"GREAT ONE!"
Danny laughed as Frostbite cheerfully and grandly welcomed him. He blushed at Elsa's confused look sent his way. He mumbled, "I'll explain later,"
She wasn't there when Pariah Dark took over Amity Park, was she?
He greeted Frostbite, "Hey, Frostbite! How are you?"
Frostbite laughed, "I am as I am, Great One!" His eyes then landed on Elsa, "Oh? You have brought a friend? I do not know her. Why have you brought her here?"
Danny chuckled, "This is Elsa. She's from Arendelle. She..." He looked at her and Elsa nodded, lifting her hand and created a rose, a copy of the one he left her, "Need help with that,"
Frostbite gasped before his expression turned stern, "Come inside. Now!"
Confused and alarmed by his reaction to Elsa's power, he gripped her hand to tell her that everything will be alright, to which she replied with her own silent squeeze. They then followed Frostbite into his lair. The Great Yeti took them in deep and once they were so deep that Danny couldn't even recognize where he was anymore, Frostbite raised a shield. Trying not to panic, he asked, "Frosty?"
Frostbite sighed, "Forgive this humble servant, Great One, but you have brought before us someone very important. Someone that must be protected no matter what,"
Danny frowned, "What do you mean? Elsa is...well, she is an important friend but...I have feeling a that you meant something more,"
Frostbite nodded, "What do you know of spirits?"
Danny blinked, "Aren't they just another way of saying ghost, like specter?"
Frostbite shook his head before smiling warmly at Elsa, "Little Lady, can you please show me how you wield your gift?"
Not knowing what was going on and relying on Danny's reaction to cue her next action, and so far he had been nothing but calm, Elsa did just that. She summoned a tiny snowman that fit in her hand.
Frostbite hummed as he studied them, gesturing at the table, "Please, Milady, can you place both ice and snow on my table?"
Elsa finally let Danny's hand go to put both the ice rose and the snowman on the table. But once she relinquished them, she quickly sought the comfort of his hand once more. Danny let her hold onto him. All these must be bewildering for her. He stepped closer to her, hoping to make her feel more secured in the presence of the unknown. He also knew how it felt like to be on the edge of getting an answer. The minute trembling of her hand told him everything he needed to know on how she felt even without his empath senses.
Frostbite suddenly bowed to Elsa, "To think that a living spirit would grace my home. This is an honor,"
Elsa tightened her hold on Danny's hand before asking, "W-what did you mean by that, Lord Frostbite?"
Frostbite blinked, "You don't know?" At her nod, he explained, "Spirits and ghosts once exist side by side. Ghosts are here, representing the world that once was. The past. Spirits are there, representing the world that is. The present. While ghosts are mostly things that are dead, like a dead dream or a dead land, spirits are those that are made of the still living. A lively world. Spirits of fire, of water and air, of earth and the people. They are life itself," He smiled, "They are magic,"
Danny blinked, "Magic exist?"
Frostbite looked at him in confusion, "Great One, surely you understand how your portal came to be?"
A sacrifice. Payment.
Danny absentmindedly rubbed his chest, "I...never really like thinking about it,"
A price must paid in full.
Frostbite snorted, "Magic is just a scientific phenomenon that no one could understand in full. Yet," He sighed, "Every action you took to create something is a form of ritual. Magic isn't always about the unknown, the unexplained, or the mysterious. For the uninformed, a light bulb is magic. Magic is just a blanket term for a technology so great that the mind could not really wrap itself around the 'how' of it,"
Danny rolled his head, "Alright. Okay. Elsa's magic. I get that much. But what do you mean by Elsa being aliving spirit?"
Frostbite looked at her, "Were you born human?"
Elsa nodded, "I am human,"
Frostbite asked again, "Do you have a sibling?"
Elsa's expression closed off, her lips pressed thin.
Frostbite backed away, "I do not mean you and yours harm. I just needed to know...to understand,"
Elsa nodded sharply, but her eyes cold with warning.
Frostbite nodded, "I see now. A bridge. Between the people and the spirit of the world," He gestured at her, "That is what you are. Something rare and precious," He hummed, "A bridge have two ends. You stand on the side of the spirits. Your sister...stand on the side of the people," He then laughed, "Funny how you met a bridge yourself!"
She frowned, "A bridge?"
Frostbite gestured at Danny, "The Great One! He who stands between Life and Death! If you and your sisters are the two ends of the bridge, he is the very body of the bridge!"
Danny was confused, "But...you said she's a spirit and...I'm a ghost. She's alive, but I'm not,"
Frostbite nodded, "She's mortal now. But one day, she will have to discard her mortal shell and step fully into the role of a spirit. She'll be like you!"
Danny blinked at that. He knew that everyone dies. He shook his head, "But if she's a spirit, representing those that lives, if she's to become like me then she'll...have to cross over," He can't bare it. He can't bare thinking of Elsa, his kindred, in a coffin.
Frostbite shook his head, "No. No. She's not going to die. Not like everyone else. She will simply stop being human. Her power will grow and grow until she just stopped being human. She won't have a corpse or a funeral, she will just...ascend!"
Elsa asked, her voice thin, "And...when will that be?"
Frostbite hummed, "When you are strong enough that you could call on winter in the dead of summer and freeze the ocean into a desert of ice,"
Danny looked at her, frost creeping up the gauntlet of his hand where she held him tightly. He looked at Frostbite, "Frosty...can you give us a moment?"
Frostbite blinked before nodding, "Very well. Excuse me,"
The large Yeti closed the door behind him and once he sounded distant from them, Danny pulled Elsa down. It was disturbing just how easily she crumbled against him. He held as she clung onto him. His core thrummed, purring up a storm within, but he focused on her, "Elsa...are you alright?"
Elsa shook her head, "I'll...be immortal. Everyone I know...everyone I loved...they will be gone..." She sobbed, her facade of ice breaking as she looked at him, "Danny...everyday my power grows. I can feel it. So how much longer do I even have before I am...gone?"
The sight of her tears falling down from her ocean eyes broke something in him. He hated the sight of it. He reached up, the gauntlet covered his fingers but his claws still looked so sharp as he placed them near her.
He could so easily hurt his gentle friend.
He gently wipe her tears away, "Elsa...that is still a long way to go. You're not terminally ill. You won't be gone gone. You...you can stay with them for as long as you can. You're not...you're not like me," Dead. Cold. A corpse without a grave. A ghost without a haunt. He focused on her, "You're alive. You will live. Make as much memory as you can. Don't think about this. And once they are..." Like him. Outside of reach, "Once they are away, you will have all those special memories with you,"
Elsa sobbed, "But...I'm so lonely..."
Her confession was heartbreaking. Her voice so tiny and yet it echoed into his head as if she had shouted it. He wondered how it was like for her growing up. She seemed more content being alone, because if she's alone then she won't hurt anyone. Yet there was this light in her eyes, a kind of loneliness that he felt he could relate. That sense of isolation despite the crowd and his friends and family. A burden that cannot be shared.
He admitted, "I'm lonely too..." He smiled at her, "We can be lonely together?"
Elsa blinked at him through her tears. He rubbed them away, gently, carefully, so softly that he didn't even pull on the thin skin around her eyes, "We can...be a true BFF? If you are going to be around forever..." He gulped, "I...can always visit you? You can feed me tea and cakes every time? I can bring you...oh, I don't know. A rock from a meteor or the moon. Heck, maybe even Pluto?"
That was the source of his loneliness. He didn't know what it means to be both alive and dead. It was more than just cool super power. Once, he thought that he had stopped growing past 14. Then his puberty started kicking in and going overdrive. He visited Frostbite often. The Yeti told him that once his body reached it's prime, he will stop aging. Because he's dead and dying and dead.
Immortal.
Elsa cupped his face, "Oh...Danny..."
She caught on. His tears started falling as he started shaking, his lips trembling as he too cried, "I'm scared, Elsa. I'm scared I'll watch the whole world die around me and I'll be alone forever," He laughed bitterly, "I don't want you to be alone too. We can be alone together...until whatever is keeping us here let us move on,"
She sobbed, "Is that why...you don't want a lair in Amity Park?"
He nodded, "What will I do when what I have been protecting die and moved on?" He shook his head, "The only other guy I know that was like me wasn't really. He's just a fruitloop with ghost power. He age. And he'll continue to age until his body gave up living and he became a full ghost. But me? I'll stop once my puberty ends. That was the end line for me. And as I am sure you can tell, it won't be long now. Maybe another decade, top? Lesser if I'm unlucky?"
Elsa stared at him, "You...will not be able to stay in Amity Park if that is true,"
He nodded, "The government will catch on," He sighed, "Look at me. I'm supposed to be making you feel better, not make you comfort me,"
Elsa shook her head, "You are right. I have families that loves me no matter what I am. I know where I will have to go once the time come. But what about you? Where will you go?" She brushed his bangs back, "Will you fly around the world? Explore whatever it is that existed beyond our Solar System?"
Danny studied her face before sighing, "Elsa...you're doing that again. Comforting me. Even though...here I am, trying to comfort you. I am such a lame guy..."
Elsa shook her head, "No. You're not. I...even though it is something sad, I can't help but feel relieved that...I'm not alone. That there will be someone there with me,"
Danny blinked, "Yeah...I...I'm sorry but...I felt the same way but saying that outright to you sounded so...selfish. I'm still selfish even now," He covered his face with his hand, "Ancients, what am I saying?"
He shouldn't do this. This was supposed to be about Elsa. He shouldn't be putting this on her. So what if she's similar to him or going to be similar to him? It was still wrong!
Elsa's cool touch pulled him out of his spiraling guilt. He looked to see her serenely watching him. How did she do it? How can she swallow back everything and just...looked after him instead? He was such a mess. How can he be as calm and collected as her? He felt as she created a small snowman and handed him her little creation. He snorted at the thing, "Where's the arms?"
She shook her head, "I don't know. There are no twigs to be found here. Maybe you can add it later?" She then hummed, "But it will melt long before we reach you house,"
Danny smirked and blew at it. Frost covered every inch of the snowman. He showed her, "Ghost ice. Never melt without my will. I had even gone as far as threw it into the sun and it was still there,"
Elsa blinked, "Danny?"
He looked at her, "Hm?"
"Did you just say that you flew to the sun?"
He shrugged, "I already know it can't hurt me,"
Her expression was closed off and professional, "And how did you know that?"
He explained, "I got thrown to the sun...left a sun spot instead,"
Elsa sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose, "There are so many things I would like to point out about that but since there is precious few I can do about what was past, I will say nothing,"
Danny looked at the little guy in his hand, created a sphere of ice around it and nodded, "There. It'll be safe now," He looked at her, "Are you better?"
Elsa put down her hand, "Are you?"
Danny shared a look with her before ending up laughing, to which her lips twitched, "Man! We are both a mess! Come on! Let's just finish our talk with Frostbite! Sitting on ice may not bother us but my ass is hurting!" He helped her up and walked her to the door, "Frosty!"
They easily found Frostbite and Danny asked, "Okay. We're fine but we still need some help,"
Frostbite nodded, "Very well. I apologize if I had bring you two ill news. Being what I am...talks of death is...not as sensitive as it is for the living. Now, as an act of redemption, how can I help you? I will do anything you ask...as long as the Far Frozen and my tribe remained untouched and unharmed, I will help you in anything, Great One!"
Danny waved his hand, his other holding onto Elsa's, "No. Nothing like that. I just need you to help Elsa with her power...she can control snow and ice...like she showed you,"
Frostbite looked at her, rubbing his chin before nodding, "It will be a great honor, Milady. Come! Come to the arena! I need to know what you can do!" He turned to a Yeti, "Put up the barrier! I will not have the likes of that so called Hunter come around to hunt her,"
The thought of Skulker hunting down Elsa made Danny saw red. Frostbite looked at him, "At ease, Great One. We will keep her safe...but of course, she will be safest with you,"
Danny didn't know about that. Sure, he beat Pariah Dark. But Skulker still took him by surprise now and then. He pointed this out in Ghost Speak, "I'm not that great. He still kick my ass here and there,"
Frostbite sighed, "Only because you are holding back and indulging his Obsession. Ghosts like him were like little children. You indulged his Obsession. That is why he kept coming to you. If you don't want him to overstay his welcome, it will be all too easy to put him in his place for you,"
Danny frowned, "Why...why do strong ghosts like you, like Pandora and Clockwork, kept talking to me like I am stronger than I really am?"
Frostbite hummed, "Because we know what we see. We see you, Great One. We see what you can really be. It is only that you are too stubborn to acknowledge it," He looked at Elsa before looking back at Danny, "You shouldn't hold back so much so that you failed at protecting what you really want to protect,"
Danny's core buzzed at that pointed look from Frostbite. He looked at Elsa who only politely ignored them as she could not understand, probably suspecting that they were speaking something private and too ghostly to let her know. He had always been the one to take the hit. His friends learned to sneak around to help him. They were there from the start. They understood how to fight. The few times they were the hostage, he was calm. He knew that they can get themselves out. Even his sister picked up on how to fight and defend herself.
Can Elsa?
He watched Frostbite encouraged Elsa to step into the snowy field, praised her for being able to take the cold, and to take off her gloves. Just like with Danny, he encouraged her to let it all out. To let go of her control. She looked at him, a little unsure. He offered her an encouraging smile, "You can't hurt any of us, Elsa,"
That was enough.
She drew in a deep breathe and suddenly the temperature dropped further. He can tell but he cannot feel. The dead cannot feel temperature like the living. But he was sure that she had dropped it all further below subzero. They should be in the negatives but she's pushing it lower. The snow started to turn to ice and the ghosts started to float ever so slightly. She looked at him again.
Danny nodded, "Let it go,"
And she let go.
And she was radiant as she let go. Ice burst from under her foot, becoming a glowing ice rink that was as clear as diamonds. She raised her hand and solid icy pillars raised all around her. Frozen fractals all around. A roof, high above, covered the toxic green sky of the Ghost Zone. Like glass domes, he can see clearly through it. A frozen chandelier formed, beautiful, graceful, and delicate like snowflakes.
Danny take it back. Elsa wasn't like ice at all. She's a diamond hiding under snow.
And what will people do when they smell diamonds?
"You shouldn't hold back so much so that you failed at protecting what you really want to protect,"
Elsa was the kindred he never knew he needed. Someone he never knew existed for him. They mirrored each other so perfectly and yet twisted. She was born with her power. He died for it. She held back everything to protect her loved ones. He let go everything to protect his loved ones. She will one day ascend and become a spirit. He will one day failed at retaining his humanity and become a living undead ghost. They will both be immortal, forgotten by time and the rest of the world.
They will both be lonely.
They will both one day have only each other.
Danny gulped, his core colder than ever and the invisible weigh on his head grew heavier as he watched her began creating beautiful ice sculpture. The strain in her eyes and frame disappeared as she used more and more of her power to create things of beauties. This was what she was made of. Danny knew this as well as he knew the direction of the North Star and the horizon where the sun will rise.
She was made to create things of beauties and preserve them.
He blinked when a snowball landed on his face. He gawked at Elsa, finally seeing tiny little smile on her lips, shy and timid as her eyes watched him. He grinned as he created his own snowball in hand before landing on his feet to throw at her. Just the sight of her smiling seemed to energize him.
He then thought of the things he knew about Elsa. Elsa told him that someone told her to come to Amity Park. Elsa suspected that the one that can help her was Danny, even though she refrained from reaching out to him out of her own concern for his health. Danny think that her concern was sweet but also stupid. He felt that this was meant to be. He wanted to help her. Not out of a sense of duty or because of his Obsession. No.
For once, he was doing this for himself.
That day Danny made a promise, with the understanding of how rare Elsa was in his world, to protect her...at all cost. His whole being agreed to that secret promise.