Merida's POV

I couldn't force myself to believe it. I refused to believe it. She was not gone; the world just didn't work like that. The world was cruel, but not that cruel. Rapunzel was too sweet, too kind and way too strong to just disappear.

Jack, Hiccup and I sat together in mine and Rapunzel's room with linked hands. The connection was the only thing keeping me grounded as the weight of what was happening finally hit me. The worst part was that the last thing she and I did was fight. It wasn't even a fight, I just yelled at her when she was trying to help. What if I never got to apologize?

Silent tears streamed down my face, so I hid my face in Hiccups shoulder. I hated letting people see me cry. He wrapped a protective arm around me and pulled my body closer to his. "We are going to find her." He whispered in my ear.

Just then, there was a slight knock on the door and North, Tooth, and Sandy came in. Bunny was attempting to calm the elves down. They were even more distraught over Rapunzel's disappearance than I was. The elves loved her more than life itself.

Sandy sat beside Jack and simply held his quivering knee while Tooth took a tight grip on me, allowing me to soak her soft feathers; Hiccup didn't let go of my hand.

North stood before us and clasped his hands together. His usually rosy cheeks were pale and his blue eyes seemed dimmer than usual. "I know this has been hard on all of you." he said. "But there may still be hope. Sandy found two puncture holes on our dear Rapunzel's ankle. We believe that she was injected with Nightmare Venom." I had never heard of it before, but the mere mention of Nightmare Venom sent a shiver down my spine.

"The venom forces its victim to live out their worst nightmares." Tooth added. "The only problem is that we don't know what Rapunzel's is."

"I do." Jack said. His voice was dry and rough, but the words came steadily. "I told her about what it's like when people can't see me, and she said that it would be her worst nightmare." We all gasped.

"Calm, calm." North said soothingly. "We may still be able to find her, but it would be up to you three. You see, those marks on your palms are not merely for decoration. They are a channel of your power, but they are also so much more. They bind you to one and other. If Rapunzel or any of you were to die, you each would have felt extreme pain in your hands. Have any of you felt such a sensation."

I looked at the arrow etched onto my palm. I was still getting used to seeing it, but it hadn't pained me yet. I began to feel a minuscule spark of hope as I shook my head.

"Exactly." North replied. "Now, if you were each to concentrate on her, your marks would act somewhat like metal detectors, glowing if you were to come close to her."

"Kind of like Hotter, Colder?" Jack asked.

"Precisely. Now, I believe she has not left the Workshop yet, but we must hurry. Several of Pitch's nightmares have already tried to break in. While the Workshop has sublime defenses, they are not impenetrable."

As if to emphasize his point, there was a loud bang, and the entire room shook with its force.

"Time is of the essence." Tooth said releasing me. Jack, Hiccup and I walked to the door. "Let's go get Rapunzel back." I said.

Hiccups POV

I hadn't been very close to Rapunzel, but a feirce desire to protect her burned in my gut anyway. I felt like an older brother. I just wanted her to be safe.

I decided to check out the library first. Rapunzel loved to read, and I knew the library better than Merida or Jack. That didn't mean my search would be any easier.

The library was huge. A three story circular room like a grain silo filled with books sat before me. The walls were lined with scrolls, while shelves and shelves of books created a kind of literary maze. All the covers were worn and faded, the pages within were yellowed with age. A huge skylight above me allowed light to stream in and illuminate the dust particles dancing through the air.

"Rapunzel!" I called, there was no answer. I closed my eyes and filled my mind with her face. I tried to think of every detail, from the slight point to her ears, to the flecks of gold in her eyes. My palm tingled.

When I opened my eyes, I saw that the dragon insignia on my palm was glowing slightly. Yes! I thought to myself. I slowly turned in a circle, patiently waiting for the light to glow brighter.

Finally, it did. I was facing the bottom of the spiral staircase when my hand lit up like a fire. Up I go. I thought to myself. The pristine white metal was cold. It curled and twisted upward, and I followed it. My palm did not do anything until I reached the very top of the stairs. Once I stepped of them, my mark exploded in a tingling frenzy. The light burned brightly and I felt a slight tug in my sub-conscious. It was pulling me deeper into the shelves.

I followed my instincts through a maze of bookshelves until I came to a window. A small cushioned bench stretched the length of the it, making the perfect reading nook. The glass was perfectly clear except for a small patch of frost. It looked like the silhouette of the Guardian of Dreams.

"Rapunzel?" I asked the air, "Are you here?" Nothing happened. I felt everything inside me deflating. Then, a small plant peeked up through the thick carpet. It grew, and a small blue flower bloomed at the tip.

"Rapunzel!" I exclaimed, "You're here."

Another flower popped up beside the first, then another and another, until the word HELP was spelled out in flowers on the floor.

"Don't worry; we are going to fix this."

A blank book fell to the floor with an unceremonious thump, and a feather pen floated down beside it. It scribbled out a messy sentence. The ink read, I have an idea. Do you trust me? I nodded slightly.

Put out your hand and concentrate on me.

I did exactly as instructed. I held out my palm and thought of nothing other than Rapunzel. I felt a tingle in my fingertips, but it was different than before. This feeling was more like the brush of skin. As I watched as the faint outline of a girl began to shimmer into existence in front of me. The image of Rapunzel became clearer, until I could see all the details of her face and dress, except she looked like a ghost. A mere aperation that might disappear at any moment. Her hand was pressed to mine.

She smiled slightly at me. I tried to hug her, but I passed straight through her body as if she were made of mist. She sighed and looked at me with sad eyes.

"Come on, let's go tell the others." I said. "We are going to fix this."

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