Chapter 37

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III

Hiccup had to actively fight back a laugh as he saw Bunny and Rapunzel react to their surroundings. Jack and Merida, however, were looking around with interest at the scenery.

"Huh. Berk is a kinda...small island." Jack muttered.

Hiccup raised one eyebrow. "Well, uh, yeah."

Jack sighed. "I'm used to flying over entire continents in one day when I'm making a really, really big storm. An island this size wouldn't take me more than ten minutes."

"Yeah, until devastating winter hits." Hiccup muttered.

Jack tilted his head. "Just because you haven't invented clothes warm enough to properly enjoy the many wonders of winter..."

Merida rolled her eyes. "Stop it, yu two."

She then blinked as two incredulous stares turned towards her. "Wot?"

"You're telling us to calm down and stop bickering?" Jack demanded. "You have no room to talk!"

Merida narrowed her eyes, then suddenly grinned. "Well, neither do yu, Sparkles."

Jack nearly fell over. "Sp...sp...what in the name of-"

Merida shrugged. "Well, frost sparkles, does it not?"

Jack simply stared. "B-but...Sparkles? That brings up some ill associated modern cultural references of a sparkly vampire who falls in love with a human girl."

Merida wrinkled her nose. "Ick."

Jack laughed. "I know, right? So no more sparkles or I'll make you watch the movies."

At her blank look, Jack sighed. "It's a projection of moving images onto a screen. I'll show you guys one day."

Hiccup regarded Jack dubiously. "Is that a good thing?"

"Yeah, man!" Jack defended vehemently. "There are so many good movies out there!"

Merida frowned as she crossed her arms. "But now I hafta find a different one."

Jack grinned. "I could start insulting you until a suitable comeback comes to mind." Actually thinking ahead for once, he then jumped out of the sleigh to fly along-side it before adding, "Leprechaun."

Merida lunged, making the sleigh rock perilously.

"Ay, enough of tha'!" Bunny protested in a panic, latching onto the side of the sleigh with a death grip.

"I'll make yu pay for that, yu gaffy albino!"

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Are my eyes pink? Try again, hothead."

Merida mock sighed. "Not as good. Yu're losing yur touch, geezer."

Jack had to land on the wing before he nearly fell yet again. "G-geezer?"

Merida grinned. "Well, yu do have quite the head a' white hair, and yu've been around for quite some time."

Jack blinked, wounded. "But...I'm still technically a teenager!" He then glared. "Carrot."

Merida calmly reached for her bow. "I could always call yu 'pincushion'."

Jack eyed her hand warily as he backed to the edge of the wing. "Now why would you do a thing like that?" He then tilted his head. "Though I think that I'll actually stick with calling you Carrots, I was gonna switch to Leprechaun but that's too much of a mouthful."

Merida rolled her eyes. "Lovely. Per'aps I should just call yu 'lazy', would that work?"

Jack shrugged. "Well, yeah, but it doesn't have much effect."

Merida groaned. "Sparkles was perfect, it's not mah fault modern culture got to it first."

Jack shrugged. "Yeah, but watching the movies would quickly show you why not to call me sparkles."

Merida sighed. "A point that I do not dispute." She was silent for a few more moments, then threw her hands up. "Ach! It takes a flash of brilliance, I'm gettin' nothin'."

Jack grinned slyly. "I know." He said sympathetically. "I can't imagine what it must be like in that little brain that can't devote half the functions to insults and still operate on the same level as everyone else's!"

Hiccup grabbed Merida before she did something stupid. "Come on, you guys, we're about to land." He pleaded. "Let's keep casualty to a minimum."

Jack climbed back inside, placing Hiccup in the middle. "So...what should we expect?" He asked.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I honestly have no clue. But with your...small frame, you'll have to find something to impress them."

Jack glared. "Small frame?"

Hiccup held his hands up. "It's not my fault most Vikings are built like North!"

Jack sighed. "Fair enough."

Hiccup leaned forwards slightly in anticipation when they landed, thankfully a bit more softly than North's usual. Though he hadn't seemed to sacrifice his choice of odd landings, they were parked a little too close to the edge of the cliff for his liking.

Hiccup quickly scrambled out as a mob of Vikings assessed the potential threat. He waved, and murmurs quieted the threat of attack, to be replaced by hearty congratulations as Hiccup was swarmed by the villagers.

When everyone had calmed down, Stoic pushed his way through the crowd. "Ah, so these are the Guardians! Who are the ones you were workin' with?"

Hiccup looked back to see his friends stepping up alongside him. "These guys."

Stoic nodded at each of the girls, but regarded Jack dubiously. "And you are?"

Jack puffed his chest out. "I am Jack Frost the Maimer!"

Hiccup smacked his forehead in exasperation, but Stoic looked suitably impressed. "Maimer, eh? How do you do it?"

Jack's eyes gleamed as he casually set his staff on the ground. Before any of the Guardians could process the threat, he had frozen all the Senior Guardians solidly to the ground. "Pretty much like that." He then quickly released them before retaliation could occur.

Regardless, he was forced to fly up when Bunny reached for his boomerangs. "He wanted a demonstration, Bunny!" He complained. "No need to get your tail in a knot."

Hiccup rubbed his temples. "Alright, everyone calm down."

Bunny looked away with a huff, but Jack landed with a grin. "So, are you going to do a demonstration or what?"

Hiccup winced when cheers broke out. "Thank you for nothing."

Jack bowed. "You're quite welcome."

Everyone blinked when Snotlout shoved his way through.

Merida eyed him. "And just who is that?"

Hiccup sighed. "That's Snotlout." He then pointed out Fishlegs, who waved shyly. "Aaaand

those two are Ruffnut and Tuffnut." He muttered as the twins forced their way through.

Jack appraised them. "The two you said I'd get along with?"

Hiccup grinned. "Yeah, the mental capacities are pretty equal."

Jack turned a bemused stare on him. "I will make you eat those words."

Hiccup grinned. "Bring it."

In a flash, Jack staff was aimed at him, glowing blue. Jack grinned. "I'd get ready, then, cause it'd be a little embarrassing to lose before the fight started."

Hiccup sighed. "Yes, haha, you're very smart." He held his hand out. "But then, I'm crazy so it doesn't matter."

Jack put his staff back on the ground and leaned on it. "Oh, keep going." He encouraged. "I wanna see this."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, then focused. He could sense the metal underneath him, in a way, and with a few tingles he felt it reluctantly respond. Fighting the urge to open his eyes when startled cries rang out, he kept his eyes closed until something touched his palm.

He opened his eyes when his fingers curled around the handle of an axe. Astrid would be proud. "Well?"

Jack nodded slowly. "But you'd be dead right now in a real fight."

In response, North tossed Hiccup a bundle. He opened it in confusion, then grinned. Putting the

axe on the ground, he quickly freed his sword from the current scabbard, switched them out, and tried the new one. He smirked at North. "Yeah, that's better."

"You'd still be dead..." Jack reminded him.

Hiccup drew his sword and lashed out, but Jack turned and knocked the attack to the side with his staff. He then calmly turned the staff in his hands and whacked Hiccup on the head.

"What is it with you and doing that?" Hiccup protested as he rubbed his aching skull. While doing so, though, he took command of the axe once more. Time to really get crazy.

"I've only done that once before." Jack pointed out. His eyes then flew open as the axe flew into Hiccup's hands and he charged.

Jack dove to the side, recovered, and shot a bolt of ice at Hiccup. Hiccup threw the axe, which took the attack, then dodged to the side, calling his sword to him as he did so.

He managed to last several minutes against Jack in sparring before Jack tripped him and then placed the crook of his staff right under his chin, preventing him from getting up.

"Well, you did better than I thought you would." Jack offered as he helped Hiccup to his feet.

"And that whole magic weapon summon thing was pretty impressive if I do say so myself."

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, well, it's still in the starting stages."

Jack grinned. "I'm sure."

"How come yu get to have all the fun?" Merida griped, clearly incensed about being left out of the fight.

"You were free to jump in at any time, carrots." Jack told her.

Rapunzel rubbed her thumb along the edge of her frying pan. "Which would have left the odds uneven."

Jack shrugged. "They were uneven anyways. I've got 300 years on you guys, after all."

Rapunzel twitched slightly. "Fair enough."

They were interrupted by Stoic's booming laugh. "Thor almighty! That was quite a show, Hiccup!"

Hiccup nodded, then smiled at Snotlout. "So, you wanna go a few rounds or what?"

He allowed a moment to be satisfied at the poetic justice of the totally shell shocked look on Snotlout's face before he grinned and moved on.

"Anyways, uh, evidently North decided I needed permission before taking the Guardian oath." He continued.

Stoic nodded. "I have no complaints."

"I gathered." Hiccup muttered drily before looking at North.

North, book already in hand, licked his thumb and flipped to the page. "Yes. Will you, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, 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 that we have, all that we are, and all that we will ever be."

Hiccup allowed a moment to be amused at his ridiculously long name, then nodded. "I will." He said, fighting to keep a solemn face. It didn't work.

North chuckled. "Then, congratulations, for you are now, and FOREVERMORE! a Guardian."

Hiccup smiled as he was tackle-hugged by Rapunzel and Merida. Jack settled for more macho fist-bump, the concept of which Hiccup still didn't quite understand.

Hiccup then looked up as North headed towards the sleigh. Seeming to sense Hiccup's anxiety, North turned back. "Is not yet goodbye." He reassured. "Is still business to take care of, to clean up after Pitch."

"Yeah, right." Jack muttered as he headed towards the sleigh. "He just hates goodbyes."

Hiccup laughed as he clambered in. "Yeah, well, for once I'm ok with delaying the inevitable."

Jack sighed as the sleigh took off. "Yeah, I guess."

Merida smacked her fist into her palm. "Snowball!"

Jack shot Hiccup a pained glance. "On second thought, maybe ditching a certain Guardian wouldn't be such a big problem."

Merida glared. "I heard that."

Jack glared right back. "Yeah, well, I heard the new nickname." He sat up straighter. "What about my amazing, ninja combat abilities suggests something cutesy like a snowball?"

Merida grinned. "Exactly."

Hiccup sighed as he positioned himself in between them. "You know, as crazy as it sounds, I might even miss the bickering."

Rapunzel smiled. "You know, I think I understand the feeling." She then raised an eyebrow as Tooth and Sandy had to hold down Jack and Merida. "Life definitely won't be as interesting."

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Yup! One more chapter to go, it's almost over...