Rise of the Brave Tangled Frozen Dragons Next Gen

by Kiwi_R

Summary:

(Read series summary for synopsis.)

All Pitch wanted was to do today was get some of his newest experiments done. Was that too much to ask?

Apparently so since he somehow has now become.......a babysitter?!

Notes:

Hello and welcome to my fanfic!

I thought I'd put a warning here that this story will not be done in chronological order. Some events will take place in the past while others will be in the present. For better clarification, I will put "time stamps" at the top of each story to better show when something happens.

And the reason it's not in chronological order is because I've discovered that this might be the best way to tell this AU.

Happy reading! <3

Chapter 1: Uncle Pitch

2 Years after the Global Winter

            This, for Pitch Black, had to be the most unexpected thing to happen to him in his long life. One moment he was experimenting with creating a new kind of nightmare. The next he was holding an armful of infant. A part of him felt in shock. Another part was left in confusion. And a third part of him, which he was feeling the most of, was downright annoyed.

 

            “What just happened?” That was the question which seemed to repeat itself mentally and vocally. Looking back, it wasn’t hard for Pitch to find his answer.

 

 

Fifteen minutes ago…

            After a good ten years of experimenting, Pitch had finally gotten somewhere in making some sort of formation of his new nightmare. This one would be better than the last ones, more vicious, more fear invoking. To be honest he’d almost given up on it, but in the end he refused to throw in the towel. Gothra had laughed at him when he first started, saying it would inevitably be a failure. Well now he showed her, the little harpy.

 

            “HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ANYONE HERE?!” Groaning inwardly, the nightmare king put his experiment away for the moment and faded into the shadows of his castle. He rematerialized a moment later right behind the very couple that somehow had a knack for interrupting him at such important times. They obviously hadn’t noticed him yet, giving Pitch the advantage of surprise.

 

            “Please tell me you two are here to announce that you’ll never be coming back to my home again.” The couple jumped, turning around swiftly to in the direction of the voice. Both husband and wife smiled broadly at the nightmare king, which he decided to mean not boding well for him.

 

            “Pitch! There you are!” Jack exclaimed. The raven-haired young man walked up to Pitch with his arms wide open, but abruptly stopped and lowered them when he caught the expression on his creator’s face that said ‘hug me and you DIE.’ His smile though refused to leave his face.

 

            “What are you two chaos bringers doing here?” Pitch questioned.

 

            Elsa was the one to answer him since her husband seemed to be too busy trying to contain his mysterious excitement. “Don’t worry. This is a short visit.” She noticed how Pitch slightly relaxed at that. “We actually needed to drop something off with you before we continue on our trip to Paris. I promise it won’t take long.”

 

            The nightmare king looked at her in puzzlement. It was then he noticed the small dark blue bundle held within Elsa’s arms. He wondered what it was that she carried. Perhaps it was the something she was talking about. Curiosity piqued, he asked her what it was she had been carrying.

 

            “It’s just a little something that happens to be very fragile and we need you to take care of it for us for a while,” Elsa responded. Jack snorted next to her before going silent when she sent him a glare. Turning back to Pitch she continued, “We would owe you big time for this if you agree, but you should know we’re in a hurry. We can’t afford to waste time.”

 

            Pitch looked at her then at the bundle then back at her. He considered for a moment if this was all another one of their tricks but a look into the Ice Queen’s eyes told him she was completely serious. Letting out a long sigh, Pitch carefully took the small bundle from the raven-haired young woman. Her smile gentled slightly as Jack’s grew impossibly bigger. Just what had the lord of nightmares gotten himself into, he wondered.

 

            Slinging an arm over his wife’s shoulders, Jack led her towards the exit. “Well, we’re off! Take good care of her, Pitch. Or else!” And with that, the couple was gone.

 

            Pitch looked down at the bundle in his hands as he walked over to his world globe. He immediately realized the bundle was actually wrapped in some sort of cloth and began to unravel it. His hand froze as well as the rest of his body once he’d revealed what was inside. Looking back at him was a chubby face on a tiny head with fluffy black hair.

 

            A baby.

 

            A tiny baby girl.

 

            Jack and Elsa had left him with their infant daughter before making a quick getaway. No wonder Jack looked like he was about to laugh the whole time. They had stuck the poor nightmare king with the duty of being babysitter. Pitch could only stare back at the little baby Tundra in utter shock.

 

            “Why those little conniving brats…”

 

 

Present…

            Pitch’s mind was brought back to the present when Tundra began to coo at him. He continued to stare at her, amazed at how this child although only a couple months old seemed to not be afraid of him. Ever since she was born, Pitch had made it a point to keep his distance from her. He did not want to be the one to suffer the Ice Queen’s wrath, but there was also something deep inside him that made him feel like not wanting to scare the little girl anyway. Rather than make her fear him, he instead had a very foreign feeling of wanting to protect. It boggled his mind to the point where he just not understand it.

 

            But still, even with this newfound feeling of wanting to keep her safe, Pitch Black was not a babysitter! A scowl formed on his face. What was he supposed to do with a baby? He hadn’t taken care of an infant since…since…to be honest it’d been so long that he couldn’t remember when he’d last even held an infant, let alone taken care of one.

 

            Golden eyes met very dark blue, almost black. Tundra was quiet baby, hardly ever did something upset her. The strangest part though was that one of the only and VERY few people she was the most relaxed with was her Uncle Pitch (he felt ‘Grandpa Pitch’ reminded him WAY too much of his age). The little girl snuggled closer to his chest then, cooing away happily. Afterwards her tiny hand grabbed a fistful of his collar.

 

            Pitch’s expression unconsciously softened at the action. Memories of a past thought long forgotten resurfaced as he walked to his throne and sat down. He gently cradled her closer before he started humming a familiar lullaby. As Tundra slowly began to dose off, the nightmare king couldn’t help but smile. He may have not known it yet, but a bond had formed at that very moment.

 

 

Three hours later…

            Jack and Elsa had finally returned feeling completely refreshed. It was nice having a break every once in a while, but they were now starting to miss their little snowflake. Sneaking into Pitch’s home was easy, especially when you’d explored every inch of the place. Both had agreed it would be much too fun to catch him by surprise so decided to be as quiet as possible as they made their way through the corridors. Reaching the throne room, the two jumped out ready to shout their arrival when they suddenly froze.

 

            Lounging on the throne, a blanket covering them, was a peacefully sleeping Pitch Black with the couple’s daughter cradled in his lap. The scene before them was so surprising that Jack’s jaw dropped. Elsa stared for a few seconds with wide eyes before she broke into a bright smile. “Aw, how cute,” she couldn’t help but say.

 

            “I never thought I would get to see this. Pitch Black: a softie when it comes to babies.” It took all of Jack’s willpower to keep from laughing outright. Who would have thought the lord of nightmares himself could be so sweet?

 

            “Oh, hush you. Don’t you dare tease him.”

 

            “But-”

 

            “Ah, ah, ah. Let’s just get Tundra and head home.”

 

            “Yes, dear.” Jack tiptoed his way to the throne, carefully pulling his daughter from Pitch’s arms. Once done the small family left, glad to see that Pitch proved himself to be a wonderful uncle for Tundra.

Fin

Notes:

If you want to read future chapters ahead of time, I'll be posting them on my DeviantArt page first as well. You can also go there to see art I've done of the characters. ^^

Chapter 2: Gothra, Part 1

Summary:

During Cassandra and her father's travels, they decide to spend some time in a small village one night. However, this little night of reprieve gets interesting when a familiar face comes back into Cass' life......

A small village, before The Global Winter

 

            Melodic upbeat music played in the background, encouraging several of the patrons to get up from their tables and dance. The others which remained clapped and sang along happily. There had been a wedding earlier that day, and the whole village had attended it. Now that it was late in the evening, everyone had split off into smaller groups to celebrate in their own ways. And for the old tavern, that meant good music and even better drinks.

 

            There were at least two who didn’t get fully involved in the merriment though. At a table in a back corner of the tavern, Cassandra and her father watched the proceedings with satisfied smiles. They weren’t actually invited to the wedding. In fact, it was only by chance that they ended up crashing the ceremony when they had first arrived. The townspeople welcomed them wholeheartedly rather than chase the two out thankfully. Father and daughter were just lucky enough to arrive on a day when literally everything would be on the house due to the celebration.

 

            Cass’ father had already passed out in his seat a while ago after the sixth mug of ale. She on the other hand stuck to only the one and was therefore able to stay up longer. It gave her a moment to herself to look back at all that had happened to her in the past few years alone. Yes, it slightly saddened her that she couldn’t attend Rapunzel and Eugene’s wedding two years ago, but she made up for it with the occasional yet rare visit when she could. Other than that, it seemed she was finally able to live for herself and even make some new friends on her travels. It made her smile in contentment.

 

            That smile disappeared when a figure cloaked in dark green approached her. She eyed the stranger up and down warily, a hand sneaking down to quietly unsheathe a dagger at her waist. Her movements only paused when hearing the stranger’s voice. “May I sit here?” they asked, gesturing to the empty chair next to her. Instead of waiting for an answer though, they sat down anyway.

 

            That voice! Cassandra thought, a little bit of dread beginning to form in her gut. It couldn’t be. You’re dead! I know you are! She watched as the figure then lifted smooth young-looking hands and pulled down their hood. Once revealed, Cass could see them, or her, more clearly. Black wavy hair spilled out but only barely came down to the woman’s shoulders. Big brown eyes stared back at her, and that signature cunning grin graced her face like it used to so long ago. It was as if Cassandra had opened another door to the past, only this time the past walked through it to her.

 

            “Gothel.”

 

            The woman burst into laughter at the name. It made Cassandra tense further. Even her laugh sounded the same. This had to be some nightmare. She was now just waiting for the chance to wake up. “Close, but not quite my dear,” the woman said. That statement left Cass frozen in confusion.

 

            “Huh?”

 

            The woman let out a few more minor chuckles before finally containing herself. “My goodness! It has truly been quite some time since anyone has mistaken me for my sister. I mean, after all these millennia, you would think I’d be used to it by now.”

 

            Cass felt her brain may have begun short-circuiting. Sister? Millennia? What exactly was happening right now? “I-I’m sorry,” she stuttered as she struggled to regain some sense of reality, “Who are you? You say you’re not my mother, but you look a lot like her.”

 

            “Well, I hope I should! We wouldn’t be identical twins then if we didn’t look much alike.”

 

            The gears finally started to turn again in Cass’ head. “You said ‘twins.’ You also said ‘sister’ earlier. If you are saying what I think you’re saying, then…” her eyes widened in realization. And for some reason, the dread in her gut increased tenfold.

 

            The woman grinned, knowing all too well that the pieces had been put together. “Hello, Cassandra. I’m your Aunt Gothra.”

 

            Cassandra immediately stood from her chair, glaring daggers at the woman next to her. After all this time, when she was finally able to feel in control of her own life, the shadow of her maternal family still seemed to find a way to linger over her. The girl’s hand instinctively reached to pull her sword from its sheath. Before she could fully brandish it though, her supposed ‘aunt’ quickly spoke again.

 

            “There is no need for violence, dear. All I want is to talk,” the woman, Gothra, said calmly.

 

            Cass paused in her movements, considering. Memories of her mother’s cruelty and manipulation haunted the back of her mind. They helped as a silent reminder of what kind of woman she had been. Now, here in front of her sat that same woman’s sister, someone who may prove to be just as terrible. On close inspection, this new person looked so much like Cassandra’s mother. That kind demeanor could simply be nothing more than a ruse. And yet, it seemed so much more sincere compared to when it was Gothel.

 

            Warily keeping her eye on the woman, Cass carefully sat back down. She would give Gothra one chance. Any sign of deceit, and there would most certainly be no more ‘conversation.’ “You say you want to talk,” she started, “so what is it?”

 

            Gothra turned so she was fully facing her niece, her hands clasped in front of her in her lap. The smile she held turned a little remorseful. With a deep breath, she said, “I shouldn’t be surprised that you don’t remember me. You were so very young at the time and…I didn’t visit all that often.”

 

            “What?” Cass countered. “I’ve never met you before in my life.”

 

            Gothra chuckled to herself but with very little humor in it. “Oh, trust me dear. We have most certainly met before.” From one of her hands, a tiny ball of dim light appeared. It did not seem like much, and Cassandra wondered for a moment how the woman was able to do that. She then froze at the familiar music which then played from said ball. Seeing the young girl’s expression, Gothra’s smile warmed. “Do you remember this song?” she asked in a whisper.

 

            It took a few seconds before Cassandra could answer. So many memories and emotions suddenly flooded her all at once: happiness, sadness, anger, loneliness, disappointment, betrayal, longing. Her eyes struggled to hold back the tears that had welled up in them. How could she not remember this song? It was her music box, the one she had lost so long ago—the one that her mother had used to keep her ‘distracted’ and out of Gothel’s hair.

 

            Looking up at the other woman, she couldn’t help but ask. “How…? This is…my…”

 

            “The same song from your music box?” Gothra finished for her. She watched sympathetically as Cass nodded while wiping the now falling tears. “I know your mother was the one to give you the music box, but I bet she never said where she had gotten it from.”

 

            Cassandra could only stare at her in confusion. Her mind was in a bit of a jumble presently, making her unable to put the pieces fully together.

 

            Gothra, noticing this, continued with her explanation slowly and gently. “I was there when you were born and had even gotten to play with you a few times during your earliest years. But because of my constant wandering across the world, I could not visit as often as I maybe should have. I originally intended to give that music box to you myself, but other things called for my attention. So, I gave it to your mother to give to you—a late birthday present if you will.” Here, Gothra’s face scrunched up just the slightest in distaste. “Leave it to my sister to mess the simplest things up…again.”

 

            The young woman listened attentively to every word that had been spoken. Could it be true? She thought to herself. Is it possible that I did have someone before that actually cared about me? A love that was real? Cassandra finally was starting to connect some of dots as she calmed down. And with that calm, she could better focus on the way the woman spoke. I…remember that voice. Vague and blurry images of someone came to the front of her mind. A woman with dark hair and a face like her mother’s, but it wasn’t her mother at all. There was a voice that spoke slow and gently as it rocked her to sleep, or in some cases, comforted in times of sadness or confusion. A green dress twirled wildly as the woman’s voice rang in joyous laughter, Cassandra happily dancing beside her. Such memories were few in number and mostly hard to recall, but they all felt totally and inarguably happy.

 

            Cass looked at Gothra with new eyes now as an old name from her childhood came to mind. “…Auntie Thra?”

 

            The older woman smiled fully at the old name. It was one Gothra thought she would never get to here again. Her heart felt warmer than it had in a very long time. To see the recognition in her niece’s eyes was one of the best things she could’ve gotten in her life. Honestly, a part of her was afraid she would be utterly rejected and accused of being a liar. Thankfully, her fears proved to be unfounded. “That’s right, Little Blessing. It’s me…dear old Auntie Thra.”

 

            That did it. Hearing her old nickname hit Cass deep in her heart, and it hit her hard. She may not fully remember the reason behind the name, but her aunt certainly did. Gothra had given her that nickname when she had been at one of her lowest as a child. A tiny part of her had begun to believe that Gothel hated her and that she was nothing more than a nuisance. The nickname was to remind her that that wasn’t the case, that she was indeed loved and worth something.

 

            Cass broke down and pulled her aunt into a fierce hug. Gothra reciprocated, pulling her hood up to hide both their teary expressions. There was no need to attract the attention of others. This was their moment. Of course, not everything between the two women was fine yet. There was much to discuss. For now though, they would savor this moment of reunion.

 

 

 

To be continued

Notes:

If you want to read future chapters ahead of time, I'll be posting them on my DeviantArt page first as well. You can also go there to see art I've done of the characters. ^^

Chapter 3: Gothra, Part 2

            “An immortal witch?”

            Gothra didn’t answer right away, but rather glanced at her niece from behind her recently acquired small mug of ail. She felt she was going to need it after that hug, especially with what she was about to discuss.

            Cassandra stared at her silently as she waited for an answer, her own tears finally dry. The young woman till had her suspicions about her aunt but was more willing to at least here what she had to say. Of course, it was a bit surprising that the first topic the two would be speaking of was about ‘immortal witches.’

            Finally setting down her mug, Gothra said, “That’s right. I am an immortal witch. Your mother was one too.”

            “Well, if that’s the case, then how come she’s dead?” Cass questioned.

            “Your mother’s passing is a complicated story. However, that does not really explain the concept of ‘immortal’ overall.” Gothra smiled as she put her chin in one hand, elbow set on the table. “Being an immortal witch does not mean you can’t get hurt and die. It simply means you can’t be killed as easily through normal means, and that you no longer age once you hit your majority.”

            Cass pondered this for a moment. It made a bit of sense. Her mother did only die because Rapunzel had lost her healing abilities. But, that in itself caused her to realize a major flaw with that reasoning. “Wait. Immortal witches don’t age? Then how come my mother kept aging so much? And if she was a witch, shouldn’t I be one too?”

            Gothra’s smile instantly turned into a frown. Her eyes looked off to the side at the other tavern goers. She watched them for a while, and Cass started wondering if she would ever get an answer. Then, using her free hand to grab her drink off the table, the older woman took a large gulp before speaking. “To respond to either of your questions, it will require a very long explanation.” She then continued to stare as the other patrons started singing louder or danced on tables.

            Her niece rolled her shoulders back before leaning forward in her seat. “I don’t really have anywhere to be soon. We have time.”

            At that, Gothra finally looked back at the younger girl. She huffed with just a hint of a smile. “Very well.” She straightened up in her chair and set her hands together in her lap, her expression completely serious. At Cassandra’s nod, she began.

            “Your mother and I were born over 8,000 years ago. Our mother was the priestess of a long-forgotten tribe, but that was not all she was. She was a witch too, but not an immortal one. You see, you cannot become an immortal witch, or at least not a true one. You must be born as one. It acts like a recessive trait which is only seen every one hundred generations. And even then, only a handful of sorcerers are born with it.

            “Gothel and I were twins, and we were both blessed in being born immortal witches. And ever since our birth, we both strived to live and enjoy life to its fullest…That included watching the passing of many friends and loved ones over the millennia. That eventually led to my sister having very different views from me. She thought creating ties with others was a waste as it would only lead to heartbreak. I believed you should appreciate the time you can have with them while they’re still here. Eventually, my sister’s mindset would lead to her becoming much more selfish, and inevitably her downfall.”

            Cassandra said nothing, not wanting to interrupt such an unbelievable story. She barely knew a thing about her mother before tonight, and now she was given the chance to learn so much. It was a little overwhelming to say the least.

            “Just a few centuries ago, Gothel married into the ruling family of a small kingdom. Her husband, the king, already had a daughter by his first wife. And for some reason, Gothel was not fond of her. The king hadn’t noticed at all through their short marriage.”

            “Short?” Cass snorted, not surprised at all by this fact.

            Gothra chuckled a little herself in understanding of the comment. “Yes. The king died just a few years after they married. But…afterwards, things got a lot worse for his daughter.” Here, she took another swig of her ale. “Gothel practically stripped away the princess’ title and made her a servant in the castle. And as the girl got older, my sister became more hateful towards her. It eventually got to the point where she made attempts on the girl’s life.”

            Cassandra gasped. As she did though, a small thought in the back of her mind told her this should not have been surprising. Gothel had been known to kill for her own benefit before this news.

            “At one point, her obsession had gotten so bad that she lost something precious in the process. Gothel used a spell which was meant to disguise her as an old woman. When the spell was complete, she used it to trick the girl and finally succeeded in killing her. Unfortunately, she ended up almost dying herself as a consequence.

            “Obviously, Gothel survived. But when she went to remove her disguise, she found that she couldn’t. What my sister forgot to read about the spell was that it was no mere aging spell. This one took away her immortality as well as most of her power. You can imagine how horrified Gothel was when she finally realized.”

            Things were slowly beginning to make sense. As the story went on, Cass found herself putting the pieces together.

            “It was by pure chance that she came across the sun drop flower. She was nearing death, and that flower saved her life. She quickly found out though that its effects were only temporary, and therefore had to keep returning to it to stay young.

            “So you see Cassandra, your mother was born an immortal witch. But because of her selfishness and envy, she lost all of that,” Gothra finished. She then lifted her mug to her lips and proceeded to chug the rest of her drink down in one go. The now empty mug was slammed onto the table soon after.

            Cassandra meanwhile finished the puzzle in her head, and in doing so came to some conclusions. “Gothel lost her immortality and tried desperately to get it back through the use of the sun drop,” she stated.

            Gothra nodded.

            “My mother kidnapped Rapunzel, abandoned me, all because she misused a spell.”

            Another nod.

            Hands clenched into fists as roiling anger filled Cass’ whole body. She clenched her teeth and pushed it down in favor of asking one question. “I know that she did everything she could to keep the sun drop to herself. So, how is it that others were able to get close enough to it, like Damasius and Zhan Tiri for example?”

            “Your mother made a deal with Damasius, then later Zhan Tiri, to allow them to study the flower while still letting her use it to keep herself young,” Gothra answered.

            Cassandra nodded in acceptance of that. “And the answer to my other question?”

            Gothra sighed, her eyes momentarily downcast. When she looked back up again, her niece saw in them a mix of different emotions. Anger, sadness, disappointment, regret—they all swirled around in those brown orbs non-stop. Slowly, the older woman said, “I am so sorry, dear. You did have a bit of witch talent before, but it seems to have been lost forever.”

            Cass’ eyes grew wide in shock. “…W-what…?”

            Her aunt continued. “When you harnessed the power of the moonstone, it latched and bonded to the bit of magic you already had inside of you. And when it separated from you, it took that magic with it.”

            She didn’t know what to say. Cass had the potential to become a witch. She had her very own powers. And now, they were gone…forever. She wasn’t sure what to feel at this point. Her mind was too jumbled with too much information all at once. Speech left her completely, unable to form a coherent enough thought in her mind. Her body felt numb and incapable of movement. After losing so much already, she had to find out again what else she had lost. It was too much. Too much.

            Gothra noticed her niece’s turmoil and decided to give her a break. She patted her hand and stood up, pulling her hood over her head. “It’s late. How about you take your father and head to bed? We can talk more in the morning,” she said. She walked across the room towards the front door. Stopping and looking back right before she exited, she whispered one last apology. “I’m so, so sorry.”

 

 

To be continued

Notes:

If you want to read future chapters ahead of time, I'll be posting them on my DeviantArt page first as well. You can also go there to see art I've done of the characters. ^^

Chapter 4: Gothra, Part 3

        Everything was calm again by mid-morning the next day. Cass had already been up for a while and was just finishing up getting their packs ready. Her father decided to sleep in for a couple of hours due to his hangover, so he was left snoring on his bed in their room. It was fine. They were in no rush to be anywhere soon.

 

        Cassandra made her way downstairs to get some breakfast, each wooden board creaking faintly under her feet. When she reached the bottom floor, the room was mostly empty. A majority of the partygoers must have either gone home or picked a room to pass out in due to drunkenness. She walked by a couple tables which had two or three people draped over the surfaces in unconsciousness. One of them looked to be one of the musicians from last night, one hand hanging off the table clutching his bow while his fiddle sat on top of his head. The rest of the band must have decided to leave him there while they found someplace more appropriate to rest.

 

        Sunlight coming from the front of the establishment caught in the corner of her eye. She turned her head and noticed the front door was being kept open, likely as a way to help air out the place after all that alcohol from last night. The corner of some green fabric momentarily flapped into view in the doorway when the wind blew inside before disappearing. Curious, Cass casually made her way in that direction. It was a short walk to the door. One step outside and she found herself standing next to her aunt. The older woman sat on a flimsy wooden chair which had seen better days. She was awake, staring off into the distance as she watched the oncoming sunrise.

 

        “Good morning,” Gothra greeted.

 

        “Morning.” Cassandra wasn’t fully sure how to engage the woman after that. There had been a lot of information absorbed last night, and she was still sifting through some of it. The sleep she got did help though. In all honesty, she found she didn’t mind some of it. The fact that Gothel’s influence in her and her friends’ lives went deeper than previously thought did not surprise her. The idea of her mother being a witch was also not surprising. In a way, it kind of made sense for someone like Gothel. The only thing Cassandra was still struggling to wrap her head around was the fact that the now deceased woman was thousands of years old.

 

        Sensing her niece’s thoughts as well as inner struggle to continue the conversation, Gothra decided to take pity on the girl. “Were you able to come to a conclusion on the matter?”

 

        At first, Cass had no clue what she was talking about. It hit her a second later as her brain finally caught up. “Oh! Well, um, I can say that I’ve come to a kind of…semi-conclusion.”

 

        Gothra raised an eyebrow. “And what would that be exactly?”

 

        “Well…” Cass took a deep breath, steadying herself as she gave her answer. “I can understand why my mother did what she did. And how this whole problem started way before I was even born. To be honest, that just makes her out to be even more of a horrible person.”

 

        “Ah, right. Sorry about that.”

 

        Cass simply snorted. “Don’t be. It was her own fault what happened to her. She was a grown woman capable of making her own choices.” And, to Cass’ mild shock, she meant every word of it. Just a few years ago, she would have felt the need to constantly cling to any scrap of her mother’s memory that she came across. But in recent years, she found more often than not herself distancing from that memory. It was like her former need of her mother’s love and acceptance was no longer as strong as it used to be. And the more she came to terms with Gothel’s true nature, the more that same need faded with time. It was refreshing. “I will admit though that the super long lifespan thing is going to take some getting used to. Gothel living for thousands of years is a thought is a thought I still can’t fully wrap my head around.”

 

        “Fair enough,” Gothra chuckled out. She shared a playful but warm smile with the younger woman for a moment, then turned back to the almost complete sunrise. Her eyes turned slightly sad. “What you went through was unfair. There are times, including now, when I have wondered if it would have been better if I took you with me.” Cassandra’s eyes widened at the unexpected statement, but the older woman paid no attention to it. “Part of me wonders—should I have taken you from my sister? Or would doing so make things worse for you? Nothing to do about it now, I suppose. The past is fixed. The future is what is changeable,” she sighed.

 

        Cassandra stared in bewilderment. Hearing this made her wonder too. Would she have been better off if her aunt had taken her? It was clear now that Gothel never cared about her. She probably would have been all for it even. But then I would’ve never met Raps. The thought struck her out of nowhere, and it was then she knew her answer. “You’re right,” she answered aloud, “There is nothing to do about the past, and I actually don’t mind it.”

 

        Her aunt looked at her contemplatively before standing up with a nod. She then embraced Cassandra in one last squeezing hug. It was unexpected, and thoroughly shocked the younger woman as she unconsciously returned it. Gothra let go after a good full minute, patting her niece on the shoulder before turning away. She let out one last sigh and said, “It’s time for me to move on.”

 

        That snapped Cass out of it. She felt a little bit of regret in that they couldn’t talk more. “You’re leaving?”

 

        “Yes. There are things which need my attention which cannot be put off any longer.” Gothra’s eyes suddenly grew distant as she whispered, “Something is changing in the world. I don’t know what it is, but I will find out eventually.” She then came back to herself the next moment. She looked back at Cass one final moment. “I understand if you want nothing else to do with me after today. Your mother was not good to you. But if you ever want to stay in touch, all you need do is say so.”

 

        This woman was incredible. That was the best way Cass could describe her. The best part was that she was being given the choice. It was as if she just gained back some sort of control of her life. Unsure, she instead asked, “Where will you go?”

 

        “West,” her aunt said. “I have an old friend I’ve been meaning to visit for quite a while. He’s a bit of a shut in—not really much of a people person to begin with. He hasn’t been very active as of late, and I worry for him.” She started walking away, caught up in her own thoughts.

 

        Cass, realizing this might be the only chance she got, called out to the woman. “I-If it’s okay with you…”

 

        Gothra instantly stopped and glanced back at her.

 

        “…I wouldn’t mind staying in touch.” Cassandra smiled nervously, hoping that her aunt would accept.

 

        At first Gothra seemed surprised, but then she broke into a joyous smile of her own. She gave a small nod of her head and continued on her way. Cass’ own smile brightened at her answer, happy to have met this long lost relative. It was a nice feeling. Neither of them could wait until the day they met again.

 

 

 

Fin

 

 

Notes:

If you want to read future chapters ahead of time, I'll be posting them on my DeviantArt page first as well. You can also go there to see art I've done of the characters. ^^

Chapter 5: New Friends, Part 1

Summary:

The children of Arendelle enjoy their snow day the best way they know how, especially in the case of Ella Frost. Fortunately and unfortunately however, things quickly go awry in the middle of a town-wide snowball fight.....

Notes:

For context:

I just wanted to let you guys know that both Light Jelsa AND Dark Jelsa exist simultaneously in this fic. Hopefully that causes a lot less confusion when reading the story.

As a bonus, I also made it where good Elsa is referred to as the Snow Queen while bad Elsa is the Ice Queen. They'll even call each other such when in the same presence. (The two Jacks just call each other by their shared name as some weird inside joke between enemies. XD)

Arendelle, 7 years after the Global Winter

 

        It was the last snow before spring. Ella had woken up in the middle of the night to watch the final snowstorm of winter, and she couldn’t wait until morning. As soon as the sun had come up, the 5-year-old pulled her brother out of bed and they were both dressed for outside. There was still some time before breakfast, so it should be fine. Their father, Jack Frost, would have been resting by now after conjuring up that snowstorm. As for their mother, aunt and uncle, they tended not to wake until an hour later.

 

        Ella was left to wait at the front gate while Jacob, her brother, conveniently just remembered to go get their cousins at the last minute. Part of her was annoyed that she now had to wait longer before she could go play in the snow. Another part of her though was happy that her cousins would also be joining them. Annabelle and Kristen made for really great playmates.

 

        Twenty minutes later and Jacob came back with their cousins in tow. The four children quietly walked out the gate, making sure to place a rock in the crack to keep it open. After that, it was a short run to the town square which was covered in a fresh white blanket of snow. There were a few other kids there but not as many as there would be later in the day. That meant they got first dibs at playing in the snow.

 

        Ella wasted no time. She jumped in the largest pile of snow she could find as soon as they entered the square. Annabelle wasn’t very far behind, climbing on top of another pile and sliding down the other side. She immediately began making a snow angel as soon as she reached the bottom. Kristen joined some of the other kids in a snowball fight which was already under way. Jacob simply stayed off to the side out of the crossfire, starting what he hoped would turn out to be the biggest snowman he’d made yet.

 

        The sun rose higher in the sky as time passed. More people had begun to wake which in turn led to more children gathering in the square. At some point, the small snowball fight had evolved into a town-wide battle which included a little bit of hide-and-seek. Ella, Kristen and Annabelle had joined forces as a small team. They scoured the streets for the enemy, standing back to back with a snowball in each hand. There was no telling when one of the other children would try to sneak up on them.

 

        “Aha! Found you!” The three jumped at the sound of yell. It was a little boy that came from around the corner of an alleyway. He pulled back his arm and aimed…only to be buried in snow which fell from the building’s roof.

 

        The team of three looked up when they heard laughter. Sitting on the rooftop were two more kids. It was a mystery how they might’ve gotten up there. The cackling pair froze though when they realized they’d just given up their hiding spot. One of them suddenly pointed to the trio and yelled, “Attack!”

 

        Suddenly, more children surrounded the trio on all sides but one and started chucking as many snowballs as they could at them. Kristen picked up a plank of wood he saw off to the side and used it as a shield. His sister and cousin did their best to stay behind him. “It’s an ambush! We’re surrounded!” he shouted.

 

        “What do we do, Captain?” Annabelle asked, seeing as they were in the middle of what was essentially a snowball war at this point.

 

        Ella, the captain, looked behind them and saw they were at the edge of town. She also noticed that it was the only side where they weren’t getting barraged by snowballs. It was risky. She, her brother, and her cousins were absolutely under no circumstances not allowed to go into the woods, especially by themselves. However, her desire to keep the game going convinced her that she could just this once make an exception.

 

        Not thinking twice about it, she said to her cousins, “Scatter! Head for the woods!”

 

        Both Annabelle and Kristen looked at her wide-eyed. It was clear to them that this was most certainly a very horrible idea. Kristen was the one to speak up, “Are you sure? You know we’re not supposed to—”

 

        “I know! But what choice do we have?”

 

        “We could get in big trouble,” Annabelle said.

 

        For a moment it looked like Ella might actually listen to them, then she saw Kristen getting tired from holding the makeshift shield up. He wouldn’t last much longer. Looking her younger cousin in the eye, she confidently said, “It’ll be okay. We’ll meet back up by the docks. Okay?”

 

        Brother and sister shared a wary glance with each other before finally nodding in agreement. Kristen dropped the shield, all three of them darting for the woods behind them. Some of the other kids paused in their throwing and called out for them to not go that way. But, it was too late. The cousins disappeared into the woods, each of them going a different way.

 

 

 

To Be Continued

 

Notes:

If you want to read future chapters ahead of time, I'll be posting them on my DeviantArt page first as well. You can also go there to see art I've done of the characters. ^^

Chapter 6: New Friends, Part 2

 

        It was official. Ella was most certainly lost.

 

        She thought that cutting through the forest wood be easy. Instead, she now found herself more lost than she ever believed to be possible. Nothing looked familiar to her—the only times she had spent in these woods were once or twice with her parents. And now that they weren’t here, the tree suddenly looked a whole lot bigger than usual. Everything appeared the same, not a single landmark in sight.

 

        Ella was scared. She always knew there was a chance of getting lost, but she had been pretty confident in her ability to know what directions to take. That confidence was fading now. It was mid-morning, meaning that breakfast time was either almost done if not done already. It also meant Ella had been lost for a good few hours. Her stomach grumbled unhappily at the thought of missing out on food. Her head on the other hand was filled to the brim with worry over how much trouble she would be in once her pants found out…that is, if she was to ever even make it out of here.

 

        Shaking her head of any more negative possibilities, the young girl decided it was best to simply keep moving. She walked for what she felt was a good long while (which was not very long in the case of an impatient 5-year-old’s perspective) before choosing a new direction to turn in. what she didn’t realize though in using this method of navigation was that she was only getting farther away from town rather than closer.

 

        Ella sighed dejectedly. I wanna go home, she thought. This isn’t fun anymore.

 

        A shiver went up her spine. It felt like something was watching her, following her even. She whipped around to face what it could be, but there was nothing. Still, the feeling remained as she continued on her way, all the more aware of how she was now by herself with none of her family around to help her. And sure, she had started training a little with her ice powers, but it was still only a little. The girl barely had any sort of control over them, the best she could do being a few snowballs before tiring.

 

        Snow crunched to her left. Ella turned her head swiftly in that direction only to see nothing once again. Whatever was following her was sneaky, and that ended up piquing her childlike curiosity. She went to the place the sound came from and saw footprints. They couldn’t be any bigger than hers. Maybe they belonged to Annabelle. That would be nice, finding one of her cousins out here so she wouldn’t be alone anymore.

 

        The prints led to behind a not-so-distant tree. Hungry, scared and a teeny bit cold, Ella slowly followed them to where they ended. “Hello?” she whisper-yelled. “Is that you, Annie?” No response came, but she didn’t let that bother her. Reaching the tree, walked around to its other side. Part of her hoped it wasn’t some hungry wild animal out to eat her for lunch. Instead, she came face to face with big dark blue—almost black—eyes which flickered a bit of gold on and off…

 

        …And she screamed.

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

        Jacob was just finishing up his snowman when the calm of the morning suddenly turned to chaos. The 8-year-old first heard the sound of his cousins’ frantic voices as they called out to him. The next thing he knew, he was racing back to the castle in a wild panic, Annabelle and Kristen hot on his heels.

 

        How could he have let this happen, he questioned himself. He was the oldest. It was his job to watch them when their parents weren’t around. Perhaps he might’ve been a bit more absorbed in that snowman to actually pay attention than he thought.

 

        Things only seemed to feel like they were getting worse when the kids finally told the adults what happened. Uncle Kristoff and Auntie Anna looked on the verge of panic themselves while Jacob’s mother Elsa seemed about to go into a very long and scolding lecture. Only his father Jack was able to keep a level head. He quickly calmed the other three down before setting out to the forest.

 

        Jacob stayed behind with the rest of the family, hoping his sister would be alright. A hand on his shoulder had him looking up at the concerned face of his mother. At least the feeling was mutual.

 

 

 

 

To Be Continued

 

Notes:

If you want to read future chapters ahead of time, I'll be posting them on my DeviantArt page first as well. You can also go there to see art I've done of the characters. ^^

Chapter 7: New Friends, Part 3

 

        The other being ran and hid as soon as the screaming started. Ella stopped short once there was distance between her and them again. Eyes wide and body lurched back in fright, she stared after the mystery person’s direction. They didn’t really disappear, but rather just went behind another tree.

 

        Ella forced her body to relax. She reasoned in her head that if they wanted to attack her, they would have already. Staying on guard, she took a wary step towards the being. It was slowly followed by another, then another, then another. Finally, she had reached the tree. She peeked over to the other side, but what she saw was unexpected.

 

        Sitting with her back against the tree was a little girl that looked about Ella’s age. She had black hair tied up in a single short ponytail at the top of her head. Her outfit consisted of slightly too big black overalls over a creamy white shirt and black shoes. The girl had her hands over her head and her knees tucked up under her chin. She was even shaking, eyes closed tight.

 

        It was no monster, thank goodness. But now, Ella was curious. Who was this girl? She didn’t look at all familiar, seeing as the young princess practically knew every kid in Arendelle by now. And what was she wearing? Those most certainly were not clothes on wore in the winter. Wasn’t she cold? She could get sick! She was shaking. Maybe she already was!

 

        Curiosity quickly turning into concern, the white-haired princess tried to get the other girl’s attention. “Um, hello? Are you okay?” she asked hesitantly.

 

        The mystery girl raised her head slowly, those big blue eyes opening to look at Ella. “A-Are you going t-to s-scream again?”

 

        “What? …Oh. Sorry,” Ella said in embarrassment. “It was just that…well, you scared me.”

 

        “Oh. Sorry,” the mystery girl said back, but it was much quieter. “You scared me too.”

 

        There was a moment of pause where the two children simply stared at each other. Then, extroverted personality kicking back into high gear, Ella said plainly, “I’m Ella. What’s your name?”

 

        The strange girl moved her hands from her head and began fidgeting with her fingers. “Tundra,” she said even quieter.

 

        “Tundra. That’s a nice name!”

 

        Tundra lowered her eyes and curled a bit into herself. For a moment, it looked like a little bit of pale pink had graced her cheeks. “Thanks.”

 

        Sensing the girl’s growing shyness, Ella decided there was only one thing that had to be done. “Do you wanna build a snowman together? You can be the one to decorate it.”

 

        Tundra said nothing for a full minute until finally answering, “Okay.”

 

        Ella smiled, happy she was now going to be making a new friend.

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

        Jack flew over the woods, eyes darting here and there trying to look for his daughter beneath the trees. All the while, he berated himself for not seeing something like this happening at some point. Ella took so much after him after all. It made sense she would do something reckless eventually. He just never expected it to happen so soon.

 

        There was no sign of her so far. It made the guardian worry more than he already was. That worry only grew exponentially when he caught movement in the distance in front of him. At first, it did not look like much. But as it moved closer, Jack noticed the familiar black shadows which slithered between the trees effortlessly. They were gaining ground fast, and they didn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon.

 

        The winter spirit became frantic. Diving below the tree line, he raced to find his daughter before the shadows did. It was almost funny how this day kept going even further downhill as it went on.

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

        Working together, Tundra and Ella were able to put the head on their snowman. Tundra then used her fingers to poke two eyes in and draw a smiley face. Ella provided her with some sticks she had found. They were used to give the snowman arms and an unusual makeshift nose. Once done, the girls stepped back to admire their work.

 

        Ella was the first to speak. “Looks good! What should we name him?” She looked over to Tundra who only shrugged in response. The poor girl hadn’t come fully out of her shell yet, but at least she was more willing to interact than before. “Yeah, maybe we should leave him as he is.” Suddenly, an idea came to Ella’s mind, shown only by the growing smile on her face. “You know, this was really fun. If you want, maybe we could play together again sometime?” she asked.

 

        Tundra turned to her, surprised. She then lowered her eyes to the ground as she became unsure. “You’d want to play with me again?”

 

        “Of course! We’re friends now, right?”

 

        Her words were a shock to say the least. It seemed that the black-haired girl had never had a friend before. Tundra’s eyes had shot up and stared in bewilderment. Ella had to do her best not to laugh due to how funny it made her face look. She waited patiently for an answer, which was unusual compared to her normal behavior. Normally, the white-haired princess hating anything having to do with waiting.

 

        Giving a tiny nod in affirmation, Tundra softly said, “Okay.”

 

        Ella whooped and cheered with joy. She’d succeeded in making a brand new friend. The feeling of sheer excitement was enough to make her hug the shy girl out of nowhere before dancing around in fast dizzying circles.

 

        Tundra watched silently, but her own joy was precedent in the small smile she had on her face. She’d actually enjoyed building that snowman with the hyperactive child. It was kind of refreshing in its own way. Sadly, such good feelings were not meant to last.

 

        The brunette’s eyes widened once again, but this time out of sudden fear. Ella wasn’t paying attention until she finally stopped dancing. She looked in her friend’s direction only to find she had disappeared. “Tundra?” No one answered. “Tundra! Hey! Where’d you go?!” She was about to start looking when shadows suddenly burst from behind the trees in front of her. The sight startled her so much that she fell backwards into the snow.

 

        “Ella! There you are!” Thankfully, that was when her father showed up too. He landed and ran to her aid, lifting her into his arms and holding her tightly. Jack Frost glared at the large shapeless masses in both anger and protectiveness of his little girl.

 

        Father and daughter watched as the shadows took shape before them. All but one morphed into horse-like nightmares, whinnying in agitation. They did not attack though. The last shadow took shape of the one person Ella never thought she would meet face to face. He was tall, thin and had abnormally pale gray skin. His figure was draped by a long black cloak. And those eyes—there was just something about their golden glow that was both chilling and familiar. She had never seen him before, but it was too clear who stood in front of them. His name was little more than a whisper on her tongue:

 

        “Pitch Black.”

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

        Jack stared Pitch down unblinking. He wasn’t sure why the tall man was here so close to Arendelle, but he knew it was better to keep his guard up. Part of him had to wonder though: Why show up now? Pitch had been more dormant than ever in recent years. It was as if the man had lost his drive, lost his interest in trying to bring down the Guardians. And yet, he still did his work as the boogeyman. It didn’t make sense.

 

        For now though, that wasn’t what mattered. What mattered was that Jack was currently the only thing standing between the other man and his daughter. He would be a fool to get distracted by his natural curiosity now.

 

        Pitch stood unmoving from where he first emerged, hands clasped behind his back and face painted in boredom. “Frost,” he greeted dully, “How unsurprising it is to see you again.”

 

        “What are you doing here, Pitch?” Jack had no patience for pleasantries at the moment. A small voice in his head berated him for not being able to use his staff, especially with there being a 5-year-old currently occupying his arms. What could he do? The man before him was known for his cunning—it would be easy for him to get ahold of Ella if she was set on the ground.

 

        The expression on the Nightmare King’s face melted into an unusually pleasant grin. “Calm yourself, Jack. I’m not here to cause any trouble…at least, not right now anyway.” He rolled his eyes and lightly chuckled at the last part.

 

        Jack scoffed. “Yeah. I highly doubt that.”

 

        “It’s the truth. If you really must know, I’m actually looking for something.” Pitch held out his hands placatingly. He noticed the tiny furrow in the winter spirit’s brow—obviously, his curiosity was beginning to et the better of him. Seeing this he continued, “I lost something of mine earlier this morning. It is quite precious to me, and I would give anything to have it back.”

 

        “Really? I never would’ve guessed you’d be the unorganized type. Maybe you should get better at taking care of your stuff then.” It was probably (and very likely) a bad idea for Frost to antagonize the man, but he couldn’t help it.

 

        Pitch didn’t respond but instead looked exasperated. “I am perfectly capable of doing so, thank you very much.” Here, his mouth twisted into a mocking grin. “I mean, it isn’t my fault that blizzards can be so destructive to begin with.”

 

        The barb did not go unnoticed. Glare turning into a full scowl, Jack did his best to compose himself. Getting angry would help no one. It would only make things worse.

 

        He was about to retort when something hidden behind a tree off to the side caught Pitch’s eye. The smile turned pleasant again, and the boogeyman walked over to retrieve it. “Ah! There it is.” He knelt down and picked something up, turning so that his back now faced away from the guardian. Jack tried to get at least a glimpse of what he held in his arms, but it was very well kept out of sight.

 

        Still turned away Pitch said, “Now that I have what came for, I’ll just be on my way. Have a good rest of the day, Frost.” He began walking back the way he’d come, his nightmares having waited patiently all this time.

 

        That was…completely and utterly unexpected. He was going to leave just like that? “Wait a sec!” he said, a bit confused. Pitch stopped and glanced back. “What are you planning?”

 

        The man in question raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure I follow.”

 

        “There’s no way you only came out here for some missing bobble. You’re not exactly the ‘sentimental’ type. As a matter of fact, you’re pretty far from home for this to be a coincidence. So, what really brings you out here?”

 

        The Nightmare King let out a long sigh and rolled his eyes. “Everyone needs a break from the usual every now and then, Frost. Even me. Sometimes, that means getting away from the everyday surroundings.” He faced forward and started walking again. “I’m tired of this conversation. Be on your way, Jack. Your daughter must be chilled to the bone by now.”

 

        It was said so genuinely, Jack was caught off guard until the words finally registered. It was then he realized that Ella had been quiet the whole time the two men were talking. Looking down at her face, he noticed she was shivering in his arms. Idiot! He scolded himself. With one last glare sent the boogeyman’s way, he turned and flew off back to Arendelle.

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

        Tundra held tightly onto her uncle’s collar as she watched her new friend fly off with the winter spirit. When she had first seen him flying overhead, she had been terrified. It was pure instinct that told her to hide behind that tree. Now she was safe, carried gently in her Uncle Pitch’s arms.

 

        Said uncle waited until a good full minute had passed before speaking. “You should know better than to fly off like that without someone to watch you.”

 

        “I-It wasn’t on purpose,” Tundra said. “I didn’t know the wind would blow that hard.”

 

        “Still, your parents have been very worried. You’re lucky my nightmares were able to track you down so easily. What if you had gotten hurt? What then?”

 

        The 5-year-old took the scolding as well as she could. She knew he spoke the truth. It didn’t make her guilt feel any better though. She buried her face in the man’s shoulder, mumbling out an apology. “I’m sorry, Uncle Pitch.”

 

        Pitch for his part brought up one hand to rub her back comfortingly. He spoke just as softly, “I know you are, dear. Just be more careful next time.”

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

        As Ella suspected, she received a real good scolding when she got home. That was of course after she got changed into fresh warm clothes and given a cup of hot cocoa. The resulting punishment was that she couldn’t go outside or leave the castle grounds for a while. That was kind of disappointing but she did break the rules after all. It was only fair.

 

        What really stayed on her mind from that day though was the fact she had made a new friend. Tundra was fun to be around. Incredibly shy, but fun. Ella could not wait until they could play together again. Maybe she could even bring her brother and cousins with her next time too. She was certain they would love meeting her. Speaking of, she had to tell Jacob about her.

 

        Later that night, Ella snuck out of her room to do just that. Reaching her brother’s, she quietly opened the door and climbed onto his bed. He was so familiar with her doing this that he woke up almost instantly. “Ella, go back to bed,” he said groggily. The little girl only smiled widely at him, and he groaned at the knowledge that she wouldn’t be doing that anytime soon. He sat up in bed, forcing himself to wake up a bit more. “Alright. What is it?”

 

        Ella could barely contain her excitement. Jacob learning about the mystery girl in the woods would be so great! Doing her best to stay at a whisper, she started her tale. “You will never guess what I found when I was in the woods…”

 

 

 

Fin

Notes:

If you want to read future chapters ahead of time, I'll be posting them on my DeviantArt page first as well. You can also go there to see art I've done of the characters. ^^

Chapter 8: A Distraught Chief

Summary:

A particularly rough night for Hiccup as old memories, old wounds, refuse to stay closed.

Notes:

Context at the end this time.....

            CRASH!

 

            “What’s happening?”

 

            “I’m not sure. Stay here while I check it out.”

 

            BOOM!

 

            “New Berk is on fire!”

 

            “Enemies coming in from the east!”

 

            “They’re coming from the south too!”

 

            “We’re surrounded on all sides!”

 

            BOOM!!! CRASH!!!

 

            “What do we do?!”

 

            “Get the young ones out of here! We’ll hold them off for as long as we can!”

 

            ROOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

            “The dragons! They’ve returned!”

 

            “Toothless!”

 

            CRASH!!!!!!!!!

 

            BOOM!!!!!!!!

 

            BOOM!!!!!!!!!

 

            “The whole place is coming down!”

 

            “No! I can save them!”

 

            “Hiccup!!!”

 

            “ASTRID—!!!!!!”

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

New Berk, 10 years after the Global Winter

 

            Hiccup instantly sat up in his bed, eyes shot wide open as he struggled to control his breathing. He brought up one hand to grip harshly in his hair. The other went to his bare chest which allowed him to feel as his heartbeat slowed back to normal. At the same time, his fingers traced the scar that had resided there for a long time now. Back and forth. Back and forth. One last deep breath and he was calm again.

 

            Or, he at least wasn’t completely.

 

            Bringing both hands in front of him, Hiccup saw just how much they were shaking. The distraught chief dropped them into his lap with a sigh. For what felt like a long while, he sat there unmoving. He felt both cold and numb at the same time. That dream did more than scare him. It made him realize something, something no husband and father would ever want to think about. Then suddenly, he felt like moving. There was now this need Hiccup had to go someplace not here—not the bedroom at least—to keep from dealing with the realization just a little longer. Putting on his boots beside the bed, the chieftain got up and made his way through and eventually out of the house.

 

            Unbeknownst to him, Merida had actually woken up shortly after he had. She didn’t move, didn’t speak. The redhead lay completely still and wrapped in her covers to allow her husband the time he needed to gather himself. This was not the first time she woke to him panicking. It did not occur often, but she was used to it and knew what to do. Don’t move. Don’t say anything. Let him come back to himself. That was the routine.

 

            When Hiccup got up from the bed, she still didn’t move. It was then she noticed Toothless was awake as well. Archer and dragon stared at each other with barely open eyes in silent understanding. They both waited, listening to the man’s footsteps become quieter. Only when the faint sound of a door opening then closing did either one finally move.

 

            Merida sat up in bed while Toothless walked over to her. He plopped his head in her lap, allowing her to gently pet him for a bit. This was how the two of them expressed their worry silently to each other, one that was very well founded. The last time Hiccup was like this was only two days ago. It was another two days before that, and a week before that. Three weeks. A month. Three months. A year. Clearly the nightmares were becoming more frequent. Toothless even started to take more nights away from his mate and hatchlings to watch over the human couple just in case. He always seemed to know when he may be needed. Merida however was at a loss.

 

            The red-haired archer was not known for being the best when it came to emotional talks. Don’t get her wrong. She was much better at handling feelings now as an adult than in her younger years (mainly due to having to deal with Rapunzel, Anna and Elsa so much in recent years). The real issue arose when it came to trauma. That was something she never fully touched on growing up. Sure, she had some of her own from the whole “bear fiasco” as a teenager, but she never had actually lost a loved one before. Not like the rest of her friends had.

 

            Gritting her teeth, and tired of feeling inadequate, Merida moved Toothless’ head from her lap and stood up. She slipped on her shoes, wrapped herself in one of the smaller blankets and headed downstairs. A very concerned Night Fury followed close behind her. Her hands balled into fists from her frustration before relaxing once again. She had to be calm when she approached her husband. It was time to address the problem directly and getting worked up would be no help to anyone.

 

            Merida only hoped that Hiccup would be in a talking mood once confronted.

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

            Sitting on the front porch of the house, Hiccup was slouched over with his face hidden in his hands. He made no sound, the rustling of a few Terrible Terrors in the nearby trees filling the silence in the night. It was strangely calming.

 

            Merida stood in the doorway watching him. Toothless stood by her mirroring her concern. Then the Night Fury stepped forward, but the redhead stopped him from approaching. He looked up at her and saw as she brought a hand down to slowly slide across his scaly head. Toothless saw it for what it was: a silent command to stay back.

 

            Seeing the dragon sit down in obedience, Merida walked out toward her husband. Calmly yet cautiously she set a hand on his shoulder. He flinched at the contact but relaxed the next second. Her hand seemed to ground him a bit.

 

            “I’m sorry,” Hiccup said barely above a whisper. “I didn’t mean to wake you again.”

 

            His wife sighed, lowering and sitting beside him. “I don’t blame you,” she started serenely. The hand she had on his shoulder started rubbing up and down his arm. “Things like this…they’re hard to get over.”

 

            “I just…I thought I was finally doing well. Then the dreams started to become more frequent and I—!” Hiccup sighed as if in defeat. “I just can’t stop thinking about them.”

 

            “And that’s okay. You’re not the only one. I miss Astrid too, and those little troublemakers of yours.” It was then Merida recalled the day when she first met Hiccup’s first wife. The two had gotten on so well for their shared love of sword fighting. And later, when the Viking pair had had their first child, Merida was named godmother. The loss of both the blonde and her children had been hard on everyone, including her, but nowhere near as much as Berk’s chief.

 

            He’d had nightmares of that day for weeks. Unable to eat, unable to sleep. It took the combined efforts of the Dragon Riders, the Guardians, and even herself to bring him out of his stupor. The nightmares then began to lessen, fully stopping shortly before the Global Winter. From then on, Hiccup seemed totally fine.

 

            “It’s not just that.” Attention returned to said chief when he spoke once more. “I thought I was doing fine. I felt fine! But for them to come back and so frequently…I feel like it’s a warning of something. Something doesn’t seem right.”

 

            The red-haired archer tilted her head curiosity. “What do you mean?”

 

            Hiccup did not look at her. “I don’t know. But…at least a part of me feels like history might be getting ready to repeat itself.” He turned and looked back at the house, eyes staring up toward a certain window.

 

            Merida followed his gaze, understanding quickly coming to her. She gently gripped her husband’s chin and turned him to face her. She looked him in the eye, a steel spark of determination in her own. “You won’t lose us. You will never lose us. Not while I have any say in it.”

 

            The brunette Viking wanted to believe her. With every fiber in his being he forced himself to believe in his wife’s words. A playful grin forming on his face, he couldn’t help but comment, “You are such a Momma Bear.”

 

            “You bet I am,” Merida smirked back. Standing up, she offered her hand to him. “Come on. Let’s try and get a little more sleep before we actually have to deal with the twins.”

 

            Hiccup took it, standing as well. “Angus isn’t so bad. Helga however tends to jump all over the walls.” He petted Toothless as they made their way inside, all three returning upstairs.

 

            “My dear husband, if only you would open your eyes. Angus is more like you than you may think.”

 

            As they both got into bed, Hiccup kissed her goodnight one last time. “Prove it and I’ll believe you.”

 

 

Fin

Notes:

So, a bit of explanation/context:

I actually like both pairings (Mericcup AND Hiccstrid). And so, being unable to leave one out while keeping the other, I found a way to have them both exist in my AU without conflicting.

So basically, the events of HTTYD did happen in my AU. Hiccup and Astrid got married and had their kids. Several years later after meeting some of the others of the Big Six is when things start to truly diverge. There was an attack on New Berk which led to the dragons returning to aid the Vikings. Unfortunately, that same attack led to the deaths of Astrid and her and Hiccup's kids.

Years later, at some point during the Global Winter, Hiccup falls in love with Merida. The two end up getting married later on and start their own family, and so it remains that way in present day.

So in conclusion, Astrid is Hiccup's first wife while Merida is his second wife.

 

If you want to read future chapters ahead of time, I'll be posting them on my DeviantArt page first as well. You can also go there to see art I've done of the characters. ^^

Chapter 9: Prince of Death

Summary:

While many would say that Rapunzel's powers are a blessing, the same cannot be said for her son......

Corona, 16 years after the Global Winter (Present Day)

 

            “Okay. Ready?” Rapunzel held a small bowl of grapes in her hands. Her smile was bright as she looked at the chameleon sitting in the dining table in front of her. At his nod, she tossed the bowl into the air, the grapes flying every which way. “Go!”

 

            Pastel shot his tongue out in rapid fire succession. One grape disappeared after the other before any could hit the ground, with the last one caught just an inch from the table’s surface. He grinned and lifted his head in triumph.

 

            Rapunzel clapped her hands gleefully. “That was amazing, Pastel! You’ve still got it!” Next to her, Eugene rolled his eyes in hidden fondness. He would have said something snarky, but he was too enraptured with the lemon pie sitting in front of him.

 

            The sound of a door opening got the royal couple’s attention. They turned their heads to the sound and spotted their son, Tod, walking in. He had a head of long blonde hair just like his mother that was tied back in a single thick braid. His eyes were the same chocolate brown as his father’s, only somehow more solemn. He walked up to the table, a medical book under his arm, and gave his parents a simple hello.

 

            “Where’ve you been all day, son?” Eugene asked.

 

            “Studying,” Tod said. He picked up a few slices of bread and some cheese. “The exam is in a few days. If I pass, I’ll be able to start an official apprenticeship.”

 

            “Oooh, that sounds so exciting!” Rapunzel happily replied.

 

            “I know, right? I can’t believe I’m going to become a healer.” Tod looked off into nothing, a wistful look on his face. His parents chuckled at the sight. Then, in the next moment, he turned and started walking back to the door. “Alright, see you guys tomorrow!”

 

            Eugene and Raps both were stunned. Tod was leaving already? “W-Wait!” Rapunzel called, “Tod, where are you going? Don’t you want to eat dinner first?”

 

            Tod stopped and turned back. “Um, well, I got some food here.” He gestured to the bread and cheese in his hand. “And, like I said, the exam’s in a few days. I need to study.”

 

            “Surely, you can take break,” Eugene interjected. He understood his son wanting to make sure he did his best, but he also knew there was such a thing as studying too much. “It’s not good to spend your all time studying, you know.”

 

            “I know but…I just…” A sigh. “I just really want to get that apprenticeship. And now that it’s so close, I’m afraid I’ll mess up if I relax too soon.” Tod hugged his textbook closer to his person like a lifeline. His eyes looked downward, refusing to meet those of his parents.

 

            A beat of silence passed. Husband and wife exchanged a look of understanding between them. They knew why this was so important to Tod. The truth behind him wanting to become a healer. However, they also did not want him to miss out on life. He was still so young, only sixteen. And yet, he kept depriving himself of enjoying the things so many others got to at his age. Despite their numerous attempts.

 

            Rapunzel opened her mouth to say something when a sudden kick in her belly made her jump in her seat. Startled, she put both hands to her stomach and laughed. “Looks like someone wants to join the conversation,” she said.

 

            Tod turned fully around then. Just in time to see his dad put a hand on his mother’s pregnant belly. The tension in the room faded and was replaced with joy. Seeing the smiles on his parents faces made Tod smile in turn. When he had first learned he was going to be a big brother, he panicked. Underneath that panic was giddiness though he tried not to show it. Looking at them now, it ensured him that his chosen path to becoming a healer was a good one. His smile brightened more when he saw Pastel crawl onto the spot where the baby kicked.

 

            His mother looked in his direction. “Would you like to feel the baby, Tod? I’m sure they’d be happy to get a hello from their big brother,” she asked.

 

            Suddenly, the happy air vanished. The tension returned full force. Tod’s smile slipped into a dreaded frown as his mind became lost in memories…

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

Two years ago…

 

            The infirmary was loud. Shouts of orders for medical supplies and screams of agony bounced off the walls. The place was so overfilled with injured soldiers it was a miracle the healers weren’t overwhelmed. Or maybe they were but were really good at not showing it. A 14-year-old boy stood in the entryway watching all the chaos. He noticed how some were patients were not even in beds but pallets on the floor if that. There were just not enough to go around.

 

            A hacking cough caught his attention. Tod turned his head and saw a wounded soldier propped up against the wall. Blood spewed from his mouth like a waterfall. He didn’t know what compelled him to do so, but the boy soon found himself approaching the man. Tod didn’t know what he could do to help, but he would do what he could.

 

            He reached out a hand and asked, “Um, sir? Are you alright? Do you need any help?”

 

            The man raised his head just enough to glance at the boy. Realizing who it was, he desperately pulled back as if burned. “GET AWAY FROM ME!!!” he shouted.

 

            Tod recoiled in shock. This was not the reaction he expected. Trying again, he gently spoke, “Please. You’re hurt. I only want to help.”

 

            “I don’t need any help from you!” the soldier spat. Each word held a deep level of venom within it. “Murderer!”

 

            Tod was frozen in place. He didn’t understand. That was only one time, and she never actually died! Oh, but rumors could be a dangerous thing once they spread past the safe walls of a castle and into the streets of a kingdom. He should have foreseen this, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

 

            “Your Highness!” One of the healers appeared next to him. They reached out to him, but the moment he glanced in their direction they stopped and pulled their hand back. The concern which was so prevalent on the healer’s face gained a tinge of fear. Tiny, yet still noticeable. It made the pain in Tod’s heart twist more than he thought it should.

 

            The healer then quickly escorted him back out into the hallway. He lingered for a moment before peaking back in at where the soldier was. That same healer had gone back to the man who was still coughing up blood. “You should know better than to speak in such a way towards the prince,” they scolded.

 

            The soldier sneered. “Why are you defending him? Huh? Everyone knows that anything he touches dies. What would you expect from the Prince of Death?”

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

            Tod came back to himself after what felt like a lifetime. Although, it seemed only a few seconds had passed based on his mother’s still cheerful expression. She looked at him with so much hope that it hurt. But he knew. He knew couldn’t touch without harming his unborn brother or sister. That was why he was working his butt off to become a healer.

 

            To be more than just his powers over death.

 

            To help people live.

 

            “I’m sorry but…I have to finish studying.” Tod turned around and continued toward the door. “I promise to see you at breakfast. Goodnight.”

 

            Rapunzel frowned and reached out a pleading hand. “Tod, wait please—!”

 

            The door shut with a loud thud, leaving the dining room in a solemn quiet.

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

            Later that night, as Tod finished the last chapter of his textbook, he wondered about what could have led to current events. He stared at the moon shining through his window, arms stretching above his head before dropping to his sides. It was probably best he got to bed now.

 

            Then, out of bored curiosity, he got an idea. It was the same idea he always had every now and then. An idea he knew was foolish but still could not keep himself from trying.

 

            Sitting on the edge of his bed, Tod undid his braid. He threaded his fingers through the golden locks that were so much like his mother’s, fanning it out around him. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and sang:

 

“Flower gleam and glow

Let your power shine

Make the clock reverse

Bring back what once was mine

Heal what has been hurt

Change the fate’s design

Save what has been lost

Bring back what once was mine

What once was mine.”

 

            Tod opened his eyes. All around him were long locks of hair bathed in misty black. Despite knowing the outcome, the useless hope which grew in his chest made the truth all more real when it died once again. As it always did. Tears ran down Tod’s face as he struggled not to break into sobs. He covered his face with his hands and curled into himself. His hair meanwhile turned back to its original golden, as if the deathly black it had been before never existed.

 

 

Fin

 

Notes:

For those of you wondering why I said Pastel instead of Pascal, well.....

Let's just say I looked up the life expectancy of chameleons while writing this and it made me sad. So, Pastel is basically the son of Pascal. He's fours years old.

Chapter 10: New Birth, Part 1

Summary:

Jack and Elsa welcome a new member into their family. However, that's not the only thing to come about.....

Notes:

Not my usual art style, but I thought it fit with the story of this short comic.

Two years after the Global Winter

Chapter 11: New Birth, Part 2

 

Chapter 12: New Birth, Part 3

Chapter 13: New Birth, Part 4

Chapter 14: Straight and True

Summary:

On a night of warding off potential invaders, are they really the true threat to New Berk?

New Berk, Present Day

 

      Just a few dozen miles north of New Berk, a bright light could be seen emanating from behind the horizon line. At first glance, some would think it was possibly a dragon attack or even the sun appearing in the wrong direction. Like a lantern put against the pitch black of the night sky.

 

 

       The faces of the villagers watching on told a different story however. Their expressions varied from worried to horrified, all knowing what that distant light truly meant.

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

       Everything was engulfed in fire. Berkian warriors clashed with those of an invading army, both sides evenly matched in both combat and dragon power. They struggled to keep their footing as the ships took on more water every minute, causing the wooden boards to become practically too slippery to stand on. Still the battle continued.

 

 

       One invader ran through the thick of it, waving his axe in preparation for a swing. He was swiftly knocked back, knocked out before he could get up again by the butt of a sword. Stood above the unconscious warrior was Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, a sword in each of his hands. Firelights danced wildly in his green eyes as he moved to counter to another enemy’s attack before shouting a command to his forces. “Push them back! We can’t let them get to New Berk!” He fought off three more before he was unexpectedly shoved to the ground.

 

 

      Winded, he stared up into the face of an armored Nadder growling down at him. It opened its mouth, ready to shower Hiccup with a face-full of fire. A plasma blast hit into the dragon’s side at the last second, sending the barrage of flames into the wood next to the chieftain’s head instead. A large Night Fury with glowing blue streaks down its body now stood between the man and the Nadder. Several more blasts sent the spiny reptile flying off in defeat.

 

 

       Hiccup stood, patting the Night Fury’s side before retrieving his swords. “Thanks, Toothless. Maybe next time don’t cut it so close though,” he said.

 

 

       Toothless gave an underlying grunt in the middle of his growling from all the fighting still going on around them.

 

 

       Just then, a large rotund viking on the back of a Gronkel hovered just above them. He called out, “Hiccup!”

 

 

       “How are things looking, Fishlegs?” the chief answered.

 

 

       Before responding, Fishlegs lifted his shield to block an incoming arrow and some flying debris. His Gronkel, Meatlug, sent a lava blast at some armored dragons not far off who had dog-piled one of their own. “Not good. We can’t keep this up all night! If things don’t calm down soon—”

 

 

       “I know!” Hiccup mounted Toothless. He scanned their surroundings with a now much more worried expression. “Have you seen the twins recently?”

 

 

       “No. We all lost track of them shortly after the fighting started.”

 

 

       Something sounded then. It was so loud and so low that it rumbled like an earthquake. Even while sitting atop his dragon, Hiccup could feel the vibrations of it as clear as water. Toothless himself stood on edge, muscles tense and teeth bared in a ferocious snarl. A threat neither had yet to see but already knew what it was.

 

 

       Fishlegs gripped his helmet panicking, Meatlug sharing in his fear. He was thankful to still be aware just enough to shield from another incoming blow. “Time’s up,” he whispered in a shaky voice.

 

 

       Hiccup stared in horror when unnatural black clouds appeared and surrounded the ships. It was only a matter of time now until the inevitable happened. Struggling to contain his ever-growing panic, he shouted to Fishlegs, “Have everyone fall back! Take any able dragons left and get to safety! And Fishlegs…” here, the fire turned into a raging blaze in his eyes, “…find my kids and get them out of here!” Right after, he and Toothless took off into the night sky.

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

       On the other side of the battle and just a few minutes earlier, a pair of twins fought back to back against the endless oncoming horde. One twin, a boy with short wavy red hair, did his best to conserve the arrows in his quiver as much as possible. Resorted to using his bow like a club instead when an enemy got too close. The other twin, a girl with long wavy brown hair, took whoever came her way head on. A broad sword in her hands, she swung with rage-filled abandon.

 

 

       Angus and Helga, the indisputable children of the Berkian chief.

 

 

       “See Dad anywhere yet?” Angus yelled over all the commotion. He ducked to evade an incoming mace before using his bow to trip up its owner. Popping back up, he then pulled out one of his arrows and shot at a second invader.

 

 

       Helga meanwhile was just able to counter her own opponent. She sent them reeling over a railing with a final kick to the gut. “Nope! Not yet,” she yelled back. With a roar, she proceeded to then knock back three more armored men. “Which reminds me, how angry do you think he’ll be that we ran off?”

 

 

       Angus in the meantime had been trying to bring down an armored dragon. He lost eight more arrows until he realized it was only taunting him. It flew off shortly after. “Would that be before or after he hugs us to death?” His sister could be heard laughing behind him before focusing back on the battle.

 

 

       Just then, a very familiar Light Fury swooped in form above. Her plasma blasts scattered the encircling enemies in seconds. With that done, she then turned her attention to the twins. The two had less than a second to take in her sudden appearance before she was urging then to get on her back. Both refused, worried about this unusual action.

 

 

       “Whoa, girl. What’s wrong?” Helga asked. It was an honest question, seeing as the Light Fury normally never let anyone ride her. Not even their father, the famous Dragon Master, was allowed on her back except for when things were dire.

 

 

       Angus narrowed his eyes at Toothless’ mate. He soon noticed how her head would constantly turn back to the dark clouds rolling in and surrounding the ships. Even he could tell that something about them felt unnatural, like a cover for an incoming ambush. “Helga—”

 

 

       A roar louder than they had ever heard sounded all around them. Its rumbling was so great they could feel it deep inside their very bones. It was not only them that felt it either. All around the battlefield, ally and enemy alike paused in their fighting to turn their heads to the sky. No one moved. No one spoke a word.

 

 

       Another roar broke the tense silence. Blackened clouds lit up only by the flames of the ships shifted oddly. Curtains pulling apart to unveil something horrid.

 

 

       And horrid it most certainly was.

 

 

       The…thing…didn’t even have to reveal its entire body. Out of the darkness came a monstrous face the size of all the ships combined. Glowing red eyes with matching teeth glared down at the frightened onlookers. Smoke billowed continuously from its nostrils, adding to the thickness of the clouds.

 

 

       Down below, everyone scrambled when the unknown dragon let out another earth-shattering roar. Some made to run to safety while others tried to fight the creature though futile. The only things which could describe it were nothing less than pure panic and utter chaos. Even the dragons from both sides of the previous conflict weren’t any better off.

 

 

       Meanwhile, Helga, Angus and the Light Fury stood in the middle of it all. Staring up at the monster before them, the brunette of the group said, “So…we were getting out of here, right?”

 

 

       Angus’ eyes were just as wide until they shifted into a determined glare. He then noticed a tall mast farther ahead that was still standing. The structure gave him an idea, a truly risky one in fact. “…No.”

 

 

       Helga spun her head in her brother’s direction. “What?”

 

 

       “No,” he repeated. “We stop it here or we all die.”

 

 

       “But how—”

 

 

       “I’ve got a plan. Don’t worry.” The redhead ran up to the Light Fury and lightly stroked her large head. He then looked her right in the eye. “Can you get me up there, girl? Please?” Angus pointed to the mast, the dragon glancing where he gestured. She rumbled her agreement and he quickly climbed onto her back.

 

 

       Helga, unsure called out to him just before he could take off. “W-Wait! Are you sure whatever you’re thinking will work?”

 

 

       Angus gave the girl a pointed look. “It’ll have to.” Then the two took off.

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

       Hiccup and Toothless flew over the sea of panicked Vikings and dragons with one goal in mind: find the twins. The former of the duo called his children’s names repeatedly, growing ever more restless with every moment that passed where he still did not see them. He hoped they were already somewhere safe but a part of him knew they were as stubborn as he was. It was times like this he wished neither of them took so much after him and their mother.

 

 

       Another roar from the giant beast now plaguing them caused Hiccup to turn his gaze in its direction. However, in doing so, he spotted something that practically made his heart freeze.

 

 

       There, riding atop a Light Fury, was a boy with a familiar mop of hair and quiver on his back. The worst of it being they were flying toward the monstrous dragon.

 

 

      “ANGUS! NO!” Hiccup shouted. He urged Toothless on, now hoping he would reach his son before he did something else beyond reckless.

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

       Flying on a wild Light Fury turned out to be very different from that of a tamed dragon. Angus did his best to hang on, but there were still more than enough instances where he nearly lost his grip and fell. Moving through clouds of smoke and climbing flames did not help matters either. The only thing from the experience he was grateful for was not having to worry about steering. The Light Fury seemed to have that handled well enough all on her own. Although, barely missing several dragons and broken wooden structures on the way was not exactly fun.

 

 

       Just as they were about to reach the mast though, the enormous beast in front of them blasted a wave of fire straight across the edge of the gathered ships. Archer and dragon quickly veered around as everything below was consumed in flames.

 

 

       Well, almost everything.

 

 

       Angus saw how the mast continued to stand strong and tall. A wooden beam, a yardarm, holding one of its sails hung a bit lopsided. The plan in his head become much clearer, and he knew just what he had to do. “Come on, girl. We got this. Come on,” he said to the Light Fury, encouraging her to keep going.

 

 

       As she turned back towards their target, she just skimmed the top of the flames. Angus, spotting a horn attached to a burning pole, leaned down and snatched it. Afterward, they finally reached the mast. Right on time too as another wave of fire came in their direction. The duo took refuge behind a metal section of the structure and waited it out. Seconds that felt like minutes went by, but soon it was over.

 

 

       Angus dismounted and grabbed onto the mast. The Light Fury gave a worried grumble, prompting him to look back at her. “It’ll be okay. I know what I’m doing…hopefully.” He then gave her one last pet before sending her off. “Go on. Get Helga out of here.”

 

 

       With that, the Light Fury flew off. Angus watched her go for a moment, wearing a resigned expression. He then began climbing the mast until he reached the nest. One end of the yardarm was raised to be adjacent from it. He looked out to the end of it while reaching back over his shoulder. It took some feeling around, but he eventually grabbed a single arrow in hand. The last one.

 

 

       Bow over one arm and an arrow clutched in the opposite hand, he climbed out of the nest and walked out to the end of the yardarm. Once there, Angus brought up the horn he’d collected and blew. Everyone down below and flying above went quiet, turning to watch him. He only cared about one creature’s attention however—the humungous face which was now slowly turning towards him. Dropping the horn into the flames far below, he readied his bow. Lastly, he took a capsule of Zippleback gas off his belt—stolen (ahem, borrowed) from his dad—and tied it to his final arrow before nocking it. One single stomp at the already weakened rope caused it to snap, making the yardarm begin to slowly tip downward.

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

       Hiccup was just several meters away from reaching his son when he realized what he was up to. He stopped where he was, Toothless hovering in midair. It was then, in this very moment, that the chieftain knew he could not interfere. Only look on in steadily increasing worry with a tinge of hope that the younger Viking’s plan worked.

 

 

       Unbeknownst to him, his daughter Helga also watched on from her place below on the ruined deck.

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

       The descent felt so slow. Yet despite that, Angus made sure to hold steady. His aim unshakingly kept toward the dragon’s face. It opened its mouth excruciatingly slowly, a faint glow appearing at the back of its throat.

 

 

       Starting out as a murmur then growing into a confident command, Angus uttered one word: “Wait…wait…wait…”

 

 

       Down below and watching, Helga chanted with him. “…Wait…wait…wait…”

 

 

       “…wait…wait…” The yardarm eventually stopped lowering, catching on another. Angus wobbled for just a moment but quickly fixed his stance.

 

 

       The mouth opened wider. The faint orange glow within now burned nearly as bright as daylight.

 

 

       “…wait…wait…wait…”

 

 

       A deep growly inhale sounded.

 

 

       “NOW!”

 

 

       Angus loosed his arrow without any hesitation. It flew straight and true right into the dragon’s mouth. Coming into contact with the intense fire inside, the capsule tied to the arrow burst open. From it came an explosion which was amplified by the already existing flames. Within a matter of seconds, the beast’s entire mouth was overtaken by fire. It let out an earth-shattering roar of pain before pulling away.

 

 

       Angus watched on from his perch as the face of the beast retreated. And in only a few minutes, the monstrous dragon was gone. The only sign of its departure was the absolute silence.

 

 

       Then, like a mighty thunderclap, warrior and dragon alike on both sides of the previous conflict cheered in triumph. Angus let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, his shoulders sagging in relief. He looked back at the celebrating crowd and spotted first his sister. She was smiling brightly with two big thumbs up. Next was his father, who was flying swiftly in his direction. A knowing grin was on his face.

 

 

      Pulling up next to the teen Hiccup said, “I don’t know whether to ground you or hug you to death.”

 

 

       “Please ground me. I don’t have enough energy left to endure a bone-crushing hug right now.” Angus said it in such a monotonous tone he was almost taken seriously.

 

 

       Hiccup laughed then held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s go get your sister and head home.”

 

 

       Angus took the offered hand and was pulled onto Toothless’ back, sitting behind his dad. He knew they still had to deal with the invaders, but he figured it might be a whole lot easier now that both sides had been united in mutual terror.

 

 

       Whatever the case, father and son were just glad the entire ordeal was over. At least for now.

 

 

 

 

 

Fin

Chapter 15: Can't Hurt Me

Summary:

A super small interlude into the emotions of a 14-year-old Tod.

Less of a chapter and more of an excerpt.

Corona, 14 years after the Global Winter

 

Tod: "No, Mother! Stop!"

 

Rapunzel: "It's alright, sweetie. It'll be okay."

 

Tod: "Please...I don't want to hurt you."

 

Rapunzel: "And you won't."

 

(Rapunzel grabs her son's hands and pulls him closer before bringing their foreheads into contact with each other.)

 

Tod: "No! What are you doing?!"

 

(Rapunzel ignores him and starts singing. Her hair starts glowing in contrast to how her son's hair turns black when he sings.)

 

Tod: (goes wide-eyed) "W-what...?"

 

Rapunzel: (smiles) "See? It's okay. You can't hurt me. You can't."

 

(Tears form in Tod's eyes and spill over. The same happens with Rapunzel. She smiles at her son before the two fully embrace in a hug.)

 

Chapter 16: When Reality Hits

Summary:

The exam results for the healer’s apprenticeship are in.

Notes:

Super short chapter, but a necessary one!

 

Also, sorry for the months-long hiatus. I kinda got caught up in other projects I'm doing.

Corona, Present Day

 

            Tod sprinted through the corridors of the palace as fast as he could. He was so focused on reaching his destination he nearly bulldozed over a few servants who had to jump out of the way. A wide grin stretched across his face, and it was for one reason only:

 

 

            The exam results were in.

 

 

            This was it. This was the day Tod would finally find out if he got to become an official healer’s apprentice! He had studied for months, rechecking and re-rechecking his work for any mistakes before fixing them. So, by the time the day of the exam arrived, he believed the questions easy. That was two weeks ago. Only earlier in the morning today were the results just posted outside the healing wing.

 

 

            Arriving right before lunch, he spotted the board on the wall as a couple other test takers were leaving. Tod searched frantically for his name. It didn’t take long being the twentieth name on the list of dozens. Next to it was a single word: passed.

 

 

            Tod’s grin somehow grew even wider. Excitement sparkled in his chocolate brown eyes—it took all his effort to not dance around in circles. Now that he was going to be a healer’s apprentice, he was one step closer in proving he was no threat to the people of Corona. I am no Prince of Death, he chanted in his head. A mantra he repeated to himself ever night for the past month.

 

 

            A man just then exited the healing wing. The crest of a master healer was emblazoned on the front right of his shirt. His black hair was coiffed in the back while two long bangs hung beside each temple in the front. A pair of silver-rimmed half-moon glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. He looked worried.

 

 

            Tod recognized him immediately. “Healer Eulyss!” he called. “Good afternoon!”

 

 

            The man, Eulyss, startled at the teenager’s greeting. The furrow in his brow creased further, making the worry more pronounced. “Prince Tod. A good afternoon to you as well.”

 

 

            “You can say that again. I saw that I passed!” The young royal proclaimed, unaware of the healer’s worry. “I can’t wait to start my apprenticeship. This is so great!”

 

 

            Eulyss hummed, his eye temporarily darting to the side before meeting the prince’s again. “Yes, well…about that…”

 

 

            There was a pause. Tod waited for the man to gather his thoughts with a tilt to his head.

 

 

            “Your apprenticeship has been rejected.”

 

 

            Everything suddenly turned cold despite the sun rays shining in through the windows. Cracks formed somewhere deep inside Tod’s being as the smile he wore crumbled. “W-What? But…but I passed the exams. My name is right there on the list!” he waved a hand at said list.

 

 

            The healer sighed then explained, “It is true you passed. However, the Healers’ Guild believed it would be too…detrimental…to allow you to continue in this profession.”

 

 

            “Detrimental?”

 

 

            “Well, what with your reputation and all, the heads of the guild believed…”

 

 

            The rest of Eulyss’ words faded out of existence. Whatever was cracking within Tod completely shattered, leaving a full numbness in its wake. He turned and walked away. The healer’s calls were silent to him—cotton filled his ears. Eyes were open but they could not see anything in front of them. And by the time he focused back into reality, he was already standing in front of his door.

 

 

            Making the trek all the way back to his room took a long time. But for him, he may as well have blinked and teleported there. Closing the door behind him, Tod beelined for his bed and sat down. Hands came up and undid his braid, allowing the hair to tumble out around him in a messy golden curtain. Boots were kicked off without a care. All movement ceased afterward. There was nothing else to do.

 

 

            Nothing mattered anymore.

 

 

            Nothing was anymore.

 

 

            Tod couldn’t even cry. It wouldn’t have done anything anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fin

Chapter 17: Meeting in Cold Shadows, Part 1

Summary:

The Frost Siblings have a secret, one which they have kept closely guarded from their parents since they were children. One which would send all of the Guardians into a frenzy if found out.

 

Tundra has a secret she's kept from her family since she was a little girl. But is it as guarded as she thinks it is?

Arendelle Woods, 7 Years After the Global Winter

 

            “C’mon, c’mon!” Ella called, tugging at her brother’s arm.

 

 

            Jacob rolled his eyes as his sister dragged him through the woods. This was the eighth time she had taken him on this trek. And at this point, he was already tired of it. The first time was a week after that whole snowball fight debacle. She wouldn’t stop yapping his ear off about this ‘new friend’ of hers. So, eventually becoming annoyed with her numerously repeated story, he relented to having her let him meet this person.

 

 

            Hence, why they were in the woods now.

 

 

            The two siblings soon stopped in their trek. Jacob wasn’t sure why. Everything looked exactly the same as when they entered—snow-covered trees and rocks, snow on the ground, snow everywhere the eye could see—until he noticed the lone snowman. It was such a random thing to be found in the forest. The young prince guessed this was the location then, though it was quite far out in the middle of nowhere.

 

 

            He tuned back in when hearing Ella yell out into the wilderness. “Tundra! Tundra! Are you here?” She darted from one spot to another, calling out in different directions. Each time was met with silence.

 

 

            Jacob crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. Clearly, no one was out here but them. Therefore, he figured he would humor his little sister for just a few more minutes before heading back. It was cold and surely almost lunchtime.

 

 

            Then, right as he was about to call his sister’s name, Jacob sensed something. A chill started at the nape of his neck and slid down his spine. It did not feel like the normal kind of cold he got from his parents. This was something different, darker, more sinister. And yet, also a tickling edge of curiosity. Suddenly, Jacob had the urge to grab his sibling and run. No looking back, only going forward.

 

 

            In the next moment, the feeling of danger was gone. Only the small bit of curiosity remained. The young prince relaxed, unaware his body had tensed, and turned around. Peeking from behind a tree was a head of black hair and one deep-blue-almost-black eye. Briefly, he thought he caught the flickering gold for a second.

 

 

            “There you are!” Once again, Ella’s voice brought him back to reality. She fearlessly ran up to the stranger behind the tree. Some quiet words were shared before she then pulled them out from their hiding spot.

 

 

            Jacob was unsure if it was a good or bad thing that Ella’s new friend was real. Currently though, he was more shocked than anything. Now that they were closer, he could see it was a little girl about Ella’s age. Her unfamiliar appearance was enough to tell she was not from around these parts. However, it was the eyes which held Jacob’s attention the most. There was something about them, dark and hidden, but simultaneously not meaning any true harm.

 

 

            Ella stood to the side between, a wide grin on her face. “Jacob, meet my friend Tundra. Tundra, this is my brother Jacob.”

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

Arendelle Castle, Present Day

 

            Another sunny day in the kingdom, another day of attending to royal duties. Jacob had just finished helping his mother in a meeting with several guild masters and was now looking forward to an afternoon of relaxation. It was not often the crown prince had much free time these days, only becoming less as he got older. Now at 17, he was lucky enough to get at least half a day off once every couple weeks.

 

 

            Exhausted from the workload, Jacob was more than happy when finally reaching his bedroom. Maybe a quick nap was what he needed right before dinner in the evening. He slipped off his shoes and trudged over to the bed, dropping unceremoniously on top of it. The thought of properly undressing and getting under the covers crossed his mind, but the teen decided it was too much work. Simply laying splayed out on top of the duvet was comfortable enough. His eyes slowly drifted closed, more than glad to be entering the dream world…

 

 

            SLAM!

 

 

            “JACOB, ARE YOU FREE NOW?!”

 

 

            And just like that, the long-awaited bliss of sleep was lost. Jacob groaned into the pillows yet refused to move. Maybe if he pretended not to hear her and stayed as still as possible she would eventually go away. Footsteps swiftly padding across carpet made him tense up. A dip in the mattress sent his hope further crumbling, and a pair of hands on his shoulders caused the remaining pieces to fly away in the wind. Accepting his fate, he succumbed to the violent shaking like a very sad ragdoll.

 

 

            “Jake, come on! Get up already!”

 

 

            He groaned five seconds later, the sound telling her he was awake so she would stop. Turning his face to the side, Jacob saw the grinning freckled face of his sister Ella. Her bright blue eyes stared back at him enthusiastically, and he found himself jealous of her high energy. It must have been nice to not have so many royal obligations to take care of.

 

 

            Still tired and now also grumpy, the older teen turned away and tried to bury himself deeper into the bed. “Leave me alone, Ella,” he grumbled.

 

 

            Unfortunately for him, Ella did no such thing. She instead shook him again, this time grabbing fistfuls of his shirt collar. “No can do, big bro! We’ve got things to do, places to be!” she pouted when he still resisted moving. “Get up already!”

 

 

            “I already did the things I needed to do today,” Jacob bemoaned. He was barely heard due to his voice being muffled by the pillows. Somehow, it was just clear enough for his sister to understand.

 

 

            For a moment, nothing else happened. There was no more. Shaking or pulling. Ella had gone completely silent. Jacob then felt movement until the extra weight disappeared from the bed. He briefly thought she’d finally left him be, but no. That didn’t make sense. Having grown up with the younger teen taught the prince she was far more stubborn than that. So then, why was she leaving? He got his answer soon after.

 

 

            Suddenly, Jacob experienced a huge shock to his system as extremely cold temperatures covered his whole body. He popped up with a shout and flipped over to a sitting position. Eyes wide, he saw how his bed was now entirely blanketed in a thick layer of snow. Ella stood at the foot, smile brimming with amusement though she tried to hold back actual laughter. Her staff hung loosely from her hands in front of her.

 

 

            Shock turned to anger and annoyance the next second. “Are you cray?!” Jacob shouted. Those emotions doubled once realizing he now had to worry about his bed being ruined.

 

 

            Ella subtly winced, the only sign of her having even a shred of remorse. Other than that, she kept her grin. “You know you could just vanish the snow, right?”

 

 

            Jacob scowled at her. That may have been true for most of it, but he could already feel how some of the snow melted into his clothes and the sheets. Nevertheless, he vanished the remaining frozen pile with a wave of his hand. Afterward, there was no point trying to take a nap anymore, so he got out of the soggy bed.

 

 

            The blond boy turned to the white-haired girl and crossed his arms. His scowl turned into a full glare. “What do you want this time, Ella?”

 

 

            Ella tilted her head saying, “Huh. You’re not as mad as I thought you were.”

 

 

            “Oh no, I’m mad.”

 

 

            “Oh.”

 

 

            “And tired. Too tired to do much of anything in fact. Honestly Sis, I am just altogether done with everything and everyone for the day. So…” Jacob stepped closer to the other teen and hissed, “What. Do. You. Want.”

 

 

            Sensing the impending danger if she didn’t’ get to the point, Ella proceeded to explain herself. “I was sitting on a balcony, gazing out at the forest beyond the fjord, when I saw an ice cracker go off in the distance. I wanted to send a message back so I came here to get your help.”

 

 

            Jacob rubbed his temples. “You still don’t know how to do it yourself?”

 

 

            “No!” Ella threw her hands in the air, exasperated. “I do exactly like you and Mom taught me, but it won’t work no matter how hard I try.” She then clasped her hands together and did her best puppy dog impression. “Now will you please help?”

 

 

            Groaning in frustrated resignation, Jacob agreed. So long peaceful afternoon, it seemed. “Fine. But after I do this for you, I want you to leave me alone until dinner. Deal?”

 

 

            “Deal!” Ella cheered before happily rushing out the door.

 

 

            The sleepy prince shuffled along after her. A passing thought of changing out of his wet clothes first came to mind. He didn’t care. He could freeze them once outside and be able to remove the frost easily then.

 

 

            Even that seemed like a lot of work. Perhaps his mother would let him take a mini vacation in the foreseeable future. Yeah, that sounded nice.

 

 

 

 

 

To Be Continued

Chapter 18: Meeting in Cold Shadows, Part 2

Arendelle Woods, Present Day

            Standing like a sentinel on a random tree branch, a lone teenage girl watched the skies unblinking. The wind swept past her mildly, just enough to cause her black hair and brown skirt to lightly sway. Birds chirped farther off somewhere in the expanse of forest, but she paid no mind. Her eyes remained focused on the clouds.

 

            It had been thirty minutes since Tundra sent up an ice cracker. It was now a waiting game. That was fine. She already spent the last few weeks waiting until she finally had a free day herself. A few more minutes or even hours would be nothing.

 

            Her patience did eventually pay off. An ice cracker emerged from beyond the tree line, exploding with a distant pop. Tundra grinned happily. Now that she’d gotten a response back, it was time to head home. It had been a long time since she last got to hang out with her friends, so she needed to prepare properly for tonight.

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

Unknown Area

            Way far north, hidden in the snowy mountains, a magnificent ice palace quietly resided. Unlike the Snow Queen’s which stood proud and reflected a sense of loneliness, this one was darker and begged for isolation. The shadows of the surrounding peaks rendered its icy walls almost invisible. Any light that did reach it was little, reflecting only off of several corners and a couple tower tops. The only signs that gave away the structure’s existence.

 

            Yet where the outside was dark and unwelcoming of visitors, the same could not be said for the inside. Within the walls of the ice palace, crystal-like chandeliers absorbed the sunlight. In turn they glowed, creating warm colors that filled the various rooms. Most of the rooms were homey—a family room, bedrooms, a kitchen, a study. The one exception was a massive ballroom in the heart of the castle. Ironic, seeing as no balls ever occurred there.

 

            But who would inhabit such a place so contradictory in design? Well, no one would ever suspect the Black Family.

 

            Dinner had just finished, and now the small family of three were splitting off to each do their own thing. There were sometimes two extra members present. However, that was not the case tonight. One of those missing tended to not stay in one place for very long. While the other was probably lurking around in the shadowy corners. Such was a normal occurrence with them.

 

            Tundra for her part was too occupied to pay attention to these things for long. She hurried to her bedroom and closed the door behind her softly. Her room was decently sized, rectangular in shape. A mahogany wardrobe stood against the wall opposite the door. Between them against the adjacent wall was a small shelf filled with books. Stuffed animals of varying sizes and either colored black, grey or purple were assembled on top in a neat row. On the other side of the wardrobe a few feet away were a black wooden nightstand and bed. A lamp stood on top of the nightstand while the bed was covered in purple fluffy pillows and a giant black comforter patterned with white snowflakes. Opposite the bed was a vanity, also black, with a decent-sized mirror. Lastly, at the other end of the bedroom, was a pair of double doors leading out to a balcony. They were currently closed.

 

            Heading straight to her bed, Tundra got down to her knees next to it. She reached underneath until her hand grabbed something which felt like a leather strap. Pulling it out revealed it was attached to a dark brown satchel. The dark-haired teen stood and put it over her shoulder before walking to her wardrobe. From it she pulled out a couple cloth pieces and some trinkets, quickly stuffing them in the satchel. Now, she was ready.

 

            Tundra then walked to her balcony door. A gust of freezing wind greeted her when they were opened. She walked out and closed the doors as quietly as possible. Her hair whipped around as the wind briefly picked up. She breathed it in and smiled, the stars twinkling in the night sky like gems. The new moon was almost here—a good enough cover for sneaking out.

 

            Tundra climbed onto the railing. Then, throwing caution to the wind, she leaned forward until she was fully falling. Her eyes closed, simply feeling the air rush past her. In the next moment, her eyes popped open and she flew through the air with ease. Her smile turned into a full-on laugh. Next stop: Arendelle.

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

Northern Arendelle Woods, Midnight

            It was a long flight—nearly took two whole hours to get there—but she finally made it. Tundra landed right at the edge of the forest, the strap of her satchel grasped tightly in hand. She cautiously stepped beneath the trees’ shade. The stars in turn became less visible. It was a lot quieter than in the day, but still quite alive. A squeak of a bat overhead, a few reindeer not far off feeding on grass, the eerie hoot of an owl that seemed to echo from everywhere. Unlike the daytime where sound was more busy and on the move, nighttime was more calming and subtle. Tundra loved it.

 

            Footsteps soon caught her ear and she turned in their direction. There were two sets, one lighter than the other. She knew them well after hearing them for nine years. The timid teen smiled as two more teenagers joined her. Ella, her freckles prominent and grin achingly wide, was as spritely as ever. Jacob, looking tired but mostly happy to be here anyway, seemed to have gotten taller. These were Tundra’s best friends.

 

            She softly greeted them with a shy wave of her hand, “Hi, guys.”

 

            Ella responded first. With no hesitation, the white-haired girl rushed forward and wrapped the former in a squeezing hug. “Tundra! How have you been? It’s been too long since we last hung out!”

 

            “I’ve been fine. Things are pretty quiet at home.” Her voice remained soft during their exchange. At the same time, Tundra looked over her friend’s shoulder at Jacob. He was smiling at her, and suddenly there was red blooming across her cheeks. It spread further when he chuckled. Clearly, he noticed her flustered state.

 

            Ella eventually let go, allowing her dark-clad friend to pull back. She then noticed the obvious blush too and her grin turned teasing.

 

            Tundra did her best to ignore her as she stepped toward Jacob. Her voice became softer, “Good to see you again, Jacob.”

 

            The older teen smiled kindly at her. A hand came up to pat her shoulder. “Hey, Tundra. I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”

 

            Tundra didn’t answer verbally, but rather gave a slight nod of her head. A tiny ball of warmth had ignited in her chest as it always did at the young man’s words. Why was it so hard to talk around him sometimes? Having a huge crush on him did not help matters either. A crush, by the way, that he was fully aware of.

 

            Thankfully, the tension was broken by Ella pulling on the back of her sweater. “So, did you bring ‘em? I know you said before you were working on them. Did you finish? Can we see?”

 

            Tundra gave a quiet laugh. “Hold on. Just give me a moment to get them.” Opening the flap of her satchel, she carefully sifted through the various items inside. Eventually, she pulled out something small enough to fit in her hand. It was a snowman, a fabric-sewn snowman doll. But it was…odd. Rather than being the typical white, it was orange. Thick black lines ran down its body from top to bottom. The nose was brown, the eyes blue beads, and a green knitted leaf was stitched atop its head. Overall, the doll looked more like a pumpkin man than a snowman.

 

            The siblings stared down at the plush, confused. The younger made a puzzled grunt in the back of her throat. The older meanwhile chose to voice his. “Uh…not exactly what I was expecting but okay.”

 

            The blush came back full force. Tundra fiddled with the doll in her hands, unsure now if it would be accepted. She tried to explain, “I-I didn’t have any white fabric left, so I thought I’d make do with some other colors. I know it isn’t a traditional snowman but…” She trailed off into silence. Any confidence she had left her. Her eyes turned downcast.

 

            Another pair of hands appeared in her vision and gently pulled the doll out of her hold. Timid dark blue orbs looked up to see Ella. The other girl held the doll delicately, her grin softening into something warmer. “I love it.”

 

            “You do?” Tundra asked.

 

            Ella nodded. “It’s unique. I never would have thought of making a snowman out of pumpkins. Makes me wanna try that with actual pumpkins sometime!”

 

            Seeing Jacob give his own nod of agreement, Tundra could not help returning a smile of her own. Some of her confidence came back as well. She took another quick glance at the snowman doll, and was suddenly reminded of her other projects. “Oh, yeah! I almost forgot. I made others too.” Reaching into her satchel again, this time she pulled out a blue snowman doll littered with tiny sky-blue dots. The nose was black and the eyes were yellow beads. A turquoise crown sat on top of its head. Tundra checked it over one last time for any flaws in the stitching before handing it to Jacob. “This one is for you.”

 

            Jacob tenderly held it in his larger hands as he admired the craftsmanship. His mouth then turned into a humorous smirk. “Let me guess. This is an ‘ice king’ snowman, right?”

 

            Tundra nodded once more, her face dusted a light pink. “…Yeah.”

 

            The smirk shifted to a genuine smile. “Thanks. It’s perfect.”

 

            Happy both her friends liked their gifts, Tundra felt more assured about the rest of the dolls she had made. Although, she believed it was better to hold off on showing them. “I made a few more for the others, but I’ll save those as a surprise.”

 

            “Oh, good idea!” Ella answered, “But, I don’t know when we’ll all be together again to do that.”

 

            Jacob rolled his eyes. “Did you forget about the Rulers’ Gathering coming up? Our family is hosting this year.”

 

            Ella gasped, enthused. “That’s right! Rulers, dignitaries and the like will be coming from everywhere for it. It will be the perfect time to give the rest of our friends their gifts!”

 

            The mention of actually going to Arendell Castle, let alone the overwhelming amount of people that would be there, set Tundra on edge. She was totally fine meeting her friends in the woods. It was isolated, quiet, and a good distance away from any guardians’ watchful eye—safe. Never had she ever stepped foot within the village even. It was too dangerous. Besides, her parents wanted her to stay hidden—no one was supposed to know she existed in the first place. She was already taking risk by having her friends.

 

            “Um…” Tundra’s voice was hardly louder than a whisper, but it still caught the attention of the Frost siblings. She pushed forward before the anxiety had a chance to suffocate her. “I…d-don’t think that would be a good idea.”

 

            Brother and sister stared at her in concern. Jacob furrowed his brow while Ella asked, “Why not?”

 

            A timid—no, scared—response was given, “It’s not safe for me.”

 

            Ella pushed further, unaware of the realization crossing her brother’s face next to her. “Sure it will be! We’ll even make sure nobody bothers you too much. That way, you can actually enjoy yourself.”

 

            Tundra hugged and curled into herself. Her eyes lowered to the ground. “…Your parents are guardians.”

 

            Ella blinked. The joyous light in her own eyes vanished as she finally backed down. A sad frown marred her features, and her shoulders slumped.

 

            For a while, the three stood there in somber silence. Then, one of them moved. Jacob stepped forward until he stood directly in front of the nervous girl. He ignored her curling tighter and said in his own whispered voice, “Tundra. Look at me.”

 

            She did not comply.

 

            “Look at me, Tundra. Please.”

 

            Slowly, Tundra looked at him. Jacob’s heart broke when he saw the unshed tears. He had to choose the proper words, or else the shy girl might run away. “I know you’re scared, and that is okay. Yes, our parents are guardians, but Mon is going to be too busy talking with the other government leaders to notice you. And although our dad isn’t one for stuffy meetings like that, he will be dragged into them anyway as well. Aunt Anna and Uncle Kristoff will also be busy doing their own things.” Jacob slowly lifted his hands and held Tundra by the shoulders. “I promise that we will look after you the whole time. Will you come to the Rulers’ Gathering? Please?”

 

            Tundra let out a shaky breath and moved in for a proper hug. Jacob welcomed her wholeheartedly, rubbing her back at the feeling of a tremble. She pulled back from him after several sniffles. “I’ll come,” she said.

 

            The older boy grinned, satisfied. “Good.”

 

            The tender moment could not last forever. Behind them, Ella burst into delighted cheer. She ran up to Tundra, grabbed her hands, and started bouncing. “This is so great! We can give you a tour of the castle. I can show you my room and-WAIT!” she leaned in, bug-eyed, until she was an inch away from the other girl’s face. “The ball!”

 

            Tundra blinked at her. “B-Ball?”

 

            “Yes! The ball!” Ella gasped and turned to her brother. “We have to get her a ballgown!”

 

            “Huh?”

 

            “Well, you can’t attend a ball without a ballgown,” Jacob replied. Clearly, he was not going to be of any help now that the tension was gone.

 

             Tundra paled as she listened to her friends continue to talk about balls, gowns, and dancing. Just what had she signed up for?

 

            Eventually though, they all had to head back home. Sunrise would be coming soon and all three teens were beyond tired. With plans made for the next few weeks, Tundra walked out of the woods and flew north. It had been a good night.

 

 

 

■ ■ ■

 

 

 

Black Family Ice Palace, Early Morning

            Unknown to Tundra, her leaving and return did not go as unnoticed as she had hoped. As she reentered her bedroom and got ready for bed, a figure stood vigilant in a shadowy corner of the room.

 

            Once Pitch determined his niece had gotten home safely, he snuck out into the hallway. A thoughtful expression appeared on his face. It seemed the youngest member of his family was keeping secrets. That was…intriguing.

 

            Perhaps, Pitch thought with a smirk, I should keep a closer eye on her for now.

 

 

 

Fin

Notes:

I know not a lot happens this chapter but trust me. This is very necessary setup for future plot.

Also, I'm sadly going to be putting this story on the back burner for a while. I'm currently working on some of my own original projects and they're proving to take some time to get fully up and running. You'll find more information about them on my DeviantArt page. I just thought I should let you know before going dark for at least a couple months.

Hope you all have a great day! <3

Notes:

If you want to read future chapters ahead of time, I'll be posting them on my DeviantArt page first as well. You can also go there to see art I've done of the characters. ^^

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of Rise of the Brave Tangled Frozen Dragons Next Generation