Chapter 07 – Split
The lanterns have slowly faded and fell to the water… The others disappeared and the sky was already being seen once more, with a full moon and the stars forming as many as possible. Jack was using his ability to control the wind to bring back the boat to the land. Merida and Hiccup waited for them by the side of the town that was close to the forest.
"So, you're gonna be able to meet your real parents, already, you know," Jack said.
Rapunzel put on a confused face, Jack haven't told Rapunzel that she was home and that her parents were the king and queen. He was planning on telling her that now, "You're already home, Punz."
"You mean…" Rapunzel was trying to calm down. Jack nodded and Rapunzel smiled.
"Your parents are over there," Jack pointed with his head the palace. Rapunzel's eyes widened and felt her tears pouring down on her face, she was so happy that she couldn't help but cry.
As they reached the land, Merida and Hiccup helped secure it.
"So, what now?" Merida asked.
Jack smiled and looked back at the city, "We're taking Punzie to her parents."
Hiccup and Merida gasped, not expecting Rapunzel to be a princess. Merida held Rapunzel's hand in amazement, "Y-y-you're a princess, too?! W-why didn't cha tell us?"
"I only knew now, either," Rapunzel said as she giggled.
They were about to return to the town, until Rapunzel and Jack heard a familiar voice.
"Hello, Rapunzel," It was Gothel. She was back; she had just seen her and tried getting her back.
She went closer to Rapunzel, but, she avoided her. Rapunzel was too frightened to even touch a small part of Gothel's skin… For she might just grab for Rapunzel and lock her up once again.
As Rapunzel moved back a few steps as Gothel went closer, she felt hatred and knew that Rapunzel already knew the truth. She looked at Jack, recognizing his appearance from the paintings Rapunzels did back in the tower.
"Oh, so, this is the imaginary friend you kept telling me about… So, I guess you really weren't being stirred crazy."
Jack pointed his staff to Gothel and stood his ground, and so did Merida, Hiccup and Toothless.
Gothel scoffed and took out her knife, trying to give Toothless and Hiccup a cut. Toohtless received a cut by his cheek, Hiccup got cut by his leg and Merida by her arm.
"Jack, look out!" Rapunzel screamed as Gothel charged at Jack. But, when Gothel stabbed him at the stomach, but, it just went through, like he was still a ghost.
Jack put out a smirk and shooted his ice powers at her. She was slightly hurt but most of his magic was still nullified. Gothel held her wounded thigh, giving Rapunzel and Jack an evil grin, "So… You're a winter spirit. I never would have guessed."
Jack held Rapunzel's hand and let her hide behind him, "Get lost, Gothel!"
Gothel went closer, limping on one leg, "So, you've been with her eversince, huh? And now, you're taking my precious flower away from me…"
Jack's grip on his staff grew tighter and Rapunzel held Jack, Gothel suddenly took some kind of potion in a bottle. She threw it at Jack that he didn't notice that it were bits of molten rocks. It hit Jack's hands and face. It made him scream in pain that he let go of his staff and knelt to the ground.
"Jack!", Rapunzel immediately wrapped her hair around Jack and tried to sing the song but then Gothel kept interfering, Toothless, Hiccup and Merida tried to charge at Gothel, but she somehow had this kind of force field that kept enemies away from her, which was also the reason Jack couldn't use his magic on her.
Rapunzel couldn't continue the song; she was too distracted at the way her friends were being hurt by Gothel.
"Rapunzel, run! Get away!" Merida screamed as she and Hiccup tried to block Gothel from going closer to Rapunzel. Rapunzel could never do that; she can never leave her friends most especially at times like this. Rapunzel looked behind her to suddenly see Gothel.
"Hello, my flower," Gothel said as Rapunzel back away with Jack in her arms. Jack tried to stand up and reach for his staff, but Gothel stepped on his chest and held the bottle that had molten rocks, pointing it to Jack.
"Jack! Leave him alone!"
"Come with me, or I'll finish your friends off in just a few minutes," Gothel said, putting the weight on her foot that stepped on Jack harder.
Rapunzel looked at Jack and to her friends, seeing them injured and weak because of her was too much, "If I go with you, promise me you'll leave them safe and never hurt them again."
"Rapunzel, no!" Jack said in a weak tone, trying to reach out to her.
Hiccup, Merida and Toothless also looked at her worriedly, trying to tell her not to go with her, "Of course, dear. You're the only reason I did this to them, anyway."
"Don't listen to her," Hiccup said.
Rapunzel took a deep breath and looked Gothel straight in the eye, "Alright, I'll go with you."
Everyone was horrified by the decision Rapunzel made. She took little steps closer to Gothel as her fake mother offered her a hug. As Rapunzel was around Gothel's arms, she suddenly gasped as Gothel immediately created a spell, rays of light came out of her head and entered a bottle.
"Rapunzel!" Jack screamed, as he tried to move from his spot.
Gothel broke the bottle, leaving the rays of light to disappear. Rapunzel lost consciousness as Gothel put on an evil grin.
"She will never remember you now, spirit!" Gothel disappeared, making an evil laugh, leaving with Rapunzel.
They suddenly heard voices coming from the forest. It was a majority of guys, with also the sound of a stampede and wood clashing. Hiccup helped Merida stand up, and so did Toothless with Hiccup when the group of men appeared, showing the uniform they wore… They were from Merida's kingdom. They have come to retrieve the Princess.
Merida held tight onto Hiccup and Jack tried to protect both of them. Toothless snarled at them as he covers Merida and Hiccup, fighting the guards that tried to even take a step closer to the three of them. Jack froze all of the guards' feet, as well.
Someone from behind suddenly stepped forward. It was Merida and Hiccup's family. They have been searching for them everywhere. Queen Elinor and King Fergus immediately hugged Merida, and so did Stoick to Hiccup.
"Hiccup! Toothless! What happened to the both of you?!" Stoick said as he saw the wound they had.
Jack stared at Stoick's face carefully and recognized him. His eyes widened as he realized that he was seeing the husband of Emily Overland, and the child he has been looking for all along was Hiccup.
"I'll tell you what happened, your son ran away with our daughter!" King Fergus exclaimed, marching closer to Chief Stoick.
Stoick stood up and went closer to King Fergus, "Why don't you ask your wonderful daughter on who really left forcefully?"
"Your son kidnapped my daughter!" King Fergus exclaimed.
Stoick didn't back out either, "Maybe if your daughter was more responsible and mature enough, she wouldn't have dragged my son with her when she ran away!"
Both kings almost punched each other's face if it wasn't for their child and guards stopping them. Elinor took a step closer to Stoick.
"This competition, for you and your son, is OVER!"
"Then, so be it!" Stoick exclaimed.
Merida and Hiccup was shocked by what their parents said, they gasped and their eyes widened as they looked at their parents and to each other. They didn't want that to happen. They wanted to get married.
"Dad, no!" Merida insisted, grabbing her father's arm.
Merida ran to Hiccup, grabbing his hand and wrapping her hands around him so tightly. King Fergus suddenly grabbed Merida and dragged her with them, and so did Stoick to Hiccup.
Jack and Toothless didn't know what to do. Jack didn't want their families to fight, but he didn't know how he, a mere stranger to the king and queen, could stop them.
He looked at Toothless with a serious face, "Toothless, I've got a job for you."
Toothless looked back saying that he was listening.
"Don't let Hiccup lose hope on Merida… I know his mother, he has the same heart as her. Keep him strong," Jack said as the dragon nodded, "Once everything is fine, already… Go to the tower in the forest. It isn't easy to find, but hey, we can fly… I'll go get Rapunzel."
…
Rapunzel slowly wakes up. She was lying down on her bed. Gothel picked up the flowers that she removed from Rapunzel's hair and placed it in a basket.
"Good morning, my flower, how's your headache?" Gothel said with a smile.
Rapunzel sat down and looked around, "W-What happened?"
"Oh, you suddenly had a serious headache when I returned, that's why I put you to sleep for it to go away."
Rapunzel suddenly got so confused, "I… Can't remember… anything about that."
"The headache must have been too much that you forgot what you had done a while ago," Gothel said as she caressed Rapunzel's head.
After a while, Jack arrived by Rapunzel's window. She was looking at her painting materials, wondering what she wanted to paint.
"Rapunzel!" Jack screamed her name and was so relieved to see her safe; Rapunzel didn't look back at him and continued to paint.
Jack went inside and came closer to Rapunzel, "Rapunzel, don't tell me you wanna finish a painting first-…"
"Mother!" Rapunzel suddenly stopped painting and walked up to Jack… But what Jack didn't expect was that when Rapunzel came closer, she just passed through him. Jack gasped in shock. He didn't know what happened.
"No… Rapunzel," Jack tried to wave his hands around Rapunzel, but she didn't even give him one glance. Jack's eyes were full of sorrow, but before he would start to really believe that Rapunzel couldn't see him, he had to try one last thing.
He put out his hand and tried to touch Rapunzel's cheeks, but it just went through her. Jack was shocked. He never thought that his worst nightmare would come true; to not be seen by the person he loved so much. Rapunzel only saw him as thin air, now. Jack felt tears forming in his eyes. Rapunzel went inside the kitchen, leaving Jack all alone in the place they had so memories together.
He was about to leave when he heard Gothel's voice, "How dreadful isn't it? To not be seen by the one you love dearly."
Jack looked behind him and his rage grew stronger, "What did you do to her?!"
"Oh, simple. I put a spell to erase every single memory she has of you and even everything you told her. Can you guess where I kept those memories?"
Jack was horrified, "The bottle you broke…"
Gothel nodded and put on a grin, "And now, those memories are completely gone."
"Mother, who are you talking to?" Rapunzel suddenly went out and put up a confused face.
Gothel turned around and chuckled, "Oh, no one, dear. I was just talking to myself. I suddenly remembered the new paint you requested me on your birthday when I saw your paintings, but silly me, I forgot It on the way home."
"I… requested new paint?" Rapunzel asked.
"Yes, you did, dear. Now, let's go back to the kitchen and eat your favorite Hazelnut soup," Gothel pushed Rapunze back to the kitchen, giving Jack one last evil smile before Jack took off and flew away.
Jack stayed on the highest branch of a tree; he leaned his head on the trunk as he closed his eyes and broke down in tears. His heart was broken of what he had just seen. Rapunzel, his first believer and his first love, didn't see or remember him. This was the day he was so afraid of, and now, it has happened. He looked above and saw the moon even in the morning sky… He knew that he was watching, alongside with the sun.
"Tell me… Why… Did you make me like this?" Jack asked the man in the moon.
"If you would've just let me be a normal person… I… Rapunzel would've… I'd give up everything for her, even if it caused my life… Just… Let her remember."
The sun or the moon did not response, leaving Jack hopeless. What he didn't know is that the moon heard what Jack said. The sun and the moon sent a signal to the Sandman. He was busy making people sleep with good dreams when the moon shined brightly on him and told him to catch the droplet the moon and sun would give him. As soon as the droplets fell at the palm of Sandy's hands, they turned into Sandman's sleeping dust that formed into a form or a snowflake and flower together. Sandy knew what to do. He flew as fast as he can to the tower of Rapunzel, carrying the droplets of the sun and moon.
…
"What were you thinking, running away like that with a complete stranger?!" Elinor scolded Merida as she was thrown into her room.
"Heh, funny that I'm hearing that from you," Merida said.
Elinor didn't understand her that much, "And what do you mean by that, young lady?"
"YOU were the one to set me up with him in the first place. You even took other people that were complete strangers to me and made them compete for my hand! How do you think does that make me feel, mum?!"
"I did think that for the sake of our kingdom, Merida!" Elinor tried explaining.
"Oh yeah, I shouldn't be selfish and I should always listen to you. You never let me get to choose even the slightest bit of freedom in anything. From how I act and until the point of me choosing who I want to marry… Tell me now who's selfish, mum… Is it really me… Or is it YOU?"
Elinor suddenly slapped Merida hard that her cheek turned red as cherries, making her face at her side. She was speechless; she never thought that her mother would even do something like that to her.
"How dare you talk back like that to us. You have no right," Elinor told Merida.
Merida was enraged, "Yeah, 'cause I don't have freedom to do anything, not even one thing."
"You used to be so different, Merida… What happened to you?" Elinor said.
Merida looked back, with her eyes like it was on fire, "What happened to YOU, mum?"
Elinor did't know what to say. She left the room, leaving King Fergus and Merida.
"Merida, sweetie… Why on earth would you like someone like that Haddock? He can't even hold an axe right… He even kidnapped you," the king said.
"He did not kidnap me, dad… He was even forcing me to go back but I didn't listen… And even if he's weak, I don't care. It's not always based on their strength, dad," Merida looked at her father's eyes, "I've seen the real him, dad… He's far better than what you think he's only capable of."
King Fergus kept silent; he still thought that Merida was only covering for him.
"No. You are not marrying him and never will. Dunbroch and Berk are now going separate ways," the king slammed the door closed… Leaving Merida weeping in grief and disappointment.
…
Hiccup was stuck in his room, drawing a portrait of Merida. He couldn't stop thinking of her and even the thought that they could never be together. After a while, Stoick suddenly comes in.
"Son," he looks at who Hiccup was drawing and felt guilty.
Hiccup looked at him with disappointed eyes, sighing, "What do you want?"
Stoick sat down and had a heart-to-heart talk with his son, "You know perfectly that your mother wasn't a Viking, right?"
"Yeah, she just came from a town you passed by before," Hiccup said.
"Exactly. And she wasn't the type of girl I dreamed of marrying. She wasn't as tough as the girls here; she couldn't hold a weapon or even kill any animal… My parents didn't like her for me, but there was just something about your mother that shined throughout all that that made our love stronger, and you know what it was?"
Hiccup looked at his dad to listen more.
"She had a heart, Hiccup. Her heart showed love, determination and hope. And because of that, she showed me that my parents would see that side of her no matter what."
Hiccup was speechless.
"That's one of the traits you got from your mother, Hiccup. Your mother and I wanted you to marry the girl you love… and I can see how much you love Merida," Stoick added.
Stoick patted Hiccup's shoulder, making Hiccup look back at him. Hiccup's eyes showed a sign of determination and hope when he suddenly had a plan.
"Dad," Hiccup said. His father nodded gently as Hiccup ran outside, "Thanks, dad!"
Hiccup looked for toothless, "Toothless! Over here, buddy!"
"Get ready, Toothless, 'cause we've got some hard work to do!" Hiccup hopped onto Toothless and they soared up high to the sky, with Hiccup full of hope and courage.
Sorry if my narration here sucks, I couldn't concentrate well because of the stuff I thought for the next chapters and besides, I relaly suck at narrating. I just hope you got the idea. I might be publishing it tomorrow or if not, after 3 days cause school is gonna be a bit hectic for me now. Thanks for the support! I love you guys! ^^
