Merida shivered as a light rain began to fall, but she didn't dare move. She had nestled inside a hollow log which was caked with dirt and moss and crawling with bugs. She didn't care. Anything was better than Pitch finding her. She stifled back the hot tears of shame that threatened to rise. She had left her friends with barely a fight. Hiccup was probably dead right now...how could she return to face their parents and explain what had happened?

"Merida!" Hiccup screamed. "Merida, where are you?"

Gasping, Merida crawled out of the log. "O'er here!" she yelled.

Merida heard Toothless roar softly, and a moment later they walked into the clearing, with Angus just behind. Hiccup leapt off Toothless' back, his hair a sopping wet mess, and hugged her tightly. Despite herself, Merida began to cry.

"Ah'm so sorry," she sobbed. "Ah didn't know what ta do."

"It's ok, none of us did. I'm just glad you're safe."

"Where's Rapunzel and Jack?"

"Gothel got Rapunzel," Hiccup sighed. "We have to go back to the tower to rescue her."

"What? Hiccup, we can't!"

"What do you mean? We know what Pitch is capable of now. We can't just leave her there!"

"We don't even know if that's where they've taken her! Ah don't even have my bow!"

"You have your sword," Hiccup said. "I know you're tired, and I know you're scared. We got beaten pretty bad. But I'm not giving up without a fight."

He unclipped it from Toothless' saddle and handed it to her. Gratefully, she fastened it around her waist securely.

"Has Jack gone ahead?" she asked.

Hiccup mounted Toothless silently. "No. He left."

"What? Not Jack. He likes Rapunzel, he couldn't leave."

"We had a fight," Hiccup said shortly. "He thinks it's my fault she got captured in the first place."

"Without Jack..." Merida paled.

"We don't need Jack. We need stealth for this mission and something tells me that's not his strong point."

Merida looked hesitant. "Yew've got a point...but we're supposed to do this together."

"Well, that's evidently not what he wants. Come on, let's go."

Wearily, she mounted Angus. They found the valley itself easily, but they could not land inside. The wind kept inexplicably pushing them away and spooking Toothless. Rapunzel's tower was no where to be seen. They tried to land outside the valley and walk through the doorway, but the ivy had already grown back, and they couldn't find it.

"Magic," Merida said through gritted teeth. "It must be. Ah know the door was right here! Jack's magic must have broken through, which means we can't get in without him. See? Ah told yew we needed to work together."

"Hey, I wasn't the one picking the fight, he was. Besides, he'll come back eventually."

Toothless crawled beneath a bush to lie down, and Hiccup and Merida followed. His wings enveloped them, giving them some form of camouflage and protection.

"Let's try to get some rest while we can," Hiccup sighed. "Who knows when we'll get more of it."

"What 'appens if we fail?"

"We won't."

"What if Jack doesn't come back?"

Hiccup thought for a moment. "He was upset, and I don't blame him for that. I would be too if something happened to Astrid. But he'll come back for her."

"He must really like her then."

"Definitely."


Jack landed softly outside the valley, battered from the wind. It was nearly midnight, but the Moon shone directly over the hidden door. Behind him, Toothless moaned softly. Jack jumped and turned around, startled, but quickly saw the dragon's big curious eyes. He sighed and lowered his staff.

"Hiccup?" he asked quietly.

Toothless lifted his wings and Hiccup and Merida emerged, rubbing the sleep from their eyes and yawning.

"What were you, sleeping?"

"Yeah, because unlike you, we need our rest," Hiccup explained.

"We can rest after we get Rapunzel."

"Did ya try and fly o'er the top?" Merida asked. "It's blocked by magic. Yer magic was the only reason we got inside in the first place."

"Ha! Told ya," he said, suddenly proud.

"Yeah, speaking of things you told me," Hiccup said, looking around sarcastically. "Where are your "friends" who supposedly could help more than we could?"

Jack looked down at his bare feet. "They wouldn't come. They said it was our battle to fight, not theirs."

"Some friends."

Jack laughed cynically. "You don't know who you're talking about."

"Oh yeah? Then who? Go on, tell me."

"That's classified information," Jack said, leaning forward and tapping his staff on the top of Hiccup's head.

Hiccup glowered. More than anything, he hated being patronized. He understood that Jack was upset, but that was going too far. Merida quickly stepped between them.

"Jack, how aboot yew open that door now?"

"Certainly." Without looking, Jack thrust his staff behind him and froze away the ivy. "Let's go."

"Show off," Hiccup muttered.

"Not so fast," Merida said, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. "First we need some reconnassaince. We don't know who's in there yet."

"Rapunzel is."

She rolled her eyes. "Ah mean't Pitch and Gothel."

"If that's the case, then we should go in an attack now!" he snapped.

"That's a horrible idea," Hiccup explained impatiently. "In that small space something could go wrong."

"Something went wrong in the open, too," Jack pointed out with gritted teeth.

"Yes, but there's an even greater chance that something worse will happen. So we're staying here until we know for certain the coast is clear."

Jack frowned and rolled his eyes. "Since when did you become the leader? You're the youngest. Technically, I should be the leader, since I'm hundreds of years old."

"Because at the moment, I'm the only one who's got any sense!" Hiccup hissed. "And it's only temporary leadership in a time of crisis since we're supposed to be working together!"

"Stop fighting boys," Merida said.

"Shh!" Jack said suddenly. "Nobody move."

Inside the valley, they heard a horse whinny fiercely. A moment later, they saw Pitch and Gothel fly away overhead on one Nightmare, with another Nightmare close behind.

"Who's on the other Nightmare?" Merida asked in a low whisper.

"Mavis," Jack whispered back. "Their other daughter. Who also happens to be a vampire. North thinks it's because Gothel's mother made a spell for Mavis that turned her into a vampire, but no one knows for sure."

"Freaky," Hiccup said. "Ok, let's go."

The Companions flew into the valley and up to Rapunzel's tower. The first room was empty, but Jack soon found Rapunzel in her room, sitting calmly on her poster bed.

"Rapunzel! Oh thank goodness your safe," he said with obvious relief.

Rapunzel looked up, startled. "What are you doing in my tower?"

"Umm, we came to rescue you?" Hiccup offered.

"And what," she asked, getting up and walking towards them, "makes you think I need rescuing?"

Jack looked at her, puzzled. "Well, I know you can slide down your hair on your own, but we thought…"

"Well? I'm waiting for an answer."

She took a step forward...right through Jack. Like in the market, he gasped and clutched at his chest, as if it had physically hurt him. He stumbled forward and fell on one knee.

"No..." he whispered brokenly.

"You just walked through Jack!" Merida exclaimed.

"Who's that?"

"Rapunzel, why can't you see me?" Jack asked in anguish. He flew around her and began waving his arms wildly. She kept looking straight through him.

"Rapunzel, what have you been doing today?" Hiccup asked suddenly.

"That is no concern of yours, I don't know you."

"But we were fightin' together just hours ago!" Merida protested.

"No, we most certainly have not. I've been in bed all afternoon. I fell while painting the ceiling and hurt myself. It was a silly thing, Mother made me promise never to do it again."

"Aargh!" Merida screamed impatiently. "This makes no sense!"

"No," Hiccup said, "this totally makes sense. Mavis is a vampire, right?"

"Mavis is my sister," Rapunzel insisted.

"Right. Anyway, vampire-sisters can swipe your memory. That must be what happened!"

"Och, that evil woman! Both of them!" Merida said. "When I get my hands on her…"

"Gothel and Mavis are my family! They love me! Don't you dare insult them! Now get out of my tower!" She picked up her frying pan and charged them ferociously.

"Ok, let's go!" Hiccup said. He and Merida ran to the window and climbed up onto the roof where Toothless was perched. "Jack, come on!"

"Stay away from me, crazy people!" Rapunzel yelled out the window.

"Rapunzel…" Jack said, hoping it wasn't true. But it was. She walked through him again.

That did it. In despair, he turned and jumped out the window, flying mournfully alongside Toothless and his fellow Companions. Sadly, they flew back to where Merida had left Angus. Hiccup took the snow globe portal from his satchel.

"Let's go back to the Pole and regroup," he suggested.

No one contradicted him.


Hiccup awoke the next morning tired and sore. North had given them cots to sleep on, but they were too soft for his taste. He wandered around until he found Merida and Jack in North's office. North was reading from an ancient manuscript, but looked up when Hiccup arrived.

"Good morning," he said gently. "Merida told me what happened last night. I am sorry about the yetis. I sent them to help but I couldn't get them to return after Ted caught fire."

"They helped for a little while," Hiccup said, grabbing an apple from on top the desk. "So the question is, what do we do now?"

"Hiccup," Merida said. "Ah want to go home."

"What?" he was shocked. Was this Merida? "But we can't go home now! We have to stop Pitch and Gothel!"

"We CAN'T stop him, Hiccup! He's too strong for us!"

"But that was only because we were afraid of him," Hiccup explained. "Our fear gives him strength. We have to fight it!"

"We can't!" Merida cried. "Look at me! I ran away from you, all of you, because he strikes terror into the brave! He puts fear in the fearless, steals courage from the courageous. How are we supposed to fight that?"

"I don't know, but there has to be a weakness somewhere. There has to be a reason we were called here, right North?"

North remained neutral. "It has to be your choice."

"We don't belong here, Hiccup. We never did. How can we save this place if we don't even belong?"

"Oh come on; we can't just give up! Help me out here, Jack! Jack? Jack, are you even listening?!"

Jack was sitting in a giant windowsill. He looked up and tried to speak, but he couldn't. He hadn't spoken since the tower, not even made a snarky comment at Hiccup.

"Face it, you're the only one left standing," Merida said.

"Can't you see what's happening?" Hiccup asked desperately. "Pitch wants us to split up. This is his plan!"

"I'm going home," Merida said. "And that's final."

"I understand," North said with a sigh. "It is a big deal to fight and win over Pitch. I recently lost my very good friend in battle, although I think I discovered a way to bring them back from exile. Thank you for trying, anyway. I'll do my best to defeat them on my own."

Hiccup looked doubtful. "You've still got Jack. Sort of."

"I wish you all the luck in the world," Merida said. "I really do. Goodbye, Jack." He didn't respond. "Goodbye, North."

"Goodbye," North said. He handed him a snow globe. "Take this with you, it will open a portal back to this very day, in case you change your mind. "Go on then, you'll be safe there."

"Goodbye, North," Hiccup said. "And Jack. Thanks."

"Ah'm sorry," Merida whispered. "Ah'm so sorry."

The cousins stepped into the portal, back to their own world and time, and were gone. Jack hung his head, feeling more alone than ever before.