"Ach! Jack." Merida growled, "Stop movin'!"

Jack rolled his eyes, "I'm so sorry I'm inconveniencing you, princess. I'm just having my back bent out of shape by Hiccup's knobby knee! No reason for me to care at all." He replied.

Merida glared, not that he could see since she was facing the doors. Jack made a noise, blowing her hair from his face, "look, can you see what's going on outside at all?" He muttered.

"Guys, this is very uncomfortable," Hiccup squeaked from the back.

"We can't help that," Jack said struggling not to move as his legs began to ache.

"I'll have a look, but I cannit promise anything," Merida closed an eye, peering through the crack in the door. She could barely see the room, but she did have a good view of Rapunzel and some black-haired woman who was speaking and laughing. Whatever she said made the blonde girl look hurt and confused. Merida tried to hear them; she didn't need to try very hard because suddenly singing filled the tower.

She blinked in confusion, watching at the woman began to dance and sing around Rapunzel. Telling her how dangerous the outside world was.

'Look at you, as fragile as a flower. Still a little sapling, just a sprout. You know why we stay up in this tower!'

"Is… is she singing?" Jack asked the same confusion in his voice played on Merida's face.

"Aye, she is. I don' understand it," She muttered.

'On your own, you won't survive. Sloppy, underdressed, immature clumsy.'

Hiccup listened quietly,

'Please, they'll eat you up alive! Gullible, naïve, positively grubby, ditzy and a bit, well, hmm, vague!'

"Okay, she's officially the worst mother ever," He said. "How can she say such mean things to her daughter?"

Jack looked over his shoulder, unlike the others; he had noticed there weren't any other exits or entrances – aside from the window. This place was a dungeon. A very bright, pretty, rainbow dungeon but a dungeon none the less.

"She locked her daughter in this tower," Jack whispered, the meaning was implied. Obviously, the woman was not nice. Hiccup blinked, "Oh…"

"They got quiet," Merida whispered. After a few minutes, the woman left the tower again.

"Is she gone?" Jack asked, "My legs can't take much more of your weight!"

"I'm not that heavy, Jack." Merida snorted, "an' if you weren't such a weaklin', you wouldn't be havin' this problem, would you?"

Jack opened his mouth to retort, when the doors suddenly flew open and Merida fell out face first, releasing a shriek of surprise as Jack came tumbling out after her. Hiccup sat still, glancing at the blonde who looked equally surprised. He stretched his legs with a groan, slipping out of the wardrobe.

"Ah, thanks for hiding us." He said, smiling as he stepped around the bodies of Merida and Jack.

"Ach! Get off me!" Merida snarled, pushing at Jack.

"I'm trying! Stop shoving. HEY!" He went flying off the princess, who stood with as much dignity as she could muster. "Sorry to have been a bother," Jack muttered as he stood, dusting his shirt off.

Merida turned to Rapunzel and smiled, "thanks for hidin' us."

"Of course. Mother never would have let you all stay," Rapunzel shrugged still looking a bit upset. Merida stepped closer, "what was it your mum was going on about?"

"Hm?"

"Also… why was she singing?" Jack asked, leaning against his staff, with a quizzical expression.

"Uhm, well, my mother thinks the world is too dangerous for me." She shrugged.

"Does that have something to do with your hair?" Hiccup asked, glancing around the tower.

Rapunzel stiffened and then relaxed with a sigh, "yes. It's… well, it has hidden properties."

Jack blinked, "'hidden properties'? Like what?"

Rapunzel remained silent, looking uncomfortable. Merida glared at Jack, "you dun have to answer that," She said.

"It's just a sensitive topic," Rapunzel shrugged.

"Singing, why was your mother singing?" Jack pressed.

"I… what?"

"You don't know?"

"I don't know why it matters. That's pretty normal here." The blonde said, unsure of what else to say.

"So, let me get this straight. People here, just bust into song whenever they feel some sort emotion? Or just whenever they feel like it?"

"I guess so. I haven't ever been outside my tower, so I really wouldn't know."

Jack shook his head, "I have no idea how to react to that."

"Calmly?" Hiccup said with a shrug, "I mean, we are in a different world here. We can't expect everything to be the way it was before."

"A different world?" Rapunzel perked up, "what world?"

Jack, Merida and Hiccup all froze; the question was a simple one. But telling even a seemingly trustworthy person could prove to be perilous to them.

"Ehm…" Merida glanced at the boys.

"Well… it's hard to explain…?" Hiccup offered.

Jack sighed, "look, we prob-" He was cut off as Merida grabbed him and Hiccup, pulling them to a different spot in the room.

"Do you think it's safe?" Hiccup asked.

"I donno. It may not be, but…" Merida shrugged.

"Guys, what if this goes wrong? We could endanger her. She's never been outside in her entire life. Which majorly sucks, by the way," Jack contributed, "Normally, I'd be all for it."

"Oh, what does it matter? She saved our lives. The least we can do is tell her," Merida said. They all nodded, before turning back to the girl who stood watching them curiously.

"We all come from different worlds." Hiccup blurted.

"Nice." Jack said, "That was real finesse."

"How else do you tell someone? It's not like you can break it to her gently!" Hiccup shot back.

"I could have done it better than that. Just throwing it out there like a piece of meat."

"What?"

"Alright!" Merida shouted, "You two knock it off!"

"Wow…" Rapunzel stared at them, "I can see it now. You all are from different worlds. Your clothes and accent," She shook her head, "this is incredible!" She grinned, "oh my gosh! I can't believe this. I've been searching for a way out my entire life and finally, finally, you three have come."

Merida blinked rapidly; this wasn't the reaction she had anticipated. She could tell the boys were just as surprised.

Rapunzel ran around the tower, talking rapidly to herself, exclaiming things at them and squealing for a good ten minutes before she stopped, "alright! I have a request." She pulled back the curtains on a covered painting and showed them the picture of her, watching the floating lights. "I… I want to see the lights. They appear every-"

"Night on your birthday," Hiccup finished, "I heard you say so to you mother."

"Yes and I want so desperately to go see them… but…"

"Your mum won't let you?" Merida look down at the ground, "that doesn't sound fair."

"You of all people should know, parents aren't always fair," Jack's words made her jerk her head up to look at him. "Well, Rapunzel, I think we can do that for you."

"Jack!" Hiccup exclaimed, "We don't have time for that. Did you forget the blood-thirsty maniacs that are after us?!"

"Ah, c'mon! We'll have time for both the lights and blood-crazed animals. I don't see any reason why we shouldn't help her. Besides, if you had been locked in a tower your whole life, wouldn't you want freedom?"

Hiccup hesitated, "I'm not saying we shouldn't take her. I'm just concerned about how dangerous it is out there for us right now. I don't want to drag her into it."

Merida eyed Rapunzel, "I think it'll be fine. I kno' she hasn't had much… ah, outdoor experience. But," she smiled at Rapunzel, "I don want anyone locked in a cage so long as I can help them."

Jack grinned, "Well, Princess, looks as if we're finally seeing eye-to-eye."

"Don't get yer hopes up, Frost." She said with a grin.

"Alright then…" Hiccup sighed, "Let's do this then."

Rapunzel squealed, unable to contain her joy and rushed forward to hug Merida, but stopped, "too soon?" She asked, hesitating.

"Aye, maybe," Merida replied, looking a tad startled.