After North had finished explaining about the legend of the Final Four and the situation with Pandora and Pitch, the three newcomers sat there in stunned silence.
Merida was the first to speak up: "So – why are we here? I du-nee know about nae key or dagger that's for sure! How am I supposed to be of any help?"
"Well, going by the legend, I assume he thinks that we're the final four" Hiccup explained looking at her cautiously.
"Wah?! I never asked to be nae Guardian!"
"And Season" Hiccup reminded her.
"Whatever! What makes you think it's me anyway?!" she rounded on North.
"Well, put it this way – do any of you remember who you were before your become spirits?" North asked gently.
Merida fell silent again. She looked around at the other two and by the looks on their faces you could tell the answer was a resounding no. "But – I…I'm not ready…for something like this…" her voice faded into silence as she looked at the floor.
"This confirms it" North said with a satisfied nod of his head. "Four spirits with an affinity for a season, with forgotten pasts. I can think of no four who match description better!"
"Jack – have you forgotten too?" Rapunzel said turning to him, playing nervously with a strand of her hair.
"I – I did. Had. Tooth helped me to remember." He replied smiling softly to himself.
"How?"
"With these" said Tooth coming forward and revealing three golden boxes she had been carrying. "When we discovered who we were looking for I went by the Tooth Palace to retrieve them. Rapunzel, Merida, Hiccup – these are your memories from your previous lives" she said as she held them out towards each of them.
The boxes were cylinder in shape, though one side of the length was a sunken in rectangle with intricate patterns upon it. On the end of each cylinder was a face. One held the face of a boy that looked exactly like Hiccup except the eyes were brown. The second was obviously Merida's - there was no mistaking those ginger curls anywhere. And the third one pictured a girl with green eyes as bright as Rapunzel's, except her hair was short and brown.
Hiccup took his reverently, whilst Merida held hers in stunned silence. Rapunzel looked at her box like it was a bomb about to go off.
"It is clear in legend that Final Four must work together as four complete beings to save world from Pitch." North reminded them seriously. "It is your duty to find the parts of the dagger and bring them together to make key – this will seal Pandora and Pitch once more"
"But won't they just get free again? Surely we'll just have to deal with this all over again in another millennia or two, and I don't know about you but there only so many "end of the world" scenarios I can take…" Hiccup joked.
"Is possible" North admitted. "But I believe, with combined powers, you can defeat them forever – but only if you work as team."
Hiccup still looked concerned.
"Trust me, I feel it! – In my belly!" North said slapping his stomach.
Hiccup shared a sideways glance with Toothless. "Oh great, I love going on life-or-death quests on the say so of indigestion!" He muttered to himself in a chirpily sarcastic manner. He looked at the others around him then sighed. "Well I guess someone's gotta do it. So where do we start looking?"
"Hang on, don't go volunteering me – " Merida was cut off by Bunny giving an embarrassed cough.
"Ah, we, um, don't exactly know mates."
"You must have some idea surely?!" Jack said with an air of astonishment. "I know you said Manny never told you, but seriously? No clues?"
"Ah Manny. He loves riddles – used to send us challenges all times." North said fondly reminiscing.
"There will probably be a clue in the legend Jack, but for now, why don't you all take a moment to rest and recover your memories?" Tooth said to them gently. "It's been a long day and it's a lot of information to take in" she shot a look at Bunny and North who had opened their mouths to interject.
"We can look at the legend whilst you're taking a break, and then we can continue discussing this AFTER the ceremony." She said firmly
"Woooahhh, wait. I don't have to do it again do I?" Jack said startled.
"Different ceremony mate." Bunny said with a smirk. "The others don't know their centres yet so they can't be made official Guardians. None of you have been sworn in as a Season yet however."
"It's so exciting!" Tooth exclaimed whilst Sandy nodded excitedly behind her wearing a golden party hat, and using a silent party blower he had just conjured. "We haven't had this many ceremony's since we first became Guardians, and I've never been to a Season one before!"
Jack didn't have the heart to disappoint her by kicking up a fuss, so he merely sighed and gave her a tired smile leaning on his staff. Sheesh, all this stuff was a bore! He'd far rather get a move on and kick Pitch's ass!
"I'm just gonna go for a wander in the toy room them" Jack declared standing up. "I still haven't had a proper chance to look round there since I've been allowed in!"
"Come with me Merida, I'll show you your room" Tooth said kindly. Merida spluttered as if she wanted to say something, then sighed, grabbed her bow and stomped out of the room after her.
"Where should I go?" Rapunzel asked moving to the door
"There is room in east wing next to toy factory" said North. "Great views from window!"
"I can take you if you like" Jack offered "I'm heading that way anyway – Hey!"
"Oh no you don't you little blighter" Bunny muttered dragging Jack back by the hood of his jumper.
"Don't worry about it mate"he said louder for Rapunzel to hear. "I can show her the way – this way Zel, your room's not far" he ushered her out of the room.
Rapunzel, looking a little confused gave Jack a small smile and a wave over her shoulder "Oh – ok. See you later Jack!"
Jack rubbed his throat where the material had pulled on it. "What was all that about?!"
Hiccup snickered to himself and looked at Toothless who was also looking amused. "Well I'm not gonna be the one to tell him" he thought to the dragon.
"Hey, um, North? Is there a place I can feed Toothless? It's just that he tends to make a mess…"
"Ah yes, is fine Hiccup! Will stable do?"
Hiccup nodded.
"I shall get Phil to show you the way and send elves to bring you some food."
"Great!" said Hiccup enthusiastically. "Who's Phil?"
Hiccup POV
After recovering from the appearance of an intimidating large brown yeti, Hiccup found his walk to the stables incredibly interesting. He was fascinated to discover that the yeti's made the all the toys rather than the elves, and though it was a bit difficult to understand him, he got the gist.
When they arrived at the stables the reindeer stomped their feet a little nervously as they spotted Toothless. Apart from that though, Hiccup noted impressed, they held their own and remained calm.
"Well, they're not ordinary reindeer after all" he reminded himself.
Sitting on a block of hay, he thanked Phil for showing him the way, and then pulled the golden box out of his pocket once he was sure he was alone.
He blew out some air in a sigh, puffing his cheeks out as he did so to relieve some tension.
There had always been this feeling that he was missing something, but didn't know what.
He had always been very observant, and loved solving puzzles, so it had irked him ever since he could remember that he could never solve the mystery of his own beginning.
He had woken up, wrapped within Toothless' forelegs and hidden from the world by his two black wings shielding them both. As Toothless folded his wings back, they were revealed to be on a moonlit, dismal beach, on an island in the middle of no where, with his head echoing with the name Hiccup Draconian.
Wreckage of Viking ships had lain about them and a gaping hole of gigantic proportions was carved into the cliff behind. Worst of all was the corpse of an enormous dragon lying mere feet away from them.
Hiccup hadn't quite been able to take in its size – it seemed too large to be believed! And stranger still, it appeared to have been burnt to death – he didn't know how he knew, but he was sure dragons were supposed to be fire proof.
After taking in their surroundings the two spirits had looked at each other. Boy and dragon stared into identical pairs of eyes, and knew they were connected. Hiccup had hesitantly held out his hand toward the nose of the sleek black dragon before him.
Though he knew at the time he should probably have been worried (as it was more than capable of taking his hand off) he had just trusted this dragon inexplicably. The dragon had hesitated for a split second also, before leaning its head forward to place its nose in the palm of Hiccups hand.
They had both closed their eyes as if on instinct and then Hiccup felt it – he could sense the dragon's thoughts! Not words or sentences, but feelings, vague ideas and senses. And at that moment the overwhelming feeling radiating from the dragon before him was peace – and trust.
They had broken their connection and looked at each other. Hiccup grinned "Well I guess it's you and me then eh bud?"
Suddenly the dragon had pulled a grin of its own, which became even more comical when he revealed his toothless gums. "Huh. Toothless! Whaddya know…" And then Hiccup had yelped as Toothless snapped at a fly that was irritating him - a full set of sharp white teeth has suddenly sprung from those innocent looking gums of his!
Hiccup chuckled to himself as he remembered their first meeting. Though, had it really been their first? Just what would these memories reveal?
"What do you think Toothless? Should I look or is it opening a can of worms?" Toothless gave him an encouraging purr and Hiccup felt a telepathic message of the feeling of companionship. He got the message. Whatever happened, they would get through it together. He took a deep breath and opened the box.
Merida POV
Merida slumped onto her bed in her room and looks up at the ceiling. She didn't ask for all this responsibility!
She had thought that Jack would have protested at least a little about what they were being asked to do "He seemed much more laid back than the other Guardians" she thought. "Rapunzel seems like a sweet girl the wee lamb, but she probably doesn't realise what she is getting herself in to. And that Hiccup laddie…" she frowned
"Who does he think he is agreeing to all this on our behalf? Och, asking all those questions to try and sound intelligent and strutting around next to a freaking dragon – he's obviously trying to show off." She grumbled to herself.
No, she would have to go back in the other room and tell them she wasn't ready to be a Guardian, or a Season or whatever. She was no good at being a team player – she'd always looked out for herself and didn't spend much time with other spirits apart from the occasional archery competition with Quentin.
She glanced over at the box. Still, she had always wondered why she had woken up in the middle of a random forest in Scotland with nothing for miles around except a burnt down cottage and the moonlight filling her head with a single name – Merida Fireheart.
"These are my memories anyway, so I might as well look at them before giving it back" she thought, and reached over to pick up the box…
Rapunzel's POV-
Bunny opened the door for her to a lovely warm room decorated in warm reds and yellows. You could almost forget that there was a snowy blizzard blowing outside! "You want anything to eat or drink?" Bunny said kindly. "No, I'm fine, thank you" Rapunzel smiled back. "Well, give us a holler if you need anything, the yeti's make an ace hot chocolate!"
He paused, looking at her before speaking softly. "I know it's a lot to take in Zel, but I've known you since you were a nipper of a spirit and if anyone can do this – you can."
"Thanks Bunny" she smiled at him gratefully. He nodded and left the room closing it gently behind him.
Rapunzel let her smile fall slightly. She appreciated what Bunny said, but in all honesty, it wasn't the upcoming mission that had her so worried. She trusted Bunny wouldn't allow her to go up against this Pandora person unless he really thought she would be ok, which also meant he must trust the other three she was to be grouped with. No, what had her worried was contained in the little golden box lying on her lap.
She didn't know why, but she feared that something truly awful was hidden in those memories, and she wasn't sure if she wanted them back. She cast her mind back to her earliest memory.
Lying on the grass amongst the flowers, she woke up staring at the moon above her. "Welcome child. You are Rapunzel Rampion" it said to her. She tried to ask the voice where she was and why she was there, but it never said another word. Standing up, she turned to find that she was faced with a huge, narrow tower. By the moonlight she could make out what looked like an open window or doorway right at the top – but how on earth could anyone get up there? She began to wander round the base when she spotted an old, broken doorway, with a pile of torn down ivy next to it. It looked like it used to be concealed behind the Ivy leaves. Peering into the murky gloom inside, she took a deep break and began her ascent of the steep steps to the top of the tower.
Rapunzel flinched away from re-living the memory of what she found at the top, and looked at the box in her lap. It was bad enough when she had thought it to be a random event that she had just happened to come across. If it was somehow connected to her, part of her personal history – how could she stand it?
Author's Note – Oooo, how did they die? I know, I know I'm mean, but I'm not quite ready to reveal it yet. I just wanted to say thank you so much for your kind reviews, I'm so excited each time I see I have a new one – I love reading them! It honestly gives me a real thrill just to see that someone is out there enjoying this, and to hear their ideas and opinions. So thank you! :)
