DragonFate

Once again, I've been sent to interview some of the bands in this year's Bandlooza - one of the hottest music festivals in the states. This is no Coachella, but more of a place for new and old bands to come together and play over the course of a week. This festival started about ten years ago, and has been an bi-yearly event ever since.

This year's festival is held in the little town of Poles, Washington, just north of Seattle. The hosts? The Guardians. They're one of those old rock bands that your parents remember from their college days, but the teens today have been remixing for their thirty-second dance compilations. The Guardians first started in Poles, and quickly rose to popularity, making them a smart choice to host this year's Bandlooza.

I've already had the chance to interview the host group at the last festival - held in Avalor, New Mexico. This year, I've been following the up and coming punk rock band that's caught the world by storm - DragonFate.

I meet Jack Frost outside the main stage - where he seems to have fallen back into his old job as a roadie. According to both Jack and the Guardians themselves, he worked with the group as a techie since he was sixteen. The lead singer seems reluctant to elaborate on why a teenager was following a rock band rather than learning algebra, but his carefree attitude returns when I get the chance to ask about DragonFate.

"We weren't expecting to get big," He admits. "To be honest, both Meri and Hic's parents assumed we'd be back with them after a year,"

"You started out with a different guitarist," I ask, drawing from common public knowledge. "Astrid Hofferson, correct?"

"Yeah, Hic and Astrid were dating when the band started," Jack confirms. "But she realised she liked managing more, so they broke up when she moved back to Berk,"

'Hic' and 'Meri' refer to Hiccup Haddock and Merida Dunbroch, the band's drummer and bassist. During all of my interviews, I can attest to the familial relationship between the bandmates, so much that the nicknames are commonplace.

"It was hard when Astrid left," Jack also admits, setting up a speaker in record time, despite the heavy weight and awkward mess of cables. "We also lost out then and there, y'know? So glad we found Punzie,"

'Punzie' is Rapunzel Corona - the new guitarist and female singer.

Her story is a little more tragic.

When I meet her, she's a bundle of energy and sunshine, happily painting some posters that will advertise the local band selection. She has a contagious energy - something that means I will end up helping her paint by the end of my interview.

"Everyone knows about it by now," Rapunzel mutters when I ask about her past. "I doubt your readers want old news,"

It's true, DragonFate's fanbase is already familiar with her background. Born to a wealthy family in New York State, the young girl was abducted on her third birthday, and the case went completely cold. Rapunzel admits in other interviews that her abductor acted like her mother, and she only discovered the truth on her eighteenth birthday, where she ran away. The guitarist accidentally slipped backstage at a DragonFate concert where she met the band and auditioned. The rest is history - and she's made quite the mark on the music industry after being reunited with her true parents.

"Music was one of those things that kept me busy," Rapunzel finally says when she realises that I need some interview to go on. The blonde is still a little socially awkward, but her positive attitude almost makes you forget. "The others are my friends, and I know they'll never let anyone hurt me again,"

"So are the theory pages true?" I ask. "Should fans be looking forward to a few love songs in the next album?"

"From Jack and I?" Her face goes red, but I know she isn't telling the full truth. Fans from all over will tell you about how they're sure the singers are smitten with each other. "You should ask Hiccup and Meri, they do more of the songwriting!"

We chat a little more about her new experiences on tour and being a part of such a quickly rising group. Due to all the attention, DragonFate has started to make the move to more original music, rather than their favorite covers. Rapunzel enlightens me on her performance wear - cutoff shorts and a slim muscle tee, all expertly painted in purples, pinks and golds. She's also known for her bouncy tulle skirt, which she admits to making herself. On stage, she's the brightest for sure, but her colorful costumes don't take away from the music or the others. Rapunzel admires her friends' confidence and sense of style.

Style is something that Merida Dunbroch has in droves.

I meet her inside her hotel room, where her curly red hair is still drying from a recently taken shower. Right now, she's wearing a loose olive green tee shirt with a movie quote on it that is at least two sizes too big, and sipping on a milkshake. Her bass, lovingly adorned with stickers, lies on the end of her bed.

"Ah wasnae supposed ta like this music," She says. The hotel room is dark - apparently she is not a morning person - but her eyes spark with an unsaid fondness. "My mum and ah clashed heads a lot. She had me singin' traditionals until ah left for college,"

There are two things to note. Merida Dunbroch did not finish college - but she's in the process of getting a business degree and taking online night classes. The second thing to mention is that DragonFate has become particularly famous for their way of blending traditional folk and rock, mostly due to Merida's traditional training.

"Jack told me that your parents didn't really believe in the band," I say, carefully gauging her reaction.

There's a pause, but she nods.

"Mah relationship with my family was… rough then," Merida says. The mood has changed, just like when I accidentally brought up touchy subjects with Jack and Rapunzel. These musicians are different from others I've interviewed. They all have moments in their lives that they certainly don't want to keep talking about. I make a quick apology, which the redhead accepts.

"Ah love my family," Merida says, finally finishing her milkshake. "We're big on our history, and ah've always attributed that to our music,"

Her scottish accent is still prevalent, despite her years living in the US. During the concerts, Merida has a rough-and-tumble appearance. She's the tomboy of the group, especially compared to Rapunzel's brightness. One on one, she's calm and rather poised herself. Merida is blunt and confident - something I think all fans of DragonFate see in the music.

"As one of the first members, I assume you know where your band's name came from?" I ask slyly, knowing it's one of the mysteries the fans have been yearning to figure out. Merida smirks and laughs, grinning as she readjusts her position.

"If you had the chance to change your fate - would you?" She whispers. A shudder runs down my spine as I lean in. It's as if the punk rock bassist has transformed into a fae queen from the storybooks you read as a kid. Later, I attribute it to her natural stage presence.

"Is that what it is?" I ask. "Just an old saying?"

Merida smirks.

"DragonFate is a joint effort," She says, the energy from before suddenly disappearing. "Hiccup should tell you the whole story,"

Hiccup eventually does. When I catch him that is.

"She told you what?!" He laughs when I repeat Merida's saying. The drummer is tall - despite his ever present declaration that he's the shortest in his hometown - with a shaggy haircut that sports a few tiny braids. "That girl loves her stories,"

His smile is visible - even from his spot up on a thirty foot scissor lift. There's something about him and the air it seems. Hiccup is entirely comfortable up among the wind and clouds, gazing down on the world below him. But this smile is reserved for thinking about Merida - and I'll see it more than once before the end of this week.

"I love dragons," Hiccup says when he finally climbs down. "It's a big part back home - stories about the vikings and the dragons. We - the roadies - got called dragons by the adults when we worked back home in Berk, so dragons have been a constant theme throughout my life,"

"Interesting," It is. Berk is a small town, but it's produced many rock and musical legends. Hiccup's own father used to run a band, where the young drummer worked amongst other teenagers as stage crew. Word on the street is that Berk might be the next host of the Bandlooza. If DragonFate does well this week, it'll be a surefire bet.

"I met Merida at one of those concerts," Hiccup continues, and I can tell this moment meant a lot. It is when their band first started after all. "We were getting a few extra bands involved, and she needed a job, so I vouched for her and I suddenly had a new roommate,"

"Did you know she could play then?"

"Not until we were on the road," Hiccup says. "They'd let the kids have a go on the instruments sometimes, and Meri picked up a bass one night and surprised us all. We basically became best friends, and it was a godsend to finally have someone who had my back."

He's admitted to getting bullied a lot as a teen. Hiccup takes pride in himself now, but back before DragonFate and his friends… he was a bit of an outsider. Merida herself was a self proclaimed black sheep, so the two finding each other was almost like… fate.

"Meeting Jack was a complete accident, but Merida called it fate again, and then the three of us were sneaking off to play more and more, so when my dad caught us, I expected him to be furious. We were abandoning jobs to go borrow instruments after all." Hiccup recounts with a laugh. "Dad grabbed Astrid and stuck us all on stage as an opening for the later bands that night. Since it started with Meri and I - the dragons and fate if you will - DragonFate just stuck,"

I can't help but smile. DragonFate is clearly a band formed on strong bonds of friendship. Like many others who've come to Poles, I can't wait to hear them actually play.

The festival kicks off on sunday night. It's customary for the bigger artists to play a few songs - not a full set - to get the ball rolling. From then on, local bands will take slots throughout the day.

DragonFate is set to perform in the middle of the sunday set, and I can sense their energy the seconds the lights go up on them. All four musicians are frozen in mid motion, ready to start what Jack had referred to as the 'pirate set'.

Everything is quiet until the bass and drums hit at the same time. From there, the music builds, layers of fiddle, keyboard and guitar building until Jack sings the first line. The song is a familiar mix of rock with a sea shanty undertone. I'm already aware that the rarer instruments are prerecorded - but played by DragonFate themselves. The song is loud, heavy and crowd moving, but it almost ends too soon. Just quickly, they roll into another familiar piece - DragonFate's take on the classic 'Drunken Sailor'.

As keyboardist, he should be stationary, but Jack Frost has never been one to uphold the rules. He's one of the few rock musicians who play a keytar, and the unique sounds he produces match his upbeat and constantly moving stage presence. With a closer look, fans can notice how he wears a Guardians shirt - paying homage to the people who encouraged him.

Merida and Rapunzel are also constantly moving away from their standing microphones. The girls switch spots, fingers moving impossibly fast while still managing to interact with each other. Rapunzel's bright clothes catch the stage lights and almost make her glow, while Merida's fiery hair looks alive as it bounces. Her performance wear is a simple getup - crop top and leather pants - but she sports a sash in her family tartan.

At one point, Merida moves up nearer to Hiccup, who's hammering out beats just as fast as his bandmates start the next line. Hiccup doesn't use drum paint like a few other bands, but he certainly doesn't need it. One of the big screens is constantly devoted to showing him - how fast his reflexes and dexterity is as he taps out intricate beats in seconds.

DragonFate ends their third song all clustered around Hiccup and the drum set. The lights go out, but there's a flash of purple as the perimeter of the drums suddenly light up with LEDs. Their logo flashes across the bass drum - and the crowd goes absolutely wild.

I almost have to fight my way backstage to catch them as they come off (luckily I was already near the door). I make it just in time to see the four stumble off stage, their smiles wide and arms looped over each other.

"Opinions on your performance?" I ask, but I already know what they'll say.

"It was great!" Rapunzel cheers.

"Merida does the best basslines!" Hiccup proclaims, pulling the redhead front and center.

"Did you not hear your own drums?" She retorts, shoving back. The two launch into a compliment battle, pointing out their musical high points and even drifting into more personal comments. I catch eyes with Jack, who grins.

"They do this all the time," He says. "Post show adrenaline,"

"You guys are set to play on Friday too," I reply. "Will it be just as energetic?"

His eyes spark again.

"Our next show is going to be epic."

I get the chance to check out the daily festival with Rapunzel and Merida the next morning. Both girls are dressed simply - other band shirts with shorts and sunglasses. The only thing that draws away from this incognito look is the bright paint covering their faces, arms and legs.

"Punzie painted 'em," Merida says proudly. The blonde smiles and offers to do some to me, and I end this conversation with a new design that wraps around my wrist.

We wander around, tasting the normal fair food and listening to various bands as they cycle through the stages. Tonight's big performers are the Guardians themselves, and DragonFate is already excited.

Near the end of our visit, Rapunzel mentions something about a new song, but Merida spirits her away before I can ask more questions. Instead, I head onto my second appointment - meeting with Jack and Hiccup in their hotel room.

"I need to give this more grip," Hiccup responds when I notice his prosthetic leg in his lap. "I don't want to slide on the bass pedal and mess up the beat,"

Jack on the other hand is lying on his back with an icepack on his forehead. The keyboardist apparently suffers from heatstroke quite often, and begrudgingly informs me that this summer is one of the hottest in Poles history.

"You're going to see the Guardians play, right?" Jack asks. "They're playing their best hits!"

Although I know the crowd will be packed, I accept Jack's offer. That night, I slip into the front section (reserved for other performers) and find myself next to DragonFate.

While the Guardians play, I see more of the band's personalities. Jack and Rapunzel are both carefree people, but they like to dance with others, often dragging whoevers closest into a bouncy jig that never stays in one place. Hiccup and Merida on the other hand loosen up during concerts, sticking close but dancing with smaller movements. Music speaks to all four of these young adults, and they obviously enjoy having time to just be.

The next day sees us wandering the festival again - this time with all four bandmates. I catch up to the group at a large empty space, a small local band playing music on a stage to the side.

Rapunzel hears the music and immediately grabs Jack, dragging him out to dance. More passerbys notice them and join in, and soon - the field is full of a twirling, skipping dance that has them switching partners every few minutes.

Hiccup and Merida start clapping along to the beat, but Rapunzel swings back, and grabs her two friends by the hands and drags them back. A minute later, I find myself into the middle of the circle, having been pulled in by Jack.

When the song ends, everyone stops dancing, and we move on, although we stick around to hear the same band. Throughout the afternoon, Rapunzel ducks off to join the dancing again, sometimes dragging another person with her. She moves gratefully - just like she does onstage. A few kids stop to stare, and I hear a few girls whisper about the 'princess'.

DragonFate is mostly left alone, but a few fans come up and ask for autographs. It's strange how normal they appear. The four musicians look like normal concert goers, not one of the most famous bands in the world.

The night takes a turn for the worse when I join DragonFate inside the medic tent. During one of the dances, a passerby lobbed an empty drink cup into the crowd, where Rapunzel accidentally slipped on it. Although she claims to be okay, the nurse running the tent begs to differ.

"Its a nasty sprain for sure," She says. Rapunzel's face is ultimately worried - will she be able to perform at the end of the week? "You need to rest it, and limited movement for at least two weeks,"

"Can I play?" Rapunzel asks nervously. After a minute, the nurse sighs.

"You kids and your music," She mutters. "Yes, but no dancing or strenuous activity. Put more weight on your good foot,"

There's a groan from the others. Rapunzel is one of their star performers, and her dancing always draws energy from the crowd, not to mention themselves.

"This is my fault," Jack muttered. "Punzie I'm so sorry-"

"I'm the one who wasn't watching my own feet," Rapunzel muttered, taking an ice pack from the nurse and applying it to her ankle.

"We still need to figure out how to rebalance," Hiccup adds, slumping against the tent wall.

"Ah can pick up more dancing," Merida interjects. "It works for Ig- the new song,"

"It's going to be a full crowd you need to keep entertained," Jack says. "Not to mention you're actually singing on Friday,"

Merida might be known for her bass and musical upbringing, but its rare to hear her play lead for a song. Usually, she keeps to the backing vocals. Once again, I find myself even more excited for this new song, despite the circumstances.

I'm not the only one it seems.

Friday night, I'm once again in the performers section, standing with the Guardians. The older band are still considered legends, but their love for Jack's band is evident. Tooth recognizes me from last year, and hands me a stack of unbroken glow sticks for my arms.

"These kids are gonna go far," Aster Bunnymund mentions. He looks happy to be out in the crowd instead of on stage for once, but I can see his dislike of the 'Frost Fangirl' shirt he's been forced to wear. He's not the only one - hundreds of DragonFate's young fans sport the same design, the only difference being that they aren't wearing it ironically.

The lights on stage flare brightly as all four members of DragonFate start playing at once. The music is fast paced and energetic, and the crowd behind me is always screaming and dancing.

Merida works the stage. They've reworked their show so Rapunzel can put less stress on herself, so the redhead is singing, dancing and still hammering out basslines. I might be overstepping, but Hiccup's eyes never leave her, and a wide smile stretches across his face.

DragonFate has picked quite the selection for their last show. Although it started quickly and loudly, they easily move from punk rock to folk rock within seconds. Fans recognize their first song as 'I'm the One', but its a real surprise when Merida starts 'Dancer and the Moon' instead of Rapunzel.

But the screams get so much louder. And they continue to grow as Merida sings a few more songs, even if they go back to their original roles. The crowd is moving, people are singing at the top of their lungs, and I can see the energy of the musicians from here.

Merida starts the last song - the new one. The lights focus on her, and her voice is still strong - despite singing more than she normally intended. This new song - Ignite - is loud and heavy hitting, but there's emotion behind the words. I've learned much about the members of DragonFate, and it sets in that these lyrics draw from very real emotions. They've all been pushed out and stepped on, but now, they're on fire. DragonFate has grown so quickly since they're first gig, and this song is dedicated to everyone who's ever struggled like they have.

Merida moves around the stage, still hitting the bassline as she sings. The song ends when she's moved up near the drumset, the backlights making her hair look like it's on fire. The lights fade out as her voice does. Just before the stage goes completely dark however, Hiccup lunges from his seat behind the drums, but the stage goes black before we can see more.

There's a loud whistle, which I recognize as Jack. Suddenly, the lights come back up, illuminating Merida and Hiccup kissing in the middle of the stage, framed by their smiling friends. Jack smirks widely, and swings an arm out to the crowd.

"Thank you Poles!" He cheers with a laugh.

DragonFate's show has definitely been a hit - in more ways than one.

I sneak in for my final interview and meet the band backstage again, where all four are laughing, smiling and joking. They're as close as ever, but it doesn't take a detective to notice Hiccup and Merida's clasped hands.

"We've had Ignite in the works for almost two years," Hiccup reveals. "It's a song that means a lot to Meri and I, and I can't tell you how happy I am that she got to be the one to sing it first,"

"It was actually always the plan," Rapunzel laughed. "Jack and I got the nurse to amp up my ankle so she'd have to do it!"

"Yeah, couldn't stand these two skirting around each other!" Jack adds as Hiccup and Merida go red.

DragonFate's new album will start recording soon, and fans will be clamouring at bad quality videos of Ignite until the drop. I slide to the side as the band makes their way off to let the next performers take over, where once again I notice the closeness between the four. Arms are looped over shoulders and waists, they all walk with the same skip to their step, and the energy radiates off of them in droves. I'm about to leave when Jack spins around and catches my eye.

"Onto some evenmore wild weeks!" He cheers, then waves and runs off with the others.

I can now tell you for sure that the next Bandlooza will be in Berk - headed off by one of the greatest bands in the world.

Mary-Katherine Bomba is a travel reporter for Moonhaven News. Her work in interviews and nature photography have been featured in Rolling Stone magazine and National Geographic. More of her personal stories are found on her blog:

Authors Note: This fic has had a bit of a journey. It was supposed to be a multi-chapter story, where DragonFate would be balancing tours, drama and a rival band led by Mor'du. It would also have had Gothel (acting as a band manager while she secretly harassed Rapunzel). There were ideas about Mor'du trying to pursue Merida, and Jack might have had a slightly shady past where he worked for Pitch (another musician with a bad rep). However, I only had these plot points, and no idea how to go on. Then, I reread "dj's got us falling in love again" by amillionsmiles on AO3. It's a plance (Voltron - PidgexLance) fic in a very similar style, where Shiro is a reporter following two top DJ's in a competition. So, thank you amillionsmiles for this wonderful concept!

Future Fics in this category may be a version with the Guardians and a Hiriley fic in the same universe. However, I can't promise when or if these will ever actually happen.

I hope you've enjoyed this oneshot!