Frozen Nightmares [ Bear & Wolf ]

Beautiful. Powerful. Dangerous. Cold.

Never before had she felt so powerful, but never before had she felt so completely and utterly free. The trolls had been right about her – she was a monster, and she didn’t deserve to live among the others, where she could cause so much pain and suffering by being nothing more than… Herself. It hung so heavy in her heart to hold the thing that had been such a huge part of herself in more, even more painful that she’d had to hide it from the one person she loved most of all. But everything had changed. Anna had someone to look after her now, and Elsa… Well, Elsa was free now to be the person she had always been.

It was such a relief to not have to hold everything in anymore, her eyes taking in the beauty that was her castle, with crystal walls and sparkling chandelier. It was so breathtaking in its own that she could hardly believe it had been made from the same hands that had been covered for so long, to hide the secret that she no longer had to fear. God, the freedom. It was so maddening to think that for all of these years she’d had such potential.. Potential that had never been tapped…

And for what? Fear? She’d always been so scared of hurting Anna again, so scared that she would kill the girl who had always been her closest friend, her dearest companion. But damn it, what was the point now? They were much older and it had been so many years since she’d actually connected with her that she didn’t know anything about her anymore… Who was she? Obviously, not the little girl that had been struck in the ballroom so many years ago, but still just as naïve as she had always been. So carefree…

If Anna had the chance to feel that why, why couldn’t she? All of her life she’d spent in hiding, carefully locking herself away and giving up her own happiness just so that she could protect, to guard against a possibility that Anna could get hurt from her powers again. That had to change. Here, in her castle, she was able to be free to explore who she wanted to be, what she wanted to do. She knew that she was expected to return, to be a normal person… But damn it, she didn’t want that.

More than anything else, she wanted what everyone else had – freedom. No more holding back, no more hiding. Elsa hadn’t noticed that she was pacing until now, her clenched hands releasing as she tried to calm herself. The swirling storm inside had died down so much that she could barely feel it, her creation a show of just how much she could do… But there was so much more in her that she was hiding away, her sheer power.

And for the first time in forever, there was nothing holding her back. Nothing to worry about. No closed doors, no knocking sister, nothing! The joy rushed back to her like a wave, her joy unabashed as she admired the ice, so strong and cold. It was like her… And all of this had been possible because she’d done one simple task that had seemed impossible – finally, she had managed to let it go.

Pitch had watched from the shadows as the palace of Ice grew at the command of the beautiful woman, his pale skin glowed in the light of the moon as he watched her revel in her release of power. He smiled darkly as saw just how incredible her power was, black sand poured out around his feet as it coiled around him and he used it to fly himself toward the now finished Ice palace. With ease he was standing in the same room as the woman his black sand pouring into the room like water as he slowly clapped smiling at the silver haired beauty. "Bravo. Bravo, beautiful just amazingly beautiful." he said as he strolled around the room, his dark eyes never strayed from the woman.

"I must say you do amazing work." he continued running a finger along one of the rooms Ice walls as he examined it he smiled a little brighter. Dark and Cold would rule this world if he played his cards just right, "Where are my manners." he spoke up again as he approached the woman and bowed low and respectfully. "My name is Pitch, Pitch Black." he said as he straitened and slicked back his short black hair though it didn't need it, "I've never seen such a wonder before." he added as he raised his hands and spun in place his black sand swirling around them as he did. "You have a real talent." he finished as he stood there watching her now with those dark eyes that seemed to be looking into her very core.

The serene silence of her castle was unperturbed... For a short amount of time, at least. The silence was broken by a voice, a man's voice, that came from... At first, from nowhere. Elsa turned to face him, her arms drawing close to herself in a guarded motion. She didn't know what to think of him, a man that came from nothing, surrounded by shadows but... Kind? She couldn't make any sense of it. He looked to be the thing of nightmares, what with his black hair and diseased-looking skin. He didn't appear to be human... But what, exactly, was her point of comparison? Herself? The woman who could make a castle of ice from nothing?

Elsa put space between the king of darkness and herself, still unsure of how she should feel about him. "Thank you..." She said after a moment, because after all it was the proper and polite thing to do when someone complimented you, "I am.... I am Queen Elsa, of Arendelle." She said finally, because she couldn't see the harm in letting him know what her name was. "Where did you come from, Pitch Black?" She asked, motioning to the door that was still sealed quite firmly.

Pitch grinned, "Walls and doors are no barrier to me. But I did come from outside enjoying the fresh air and the moonlight." he said as he moved closer to her. "You see you and I are allot alike, we both have 'Special' gifts." he said as he raised his hand and black sand shifted into a shape of horse with glowing yellow eyes. Its nostrils flared as he appeared to breathe and move like any horse Pitch patted it on the flank affectionately before his eyes returned to Elsa. "Though I can't create something like this Palace your Majesty." he continued as resumed his path growing closer to Elsa, he looked into her eyes and he could see her fears and oddly enough she was like him. "I know what it's like to be locked away. Feared, unable to be close to ones I love." he said a sad look passing over his features as the Horse nudged his shoulder looking for affection and Pitch ran hand down its long muzzle.

He smiled at Elsa, "They feared what I could do thought it unnatural and they left me alone in the dark." he said with a shrug of his shoulders he dismissed the sad memories. "But now I see someone that doesn't fear me." he finished as he reached Elsa at last and smiled down at her his black eyes looking at her. She was beautiful and serene like a flower pushing its way out of deep snow, "Tell me why'd you come all the way out here?" he asked her as he stood there both of them silently watched by the horse made of black sand.

Though he was certainly an intimidating specter, Pitch seemed to be completely harmless to her. His words weaved such a beautiful tapestry, but she didn't know if the story on it was true or not. He was closing the space between them once again, this time showing her the creations of his own design. A horse, made from tainted sand, but living as anything else could ever be. It even had desires -- the most pressing one being the want for affection from its creator, the horse nuzzling into him as if it were an ordinary steed.

She could see where he made sense - in so many ways they were similar. Both looked down upon for their powers, feared because the people didn't understand them and what they were capable of. Her face softened just a bit, because she knew just how terrible it could be to feel all alone in the world. But now... Now she wasn't. There was Pitch. "I came out here to be alone... I can't control my powers so it's best if I'm not where I could hurt people. Out here... Out here I can be free. I can wander my castle freely and explore the beauty of the North Mountain." She motioned upwards towards the top of the staircase, which led to her bedroom, the balcony overlooking everything.

"I can be happy here. I can look down at them all and watch them go about their lives... Without having to worry about me."

Pitch chuckled lightly as he stepped away the horse watching his movement before it nuzzled at the woman seeking affection from the only other person there. "Freedom? Here?" Pitch began as he walked around the room before he laughed a little, "You poor thing." he continued as he looked back at her. "This isn't freedom. It's another cage, prettier and brighter than the one you left but still a prison of your own making." he said his tone turning sweet and alluring as he continued. "Freedom is where you stand tall and proud showing the world what you can do." he said as he raised high into the air by a pillar of black sand. "Where those that wanted to lock you away see the wonder and power in your gift." he said as he created crowds of black sand people all clapping and applauding Pitch as the pillar of sand shrank and he was brought back down.

He strolled toward Elsa as the sand people faded away, "Where you can walk among the people unafraid, instead of just watching them from your cage of ice." he said as he made a bold move and lightly brushed her cheek with his long fingers. He turned away from her then and looked at the wall as though he was seeing something else, "Wouldn't you rather be seen and acknowledged rather than become some distant memory of a freak." he finished balling his hands into fists as pained expression passed through his eyes as he looked at Elsa.

Like the rest of the items in her castle, Elsa was temporarily frozen. She stood completely still as Pitch weaved her a story of all that could be. He made it sound all so endearing, to have a life where she could not only live among the people but have them marvel at all it was that she could do. And honestly, why wouldn't they want to marvel? She looked around at her creation, from the vast, thick walls that surrounded them to the delicate and quite intricate pieces in the chandelier hanging above their heads. It was a glittering masterpiece, truly beautiful to behold. Her eyes then found Pitch, who looked... Well, almost forlorn, as he spoke. He talked like he had lived through what she had gone through.

"I would prefer that... But... Why do you care? Why does it matter to you what I think?" She asked, still feeling that odd wriggle in her belly that told her not to trust this man, though his voice spun stories made of gold, she suspected that he was more than what he appeared to be... Worse than he appeared to be.

Pitch shook his head, "I want to help. So you don't have to be alone like I am." he said as he approached her that smile never slipping out of place as he looked her in the eye. "Do you really want to be here alone with no one but the ice? Or do you want me to show you want we can do together?" he continued as he reached her he gentle grasped her chin and tilted her head to look up at him. "Because I don't want to be alone any more." he finished looking into her eyes as he tried to convince her to listen and much more than that give herself to him. Cold and Dark went so well together after all.

"I'll let you think on it. I'll be back sometime later." he said as he released her chin and stepped past her moving toward the wall. "I do hope you give it some real thought." he added before vanishing in a swirl of sand all that remained was a few specks on the ground.

Alone. To be alone was all she had ever known from her life since the accident with Anna, and the thought of being with someone - to be with anyone, really, was such an excitement. To have someone to talk to and listen to, to spend her days with, whether they were doing something or simply admiring the beauty that was all around them. She could have a friend, something that had been a forbidden pleasure to her all of her life... Someone who seemed to understand her better than anyone else had. He seemed to know what it was like to be alone, not by choice but by force.

His gentle grasp on her chin broke her thoughts, her eyes meeting his reluctantly. Though he looked to be a walking nightmare, there was something, albeit small, in his gaze that captured her. His eyes were a lovely, shimmering gold, like someone had trapped the sun in his mind. And it was... Beautiful. For a moment, just a brief moment, she thought he was going to kiss her.

But then that moment ended, her first encounter with the mysterious man over as he left through the wall, leaving a whirlwind of sand. And with him gone, it was suddenly so much more difficult to think. Her mind felt cloudy, like a storm was brewing on the inside. She approached the place he'd left, placing a hand on the ice. It was smooth, completely unharmed by his exit. Bits of sand clung to her palm, rough and gritty against her soft hands.

"I don't have to be alone..." She murmured, saying as if she were trying to convince herself. Reluctantly, she pulled herself away from the wall, leaving the room to spend time on the balcony instead, because what better place existed to think about loneliness than the view of everything?

Pitch had given her a whole day to think about what he had said, it was rather interesting to meet someone with her gift and it made his dream for a world filled with fear ever more possible. He smiled as he imagined that world dark and cold and all the power hat would be his, he didn't know why but Elsa's face intruded on his thoughts as she smiled at him in a way no one had. The image continued focusing on her as he watched her draw closer till their lips met in a deep and passionate kiss, it was then he shook himself. "She's a means to end he told himself but oddly it didn't sound convincing to him.

As the sun set he pushed those conflicting thoughts down as he returned to Elsa's Ice Palace and entered through the wall, it was a brilliant as before but in the light of the setting sun it was like the ice were on fire with how it refracted the light. "Elsa?" he called out as he looked around for her then decided to explore moving through the palace as silent as a shadow.

Pitch had given her plenty of time to herself in which to dwell on all that he could offer her. More appealing than anything else, he offered something that she hadn't had in such a long time - companionship. A person that she could be near without having to stress over whether she would hurt him. After all, there was no way ice could freeze a shadow. She found herself playing their encounter over and over in her head, the man's face pervasive enough to invade her dreams that night. It was fitful sleep, fraught with nightmares and daydreams alike.

She was still torn when he returned, the glimmer of her castle walls dying down to a full shine as he materialized inside of it. And like the shadow he was, he set to exploring every nook and cranny, seemingly unaware that he was being observed by its one inhabitant
Elsa approached him reluctantly, her smile shy and body language frankly guarded.

"I had almost convinced myself it was a dream." She murmured, a light pink coming to her cheeks, "But here you are..."

She met his eyes with her own, the shy smile gaining confidence. "I think... I want to see what you have to offer."