head lifts and her eyes look directly into mine.  
I don't blink. I don't move, and I swear I am not breathing.

Her hand is no longer lingering on the cool glass and is instead, resting on her chest, a little farther on the left, right where her heart is. She stares back at me, directly into my eyes and I notice the elevation in my heart rate as well as the rapidness of my breaths. When I say directly into my eyes, I mean it. She's not looking through me like everyone else does, but really _seeing _me.  
I'm too shocked to do much of anything, even to simply remove my hand from the cool glass, which is now frosted over. The swirling patterns criss-crossing and intertwining with each other as they create a sort of frame around the girl's shaken face.

I feel the corners of my mouth turn slightly up as I stare back at her.  
Her gaze falls to her hand and for a moment she looks at it as if she's never seen it before. And then, it happens. The moment that changes everything for the two of us.  
Her eyes follow her hand as it comes to rest on the glass once more, directly in line with mine.  
And then, she looks up to meet my eyes and something tells me right then and there, that I am no longer the unseen. At least not to her.


	7. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone!**

**Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows guys! They make me so happy!  
And thank you especially to freezeon98 and EmmaWinterFrost for your amazing reviews and wonderful words!**

**So here is chapter 6, hope you all enjoy!  
-birdywings**

* * *

6

Elsa

It happened again.  
That same nightmare night after night.  
Always lingering under my eyelids and flashing before me when I blink. Always lurking in my thoughts. Always with me throughout the day. Always in Anna's features.  
It never leaves me, no matter how hard I try to bury it in the back of my mind, it's always there. And it takes me a long time to realize that I have to live with this for the rest of my life. A constant reminder of the monster that I am. Of the chaos I bring. Of the curse I conceal.

And so, I try to ignore it. To pretend it never happened. To push it into the darkest corner of my mind. To not let it show. But most of the time, that is not my choice.

It reveals itself whenever it pleases, always coming out at the wrong times.  
At the dining table, during lessons and even in my slumber, when they're at their worst. When my fears take a life of their own.

Every morning I wake up to a tangle of sheets around my ankles. To frost-coated walls. To wave after wave of snowflakes falling from the ceiling, around the chandelier, and I am useless to stop it all.  
I try to keep it in.  
To conceal and not to feel.  
To not allow it to show.  
But it's getting harder as it gets stronger.

Even my parents try to ignore it now.  
I have been confined to eating my meals in my chambers now, away from the servants and prying eyes. Away from Anna.  
I no longer take my lessons with Anna.  
My mother no longer reads those fairytale stories to the two of us anymore.  
My parents rarely come to check up on me now, and when they do, it's only to confirm I am still wearing the gloves. To confirm I'm still concealing and not feeling. To confirm I'm still containing the storm that rages inside of me even as it fights to reach the surface and emerge from the darkness.

Day after day I retreat deeper inside myself, learning how to hide it all.  
I wear the gloves, keep the door locked and wear the mask that I have become so used to. A mask of concealment and lies. Of falsehood and deceit.  
I keep the walls up when in the presence of other people, shielding myself from the rest of the world. Brick upon brick upon brick upon brick upon brick, and yet they just keep getting higher. So high that I'm long past the point of being able to see the top anymore.

The walls are closing in, containing, trapping and suffocating me all at once. The tightness in my chest is constant as well as the tremble in my hands and lately, there seems to be an alarming shortage of oxygen in the world. But somehow, I appear to be the only one that has noticed.

As I close my eyes tonight and slip into the dark and stillness of sleep-despite my efforts to fight the drowsiness for fear of more nightmares-I expect the usual nightmare, of the night I harm Anna. But what I experience is far more than a nightmare.

_Everything is pitch black to begin with._

_I stand alone in this endless dark space with not a person in sight. Not even the slightest sound to fill the eerie silence consuming the room. And then all of a sudden, light fills the room, illuminating everything in its path and I have to shield my eyes as it blinds me as it reflects off something. No, many things._

_I stand there for a moment before I remove my hand from my view, blinking several times as my vision adjusts to this sudden and newfound glare, and once it does, the world and everything in it seems to come to an alarming and abrupt halt._

_I stand there, petrified. Unable to move and unable to breath, because at the moment, the world seems especially short of oxygen. Everything is silent, the only sound I am even remotely aware of is my heart pounding at an alarming rate in my ears as I stare at the sight before me. A sight more terrifying than any nightmare._

_Everything around the space is frozen solid. The lake beneath my feet, the trees in the background, the people surrounding me, even the snowflakes hovering in the air above me._

_I turn in multiple circles where I stand, the world suddenly spinning at alarming speeds beneath me as my heart thumps louder than I would have thought possible in my chest._

_How can I do this? I demand of myself. I know my powers are strong, but are they really capable of this much... Destruction?_

_I shake my head vigorously, biting down hard on my lip and pulling my hands to my chest as I try to turn away from the scene before me. But everywhere I turn, there's either a frozen object or person that I am responsible for. And that is when I see her. The sight that causes me to forget about all the rest of them._

_She is covered in layer upon layer of ice from head to toe. Her cape and hair frozen in mid-air as they flow behind her. One arm extends into the air, as if in defence while a frightened expression that twists my heart into multiple knots just by looking at it is frozen onto her features._

_The world becomes still and silent once more, and I feel that it will never move again. That life will go on no more. At least not for me. Not after seeing her. My best friend. My sister. Anna._

_I run to her, gingerly caress her face in my ice-cold palms, as if terrified I might shatter her. I stare into her eyes. The blue in them no longer there and is instead, replaced by the reflection of the light off the ice costing her face, giving a glassy appearance to her eyes.  
A sob catches in my throat.  
I can't breathe, the walls are closing in, pressing against me while the world spins under me, knocking me to my knees.  
__Everything around me suddenly dissolves, leaving only Anna and me in the room as the darkness returns._

_I don't hug and hold her in my arms, nor do I tell her that I've got her and that everything is going to be okay. Not like last time, because nothing is.  
Nothing ever will be._

_Everything is silent, until a voice echoes throughout the empty space. The type of voice that is hollow with no emotion. The type that sends chills not only up and down your spine, but throughout your entire body as well. The type that leaves you cold and empty._

_"You did this Elsa," It tells me. "This is all your fault. You brought this chaos to your sister and everything you love."_

_I sit there with my head buried in my hands.  
I don't even try to argue with it. I simply allow it to take my pain away and leave me with a new kind; cold, hollow, emptiness and above all, fear._

_"Embrace the fear Elsa." It says._

_And then, just like that, it disappears. Its last words hanging in the air, leaving a cold chill in the space.  
Anna is no longer behind me and I'm left alone to drown in the darkness._

* * *

When I awake, my hands are gripping the bedspread at my sides, causing my knuckles to turn white.  
Snow falls around me. Ice coats the covers. But I'm barely aware of it anymore.

I wander over to my window, climb onto the bench at the glass, pull my knees up to my chest as I bury my face in them, attempting to disappear inside myself.  
And then I see it. The snowflake forming by itself on the glass.

Slowly it comes together, all the pieces forming a whole.  
It crosses my mind that this might be my doing, but I don't think I'm capable of creating something so beautiful in my current state of mind. Yet, I absentmindedly attempt to anyway.  
I raise a finger to the glass and trace the pattern of the snowflake several times, my eyes fixed on the drawing, mesmerized by its design; the paths and roads of it intertwining with one another.  
And then, I turn to another corner of the window and create my own with only the simplest touch of my finger.

A sigh escapes my lips, my hand sliding down the glass before coming to rest in the center of my snowflake as I watch the finishing touches form.  
A moment passes before the glass suddenly feels slightly cooler. And not your usual winter chill, the kind that turns your finger and toes numb and beyond feeling. But more of an electric chill.  
I feel it run throughout my entire body, and it's kind of refreshing.  
And then, out of thin air, he's there.

A boy.  
Older than me.  
Dressed in brown trousers and a blue hoodie that is covers in a thin layer of frost.  
Holding a staff that is crooked at the tip, sort of in the shape of G.  
A few strands of hair hang out from under his hood, just over his eyes and they're as white as fresh-fallen snow.  
His eyes. As blue as ice.

I impulsively yank my hand away from the window and rest it on my chest, trying to calm my racing heart as I feel my chin drop slightly and my eyes go wide.  
I don't say a word, neither does he.  
We just sit there, staring at each other, my mind completely blank.

And then, for some unknown reason, I stare down at my hand, the electricity still buzzing through it, before I gingerly reach out to rest it on the glass against his.  
And then, I look up to meet his gaze.  
I watch as the corners of his mouth turn slightly up and I feel that same cold, electric shock run throughout my body.  
Only, it originates from my heart this time.


	8. Chapter 7

7

Elsa

"Who are you?" I ask.

I had unlocked the latch and opened the window, and there he sits before me, his eyes wider than I would have thought possible, his mouth gaping.  
He doesn't reply.

"Who are you?" I ask again, the shock evident in my tone.

He laughs, and not only with his voice but with his entire body as well.  
Everything filling with excitement and joy as the laugh echoes within the walls of his figure.

"You can see me?" He says in unmistakable disbelief, by way of answering.

"Yes," I answer, puzzled.

He lets out an ecstatic cheer as he flips backwards from the windowsill and I find myself lurching forward on impulse to reach out in attempt to prevent his fall, even though I know that I cannot carry his weight.  
And then, to my complete and utter shock and disbelief, he remains hovering in the air, a few inches away from my window. That smile still lighting up his features as it spreads from ear to ear, causing his eyes to narrow, making it difficult to see the brilliant blue in them.

I shake my head, teetering on my feet a little as I rub my eyes, blinking a few times to confirm the reality of what I am seeing. Sure enough, he is still floating in the open air.  
He laughs as he does a back flip in the the air, and I gasp with fright as he allows himself to fall a few feet before planting his feet on his staff and swooping back up at level with my window.

"Careful!" I call, trying not to shriek.

He replies with another cheer as he shoots up into the air, doing multiple flips before landing on my windowsill again.

"You can see me!" He tells me, verifying what I already know.

His eyes are bright, full of life and fun, as well as a hint of mischief.  
His cheeks are rosy from the cool night.  
His smile still shines in what appears to be every facial muscle possible as it reveals his mouth full of gleaming white teeth.  
He leans a little closer, so that his breath collides with my nose, which smells of peppermint and I find myself breathing it all in, relishing the scent.  
His hands rest on his knees as he crouches at my level, his eyes in line with mine.  
His hands.  
They look so soft, so warm and gentle.

"You can see me." He whispers so softly that I almost don't hear him.

His voice is as soft and as gentle as his hands look.  
It's the type you want as a lullaby.  
The type you can fall asleep to.  
The type of voice you want to wake up to in the morning.  
The type you want to hear when you're feeling dismal with a heavy-heart.  
The type you only want to hear saying your name while lost in the midst of an ocean of people.

Still staring into my eyes, he holds his hand up in between us, his face suddenly going slightly serious as he sits like that, as if waiting in anticipation for something.  
I stare back at him, still puzzled but somehow, relaxed in his presence. I feel my shoulders suddenly sink back into place, a slow and even exhale leaving my lips as the air suddenly begins to come easily to me.

Absentmindedly, I lift my hand to meet his, and when they touch, I again, feel that electric shock course through my veins, sending a buzz through my body and I suddenly feel light-headed.  
He smiles at me with a corner of his mouth and I can't help but return the expression.

"How did you do that?" I suddenly ask.

He smiles again, a mischeivous glint in his eye as he answers with, "Do what?"

I bite my lip, my hands twisting into a mess of knots within each other at my chest as I begin to grow a little nervous. "Fly." I barely whisper.

His face lights up. "Like this!" His says, as kicks off the windowsill and floats toward the ceiling.

I look up and watch, utterly stunned as my timid expression is replaced by one of wonder, joy, excitement and only the slightest hint of disbelief all at once.  
He flies above me, covering every corner of the room, gaining speed with every turn. He circles around the chandelier that dangles over the center of my chambers, its countless crystals catching the moonlight streaming in through the window.  
He circles the room one more time before halting in a corner of the room, planting his feet on the walls on either side of him.

"Watch this!" He calls down to me.

I still too astounded to even nod my head in reply or even process what I'm seeing.  
He directs the tip of his staff towards the center of the room and after a moment, ice shoots from the tip and collides with the chandelier. The effect is a light snowfall descending upon the room.

I feel my mouth fall open, my eyes wide in amazement as I reach a hand out, cradling the flakes in my palms. A laugh leaves me when it melts and I unconsciously begin to skip around the room, twirling with my arms extended out at my sides, watching as my nightgown flows around me. I freeze when I become aware of the boy observing me and his laughter that sounds throughout the room.  
I impulsively tie my hands behind me, my heels digging into the floor below as I bite my lip, unable to meet his eyes.

He laughs again and I feel my cheeks grow warm.  
I gasp when he swoops down from his spot on the ceiling and scoops me up into his arms, which are surprisingly pleasantly warm and I feel safe at the contact of our skin.

Cradling me in his arms, he tell me, "Hold on."  
I have to suppress a squeal as we rise into the air and dart around the room, the speed we're at causing a breeze to whip at my face and ruffle my hair.  
I'm clutching his arms for dear life, my head buried into his chest as I listen to his heart beat. It's slow, steady and rhythmic, yet strong, powerful and intense at the same time.

His grip tightens around me, yet still gentle and careful, as if he holds a newborn infant as he whispers, his breath warm against my ear, "Don't worry, I won't let you go."

I feel myself blushing again as the smallest trace of a smile plays across my lips.  
I shift in his arms as I turn around, a gasp catching in my throat as I stare down at the floor far below us. I swallow the lump and will myself to have courage.  
I take a deep breath as I feel my arms spread out at my sides, only slightly trembling, and I find myself smiling at this extraordinary experience as my eyes close, drinking in the thrill and exhilaration that rises within me.

He swoops back down and sets me back on my feet, and he has to catch me when I lose my balance as I try to familiarize myself with standing on firm ground once more.  
My cheeks grow warm again as he assists me to my bed.  
I take a seat, my hair a tangle of knots, my cheeks flushed and cool from the breeze, my skirts wrinkled. And yet, I'm smiling and am unable to contain it as adrenaline continues to flow through me.

"That was terrific! You're a natural! I'll make a flyer out of you yet!" He said, excitement coloring his every letter.

I duck my head, shy at his praise.  
I bite my lip, my hands fidgeting in my lap.  
It has been too long since I have been able to converse with anyone. So long that it seems almost foreign to me now.

I'm unable to meet his eyes as he runs a hand through his snowy-white hair, saying, "Well, I should probably let you get some rest."

I will myself to nod, suddenly becoming aware of the drowsiness consuming me.

He starts toward the window to leave, but then apparently has a change of mind as he turns back to me.  
"I'm Jack by the way, Jack Frost."

My eyes retreat to the floor again.

_Jack Frost._

The name bounces within the walls of my mind.  
It seems fitting for him, just right. A name for no one better.

He inches closer to me, kneeling at my level, trying to meet my eyes.  
"What's yours?" He asks.

My hands twist in my lap and I force them to a stop as I attempt to keep my heart from racing. It's as if it's running a marathon tonight.  
I press my hands to my sides and force myself to quit trembling.  
I take one final silent deep breath before telling him in a shaky voice, "Elsa."

He smiles, a full-on grin lighting up his features for the millionth time tonight.  
"Elsa." He whispers back.

I blush at the sound of my name combined with his soft voice.

"Okay Elsa, I'll see you tomorrow?"

I can't contain the smile that plays in my features.  
I nod in reply.  
He flashes me another smile of his dazzlingly white teeth before rising to his feet.

"Wait." I barely whisper.

He's back at my level in no time, staring intently at me and I just can't seem to meet his eyes.  
He kneels there, his breath warm against my cool hands.  
I press my hands deeper into the sheets before somehow, finding the courage to ask him, "Will- will you stay with me?"

He smiles, a warm and inviting smile as he lays a hand on my shoulder. "Of course Elsa, always."

I smile bashfully up at him as I climb into bed while he pulls the covers over my shoulder, and I watch as he wanders over to the window and sits on the sill, his gaze settled on the moon lighting up the night sky.  
And for once, I'm not afraid for when sleep consumes me.


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey Guys!**

**Thanks so much for the reviews on my last chapter! I'm so glad you all enjoyed it!  
Sorry, this one is unfortunately a little short but I hope yo****u guys like it nonetheless! I'm really hoping to get another chapter out within the next few days or so but we'll see if life will take my side for once:/**

**Anyhow, hope you guys like this chapter and feedback is always appreciated!  
-birdywings**

* * *

8

Jack

_Elsa._

Her name echoes off the walls of my head.

_Elsa._

I smile at the thought of it and everything that comes with it; her delicate hands, as soft and as gentle as a snowflake. The vibrant blue in her eyes, a blue so well, _blue, _that it can almost be a color all its own. A laugh so pure and sweet that it's like music to my ears. And when I saw her smile for the first time, something inside me melted, confirming for me what I already knew; I could never leave her.

"Elsa." I whisper, just so I can hear her name out loud, which is twice as wonderful as listening to it play relentlessly in my mind.

Of course, I had noticed the evident tension and edginess to her when I held her as we darted around the room, or when I spoke to her, but that didn't make me like her any less.  
I still find myself fascinated by her, even more so than when I had observed her from afar. Although I still can't help but wonder about her, with a strong desire to unlock all her secrets and decipher the illegible book that she is. But I force myself to give her time.

A smile plays across my lips as I glance over at her, sleeping soundly in her bed, her breaths even and settled into the rhythm of sleep.  
Her blonde hair falls loose from her braid, concealing half her face. Her hands are tucked away, cushioning her head.  
She stirs a little, sweeping the covers off her shoulder in the process.  
I give a slight chuckle and rise to my feet.

I tiptoe across the room, closing the distance between us as I look upon her.  
Every part of her that usually thrashes and fights against the nightmares and fears that come to life within the walls of her mind at night is now calm, quiet and nothing but peaceful. I swear that I can even see the slightest trace of a smile playing across her smooth lips. Noticing this, I can't help but break into a grin of my own as I reach over and pull the covers back into place. And then, before I can process what I'm about to do, I lean over, so that the moon streaming in through the glass casts a shadow of my figure across her features. My breath collides with her skin, causing her to stir a little. My heart beats violently in my chest as it drums in my ears, my respirations gaining speed and becoming more urgent.

I brush the tip of my nose ever so slightly against hers, the contact sending a cold, electric chill through my veins.  
I touch my lips to her forehead, the slightest possible contact, and then, I pull away, watching as she remains in her deep, peaceful slumber, completely oblivious to my presence.

I want to protect her. To wrap her up in my arms like a cacoon and shield her from this cruel world. To rid her of all the fears she bears the weight of upon her shoulders day by day by day. To see her happy and free. To be there for her, always.  
These desires are probably what most would consider crazy because I have only been acquainted with her for a few hours, but I just can't explain it. I somehow feel this inexplicable responsibility to watch over her.  
No. That's not it. At least not all of it.  
I somehow feel this unfathomable and unbreakable connection between us. A connection that ties us together somehow, intertwining our lives with one another, constantly drawing me to her. And I am nothing but captivated.

I shuffle back to the windowsill, dragging my staff along behind me as I create a few frost patterns here and there, decorating the hardwood floor with them.  
I sink down onto the sill, my gaze still resting on Elsa until I finally manage to avert it to the moon lighting up the dark sky like a beacon in the late hours of the night.  
It won't be long before dawn will be upon us.

I press my staff to the glass, fogging it over with frost and leave it pressed against it until a snowman takes shape in the patterns.  
His arms are stubby and kind of merge into his body, his nose crooked and deformed while his feet are beyond distinguishable. Yet, despite all his imperfections, I like the appearance of him. The fact that he's not perfect and completely formed into one whole and is instead, scattered into all sorts of different shapes and forms.  
I laugh at the sight of him, knowing Elsa will like it, and so I decide to leave it there to greet her in the morning.

Finally my gaze retreats back to the moon, and I can't help but smile up at him, as I have this distinct feeling that he led me to Elsa. That he meant for us to find each other for whatever reason I do not know, and part of me doesn't even care.  
As long as I can remain at her side, fighting all her battles with her, shedding all her tears with her and catching all her laughs and smiles like the contagious disease that they are; I could never feel happier than I do now or than I have in the last century or so, (you don't exactly notice the amount of time passing you by when you're immortal).

I smile up at The Man in The Moon again and silently thank him for granting me someone, even if it's only one person, with the ability to see me.

_Thank you._


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey Everyone!**

**Thanks for the reviews guys! They mean everything to me!**

**Here's chapter 9, enjoy!**

**-birdywings**

* * *

9

Jack

"Catch me Jack!" Elsa calls down to me.

Months have passed since the day we met, and I still find myself with a smile much too large for my face plastered to my features. I still find myself intrigued with her every emotion and fascinated with her every word. Because I have come to discover that she does not speak often, so when she does, I cherish every single syllable.  
She is growing into quite the young lady, but part of me feels that this is not what she desires; to be the 'good girl' who always does what she is told to do. I can plainly see that she only craves freedom and the ability to make her own decisions. But alas, this is unfortunately not the path that is meant for her, at least not yet.  
She still remains shy and reserved when in the presence of other people, but less so with me.  
When around me, she seems to let it all go, even if it's only temporarily. And I make sure to give her all the fun she can possibly have before reality sets in once more.

She is being cheated out of childhood. A childhood that every kid should have. With fun and games and silliness and not a care in the world.  
Part of me cannot stand to be in the presence of her parents because of their fear-as if their daughter isn't afraid as well-and the fact that they just lock her up like this. But then, I realize that they probably just don't know how to handle the situation. It's all foreign to them and so they see locking her up and shutting her out from the world will solve everything. And it's not as if they give you a guide book on how to raise a child with magical ice powers. But still. Locking her up, will only strengthen her fear and when she is finally released from her prison, it will all come out at once and become too much for Elsa to handle.  
I have to be ready for that day. To be there for her.

"Alright, I got you!" I call up to her.

I watch, a goofy grin dominating me face as she leaps from the top of the grand staircase, her navy-blue dress and long platinum-blonde hair in her usual braid flowing behind her in mid-air.  
A smile lights up her features, giving a twinkle to her eyes but with the slightest hint of fear remaining, hidden somewhere deep inside her that apparently only my eyes can detect, or at least, I'm the only person that doesn't attempt to ignore it.

I give her a mischievous wink to reassure her, and for a split-second, it seems like she trusts me. But almost instantly, the fear takes over again, clutching her from the inside, causing the tension to rise in her body and her face to turn a sickly-shade of white, her eyes wide like an animal's.

I swoop in at the last second, scooping her up in my arms as we bolt down the corridor, the many servants cutting us odd and stupefied glances as we pass over their heads.  
Elsa laughs in delight, sending the sound to bounce against the walls of the palace, the music of it filling me with energy and life, as if it is some kind of my own battery and I'm recharging.  
I laugh with her as we approach her chamber door and I settle her down on firm ground.

She is panting, breathless from the exhilaration and I realize that I too am out of breath.  
I lean on my staff for support as she stares up at me with her blue eyes wide with excitement.

"That was wonderful!" She shouts with glee, clapping her hands together.

I chuckle. "Well, there's plenty more where that came from."

She gives an eager nod as we enter her room.  
I trail in behind her and perch on my staff as she jumps onto her bed, the floor creaking below.

"So, what shall we do now?" I ask her, my tone teasing.

She props herself up on her elbows and stares at me excitedly yet bashfully.

"Can we... have a snowball fight?" She asks timidly as her hands twist in her lap.

I laugh and jump down from my perch. "Of course we can!"

Her features along with her entire body light up once again, a grin of gleaming white teeth consuming her face.  
I flash her a smile of my own as I walk over to her window and press my palms to the glass, concentrating as a rabbit takes shape in the frost and leaps from the glass.  
Elsa gasps in wonder, an astonished expression taking over her face as she watches the rabbit hop around the room in mid-air a few times. I laugh as it encircles me, before it finally halting in front of Elsa, who still sits on her bed, practically on the edge of her seat.  
The rabbit floats there, and she leans in closer as she raises a single finger and pokes at it.

Her intrigued expression is replaced by one of surprise when the rabbit explodes at her touch into a million little snowflakes descending upon the room. Her head snaps in my direction, her eyes practically bugging out of their sockets as she directs my attention to the snow falling around us. I can't contain my laughter.

She leaps from her bed and onto the cool floor, sending ice in all directions across the surface, and being unprepared for this, I lose my balance and fall to the floor. I laugh when I notice Elsa trying to stifle her laughter by pressing her hands to her lips.

"Oh, so that's how you want to play it huh?" I say teasingly, challenging her.

She bites her lip, trying her best to contain the smile threatening to reveal itself. I clasp my hands together, and within a moment, a perfect snowball rests in my palms. I blow my cool breath against it to give it that little extra something special before hurling it at Elsa across the room.

It strikes her across the chest and she stumbles backward in bewilderment before shaking her head and regaining her composure by retaliating with two snowballs of her own. I manage to dodge them easily by leaping into the air above her.

"Hey, no flying! That's not fair!" She giggles as she hurls another three in my direction. I avoid them by sprinting sideways across the walls.

"I never heard you announce any rules!" I call over my shoulder in between my laughter.

She giggles as she continues to chase me around the room, even though I'm going twice her pace. But she is not one to give up. I leap from the wall and plant my feet on the floor only to be attacked by Elsa with the largest snowball I have ever encountered hovering over her head.

My chin drops and she laughs as she tosses it over her head, sending it straight for me. I give a slight yelp as I scramble to escape the attack but fail to reach the required speed in order to do so. My entire body goes numb at the contact of the amount of snow colliding with me and I'm knocked to the floor, nearly face-planting into the surface in the process. I can hear the muffled laughter of Elsa as I poke my head out from the mound of snow on top of me.

I find her rolling around on the floor in a fit of laughter as she holds her sides. I break into another smile as I watch her and, with a wave of my hand, I cause the snow to dissipate, clearing the room.

I walk over to her, my staff slung over my shoulder, a smile glued to my face. I lean over her as she still clutches her sides, probably due to cramps from all the laughing.

"Having fun?" I ask her.

She jumps to her feet, her hair ruffled and in a tangled mess atop her head, her cheeks flushed from the lack of air during her laughing fit.

"That was amazing!" She cries, her eyes catching the sunlight streaming in through the window, making them look a little transparent. "Let's do it again!" She says.

I laugh and ruffle her hair just as a voice calls through the door, "Elsa? Elsa, who are you talking to?"

We both freeze, even our breathing has ceased as the room becomes eerily quiet. Elsa waves her hands frantically, her eyes growing fearful as she presses a finger to her lips, telling me to remain quiet as she calls back, "No one mother, I'm just playing." Neither of us breathes again until we hear the sound of footsteps trudging along before finally disappearing down the corridor.

I feel my shoulders relax back into place and I notice Elsa's doing the same, though they remain tense. I rest my hand on her shoulder and her eyes flick up to meet mine as I offer an encouraging smile. She returns the expression, though I notice there is still a certain edginess to it.

Someday, she will taste freedom. I will make sure of it.

* * *

The moon is full tonight. Lighting up the dark sky along with its thousands of companions, the stars that provide countless paths of light in the black void of the night sky. I sometimes think of the sky as a beacon and reminder of hope. Because it's constantly lit, no matter what time of day it is. During the day, you find the sun and at night, there are the moon and stars.

We're seated on the bench at the window, sunset long behind us now as we trace drawings in the condensation that fogs over the glass. I draw a pair of ice skates in one corner while Elsa draws a snowman in the other, her eyes faraway, her mind seeming absent.

I yearn to say something, anything at this point. To bring all her secrets from the darkness and into the light but I don't even know where to begin.

"Will you be my guardian Jack?" She suddenly asks, staring up at me with those big, beady blue eyes of hers. People always say blue eyes resemble the ocean, but hers are bluer than the ocean. If anything they resemble the sky, because just like the sky, there's no limit to them. They're endless.

"Always Elsa. I promise."


	11. Chapter 10

**Hey Guys!**

**Thank you all so much for your amazing reviews! They all mean everything to me!  
Here's a little fun chapter for you guys, hope you like it! Feedback is greatly appreciated!**

**More to come hopefully very soon!**

**-birdywings**

* * *

10

Elsa

_Ten years later._

I prop my chin up on my elbows, fighting to stay awake as I feel my eyelids grow heavy with Milo's every word.

"Arendelle borders with the kingdom of Weselton, which is our closest partner in trading-..." His monotonous voice drones on long passed the point of when I ceased listening.

My head droops in my hands and I bolt upright in my seat, startled, just as Milo cuts me a disapproving glance.  
I bite my lip, shrinking back in my seat under his nasty expression as he carries on, the words spilling from his lips like a waterfall as they never seem to be short of things to say and I feel as if I am drowning in his words, each sentence of new information just washing over me, plunging me deeper into the endless ocean of knowledge.

He displays a map up on the board ahead, highlighting to me the geographical locations of every trading post we share with the kingdom of Weselton, which is actually quite a lot. Far more than I had expected.  
His gaze lands on me again to verify I'm still paying attention, and I have to stifle the sigh that hangs off the edge of my lips and prevent my eyes from rolling right into their sockets as I straighten up, growing taller in my seat as I correct my posture, trying to appear as though I'm listening and understanding this lesson, which of course, I am. I just simply don't care to pay it any mind.  
Lessons used to be a lot more fun with Anna.

He straightens the spectacles that sit on the bridge of his nose before turning back to the board and pulling out several portraits of prominent figures whom I should probably know but don't care to find out. Nevertheless, I endeavor to endure his lecture.

"This man is the Duke of Weselton," He announces, directing my attention to a portrait of an elder man with an almost bald head, wearing formal dress clothes, decorated in a collection of medals and badges. His skin is a light shade of pink, the kind one's face might go when perhaps infuriated or embarrassed. A pair of spectacles rest on the tip of his nose, which is rather, for lack of a better word, large and pointy enough to be a lethal weapon.

A bored expression forms in Milo's features as he drags on, pointing with his staff to each portrait as he tells me every one of their names, his tone never changing and to be frank; lacking excitement as it causes me to drift off once more.  
I inhale deeply and exhale with my whole body, blowing a loose strand of hair out of my eyes as I slump against my seat, my eyelids growing heavier.

"Elsa! Pssst! Elsa!" I know that voice.

My eyes snap open as I whirl around in my rickety, wooden chair, nearly knocking it over in the process to find my guardian perched atop one of the many bookshelves lining the walls around our grand library.  
He grins at me and I just can't contain the smile that spreads from ear to ear in return. Seeing his face is like a a breath of fresh air after drowning in this ocean of knowledge for the past four hours or so.

He winks at me, his eyebrows scrunching up in this adorable kind of way as he whispers down to me with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "Watch this."

He balances on his staff like a plank and kind of surfs it down to where Milo stands, still speaking in that monotone as he moves onto his lecture about the kingdom of Corona, which is ruled by my aunt and uncle, Queen Amelia and King Marcus along with my recently recovered cousin Rapunzel, who had been missing for eighteen years but has since been reunited with her family and is soon to be married.

Jack settles down on the ground, standing tall next to Milo as he mimics his every action; jabbing a finger at the air when he does and moving his lips when he speaks but with more emphasis on the dull expressions Milo makes and I have to work hard to contain my laughter, pressing my palms to my lips.

"Princess Elsa, this is no time for childish nonsense." Milo scolds when a giggle escapes my lips.

I bite my lip, hard and try to ignore Jack even though all I really yearn to do at the moment is join him. He now floats in the air, spitting his tongue out at Milo before flying past him and drawing a mustache of frost across the portrait of this strapping young lad in formal dress wear, whom Milo tells me is Prince Hans of the Southern Isles.

I try give Jack a disapproving look but he only laughs in return, which only causes me to laugh harder. I stifle another giggle when Milo notices the doodle across Hans' face and he looks around, baffled as he rubs at his neck.

"Do you have something to do with this Princess?" He asks me, gesturing towards the frost that is now spreading over each and every portrait, drawing either a mustache or large, bushy eyebrows over each face.

I bite my lip and shake my head slightly. I may know who is causing the mischief, but that does not mean I am responsible for it. I also would never attempt anything like this, and that is aside from Milo having no knowledge of my abilities. I am far less audacious and brave than Jack is. Courage is unfortunately something I am still short of.

Jack is rolling around in the open air, clutching his sides from all the laughter but he quickly recovers, preparing for what I suspect will be his grand finale to this endless and, (what some might consider), cruel train of mischief as Milo weaves his way around his desk. Still hovering in the air, Jack taps his staff on the hardwood floor, sending ice to spread across the surface at Milo's feet, causing him to slip and fall on his backside with a yelp.  
I stifle another laugh, feeling a twinge of guilt for finding Milo's suffering even remotely funny and so I leap to my feet and rush to to his side to ensure he is unharmed.

"Are you alright?" I ask him, but he waves me off, clearly annoyed as he uses the desk to assist him to his feet.

I glare up at Jack but am unsuccessful in maintaining it when he replies with a sly smile, stepping back and holding his hands up in surrender, and I have to turn away to hide the grin that forms in my lips, much too large for my face.  
There is just something about Jack that never fails to make me smile, and when I do, something inside me just seems to melt and leaves me wanting more of that feeling.

Milo stands, dusting himself off as if the floor is toxic as he clears his throat louder than necessary and he straightens his spectacles. "Lessons are dismissed for the remainder of today due to these strange occurrences to which I have yet to unveil the source of." He tells me, and I have to contain my glee. "You may go." And with that, Milo swiftly disappears down the winding staircase to the ground floor of the library.  
I heave a sigh, relief washing over me as I feel Jack appear beside me, our shoulders touching and, even though I can't see his face, I just know he wears a smug grin.

"Come on, let's turn that frown upside down." He teases, nudging my shoulder.

I bite my lip, trying hard not to smile or at least to not allow it to show.

"Come on, who's the awesome guardian that just rescued you from your mind-numbing lessons?"

I roll my eyes, the smile revealing itself despite all my efforts to conceal it.  
I turn to face him in intentions of admonishing him but fail as my frown vanishes instantly, shifting into a grin when I find him hovering over me while perched on his staff, his face going red from all the laughing.

"Did you see his face?" He exclaims, his enthusiasm contagious. "And the Duke of Weasel Town or whatever, biggest nose I've ever seen! Seriously, it could poke an eye out!"

I shake my head at him, trying not to encourage him as I head for my chambers with Jack trailing behind me.

"Come on El, let's see a smile!" He urges. "You have to admit it was pretty funny."

I halt in my tracks, now standing in the middle of the corridor, the carpet cushioning my feet.  
I glance at him, trying to contain my laughter but it emerges from within anyway and the two of us are are just standing there laughing until a couple of servants shuffle past us, cutting me a look mixed with both concern and puzzlement. I suck in a breath, my cheeks puffing slightly out as I try to hold it in until they're out of earshot, leaving Jack and me, (or in their eyes; only me), to giggle like a couple of children.

Jack Frost. I can always count on him to bring the fun.


	12. Chapter 11

**Hey Everyone!**

**So, how was everyone's weekend? Can you all believe summer is almost upon us? What are you guys up to this vacation? **

**Thank you for the lovely reviews, favorites and follows guys! I really appreciate them and they really keep me going:) And to Shimmer Shine; No, it was not the Milo from the movie Atlantis, (although I do love that movie don't you?) but no, it wasn't him. I actually kind of just used the first name that popped into my head... He won't be anything more than her teacher but he'll most likely be in a few more chapters.  
**

**Anyway, thanks again everyone! I love hearing the feedback! It's really encouraging and uplifting!**

**More to come hopefully very soon!  
-birdywings**

* * *

11

Elsa

"Do you have to go?" I asked, my voice barely over a whisper and as small as I feel as I watch my parents gather their belongings, double-checking to ensure they have everything they may need.

"You'll be fine Elsa." My father tells me, his brown eyes full of confidence.

I bite my lip, growing nervous and lacking faith in his words. Nevertheless, I sink into a curtsy before them as mother reaches out and lifts my chin to meet her gaze.

"See you in two weeks." She says with an encouraging smile.

I force a small smile in return and watch, my stomach churning as they swiftly disappear through the grand double-doors, seeming to take any small shred of hope or confidence I have left with them.  
I walk up to the window and stare after them through the glass, my heart sinking with dread as they step onto the grand ship that will sail them to my cousin Rupunzel's wedding across the sea.  
I do not become conscious of my hand resting on the glass until frost begins to spread over the surface, crackling like a fire burning in the hearth as it covers the glass in a thin layer of ice.

I yank my hand away, staring at it as if I've never laid eyes upon it before.  
My gaze falls to the glass again, the ship in which my parents have departed in, now blurry and hard to make out in the patterns of ice intertwining with one another. I swallow the lump in my throat and, grasping my skirts in my hands I flee from the foyer, trying to escape this storm raging within me even though I'm well aware that there is no escaping it. That I am as much apart of it as it is apart of me. That we are unbreakably intertwined with one another and are forever interlaced as one.  
Still, even when all attempts are futile, I flee.

I am barely aware of the quizzical looks I receive from the occasional servant I pass by and I don't even emerge from my muddled thoughts when a maid calls after me, "Princess Elsa, are you alright?"

I continue to run until I reach and am within the safety of the walls of my chambers.  
My breaths coming urgent and heavily, my hands shaking violently, my lips quivering as I try to steady myself on my feet but I quickly succumb to the wave of fatigue that washes over me and finally, I sink down to the floor, my back against the door as I bury my head in my knees.

I haven't lost control in years, yet even after all my efforts to conceal and not to feel; the storm emerged anyway.  
I'm not crying, at least not yet. Simply just overcome with the realization that my parents have departed, leaving me with no one to help me through this.

I tilt my my head back against the door just as someone knocks from the other side and I'm just about to rise to open it when through it emanates Anna's cheery voice and I freeze at the sound of it as she says, "Elsa? It's me, Anna. I was just wondering if everything is alright? Some of the servants were saying you looked a bit distressed so I just wanted to verify that you're okay."

I don't say anything in return, all I can do is hold my breath as I feel my body grow tense at the sweet sound of my sister's voice once more.

"Do you want to, maybe, build a-... No, perhaps not. Alright then, I'll just go now."

My entire body deflates with my exhale, my heart twisting in my chest as I listen to the soft padding of her footsteps fade down the corridor. And then, the tears emerge and I'm helpless to stop the river from flowing down my face.

* * *

Jack

"Wahoo!" I shout as I whiz through the air, sending a breeze through the corridors of the castle, the servants bustling around below becoming a blur.

I shoot past them in the direction of Elsa's chambers when I catch the scent of a rather delectable aroma wafting through the air. I smile at the scent, and take off in the direction of the kitchen, the sound of dishes clinking growing louder as I near my destination.

I arrive in the grand kitchen to the royal family, the scene below quite havoc. All around, servants dressed in crisp chef uniforms hustle about tasting, stirring and creating delicious and tempting delicacies. I take a whiff at the air, drinking in the rich aroma of mouth-watering food.

I launch myself downward and sweep through the aisles of meals and desserts in progress in search of something Elsa may like.  
I stop short in front of one of the many ovens lining the walls of the room with a fresh chocolate pie topped with succulent strawberries and fluffy whipped cream in the center. I smile, unable to contain my satisfaction as I snatch a plate and fork from a cabinet and carefully cut a slice for Elsa, all the while knowing she'll like the delicacy.

I prepare to take to the air again just as a servant catches sight of the floating slice of pie and, pointing a finger at me with his face aghast, he cries, "Ahhhh! The pie is possessed!"

I roll my eyes. "Seriously? You people will believe a pie is possessed and not in Jack Frost?" I scoff and take to the air, departing for Elsa's chambers.

I have to enter through the window as I was unable to get the door open due to something blocking its path, and it is not until I step through the window frame that I discover it is Elsa who is obstructing the entrance.

The plate along with the dessert fall to the floor as I lunge across the room to her side and, caressing her face in my hands, I see that her blue eyes are red and puffy from crying.

"Elsa," I barely whisper. "What's wrong? What happened?"

But she only wraps her arms around my waist and buries her face in my chest in reply, her sobs becoming muffled against my sweatshirt. I pull her closer, because you think if you hold a person tightly, they'll somehow come closer to you. You think if you hold them as tightly as you can, you'll always feel them embossed on you, even when you pull away. But unfortunately, this has not been my experience. Over the years, no matter how many times I have held her like this in my arms, I will always feel this aching yearn, twisting me inside and out to feel her like this again. To feel her pressed up against me with my arms around her, shielding her from the world.

Yet, I cherish every moment I am lucky enough to have with her, because it's like they say, 'Now is a gift', and that is why they call it the present.  
We sat there against the door, her tears staining my sweatshirt, her shoulders lurching violently with every sob and I just hold her like that into the late hours of the night, long after the sun has succumbed to sleep.  
Eventually, she falls asleep too and I carry her over to her bed and settle next to her, listening to her every breath and studying her every feature and even how the moon casts both shadows and light across her figure as I lie there against her.

I lean over and lightly plant a kiss on her forehead, my lips lingering there longer than they probably should as I whisper against her skin, "I love you Elsa."


	13. Chapter 12

**Hey Everyone!**

**Thank you all so much for the favorites, follows and reviews! I honestly didn't think this story would get 27 reviews(!)  
But thank you guys so much! They really do mean a lot!**

**More to come hopefully very soon!  
Enjoy!  
-birdywings**

* * *

12

Elsa

I'm startled to awake in Jack's arms.  
I jump a little but manage to calm myself almost immediately as I become mesmerized with the sight of his face, which is so close to mine, our noses practically touching as I study his every feature; The way his eyelashes curl at the tips, the light shade of pink in his lips, the glow to his skin, the feeling of his arms encasing me, his muscles strong and firm under the skin.

I exhale against his nose, the breeze causing him to stir a little in his sleep and, after a moment, I lean closer and kiss his cool forehead with the slightest possible contact.  
I pull away immediately, a little shocked by my actions as it is not the type of thing I find myself doing; expressing my feelings openly.  
I spring from the bed and jump to my feet as I retreat inside myself once again just as I hear Jake emerging from his slumber behind me.

"Elsa?" He says first thing.

I bite my lip, turning away from him as I try to prevent the tears from falling.  
_Conceal don't feel. Conceal don't feel. Conceal. Don't. Feel._

"Elsa?" I feel his grip around my arm now as he brings me to face him.

He tries to meet my gaze, but I can't bring myself to look him in the eye.

"Elsa, what happened last night? You have me worried? What's wrong?" He presses.

I turn away again, hiding the quiver in my lips as I attempt to free my arm from his grasp, but I don't try too hard because the truth is; I like having his arms around me. I like the feeling of his strong arms holding me. I like his minty breath against my nose and the beating of his heart echoing into my ear.  
But it's all too much. Too frightening to even imagine if there is even a chance that Jack and I could somehow become more than-... No. It wouldn't work. Aside from Jack being an immortal, (and not to mention, _invisible_), winter spirit and my being a mortal princess, it just wouldn't work. He would be too easy a target. Too vulnerable to hurt with this storm inside of me. I just can't risk it.

I pull away again, and this time; I really try to free myself from his grasp, but Jack proves to be strong as his grip remains firm as he spins me around to face him.

"Elsa. Elsa, look at me," He whispers to me, his voice soft and soothing. "Talk to me Elsa." His eyes are pleading, almost desperate as he pauses long enough to allow me to fall into his arms again, the feeling of them around me becoming familiar.

He smooths my platinum-blonde hair back before resting his chin on my head as he plants a soft kiss against my forehead, his arms finding their way around my waist and pulling me into him.

"Talk to me Elsa." He whispers against my ear, his breath tickling my lobe.

And so I do.

"I'm scared Jack," I sob against his chest. "My parents have left and I'm afraid I'll lose control again."

He rubs my back in gentle, soft circular motions as he tells me, "I won't allow that to happen Elsa. I promise I'll always be by your side."

His words only cause me to cry harder, triggering an unstoppable tsunami to leak from my eyes. I shut them tightly, trying to disappear inside myself, but like always; I'm unsuccessful.  
That is exactly what I'm afraid of; That Jack will always be by my side, right where I can hurt him.

We stand there in the center of the room, just holding each other until Jack's arms abandon my waist as he takes my hands in his and pulls me along with him toward the open window.

I shake my head and draw my hands back to my chest. "Where are we going?" I ask him.

He smiles, and not his mischievous or sly smile, but his genuine smile. A smile much too large for his face.

"We're getting out of here." He announces.

"What?" I question him dubiously.

"Come on, you need to get out and have some fun! You need to escape all this and I'm going to help you break free." He says, as if it isn't just the grandest gift anyone could ever grant me.

I stare up at him nervously as he balances on the rail of my balcony, the setting-sun casting a faint glow around his figure. "I don't know Jack..." I say timidly, my hands twisting at my chest.

"Come on Elsa, do you trust me?" He asks, offering me his hand.

I barely process his words.

"What?" I ask incredulously.

"Do you trust me?" He asks again, his smile warm as it sends that familiar melting sensation from my heart and throughout my entire body.

_Trust._ The word echoes off the walls of my mind.  
After years of isolation, the word has become so foreign to me now. So unfamiliar that I can barely grasp the meaning of it anymore.  
_Do I trust him?_

As if answering my own question, I extend my arm out to him and allow Jack to take my hand in his, the contact of our skin once again, sending that electric chill to course through my veins and fill me with life. I smile slightly, relishing the experience.  
He flashes me another grin as he assists me onto the railing, leading me up by the hand and catching me around the waist when I stumble.  
_  
_

I feel his arms snake their way around my elbows and tie themselves around my waist as he catches my eye, his seeming to ask, _"Ready?"  
_My eyes close as I take a trembling breath, drinking in the evening air as the moon settles in the sky above us; bringing both shadows and light to the night.  
I open them before meeting his gaze and, with a slight nod of my head, his grip tightens around my waist and a gasp escapes my lips as we are launched into the air, the world shrinking below us as we rise further into the sky.

The crisp air is fresh and new to my senses, the scent making my lungs feel brand new in my body as they drink it all in.  
With the wind ruffling my skirts and hair, causing a few strands to fall loose around my shoulders, I feel as if I had been chained up all these long years and have finally broken free of the shackles that had held me prisoner in my own chambers.

I breathe a contented sigh as I feel Jack's grip tighten around me before he whispers in my ear, "Here comes the fun part."

A gasp catches in my throat as we swoop down among the forest of pine trees below, their scent growing strong as we weave our way around them.  
Jack launches us upward right into a branch, causing the snow from it to rain down upon us and I can't help but laugh as I shake the snow from my hair.  
As we fly deeper into the woods, Jack dives straight for a pond far below us and it isn't until the very last second that he pulls up, causing me to give a slight yelp. We soar over the pond, the water rippling in the breeze as it reveals to me fragments of my reflection, which are hard to make out in the dark hour of the night

I dip a finger in and giggle to myself, delighted at all the exhilaration I'm experiencing.  
I am vaguely aware of Jack's gaze resting on me as he dips his staff into the water and causes it to freeze instantly at the touch.  
He launches us back up into the air as intricate frost and ice patterns spread throughout the area; across the pond, in the grass and all along the trunks of trees surrounding the clearing.  
As we continue to rise higher into the sky, Jack aims his staff towards the countless stars burning in the distance and, after a moment, a blast of snowflakes erupt from the tip of his staff and commence to rain down upon us as we sink to the ground.

Jack's grip loosens around my waist only to tighten again as he assists me to my feet as I once again familiarize myself with the simple process of standing on firm ground.  
I blush a little, my eyes retreating to the snow-covered ground as Jack steadies me.  
He flashes me another brilliant smile before sprinting for the frozen pond ahead and skating over it with bare feet, his staff leaving swirling patterns of ice in its wake.

"I assume you know how to skate?" He calls to me teasingly.

I feel my cheeks grow warm as I retort by creating a pair of skates over my feet with a simple wave of my hand before I glide out to join him.  
He takes my hands in his and pulls me along with him as we glide across the ice, our footing perfectly synchronized.  
He extends a leg out behind him as he sinks into a lunge, skidding across the ice as I skate toward him and leap into his arms but his looses his balance and we both tumble to the ice laughing.

After a moment, he stands and offers me a hand up before he takes me by the waist again as we begin to spin in continuous circles. I arch my back slightly, my arms extending out to the sides and flailing with the motions as we maintain a steady rhythm.  
I tilt my head back and let my hair flow in the breeze as I breathe in the scent of pine mixed with the first fall of snow this winter.

Eventually, after what seems like forever, Jack lets go and we both glide backwards across the ice to opposite corners of the pond, our eyes never leaving each other's as we part.  
And we're still staring intently at one another long after we have stopped gliding.

It is I who looks away first, my gaze abandoning his and retreating to the ice at my feet as I suddenly develop a keen interest in the surface as it reflects the glow of the moon lighting up the night sky.  
I still feel his gaze on me when he whispers from across the pond, "Hey Elsa," I lift my gaze in his direction and although the night is dark, I can still vaguely make out his figure as I answer with, "Yes?"

Even from all the way over here I can sense his smile as he whispers, "Do you want to build a snowman?"

And that does it.  
Every portion of me that had been lifted and felt free from the events of tonight comes collapsing down on me all at once.


	14. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone,**

**Thank you for the reviews! 29! I can't believe it! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!  
Seriously, thank you! All of you!**

**So next few chapters are going to be quite emotional, so prepare yourselves!  
Hope you enjoy and would love to hear any feedback guys!**

**-birdywings**

* * *

13

Jack

"Do you want to build a snowman?"

Even from across the pond and in the dusky night, I can still see Elsa's figure grow tense at those seven words and I immediately regret them as soon as they pass my lips.  
My heart aches as I watch her draw her hands to her chest, her lips pressed as she turns away, avoiding my gaze.  
I skate over and take her hands in mine, trying to get her to meet my eyes as I cradle her hands as if I hold glass.

"Elsa, I'm sorry. What can I do?" I ask her repeatedly.

But she only waves me off as she tugs at her hands, trying to free them from my grasp. "Nothing, it's fine, really. I just want to go back." She tells me, obviously upset.

"Elsa, look at me," I beg her. "What is wrong?"

She meets my eyes this time, her lip quivering as the tears pool in her eyes but she blinks them away as she tells me a little more firmly, "Nothing. Please Jack, I just want to go back."

Her words cut through me like a knife and when she tugs at her hands, I let her go this time, too stunned to even speak.  
She takes a few steps away from me and my heart feels like it's breaking as I study the pained expression in her features, the breath-taking smile and gleam in her eyes no longer there.

I heave a sigh, my shoulders sagging.  
_No. I won't allow her to forbid herself from having any_ _fun.  
_I shake my head, standing taller as I stride over to her and say sternly, "No."

Her head slowly rotates in my direction, revealing to me her sad blue eyes, like the sky on a rainy day.  
"What?" She barely whispers.

"We're not going back, not yet. We still have one more stop to make before we sink back into reality."

"Jack, I-"

"No." I interject, reaching for her soft and delicate hands. She allows me to take them.

"No." I say again, but softer this time.

"But we should head back." She counters.

My hand weaves around her waist and rests on her lower-back as I draw her into me, her breath on my skin while my other hand emerges from the inches of space between us and cradles her cool cheek in my palm.  
Her eyelids flutter slightly as I feel her body relax against mine.

I draw her face toward mine and rest my forehead against hers, pressing until it hurts as I tell her, "Oh, we'll be going back alright. But we'll be taking a detour."

Her eyes are so close to mine, the blue in them bright and vibrant as if they hold the sky within them. I can feel the smile forming in her lips and she has to bite her lip to contain it.  
"Okay." She whispers against my skin.

And she does not utter another word of protest as I wrap my arm fully around her hip and will the wind to lift us into the air, towards the Man in The Moon, who I swear is smiling down upon us.

* * *

Jack

I fly us up to a mountain covered in a fresh blanket of snow as it overlooks the forest down below, the world lighter with the fresh sheet of snow over it.  
I settle us down on the ground and motion for her to sit next to me at the edge. Her hands twist and tangle themselves with each other at her chest and I can tell she is nervous, but as I take her hand and pull her down with me to the ground, our legs dangling over the cliff, her tension seems to subside somewhat.

"So what-" She begins in a trembling tone but I press a finger to my lips, which are formed in a impossible-to-suppress grin, silencing her.

She obeys and we sit there on the edge of this snow-covered cliff, our feet dangling over the village below, the rooftops sprinkled in a layer of soft snow, the village practically at my fingertips but at the same time, so far away. Its lanterns shining in the night like the stars above.  
I take a deep breath, absorbing the fresh and crisp air as I press my hands into the snow at my sides, trying to keep them from shaking.

_Come on Sandserson. Please make it a good performance tonight._

And then, out of thin air, streams of golden dust weave through the air, intertwining with one another as they enter the little huts below through the windows, bringing dreams to all the children in the village.  
I glance at Elsa and find her staring up at the dreams in awe, her mouth agape as the golden light reflects in her eyes, giving them a twinkle in the darkness.  
I reach for her hand and heave a sigh of relief, my entire body deflating and relaxing with it when she doesn't pull away.

We sit there, just marvelling at the magnificence of the countless golden streams of dust carrying dreams within them.  
I reach a hand out and poke at a stream that flows in front of us and a gasp escapes Elsa's lips as the stream bursts into a golden bird, its wings extended as it gives a hopeful chirp before flying off, soaring through the open air and into a window.

I watch it disappear through the glass when I feel Elsa's hand enclose around mine. I glance back at her as she continues to watch the dreams weave their way through the village below, a smile forming on her soft lips.  
I feel a smile form in my features as I squeeze her hand in return, my palm swallowing her hand as the two become muddled as one.

* * *

Jack

The wind whistles in our ears as it whips at our faces, causing Elsa's hair to fall loose from her braid and flow into my face as we soar over the town in the direction of the castle.  
I inhale deeply, breathing in her scent. I could never get enough of her.

I slow down as we approach the balcony connected to her chambers and take her by the hand as leap from the railing and onto the floor, her cheeks flushed from the cool breeze.  
I smile at her and she averts her eyes to her feet, blushing as she tucks a loose strand of her platinum-blonde hair behind her ear.

"Well princess, it has been a pleasure to accompany you this evening." I say as I balance on the railing and bow before her, trying to appear calm in attempts to soother her nerves.

Even though my eyes face the floor, I can just picture her hands fidgeting at her chest as she bites at her lip.  
"Jack?" She whispers.

I glance up at her. "Yes?"

She doesn't say anything for a moment and so we just stand there, watching each other, the shadows concealing most of our faces but I can just imagine the nervous appearance in her endless blue eyes.

"Just-... Thank you." She finally says.

I smile at her and nod before turning to fly off.

"Wait." She whispers.

I whirl around and look at her expectantly.  
She doesn't say anything more and I become conscious of the rising tension in her as I leap from the railing, landing before her as I clasp her hands in mine and rest my forehead against hers.

"Jack." She whispers, her breath colliding with my skin, sending a cold, electric shock to course through my veins.

"Elsa." I whisper in return as my hand reaches up the narrow space between us and comes to cradle her cheek in my palm as I lift her gaze to meet mine.  
She stares up at me, her eyes catching the light from the moon and reflecting the glow in her endless blue eyes.  
My hands slide around her waist, drawing her into me.

"Elsa." I whisper again, relishing the taste of her name rolling off my tongue.

I reach up and wrap my hand around the nape of her neck before drawing her lips to mine and when they touch; all our surroundings suddenly evaporate leaving only her body pressed up against mine and this one kiss, a kiss so electrifying and intense that it's like kissing for not only the first, but last time as well. A kiss so rare and fragile that it leaves you breathless.

I feel Elsa's hands snake their way up and around my neck, pulling me further into the kiss.  
I smile against her lips as they move together while my arms draw her closer, our foreheads pressing against each other to the point it hurts. But I'm barely conscious of it as the kiss seems to dull everything around me, making this moment all seem like a dream.

It lasts forever, and it is forever that I want to remain here, holding her in my arms, feeling her body against mine and her lips move against mine with our gasps for air being the only thing to fill the silence.  
But unfortunately, my need for air overcomes me and I have to part from her to once again learn how to breathe.

My heart races as I pant for air, feeling Elsa's body tremble against mine as she too tries to recall how to breathe.  
Her body sinks against mine, her head resting against my chest as she listens to the drumming of my heart beating in my chest, the sound echoing throughout the walls of my body.  
I draw her in and plant a kiss on her forehead before resting my chin in her hair.

"Will you be my snowflake Elsa and fall for me?" I whisper into her hair.

I break into a smile, and even though I cannot see her face, I know that she wears a smile on her lips too as she replies with, "Only if you'll be my guardian Jack and catch me."


	15. Chapter 14

14

Elsa

I awake to the first rays of sunlight streaming in through my window, the light reflecting off the glass and shining into my eyes.  
Groaning, I pull the covers over my head and avert my face away from the window, trying to sink back into sleep or to at least remain in bed for as long as possible as I replay the events of my evening with Jack over and over again in my head, the images forever engraved into my memory.

I smile at the image of Jack's face in the glow of the moonlight, his eyes catching the light of the distant stars above us. The feeling of his arms around me, pulling me into him, bringing us together as one. His soft, cool lips moving against mine; barely touching at first, and then pressing against mine urgently all at once as I breathe in his scent, just like Christmas; the scent of pine trees mixed in with cinnamon as I try to remember exactly _how_ to breathe again.

I smile at these thoughts, feeling comforted by them as they just seem to fit together like the pieces to a puzzle or the ingredients to a cake or perhaps the composition of the human body itself; all these different components with different smells, flavors and affects that they would not seem as if they fit together, yet somehow, still manage to.  
With the image of Jack's face embedded in my mind; his piercing blue eyes, his soft, radiant skin and his snowy-white hair, I begin to descend back into the darkness under my eyelids with the comfort of his smile being my last thought until a knock comes at the door.

"Princess Elsa?" Comes my maid, Gerda's muffled voice from the other side, which is usually bright and cheery but seems to carry a certain edginess to it this morning with even a hint of remorse and tension in it.

"Yes?" I call back.

"A letter has come for you from the King and Queen of Corona."

Sighing, I throw my covers off, swing my legs over the side of the bed and slip my feet into my slippers as I push myself up onto my feet, dragging myself over to the door at the opposite end of the room.  
I blow a few loose strands of hair out of my eyes and straighten up before twisting the handle and opening the door to find a sullen-faced Gerda standing before me, her eyes sad and illegible, her facial muscles motionless as she develops a keen interest in the floor beneath her feet, avoiding my gaze as she hands me a single envelope with the crest of Corona indented in the wax holding it closed.

She curtsies and mumbles a "Princess", before departing abruptly, disappearing down the corridor before I even have a chance to utter a "Thank you".  
I stare after her with a muddled and quizzical expression setting on my features but I simply shake it off and click the door closed; once again, shutting out the world beyond my chambers.

Envelope in hand, I prop myself against my vanity stand, my hand leaning on the edge as I tear open the envelope and pull out the single sheet of paper. I unfold the letter to find my aunt's scratchy handwriting in ink dominating the page as it slants across, each letter a different shape and size, and I begin to decipher her curly, winding cursive.

_My Dearest Nieces,_

_It brings me great sorrow to deliver you this tragic news but I feel it is my duty to do so, no matter how much pain it brings me as I write this letter to you.  
__My dearest girls, it seems that your parents ship, which was to carry them here to our land of Corona, was caught in the tragic storm at sea that took place only two nights ago, the night they should have arrived here._

_I am so dreadfully sorry my dear girls, they were both too young, too kind and pure of heart.  
Your father was nothing but kind to me and I will miss both him and my sister dearly._

_I am sincerely sorry that I cannot tell you such tragic news in person, but alas, I am here, while you are there.  
__If you girls should ever require anything, anything at all, please know and do not hesitate to write your uncle and me as we will be here for you should you ever need us._

_You are both in our thoughts.  
Love,_

_Aunt Amelia, Uncle Marcus & Rapunzel_

Everything inside me collapses as the letter falls from my hand and flutters to the floor, seeming to throw me off balance as I too fall to the hardwood flooring at my feet, knocking my vanity table over in the process-sending the countless, tiny bottles to fly through the air and to land with a shattering crash a few inches away; their remnants skidding across the floor, forming a field of shattered glass around me as they catch the sunlight streaming in through the window, illuminating the thousands of tiny jagged pieces like how the ocean sparkles when it reflects the sunlight. But this ocean is sharper, an ocean of glass.

And that is exactly how I feel; like glass.  
About to crack down the middle.  
About to shatter and send my remains to scatter across the floor.  
About to break.  
And I do.  
All the pain I have endured through all these years of isolation comes welling up inside of me and erupting from within all at once as ice spreads across the floor beneath me; slithering up the walls and coating them in a thin layer of frost as a heavy wave of snow descends upon the room, swirling around me like an angry storm in the thick of winter.

I can't breath. I can't think, and all I feel is this cold, hollow emptiness inside me that all the fun in the world will never be able to fill again.

* * *

Jack

I dart through the air, the wind whipping at my face and ruffling my hair as I gain speed, doing a couple of flips as I go, kicking some snow up on the crest of a hill in the process. With an effortless wave of my staff, I conjure up the lump of snow on the hill, leaving a fresh snowman in my wake.  
I smile as I whiz past him, giving him a small salute as he seems to become animated and waves after me, a smile dominating his features.

I laugh and dive straight for the snow-covered ground, only pulling up when I'm an inch away from the earth.  
As I hover over the edge of the forest where wild rose bushes and pine trees grow freely as far as the eyes can see across the vast expanse of the woods, my eyes scan through the greenery, in search of something I may bring to Elsa.  
I settle down on the ground, the snow crunching between my toes. I weave through the branches and shrubbery, my eyes surveying the many unique plants I have within my grasp to choose from.

I catch sight of what I gather to be a Cyclamen flower-one of the few flowers that thrives in the harsh, cold months of winter-its petals glowing a luminous white even in the dim light of evening with a pinkish-red ring going around the exterior of the center, the vibrant colors merging with and progressing into the white as they blend together.  
I smile to myself, knowing Elsa will like it and so I gently pluck the flower from its position in the shrub and cradle it in my palms as I exhale against it, my cool breath freezing the plant instantly as frost coats the thin and delicate petals, miniature icicles hanging off the edges.

I smile, satisfied with my creation as I set off for the Arendelle castle.  
As I approach the mighty kingdom, which is usually buzzing with energy and excitement amongst the townspeople as it is a city built for movement with an aura of mystery to it; I notice the shocking stillness to the city; as if everyone and everything inhabiting it is holding their breath for some anticipated calmactic event, and for the first time since I first arrived in Arendelle, there is only one sound to fill the air, traveling on the wind; _silence._

I ascend into the air, conscious of the haunting eeriness contaminating the kingdom as my heart drums in my ears in a rapid and alarming tune. I take a breath, trying to calm myself as I float through the air, passing a few pedestrians here and there, all dressed in the same grey attire; the men in formal dress pants and neatly pressed shirts while the women wear grey skirts falling around their ankles with these thin grey scarves pulled over their heads, all their faces crestfallen as they tote their children along. They too are dressed in grey and dismal attire with not so much as a smile on their faces as they following their parents without a single syllable of protest.

I fly past them, trying to shake this ghostly feeling as I speed up a little toward the castle and it is only upon entering through the grand double-doors and being greeted by the thin, grey veil being pulled over the portrait of the smiling faces of the King and Queen staring back at me-their faces never to be looked upon again-that it dawns on me; They're gone. The King and Queen of Arendelle are forever lost to the abyss after the battle that we all face against human consciousness each day, leaving behind two still very young daughters with nothing to leave behind as comfort to this horrible tragedy.

I drag myself the rest of the way to Elsa's chambers, knowing that she cannot get through this on her own but I stop short when I see Anna approach her bedroom door and knock softly, trying desperately to reach her sister, who has retreated so deep inside herself that I'm afraid I will never be able to pull her back from the brink again.

I take off before I even realize it, down the corridor, through the entrance and I do not stop until I reach Elsa's balcony.  
I slowly approach the door and give the handle a try but it's frozen shut from the inside. I wipe at the condensation fogging over the glass in the door but it's no use; her powers have already set in motion, the storm brewing and taking her over, pulling her under.  
I have to get to her. I_ need_ to reach her.

I float up to the window and open it a crack but halt when I hear the sound of soft singing coming from within.  
I peer inside the room to find Elsa sitting on the floor at the opposite end, her back pressed up against the door with her head tilted back, her knees pulled up to her chest. Her features are muddled into this twisted and heart-wrenchingly painful expression that I can't bear to even look at, but I do anyway because I have to be brave for her in order to be there for her.

I listen to Anna's soft voice emanating from the other side of the door, separating the two sisters. they're so close with only this thin line between them, yet so far. I distance that can never be covered.  
Anna's every word feel like getting stabbed right in the pit of my heart and I can't even imagine how it must feel for Elsa.  
My beautiful Elsa.  
She cannot and will not get through this alone.  
Things will not go back to the way they once were; when she was like a caged bird locked up inside this room, shut out from the rest of the world with only the Man in The Moon for company and only her constant sobs to fill the silence between them. I will not allow that to happen.

"Do you want to build a snowman?" Anna sings, and it is then that I realize why those words upset Elsa so.

Eventually, Anna's singing ceases, leaving Elsa in the growing silence of her room as the flakes rain down upon her.  
After forever, I take a deep breath before slowly pushing open the window and setting foot in Elsa's room.  
Ice coats every possible surface; the floor, the walls, the ceiling and continues to spread beneath her, covering every inch of the room like I sheet of fear that grows thicker with her every sob.

My eyes trail up ahead to find a wall of ice built around her now, separating her from not only the outside world, but me as well and it breaks my heart at the realization of this; that she can never be the Elsa she once was or ever experience the childhood she was cheated out of or taste the freedom she deserves. That by every passing moment, she retreats deeper inside herself, fading from the world. From me. Her hopes and dreams of freedom slowly dying piece by piece with her spirit.

As I slowly approach the wall of ice composed of her fear, I sigh, willing myself to remain strong for her as I lay a hand on the thick, slick barrier between us as I say to her through the wall, "Elsa, I know this is hard and that it seems like you'll never find the courage to recover from this, but please." I say, sounding desperate, and I suppose I am. Desperate to pull her back from the edge. To show her that there is beauty in her abilities, not destruction. To rescue her from the ocean of fear she drowns in. To save her from herself as she becomes more convinced by each passing moment that she is a monster and nothing more.

"Please Elsa, please. You have to let me help you. Let me in, please. Please. Please..." My voice eventually fades into the over-powering silence of the room, leaving us to drown in it as I lean my back against the cool wall, sliding down against it until I'm seated on the floor with the frozen blossom still cradled in my palms, its petals already wilting away. Just like Elsa's spirit.

"Please." I whisper, but my words are only met with silence as she leaves them hanging in the thick air between us.

* * *

Elsa

"Please Elsa," He begs. "Please."

He continues to talk, trying to reach me, but what he doesn't understand is that I'm already lost. Already submerged in this deep, endless ocean of fear.

I shift on the floor and crawl over to sit against my wall of fear between us, my back against his.

"Please."

His words pierce my heart like a dagger because what he does not understand is that no matter how much I want to reach for him in return; I can't.  
I am lost.  
I am drowned.  
I am empty.  
There is no rescuing me.


	16. Chapter 15

**Holy crap guys!**

**42 reviews?! *Drops dead then spontaneously comes back to life* THANK YOU! ALL OF YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH! God, I don't even know what to say! Just THANK YOU!  
Yeah, sorry about my last chapter, you know, if I made you cry at all... I didn't even think my story would be able to do that. But anyway, sorry!**

**Okay so, unfortunately, it doesn't really get much better from here but I hope you guys like my story nonetheless:) And please continue to review guys! They really motivate me:D**

**Oh, and to freezeon98; believe me, I feel your pain. I think we're all waiting for our Jack Frost to appear in our lives;)**

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!  
More to come hopefully soon!  
-birdywings**

* * *

15

Jack

_"Will you be my guardian Jack?" She asks, staring up at me with those big, beady blue eyes of hers. People always say blue eyes resemble the ocean, but hers are bluer than the ocean. If anything, they resemble the sky, because just like the sky, there's no limit to them. They're endless._

_"Always Elsa. I promise."_

* * *

Jack

The memory brings me both joy and sorrow as I smile and flinch at the thought of that night. The night I truly forever interlaced my life with hers. The night I vowed I would change things for her. To set her free from her prison. To protect her.

She was such a different person that night.  
So young with the moonlight catching in her endless blue eyes as it streamed in through the window, giving them a gleam in the dusk of night. Her skin always radiant no matter what time of day it is, and even underneath all that fear and tension, she was so full of dreams and wonder and even in the smallest possible quantity; hope.  
And I suppose in some way, I was different too.

I was younger, more impulsive and even a little reckless at times; when my emotions got the better of me, causing a blizzard to rise from within, leaving destruction in its wake.  
I was foolish too.  
Foolish to believe that I could save Elsa from herself.  
Foolish to believe that I could be the one to pull her back from the brink.  
Foolish to believe that I could be the one to toss the lifebuoy and tow her back to shore.  
Foolish to believe that I was the one The Man in The Moon selected to rescue her.  
But I was wrong. About it all. About everything.

How can you save someone that doesn't wish to be rescued?  
Someone that will yank their hand free from your grasp and return to hanging from the edge of the cliff over the abyss.  
Someone that will toss the buoyant life preserver right back to you, leaving you to stand with an aching heart alone on the shore, watching as they drown somewhere out in the ocean with the waves washing over them, pulling them under with every current.  
The truth is; you can't.

You are only left with two options;

- You can stand on the shore with the waves tickling at your toes and the seafoam bubbling at your feet, watching as they drown before your eyes.

Or,

- You can simply just be there for them.

Remain as the ghost who hovers over their shoulder, watching from above as they retreat deeper and further inside themselves. Who only reveals themselves when the victim can no longer pull themselves back from the abyss. Or when the current becomes too strong. When they fall so far they can no longer see the top. When they are losing so much but they aren't yet lost.  
When their need for you is dire and great.

And so this is what I am doing.  
Returning to the ghost I once was; Jack Frost.  
The winter spirit who flies around in plain sight like the chill in the wind that carries winter, bringing fun to all.

Each day is exactly like the last until they eventually fade into each other; each one merging into the next as she falls further within, retreating deeper inside of herself as she fades from the world.  
And from me.  
Losing herself but not yet lost.  
Though, she believes she is, and that she is beyond any and all saving.

She walks through life like a ghost, doing and saying whatever is necessary in order to continue walking around aimlessly.

Three long, heart-wrenchingly painful years we went without so much as a word to each other.  
And it was through these three long years that I hovered over her, guarding her just as I had promised.  
Because a promise is a promise right?  
Something you're supposed to mean when you say it, correct?  
The words that pass over your lips-forever engraved in them-stay with you forever, as both a torment and a reminder of the vow you made to that one person.

Some people don't understand the promises they make when they make them.  
But I understood when I said those two simple yet powerful words to her.  
And I'm not about to allow them to grow empty and meaningless.  
I'm not about to let them slip through my fingers.  
Or her.  
Because words have power, and I do not have any desire at all to discover the extent of their wrath.

I adjust my legs into a more comfortable position as I prop myself up on one of the many bookshelves lining the walls of the grand library.  
My arm rests on my knees as I draw it to my chest while I caress my staff in my other hand with my leg hanging over the edge of the shelf, over the layers upon layers of thousands of pages with stories composed of nothing but scratches on a sheet of paper, held together by a thick, leather bound.  
It is difficult to process that something so small can hold something so grand and extraordinary within its pages.

My eyes skim through the room, searching for her.  
Past the shelves, past the books, past the desks, past Milo, until finally I catch sight of her.  
Her long, platinum-blonde hair no longer tied up in her usual braid as it cascades down her back like a river of snow, but is instead, braided and wrapped around her head before clumping up into a bun at the back.  
The gloves are back on, just as the walls have been rebuilt around her, shutting not only the world out, but me as well.

I watch, my heart twisting me inside and out as Milo places a stack of books on her head, the weight heavy upon her neck as she walks up and down the isles of books with Milo using his staff to correct her posture as he pokes at her back or neck and lifts her chin with the tip when her eyes fall once more to the carpeted floor at her feet.

"Eyes up, Princess Elsa!" Milo commands once more, the frustration difficult to miss in his tone.

I watch, my eyes never leaving her face as she bites down on her lip, fighting the tears in her eyes while trying to keep it all in. Trying to conceal. Trying not to feel. Trying not to allow it to reveal itself.

Milo groans in exasperation as he waves his arms around frantically at Elsa and she steps back a few feet, causing the stack of books to tumble from her head to the floor before Milo calms down somewhat as he removes his glasses from his face and rubs at his temple.

"As queen, Elsa, you are expected to make eye contact with every one of your subjects as well as to-at the very least-hold you head high and in a regal manner." Milo sighs.

Elsa shrinks back into a corner as she draws her hands to her chest, trying to disappear inside herself. "I-I'm sor-" She stammers but is dismissed by her teacher with a simple wave of his hand.

"Elsa, you are twenty-one years old now, you are not a child anymore. I shouldn't have to keep talking to you like one. It is time to grow up and mature," He tells her. "You are to be crowned Queen and ruler of Arendelle in three days. It's time to let go of the past and grow into the ruler your parents intended for you to become. Am I clear?" His hand is on her shoulder-in what I suppose he intends as a gesture of comfort-though honestly, this man is evidently incapable of sympathy.

Elsa's teeth come into contact with her lower lip as she forces herself to meet Milo's gaze. "Crystal."

He nods, and strides over to his desk where he digs up props for the scepter and globus cruciger of Arenedelle, which are the items Elsa will hold during her coronation ceremony.

"Now, you will have to hold these in your hands during the crowning ceremony," Milo tells her as he weaves around the desk. "You will be given the genuine scepter and globus cruciger of Arendelle of course, but I thought we could practice with these props I had fashioned for you. Now, gloves off." He says, clearly pleased with himself by the look of the ridiculous grin plastered to his face.

I roll my eyes while wanting to snap at him, 'Hey, you think your mere accomplishment is anywhere near as extraordinary as hers? She can turn you into a human-popsicle with a simple flick of her wrist if she wants to! Lucky for you though, she is a good enough person to refrain from doing so. Me on the other hand? Not so nice!'

I have to stop myself from hurling a snowball at him in the middle of her lesson with the only thing keeping me from doing so is Elsa, because the last thing she needs right now is to worry about me flying through the streets of the kingdom, hurling snowballs at every person who ever did her wrong.

I notice Elsa's teeth digging into her lips once more as she mumbles, "Um, can we take a break?"

Milo sighs, his shoulders slumping forward as he sets the items down on the desk with a slam before answering with, "Fine, but only five minutes. We have a lot of work to accomplish in less than three days." And with that, the tall, skinny man, who looks like a skeleton wearing skin, storms out of the room and I swear I can see vague traces of steam puffing out of his ears.

I hear a long sigh pass through Elsa's lips as she sinks into a seat, her shoulders slumping against the back of the chair as she fights the tears pooling in her eyes while her hands clutch the sides of the chair, causing frost to seep onto the wood beneath her. She takes a sharp breath as a sob catches in her throat and that is when I decide to swoop in to her aid.

"Elsa." I whisper, my voice smaller than I want it to be. I force my hands to stop trembling at my sides.

She jumps to her feet and whirls around to face me. "Jack?" She gasps, her voice shaking.

I nod at her, smiling with a corner of my mouth. "Hey El."

She draws her hands to her chest, her breaths quickening and I swear the only sound filling the room is the beating of our hearts at an alarming rate as they try to remain in tune with one another.

I take a cautious step towards her, my hands reaching for hers as my mouth opens, but no words spill from it.  
She shakes her head at me as I near her, slowly and microscopically at first and then vigorously and almost frantically.

"Elsa." I try to say, trying to reach her but she only shakes her head and takes a step back before bolting out the door.  
I fly after her.

"Elsa wait!" I call after her.

"No, Jack!"

"Elsa stop!" I descend to the floor directly in front of her, blocking her path like a dam in a river.

"Elsa." I whisper.

She shakes her head again, drawing her hands to her chest. "No, Jack."

I only say her name in return, because at the moment, it's all I can think to say. The only word I am capable of uttering and am capable of thinking as I enjoy the wave of elation that washes over me at the feeling of speaking to her again.

"What are you doing here?" She asks me, and her words hit me like a blade in the pit of my heart.

"I'm here for you." I tell her.

She shakes her head again. "No, I'm fine Jack. You have to go." She says, turning away from me.

"Elsa." I say again, trying to meet her eyes.

And again, she shakes her head. "You have to go." She repeats, but a little softer this time.

I sigh, trying to disguise the hurt in my eyes, like an wounded animal as I tell her, "I'm sorry." Though for what I do not know.

Perhaps for the passing of her parents.  
Or for being cheated out of the childhood she deserved.  
Or for losing her best friend.  
Or for the storm that rages inside of her that I am helpless to help her tame.

Regardless of the reason; I am sorry.  
Sorry that I can't save her like I want to.  
That I can't reach as far as I want to for her.  
That I can't throw as far as I want to.

But I can be there for her.  
And I am.  
I always will.

* * *

**Oh, and just a quick announcement everyone!**

**If you like The Fault in Our Stars, be sure to check out this fanfiction my sister is writing for it as a kind of sequel to the book.  
If you are interested, please search wallflower95 and the story is called 'Their Little Infinity'. Please check it out guys! Trust me, you WILL NOT be disappointed:D**

**Okay, that's all for now:) Please review and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

**-birdywings**


	17. Chapter 16

**Hey everyone!**

**Longest chapter so far, YAY!:D  
Thank you so much for your amazing reviews everyone!**

**Hope you like this chapter! Let me know what you think!;)**

**-birdywings**

* * *

16

Elsa

_I'm stranded once again in this hollow, empty void, shrouded in darkness as I drown in the silence of the space.  
__I gingerly reach a hand out as I take a cautious step forward into the veil of shadows surrounding me, feeling for something, anything, to guide me through my darkened path ahead. But I'm left to drown in this void of darkness as it encircles me, pulling me under with the waves washing over me, leaving me to sink further into this endless ocean of fear and darkness. _

_My breathing suddenly grows urgent and shallow as the air suddenly becomes thin and I can't seem to deliver any to my lungs.  
Blackness begins to encroach around my field of sight, leaving me to watch the shadows dance across my vision as my chest suddenly grows tight and heavy as something unbearably painful rises from within me, the weight becoming hard to bear._

_I can't get any air.  
The walls are closing in on me again. Containing and caging me like a bird that will never be granted the opportunity to spread its wings.  
The world spins beneath me as the blizzard begins to swirl at my feet, and I blindly stumble through the storm, gasping for air, trying to breathe under this burden.  
I shut my eyes as I try to scream under this weight upon my chest, but no sound passes through my lips and I'm left to stumble and fall while screaming at the top of my lungs with no one present to hear my cries._

_And then, just as soon as it all began; it ends.  
The weight lifts from my chest all at once as the air suddenly begins to come easily to me once more.  
My eyes flick open to discover an unknown source of light filling the space, illuminating everything in its path as it reveals to me the icy ground at my feet.  
I study my blurry and disoriented reflection in the ice as a pair of sharp, piercing blue eyes stare back up at me in return, causing a shiver to run through my body and I have to turn away as I draw my hands to my chest, trying to fold up inside myself, wishing I could just disappear already._

_And then I see him._

_He is coated in a thick layer of ice from head to toe.  
His strong, yet gentle hands are frozen into place as they extend out into the void, as if trying to reach for something. Or someone.  
His once snowy-white and usually tousled hair now sits undisturbed upon the crown of his head.  
His once beautifully mesmerizing and piercing, icy blue eyes now motionless and glassy in the reflection of the light filling the room.  
The one and only person I never thought I would ever harm.  
My beautiful guardian.  
_

_Jack._

_I feel this excruciating blade slice through me as a hollow emptiness fills the spot in my heart where I hold Jack. Like a secret in my heart, just under my rib cage where the life is pumped from and sent to course through my body_

_I trudge over to him, limping somewhat, as if the sight of him like this has crippled me.  
My hand reaches out to caress his face, but I draw it back to my chest immediately as I bite at my lip, biting back the cry of pain and misery that catches in my throat as I reach my hand out to meet his, which is positioned as if it is pressed up against a wall.  
And that is exactly what I feel is between us._

_A thick, invisible and impenetrable wall cutting through our paths, separating us from one another as our hands reach out but are forbidden to ever touch again.  
I stare into his eyes, yearning to once again see the blue in them. To feel his arms around me, pulling me into him, drawing our two bodies together as one. To once more feel that cold, electric shock seep into my skin and flow through my veins._

_I draw my hands to my chest, my teeth digging into my lip as I back away from him before turning away just as my trembling legs succumb to gravity and I sink to my knees. My hands reach for my temple as I press my forehead against the slick, icy surface, causing a numbing pain to shoot through my head and run into my body at the contact._

_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Jack._

_"What did I tell you Elsa?" _

_That same cold, hollow and icy voice calls to me, seeping into my mind._

_"Embrace the fear."_

_Please don't go.  
Please don't leave me Jack.  
Please._

* * *

Elsa

My eyes flick open to find a sheet of snow hovering above me as I lie there, frozen with fear.  
I slowly push myself upright as I survey the damage from my nightmare around me, the effect resulting to ice-coated walls as it seeps in between the wooden planks in the floor and a veil of snowflakes descending upon the room.

A knock comes at the door and I jump at the sound, my pulse quickening as a mound of ice rises up from the floor in the center of the room.  
"Your Highness?" Gerda's voice calls through the wood that shuts life beyond my chambers out with its purpose being not to keep me safe from the world, but to keep the world safe from me.

"Y-yes?" I call in a weak and trembling voice.

"Princess Rapunzel and Sir Eugene have arrived and await your presence in the dining quaters, along with Princess Anna."

"Al-alright, thank you Gerda. Please inform them that I will be down momentarily." I remain motionless in bed until I hear the sound of her footsteps padding against the floor and fading down the corridor.

I release the breath I was not aware I was holding as I attempt to melt the mound of ice that had formed at the foot of my bed, but it only shatters, sending its remnants to skid across the hardwood flooring.  
I begin to hyperventilate as I wriggle out from under the covers and plant my feet on the floor, trying to remain upright as I try to reach my dressing screen but somehow end up wandering over to my vanity table thanks to my feet, which seem to posses a mind of their own.

I sink down into the chair as I study my reflection.  
My eyes seem to sag at the corners, the weariness revealing within them as they stare back at me with their crestfallen blue, the color seeming to drain from the orbs.  
My face is stricken, the skin ashen, giving it a ghostly appearance even in the morning sunlight.

I unclench my hands and press them against the edge of the table, my fingernails chipping away at the wood as I continue to study myself, looking over every feature as I search my endless eyes, which look so hollow and lost inside themselves that I don't even recognize them anymore.

Who is this girl?  
She is so pale and ghostly that I can almost see right through her, and yet, not see her at all for who she truly is anymore.  
She is a stranger with a face I will never be able to remember. A face that will fade into unreachable memories that will be lost with time.

This girl is not me.  
I no longer know who I am anymore.  
I am a stranger even to myself.  
I have once more become the ghost hiding in plain sight.

* * *

Elsa

_Conceal don't feel. Conceal don't feel.  
__Conceal. Do. Not. Feel._

"Elsa? Are you alright?"

I shake my head slightly, trying to clear my thoughts as I snap to attention and force a smile as I turn to my cousin. "Yes, of course." I say wearily.

Rapunzel nods her head with a smile as she resumes with the conversation occurring over our breakfast.  
I'm seated at the dining table that is much too large for only four people with Rapunzel and her husband Eugene on either side of me while Anna sits across from me at the far end, and I try to avoid her gaze as she stares intently at me, trying to meet my eyes with that little pout and her protruding lower-lip she used to give our parents when she requested anything of them when we were younger.  
Looking at her now, even as a young woman, brings back all the achingly painful memories-both good and bad-from when we were little, and I have to look away.

_Conceal don't feel._

"Anyway, it's just amazing to finally meet the both of you," Rapunzel continues. "You both simply must come to Corona for a visit. I tell you, we are famous for our spectacular weather in spring. Oh, and you have to meet Pascal and Maximus, their just he most loyal too friends you will ever meet."

Her voice eventually trails off, drowning into the silence between Anna and me.  
I try hard to focus on what she and Eugene are saying, but I become too engaged in trying conceal it all.

_Conceal don't feel.  
__Conceal don't feel.  
__Conceal don't feel._

I was unable to locate one of my gloves this morning while dressing, so I had to go without it, and through the whole stroll to the dining quaters I had to convince myself that all will go well. That I could keep it in. That I could hide it all. That I could conceal and not feel. That I could last until the end of the meal.  
But even as I tell myself my father's words, I can feel the ice beginning to spread from my fingertips and seep into my dress.

I bite my lip and abruptly rise from my chair, practically leaping to my feet and almost knocking the chair over in the process as I become conscious of the three other heads at the table, along with the two of the servants, turning in my direction.  
Five pairs of eyes boring through me and I suddenly feel exposed and self-conscious.  
I give a slight chuckle to let them know that everything is fine, but it comes out as more of a nervous and uncertain laugh, one that one might give when in the face of danger.

"Elsa," Anna says from the other end of the table. "Are you okay?"

"I-uh," I utter as I draw my hands behind my back, trying to hide them in my skirts.

"I'm alright, simply just a little tired," I lie. "Suppose I'll turn in for a few hours."

I don't give any one of them time to reply.  
I simply vanish through the door and make my way down the corridor towards my chambers as I prevent myself from breaking out into a run.  
I force a flimsy smile, wearing that familiar mask of concealment and deceit once again, as I pass by a few servants here and there.  
I'm just a few feet short of my chambers-just a few feet away from the safety of the walls of both my prison and escape-when I feel a sudden pang of longing and loneliness hit me.  
I fear being alone more than anything, but if isolation is the price I have to pay to prevent myself from harming anyone, than I will gladly do it.

I reach for the handle when I suddenly become conscious of a nearby presence, as well as a pair of eyes observing me and I scan the space around me, searching for someone lurking in the shadows.

"I know you're here Jack." I call out to him.

I hear him laugh and the sound is like music; pure and sweet, composed of all these different pitches and notes that shouldn't fit together, but somehow do in this one, pure sound.  
"You always did know when I was near." He replies, descending onto the floor behind me as I turn to face him.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him, my voice smaller than I want it to be.

I tie my hands around my back as I take a few steps away from him while the scenes from last night's nightmare dance across my eyes, and I have to refrain from flinching at the sight.

"For you, of course." He answers with, a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

I shake my head at him and turn away, trying to hide the quiver in my lip as I reply with, "No Jack. You have to leave."

I can only imagine the hurt in his eyes, and it twists my heart into knots just by saying these words.

"Elsa." He whispers as he reaches for my hands, but I pull them away, my fingers slipping through his.

"No Jack," I say, taking a deep, trembling breath. "I appreciate your concern, but I'm afraid I no longer require your protection."

My every word cuts through me like a blade.

"Elsa." He whispers through slightly parted lips, a dazed look in his eyes.

I turn to face him once more, digging my teeth into my lip to hide the quiver in them as I lift my chin to meet his gaze.

"I have a kingdom to run Jack," I tell him. "Citizens to govern, people who are relying on me," My voice begins to shake again and I have to pause to recollect as I will myself to finish the sentence.  
"I will be crowned ruler of this land tomorrow, leaving me no time to run wild having snow ball fights and building snowmen along the streets of the village. I'm not a child anymore Jack, I have duties and responsibilities to this kingdom."

I don't believe it.  
Any of it.  
Not any one of the words that spew from my lips as I stand there with him in the corridor with nothing but my hollow, empty words automatically spilling from my mouth-as if someone else talks through me while I appear in form-to fill the silence between us, creating a distance so great that it would take a lifetime to cover.  
How can you be so close, yet so far?

"I don't need you anymore," I tell him, and my heart shatters like ice, its jagged remains cutting into my interior lining, causing a sharp cry of pain to catch in my throat, as I watch the twisted and pained expression take shape in not only his face, but in his entire body as well. His shoulders sagging with dread and his hands clenching into fists at his sides as his grips his staff, his knuckles turning white while he grits his teeth, biting back his anger.

"But you should go," I look over at him then, waiting and aching for him to protest and oppose this, but he simply remains tense and motionless as he listens to me drone on.  
"There are other kids in the world who need Jack Frost. Who need your magic and fun and mischief." I smile a little as the memories of our fun together over the years flash through my mind. But it quickly falters when I glance back at him.

He leaves my words hanging in the thick air between us as neither of us says anything for a long time, each passing minute just radiating tension.  
I release the breath I hadn't realized I was holding before turning around after sneaking one last glance at him, trying to etch his every feature into my memory. But just like a hug, the memories will fade with time and eventually; will be lost.

"You should go." I whisper softly as I inhale deeply, bracing myself for the indent he will leave behind in my life when he finally leaves.

I take a step forward, distancing myself that much further from him, only to halt in my tracks as he calls to me-already sounding further away,  
"No. There are millions of other children out there, none of which can see me. You were the first Elsa. I can never leave you, and not even for that reason alone, but because you are the first person I ever spoke to. The first person I ever touched. The first person who ever heard me. The first person I now and will ever love,"

My heart melts at that point as it sinks further with guilt and remorse.

"You can ask anything of me and I will never deny any request you make of me, except to leave you,"

My eyelids fall over my eyes like a curtain, and I watch as his face flashes before me, forever to remain under there in the shadows above my eyes, to both haunt and console me in the years to come. As both a memory and a ghost of the past.

"I made you a promise thirteen years ago Elsa," He tells me, his voice soft, like a lullaby, and all I wish for more than anything is to take his arms in mine and wrap them around me, forever linking us together so that we may spend the remainder of our days together as the ghosts we are. So that I may fall asleep cradled in his gentle arms against his soft skin while I breathe in his scent of pine and cinnamon as my lungs settle into the rhythm of sleep with my last sight being of his smile, revealing to me his mouthful of dazzling white teeth, along with his icy blue eyes that I could never grow bored of staring into.

"And I keep my promises."


	18. Chapter 17

17

Elsa

_Conceal don't feel.  
__Conceal don't feel.  
__Conceal don't feel.  
Conceal. Do. Not. Feel._

The end of this aisle seems to get further rather than closer with every step I take, the end shrinking from my view, and I have to squint my to try to catch a glimpse of the finish line. But it's past my field of vision, and I'm left to trudge down this endless path, all the while blind to my destination.

I take a silent, shaky breath as I lift my gaze toward the long path that lies ahead, trying to relax my hunched shoulders in the process with a room full of eyes staring after me.  
I feel myself shrink back under their gaze as I try to ignore them, to imagine the space around me is vacant and empty, leaving only me and this ceaseless road. But all I can hear is the breathing of the people around me and the pounding of my heart, which beats so violently that I have to refrain from clutching my chest in attempts to bring it to a halt. All I feel are the countless pairs of eyes boring through me, cutting a hole right through me. All I see is the endless red carpet at my feet, its fabric soft beneath my soled flats.

_Conceal don't feel.  
__Conceal don't feel._

I catch Anna's gaze for only a moment, and she offers me an encouraging smile as I climb the little staircase leading onto the platform where the archbishop will conduct my crowning ceremony. A small but genuine smile tugs at the corners of my mouth in return as I reach the end of the road, coming to stand before the archbishop while the singing resumes from the balcony above us, the voices echoing off the walls and traveling on the waves of sound throughout the room but yet, not quite reaching me.

I take another trembling breath, but I this time, I hold it and don't allow it freedom from my lips as I press my wavering hands into my skirts.

_Conceal._

I automatically bend over and allow my eyelids to fall closed over my eyes like a veil as the archbishop places the tiara that had once sat upon my mother's head in my hair.

_Do._

I suck in another breath before standing upright once more, my head bobbing on my neck like a buoy at sea, my mind feeling light, dull and faraway all at once as I reach for the royal scepter and globus cruciger of Arendelle resting on the plush cushion before me.

_Not._

I cringe when the archbishop clears his throat, whispering, "Your Majesty, your gloves."

My teeth dig into my lips as I tug at the sheath for each finger, sliding the gloves off slowly and taking a breath as I set them gently down on the cushion and reach for the items of raglia once more with trembling hands before turning to face the audience gazing upon me.  
My body grows tense as I suck in another breath, my teeth biting at the skin on my lips as the archbishop goes onto recite the ceremonial sermon, his words echoing through my mind but not quite reaching me as I feel the ice ooze from my fingertips and spread onto the orb and scepter.

_Feel._

I don't even wait until he has concluded the oration to slip my gloves back on, once again returning to containing the storm and rebuilding the walls around me.  
A small smile creeps across my face while a wave of relief washes over me as I turn to once again, face my subjects but this time, as a different person; No longer the frightened little girl who had to remain locked within the walls of her chambers for being too dangerous, but as the grown woman who still carries the storm inside, but is prepared to lock it away in order to govern, support and guide her land.

I sigh, a relieved smile tugging at my lips as I think to myself; _Now, if I can just get through the ball...__  
_

* * *

Elsa

It all happened so fast.  
Too fast.  
I don't even remember most of it.  
Everything is a blur in my mind.  
One thought merging into the next, an endless cycle of fear, fear and more fear.

The fear in their eyes; as if staring into the eyes of a monster.

I bite at my lip, banishing the thought from my mind as I keep running, my hands clutching my chest-one still concealed in its glove while the other remains bare.

"Elsa!" Anna's distant voice calls.

I shake my head to myself.  
_No Anna._

I keep running and hardly even pause when I approach the vast expanse of the ocean ahead, the water dark and cloudy in the dusky night, the distant stars reflecting in the ripples.  
I run, my flats tapping on the ice I leave behind with every step.

It's all behind me now.  
I can see the sun rising in the distant horizon, its rays illuminating the distant snowy peaks of the mountains-the beginning of a new day.  
I can taste freedom on the tip of my tongue, the flavor sending an exhilarating sensation through my taste-buds.  
I can smell it in the air, mixed with the salty scent of the sea.  
I can feel it coursing through my veins.

I hate to abandon Anna like this, but it's for the best; at least I have no way of hurting her this way.  
She will grow into the queen I can never be.  
The one who will be able to care for her subjects without the risk and fear of hurting them always gnawing at her.  
Though young, she will manage.  
Mother and Father would be proud.  
It's for the best.

"Elsa!"

Her voice is fading now, the distance growing between us as I run, sprinting across the sea, chasing the sunset on the horizon until I can no longer detect my sister's voice.

And I keep running.

* * *

Jack

I exhale against my palms, my cool breath creating a snowball in my hands and I toss it in the air a couple of times before throwing it at one of the many kids surround me, hitting them directly in the back of the neck and I laugh in spite of myself as I watch them whirl around in alarm, cutting his companions questioning glances here and there.

A smile plays across my lips as I snatch my staff from its position on the soft grass beside me before launching myself toward the dark veil of sky and sending a flurry of snowflakes to tumble through the air toward the group of children that has gathered below, their faces awestruck as they poke at the flakes.  
I plant my feet on the ground, the thin blanket of snow crunching beneath my feet as I create a snowball in my palm and toss it at a child at random to get things going, and in no time at all, the entire atmosphere erupts into laughter and banter as a snowball fight rages on.

I fly this way and that through the cool night air, striking child after child with a smile in my feature and laughter echoing within the walls of my body.  
I settle on a large boulder covered in a thin layer of frost and watch as the battle unfolds before me.

I smile and laugh over and over again at the fun and silliness of it all, realizing that I haven't been this entertained in three long, painful years and I sigh, my smile disappearing with my exhale as I recall the day I had first laid eyes upon her. A day much like this one to be precise, only, the sun had been shining in the early hours of the morning and there had been a second snowfall. Just passed the clearing, beyond the gates of the kingdom and within the walls of the castle where a lonely little girl with striking blue eyes and hair as white as snow sat with only the moon for company.

Exhaling long and sadly, I run a hand through my tousled white hair before rising to my feet, leaving the fun behind me along with all the painful memories.

"Elsa!"

Her name is still so pure and beautiful in my mind, a sound no one can ever dull.

"Elsa!"

There it goes again, rolling through my mind on constant replay as the gears and levers within the walls of my mind shift and grind against each other to play the sound relentlessly, both torturing and bringing me joy.

"Elsa!"

_Wait a minute._  
I whirl around in my tracks, my head snapping in the direction of the call to discover Anna clutching her the skirts of her ball gown in her hands as she runs along the grassy ground.  
I push past the shrubbery and watch the sight from afar as Anna slips on the ice coating the ground beneath her as it spreads across the ocean ahead, freezing it instantly.  
A man rushes to her side and wraps his arms around her protectively as their gazes focus and stare after something in the distance, the figure fading into the darkness, long gone with the shadows of night.  
But I already know who it is that they stare after.

I crouch slightly, gripping my staff in my hand and launch myself into the air after her.  
_I'm coming Elsa. Just hang on._


	19. Chapter 18

**Hey everyone!**

**Thanks so much for the reviews, 53! I can't believe it!:D  
Thank you so much everyone! You have no idea how much every single comment means to me!  
**

**Here's chapter 18, more to come soon!  
Hope you all enjoy and try to review if you can guys, they really keep me going!**

**Until next chapter!  
-birdywings**

* * *

18

Elsa

I bolt upright as the sweat trickles down my forehead in a continuous flow, like a river, while my hands clutch my chest, trying to reach my racing heart as it drums in my ears and fills the silence of the room.  
Someone had screamed.  
Then I realize, it was me.  
I had screamed.  
His name.  
_Jack._

I shiver at the echo of his name in my mind, the pure thought sending chills down my spine as I hug my knees to my chest before slowly falling on my side against the mattress, my head cushioned by the pillow as soft as snow and I'm left to lie there motionless while the water drains from my eyes with my sobs drowning out the silence around me, which has become quite deafening over the years.

I thought that fleeing Arendelle would help. That things would be better. That I could once and for all live freely without the constant fear of hurting someone always gnawing at me. I thought that I could rid myself from these haunting nightmares and for once, have a sleepful night. But the nightmares remain and are nothing if not more vivid than ever, and I realize that I will never escape this storm. My vision will always be clouded by the blizzard stirring in my path, blinding me to my destination. I will be constantly thrown and knocked to my knees by the forceful wind.  
I can't escape. But I can save those I love and care for.

And so, I will remain here, on this mountaintop of seclusion, safely within the walls of my ice castle and away from everyone.  
Even Jack.

I push myself off the bed and stride over to the balcony overlooking the snowy peaks of the field of mountains beyond the doors of my chambers as the sun peeks out from in between the slopes of two mountains, its rays casting light upon the world.  
I smile when the light reaches me, feeling refreshed at the slightest lift in my spirits as the sun illuminates my face, the glare reflecting off the icy floor and walls around me.

I rest my hands on the railing and straighten up a little, allowing the rays to shine upon me as my braid falls over my shoulder while my shimmering blue dress flows behind me, riding the morning breeze with its tiny ice incrustations glowing as they catch the light.  
I inhale deeply, enjoying the fresh air as it enters through my nose and travels down to my lungs, making them feel brand new in my body.

Mornings like this one don't come along often.  
When everything is silent and for a moment, the world is at peace with itself and everyone and everything within it.  
When it's all, just for even a moment, still as the sun emerges from somewhere on the horizon, illuminating the world once more.  
It is truly a rare and breathtakingly wonderful experience.

I am pulled from my reverie when I detect the sound of the castle doors creaking open from downstairs and, grasping my skirts in my hands, I walk silent and delicately against the icy floor, holding my head high upon my shoulders as I prepare to greet my unexpected visitor.  
And as I take my leave from my chambers, little do I notice the deep and sinister red the walls are glowing underneath all those layers of ice.

* * *

Jack

I nearly collide with a tree when I catch sight of the grand and luminous castle made entirely of ice sitting atop the peak of the snow-covered mountain ahead, its slick, icy surface catching and reflecting the first rays of morning light descending upon the land.

I dig myself out from the mound of snow I had fallen into by not paying attention to my flight path when approaching this magnificent creation, and I can't help but feel proud of Elsa as I study the structure from the ground.  
The snowflake patterns along the walls and doors intricate, delicate and mesmerizing all at once. Every inch of this castle created by her smooth, small and fragile hands. The craftsmanship is impeccable, and I find myself gaping up at it for quite sometime before I finally gather up the sense and nerve to push open the grand, slick doors.

The exterior does not even compare to what awaits me on the inside.  
Complex and intricate snowflake designs decorate the walls, their patterns weaving, criss-crossing and blending into one another as they snake up the walls.  
A fountain sits in the center of it all, the water spouting from it frozen into place, creating a winding and twisted sculpture sprouting from the top.  
A chandelier hangs high above me with strings of ice dangling from it, the glassy pieces catching the light and illuminating the room.  
It all takes my breath away, and everything around me seems to evaporate when she appears at the top of the staircase, and I feel my lips part slightly in awe at the sight of her.

A vibrant blue dress hugs her figure, its tiny, ice crystal incrustations shimmering and gleaming as they catch the light with her every step. Her hair is once more, tied up in its long braid, like a waterfall of snow cascading down her shoulder. Her bare, delicate hands clutch at her chest as she gazes down upon me, and I feel my heart skip a beat in my chest as I gaze up at her, the blue in her eyes bright and full of life.

"Elsa." I breathe.

* * *

Elsa

"Jack." I breathe, both a little startled and relieved to see him once more.

Neither of us says anything for quite sometime, leaving his name to echo off the walls around us before merging and drowning into the silence consuming the room.  
He gazes up at me, his eyes never leaving mine as they study my every action; the way my braid falls over my shoulder, when I reach up to tuck a loose strand behind my ear or even the way my hands fiddle with each other at my chest, and I feel my cheeks grow warm under his stare as I avert my eyes to the floor before gathering up the courage to call down to him, "What brings you here?" My voice is barely over a whisper.

He shakes his head slightly for a moment, his head bobbing on the loose hinges of his neck before answering without hesitation, "You, as always." And I watch as a smile plays at the corner of his soft lips.

My cheeks grow warm at his words, leaving me speechless as I cannot bring myself to say anything in return, and we once again, sink into silence as he draws circles with his staff against the slick ice at his feet, his gaze still resting on me while I absentmindedly fiddle with the end of my braid, trying to find something to focus my attention on.

"So, this place..." Jack says, his free hand rubbing at the back of his neck before gesturing at the space around us with a flick of his wrist. "It's amazing."  
He catches my eye and smiles with a corner of his mouth, causing the color to return to my cheeks as I will myself to meet his gaze.

"Thank you," I breathe, forcing my hands to remain still at my sides and my heart to beat steadily for once as I say a little louder, "I never knew what I was capable of."

"Many wondrous creations." He says simply.

I glance down at my feet, a smile tugging at my lips before I lift my gaze to meet his again, really staring into his startlingly blue eyes as I give him a slight nod.

"Listen Elsa," He says, his voice growing tense as his smile fades into his pursed lips, his gaze falling to the floor for a moment, and I feel my body tense at his words, preparing for what he'll say next.

"We should go back. Together. You still have a kingdom to rule and people who are relying on you to guide them. You still have Anna. She needs you most of all," He tells me, his eyes meeting mine as he says much more softly, "I need you."

My mouth opens to speak, but no words emerge from within and we're once again plunged into silence, the denseness of it suffocating and claustrophobic even though it is only the two of us present in the room.

"We should go back," He says again, and I get the feeling he senses my fear and doubt as he says, "I'll be there beside you the whole time Elsa, you don't have to do this alone. We can fix this."

He takes hold of the railing and climbs up the long staircase, his staff tapping against each step as he closes the distance between us, the sound echoing throughout the room, filling the eerie silence.

"Do you trust me?" He whispers, his breath visible in the air as he extends his cool hand out to me, in the inches of space remaining between us.

For a moment, my body relaxes, my shoulder sinking back into place as my lips form a small smile when Jack flashes me a reassuring one with the corner of his mouth, and I find my hand reaching out for his before I can stop myself.  
_Maybe things can be mended. Maybe I can still guide and care for the citizens of Arendelle. Maybe I still have a chance to be a sister to Anna. Maybe there is a possibility-even in the smallest possible way-that Jack and I can have a future together. _

These thoughts roll through my mind in a continuous cycle as hope ignites and flickers within me once more, and it is not until my eyes travel up to meet Jack's that the images from my nightmare in which I froze him, flash before my eyes, causing my hand to draw back to my chest as I stumble back away from him.

"Get away, Please!" I gasp, clutching at my chest as I turn away from him and make a dash for my chambers.

I flinch when I hear him sprint after me, appearing and standing in the door frame as he tries to comfort and reassure me, telling me as he reaches out for me, "Elsa, I'm right here. I will always be here for you. We'll fix this together." His voice desperate and pleading, and my heart breaks at the sound of it.

He continues to talk, trying to reach me but not quite reaching me as his voice becomes lost in the muddled thoughts racing through my mind, going faster than my heart can ever beat.  
The world is spinning beneath me, my vision becoming cloudy and Jack is lost from my view as the blizzard swirls and stirs at my feet, cutting me off from my surroundings.  
From Jack.

I notice the deep red slithering up the palace walls as they crack down the center and I feel as if I'm about to shatter.  
Jack's voice has faded, lost to the storm raging around me, swallowing and pulling me under. I feel the weight forming in my chest and I can no longer find the air to breathe.

_Go away.  
__Make it stop.  
__Make it all stop.  
__Get out of here Jack.  
__Get away from this storm.  
__Away from me._

And then, all goes silent and still as the weight is suddenly lifted from my chest-the tension draining from my body-and the air can once again reach my lungs.  
I take several deep breaths, my body trembling as I slowly swivel to face Jack.

Everything inside of me collapses as the color drains from my face, my body growing numb and beyond feeling, and I become convinced that I will never be okay again when I turn around to find Jack sprawled on the floor, his arms and legs spread out against the cool surface with his head propped up against the wall at the opposite end of the room, his body motionless while his staff skids away along the ice.

I gasp for air, trying to keep myself afloat as the waves come crashing over me, the tsunami plunging me further into this veil of darkness while my heart breaks piece by piece in my chest, wrenching me this way and that until I'm no longer one whole, but many broken pieces scattered around the room.  
The space around me evaporates, leaving only me and this storm inside, and, as my eyes fall from Jack's motionless body lying out of my reach to my hands, all I can do is ask myself; _What have I done?_


	20. Chapter 19

**Hey guys!**

**Sorry this chapter took longer than usual. I really tried to update before the weekend but I just really didn't like what I had written so I rewrote the whole chapter. Plus, summer is unfortunately a pretty busy time of the year for me.  
So unfortunately, I probably won't be able to update as much as I'd love to for the next couple of days, possibly weeks.  
Believe me, if I could spend my whole life on the computer posting chapter after chapter, story after story I would, trust me. But rather unfortunately, I do have to have a life outside of the fanfiction world.**

**Wouldn't it be amazingly awesome if our lives could be like books? Seriously, who wouldn't love being a demigod like Percy Jackson? Or an elf like Legolas? Or meet a guy like Park? Or Augustus?XD  
**

**Anyway, here is chapter 19!  
Hope you all enjoy and let me know your thoughts if you can:)**

**-birdywings**

* * *

19

Jack

My eyes flutter open, my vision fuzzy and clouded as I watch the lights and shadows dance before me. My head throbs with pain, and I have to reach up to massage my temple while blinking away the blurriness only to discover Elsa standing in the center of the room, her face pale and drained of all color as she stares down at her trembling hands as if they belong to someone else.

"Elsa." I croak, my throat raw and dry, as if I've been drinking sand.

I lift my hand slightly by my side, trying to reach for her, and that's when I experience the pang of numbing pain shooting up into my arm as well as every other one of my limbs. I cringe at the discomfort and rest my hand once again on the floor, my eyes never leaving Elsa's face, which is a ghostly white, almost making her appear transparent.

I release the breath I was not aware I was holding while watching her, my eyes studying her features for any sort of response or indication that she's still in there. That my beautiful snowflake still remains.

"I'm a monster." She breathes, her eyes hollow with fear.

I experience a newfound kind of pain with her every word; like a thousand knives pricking at my body, leaving me sapped of life and beyond all feeling.  
My mind is blank. I can think. I can't breathe. And all I can hear are her words ringing in my ears.  
The air seems alarmingly thin as I watch her, my heart shattering within my rib cage, its remnants piercing my interior lining, as she flees from the room with her shimmering blue dress balled up in a heap within her tiny, delicate fists.

"Elsa wait!" I call after her, but either she ignores me or my voice simply can't reach her anymore.

I push myself off the floor, wincing at the pain shooting through my entire body with every movement as I stagger to my feet only to stumble to my knees, once again watching as the shadows dance across my field of vision.  
I shake my head and blink several times, trying to clear my senses.  
_Come on Jack. You can do better than this._

I leap to my feet, ignoring the pain as I flick my wrist, drawing my staff to my palm with a simple call of the wind.  
I squat slightly before launching myself into the air and bolting out the balcony doors after Elsa.

_Hang on Elsa.  
Please hang on._

* * *

Elsa

I run.  
I don't know where to exactly.

All I know is that I run, allowing my legs to carry me wherever they wish while my thoughts swim in my mind, floating around in the endless abyss like the remains of a shipwreck.

I dash out of the ice castle, through the door, across the staircase running between the two cliffs, down the mountain at a full sprint.  
My thoughts scattered, my mind in a daze, my heart drumming in my ears, my pulse quickening as the sweat trickles down my temple, merging into the salty tears that drain from my eyes and cascade down my flushed cheeks as I choke back a sob.  
I blink hard and keep sprinting, bounding and stumbling down the hillside, all the while trusting my feet to take me away from here.  
Away from _him._

_I'm sorry Jack.  
__I'm so sorry._

I swipe at my tears before tightening my grasp against the silk of my dress and I keep running, chasing not the rising sun this time, but the silhouetted corners of the vast land spread out before me.  
I run, even with the raging blizzard surrounding me tossing my body back and forth with its forceful wind.  
I run.  
And keep running.

* * *

Jack

"Elsa!"

I shout her name but she only leaves the roaring wind surrounding me to answer my call.

"Elsa!"

I charge through the blinding storm around me, the forceful wind encircling and closing in around me, swallowing me whole as it tugs me this way and that, propelling me backward, away from my desired direction despite my efforts to conduct it to drive me where I please.

I lift a hand to my face, shielding my eyes from the swirling flakes as they sting my eyes, and a struggled grunt escapes my lips when I collide with a tree, the impact sending my mind in a daze as blackness encroaches my vision while my limp body tumbles to the ground. I will the wind to slow my fall but it does not do my bidding, however, my landing is somewhat cushioned by a mound of soft snow waiting for me at the foot of the tree, though the wind is still knocked from my lungs at the impact.

I gasp for air as I bolt upright and snatch my staff from its position in the mound of snow, leaving an indent in its absence, which does not last for long as the flakes sweep across the ground, coating the imprint within seconds.  
I jump to my feet and barrel right back into the clearing, my feet slipping on the frozen ocean beneath me as I try to maintain my balance.  
I plow through the blizzard, blinded by the wind as I propel myself straight into the center of it all, where the forces of nature are at their peak.  
Right in the very heart of the storm.

* * *

Elsa

"Elsa!"

I halt in my tracks, my feet skidding along the icy ground.

"Elsa!"

My heart pounds in my chest, right against my rib cage, threatening to burst out of my body.

"Elsa!"

There it goes again.  
That sound, that call, that voice.  
No matter how faint or small, no wind could drown it out or ever even come close to touching it.

"Elsa!"

I whirl around, the world spinning beneath my feet, causing my stomach to churn.  
And then, I see him.  
His lower half shrouded in the misty wind as it whips at his face and hair, causing him to narrow his piercing blue eyes, which appear even bluer against the glowing white snow.

Something inside me stirs.  
Right in the pit of my heart.  
Something breaks, or melts, or ignites, or maybe all three at once.

The feeling knocks the wind out of me and sends me to collapse onto my knees as they giveaway from under me. The slick ice reflects the sunlight shining from above as it streams through the hazy blizzard as the storm dissipates from around me, leaving only two ghosts hiding in plain sight on the vast expanse of frozen water laid out from beneath us.

* * *

Jack

I call her name, my lips moving but no sound emerges, at least none that I can hear.  
My calls are drowned out by the storm, the wind howling in my ears, pricking at my face and stinging at my eyes.  
At the momment, it is the only thing I can see, hear and feel.

My mouth moves once more, my lips numb from the cool air as I call for her, my voice hidden somewhere in the raging wind, becoming lost to the blizzard and unable to ever reach her.

I can't lose her.  
Not now, not ever.  
Not to this storm.

_Please don't fall Elsa.  
You hear me?  
Don't you dare fall._

I whirl around, stumbling through the hazy snow flurry that surrounds me, hiding my path from my feet.  
The wind slams against my body, shoving me in every possible direction, but I remain firmly planted on the icy surface of the frozen sea beneath me.

And then, just like that, almost as if someone simply just flicked a switch, the hazy blizzard despirses around me, once more revealing the ground at my feet and my surroundings to me.  
My head spins on the hinges of my neck, my eyes scanning my surroundings as I take it all in.  
And then I see her.

She kneels on the slick ground, her shimmering blue dress pooled around her like a puddle of water glowing in the sunlight that now cuts through the clouds hanging against the sky above, which now begins to clear, leaving any and all traces of the storm behind it, as if preparing not for a new ending but a fresh beginning.

I don't speak.  
I don't think.  
I just run.

* * *

Elsa

I hear footsteps.

He runs to me, breathless and sweeps me up in his strong arms, the firm muscles flexing beneath the skin as he wraps me up in them.  
I sob into his blue sweatshirt, the fabric soft and warm against my lips, despite the thin layer of frost sprinkled along his shoulders.

I allow the tears to fall from my eyes.  
For not even a moment do I consider bringing a halt to the waterfall cascading down my face and blurring my vision.  
I let the the river break the dam until it runs dry, while we sit here in the midst of this ceaseless frozen ocean that spreads as far as the eye can see, my body pressed against his as his arms draw me into him to the point it hurts. But there is no pain.

Everything around me evaporates, each of our surroundings dissolving into the other until it is only the two of us remaining.  
The two lone ghosts hiding in plain sight, forever condemned to wander the world aimlessly as the unseen.

His hand finds my chin and raises it so that my eyes meet his, only to discover that he is crying too, and seeing this only triggers a downpour to leak from my eyes, down my flushed cheeks and onto his sweatshirt, the salty water staining the fabric.

He lips part slightly as his soft melodic voice whispers to me, "I'll never let you fall."  
And for the first time in years, his words reach me, his voice unlocking the door to my heart and pulling me back from the edge, his hands clasping tightly around mine, linking us together as one.

He begins to say something more, but I don't give him the chance.  
In one swift motion, my hand snakes around the nape of his neck and draws his lips to mine, the touch soft and warm, yet intense and electrifying at the same time.

_I won't fall Jack.  
__You hear me?  
__I will not fall._

* * *

Jack

I sit there holding her for what seems like forever.  
If only.

If only we could spend forever here, holding each other, our bodies pressed together as one as our lips move against each other in slow, yet intense motions.  
But eventually, our lips part and our eyes open to once more reveal reality to us.

I stare into her eyes, the icy and endless blue in them mesmerizing as I become lost in them while wiping away the tears pooling in her eyes and trickling down her soft, flushed cheeks.  
Her gaze falters for a moment as the color returns to her cheeks, all rosy and red with warmth. My hand finds its way to her neck and rests under her chin as I tilt her head up once again so that her eyes meet mine.

I smile down at her through my tears and it brings a smile to her features, a smile that reaches all the way to her eyes as it lights up her face, and something inside me melts.  
Something always does.

My hands close around hers, our fingers tangled and intertwined with one another as I rise to my feet and pull her up with me before my arms envelope around her waist, drawing her body into mine.  
I feel her chin resting on my shoulder, her tense body relaxing into me as I sigh into her hair, my breath ruffling a few loose strands as my shoulders fall back into place.

I wish I could spend forever here with her.  
In the middle of nowhere with nothing and no one to break us apart.

But our lulling spell is broken when a hollow and empty voice-the type that sends chills all up and down your spine-speaks from behind me, and some small part of me tells me even before I turn around, that I have heard this voice before.

"If you can't escape the fear," It speaks. "Then you must embrace it."


	21. Chapter 20

**HOLYCRAPHOLYCRAPHOLYCRAPHOLLYCRAP!**

**61 REVIEWS?! OH MY GOD YOU GUYS! YOU'RE ALL JUST AMAZINGLY INCREDIBLE!  
Seriously, I don't even know what to say! Oh my God! Thank you guys! Just thank you so much!  
****Think we can reach 100?:D haha that's okay:) Just know that you guys have helped with my writing so much! More than you can possibly ever know!**

**Okay, I'll let you guys move onto the story now:)  
Chapter 20! YAY!  
More to come hopefully very soon!**

**-birdywings**

* * *

20

Elsa

_"If you can't escape the fear, then you must embrace it."_

My body tenses at the voice, the icy hollowness in it sending a chill through my body while its words travel in the air, the wind whispering them in my ears, sending them to echo off the walls of my head.  
There is something about it. Something familiar about its cool emptiness that I am certain I have heard before, but from where I cannot recall.

My hands begin to tremble within Jack's palms, our fingers still interlaced with one another even as we slowly swivel to face the source of the voice with his arms still wrapped around me, our feet sliding on the ice beneath us.  
My breathing ceases as my gaze slowly trails across the expanse of ice between us and our unknown presence before my eyes finally inch their way to his face.

He is shrouded in dark robes, the fabric pooling around his feet, hanging loosely against his pale, grey skin and, as I stare into his piercing gold eyes-the color like the sun when bleeding out into dusk-I become petrified as all my worst nightmares play out before my eyes in the glowing gold of his pupils.

Images flash before my eyes, each one more frightening than the last.  
I'm surrounded by a crowd, their hands gesturing toward me as they cry in fear or shout with hatred at the top of their lungs, leaving me to drown in this ocean of people with every voice plunging me further into the dark abyss yanking me under.

The scene shifts, each person melting into the next until a new scene takes shape.  
Anna stands before me, her eyes ablaze as she points at me, her voice filling the area with sound as she yells at me. But my thoughts are muddled and clouded, my ears clogged, making her cries sound muffled to me.

_Make it go away. Make it all go away.  
_I sink to the rough ground, my hands clamped over my ears as I rock back and forth on my knees.  
_Makeitgoawaymakeitgoawaymakeitgoawaymakeitgoaway._

My surroundings dissolve around me, evaporating into the next image.  
I slowly glance up, my hands quivering against my temples as my gaze lifts to find Jack's head of tousled white hair above me, his blue sweatshirt hugging his shoulders as he stands there, his back to me.

"Jack." I breathe, my voice desperate.

He doesn't speak or even turn around. He only takes a step forward, lengthening the distance between us by that much more.  
My chest grows tight and heavy, the weight almost like he is stepping on me rather than the ground beneath him, and I have to struggle for air as he takes another step away from me.

I place my palms on the ground and pull myself along, my dress sweeping the ground behind me as I drag myself forward after him, trying to reach him. But his back still faces me as he continues to walk away like I'm not even here. As if he is completely oblivious to my very presence, showing me no indication that the Jack Frost I love is still there.  
That my guardian still remains.

The image dissolves into my first fear, which then bleeds into my second and then melts into my third before cycling back to the first again, the scenes on constant replay within the golden strip of his eyes, leaving me to watch, unblinking, breath held, and frozen into place with fear.  
It is the most frightening thing I have ever seen, yet I cannot bring myself to avert my eyes.

I become oblivious to my surroundings as I lose myself in those golden rings. I even forget Jack, who's hand is still linked with mine, his chest pressed against my shoulder blade, and I can just feel his body grow rigid against mine, the muscles flexing beneath his smooth, creamy skin as his chest rises and falls with his breaths.  
I don't even blink when Jack's hand slides under my chin, coming to rest on the side of my face as he draws my cheek to his chest, but my body is as numb and dull as my scattered thoughts, making the contact feel distant as it fails to reach me.

I listen to his heart drum within his rib cage, the sound so close yet so far, and I force myself to concentrate on its rhythm as I rest my hands on his chest, my right palm just over his heart.  
My eyes flick up to find an illegible expression in Jack's features as he gazes at the man opposite us with intense focus.

"Who-Who are you?" My voice quivers, the words rising from within my trembling body as I glance at the man, who remains silent and motionless. Not like a statue-stiff as stone-but more like a lion hunting for its prey through the tall, thin grass.

The man gives an icy, hollow cackle, his head tilting back slightly as the sound rises from deep within his figure, from the very depths of his hollowed form, his entire body jerking forward with it.

"I am quite astonished you don't remember Elsa," He tells me, his tone calm as his every word sends shivers down my spine. "After all, I told you so didn't I? I warned you." He says with a cold smile that reaches all the way to his eyes, his grey skin wrinkling a little at the corners as he reveals a mouthful of gleaming white teeth almost as bright as Jack's.

I freeze then, my body stiffening at his words, and it dawns on me why he voice is so familiar to me.  
I've heard it before.  
In my slumber.  
In a dream.  
In a nightmare.

"Pitch Black." I hear Jack utter just audible enough for me to hear.

My head whips around as I stare up at him, dumbstruck. "How do you-"

But I don't get the chance to finish my sentence as Pitch heaves another cackle, the sound like the terrified cries of children.  
"Oh my dear Elsa, old Jack here and I go way back." He says simply.

I feel Jack's grip tighten around me, his body stiffening as his fingers dig into my skin and I have to clench my teeth to keep from crying out.  
"What do you want?" He spits at Pitch, his voice cold and harsh, a side of Jack Frost I have never been acquainted with until now, and it scares me almost as much as Pitch does.

"Oh, it is not what I want, but _who._" And with that, Pitch raises his hands, as if embracing the sky, and out shoot three black shadows spiraling into stallions with the same piercing gold eyes, but without the white in them._  
_

They charge right for us, and before I can even react, I am thrown to the ground, my shoulder slamming into the ice, causing pain to shoot up into my arm.  
I reach over to cradle my arm and perhaps attempt to rub the pain away when Jack's hands grasp me by the elbows before he yanks me to my feet, the rapid motion causing my head to grow light and fuzzy while my vision blurs as the lights and shadows once again dance across my eyes.

"Look out!" Jack shouts as he tackles me to the ground again.

I watch, dazed, as a silhouetted cloud of crows comes swarming towards us in a large cluster, their constant flapping wings sending feathers into the air while their squawks ring in my ears, drowning out Jack's voice as his lips move, words I cannot hear emerging from his throat.  
He takes hold of my wrist, gripping it tightly as we ascend into the air, leaving the swarm of crows behind us.

He pulls out his staff, aiming the G-shaped tip down at Pitch standing below us before causing ice to erupt from the end.  
Pitch does not even flinch in the slightest. With a simple wave of his hand, a thin wall of shadows sprouts from the ground and acts as a shield for him, and he simply waves it off dismissively with a cold and amused smile.

I am hit from behind, the attack causing my body to grow numb and beyond feeling as we are plunged through the air, our bodies hurling toward the ice below. Jack's hand still holds mine, and I feel my fingers enclose around his as we tumble through the air, the wind whistling in my ears.  
I can't catch my breath. We're falling too fast.  
The wind suddenly picks up and cradles our bodies before setting us down on our feet.

I stumble slightly, trying to regain my balance as I ignore the sharp pain shooting through my backside.  
Jack rests a hand on my shoulder, trying to meet my gaze as his lips move, but there is still too much ringing in my mind to hear his words.

In a flash, blackness comes sailing toward us and strikes Jack in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground.  
A cry catches in my throat, clogging up my airway and I can't breathe, yet I am suddenly filled with energy and am propelled forward by anger as I charge at Pitch, flicking both hands in his direction, causing icy spikes to rise from the ground at his feet and impaling him by the edges of his robes to the side of a mountain.

I approach him, breathless and shaking with rage, but he only laughs coolly at my blazing eyes.

"Good Elsa, good," He says. "Now that you have tapped into your anger, you must use it to control your abilities."

My eyes narrow at him, my nostrils flaring as I shove him against the stone with a burst of ice when out of the corner of my eye, I notice another shadowed stallion racing toward me and I am too late to react.  
I wheeze for air, the impact knocking the wind from my lungs and sending me to skid across the ice.

I am too numb to move.  
The ringing continues in my ears, reaching my mind as I glance up, blinking back the darkness encroaching my vision to see Jack darting through the air as he dodges Pitch's advances and retaliates with strong ice blasts. But Pitch avoids them with little effort, making each evasion look easy.

I prop myself up on my hands, straining to rise to my feet but quickly sink back to the ground, coming once more face to face with my reflection in the ice.  
I stare into my eyes, the blue endless and losing, but not yet lost.  
There is still a chance.  
A chance for Arendelle.  
A chance for Anna.  
A chance for Jack.  
A chance for me.

I leap to my feet, biting down on my lip to contain the moan of pain rising in my throat.  
I glance up in time to see Pitch strike Jack square in the chest with a silhouetted crow, the impact send Jack hurtling toward the mountainside.  
Something within me shatters as I watch his head snap back against the rough stone before his limp body tumbles to the ground motionless, like a rag doll.

With an angry cry, I fly at Pitch, my arms outstretched as ice sprouts from them on all ends, sending flurry after flurry at him, making it difficult for Pitch to keep up with my advances and not long passes before a blast strikes him in the face, causing him to lose his balance and stumble to his knees.  
I glare down at him, my chest heaving with my every breath and my body aching with numbness.

He chuckles as he swipes as his lip as if he has blood trickling down the corner of his mouth.  
"Excellent Elsa." He says, his voice still calm and at ease.

This only angers me more, and I raise I hand for another attack when I hear the faint sound of someone calling my name through the roar of the blizzard raging around me.

"Elsa!"

_Anna._  
My hand halts in midair as the tension rises in my body and builds in my chest.  
My eyes shrink into their sockets as I tremble at the sound of her voice.

Pitch gives another laugh below me. "Ah, it seems we have found what makes the ice shatter," He says, a cold smirk forming in his features. Everything he does is cool with cruelty. "Let us discover just how much damage I can create."

And with that, he shoots up into the air, heading straight for Anna.  
_No._

I lunge across the ice, watching Pitch out of my peripheral vision as he prepares to strike.

"Elsa!"

Her voice rings in my ears.

"Elsa!"

I blink back the tears as they sting at my eyes.

"Elsa!"

I make a leap through the hazy blizzard surrounding me, but for once, not taking me with it as I propel myself into the abyss before me, my destination shrouded in the misty wind. But I am not afraid.  
Not this time.  
I will not allow myself to be lost to the storm anymore.

Darkness flashes before my eyes and something strikes me in the chest, stinging my body at the contact, the pain so sharp I don't even feel the effect of hitting the ice afterward.  
A tear escapes my eye and slips down my cheek.  
But it is not a sad tear.  
It is not sad.  
I am not sad.

For the first time in years, I am at peace.  
As I am one with the storm.


	22. Chapter 21

21

Jack

Everything is dark for a moment, my mind in a daze as I try to gather my thoughts, which are scattered from corner to corner in my mind.  
My eyes flutter open as I prop myself up on my elbows and all I see for a moment is whiteness, the glow of it around me blinding and hazy, but as I blink away the blurriness in my vision, the scene begins to come into focus and I watch as my surroundings take shape before me. But what I discover seems to shatter my entire universe, the ground quaking beneath me as the walls come crumbling down around me, the whole world fracturing and cracking into nothing, its fragments left to float around in the endless and darkened void of space.

My heart rattles my body and pounds in my ears with every beat, the very sound of it blocking out the rhythm and tunes of life around me.  
I can't breathe.  
I can't think.  
My mind is nothing.  
I feel nothing.  
_I_ am nothing as I watch Pitch's advance strike Elsa in the chest and send her limp body to fall against the ice, her back toward me, leaving the river of snowy-white hair cascading down her back for my gaze to focus on.

Something inside me breaks.  
Something cracks.  
Something shatters, causing whatever focus I have left to wither away with the remnants of my spirit.  
I am breaking but also building as I feel the weight of something plant in my chest and only build with each passing moment as I stare at Elsa's motionless and lifeless figure.

My throat runs dry as a combination of a scream, cry, and wail leaves my mouth, but doesn't quite reach my ears.  
I find myself flying at Pitch, propelled by the anger rising within me, and I do it without deciding to or even realizing it until he is on the ground with my staff jutting into his face, my hands gripping the rough surface, causing my knuckles to turn white as I shove the tip of it at his jaw.

He allows a spine-tingling cackle to pass through his lips as he smiles coolly up at me, his features harsh and unsettling, yet calm with an almost hungry look to them, like a lion pursuing its prey. But I barely process the aura of fear his very presence radiates as I stand there, my body rigid and tense with anger as I aim the point of my staff at his chest, where all the fear in the entire world arises from.

He laughs again, throwing his head back as the hollow echo of the sound rattles his silhouetted, frail figure.  
"You can't do it can you? Not even after I melt your precious little snowflake from your life," He practically sings, like the words are pure music to his ears. A kind of growl escapes me as I narrow my eyes at him and thrust the end of my staff against his chest.

"Go ahead. Do it. It will be your undoing." He chuckles.

My body tenses as I shift my feet against the icy ground, preparing to strike.  
But something prevents me.

My thoughts are clouded, scattered.  
I am blinded by pain and anger, but not completely.

This is not what Elsa would want.  
I can't kill him.  
That is not who I am.  
But I can hurt him, and although no amount of pain I bring him will ever compare to the agonizing suffering he has caused me, I can still grant him some portion of what he deserves.

With a cry of misery and anger, I slash my staff through the air and bring it into contact with Pitch's jaw, willing the raging blizzard around me to toss him through the air.  
He sails on the wind, limbs flailing until he collides with the stoned edge of a cliff.  
A moment passes before he rises to his feet, but not without wincing a little before the cold smile returns to his features. But this one is a little less confident, a little less certain.

"Another day Frost," He calls to me, his voice echoing in the storm. "Another day."  
And with his last words hanging in the wind, his figure dissolves into a shadow, taking the aura of fear with him.

The anger drains from my body, all adrenaline leaving my muscles as my eyes trail once again over to Elsa's immobile figure lying only a few feet away, her silky blue skirts pooled around her frame like a puddle.  
I feel my staff slip through my fingers and clatter to the ice at my feet, the racket unable to reach me as my legs carry me over to her, my breaths entering and exiting as shallow, desperate gasps.

I slip an arm beneath her head, right under the crook of her neck as I bring her eyes to meet mine.  
The blue in them still remains, but fades with her every gasp for air as she breathes, her voice weak and pleading, "Jack."

My lips part slightly as I prepare to tell her that she's okay. That she is going to be okay. That I'm going to make this okay. That I'm here.  
But the words never emerge.  
Because deep down, I know that they are empty promises.

She is not okay. She will never be okay. I cannot fix this. I cannot save her.  
But I am here.  
And I'm not going anywhere.

I say nothing.  
Because she is too wonderful and pure to be true for empty promises.  
Instead, I let the tears cascade down my cheeks and stain the blue in her dress.  
I let the river run dry as I become lost in her ceaseless eyes. The blue losing and eventually, will be lost.

"Jack," She gasps again, her lungs searching for air. "Promise-, promise me,"

I hold her close, her body pressed as tightly against mine as possible while I gaze at her, my vision blurry with tears as she struggles to get the words out.

"Promise me you won't let it happen again," She chokes, her every breath an effort. "Promise me you will not allow a single child in the world to grow up the way I did. Promise me Jack."

She winces and the sight of her in pain like this punctures my heart as I reply with, "I promise Elsa."  
She nods a little, her eyelids fluttering slightly as she fights to remain conscious.

Part of me wants to grasp her by the shoulders and shake the drowsiness from her.  
But the other part of me wants to beg her to just succumb to death already.  
To let go and fade from consciousness, fade from the world and life itself.  
To give in to eternal slumber, never to wake again.  
As long as she is at peace, I do not care what becomes of me.

Her head dips slightly on the hinges of her neck, her eyelids growing heavier with each passing moment and I can just feel her pulse fading from her body as the her heart begins to slow, the beats becoming less frequent as large gaps fill the spaces between them, the sound drumming in my ears-slow and torturous.

Her eyes suddenly flick open, revealing to me not the endless and vibrant blue they once were, but the ceaseless and empty voids they are now. The darkness filling the hollow abyss that now make up her orbs, swallowing what was left of the beautiful and unbridgeable blue.

Her hands reach out for me, clawing against me, one snaking up my chest and grasping my sweatshirt by the collar while the other grips my wrist, twisting it as her fingernails dig into my skin, but I don't feel anything.  
The only pain I feel is from watching her like this, desperate and losing to the darkness rising within her that I am helpless to stop.  
I free my wrist from her grasp and interlace my fingers with hers, the contact of our skin still sending a faint, electric chill to seep into my body.

"Don't leave me Jack!" She gasps as every one of her fears plays across her darkened pupils. "Don't leave me!"

I grip her hand, the feeling of her small, delicate palm familiar in mine as our fingers become muddled and intertwined as one.

"I'm not going anywhere Elsa, I promise." I tell her, trying desperately to reach her even when I know I no longer can.

Her eyes widen one last time as her body goes tense, and then, nothing.  
Her head dips on her neck, her entire body relaxing into mine as her eyelids draw over her orbs as easily as a curtain draws over a window just as the color returns to them, the darkness melting into the blue, and I know that as they close, it will be the last time I will ever lay eyes upon her endless blue eyes.

* * *

**...**

**... Don't hate me.**

**... Please don't hate me.**

**Hehe, sorry about this chapter guys! But it was unfortunately necessary for my story:/  
How awful of me I know! But this is NOT the end guys I promise! We still have our ways to go.**

**I guess a few of you, if not all can now see where I'm going with thisXD eh, oh well!  
Just please don't stop reading because of this! I promise it will get better! Eventually...XD**

**Anyway, leave a review if you can! I really appreciate them you guys!  
More to come hopefully very soon, though the earliest I will probably be able to update next is Sunday, no promises though!**

**Thanks for reading guys! It really means a lot!  
And remember this is NOT the end!  
-birdywings**


	23. Chapter 22

22

Jack

_Don't go Elsa.  
Please don't leave.  
Please._

I'm left with her lifeless body cradled in my arms, watching as the color and flush recede from her creamy skin, in the midst of this ceaseless frozen land that stretches farther than I can see.  
I listen as the storm begins to dissipate around me. Fading, just as the life does from Elsa's body, leaving me alone with her skirts pooled around me like water, and I wish I would drown already.

Elsa.  
My beautiful snowflake.  
Always giving me strength.  
Always convinced she was falling even when she was actually flying.  
Always bringing the light to my shadows.  
Always melting my heart when I least expect it.

_Elsa._  
_Gone._  
_Falling._  
_Fading._  
_Dying._

I slip a hand beneath her neck and shut my eyes as I press my forehead hard against hers, wishing that the life coursing through my body could somehow drain from me and into her, drawing her back from the brink. From the shadows that shroud her into empty and eternal darkness until she is nothing.

I draw her lips to mine and keep them there, feeling her soft flesh against mine as the warmth fades from her skin. I press gently at first, and then more forcefully with more strength than I acquire at the moment, my lips waiting for hers to kiss me back.  
But they never do.

I know that my time with Elsa was never meant to last.  
But I thought I had more time than this.  
I _want_ more time than this.

But I guess I snowflake that glows that bright and falls that long, eventually has to melt from the world.  
From me.

I don't know how long I sit here caressing her in my arms and begging the Man in The Moon to bring her back.  
But eventually, I am pulled back from deep inside myself by the simplest and faintest call;

"Elsa!"

My movements are mechanical and rigid.  
I ease Elsa's body gently to the ground until she comes to rest on the cool ice, her head lolling back on her neck.  
My arm slides out from beneath her, my fingers slipping through hers, widening the gap between us. A distance so wide and great that nothing could ever close it or draw us back together as one.

There is no going back.  
No calling for her.  
No reaching for her.  
No catching her.  
No holding her.

I am cursed with timelessness and she is cursed with time.  
Her clock has come to its end while mine will continue to tick, counting each second of every minute, each minute of every hour, each hour of every day, each day of every week, each week of every month, each month of every year, each year of every decade, each decade of every century, and yet, I will not age a single second.  
My clock will never meet its end.  
Its ticks will always be the sound to fill the hollow and silent indents in my life left behind by Elsa.  
It will never run out of time to count, because just like my clock; time is endless.

That familiar icy chill strikes me when Anna dart through me and to Elsa's side, but I no longer feel the cold.  
All I feel is the emptiness settling inside me, growing and devouring me with it as my eyes track the tears slipping down Anna's face and onto the shimmering blue that Elsa's dress still shines, the color radiating and full of life.  
It strikes me as odd, because you would think that all life and streaks of color in the world would die with the dead. That all living things should come to a halt just as she did. That all things should be filled to the breaking point with pain and sadness just as you are. That everyone and everything in this universe should suffer just as you are.

It not fair.  
Out of all us, why Elsa?  
She never received the life she deserved, so why her?  
Why?  
Why?  
Why? Why? Why?  
Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy?

My ears throb with the sound of Anna's choked sobs of misery and pain filling the deafening silence of the world around us.  
My eyes trail her hands as they caress Elsa's face in her palms, her tears falling from her cheeks onto Elsa's skin as the color leaves her, taking who and everything she was with it.

I don't remember leaving, but somehow, I do.

I shove against the ice beneath me, pushing myself to my feet as I make a snatch for my staff before disappearing through the forest and shrubbery, leaving Elsa, whoever I was when I met her, and everything we knew together behind.  
It's all behind now.  
All gone.  
Fading from me into my scattered thoughts and clouded memory, because that's all she is now.  
A memory.

A ghost from the past.  
A disoriented fragment of memories and events.  
A voice of music and melody coming together to create a song of what was.

I stumble through the forest, blinded by pain and tears, relying on my feet to carry me away from it all.  
Away from the past.  
Away from the memories.  
Away from the ghost.  
Away from her.

I feel nothing.  
I am nothing.  
I am only composed of the sound of her voice whispering my name, the sight of her blue eyes falling closed for the final time, the feeling of her fingers slipping through mine.

I am lost.  
Shrouded in nothing.  
Lost to nothing and yet, everything.  
Nothing can pull me back.

I curse the world.  
I curse life, and I dare curse the Man in The Moon himself.

_Why? Why did you grant me her if you were just going to snatch her from me? Take her away as simply as if you took an eraser and smudged her away from my life? Why? Have you no conscience? Have you no care? Have you no soul? How about a heart? Why?  
__Why?_

I hack and slash my way through the shrubbery, mowing down everything in my path, trying to make it all feel as defeated, useless and broken as I am.  
I can feel everything melting around me, one thing into the next. My emotions tearing down the walls around me, turning me inside and out. My whole world and everything I am crumbling until I am nothing but the memory of her.

_Don't fall Elsa.  
You hear me?  
__Don't you dare fall._

* * *

Jack

It is quiet.  
Much too quiet.  
The silence is not only suffocating, but deafening as well.  
It is as if the entire land has died with Elsa, fading just as her spirit had.

The whole kingdom becomes empty, hollow shells, everyone roaming the village zombically, each person doing and saying whatever necessary in order to continue walking.  
Life in Arendelle becomes grey, silent and flavorless.  
Not a strip of color in sight.  
Not a single laugh to be heard echoing off the palace corridors to fill the silence.

All I see is grey.  
In the villagers clothing.  
In their sad eyes, much like the grey in the veil of clouds that has descended upon the land.  
And of course, in the sky.

I continue to scour for a ray of blue everytime I find myself glancing up and I become desolate all over again to discover that the grey still remains. But then I feel a slight pang of happiness at the discovery too, because if the color is ever to return to life; then the only person I ever want to share that joy with is Elsa. She would love it too.  
I can just see the two of us-my hand wrapped tightly around her waist, linking us as one as we rise into the air towards clouds fluffy with white and a sky bluer than the ocean as it shields the world from darkness like a blanket.

If Elsa is never to lay eyes upon a blue sky again, then no one should be allowed to.

I approach the tombstone lying in my path, my staff trailing behind me, drawing careless circles and tracks as my feet drag me forward through the soft, fluffy blanket of snow littering the ground, which now begins to melt to reveal patches of soft green blades of grass here and there.  
Any and all traces of the blizzard now begin to melt with Elsa's death.

The storm has finally ceased.  
It has finally given in after years of fighting for control.  
After years of raging within her, clawing for her will.  
It is over.  
It is done.  
She is at peace.

I stand before the stone, the words engraved in the rough surface bore a hole through me as the grey-clothed crowd of mourners disperses around me, breaking off from each other as they depart in small groups, leaving me with this tombstone and a ghost from the past.  
I sink to my knees, my hand resting on the stone, tracing each letter of every word inscribed in the rough surface.

_Here lies Queen Elsa of Arendelle.  
__Beloved daughter and sister.  
Will forever live in the hearts of all those who love and miss her dearly._

I make a throaty sound that is half snort and half scoff at this.  
It is a lie.  
Words of cunning and deceit.  
Of falsehood and fibs, made only to comfort the endless line of mourners that only appears when she no longer needs anyone.

No one has forever to love and miss her.  
No one but me.  
When I reach the last letter, I return to the first one and start again.

I made her a promise thirteen years ago, on a winter's night with a sky inky with darkness and bright with countless stars and a full moon.  
But I also made her a promise only a short few days ago, in the midst of a hazy blizzard swirling through the streets of Arendelle, and no matter how much I desire to remain here alongside her final resting place, I need to fulfill my last vow to her.  
The final words I ever spoke to her.

I cup my hands over my lips before exhaling against my palms, releasing my cool breath on them with my entire body.  
I take the one step I need to and gently place the iced flower at the foot of the headstone before stepping back and giving the snow-covered ground beneath me one last gentle pat, as if it can reach her.

"I love you Elsa," I whisper through slightly parted lips. "I promise."

I sit there studying the headstone for ages, tracing the letters etched in the stone by people who think they knew her but are mistaken and will never get the chance to.  
I can't even think about leaving her, but I will. Soon. In time.  
I will once again become the ghost hiding in plain sight.  
Return to nothing more than the nip at your nose and the numbness at your fingers and toes.  
Nothing but an embodiment of season hiding in the winds of winter.

* * *

**Oh God you guys:,( ugh! I'm so mean:P  
hehe anyway, hope this chapter was to your liking, despite the depressing aura of it all.**

**Thanks so much for the reviews, favorites and follows everyone! Leave your thoughts on this chapter if you can, I really appreciate the feedback!:)  
More to come soon!  
**

**-birdywings**


	24. Chapter 23

**Hey everybody!**

**I'm so glad you all liked my last chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it just as I do with every one of my chapters, despite the depressing aura of the previous scene.:,(  
Sorry about that guys!**

**Anyway here's 23! Also, I will be making some edits in the first few chapters, just a few minor things here and there including all the grammer errors I made. Well, I'll try to correct as many as I can because let's face it; it's pretty tough to catch all of them:/ I think the only chapter I will be making some major edits on is 1. So if you guys are interested in taking a look at that, I just wanted to let you guys know that I'll try to get it up within the next week or so. **

**Anyway, please enjoy and let me know your thoughts if you can! I love reading all you amazing feedback!**

**-birdywings**

* * *

23

Elsa

_Elsa.  
__The Snow Queen._

Elsa is my name.  
And I am the Snow Queen.

How do I know this?  
The moon told me so.  
It is all he has ever told me.

His words whisper in my mind, echoing off the walls of my head as they lure me out of my deep slumber.  
Out from the darkness and into the light.

My eyes flick open, revealing to me the darkness that encircles and devours me.  
My hair and shimmering blue skirts float around me, and I become conscious of the water I sit in, yet, I find no difficulty in breathing.  
I bring my hands close to my face, inspecting the tiny nails and delicate fingers in the darkness as my vision adjusts.  
Long, thick strands of my platinum-blonde hair waves in the ripples, getting caught in the water's calmness as my skirts pool around me, the tiny ice crystals catching the moonlight streaming through the thin layer of ice above me.

_Elsa.  
__The Snow Queen._

Suddenly, I begin to rise.  
My entire body lifting toward the surface as I breakthrough the ice and gasp for air, the cool, crisp evening air new and refreshing in my body as it travels to my lungs.  
I rise into the air until I come to float before the moon, my eyes gazing up at him as he drenches the world in his evening glow, and I swear I can see him nod in acknowledgment down at me as I feel his gaze landing upon me, as if studying me.  
It is a nod of understanding but somehow also feels like one of approval, as if he is granting me permission to do something. Though what, I do not yet know.

I descend to the icy ground below, planting my feet on the slick surface as I trace my toes along the ice, relishing the glorious feeling of the cool surge I feel run through me.  
A giggle of pleasure escapes my lips as I enjoy the feeling of being alive.  
I take a trembling step forward, my knees wobbling under my weight, and I have to plant my palms flat against the ice when I stumble.  
I laugh to myself, even as I study the wound on my palm from my fall.

And suddenly, I'm running.  
I leap to my feet and take off through the clearing, my feet sliding along the ice with my skirts and hair flowing in the light breeze behind me.  
I take it in.  
I take it all in, allowing myself to run wild and free without even so much as grasping my skirts to prevent the messy world from staining the silky blue fabric.

I run.  
And keep running.  
Even when my lungs can no longer find air.  
When they burn from the lack of oxygen as they claw up and down the walls of my body, searching for any source of air.  
I run with the moon gazing down upon me, bathing me in its glow along with the distant flecks of stars dotting the inky night sky.  
I only halt when my ears detect the crackling of ice beneath me, and I look down to discover frost spreading from the sole of my blue heels and across the frozen expanse of the pond.

My mind is blank for only a moment as I lean over the area, inspecting the patterns I leave in the ground.  
I giggle to myself, letting the sound to echo through the air before dissolving into the silence of the night.  
Surely I can create more.

I take a step back, extending my arms out at my side as I inhale the crisp air deeply, feeling the coolness of it sink into my lungs.  
I flick my wrists, my finger extending and bending back as icy patterns spiral out from the tips and into the air above me, and I gaze up in wonder and glee at the cloud of snowflakes that hovers above me and begins to rain upon the clearing.

I wave my arms through the air.  
Flick my wrists and twirl around on the ice, allowing my feet to glide against the slick surface as I let it go.  
I let it all go.  
Let it all drain from my body as my mind drifts into the world beyond me, riding the winds and chasing the sun, moon, stars and whatever else may lie beyond.  
I feel light, free and full of life.

My mind was so distant with my hazy thoughts that I hadn't noticed I'm once again ascending into the air, toward the moon hanging against the dusky veil of the night with its gleaming shine.  
I float here for several moments before I register that it is I who triggers this.  
I can fly.

I giggle again, unable to suppress my thrill and exhilaration at possessing these abilities.  
I kick at the air, propelling myself through the quiet night as I attempt to control my flight pattern.

I sail through the air, feeling the wind whip against my face, prick at my skin and eyes with my dress and hair flowing behind me.  
I listen to it whistle in my ear, carrying a tune all its own as it seems to tell me a story. A story of the events occurring over the course of the late hours of the evening.  
A smile unravels in my lips and reaches my eyes as I listen to the rhythm of the howling wind.

The world shifts past me in a blur, one thing merging into the next.  
I fly past trees, mountains, houses and my eyes twinkle as the catch them ember glow of streetlamps rushing past me.  
I manipulate the wind until my speed decreases and I'm hovering just over the snow-covered ground below.

I run through the streets, incapable of containing my laughter as I dance and skip along the pavement, my heels tapping against cement.  
I raise my hands and watch as the snow erupts from my palms, causing a downpour of snowflakes in the eve of night.  
I giggle and am about to create more when I catch sight of two figures out of my peripheral vision, their features concealed by the shadows lurking in the night.

I skip up to them, eyeing their interlaced hands with a warm smile as I ask them, my breath exiting as a cloud of steam, "Oh, hello, might either of you be able to tell me exactly where I-"

My words are lost to the wind as the air is knocked from my lungs at the spine-chilling impact when the couple walk hand in hand straight through me.  
I clutch a hand to my chest, my breathing rapid and shallow as my thoughts race through my mind. My body trembles as I attempt to slow the drumming of my heart as it rings in my ears, and I swivel to watch the couple disappear into the shadows beyond the glow of the streetlamp.

I am nothing.  
Nothing but the chill in the wind and nip at you nose, fingers and toes.  
I am the ghost of winter.  
The ghost roaming the earth in plain sight.

I am alone.  
I am lost.


	25. Chapter 24

24

Jack

I see her eyes when I close mine, her blue staring into mine and it is like becoming lost and found at the same time.  
I feel her in the first snow of winter, when everything is fresh and new again as nature prepares for the change in seasons. The delicate snowflake I cradle reminds of her hands; dainty and vulnerable, yet firm and capable, and my heavy heart seems to melt with it just as quickly as it had landed in my palms.  
I see her in Sandy's dream streamers night by night, her smile lighting up the dusky hours, when the whole world is silent with sleep.  
I hear her in the wind, her soft voice whispering my name like the soothing sound of the ocean as the waves overlap each other.

"Jack."

I close my eyes, just to catch a glimpse for even just a moment more of the endless blue as it leaks off the corners of my vision.

"Jack."

I picture her in her silky blue dress, the tiny ice incrustations sparkling in the light as the sun illuminates them.  
My eyes study her every feature; from the crown of her snowy-white hair, to the curve in her eyelashes, to the tip of her nose, to the glossy surface of her fingernails, to the hem of her shimmering skirts where they pool at her feet.

"Jack!"

I surface from my reverie at the faint call of my name, and my eyes flick open to discover Jamie and his sister Sophie barreling toward me, hands armed with snowballs and chests heaving with cheeks flushed with red as they huff and puff for air.  
I grin and take to the air when their ammo comes pelting my way.

They laugh and giggle as they sink to the ground, the blanket of snow crunching beneath their feet as they put together more snowballs.  
I tuck my arm behind my back, a smile creeping into my features as a snowball takes shape in my palm and with a swing of my arm, the ammo sails through the air and strikes Jamie square in the back.  
He glances up in astonishment, his brown eyes lit with mischief and elation as he tosses another snowball at me.

I glide through the air, surfing the wind as I listen to the crunch of Jamie's footsteps as he chases me around the yard, pelting attack after attack with Sophie trailing behind him, a bundle of snowballs cradled in her arms and grasped tightly against her chest.

Laughter runs through me as I run along the side of the house, my movements rattling the windows as I dodge Jamie's advances.  
I descend to the ground only to be struck in the shoulder by the lone snowball of Jamie's that managed to hit me, and I feel a smile tugging at my lips as I watch him topple over in a fit of laughter with Sophie joining him not long after in a pile, their two small bodies creating a mound of limbs and laughter.

My staff digs into the earth, creating a dent in the snow and mushy ground as I lean on it with my chin resting on the tip as I stand there watching them, their laughter filling the air and bubbling within me.  
The very sound of fun.

My eyes shift from the siblings and into the sky where the sunsets on the distant horizon, causing oranges, purples and pinks to cut through the vibrant blue dome hanging over us.  
I see her hiding in there somewhere, between colors. Within them, even. Her eyes gazing down upon me. Upon the world I have built for myself over the long and unbearable years.

It has been almost two-hundred years since the time of her passing, when she sank into the inevitable eternal slumber. Since she faded from the world, leaving me with nothing and no one to live for.  
I was once more left with no purpose in the world.  
Without Elsa, I'm lost.  
Empty.  
A hollow shell that can never be filled.

To say I got better is an overstatement.  
I did not improve needless to say.  
But I did somehow manage to prevent myself from getting any worse.

I had once laughed at the very idea of becoming a guardian.  
At the thought of scrambling around to put together last-minute gifts, or painting eggs, or gathering teeth. At the thought of deadlines and hard work all year round for one day of the year. At the thought of abiding by the rules of the Man in The Moon who, not even to mention, ignored my questions in need of answers for centuries.  
But that was all then. When I didn't have any believers of my own.  
This is now.

I am Jack Frost, guardian of fun and one of the five protectors to the children of the world.  
I found myself a home.  
Friends.  
A family.  
Believers.  
A purpose.  
I built my very own world within a world and I do not intend to let it go.  
To allow it to slip through my fingers the way she did.

Since becoming a guardian, I made sure it didn't happen again.  
That every child lives the childhood they should.  
With games, laughter, silliness and fun.

It has been a year since we saw Pitch Black being dragged into a hole by fear of his own making.  
And though we have not seen a sign of him since, that does not mean he is gone for good.  
Because as long as there is one being roaming the earth, fear will always exist.

I may have found myself a new life, but that does not mean she ever leaves me.  
She is with me all the time, in fact.  
Day by day.  
Night by night.

I try to bury her deep in the shadows of my mind, where the memories are at their vaguest and cloudy.  
But she emerges anyway.  
When I least expect it.

I draw my attention from the sky and to the two young children before me, who await and anticipate my next action.

"That was awesome!" Jamie cries, tossing his hands up in the air to emphasize his point. "Let's go sledding now! Or build a snowman! Or ice skate!"

I chuckle, the sound bouncing off the walls of my body as I smile at him, but falter a little as I tell him, "Actually Jamie, I have to get going."

Hi shoulders slump a little and my eyes detect his disappointment with sadness as he tries to hide it. "But you only just got here! Caleb, Pippa and the others haven't even arrived yet! We were supposed to have the ultimate snowball fight." He says, his eyes gleaming.

I will a corner of my lips to turn up as I rub at the back of my neck with my hand. "I know, and I promise we'll get on with that as soon as I return... There's just something I have to d first. Somewhere I have to go. Someone I have to meet." I feel a tint of red creeping into my cheeks as I say the last sentence.

Jamie's eyebrows knit together for a moment as he considers this, his mind rolling, racing, at work. "Is this someone... perhaps a _girl_?" He asks, his eyebrows flicking up teasingly.

I smirk at him, unable to contain my amusement. "Don't be silly you little rascal," I say, ruffling his shaggy brown hair. "Now go on, have some fun. I'll see you both later."

"It's not fun without you Jack, so you better hurry and get back!" He smirks and turns to scamper off but appears to think better of it as he glances back at me hovering in the air above him. "Oh, and good luck on your date!" He calls over his shoulder before taking Sophie by the hand, and I watch as their two little figures disappear through the sliding glass door and into the house.

I laugh to myself before turning toward the setting sun in the distance, the colors of daylight draining into the early evening.  
Blues bleed into oranges, oranges melt into pinks, pinks merge into purples, purples mix into navy, and navy blends into the black of night.

I sigh and kick at the air, letting the breeze brush against my skin as I breathe it in, the first snow of winter entering my body, and I am refreshed with this experience as I whisper to the winter air, "Wind, take me to Arendelle."

* * *

**Hope this chapter was to everyone's liking!  
So I'm assuming everyone's busy with summer activities and vacations and whatnot, but I truly hop that you can all drop by and take a peek at my story when you have the available time again!**

**And thank you to the people who read and reviewed my last chapter!  
Let me know your thoughts on this one if you can, I love reading the amazing feedback!**

**More to come soon!**

**-birdywings**

**P.S. And to my lovely followers; come on, you know you want to review;)**


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