Disclaimer: I do not own 'Frozen', not am I affiliated with 'Frozen' or Disney in any way.
A/N: I've seen Frozen twice so far, and it has been terrific every time. I am seriously impressed with the movie as a whole and with the incredible Broadway cast behind the voices. Anyway, here's a New Year's oneshot for ya- I'm considering turning it into the start of a legit multi-chapter fanfic because I have some possible plot ideas, so let me know what you think! Enjoy!
The crowds were thick and surprisingly soft, people bundled in their winter best as they clogged the streets to Times Square. Anna didn't really care, of course- it was with excited abandon that she squished her way past the revelers, dragging a protesting Kristoff in her wake and with Elsa following behind.
"Anna, slow down!" Kristoff yelled, his voice rising above the din. Elsa smirked as Kristoff tried to dodge passersby and nearly crashed into an unsuspecting couple. It wasn't until the threesome reached Times Square that Anna finally stopped. Her green eyes bright with the light from the billboards and screens shining down on them, she looked around in wonder.
"Wow," she breathed. Beside her, Kristoff, having straightened his jacket that Anna had pulled askew, now viewed the square in similar fashion. Elsa, however, was not as enthralled; having lived in New York City for a couple months now, the historic intersection was no longer a foreign place to her. That, and she passed here on her way to the theater every morning. Even she had to admit, though, Times Square was a sight to behold on a night such as this. Elsa glanced at her two companions, their mouths ajar, and laughed. For her sister and her friend, who were visiting during their Christmas break, it was simply amazing.
"Cool, huh? New York is always celebrating something, I think. But New Year's Eve is when it really comes alive." Elsa said, with a satisfactory glance around her. Kristoff nodded in agreement, looking pretty impressed.
"Yeah, no kidding," he replied, his arms crossed. Anna nodded absentmindedly, still entranced by all the activity. Elsa grinned and took her sister's hand, leading her and Kristoff into the middle of the crowd, where they had a better view of the giant crystalline ball that would descend upon the roof of the Times Tower at the stroke of midnight. Kristoff stared at it thoughtfully, the gears in his mind turning.
"It looks a lot different than I thought it would… They deviated a lot from the original design." He muttered, frowning in concentration. At his words, Anna broke from the spell she was under and muffled a giggle.
"No history stuff! We're on vacation, silly." Anna exclaimed, poking Kristoff in the arm. Elsa raised an eyebrow as she watched Kristoff make a face at her sister, the two of them arguing about "cultural significance." Shaking her head, Elsa turned her attention to the performance on the stage in the distance.
The time leading up to the ball drop passed in a blur of flashing lights and blasting sound. From time to time, the three of them would start up a conversation but, in the midst of it all, they were content to simply enjoy the scene around them. It wasn't exactly warm in the square; the winter air whipped around their faces and with the exception of Elsa, who seemed to fare just fine, everyone was shivering at one point or another. Sometime in the evening, Anna buried her pert nose in her thick scarf and hid her face from the frigid breeze. Kristoff, who was checking the time on his watch, glanced at her curiously, but made no move to do anything.
Around them, the spectators were their own kind of show; the masses that surrounded them were loud and boisterous, with people from every nation mixing with each other. There were multiple points in time when all three friends got pulled into impromptu pictures by fellow partyers, whether they liked it or not. Anna enjoyed it all, whereas Elsa and Kristoff were slightly more reserved and tended to shrug off the attention. However, it was impossible not to smile at the people they met. Everyone was having a great time, and that was all that mattered.
Over the course of time, the crowds began to grow restless. On the rooftops, people were prepping for midnight, with cameramen double checking their cameras and workers readying the confetti. Finally, the time for the countdown came; Elsa glanced up at the time on one of the towering screens and jostled Anna's arm.
"It's nearly time! Look- the ball drop's about to begin!" She yelled, pointing up at the glowing ball that was just beginning to descend. Her sister turned to look at the countdown, her face lighting up brighter than the whole square. Checking his own watch, Kristoff, too, glanced up at the screen, anticipation in his eyes. With bated breath, the threesome kept their eyes glued to the lowering ball. Around them, the crowds were doing the same. For a long moment, time was suspended. All was silent, save for the ticking of the clock. Even when the countdown reached the ten second mark, there was no movement. It was as if the streets held statues- remnants of people, not the actual thing.
The only sign of life came from the sounds of the square; thousands of voices raised as one, jubilant and full of awe as the entire world, it seemed, watched New York say goodbye to a year of life. But then, slowly at first before coming down all at once, confetti began to fall and the ball reached the roof and everyone was alive again and it was 2014.
The square exploded; the world became a sea of hands and cheap foam hats that rippled like the tide. Noise erupted from every surface, with singing and cheering intermingling with the nostalgic strains of 'New York, New York' and the sounds of firecrackers. Slivers of glimmering paper rained down on the crowd like some type of fantastical snow, floating around their faces and landing upon their heads. Anna tackled her sister in a hug, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Happy New Year!" She shouted in Elsa's ear, nearly suffocating her in the process. Elsa beamed and hugged her back, her own voice softer but no less joyful.
"Happy 2014," she replied, separating to look her sister in the eyes. A look passed between the sisters as they grinned at each other. Whipping her head around, Anna glanced at Kristoff, who was smiling to himself as he watched the celebration. In a fluid movement, Anna launched herself at her friend and hooked her arm around his neck, dragging him into their group and giggling at the look of shock on his face.
"Happy 2014, Kristoff!" She squealed, releasing him as Elsa chuckled at Anna's actions. Slightly blushing, he moved back to regain his balance and bumped into a couple fully immersed in kissing each other. At this, both sisters dissolved in a fit of laughter. Kristoff's face turned bright pink as he quickly moved out of their way, trying- and failing- to maintain his dignity. However, it was no use. With a sheepish face, he joined in and laughed along with them.
"Same to you," he replied, his voice bright. The three of them looked at one another and, exchanging the same look, burst out laughing anew. It was only fitting that they ended the year in silence and started a new one in joy; leaving the old behind and beginning fresh, together. It was like so in the past, and was to be so in the year to come.
