The Snow Queen

Cold Hands, Cold Heart

Jack had gone to look over the edge of Dead Man's Peak just to watch the sunset, but was cut short by an onslaught of wind and snow. Normally he could take it, but for hours now, that pain in his chest had returned and wouldn't cease, and now he had to hide his hands inside of his sleeves and shawl if he wanted to think about ever using them again.

He knew he'd gone there looking for something else too. He wanted to try and see his village. He felt selfish for thinking of home and his hearth, but all he could yearn for was fire and warmth with how every inch of his body felt like it was being probed with needles. Elsa didn't stand beside him while he was out there, but not far behind. She knew. Deep inside, he still wanted to go back. He had a 'family' at home, but wasn't she family now? She thought if she could make him happy, there'd be no need to let him go! He tried to explain to her what a mother and father were, and all about his little sister, how their bonds were incomparable, but Elsa just couldn't compute.

She had Jack. Jack was her family, Jack was her home. She needed nothing else now.

Jack thought this was all he needed too... until he went to walk downhill and it hurt just to move his legs. They were so cold that even kneeling down proved to be a struggle. This wasn't regular cold now, something was happening to him. "Elsa," even his voice shook, "take me to the castle." He specified. The normally active boy never once required help going up an incline, but now he needed the woman's arms around him to keep from losing his footing.

Getting inside didn't help anything. Elsa sat him down in a chair and tried to pull his shawl around him more snug, but he already had it as tight as it would go. "Something's wrong." Jack rasped. "I can't move my hands." Another jolt of pain and Jack's entire body wanted to knot up. In the effort of trying not to fall over, his hands came out of their hiding place... and both Elsa and Jack saw that they were frozen. Not frostbitten, not pink and quivering, but pure ice like the ones her sculptures had.

His eyes went big. If you dream about something more than once, it'll come true. But this wasn't a dream.

Elsa looked panicked then; she now knew that Jack wasn't just cold; he was in pain, and nothing could possibly hurt her more than that. She had never learned what her castle's magic could do to humans after a prolonged visit... so she prayed it was only temporary. For now, she had to ease him somehow. She looked around for something that wasn't cold, but there was nothing other than Jack himself and the blooming crocus.

She knew how humans kept warm—she'd watched them for too long to not know. And she also knew what effect it would have on herself, but that was trivial. "Wait." She ordered and she rushed from his spot. Elsa gave the wind a pleading request and it obeyed, she waited not ten minutes before it laid down a pile of lumber before her feet. Carrying them all in her arms, she made a small pit in her chamber where the rest of her castle would be safe from them. She took a deep breath; this wasn't a faux-fire made by her powers, but a real one that would burn.

Elsa was quick to get the fire going and she hurried to bring Jack close. As soon as he entered her room, he felt the fingers of heat flickering across his face. Jack knelt down before it and let the flames lick his skin, though he still shivered and rattled. It hurt so much. Elsa cradled him in her lap and they both watched the logs burn. She stroked her fingers through his hair... and underneath the chestnut-brown locks were patches of pure white taking over his roots.

Humans had never been exposed to her magic like this, and clearly, their bodies weren't meant to be.

"Safe." She soothed.

Jack struggled to stay awake despite all the aching and numbness. The fire and her arms managed to bring a sliver of comfort. "I want t-t-to see... m-my family." His voice was barely a whisper. He just wanted to hear his mother's voice, have his father's reassurance, and hold his sister at this moment. "Family." He repeated.