Title: The Girl with the Frozen Heart

Rating: PG-13 as the Hunger Games deals with violent and heavy topics. There will also be mild swearing and some sexuality.

Spoilers: None, really. But Frozen and the HG series are great, so you should read/watch them!

Summary: Elsa is almost free. After this year, she will not have to worry about being chosen to fight in the Hunger Games. However, she still fears for her sister Anna and her only friend, Kristoff. When the worst happens, they vow to protect Anna any way they can. Facing brutal tributes, a horribly corrupt system, and still trying to conceal her powers, can Elsa come out victorious?

Author's Note: I saw some really interesting artwork/prompts and decided I wanted to write a Hunger Games AU from mostly Elsa's perspective (though I write in third person). This won't be just a re-telling of the Hunger Games using Frozen characters. You'll see certain parallels, but I have a pretty interesting story I just wanted to get out there. This will include other Disney characters as well, but it isn't necessary to know them all.

BACKGROUND INFO: For those who have not read/watched The Hunger Games Series: In a dystopian future, there are 12 districts that are controlled by the Capitol, a beautiful, luxurious place. The districts are, overall, poor and struggling. Each year, the Games are held where a boy and girl (ages 12-18) are chosen from each district to fight to the death until one stands victorious. That winner's district gets rewarded. There is plenty of information out there for you, and considering how wildly popular the series is, you should have no trouble getting better acquainted with it through a google search if necessary.

For those who have seen The Hunger Games: This world is very similar to what we know of the one in the movies/books. However, the people of the Capitol all have natural magic abilities, or are the sons and daughters of those who have magic. Anyone born with magic in a district is immediately transported away and forced to adapt to Capitol life.

As for the Frozen/Disney characters: Elsa is eighteen, so is Kristoff, and Anna is sixteen. The trolls mentioned are humans. Rapunzel is in her late twenties, Flynn in his early thirties. Mother Gothel is her canon age. Hans is about twenty. All of their back stories are very different!

Chapter One

When Elsa woke up, she panicked momentarily. The cot across from hers, where Anna was supposed to be asleep, was empty. It took her only a few seconds to realize that Anna's face was pressed tightly against her chest. She must have had nightmares last night. Elsa couldn't blame her. It was the day of the reaping after all, and nightmares had plagued her all week as well. Anna's usual half-parted lips were firmly together and her eyebrows strained toward one another in worry. Elsa ran a hand softly over her younger sister's messy hair, but tried not to wake her. She wanted to tell her that everything would be okay, but she had told her sister too many lies already.

As she travelled her normal route to the fence that separated the outskirts of her village from the dangerous forest beyond, a peculiar thought came into her head. She was eighteen this year. This was the last time she would have to worry about her name being drawn. And yet, this couldn't bring her any comfort. Because it would be three long years before Anna was free from the Game's grasps, and that's all that really mattered to her. As long as Anna was in danger, there was no reason to feel fortunate.

Right now, Anna was in danger of starving if she didn't bring home something substantial for them to eat. They had some provisions in the pantry, but it wasn't enough. Since she had no way of calming Anna's nerves, the least she could do was let her fill her belly with venison.

Elsa felt herself growing cold. That always happened when she was nervous.

"Push it away," she thought. "Concentrate."

She listened carefully, and heard the cracking of a branch off to her right, some distance away. Quietly, she circled around the trees, trying to avoid having her scent carried along the wind. Maybe she was lucky today. There was a large buck rubbing his antler against the bark of a tree. As soon as she saw it, she sent one thick spear of ice through its heart. It never knew what hit it.

She approached slowly. This was always the most difficult part. She knew the animal died with minimal pain, but the sight of it was tough to stomach. The gorgeous work of nature was reduced to nothing more than meat and fur. Its head lay in a pool of its own blood, tongue lolling out of its crooked mouth, and the eyes stared unknowingly up at the light filtering through the trees.

A few branches cracked behind her and she spun around, arms raised and body poised for attack. Her shoulders sagged as soon as she saw the giant blonde walking toward her. Kristoff wore a frown.

"I always hate to see them go down like that."

"I'm sorry," was all she could say. She turned back to the slain animal and calmly froze it. The blood coagulated into icy chunks and ceased flowing.

"I figured you'd be out here."

"You should have gone to see Anna first. She's worried sick about you."

"She has other things to worry about besides me."

"Still. She needs you more than I do."

"Really?" Kristoff asked. He was kneeling by the deer now, looking up at her. "How were you going to carry this back home?"

"I would have figured it out."

Kristoff hoisted the animal onto his shoulder and began stomping over the natural debris of the woods in the direction of the fence. Elsa walked alongside him, and he glanced at her.

"She was still asleep when I got back."

"So you did go to see her?"

"Of course I did. You weren't there and she was out like a light."

"Oh."

Elsa rubbed her arm, trying to force some heat into it. Kristoff knew it meant she was nervous or afraid. He didn't need to ask what it was about.

"I wish I could have been home these past few days."

"It isn't your fault, Kristoff."

Silence again. Their conversations weren't usually so dry and lifeless, but today was one of those rare times when words just could not help. It happened at least once every year, ever since they'd been old enough to be forced into the Games. Another time had been the day Elsa and Anna lost their parents. Nothing could be said to ease the pain then and nothing would work now.

Kristoff and Elsa had lived next to one another for as long as either could remember. Kristoff stayed with an old woman and her husband with no true children of their own, both of whom he regarded as parents. They loved him as if he were their own child. Elsa wasn't the warmest person, but she was a loyal friend. When she admitted to him that she had the power to control ice and snow, he admitted to her that he had a crush on her younger sister. She froze his hands and told him he had better not hurt her or he'd be frostbitten for the rest of his life.

Kristoff dropped the deer rather loudly on the table. From the other room they heard a gasp and small yelp. The man pushed past Elsa and went into the small bedroom. Elsa could hear Anna crying and Kristoff's soft whispers,

"Shh. You're okay," and Elsa waited patiently.

Kristoff let the meat sizzle in the pan as Elsa neatly plaited her sister's hair. Anna sat in between the older girl's legs. Today was the only day she ever sat still. Any other day there was the hope of going outside to run or climb a tree for fun. There was Kristoff to kiss, or a game to play, or something, anything, she could squeeze excitement out of. That was her talent. Taking the worst situations and making the best out of them, because her bubbly nature demanded it. But today she was not Anna. She was a name in a big glass jar trying to hide amongst all the others.

They ate quietly when the food was done. Elsa forced herself to smile.

"You look beautiful with your hair pulled up like that."

It was nice for her to hear such a compliment out of Elsa, but she could hardly smile.

"Thanks." Anna glumly stabbed a piece of meat with her fork. "But it's not like I'm going to a party."

"I'm sure it makes Kristoff happy."

Anna looked up at the man sitting across from her. He managed to smile as well, but it wasn't quite so forced.

"You really do look pretty."

Anna stared at him a moment before fixing her gaze on her food once more.

"I'm not very hungry."

This was rare. Anna's stomach was usually a bottomless pit. But Elsa understood.

"That's okay," the older sister said. "The rest can be salted. You can help me with that later."

Later seemed like such an uncertain concept. Maybe they would be at this table later salting meat. Maybe they would sit together later on the bedroom floor playing cards by candlelight. Or maybe they wouldn't. Maybe later would never arrive.

But trying to pretend everything was normal was the best Elsa could think of. She put down her fork and shoved her freezing hands between her knees to warm them. Maybe later she would hear one of their names. Maybe later she would send out big chunks of ice and slice clean through every Capitol peacekeeper's throat and watch them lay dead like the next meal staring up at the bright sun.

Later would arrive too soon.