When they returned home late that afternoon, Elsa went immediately to her own room with Valerie, exhausted from the previous days' events. Hiccup joined Jack, Rapunzel, Anna, and North in the library.

"How is Elsa?" Jack asked.

"As well as can be expected in this situation," Hiccup said, laying down on an empty couch.

"It took you a long time to get back," Rapunzel said. "We were worried."

"She didn't want to take the portal back. She just wanted to fly."

Fly with you, Toothless added from his place near the fire.

For the last time, shut up.

"And how are you doing?" North asked him.

"I'm glad someone finally asked," Hiccup sighed. Toothless, he said pointedly.

Sorry. I forgot. I was distracted.

Yeah, right. "I just don't understand. How could she have died? She was immortal."

"There are some instances where a spirit does indeed die," North said slowly. "A terrible, dark magic that cannot be overcome or healed. Rapunzel had some experience with this during her childhood."

Rapunzel subconsciously rubbed the old, nearly-faded scars on her arms. "That's what killed me before the Moon made me a Guardian."

"So why didn't he save Lilith and spare Elsa the same pain?" Hiccup asked brokenly.

"He doesn't save everyone," North said, looking out the window solemnly. "He didn't make your family immortal, Hiccup."

"Yeah, I noticed. Jack and Rapunzel are the exception."

Jack and Rapunzel looked slightly guilty, Anna looked terrified for her own impending future.

"Why doesn't he save everyone?" she asked. "He is good, isn't he?"

"We don't know why. Yes, of course he's good. But there are some things we don't understand about how he works. Some say he can see into the future."

"That seems likely," Rapunzel said. "He did call Hiccup and Merida into the future the first time."

"Why did Merida disappear?" Hiccup asked, sitting up suddenly. "I can understand if she died, but there wasn't even a body. North…answer me truthfully. Is she really dead?"

"This is where it gets interesting," North said. "There have been some known instances where spirits have "died," but there is never a body. Sometimes we don't even know that a spirit is dead, they just disappear. Yet most then mysteriously returned a short time later. They can never remember exactly what happened, however. And then there are some that never return. So…it is possible that Merida can also come back."

"How can we help her?" Rapunzel asked.

"Now that I cannot tell you. Long ago when I tried to rescue Sandy, I found some information in my own library, but Sandy made it back on his own before I could try my methods and see if the book was accurate. But if anyone can do it, I know it's you four."

He set a huge, ancient manuscript on the table before them, titled "Mysteries and Legends of the Underworld." Anna fingered the cover delicately.

"It seems unfair," she said quietly. "We can get Merida back, but not Lilith."

"Maybe we can Merida back," North clarified.

"And we're going to try as hard we can," Jack said, determinedly. "Because Elsa needs some Courage about now."

"Yeah," Hiccup said. "So we're going to go get her some. It's the best way we can help her right now."

Well… Toothless began dubiously. It's not the only way.

Shut up.


Anna stretched her arms out and lay her head on the table wearily. She was exhausted but knew she had to keep going. Rapunzel and Jack had fallen asleep in each other's arms on the couch, but Hiccup was wide awake and earnestly searching the pages of the books. Jack had flown last night to find more resources from Tooth, Sandy, and other spirits, while Anna had flown to Corona's libraries to search.

"How ya doing?" Hiccup asked without looking up.

"I'm tired and my brain can't even remember what we learned," she yawned. "I haven't done this much reading since I found out about Elsa's existence."

"Ok, let's recap. That might be helpful to me too. So far, we've learned that there have been 27 incidents of supposedly dead spirits returning to life. Two have been seen to die and to return. None of the 27 spirits remember what happened, whether they really died, or how they were brought back. They either remember darkness or light. Or both."

Anna looked back down at North's book. "This is interesting. It says here that the definition of a spirit is 'an immortal being with magical powers who cannot die from either sickness, injury, or other natural causes. And yet, some people claim to have seen spirits die.'"

"We have seen one die, that's a fact," Hiccup said gloomily.

"So how do they come back?"

"There are three known theories. The first, and most widely accepted, is that they become fairies, ghosts, will o' the wisps, etc.. Basically, the do not die, but progress to another magical stage of life."

"Merida always loved will 'o the wisps," Anna said. "Sorry, I'm interrupting."

"She did, but I don't think that's the case. The second theory is that the moment before death, they are magically transported somewhere. Supposedly there is a top secret, hidden spa or palace where they can recover to fight their enemies later. Their memories are wiped so nobody can destroy the place. Bad spirits are stripped of their powers and imprisoned there so they can't get out. And then the third theory is that spirits cleverly devised and faked their own deaths for their own selfish purposes."

"Yeah, but all 27 spirits?" Anna asked. "Seems a little far fetched. Especially when you consider the circumstances around Sandy and Merida's deaths."

"Well," Hiccup said. "This book wasn't written by someone who knew that spirits existed. These are just myths, legends, and dreams. I don't know how accurate it really is."

"But why would it be in North's office?" Anna asked pointedly.

"When Sandy died, he was desperate. Pitch was wreaking havoc on everyone. I remember, Merida and I helped round up the other spirits to safety while our past selves were busy fighting him."

Hiccup drummed his fingers on the table thoughtfully.

"What are you thinking?" Anna asked.

"I don't like the third theory, and the first one seems fishy. The people who created that myth didn't know about spirits returning from the "dead." But the second idea could actually be right. Merida was still breathing when she disappeared. She was badly injured, but still alive. It sounds like the kind of magic the Man in the Moon would do. The real question is how we find that place to get her out."

"If it's in this world, I'm sure there would be some kind of trace around the entrance," she mused. "But if it's in another realm entirely…"

"Do you have any ideas?"

Anna bit her lip and nodded. "Some places have so much magic surrounding them that they scare me."

"Good or bad?"

"Both sometimes. I'm not sure. I'll check them out to see if I find anything."

"Toothless and I can come with you."

"No, you need your rest. Stay here in case Elsa needs you."

"I'm not sure how much I help."

Anna put her hands on her hips crossly. "Do you not remember helping me all those years ago in the caves? When we were pulled back in time together and met Eep?"

"That was a long time ago for me."

"I couldn't control my powers. I was afraid of hurting everyone I loved and wanted to stay in the desert forever. I thought my parents were ashamed of me for not being able to control it. But you convinced me that they weren't. You convinced me to go back to them, even before you got captured by the cavemen and nearly sacrificed to the volcano. Sure, that pushed me over the edge, but I had already calmed down and decided I wanted to go back."

"Really? You were the one who told them where I was?"

"Well, yeah. I saw you get taken, so I wasn't about to leave you there when you had already done so much for me."

"I really didn't do that much…"

"Hiccup, you came to me at a time when everyone else was terrified for their lives. You trusted me. You know how to comfort people in their lowest moment. You put others before yourself, regardless of what you're going through yourself. Elsa doesn't just need Merida. She needs you."

Told ya, Toothless said as Anna quietly left the room.

Hiccup ignored him and went out onto the balcony to think. He leaned heavily on the railing as a chilly breeze blew across the palace. The sun was just peeking above the horizon, illuminating the peaceful city. Hiccup realized that the breeze kept blowing steadily, and that it was not affecting the rest of the city. Looking up, he saw Elsa at her own balcony a few floors above. She was wrapped in a blanket and sitting in a chair staring blankly out at the sea, perfectly emotionless. Somehow she sensed his presence, and without looking, created an ice staircase connecting the two balconies. Hiccup slowly went up to join her and pulled up another chair. They sat in silence for a long time.

"North was here last night," she said after awhile. "What was he here for?"

Hiccup couldn't bring himself to look at her. "We were discussing Merida," he said quietly. "Some spirits…have been known to return from the dead." Elsa closed her eyes. "Merida never even had a body. I'm sorry, there is nothing we can do for Lilith."

"I know." She took a shaky breath, holding in the tears.

"How's Valerie?"

Elsa pointed back at the bedroom, where Valerie was nestled in a huge pile of blankets. "She cried through half the night. I don't think she really understands what's happening yet." She paused, looking back at her granddaughter. "When you first became a Guardian, did you ever feel old?"

"Not until Zephyr died," Hiccup sighed. "She was my oldest, but Cecilia had died first from an accident. Zephyr had lived a good long life. She had grandchildren. All of my friends had died, and suddenly my family was leaving me. Then I felt old."

"What about when you first saw me as a baby?"

"I didn't feel old then."

"Do you view me as a child now?" she asked plainly, turning to face him.

Hiccup was slightly taken aback. "I never viewed you as a child. That was always the problem. When I first met you, you were under Mavis' control. You were already grown when we became friends. I waited centuries to see you again, but then it wasn't you. Do you know how weird it is to see your best friend as a baby?"

Elsa smiled a little. "I suppose it would be weird if the situation would be reversed."

"Just be thankful you missed seeing most of my awkward teenage years," Hiccup said with a cringe.

"Do you miss home?" Elsa asked after a moment. "Do you ever think about your life there and wish you could go back?"

"Sometimes. Not every day. Sometimes, I'll get a random memory of flying over the island, or eating in the great hall, or one of the twins' pranks. We had a lot of adventures together. Sometimes I wish I could go back and see them again. But Berk hasn't been home for a long time. I do miss it, but it's not home."

"Then what is?"

"Arendelle," he replied without hesitation.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Once we caught up to Jack and Rapunzel's timelines, we just joined them here. It was the one place from our past that actually still existed in the same way. Merida still has her camp in DunBroch, and I stayed with her for a long time, but this was always home for me."

Again, Elsa was quiet for a few minutes, watching the sunrise. Tears welled in her eyes again, though she tried to stop them. "Will it ever stop hurting?" she whispered, unable to look at him.

Hiccup was silent for a long time. "No," he finally answered. "You won't stop missing her, either. But the pain does become easier to bear after awhile. You can continue through every day life. And there are bad days—like today, for me—where you remember it all over again and it hurts badly. But you can keep living life."

"It feels almost disloyal."

"No, it's not." He leaned over and took her hand. "It's not dishonoring her memory at all. That's the thing about love, isn't it? There are all kinds of love, and you can love others at the same time. You can keep loving someone after they're gone."

"Is that what they told you after Astrid died?"

Once again, Hiccup felt like the breath was knocked out of him at the question. He opened and closed his mouth, trying to find the words, and looked away.

"That's a different situation than this…"

"You still love her though," Elsa said, withdrawing her hand.

"I'll always love her. Just like you'll always love Lilith. Nothing can replace them. Not entirely. But you can love again. It's just…different." He hoped Toothless wasn't eavesdropping. This probably sounds really bad out of context.

"I don't think I can feel anything at the moment," she said, staring out to sea. "I don't think I want to keep living."

"You have to. For Valerie. Trust me, it's the only thing that kept me going when Astrid died."

"What about when the rest of your family was gone? When all of your great-grandchildren had forgotten you?"

"I still had Merida, and Jack and the Guardians had turned up by that point. And I knew that, way down the line, Rapunzel, you, and Anna were waiting. That was worth the wait."

"Worth the pain?"

"Most days it is. Some days, I would give anything to go back. But that's how it is with any adventure, like parenthood ironically. It always comes with pain and risk. Do you regret adopting Lilith?"

"No," she replied instantly. "But maybe I regret becoming a Guardian. Or at least immortal."

"You could have gone through this whether or not you were immortal. And so would I. Cecilia got hurt around the same age as Lilith. She already had a weak immune system, so it only took one infection…"

He stopped, unable to continue. He was having a harder time blocking out the memories now. Elsa reached out her hand without looking, a silent cry for help. Hiccup took it. They sat there for a long time, hands clasped, looking out over the city.

Elsa was just calming down when Anna came flying in at the speed of light, crashing into the library. Hiccup and Elsa leapt to their feet in alarm as Rapunzel and Jack woke up with a scream. Elsa quickly changed her stairs into a slide and leaped onto it, pulling Hiccup behind her. Anna stood in the middle of the room, shaking.

"I found it," she gasped. "I know where Merida is."

"Really?" Jack asked, excited.

"Anna, what happened?" Hiccup asked seriously, sensing something was wrong. "What did you find?"

Anna gulped nervously. "Nightmare sand."

Everyone froze, dead silent.

"Where?" Rapunzel asked darkly.

"Rainbow Valley. That lake is swirling with magic, it always has, but now it's completely black. There's a boulder behind the center waterfall, I could hardly see it physically because there was so much magic."

"Rainbow Valley," Hiccup said. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"I guess it's been awhile since you were there," Rapunzel said. "Our first adventure, remember? We stopped there for a rest before we entered Corona that evening."

"Girls, stay here," Jack said firmly. "I don't think it would be wise if you came."

"Agreed," Anna said. "Not for me, anyway."

Gothel had managed to place one of Pitch's fearling mares inside Anna's mind, even after Pitch was long dead. The fearling had given Anna a severe depression, and caused her powers to become uncontrollable. While it had been years since she had been able to beat the magic inside her, she still struggled with the side effects often, so her fear came as no surprise to the others. Without Merida or Elsa to help, Anna could have suffered another panic attack, which usually did not end well.

Elsa shook her head forlornly. "I'm not in the best condition to fight..." she began.

"Don't worry," Hiccup said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "We can manage between the three of us and Toothless. Stay here and take care of yourself. And Valerie," he added.

Elsa nodded. Hiccup realized he still had his hand on her shoulder, and quickly removed it, going to mount Toothless. Rapunzel climbed on behind him, grasping the silver bow Merida had left behind.

"Hey," Elsa said softly. Hiccup looked back with no hesitation. "Take care of yourselves, too."

"Don't worry about us," he said. "We've been doing this for years."

"Race you to the falls, old man!" Jack yelled as he catapulted out of the window.

"Hey, you're the one with white hair!" Hiccup called, urging Toothless to follow.

Rapunzel let out the Scottish war cry. "We're coming for you, Mer!"