Winter Moon (Jelsa)

Chapter 15: Elsa

"I can't believe this," I muttered, scowling at the sky. "This is ridiculous."

"Personally, I quite enjoy the situation we're in," Jack interrupted, nudging my shoulder. "Gives a chance to catch up on my homework and you a chance to practice controlling your power."

"But I can't control it!" I splayed my hands out in frustration. "I do things! Not undo them."

Jack looked unruffled. "Looks like you're going to have to learn then."

I glared at him. We had been out here for two hours since I had stomped away from Astrid and Hiccup. Nothing had changed.

"What? We have nothing better to do, Snowflake. Astrid and Hiccup have run off to the-gods-know-where. We can't go back to Skyara with the weather like this, and the only foreseeable way out of this is for you to figure out how to undo things. Unless you want to wait for the Elites."

"How come Berk doesn't have an Elite ambassador?"

"They're a tiny Viking village. Respectable, but not politically important. They don't contribute much to the Elites."

"Oh, so like you."

"I can see someone's in a very kind and agreeable mood today."

"I am. And since I'm feeling so kind and agreeable, why don't you tell me how to undo things."

Jack leaned his staff against the wall of a nearby building. "Your power is fueled by your soul but controlled by your emotions. You've been channeling anger, pain, and sorrow into your flurries of snow."

"And what do you channel? Despondency?"

"I use my sparkling charm and rapier wit to control my power."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Continue."

"Arguably," Jack continued, "if we had more time, I would try to redirect your control. It should come from happy places, like your joy and, uh, love. My power comes from my love of fun, for example."

"The Guardian of Fun loves fun."

"Yes. That's kind of my job. But for you, I don't think I have the mental capacity to reconfigure everything. But, what we could do is open the bond between us some more. You could draw your source from me, and maybe be able to undo this mess."

I reached down the soul bond instinctively, feeling Jack on the other side.

"And you're sure this will work?" I asked.

"Not remotely."

"I've worked with worse." I turned to face Jack, feeling the connection between us thrum.

I took a deep breath. Ever since he had relinquished his immortality, he had grown a lot taller. I was a handful of inches shorter than him, but nothing drastic.

"Alright, try again," Jack murmured, "but this time, draw your power from the bond. Not yourself."

I exhaled and reached across the bond. Normally, I just felt magic surge up in me, and when I strained or ran out, the bond was always there to provide more. Now it took effort to only channel power from the soul bond. 

And then I could feel it. Jack's magic. He was shaping it for me. Channeling the intention of undoing. His felt different, like a different part of winter. I was cold winds and howling storms. He was playful snowflakes and the wonder of winter.

You are a conduit. Relax. Just let the magic pass through you, I reminded myself, letting his power swirl through me, erasing the jagged lines of frost, smoothing over the rough edges.

Memories rose up in me. Anna laughing in the snow. Our imaginary playmate, Olaf, coming to life. Happy times. Good times. They mingled with the magic, like snowflakes billowing in the wind.

And then other ones. Memories I didn't recognize. Jack's memories

A snickering Rapunzel, still with the long golden hair but only twelve years old.

A glorious castle, with towers that stretched to the skies.

And then me. But I was beautiful, desirable even. My eyes seemed bluer, my hair silkier, my lips pinker.

Then, the memory flitted past, just as quickly as it had appeared.

I raised my hands, and this time, the wind didn't blow bitterly.

"So this is what it feels like," I murmured. This was what it felt like to really cast magic. This warm feeling, as if my power was feeding me, not feeding on me.

My eyes opened, and I watched as snow lifted off the ground. The grey clouds dissipated, and the world melted back into autumn.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" Jack asked wryly.

I laughed and threw my arms around him. "It was wonderful."

He hugged me back. "You did it, Snowflake."

"We did it."