Chapter 9: And So It Begins
"You take people, you put them on a journey, you give them peril, you find out who they really are."
― Joss Whedon
Breakfast the next morning was surprisingly quiet. Rapunzel idly pushed a stray blueberry around her plate, ignoring for the most part the pancakes that remained un-eaten. Across from her, Jack did much the same with the last pieces of his cereal. Merida had begun carving designs into the oak table with her knife, and Hiccup had given up on staying still and was pacing in circles around the table while Toothless's eyes tracked him steadily. No one said much; Rapunzel knew they were all waiting anxiously for the Guardians to show up and elaborate on North's cryptic words last night.
"Hiccup, sit down," Merida finally said, breaking the silence. "You're making me dizzy."
"I can't sit still," Hiccup said, continuing his endless circle. "I didn't sleep at all last night, not with something like that hanging over my head."
"Neither did I," Merida said, while Rapunzel silently agreed, "But you should at least eat something."
"I'm not hungry," he replied.
There were a few minutes of silence. Then, Rapunzel asked, "Where is North, anyway? Shouldn't he be here by now?"
"It's the first day of December," Jack answered almost absentmindedly. "Twenty-five days until Christmas; the final countdown. His stress levels will be skyrocketing right about now, along with his OCD. He's probably down in the workshop, making sure everything is on track."
"But he'll be here soon, right? With the other Guardians?"
Jack nodded.
Silence again. Then, the distinct sound of North's voice could be heard from down the hallway, gradually growing louder as he came closer.
"No, no, I said red and green, not purple and green! How do you even get purple out of red? They sound nothing alike! Redo them all." There was the sound of a distressed yeti's reply, and then North continued, "I don't care if it is going to take you five hours! This is Christmas, not Mardi Gras!"
By this time North's voice had come to just behind the door. It opened as Rapunzel watched, revealing North talking to a paint-stained yeti. "Fine. Then get George and Alan to help you. But if we fall behind on production in the electronic toy department, I'm telling them you were the one with hearing problems!"
The yeti sighed and nodded, rushing off to do his job. North turned around and closed the door to the dining room, rubbing his temple with one hand and holding a very long scroll of names in the other.
"I very much need some Tchaikovsky right now," he muttered to himself, looking down at the scroll and checking some names. "Preferably the Nutcracker Suite. Or perhaps Symphony Number 4, Movement 4, yes."
"North," Merida said, half rising from her seat. "You're here, finally!"
"Yes, yes I am," was his distracted reply, not looking up from the scroll. He frowned. "Naughty? I could have sworn she was on the nice list." He made a few scribbles on the paper. "Well, I suppose that's what double-checking is for…"
He rolled up the scroll and tucked it in his coat pocket, finally looking up and giving his attention to the four of them. "Right. What were we discussing?"
"What you were talking about last night," Hiccup prompted.
"Of course. The fire the elves accidentally started in the kitchens that destroyed three of the ovens before it was put out."
Jack laughed a little. "Another crisis involving the elves? Must be Tuesday."
The tired lines under North's eyes seemed to deepen. "I do not know why I keep them around," he muttered.
Rapunzel gave them both a funny look. "No, North, he meant what you told us about our enemies beginning to act up. You said you would tell us about it today."
North's eyes brightened. "Oh! Right. Forgive me, I have been very preoccupied lately." He pulled up a chair and sat down heavily with a yawn. "The other Guardians won't be here today. They have their duties to attend to, especially Sandy. After last night I'm sure you can understand why."
Rapunzel and the others nodded, waiting patiently for him to get to the point.
"So. I will get right down to it then. Rapunzel, you remember that ball that ended so disastrously?"
"Yes," was her simple reply. How could she forget? Douglas' scream, the knife in his back, the dark hooded figure slinking through the crowd, the last time she had seen Eugene amid all the chaos- it was all burned into her memory.
"Well, the assassination of King Douglas did not go over very well with the people, as I am sure you have guessed. Your parents have informed me that they were not able to catch the assassin, though they suspect it was Gothel."
Rapunzel nodded slowly. It made sense. It was exactly Gothel's style.
"But they cannot prove anything, and now that Douglas' oldest son has taken over the throne of Sceadu he accuses your parents of planning it. It does not help that the last war between the kingdoms was not very long ago and the wounds have not yet healed, and people are scared. They are scared of this unknown killer, they are scared of impending war- and scared is the last thing we want them to be, and the only thing Pitch wants them to be."
"So what can we do?" Rapunzel asked after taking in this information.
"You can go back to Corona and calm things down. The people are wondering what has happened to their beloved princess, and though your parents have told the kingdom you were sent away for your own protection many are suspicious and unconvinced. It would do them a lot of good to see your face and hear your voice. It would be a way to counter the fear, you understand."
"I understand," she repeated.
"Much the same is happening in Berk," North said, turning to Hiccup. "Your father has used the excuse that you are on an expedition to explore farther out than you usually do, though the village has become a little uneasy that this has happened so immediately after Rapunzel mysteriously appeared. Your friends managed to find out the truth, however. Stoick has told me they were very, uh, persistent."
Hiccup smiled. "That sounds like them. Can't keep their noses out of anything," he said affectionately.
"Yes, well, now that they know of the MDA they insist on helping. And they also demand on hearing from you personally. So while Rapunzel goes to Corona to keep the peace, you will do the same in Berk."
Hiccup nodded, looking happy that he would be able to see his home again.
"And as for you two," North continued, pointing to Jack and Merida, "You will go with them as backup. Jack, you go with Rapunzel. Merida, you go with Hiccup."
The two nodded to show their agreement.
"Because we have no way of predicting what will happen next, I suggest you go prepared for potential battle. It is better to be safe than it is to be sorry."
They murmured assent, and North rose from his seat. "Be ready in an hour, and meet me in my office." With that he turned and exited the room, taking out his list and resuming checking names.
"Well," Merida said after a moment. "This is rather sudden."
"We'd better go get ready," Hiccup said, heading towards the door.
Rapunzel got up and followed him out, quickly returning to her room. Feelings of joy and apprehension conflicted within her as she went. She was going to Corona, she was going back home! She was going to Mom and Father and Pascal and Eugene! She was going back to the palace by the sea and the children in the street and the flowers in the garden and the village musicians that always played such beautiful music! She was going back to the sunlight, away from the North Pole where it was always midnight! Not that the North Pole wasn't the most amazing place she had ever been in, but she grew weary of looking out the window every day to see only the darkness, the cold, white moon such a poor substitute for the warm brilliance of the sun.
And yet, who knew what sort of state her dear kingdom was in now? There was never much fear in Corona; it was the sort of place where everything she saw put a smile on her face. It was a happy place. There was always a dance happening in the square or a wedding going on in the chapel or a party commencing in the bar. But if the things North said were true, then she imagined there would be no dances or weddings or parties when she returned.
Rapunzel arrived at her room and looked around, wondering what she should bring. She'd take her frying pan, of course, and perhaps the dagger that she had been learning to use. She would have to re-braid her hair, since it was currently trailing out behind her- it had tripped up several yetis on her way here- and she would have to change into something more battle-suitable, in case it should come to that. But other than that… well, she was surprised how little she had here. She had brought nothing with her, other than the tattered dress that had barely stayed on her back. All she had were the necessary things she had been given- not comforts, but rather instruments of war. All the more reason she was happy to be returning to the comforts of home, however temporarily.
She put on her gear, which was basically her everyday training outfit with a few things added. The extra armor was made from tough and impenetrable but reasonably flexible leather: a bodice, shoulder coverings, straps that wound all the way down her arms, and coverings on her legs- braces, she thought they were called. None of it was too terribly gaudy or showy and she felt well protected, but she felt an awful lot heavier now. But so long as she could move freely and not get killed from a single strike, she was happy.
Rapunzel tucked the handle of her frying pan through a strap on her belt that was made specifically for that purpose and sat on her bed, braiding her hair again. This took the majority of the hour, and as soon as she was finished she left the room- which was now virtually empty of any sign that she had ever been there, other than the clothes she had changed out of- and went to North's office. The door was open, and Rapunzel saw she was the last to arrive. Everyone else was wearing armor much like hers- even Jack, who before had so adamantly refused to wear anything other than his blue hoodie and thin pants, had seen sense and was covered in leather protection. Though still no shoes, she noticed.
When North saw her enter, he turned to the shelf that held the snow globe portals and took two. He handed one to Hiccup, and one to her.
"Use these to travel there, and come back when you see fit. Just make sure you don't lose them; they only return to your pocket after they have been activated." He stepped back. "It should not take you long to do what you must, so you should be back here before too long. Should anything unexpected happen, return as soon as you can. I will see you then."
Jack moved next to Rapunzel as she shook the globe, picturing the entrance bridge to Corona clearly in her mind. A little replica of the island kingdom appeared inside the globe, and she threw it down on the ground where the portal burst to life. A salt-scented breeze came from within the portal, and with a smile she stepped forward.
Rapunzel was beginning to get used to the dizzying sensation of going through a portal. She didn't feel quite as nauseous as she had the first time, and if she closed her eyes to the vertigo-inducing colors that swirled past her in the span of a second she could almost pretend she was merely having a dizzy spell. When she opened them, she found herself standing alone on the bridge to Corona, her kingdom a welcoming sight before her. After a moment Jack came through and the hole in the fabric of the universe closed, and Rapunzel felt the weight of the snow globe settle into her pocket.
Rapunzel lifted her chin into the autumn breeze that was coming off the sea and breathed it in with a smile. She looked down at the cobbled stones of the bridge beneath her boots, and was overcome with a desire to feel the ground of Corona beneath her feet again. She bent down and unlaced her boots, kicking them aside. She looked up at Jack, who was watching her with his eyebrows raised and a half smile on his face.
"Don't judge me," she said.
"That would be awful hypocritical of me," he answered, wiggling his own bare toes.
Rapunzel laughed and started running across the bridge with her arms spread wide. "I'm hoooome!" she sang.
Jack laughed too, following her. She glanced back, seeing him look around at the new world that he had never seen before. She smiled. "I have so much to show you!" she exclaimed, taking hold of his arm. "The square and the beach and oh, the royal gardens! And you can meet Pascal! And, and Eugene!"
Jack chuckled again. "Right, yeah, definitely. But let's do what we came here to do first, Rapunzel."
"Right. Priorities. Yes."
She calmed herself and slowed to a walk as they entered the city gates. As soon as she did, as soon as she began to walk among the people, she noticed something… different. Something wrong. No one recognized her; she knew no one would expect to see her with her long, blonde hair and certainly not with these clothes on, but she knew that if they got a good look on her face they would recognize her. But the problem was, no one was looking at her, not really. Everyone walked with their heads down, and they moved quickly from place to place, doing what they needed and nothing more. There were no children playing in the streets, and there were more soldiers on patrol than usual. There was no idle chatter between the people, and even the street vendors were hesitant to raise their voices and disrupt the unnatural hush over it all.
"Do you feel it?" Jack asked quietly; even he instinctively kept his voice low. "The fear?"
Rapunzel nodded. She did feel it; it was like a weight pressing on her shoulders, or a chill shivering up her spine. She saw it in the guarded looks the people wore on their faces, she heard it in their quiet tones, and she almost imagined she could taste it in the air.
The two of them continued walking, the happy feeling that had filled her on her arrival melting away instantly. Up the winding path to the castle they went, and when they reached the main square Rapunzel noticed a slowly growing group of people surrounding one man. She did not recognize him, but he was young and handsome, and he was giving a speech in the sort of charismatic voice that everyone listened to. She and Jack wandered a bit closer to hear what he was saying, sticking to the outskirts of the observers.
"How can we trust them?" the man was saying loudly. "How can we let them rule us when they do not tell us the truth?" He pointed towards the castle. "They bicker and they fight and they bring war upon us, and then they try to cover everything up! They try to pretend as if nothing has happened, when the armies of Sceadu could be on their way to slaughter us all right now!" The crowd murmured angrily in agreement, the noise traveling like a ripple in a pond. "Where is our king? Where is our queen? They are locked away up in their impenetrable castle, hoping that if they plug their ears and shut their eyes their problems will go away! And where is our princess? Where is she in our time of need? Has she become lost once again?"
Rapunzel turned away, having heard enough. The words stung her. Her kingdom, her people felt as if they had been abandoned. They felt like they were on their own. Was that why they were afraid? Because they were angry?
Jack took her arm. "C'mon," he said. "Let's go."
They finally reached the castle gates, and upon recognizing her the guards let them through. Their eyes were wide at the sight of her, but she did not attempt to explain. Once they entered the main hall, a guard rushed off to inform her parents that she was there, leaving Jack and Rapunzel alone. Jack looked around at the rich surroundings, impressed.
"You've got a nice place," he commented.
"Yes, I suppose so," she said.
The sound of hasty footsteps was heard from one of the adjacent corridors, and as Rapunzel watched Eugene rounded the corner.
"Rapunzel!" he exclaimed, his face lighting up with a grin
"Eugene!" she cried, running to him. He caught her up in a hug and kissed her through her smile. Then he ran his fingers through her long, blonde locks. "Your hair…" he said in amazement. "How…?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she laughed.
He smiled. "And your clothes! You're like some sort of deadly warrior princess! I like it." Rapunzel giggled.
"Your parents told me everything," Eugene continued, "But they wouldn't let me go to where you were. God, I've missed you."
"I missed you too," Rapunzel said, pressing her lips to his. Then, in the middle of the kiss-
"Ahem."
They broke apart and Rapunzel looked behind her to see Jack still standing there awkwardly.
"Oh," Eugene said, letting go of Rapunzel. "Hello."
"Eugene," Rapunzel said, her face growing a bit warm. "This is Jack. Jack, Eugene."
"Hi."
"He's, uh, he's my fighting partner. And a friend."
She looked pointedly at Eugene as she said that last part, for he was looking at Jack with a rather territorial look. "Yes, I've been told," he said.
She felt like the temperature in the room had dropped a few degrees, but she couldn't tell if it was because of Jack's powers or Eugene's hostility.
She was mercifully saved from the now painfully uncomfortable situation when the guard returned with her parents, both of them hugging her and kissing her and exclaiming about her new look. They quickly explained to her how she was going to speak to the people from the main balcony in an hour or so, and whisked her away to get ready. She glanced behind her as she was led away, hoping that Jack and Eugene wouldn't get into a fist fight while she was gone.
It was just Jack, Eugene, and a lonely guard who paid no attention to either of them in the main hall after Rapunzel left. Though Jack was looking anywhere but at Eugene, he could feel the other man's scrutinizing glare. It seemed like he was the possessive type. Not that Jack had done anything to cause this possessiveness, of course. Even if he did have any feelings for Rapunzel- which he didn't, of course, that would be ridiculous- he certainly wouldn't be flaunting it in this guy's face. He and Rapunzel were clearly together and happy about it too.
He just wished Eugene would stop looking at him like that. For the first time ever, he actually sort of wished he was invisible again right now.
"So," Eugene said after a while. "You're Rapunzel's fighting partner?"
"One of three, yes," he answered. "And you're her… boyfriend?"
"Husband, actually."
"Husband. Right. I guess I didn't see the ring."
"Well… the ring kind of got lost."
"Understandable."
"And you've got her back in battle? You're keeping her from getting hurt?"
Jack looked at him. "Yes. That would be part of the job."
"Good. So you're the one I should blame if anything happens to her."
Jack sighed. "Nothing's going to happen to her."
"I don't know that for sure," he said with a glare. "And if I can't be there with her, then I can't do anything about it."
"Look, Eugene. There are three of us backing her up. She'll be fine."
"Would you die for her?"
The question caught him off guard. "What?"
"I said, would you die for her?"
Jack hesitated.
"I would die for her," Eugene continued. "I have died for her. And I would do it again, if I had to. Have you ever been willing to do that for someone? Do you know what that feels like? Have you ever loved someone that much?"
The question dangled in the silence. Sure that he had called Jack out on that point, Eugene did not seem to expect an answer. He was surprised when he got one.
"Yes," Jack said quietly. "Yes, actually, I have."
He didn't elaborate, and Eugene, while definitely curious, didn't press. His voice seemed a little gentler, and his gaze held a little more respect when he said, "Just… watch out for her, okay?"
"Of course."
About ten minutes later, Rapunzel returned. She had put on a dress more fit for a princess addressing her people, though Jack could see she still wore her battle clothes underneath. The woman who walked next to her was expressing her disapproval of this, but Rapunzel seemed more exasperated about it than anything.
"Ellie, no one's going to be able to tell. And I don't want to be caught with no protection."
The woman named Ellie humphed. "As if anything's going to happen. And must you insist on bringing Pascal?"
For the first time Jack noticed the green lizard on Rapunzel's shoulder, who turned an angry shade of red at Ellie's words and made a strange growling noise.
"Yes," Rapunzel said firmly.
Ellie sighed in resignation. "Alright, fine. Then come along."
Jack followed Rapunzel, Ellie, and Eugene to a room that led out onto a balcony. When he looked outside, he could see the people of Corona gathered below, waiting to see their princess.
He turned to Rapunzel. "I'm going to go down there and scope things out, okay?"
She nodded, and he flew out the window and over the balcony and landed on the outer edges of the crowd. He walked around the crowd unseen, looking for anyone or anything suspicious while Rapunzel came out on the balcony and began to speak. He was only half-listening to what she said, something about reassuring the people that she was fine and they were fine and everything was just fine. She definitely had a way with the people; Jack could tell from the looks on their faces that they adored their princess. But they remained uneasy.
It was a woman who spoke first, calling up to Rapunzel in the middle of her speech. "Why should we believe you?"
Jack couldn't see Rapunzel's face from here, but her hesitation told him she was taken aback.
"You have to admit you're not exactly in the most trustworthy position right now, princess," the woman continued scornfully. "Especially since you've shown up out of the blue with your long hair back and no explanation!"
Some in the crowd muttered in agreement.
"I know everything seems confusing right now," Rapunzel said in an effort to placate them, "But I assure you that what you need to know, you do."
"We barely know anything!" The man who said this was closer to where Jack was, and he saw that it was the man that had been speaking in the square earlier. "The tradesmen speak of Sceadu preparing for war, and yet you say nothing of it! You sit there, twiddling your thumbs as if nothing is wrong at all!"
"I promise, we are doing everything we can to prevent violence."
"So there is a war coming, is there?" This was spoken by a third voice.
"I never said that."
"What exactly are you doing for us?" A fourth voice.
"Are we on our own?" A fifth.
"How can you protect us when you're too busy protecting yourselves?" A sixth.
Voice after voice after voice joined in, shouting and yelling and questioning, growing angrier and angrier. Jack felt a shiver up his spine as mob mentality took hold, fueled on by the people's anger and confusion and, most of all, fear. Pitch was here. He must be here, for the people to have whipped themselves into such a panic so quickly.
He looked up at the balcony to see Rapunzel being pulled back inside as the crowd grew more violently loud. This of course angered the people further.
"You're running away again!" shouted the rebellious young man over the din. "Is that all you know how to do?"
Jack flew up to the balcony and scanned the furious crowd before going into the castle. He could still hear the shouts of the people even when the doors to the balcony closed.
Rapunzel looked shocked. "That didn't go well at all."
"No," Eugene agreed. "I think it just made things worse."
Jack glanced out the window at the rioting crowd below and the royal guards struggling to keep them under control. "It could be the beginning of a rebellion out there," he said. "And that's the last thing you want at a time like this. It'll tear Corona apart."
Rapunzel's face was pale. "That woman… the first one that spoke… I recognized her voice. It- it was Gothel."
"Why am I not surprised?" Jack said grimly. "We'd better get back to the Pole, Rapunzel. We need to find out if things went any better with Hiccup and Merida."
Eugene looked from Rapunzel to Jack and back again. "You're leaving?" he said incredulously to Rapunzel. "Again?"
She looked at him regretfully. "I'm sorry, Eugene. But I have to."
"No, you don't! You can stay here, with me. We can figure this out."
"Rapunzel, come on," Jack urged her. "Let's go!"
She looked at him, and then back at Eugene, biting her lower lip. Then, after a silence, she stepped to Eugene and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She took a protesting Pascal off her shoulder and put him on Eugene's, saying, "Watch Pascal for me. I'll see you soon."
Then she turned to Jack. "Let's go."
She handed him the snow globe, and he shook it, saying, "The North Pole."
He threw it down on the ground and it exploded, but something was wrong. Instead of the usual rainbow myriad of colors that the portal was always made of, there was only blackness. Jack hesitated before it, and then picked up a book from a nearby table and threw it in the portal. There was a flash, and then the book came flying right back out at high speed, slamming against the wall and narrowly missing Eugene's head. He picked it up and held it out to her, and she saw it was covered in black sand.
She exchanged an alarmed look with Jack as the portal closed. "Pitch must have done some spell or something so we can't get back to the Pole."
Jack didn't reply. He took out the globe again, this time saying, "The Tooth Palace." But once again, the portal opened into blackness.
He tried again. "The Warren."
Blackness.
"Sandy's Island."
Blackness.
"London."
Blackness.
"Moscow."
Blackness.
His voice picked up a desperate tone as he tried one last time. "Burgess!"
Blackness.
He continued staring at where the portal hung even after it closed. "We can't get back," he said. "We can't get home."
Rapunzel felt she had to do something to stop him from panicking, as she could see he was beginning to do. She felt considerably calmer than he looked- but then, it wasn't her home they had been so suddenly cut off from.
"We'll find a way to get back," she said to him. "But right now, we should see if we can get to Hiccup and Merida."
She took the snow globe from his hand, saying, "Berk."
This time when the portal opened, she was relieved to see it was normal. So it must just be Jack's world that they were cut off from, then.
She took hold of Jack's arm, glancing back at Eugene one last time before she stepped into another world.
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Zia Robtd: Je suis très heureux que vous l'aimez. J'espère que vous continuez à lire et à commenter!
P.S. Je ne sais pas du tout français, seulement l'anglais, donc si Google translate obtenu tout ce mal, je suis désolé.
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