Hello again readers! Here's hoping you're having a great week so far. We're having thunderstorms here and I'm loving every moment of it. Perfect writing weather.

Speaking of which, this chapter got long! But we're getting to the climax so there was some stuff to fit in here. Maybe some foreshadowing? (wriggle eyebrows)

Anyway, this is the 30th chapter! Whoo! Goal! But there shouldn't be many more after this. Let me know what you think! Leave a Review! (I love reading what you guys have to say.)

ENJOY! XD

"This better not be one of your darned experiments, Ford!"

Stan ran down the basement steps as fast as he could, which wasn't very fast considering the tremors from the earthquake kept knocking him into the walls and making him trip over his own feet.

"Ford! What the hel-" He stopped yelling once he opened the basement door and saw that the place was in disarray and his brother was stuck under a metal beam. "Ford!" he cried again.

"Stan! Help!" he strained.

The Mystery Shack owner ran over to the beam and tried to lift it with his own strength but the metal beam was too much for him. "I can't budge it!"

"Use that rod over there for leverage," Ford pointed.

"Lev-what? What the hell is that?"

"Just grab it! I'll walk you through it."

Stan grabbed the rod and followed his brother's instructions by placing it over a boulder that had fallen from the ceiling and then pressing down on the opposite side of the rod so that the beam would rise just enough for Ford to scoot out from under it.

"You good?"

"Yeah," Ford nodded as he brushed his coat off. "I'm probably going to be sore but nothing is broken. What is going on?"

"I thought one of your experiments caused this," Stan shrugged. "No idea."

Ford ran through the obstacle course of debris towards his set of computer screens and began to press a bunch of buttons. "That's not possible. There shouldn't be vibrations from earthquakes this far up north."

"Must be that machine," Stan muttered.

"What machine?"

"You need to watch more TV. The news said that they found some sort of device designed to force earthquakes. Even in places that don't normally have them."

Ford's eyes went wide as he continued to type on the keyboard, gasping at the screen. "There are tremors everywhere. Volcanoes, tsunamis, and avalanches. Could this be the end of the world?"

"Guess my obsession to prepare for the apocalypse isn't so stupid, now is it?" Stan bragged.

"No it doesn't," Ford nodded. He looked up from the screen and at Stan when the tremors stopped and the red lines on the screen faded away. "They just stopped."

"That's a good thing, right?"

Stan and Ford looked back at the screen to see if anything else popped up and for a moment, they thought it was over. But Ford moved the location of the map and terror ran through their body. "That's not good."

"What is that blue mass?" Stan asked.

"It's a blizzard," Ford explained. "It's spreading across the world! How is that even possible?"

"It's a storm. They spread."

"But this looks like it's being controlled. No storm just pops up out of nowhere like this," Ford explained as he pulled up the weather reports from the last couple of days. "There would be a slow build up to it and with a storm of this size, it would have definitely been caught on the radar but nothing!" He pointed to the weather maps of the last few days for the region of origin and it was completely clear.

"Why would someone control a blizzard?" Stan asked.

"It can be used as a weapon; destroy crops, stop shipments, stop flights, kill livestock. It would plunge the entire world into a dark age. Millions could die."

"Who would do something like that?" Stan questioned. "I mean, I'm not the greatest guy in the world, always looking for a way to scam suckers, but this seems to be above and beyond cruel."

As if to answer his question, the computer screen crackled until a black silhouette of a man appeared; his voice was deep and coarse as he spoke and Stan wondered if his voice was altered.

"Greetings, leaders of the world. By now your back up generators have been engaged and you can now see a large ice storm headed across the world. This storm will continue unless you follow my demands. You will relinquish all control of your respective countries to me within the next twenty-four hours. Failure to comply from any country will result in the storm destroying any and all resources you have to survive. Each of the country's leaders will surrender themselves to my rule and act as liaison to their former countries. Any and all leaders that refuse will be executed publicly and used as examples."

Stan and Ford looked at each other after the screens went back to the weather maps and the mysterious man had disappeared. The room was eerily silent for several minutes until Stan finally spoke.

"We're screwed!"

"Dad! It's cold!"
Doofenshmirtz looked over to his daughter, already bundled up to her chin, but still shaking from the dropping temperatures. He was grateful that he bought those backup generators at the flea market three weeks ago so that he could see the large storm coming. "I know, Vanessa. I'm working on something."

He readjusted the angle of one of the large heaters he had created so that he could melt the ice caps and use the fresh melted ice to sell to the Tri-State Area after he had dyed the town's water supply green to make the people think it was moldy but now he was using it to try and save the town from an unexpected blizzard.

"It's not even close to winter yet," he grumbled. "All my majorly warm clothes are still packed away in the basement." Next to him, he saw a familiar blue and orange form land in a semi-squat position, his fedora balancing expertly on his head. "Perry the Platypus! I'm glad you're here! Help me angle these large heaters correctly so that they can help warm up the air."

Perry seemed to be skeptical at first but shrugged and began to help the scientist out. Once the heaters were finally angled, he turned them on and large waves of red hot air began to pour out of them and across the city. The heaters didn't completely warm up the city to summer temperatures but it was enough to prevent ice from forming and to fend off the deep chill that had started.

"How are you feeling now, Vanessa?"

"Better now, Dad. I can feel my fingers now!" Doofenshmirtz smiled as he realized he could now feel his own nose as well.

He turned to Perry and held out a hand. "Thanks for helping, Perry. You're welcome to stay and have some hot chocolate." The animal returned the offer with a chatter and a salute. "I see. Have someone to return to and check on. I get it. Take care Perry the Platypus! Once this is over, I shall return to my normal evil!"

Perry rolled his eyes as he jumped off the roof and paraglided away. "What was that supposed to mean?" Doofenshmirtz shouted after him, shaking his fist. "I am evil! Just watch!"

"Dad, can I have some hot chocolate now?" Vanessa asked as she pulled on his sleeve.

"Of course, pumpkin," he smiled sweetly. "Let's go inside."

"This is too easy," Alvin chuckled as he circled Bunny. "I get the oversized kangaroo?"

"I'm a bunny!" he snapped. "Why does everyone say I'm a kangaroo?"

"The accent mate," Alvin said matter-of- factly. "It's the accent."

Bunny shrugged in agreement before throwing another one of his boomerangs only for it to come back to him without hitting anything. "Well, this walking accent is going to take ya down, Alvin."

"And I'm thinking I'm about to get myself a new rabbit fur rug for my room!" he threatened as he leaped at the large animal.

Bunny grunted as the man's full weight sideswiped him, Alvin shoving his face into the snow to suffocate him. He fiddled with a pouch until he got ahold of one of his flash grenades and activated it in Alvin's face.

The burly man recoiled in surprise and pain at the sudden light. "Damn furry! I can't see!"

Bunny smiled to himself, knowing that now was his chance to get the upper hand and take down Alvin. The snow storm was beginning to get worse, the cold already affecting Alvin's reflexes, but not Bunny's. Once Alvin overcame the temporary blindness, he still wouldn't be able to see well in the blizzard but he had the advantage of animal eyesight and now he was going to take full advantage of his form.

He bounded a few times until he was right in front of the man as he still rubbed his eyes; drawing up to his full height, Bunny smiled cheekily as he raised his paw. "'Ello mate. Nighty night!"

Toothless landed clumsily on the floor as his wings drooped and he panted violently. Hiccup jumped off his back quickly and ran forward to hold his dragon's head in his hands. "You did good, bud. You saved an entire town!"

The dragon gave his friend a weak gurgle before completely relaxing his body as sleep overtook him.

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Toby repeated as he ran up to them. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah," Hiccup nodded as he stood up and met the round boy. "He just needs some rest. He worked hard today. How's your friend?"

"Claire? Nothing a good rest won't fix either."

The two walked towards the center of the market where the residents began to gather around Jim as they rattled off several questions at him. It was fascinating to see a world of creatures that, until this moment, Hiccup had only thought of as legend. He wasn't as surprised as he should have been but when you live with a dragon as your best friend, legendary creatures seem to be normal.

"Why are they bombarding him like that?" Hiccup asked.

"He's the Trollhunter," Toby explained. "He's kind of like this world's guardian. He protects them from bad trolls and from threats from the outside world. That's why he has magic armor."

"So was he given this job?"

"Sort of," Blinky answered as he walked up next to him followed by AAARRRGGHH, Merida, and Emma. "The amulet chose."

"Am...mulet?" Emma shivered.

"The jewel on his chest," Blinky pointed to his own chest to indicate its location. "It was created by the great Merlin himself as a seeker of champions so that our way of life can be protected."

"Then why do they sound so agitated?" Merida pointed out.

"Trolls upset," AAARRRGGHH said.

"I got that," Merida nodded. "But why?"

Hiccup looked to the six eyed troll, curious as well, and noticed him wringing his four hands nervously. "Ah, well, that's the thing. Master Jim is the first human Trollhunter. He's still trying to win over their trust. Now, with the constant attacks that we've been getting, they seem to think that Master Jim has brought down a plague upon us. Humans have never set foot in Troll Market until recently and for many, it's still unorthodox."

"That seems a bit...narrow minded," Hiccup muttered as he looked back at the mob forming around the boy.

"Sadly, yes," Blinky nodded. "We trolls aren't very good at changing our opinions. We live very long lives and we are creatures of tradition. However, some have come to accept Master Jim much quicker than others. That I am grateful for."

"Trollhunter! What is the meaning of this?" another voice echoed through the chamber.

Hiccup recognized this voice as one of authority, one very similar to North, and he inwardly bowed in intimidation at the voice. Then the owner of the voice appeared in front of Jim, the crowd backing away as he approached him. He was tall, making some of the other trolls look short, his long horns tracing his shoulders made him look absolutely terrifying.

"Who's that?" Hiccup whispered.

"That's Vendel, the Market elder," Blinky explained. "He's not a big fan of flashbags."

"I allowed a human Trollhunter and your two friends to visit for moral support but now we have been invested with additional humans within the last week! This cannot keep happening!" he bellowed.

"Vendal, I know, I'm sorry," Jim said. "I was more concerned with the safety of the heartstone, I didn't realize that they had followed me, but I'm glad they did."

"What!" Vendel exclaimed.

Hiccup could tell that the elder was genuinely upset with Jim for leading them to the Market and he felt bad for the teen. Feeling guilty, he walked up to stand next to Jim, ignoring the protests from Blinky, and spoke on the visitor's behalf. "Vendel, sir, I need to apologize for our intrusion. We didn't realize we were breaking any laws."

"Well, it's not exactly a law," Blinky chuckled nervously as he stood behind the two boys.

"You knew about them, Blinkus?" Vendel accused.

"I did, Vendel," Blinky bowed his head. "We came across them by accident. They were looking for the little girl that came with Tobias. One thing led to another and here we are."

"We don't mean any harm," Hiccup added.

"This is a scourge! A plague!" a troll cried out.

"The human is a curse!" another shouted.

"We're being punished for allowing the fleshbag to soil our sacred mantle!" another rallied.

Hiccup looked towards Jim and could see the hurt in his eyes but also...understanding? He was taking the insults and accusations the trolls were throwing at him and just accepting them. This was not acceptable.

"Are you all serious?" he snapped, the venom in his voice causing everyone to stop talking.

"Hiccup," Merida whispered. "What are ye doin'?" He could hear the worry in her voice but he ignored her and continued to address the crowd.

"What is happening isn't Jim's fault at all. In fact, it has nothing to do with trolls. Just as you have evil trolls, we have evil humans and worse, we have evil mutants. That's what's happening right now. They are attacking everyone and everything up there and you are feeling it too. You should be grateful that you have someone like Jim who is willing to put his neck out to protect you from anyone and everything. He didn't have to come here first when the tremors started, he and his friends could have gone to help their families first but they didn't! Not everyone is lucky to have someone willing to lay their life down to protect a whole other species."

Hiccup looked over at Toothless, still asleep in the dark, sadness clouding his eyes as he remembered that his friend was the last of his kind. No one stood up and protected his family, his kind, and now he was alone. Anger rippled through his body but he took a deep breath before speaking again.

"If you're concerned about us revealing your world to the outside, you don't have to worry. We fight to keep our own world a secret everyday. Hell, I try to keep my friend's species a secret too. I can't even imagine what the world's militaries would do with dragons. I've seen what mutants can-"

"Dragons?" Vendel scoffed. "No such thing!"

"This fleshbag speaks falsely," another large troll accused as he stomped his foot and caused Hiccup to lose his footing and fall backwards. He looked up to see the troll towering over him, fear flashing in his eyes for a brief second as the troll raised a fist. "This is a curse from Deya herself!"

Jim placed himself between the troll and Hiccup, his sword in a defensive position, but he never used it as Hiccup saw a large black mass jump over them and placed itself in front of the two humans. "Toothless!"

The dragon growled and bared his teeth at the stone beings until they backed off, then walked back over to Hiccup and nuzzled him as he wrapped his tail around him protectively. "I'm okay, bud, I just lost my balance. They didn't hurt me."

"By Deya's grace," Vendel exclaimed. "A dragon? They are real?"

Hiccup stood up and petted the top of his friend's head. "Yes. He's the last of his kind. Well, the last of his breed." He gave Toothless one last pet before focusing his attention on the elder troll. "Look, I meant no disrespect, but there is something else greater than you happening outside and you are, unfortunately, being affected. Jim shouldn't be blamed for every bad thing happening here."

Vendel seemed to contemplate Hiccup's words as he looked between him, Jim, and the canopies over the heartstone. When the trolls began their rallying cries about human curses and plagues again, Vendel banged his large orange crystal staff on the floor making a small but powerful vibration echo throughout the Market and into the souls of every creature there.

"Silence!" he projected. "The small fleshbag is correct. We have very little understanding of how the world above us has changed. It seems that we are not as educated as we like to believe. First, a human Trollhunter and now proof of dragons! Maybe it is time for us trolls to start branching our own minds before condemning others."

Jim elbowed Hiccup and mouthed 'thank you' at him as the trolls began to dissipate unwillingly. Toothless loosened his tail from around Hiccup and laid back down to try and get some more rest as Merida, Toby, and the other two trolls walked up to them.

"That was a great speech! Bravo small one!" Blinky cheered. "Huzzah!"

"That was definitely unexpected comin' from ya," Merida smiled. "Been holding out on us, eh? Oh, great orator!" She bowed comedically.

"Shut up," Hiccup giggled clearly embarrassed. "I don't know where that even came from."

"Does it matter?" Toby asked. "You changed Vendel's mind! That's not an easy task."

"He didn't change anything!" Vendel snapped. "He merely gave me plenty to think about. But, he is right about one thing: blaming the Trollhunter for all of these events is small minded. He has about as much control over these strange events as gnomes have over their urge to pick-pocket."

"Thank you, Vendel," Jim smiled at the elder. "But I still don't have a clue as to what's going on outside. One day I'm just a normal teenager, then I'm the Trollhunter chosen to protect a world I never knew existed, and now I find out that there are humans out there with special abilities and even dragons! There's a lot about my own world I don't even know about."

"Don't worry," Hiccup smiled. "We'll help with that."

"Trolls and dragons!" Toby exclaimed as he jumped in place. "This is so exciting! It's like childhood fairytales are coming true!"

Hiccup chuckled but it was cut short when he heard chattering next to him. It was so loud that even Toothless awoke from his nap. They all looked to the source and saw that Emma was clutching herself as she shook. "Emma? What's wrong?"

"I f..f..feel so c..cold and t..ired," she stammered as she collapsed only to be caught by Toothless' wing and gently lowered to the ground.

"Are all humans this quick to temperature swings?" Vendel asked.

"Not really," Merida shook her head. "But she is connected to her brother; feels what he's feeling."

"Want to know the weird thing?" Toby asked, as she rubbed his upper arms. "I'm getting cold too."

Hiccup felt a shiver run up his spine and looked at Merida and Jim, both now shivering and clutching themselves. "What's going on?" he asked as he held himself. "Why is it getting cold all of a sudden?"

"I don't feel anything," Blinky said.

Hiccup pulled out the tracker and pulled up the world map and with a few button presses, he layered it with the atmosphere reading and gasped in surprise. "Uh-oh. I think I know why she's feeling cold." He held it up for everyone to see. "A huge blizzard is starting to cover the world!"

"Jack," Merida whispered, concern suddenly flooding her eyes. "What do we do?"

"We need to get Emma back to the school," Hiccup planned. "Hopefully, North and the others will be back and we can find Jack and rescue him."

Jim picked up Emma and handed her to Hiccup after he mounted Toothless, Merida settling in behind him. "Here," Jim said after he wrote on a piece of paper. "This is my phone number. Message me when things calm down a bit."

Hiccup smiled as he nodded and placed the paper in a safe pouch on Toothless' saddle. "I hope that nothing else disrupts the Market and tell Claire we said bye."

With a 'of course' from Jim, Toothless launched himself in the air and flew through the tunnel he had blasted to divert the lava, which was now empty, and exited to a darkened sky. The winds from the storm threatening the world knocked Toothless off his course before he regained his level and continued back towards the school.

"I donae think we're goin' to make it against the wind," Merida shouted.

"Then we need to get above it," Hiccup shouted back. With a pat on Toothless' neck and a solid nod from his friend, Hiccup changed gears on the tailfin and the four of them ascended higher into the air.

North grunted against the wind as he regained his balance. He couldn't see or hear a damn thing but he had to keep fighting, keep standing his ground, but it was becoming very difficult. Another blow to the face knocked him onto his back and he groaned at the pain as he tried to sit up but another strike sent him skidding across the frozen ground.

He felt the ground tremble and he rolled to the side narrowly avoiding the large paw that now took his old spot. "I'm not going to make it that easy, Mord'u!" he taunted.

The bear roared as he charged at the large man only to cry out when one of North's swords made contact with his shoulder. North could barely see the large bear's figure in the blizzard but that wouldn't stop him. He was sure he angered the man bear even more and the aggravated roar that traveled through the air confirmed it.

Mord'u charged once again at the headmaster but North predicted his move thanks to the sneak peak he took into his mind and skillfully maneuvered out of his way. Once again facing each other, Mord'u transformed back into his man form and stared down the white haired man.

"You won't win," he gloated. "You're alone, the rest of the Guardians are split up, the world is freezing, and we will be reigning supreme within the next 24 hours!"

"That is most I've heard you speak in all the time I've known you," North insulted. "Don't overwork your brain."

Mord'u growled as he transformed back into a bear and charged once again. North knew he had the advantage of animal sight in such a storm but North knew he was sloppy and easy to read; he just had to wait for the right moment.

North felt the snow melting into his back again as he laid on the ground, fear taking him for a moment as he saw Mord'u standing over him. He feared for his life, the lives of his companions, the lives of his students, and the lives of innocent people all over the world.

Mord'u lifted one of his large paws and brought it right down onto North's face.

The storm isn't even here yet and it's freezing! Rapunzel threw another pile of wood on the fire that was beginning to die and watched as the small flames got bigger and brighter. With a relieved sighed, she turned to see the students and faculty huddled together in the cafeteria as they tried to keep warm.

She was surprised that the dragons and other animals were able to fit in the building but was extremely grateful that they did because they provided additional warmth to everyone inside. She was also surprised that so many bodies weren't keeping the place warm but this wasn't just any storm or any cold front; this was Jack.

The storm had already taken out the power grind for Corona and the school was without heat to keep the building warm. One student was able to give them light just long enough for everyone to get into the cafeteria but then collapsed in exhaustion. He was a year behind Moana so it had impressed the teachers.

Speaking of Moana, the girl was lying closest to the fire trying to stay warm and not catch a cold as she slept, Eugene sitting nearby trying to do the same. Rapunzel smiled at him, a warmth growing on her cheeks as she looked at the older boy.

Eugene.

Several questions ran through her mind. Why did he change his name? Was he hiding something? Does it have something to do with his job? Her curiosity would have to wait as her main concern now was to keep her peers and teachers warm.

Once again, she was grateful for the dragons, especially the one called Hookfang. He lit his entire body on fire allowing the heat to radiate from his body as several students curled up around him in blankets. She wasn't sure if it was the flickering of the flames and shadows but she swore she could see the large reptile smile at the kids below him. The other dragons spread out their wings to help keep the heat from the small campfires contained to make it easier for everyone to stay warm. The horses and other furry animals from the stable laid down in a circle as well allowing students and faculty to lay on them for warmth. She saw Kristoff and Anna huddled against a reindeer as the two seemed to speak to each other, completely engaged in each other's stories.

Rapunzel felt a tug on her skirt and looked down to see Thumbelina shivering. "Is there any way I could get another doll sweater?"

"I'm afraid not," Rapunzel frowned as she bent down and picked her up. "You're wearing the only one I could find. Not a lot of dolls around campus."

"I understand."

"But," Rapunzel perked up. "I can place you on Angus' head. His mane should help provide some protection from the cold. I'm sure Merida won't mind." With an appreciative nod from the small girl, Rapunzel walked over and placed her on the horse's head.

"Where's Mrs. Dunbroch?" Thumbelina asked before Rapunzel could walk away.

"She went back home. She wanted to make sure that her husband and children were safe."

"I hope they are," Thumbelina said as she wrapped herself around the horse's mane.

Rapunzel prayed for their safety too as well as for her headmaster's, Hiccup's, Merida's, and especially Jack's safety. The whole world's safety really. She hoped that this would be over soon and that no one would really be hurt but she knew just from the tsunami, that wasn't going to be the case.

Before she could worry anymore about how hopeless the situation actually was, the main door flew open bringing in a wave of ice, snow, and freezing temperatures into the room. When she finally was able to focus again after the low temperature stung her eyes, she saw a familiar black dragon.

"Toothless!" she cried. "Hiccup! Merida! You're okay! I figured you'd be holed up somewhere to wait out the storm."

"No time," Merida chattered as she jumped off of Toothless' back.

"What? Wh-" She stopped talking when she saw Hiccup jump off as well as he cradled a small girl in his arms. He readjusted his hold on her and quickly ran over to one of the fires and gently placed her down. "Who is she?"

"Hiccup!" She heard Astrid yell as she ran up to him, stopping short when she saw him caressing the girl's face.

"Shhh! It's okay," he lulled. "You'll be safe here."

"Who is she?" Anna asked as she and Kristoff approached curiously.

"This is Emma," Merida explained after she closed the door and walked over to the small group. "Jack's sister."

Rapunzel gave a small gasp and slowly kneeled down by the girl. She couldn't believe her eyes; she was looking at another one of her family members. This small girl, shivering in fetal position and muttering gibberish was her cousin, the same cousin they've been looking for all this time. Now she was here...but Jack wasn't. "What's wrong with her? Is she hurt?"

"No," Hiccup shook his head. "She's feeling what Jack's feeling and whatever they're doing to him-"

"It's bad," Merida finished.

Rapunzel saw that Hiccup's hands were shaking and she was pretty sure it wasn't from the cold. His eyes were flooded with terror seeing Emma crying and writhing like this, almost like he was remembering something.

"We need to get Jack now!" Hiccup said firmly.

Rapunzel froze in surprise. She had never heard Hiccup so...confident. So...angry? Something about his tone and his demeanor had changed from the last time she saw him and he wondered what had happened. She leaned towards Merida and asked. "Is he alright?"

"I'm not sure," Merida whispered. "Ever since we got above the storm, I felt him stiffen and he kept mumbling something about getting out of his head, it's not real, it's just fear."

"I've never seen him this bold before."

"He was like that with the trolls. Told them off for being idiotic."

"Trolls?"

"Long story."

"How are you feeling, bud?" Hiccup's voice interrupted their conversation. "Are you up to flying again?"

"Ye can't be serious!" Merida cried.

"Going out in the storm again could get you killed," Astrid stated.

"Not to mention Toothless," Eugene added.

"Yeah! Then what good would you be then to Jack?" Snotlout joined the opposition.

Rapunzel looked back and forth between all the people trying to talk Hiccup down from going back out, realizing that they were right. As much as she wanted to rescue Jack, they would be useless to him if they died trying to save him. "The guardians aren't back. We can't leave without them, especially if we're going into the lion's den."

"We don't know when they'll be back," Hiccup argued.

"But Snotlout is right," Rapunzel pointed out. "We're no good to Jack if we die in his blizzard."

"Did I just hear right?" Astrid asked. "Snotlout was right?"

"Jack may not survive!" Hiccup projected. The entire room went silent as his voice echoed off the walls, the air thicker than peanut butter. He sighed quietly to himself before turning around to face Toothless. "I can't explain it," he whispered. "The way Emma is writhing...her delirious mumbling...it's familiar. In one of Gobber's ramblings about his time as a government prisoner, he said he saw a machine that was designed to pull and drain every ounce of a mutant's ability. There is no way Jack is doing this of his own free will. He passed out taking out a herd of nightmares with a small blast of ice!"

Rapunzel nodded in agreement as Hiccup had a point. A storm of this size would require years of training, energy, and control to create and Jack had merely a few months. Since Jack was out for a while after his dance with Pitch, she feared what the outcome would be for something of this caliber.

"Once the Reapers are done with him, no matter how they are getting him to do this, he will be completely drained of energy, possibly to the point of death. Rapunzel," Hiccup called to her softly as he held a hand out to her. "I know this is scary, believe me I'm terrified too, but if I am right, I'm going to need you with me to heal him if possible."

Rapunzel looked at the smaller boy with conflicting emotions. She believed that Hiccup was speaking true and even that he was right but a large portion of her mind kept screaming at her to stay hidden and safe. Her delay made Hiccup sigh in defeat as he turned back around and began to mount Toothless. "It's okay, I understand."

"No," she stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'll go with you."

"Aye! Count me in too!" Merida rallied as she pumped her bow up in the air. "Ye ain't leavin' me here, fearless leader."

"I'm coming too," Astrid volunteered. "You'll need all the fighters you can get since we are going back into the snake pit."

Hiccup smiled in relief at his friends as they began to gather their things to depart the school. Rapunzel turned to Eugene. "Can you watch over her for me? Make sure she stays safe?"

"Only if you promise to be safe yourself." He pushed a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear and smiled sweetly at her. The simple gesture was enough to force goosebumps to travel across her skin and her cheeks blush once again.

"I promise."

Tooth whizzed back and forth as quickly as she could but the winds were making it extremely difficult to fly especially in her small hummingbird forms. She had to keep going though, keep nicking Gothel with every pass.

"You little pest!" the woman cried as she tried to swipe at her but missed again.

The little flyer was grateful for the blizzard as it provided her cover for her many, many bomb dives at the murderous woman. However, the wind and cold were beginning to make things harder. Her wings were starting to freeze and the wind kept driving her off course.

"Stay still so I can kill you!" Gothel seethed.

"Now why would I do that?" Tooth giggled as she dived again and sliced Gothel across the cheek. If only I had some lemonade. That would really make her mad.

Tooth continued her choreographic attacks until Gothel suddenly disappeared completely. The hummingbirds waited for a few minutes waiting for her to return but she never did. She slowly joined her small forms to recreate her large one and she hovered there in the storm, keeping a look out for Gothel. "Perhaps she finally had enough," Tooth thought to herself.

She pulled the jacket tighter around herself, wishing she had brought her thick winter coat from Berk but how was she supposed to know that summer would turn into horrible winter faster than a Viking on meade? She shuddered one more time before tightening her travel bag around Stormfly's neck.

Astrid looked over at the Night Fury to watch Hiccup prepare for flight. Something is wrong. Toothless was cooing at his friend but wasn't getting a response from him which made the dragon step in place nervously. Something was definitely off about Hiccup and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

"Hey, Merida," Astrid called, motioning her over. "Would you mind riding with Rapunzel on Stormfly?"

"Sure," she nodded. "Ye think she'll be okay with that though?"

Astrid turned to her new dragon friend and smiled at her. "Would you mind taking my two friends?" The Deadly Nadder crooned and bobbed her crown of spines. "Thanks, girl." Astrid jogged over to the Night Fury and his rider, smiling confidently. "I'm riding with you."

Hiccup blinked at her a few times and then looked past her at the two legged dragon. "Don't you want to ride Stormfly? You two bonded."

"I can ride her another time. Both you and Merida have been riding for hours. Best not have two sleep deprived people on the same dragon."

Hiccup opened his mouth to retort but then shook his head. "Good point. Hop on." The two mounted Toothless and were about to leave when Snotlout ran up to them.

"Hey! You're going to need the Snot-Master!"

Hiccup smiled at the stout boy. "I appreciate the enthusiasm but you should stay with Hookfang to keep him calm as he keeps the room warm. He's not used to so many humans and he's going to need you to lean on if things get too crazy."

Snotlout thought about it for a moment and then agreed to the plan. "Alright. Final defense. I can live with that."

"Maybe one day we'll go on our own adventure together."

"I'd like that, Hiccup. Good luck."

Astrid gapped at the stout boy in surprise as she had never heard him wish anyone luck let alone go along with a plan that didn't involve him. But she didn't have much time to dwell on it as she felt her stomach jump into her throat and the icy wind pierce through her jacket. She wrapped herself around Hiccup, pressing herself as close to him as possible to generate more heat to keep the two of them warm.

Her eyes squeezed shut against the icy particles in the air and focused on the pumps from Toothless' wings that brought them higher and higher. It seemed like an eternity before the roar of the wind no longer sounded in her ears and warmth began to warm her face. Looking up, she saw the sun starting to rise past the cloud line of the storm, splattering colors of yellow, red, and blue across the clouds.

"This is beautiful," she whispered.

"This is absolutely gorgeous!" she heard Rapunzel squeal. Her face was plastered with the biggest smile, her eyes as wide as she could possibly make them to ensure she could drink in as much as possible.

Astrid chuckled and she felt Hiccup do the same. "Is this how you and Merida traveled back?"

"Yeah, but it was black then. Just the stars to light the way."

"Are we going in the right direction? I don't know about you but just that little bit in the storm threw me off my equilibrium."

Hiccup showed her the tracker that Eugene had given him earlier that day. "The eye of the storm is about an hour northeast. We shouldn't miss it."

The group flew in silence for a while, taking in the scenery, the warmth of the sun, mulling over their thoughts and concerns. Astrid was mentally preparing herself for a fight when she felt Hiccup shudder against her and every muscle in his body tensed. Even Toothless felt it as he looked back at his rider in concern.

"I lied," Astrid said.

"W..what?"

"I lied about why I wanted to ride with you," Astrid clarified. "Partially lied. Yes, I'm concerned about you falling asleep at the dragon-" That little play on words made Hiccup snort to himself, making her grin ever so slightly. "But I'm also concerned about you. Hiccup, you've been acting weird. What's wrong?"

"Nothing…"

"Don't give me that. Even Toothless knows something is up."

Hiccup shuddered again as he let out a choppy sigh. "I don't know. It could be something, it could be nothing."

"Tell me," Astrid urged but he didn't respond. "Whether it is something or not, it's obviously bothering you."

"I'm seeing...images," Hiccup confessed. Astrid stayed quiet as she waited for him to continue. "I'm feeling...pain, fear, and dread. I'm seeing...bright lights...face. I'm hearing...voices. Voices so familiar that I should know who they belong to but I can't pinpoint it."

Astrid swallowed to relieve her suddenly dry throat before she spoke. "You're remembering your past?"

"I don't know," Hiccup shrugged. "But whatever it is, it's terrifying. It's like I'm reliving an echo. What if they are mine? What if I jeopardize our objective by passing out?"

Astrid hugged him tighter and placed her head on his shoulder to try and give him some comfort, not that she knew what she was doing. She wasn't one for hugs and cuddling but this just felt like the right thing to do. "You're afraid of falling into a coma again aren't you?"

"Yes," Hiccup slumped, his voice barely audible to her. "None of this makes sense and it's completely idiotic. I don't have time to worry about me when we have to focus on rescuing Jack."

Astrid smiled weakly to herself. He was scared but was willing to push back everything, something he only did for his friends. She knew first hand the awe of seeing him accomplish something she didn't think he was capable of doing but watching him push himself to succeed for his friend. It was a sight to behold and Jack should be honored that he was on the receiving end of it.

"If you'd like to talk about it more later, I may not have the best ear but I can listen."

She felt Hiccup relax slightly and she felt him smile, his cheek hitting the back of her head. "Thanks for the offer. I really-"

"Is that it!" they heard Rapunzel holler.

The three of them looked to where the blonde was pointing and saw a large black hole being encompassed by the dark blue clouds as they swirled around. Toothless jolted uncomfortably and Stormfly squawked fearfully.

"It's okay Toothless and Stormfly," Hiccup assured. "The eye is the calmest part. We'll be fine."

Astrid smiled at her dragon friend as Hiccup patted the side of Toothless' neck before descending down into the darkness of the eye. She hugged Hiccup tighter as the darkness engulfed them and she couldn't even see the boy she was holding onto. She could only hear the flap of dragon wings, Hiccup's breathing, and a faint hum coming from somewhere.

"I hear it too," Hiccup whispered.

The two dragons then began a series of growls and squawks as she felt the Night Fury twist and turn multiple times before leveling out. Just as she was about to release her grip, the dragons nose dived suddenly, driving a small scream from the four humans but before she or the other could complain, she felt Toothless land on solid ground.

"We're here," Hiccup whispered. "Toothless, low burn."

A soft purple glow lit up the area so that they could finally see each other. "Where are we?" Merida asked as she approached them.

"I'm not sure but it sounds like some sort of engine in here," Rapunzel said.

They all stopped to listen. Aside from Toothless' glowing hum, there was the distinct sound of an engine...but not quite. "They're generators!" Astrid realized. She began to walk in the direction of the sound, the others following behind until they reached a large crack in the icy wall. They looked through and there stood dozens of large generators all going at once.

"Looks like we've gotten through some sort of ventilation shaft," Merida pointed out. "But how are we goin' to get in?"

"We can fit," Rapunzel said as she slipped through the crack. "It's wide enough for us."

"But not for the dragons," Astrid pointed out. They watched as Toothless tried to squeeze his head through; it was almost comical.

Toothless finally gave up with a huff as he looked between the crack and his friend. With a nudge he moved Hiccup closer to the crack, Stormfly following suit by pushing Astrid. "Bud? No, I'm not leaving you." The dragon gurgled a few more times as Hiccup looked towards the crack. "Alright, but if we're not back in an hour, send Stormfly to get help."

Hiccup wrote a note and placed it in the bag around Stormfly's neck before slipping through the crack, followed by Merida and Astrid. "Now what?"

"We split up," Hiccup instructed. "Astrid and I will go this way and you two go that way. Don't get into unnecessary trouble and return here in an hour whether we've found Jack or not."

His arms were getting tired and sore with every crack of his yellow sand whip but he kept going for every crack meant another Nightmare had been converted back into a dream. He was constantly spinning in place as he fought off the herd of mares continuously coming at him.

He could barely make out Pitch's dark form on the far side of the herd but the man wasn't his main focus at the moment. He knew eventually that he would run out of Nightmares and then he'd have his chance to take down the corruptor of innocent dreams.

Just as he cracked at the last Nightmare, he felt a sharp pain in his back and a warm liquid trickling down his cold body. He collapsed to his knees in pain, trying to make heads or tails of what just transpired.

Two black shoes appeared in his field of vision and looked up to see Pitch towering over him, a leering smile across his face and a large bow in his hand. Now the pain made sense: he was shot in the back with an arrow.

"That was much easier than I thought," Pitch's voice traveled through the cold air. "Soon, I will have a factory to manufacture my Nightmares. What goes better with cold than darkness?" He chuckled gleefully at the short yellow man glaring at him. "It'll be weeks before anyone finds your body, Sandy."

With that, Pitch was gone, leaving him alone and cold in the blizzard. He tried to make a mode of transportation with his own sand but he was drained, completely weakened from the fight and cold. He tried one last time before collapsing into the snow.

Alright! Getting down to climax here! Whoo! So excited!