Discovering the Meaning of Life Chapter 22: Hungry Fangs, a Brave, 2012 + Rise of the Guardians Crossover fanfic

Disclaimer: "Discovering the Meaning of Life" is a non-profit fan fiction based on Tales of the Abyss © Bandai Namco. All characters and many other references belong to their rightful owner. Please support the official media. OR ELSE!

[Tales of the Abyss OST - Fang which wants blood]

Frost could only stand back. He hates this. He just used his power and now his body couldn't even stand straight. But Ezra was right. By staying on the battlefield, he would only make it more difficult for both Ezra and Merida to fight, since they would feel the need to protect him. He nodded, backing into the trees

Ezra was the first one to make a move. The humming is back as Merida got a glimpsed of Ezra stretching his hands toward the Liger Queen. "Sleep…" She heard him whispered. The Liger shook her head, but otherwise seemed unaffected by Ezra's hypnotic movement, growling as she pounced at the other boy.

Ezra back-flipped out of the way, and Merida looked over at her. A thin layer of sweat gleamed on the boy's face and despite the determined look in his eyes, Ezra's breathing had a hitch in it that suggested he was getting tired.

As she was forced to jump away as a sweep of the Liger's tail threatened to knock her off her feet. Merida pulled her bow string, an arrow forming from the wind between her fingers. Praying for this will work, Merida shouted, "Piercing Line!" She released her arrow and a strong projectile. The arrow struck the Liger Queen at her paws. She snarled and batted Merida away with a huge paw, claws extended.

Merida went flying with a cry and hit the ground, her limp body tumbling across the grass and dirt. She slowly sat up, holding back tears of pain from the stinging in her exposed shoulders.

"Merida!" Ezra shouted. The Liger Queen turned to him and ran toward him. Ezra gripped his sword tighter as he raised it. "Fang Blade!" he shouted. Ezra slashed the Liger Queen diagonally downward and sweeps around in a wide arc along the ground, then reversed the strike to finish with a powerful vertical uppercut that lifts the Queen as he jumped. But even after those wounds, The Liger Queen is still standing!

She roared and Ezra had to raise both hands toward her, a glyph forming underneath his feet as he used all his power to hold back the Queen from pouncing at him and Frost behind him.

Merida tried to raise her body, glancing at Ezra who was trying his best to protect the Fon Master, but Merida could see his knees started to shakes. He would last long. They won't last long.

Is this… Is this really the end of the line?

"Needs some help?"

Whose voice was that?

Footsteps on the grass were heard and everybody glanced at the newcomer. Merida frown. Wasn't that the puny colonel back at Burgess?

"I stand in the place bathed in heavenly light, thou art where the gate to the Underworld opens, come forth, divine lightning! This is the end! Skrill Indignation!"

[Music stops]

The Liger Queen was completely engulfed in lightning. A massive glyph glowed underneath a boy's feet, his hair flying about his face and his hand raised above his head as he called down the lightning upon the Liger. Vaguely she could hear a massive roar of a dragon.

The Liger collapsed and, as her corona of light faded and her mane fell neatly. The puny colonel looked up toward her with a worried frown. Behind him, another boy, the same boy that interrupted their interrogation before, came running in toward Frost who was barely standing up.

"Guys," Frost gave them a shaky smile. "You found me again."

"Frost!" The smaller boy caught the Fon Master before he collapse to the ground. "Did you used you power again?"

Frost gave him a weak chuckles. "I'm sorry, Jamie."

The other boy pouted. "Seriously, Frost. The doctor said not to use them."

"Do you always do something like this when you know it's wrong, Fon Master?" asked the colonel, walking toward the two boys.

Frost gave him a weak grin. "Together with Sofia, the fairies are the foundation of the Order of Aurora. I felt I had to take responsibility for any trouble they had caused..." He steadied himself with the help of Jamie to look at the smaller colonel. "I'm sorry, Hiccup."

Hiccup nodded at him. "Just don't run off like that. Your brother is really worry about you."

"That's right!" said Jamie. "I looked everywhere for you!" With that, Frost just laughed weakly.

Hiccup sighed. He pushed his glasses up t the briged of his nose as he said, "And you've involved civilians as well."

Merida groaned. "...Hey, old man, he's apologizing, right?" she yelled, still holding her injured shoulder. "Give him a break."

Hiccup blinked at her. "Oh. I expected you to complain about being dragged into this. I'm a bit surprised."

Ezra also looked surprised until he noticed Merida is wincing. He ran toward her and knelt down. When he grabbed her shoulder she let out a yelped, "Ow!"

She glared at him. "What's give!?"

"Hold still," he said as his hand hover above the injury. "First Aid…" he whispered and blue light came out from his hand. When he finished, Merida moved her arms. It didn't hurt anymore.

"Better?" Ezra asked.

Merida nodded. "Yeah." She turned to the corpse of the Liger Queen, noticing the cracked eggs next to her.

[Tales of the Abyss OST – Game Over]

"This left me with a bitter taste in my mouth," she grumbled.

Ezra looked at the girl. "You're quite kind... or perhaps just soft."

Merida looked at the boy in disbelieve. He has a soft smile on this face. Something for some reason made her heart skips a beat. "And-And you're annoying!" she yelled the only retort she could think of with heated cheeks.

"Excuse me," Hiccup called the two teens. "Can we not have a lover's quarrel here?"

This made Merida and Ezra's face red, or ever redder for the former. Both teens shouted, "Shut up!" and "Colonel Haddock, we don't have that sort of relationship."

Hiccup grinned. "I'm joking. And please, call me Hiccup. I'm not accustomed to being called by my family name." He turned to face Jamie. "Jamie, a moment please?"

Jamie turned to Jack who gave him a small nod. "Yes, Colonel?" Jamie asked. Hiccup then leaned down as whispered something in his ear.

"But-" Before Jamie could protest further, Hiccup interrupted. "Frost will be fine with us."

Jamie looked back at Frost who looked back in confusion. Jamie looked back to Hiccup who gave him a reassuring smile. Jamie sighed. "Alright." With that he ran out the cave.

Hiccup turned to the rest of them. "Shall we go?"

A letdown battle scene is a letdown battle scene!

I can't write battle scenes no matter how hard I want to!

Cast: