This chapter was the hardest to write in the entire series...

Chapter Ten: The Power That Triumphs Over Fear

With his body feeling heavy, Stoick forced himself through the frenzy of the battlefield. His eyes darted from person to person, eagerly looking for his opponent. Fergus had left the chief's side to join the Ugly Duckling thieves, leaving Stoick slightly staggering towards one of the houses. He noticed that a satchel's strap hang from it's wall. Lying at the feet of the house was—

"Alvin?" Stoick murmured. The chief brought out a sword, and took careful steps towards the Outcast. Stoick poked Alvin with the point of his sword. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, a feeling of pride swelling in his chest. "Huh. It seems that Hiccup had beaten me to the job. I never expected him to improve so much in just three months. That's my boy."

Stoick's ears picked up a roar from amidst the crowd of brawls. Turning around, his sights fell on Toothless struggling against a gang of burly Outcasts. The Night Fury bellowed as it tried to shake the Outcasts of himself. Stoick gripped the hilt of his sword. "I guess I'll take care of the dragon!"

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For a moment, everything turned gray. Jack's entire body was sent flying backwards, the sharp winds scathing his skin. He came to a violent stop as his body slammed into the ground. Jack's mind was rattled, and his thoughts became cloudy. His head felt as if it was being pounded with a heavy hammer. Groaning, the Winter Spirit slowly pulled himself up onto his feet.

Specks on the floor seemed to have multiplied. Jack could feel his mouth hanging agape, his brain still stunned. He shook his head slightly and pushed himself upwards with his staff. Jack lifted up his head, only to be met with the sight of Pitch looming over him. The dark spirit was casually standing atop a large swirl of black sand.

"Is that the best you can do Jack?" Pitch cooed. He seemed to be checking his nails. "It seems that I really have overestimated you."

Jack's breath hitched for a moment. Jack's legs nudged himself back into the air. His path wavered slightly as Jack struggled to regain his balance. Jack brought the side of his staff up to eye level and aimed the G-tipped end towards Pitch. Pure blue ice bullets shot from the staff, aimed directly for Pitch.

The small fragments of ice whizzed past Pitch's skin. He held out his hand. Black dust gathered into a cluster, forming a shield that blocked Jack's ammunition. Furrowing his eyebrows, Jack grunted as instead of pellets, a brilliant azure beam flew from the staff. Pitch gasped as the blue laser-like light shattered his guard. The dark spirit didn't dodge in time, and the light flew by his face, leaving a cut on his face.

Panting lightly, Jack brought his staff down and a small inward grin appeared on his face. Pitch gave the young guardian deadly scowl. He lashed out his arm. A black whip shot out and slammed Jack in the stomach. Within seconds, he was pushed back onto the ground.

Grumbling in pain, Jack's arm pushed himself onto his knees. His staff was sitting right beside his hands. Pitch lowered his altitude, a dark black orb forming in his palms

. "You've been a hindrance to me long enough, Jack Frost," he spat almost venomously. "Your time ended three hundred years ago. It's time for you to get your well deserved rest."

Pitch threw his arm forward, launching a cannonball of flawless darkness. The attack sliced through the air as if it didn't even exist. Jack's eyes widened as the blackness drew closer. He wanted to move, but his arms and legs were paralyzed. Jack's thoughts started slowing down.

This is… he thought as anxiety filled his heart, fear?

There was the sound of clashing metal. A small moment of stillness followed, as standing in front of Jack with his waistcoat blowing slightly from the force was the back of Jack's own second in command.

"Hiccup?"

Grimbeard's heir stood in a strong defensive stance with his sword drawn and pointed forward. Pitch's attack had been severed in half, the two semi-circles of black sands dissolving the moment they touched Endeavour.

It didn't take long for Jack to come back to his senses this time. "Hiccup, I thought you were fighting Alvin!"

The young boy threw the blade slightly in the air before altering his grip. "I took care of him. It looks you you're in need of some help, leader. Come on, get up. You can't have your teammates do all the work."

A mischievous smirk curled up Jack's mouth. "Says the one who wants to take on everything himself. Man, you were training like crazy."

Hiccup became tempted to roll his eyes. "Well what else would you expect m to do?"

The sound of Pitch's growls could be heard all the way from the ground. The dark spirit readied another attack. Onyx dust formed a bow and shaft in his hands. Pitch pulled against the bow's strong and prepared his shot. "You think you two have time to be chatting with each other? It just means I just have to finish where Alvin left off."

Jack's hand quickly reached out to grab his staff. Hiccup's eyes narrowed as he got ready to take the full force of Pitch's attack.

As the dark spirit allowed the arrow to fly, it came at the two boys with incredible speed. Then in a shower of silver particles, the arrow disappeared. Merida stood proudly atop one of the nearby roofs. Her own bow was already aligned for another shot. "Don't you boys ever leave any fun for the rest of us?"

With the sound of a recoiling strap, Rapunzel landed beside Hiccup. "You just went off and took on the enemy without waiting for us. Be more like gentlemen and be more considerate."

Merida hopped off the house and touched down beside Jack. "Pitch did us right in back in the clearing three months ago. It's time we all had Round 2 against him."

The girls and Hiccup were not free of injuries. Jack could see the sharp lacerate cut Alvin had left on Hiccup. Merida and Rapunzel were covered in bruises and they had scratches over their arms and legs. Inside, Jack told himself that if he was the leader, he's going to have to take on much more than his teammates.

Merida brought out two arrows from her quiver and positioned them onto the nocking point. Rapunzel flourished her whip onto the grass. Hiccup adjusted his hold on the hilt of his sword. Jack twirled the staff in his air for a moment before pointing it right at their opponent.

"Alright, Pitch," he declared. "This is where the real battle begins."

Pitch looked down at the Defenders of Realms all lined up against him with a rather disgusted look on his face. "This is just a futile effort."

"Is it?" Jack replied. "If you really do dare to face us, you wouldn't be hiding up in that cloud of yours up there."

A small light of anger flickered in Pitch's eyes. His body started to blend in with his own Nightmares. A flurry of black shot from the skies towards the ground, ebony sand impaling itself into the ground between Jack and Merida like a spear.

The Defenders leaped backwards and turned their heads, all their weapons at the ready. The moment Pitch's shadow started appearing, Rapunzel struck first with a swing of a whip. With a beautiful curve, it pounded Pitch in his stomach.

The dark spirit was forced back several steps. Merida unleashed her arrows. Pitch pulled up his arm along with a black shield made of Nightmares. The arrows buried itself into the face of the shield.

Pitch let out a chuckle. "Is that all you can do?" The grin was quickly wiped off his face when a silver blade arched over his head. Pitch ducked in the nick of time, Hiccup's sword missing him by a hair. Hiccup's pupils followed Pitch as he kicked at Hiccup's fresh wound. With a shriek of pain, Hiccup dropped Endeavour.

"That's dirty!" Jack shot in, jabbing the tip of his staff into Pitch's torso. He was pushed toward a tree, as Jack and Merida closed in on him. Rapunzel was kneeling down next to Hiccup. "Hiccup, you okay?"

A cough escaped Hiccup's lips and one of his arms gripped his injury. "I'm fine," he choked out. He picked up the hilt of his sword and pushed himself upwards.

Jack took a step towards Pitch. "You can't go around acting arrogant forever. Fear and darkness has to be afraid of something."

Pitch pretended to act as if he were thinking. "No," he replied with a nonchalant face. Black sands started materializing in his hands, a coal colored scythe forming. The frost beside Jack solidified into a light blue ice dagger. He flung it towards Pitch. The dark spirit wielded the scythe, and slashed Jack's attack away. Merida grabbed another arrow and aimed it for Pitch's chest.

It made contact with the side of Pitch's shoulder, leaving him startled. Before the injury got to him, two shots of darkness shot from Pitch's palms, striking both Merida and Jack. The two of them crouched down, clutching their stomachs. Jack was breathing heavily, as his body now struggled to keep up with Pitch's attacks.

Hiccup and Rapunzel rushed over, directing their weapons at Pitch. The dark spirit couldn't help but sigh, tired at the sight of the Defenders. "You still keep on insisting that we continue this battle? It's obvious who's winning."

With a determined gleam in the eyes of Hiccup and Rapunzel, they refused to lower their weapons.

Pitch leaped into the air, towering above the Defenders. Jack and Merida looked up to see the lord of Nightmares gathering the black sands into one big wave. Jack quickly lifted himself up and stood beside his teammates. He held out his staff. "Guys, get behind me."

With a roar of effort, Pitch gestured his arms forward, and the massive surge of Nightmares rushed towards the Defenders. Jack swung his staff upwards and large wall of ice shot up from the ground.

There was a brief moment of relief.

A loud crack was heard and within seconds, Jack's defensive shield immediately collapsed. From the sky, Pitch could hear the muffled cries from the heroes, buried under his sea of Nightmares. As the sands dissolved, Pitch touched down onto the ground. Jack, Hiccup, Merida and Rapunzel lay scattered on the floor, their bodies barely moving.

"In the end, this was once again a one sided fight," Pitch murmured. "If you can't defeat me, then there is nothing for me to fear in all of the worlds!"

They say when you're on the verge of death, you will see your life flash before your eyes. Hiccup's mind was wandering back to the time when he was only an infant. His mother was cradling him in her gentle hands. Words started floating into his mind, and only know did Hiccup realize that he understood their meanings.

Jack propped himself onto his shoulders, his joints aching all over. Merida and Rapunzel lifted themselves up, but their bodies refused to move by much.

"You guys okay?" Jack asked weakly.

"We've been better," Merida replied.

"This isn't going well, is it," Rapunzel whispered.

The last one to get back up was Hiccup. He buried the tip of his sword into the grass. Pushing his weight onto the blade, Hiccup lifted himself up. His eyes still glowed with the adrenaline of battle.

Pitch had an amused smile on his face. "You still insist on fighting? I've pinned you all down time and time again." Pitch started laughing manically as he pointed towards Hiccup's shaking body. "Look at that, you're barely able to stand!"

"He has stubbornness issues," Jack added.

"I admire your tenacity, Hiccup," Pitch mused. "But it's about time you cough up your last words."

"I will cough up some words," Hiccup replied. "But they just won't be my last ones."

Pitch raised an eyebrow suspiciously as he eyed the young heir. Hiccup declared in a loud voice, "All may be lost, and our hearts may be worn. But a hero fights forever."

"Talking gibberish now?" said Pitch. "You must be desperate."

"It's not gibberish," Hiccup replied sternly. "It's part of what my mother used to sing to me every night. I never understood what it meant, until now."

Upon hearing those words, Jack dug the tip of his staff into the ground and pressed his weight onto it. "Things look pretty bad," he said. "It might not get any worse than this."

Merida was the next to speak. "We may have been defeated before, and maybe we're even discouraged now. But we're not going to give up."

"We were chosen to become heroes of our worlds. If we stop fighting you—" Rapunzel shook her head. "No. There is no if. We're never going to stop fighting. For the rest of our lives if we have to."

Jack now stood boldly on his feet, staff in hand. "You can try to keep us down all you want. You can try to stop us all you want. But it's our duty to fight the darkness. If you want us to stop, then you're going to have to do it over our dead bodies."

All four Defenders had picked themselves up and were now all back on their feet with their weapons at the ready.

A strange feeling started crawling throughout Pitch's chest. He was becoming uncertain. "Why! Why, why, why! I've pinned you all down time and time again! You're battered and bruised! You've seen the difference in power between us, and yet you still refuse to accept the fact that you've lost!"

It was then that Pitch realized that the emotion he was feeling, the sensation that had been crawling down his nerves was fear. Because he was standing in the one thing that can fight against fear: Courage.

Pitch was scared. He might actually be defeated. Century after century he managed to keep himself going. But he was worried, frightened, that he had finally reached the end of the line.

"Pitch," Jack began, seriousness in his voice. "Why don't we end this?"

Pitch's answer was a cold stare. The dark sands started to gather at his feet, and the Defenders shifted their positions. There was a cheerful roar from behind. Hiccup turned around, and found that a certain dragon was running straight towards him.

"Toothless!" Hiccup cried. The Night Fury pounced right onto Hiccup, giving him a good lick on the face. Hiccup couldn't help but laugh from joy. "But how did you get free?" He paused, knowing inside that he already knew the answer. Thanks, Dad.

There seemed to be a clash of thunder, snapping Hiccup back to reality. Toothless gave Hiccup some space and the boy stood up. "What do we do now?"

"We finish things off," said Jack. He held his staff up in front of him. "You guys keep Pitch busy and buy me some time. I'm going to try to do that."

Rapunzel turned to Jack. "Are you really going to do it?"

Jack furrowed his eyebrows. "Now's a better time than any to test it out."

"But—" Rapunzel began to protest.

"If our leader says so, leave it to him," Hiccup cut in. "Leave Pitch to us. Gather all the strength you need, Jack." With those words, Hiccup sheathed his sword and threw his over Toothless' back. His left foot clicked into place. Toothless leaped into the sky, and he and Hiccup disappeared into the clouds above.

Pitch followed the dragon rider pair with his eyes. He was about to go after them when an arrow whizzed by his face, preventing him from taking a step forward. Merida had her bow poised and ready. "You're not going anywhere."

Raising a hand, Pitch prepared to strike Merida. His arm suddenly became unable to move. Rapunzel had the end of her whip wrapped around Pitch's wrist. "Hold it right there." Rapunzel yanked the whip backwards, pulling Pitch to the floor and she quickly recoiled.

Growling, Pitch got back up to his feet, when an explosion erupted in his face. From the side, Merida had her arrows aimed for attack. The arrowheads were not her regular silver. Instead, they were bright crimson. "A little present from the Witch," said Merida. "She wanted us to get in some hits for her."

Merida let loose another shot, and the arrow bursted into flames beside Pitch's shoulders. The dark spirit was stunned and dazed. His stance faltered slightly.

When Pitch had just about regained his composition, a high pitched screech came from the above. Toothless dived down from the skies, a blast of fire flying out of his mouth. The attack landed a direct hit on Pitch. The dragon pulled up just as he was approaching the ground, and skimmed along the grass with it's large wings spread out.

Hiccup stood up on Toothless' saddle with his hand on his hilt. As Toothless flew forward, Hiccup drew his blade sideways. The arc from his sword sliced through Pitch's body, leaving the dark spirit exclaiming in surprise and pain.

Hiccup quickly sheathed Endeavour as Toothless started to regain altitude. "Jack!" he yelled. "The rest is up to you!"

"Finish him off!" cried Merida.

"I've got that much figured out," the winter spirit replied. For a moment, Jack's eyes were closed as he built his concentration. Jack opened them, and touched the tip of his staff to the earth. Particles of ice materialized in the air. The small bits and pieces started gathering, clumping together into two separate larger masses. Within a few moments, two figures appeared by Jack's sides: a dragon and a bear, made purely of magic ice.

But they weren't statues. They were alive, and the bear took a giant step forward, it's impact shaking the ground. Jack pointed his staff towards Pitch, and the creatures sprung towards the dark spirit.

"You can't win forever!" Pitch shouted. "There will always be fear and darkness!" His voice was covered up as the dragon and bear simultaneously let out threatening roars, engulfing the dark spirit in a blast of blue and white. Snow and frost were propelled straight into the air, creating a fountain that reached for the clouds, and a rumbling eruption that could be heard throughout the entire Isle of Berk.

The fighting in the plaza gradually came to a stop, and the sounds of clashing blades ceased to be heard. Many of the Outcasts and Nightmares had fallen, but there were still a few stubborn ones that remained. Astrid turned to the skies, and noticed the column of ice. In fact, the gazes of everyone else started redirecting their gazes towards the heavens, as little by little, snowflakes started to fall upon the village.

North held out his hand, and a small little pellet of snow landed in the middle of his palm. The old Guardian grinned. "Job well done, Jack."

The signal of falling snow marked the end of the battle. Without the need for words, a message was clearly understood: the Defenders had pulled out victorious.

"We won!" Fergus bellowed loudly, throwing a fist in the air. He was joined by the DunBroch warriors, Snotlout, the twins, and Stoick and Gobber. Eugene's eyes were still worried. "Rapunzel, are you alright?"

Astrid let out an anxious sigh. "Hiccup…"

After several moments, the frost and ice started to disappear. Pitch was nowhere in sight, with only a pile of black sand remaining. Toothless landed on the ground beside Jack as he, Merida and Rapunzel regrouped. Hiccup slid off Toothless' saddle to join his friends.

Pitch's last words echoed in Jack's mind, a smile coming to his face. "Then there will always be those who fight the darkness." With that, Jack's knees buckled. Rapunzel brought up her arms, just in time to loop Jack up by the shoulders.

"Thanks, Rapunzel," Jack wheezed. "That last attack took a lot more energy than I thought."

Hiccup quickly flopped down to the floor with dropping shoulders. "You're telling me. I had to go through two serious battles." He breathed out a heavy sigh. "I need a break."

Merida laughed wholeheartedly as Rapunzel lowered herself and Jack into a sitting position. Merida sat down herself and placed her bow beside her. "Looks like we're all in need of some rest."

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Wait! The story's not over yet! Look out for Chapter Eleven, the titular "The Archaic Kings".

And why did Jack form a bear and a dragon? The bear for Merida and the dragon for Hiccup. I couldn't think of some sort of ferocious animal for Rapunzel... ._.