The plan for getting Astrid back was simple. The police would get an 'unknown' tip about where a missing teen could possibly be. While we waited for them, it would give us enough time to antagonize Mengele, if he was holding Astrid there.

We waited outside my family's old home, in two separate cars. The girls took the convertible and parked it down the street. They walked to us, and we waited together in the Mercedes. The house was exactly as I remembered, grey stoned with a wrap porch my father built one summer, years and years ago. The house was now aged, the lawn un-kept and overgrown. It remained alone on the street, was far enough away from the neighbors, that it was quiet, but not secluded. Dad loved this house for that.

"He's definitely in there," Merida confirmed with her Da'a. I would have sent in Toothless, but I wasn't sure if Mengele's magic could detect me, since it was also from a dark origin - one that could very possibly be the mirror. I wasn't sure yet. Merida's magic, on the other hand, was more pure. Something I doubted Mengele knew how to detect at all. She looked at me, "Astrid is still alive."

I sagged in relief at that, as Jack reached into a glove box. "We'll go in, and keep him there until the police arrive." He pulled out a small handgun, with a box of ammunition, clicking a bundle into place and tucking another in the back pocket of his jeans.

"What if this is what he wants, Jack?" Zel leaned over from the back seat, "we could be walking right into a trap."

"She's right," Merida agreed, "we should be prepared. I don't trust him."

"Then you two stay here," I jerked my chin towards my family's old home. The statement sounding more venomous than I intended. "I'm going in there, one way or another."

This was wasting our time, and I hated that as we sat in here, Astrid was somewhere in there, with that monster.

I glanced at Jack, making the urgency in my voice crystal clear. "We need to go. Now, Jack."

He nodded, giving the ladies in the back a look. "It's up to you, stay in here, or go inside."

We both climbed out, and I stalked across the street. The sound of the car door closing behind us, was enough of a sign that Merida and Rapunzel decided to join us.

I opened the fence door, then we clambered onto the porch. I noticed Merida and Zel both had weapons of their own. Merida was wielding a long, sharp pointed dagger. The blade of it was crooked and wide - I could only imagine the kind of cut a blade like that could do. Shuttering, I was relieved to see that Rapunzel had kept hers simple - a flip-knife.

Me, on the other hand, I didn't need weapons. If Mengele had so much as scratched Astrid, I would unleash myself on him.

Hurting Atris would be enough for me to shed this skin, and tear into his throat with my teeth. My claws.

I was a weapon.

With the gun readied, Jack muttered under his breath, counting, I realized, before I felt a burst of his powers.

The white light was blinding and the wood of the door creaked as it was blown inwards and off the hinges. Dust flew around us, and we moved as a unit when Jack moved inside.

Room after room, we cleared on the lower floor until we were back at the front.

"Upstairs," I said, before we heard screaming on the upper level.

I cursed under my breath, shoving my way up the stairs. Distantly, I heard Jack yell for me not to go in alone. I wholly ignored him, and bolted to where the whimpering was loudest at the end of the hall inside -

Inside my parents old bedroom.

I halted in the threshold.

Standing in the center of my deceased parents room, Mengele held Astrid at gunpoint.

Everything about the room remained untouched. The deed was under me, and our distant family still used the home to vacation. I refused to come in and clear the place, and didn't have the courage to burn it to the ground. But, the startling resemblance to the memory of my fathers death...

I heard Jack, Merida and Zel all come to a stop behind me. Heard them, but could not do anything but stand there, completely frozen, and staring at the scene in front of me. Jack held his gun at Mengele, who only grinned in delight.

"Stupid fools," He taunted, as I gauged the distance between my friends and Mengele, calculated Jacks gun distance to his. There was no chance at beating Mengels shot if he were to pull the trigger.

Jack moved forward, snarling at his former torturer. "You."

Mengele snickered, "I see you've upgraded your choice of weapons, since last we met."

"Let her go," Jack hissed, not moving his position of the gun in his own hand. I was still in shock - seeing Astrid in the exact position my father was that night…

Visions flashed vividly of the room that was once colored in blood.

And soon, would be again.

Mengele tsked, "I wouldn't do that if I were you," another crows laugh. "It was almost too easy - finding a way to bring you here together. I'm a little disappointed you fell for it so easily. "

The moment his words were out, something lit up the house. Inside me, like a key clicking into a lock, that molten core of power just...vanished. Halted. Whatever tether to myself and the anchor was snipped. I reached a mental hand towards that constricted flow -

I slammed into a hard wall, and it felt so familiar. Not of adamant, but of unfeeling steel. I remembered the time I was locked out of my powers, from the Xephirian Amulet. But this something felt much older - the magic was much darker...

"I can't use my powers," Merida clenched her teeth and Mengele laughed.

"And what a treat, you brought me another two, lovely maidens," Another horrible laugh, as he jerked Astrid back. She yelped, but remained utterly silent, as tears flowed down her cheeks.

I glanced back at the girls, and watched as Merida placed herself infront of Zel, taking her hand. There was a look that flashed through them - fierce loyalty, and something else...

If I couldn't access the Dark Lands, or the anchor, then I couldn't wield my darkness.

Panic slammed down on me as Mengele spoke again.

"I'm quite disappointed in you Jack, I thought you would have put up more of a fight." He sneered, "what a waste that contract was."

A snarl ripped out of my throat - something entirely inhuman.

Jack looked deathly calm, "your suffering will be long and thorough."

I wondered if Jack was trying to work his way through this spell, if his powers of light could break the shield.

Depthless, hateful black eyes burned into Jack and I as he flashed us a smile of too-white teeth. "Sounds delightful."

I flung my powers out in a futile attempt to break the shield keeping us here, but I felt it bounce back, as if I were using bits of plastic against steel.

An idea hit me so fast, that it did not seem frightening. I had remained quiet for so long, that it had gone entirely unnoticed. If my powers from the anchor were gone, than I could have full and unretrained access to my Drhaki.

The idea was stupid, reckless, and could backfire.

But I was not afraid.

I unleashed that power. Not from the anchor, but from deep within my bones. A flash of white , pure light that erupted through the room, hissing as it dropped back. Everyone froze, but there, deep within...I felt it. The lulling of the ancient mirror, so similar to that cave. I saw it's bonds, wrapped around the wards Mengele had woven in through the walls.

The power showed me the snarls of the spell and glamour, my own ancient darkness showing me the way through. I burned deeper, looking, looking -

I sent a flare of darkness, a sleight of hand as I severed the wards at their ancient arteries.

A magic source that I now understood, and confirmed, that Mengele has been channelling the mirror.

I dropped to the ground, my skin threatening to tear away as the room recovered from the surge of energy.

Mengele snarled, "how did you break it?" He dropped Astrid, tossing her to the ground and stalked towards me. "HOW DID YOU BREAK THROUGH IT!"

The next moments happened so fast. Mengele reached for me, and I heard the pop of Jacks gun. Mengele moved swiftly, through, reaching -reaching for me and -

Merida shoved herself between Mengele and I, shoving Jack away who had frozen after the first shot was fired.

A flurry of ancient darkness burst through the room as Mengele stumbled back, holding his arm and a thick, gooey substance dropped to the floor.

Flesh and blood.

Not mist and darkness - but actual skin and blood and bone.

This was no shadow, this was no illusion. He must have realized what this meant, because he turned and blasted a hole through the wall with that dark power, before disappeared into it, in a desperate escape.

Mengele could be killed.

A sharp, scream brought my attention back to reality. I was kneeling on the ground, at some point Jack had fallen to his knees too. I hadn't noticed through the chaos.

Merida and Zel made their was to Astrid, who was screaming and thrashing on the ground, crying out in pain -

It wasn't until I crawled over to her when I noticed blood pooling around her. She was clutching her side as Zel helped her up.

Jack remained on the ground, completely drained of color.

He had shot Astrid, when he missed Mengele.

"You need to get out of here" Merida barked at Jack and I. She gave him a fierce look, "we will take care of her. You two need to go after him."

"But -"

"Go. Now." She snarled as the sound of sirens filled the streets.

I forced myself up, glancing back at Jack who's stare was solely on Astrid.

Moving towards him, "Jack, we need to go."

"I - I shot her," he said slowly, and I tugged at his arm. He gave me a frantic look, "I am so sorry, Hic, I didn't mean to - I was trying to -"

"Jack," I said, firmly. "It's okay. But, if Mengele gets away, he'll be back and this will be worst."

"Guys," Merida warned as she looked out of the hole blown through the wall. "We don't have much time. You two need to get out of here, and find Mengele"

I suddenly realised we couldn't both go after Mengele. Not when that's what he wanted. And, if he was channeling the Lasser Glass...

I ignored her, leaning down and holding both of Jacks hands, forcing them away from the gun. Ocean blue eyes met mine, my heart was pounding in my head. "Jack I can't go with you. You need to go after Mengele alone."

"What're you going to do?" He asked, blue eyed wide.

Only I knew where the Lasser Glass was, and only one of us needed to look into it.

I grabbed Jacks hand, "I need you to trust me Jack, and to keep him occupied without getting killed, or using your powers."

I could look into it, kill Mengele and finally fulfill my end of the bargain with Erebus.

Then, Jack could be free.

Leaning forward, I wondered if a kiss could ever explain that this was perhaps goodbye. If it could, perhaps take away from the horrible realization that I may not be able to see him again. I spilled my heart, my soul, into that kiss. It was intense, filled with passion that was raw and when it ended I was breathless.

A goodbye.

"I will come back to you, no matter what." Jack promised.

"Even in death," I agreed and shot up. I gave the girls one more glance, before summoning Toothless in the flesh.

The horrified looks my friends gave me was enough of an indication that Toothless was, by far, more intimidating than I could have imagined.

I climbed atop him, without looking back, and he took us off into the night with a couple strokes of his powerful wings. He knew where to go, and I trusted Jack would be able to use whatever unholy magic Eris offered him to locate Mengele.

I only hoped that I could make it in time - make it to the Lasser Glass before Mengele realized what we were going to do.

This time, I was not afraid.

A weight felt like it was lifting from my shoulders - my body. After all this searching, the Lasser Glass had been right here from the start. It had taken us months to try and find it, travelled hundreds of kilometres to find clues and the keys. Now it was finally going to be over.

It was time to end all of this.

^.^

Flying was faster than driving. We didn't have to obey to the rules of the roads - didn't have to stop. The feel of the air on my skin sang to my ancient beast, and I almost envisioned myself one day learning how to fly, so I could soar through the air.

But, only if I could learn how to control this power.

Without realizing it, as we approached the cave entrance I slammed into something hard - Toothless roared before disappearing into mist.

Then I was falling.

I screamed as gravity pulled me back, back, back - down and down. Below, stone and hard rock awaited. A fall, that would surely end in a broken neck.

I didn't have time to think about how I failed my friends, panic slammed into me and I closed my eyes, expecting impact.

Yet, it never came.

I felt the earth shutter from under me, a light and holy spirit filled my bones as I opened my eyes and fell silent. I was standing on the cliff of the entrance to the cave. Below me, the rocks that should have been my demise peered up.

And, standing in front of me, unfurling her beautiful white-feathered wings, was my mom.

She was just as stunning as she was alive, made even more radiant with the ambient glow of gold and shimmering white light.

"Mom," I breathed, unsure if this was an illusion of the mirror, or was actually happening.

She smiled at me, although, sadly. "The Mirror cannot hurt you, darling. It will only show you your true self."

I looked back down at the shale rock wall, and the ten foot drop that I should have died from. "You saved me."

"I shouldn't have," she said, "but you are the only one able to stop this darkness. To beat this, you need to fully accept all of your gifts."

"I can't control it, mom." I gasped. "I-I can't control that side of me. I'm afraid that I'll do terrible things."

"Oh, Hiccup," she opened her arms, cradling me in them. That white, soft glow, embraced me and I welcomed the feeling of holiness. "You can control it. You just need to be brave enough to try."

Be brave. It was ironic that all those months ago, I had told Elsa, a wealthy heiress, the same thing. That she needed to be brave.

I swallowed hard, leaning into my mother. "Is this really you?"

"Yes," she leaned back, "I have always been watching over you. Have been watching you grow, and learn since I've left this earth." She tucked a stray peice of my hair behind my ear, beaming at me.

"So, you were never in the Dark Lands?" I sobbed, realizing the horrible thing I had done by inviting something sinister into our house.

She frowned, "I was never in the Dark Lands, my dear. You see, I found peace knowing that your father would always look after you."

But he didn't. Instead, I had driven him mad by inviting demons into our home.

"I must go now," she said, leaning back. "You are the only one who can beat this darkness. Be brave, my son. Only you can decide what breaks you."

"Mom, wait, mom!" I cried into the light that disappeared.

A broken sob ripped through my throat.

I messed everything up. Everything I touched, it was ruined.

But this - I was going to do this right.

For Jack. For my dad.

For Astrid and Oliver.

I owed this to all of them.

Breathing heavily, I dug deep into that courage and forced my feet forward, into the dark abyss - towards the Lasser Glass.

I didn't expect the snow on my second visit to the atrium, in which the glass was strung. I gritted my teeth against the bitter cold, the wind howling through the cracks like wolves raging along the mountainside beyond.

Snow glittered the walls, the floor, slithering over my boots with the wind gusts. Moonlight peered in from the hole in the cave, bright enough that the entire chamber bathed in blues and silvers.

I reached for the make-shift pulley, unraveling it and slowly releasing the mirror from it's resting spot. The chains echoed throughout the chamber as I lowered the hideous, yet alluring, Lasser Glass down to the ground.

When it sat atop the stone, I released the chains that clanked against each other. From across the room, with the snow... I could not see it. What lay within. I barley breathed as I forced myself to take a step. Another. I watched myself approach. Watched the arm I had upraised, the pinched expression on my face.

I stopped three feet away. I did not dare touch it.

It only showed myself.

I scanned the mirror... scanned it for something - anything - for my magic to touch or push with. But there was nothing, no rumbling of the earth, no feeling. I shuttered against the cold, my reflection did the same.

"Hello?" I whispered.

Up close, the surface of the Lasser Glass was gray, like a calm sea. Undisturbed. Sleeping.

But, in the upper corner, movement caught my eye.

Not from within the mirror, but from behind me.

I was not alone.

Crawling from the snow-kissed wall, a massive beast of claws and scales and shredding teeth inched towards the floor. Towards me. I did not dare breath, did not let it scent that tendril of fear - of my fear for whatever this was. Perhaps some guardian of the glass.

It's enormous talon bearing claws were near silent on the floor. I didn't have time to remark on those jade-green, shining eyes as the beast pounced.

I whirled, dropping to the ground, readying for impact.

But no impact came. Only snow, and wind and cold.

No prints in the snow.

My heart slammed against my skin as I pushed myself up, looking back into the glass.

Where I was standing...that beast now sat. Fangs, and piercing green eyes glistening from the moonlight.

Watching me.

No - not watching me. Gazing back at me. My reflection.

Of what lurked beneath.

I fell to my knees, into the stone and snow.

And I looked into the mirror.