Hello Everyone! I hope everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend (for those of you in the US) and just a good weekend all together. I have decided I am going focus on this story for the time being to completion. At least the first part. (Yes, I have like additional stories that I have planned after this) We'll see how this turns out first.

ENJOY! XD

Stan could only gawk at the TV screen. His knees wouldn't move; his brain refusing to register the images on the screen; his ears refusing to accept the screams of panic around him. It wasn't until he almost passed out from lack of oxygen that his senses came back to him.

He looked around the Shack and saw a couple of those sand horses chasing his clientele. He saw one pick up an elderly lady and fly her out of the room. Stan watched as one came charging at him and without even hesitating, he grabbed a baseball bat he hid in the couch and swung it at the mare's face. It dissipated but slowly began to reform itself in another part of the house.

The older man didn't stay to see how long it would form. He continued into the main area of the gift shop to see even more mares chasing people. "Hey!" he bellowed. "No one harrasses my customers but me!" He charged at a mare about to take off with a woman and swung at it but he missed. He watched helplessly as it carried her off into the distance.

Behind him there was a high pitched scream. He turned around to see a red-headed girl in flannel being cornered by one of the mares. The fear on her face was quickly replaced by anger as she grabbed the coat rack next to her and swung it at the mare. "Back off you macabre wannabes!"

A girl after my own heart. Stan smirked and ran to help as two more approached her. Together they fended them off without a problem. They silently agreed to work together to try and save as many people as possible from being taken, working their way towards the front. They saved a young blonde that was way too dolled up for her age, the Mayor, and the young Hispanic boy that kept coming around the Shack.

Once the last of the mares were out of the Shack, Stan ran over to the vending machine and punched a few of the numbers. He could see there were dozens more mares outside the Shack ready to attack those that came out of the house. "Everyone! Into the basement!" The vending machine opened to show a poorly lit stairwell.

"There's no way you're getting me down that creepy, dirty staircase," the blonde girl said. The door to the Shack burst open as a mare kicked it down. "Let me through!"

The blonde rushed forward and entered the stairwell followed by the others. Stan was the last one down, slamming the vending machine in the mare's face as it ran to catch them. "Good luck getting through that Seabiscuit!" His triumphant grin turned sour as he saw small grains of sand beginning to seep through the cracks of the doorway.

"Aw man! That's so not fair," the redhead pouted angrily.

The ding of an elevator behind the group startled them and out rushed Ford. "Stan!? Stan! You're okay! What's going on?"

"These aren't one of your discoveries?"

"What? No! I just saw them on the security monitor. What's going on?"

Stan looked behind him to see more of the sand was beginning to take shape. "I don't know but I hope you have a way to seal off the basement. These things get through the tiniest cracks."

"I might have something. Come on," Ford beckoned the group to get onto the elevator. He took them down several floors and into a room with several beeping and flashing machines. "Don't touch anything. If you absolutely have to, ask first."

"This is cool dude!"

"Got that right Soos," the redhead elbowed him.

"So what do you do down here, sonny?" the Mayor asked.

"Oh, uh...research," Ford stated.

"Uh, weird old guys," the blonde stammered. "I think they're coming."

The group looked toward the elevator to see the black sand squeezing through the closed elevator doors, the yellow eyes of the mares forming quickly and staring into each of their souls.

"Ford?" Stan asked shakily. "There's nowhere else to go." He watched as his twin combined two more wires on a tiny box and then ran over to the center of the group and placed it down.

With a switch of a button, a large blue shield surrounded the group, Ford smiling triumphantly. "There. Safe and sound."

"But we're going to suffocate! There's no ventilation!"

"There is my young blonde one, this-"

"It's Pacifica. Not blonde one," she stated as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"My apologies, Pacifica. This device is not only a force field but also the top of the line ventilation system. We will not suffocate in here. Die of starvation, possibly, but no suffocate."

"Like that makes the situation any better," Stan mumbled.

Ford rolled his eyes as he walked over to Stan, the two staring at the black mare as it continued to form. "What is it?"

"You're asking me?" Stan scoffed. "It's a horse made out of sand."

"But why? Where did it come from? Why is it attacking people?"

"All I know is that when they first showed up, I was engulfed by fear but then my fight instincts took over and I wacked a few away."

Ford ran his finger over his chin in thought. "Fear huh? They could be nightmares."

Stan laughed. "Nightmares? I have never had a nightmare about Black Beauty here."

"No, not literally your nightmare but a nightmare. You said yourself that you felt fear. These horses, or mares, could be manifestations of people's nightmares. But why are they attacking?"

"Are you sure that they didn't slip through from another dimension or something during one of your research excursions?"

"One can't be sure of anything," Ford shrugged. "But if they were from another dimension, my radar would have gone off. Nothing did. I think these are from our world."

"Great. Like Gravity Falls wasn't weird enough."

"That's the interesting thing, Stan. Usually all the weird stuff that originates in Gravity Falls, stays in Gravity Falls but these mares are all over the world."

"So they're not from here then," the redhead spoke up. Ford and Stan blinked at her in surprise. "What? Based on your train of thought, they can't be. Someone or something else created them."

"Well, um, yes. You're a bright one miss-?"

"Wendy. Don't call me miss."

"Alright Wendy," Ford nodded. "Yes, you are correct. I believe that these mares were created by someone outside of town. But why?"

"This chaos is going to put the whole world topsy turvy," Soos said as he munched on a candy bar.

Ford's eyes went wide and looked at his brother. "Stan, if you had the ability to send the whole world spiraling out of control, what would you do?"

"Honestly? Rob a bank. Pay off the mortgage on the house, pay back Ma and Pa. Maybe vandalize a house or two."

"Exactly. Now what if you had more sinister intentions?"

"Rule the world," Pacifica said as she filed her nails. Everyone looked at her with shocked expressions. "What? If I was a sinister bad guy and I had the ability to take over the world, I would. Not that I would want to rule or anything, maybe give everyone a makeover, but still."

"Pacifica is correct," Ford nodded. "Whoever made these," Ford motioned towards the mare that now trotted impatiently around the forcefield. "Has some great ability and some sinister plans. I for one don't want to find out what that is."

"But what about our family, Ford? We're safe but what about them? I'm worried, especially for Dipper."

Ford nodded and gave a small smile. "I know. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to amplify the antenna for the signal down here. We can't call and find out. And even if we did, they may not be able to answer or we could put them into more danger."

"This whole thing sucks lemons," Stan crossed his arms over his chest. "First witnessing a murder, then his parents thinking he's crazy, and now this."

"Sam and Judy don't think he's crazy, Stan."

"Yes they do! I talked with Sam the other day and he may not have come out and said it in so many words but I could hear it in his voice. He wanted to believe Dipper but he was denying everything."

"You can't accuse someone based on tone, Stan. You don't know what that sounds like."

"Yes, I do. It's the same tone you had with me before Pa kicked me out."

Ford froze and looked at Stan. The entire room was thick with tension as the two brothers looked at each other. "I-I'm sorry, Stan. I really am. I don't-"

"Forget about it," Stan shook his head. "It's the past, we moved on, but I still remember the tone. Sam wants to believe but he has always been in denial about the strange things that happen in the world, especially Gravity Falls. I think-" Stan rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I think we need to bring the kids here to stay with us."

Ford looked at Stan in surprise. "I would like that too, Stan, but why? What would that do to help Dipper and Mabel?"

"Validation," Stan said frankly. "Dipper especially. He needs to know that there are weird creatures out there to validate his claims. If he thinks that even one person believes his story, even if it isn't his parents, he will have a better time recovering."

"Would that be validation enough?" Ford asked, pointing to the mare. "Not that I don't agree with you but if this is happening all over the world, he is most likely seeing this."

"True but he needs someone that he can talk to face to face. Over the phone won't be enough. Besides, with your expertise in weirdness, you can help him understand these phenomena and maybe even show him how to defend himself against them. What if this Triangle Guy Dipper described is an escaped creature from Gravity Falls?"

"He isn't. He's technically not from this world."

"What?"

"At least I don't think so," Ford paced back and forth in worry.

"What are you two going on about?" the Mayor asked.

"Family business, none of yours!" the twins snapped together.

They looked at each other briefly and shrugged. "What do you mean not from this world?"

"When I heard what happened and Dipper's description of the murderer, something deep in my bones told me this guy was real and extremely bad news. I began to research the weird and strange accounts throughout history. Accounts of dragons, aliens, wizards, trolls, and one that seemed to always be followed by a warning: an image of a triangle with a top hat."

Stan blinked several times at his brother in shock. "I can't believe it. I mean I believed Dipper and his description already but to have some sort of proof is insane."

"Each of these accounts says something along the lines of this being not originating from Earth but from another dimension and that he mainly shows himself through dreams."

"Which means, if he gets wind of his description being leaked out by some kid who witnessed his crime, he could easily infiltrate Dipper's dreams and terrori- that's it! It's settled, once these sand horses are dealt with, they are coming to live out here with us. You have to protect him somehow. And Mabel, he may go after Mabel too."

"Um, hey, old dudes, the black ponies are leaving," Soos pointed towards the security screen.

The group all gathered around and saw the mares' head bolt up and look toward the sky before all leaping into the air and flying off into the distance. Stan and Ford turned around and watched the one that had gotten into the basement turn around and seep back through the vents and out of sight. Everyone let out a breath of relief but no one moved.

"I think we should give it an hour before we take down the force field," Wendy suggested. "Just to be on the safe side." Everyone nodded in agreement.

Everyone followed North out onto the balcony and watched in terror as thousands upon thousands of nightmares began to surround the protective barrier of the school. One by one, the mares began to ram into the barrier, dissipating and then reforming for another round. "Your barrier won't protect you forever North! Soon we will be in control and we will have Jack in our possession!"

"Not if we have anythin' to say about it you scabby scrote!"

"Merida!" Elinor gasped.

"Such fire!" Pitch laughed. "But that can quickly burn out."

As if on cue, all the mares rammed the shield sending a loud hum through the air. The impact caused the school to be engulfed in a bright light and vibrations to resonate throughout the buildings. The shield's color seemed to wane and then revert back to it's clear color. An older lady ran in, her grey hair standing high like she was the bride of Frankenstein and face red from running. "The shield is beginning to fail!"

"What?!" North exclaimed. "There's only been a few attacks on it, Ms. Carver. How can that be?"

"It was made to keep the outside world from seeing in and for an attack or two but not a full scale assault!"

"What do we do?" Rapunzel asked. "We can't let them win. If he gets in then, the others get in, and that means that Gothel can get-" She sat down as she pulled on her hair in worry.

"We fight." Everyone turned to the speaker. Hiccup put his hand on Rapunzel's shoulder to give her some sort of comfort. "We know the shield won't hold and that when they do get in, they have free reign. They think that it will be easy but we all have some great skills. We've been practicing, training, and getting stronger. We may not be warriors like North or Bunny, but we can give them one hell of a fight."

"Hiccup does have a point," Elinor nodded. "As much as I hate to suggest it, I think the older, more skilled students need to help defend the school in this case."

North looked at Pitch and then back at the group deep in thought. He didn't want the school to become a battleground. The school was a safe haven for all mutants but it looked like the darkness of the world was now coming for them and they needed to stand their ground. "Send the less experienced to the science wing with some of the faculty. They will not fight first but they will be the final stand. Everyone else needs to gather in here to plan our course of action."

Bunny nodded as he hopped out of the room to spread the word. North guided the others into a large room, waiting for the other students to arrive. He nodded to Fishlegs who projected an image of the school in the center of the room and he began to plot out their defense strategy, pointing to students and teachers on where they should go and what their role is. The room began to empty as they ran off to their positions, leaving a few more left in the room. "With myself, Elinor, Bunny, Tooth, and Sandy in the front for the first wave of defense, I want Astrid, Snotlout, and Gobber with the Seniors behind us as the second wave. I want Jack, Merida, Hiccup, and Toothless on the highest tower as air support. You should be able to see the entire school from all directions. Call out any patterns that you may see."

"What about us?" the twins asked.

"I don't know what you can do, your ability hasn't revealed itself. I don't want you out there if you can't defend yourself."

"Don't worry about us," Ruff rubbed her hands together gleefully.

"We can defend ourselves no problem. We've got some great ideas," Tuff smirked mischievously.

North rolled his eyes and caved. "Whatever. I don't have time to argue."

"Fergus and I can add some additional support here," Stoick pointed at the hallway leading to the science building. "Provide some additional security for the smaller ones."

"Aye!" Fergus nodded. "Easily defendable with two. Give us a weapon and we've got ye covered."

North nodded and patted Fishlegs on the shoulder. "Go with Stoick and Fergus to the science building. You'll be safe there."

He nodded nervously and followed the two large men and Merida's triplet brothers out of the room and towards the science building.

"Jack," Elinor said calmly, stopping him from leaving. "If the fight goes south, I want ye to fly out of danger. As far as you can. Don't worry about us. If they get you, it may be the end for the world as we know it." Jack looked worriedly but nodded slowly in response.

The others dispersed to go to their locations except for Astrid. She watched Hiccup run out towards the incoming battle, biting her lip in worry. As she was about to head to her post, she noticed Rapunzel still in the other room, rocking in fear. Astrid carefully approached her and knelt down.

"Rapunzel, I can take you to the science building." The scared girl didn't respond, not even acknowledging her presence. "Please, you have to get to a safe location. You're too much in the open here."

"I can't let her take me back. It was too close last time," she mumbled.

"Last time? What are you talking about?" Rapunzel froze and looked at Astrid with a fearful but embarrassed expression. "Did you venture outside the shield at some point?"

"I was trying to help Jack," she blurted out, quickly covering her mouth in shock.

Astrid was shocked but also impressed. "Look, we can talk about this later but you either need to get to safety or help us fend them off. The choice is yours."

Rapunzel looked at the hand Astrid had offered her for a few seconds. Making up her mind, she smiled and grabbed it, standing confidently next to Astrid. "I will fight for my friends, my home, and my family. I will no longer cower in fear...I hope."

"That's all I need to hear. Come with me and we'll look out for each other."

"Deal!"

The two blondes ran out of the room and to their positions. They, along with the other faculty and staff, watched as the shield continued to wane and weaken under the attacks by the mares. With one final wave, the shield gave out and a tidal wave of mares came charging at the school from all sides. North and the other main faculty charged at them, taking down several but they barely made a dent.

As the mares continued their attack, they were bombarded by boulders, debris, and other items that the students were able to find. Gobber had created a few catapults for said material to be launched from as Snotlout used his head to break down larger pieces for easier transportation. The twins were running out throwing bottles of weird concoctions that exploded upon impact. Astrid produced her favorite weapon and began to hack away at the mares surrounding the group but as she took down one, three more were in its place. Rapunzel went between healing students and faculty to whipping the mares away from her friends.

Above them, Merida, Jack, and Toothless provided cover fire for all around the school. They were careful not to hit the many different copies of Tooth as they flew through the wave of mares. Hiccup kept looking out for any form of pattern or change in the mares, wishing he could do more to help. A mare found it's way up to them and charged at Hiccup. He ran back towards Toothless but instead of jumping on him and flying away, he grabbed an object from the bag and pressed a button. In a millisecond, it had unfolded into a shield which he used to ram against the mare and remove it from the roof.

"When did ya create that?" Merida asked, not breaking stride with releasing arrow after arrow.

"I finished it before your dress fitting. Didn't think I'd use it so soon."

"That is awesome!" Jack grinned.

The fight continued for what seemed like hours but it was only a few minutes. Several students and faculty went down and quickly retreated towards the science building where Fergus and Stoick were successful in keeping the mares at bay. But the mares kept coming. Everyone was getting tired and were running out of places to back up or weapons to fight with.

"Ack! Damn! I'm out of arrows!" Merida exclaimed. A mare jumped at her and she swung at it with her bow.

"Hold on!" Astrid yelled. She tried to get out of the swarm of mares that surrounded her but she was stuck. Suddenly, blonde hair wrapped around her and began to lift her up. "No, you won't last much longer, Rapunzel."

"I'll hold on as long as I can here, you help them!" She gently placed Astrid next to Merida and then focused all of her attention on her hair. She sent locks flying in dozens of different directions, taking mare after mare out giving the others a chance to fall back and regroup but it began to drain her quickly. She fell to her knees in exhaustion but she didn't break concentration. "I have to...keep fighting...to protect...I have... to keep...going…"

"Rapunzel!" Merida cried out. "Get out of here!"

"She is doing her duty and so will we," Astrid said sternly. She quickly made several quivers of arrows for Merida and set them next to the red-headed warrior. "Keep fighting." She brought out her axe again and began to hack away at the mares approaching the roof.

"Do you think you could make some arrows for me?" Hiccup asked nervously.

Astrid blinked in confusion but nodded and placed down her axe. She held them out for him to take. "What are you going to-" She was cut off when Hiccup pressed another button on the shield and it transformed into a crossbow. He placed an arrow in it and fired it at an approaching mare.

"I'm not as fast as Merida but I can at least help," he grinned proudly.

Astrid smiled back. "Is there anything else that shield can fire?" she asked as she picked up her axe and continued to fight.

"Bolas, but I haven't quite-" he stopped when he heard a loud clunk next to him. He was surprised to see a pile of bolas ready to be thrown. Astrid nodded tiredly as she turned back to the mares. He picked up a bola and loaded it, firing it into the herd of mares, and watching as it took out four or five. "Yes! I worked!"

Astrid smiled internally at his excitement but that was quickly crushed when she saw Rapunzel completely collapse from exhaustion and her hair falling flat in response. "No! Rapunzel!" She jumped down on the ledge and parkour-ed her way down to the girl. She arrived just in time to destroy the mare about to pick her up and drag her away. "I promised I'd look after her and no one is going to take her. Not while I'm here."

"Is that so?"

Astrid turned around only to feel a pain on the side of her head and a ringing in one of her ears. It took a second for her vision to clear but she saw Gothel dragging Rapunzel through the mares and away from her. Clenching her teeth angrily, she charged at the woman only to be stopped suddenly when the woman materialized in front of her. Gothel smiled at her evilly before returning to Rapunzel and continuing to walk away.

Shaking the surprise away, Astrid took a step forward only to collapse in pain. She put a hand to her stomach to feel it wet. When she looked at her hand, it was covered in red. She shook her head to focus again and stood to face the evil woman but was blocked by several mares. Anger swelled up inside her as she starred them down, ready to attack but they were suddenly gone after a bola went through them.

She looked back to see Hiccup looking at her worriedly. She saw his lips moving but couldn't hear anything. Snotlout appeared by her side along with the twins and Gobber. Gobber tried to grab her and pull her back but she refused to budge. "Rapunzel!" she yelled. Astrid watched fearfully as a wave of mares rose above them and dived down at them, realization hitting her that she was either going to die or be taken by the Phantom Reapers.

"No! Candace!" Phineas cried. He tried to chase after her but the mares blocked his path. "We have to save Candace."

"How?" Hiro asked. He swung at a mare forcing it to back up. "We can't even save ourselves!"

The kids looked around them, terrified of what would happen if they let up and allowed themselves to be taken by the yellow-eyed horses. They each swung at the mares, hoping that over time they would just give up and leave them alone, but that sadly didn't seem to be the case.

"These evil horses are persistent," the dark haired girl huffed.

"That they are," Dipper nodded.

Ferb took off his shoes and swung them at a mare charging at Phineas, using them as nunchucks to back it away from his brother. "Thanks, Ferb." The green haired boy nodded and continued to push back the mares that got too close to the group. "I know it may be the wrong time to ask, but what's your name?"

The dark haired girl turned around and smiled proudly. "Isabella Garcia-Shapiro."

"Nice to meet you, Isabella. I'm Phineas and this is Fe-"

"Can we hold off the intros until we are not in mortal danger?" Hiro asked. He swung at a mare again but it dodged and charged at him, knocking him down and pinning him to the ground. "Ow! That hurt! Get off me!"

"Hiro!" Phineas yelled. The other kids turned to try and help but were once again cut off. "The mares are dividing us!"

Dipper grabbed Mabel's hand and pulled her behind him, Ferb doing the same with Phineas, in an attempt to provide some additional protection for them. They both had the same idea: though they may not be the eldest sibling, they would rather be taken by the mares instead of the other being taken.

"Dipper, what are you doing?" Mabel asked.

"Just stay behind me, please."

"You're friend is about to be taken!" Isabella shrieked as she pointed towards Hiro. Everyone turned to see the mare that had pinned Hiro to the ground was beginning to lift him up and fly him away like Candace.

Before any of them could move, a large red object crashed through each of the mares, freeing Hiro and the group from their trapped predicament. Once the object stopped long enough for them to get a good look at it, it looked like a large red robot with two black circles looking through a small visor window.

"You-you look like-" Hiro stammered.

"You are now safe. Please get to a secure location," it said in a calming monotone voice before it opened up it's wings and flew towards the sky.

"What was that?" Dipper asked.

"I don't know but I want one!" Mabel exclaimed excitedly.

"Where's it going?" Isabella questioned.

"I don't know-" Phineas began but was cut off when Ferb tapped him on the shoulder and pointed up. Phineas and the other looked to see the red robot headed back towards them as it carried something in his arms. It landed in front of them and opened his arms to reveal their sister. "Candace!" Phineas cried and ran towards her, Ferb following right after him.

The tension from Candace's body released as relief washed over her to see her brothers safe. "Phineas! Ferb! You're okay!" The three hugged each other tightly as they cried into each other's chest. "I don't understand how we got out of this."

"That giant robot thing saved us!" Mabel smiled.

"Where did it come from?" Dipper looked at it puzzled but intrigued.

Hiro walked past the group as he stared at it intently. His eyes went wide as the recognition clicked. "Baymax?"

The robot's red armor retracted revealing a large white, squishy, huggable robot in its place. He raised a hand and waved in slow circles. "Hello. I am Baymax. Your personal healthcare physician and guardian. I was activated when I heard you say, 'ow'. Once we are in more secure location I will inquire your pain level on a scale of one to ten."

"Impressive," Ferb nodded.

"Who made you?" Phineas asked.

"Robot is right. Safety first, questions later," Candace urged the group into the house. "Into the Panic Room." She led them down into the house, down the basement, into a crate, and down a ladder. It was a tight squeeze for the robot but the group got in and released a sigh of relief.

"How long do you think those things will be out there?" Isabella asked.

"I guess it depends on how long until they get what they want," Dipper shrugged. He reached for Mabel's hand and held it tightly, giving her a small comforting smile.

Baymax reached toward Dipper and pointed to a large gash on his arm. "On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?"

Dipper looked at the wound, not even noticing when he had gotten scratch and wondering when that may have happened. "Um, I don't know. A one? It does sting a little." Baymax's finger converted to some sort of nozzle and sprayed a liquid on it before producing a bandage and wrapping it around Dipper's arm. "Um..thank you?"

"Disinfectant spray and coverage will help prevent infection." He turned to the others in the group and asked about other wounds they had received and proceeded to nurse them. "All wounds accounted for and bandaged. How else may I be of service?"

"Who made you?" Hiro asked.

"My designer is Tadashi Hamada. I was created to protect you and your Aunt Cass if something were to happen to Tadashi."

Hiro blinked tears back. "My brother thought something was going to happen to him so he made you?"

"Correct, Hiro."

The group went quiet. The fact that Tadashi was fearing for his life and proceeded to make a failsafe for his family if ever he left weighed heavily on their hearts and minds. "Do you know who killed Tadashi?" Hiro asked quietly.

"I do not." Baymax's head looked up at the ceiling, a beeping coming from him. All the kids tensed at the sound, not knowing what it meant.

"Great," Candace muttered. "We won't die by nightmare fuel indusing horses but we're going to die by an exploding robot."

"I am scanning the area," Baymax explained. The beeping stopped and he looked down at Hiro. "The mares have dispersed. Here and everywhere else in the world."

Flynn couldn't believe what he was doing. He was running towards danger instead away from it and the back of his mind screamed at him to stop and turn back. But his legs wouldn't stop running, his hands subconsciously checking every facet of his machine gun to ensure that it wouldn't jam when he needed it the most.

What are you doing? Are you crazy? You're going to get killed over nothing! His mind kept screaming at him to think logically but he pushed those thoughts aside. His gut told him that Rapunzel needed him and he was going to be there to help her. How did this young girl tangle herself into his mind like this? It didn't make any sense. He's dealt with hundreds of clients and never has one occupied his mind and concerned him so much like this one.

Perhaps it was the events of their meeting? He was running late to their meeting and when he got there, he couldn't find this "Charlie" he was supposed to meet. He figured he had left and started to head back home when he heard the commotion in the alleyway. He couldn't get a good look and didn't want to get caught up in someone else's business deal so he took a bird's eye view. What he saw made him sick.

Seeing the fear in Rapunzel's eyes, the tears forming from the sheer terror of the situation stabbed at his heart. He knew the reputation of the Stabbington Brothers but he thought it was all exaggerated yet there he was about to witness one of their future stories and he couldn't let it happen. Seeing her flinch away from him in fear when he tried to help her only amplified the nausea in his stomach.

Maybe it was the way she had hid behind him when Gothel approached them at the cafe? The way she shivered when that woman looked at her, the fear that flashed across her face when Gothel grabbed her to take her away. He had seen that type of fear only one other time in his life and he never wanted to see it again but there it had been; on the face of that sweet, naive girl who had stepped out of her comfort zone, her safety net, to help a friend that was suffering.

Or could it have been the constant apologizing from her as she worried about a simple cut on his hand? She had treated it like it was a life threatening wound that would kill him in seconds and revealed her true nature to him without thinking twice. Perhaps it was the pleading in her eyes begging him not to tell anyone of her abilities. She knew he was a dealer of rare and important information but it didn't stop her from helping him.

Whatever the reason, Flynn continued towards the school where she stayed. He skidded to a stop at the edge of the treeline to see nothing but black mare after black mare engulfing the school grounds. Several buildings were damaged and debris littered the grounds. He saw a few kids on the top of a roof shooting down into the black mass and barely making a dent. He had no idea how he was going to help.

In the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar figure: Gothel. She was dragging an unconscious Rapunzel away from the black mares. Perhaps she's not as bad as I thought. That thought was quickly crushed when he saw her take out some rope and tie Rapunzel's hands behind her back. Nevermind.

Gothel began to shake Rapunzel until she woke up. The girl tried to back away from her but the older woman had a tight grip on her. "No!" he heard her cry. "I need to help my friends!"

"You have no friends! You can't help them anymore than you can help yourself. I am taking you where you will never escape me again!"

Flynn watched as Rapunzel tried to fight and kick back but she seemed weakened and drained somehow. All the strength he had seen her use to escape her the first time seemed to have been burned out of her, probably from fighting off the mares. He began to run towards her, his machine gun at the ready.

"No, please! I can't go back! I don't want to be locked away again!"

"You heard her, Gothel! Let the girl go!"

The two looked at him standing a few feet away from them, the machine gun pointed directly at Gothel. The woman smiled evilly as she pulled Rapunzel closer to her and used her as a shield against Flynn. "You wouldn't shoot her now would you, Mr. Rider."

His face fell into shock. He lowered his gun slightly and just stared at the two. "Only a coward would use another as a shield."

"And yet it's effective." She leaned down closer to Rapunzel's ear. "You see, my dear. This situation is all your fault. If you had just come with me like a good daughter, he wouldn't be pointing that machine gun at your head."

"Don't you dare blame this on her," Flynn fumed. "This is your doing Gothel. Let her go!"

Gothel rolled her eyes and raised a dagger up to Rapunzel's throat. The blonde gasped as the point dug into her skin and Flynn's stomach continued to twist in disgust. "I don't need her to survive but I would hate to dispose of an easy supply of youth."

Flynn lowered his weapon completely. "I was right. You are the Mummy Murderer."

Gothel grinned even wider. "Which is it, Rider? Do you let this one go or would you rather live with the guilt knowing that every person I suck dry could have been saved if you weren't so selfish?"

Flynn looked at Rapunzel who was struggling to stand up and not fall into the point of the dagger any more than she already was. Her eyes were sunken in, face pale, and legs shaking but struggling so hard to be strong and brave. The fear in her eyes almost rivaled that of the first time he saw her. No, not fear. Worry.

He watched her eyes dart back and forth between him, Gothel, and the school. She's more concerned about me and the school than her own safety! Flynn's stomach twisted even more as Gothel purposely dug the dagger deeper into her neck, breaking the skin and blood beginning to drip down her neck.

"Don't worry about me, Flynn," she spoke softly. "Help my friends. Please."

Flynn looked at the situation in front of him and then at the school, wondering if he could even help out her friends like she wanted. For once in his life, he didn't know what to do. Max wasn't going to help because he could accidentally hit Rapunzel and he wasn't sure it would help against the mares either.

Then a thought occurred to him. It was risky but if he could pull it off, he could save Rapunzel from Gothel. He put away Max and took a few steps back as he was leaving only to suddenly throw a small dagger at the arm holding Rapunzel up. Gothel screamed as she released Rapunzel and stumbled back in pain. Flynn rushed forward and caught the blonde before she completely fell to the floor.

"You bastard!" Gothel yelled as she yanked the dagger from her forearm, blood quickly seeping out and dripping on the floor. "You will pay with your life!" She reached out to grab him as she began to inhale but was stopped by Rapunzel grabbing her hand with what little strength she had left and pushed her away.

"You will not hurt him," she said as confidently as she could. She quickly faltered and fell back to the earth once again, Flynn holding her in his arms. She leaned into his support and clenched at his shirt like it was the only thing stopping her from falling through the earth.

Gothel laughed at the sight. "How cute. You really think this criminal gives a damn about you? You are stupid if you think so. You will always be a tool for people, Rapunzel."

"Don't listen to her," Flynn pushed Rapunzel's hair back to look into her tired eyes. "You're more than that. Look what you were willing to do for your friend. Only someone brave and selfless would put themselves at that much risk."

Flynn heard Gothel snap. Looking up he saw that they had become surrounded by several dozen mares. He tightened his arms around Rapunzel, as he stared down the vile woman. "Selfless?" Gothel scoffed. "You're selfish Rapunzel. Thanks to you, he will not die a speedy death. Instead you will watch as Pitch harvests every ounce of fear out of his body and then watch as I slowly take his years from him." She snapped again and the mares charged at them.

He closed his eyes and tried to wrap himself as much around Rapunzel as possible to protect her from the mares. He didn't feel anything hit him, though. Slowly, he opened his eyes and saw nothing but darkness around him. Against his chest, he could feel the vibrations of humming coming from Rapunzel and her hair began to glow giving him light to see. He looked around and saw that Rapunzel had encased them in her hair and that the mares couldn't get in. Flynn could hear Gothel swear up a storm on the outside and the mares snapping and biting trying to get in but they were unsuccessful.

Just as soon as the mare attacks had started, they seemed to stop. "You two are lucky. But next time you won't be," Gothel spat at them. He listened as the world outside seemed to get quieter and quieter until all he could hear was the sound of Rapunzel's weak humming.

"Blondie," Flynn spoke quietly. "I think you can stop now. They're gone." He pushed the hair out of her face again and looked at her pale face. He gave her a small comforting smile and nodded. "And if they're not, I will protect you until your friends come."

Rapunzel nodded and stopped humming. The glowing died down and the hair fell into the mangled mess around them. She looked around them quickly, her tense body relaxing as she sighed. "It's over. They're gone." She looked at Flynn once again only for her eyes to roll into the back of her head and her whole body going limp.

"Blondie?" Flynn asked fearfully. "Blondie!" He picked her up quickly and began to run towards the school, her hair dragging lifelessly behind them. He didn't know who to approach or who to talk to but he didn't care as long as she got help and recovered. Flynn noticed a tall slender woman with long black hair and approached her. "Ma'am. Can you help her?"

"Who are you? How did you-where did you-?"

"I helped stop Gothel from taking her away in the middle of the battle. I think she's just unconscious but she may have over exerted herself. Can you help her?"

"Fergus! Take her to the infirmary!" Flynn handed Rapunzel over to the large man and nodded.

"Thank you," Flynn sighed in relief. "I'll leave you to regroup." He began to turn and leave when she stopped him and looked at him sternly.

"How much do you know?"

"Well, um...I just happened to be walking by when-"

"Lying won't help you boy." Flynn turned to see a large Russian man with a white beard standing behind him. "I can see your thoughts. You've met her before."

"Ah, yes, well...I don't want to be anymore of a bother tha-"

"North, he's an outsider. If he knows, who else has he told?"

"I know, Elinor," North nodded. "I'm sorry, son, but until we can re-secure the campus, you will have to stay here. We've been compromised and need to reestablish the security. Thank you for helping one of my students but until I feel you are no longer a threat, you will have to stay here. Gobber! Take this man to a secure location and make sure he doesn't get out."

Flynn was led away by the two timed amputee. Any other situation, he would have felt like he had been betrayed but he could blame these people for taking precautions. He was an outsider and someone that is technically dangerous with the knowledge of their existence. This whole situation is going to end badly but Blondie is safe. That is all that matters.

The dungeon was completely maxed out.

Every cell had a dozen or more people from all walks of life crammed together. The sounds of fear and panic was almost too much for the red-headed boy but he had learned a long time ago that panic didn't do one any good in a survival situation. Being afraid? That kept you on your toes but panic made you stupid and he wasn't going to let panic get the best of him.

The door to his cell opened up and a tall, large man stood in the way. His large brown beard was unkempt and frazzled. One of the prisoners ran towards him but was thrown back to the other side of the cell wall with one hit, knocking out the person cold. The others in the cell backed away in fear.

"Alvin! Killing them won't benefit us! I need them to continue making my mares."

"I know that, Pitch! But now they know to stay away from the door." He grinned as he pulled a small brown haired girl in front of him. "If you screw up tomorrow like you did today, your brother will get a box of bones in return."

"Hey! Leave her alone!" the boy shouted as he stood up and faced the man. "What did she ever do to you?"

"Don't," she shook her head at him.

"None of your business, braces." Alvin tossed her into the cell roughly and slammed the door in his face.

"Are you okay?"

"No one is okay here." The girl crawled over to the corner and picked up a blanket and wrapped herself in it, curling up in a small ball.

"Sounds like you've been here a while."

"I guess. I don't know what the date is."

"Um, I believe it's still September 29th. What a way to start off the school year," he chuckled.

The girl gasped and then curled tighter into herself as she began to cry. "I've been here for almost three months."

"What? Why?"

"They want my brother. They say he will be the final tool they need for their plan to work."

The boy walked over to the girl and sat down, placing a hand on her back. "Don't worry, I'm sure everything will work out alright. I have friends that are looking for me and I'm sure we'll be able to get out of here soon."

The girl looked up at him with hopeful brown eyes. "You think so?"

"Totally! We've been in tight spots before and we've always bailed each other out. I have no doubt that they will find us. When they do, I promise you will come with us and then we'll find your brother. Deal?"

The girl looked up and smiled. "Deal." She held out her hand to him. "I'm Emma."

The boy took it and shook it. "I'm Tobias Domzalski, but you can call me Toby."

Let me know what you think so far. Things are only going to get interesting from here...I hope. :)