"Just, don't freak out." – Tangled - Rapunzel

The building they were in had large doors, more like gates that lead to a one big room. In the middle of the room was a large table decorated with dragons and Scandinavian writing. Jack found himself reading something writing without thinking. The words just…worked for him. He could just give it a glance and everything aliened its self so he could understand. It was strange.

All his life he struggled to learn languages so he could maybe talk to other kids. And no one was ever able to teach him how to read until Jamie. But he could only read English. Rapunzel squeezed his arm even tighter, we standing on the other end of the table while the blond woman, who's name he found out was Astrid and the burly man who's name was Gobber were now talking. Jack wasn't close enough to listen to them as they talked. Rapunzel looked up at Jack, her eyes were still yellow green and they hadn't changed since they arrived. "What were they saying Jack?"

"Huh?" Jack said, not really paying attention. He wished so bad that he could hear what they said, but he couldn't fly right now. He had already tried twice without Rapunzel knowing, but nothing had happened.

"You were talking to them earlier, remember?" she asked.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" he asked.

"No, I mean…I heard you I just couldn't understand you, it was like you were speaking some other language."

"What?" Jack hadn't even realized. It didn't sound like he was speaking some different language. Or did it? He could remember the words feeling strange, and some kind of accent. "I was speaking a different language?" he said, "Y-you couldn't understand me?"

She nodded.

At that moment the red head turned them, or rather to Jack because she couldn't see Rapunzel, "Who are you talking to." She said harshly. Her arms always seemed to be crossed when she spoke, like she always had an attitude she couldn't get rid of.

"Rapunzel." He told her matter o'factly.

The teen didn't seem to be expecting an answer so she cocked her head kind curiously and said, "Who?"

"Rapunzel, she paints images with her imagination and has long golden hair." Jack said. He smiled at Rapunzel and Rapunzel smiled back.

"I've never heard of—" The red head had begun to say, but then something began to take shape. The red head rubbed her eyes and stared. Rapunzel's figure appeared. Her purple dress, her long hair all in a braid with flowers in it, and a single paint brush was behind her ear. Her lime green eye—no wait, they were yellow, now golden yellow, like her eyes couldn't make up her mind. "Rapunzel?" she began.

Rapunzel blinked for a moment, then released Jacks arm. "Can you see me?"

Jack smiled.

The red head just stared.

A shout rang from the other end of the table, "Merida?" the teen turned. "Aldis will take you to where you shall be staying. I want you to stay there until we can sort this mess out, understand?"

Merida nodded but she still stared at Rapunzel, or to what looked like to the others, just Jack. Aldis took her arm, "Come on, we had better go before mom gets anymore upset." Merida reluctantly followed.

Rapunzel stared after her, looking uncertain on what to do. "She can see me." She whispered.

"Why don't you go and talk with her." Jack said without looking over his shoulder.

She gave him a glance, "Are you sure?"

"Yah, of course I am." He turned and gave her a quick smile, "I'll just wait here for you." He said.

Rapunzel smiled back, "Thanks Jack." She ran off to go follow Merida.

As soon as she was gone Jack frowned. She had run off, it hadn't taken her much to think about. But maybe it was for the best, in case anything bad happened here, she wouldn't get stuck in the crossfire. Jack slipped back on his hoodie and flipped his staff over his back and waited. Meanwhile dozens of questions ran through his head. How could they see him? Why were his powers not working? How could he speak a language he didn't know? How could he read a language he didn't know? Who was the second guardian he had to find? Where was Berk? And what had happened to the dragon's master? Why were the people scared of him? Just to name a few.

He could just try to leave, but for some reason he doubted he could get away. Toothless came up behind him and nudged him with his nose. "Hey." He said then turned to Toothless who gave him a sad sort of cock of the head. He then rubbed against him like a cat almost pushing him down in the process. "Whoa there." He said. Jack frowned at him, but the dragon seemed to smile. A big gummy smile. Jack sighed and patted the dragons head. "Uh, good Dragon."

Toothless still smiled.

"Okay, that's only a little bit weird."

A shout came from the other end of the table, "Jokul Frosti."

"Jack Frost." Jack said.

Astrid crossed her arms, "Very well, Jack Frost, come here."

Jack didn't think anything of it, just jumped on the table and began to walk across it toward Astrid. Astrid seemed annoyed with that but Jack didn't really care. He was pretty frustrated and scared right now, and they only way he knew how to hide it was to have some fun. So he walked across the table, and sat in a cross legged position on the other end of the table facing Astrid with what looked like calm blue eyes. But inside he was a raging storm of emotions.

"So queenly, what can I do for you?" he asked smiling as he said it.

Astrid crossed her arms. "Why are you here?"

"I thought I told you already queenly, I was just trying to get the dragon back to his master."

She didn't change her stance, "Don't lie to me Jokul."

"Jack."

"I don't care who you think you are." She said, "What are you?"

He smiled, "Well to keep it simple, I'm a Guardian, the Guardian of fun to be exact."

"You mean a god." She said sounding confused.

Jack leered, "While there is no doubting I have godly good looks, nope, I'm just a Guardian."

She stared at him quietly, eyes narrowed, "You mean your not here to bring snow storms, or kill people?"

"Oh my gosh!" he said, "Who do you think I am? The harbinger of doom?"

She looked away still frowning. Gobber frowned as well as he turned his back on him. He took Astrid's shoulder, "I don't think—"

"No, I don't think so either, I don't know who he is but he didn't cause this." She sighed.

"I'm right here you know." Jack said.

Astrid sighed, she turned to face, "Jokul Frosti—"

"Jack Frost."

"Jokul," she said again and Jack let out a frustrated breath, "We realize that you may have not caused this, but I'm afraid that you may have been involved."

"What?"

"So I'm afraid you can't leave Berk."

Jack heard the name and something like a light bulb clicked in Jacks head. He realized all of a sudden that he was actually where he had been trying to get to all along.

"We will have to keep you here until everything is straightened out. I'm sorry."

Jack stunned look faded and he smiled again, "Okay, don't mind if I do." He said calmly, but inside he was jumping for joy. He was on the island after all. He grinned and turned away, "So where will I be staying?"

"With Merida, until we can find a better place." She answered.

"Cool, just lead the way Queenly."

Astrid sighed, "Gobber will take you, I have things to attend to." She turned away again, "Good bye Jokul, have a restful night." She walked away quietly leaving him to stare after her. What was going on?

The hut he was lead to was finely decorated, if just simple furnished. A few wooden chairs and a table, shield with different symbols hung on the walls, beams were decorated in simple and yet beautiful deigns. There were stairs that lead up to a loft with four rooms, all of them with a bed covered up high with thick blankets and skins. Fire was in the very middle of the room, and when Jack walked in Merida and Rapunzel looked up from and stood in there chairs. Gobber hadn't spoken a word on their way here, despite the questions he asked. Or maybe because of the questions he asked.

He bet that asking why he had one arm and one leg was pretty rude.

Dragons were curling up all over the place in the village, big ones small ones. Not one of them questioned Jack, then again, it was late and they were all probably tired. Jack waited until Gobber left before he turned to Rapunzel. "How's everything."

"It's great!" Rapunzel said sounding really excited.

"I can't believe that she just appeared." Merida said.

"And I can't believe that you believed in her after about five seconds of explaining, especially at your age." Jack took a seat.

"What do you mean?" Merida asked.

Jack put his staff on his lap, "Well, how old are you 16?"

"17." She answered.

"Yah, well most stop believing in things like magic and fairy tales when there about 11 where I come from." Jack said.

"Yah well…I guess I find it hard not to believe." She said sitting back down, "After everything I've seen."

"Like?" Jack asked curious.

Merida was hesitant at first. It was still frightening to think about. But finally she told them, about her mother, about the witch, about the will o' wisps and about the bear Mordou' it was. It was a long story and by the time she was done the fire had died down a little and Rapunzel went to grab a few more logs. The fire may have died down but Jack was beginning to sweat. It was too warm in here for him, he decided to ignore it and said, "Turning your mom into a bear? Nice touch, personally I would have turned mine into a deer or something."

Merida scowled.

"Too soon?" Jack asked and Merida crossed her arms.

"Any more questions before I run up and punch that smug look off of your face?" Merida held up her fist and Rapunzel giggled.

"Yah, um…why is everyone scared of me?"

This made Rapunzel stop laughing and look at Merida. Jack and Rapunzel waited. Merida looked confused between the two of them. "Well, you're Jack Frost; you're supposed to bring snow storms and ice blizzards."

"But I don't do that." Jack said, "How come everyone thinks I do that? I work with Santa and the Easter Bunny, I do the opposite, I protect people and give them fun."

"Santa and Easter who?" Merida said.

"Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, Sand Man…"

"Sand Man I've heard about."

"What about the Tooth Fairy?"

"Nope, doesn't sound familiar."

Jack was in a time when none of them were real. When none of them existed and none of them were around to help. Was Man in Moon even here? He looked out the window and saw the moon and its smiling face. "But I don't exist yet either, I'm not even born yet, and everyone believes in me." Jack said, not realizing he said it out loud.

"What do you mean you're not born yet, are you crazy?"

"No, I was born in 1695, but I wasn't chosen until I died in 1712, and I wasn't even a Guardian until 2012."

"Wait hold on." Merida held up her hand, "are you saying you're from the future?"

Jack frowned, was he not supposed to mention that? He didn't see why not so he shrugged and said, "Yah."

"But that's over 1,000 years into the future." She said.

"Yah, I'm a long way from home."

Merida grabbed her head and took in a steady breath, "Oh, my…" she never finished just held her head, her red hair covering what was left of her face in wild curls.

Jack bit his lip, maybe he wasn't supposed to tell her. Well nothing he could do now, she knew and that was it. Sighing he ran a finger through his hair. "Do you ummm, know what happened to the chief?"

Merida was quiet for a long time, then finally pulled aside her hair and sighed. "He was hurt, badly."

"How?" Jack asked. Merida didn't answer at first, just looked at feet like they were the most interesting things in the world. Jack realized that Merida wasn't going to answer and let out a breath. "Well I'm checking it out."

"What?" Her head shot, her blue eyes flashed with worry.

"I'm going to see what's going on." Jack said pulling up his hood and putting his staff on the side. He couldn't use his powers right now any way. He just jumped out the back window and onto the frosty ground. Merida ran to the window. She watched slip behind carts and around houses.

Merida turned to Rapunzel waving her hand in Jacks direction, "Is he out of his head?"

Rapunzel shrugged, "I better go after him." She jumped from the window and onto the ground. She walked by everyone easily. Merida could have sworn she even walked through a few people, but she must be imagining it. Merida watched them for a second then let out a frustrated breath blowing up a single red curl.

"Heaven help my bow." She mumbled then climbed out of the window after them.

On the streets of town Merida followed Jack, who sat crouched behind the cart of cabbage. He plugged his nose and so did Merida. "I'll never get that smell out of my jacket." He mumbled.

"Well to be honest, it's an improvement." Merida said smirking.

Jack scowled, "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Well I want to know what's going on too." She said, "Besides, you may need my help."

Rapunzel walked up to them. "So what now?" A man walked through and she gasped and grabbed her chest. She moved to the side for a second and let out sigh.

"Never thought I would I was invisible." Jack whispered as he watched Rapunzel. Rapunzel frowned.

Merida frowned as well as she looked Rapunzel and whispered, "Why is she invisible?"

"It's hard to explain." Jack said, quietly tiptoeing over the earth and pressing himself against the wall.

Merida followed, "Try me." Merida said.

A man walked by and Jack pushed her against the wall hard. He waited until the man was gone, "Do you ever stop asking questions?" Jack hissed under his breath. Again he disappeared around the corner. When Merida saw him next she had to look really close to see him on the hill. She followed running up after him. Rapunzel did too; her braided hair trailing behind her as she ran. She stopped next to Jack and Merida by the window of a cabin. Inside were voices.

The three of listened.

"How is he Goeffy." No answer then a sigh. Jack looked at Merida who shrugged.

Jack looked at Rapunzel, "Look and tell us what you see." He whispered.

Rapunzel nodded and peeked through the window. A woman, old with white hair in braids stood in the middle of the room. Gobber was standing in there too next, to Astrid who watched anxiously was the old woman drew in the ash on floor with her staff. Lying in the bed, face pale, beads of sweat on his brow was a man. His hair was a mess of brown-red, his face showing the beginnings of a beard. His shoulder had a cloth wrapped around it and blood was could be seen on it's white surface. He coughed and tried to roll over but the strength for even that seemed to fail him. Rapunzel stomach churned at the sight and she looked away for a moment.

"What do you see?" Jack asked.

It took her a moment to answer but she finally did. Jack nodded and leaned to listen better, "He's lost a lot of blood." Gobber said after a moment, "There's no way she can heal him herself."

"Is there anything that can be done?" Astrid asked. She walked over to Hiccup, placing a hand on his.

Goeffy wrote in the ash again and Gobber said, "There may be a way, but—" Goeffy stopped and Gobber looked at her, "What?"

Goeffy turned her head, calmly to the window. "What's going on now?" Jack asked.

Rapunzel didn't want to look, she was still a little queasy from the look but she did turn; only it was seconds too late. Merida and Jack were both grabbed from under the window and lifted into the room. Gobber held the two of them up in the air, "Come to spy on us have you?"

Jack sighed, "No, we just thought it would be a nice night for a walk in the moonlight and then stopped to rest under your window."

"Let me go you great blond—" Merida said before being dropped on the floor. She scowled and jumped to her feet crossing her arms.

Astrid walked up to them and crossed her arms, "This isn't a good time, leave."

Jack got up, "Well queenly, as much as I would love to." He brushed some ash from his jacket and put his hands in his pockets, "I'm afraid I can't." Astrid scowled, the old woman, who must have been Goeffy walked up to him. She swirled her staff, it coming just under his chin and lifting it up for her to see, "Hey!" he said, pushing the staff away, "What's your…"

The woman's widened.

"Problem?" he finished.

The woman wrote in the ash, Gobber peeked over her shoulder, "She wants us to leave." He said.

Astrid nodded, "Come Merida, Jack we'll—"

"No." Gobber said, Astrid stopped, "Just me and you, they have to stay."

Astrid looked at Goeffy and Jack and Merida and then Hiccup. With a final look at her husband she turned to the door. The last thing she wanted to do was leave, but a stern look from Goeffy forced her to turn away, "Fine." She whispered and walked out, slamming the door behind her and leaving the two of them Rapunzel, Jack and Merida alone with Goeffy. Of course Hiccup was there but he wasn't even awake so he might as well not had been. Goeffy waited for the footsteps to face before she turned to Jack.

"You're not Jokul." She said. Merida's jaw dropped and Jack laughed.

"Yes! Finally someone realizes—"

"Don't shout." The old woman said, "The people here don't know I can speak." She said, walking past them to Hiccup and placing a cloth to his head, "And if you would please, I would like to keep it that way." Jack and the others shared a look. "Rapunzel, there's no need to stand in that window." All of them turned to Rapunzel and then back to Goeffy in amazement.

"You can see me?"

"Yes." Goeffy turned around to face them again, "I can, as a worker of magic I can see all things that include magic, it is a gift to all magical beings." She nodded, "So whether I believe or not, you are visible to my eyes Rapunzel."

Rapunzel shook off the stunned look and got up.

"What do you want from us?" Jack asked.

The old woman stared at the three of them. She seem hesitant and sad, like the world caved in on her. "Not much and very much at the same time." Goeffy turned to him, "But mostly I have a message." She narrowed her eyes at him, "Listen to me carefully Jack, and understand that none of this can leave this room." She turned to the others, "This goes for all of you." They shifted uncomfortable. Goeffy closed her eyes and let in a deep breath,

"A choice be made to change your fates

To lose a life a life or life to gain

And all may end in shadow and ice

Before the moon looses its light."

She looked at the three of them. She looked at Jack, and nodded with her head for him to kneel. Jack looked at Rapunzel who shrugged. Jacked knelt on the ground. "Oh Jack." She whispered holding his cheek, "The things I've seen, and wished I could un-see." The gentleness in this old woman's touch was surprising, she let out a sigh, "So much suffering." She whispered, it was so quiet he almost couldn't hear her. "I wish…I wish I could help you more." She said, "But your fate lies in your choices."

She looked at the other two, "All of your choices," she whispered turning to Hiccup she said as she laid a hand on his arm, "Even his." The silence seemed to suffocate the room. Jack was still kneeling on the floor, looking at the old woman whose sad grey eyes stared into his. She seemed to be saying something, but he could read it. He finally stood looking over at Hiccup and then at Merida.

"Are you saying…" he didn't finish, but it seemed to click. The final two guardians were standing in this room, Merida and Hiccup. Jack stumbled back, Rapunzel moved out of the way. Her eyes flashed yellow-green.

"Are you okay Jack?" she asked.

Jack shook his head, "I'm fine." He said.

The old woman nodded, "That is all, now Jack, you know what you have to do." She smiled and walked out. The door closed quietly behind her. Jack stood there in the room for moment, completely quiet. He looked at Hiccup, Merida looked at him and so did Rapunzel.

"What was she talking about Jack?" Merida asked.

"I…" Jack reached into his pocket, he could feel the small bottle at the bottom. He remembered what Father Time had said, you can't save a life. But if this was really one of the new Guardians, Jack was going to need him. He could feel Merida and Rapunzel's eyes on him. He swallowed hard. There wasn't much left in the bottle after most of it had tipped onto the carpet, and there wasn't a lot to begin with. But he only needed a drop. A drop to save a life.

He took a shaky breath. "You two better leave."

"Jack?" Rapunzel whispered.

He took her hand gently, he looked into her eyes, "Please Rapunzel, this is something I have to do alone. You have to understand." Rapunzel didn't look like she wanted to let go. But finally she did and backed away. She took Merida's shoulder and led her out. Jack took a deep breath. He waited for the silence then knelt by Hiccup. It was weird to be honest. This man seemed so weak, his very life rested in his hands. Hiccup shook as though he was cold. Maybe he was. Jack was in the room after all. He took the bottle from his pocket and looked at the glass. The liquid glowed in the dark a golden light. He took a deep breath, and took off the topper. One drop, one drop was all it took.