A Snowflake In Spring
is a modern AU fanfic for Disney's Frozen (2013), written by FanFiction.Net author Celery Sticks.
Author's synopsis: "After her brother Hans is institutionalized, Anna makes it her mission to visit him whenever she can. The sooner he comes home, the sooner everything will go back to normal. She wasn't expecting to meet the asylum's resident 'Ice Queen,' who refuses to speak or acknowledge anyone... except Anna."
Complete at 30 chapters.
It was removed from fanfiction.net on January 3 or 4, 2022. It still can be found in Wayback Machine here
A Snowflake In Spring contains examples of:
- Aborted Arc: The whole sinister institute subplot is completely dropped with the way it ends.
- Anger Born of Worry: When Anna goes missing for three days due to her Angst Coma, Megara's texts slowly progress from annoyed to concerned to hysterical. When Anna finally calls her back, Meg practically explodes at her.
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Anna (redhead) and Elsa (blonde) are the fic's main characters, with Megara (brunette) spending the most time in focus after them. This trope is played with, though. Elsa and Megara's only connection is their feelings for Anna, and the three of them have only been together in one room once so far.
- Break the Cutie: Elsa, the most adorable mute ever, is plagued by self-loathing and forces herself to stay silent for TEN YEARS as a sort of punishment because she believes her burning desire to have a sister in her youth caused her mother's miscarriage, although some time passed in between the tragedy and the beginning of her silence at age 8. It's also subtly implied that the Institute lobotomised her.
- Covert Pervert: What with her silence, it's easy for Anna — and the audience — to think of Elsa as an innocent child. When the story's perspective shifts to her, however, we're reminded that she's an eighteen-year-old girl, one with definite... feelings for Anna.
- Crossover Cameo: Characters from a large variety of Disney and Pixar films make their appearances here, skirting the edge of being a Massive Multiplayer Crossover.
- The institute has several. Anna spots one of the patients, a black-haired woman, muttering to her reflection. Another patient, Adam, has "monstrous anger issues". Flora, Fauna and Merryweather are three elderly orderlies.
- Jim Hawkins is the doorman at Anna's apartment. His mother works there, too.
- Ralph and Vannellope have an ice cream shop, Ralph's. Carl and Russell appear there as customers.
- Edna Mode is — unsurprisingly — a dressmaker. This cameo is made even more epic by the fact she's the only cameo in the entire story who is completely lifted intact from her original role, complete with the exact same personality quirks, down to doing Anna two dresses because she was so inspired.
- An angry, French-looking chef and his ginger-haired assistant appear in the Helland mansion.
- Rapunzel is mentioned several times. She is explained as being Anna's cousin, and growing up together after Anna and Hans' parents died. She finally appears in Chapter 20, in a very unexpected sequence.
- Cute Mute: Elsa is adorably shy — around Anna, in any case — and hasn't uttered a word in ten years. She finally makes a sound when with Anna, but has yet to start speaking again. It's implied the Institute lobotomised her, rendering her unable to speak.
- Downer Ending: After Anna becomes overwhelmed from kissing Elsa, she starts to worry that she's gotten in too deep. Then Hans confronts Elsa after finding her dirty drawings of Anna and threatens to kill her for it. He's then subsequently thrown down several flights of stairs and has to be taken to a general hospital. Anna is distraught by this and Elsa is released from the institute of her own accord. The last chapter is a letter to Anna from Elsa confessing her feelings and suggesting that sometime in the future they could try to be friends again. Ouch.
- The Dreaded: For some reason, both staff and patients are petrified of Dr Kostabi. Considering what Level Four might be, they have good reason to.
- Fainting: Elsa literally collapses in a swoon upon seeing Anna in a gorgeous ballgown.
- High School AU: Sort of. Anna still attends high school, as did her brother before his breakdown, but the school itself barely appears.
- Ice Queen: Elsa's in-universe nickname among her fellow patients, due to her extremely isolated behavior and utter silence.
- Mad Scientist: It's subtly implied Dr Kostabi, and some of the more amoral members of the Institute's staff, may be this. Kostabi may actually be a scientist from Unit 731. Yes, that Unit 731.
- No Ending: The author just decided to end the story abruptly.
- Oblivious to Love: Anna is unaware of both Meg and Elsa's attraction to her, a rather impressive feat. Meg mentally lamphsades it at one point. By chapter 18, she's finally realized that Elsa has "feelings" for her.
- Parental Abandonment: Olaf, a young boy, was more or less abandoned at the Institute by his parents, due to his Autism Spectrum Disorder and severe sunlight allergy. According to Oaken, it's likely they "didn't want to put themselves through the trouble". Anna is, understandably, horrified.
- Porn Stash: Downplayed: Elsa doesn't have a "stash" as such, but she does make sure to avoid showing Anna the more "risqué" books she's read while showing her the family library.
- Related in the Adaptation: Unlike in the original movie, Hans is Anna's brother in this story.
- Security Blanket: Elsa's braid functions as this. When nervous, she holds on to it, and sometimes uses it to cover her mouth (nearly killing Anna with cuteness in the process).
- Sleep Cute: Anna wakes up in chapter 18 with Elsa practically draped over her, her head resting on Anna's chest. Elsa comes to a rude awakening when her hair makes Anna sneeze.
- Wham Line: The following, which hints there may be more to the Institute (and, indeed, Elsa's silence) than first appears.Unknown Voice (from behind a door): "Elsa, it's me. I was thinking today about you. You've been as good as gold since you arrived. Well, aside from that little incident we had. You do remember it, don't you? You had to be sent to Level Four for... therapy.Elsa: (''covers her ears and begins to shake).Unknown Voice: I wasn't expecting an answer. After all, silence is golden.
