Madi: I am back my friends! (Takes dramatic bow and takes dramatic pose) I was given the idea of doing Q&A in a new way! Here we go!
Autumn Tilnis:
Flower gleam and glow,
Let your power shine,
SAVE WHAT HAS BEEN LOST,
BRING BACK WHAT ONCE WAS MINE.
HEAL WHAT HAS BEEN HURT,
CHANGE THE FATE'S DESIGN,
SAVE WHAT HAS BEEN LOST,
BRING BACK WHAT ONCE WAS MINE:
WHAT ONCE WAS MINE.
Hey, the capitalized stuff could very possibly heal April Fool of her Corruptedness (Corrupted-ness?). Like Jack, Merida, and Hiccup could drag her to a secluded place where Rapunzel is waiting and heal her broken heart. I hope this helps! -Autumn Tilnis
Madi: Well Autumn, I'll answer the first question, and then I have a guest to answer this theory. The correct term would be Corrupted, and the proper way to say it would "...Very possibly heal April Fool from being Corrupted…"
Isabella: You just had to correct that, didn't you?
Madi: You know how I am with grammar! Now to bring in our guest!
Melody: Hey guys! Autumn, that's an amazing theory you got there! While Rapunzel's hair and tears can heal anything from papercuts to death, I'm afraid this won't work. The Magical Golden Flower that gave Rapunzel her powers has been around for a long time, and we fed one of them to Time at the very beginning. It just wasn't pure enough…
Madi: Thank you Melody!
Melody: (To Jack) Does she usually act like this?
Jack: Yep.
Hiccup: All the time.
Merida: Rapunzel, are ya alright?
Rapunzel: (Is crying) I-I-I can't help Time, April and Painter!
Melody: Wait, I didn't mean it that way! I was just saying that Fearlings are so evil that even the flower couldn't help!
Rapunzel: (Continues to sob)
Madi: Anyways...Now to everyone's favorite part: Torturing Jack!
Merida: (Grabs Jack's staff) How does dis thin' even work?! (Bangs staff against ground. Red ice forms)
Everyone: o.O
Madi: Um…
Hiccup: (Touches ice. Yelps) It's hot!
Isabella: Hot ice?! ALL SCIENCE AND THINGS I KNOW ARE IRRELEVANT!
Merida: I GOT YA NOW FROST!
Jack: Why is it always me?!
Melody: (Flies into air and uses sound wave to push around clouds. Clouds say:)
Chapter 9
?´s POV:
I growled as the two look-alike hooligans drew nearer. How dare they try to fight me! ¨Why don't you give up already? You've clearly lost.¨ The one with the eyepatch said. The other smirked.
"Just come quietly and we won't have to hurt you any more." He growled. I chuckled.
"And what makes you fools think it'll be so easy to capture after we've been fighting for hours now? Why are you interested in me anyway?" Eyepatch growled.
"We have strict orders from Fool to capture the Ancients." He barked.
"You shouldn't be talking so cockily…" Scarface (the other) chuckled. A growl ripped out of my throat as the two of them swiped at a nearby tree, the color completely drained from it.
"You growing weak old man…"
"And when you finally crumble…"
"You're as good as dead."
Merida's POV:
We were just heading over to Life Island when Marie flew up to us, panting. "GUYSGUYSGUYSIVEFOUNDHERALDRAPUNZELSWINDANDWINDOFTHEEASTBUTHESNOTDOINGTOWELLANDWENEEDTOHURRYREALLYREALLYFASTAND-" I clamped my hand over Marie's mouth.
"Take a deep breath and say dat slower!" I commanded. Marie nodded and took a deep breath.
"I've found Rapunzel's Wind, Herald. He's wounded very badly. We need to hurry!" Marie was on the verge of tears.
"Alright," Rapunzel said soothingly. "Tell us where he is, and we'll grab our stuff and head out."
"The South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, at Albatross island." Marie reported.
"Do you know anything about who the enemy is?" Hiccup questioned. Marie shook her head.
"Marie, I want you to stay here." Jack suddenly said. We all turned to Jack, confused.
"Leave her here?!" Silence shouted.
"She increases your power, idiot! You can't just leave her behind!" Melody shouted.
"Yeah, but if she somehow gets captured while we're in the middle of fighting, then it'll just slow us down." Jack retorted. The two Ancients went silent. Benjamin chuckled.
"If I remember correctly, Marie can only help you if you are in the same part of the world. Why don't you drop by Natalie's and drop Marie off there?" He suggested. I cocked an eyebrow.
"Natalie? Who's Natalie?" Hiccup asked.
"Mother Nature." Melody said with a smile. "I can escort you there. We'll leave in a few minutes." Melody walked off. Silence sighed.
"Before I possibly lose my voice again, here's a word of advice; talk to Nat about Time. She and him were lovers, even after Time went Corrupted. She might know something useful. Also ask if she's seen the other Ancients; it's important to make sure the Corrupted don't capture them." Silence saluted and walked off.
Lovers? Weren't the Ancients like siblings to each other? Now that I think of it, Melody and Silence had been in a relationship at some point. What in the world is happening around here?
Ben chuckled again. "I know what your thinking about, and Ancient's have...complicated relationships. While we do treat each other like family, we also represent relationships; Nature and Time are husband and wife, Grim and I represent friendship, Mother/Father and April are parents and child, Forever and Decay are actually brother and sister, Melody and Silence represent dating relationships, Painter and Silence are cousins, Yin and Yang are heroic relationships, and finally Pitch and Sandy represent enemies."
Melody walked up to us. "Alright, everyone ready to go?" She asked. Ben chuckled and began to walk off.
"Say hello to Natalie for me!"
Bunnymund's POV:
I gasped as I came too once again. North and Tooth's screams still echoed from the outside; April was still be torturing them.
I furrowed my brows and twitched my ears, looking for any side of the clown. When I was satisfied that I was safe, I let out a sigh of relief. She probably wouldn't be back for a while later, and I planned on using the little time I had to figure out how to get out of here.
April had purposefully made it so I couldn't make a rabbit hole; that much was obvious. If I had one of North's snow globes I could possibly get rescued from the other side, put that would put others in harms way…
A fresh set of screams filled the air, but they didn't belong to North nor Tooth. April's haunting, childish laughter followed. "I'll give you to the count of ten to run and hide! Ready!? One...two…" Footsteps echoed everywhere, as if whoever was running was running in circles. "Three...four…" The door in front of me opened, then was shut very quietly. "Five...six...seven...eight…" Judging by the heavy breathing, whoever entered the room was female. "Nine...ten! Ready or not...you will be caught…" April growled from outside.
"Who's there?" I whispered. The woman jumped.
"B-B-Bunnymund?!" A familiar voice stuttered. No, it couldn't be her. If she was alive, then…
"Eris? How are you alive?" I demanded. Eris walked forward quietly.
"The Grim Reaper was forced to bring me back to life; they've sacrificed a spirit to an eternity of fear to keep the Gate of Death open," Eris whispered. She was trembling "Pitch is back too...but...but...they didn't want him as an ally."
"What?"
"They're...they're torturing him somewhere else in this stupid castle. They said something about collecting the other Ancients and using all of the power at once to destroy something...I….I'm so sorry!" Eris began to cry. "I couldn't fight back, no matter how hard I tried."
"It's alright; nobody blames you for anything." I sighed. "Listen, we need to get out of here and tell the others what is going on. If you could use your Mist to break my chains, I could get us out."
"But...the Jester has the castle rigged to sense her victim's powers…"
"Then just release my feet; I can get you out of here. Now, hurry! We don't have much time before she finds you." Eris gulped as she began to concentrate her powers the chains.
"I'VE FOUND YOU!" April shrieked. Eris screamed as the first chain broke.
"HURRY ERIS!" I screamed.
"DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO ESCAPE! I WILL FIND YOU AND RID THE WORLD OF YOUR SOUL!" April screamed. She was drawing closer. Eris had just managed to break the other chain when the door slammed open.
"PUSH ME TOWARDS THE WALL!" I screamed. Eris pushed as hard as she could, causing me to swing back and hit the wall. I quickly tapped my foot against the wall. "GO!"
"STOP!" April screamed, lunging for Eris. Eris dived for the hole.
Without thinking, I swung back towards April and kicked her back. "NO!" The she-clown screamed as the hole closed up.
The room was silent for a second, then a minute. I gulped nervously as April slowly stood up, the room lighting up the slightest bit. "Such a naughty bunny-rabbit," April whispered childishly as she reached into one of her many pockets. "Naughty...naughty...bunny...rabbit. You need to be taught a lesson." Something glinted in the light as April removed her hand from her pocket.
April stalked up to me, head hung low. In a flash, she face to face with my own, our noses touching. She reeked of death and decay, causing my eyes to water. Her pupils had grown to a more normal size, her red eyes glowing.
That's when I noticed it; the movement in her eyes. I squinted and looked closer at the pupil. Was that a..?
"BAD BUNNY!"
Rapunzel's POV:
Merida was screaming at Jack. Why, you may ask? Because he was clutching her by the back of her jacket as we flew through the sky. I sat on Toothless behind Hiccup, clutching him so I wouldn't fall. How are Hiccup and Jack at ease with being so high up in the air?!
"PUT ME DOWN!" Merida screamed again.
"You might want to rethink that, princess," Jack chuckled. "We're pretty high up. Wouldn't want to scrape you off a road now, would we?" Merida instantly shut up.
"Melody! How far is it!?" I called. Melody turned around and smiled.
"Not much farther, I promise!" She yelled over the wind.
Soon enough, we were in the Amazon Rainforest, heading for a group of trees that were suspiciously close together. We landed (Jack dropped Merida) and looked around. Said group of trees had grown together to form an arch-like structure. I walked up to the four trees, studying them closely. Each one was giving off an aura of a season, and they had all twisted together, the leaves varying from various shades of greens, browns, and yellows with purple and pink flowers.
"I've never seen trees like this before," I whispered. "It's beautiful." Melody walked towards the entrance of the arch.
"Natalie loves to create new plants and breed new animals. She loves everything about nature, so she's created a place where humans who damage her creations can't dwell." She breathed. She turned towards the side of the arch and placed her hand on a knot. The knot momentarily glowed a dark blue.
The trees began to rustle widely, leaves and flowers falling everywhere. The wind picked up, picking up dust, leaves, dirt, and flowers. It began to rain, even though the sky was as clear as can be. The wind blew its captives of nature to the center of the arch, the rainwater joining in the dance. The leaves and flowers suddenly caught on fire, the fire itself a blinding white.
We all shielded ours eyes from the light. As it faded, our eyes were slowly opened to wonder.
In the center of the arch, a portal had formed. On the other side, we could see a strange, brightly colored city with buildings of strange shapes and sizes. The city appeared to be a combination of many different habitats, such as the rainforest, the arctic, and the dessert. Surrounding this city was a great river that was sapphire blue. The river broke off into smaller rivers and streams, eat smaller body of water transforming into different colors, such as gold, silver, emerald green, etc. Beyond the rivers and streams were the strangest trees I had ever seen. They were slightly curved, were all colored either yellow, orange, pink, or light purple. These trees didn't have leaves, but appeared to have tufts of soft looking, silver threads. Among these magnificent trees were strange orange swan like birds and little teddy bear like creatures who were eating the purple fruit from the trees. The trees covered the surrounding hills and mountains, this strange world going on for miles and miles. At the mountain peaks there were storm clouds, thundering and booming, giving the mountains almost a kingly affect.
"Wow…" Hiccup breathed behind me. Jack nodded slowly as we walked through the portal. Melody smiled.
"Welcome to the Realm of Nature!" She laughed. "Home of the great city Zootopia, the famous town Thneedville, and Mother Nature!" A few fish popped out of a nearby stream and began to sing. Melody squealed and ran over to the fish, singing with them.
"Jack," Marie whispered. I jumped, completely forgetting that she had been with us.
"What is it Marie?" Jack asked. Marie looked at him, tears streaming down her face.
"Harold...his energy...it's almost…" Marie broke into sobs. Jack embraced her, allowing her to cry into them.
"We're hurrying...it's going to be okay…" I had to look away from the depressing scene. Harold was my wind. If he vanished, I would be that much weaker.
"Na na nanana…" A voice sang out. I looked in shock as a tall man with black hair came closer, playing a beat up guitar and riding a covered wagon pulled by a donkey. A few of the bears, birds and fish were following him, singing along. "Na na n…" The man stopped and stared at us. "Um, who are you?" He asked cautiously.
"We're here ta see Mother Nature." Merida stated. The man slowly began to reach behind him.
"How'd you get in here?" He asked again, pulling out an ax. Hiccup put his hands up.
"Melody let us in here!" Merida said, panicking. The man slowly put the ax back down.
"Pipsqueak, go get the Lorax…" The man said slowly. A small bear nodded and ran off. The man got off the wagon and walked over. "Nice to meet you! My name is the Onceler, inventor of the thneed and assistant to Mother Nature. How may I help you?"
"My name is Rapunzel, Spirit of Spring," I started. "And this is Hiccup, Jack and Merida, who are the Spirits of Autumn, Winter and Summer in that order."
"We need to talk to Natalie about Time, Onceler," Melody said, popping out of seemingly nowhere. Once-ler visibly paled at the mention of Time's name.
"T-Time? I'm n-not sure if th-that's a g-good idea…"
"We also need her to guard a friend of ours," Jack added, gesturing towards Marie.
"Alright! What's this about?!" A gruff voice shouted. Pipsqueak came running up the hill, and right behind was a strange...thing. It walked and acted like a man, but was covered in orange fur and had a dark orange mustache.
I took a step back, frying pan ready to go. "What is that?!" I asked. Once-ler jumped in front of the thing.
"Don't hurt him! He's the Lorax..!"
"I can do my own introduction, thank you," The Lorax said. He cleared his throat. "I am the Lorax, Guardian of the Forest. I speak for the trees and Mother Nature. I assume you all are the 'disturbance' Nature sensed?" We all nodded, causing the Lorax to sigh. "Welp, she's waiting to talk to you. She's at the top of the dark, foreboding mountain over yonder," The Lorax pointed a furry finger at the looming mountains. Merida glared up at the mountain.
"We have ta fly again?!" She growled. Right at that moment, something crashed into her, sending her flying back. Jack fell to the ground, laughing.
"MERIDA!" Hiccup and I screamed as we ran towards her.
Merida, and whatever had hit her, toppled down the side of the hill and crashed into a tree. The Lorax flinched as the collision was made. "It has to be a tree...it couldn't have been a river or a rock…" He muttered. I crouched down next to Merida, who was groaning.
"What was…"
"Owowowowowowowow!" Another girl muttered. The four of us (Marie, Melody and Onceler were trying to calm Jack down) stared as a seventeen year old girl stood up.
"Oh boy…" The Lorax said while facepalming.
The girl looked at us, her hair was covering the left side of her face, she was wearing a dark brown hoodie,a dark green beanie, and black and white gloves adorned her hands. She had curly brown hair that was cut to be short like a boy's. The eye that wasn't covered was bronze, and she had lightly tanned skin. She was taller than everyone (maybe not Once-ler…) and wore no shoes, and had a pair of shorts. "Who-who are you people?" The girl asked. The Lorax slowly walked up to the girl.
"Tic, you just hit your head pretty hard. Why don't you.."
"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU!?" Tic screamed. Once-ler looked up and ran down the hill.
"Tic? It's me, Once-ler…" He said.
"I...I don't know you people! Where am I?!" Tic demanded. I slowly stepped up to the girl.
"My name is Rapunzel. You must have hit your head pretty badly if you can't remember anyone. If you let me help you I can fix your amnesia…" Tic nodded. I placed my hair over her head and sang. I smiled.
"Is that better?" Hiccup asked. Tic's lip trembled as she shook her head.
"N-N-N-No!" My eyes widened.
"What?" I whispered. "But...it's always worked before...why isn't it..?" I asked myself fearfully.
"Maybe she hit her head harder than we thought?" Hiccup offered. I shook my head.
"I was able to bring Eugene back to life...I should be able to cure a simple case of amnesia…" I whispered to myself. The Lorax sighed.
"Alright, let's all head to Nature's. She should be the one to explain everything…" He grumbled.
~Timeskip brought to you by a screaming Jack being chased by Merida with his own staff~
"I...am never...flyin'...with Frost...again!" Merida panted as we landed on a cliff. The Lorax popped out of a nearby tree.
"Alright, I'll go announce ya to Nature and then come and fetch ya." The Lorax said as he ran inside. Tic stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do.
"How close were Nature and Time again?" Jack asked.
"They were...ARE...lovers," Melody explained. "To my knowledge, Nature has never given up on Time."
"Alright! You can come in!" The Lorax shouted. We all walked into the cave (leaving Toothless outside…) and walked down a narrow hallway. Pictures hung from the walls; old painting of Nature and Time, pictures of a little girl, and pictures of human-like animals.
Mother Nature stood at the center of the room, waiting. She wore boots that appeared to be made of ice, bracelets made of autumn leaves, giant palm tree leaves in the style of a two piece swimsuit, and a flower crown. She held a wooden staff with a white snake curled around it, the snake looking curiously at us. Mother Nature's hair was the color of rich soil and her eyes was forest green.
Mother Nature smiled and hugged Melody. "It is a pleasure to see you again, little sister," Nature greeted.
"Dido," Melody chuckled.
"Hey Nature." Jack greeted. Nature turned to smile at him, then froze when she saw Tic.
"T-T-Tic?! What are you doing out of your room?" Tic cocked her head.
"Um...do I know you..?" Tic asked. Nature gasped and quickly walked over to Tic.
"Amnesia?! Now?! Why in the name of the Moon..?"
"Natalie, who is Tic?" Melody cut in. Nature froze.
"Tic...Tic is my daughter…" Jack choked on his spit. Merida punched him in the back, causing him to fall to the floor.
"But...the law…" Jack muttered.
"Uh, what law?" Hiccup questioned.
"The law," Jack mumbled. "That prevents Spirits from having children…" Nature sighed.
"Please...let me explain…"
~Flashback~
Mother Nature's POV:
I laughed as Tom and I traveled to the Meeting. Tom grinned. "After all of these years, your laugh as never ceased to make me smile." He mumbled. I smiled and kissed his cheek, cupping his face in my hand.
"And your words never fail to make my heart swoon…" I replied. We continued to the Meeting, hand in hand.
"Watch out! Here comes the lovebirds!" April teased, sitting high up on a rock. I smirked up at her.
"Oh please, you won't be saying anything after you find your perfect match." I replied. April giggled.
"Me? End up with one of my brothers? Ew!"
"April, behave!" Mother and Father hissed as they walked past, disguised as an old couple. April pouted and jumped off her rock.
"Silence! Silence!" Melody walked in. "Has anyone seen Silence?" She asked. Tom appeared to notice something and shrug.
"I have no idea where Silence is." He said dramatically. Melody sighed. I giggled as Silence snuck up behind Melody and grabbed her hips. Melody screamed. "Silence!" She shrieked. Silence chuckled and put his arm around her shoulders.
"Admit it. You like it." He teased. Melody rolled her eyes as they took their seats. Sandy walked in not long after, and then Painter and Invisible.
"It is a pleasure to see you are well, Time and Nature…" Invisible said in his usual monotone.
"Yes! Isn't the sky lovely today and the birds and flowers and colors!" Painter beamed. I chuckled.
"Yes they are all lovely Painter." I agreed. Grim and Benjamin entered after them, Benjamin in his mid-thirties.
"Nature, Time." Grim greeted as he walked by.
"Don't mind him; he hasn't slept in days." Benjamin said with an apologetic smile. I nodded knowingly.
"Now we're just waiting for Pitch, Yin, Yang, Decay, and Forever," Time mumbled. At that moment Pitch, Decay and Forever entered.
"Time." Forever said with distaste.
"Forever." Time responded kindly.
"Brothers!" I greet excitedly. I hugged Pitch and Decay. Pitch pushed me off in disgust, but Decay accepted the hug; not very many people wanted to hug him.
"Good to see you two, Sister." Decay chuckled.
We waited and waited, but Yin and Yang never came. "Should we go search for them? Maybe they forgot…" Painter mumbled.
"No, we don't have time to sssssssssearch for them," Forever sneered.
"Yessssss, we musssssst continue with the meeting," Mother interjected.
"We are all very busssssy; if we do not get on with the meeting, we all will begin to run late." Father agreed.
"Very well…" Tom sighed. "Melody, Silence, you may report first." Melody and Silence stood up.
"We are happy to report that humans are beginning to discover not only the treasure of-" Melody was cut off as Painter fell to the ground, screaming her head off. We watched in horror as April fell next, then Benjamin. Finally, to my horror, Tom fell to the ground, pulling at his hair.
"GO AWAY! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! GET OUR OF MY HEAD!" April shrieked.
"Fear...so...much...fear…" Painter croaked horsely.
"IT'S NOT TRUE! IT'S NOT TRUE!" Tom and Benjamin screamed.
"Help them!" Melody screamed. Sandy and I rushed over to Benjamin and Melody took out her flute and began to play the Song of Healing. I willed the purity of the Earth to flood into his soul as Sandy began to put him to sleep. Soon enough, Benjamin's eyes closed and he fell asleep, at peace. We were moving on to Painter when I noticed the other seven not helping.
"Why aren't you helping us?! Can you not see that…" It suddenly struck me. "This...this is your fault…" I growled. Pitch chuckled.
"This was necessary Natalie…" He hissed. "Balance has ruled for much too long. In order for this world to continue on, Light must be rare while Darkness rules…" I was ready to lash out at him when something pinned me to the ground, grasping my neck.
"You little liar." Tom growled. I tried to turn my head to find the other victims attack the remaining Light Ancients. Painter screeched as she used her paintbrush to attack Sandy as April attacked Melody with her war hammer. I looked back at Tom.
"Please…" I choked out. "Tom...please…"
"Why ought I release a filthy traitor?!" Tom barked.
"Enough!" Invisible screamed. My eyes widened at his sudden emotion. Tears stained his face as he tried to pry Painter away. "This has gone too far! Leave him alone!"
"Melody!" Silence yelled as April sent her flying through a wall.
"Gonna try and take me on, pretty boy!?" April sneered, her eyes slowly turning red. Mother and Father tackled her.
"We didn't ssssssssign up for thissssssssss Pitch!" Mother screamed.
"Fixxxxxx them now!" Father demanded. Pitch only smirked and melted into the shadows.
"Natalie!" Decay shouted, ramming into Tom, knocking him off me. I coughed weakly and stood up. Forever rolled her eyes and helped Invisible with Painter. Grim took Ben and quickly left.
"ENOUGH." Two voices, male and female, boomed. April, Tom and Painter froze in place. The room filled with yellow and white light. "THERE IS NO HELPING THEM NOW. WE WILL LOCK THEM AWAY UNTIL THEIR HEARTS ARE PURE ONCE AGAIN."
We all watch in horror as Time's own chains wrapped around him and took him far off. April screamed as she was tied tightly in cloth, tied in chains that were connected to a stone slab that was in a cage. Rock slowly began to grow over the cage, glowing black with a curse. The prison sunk into the ground as Painter and Invisible were whisked away by a suddenly wind, Painter slowly being mummified in a thick, black rope.
Tears poured from my eyes as I screamed. Silence carefully picked up an unconscious Melody and held her close. "I...I'm sorry…" He muttered. Forever turned to Mother and Father and sighed.
"I can't believe we allowed ourselves to be fooled by Pitch's plan…" She muttered. Decay helped me up and gave me a big hug.
"It's going to be alright Nat…" He attempted to sooth. I wiped the tears away.
"No...no it's not…" I mumbled.
"WE WILL ASSIGN GUARDS FOR EACH OF THE CORRUPTED. MOTHER NATURE WILL GUARD FATHER TIME," Manny and Sunny's voices boomed. I gasped in relief. "INVISIBLE SHALL WATCH OVER PAINTER, AND PITCH WILL WATCH OVER APRIL FOOL." Pitch suddenly appeared, seemingly being yanked out of his shadows.
"What?!" Mother and Father screamed. "She isssssssssssss ourssssssssss! You can not take her from usssssss!"
"Agreed!" Pitch sneered.
"YOU MUST PAY FOR YOUR DECEPTIONS AND ACTIONS PITCH BLACK! YOU HAVE NOT ONLY HIDDEN TWO OF OUR CHILDREN TO WHERE WE CAN'T SAVE THEM, YOU HAVE CORRUPTED THREE MORE AND HURT THE REST!" Pitch flinched at their anger. I got up and brushed myself off.
"Manny, Sunny, please...where is Tom?" I asked softly.
"TOM HAS BEEN LOCKED AWAY IN YOUR MOUNTAIN." I instantly stood up and sprinted, Alia, my animal, following me and changing into a cheetah.
"Tom!?" I called as I rode Alia into the cave. All was quiet. I sighed and quickly ran through each cave, throwing open doors and calling for Tom. Finally, I came across a door that I didn't recognize. It was made of silver and gold, and I could hear muffling coming from inside.
"Tom!" I opened the door only to pause in horror. Tom's chains had dug deep into the mountain in every direction, suspending Tom in midair as he struggled. His beard had turned black, and he glared at me.
"What are you doing here?!" He snarled. "Come to made fun of me?!"
"I would never…" I started.
"Stop with your lies! I can see right through them! Get out!" Tom roared. I quickly ran out and closed the door. I slid down the wall, tears streaming down my face.
"Tom…" I whispered hoarsely. "It should've been me…"
~Timeskip: Many Centuries Later~
I laughed at the small baby cradled in my arms. "Are you ready to meet your father?" I questioned. The baby gurgled happily while waving her little arms. I smiled and waited for Tom's door to open.
The first Full Moon after Tom was Corrupted we discovered that he was capable of changing back for a day and night. I soon grew excited every New Year's, and this one Tom would finally meet and name his daughter.
The door slowly creaked open, Tom emerging, pale and tired. "Natalie!" He laughed as he embraced me. The baby giggled, causing Tom to tense up. "Natalie...was that a..?"
"Yes…" Tom slowly released me and looked at the small child in my arms.
"Is she...mine?" I nodded and held her out so he could take her. He gently took her in his larger hands and studied her. "What's her name?"
"I waited for you to do that."
"Tic. Tic should be her name." I smiled.
"That name is perfect." Tic giggled sweetly, I chuckled "I believe Tic thinks so too!" Tom smiled down at his daughter, tears slipping like liquid crystals from his eyes.
"Hello...Tic…"
~Timeskip: Seven Centuries Later~
"Momma! Momma!" Tic called from the main room. I put the vial down and sighed. Between raising Tic be myself and trying to find a cure, I never got much sleep nowadays.
I walked into the living room where Tic was playing with a few rocks. "Daddy's coming in forty two seconds!" Tic announced proudly. Tom and I had quickly discovered that our daughter had gained both of our powers; from hearing the world's clocks and the whispering trees to opening time portals and manipulating nature.
Tom walked in, dark bags under his eyes. I worked up the best smile I could and embraced my love. "Hello dear," I whispered. Tom chuckled and pecked my cheek.
"No matter how many times we have to go through this, you never appear less beautiful."
"Daddy! Daddy! Look what I made!" We both turned around. Tic held up the sun dial she had created proudly. Tom smiled and knelt down to our child.
"Did you make this by yourself?"
"Yeah!" Tom chuckled and picked up Tic, tossing her in the air. Tic laughed. "Higher! Higher!"
I took this moment to slip back to my work. "Alright…" I whispered. "One drop of the Purity River and…" The golden liquid fell into the pot, the contents instantly turning into either stone or black goop. I sighed, trying to hold back my tears. I stepped out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind me.
"Natalie? Are you alright?" Tom questioned. Tic was playing with her rocks, forming a new sundial.
I looked at Tom and bit my lip. Do I tell him about another failure? Tell him that he will have to go back to that living nightmare he lives now? "Yes, I'm fine." I lied with a fake smile. Tom flinched.
"A-Are you sure?" He stuttered. I instantly became worried.
"Tom, I'm fine. Are you?" A deep chuckle resonated from Tom.
"No." I screamed as I was thrown back into the wall, the Chains of Time wrapping around my throat. "How many lies have left your lips, my dear?" Tom growled. "How many things in my life are fake? Your love?" The chains tightened as I tried to gasp for air. "Your loyalty? THE CHILD IN THE CORNER?!" I tried to scream as two chains whipped towards Tic. Tic screeched as she was thrown around, one chain hitting her in the eye while the other ripped off her arm. Blood gushed everywhere as Tic went unconscious. Gold and white light filled the room as the chains released me and rebound Tom.
"TOM!" Sunny screamed. "LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE DOING!"
"AWAKEN!" Manny commanded. Tom shook his head and looked around.
"N-N-Natalie?" Tom whispered. He quickly saw the blood on the chains and found Tic. "Tic?! TIC! NO, THIS ISN'T...THIS CAN'T...THIS CAN'T...GET OUT OF M-" Tom choked and went limp, his hair instantly turning nightmare black as he roared in pain. The chains slowly began to pull him back to his prison as I got to my feet.
"NATALIE, YOU MUST LEAVE THIS PLACE AND NEVER RETURN." Manny commanded. I weakly walked over to Tic, picking her up.
"Please...is there anything you can do to save her...please…" I began to weep.
"STEP THROUGH THE PORTAL, CHILD." Sunny said as a portal opened.
"FROM NOW ON SPIRITS MUST NOT HAVE CHILDREN. THEY CAUSE TOO MUCH DISASTER." Manny boomed.
"MANNY-"
"TOM HAS BECOME COMPLETELY CORRUPTED BECAUSE OF HIS CHILD! THAT IS THAT!"
~End Flashback~
Merida's POV:
"So...da real reason Tom went Corrupted was because…" I muttered.
"He thought he killed his own daughter." Hiccup finished.
"And that's why the law was put in place…" Rapunzel whispered. Melody was comforting Natalie the best she could, while the Lorax had escorted Tic back to her room. Jack was leaning against the wall of the cave, deep in thought as Marie waited silently.
Nature finally stopped sobbing. "The portal ended leading to the future, where a man was able to save Tic and replace her eye and arm. I created this place for us, and we've resided here ever since."
"Mother Nature," Hiccup stated. "We will find a way to save Father Time."
"And we will save the others," Rapunzel added. Jack walked over to Nature and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We will make everything right." He swore.
"No matter what da cost is." I finished. Nature and Melody smiled softly at each other.
"They really are just as you told...how can I help you?" Nature asked.
"We came to ask you to harbor Marie while we go rescue the Wind of the East. He's close enough that Marie should be able to still assist without getting captured herself." Rapunzel explained.
"She is more than welcome here. Allow me to give you one more thing…" Nature waved her hand over a puddle of water, causing it to turn gold. A bit of water floated into the air and into a glass vial Natalie had pulled out. Natalie capped the vial and handed it to Hiccup. "This is a little of what is left of the Purity River. It can heal anything but...the Corrupted...but please take it with you. If what Melody predicted is true, if any of you fall, everything is lost."
Hiccup's POV:
"I HATE FLYIN'!" Merida screamed. I sighed and shook my head. It had been agreed that Jack was not...responsible enough for passengers and now the three of us were on Toothless, heading for Harold. Rapunzel shuddered against my back.
"What is it?" Jack asked.
"I...I don't know...it feels like...something's missing…" Rapunzel said. Merida pointed downwards.
"I think I know what it is!" She shouted. We all looked down.
The island was completely drained of every color but grey; trees, grass, mountains, sand, and even some of the water surrounding it. The entire place was giving off a dangerous vibe.
Rapunzel drew in a breath. She threw her hair into the air so it spread out. "Circle the island." She commanded. Then she began to sing.
This wasn't her usual song. This song was only her singing notes in a way I had never heard of; it sounded like the wind howling, the grass swaying, the mountains moving, and the ocean roaring all at the same time. As Rapunzel continued to sing, color slowly seeped back into the island; oranges, yellows, red, greens, blue, magentas, browns every color imaginable.
We landed on the beach of the Sunset Fjord. Just as we had landed, Melody perked up. "There's...another Ancient here…" She mumbled. Her gaze immediately went to a nearby cave, which had a strange dark aura around it. She made a break for it, only to be launched into the nearby wood.
"Melody!" We all cried.
"Well, well, well...the Princess has finally decided to show herself, brother." A voice growled from the shadows. Rapunzel gasped and took a step back.
"Indeed, brother. Imagine the prizes Fool will shower us with when we kill them." Another barked. Two men stepped out from the shadows, both identical gingers. One had a giant scar on his face while the other wore an eyepatch. They were connected by a glowing bronze chain; one cuff on Eyepatch's right wrist, the other on Scarface's left.
I perked up the beating of wings and looked up, growling slightly. Alvin was flying off on his Whispering Death, something...no, someone...slung over his shoulder. Seeing the mop of black hair, I instantly knew it was Melody.
"Why are you doing this?!" Rapunzel screamed. We all looked at her. She was marching up to the twins, hot tears streaming down her face. "We were at peace before you killed me and my friends! We WERE friends! You came to my wedding, you apologized for your crimes! You two could have had a good life in the kingdom! Why are you doing this?!" The Twins growled and lunged for Rapunzel.
"We don't care for peace…" Scarface declared.
"We only care for us…" Eyepatch agreed.
"And the only way for us to survive…"
"Is to take the joy out of the world…" We all watched as they grabbed Rapunzel's dress, the color seeping right out of it until it was nothing but grey.
"Rapunzel!" Jack yelled, throwing a beam of ice at the twins. The twins jumped back and smirked. I pulled out my crossbow and aimed for Scarface, who easily deflected it. Merida screamed and charged forwards, blasting light and fire from her hands, trying to at least hit the Twins. The two brothers simply grabbed each other's hands and black flipped through the air. I sighed and hopped back on Toothless, he and I both firing like mad men.
Jack joined us by throwing ice from the directions we couldn't cover. Merida shot arrows from below. The twins simply used the attacks against each other; Toothless' fire melted Jack ice, arrows collided midair, some arrows froze while others burned.
This wasn't going to be easy…
Rapunzel's POV:
I watched intently from the side. There really wasn't anything I could do; singing would only bring color that the twins could drain and/or heal them. I was absolutely useless.
So instead of fighting, I studied them. What stuck out most to me was that chain connecting them; they didn't have that when they were mortal. Now that I think about it, they mostly blocked any attacks that got close to that chain...
"They're guarding the chain!" I shouted. "This entire time they've been moving so the attacks would avoid the chain!"
"Then dat's what we'll be aiming for!" Merida shouted. She held out her hand, and in a burst of blue flames a sword appeared.
"Since when did you know that little trick?" Jack asked.
"We all of our secrets, Jack." Merida retorted. She let out a battle cry and charged for the twins, and just as the twins moved to protect the chain, Merida rammed one of them into the ground. I instantly tied down the other. Hiccup glanced at Jack, who nodded. The viking shot another arrow, Jack coating it in ice as it soared towards the chain.
The chain split in two as the twins screams in agony. We all watched as the chain released the two and slithered off. "Must have been part of Time's chain…" Merida growled as her sword disappeared.
"It...it was…" Scarface grunted.
"Fool put it on us...before we died...it's pure evil…" Eyepatch panted.
"It forced...us...to kill you…"
"We could only...see our hate...for the world…"
"We were blinded by our anger...and vowed vengeance…"
"On those who had caused us grief or pain." I smiled and embraced the two men.
"I forgive you…" I whispered.
"How could you forgive us?" Eyepatch whispered.
"We killed you...the horse...your frog…" Scarface mumbled.
"Pascal is a chameleon," I started. "And I can't hold you accountable for actions you cannot control. I cannot judge you for being a slave to evil. I can't hold a grudge against my friends." I smiled warmly at them.
Scarface and Eyepatch smiled back at me and stood up, helping me up in the process. "The Wind is in the cave." Scarface pointed to the cave, the dark aura gone.
"As is Brother Decay...but Fool will have Melody in her clutches by now…" Eyepatch finished. Merida, Hiccup, Jack and I ran to the cave, praying we weren't to late.
I skidded past the entrance and instantly turned and ran inside. A boy who looked like Hiccup lay in the back, curled up and breathing harshly enough to make anyone worry. A man sat as far away as possible from Harold, head down. "'Bout time ya came…" He muttered. The man looked up, the dim light showing his gruesome features.
Half of his hair was missing, and what remained looked unwashed, tangled, and disgusting. His clothes had mold growing on them and were in shreds. His flesh was pale, peeling, rotting, dried up, and oily all at once. He smiled, showing his brown, rotting teeth. His eyes were a light brown, the whites turned yellow and bloodshot. He stood up and brushed himself off, then walked over to us, hand outstretched. I had to keep myself from gagging from his horrid stench. "Brother Damian Decay, at your service." Decay greeted. "I would suggest fixing up that boy over there; he's been beaten half to death, then forced to breath in Decay stench for about a week now."
I ran over to Harold tried to help him up, Merida rushing to my aid. "M-Mistress?" Harold weakly stuttered.
"Don't talk, ya're too weak." Merida ordered.
"You don't have to call me by title, Harold. Feel free to call me by name." I kindly said. We all exited the cave, Decay hissing at the light. I quickly sang for Harold. He stood up and stretched.
"How are the other winds? Are they safe?" He demanded.
"Marie is back at Mother Nature's, safe and sound. The other two are still missing." Jack reported. Harold growled and punched a tree.
"I should've been able to do something!" He shouted. He slumped to the ground slowly. "Rachel...she...she must be so scared…and Joseph…" Harold shuddered and pulled his knees to his chest.
"We got bigger problems right now…" Hiccup stated.
"What?" Scarface questioned.
"Melody was our only way to the Neverlands."
"Shouldn't Decay be able to help us?" Jack questioned. Decay looked confused.
"The Evil Ancients' memories were wiped of the Neverlands, remember?" Hiccup said. "Plus we still need to grab Marie, and there's no way we'll be able to find the entrance to Natalie's again." Decay chuckled deeply.
"You youngins just leave this ta ol' Damien now…" Decay laughed as he walked over to the water.
"Um...what are ya doin'?" Merida questioned.
"All creatures in the world can see Spirits, and all have a way to Nature's and can communication. I think we should ride in style…" Damien leaned over the water. "OY! MERLIN! DORY! NEMO!" He screamed.
Everything was silent as we waited for something to happen. Three fish, two clownfish and a blue tang, popped out of the water.
"Hey! Do we know you?" The blue fish asked.
"Of course we know him Dory! How can we help you Decay?" The larger clownfish asked.
"I need ya to inform all the other sea creatures that we need the circus train, stat."
"Got it!" The smaller clownfish cheered as the three dived back under. Damien turns towards the island.
"FLIK, FRANCIS, SLIM, HEIMLICH, DIM, ROSIE, TUCK, ROLL, MANNY, GYPSY, AND MOLT! FRONT AND CENTER!" A small swarm of bugs flew/crawled/inched/crept forward. "I need all of you to try to find the circus train, stat!" A bunch of tiny voices, in unison, agreed and the bugs ran off.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" The blue fish called.
"Yes Dory?" Decay questioned.
"Oh, um...I was supposed to tell you something…" The small clownfish popped up next to her.
"The train is coming!" He declared.
"Oh, ya! Ya! The train's coming! I love trains!" Dory cheered.
"Thank you Nemo and Dory. You two are dismissed." Decay waved them off.
"Does anyone else hear music?" Hiccup questioned. We all stood still, listening.
"DadadadadadadaDADADA AFRO CIRCUS AFRO CIRCUS POLKA DOT POLKA DOT AFRO!" A group from far off cheered.
"Oh boy...I already feel da headache comin' on…" Merida groaned. Before another magical train stopped in front of us, a thousand colors flashing everywhere as animals of all shapes, breeds, and sizes sang and danced around.
"Ah! They haven't changed one bit!" Decay cheered. He swung open one of the doors and let out a throaty laugh. "Isaac! Didn't expect you to be here! And who's yer lady friend?" Decay joked.
"Isaac?" Rapunzel asked.
"Lady friend?" Jack questioned.
"There is a train run by animals in front of us and your questioning that?!" Merida shouted.
"Everyone, meet Isaac, or, as you know 'im, Invisible!" A man stepped off the train and smiled kindly at us. He was colorless and partially see-through, like a ghost. He almost looked like a rag doll with random stitch marks covering his body. Invisible suddenly broke into tears.
"IT'S SO NICE TO MEET YOU ALL! THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY BROTHER!" Invisible wept.
"Er...sorry 'bout 'im. He's been super emotional ever since the incident with the Corrupted…" Decay apologized.
"I'M SORRY!"
"Are we there?" A feminine voice sheepishly asked. From the train stepped a woman wearing all black with blood red eyes. Her skin was pale and her hair the color of the night sky. A thick, dark mist swirled around and two giant, bat like wings sprouted from her back.
Jack once again began to choke on his own spit, Merida once again punching him. "He's having problems today…" Merida trailed off.
"HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?!" Jack shouted as he pointed to the woman.
"You know her?" Hiccup questioned.
"YEAH I KNOW HER! SHE HELPED US KILL PITCH BY KILLING HERSELF!"
"Jack...calm down…" I said, sending an apologetic look at the woman.
"I am afraid he is right; Pitch and I are supposed to be dead. The Corrupted have captured the Grim Reaper and have resurrected us. I have more to tell you, but we need to be somewhere safer. My name is Eris, Spirit of Hate." Eris said quickly.
"Then what are we waiting for?! To the Neverlands!" Decay shouted.
"WE NEED TO PICK UP MARIE FIRST!" Merida screamed.
Oh boy...this just got...interesting…
Bunnymund's POV:
I groaned in agony. The magic that coursed through my veins burned in the parts of me...that weren't me.
Half of my face, my left hand, my right arm, my left leg, my right foot, and a part of my stomach were human. Mortal human, incapable of holding the magic needed to be a Spirit. April had done this to me.
I went into yet another coughing fit, blood spraying. I couldn't take much more of this...the magical wounds, the physical, the mental or the emotional. Never before had I wished more just out drop dead.
"Oh Bunny…" April called. I weakly looked up as April entered the room, dragging someone behind her. "I didn't want you to miss the show!" April sneered. I grunted as she threw Melody to the ground.
"Melody?" I hoarsely whispered.
"Bunnymund!" Melody cried, running forward. She embraced me, not tightly enough to hurt me though. Oh, how I wish to embrace her back… "What did you do to him?!" Melody screamed, tears pouring down her face.
"He was a naughty Bunny…" April simply said. "And I'll punish him more if you don't turn to your true form!" She screeched.
"No!" I shouted. "Don't do anything like that Melody...it'll just bring her closer to her goal…" Melody slowly nodded and took a step back, her axes appearing.
"I was afraid I would have to pull out this card…" April mockingly sighed. The floor broke open as a figure rose up from below. Melody's eyes widened in horror.
"Cupid..?" She whispered.
Cupid simply blinked back. Neither Melody or I could believe the state she was in; clothes ragged, covered head to toe in filth, bruises, scratches, and open wounds covering her arms. Her wings were dull and ruffled, multiple feathers missing. Her hair was in a mess, but the most disturbing thing was her eyes. Her eyes were completely white and half lidded; emotionless, careless, lifeless. They appeared to be staring off into space and deep into our souls at the same time.
"...You...called...Ma'am..?" Cupid said slowly in monotone.
"Yes Cupid. I believe you remember Melody? Your sister?" April questioned.
"...No…" Melody began to tremble.
"Cupid, what did they do to you?!" Melody screamed.
"I made her the perfect puppet, little sister," April sneered. "Cupid, draw your bow. Regular arrow." Cupid did as she was told. "Aim for Bunny, not in a vital place." Cupid turned towards me, arrow aimed for my right thigh. April cackled. "Change Melody, or else."
"Never!" Melody screamed.
"Fire!" April screeched. I screamed in pain as the arrow pierced my leg.
"Stop!" Melody demanded.
"Aim!" April commanded. Cupid cocked another arrow and aimed for my left arm. "Fire!" I screamed enough to cough up more blood.
"Stop it!" Melody screamed, tears pouring down her face. April just glared.
"Aim! Fire!" Another arrow found home in my side.
"No! He doesn't deserve this! STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!"
"Aim! Fire!" Yet another arrow sunk into my only rabbit ear. Black spots filled my vision.
"STOP IT! I'LL DO IT, JUST LEAVE THEM ALONE!" Melody fell to the ground, screaming and sobbing.
"That's more like it...stand down Cupid." April chuckled darkly. Cupid put her bow away and stood still, looking off into the distance. Melody continued to sob as she slowly disappeared into a phantom like figure. April thrust her hand into Melody and chuckled. "I CALL UPON THE NAME OF TROUBLE TO MAKE THIS SPIRIT'S POWERS MY DOUBLE. IN THE NAME OF THE SUN, MAY ANGEL MELODY'S PRISON BE BEGUN!" Melody disappeared in a flash of blue light as April chuckled. "Cupid, return to work immediately." April barked. The floor opened once again and Cupid fell through, once again lost.
"You...monster…" I panted. April looked at me in doubt.
"I'm the monster? Have you looked in a mirror lately?"
Madi: And end chapter!
Jack: (Is covered in burns) You...you are a cruel, cruel person.
Izzy: So am I! MWAHAHAHAHAHA! (Munches on Poptart)
Hiccup: I now fear both of you…
Rapunzel: (Is still weeping in corner)
Merida: For cryin' out loud everyone! Get a grip!
Madi: Yeah! It's not like I killed someone!
Izzy: Weeeeeeeellll...you almost killed tic..in her past I guess..
Eris: You killed me, Pitch, Cupid, Melody, and all of the other characters you turned into Spirits.
Madi: ...Your point?
Hiccup: (Facepalms)
Rapunzel: (Gets le grip and stands up) I...I'm okay…
Merida: Are ya sure?
Rapunzel: No… (Merida sighs and turns to Jack)
Merida: I'm only doin' this to cheer everyone up. (Grab Jack staff and hits him over the head. Jack becomes encased in red ice. Muffled scream is heard)
Madi: Hope he doesn't get a sunburn! ((DUNDUN TCH)) ...No one? Really? Alright then…
Eris: Review if you wish to have a love life.
Izzy: Eris!
Hiccup: Uh...PM us!
Merida: Send us ideas for hurtin' Jack...or anything comedic…
Jack: (Muffled scream of protest)
Rapunzel: See you soon!