When Black Comes to Play

Growing up

ISA POV
Today, me and Teresa, Anna's daughter, are going shopping in town. Although, we're not really shopping. Teresa is going on a wild hunt for boys. I, on the other hand, am quietly following, and waiting throughout the day for nightfall.
"So," she says. She is perky, like Anna, but she is also compassionate, like Kristoff. "Do you like anyone? You have to have a crush on someone!" She braids her blonde-ish red-ish hair, and applies mascara to her beautiful green eyes. "You can't be a princess and not like someone!" She is wearing a long red sundress, with sparkles. She wears a lot of bright colours. I'm just wearing a dressy icy blue top, that matches my eyes, and a nice twirly white skirt. I'm skinny, but I'm not a toothpick. My almost white hair is in a bun, and I have no makeup on my pale skin. I hate makeup.
"Not really," I say, looking at my nails, which are painted baby blue with snowflakes.
"You. Are. SO. lying!" She exclaims. "I can hear it in your voice. Tell me who!" She grabs my hands, and forces me to look up at her.
"It would scare you, or at the very least make you think I'm crazy." I step back, and look at the ground. I'm wearing comfortable white flats, with little shiny blue stones.
"Don't tell me it's your imaginary childhood friend," her voice is suddenly filled with care, and sadness.
"He's not imaginary," I say quietly. "And he certainly isn't my childhood friend." In fact, I don't really know what to call him. My parents have described and explained what he is a million times, but I still don't feel threatened by him. Just afraid. I look at the window in my room, watching the curtains sway in the afternoon breeze, remembering the night my shadow had eyes.
"Isa," she says, holding my hand. "You can't love someone who scares you so much. You just can't. It's not right. It will rip you apart." I stare at her for a bit, my blue eyes looking into her green ones with determination.
"But you aren't there at night. You don't see his face, every time you close your eyes, or every time you see a shadow. You don't know what it's like to wake up in tears, and have him in the corner of your room, just looking at you... With this... Pained look in his eyes, like he can't bare your sadness, and is sad himself because of it." This makes her sigh and roll her eyes. "I'm serious!" I pause. "It's almost... Comforting. I don't know why, though. Because he also scares me to the bone. He gives me the chills. He makes me want to hide under my blankets until the sun starts shining, and he disappears. Because I know he's evil, and I know the full extent of his paralyzing fear. But at the same time, I feel happy around him. It all just so... Confusing."
"It's probably because of the stories your mom told you when you were a kid, about Jack. You think he's him, don't you?" She asks accusingly.
"On a certain level, he is." I respond.
"No, he's not. He is the exact opposite. He doesn't help people, he scares them. You know that. At least, I think you do." She pauses. "Maybe you don't. Maybe that's why you're still trying to talk to him, after 15 years."
"Maybe it is," I say it like it means 'it isn't'. "But I'm just so used to it. "Maybe if I talk to  him a bit more, I can figure out why I feel this way."
"No!" She erupts. "You can't! You just... Can't!" She waves her hands and arms in an X. "You can't go on like this, listening to depressing music. Staying alone and not talking to anyone. Can't you see? It's because of him!"
"I know!" I exclaim. "I know what he is! I know what he does! I've known since the day I was born! I'm no stranger to fear. It's just, now that I'm growing up, he's like an actual person to me. And I know it's wrong to think that, but it's how I feel. And I don't know why I think that, and everyone should stop telling me to stop talking to him because I CAN'T!" I've frozen the floor around my feet, and the room temperature has dropped a few degrees. "I literally can't, Teresa. I've tried. He always comes back. Do you know how many wishes and prayers I've said for him to go away? It doesn't work! Nothing does... Not even my name. The only way for him to seem less scary is for me to talk to him. Sure, he still makes my heart beat a million miles a minute, and I still have terrifying nightmares, but it goes away in those moments, when I try to understand him. When I actually talk to this creature of darkness. Because... I'm the one who's actually living with this demon. No one else knows what it's like, not even Mom. She thinks she does, but her experience is not the same. When I explain it to her, she seems scared. But not of Black, of me. She looks like she wants to run and hide, like all of the other people do. But she really tries to help, which is why I don't hate her for giving me this burden. She really had no other choice, and I understand that. Our love for each other is elevated because of that. But she still doesn't understand. Only he does." I'm staring at the floor, sitting on my bed, thinking about what I said. All of it was true. I just hope it wasn't too much for her.
She joins me on my bed, and hugs me. She comforts me. "You'll get through, don't worry. I don't want to tell you to talk to him, but I don't want to make things worse, ether. Just... Do what you think is best. And don't get yourself hurt." She releases me. Since I'm an only child, for obvious reasons, she acts like a sister with me. "And if he hurts you I'll become his demon. He won't last long, that's for sure." I giggle at her over protectiveness.
"Okay, I'll come running if I ever need you." I say.
"You'd better," she gets up off the bed. "So, wanna go shopping now?"
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That was a fun day. I bought a few new dresses, and a new coat. We didn't want any guards to come with us. Teri found a boy, but all they did was talk. It didn't last long. I got a lot of glances, from everyone. I am the Queen's daughter, after all. But I'm the Queen's daughter with ice powers and an easily angered best friend at my side. So, naturally, no one messed with us.
Now it's night time, and the sun is setting. Black Frost will be here soon. I take a few deep breaths just thinking about him. Stay calm, I say in my head. Don't let him make you scared. Stay strong.
I enter my bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. I already have my pjs on, so I'm almost ready to go to sleep.
That's the problem. I'm done brushing my teeth and everything. I just really don't want to open that door. I'm already getting that fear, because I know he's out there. So, at the same time, I also want to open the door, because he's out there. I get more tense with every step I take towards it. I put my hand on the door knob, the metal cold on my skin. Reminding me of ice, and frost... And Frost. I swing the door open. I look to the corner that he's always in, and I see him with the mournful look in his eyes and the sad half smile that has become so familiar. I know the drill. It's still hard to move when I'm around him, but I manage. I get to my bed and curl under the blankets, never taking my eyes off of him. He walks over, leaving his staff in the corner. He leans down, and does something a bit different this time. Instead of just tapping me on the forehead, and dropping me into the nightmares, he lightly kisses my forehead.
"You're starting to realize what I am," he says, before disappearing.
ELSA POV
"This is too much for our child to handle anymore!" I burst at Jack. "We need to find a way to stop this, now. Or soon, because she is just too sad for a girl her age! I don't want her to end up like me, Jack. Afraid of everything, afraid of hurting people because of what she does and says. Try to think. Anything," I whisper. "Anything at all."
"We have tried everything, Elsa," he says, defeated. "He won't go away, no matter what we do." He sighs, but I don't even bother. Who has enough energy to sigh these days? I've been loosing sleep thinking about our daughter, and her endless pit of fear and darkness, and I've been trying to run a kingdom. How could I have the strength left to sigh?
Suddenly Anna comes booming in through the heavy wooden doors of the ballroom.
"Elsa!" She exclaims. "The Trolls!" She's in her light purple silk nightgown, and I don't know how she's not tripping. It's late at night. Why is she even up this late, anyways? Her remark doesn't phase me.
"We've already talked to them, Anna," I say, my voice tired, and my head hanging from my shoulders, looking at the ground. "A lot."
"No!" She says. "We haven't asked enough! Please, just one more shot?" She begs. Behind her, I see Kristoff enter the room.
I look up into her eyes. They are underlined with dark circles, but filled with hope. It's the first time I've seen such a sight since... I forget. I don't remember the last time I saw that much hope in anyone's eyes around here.
This moves me.
"Okay, one more time," I give in. She collapses on her knees next to me and hugs me, half-heartedly. I suppose it's because she's so tired. The collapsing, and e half-hearted hugging. She lets me go.
"Let's go, now." She drags me out of the castle, and out into the cold night air.
"You need a coat," I remind her, but she doesn't seem to listen. "What about horses?" I ask. She ignores me. We walk out of the main gates, and we're off into the mountains of Arendelle.
I must say, I'm having flashbacks.
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The forest is so dark I can't see the ground under my feet. I decide to make some light with some glowing snow. Then, at least we'll have a blue light protecting us from whatever's out there.
But, at this time of night, whatever's out there is in my daughter's bedroom, giving her unspeakable nightmares.
"We're here," Anna says when we've arrived at the valley filled with round boulders.
"It's the royal family," I say to them. "Again."
They come out of hiding immediately, But they just stare at us. I look over at Anna, them back at them.
"We thought we'd try you guys one more time, for anything at all, really, to see if there is anything we can do for my daughter, Isa."
Papie looks at us both, and sighs. "I'm sorry," he says. "If you've already tried everything we've told you to do, there is nothing else we can do." He starts to turn away.
"You're hiding something," says Anna. "I know it. Every curse can be broken, Papie. There has to be a way."
He stops, and slowly turns back to face us, with a look of sadness in his eyes. "You're right, Anna," he says. "I am hiding something from you, but it's for your own good. All of you."
"How many times have you told us that?" She asks, rolling her eyes. I suppose she's referring to when the trolls told me to hide my powers from everyone. "Please, please tell us. Anything would be better than Isa dying so young." Her words make my eyes water, and I try to hold back my tears, making my eyes sting.
Papie sighs. "Anna," he replies soberly. "It's dark magic. There's a price, and it's steep. You wouldn't like it."
"Anna," I look over at her, concerned. "Dark magic is banned, you and I both know why."
She looks over at me, just as torn. There is an unspoken message that travels through our eyes, as sisters. It's a sort of competition, to see who will win. In the end, I give in. "I know," she says, and continues to talk to him.
"It's okay," she says. "Tell us what we have to do."
Papie hesitates, but explains to us. "Just remember," he says. "It won't be easy."
"I know," I reply solemnly, glancing back at Anna.
"You said Emily went through shadow dissipation as well?" He asks. I nod, and he sighs. "That's what I was afraid of." He looks down. "The curse has some duplication magic in it, that's how it copied itself into Isa. It works the same way if there's another person who went through the process. The one who's fear has been taken away won't even remember it was ever there. One can extract the darkness from the other, but since the other has the same amount of fear in them, as soon as the fear enters their mind, they die. Immortal or not, it would be too much fear for any living being to host."
There is a long pause of processing silence.
"Emily would have to die?" I whisper, shocked.
"The price is steep, I warned you. Dark magic is the worst kind of magic there is. But it's your choice, Queen Elsa, even though you don't have a lot of time left."
I stand there, shaken from the news I've just heard.
"Are you sure there isn't another way?" I ask quietly.
"This is the only way, I'm afraid." He replies sadly.
This is too much. "So ether way, someone will die." I state, anger starting to come through. "That isn't fair to anyone! How could a person create such a spell?" That's all the emotion I can handle right now. I go back to normal. "It's not my choice, anyways," I say, getting ready to leave. "It's Emily's."
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Ahhhhhhh! Plfhhhhhhfffff! Yes! That was awesome!
Anyways, thanks for reading! :)