AN: ...This one might be another heart-breaker. You Have Been Warned.

REVIEWERS!:

Eris: Thank you, glad to hear it! As for Hiccup and the others, well... It's the end of the book, so I'm afraid you'll have to come back for the next one to get those answers ;)

C: Thank you so much, you're always far too nice to me! I'm always happy to hear about people liking Talia, Eret, and the BlueBlazer crew because they are kind of like OCs since there isn't much content with them, and also when people look into an ROTBTD story they're usually looking for the main four, not all these random and obscure characters, so I was initially very nervous about this story line because I thought people wouldn't like it and ultimately decided to go with it because it was what I wanted and just take the judgement with a grain of salt, you know? I agree that Hiccup's leg is an important part of his character and I'm thinking about some possible ideas of how I can expand on that note much later on in this series. I also thought it was weird that Gobber managed to rebuild the tail, I mean, I believe it, Hiccup learned everything he knows about smithing from Gobber, but it just never quite fit to me... Like, yeah that totally makes sense logically, but for some reason my brain does not compute. Anyways, I'll get on a half-rant and never stop: Yes, jumping on a dragon right after being in a coma for who knows how long was really weird. Aww, you're sweet! I enjoy writing and reading to/from you as well! There are plenty of great things to come! And just hang in there with Trollhunters, if you need someone to scream with after my reviews/pm are always open! And now I just see both Astrid and Hiccup saying it which is wonderful! Thank you again for your love and support! Hope you had a good week, and have a good coming week! I managed to be productive and post early! :3

Music: "Roxas's Theme" by Lizz Robinett (youtuber)

NOTES: "If there ever comes a day, when we can't be together, keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever."

Chapter 26: Distant Memories

The waves lapped gently against the shore and sloshed underneath the docks on an early Saturday morning. The air was crisp, the sky a pale blue with a stain of light gold at the bottom of the horizon as the sun slowly rose into the sky. The nearly-Full moon was still visible just above the golden light, unwilling to release the sky fully to the sun just yet.

Emma stood at the end of the dock, dressed in a simple white dress that ended mid-shin with light ruffles and matching sleeves. Her hair was loose and flowed behind her with her dress as a gentle breeze whispered passed, carrying a song she could only faintly hear nowadays. In her hands she held a Prophecy Ball, the fog inside swirling quietly, slowly.

She was looking out at the sea with saddened eyes, but still she let them slide shut and followed the music into song...

"Forgotten days, a fading memory..."

Jack was in his forged investigation room, slowly collecting all of the papers, bits, and pieces he'd pulled together over the course of the year. He tried not to look at any of it too hard, but instead focused on making sure every last thing got placed into the plain case folder for filing he'd labeled 'Hiccup'.

Several weeks had passed since the day they found out about the prophecy. For the most part, Hogwarts seemed normal. The greyness that had taken over the castle after Hiccup's death was lessened with the return of the Guardians and the joy of Lady Tremaine being removed from her position, though, like a shadow, it was still there and most of them knew that it would probably never truly go away.

The fifth years' O.W.L. exams had come and gone in the blink of an eye, and though the whole affair was still stressful and nerve-wracking, it had seemed somewhat insignificant in comparison to what had already occurred that year. And, if he was being completely honest, Jack couldn't find the energy to care much. Later, perhaps, he'd be excited about them and desperate to know if he'd be able to pursue a career as an Auror, but for now he was drained and needed some time to himself.

The cruel irony of it all made him smirk darkly. He normally hated being alone, but nothing had really felt Normal for quite some time. At least, to him it hadn't.

Having finally gotten every last piece into the folder, Jack picked up the file and gently folded it closed, his chest aching with the finality of it. He knew this was what was best. For Everyone. He needed to stay focused on the battle with Pitch and the possibility of War on the horizon. He needed to put his energy into making sure no one else got hurt. He couldn't keep seeking someone he'd already lost. He knew that. But it didn't change the fact that he felt pretty lost himself, or the pain he felt at doing it.

He tucked the folder under his arm and left the room, letting the door click shut quietly behind him and then walking off to the Office of Records for the school where all important records were eventually archived. It was normally empty as students didn't really have any reason to be there, but Bunny had suggested letting his work be filed there instead of just throwing it out, and since Jack couldn't bring himself to do the latter, he decided filing it would be the best option.

He followed Dr. Doppler to the back where the medium sized filing room was, and the Professor smiled at him with a knowing and understanding smile as he showed him an empty drawer in the 'H' section. Jack ignored the look and took a deep breath before putting the folder in the drawer.

He left fairly quickly after that. Not wanting to give himself time to dwell on it.

He just walked after that, blindly going wherever his feet decided to take him as his eyes hazed in and out of focus between the bustling halls of the school and memories long past. But perhaps allowing himself to numbly find his way to somewhere quiet wasn't the best of ideas when he found himself outside, his feet brushing through the dew-soaked grass as he walked towards one of the hills between the castle and the Quidditch pitch. It gave a view of the chasm below the school and out at the sea in the distance. The space had a few trees which changed with the seasons and a few stones that encased precious names of people long passed.

Jack focused on the stone farthest from the others, underneath the largest tree. He remembered coming here when the leaves were gold and fiery, covering the ground so thoroughly he had to brush them off of the stone to read the bottom inscription. Today, though, the tree was a deep green and the leaves rustled in the gentle breeze as Jack knelt in front of the the headstone.

"In Loving Memory, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III" was the inscription on the headstone while the plate on the ground in front of it read; "Never Forgotten, Forever Missed."

Jack sucked in a breath and tried for a weak smile, crouching before the memorial stone. "Hi, Hiccup... I -I know I haven't really come around here in a while... Or at all... I just -I needed some time." He closed his eyes and took another breath when he felt his eyes swelling, but it didn't really help, so he just opened his eyes and kept going with a wobbly voice that cracked every once and a while. "I haven't forgotten about you, I promise, I just thought that maybe, I don't know, that I could fix this... That I could get you back somehow... But I'm doing better now, er, I'm trying, I guess. I'm going to start training with the Guardians again, they've already agreed to it and everything. I swear I'm gonna keep everyone safe. I won't let you down again."

Letting out a heavy breath all at once, Jack looked down at his hands clasped together and bit his lip, and if a drop or two slipped from the corners of his eyes, well, nobody was around to see it. He inhaled through his nose, half-sniffing, and then looked up again at the simple headstone.

He didn't know what to say. He wanted to keep talking, to feel close to him somehow, someway. But he could only sit there in the silence, waiting for some sarcastic reply or witty remark that would never come. Because, ultimately, the past was gone and there was no bringing it back, which was what was hurting him the most. He knew that.

But still he kept yearning for a light lost in time long ago.

"Pleading with Fate, to be forgiving..."

Merida stood with her hands on her hips as she watched two second-years practice their dueling stances in the Room of Requirement. Several students of varying levels were spread about the room, grouped together to work on different techniques and such in a more casual setting than their meetings.

While the Guardians knew about the Dueling Club, none of the students had told them where it was, and they didn't ask. Merida took that as an okay to keep the Dueling Club going as a meeting and training place specifically for the students because even though Bunnymund had returned to teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, doubling his teaching load as North focused on the battle with Pitch, the Ministry was still within Hogwarts. Merida figured that the Dueling Club would be a good way to practice, but also to escape from the adults and all of the harsh seriousness of impending danger.

Merida didn't know exactly how it happened, but she assumed that because she'd been the main teacher before the Guardians' return, the other students had just decided to make her the leader of the Dueling Club; a role she fell into easily. It gave her something to do. A purpose. She watched over the younger students, teaching them how to better defend themselves and sparred with her peers and upper-classmen to keep their skills sharp.

She was going to make damn sure that everyone knew how to defend themselves should the need ever arise. And not just physical skills, but the mental skills she'd had to learn because they hadn't come very naturally to her. She'd already given a few lessons about battle tactics to a few small groups of younger classmen, explaining to them the advantages of numbers and how to compensate when you found yourself lacking said numbers in certain situations.

And, if she was being honest, Merida had taken full advantage of the work that 'needed' to be done for the Dueling Club, and if anyone noticed her obsessing over insignificant little details these past few weeks, no one said anything. She liked that. She liked having work to stay focused on. Despite the other probably thinking that she was avoiding it, Merida actually was trying to process her emotions in a productive way, and slowly she was picking up all of the shards and figuring out how to piece them together. Staying active and helpful in some way was helping her. She needed to feel like she was doing something to make sure His sacrifice didn't mean nothing.

She wanted people to know that their friendship had a meaning.

But she also knew that letting herself get worn out would only leave her vulnerable to Pitch's attacks; physical or emotional. So when Camicazi and Eep came to her, asking her to take a rest and come with them to get lunch in the Great Hall, she agreed. As she collected her bag and bid the younger students farewell for the time being, she reminded herself that this is what he would want. He'd want them to be smart and to be happy. So she'd try her hardest to keep his memory close and let it guide her. She'd be smart and strong and someday maybe she'd remember what it was like to smile and laugh without a care.

She'd keep hoping for that dream she lost to the sunrise every morning.

"Reasons ignored, no longer caring how long it may take just to mend the heartbreak..."

The corridor was heavy with traffic as students of all years shifted around, trying to get to their final exams. Rapunzel stood to the side of the chaos with two first-years', pointing the numbers on their schedules that indicated what room their exam was in and explaining where it was.

With final exam week almost at an end the stress and excitement of the end of the year was coming down to the pleasant relaxed feeling that always came with the warmth of the summer sun. Rapunzel, for the most part, was finished with her exams and was helping Dr. Sweet to restock the school infirmary and dry herbs before storing them away. In her spare time she tended to her prefect duties, studied, and overall tried to help the first-years get the hang of their first final exam week.

She looked up from helping the first-years and something at the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned her head to get a better look and confirmed what she had thought; a tired and slightly haggard looking Jack walking through the corridor, coming from the direction of the Quidditch pitch. Or, more accurately, the fields out by the Quidditch pitch.

Rapunzel's breath caught in her throat for a second and then she forced herself to slowly exhale a long breath. He'd been visiting Hiccup's memorial stone, she was sure of it. And who could blame him? This hurt wasn't the kind one could just brush aside and forget. Rapunzel would be surprised if it ever healed at all, at least, in it's entirety.

Jack passed them, looking like he was carrying much more than just his own weight, but he gave her a small nod to indicate that he saw her, and Rapunzel nodded back. Neither of them smiled, but that was okay. Jack didn't need false promises of weak smiles and underlining message of 'everything will be okay'. They were lost and unsure. For now Jack just needed time, and when he was ready to talk and smile through his tears, he would come to them.

Rapunzel took another deep breath and pushed a gentle smile onto her face as she turned back to the two first-years. They were both looking up at her with confused expressions. For a few minutes Rapunzel didn't know what they were thinking, and then it suddenly hit her: Neither of them knew who Hiccup was. None of the first-years did.

No doubt they'd heard about him in passing every now and then, but they'd never met the small and sarcastic Ravenclaw for themselves. They'd never seen him leave students and teachers alike awestruck with his magical talent, they'd never known what it was like to hear his and Jack's laughter echoing down the corridors as they raced away from an angry Bunnymund, they'd never seen the kindness of big green eyes... And the part that made Rapunzel's heart constrict painfully inside her chest was that they would never Know. They would never Hear. They would never See. And neither would the first-years to come with the knew school year. Or the generation after that, or the generation after that.

Slowly, and yet so much more painfully faster than they'd realized, Hiccup was fading from the memory of Hogwarts.

One day they would all be graduating, getting ready to face the world before them with all of their hopes and dreams, and... Hiccup wouldn't be there. They'd have the memories and the stories, yes always, but that's all there would ever be again. Hiccup, to them and to all the first-years to follow, was just another story.

"A distant fragment of nobody important..."

Despite the tightness in her chest and the burning in her eyes, Rapunzel forced another smile and jumped into directing the first-years again, sending them off while they still looked questioningly at her for reasons beyond their exam schedules. Rapunzel didn't stay to see them off though, she was already turning away and striding off toward the Infirmary where Dr. Sweet and plenty of work awaited her.

And as she walked away, she felt her heart ache, wishing for a day lost in their memories.

The corridor of the main staircase was dark, the only light coming from the flickering torches on the wall, which cast long shadows dancing across the floors. The soft padding of Jack's feet on the stone floor seemed to echo in the stillness of the space, the only other noise being a quiet murmuring, coming from beyond the shut doors of the Great Hall. The Winter Sprite looked up from the floor and found Merida and Rapunzel already standing there, facing each other, but not talking. Jack quietly joined their small triangle and for a very long moment they simply looked at each other, letting all of the despair, exhaustion, and regret flood their expressions as they stood in each others' presence.

After a few long moments of complete stillness, they all suddenly moved at the same time and in the next instant they were wrapped in a group hug that felt one person short. They took shaky breaths and rubbed each other's backs comfortingly as they all blinked back their tears, but as they slowly pulled away there was a new resolve settled firmly in their eyes.

"I guess this is it then..." Jack mumbled, his voice sounding loud in his own ears.

"Yeah," Rapunzel murmured as she nodded in agreement. "It's time."

They looked at the looming doors of the Great Hall, and a feeling of dread clawed its way up Jack's spine. But he squared his shoulders and lifted his chin, determined to not show how twisted and damaged his insides were.

"Do you think we can do this?" Merida asked them as they stayed grouped together, no one wanting to admit the real question she wanted to ask.

Do you think we can do this without him?

And the truth was, none of them really knew if they could. It had always been the four of them as a team. One of them not being there left a place that could never be filled; a hole in their defense, a gap in their offense. But with everything that had happened, Jack didn't see how they could afford to fail. He'd never forgive himself if Hiccup's sacrifice ended up being in vain. If losing him meant absolutely nothing in the end. It made Jack sick just thinking about it, and, from their hardened expressions, Jack could tell that Rapunzel and Merida felt the same.

They made eye contact with each other, and nodded in understanding.

"For Hiccup," Jack said, sticking his fist out to them.

"For Hiccup," Merida agreed, meeting his fist with hers.

"For Hiccup," Rapunzel confirmed, placing her fist against theirs.

They pressed their fists together in that promise and then pulled away, turning to face the Great Doors. Rapunzel stood in the middle with Jack on her left and Merida on her right as they listened to the soft muttering of the crowd beyond the doors. They stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes as they waited for their cue, and then the doors opened.

The Great Hall was alive with the end of year feast. All of the students were turned, looking at them in awe as the Guardians stood waiting for them at the top of the dais. The Hufflepuff, the Gryffindor, and the Slytherin calmly began walking down the center aisle, making their way out of the shadowy entrance way and into the light and warmth of the hall. When they reached the dais they stood at the bottom of the steps, lifting their eyes to North as he opened his arms grandly and began his speech.

"Though we stand in times of trials and uncertainty, today we celebrate and welcome three young wizards of exceptional talents to become Guardians under the mentor-ship and tutelage of myself, Toothiana, and Sandman!" North announced, eliciting grins and excited cheers from most of the other students.

"Will you, Princess Rapunzel of Corona, Princess Merida of DunBroch, and Jackson Overland Frost, vow to watch over the children of the world? To guard them with your life, their hopes, their wishes, and their dreams. For they are all that we have, all that we are, and all that we will ever be."

"I Will." Rapunzel said clearly, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

"I Will." Merida declared, steeling herself before everyone and lifting her chin.

"I Will." Jack vowed, his heart constricting painfully but outwardly he showed no emotion whatsoever.

"Then from this day on you are Jack Frost the Guardian of Fun," North announced nodding to Jack.

"Princess Merida the Guardian of Destiny." He proclaimed with another nod to Merida.

"And Princess Rapunzel the Guardian of Nobility." Finally he nodded to Rapunzel and then addressed them all, his arms spread wide once again.

"Now you all are Guardians!"

Cheers exploded throughout the Great Hall and the Guardians stepped aside to make room on the dais for the three newest Guardians. They walked up the steps, a memory of confetti and bright smiles dancing in their minds, and they turned around to face their fellow students together.

Rapunzel lifted her chin, Merida squared her shoulders, and Jack stretched out of his usual casual slouch to his full height. They reached for each other's hands and held tight as they stood before the cheering crowd, turning their faces up to the light.

"For Hiccup."