like all things jinsley, #jelsa was created from a #jinsleymoment. well, sorta. it just so happens that one of us really likes frozen. and the other just so happen to have a years old frozenxguardians plot sitting and collecting dust. so, yes, like all things jinsley, that intense interest in one thing was taken advantage of. sorry, babe. love you! <3
our story begins with a young princess in a far away kingdom known as arendelle. she was no ordinary princess. she was born with a gift. and while it's unclear just where this gift came from (at least that is what the king believes) she was still loved by all. as she grew into a beautiful young lady, her powers grew with her. and that was when she attracted the attention of a kindred spirit. and not just any spirit, a guardian. well, he wasn't a guardian just yet. but, through circumstances unclear to him, he too was "born" with a gift much like hers. and for centuries he has used his gift to bring fun to the entire world...even if they did not know he existed. until he met the princess and for the first time ever, someone saw him.
he taught her everything he knew about their gift: how to control it, how to have fun with it. but then, one day, he was pulled away from her to fulfill a destiny he didn't know was his at the time. he was now ready to become a guardian. he fought alongside his fellow guardians against an evil force that threatened the innocence of children all around the world. he fought so that his precious princess would never be harmed.
only, she was.
the darkness took hold. invited in by an accident. and with her teacher and friend not around to help her, the princess was weak against the nightmares. she grew afraid. afraid of her gift and what it would do to those she loved. by the time the newly appointed guardian returned to share in his victories, the damage was done. she could no longer see him. she no longer believed.
it's been years now since that unfortunate day. the princess, now a beautiful young woman, still remains in the darkness. the guardian, while having adapted to his new role as a guardian, still holds on to the guilt from having let his princess down. to this day, she still does not see him nor does she show any signs that she remembers the days they played together. but after all this time, the guardian believes he can save her and bring her out of the darkness. to remember who she is. to remember him.
**Disclaimer:: This roleplay migrated from it's original thread on another roleplaying site. The first 3 posts are previous posts written between Jin and me.**
“What?” Jack asked, feeling self-conscious suddenly. He turned away from his reflection in the ice mirror in North’s private workshop to look at his fellow guardians. Every single one of them stared wide eyed at him, but did not say a single word. “Is there something wrong with my face?”
Still, no one else in the room spoke. Even the little elves that snuck in with a giant platter of cookies could do nothing more than drop their jaws to the ground. And considering how tiny they were, they really did hit the ground.
Finally, Tooth floated forward with a reassuring smile on her face. Her pearly white teeth glistened against the bright sun and freshly fallen snow peeking in through North’s window. “No, of course not! It’s just...you know…We’re not used to this. You look so…”
“Brown,” Bunny finished with a cocked brow on his furry face. Sandy nodded in agreement. Both North and Tooth shot him a look. Jack ran a hand through his hair then turned to look at himself again in the mirror.
Tooth floated closer to Jack, covering Bunny’s reflection in the mirror. “He doesn’t mean that in a bad way, of course, Jack!” she said quickly. “It’s just been so long since you’ve looked so human. And you look the most human of the five of us.” Tooth paused to look at him closely. Jack quietly watched this through the mirror. “It’s been over 400 years since you looked like how you did when you were a boy…”
Jack momentarily remembered the memories Tooth possessed of his previous life so many centuries ago. He hasn’t seen those memories in about a decade now; not since their battle with Pitch. But in the back of his mind, the memories remained with him. It was these memories that made this transformation bearable for him.
“Jack, is that really what you looked like as a boy?” North asked curiously, taking a step closer to him now. Jack watched the large man stroke his long white beard as he now took his turn to examine his new look. When his gaze found North’s big blue eyes he looked away just as quickly. The eyes that met North’s were not his own. They were not the blue eyes that were as bright as the untouched ice frozen over a freshwater lake. What looked back at the man who led the guardians were eyes from a memory he could not remember; a memory that was more an outer body experience than his own. What looked back at North’s big blue eyes were warm brown eyes that sparkled with wonder and...mischief. Even now as Jack tried to reason that this moment was not some dream.
Jack stared at himself for a long time trying to memorize all of it that way the next time he saw his reflection he would not freak out like earlier. He stared at the brown hair on his head. It was much longer than from when he was a boy in his previous life. There also seemed to be the added hint of waves compared to the flat white mop that forever looked like the wind blew through it from his true form. Then he gazed down at his brown eyes. They were so alien to him. For centuries he knew only of his blue eyes that shined like ice when he looked to the sky. These brown eyes of the life he no longer knew would take some getting used to. But at least they still kept the same old mischief he was notoriously known for.
Then Jack focused on the rest of his body. Beneath his icy cold clothes was flushed skin that had been touched by warmth. He understood why the other guardians could not stop staring. His skin had so much color to it. It was no longer pale and cold to the touch. He became acutely aware of how Baby Tooth no longer shivered when she perched herself on his shoulder.
It was daunting. It was very daunting. Never had he thought nor dreamed of the day he would be human again. Up until now, he didn’t think it was possible.
How could he have doubted the Moon?
It had been hours now since the initial transformation. After some practice and frustration, he was now back to his true form. Perched on the balcony of the tallest tower in North’s workshop, Jack’s bare feet dangled over the edge while he rested against his long staff. His blue eyes looked right up at the big, bright moon. Even now, ten years after much of his existence started to make sense, the biggest mystery that still remained was the Man in the Moon who looked down upon all of them.
Jack stared up so intently at the moon that he failed to hear the heavy footsteps of North’s boots coming closer.
“Jack?” North called out in a surprisingly soft voice. “Is everything okay?”
Jack dropped his gaze away from the moon to look at the slopes of snow falling down the mountains. A gust of wind blew past him, but he didn’t shiver. The cold didn’t bother him. “Do you think this will work? I mean…” Jack sighed, pressing his staff hard against his forehead. “It’s been so long. So many years since...since…” The words were lodged so deep in his throat he thought he might choke on them. Since I lost her. Since I failed her….
“How am I going to make her remember me?” Jack managed to force out. He looked up at North. “How am I going to make her believe?”
“Like you did with every child, Jack,” North answered without hesitation. He dropped a heavy hand on Jack’s shoulders and gave it a firm squeeze. Jack found himself focusing on the “Nice” tattoos peeking out from his rolled up sleeves. “You remind her of what it is like to have fun. Yes?” If only it was that simple. Jack now looked away from the tattooed arm toward the giant globe that hovered in the center of the room. So many bright lights twinkled with the moon’s beams. Even though Jack should be happy to see how many children believed in them, he couldn’t help focusing on a specific kingdom: Arendelle. For years, he watched and prayed for the day two lights appeared on the spot he knew Arendelle’s royal castle was located. For years, he watched with disappointment when it was only the one.
“Do not worry, Jack,” North said suddenly, pulling Jack’s attention away from the globe. “Everything will work out fine. You will not be doing this alone.” Jack looked at North closely. Although Jack was known to be the mischief maker of the guardians, there was no denying that Nicholas St. North came at a very close second. And that is always the scariest North to be around.
“Oh no…” Jack breathed out quietly. He suppressed the urge to hide his face in his hands as he stared up at the small shop. Just as he had enough staring at the obnoxiously large sign at the front, he jumped when the front door suddenly burst open. Filling the now wide open door was a giant of a man that looked like North, but also did not look like him at all.
“Oh no,” Jack said louder. “North...you didn’t…”
North simply laughed his hearty laugh. “What? You think Man in Moon only have magic enough for one?” A wide grin peeked through the long brown beard. Wait. Jack did a double take. North’s hair on his head and face were brown. The “Naughty” and “Nice” tattoos were gone and in its place a generous coat of arm hair peeking out from rolled up sleeves. And...was North wearing a flannel?
With another hearty laugh, North slapped Jack reassuringly on the back. But in this human form, the force was too much for Jack to take on unprepared and he stumbled a couple steps until he lost his footing on the slippery snow and fell forward. Although the cold still did not bother him in his human disguise, he could not get over how uncomfortable wet clothes felt on his skin.
“North,” Jack sighed as he wiped snow off his pants. “Really? A toy shop?!” He turned once again to look at the window display of handmade toys. “Could you be more obvious?”
“If I was obvious, these people would know who I am.” Jack blinked, unable to even find the words to respond to that. “This will work just fine! This is only toy shop in town! Not only will we have reason to be here, but there is added bonus of bringing happiness to the children.”
Jack suddenly became aware of just what time it was now. The last remnants of the moon disappeared as the sun came up over the mountains in the distance. As the small town brightened with the dawn, it gradually came to life. The street lamps that lined the snowy sidewalks flickered off just as the first cars drove down the road. The lights in the other shops in the town center turned on and from the windows, shop owners turned their Closed signs to Open.
“Come on, Jack,” said North. “We have much to do before we go find her.”
It became clear to Jack that the toy shop was not the only source of excitement across the town today. The shop was surprisingly busy, even for a grand opening. While North played the gracious shop owner with jolly good joy, Jack couldn’t help eavesdropping on the various customers. Almost all of them were talking about the same thing: the royal family of Arendelle was coming today. Earlier after the shops in the town center opened for business, town officials arrived to prepare for the royal family’s motorcade. Now the town was filled with townsfolk and visitors waiting for a glimpse at the king, the queen and the two princesses. Jack was finding it more and more difficult to contain his own excitement.
North, on the other hand, did not exactly share in that same excitement.
“Jack!” North cried out from somewhere in the shop. “What are you doing?! Get back to registers!” he commanded in his booming voice. The children laughed as they ran around him.
Jack had his hand on the door. He looked out the window at the growing crowd lining the sidewalks. “But...I want to go watch!” Jack whined.
He heard the boots before North appeared around a shelf of wooden animals. “You can watch from register! We are very busy!”
Jack looked up at North with a pleading expression. But the man was firm on his decision. He needed someone at the register while he entertained the happy children that just seemed to gravitate toward him no matter where he went. He sighed as he let go of the door handle and let the door close. As he took his spot on the stool behind the counter, he suddenly heard cheers from outside. It was one of those blink and you’ll miss it moments. But for Jack, whose excitement and nerves put all of his human instincts on high alert, his head turned quickly toward the window just as Arendelle’s flags waved in the wind above the crowds as they flew past. And then, it was gone. But for that briefest of moments, she was near. He was one step closer to finding her again.
“How am I going to get close to her?” Jack asked after North said goodbye to the last of his customers and locked up for lunch. “Especially in this body. It would be easier if I just...I dunno...flew up to her window or something. Being a human makes things a little more difficult.”
“HA! Don’t be ridiculous!” North exclaimed, hands firmly on his hips. “You wanted to be human so she can see you. Now you complain being human won’t let her see you.” North shook his head amusingly. “Remember, Jack. We are part of town now.” Jack looked at him with a confused expression. “There is benefit to being part of town.” He reached into his large pocket for a folded piece of paper and handed it over to Jack.
It was a flyer inviting the town to a casual gathering at the ski resort. Hosted by the royal family. Which meant...she was going to be there!
Excitement once again brightened Jack’s brown eyes. “This is perfect! This could be my chance to see her again!” Jack paused and looked down at the flyer once more. A moment of doubt flashed through him. “Do you even think she’s going to attend? North, she’s hardly stepped out of the castle since the accident. What makes you think she’ll attend tonight’s event?”
“There is only one way to find out!”
As soon as the street lamps flickered on for the evening, the shops in the town center turned off their own lights and locked their doors. North’s toy shop was one of them. While North fiddled with the lock that was too small for his large hands, Jack fussed over his button up shirt. He wondered if he should button all the way up or leave a couple undone. How do adults find this type of clothing comfortable? Maybe he should have focused on some of the older kids before he committed to this mission. Or maybe he should have just asked Jamie. Sometimes he forgot that Jamie was no longer the little boy that saved him and the other guardians.
He walked over to the shop window. It still took him a moment to get used to his human reflection. But once he got past his brown hair and eyes, he focused on whether he should flatten the brown hair while returning to the button debate.
“Will you stop fussing? You look great!” North said with a laugh. “Come, before some other human boy takes attention of princess.”
North was right. By the time they arrived at the resort and followed the rest of the crowd into the large hall where the gathering was to be held, it was already packed with townsfolk eager to catch a glimpse of the royal family. It was difficult to determine the right place to stand. Even with North’s height, Jack felt like he was at a disadvantage. There was no way to get close to where he imagined they would enter. He wondered as he followed North toward a couple spots at a nearby table, if there was a chance she could see him in this crowd of what felt like thousands.
The hall was abuzz with conversation as everyone waited with anticipation for the arrival of the royal family. Jack felt like his insides were twisting with nerves. Each breath he took was harder than the last one. He had long abandoned his button debate when he realized that having anything touching his throat while he was nervous was suffocating. Meanwhile, North was having the time of his life bonding with the other adults at their table. After all, it’s not often the jolly old man has the opportunity to interact with beings that weren’t either abominable or elvish. Not to mention the almost never ending supply of cookies on display at the food table.
“Jack, relax! Have some cookies!” North said in a low voice. “Don’t worry. We will get you to princess.”
Just as soon as North said this, fanfare echoed throughout the hall and quieted everyone. All eyes fell on the closed double doors at the other end. It was as if the whole world stood still while they all waited for the most anticipated moment to begin.
“Presenting King Agnarr, Queen Iduna and the princesses, Anna and Elsa!”
Jack’s heart skipped a beat. She came. He was going to finally get his chance to see Elsa again...and for her to see him.
He shot right out of his chair to get a better view of the royal family’s entrance. When the double doors opened, all he could see was her. All these years he spent watching her from afar. He watched as she grew up from the bright eyed little girl he played with to this beautiful young woman. Tonight was finally his chance to be in the same room as her; to not have a window between them. Tonight, he was determined to have her see him for the first time in ten years.
Throughout the night, Jack kept a close eye on Elsa. Even from afar he could see how nervous she was being among so many people. The way she held her gloved hands tight together and shied away from any form of touch. In those big blue eyes, he saw her fear. The very same fear that has been a dark shadow over her since that night he couldn’t save her. Jack wanted nothing more than to go right over to her and tell her that everything was going to be okay; that he was going to show her once again that her gift was nothing to be afraid of.
But their table was too far and Jack watched impatiently as the royal family was ushered to every table so that they could meet the townsfolk. He couldn’t wait any longer. But how was he supposed to cut his way to the front of the--
Jack yelped at the sudden loss of ground under his feet. His head shot up to look at North. He was also very aware of the amount of eyes watching them. After all, it was a little strange that a large man like North could lift him off the ground just by the collar of his shirt. “North, what are you doing?! Put me down!” Jack demanded as he tried to wriggle out of North’s grip.
“Come, we go get more cookies,” said North. More cookies? As if he didn’t already have enough on his plate. Once they were a few feet away from the table, North put Jack back down on the ground and let go of his collar. As they maneuvered around the other tables, he looked back to keep an eye on Elsa. But he found that on some occasions, North’s giant frame was in his way. What was this jolly old man playing at?
“I don’t know what your plan is, but I can’t lose focus right now. What if they pass our table while we’re getting your coo--” Having been looking up at North the entire time he was speaking, Jack did not see when the old man took a larger than normal step. Suddenly, North’s foot was in his path. With no time to prepare himself, his own small foot caught on his and he could feel his momentum being pushed forward.
However, just before he could fall in that direction, Jack once again felt a tug on his collar and suddenly he was falling toward the side. In these briefest few seconds as he felt his inevitable fall pause, he wished he was back in his true form. He could easily use his abilities to catch himself and stop from making a fool of himself. As he felt North’s grip loosen off him, he even considered just changing back into his true form. It’s not like anyone would be able to see him if he did.
A split second later, Jack looked up to see where exactly he was able to fall. It was enough time to process that his destination was not where, but who.
“Watch out!” Jack quickly cried out as his arms swung forward. All around him, he heard shocked gasps. In front of him, Jack could only focus on the absolute terror on his princess’ face as he fell closer in her direction.
At the very last second, Jack called for desperate measures. Although in a human disguise, he was still able to use his abilities so long as his staff remained nearby disguised as a silver pendant around his neck. Through the nearest open door, he summoned a cold breeze to slow his fall long enough to catch his footing. It was enough time for him to instead bump into Elsa as opposed to completely crashing into her.
He felt it almost instantly; Elsa about to lose control of her powers. If he didn’t save the situation now, he would lose any chance of being with her ever again. As soon as Elsa’s hands touched his, Jack acted quickly. He saw the icy glow escape her palms and absorbed it before anyone else could, especially Elsa. And he kept her hands in his until the cold rush disappeared.
Everyone in the hall was watching them now. Jack could feel every pair of eyes looking right at him. He needed to do something and fast.
With a deep breath, Jack looked up from their hands to gaze right into Elsa’s eyes. He watched as her fear softened to...confusion? Shock? Disbelief? All Jack knew was that he may be looking into his princess’ eyes, but they were not her eyes. These were not the bright eyes of the little girl that believed. It was in that moment that he vowed to do all he humanly could to bring that light back into her beautiful eyes.
But first...he needed to say something before he got himself arrested.
“I-I-I’m so sorry, Your Highness!” he stammered. “I promise it was an accident! I must have tripped over…” He turned to look at North who was smiling comically behind his beard. But before he could finish, his hands suddenly felt empty. He turned to find Elsa had taken a couple steps away from him. “I’m very sorry.”
❄LOCATION──ski resort banquet halltab tab tab❄COMPANY──elsa, north and the entire town
Bright blue eyes immediately darted up to the bedroom door but there was a moment of silence that followed. If it were palace staff then they would have announced themself as such by now, so this must be family, ”Elsa?”
It was. “Come in!” “Are you ready to go?”
The door had opened to reveal the familiar and comforting face of her mother; the Queen, and Elsa felt her shoulders relax as she let out a sigh as she turned to look over at her fully packed luggage sitting beside her on the bed.
“What’s wrong?” Her mother had closed the distance between them upon seeing the shadow of distress cross her daughter’s face. She reached out to brush Elsa's long face framing bangs behind her ear and then continued on to run her fingers through the icy blonde locks still loose around her shoulders, “...do we have to go?”
“Oh Elsa...come here...” Elsa’s gloved hand took her mother’s when Iduna held hers out. Her mother gently pulled her off the bed and led her over to sit in front of the vanity against the wall. Elsa watched as she picked up a hairbrush before coming to stand behind her and running the bristles through her hair. As she brushed she hummed softly to a lullaby tune that Elsa had known all her life.
When she did at last speak, she spoke now through the mirror before them, mother and daughter’s matching blue eyes locked on one another as Iduna spoke of all the good that this trip would do—for all of them. It was to be a family vacation. Elsa would not need to attend any royal duties. Iduna and Agnarr both had just come back from their own duties and wanted to spend time with their daughters. And then there was Anna. Poor Anna who had been begging for so long to get out of the castle.
A pang of guilt hit Elsa at the mention of how Anna had been cooped up inside for so long. It was her fault she had to live like this...the least she could do was grant her this opportunity to go out into the world and play. Elsa didn’t want to go anywhere, nor did she want to stay here alone while her family went out without her. But it was so selfish of her to keep them here with her just because she was terrified of going out in the world. It’s not like she was ever really with them anyways.
Elsa hadn’t left her room for close to three weeks now. A month ago her parents had left for a trip. The trip was only for two weeks but by the end of the first Elsa had crumbled under the pressure. Being away from her mother in particular was always difficult for her. So the stress of being alone now with her responsibilities all weighed down on her to such an extreme that she lost control. Not in front of anyone. She had managed with her last ounce of self control to conceal her emotions long enough until she was alone in her room. But she had fallen so deep into her insecurities over her powers that she didn’t emerge again for the remainder of her parents’ trip. And now even after they had been back for some time she still hadn’t found the strength to venture outside the safety of her room. The prospect of leaving just made her so anxious. There were little icicles all around her room from when her mind would trap her in this dark downward spiral of self doubt, You can’t do it. What if you lose control? And in all her flurry of emotions her powers would escape as though to prove her point.
It had been a particularly rough month for the Crown Princess of Arendelle, and while she had been getting better, it was clear that Elsa was just so deep in this slump that she would need more than time and space to get through it this time. That was how the King and Queen came up with the idea of a family trip. Maybe getting Elsa out of her routine and comfort zone would allow her to sort of reset and relax. Initially Elsa had of course been oh so very much against this trip, but with the help of her ever patient mother she had been swayed to give it a chance. But of course in typical Elsa fashion, here she was second guessing it all and having last minute doubts.
As Iduna finished up talking Elsa through it all she set the brush back down and moved on to braid her hair. The Queen then gave Elsa a reassuring squeeze on her shoulders and Elsa smiled softly back up at her through the mirror with a slight nod and an “Okay”, as she agreed to committing to this trip and to trying her best to enjoy it.
For Anna’s sake if not her own.
Her nerves raced through her at her first step outside of her room. Iduna had told her Anna was waiting downstairs by the front and that she and their father would be down shortly. As Elsa reached the banister she first reached out to hold on for balance to descend the staircase, but just before her hand touched the rail she pulled back and quietly closed her hand in on itself. She hadn’t touched anything outside of her own room in weeks. What if she— no. She shook her head slightly as if arguing with herself as her father’s words repeated like a mantra in her head: Conceal, don’t feel.
With a slow exhale she forced her palm flat and tried again. As soon as she felt the railing through her glove she wasted no time in making her way down the stairs. This was fine. She was fine. As long as she didn’t let herself worry then everything would be fine. But then she reached the bottom and she could see Anna sitting on a small upholstered settee along the wall near the entrance. Elsa swallowed back her fears as she approached, watching Anna scramble to her feet to look presentable to her elder sister.
”Hi,” She smiled, slightly amused at Anna’s surprise as she glanced around to confirm that Elsa was indeed addressing her and not someone else in the foyer. ” ‘Hi’ me? Oh, um… hi,” Anna wasn’t the only one feeling awkward over this interaction, Elsa just had years and years of practice to not show how she truly felt. She was the Princess of Arendelle, next in line to the throne. She was born and groomed to hold herself to such high standards, then the addition of her powers just upped her to the next level. When Elsa kept her cool it was virtually impossible to read her, and she easily put up this front of seeming unbothered by much. She put her all into her public image, not quite realizing how intimidating it was for others, especially Anna, who knew her as a sweet older sister but then watched her up on this pedestal in the spotlight. Elsa was untouchable. Both literally and figuratively. Even if you felt you could be on her level, you couldn’t get close enough to try.
“The cars are ready, Your Highness,” Both Princesses turned to face the palace staff who had just entered from outside. Their parents still weren’t down yet but Elsa was still trying to put her best foot forward. To keep calm and carry on. She didn’t need to wait on her mother’s every word, ”Thank you.”
Her boots clicked on the floor as she took the first steps towards the open door, Anna’s pace quickening behind her in an effort to catch up. But once outside and in front of the four cars that were to be their procession, she found her forced confidence wavering as the reality of it all set in. She was outside. Not only outside her room but the palace itself. They were leaving Arendelle. She hadn’t made a public appearance in weeks, she was sure there were whispers and rumors about why Princess Elsa suddenly vanished after acting in her parents’ place for a week. Her nerves from earlier had progressed from grabbing at her to sinking their claws into her stomach.
“Elsa? Come on!” In her excitement Anna had rushed ahead to the second car, the one intended for the royal family. But she waited at the open door for her sister, grinning ear to ear at the prospect of finally being out. But Elsa hesitated, her feet frozen in place now and her hands gripping each other nervously at her waist as she just stared back at Anna. She didn’t have the heart to tell her they were driving separately, as promised by her mother when they were working out the ways in which Elsa would be comfortable making this trip.
“Anna, Elsa is going to ride with your mother in another car,” Elsa glanced over in relief as their parents finally joined them along with the handpicked group of staff that were to accompany them to the ski resort. Agnarr walked over to join Anna as Elsa turned to follow her mother to the third car in line. She could just barely make out the beginnings of Anna complaining about how she didn't understand why her older sister never wanted to be around her, and even going so far as to quietly ask their father if she had done something to upset her, ” —does she hate me?”
That hurt to hear. It was like a stab to the heart and Elsa froze in her tracks to watch as Anna disappeared into the other car. Part of her was shocked that Anna could think such an awful thing, but she was very aware of how many years she had continually pushed Anna further and further away out of fear that she would hurt her again with her powers. Powers that had consumed her life entirely. Powers that had once brought such joy now left her terrified of not only their icy magic but even more so of herself. She had so little control over them now. Previously she could create indoor ice rinks and more snowmen friends than you could ever need. But now? Now her powers just came out on their own whether she called upon them or not—“Elsa?”
At her mother’s voice, Elsa turned to look up at her, then quickly glanced down at her hand still against the car door. Elsa gasped lightly, pulling her hand back at the sight of the frost stretching across the window. This was a bad idea. Leaving Arendelle was a bad idea. But she had let her mother talk her into it, and so here she was quickly ducking into the car and out of sight of any curious wandering eyes.
If she could go back in time she would have appreciated the quiet of the car ride more, would have taken advantage of the peace that came in being alone with her mother. But Elsa hadn’t been thinking ahead as much as she usually did, she had been so stuck on Anna’s words that she didn’t really put together that leaving the palace would draw in crowds and social obligations that came along with public appearances. It was so easy to forget how popular and exclusive she was when her entire world revolved around her immediate family and her room. But as the cars paraded into the resort’s town they were quickly surrounded by people clamoring to get a glimpse of the royal family; and especially to see if Elsa was among them. It was no secret that Elsa rarely left the castle, so the town was quickly buzzing with excitement when it was confirmed that both Princesses were here with the King and Queen. Elsa turned from shyly waving out the window to shoot her mother one last pleading look, surely it wasn't too late to turn around and return to Arendelle? ”It’ll be fine, don’t worry.”
“I wanna build a snowman!” They had finally stepped out of the cars outside the resort, and while Elsa remained on the cobblestone path she watched on as Anna hurried over to crunch the untouched fresh snow off to the side. Seeing Anna now dragged her memory back many years to when they were little and all they ever did was play in the snow, all year round. If it was winter then they would go outside, and during the other three seasons Elsa would bring the snow to them inside the great halls of the castle.
”Come along Anna, let’s settle in for now.” There was no arguing with their father but Elsa couldn’t help but notice the second of disappointment flash across Anna’s face at being told they were to go back indoors. That guilt from earlier returned knowing that she was the reason they were going straight to their rooms rather than taking their time. They did technically have a gathering to prepare for, so it wasn’t entirely her fault that Anna was being pulled away from the snow, but she still couldn’t help but feel responsible.
They had three rooms, the King and Queen obviously had one, and then both Princesses had their own; Elsa quickly vanished into hers without looking back once. She was finally alone for the first time since they left and there was an instant relief of all the pressure she had felt being out in the world. She sighed, back against the closed door as she rested a moment before looking up to survey the room that was to be hers for the duration of the trip. It was certainly smaller than she was used to...not that she was complaining! It was just an observation, and one that she actually found sort of comforting. It was more intimate this way, without the vast empty space of her room to remind her of how alone she really was.
As she pushed off the door she quickly shed her heavy winter coat and let it drop to the floor as she crossed over to the large window. You see, while the smaller room was comforting, the constrictions of her clothes were not. She felt couldn’t breathe with so many layers on, but here indoors she was allowed to give in to her more unnatural traits: such as being seemingly immune to the cold. The cold had never really bothered her, in fact she rather preferred it. Her parents frequently had to remind her to put on winter tights and down jackets because it would bring up questions and suspicions if she were to be seen standing in the middle of winter in a short sleeveless dress.
She would need to get all dressed up for the impending gathering with the town, but she still had time. Her mother had promised her time to relax. So she stepped out of her boots, leaving them sprawled on the floor as well leaving a trail from the door to window. It was a bay window, similar to the one in her room back home, but while hers was flat with a bench this one opened out giving her a panoramic view of the town nestled into the mountains and covered in snow.
Elsa drew in a quick breath at the view, her own excitement finally showing as she kneeled onto the cushions and then sat against the glass so that her legs arranged themselves modestly to her side. She slipped off one glove, then the other and set them beside her on the bench before reaching up with one dainty hand to trace a finger against the window. Frost followed her fingers and she smiled at the ice drawing that formed at her touch. There was this foggy memory that always seemed to haunt her whenever she did this, sort of a dejavu feeling. Elsa had had her powers for as long as she could remember. But neither of her parents had powers. There had never been anyone to teach her how to use them. Yet she had this distinct memory of waking up to seeing snowflakes decorating her large window and leaving messages written against the glass. But messages to whom? She had always been alone.
Knock knock.
She jumped at the sound now, but unlike before it was now accompanied by the voice of one of her attending saying she was here with the luggage from the car. Elsa of course granted verbal permission to enter but then found herself pulling her knees up towards her chest and wrapping her arms around them while her eyes returned to staring out at the vast white expanse. She found herself trapped in the middle of her feelings. She still very much so did not want to be here and should someone ask her she would immediately express wanting to go home. But she would be lying if she said she wasn’t captivated by something about the snow. It left this magical wonder excitement buzzing deep inside— she wanted to go, yes. But she wanted to go further. To see more. To explore where no one had gone before.
But before she could do any exploring or self discovering she first had to get through tonight. Her gloved hands smoothed over her fitted white dress, shifting nervously in her black heels as she looked past Anna to her mother. They were all waiting to be announced so as to enter the hall and greet the townsfolk— well, technically they were waiting for Elsa to say she was ready. She didn’t mean to ignore her dear sister, but Anna’s excitement was not helping her calm down at all and if anything was making it harder to concentrate. Conceal, don’t feel. But her mother’s presence and smile sent a rush of courage through her and she nodded slowly that she was ready. She could do this.
Her long blonde hair was still in its large braid, but her mother had pinned it into an updo, matching her own and keeping it off Elsa’s shoulders. It was a freeing feeling to have her hair up, but it would have left her feeling too exposed had she not chosen her white cape dress to hide under. It was the best of both worlds for her. She didn’t have to suffer under sleeves and was given the freedom of a sleeveless dress, yet still appropriately and safely covered by the cape which gave her her own little bubble of personal space. And while she generally preferred boots, as they were indoors she had agreed that heels better matched her outfit. But luckily for her she had packed a boot hybrid that ended up blending perfectly with her tights. She was content with her outfit, and that was always an important point when it came to facing her fears.
The white gloves practically painted onto her hands should have been the final touch and given her the confidence she needed right now, but at the sound of her own name she felt her heart drop into her stomach and her hands gripped deathly tight together. Everyone was staring at her. Everyone. And all she could think about in that moment was wanting to run.
It took a moment to recollect herself and force the polite smile on her face as she shadowed her parents from table to table. Things were going well, but she still could not seem to calm down. She was so on edge and hyper aware of everyone around them. A couple times children would reach out at her in awe and Elsa would shy away rather than being able to strategically talk her way out of the interaction. Parents would apologize on behalf of their small children and then Elsa would apologize right back but no excuse for her behavior was ever offered.
She wanted so badly for this to be over. Her father had said this would be a small gathering, but to Elsa it felt as though this was the town’s entire population all crammed into one place. It was getting hard to breathe or think clearly, Elsa was moving on auto pilot now, greeting everyone as though programmed to do so rather than with the genuine care that her mother showered everyone with. Elsa’s own voice was caught in her throat as her eyes dropped to the floor for a moment. If they were at home she would have asked her parents if she could be excused right now. But as it was they were in the middle of an event, as much as she wanted to leave, the anxiety of everyone seeing her leave without reason honestly scared her more. She just wanted to be normal.
It was that social pressure that kept her in the room, but her own unease had her drifting slightly from her family. She just needed a second to herself, she’d resume her princess duties as soon as she— ”Watch out!!”
There were no words to describe the sheer panic that rushed through Elsa as she looked up just in time to see a young male falling directly towards her. There was the instinctive human side of her that was scared just to see something approaching at high speed. That was a natural response. Then there was the side of her that was connected to her powers and specifically her fear of being touched. But rather than moving to avoid this man as she had the children earlier, Elsa was like a deer in headlights and her black stilettos held fast as everything played out in slow motion before her.
She could feel a rush of power surge through her and gathering in the palms of her hands despite the gloves that were supposed to protect her, but Elsa couldn’t even focus on herself and just watched on in horror as this man came closer and closer and closer and— they made contact. She shifted her feet as the force of his momentum came to an eerie halt, her hands trembled in fear of herself but Elsa was still unable to move or even hear anything around them. In that moment it was just her and this brown haired boy— no, man. She had been right in her earlier panicked assessment, but being so close now he definitely gave off this boyish vibe. Not so much in the immature sense, but rather as a nonthreatening one. He wasn’t some man who would tell her how things were supposed to be and try to tell her how to do things she already knew how to do. He was a man, yes, but he was a boy in that he still cared about the little things. He could let himself get lost in amazement and knew not of the responsibilities that came with being an adult.
Maybe it was for that reason that Elsa didn’t immediately freeze him on the spot as she had feared she would.
Maybe.
She glanced from their joined hands to his eyes and back down again as her mind tried so desperately to get up to speed with her racing heart. What just happened? Just a split second ago she had been so sure she was going to lose control but now she...what? Her hearing had finally returned just in time to hear the boy— young man, stammer through an apology. And then Elsa was ripping her hands from his and brought them tight to her chest which visibly rose and fell with each heavy breath as the adrenaline wracked havoc on her mental state. Elsa managed to retreat back a couple steps but when she glanced away with the intention of leaving she found herself frozen in place. There were so many eyes on her. So much pressure weighing her down. The entire town had just witnessed that and Elsa could feel a second wave of panic rushing through her.
”Elsa,” Her mother’s voice was the first thing to finally make sense and Elsa blinked several times as their eyes locked. As patient and reassuring as her mother was, there was no hiding the worry and concern she held now as her hands hovered hesitantly just before Elsa. She was waiting to see how her daughter would react rather than outright making contact, but Elsa pulled back from her mother too, taking another half step backwards as her grip tightened on herself, ”I— I’m— “ The whites of her eyes were still so visible as she glanced back to the young man now. She had an image to uphold after all, this was her last chance to save herself. Conceal, don’t feel.
”It’s fine,” The coldness of her words mirrored the temperature outside but Elsa took a clearly shaky breath to push on and try again, ”Are you alright?”
She only waited long enough to get a verbal yes from him before shuffling on her feet again and finally turning her body to face only her mother and blocking out both the young man and the entire town around them. Her hands slowly released each other to instead cross her chest so that she seemed to hug herself, grabbing a handful of her cape on either side and pulling it close in an effort to self soothe. The words that left their mouths did not travel far enough for anyone else to hear, but her mother granted her permission to leave and with that Elsa turned without another word and without addressing the rest of the room at all.
With all that just unfolded it was easy to overlook the tiny little icy foot prints of her heels as she fled the room at a brisk walk. She left a mark with each step but by the time she took the next the warmth of the room would melt away the first. Oh if only it could melt through to her just as quickly. Elsa could feel her eyes watering when she was finally out of sight and behind closed doors. It was less that she was still upset though and more a release of all her concealed emotions. The pressure was finally gone and the fear had left her with this confused emptiness that she just didn’t know how else to handle other than to cry.
She knew leaving Arendelle was a bad idea. She knew something bad would happen. Something always happened.
Before she knew it, Elsa was lost. It wasn’t like the resort was that large, but she hadn’t been paying attention and didn’t know her way back to her room. She didn’t know where anything was. But suddenly before her was a door with a glass window leading outside and Elsa felt her feet move on their own without thinking through this. Her shoes were most definitely not snow appropriate and she immediately sunk into the white ground outside causing her to wobble slightly until she found a balance of sorts to carry her the rest of the way. Normally Elsa excelled at walking through snow but in her current state she was far too scattered to exert that level of control.
She didn’t wander far, there was a bench alongside the building and after dusting off the snow she took a careful seat. She had stopped crying by now, the rush of emotion had left, but she still had some residual sniffles as she reached up to wipe at her still teary eyes. That ended up being yet another bad idea as her white glove now pulled away to reveal makeup smeared into the fabric. She scoffed at herself, eyes rolling shut for a moment to fight back a second round of tears over her own frustration. As she exhaled slowly she removed her gloves and instead wiped along the underside of her blue eyes with her bare fingers.
The rush of cold air felt good in her lungs as Elsa finally felt herself beginning to get a hold of herself. Her hands busied themselves pulling out the pins holding her hair in place and letting her braid fall over one shoulder. She was alone now, no more Princess appearances to uphold. She now gripped the edge of the bench on either side of her legs and leaned forward slightly to watch as she kicked the snow off her shoes.
The tiniest smile formed across her face. She loved this. Being alone, outside, in the snow. This felt right, like she was meant to be here. She may have been born Princess of Arendelle but she had never really felt she fit in, not really. She could play the role well enough, but there was just something about the outdoors that spoke to her in a way she couldn’t explain.
She knew she should go back soon, before she was missed too much and before anyone noticed that she was not in her room. But Elsa’s eyes just rose to stare longingly up at the nearest mountain; she would much rather stay out here, or better yet go up there. But before she could get excited over the prospect she heard her father’s voice in her head again and her head dropped back to the black of her shoes contrasting the perfect white snow.
Conceal, don’t feel. Don’t let it show.
❅LOCATION──just outside the resorttab tab tab❅COMPANY──just her and the snow
Amid all the whispers and stares, Jack stood frozen with eyes so wide one hard slap from North could pop them right out of their sockets. He couldn’t believe it. He just could not process that it finally happened. After nearly ten years, ten long and painful years, Elsa looked at him. She looked right at him with her beautiful blue eyes. While he should be happy to finally get this moment that he has longed for, a mixture of other emotions left him conflicted. This wasn’t the reunion he had hoped for with Elsa and he knew exactly why.
He knew that he was the only one that saw the icy footprints that followed behind her as she rushed out of the hall. That must mean that she was losing control of her powers. Part of him wanted to run after her to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. But the small, tiny voice in his head that strangely always sounded like North told him that he needed to step back for now. Chasing after her in the midst of his excitement to finally be reunited with her would help no one. So, with a deep sigh, Jack finally took a step away from the spot he and Elsa collided to make his way back to North.
“Don’t look so smug…” Jack muttered. “Or you’ll need to put yourself on your own Naughty list.”
To keep up their mortal appearances, Jack was forced to stay in the hall with North and the rest of the town. That, however, didn’t stop Jack from worrying. He constantly turned to look toward the door Elsa left through wondering where she was and why she hadn’t returned yet. Once or twice, he caught the queen doing the same thing.
As the talk among the rest of the guests moved from the commotion between him and Elsa to other topics of interest, Jack knew then that Elsa had stayed away too long. Surely she couldn’t have gone back to the house the royal family was staying at. No way the king and queen would permit it. Jack turned once again to look at the closed door. Still no sign of Elsa. He was really starting to worry.
“Psst.” Jack turned to see that North was in the middle of a discussion on wooden toys with the other adults sitting at their table. He didn’t have time to wait for the big oaf to notice that he was trying to gain his attention. And it wasn’t like he needed his permission to leave. He rarely needed anyone’s permission to do anything. Why start now?
When Jack turned to look back at the table, North was in the middle of his deep belly laugh and still seemed to not notice his absence.
The thing about the resort, Jack learned, was that it was not that big. But for someone that was not familiar with the place, there were just so many directions Elsa could take to have a moment alone. It intimidated Jack each time he was faced with choices to make. What if the one he chose was the wrong one and brought him further away from her? If only he had followed her sooner. Her icy footprints would have led him straight to her.
It didn’t take long for Jack’s impatience to get the better of him. He was getting restless and worried and that was a combination of feelings he preferred never to entertain for long. After rounding a corner and checking the coast was clear, Jack ran to the nearest window. He pulled it open wide enough to climb out. As his feet dangled over the edge, he rummaged under his shirt until he held onto the small silver pendant. The cold charm vibrated the moment his fingers touched it. As soon as he outstretched his arm out in front of him, the pendant grew back to the curled staff that has been his only companion for centuries.
“Okay, my friend. You know what to do.” There was no hesitation as Jack pushed off the edge and leapt to the sky. The moment the wind caught him, he could feel the weight of his mortal form slip away like water trickling off his body. Suddenly, his body was lighter and his mind felt more free. As he ascended higher and higher, he let his worries fall away to only focus on the present; his present.
He did as he always did; he let the wind decide.
As the cold gust of wind slowly fell away around him, Jack eyed the tree he was fast approaching. He focused on a spot of exposed branch through the snow covered leaves until his bare feet gracefully landed without a single sound. Just above him, the wind swept through the leaves causing the tree to sway some while he landed. As the wind flew away, he offered a quick salute with the top of his staff then planted himself back to reality. He had a princess to find.
With the same nimble movements as his landing, Jack leapt down from one branch to the next until he could finally see the snowy ground. Then he hopped across neighboring branches until his back was toward the snowy ski slopes and the distant mountains. It wasn’t long before he heard the sniffles.
Jack turned toward the sound. He crouched down to look around a thick set of branches, leaves and snow. From this distance, he still couldn’t see anything. So he followed the sniffles as he took one more closer leap onto one of the lowest branches on the tree.
The first thing Jack noticed as he took a seat on the branch was the disturbed snow. There were footprints and evidence of a stumble here and there. Then he caught sight of the couple black spots in the white. From there his gaze traveled upward. Upward. Upward. Then, the first hint of a snowy white braid.
“I found you,” Jack said. As Elsa continued to focus on the snow she disturbed around her feet, he knew that she couldn’t hear him. Of course she couldn’t. Even though she looked right into his eyes back at the party, he couldn’t allow himself to let him believe that would resolve the problem that he has faced for the last ten years. She still couldn’t see him, the real him. She still didn’t believe.
Jack rested against his staff while his legs swung and dangled over the branch. There was nothing much he could do for Elsa now except to watch over her. Of course he didn’t think she was in any immediate danger. He always made sure of that. He wouldn’t make the same mistake he did with Pitch ever again.
As the sniffles from earlier silenced, Jack’s head tilted to the side as he watched a hint of a smile appear on her lips. He wondered what she was thinking about; sitting alone on that bench with nothing but the snow around her as company. Well, at least the company she was aware of. And as she looked up past his tree to a sight beyond, he turned with her and wondered once again what was on her mind. Was she marveling at the snowy mountains? Was she wondering what it would be like to be up there? Did she wish to be in those mountains alone?
“No one should be alone…” A heaviness settled in Jack’s chest at the thought. He once more turned to look at Elsa, wishing there was some way he could reach out to her; let her know that he was there.
Suddenly, he felt his staff twitch against him. He blinked then turned to look at it. This time it pulsed in his hands. That was the thing about his relationship with his staff. Having been together for centuries, it didn’t take much to get Jack to understand. Personally, he didn’t think this idea would amount to anything, but he also knew it wouldn’t hurt anyone to try.
Jack pushed himself upright to stand on the branch. As he gripped his staff tightly in his hand, he lifted it slightly above his head to a space between the leaves. With a couple spins and a quick flick, Jack watched as a single snowflake appeared against the night sky. Jack gave his staff one more flick and the wind came around to gently blow it in Elsa’s direction. As the snowflake danced around, falling gracefully toward the ground, Jack watched it carefully. He watched as it twirled and spun with the wind. He watched as the wind did what it needed to do.
As the snowflake moved closer to Elsa, Jack’s attention shifted from it to her. He caught the moment the snowflake pulled her gaze away from the mountains. He watched as she watched the snowflake’s descent. It continued to fall and dance and twirl. And then, with one last spin, it landed at the tip of her nose. A nip, as it were.
You don’t want Jack Frost nipping at your nose.
Jack landed gracefully and silently, his feet barely touching the snow. Even though he knew she couldn’t see him, he approached slowly with calculated steps. He watched Elsa’s face slowly as she stared beyond him once again.
How could she wish to be alone? The little girl he knew was never without company. Whether it was her little sister or himself, she was never alone. Now, loneliness was all she wanted. But why? It didn’t make sense to Jack.
“Elsa?” Jack nearly jumped out of his skin. He didn’t even chance a second to see who had joined them. A gust of wind blew around them and the last thing Jack saw before he landed back on his branch was Elsa’s cape fluttering in the wind. “There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Jack turned back to watch as Elsa’s little sister, Anna, stumbled through the snow toward her. “Come on. Mom and dad are getting worried.”
Instead of returning to the party, Jack went back to the toy shop to wait for North. He didn’t bother returning to his mortal form. Now that it was growing late in the evening, he didn’t need to keep up appearances. He laid out on the roof of the shop, eyes staring directly at the moon above. Maybe he was seeing things, but he could have sworn that the minute he landed on the roof the moon suddenly glowed brighter. Maybe the Man in the Moon was keeping him company. Until now, it was hard to tell.
Jack let out a long sigh, tucking an arm under his head. “Am I in over my head?” he asked seriously. “I mean, of course I gotta believe that this isn’t impossible. I’m a Guardian. Believing is what I do. But…” Jack once again sighed and pushed himself up into a sitting position. “You should have seen her. She just looked...so sad. So scared. I haven’t seen that kind of fear since…” The words lodged in his throat. “Since Pitch.” He crossed his legs and placed his staff on his lap. “I don’t even know where to begin. And of course North didn’t make matters easier. Pretty sure anytime she sees me she’s going to freak out or run away.”
“Hey! Why are you blaming me for introductions?!” suddenly came another voice from below. Jack looked down to find North standing there. He too was in his true form.
Jack scoffed, shaking his head. “You could have thought of a better way than to throw me at her. It was a good thing I kept her powers in control before anyone else saw!”
“I knew you had everything under control! That was not a problem!” It was amazing North’s booming voice didn’t wake the entire town. Then again, it’s not like many of them could actually hear him right now. “Now, will you come down? I have something for you!” Although Jack was suspicious, he did as he was told and jumped off the roof to land right in front of North. Up close, he suddenly saw the every mischievous smirk behind the long, white beard. “I have word with manager of resort tonight. He says he needs new instructors for snowboarding. So I tell him, ‘My son is good at snowboarding. Is like he’s flying.’” There was a pause between them in which time North gave Jack a look as if expecting gratitude. Jack didn’t give it to him...because he had no idea why he needed to.
“I get you job at resort!” North explained with an exasperated sigh. “It is part time, of course. You will still work in toy shop after. But it get you closer to princess.” North paused once again. This time, Jack was starting to get the picture. “Here in toy shop, it’s not likely you see her. But in the resort, you will have better chance of finding her with all the other guests. You can teach her snowboarding!”
North was starting to make Jack feel bad. He appreciated all the hard work the man was doing to help, but there was that small part of him that wondered if any of it would actually work. Sure, the job at the resort got him much closer to Elsa. But would it even make much difference if she spent much of her time locked away in her bedroom? Shouldn’t their first step be to get her out of her room enough for him to actually see her?
Jack thought about what happened earlier. How uncomfortable she looked among the town and how peaceful she looked alone.
“--so I figured you could use this.” Jack was too late to realize that North was still talking when he drifted away to his thoughts. It was only when something crossed the corner of his eyes that Jack snapped out of his thoughts about Elsa to focus on the present.
Presently, a long snowboard took up a majority of his vision. Jack stood with his mouth hanging open. Where in the world did North get a snowboard so quickly?
“You know how to snowboard, yes?” North suddenly asked, resting his arm on the top of the snowboard.
Jack cocked a brow. “Shouldn’t that be a question you ask before you decide to throw me into an instructor job?” he teased.
“Well you do that gliding thing on your stick all the time. How is this any different?”
Shaking his head, Jack reached for the snowboard with his freehand. He may not have done any snowboarding, but he has seen a fair share of children over the years do it. Recently, Jamie picked up the activity after he and his family spent their winter vacation in a mountain resort similar to this one. It didn’t look that difficult to Jack. After all, he surfed through the winds all the time when he was airborne.
There was only one way to find out.
Jack tucked his staff pendant inside his jacket before zipping it all the way up to cover his neck. After checking that his boots were securely strapped to the board, Jack carefully stood up off the snowy floor. It took him a moment to find his balance...and get used to having such pressure and weight on his feet. But once he stopped wobbling and swinging his arms, he looked up to gaze at the downhill path of untouched snow just waiting for him.
“Well, here goes nothing.” After pulling down his goggles over his eyes, Jack took one deep breath then pushed his weight forward.
He picked up speed almost immediately and he could not determine if this had anything to do with him or if this was normal. This didn’t matter to him though. What really grabbed his attention was how...easy this was. Not to say that he was a natural. But nothing about this first run felt uncomfortable to him. This wasn’t like the first thing he let the wind lift him into the sky. Save for a couple instances when he nearly ran into a tree because he wasn’t paying attention, he thought he was getting the hang of snowboarding. In fact, save for the weight and pressure of the boots, it was almost like he was flying.
He couldn’t help thinking about Elsa. If only she could see him now, how much fun he was having.
If only he hadn’t spoken too soon.
At first, the figure was a blurred image in the distance he zoomed past as he rode down the slope. But after all these years, he could never mistake the hair.
“Elsa?” Jack quickly shifted his weight until his body was facing forward and he slid to a stop. Once he regained his balance, he turned his head back in the direction he saw the figure. It had to be Elsa. But the question was, what was she doing out here at this time of night?
As quickly as he humanly could, Jack unstrapped the boots from the board. He then grabbed the board and tucked it under his arm. By now he couldn’t see much. The slope was just too dark. If Elsa was still around, he couldn’t see her. Once again, he wondered why she was so far from her house at this late hour. But he had to do more than just wonder.
He debated whether to abandon his gear to return to his true form to find her. Obviously being in his true form was the fastest route to take. He would be able to find her in no time. But...she was so alone. What if she got lost? If he was in his true form, he would have no way of helping her back.
It had been centuries since he was last human. In that time, he forgot just how tiring it was. It was one thing zooming down the ski slope. The boots were annoying and once or twice he got a cramp when he put weight on his foot wrong. But walking uphill was just torture. Jack was heaving as he pushed himself forward in the direction he last saw Elsa. His lungs were on fire with each breath he took. But he couldn’t let himself worry about all that. Not until he found her and knew that she was safe.
He soon found a set of footprints in the snow and followed them. Before he followed the footprints, he took a moment to look back downhill. Based on what he saw when he flew up to the top of the hill, he had to guess that the royal family’s house was not that far from here. That was reassuring. At least he can be reassured that she hadn’t been walking out here in the dark the whole night. As he shifted the board under his other arm, Jack took a deep breath then continued uphill.
Soon enough, Jack once again caught sight of the all too familiar braid and snowy white hair. He paused though. Earlier the slopes were surrounded by the evening darkness and the tall trees blocking the rest of the light. Suddenly he found that everything around him was covered in moonlight; Elsa especially. Jack looked up to find a clearing in the trees and right above them was none other than the moon itself...or himself.
“Thanks,” Jack said in a low voice.
“Excuse me!” Jack said now in a louder voice as he turned to look at Elsa. “Are you lost?” He waited as she stopped, paused and then slowly turned. He was aware that the light around them glowed even brighter.
Jack did his best to feign surprise to see her. “Your Highness?” He wondered if he sounded surprised as he pulled his goggles off his head as if that would make it seem more believable. “I--What a surprise. I mean, what are you doing out here? It’s late and the resort is...closed.”
The look she gave him was enough to tell him that she was asking the very same question to him. At that moment, he wondered if his true form would have been the better option.
Jack stammered while his brain worked on overdrive to think of something, anything to say. “W-W-Well...you see...um…. The, um….” He cleared his throat. If he couldn’t think of a good lie, might as well give the truth.
“My, um, dad and me? We’re new to the town. He got me a job as a ski instructor at the resort and I figured I should try out the powder before I show off to my new boss.” He mentally kicked himself. Why did he sound so stupid? Try out the powder? Who talked like that?
“You, uh, you won’t report me or anything will you? I mean, I know it looks bad, but...I mean look at it, the snow. Doesn’t…” He briefly turned away from Elsa to look behind him back towards the ski path. “Doesn’t untouched snow just look so beautiful? During the day you really can’t appreciate it with so many people around. I just...I couldn’t help it. You know?” He once more turned to look at her.
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