Snowfallen-(Jelsa)

The Unseen Guardian

The wind rushed through Jack's hair as he flew toward the fleeing figure. His mind was in turmoil, the events of the past few minutes replaying themselves in his head. After overhearing murmured gossip circulating about the newly-coronated queen, he had tried to get a closer look at her. But the ballroom was packed with elegantly attired guests, and he had no desire to feel them pass through his body like he was a ghost. Curious, Jack had waited in a deserted alcove as the evening progressed. Eventually he became tired of the festivities, and was about to leave when an altercation broke out between the queen and her sister. He had been too far away to distinctly make out any words, but it was obvious that the princess was angered as the young queen began walking away.

Jack clearly recalled the moment when the queen spun around, blue light streaming from her hand to create a sharp icy barrier. He had stood there, staring in astonishment at the line of magical ice; he had never heard anything, not even rumours, of another person possessing the powers of ice or snow. Jack was even more astounded to see that the magic appeared to be possessed by a mortal. His mind had raced, struggling to process this new discovery and its significance; by the time Jack had recovered, the queen had vanished. Following some shouts, he had exited the palace in time to see her running across the waters of the fjord, leaving ice in her wake.

Something in Jack had awakened: a desire to meet this individual who possessed ice magic, a need to know someone who could truly understand a unique aspect of his life—the tingle of power rushing through him to create a drifting snowfall, the thrill of accomplishment that arose at seeing beautiful icy designs appear on a surface. The minute feelings that no one else could ever know, unless they experienced it for themselves.

Jack's mind returned from its musings when he saw the new queen slow down and lean against a tree, a lone shaft of moonlight making its way through the branches to illuminate her figure. Landing on a large rock, Jack took a moment to study the young woman. Her head was bowed and she was breathing heavily; it was obvious that she wasn't used to running hard for extended periods of time. When he looked back in the direction of the palace, Jack was surprised to see how far they had come in just a few minutes.

What made her go so far into the woods without stopping? I can understand wanting to be alone after a family fight, but this seems kinda extreme.

Deciding that question would probably be answered if he stuck around long enough, Jack returned to his observation of the queen. She had pale blond hair—he had noticed that much earlier in the ballroom. Now, able to see her more clearly, Jack briefly wondered if she was the young lady from his vision. The blonde hair, the sense of familiarity—Jack's brow furrowed as he stared. When no moment of revelation occurred, however, he shrugged it aside.

Just focus on what you're here to do: find Pitch and stop him. Stop obsessing over random girls.

Despite Jack's renewed resolve, he found himself reluctant to leave. He had straightened up half a dozen times, ready to take flight—but somehow still remained, perched on the boulder. Finally Jack had to admit to himself the reason why he still lingered: his curiosity surrounding the young queen had not been satisfied.

Ok, I'll stay for five minutes longer, but that's it. After that, I leave. No matter what.

Jack repositioned himself so he was comfortably sitting on the rock, leaning forward on his staff. As soon as he had done so, the young woman's head snapped up, revealing striking blue eyes. And those eyes seemed to be focused on him. Jack held perfectly still, not daring to breathe. After a few seconds, the queen glanced nervously backward and hurried onward, passing a few feet away from Jack. The acute sting of disappointment hollowed a pit in his stomach; for a moment, Jack had thought she could see him, that he wasn't alone.

For the second time in Jack's life, he was stuck in that frightening world where no one knew he existed.

"Get over it. You lived with it for three-hundred years; you can survive until you find and stop Pitch," Jack muttered, but his assurances sounded empty, even to his own ears.

He was about to take off when he felt the nagging of his conscience. One of his father's mandates had been to always make sure that women, children, and the elderly arrived home safely. While Jack could argue that the queen's ice magic made her able to defend herself, he knew that no amount of persuasion would silence that little voice in his head. He took off, tailing the queen from a distance. It required some creativity where the trees were thick and close together, and more than once he was required to walk to avoid losing sight of the blonde-haired woman. Much to Jack's surprise, it started to snow.

Whoa, did I accidentally do that?

He searched his mind, trying to place the moment where icy magic had unconsciously flowed through his veins and out of his staff. Finding nothing, Jack finally concluded that the peculiar snowfall was not his doing.

But why is it snowing? It's the middle of summer here.

Casting his mind about for an explanation, he realized that the queen's ice magic might be able to create snow too. Interest piqued, he flew closer to the young lady, taking advantage of his invisibility. As the snow started to accumulate on the ground, Jack was surprised when the queen seemed to take no notice of it. She wasn't exactly dressed for the weather, being in a ballgown and slippers, though he supposed the long cape she wore gave some added warmth.

"Hmm... that's odd," he commented aloud.

She was only wearing one glove—the other hand was bare.

Maybe it's some sort of ceremonial tradition or something.

He was distracted from the queen's fashion choices when she stopped, and he accidentally flew right through her.

"I'll never get used to that feeling," Jack groused, chafing his arms in an attempt to send the tingling chills away.

But why did she stop?

His question was answered the second he took a look at his surroundings; a beautiful waterfall tumbled into a shallow pool that was surrounded by willow trees. The calming scene was drenched in glowing moonlight, and a dusting of snow provided the final touch. It looked like something straight out of a fairytale painting.

"Well, I gotta hand it to ya. You've got a good sense of direction to find a place like this." He knew the young queen couldn't hear him, but talking to her at least provided some semblance of human contact. Still, gauging from her drooping posture as she sat upon the ground, he wouldn't have a conversational partner for long. As he watched, the young woman slowly lost the battle against fatigue. After only a minute or two, she lay on the ground, her eyes fluttering shut.

"Don't worry," Jack told her. "I'll keep you safe. Sweet dreams." He smiled, hoping that Sandy had something special in store.

The temperature grew colder and snowflakes continued to drift down as the rushing waterfall froze. Jack spent the night keeping watch, the queen's unseen guardian.