[IC] 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 | 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 // 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂

[AlteredTundra]

What had started out as an innocent - albeit quite nosey and curious-based - thought to go explore the castle and find out more about what was happening, one thing Kai wasn’t expecting was for the temperature to drop nearly its entirety. Additionally, when this cold breeze had hit his face and body so suddenly, he was so taken by surprise that his brain had not fully prepared his legs. Before he knew it, Kai was flat on his face. Just as soon as he had fallen, however, he was pulled to his feet by Cielle, which in turned earned her a nod of appreciation from him. As it would appear, she didn’t see it. Kai soon saw why.

Kai’s eyes followed where Cielle’s eyes were fixated at; although Kai was slower than she was. It took him about three seconds longer than it had taken Cielle, but once he did, he saw that she was looking at Anna following Elsa out the door. Kai didn’t know what exactly had happened, but he was about to find out.

Kai followed the lead of Anna and Cielle, reaching the courtyard. It was at this point that the blond teen couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “It’s so...white.” He managed to say. The sky, which was blue with a touch of white clouds previously, was no longer that. It was pure white and the winds have picked up to where they produced a rather chilling breeze. Additionally, Kai noticed the temperature of the area had dropped nearly almost all of its previous levels.

The only thought Kai had running through his mind was the pure and simple one of how come it was so cold? And why didn’t he pack a parka of some sort? Kai sighed loudly, looking to Cielle briefly before actually running ahead to where Anna was at, but it was obvious to him that she wasn’t staying put. While Kai and Cielle adjusted to the new weather conditions, Anna, the dark-haired man from before, and the some creepy-looking short man had some kind of conversation that caused Anna to take off on a horse.

When he saw that, Kai took off following her, looking back at Cielle. “Well, c’mon then! We’ll lose her if we don’t follow her!” Kai said to Cielle, smiling as he, like Anna just moments before him, had ran through the castle gates.

[Hero]

Well, the princess was certainly brash to just take off as such. Cielle shook her head in disproval, Anna's actions reminding her just a little too much of Kai. Said blonde was rearing to give chase, practically running ahead already. For someone who was definitely not dressed for the winter, he sure was eager. Still, her own chattering teeth told her that they needed to be a little more prepared. Reaching forward, the girl would take a hold of Kai's hood, managing to halt his progress before he could go any further. "I have to insist you give things a thought before running off," Cielle frowned at him, although she would release his hood. She wasn't yelling for once, but she figured that she needed to make sure he knew what they were getting into. "This sudden change of weather and the queen's sudden escapade aren't coincidence. While you have the right idea in chasing after the princess, we are ill-garbed to challenge the terrain," She explained, though as she looked around, she felt there were too many people around.

Beckoning for Kai to follow her, she decided to lead him to a more sheltered part of the gates, away from any wandering eyes--especially those of the Duke Cielle had noticed. Once she knew they were in the clear, she summoned her keyblade once again as she spotted a door. "It's a good time as any, I suppose," Cielle murmured to herself at first, though she gave Kai a determined look. "So far, you have done well with your battle skills and magic. However, the Keyblade isn't simply a tool for combat. It does have its other uses, and while it would take too long to properly explain the numerous amount of abilities, I thought that one in particular would come in handy: the Keyblade can undo any normal lock. Observe."

Cielle went over and tried to open it, showing Kai that it was locked. Taking a few steps back, she made sure he was paying attention before she continued. Gripping her keyblade with both hands, she slowly lifted it as a small light emitted from the tip. Once it was held high enough, the light zipped into the door's keyhole, a small click signaling that it had been unlocked. Lowering her arms, Cielle walked over and opened the door, a triumphant look on her face. It quickly faded as she spotted a Heartless, and she let out a sigh. "Never a dull moment with them around...let us take care of them quickly, then we can go after the princess."

[AlteredTundra]

When Kai had one foot out of the palace gates, he found himself stopped by a number of things. The first that was the most prominent of that which stopped him in his tracks was Mother Nature herself. She had blown a strong gust of cold wind into his face, caused his blond strands of hair to stand up in a frenzy and his entire body to start shaking. It was around that very same moment that he had been bumrushed by panicked guests, whom in which Kai recognized from the party. They trampled all over his thin body. Wool boots and heels crushed him until the last one ran over him. By this time, Kai was beaten and bruised, but his resolve to go after Anna was still just as strong as before he was the exit mat of those who lived in Arendale.

As he got up and went to leave, Cielle tugged at his arm, forcing him to stay for a moment or two longer. This time, however, Kai wasn’t being physically assaulted by strangers. The only punishment he endured was the ever-enduring torture of common sense. Oh how Kai hated that, but he couldn’t deny what she said was absolutely right. With the weather, he wouldn’t make it that long out there in the freezing cold that was suddenly brought to the land.

“Fine. Let’s get the proper winter wear.” Kai said, grunting. He was starting to feel the effects of the cold and the various bruises all over his body.

Kai wasn’t far behind Cielle when she led him to a different area of the castle that was west to the courtyard. It was less inhabited as other places seemed to be. Good thing, because Kai watched her say some things (and later do) that weren’t exactly, as Kai thought, exactly preferred to be done to the castle. The first thing that she had said was about the Keyblade and how it was much more than a shiny object to wave at enemy hostiles. Like its name had hinted at (though Kai never put the pieces together), it was a blade that was the literal key to things. Cielle demonstrated by pointing it at the door in front of them, which had a lock. As she did, Kai watched intently as a bright, thin beam of light came from the tip of the blade and had unlocked the door, allowing Cielle to open it with ease.

“Wow. That was way cool!” He didn’t have any other words.

Kai was still in a bit of a state of shock, but he was brought out of it when he saw what was on the opposite end of the door. What he saw in place of whatever it was Cielle wanted to show him was an assortment of the creatures -the Heartless - that they had encountered in Traverse Town, though they were strikingly different. He remembered what the ones from before looked like. They were just normal shadows, but the ones he saw, while they did have the same black heart emblem, they were vastly different. The little ones looked like those little shadows from Traverse Town, but they had blue hats and were surrounded by an icy aura. And as for the bigger one behind them, it looked like a big snowman, except it wasn’t jolly at all. It meant business.

Kai smirked towards Cielle. “You take the ones in the front and I’ll take the big boy.” Kai nodded, not waiting for Cielle to agree before heading first into battle.

With his Keyblade held in a reverse grip, Kai jumped high above the little ones. His plan was to jump behind the big one and strike it that way, but as it would turn out, the snowman heartless saw him coming a mile away. Before he even realized what had happened, Kai was given a direct upercut from the big, white heartless, and ended up laying flat on his back next to Cielle, who hadn't even moved from where she stood.

“Well, that could’ve gone a little smoother,” he grunted, looking towards Cielle’s way.

[Hero]

Honestly, she should have felt bad, but the irony was too good.

Cielle's expression was one of exasperation as Kai would, yet again, go racing forward. There wasn't even a chance for her to give him any warning, although the Heartless had (rather quickly) given him a lesson due to his haste. She ended up having to bite down on her lower lip to prevent herself from outright bursting into laughter, her chuckling still audible. Technically, it wasn't that funny, but the short time between his action and the consequence made it impossible for her to take seriously. Clearing her throat, she would glance over him; luckily he wasn't hurt, though she was sure his ego may have been bruised. Perhaps it was for the better, as her constant warnings fell on deaf ears.

But right now, she wouldn't chastise him, feeling that he had probably learned his lesson. Or not. Either way she had been greatly entertained, so it had been worth it. She shivered slightly as a slight breeze made the cold nip at her bare skin, and she figured it would be best to take care of the Heartless as quickly as possible. "Well, then...if you're done dilly-dallying," She tried to be serious, but it was clear she was still trying not to laugh. Then again, maybe he was the type that did better when he could see what she meant rather than just listening. Raising her keyblade, she motioned for him to watch her, intending on showing him where he went wrong. "If you must rush, use what you have to aid you," She instructed him as she would copy his previous action and jump into the air. The snowman Heartless noticed her right away, although she was counting on it.

"Aero!" She called out, the wind magic swirling around her, and rather than getting knocked back like Kai did, the protective spell made the Heartless' attack bounce back. Slicing through the staggered Heartless, as it faded she spun once, her Aero bursting and pushing all the smaller Heartless away from her. Some fell over, others took it as a chance to charge, and Cielle felt in her element again. Her limbs did protest from the cold as she swung, but she wasn't going to let it slow her down, not until she was finished.

As the last Heartless faded away, Cielle exhaled, her breath getting swept away as a strong breeze came it. She nearly dropped her weapon as she gripped her arm, shivering madly. "G-Goodness...!" She gasped, huddling close to Kai as she tried to brace herself against the wind. "W-Well, I've never d-done this spell before, b-but I don't think this c-cold is going away anytime s-soon," She spoke through chattering teeth, steadying herself long enough as she pointed her keyblade to the ground. It shined once more, this time drawing what looked like a silver crown into the snow.

A brilliant light erupted, enveloping them for just a moment. As it faded, Cielle let out a sigh of relief, stepping away from Kai and placing her now gloved hand on her hip. "Much better!" She cheered, patting her earmuffs. She was glad her spell worked, their previous clothes transformed into ones more appropriate for the snow. Cielle had chosen a light pink pea coat, coupled with tights, earmuffs, and warm gloves. She probably should have exchanged her skirt for pants, but her tights were fine. Her boots crunched the snow as she examined Kai curiously. "How do you feel now?" She asked.

[AlteredTundra]

How rude! She wasn't even going to help him up or try and do something to help him from the precarious position he had landed himself in. It wasn't like he was the one at fault. He just underestimated the bigger heartless. Could he have acted with a little more care when attacking? Perhaps. But Kai wanted to use the moment of surprise that he thought he had. The strategy he had was the same as it always was: go forth with the Keyblade, spin out towards them, and hope for the best. It wasn't the smartest way to fight, but if Cielle hadn't noticed, Kai was new to this whole Keyblade thing, so he just went wherever the wind blew him. It wasn't always bad, but this time it was.

Sulking Kai didn't want to get up, which was mostly to spite Cielle, but the sudden swift breeze that she created prompted the blond teen to stand up as quick as it had taken Cielle to deal with the heartless properly. As he saw them fade away to the shadows they were created from, Kai saw something that stood out to him. It was only for a moment, but he saw the glimmer of light that was shaped like a...heart.

"What was that?" He muttered to himself, curious about what exactly that was. He wouldn't have that much time to linger on that thought because the breeze from both outside and the breeze that was generated from Cielle's magic spell caused Kai - if not just for a moment - to shiver beyond belief. One moment, he was adequately warm. He wasn't toasty but he wasn't freezing like he was right now.

And as Kai felt his teeth shivering with the rest of his body, he was suddenly overtaken by a warm light that originated from Cielle's Keyblade. It started to raise his body temperature up. Whatever kind of spell that was, Kai knew that was a keeper. As he went to go touch his body to feel the warmth, something that wasn't there was in the place of his skin. "What the--" Kai looked down and he noticed immediately that he had a drastic change. Going over to the back of the room where he remembered there being a mirror, he looked and holy moly, was he looking different. He had silver pants that made his legs feel all nice and cozy, a three-layered torso setup with a regular t-shirt, sweater, and a parka colored like the green and blue sea after sunrise. The last thing other than the winter boots he had on that Kai noticed was a scarf.

"Check me out!" Kai's voice was just as warm with excitement as his body was. "How did you come up with this? You knew exactly what I was thinking of wearing!" Kai looked at himself more in the mirror. It took him a long moment to look back at Cielle. "Seriously, though. How did you do that?"

[Hero]

Now it was Cielle's turn to be surprised. What did Kai mean 'how'? It was magic. There was no possible way he could be that dense, could he? He didn't seem too surprised at her elemental magic, but then again, he did touch his own Aero and hurt himself. Magic must not be common where Kai was from. That thought made Cielle think to herself for a moment. Usually people who could cast magic were from places that had it even if innately. Then again, Merlin always said anyone could learn so long as they had the will. Despite Kai's question being relatively simple, coming up with an answer became very complicated.

Cielle placed her hand on her hip, staring at Kai for a moment. "It's magic; changes the appearance of one's clothes, though I got lucky in getting something to your liking," She decided to keep it as relatively straightforward as possible. "Many worlds have different climates, species, appearances...it's always best to fit in as well as you can. I don't think this will be the last time I'll be using this, but unfortunately it's a little too complicated for you to learn right now. Maybe when you're a little more experienced." Experience was definitely what Kai needed. His magic was actually well above average, as was his strength, which was...strange. Once again Cielle couldn't help but stare at Kai as her thoughts ran wild. With enough experience, he could easily match her level--and that thought was an alarming one.

More importantly, she was gaining more and more evidence to her previous theory.

Clearing her throat, Cielle dismissed her weapon as she crossed her arms. Refining Kai's skills should be relatively straightforward, all he needed was to rectify his mistakes. "You have a decent handle on swinging the Keyblade around, but you must have more self awareness. The Heartless run on instinct mostly, but the larger and more powerful do have minds of their own. You'll have to remain one step ahead of them at all times, lest they catch you off guard," She informed him, letting out a small sigh. She really wanted to go on, but considering it wasn't exactly safe, the best thing to do was to keep moving. "Of course, the fact that the Heartless are around means that Princess Anna could be in danger. Come, we'll search for her and make sure she is unharmed."

[AlteredTundra]

Kai listened to Cielle explain how she was able to change their clothes in as fast as a light flashing before their eyes by...not explaining how she did that. She just chalked it up to it being magic - which in itself wasn't exactly helpful to what Kai had asked her. He didn't understand the concept of magic. Being a boy from Twilight Town, he never had known such a thing. It was never known to him until that fateful day when the Shadow Heartless attacked and he was tossed into this new lifestyle. The only thing that made any sense was how Kai knew Cielle was his best shot at finding Aira. That was the thing that Kai held onto.

Magic wasn't part of the equation until Cielle pointed out that it had its uses. And after the first seven tries of being exposed to it - both good and bad - Kai was starting to catch on. He was just surprised that Cielle had as much patience with him. Most wouldn't have stuck around that long. Just as Kai was about to ask her about the magic and perhaps teaching him some of it, Cielle again said something Kai knew to be right. I hate it when she's right. He let out a grumble of sorts, smiling and nodding as he followed Cielle out the door.

The sudden breeze wasn't as much of a bother to Kai as it was when he was wearing his normal, summer attire. But that wasn't what turned Kai's determined look into one of despair. When they ran out the door and into the courtyard, the first thing that both he and Cielle would see was more of the same heartless from before. "Not again," Kai whined, sighing, though he quickly put his game face on. He summoned his keyblade.

And like before, Kai dove head-first, though something was different. He couldn't properly explain it, but there was some kind of light shining around Kai. In the moments that it had taken him to attack the heartless long before Cielle had a chance to even register it, Kai's entire body became engulfed in the same wind that Cielle's had just minutes ago. With it, when the Snowman Heartless attacked him, they were knocked back a few paces. And whenever the smaller ones attacked, they were vanquished immediately. As Kai proceeded to round behind the bigger ones, he charged into a spiral, his keyblade striking the fat ones in the back, sending them back to the darkness hole they crawled out of.

Just as quickly the wind appeared around him, it was gone. What bothered Kai the most was he didn't know how he did that. "What..just happened?" Kai asked himself, looking over at Cielle. "I guess the coast is clear, yeah?"

---

Somewhere in Arendale

"The windy mountains whisper in Arendale. It was obvious that Elsa's handiwork, whether intentional or not, had generated enough fear and panic to surrender their joyous hearts to the darkness. And wherever there was darkness, the heartless were bound to show up." A raspy-like voice slithered its way into the base of the mountain where Queen Elsa had chosen to reside.

A hooded-figure that had a black cloak on watching from the highest peak of Mount Tundra, the highest of mountains within this frosted wasteland that had just been created. From this point, this figure saw everything: the desperate Elsa wanting to stay away from everyone. Her darling sister rushing on horseback to find Elsa and bring her home. And, in the courtyard, displaying his rising skills, Kai was showing what everyone in The Darkness knows to be true: he is one of the four.

There was a hint of a laugh as the hooded figure faded into a Portal of Darkness.

"He and that girl are ones to watch. This will be amusing."

[Hero]

It seemed Kai had taken her words to heart, or at least he was putting them in practice. The Heartless were disposed of in a manner of seconds, leaving a confused Kai and a pensive Cielle. As much as she wanted to chalk it up to him finally listening, there was more to it, wasn't there? "That was better," Cielle stated slowly, although before she could comment any further, a horse's neighing caught her attention. It looked oddly familiar, and as Cielle squinted, she realized why. "That's the horse Princess Anna took..." She said out loud, wondering just how long it had been without Anna, The realization hit her, and she stepped forward, her boots crunching the snow. Something must have happened if the horse had no rider, though as she looked around, there was no sign of Anna anywhere.

The coast was clear for now, though it seemed to get colder by the minute. The previously summer weather had vanished, replaced entirely with winter. As much as she believed they shouldn't mess with the world order, this was definitely not normal by any means. "Alright, our first task is to find the princess and accompany her back to the castle. We can continue our search for the keyhole once she is safe," Cielle stated, shaking her head. "I don't believe she has any combat ability, and the heartless are crawling around."

After receiving his confirmation, the pair set off, Cielle doing her best to follow the frantic horse's trail. It hadn't gone terribly far, which was fortunate, though the tracks led to a small, still running creek. She didn't see anything beyond, and for a moment she got worried until she spotted a small cabin with steam rising out of it. "If this is where she lost her horse, it's safe to assume she went there seeking shelter," She pointed the cabin out to Kai.

[AlteredTundra]

Kai had expected at least some form of praise from Cielle, or a 'good job, Kai' would've sufficed. To his surprise - which shouldn't have been the case - Kai received none of that. In its stead, however, had been the sounds of a creature that would, in just moments after hearing it, being the horse that Princess Anna had taken off on. And like since he has met her, instead of giving him the praise that Kai felt he was entitled to, she decided to tackle on whatever obviously more important issues were at hand. It wasn't like he was asking for her to be his servant, serving him grapes while fanning him with a big leaf fan - though it was a nice thought. He just wanted some kind of recognition.

This really bothered Kai. Even as Cielle would start talking about how that was Anna's horse and how the princess lacked fighting capabilities, Kai was looking at her with the most bratty pout. Cielle didn't notice it because she was more concerned with what Kai should've been focusing on too. Despite that, he couldn't bring himself to take his mind off of what Cielle never gave him. When he had his mind stuck on something, especially as bothersome as Cielle not giving him props (or taking credit for something that she should've), Kai was more stubborn than a donkey.

When Cielle finished and turned to face Kai, she would see his pout. "You're seriously not going to say anything about what I just did? I listened to what you said! And you're not even going to take pride in that you were right and I was wrong?!" Kai raised his voice just a few levels. As far as Cielle was concerned, Kai wasn't too happy with her at this moment.

[Hero]

Cielle’s jaw dropped at Kai’s statement. Wait, what? Her clear blue eyes seemed to search for something as she stared at Kai in complete disbelief. What in the world was he talking about? He wanted her to yell at him? No, he wanted acknowledgement for finally listening to her. Except, why would she give him praise when that’s what he should have been doing this entire time? Either he was delusional or she was mistaken. Yes, that had to be it. Luckily, there was a very easy solution to that: ask him to repeat himself.

Turning towards Kai, Cielle couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at him. “I said it was better, didn’t I?” She asked him slowly.

He glared at her, knowing full well that wasn’t what he meant. What he’d been having the most trouble accepting was, of all the times that Cielle had taken pride in informing Kai about - the way worlds operated, the proper way to fight, and how to be a decent traveling partner - she didn’t seem like she wanted to take a moment to remind Kai that she was right and he was wrong.

“You have been lecturing me since we met. And when I finally listen to you, you don’t bat an eye,” Kai said with a sigh.

Oh, he really was that stupid. Placing her hands on her hips, Cielle couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “If only it had happened sooner,” She commented dryly, turning away from him.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I wasn’t aware you were timing me,” Kai sarcastically stated, grunting annoyingly at her.

Cielle looked at him over her shoulder, furrowing her brow. What a moody child. “If you want approval over an action you should have been doing in the first place, you won’t find it here,” She stated rather bluntly, deciding to say it as plainly as possible to avoid any confusion for the dim-witted keyblade wielder. “This may be a field trip to you, but I take my responsibilities seriously. This isn’t a game!”

Kai felt his breaking point was nearing. While he had the potential to go with the breeze and let wind take him wherever it wanted, some days he just had to break free, and give into the storm. “Don’t talk to me like you know me at all - because you don’t. We haven’t known each other long enough for you to have the right to assume how I’m treating this trip,” he angrily told her.

“I don’t need to know you to understand your utter lack of understanding,” Cielle replied rather coldly. “What I do know is right now, you’re acting like a child.”

“I understand one thing, Cielle.”

This was obviously bait, but considering how her own temper was rising, Cielle hooked onto it. “One thing more than anything I expect.”

”I understand that you might resemble Aira, but you two are nothing alike! She is nice and gentle and is patient. You are mean, cruel, and a know-it-all!”

Puffing up slightly, Cielle spun on her heel, marching right up to Kai, her eyes narrowed dangerously. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, she found herself unable to respond. Her eyes searched his for a moment, but she seemed to decide something, instead backing away. “If that is what you truly believe, so be it,” She muttered, shaking her head at him. “Go back to Arendelle. I’ll take care of things from here on out.” She told him as she looked towards the cabin, marching off towards it.

[AlteredTundra]

“Way to go, Kai. Because of that big mouth of yours, you’ve alienated yourself from the one person who was going to help you find Aira.”

As usual, Kai managed to screw things up. Unlike in the past, Kai could always take a few hours to think about where he went wrong, then later apologized. He did it when he, Aira, and their friends would head to the main section of Twilight Town and do battle with Hayner’s crew and Seifer’s gang of delinquents. They’d get into scuffles and, when Kai would run his big mouth, he’d screw things up - especially when it came to their friend, Exie. They usually clashed and Kai had the tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, which resulted in both boys saying things they didn’t mean. As bad as it was, they had Aira to be the mediator. She always saw the good in everyone and immediately, they would apologize.

It was in moments like these that Kai really missed Aira. She was his conscious. In a lot of ways, she prevented him from actually opening his yapper when it should just stay shut.

“Man, you really screwed up, didn’t you?”

Kai looked around, seeing who said that. After a moment, he saw some man in front of him - a tall man, at that - wearing a black cloak. “Huh?”

“The conversation you had with that girl. You really shouldn’t have said all of those things. And comparing her to that old friend of yours? Talk about oof.” The man, who sounded like a man, at least, let out a low whistle.

Looking at this hooded figure, Kai couldn’t shake it, but there was definitely something about this guy that the blond teen found familiar. The way he spoke and the way it seemed he was so laid-back had given Kai vibes of someone he used to know a long time ago.

Shrugging, Kai tried to ignore the guy by walking forward -but it was obvious the hooded figure wasn’t going to give up that easily. “I mean, you know you were in the wrong, right?”

“Don’t you have someone else to harass?”

“No one here screwed up as much as you did. Plus, I’ve been watching you, Kai.”

And now he had the teen’s attention. “I don’t remember giving you my name,” Kai said, turning around to face him, but the hooded figure was gone. “Wait where did you--”

He was now behind Kai. “You didn’t.”

Kai turned around again and he was goneagain.

“But I do know you, Kai. Just like I know you’re a Keyblade wielder.”

“How did you--”

“Like I said, I’ve been watching you for a while. Now!” The man was now beside Kai. “Go find Cielle. Apologize to her and make amends.”

“How? I don’t have a horse.”

“Don’t you though?” The man laughed, snapping his glove-covered fingers. Almost as soon as he did, a white horse with green and purple lines of its fur dyed, the man would only look on as Kai’s reaction would be shifted from despair to wonder.

Kai didn’t know what to say to this - well, that wasn’t true. He had one thing on his mind that he just had to ask. “How did you do that?”

“It’s magic,” the man stated simply.

It was in that moment that Kai’s smile was reduced into an expression that read ‘really dude? Really?’ That was the same thing that Cielle had said to him when he asked her how she was able to change their clothes. And just like he was then, Kai didn’t appreciate the lack of specifics used. Just once he’d like a detailed explanation about how exactly people did this little thing called magic - preferably, in great detail and small words.

“Well, thank you!” Kai gave the hooded man a nod and a smile, mounting the horse.

“Be seeing you, kid!”

As soon as Kai was going to look back at him, he was gone. He didn’t know who that man was or why he was willing to help him out, but he didn’t have time to worry about some stranger. Kai knew what he had to do. He knew he had to set off into the frozen wilderness of this land, find Cielle (wherever she might be), and apologize to her.

“Yah!” Kai kicked the horse on the sides of the body. And as it neighed, they were off into the cold, with Kai’s resolve to make things right with CIelle being the one thing guiding him.

[Hero]

The warmth of the cabin was a welcome respite to Cielle, the heat defrosting her cheeks as she let out a sigh of relief. It looked like her observation was slightly mistaken, as rather than a home, it was a small shop. A multitude of wares and goods were crammed into the space, though there was still ample room to move around. Her eyes briefly took a look around, though there was nothing of particular interest or anything she would need. Approaching the counter, a fair haired man sat, eagerly watching her, and she noticed the warmth came from a nearby sauna. Oh, the temptation threatened to overwhelm her, but unlike Kai, Cielle didn't come here to play around.

Kai.

Their previous argument affected her a lot more than she wanted to admit. Yuffie had always teased her about her rigid and somewhat harsh way of interacting with people, though Aerith always defended her stating that it was Cielle's position that made her that way. And so what? Being a know-it-all is how she got things done. And if he thought she was cruel, then he had no idea of the capabilities of what cruelty truly was. She had closed dozens of keyholes on her own, she didn't need him. She didn't need anyone. She was stupid to think that having a traveling companion would bring benefits, especially one so dim witted! Catching herself, she let out a small sigh. Maybe she really was mean.

"Yoo-hoo!" The merchant snapped her out of her thoughts. Well, no time for regrets. Hopefully Kai would listen and wait for her back at the castle, she needed to focus. "Big summer blowout!"

"My apologies," Cielle bowed her head. "I was wondering if a young woman with red hair had passed by."

"Oh, yes, she left shortly before you came in, dear," He informed her cheerfully. "Heading towards the north mountain, she was!"

Shoot, she must have just missed her. After getting a pointer on the direction she was headed, Cielle braced herself for the cold as she stepped outside. Her eyes spotted some marks on the ground, indicating an animal pulling a sleigh. If that was the case, Anna was going to be long gone. Hmm, if she was heading towards the north mountain on a sleigh, then there would be a slight delay considering they had to follow solid grounding. If she climbed the mountain head on, Cielle could possibly catch up or intercept the princess. Exhaling slightly, Cielle marched forward for a while, and as she reached the base, she looked up at the rather daunting climb.

"Here goes nothing..." She mumbled to herself as she began to climb, carefully watching her footing as she continued onwards and upwards. Despite it initially coming off as a lot, Cielle found herself climbing with a relative ease. Maybe it was because she was fully concentrated. That or she was focusing so much to prevent herself from falling. As she reached a relatively safe ledge, she hoisted herself up and took a breather. The sun was starting to fall, bringing with it a cooler temperature. Trying to judge whether she had enough time to make it to the top, she rubbed her sore arms. She had made it quite a distance all things considered. She could see the entirety of Arendelle from her height, and her thoughts briefly flickered to Kai, wondering if he was causing any trouble down there.

Noticing a small opening near her, Cielle chose to continue forward. There was a very small path that continued upwards, and as she walked, she spotted what looked like a crystalline set of stairs. Surprised, Cielle approached them, though as she took her first step, she nearly slipped. It wasn't crystal, it was ice! It was beautifully sculpted, whoever made them went above and beyond expectations. Once she climbed over, Cielle was stunned to see a gorgeous castle ahead. Her curiosity seemed to get the better of her as she went up the stairs, pushing the door open.

If the castle looked nice on the outside, it looked just as incredible on the inside. Literally everything from the ground to the walls to the grand staircase was made of ice! As Cielle examined everything, she felt that it was just a little too perfect to have been sculpted. Magic? As the thought crossed her mind, she heard a commotion coming from above. Summoning her keyblade, Cielle sprinted up the stairs, skidding to a halt as she spotted a blonde woman in a blue dress freezing some heartless. Her jaw dropped as she realized it was Elsa. It was like she had done a complete one-eighty--gone was her modest dress, replaced with a slinky, admittedly form fitting light blue one with a very pretty see-through cape.

As the last heartless fell, Cielle dismissed her weapon quickly. "Your Majesty, what are you doing here?" She asked.

Elsa nearly jumped out of her own skin, clearly not having been expecting anyone. "...Cielle? How did you find me?" She asked, equally astonished to see her.

"Your sister went running off after you," She informed Elsa. "Did you...create all this?" Despite Cielle's good intention, Elsa seemed somewhat anxious at her observation. "Forgive me, magic has always been one of my interests. You possess a gift--"

"It's not a gift," Elsa was quick to correct her, clasping her hands together with a sigh. "Maybe where you're from it can be seen as one, but for me...it isn't."

Considering Cielle practiced magic on the regular and often studied it, she was genuinely surprised to see the queen have such a negative reaction. No, it made sense, especially how the nobles and townsfolk responded to the queen's ice. Perhaps in this world it was considered a variation of withcraft. A shame, really, as Cielle loved the idea of magic.

[AlteredTundra]

Something that Kai noticed almost instantly when he ventured closer to the northern mountains was just how harsh the weather was. The closer to the mountains it seemed that he got, the worse the snowstorm seemed to be. He thought it wouldn’t be so bad, so against the voice in his head telling Kai to turn back, he proceeded past the point of no return. As it would turn out, however, Kai would come to regret this.

When the storm waged on, Kai didn’t know left from right. No matter where the blond teen looked, all he saw was snow, wind, and depleting temperatures. While the clothing he had on surprisingly provided him with enough warmth to protect him from the dangers of frostbite, they didn’t, however, give him any idea where he was nor did they even have any hidden voice mechanism that could actually point him in the right direction. Truly, as Kai finally accepted the fate, he was lost - and in more ways than one. He had no idea where he was and in a figurative sense, Kai was lost.

And boy did it depress him out.

Just as the boy was about to give up hope, something called out to him. He didn’t know if it was an actual light from somewhere close or if something else was at play, but as he looked around, a bright, warm light that created a trail of sea-colored particles, Kai kicked the horse’s sides. “Yah!” The horse neighed and he was going as fast as the horse he rode on would allow him. Much to his delight, it brought him to some sort of cabin that had its own horse stable.

As Kai would anchor the horse in the stables, letting it feed off the straw and take in some warm water, Kai entered the cabin. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say about it. There was this very homey feel about it. Various items of clothing that fit the kind of weather outside were in stock, though Kai’s wandering gaze went from the boots and scarfs on the wall to a man who stood taller than even the roof itself. A tall man dressed in a fur scarf was taller than three Kais put together. He was pale-skinned and had blond hair much like Kai himself did. Whoever this guy was, the smile on his face sure didn’t fit the monstrous vertical frame he had.

“Uh..hi..”

“Hello!” The tall man said with a smile, looking down at the young Kai, “how may I help you?”

“You’re...big.”

“Why yes, I am, sonny boy.”

Okay, so after the moment of being surprised at someone this tall, Kai shook his head. “I was hoping you could--”

“Attention good sir! I require some assistance,” Kai couldn’t help but notice a man force himself into the cabin, thusly interrupting him.

“Excuse me! I was here first!” Kai protested, walking up to the slightly bulky man.

He looked at Kai, brushing him aside. “Sorry boy, but I have some manly troubles,” he walked up the counter, “gotta get some straw for Sven.”

“Hello.”

“So yes, as I said, I need some help. Can you help me, cabin person?”

“I can, yes. What do you need, sir?”

Kai felt insulted. He was here first, so he should have first dibs at the service this tall cabin keeper provided. “I was here first!”

“Hold your jets, little man. I just need one thing and I’ll be out of your way.”

As this guy would soon realize, Kai wasn’t one to wait around, let alone let this guy walk all over him. So in response, Kai shoved him out of the way. “Learn proper manners, old man!”

And thus began the struggle between Kai and whoever this guy was. When Kai shoved him, he shoved back. Punches were thrown and names were thrown out there in the open. After a while, it seemed like the two would then break out into a song, singing about the woes of being a man and how patience was for children. Granted, Kai was technically a child, but he wasn’t about to give up.

...Well, that was until the shop owner put an end to that. “Okay, that’s enough of that,” he said, holding both males by the collar of their shirts. “Boy, what is it you need from me?”

“I came here from the Castle. I’m looking for Princess Anna.”

“Oh! Why didn’t you say so?” He said, giving Kai the impression that he knew something, “she’s over there,” he looked to the back room.

Kai was let go and he ran towards the back room. Meanwhile, the guy tried to force his way free by karate chopping the man’s arm. As one might surmise, that didn’t go according to plan.

“If you wanted free, all you needed to do was ask, sir,” the man said, dropping him down to the ground.

“Is this how you treat all your customers?"

“Only those who don’t behave.”

He huffed and followed Kai.

As Kai went to the back room, he saw Princess Anna resting on a bed. He rushed over to her. As fate would have it, she started to wake up the moment he was at her bedside.

“KAI!” Anna’s eyes were wide open at the sight of a familiar face, “what are you doing way out here?”

“I came looking for you. Well, I and Cielle went looking for both you and your sister,” he admitted.

They both hugged and she stood up. Off in the distance, she saw another familiar face. “Kristoff! I thought you went back to those trolls?”

Kai looked back and saw it was the man from before. “You know him?”

Anna nodded, “that’s Kristoff. He helped me get here. I didn’t think he’d make it back, though. I’m glad he made it here, too.”

Kai wasn’t sure what to make of this, but he didn’t have time to ponder these new names. He had to focus on what was more important and that was getting Anna to Elsa and getting himself to Cielle. “Did you happen to see Cielle on your way here?” Kai asked though she shook her head. “What about your sister?”

As Kai asked that, Kristoff spoke up, “I might know the answer to that,” he confessed.

“What do you know, Kristoff?”

“I saw some blonde head tot he northern mountains. My best bet is that she’s there.”

“Then that’s where we shall head too!” Kai seemingly decided for the entire group.

“Absolutely not! It’s a madhouse out there. And why are you so interested in finding the queen?”

“Because my friend is there. She might be in danger. Plus, I need to apologize to her,” Kai admitted

Anna looked at Kai with a curious expression, though she could see the conviction in his eyes. Even if something might’ve happened between him and Cielle, she could see that he wanted to make it right. “Well, I’m going too. I need to find Elsa!”

Kristoff shook his head. “I can’t believe how nuts you two are being,” he sighed, looking at them, “fine, I’ll go too. I know a shortcut. It shouldn't’ take us more than an hour,” he told them.

And so they were off. With a reindeer, three humans, and a horse, they made their way through the frozen wilderness, across a bridge or two, and eventually made their way to the mountains. To their surprise, however, it seemed like there was more than just a simple mountaintop. There was no real way to describe it. It was..

“A frozen castle?”

[Hero]

Letting out a small sigh, Elsa eyed Cielle somewhat wearily. The younger girl was rather calm, though slightly preoccupied by Elsa's statement. Her eyes were still in wonder by the creation of the castle, though she forced herself to focus. It was then that she realized what Elsa had said; where she came from. Was it that obvious? She thought they had blended in well, and even with Kai being...well, Kai, she figured he could pass as a rather ignorant peasant. Elsa was more intelligent than she looked, but Cielle knew she needed to tread carefully--for all she knew, Elsa could have just been assuming they weren't from the area.

Clearing her throat slightly, Cielle remained at a comfortable distance from the queen. Before she could speak, however, Elsa beat her to it with a very simple statement: "I think it's time you returned. If you do see Anna, take her with you back to Arendelle."

It was surprising to see the queen be so dismissive. Cielle was almost insulted, but she wasn't quite finished. "Her Highness is determined to find you. She won't give up so easily," Cielle couldn't help but point out. "We gave chase as those creatures that you saw earlier were everywhere. Your Majesty, it isn't safe for you, either. Why don't we all return together?"

Elsa was very composed all things considered, her expression unreadable. "My sister--as well as my kingdom--are better off without me. The only thing I know how to do is cause trouble," She rubbed her arms lightly, showing that despite her face being calm, the queen was still anxious. "This power can't be controlled, the only thing I can do is let it go. So long as I'm here, everything will be fine."

Now it was Cielle's turn to stare at Elsa, somewhat disheartened by the queen's insistence. "And what of Anna?" She asked quietly. "You're all she has left."

The pair looked at one another, an understanding falling on Elsa. She took a step closer to Cielle, her eyes searching her face. "I'm doing this because she's all I have," She explained quietly. "You would do anything for your sister, wouldn't you?"

That got to Cielle more than she wanted to admit, and now it was her turn to get nervous. Her search for that connection only lead to bad things, her disappointment only serving to harden her heart. And then she found Kai, who was both a blessing and a painful reminder that her sister was just as she remembered: kind and pure. Nothing like Cielle was. Maybe she really wasn't in a position to be telling Elsa what to do, after all. Maybe Aira didn't want to see her. The thoughts whirred in her head, though Cielle nodded in acknowledgement. "I sincerely apologize, Your Majesty. I meant no disrespect. My only request is the freedom to explore the castle, I fear there may be more of the Heartless lurking, and it wouldn't do to leave you alone with them," She stated firmly. "Once I know you're safe, I will go. I promise."

A small smile played on Elsa's lips as she crossed her arms. "I appreciate it. Though...you remind me very much of a knight with your formality," She couldn't help but giggle slightly, though she frowned as she realized something. "I'm surprised you came alone. Where is your companion?"

Cielle shrugged slightly, though she diverted her eyes. "In Arendelle," She replied quietly, though she would turn around. "By your leave, Majesty."

[AlteredTundra]

As he stood there with Anna, Kristoff, and Sven, the boy wonder known as Kai had no words for the awe-inspiring sight that was in front of him. The peaks of the castle, the flawless craftsmanship, and the way everything looked so lifelike. It was truly like something out of his mother’s books that he remembered her reading to him when he was a little boy. Actually, it was exactly like how the illustrations described the famed Frozen Castle of…

“Oh my god…” Kai muttered to himself, earning a glance from Kristoff.

“Is everything okay Kai?” He asked, glancing over at the teen, showing a genuine concern.

“I’m fine. It’s just this castle reminded me of my childhood.”

“Yeah, castles do that to you,” he nodded, earning a raised eyebrow from Kai.

Going back to what was more important, Kai glanced Anna’s way. He couldn’t help but notice how she was frozen in the spot she stood at. After he further investigated her face, it appeared to be she was stuck in a trance-like state. He waved his hands in front of her face, but it didn’t work. Something about the sight of this castle had sent her mind somewhere. Kai wasn’t sure, but he had to imagine that it had to do with this castle. Perhaps Queen Elsa was in there? It did appear to be made out of some sort of crystalline materials. If Kai recalled, she was an ice user, so perhaps she took refuge in this goliath of a castle.

“Anna?” Kristoff tried to get her attention, but as he quickly found out just like Kai did a moment ago, she didn’t respond. “ANNA!” He yelled.

“Wha--huh?”

“Finally, she’s back with us,” Kristoff gave Kai a thumbs up gesture, “she’s back with us.”

“That’s wonderful news, Kristoff!” Kai smiled, then got in front of Anna, “are you okay, Princess?” Wow, Kai didn't expect to call her princess. Since when was he so formal?”

“I-uh--yeah, I’m fine. What just happened?”

“When you saw that castle, we lost you there for a good minute,” Kai informed her.

“Oh. I guess it just reminded me of something from my past,” she confessed, holding her arm.

“Must’ve been some memory,” Kristoff couldn’t help but point out the obvious.

Rolling his eyes, Kai wondered what the memory could’ve been. To send her into such a state, he did wonder if it had anything to do with Elsa - not that Kai had any sort of proof. Honestly, unless they actually went to the castle, Kai wouldn’t know for sure if Elsa was even in there. “Well, we aren’t gonna get any answers standing around,” Kai stated, rubbing his head. “Let’s just head to the castle and find out if Elsa and Cielle are there or not!” He suggested, turning around to face the others.

After what felt like them pondering their options, they smiled at Kai, smiling in agreement. Even Sven, the reindeer nodded - which prompted Kai to walk forward. Not long after, Anna and the others followed him.

As they ventured up the hill that the castle was on, the winds really started to pick up. It was like a blizzard and a hurricane all wrapped up into one, sending snow in front of them while shooting winds of an unmeasurable amount of speeds their way. While it posed no immediate danger to them, one couldn’t help but wonder just how cold it really was. That wasn’t even including the fact that they still had no idea of knowing if who they were after was actually in the castle.

“We’ve made it!” Kai celebrated that they were just outside the castle gates.

“Time to see if your friend is here, Kai!”

As Kristoff stepped forward, Kai immediately felt something in the ground was off. ]We’re too high up for this to be an earthquake. Kai wasn’t a weather expert, but he knew this wasn’t natural. Soon, he’d be proven right as something quite large it the shape of a snowman rose up from the ground, whacking Kristoff from the ground and sending him way high into the air, disappearing from Kai’s periphery - but that wasn’t where Kai’s attention went. In addition to the giant snowman who had a weird aura around him, those same winter-themed Heartless from before were in front of the Abdominal Snowman. This time, however, there was over three dozen of them.

“Kai, what are these things?”

“Heartless. They are creatures of darkness who go after those with doubt in their hearts,” Kai said, surprising himself. Maybe Cielle’s lectures weren’t for nothing, after all. “Stay behind me, Anna! I’ll protect you!”

“Oh, okay…” She hesitated, getting behind the blond teen as he summoned his Keyblade. When the heartless came for him, he’d strike!

---

Meanwhile, in the castle, those within it would hear an alarming sound of someone screaming as they came down from the room, literally crashing through the roof and several levels until he landed on a bed of snow created by Elsa as she suspected it. “T-thank you…” Kristoff was aching and he slowly got up, seeing the pair of blonde women in front of him. “Hey you look like--you must be Elsa!” So, Kai was right after all! Then Kristoff put it together. “And you must be Cielle! Oh, Ka--” As Kristoff was about to say something to the two ladies, he heard screams from outside the castle doors. “Oh noooo! What’s that?”

[Hero]

Just as the pair were about to head out of the room, a young man came crashing through the ceiling. Elsa's quick thinking had saved him from the fall, though Cielle briefly wondered who in their right mind would come crashing in instead of just coming through the door. He seemed to recognize them, making the girl extremely wary and the queen very nervous. An ally of the Darkness? The young girl was on high alert, though his words didn't assuage her concerns at all. A nearby scream caught her attention, and rather than wait, Cielle pushed the nearby doors open, revealing a balcony. As she ran to the banister, she could see two people just outside. Cielle narrowed her eyes at the rather large Heartless, though she took a few steps back.

"Anna!" Elsa gasped, turning on her heel and running down the stairs.

Just as Cielle moved to follow, the all-too familiar feeling of being watched hit the back of her head. As she looked around, however, she couldn't spot anyone. She knew it was dangerous to ignore, but right now she needed to prioritize the princess' safety. Shaking the feeling off, she didn't bother waiting for the young man's response as Cielle took off after Elsa. Just as they reached the doors, more Heartless spawned in front of them, halting their progress.

Elsa hesitated for a moment, though seemed resolved as she formed a wall, literally shoving the Heartless aside as she ran through the door. Cielle skidded to a halt, keyblade aloft as she dashed towards the trapped enemies. Once she made quick work of them, she followed Elsa's trail, the queen anxious to see Anna. Sure enough, there she was, and Cielle had to admit she wasn't surprised at all to see Kai as well.

"Anna!" Elsa called again.

"Elsa!" Anna gasped as the Abdominal Snowman took notice of the two new arrivals. "Look out!"

Cielle ran forward, swinging her keyblade and parrying the Heartless' attempt to swing at the queen. Rather than cower, however, it served only to anger the blonde, and several ice spikes erupted. It was a rather frightening display of power, reminding Cielle of the spikes she had seen in Arendelle, but there was no time to ponder as the many Heartless scattered. Of course. "Thunder!" She called, striking a few stragglers that had come their way, and for the ones that had survived, she struck them down.

"You shouldn't be here!" Elsa called out to Anna.

"And you think you should?!" Her sister couldn't help but point out. "It's clearly not safe here!"

"Which is exactly why you need to go back!" Elsa was interrupted as the Abdominal Snowman let out a roar, shaking the very mountain they were on. As Elsa let out another attack, Cielle was nearly knocked off her feet, stumbling backwards slightly. As she accidentally bumped into the queen, the girl gasped as she felt ice form around her shoulder, the queen's eyes widening from shock. Wait, so this was why the queen insisted on isolating herself--she couldn't fully control her power!

"Not without you!" Anna's voice snapped both blondes out of their thoughts.

Boy, Anna was stubborn, that much Cielle had to give her credit for. Still, Cielle had no time to interrupt the sisterly quarrel, doing her best to take care of the minions despite her frozen left shoulder. Their numbers meant little, but they were still a nuisance that needed to be handled before they could properly take care of the big one. Elsa's magic was a boon, further cementing Cielle's belief that it was a gift, though her inexperience was clear. As Cielle came to a halt, she noticed the Snowman turn its attention to Elsa, who had her attention elsewhere. "Look out!" She called.

Elsa narrowly dodged the Snowman's swing, though Cielle herself had severely misjudged it. She managed to raise her keyblade to block the attack, but the brunt of the hit sent her flying backwards. The feeling of soaring through the air was terrifying, moreso when gravity would yank her back. As she hit the ground, she rolled off the ledge of the cliff, saved only by her stabbing her weapon into the snow. She dangled from her keyblade, one arm firm on its grip as she made the mistake of looking down. Wow that was a long way down, why the heck did she look?! Attempting to pull herself up, she winced as her left arm refused to give her any leeway, Elsa's ice going strong.

[AlteredTundra]

As soon as the heartless assumed their battle formations, they came at Kai one by one. Though they had the numbers, they were sloppy in their offense. Only after the third one did the teen deduce they had rather linear thinking when it came to fighting. Their only objective was attacking individually, not as a team. Had they put their numbers together, Kai knew they would have him cornered, especially since the bigger snowman was right behind them. The strange thing was that it just stood there

As the boy was trying to figure out why it didn’t attack Kai, he would soon spot the heartless coming for him. Instinctually, he blocked their attacks and swung his body, slicing the outer blade edge of his Keyblade across their tiny bodies. As soon as he did, they were gone from existence. There was no time for Kai to rest because the events in front of him demanded he stay focused. Heartless and the surprising swing from the giant snowman at Cielle and Queen Elsa, who had exchanged some words with Anna. Kai would’ve interjected, but he was too busy trying to not die from the heartless.

One by one, the heartless were vanquished, but the one thing that remained a constant was the overwhelming force that the snowman had in its arms. Just one swing and it was enough to produce a gust of wind that sent whoever was in its path far from it - including Cielle. Out of desperation, Kai took the charge, his keyblade glowing with a radiant, green light. All around his body formed the same spell from before, the wind spell, Aero. He was able to strike the snowman a deadly blow as it tumbled back, falling on its snowy behind.

And at that moment, Kai noticed the lack of a certain someone. “Where’s Cielle!?”

Kai’s eyes scanned the area. He saw the silver blade of her keyblade stabbed into the cliff with the fragile, slender hand holding onto it for dear life. He knew she was over there. He quickly took advantage of the temporary situation he had created by rushing over to Cielle, reaching out for her to take his hand. Unfortunately, however, Kai did not foresee a very important issue. The Snowman was a lot larger than he was and thus, a direct hit by little Kai wasn’t enough to keep it down, but as Kai would soon find out, that wasn’t the most surprising thing.

“You leave. Mistress stay.”

It can talk!” Kai and Anna seemed to say in unison.

The snowman turned around, giving what seemed like a cheeky grin as its long arm reached over to Anna and it also raised up Cielle and Kai from where they stood, carrying them over to Elsa. “I throw off cliff?”

Kai looked up at the Abominable Snowman, then to Elsa. “Uh, your..uhh, queenliness..”

“Just Elsa.”

“Right, Queenliness Elsa, I know you feel like you need to run, but Anna risked everything to come out here. Knowing how dangerous it would be, she came out here regardless of all that. I think that should earn her some time to understand why you felt the need to run.”

“I throw now?”

[Hero]

Hanging off a cliff was definitely something Cielle couldn't say she liked for any reason. Still, her somewhat paralyzed arm made climbing back up difficult...or rather, she was stuck. As she looked around trying to think of a way to pull herself up, Kai himself appeared, reaching out towards her. There was an explainable wave of relief that washed over her as she saw him, and she found it hard to look away from him. Even after fighting, he was still willing to help. There was little time to get sentimental, however, as they were still in danger. Forcing her arm to move, she barely managed to reach out to Kai's outstretched hand. As he grabbed onto her, however, her eyes widened as the Snowman picked Kai up. Now hanging onto Kai for dear life, she switched arms, the ice on her shoulder slowly creeping up to her elbow. There was little time for her to think of how to get rid of it, however, as both Kai and Anna exclaimed that the creature could talk. Cielle narrowed her eyes at the creature, though she briefly looked at Elsa, the only one unharmed by the Snowman. Wait, had Elsa created this, too? She looked at Elsa, who was somewhat hesitating as Kai addressed her. She had a really, really bad feeling about this, and with her free hand she managed to resummon her keyblade, gripping it tightly.

Elsa, on the other hand, was looking at Cielle, and the latter immediately knew where this was heading as she gave Anna her attention. "Believe me, this is for the best," She told her sister, her voice heavy with an obvious guilt.

"I'm not leaving without you, Elsa!" Anna argued.

The blonde shook her head, signaling the snowman to prepare itself. Cielle let out a slight gasp as she and Kai moved. Was Elsa really going to throw them off?! She looked down, but she couldn't see anything but snow. Even if it was still soft, wasn't this dangerous?! But there was little she could do, less so when Elsa gave Anna an equally determined look. "Yes, you are," She stated, and as she moved her arm, Cielle let out a yell as she and Kai were unceremoniously thrown off.

The scream that followed was so foreign, and it took her a moment to realize Anna and Kristoff had gotten thrown off as well. Falling at this speed was completely terrifying, but Cielle knew she needed to do something, anything! Twisting herself so she wasn't flailing, she watched the ground rapidly approach them. Holding out her keyblade, she charged a spell as she raised it over her head. Please work...! The thought was rather desperate as she flung the magic under them, and just as they would have crashed into the snow, a strong gust of wind blew up at them, momentarily stopping their descent. They even fluttered up slightly before the spell finished, and they all plopped onto the snow harmlessly, sinking slightly due to the softness.

"We're alive!" Kristoff called out in disbelief, struggling to pick himself up.

Cielle released a breath she wasn't aware she was holding, taking the opportunity to breathe instead of getting up right away. It worked. They were safe. The cold air bit at her cheeks as she stared at the cliff above them. They had fallen pretty far, they were probably really close to Arendelle by now. Go figure. A hand came into view, and it took her a moment to realize Kai had extended his hand to her. Her blue eyed stared at his for a moment, as if she was trying to decipher his expression. Lifting her hand, she managed to pull herself up with Kai's assistance, spotting Kristoff helping Anna up. But for the moment, she focused on Kai. She wanted to ask him why he came back even though she had told him to wait for her, but she felt that was a little too accusatory. Nothing she thought to say came out, and instead she looked away, somewhat ashamed.

[AlteredTundra]

As it would seem Elsa’s castle doors closed and the giant snowman outside went back to assume its guardian role, the isolation that she had created appeared to return to its original form, but perhaps the queen wasn’t alone as she might’ve thought.

“Now that was cold, Ice Queen,” a man’s voice said, appearing in front of the blonde queen. He started to clap his glove-clad hands. “Tossing out your own sister as if it was nothing. Truly, you live up to your name.”

Elsa backed away slightly, wary of the newcomer. There were quite a few questions that came to mind, but she decided to start with a relatively straightforward one. “Who are you?” She asked though she was slightly offended by his accusation. “What I do is none of your business. Keeping Anna away is for her safety!”

“On the contrary, Elsa,” the man approached her, disregarding the Queen’s comfort. Though his hood was up, clouding the majority of his face, a sparkle of a deep blue shade in his eyes showed through. “We both know that you didn’t do this for your sister because ‘she’s in danger’. You did this because you hate the people of Arendelle, don’t you? You blame them for your parents never returning from their voyage.” His voice took a taunting, almost bully-like tone.

Taking a few steps back, the uncomfortable Elsa’s eyes widened slightly. “What? What are you talking about?” She asked, unable to look away. “That was…”

“An accident? Is that what you were going to say?” He walked up even closer, nearly close to touching the frightened queen. “I’m sure you don’t believe that,” he said, starting to see the doubt in her eyes.

Rubbing her arms slightly, Elsa eyed the stranger in front of her. Whatever she had heard, it had been from Anna, considering that dreadful day she had locked herself in her room with no intention of leaving. She shook her head at him, her hands under her arms as the wind blew around them. “That’s reality. Sometimes people getting hurt is out of your control…” She muttered, slightly bitter, though she seemed resigned. “That’s why I’m choosing isolation so that no one has to get hurt anymore.”

The Hooded Man didn’t say anything in response - he only laughed. Extended his right arm in front of him, a light shone between his fingers, focusing small beams of a bright light above the center of his palm. It took no more than a single moment for the light to project the visage of two people that Elsa would recognize without hesitation. “Is this how you remember them?” He asked, showing them smiling like they were imagined in the portrait in the castle.

Surprised by the image, Elsa’s eyes flickered from it to him. There was no denying it, every single detail was precisely perfect. “How-How did you…?”

The man appeared to smile. His body language suddenly became less threatening and more inviting. “I can teach you how to project such accuracy. Would you like to know how?” He asked, almost as if tempting her with the very thing that she longed for most.

The subdued temptation was as clear as day even on her repressed self. She should have been wary of what he meant, but it was difficult for her to look away. Still, before she could even entertain the idea, there was something she needed to know. “Why?” Her question was somewhat short, so she decided to elaborate. “This is...it’s something that I’ve missed for so long, and you would just...give it to me? Why?”

Much like before, he didn’t say anything. He simply appeared beside Elsa, holding his hand close to Elsa’s eyes as he leaned forward. “Let’s just say that I’m a guy who believes in making dreams come true. Of course, if you don’t want to know…” And just like that, he closed his hand, the projection of Elsa’s parents disappearing just as soon as they had appeared.

“Wait!” It had come out so fast Elsa had to catch herself. Recomposing herself for a moment, she let out a small breath to calm herself. “What is it that you want?”

Again, he appeared a few feet from her, turning around to face her. “That isn’t the question you should ask me, Elsa,” he said, once again beside her, arm around her neck in a comforting way. “The question should be what do you want? Do you want to be afraid of your own powers so much that you can’t be with the one person who loves you more than her own life? Or do you want to be alone forever?”

Once he had let her think on that, the man was once again in front of her, this time he no longer had his hood on, revealing the face of a very handsome man with light skin, long, dark hair, and calm eyes like that of a tide that has yet to rise. “Like I said, I make dreams come true. I do not give people what they do not want. “

What she wanted? Briefly remembering the conversation she had with Cielle, Elsa looked away for a moment. “What I want is…” Her voice trailed off slightly.

---

If Kai was being honest with himself, he didn’t know what exactly happened. The last thing he remembered was being on top of the mountain hill where Elsa was and that giant snowman who talked like he was born just a few years ago, yet had the voice of several men on infinite loop, had him and the others in his grasp. Everything after that was quite the blur. It was as if something was blocking the memory of what happened from then till now as he found himself on a literal bed of snow, causing him to look around and seeing the same, familiar faces just give him relieved looks. Had they really almost died? Was Kristoff actually right?

Kai rubbed his head, feeling some version of a backache as he held his lower back with his left arm. The touch, even through the thickness of his winter coat, was tender. He also found out that he had quite the headache. Every sound that went in one ear and out the next had felt like someone took a hammer and bashed him over the head with it repeatedly. “Ugh, what happened?” Kai asked, moaning out a painful grunt.

“We didn’t die!” Kristoff said cheerfully - almost relieved.

Kai immidiately looked to Cielle, “what happened?”

[Hero]

Cielle looked up at where they were thrown off, letting out a small sigh. Before she could properly respond, however, she was beat to it. "We got thrown off a cliff is what happened!" Anna huffed out in response to Kai's question, struggling to get herself out of the snow. Kristoff pulled her out of the snow with ease, the redhead dusting herself off in a hurried manner. "What am I supposed to do now? I can't go back without Elsa, she needs to unfreeze everything!"

That caught Cielle's attention. "Do you mean to say that Elsa is the cause of the sudden weather change?" She asked, surprised. "What power..." Cielle had underestimated the extent of Elsa's magic, and it became clear exactly why the queen was so afraid of her own power. She couldn't help but kick herself; she was much too sloppy, she should have discerned the situation first.

"It was an accident, I know she didn't mean for things to turn out like this!" Anna immediately defended her sister.

"Of course it was," Cielle understood Anna's concern, though she let out a sigh. "What would be the next course of action...?" As she wracked her brain on what to do next, she rubbed her frozen arm, the discomfort bothering her slightly. Anna's eyes became wide as she noticed. "A result of my carelessness. I should have heeded Her Majesty's concerns. Where I come from, magic is celebrated, and fear only serves to disconcentrate and distort control. Had I but empathized with her, this could have been avoided."

The young girl fell silent for a moment, though she then turned to Kai. "You were right. Were I kinder, I would have seen past my arrogance and noticed the queen's plight. I am sorry for being mean and cruel..." She apologized to him, lightly shaking her head in disappointment aimed at herself.