"You're getting really good at this."
It's the final day of training. The last few days had been a back and forth between Merida teaching her newly accepted "allies" how to fight properly and Rapunzel showing her and Hiccup how to make all kinds of traps. Pan occasionally tagged along and today was one of those days, although he didn't seem too interested in traps. But Merida ignores him because today, at last, she has successfully finished her first net-trap, and she's actually pretty proud of it.
"Hey, that actually doesn't look half bad," Hiccup sneers, nudging Merida's elbow, "You know, considering your last attempt."
She rolls her eyes, which she has found herself doing less of lately. He and Rapunzel aren't as difficult to get along with than she had initially expected. They have become almost like family to Merida, and it breaks her heart whenever she remembers that they can't stay that way for much longer. There are only two days left until they're all tossed into the arena, and it makes her shiver at the thought of her companions trying to fend for themselves.
"Oh shut up," Merida chuckles. Rapunzel smiles at their banter and tugs at the knots on her own trap. She lets out a sigh, looking up from her work.
"I need another piece of string...Hey Peter, could you-" she looks around for her fellow district mate, but he is no longer standing by their station. "Pan?" She calls again. "That's weird...he was just here a second ago." After scanning the room for a brief moment, Rapunzel shrugs reaching for string and goes back to her crafting. "Whatever. It isn't that big of a deal." She hasn't bothered to check the career's station, but Merida knows better.
Sure enough, when she looks over at the more intimidating tributes, she spots him, talking to, who else but Oceana. The District 4 tribute is saying something to him and stroking his forearm, gently. The two of them exchange a smile before Pan starts to look back toward the survival station. He looks up, just long enough to catch Merida's eye, only this time, Merida doesn't bother to turn away. Instead, she glares at him from where she sits, as if to say, "I've figured you out".
Pan begins to get an uncomfortable look about him. He is the first to break their eye contact as Oceana places a hand on his cheek, and turns his head back toward her. She says something inaudible before kissing his forehead. She turns away and joins Fawn and Carter as they lob spears into wooden targets. Pan is left to stand awkwardly by himself. Not daring to face Merida again after being caught, he moves toward a different station; one that's as far away as possible.
"...so I guess, if it came down to it, I'd rather be blind than deaf." Merida hears Rapunzel chattering away as she resurfaces from her thoughts.
"You know, I'd have to disagree." Hiccup counters. "There are just so many beautiful things in the world, that I think I'd be really missing out if-"
"Rapunzel, we have to tell you something," Merida blurts out, cutting off Hiccup's words. The two of them look at her like she has six heads. Rapunzel shifts in her seat.
"Uh, we do?" Hiccup raises an eyebrow in confusion. Merida gives him a stern look and nods.
"Yes. We do." She says through gritted teeth.
Gosh, you're so thick sometimes Hiccup.
But Merida bites her tongue and eyes Rapunzel, sadly.
"It's about Pan."
Understanding hits Hiccup like a train as his expression shifts, becoming more serious. Merida feels knots tightening up in her stomach.
"What is it?" Rapunzel's face flushes with fear. "Is he hurt?" She scans the room again, likely to see if she can find him this time around. Merida grabs her shoulders with both hands and shakes her back into place.
"Rapunzel, please...listen." Rapunzel takes a few short, panicked breathes before calming herself down. Hiccup and Merida exchange a nervousness glance.
"We saw Peter talking to Oceana the other day," Hiccup says with a frown. "They were...being friendly and then..." He clears his throat and looks to Merida for some assistance. She decides not to dance around the subject. It's too important to sugarcoat.
"Rapunzel, we think that Pan is working with the careers."
Rapunzel's face is blank. Her eyes widen a bit but there is little emotion in the bright green orbs. Finally, she shakes her head.
"You-" she stutters. "What?" Merida isn't sure how to continue delicately and still get her point across.
"He and Oceana kissed...they- we think they let him join their pack." Merida is surprised to hear Hiccup jump into the conversation again so suddenly.
I guess delicacy is gone...
Rapunzel's expression goes from blank, to panic in that split second.
"You're lying!" She snaps, her eyes clouding over with grief. "Peter is the kindest, gentlest boy...he would never..." She starts to shake her head.
"I'm sorry, Punz..." Hiccup says gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. She immediately shrugs him away. It pains him; Merida can see the hurt in his features as their blonde companion is so quick to dismiss their attempts to help her.
"You're wrong," she says softly, yet defiantly. She stares at the two of them in agony. "I can't believe you guys would say something like that! I thought...I thought we were a team! How can you just-"
"Rapunzel?"
Merida catches her breath. Pan approaches them without warning and stands beside Rapunzel. He puts his arm around her shoulder and gives Merida a look that screams "She's mine. You never had her and you never will."
"What's going on? You look upset." Pan brushes a strand of hair out of her face. Merida wants to end him right there, before he gets a chance to betray her friend. She clenches her fists tightly together to stop herself from lashing out.
"Everything's fine," Rapunzel says flatly. She glances down at her feet. "They were just..." She sighs, at a loss for words.
"We were just leaving." Merida finishes Rapunzel's empty sentence with cold indifference. She takes Hiccup by the arm and pulls him away from the District 8 tributes. She sees him pass Rapunzel a sorrowful glance over his shoulder as they depart.
Hiccup is deeply hurt by Rapunzel's actions and it is most evident that evening during dinner. He doesn't eat. He doesn't speak. He just sits there, looking down at his plate blankly.
"Hiccup, you should eatsomething." Toothiana chirps. "Tomorrow is interview day! You're going to need all of your strength." She takes a sip of some brightly colored beverage. Merida groans.
"I forgot about those!" She rubs her temples and lets her mess of hair fall into her face. "I don't know how to do an interview! What am I supposed to say?"
"What will you wear!?" Tooth gasps. Merida widens her eyes and looks at Esmeralda.
"Does that...matter?" She says fretfully. Her mentor just shrugs.
Some help you are...
"Of course it matters!" Toothiana claps her hands together in excitement. Her fixation on Merida's potential outfit makes her lose all sense of confidence in the next night's interviews. She is still awful at figuring out what people in the Capitol think is beautiful and worries that if even something as simple as her outfit is off, she's doomed. Hiccup pushes back his chair and stands up.
"If this is what we're going to talk about for the rest of the night, then you'll have to excuse me." His words are polite but his tone is venomous. "I'll be in my room if anyone cares," he adds the last bit under his breath. Merida frowns, but bites her tongue, unsure of how to respond.
"Ugh, Hiccup you're so dramatic" Esmeralda groans, holding a forkful of food in front of her lips. "Lighten up a bit! Have some more candied carrots. They're pretty incredi-"
"Lighten up!?" He snaps, glaring at their mentor. "How am I supposed to lighten up when I have already lost someone I care about to the games and we aren't even in the arena yet!" He is fuming as he raises his voice. Merida, deciding to interject, stands as well, eyeing him seriously.
"Jeez Hiccup, you act like someone's killed her! She's notdead!"
"She might as well be!"
Merida is stunned into silence as Hiccup spits his words at her before storming off to his room. The door slams hard enough to rattle the kitchenware on the table. For the first time since the Reaping, Merida feels completely helpless. There is nothing she can do anymore to make sure that he, or anyone for that matter, survives the games. As much as she tries to deny it, she knows that he's right. Rapunzel is as good as dead if she continues to trust Pan into the start of the games. Merida comes to the overwhelming conclusion that she can only save herself from now on. That's all she wants to focus on. But even that seems impossible at this point.
Author's Notes:
Ok, not gonna lie, I rushed this chapter a bit. You can prolly tell xP I just am REALLY excited to start writing the games portion of this fic because that's when all the stuff starts to go CRAY!
Ugh. Pan! ((Curse you Zuera ;D )) Really, already, I've gotten people asking for Panpunzel to be canon. xD How many of y'all ship Hiccunzel? Panpunzel? Panceana? Jelsa? Let me know! ((BECAUSE I PROMISE THAT THIS IS A JARIDA FIC I DO!))
The next chapter should hopefully be up by or before next Saturday! It won't be too interesting at least in my opinion. Just interviews with the tributes. It'll be good I guess for some Career backgrounds...
STAY TUNED! :)