Winter Moon (Jelsa)

Chapter 1: Elsa

The castle's ballroom was deserted except for my sister and me.

Tossing her head, Anna clapped her hands together eagerly, ginger braids swinging in the candlelight. I grinned at my younger sister over my shoulder.

"Ready?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes!" Anna beamed, bright green eyes sparkling ebulliently.

Laughing, I concentrated for a moment, feeling my magic simmer beneath my skin. Drawing on my reservoir, I summoned a snowball into my hands and sent it spiraling into the air before exploding overhead. Thousands of glittering snowflakes drifted lazily to the floor, glinting like while diamonds. As I created several large snowdrifts, Anna dove headfirst into one of them.

"Ah, sisterly love," a voice chuckled.

I turned, searching for the source. Lounging on one of the drifts was a lanky teenage boy, with frosty while hair and glowing blue eyes. He was pale, overly so, but he didn't appear sick. In his hands was a brown staff.

I glared at him, oblivious that there was no way he could have gotten into the ballroom where Anna and I were playing.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" I demanded. 

Instead of laughing, leaving, or becoming offended, he gawked. "You can see me?"

"Of course I can! You must be terrible at hide-and-seek," I replied airily.

This time, he laughed and winked at me. 

"Who are you talking to?" Anna shouted from the top of a snowdrift.

"How can you not see him?" I called back.

"Who? I only see you. Are you talking to Olaf 'cause I can't see him?"

"No, not the snowman. He's not here."

"You must be crazy. I don't see anyone but you."

Maybe this boy was a figment of my imagination. 

Already distracted, Anna prepared to leap from the snowdrift she was standing on. "Catch me, Elsa," she said and leaped.

I threw out a hand, and a snowy white mound materialized for Anna to land on. 

"Woohoo!" she shouted and jumped again. 

"Slow down a little!" I cried, doing my best to keep up as Anna leaped from mound to mound. 

Ignoring me, Anna continued to pick up speed. 

I threw another bolt of magic, but my aim was off. In horror, I watched as it hit Anna in the side of her head, throwing her off course. Time seemed to slow; the boy raised his staff and a slanted pile of snow materialized. Anna landed safely in the snow and rolled gently down the side where she came to a safe stop on the floor of our castle's ballroom.

Screaming her name, I rushed towards Anna, gathering her into my arms. The boy hurried over and crouched beside me, putting a pale hand on Anna's head. Her hair, which had once been the color of orange flames, now had a streak of pure white through it. The same exact shade as the boy's hair.

"Can you make her better?" I asked the boy, biting my lip in worry.

"There's nothing I can do, princess," he responded. "However, your parents ought to know someone who can fix this. I can get them for you."

"Please do," I said softly. "Thank you."

It did not occur to me that only I had been able to see and hear him thus far.

As the boy stood to leave, I glanced up at him. "Who are you?"

The boy sketched a bow, mischief returning even in the dire situation. "Jack Frost. Pleased to meet you."