Hi! I'm back with ch. 21! Sorry the wait was a little longer than usual, I just couldn't get Caleb's crossing over right -_-Thank you kitty.0 or else I would still be trying to write that scene with no success. I tried to give some closure with Hiccup and Jack's discussion at the beginning of the chapter, but I will add a little more of what happened in the author's note at the bottom, if anyone's curious. I am so happy people like this story a;sdfaklds so, this chapter moves us from arc one into arc two =) I own nothing but the plot and I hope you enjoy reading!
The street was painted in crimson, vermillion, and peach light as the trio made their way towards the Haddock home. Toothless napped, draped across freckled shoulders. The two teens walked in companionable silence. That is, until it was broken by the whitette.
"You said 'Tell everyone I say hi'," Jack mumbled, gazing off somewhere in the distance.
Hiccup was startled out of his own thoughts, "Oh, uh, yeah. It's kinda a force of habit."
Forest green could not meet glazed icy orbs, "That's really nice."
"Oh, uh, thanks?" the freckled wasn't sure how to respond to his friend's suddenly strange demeanor.
The whitette took a few moments before speaking again, "What you did for Caleb and Claude back there, that…that was amazing."
"Well–I–uh, just, you know, doin' my thing," he chuckled nervously, his cheeks warming in embarrassment; he wasn't used to receiving complements, "I wouldn't've been able to even talk to Claude if you weren't there, though, so thanks! I owe you one. Or, a lot, considering the whole saving my life bit, yeah, I should probably start making a list to keep track."
Jack's small smile fell for a moment, "Do…do you think you could do that for me and Sunny?"
The brunette stumbled as the elder teen turned to face him, icy eyes piercing through his own, "U-u-uh s-sure! I'd be happy to and-and I'm sure your parents would love to talk with you guys, I mean, if Sunny's okay with it–"
"Yeah!" he exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear, "You're the best Hic, you know that?"
Now the young teen was blushing for sure and he couldn't help the stupid smile that stretched across his face. Instead of any intelligible response, he ended up mumbling some sort of gibberish and gesturing wildly with his arms, almost disrupting the feline from his slumber. Jack continued to grin, an excited little spring to his graceful step. The smile never faltered from the brunette's face.
A couple weeks passed, winter taking a firm hold of the small town of Burgess, and things went back to normal…for the most part. It was strange, how light and overall happy Hiccup felt now that someone finally knew his secret. It was as if some burden had been tossed to the side, helping him to stand taller and smile wider. He joked, laughed, bantered, and opened up around his friends more, especially Jack. Every few days or so, the whitette would approach him, a curious spark alight in his icy blue eyes. Still, he had yet to see the Book of Spirits or use Hiccup as an interpreter between himself and his parents. Jack was far too busy, most of the time, helping along his adoption process. The brunette, caught up in both his feelings of liberation and schoolwork, was rather blindsided when he walked into art class to be greeted with a both a wave and a glare.
"Hi Hiccup! Ready to brainstorm our next project?" Rapunzel grinned, blissfully unaware of the woman who hovered behind her.
Forest green eyes blinked rapidly, tearing themselves away from the ghastly visage, "Uh, y-yeah! What do you t-think about our prompt?"
He pulled out the seat next to the blonde and averted his gaze from the specter. However, when he lowered himself into his chair, it was pulled away, causing the teen to hit the floor instead.
"Back off," the woman's voice was venomous as she cackled.
"Oh, Hiccup, are you okay?" Rapunzel called, leaning down to help him up.
The freckled teen stumbled to his feet, muttering apologizes for his clumsiness, only to be met by hard, gray eyes. He yelped and tripped backwards, ending up on the floor once more.
"Hiccup?" the blonde questioned, rising from her seat.
The brunette scrambled to his chair, pointedly avoiding eye contact with the ghost and offering an apologetic smile, "S-sorry, I tripped, you know, my leg, uh, yeah."
Spring green eyes widened "Oh, there's no reason to apologize, I'm just glad you're alright."
Hiccup managed a strained smile, before reaching down to retrieve his sketchbook. He discreetly edged his chair away from his friend as he straightened up, hoping it would appease the ghost. Apparently it did and she returned to hovering behind Rapunzel. The blonde turned to her own work, humming happily to herself as she connected paper with pencil. The freckled teen sent furtive glances towards his friend, ignoring the project in favor of documenting the specter. Her figure was tall and thin, draped in a low cut velvet dress, red with gold trimming. It was tattered at the bottom and the sleeve edges. Graying ebony curls fell below slim shoulders. Large, fierce eyes accentuated a sharp, angled jaw. Name: unknown. Purpose: unknown. Relations: Rapunzel? He would have to wait until the two were separated or find the obituary section in the Burgess paper to discover her identity. He was pulled out of his musings by a sultry, mocking laugh.
"Hah! You call that art? Oh, darling, I've seem better work from kindergarteners with finger paint," the woman smirked, speaking right into Rapunzel's ear.
What in Odin's name? Hiccup glanced over at his friend's sketches, watching graphite birds and vines come to life. Luckily, both the blonde and specter missed his look of incredulity at the woman's statement. Rapunzel's art was beautiful, intricate, free-flowing. How could this woman try to insult her? Why would she? Lost to his own rising anger, the brunette missed the next few comments the woman threw, but he paid close attention to Rapunzel. How her humming petered off on a faltering note. How her smile twitched and faded. How her fluid strokes shuddered and ceased. How the woman, though unheard, was darkening Rapunzel's mood with every vicious word. Hiccup stood and walked behind his friend, ignoring the ghost's indignant hiss at his approach.
"Wow, Rapunzel, I never would've thought to interpret the prompt like this," he paused as insecure eyes raised to meet his own and he smiled, "It's really beautiful. I can't wait to see what colors you'll use for it."
She brightened instantly. As usual, her smile was contagious and soon a crooked one stretched across the brunette's face. He sat back in his chair, ignoring the potent glower the ghost was sending his way. The freckled teen returned to his drawing, adding a side note: produces negative energy and may feed off of it.
"What a pesky little brat. Really, Rapunzel, if this is the kind of thing you're associating with these days, you should've never left my tower," she jeered, hovering closer to Hiccup, "What a sad waste of space."
The freckled teen tensed, quickly flipping over his sheet of paper and tapping his pencil on top of it rapidly in an effort to seem as if he was debating on what to draw. Forest green eyes darted nervously up to see the woman fly above him. He shivered involuntarily.
"Ugh, really? Scribbling this whole time and not a single thing accomplished, how useless," she moaned, flying around to see his reaction.
Hiccup couldn't stop the frown that creased his face, that word echoing over and over in his head – useless, useless, useless. Gray eyes narrowed in satisfaction as she sneered and an inexplicable sadness overtook him. Hiccup shook his head, grabbed another sheet of paper, and began to frantically draw dragons in an effort to fight off the specter's influence. This was definitely a ghost the brunette was not ready to engage, at least not at school. The bell broke his concentration, chairs screeching and papers rustling as students packed up for the day. The freckled teen rushed to follow their example.
Rapunzel stood and the sparkle in her eyes had returned, "This was so much fun! I'll see you tomorrow at lunch, oh, and be careful Hiccup, there were some crazy drivers this morning."
"Uh, yeah, see you tomorrow, and thanks, I'll do my best not to become road kill," he paused, hefting his backpack onto his shoulders, "Uh, if anything, you know, weird or freaky happens, you can always text me?"
The freckled berated himself instantly for his inability to communicate intelligently or logically.
His friend quirked an eyebrow, slightly confused by his odd statement, but then offered a kind smile, "Sure, Hiccup. You can always text me too. I'm never too busy for a friend."
With that she waved goodbye and made to leave the classroom. The ghost still hovered about her shoulders, glaring at the brunette and any other person who dared to step within a three-foot radius of Rapunzel. Hiccup started to follow, worry for the blonde urging him forwards, but stopped at the doorway out of habit. He never traversed the halls without either Jack or Merida, the two still determined to guard him at all times in case Dagur found him. Although his run-ins with the maniac were few and far between, his two friends had helped him avoid torment on countless occasions. So instead of chasing after Rapunzel, the freckled teen stood his ground, trusting that she could take care of herself. While the ghost seemed unfriendly at best, she wasn't particularly violent.
"Hey Hic! What's eating you?" Jack chirped, slinging an arm around the boy.
The brunette jumped, "Oh, uh, nothing much, just, you know, the spirits of the undead returning to haunt my art class. No biggie."
"What?" the whitette chuckled, maneuvering through the emptying halls, "What's a ghost want with your art class? Has it come to posses your paintbrushes?"
"Not exactly…how do you feel about spending some quality time with your sister this afternoon?" he questioned hesitantly, glancing over to see the other's reaction.
Pale eyebrows rose in confusion, "Not that I was planning on avoiding her, but why?"
"You see, the ghost didn't seem very…friendly, and she's kinda attached herself to Rapunzel and since I can't just follow her around all day, I was hopping your mom or dad would be up to making sure she's okay?" he tried, almost hitting passerby students with his gesturing.
Jack froze for a moment, before pulling the freckled teen out the school doors and off to the side, "What does this ghost want with Punzie? Is she okay?"
"I don't think she's in any danger, per say, but until I can figure out what's the deal with this ghost, I'd rather not take any chances I don't have to," Hiccup muttered, scanning the crowds for his blonde friend.
"Do you know who this ghost is?" Mr. Frost questioned with a calm tone.
"I don't recognize her. I didn't really get a chance to talk with her, not that she deemed me worthy of conversation," the freckled teen grumbled, rubbing his right arm anxiously.
"What are you talking about?" Jack asked, not realizing the brunette was responding to his father.
Hiccup winced and offered an apologetic smile, "Sorry, talking to your dad about the ghost. Um, I know neither of you really knew Rapunzel before I got here, but maybe you'll recognize the person who's haunting her? I, uh, I tried to draw her when I had the chance, it's not great but…"
The freckled teen swung his backpack around, unzipped it, and dug through the mess of notebooks inside. He pulled out the sketch he made not long ago and turned it to face the two Frosts. They pondered the picture for a moment, brows furrowed in concentration, before they shrugged, mirroring one another.
"Sorry Hic, that's a nice picture, but I don't think I've ever seen her before," the whitette frowned, glancing at the emptying parking-lot, "Can we walk and talk? I don't wanna be late picking up the preteens."
"Uh, yeah, sure. Just, uh, just let me grab my bike," Hiccup hobbled off, retrieved his mode of transportation, and then rejoined his friend.
Mr. Frost hovered beside his son, a frown marring his usually playful expression, "I wouldn't mind checking it out. Hiccup, how much do you know about her?"
"What do you think this ghosty wants with Punzie?" Jack asked a beat after his father.
"I don't know what she wants with Rapunzel, but she did seem rather…possessive? Like, she didn't want me getting too close to Rapunzel–she pulled out my chair from underneath me when I tried. So, yeah she can–" he rambled, one hand towing his bike while the other waved in frustration.
"Whoa, hold up a sec. Are you okay? Did she do anything else to hurt you?" Jack demanded, emotions flashing too quickly through icy blues for Hiccup to decipher.
The brunette paused in surprise, "Oh, I-I'm fine. She didn't start attacking me with scissors or anything, she must've realized all this…raw Vikingness was too much to overcome with physical matter manipulation, heh heh."
That sad attempt at humor cracked a smile across pale lips, "Alright tough guy, don't strain your brain with all those big words."
"The only brain straining right now is yours, Frosty," Hiccup deadpanned.
"Oh, ouch. I've been hit. Someone help, the sass, it's too much. Tell my sister…I love her," he cried, spinning on his toes and dipping towards the ground.
Forest green eyes rolled as he continued passed his prone friend, "I thought you were in a hurry."
Mr. Frost chuckled at their antics.
Jack sat up, pouting, "That's just cold, Hic. I thought I was supposed to be the Ice King."
"I guess you've been usurped," the brunette shrugged, a grin trying to sneak across his face.
A weight fell onto the younger teen, two frigid arms curling about his neck, "Nooooo, Hiccy! How could you!"
The freckled teen stumbled forward a few steps before prying off his friend, "Easily, now get off you dork. The adults have something important to discuss."
Jack scoffed indignantly, "Oh come on, you're like, what, twelve? If anyone's the adult around here, it's me! So you, mister party pooper, have to listen to mwah."
"I think you are mistaken, sir. First of all, I'm fourteen, there's big difference, and as the new King of Ice, it is I who shall tell you what to do! Now seriously, I need to tell your dad about the ghost, so try to behave for like, five minutes," Hiccup snarked back before returning to business.
"That kind of blatant disrespect deserves a noogie!" the whitette declared, pouncing on his friend and attacking his soft locks.
"J-Jack, stop it. I-I'm s-serious!" the freckled teen shouted between his giggles, unsuccessful in his attempts to escape from the elder teen.
He only grinned wider, "Do you surrender the kingdom back to its rightful ruler?"
"F-Fine, just get off!" the brunette huffed and was released.
Jack threw his fist up in victory, "Hurrah! The rebellion has been quelled!"
Hiccup just rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to their ghostly companion, "So, about the ghost. She seems to have fairly good control over physical objects. She also incites negative energy, with a focus on depressive rather than aggressive from what I've observed, and I think she feeds off of it as well."
Mr. Frost grimaced, "I'll see what I can do."
"What are you talking about? What does that even mean?" the whitette questioned as they arrived at the middle school.
"Oh, uh, I mean, the ghost can interact with objects in our world and is good at…making people sad instead of angry? And then feeds off that emotion?" Hiccup endeavored to dumb it down a bit.
"Well isn't she just a ball of sunshine," the whitette scowled, taking a seat at the bench.
"So, would you mind sticking around Sunny so your dad can go check on Rapunzel? Again, I don't think the ghost is going to hurt her, but still…" he sighed, sitting next to his friend.
Jack glanced up with a smirk and ruffled auburn hair, "Sure thing squirt. It's no problemo."
"Thanks," the freckled teen swatted away the offending hand before offering an awkward smile, "Well, I better head home. Toothless'll scratch down the door if I'm late."
"Alright Freckles, see you tomorrow. And you better give me an update on whatever my dad finds out, alright?" he grinned, sending a small wave to the brunette.
Hiccup mounted his bike as he nodded, "Sure, see you tomorrow!"
With that, the brunette rode off, trying to ignore the weight of dread growing in his stomach. Hopefully this ghost would just need a little help passing over and then poof, she'd be out of their hair. Something told Hiccup it wouldn't be that easy. He shook his head, willing away the worry. For now, all he could do was wait for Mr. Frost to investigate the situation. The brunette focused on speeding home, feeding his best friend, and getting as much homework done as possible. That sinking feeling in his gut told him his foreseeable free-time would diminish drastically once he heard from Mr. Frost.
"I'm home~" Rapunzel sang, kicking the door closed behind her.
She danced into the kitchen, finding her trusty reptilian friend on the counter. The chameleon was easy to spot despite his attempt at camouflage. The blonde scooped him up and set him on her shoulder before continuing up the steps to her room.
"So Pascal, looks like it's just you and me for the week, think we can handle it?" she asked with a grin, knowing she would miss her parents during their business trip, but simultaneously excited at the new responsibility and freedom.
The reptile frowned, nuzzling into her neck. Rapunzel set down her bag beside her bed before collapsing atop her comforter. She cupped her small friend in her hands and brought him to the pillow. Pascal immediately turned a light crème color.
The blonde frowned, "What's wrong?"
A three-toed foot pointed over her shoulder. Rapunzel glanced back, finding nothing out of the ordinary.
"Oh, come on Pascal, you can't scare me that easily," she grinned, gently stroking the nervous reptile, "Now I've got to get my work done quickly. Eugene gets out early today and he promised to take me to the arts and crafts store today!"
The lights flickered, startling the teen. She paused for a few moments, but when the electricity remained strong she gave a sigh of relief.
"I'd really rather not have to rewire the house again, last time it took forever," Rapunzel giggled and began digging through her backpack, "Alright Pascal it's time for work! We can do it!"
The chameleon scrambled up her braid and settled atop her head as usual. What the blonde failed to notice was how her friend glared around the room, agitated by a force she could not see, hear, or touch. A force that cackled at the small reptiles pathetic attempt to guard the unsuspecting teen. It was all a matter of time…soon she would have her flower once more and NO ONE would ever steal her away again.
Thanks for reading!
Yay! A new ghost is here, I bet you all know who she is =) Alright, for those who are curious or a little confused by my rather vague passage at the beginning of what ended up happening with Caleb and Claude, here's the basic gist: Hiccup and Jack got a gift for Claude via Caleb's suggestion (after Hiccup's stump got to rest for a bit) and headed over to his house. Since Jack used to babysit for them a lot, Mrs. and Mr. Gerulf allowed him and Hiccup to come inside (if Jack hadn't been there, they wouldn't let a random teenage stranger talk with their child) from there they coaxed Claude into talking with them, which Jack helped a lot with again, eventually Hiccup managed to convince Claude that he could communicate with Caleb (for he knew things only caleb and claude did, plus Jack vouched for him) and they had a really meaningful conversation and together, they helped both Caleb and Claude move on. Afterwards, Jack walked Hiccup home and then went back to the orphanage to tell Sunny the good news =D
and Guest, that didn't sound weird at all! I often find myself smiling when I read stories I enjoy (or everyone's reviews/comments, I can't stop smiling xD) so I'm really happy you enjoyed it so much.
Also wow, the story broke 100 Reviews! Omygosh wow, okay if there's anything you guys want me to do, besides updating the cover with the newest ghost, like drabble requests or a q&a for the characters or just sit here with a ridiculously goofy smile on my face, just lemme know. Thank you all for your support! and for those who don't review thank you too for reading my story =)