Frostbite

❅ c h a p t e r o n e ❅

“The gloves will help. Conceal…”

“Don’t feel…”

“Don’t let it show…”

“Conceal, don’t feel…conceal, don’t feel….conceal, don’t feel,” Elsa muttered, trudging through the thick sheets of snow. “I didn’t do it this time, Papa. I know I should have listened. I didn’t conceal it, but it wasn’t me.” She whispered as she recalled the memory of her father giving her those gloves.  She remembered that event perfectly, right down to the clothes her father had been wearing, because she could still recall the feelings of shame and misery that had engulfed her as she realized that her parents had just decided to estrange her from everyone and everything she loved. She’d wanted so desperately to accept her powers and practice them and…let go. But disappointing her parents was not an option, especially after she’d so fatally harmed her sister, Anna. The same Anna who never gave up on her, especially after they saw their parents off to sea and never heard from them again.

But, despite the fact that her father was gone, Elsa continued to hide her powers and shut out Anna. She tried to continue to be all the things he had forced her to be -  cold, closed off from the outside world, and always in control. But in the end, she had exploded and set off an eternal winter and nearly killed her own sister. Although, she’d been able to liberate her kingdom and lift the winter. And that should have been her happy ending.

But, one year later,  an eternal winter had settled over Arendelle yet again….and again, all fingers pointed to Elsa. But, she knew she didn’t do it. She’d controlled her power. It was in no way her fault. And yet, there was no way it wasn’t her fault, because she was the only one with the ability to control ice, as far as she and her kingdom knew. So, Elsa accepted all responsibility and all the accusations thrown her way.

And she fled. She abdicated the throne, leaving it to Anna, who was now of age, and she escaped the cold confines of the castle. Now miles away from home, Elsa broke down and fell against the snow, as if life itself had knocked her down. She wanted to compose herself and walk on, but thinking of the kingdom and the people she had just left behind, again, just made her weep harder. Because once again, she felt alone. Like an outcast. An outcast that was a danger to everyone and everything no matter what.

❄❄❄❄❄❄

Jack Frost, Guardian of Fun, was bored, angry, and anxious. He’d been roaming the lands for days now, searching for the Guardian that the Man in the Moon dubbed “the Snow Queen”.

There was no use sailing the skies—the storm he’d set off reduced all visibility to zero. He hadn’t meant to, really. But, in the spirit of frustration, he’d struck the ground with his staff and in the next few hours, all the land around was covered in sheets of fluffy ice and stinging sleet. “Oops,” he had said, and then continued to trudge on.

“Stupid Snow Queen…why do we even need another one? Aren’t I enough?” he thought aloud. Only North knew the reason why Manny introduced yet another Guardian, and apparently, it hadn’t been good. Jack had a feeling he knew the reason as well, but he denied it. It just wasn’t possible. The idea was simply ludicrous! So, Jack Frost settled for thinking that the reason was that Manny was bored and decided that another Guardian would add a fun twist to life. And Jack lived for fun, so why, then, did he not approve of another Guardian joining the crowd?

Now I know how the kangaroo felt when I was new, he thought ruefully. And that was when he heard the crying — more so, sobbing. Being a Guardian, his first, initial, reaction to the cries was concern. So, Jack Frost took to the air, and followed the sounds of misery.