Chapter 21

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III

Hiccup rolled his eyes as Jack and Merida were finally stopped from their destructive rampage by several ticked off Yetis. Jack was currently slung upside down over the shoulder of the Yeti he had called Phil, and both were laughing at the spectacle of watching the Yetis trying to contain the still furious Merida.

Hiccup frowned when he heard Phil ask Jack something in their gibberish language, and Jack shrugged as well before giving a soft reply that Hiccup couldn't hear due to the ruckus. What had that been about?

"Enough!" North's voice boomed as he advanced on the scene. Merida innocently elbowed a Yeti away from her before standing tall, hands clasped primly behind her back.

"Jack started it." She began immediately.

"You don't say!" Jack retorted. "Who else would start a mess this big so quickly?"

"ENOUGH!" North reiterated at a much higher volume. "Now, we must stop the bickering and decide what to do!"

Jack twisted, rolling off Phil's shoulder with a practiced motion and bouncing away before he could be grabbed again. "Well, we're actually doing something now?"

"Aye, ya seem to be leadin' us on goose chases when we don't." Bunny pointed out.

Jack leaned against his staff. "But I thought you liked hunting, you hide eggs for hunts every Easter, right?"

Bunny's ears dropped. "Tha's different, mate."

Jack smirked. "Sure it is. So, North," He continued, switching targets, "by do something, do you mean like go out and kick butt or..."

"Last time I checked what you were doing was not 'kicking butt', Jack." North pointed out mildly. "We need more information."

Jack sighed. "War is about taking risks, North."

North leaned against a desk. "Oh? And what risks are right risks? How can you tell?"

Jack smirked. "Well, you wait until the war's over and then you review the choices."

"Jack, this isn't helping." Hiccup interjected, stepping forwards. "You guys are both right. We don't know nearly enough, but we can't hide like rabbits in our holes for something to come and dig us out either."

"Excuse me?" Bunny demanded. "Like what hiding in holes?"

"In all technicalities you're a Pooka, not an actual rabbit." Jack pointed out as he vaulted up to perch on top of his staff. "So..."

"I'm still the Easter BUNNY."

"Whatever, Kangaroo." Jack shot back. "Because, really, what rabbits are six foot one and masters of Tai Chi and the ancient art of Crikey?"

"That's it, Frost!" Bunny yelled, bounding forwards. He then went tumbling as Jack rapidly iced the floors before flying up to land on top of the globe.

"What's it?" Jack asked. He then perked up. "Oh, oh! Are we playing tag?"

"Wh-wha?" Bunny stammered, taken aback. The next moment Hiccup rolled his eyes as Jack dropped down, tapping Bunny on the top of his head before flying off.

"Tag, no tagbacks!" Jack called.

"Oh, that...ah, how do ya play it?" Bunny muttered.

Jack snorted. "You have to touch a person that's playing to make them 'it' and if the person who tags you says no tagbacks then you can't tag them until you tag someone else and then are 'it' again. Pretty simple. Oh! No weapons, gotta use your hands."

Hiccup sighed, as he backed away from Bunny. "Another good idea is to always try to have some level of confusion to who's it, otherwise we'll all know who it is." That being said, he and Astrid took off running. "And I say that the Yetis have to play referee, they all look the same!" Hiccup shouted back right as Bunny was going to tag Phil.

Bunny cursed in Australian before leaping up, bouncing off a pillar, and bounding onto the next floor where he tagged Tooth. "No tagbacks!" He called.

"Oh, it is so on!" Tooth yelled, flying up and zipping down into the masses. Hiccup heard Merida shout in frustration and quickly adjusted his course to avoid her. He then heard Tooth's indignant squeal.

"Yu never said 'no tagbacks'!" Merida pointed out as she came into view, Tooth giving chase. "And no tagbacks, while we're at it."

Tooth rolled her eyes before flying up, but a cackle interrupted the game rather rudely.

All present at the Pole instantly turned to give venomous glares to Pitch, who was occupying the same spot that Jack had moments before starting the game. "You know, I was expecting you all to be preparing fruitlessly for my downfall...but, playing a child's game? That has to be a new low."

Jack lobbed a snowball at Pitch, who for once in his life actually dodged. "Yeah, well, shows what you know." Jack challenged. "Playing games is one of the best ways there is to relax and get stronger at the same time."

Pitch smirked. "Oh, I have a game too, but it won't be very relaxing for you." He announced as nightmare sand oozed from around him, sinking into the pores of the woodwork to disappear. "Let's play 'who will be first'! It's where you all try to figure out who I'm going to attack, and then I kill them before you can do a thing! Doesn't that sound lovely?"

In response, Hiccup gaped as ice suddenly coated the globe, sending Pitch careening to the ground. "Well, Jack certainly has a lot more guts than I would ever have in this situation." He muttered to Astrid, who merely nodded, hefting her ax thoughtfully from one hand to the other.

She then seemed to come to a decision and threw the ax as hard as she could at Pitch right as he stood. To her surprise, a Nightmare rose up out of the wood to block.

Hiccup next saw a flash of golden light as a rather angry looking Sandy stomped in frustration, sending his own sand into the wood to destroy the nightmare sand.

Pitch grinned. "Very good, but not quick enough. You forgot the game! Now, since Jack thought that attacking the one in charge was in the rules, I'm changing it a bit. You see, I couldn't help but notice that there is a certain lovely lady whose hair has been quite useful. Now, I can't have that continuing. But since Jack bent the rules, I will too."

"Not if you are stopped first!" North bellowed, pulling out both swords and charging forwards.

Pitch rolled his eyes, disappearing and then reappearing on a higher balcony. "Too late." He sneered as a shriek split the air. "You forget, Jack, I did tell you that you make a mess of everything." He spat cruelly.

"PITCH!" Bunny roared. "You no-good, stinking..." He charged forwards, but Pitch was already gone, just before Sandy was able to attack, having finally gotten rid of the sand.

Silence reigned for a few moments, and surprisingly for everyone it was Hiccup who found his voice first. "Rapunzel." He muttered, and the next moment Astrid had his arm in a vise grip as they both ran for what Jack had told them was the 'elevator'. Merida, Bunny and North quickly joined them.

When the elevator reached the floor that Rapunzel was on, Hiccup let out a sigh of relief. Rapunzel was leaning against Eugene, sobbing. Both were ok. He then noticed Jack staring in horror at the brown hair pooled on the floor.

Hiccup blinked. "Wait. She...was blond before. Why is her hair..."

Rapunzel sniffed and looked at him, drawing attention to her hair that barely swayed now, having been cut into a neat bob. "When...when my hair is cut it turns brown and loses it's powers." She explained. "I'm just a normal girl now."

"No, you're not." Hiccup told her, crossing his arms. "You're a Guardian. Your hair can't have been the only thing. You'll figure it out eventually."

Rapunzel looked at him, and he could tell that she still was dubious. That was when the Guardian of Hope itself stepped in.

"Look, sheila." Bunny said gently as he crouched near her. "This is terrible, and I know ya feel like ya've lost everythin'. But we're all still here, we'll always be here. And when ya figure out your powers, I promise ya that I'll hold Pitch while you punch."

Rapunzel gave a watery smile, then giggled as Jack commented, "Awwwww. You do care."

Merida sighed, then impulsively darted forwards, hugging Rapunzel. Hiccup looked at Astrid, then the two of them moved forwards, Astrid pulling Eugene into the hug as well. Within another minute, all the Guardians were participating in a giant group hug, with Rapunzel on the verge of suffocation in the middle. Hiccup could see her smile though, and knew that they'd get through this.

When they released her, Jack clenched his fist. "So, who's ready to help Punzie give Pitch one nasty surprise?" He asked with a steely glint in his eye.

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Because the continuity break was bugging me. If you wanna suggest what her powers should be, go ahead, though I have a vague idea what I want them to be.