An Uzumaki in Arendelle
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Disney's Frozen.
Key:
"Speaking Japanese"
"Speaking _"
-Start Chapter-
Arendelle Castle was quiet and cold, the winter night blanketing everything in darkness, yet some residents found it difficult to sleep. Chief among these individuals was Elsa, who found herself restlessly sat on the side of her bed. The pale moonlight shining down on her form, having given up on trying to fall asleep.
Placing her naked feet on the cold floor she stood up and began stretching her lieth body in the hopes of relieve some tension. Finding no relief for her stiff muscles from the almost daylong sled riding, the queen thought about asking Naruto, in the morning, if he could help ease some of the strain with his heat and a massage.
Only for her to stop and sigh as she remembered that Naruto wasn't in the castle, and with any luck his body heat would be lowered significantly when he did return. Meaning that after a hard day of being queen she wouldn't be able to enjoy anymore hot back rubs.
Giving up on her train of thought, for now at least, the young woman strode over to the window of her bedroom. Drawing the curtain farther back to let the moonlight glisten on her skin, casting her silhouette against the far wall.
She felt breeze through the glass, sending a soft shudder down her frame. Perhaps the window had lost its seal, causing a chill in the room, which was why she was unable to sleep. The staff would have to be told in the morning, but for the time being Elsa felt she could go for a walk around the castle. Possibly finding herself a vacant room.
Pulling on a dressing gown she opened the door and walked into the hallway, the soft carpet keeping her still bare feet warm. While the castle was dark the queen guided herself by memories. Long past moments of her youth running up and down the corridors with Anna as the two of them explored their home.
Part way down a hall, past Anna's room, Elsa felt another chill as she walked by a door. The open window inside the room being the most likely culprit for the draft. Although why it hadn't been closed for the winter left her confused. However the answer came to her when she entered, and realized that it was her old room where Naruto had stayed.
The staff had probably forgotten to close the window that was left open to help cool down their blond guest. Thus she found herself sealing up the room to increase the temperature at bit. Even going so far as to light a small fire in the seldom used fireplace. A few short hours ago such an act would have defeated the purpose of trying to cool Naruto down, but now brought a warmth to the stone castle.
Not wanting to leave the fire unattended, Elsa took a seat behind her desk. She considered moving the heavy piece of furniture out of the room, now that she no longer needed to keep an eye on her fellow blond. But found herself hesitate as she looked to the empty ice bed. Perhaps she could discuss it with Naruto when he returned, this was more his room than her makeshift office after all.
With her decision made, she sunk into her high back chair as she closed her eyes in comfort. While sleep still eluded her, there was a comforting presence about the room that helped ease her mind. After some time had passed she reopened her eyes, a feeling of refreshment washing over her.
Finding herself still sat at her desk, but with no desire to get any work done, she passed the time by once again reading through the japanese dictionary that she had bought several months ago. Having read it cover-to-cover several times she still put forth time to try and memorise more of the foreign words. As the night dragged on she continued to flip through the pages for any word that might happen to catch her interest.
Unfortunately nothing caught her eye, and she gave up on reading for the moment. Once again reminded that the book was meant to help merchants speak with each other, not translate the whole language. The fact that she was unable to find the word for magic proved that fact nicely.
A sudden crack startled the queen out of her thoughts as the fires she had been watching started to die. The dancing flames growing smaller, before receding into embers with a final pop. With the once cold room returned to a decent temperature, Elsa closed her book and stood up.
Trying to stifle a yawn, she looked towards the ice bed and not wanting to walk more than she had to, considered staying in the room for the night. A thought that was quickly discarded, as the staff would worry in the morning if they couldn't find her in her usual bed. Plus she had left her room to avoid the cold, not sleep on it.
Walk around her desk she made sure the fire was completely gone, before she left. As she was leaving, she sent a blast of frost to the bed, purely on instinct, to make sure it stayed frozen. Not even realizing what she had done she closed the door behind her.
With nothing left to distract her, Elsa returned to her room. A familiar chill greeted her as she approached her bed. Pulling off her robe, and carelessly tossing it onto a nearby chair, she slipped between the covers, and fell asleep almost instantly. Yet one final thought entered her mind before she began to dream.
She missed Naruto.
*break*
Anna was dancing through the castle halls as she looked around for her sister, who was currently missing lunch. The throne was empty and she hadn't been in her own bedroom. So, logically, she must be in Naruto's bedroom. Which just so happened to serve as the queen's office.
Landing in front of the partially open door with a flourish, Anna knocked and entered.
"Hey Elsa," the cheerful girl sang out.
"Good morning Anna," the queen replied tiredly. Her eyes giving away her lack of sleep the night before.
"Actually it's after noon, and your lunch is getting cold," the redhead corrected her sister.
The queen immediately turned to look out the window at the bright snowy day. The sun slightly past its highest point, and already beginning the slow journey downward. "I didn't realize it was so late," she said.
"It's fine," the princess replied with a sweet smile as she followed her sisters gaze. "You look tired." she pointed out, as she moved farther in.
"I had some trouble falling asleep last night," the blonde replied, softly rubbing her dreary eyes.
"It did seem extra chilly last night," Anna said, watching the snow filled fields through the window as she rubbed her arms together for warmth. "I heard a lot of the staff talking about how cold it was."
"The window was left open, in here, last night," Elsa stated. "We'll have to ask the staff to check every room and make sure the castle is sealed tight."
The redheaded princess gave a nod, as she continued to watch the snow. She turned to her sister, a smile started to stretch across her lips as a wonderful idea came to her.
"Do you wanna build a snowman?"
By the time the sisters made it back inside the castle the courtyard was littered with snowmen. And Elsa's lunch had gone cold, needing to be replaced with a simple meal from the kitchen. Although the staff were grateful that the queen had stopped by. Given their current problem.
Apparently all the chef's were so used to having Naruto around that the usual amount of ramen had been made, but there was now no one to eat it all. While Elsa was busy trying to think of the logistics of sending the noodle soup to Naruto, via Kristoff's sled, Anna came up with a better idea. Invite all the orphans over and let them have the food. It would certainly make them smile
And since it was Anna's idea, Elsa felt that it should be her sister to go and tell all the energetic children that they would be dining in the castle that night. Just like they did while the new orphanage was being built. Until then Elsa was going to finish some paperwork before their guests arrive.
So later that evening a hoard of children were seen charging through the streets, a smiling princess running beside them the whole way. The large group only coming to a stop once they got over the castle's bridge, where a garden of snowmen silently waited for them.
"There are so many snowmen," the ever outgoing Ingrid yelled, seeming to skate between each creation.
"And every one of them loves warm hugs," an excited Anna cheered.
"Do all snowmen love warm hugs?" a bright eyed boy asked.
"Well, all the ones made by Elsa do," was the princess' response.
As children often do questions of how and why soon followed, leaving Anna lost for words. While she knew that Olaf liked warm hugs, she couldn't seem to remember where that fact came from. A creeping fear about her magically altered memories began to appear.
The children's inquiry was interrupted by the arrival of the orphanage keepers. Many of the older caretakers, including the matron, had chosen to turn down dinner at the castle to have a quiet night by themselves.
"Thank you for guiding the children here Princess Anna," a young attendant casually said between labored breaths. The other chaperons, while equally as winded, smiled happily as the children danced among the snow sculptures.
After nearly ten minutes everyone had been herded into the castle. It took so long that Elsa had finished her work and was waiting for everyone inside. Of course all the children and caretakers bowed as soon as they saw her.
Even Igrid knelt down before the queen, but quickly jumped up and flashing a large toothy smile. Which Elsa found eerily similar to an absent blond. Although the little girl did relieve some of the loneliness that had been present all day.
Anna stood near the back, having been the last person inside, watching with a smile as everyone tried to show as much respect to her sister as possible. Her smile dropped slightly as thoughts drifted towards a desire for them to show her the same respect, but she quickly banished the thoughts. Content with the towns people's smile over their bent forms. Part of the perks of being the princess instead of the queen she guessed.
"Queen Elsa," Igrid said, calling attention to herself. "Why do snowmen like warm hugs?"
Many of the children's heads popped up, each wanting to know the answer just as much. While the caretakers looked at each other in confusion. As none of them had been present for the initial question.
Elsa, for her part, was just as confused. Looking towards Anna in curiosity as to why they would ask her instead of the outgoing princess.
"Sorry, I don't remember at all," the redhead replied. Curious if it had anything to do with her missing memories.
Elsa was quiet for a few seconds before she started trying to stifle a giggle behind her own hand. "Of course you wouldn't remember. You were only two years old when it happened," the queen stated with a large smile.
Retreating deeper into the entrance hall, and making sure that everyone was following her to the warmer interior, Elsa took a seat on a lone couch beside a set of stairs. The children all gathered around her, eager to hear a story from the queen.
"Many years ago, Princess Anna and I went out into the snow to make a snowman," the icy beauty started softly, a happy smile at the children's large stares. "But no matter what we tried we couldn't keep the snow from falling over. So we went into the kitchen to find something to build up our snowman around. We found a long stick with a metal tip what would be perfect to stick in the ground."
All the onlookers were silent, enraptured by the story. Elsa, wanting to add a bit more whimsy to the tale, held out her hand. And pinching the air just above her palm pulled up, creating a small snowman in her hand which all the children crowded around to see.
"Unfortunately we had taken the coal shovel for the stove, and the kitchen staff couldn't work with how cold it was. Our mother had to come out and try to convince us that we needed to take down the snowman, so the shovel could be returned. Of course little Anna refused to destroy our creation," the elder sister stated with a sly smirk at her sibling.
"You said I was two," the redhead counter, embarrassed by the comment. Although the more the story progressed the more relieved she felt that this memory had not been changed with magic, but instead had been forgotten in the same old non-magical way most memories are lost.
With the princess' interruption, Elsa took some time to create more of a snowy scene in her palm. Adding the two young sisters and their mother around the snowman. A sudden shifting on the couch made the queen realize that Ingrid had taken up a seat next to her. Staring at the handheld winter wonderland intently with everyone else. Elsa could only smile at the outgoing girl.
"Our mother told us that we had to seperate the shovel from our snowman, because the snow would want to stay outside in the cold, but the shovel would want to go inside where it was warm. So Anna said that she would come outside everyday to give the snowman a warm hug to keep the shovel happy while the snow stayed outside. In the end the snowman was left up, and we had to go into town to buy a new coal shovel for the kitchen. So every morning Anna would race outside to give the snowman a great warm hug." Elsa took a break for a few seconds while she looked at the children all smiling at the tale. "And those hugs were so great and warm that the snowman told all the other snowmen about how good warm hugs were, and that is why snowmen like warm hugs."
The children all stood and cheered dancing around at the story, and pleading with the caretakers to take them back outside so they too could hug the snowmen in the courtyard. Thankfully before any of them could try and head into the cold, the doors swung open and a snow covered Kristoff and Sven walked in. Quickly getting inside where it was warm.
Anna raced over to her boyfriend, and headless of his frozen clothes gave him one of her, now famous, warm hugs. Something the ice harvester accepted with gratitude. Sven just wandered off to find a nice fireplace.
"What's with all the kids?" Kristoff asked, having moved closer to the group.
"The kitchen made Naruto-sized portions by mistake, and we thought the orphans would like to come back for a nice meal," Anna replied, stationed next to her boyfriend.
"Speaking of, I've got a report on our favorite blond," the gruff man said, until he looked towards Elsa. "Second favorite," he amended, not wanting to insult the queen, before taking off his cap and looking up at his own hair, "third favorite."
"You can tell us over dinner." Elsa said with a chuckle, looking over the children still gathered around her. "I think it's time for everyone to go wash up before we eat."
Although many of the children groaned and huffed, all of them hurried off to get ready for dinner. Ingrid and Elsa sharded a large smile before the young girl followed after her friends. While Anna and Kristoff joined the caretakers in herding the children towards the nearest washrooms. Leaving Elsa alone.
The queen's palm was still filled with the miniature snowy scene. A quick thought was all it took for everything to change, as a replica of the ice palace rose up. With two figures standing in front of the structure. One a man and the other a woman. Their fists touching, the same as her's and Naruto's had yesterday when they said goodnight. As had become their secret tradition over the past few months.
Dismissing the scene from her hand, Elsa stood and walked towards the kitchen. Eager to hear how her friend was fairing on the mountain. Hopefully he had cooled down a little.
-End Chapter-
Oh boy this chapter took longer than normal. We'll talk about that later.
Lesbian Elsa and how it might affect the story.
The short answer is that I'm going to wait and see if the movie will actually confirm anything, before I back myself into a corner. But I do have some minor plans for how to handle this.
For full disclosure I am in favor of Elsa getting a girlfriend in the upcoming sequel. Whether Disney will let the filmmakers go all the way with that is what I'm waiting to see. For now I don't plan to have Naruto and this possible girl fight over Elsa, or have Elsa snuggle up between them. But I am keeping both of those possibilities in mind. Ultimately I just want to keep everyone friendly.
This is all, of course, assuming that I continue into and through the sequel rather than end the story when Elsa and Naruto have their happily ever after. We shall see.
-As to why this chapter took so long. I actually had to rewrite a lot of it. When Elsa and Anna are talking in Naruto's room, I originally had Elsa say that she couldn't sleep the night before, and Anna, figuring out that it was because of Naruto, joked about how Naruto kept Elsa awake all night.
I felt this was out of character for Anna, no matter how many gruff ice harvesters she hangs out with due to her boyfriend, so I cut it and had to restructure half the chapter. I'm curious if any of you could see Anna saying something like that.
-The story Elsa told the children was an edited version of Hans Christian Andersen's story "The Snowman." Which was partially the inspiration for Olaf. Now here's hoping Frozen II doesn't go actually giving him a back story and making this pointless.
-Next chapter we check in on Naruto, and then after that, I promise, we finally get to Kurama.
If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me anything.
Thank you all for taking the time to read this and for still enjoying this story. And thank you for all the reviews. They really do show how engaged and invested in this story all of you are. Especially the questions about how I'm going to handle Elsa's possible girlfriend.