~The Boy Who Stole Apples~
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, setting, and stuff... I only own the plot.
Chapter 1: The Boy Who Stole Apples
She needed to get out.
It had been three weeks since the accident at the ballroom, but the horrible nightmares... they just wouldn't leave her. In the morning, midday, afternoon, or night. Whatever time she tried to go to close her eyes and take a few minutes to rest, they would pop on her head like how monsters creep up from the dark parts of the bed. The frightening image of her sister Anna, lying cold and unmoving as ice crept up her face and her hair, her parents forcing their way into the large room and crying out when they saw the little girls' state- one clutching the other for any bare signs of life. Those voices... horrible, horrible voices. What happened? This is getting out of hand! She's as cold as ice!
Suddenly, the twelve-year old Elsa could feel that the walls of her room were closing in on her, and her throat was constricted. She could hear her stomach churning, and she almost felt the sour bile coming up from inside her mouth. She needed to breathe. She could feel the uncontrollable ice spreading weakly on her hands. The gloves her father gave her a few days ago weren't exactly that strongly enchanted to stop her icy magic. Ever since the incident, she could only look at her hands, at her powers, and see a curse, rather than a gift. She realized that the powers she possessed were more than just mere playthings for her and her sister's. And even at how much she sounded like a selfish spoiled brat, in her mind, she was already hating herself. She didn't want these powers anymore. Not if it kept her locked inside her room and hurt her own sister. Not if she couldn't play with Anna and make her fear touching her.
Next thing she knew, she was out alone on the marketplace, cloak above her hair, and the cold wind breezing through that winter night. Her parents were on a late afternoon meeting, and her sister... who knows? After they met with the trolls and Elsa was transferred to a different room, she had seen her fun-loving sister less and less each day.
The place was partially chilly, but the place was crowded enough for heat to accumulate a bit. Just enough so they, the townspeople won't freeze to death. As long as she doesn't make a scene, she commented to herself. A bitter chuckle slipped from her mouth.
She observed the place quietly from behind her hooded cloak. The townspeople of Arendelle were trying to sell some last minute stocks for the afternoon, some others were already closing up shop.
"Frrrrrrresh fish! Frrreeeesssshhhh fiiiish!" a seller called out loud, making her jump at surprise a few inches in the air . "No, thank you." she politely called out.
"Golden earrings? Silver necklaces? Anything for a little lady~" one man with a malicious twinkle in the eye, presented her a case of precious jewelry. But she just shook her head hurriedly before briskly walking away from said person. He held too much of a dangerous aura around him. Her parents had taught her about some unsafe people who would try to lure her, especially young ones like her. And he seemed the type. Besides, Elsa knew she had seen too much jewelry at a young age, anyway.
But one stall in particular, she noticed was still selling a few apples, oranges, lemons, and some other fruits she didn't recognize. The shopkeeper was a tall sweaty obese man who wore a sagging frown on his already wrinkly face and looked more like a gorilla from where she stood. He was busy counting bills at the back of the food booth, admiring the apparent thickness of his wealthy profit for the day.
Her stomach growled. She had eaten well during lunch time, but since it was nearing twilight, her tummy had began its complaint for filling. She clasped a few coins from her pocket. "Sir," she tarted shyly, she grabbed one good-looking apple and handed her money to the scary looking owner, "One apple please." The man stopped his counting and snatched the coins from her. She muttered a gentle thank you, in which the man ignored. She figured it was best to be on her way, munching at her fruit while thinking of a different place to visit around the kingdom.
"OY KID, COME BACK HERE!" A loud, booming sound came from behind her, and for one moment, she thought she was being called back by the gorilla man- er- the shop keeper. But he wasn't looking at her. The old monkey was looking at another kid, slightly about her age group and height.
For one, he looked lanky and pale. He was wearing a brown shawl cover his shoulders reaching to his elbows, and a puffy, overused long-sleeved shirt, and fit pants that had band wrapped at the edges keeping it from slipping off. Queer, for he had absolutely no shoes on, and he held a shepherd's crook at his left hand. He looked like an outlander, or someone living at edge of the kingdom at least. His hair stick out at different angles, as if he was hit by a snowball in the head one-too many times. They were dull black, she thinks. Something was off with that. She didn't have time to ponder over that thought when her gaze pointed to his eyes.
They were blue. And not just any blue, that pair of orbs were as blue as the frozen sea, but for some reason, they didn't look as cold. On the contrary, they held a tinge of mirth that almost made her jealous. The thought sent a weird chill up and down her spine that was hard to ignore.
"Hey, you! Stop!" The old man called out once more at the running boy, with death written all over his face. "Stop that thief!" When Elsa looked back at the pale lad, indeed he was holding a small sack, probably holding a few fruits from the greedy man's cart.
She stood there watching the wild goose chase. The boy would send a teasing look at the man, and look back at her with an awfully charming expression as if to impress her. He must have noticed her amusement, and continued a few rounds, even though he could've easily escaped. She giggled slightly, knowing how much she enjoyed the show, and – subconsciously- she blushed. They flipped over wooden crates, rolled over a few carts, and with the boy's flexibility and thin body, he managed to elude the large shopkeeper's grasps. Even by only a hair's breath! She inwardly breathes at the close shave.
The fat man abruptly stopped chasing him. He must have seen the playful pattern of escapades. Not wanting to irritate the man anymore than he already was, the lanky boy gave a mocking salute at the obese shopkeeper, and a quick smirk at his charming cloaked fangirl. Elsa, not even knowing who the young boy was, felt a strange warmth flushing on her face. The boy ran into the crowded street, losing the angry man off his tail. The shopkeeper kept cursing colorful words out loud, those that were heard by all, and was later reprimanded by an even crankier old lady for his rude behavior.
She 'tsk'ed disappointedly. That was a shorter 'performance' than she expected. Curiously, she went to the direction where the boy broke away. The pathway lead to the forest, not so far from the trolls' territory. She gulped nervously. For one moment, she had almost forgotten about that. The comical slapstick Elsa just watched had successfully diverted her attention from her somber memories. But now that it was coming back, she felt her heart beating anxiously.
She didn't see the young boy head that way, and that made her sigh in relief. Although, that part of the kingdom didn't really scare her- for the Royal Family were allies with the magical creatures around, of course- it did make her a bit alerted. There seemed to be a fork in the path that lead to the harbor though, and instinctively, she went to that side of the road.
Elsa hadn't been walking that far from the road when she caught a beautiful scene of the afternoon sun. It was nearing sunset. It might give her a few more minutes, before the maids in her room at the Royal castle would be calling down for her to take her dinner, realizing she was not in her quarters.
She did not find the black-haired hellion, rather she was faced with a contrastingly white-haired one. Almost as white as her platinum-blonde hair- no, maybe even whiter than that.
And he wore the same clothes, the same mirthful look and the same charming blue eyes as the thief in the marketplace.
Elsa was hiding behind a brick wall, gazing silently at the boy. From her perspective, it seems as if he was washing his hair with sea water. She saw the black residue at his nape, a clear evidence for the curious girl, reassuring her that he was the right guy. His staff was placed at his side, along with the rucksack with the stolen fruits that looked a little bruised from all the running and jumping. Now, the young princess was a bit guilty for finding the show amusing, after all, what good was it to steal some food when you can barely eat them?
"Brrrr..." said the little trickster, then ruffling his already-messy hair. "All done..."
"How'd you do that?" she whispered inquisitively. From all her studies, she hadn't encountered any particular dye or paint that could change hair color. Not even temporarily, at least. She was finding the boy, who seemed to be happily munching on some bruised apple, more and more interesting by the minute.
She wasn't prepared for what really came next.
When he held his crook up again, she noticed two things. One, the crook suddenly covered with frost. Little, detailed fern frosts, coming out of nowhere. They were beautiful. Two, when the young lad swiped and twirled his staff, she saw ice sparkling on thin air, pooping up and vanishing as rapidly as they appeared. He chuckled as he playfully waved his stick more.
He had magic, just like her!
She breathed inwardly at marvel. Was this what Anna felt like when she was watching her do ice magic? She glowed happily at the thought. No wonder Anna was so amazed, it was wonderful!
She heard the boy mutter some words to himself, "Wind, take me home!" He called out louder, enough for the princess to hear.
"Who's he talking to?" she inquired silently. There was no one else there, and after a few seconds, she saw him vanish into thin air.
Because he was flying in the sky.
Though it was quite chunky and unpolished, he was steadily lifted up in the air, as if an invisible hand was holding him. "How is he doing that?!" Elsa cupped her mouth, aware that she had just voiced that out loud, hoping he wouldn't hear.
Nope, he heard alright. He went back down on the ground, alert and tightly clenching his wooden staff. Elsa hid behind the mossy brick wall, hoping she could just shrink away, or turn invisible at the moment. It was embarrassing to say she followed the thief out here! And besides, he might recognize her as the princess, then she'll be in real trouble.
He walked silently and slowly. "I-I know you're there." he warned, feigning a brave, courageous tone, but his voice failing him epically. "Come out."
Elsa kept silent for a while. Should she show herself?
"Come out now." he repeated, firmer that before.
Her chest tightened nervously, trying to plan a way out, an escape- like how the young boy did it earlier with the gorilla man.
"Hey," the voice came softer and inviting, "I'm not gonna bite. Come on out." She could tell from his voice that he must be smiling right now.
"A-alright." her voice came out squeaky and embarrassed though. Slowly, she came out of the shadows of the wall. Her hood was still up, so she pulled it down, her braided blonde hair . She knew there was no use in hiding her face, he had seen her earlier, after all.
"You..." his serious face lit up. "You're the girl from the market!"
"Hi..." She paused, trying to find the words to follow her greeting... What was she to say? "And you're the thief who stole those apples."
"Hey!" he pouted indignantly. He acted like a puppy cutely denying his mischievous prank. "I tried asking that fat gorilla nicely, but he just gave me this scary look..." his voice died down, and he blushed, his face red with embarrassment.
Elsa giggled. "What?" the boy asked. "Nothing, it's just... I was calling him a gorilla man in my mind too." she smiled at the coincidence.
"He did look like one." he commented snarkily. He laughed out loud, no unpleasing atmosphere left between the two strangers. "Hi, what's your name?"
She though about it a little while. "Winter... Call me Winter..."
"Really?" he titled his head, puzzled at her weird name. "As in the season?" She nodded. He smiled. "I like it. Hi Winter, I'm Frost!"
A/N: Hi... This is multi-chapter. Jack muse kept drilling me to write this so this is just raw data. I shall attempt writing this summer again... as soon as I finish this term paper due in less than 24 hours. T.T Oh, and the title is just temporary since this story just came out of nowhere today. I might edit this later, too.
Let me hear your thoughts. Questions? Suggestions? Violent reactions? PM me.
