Long ago a drop of sunlight fell to earth and ignited a land so bright it could only be called Corona.
The land glowed with light. The flowers and trees, the waters and forests, the mountains and valleys, were all full of it. Shining and glowing, constantly bright with the magic of light, this was the land of Corona.
That same drop of sunlight grew into a magical garden capable of healing illness, decay and injury. For a long time it was kept safe by the Witches of Dead Woods, who used it to protect their power over life and death. One member of the family poured the magic of the flowers into a Crown called the Crown of Alice, in order to control the powerful magic.
This had been meant for the youngest and most powerful witch Gothel, but she spurned it, saying she had no intent to continue the great work. The Crown was lost with her mother Manea's death.
Gothel did not receive her power properly and ended up causing a great blaze and burning the entire garden. Though mercifully one bloom was saved.
Gothel prized it, hoping she could recapture the magic and save the legacy of Dead Woods.
However, as she hunkered down in the old castle in the midst of the Dead Woods, the kings soldiers came to find the legendary bloom. The Queen was very sick and pregnant. The kingdom feared the loss of the Queen and Princess.
So the King himself stole the magical flower and ground it up, feeding it to the Queen.
She glowed with Hikari magic, and the baby was saved, born healthy, with a head of golden glowing hair.
Next to her baby crib stood the Crown of Alice, the artwork having found it's way to its rightful owner.
Meanwhile Gothel was in despair until she heard spirits of the Dead Woods speaking of the "beautiful golden hair" of Princess Rapunzel.
A slow smile spread over Gothel's face. It was time to steal back her flower.
Xxx
The sun rose, lighting the sky over the mighty land of DunBroch.
The rolling hills, the lush valleys, the exotic forests, the cool rivers, this was the magic land. The homeland. This was the land where young Princess Merida would one day be Queen.
Merida was playing hide and seek with her brother Jack.
"Where are you? Come out! Come out! Come on out! I'm coming to get you!" Jack said.
Young Merida laughed as she hid under the table. "Where are you, you little rascal? I'm coming to get you!" Jack looked under the table but Merida quickly moved to hide somewhere else. Hmm. Where is my little Birthday girl, hm? I'm going to gobble her up when I find her!" Merida came up behind Jack and goes to run away but he caught her. "I'm going to eat you!" He pretended to eat Merida and they both laughed as Jack and Merida played, Fergus placed his bow on the table.
"Ach! Fergus, no weapons on the table!" Elinor scolded.
Merida ran towards the table.
"Can I shoot an arrow?" Merida picked up the large bow from the table. "Can I? Can I? Can I? Can I? Please, can I?" She fell and laughed as the bow was too big for her.
"Not with that. Why not use you very own?" Fergus presented her with a small bow. As Fergus taught young Merida how to shoot with her bow, Merida missed the target. "Now, there's a good girl. listen. Draw all the way back now to your cheek. That's right, keep both eyes open, and…boost." Merida shot and missed the target again.
"I missed it." Merida said.
"Go and fetch it, then." Elinor said as Merida ran off to fetch the bow, Elinor turned to Fergus. "A bow, Fergus? She's a lady! A lady learns the Way of the Sword!" Fergus pinched Elinor's behind playfully and laughed.
"Mother I've already mastered the Way of the Sword." Merida said, and to prove it, she pivoted and lunged, hitting the target without even looking, all with her trusted sword.
As Merida sought her missed arrow in the forest and found it, something felt strange she turned and saw a floating blue light.
"A Will O' the Wisp." Merida ran towards it and tried to catch the wisp but it flew away. "They are real." Merida then saw a line of wisps and went after them excitedly, Jack called out to her.
"Merida! Come on, sister, we're leaving now…" Merida ran back towards her brother.
"I saw a wisp! I saw a wisp!" Merida said.
"A wisp? You know, some say that will o' the wisps lead you to your fate." Jack said.
"Oh, aye! Or an arrow! Come on, let's be off. Before we see a dancing charging bubu or a giant…" Fergus walked off and Jack picked up Merida.
"Father doesn't believe in magic." Jack said.
"Well he should, cause it's true." Merida said. Suddenly a huge black bear came behind Jack and Merida, making Merida draw her sword.
"Mor'du! Jack get Merida and hide!" Fergus said.
Jack reached for Merida but she was eager to prove herself. She lunged for the bear and it attack, making a long scratch down her cheek. Fergus grabbed her and put her on her brother's horse.
"Ladies are not warriors." Elinor scolded. "Look at what you have done."
Jack and Merida ran off, one of Fergus' men passed a spear to him, and Fergus charged towards Mor'du but he snapped off Fergus's spear, then Jack and Merida escaped on horseback, then Fergus held up his sword at Mor'du and shouted. "Come on, you!" Suddenly Mor'du lunged forward.
Merida and Jack's horse stopped next to a frozen over lake and the two started across.
Merida was now afraid.
"It's okay, it's okay! Don't look down, just look at me." Jack said.
"Jack, I'm scared." Merida admitted as the ice was cracking underneath of her.
"I- I know, I know, but you're gonna be alright - you're not gonna fall in. Uh... We're gonna have a little fun instead!" Jack proclaimed.
"No we're not!" Merida protested.
"Would I trick you?" Jack grinned.
"Yes! You always play tricks!" Merida pointed out.
"Well, alright, well not- not- not this time. I promise, I promise you're gonna be- you're gonna be fine. Ya haft to believe in me." Jack attempted.
Merida gulped.
"You wanna play a game? We're gonna play hopscotch! Like we play every day! I- It's as easy as, uh, one -" Jack said as the ice cracked a little. "- woah!" He almost fell over, but didn't, and she laughed. "Two!" Merida laughed again. "Three!" He landed on a part that was not thin.
"Alright." Jack reached for a stick on the ice. "Now it's your turn. One-" Merida gasped because the ice was cracking. "That's it, that's it." He held out the stick near her as she gasped. "Three!"
Jack grabbed her by the knees using the crook in the stick and slid her around so that she was in the safe spot, but he had been flung into the cracking area. He sat up and smiled. Merida leaned up on her arms, smiling too. He stood up, pleased, but his weight cracked the ice at last.
"Jack!" Merida cried, reaching out.
Her horse, next to her on the edge of the lake, pulled her away so she didn't fall in too.
Jack sank into the cold water, looking up at the moon. As he was drifting below the ice, his hair illuminates in the moonlight and remained white as he opened his eyes.
"JACK!"
Xxx
Gothel easily climbed into the palace and lifted the baby. She cut a strand of golden hair and—it turned black! This girl was!
Gothel cringed, realizing what this would mean. Becoming mother, nursing this thing, this baby as she used it for her great work. And how, how would she use her flower for magic now? This baby was ordinary and pathetic! Her hands were not witch hands! She could not wield the magic.
This would never do.
Gothel turned to leave the palace and find magic somewhere else when she saw it: The Crown of Alice.
"You are a Witch of Dead Woods, Gothel. Someday this Crown will seek you out and become your medium, as the Brushes of the Fallen are my medium."
Gothel recalled her mother's words. The Crown had sought out this infant. Rapunzel had the magic after all.
Gothel pulled the infant and the crown into her arms and disappeared into the night.
As she stood on the edge of the Dead Wood where her tower, the only remaining part of her castle, stood; she watched as orange lanterns spilled into the sky. The kingdom calling out to their lost princess.
"Well say your farewells, Corona. This little flower belongs to me now." Gothel said, tucking a strand of hair behind Rapunzel's ear.
xxx
Rolling hills, mountains, and flying creatures of strange descent. This was Berk. Twelve days north of Hopeless, and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It was located solidly on the Meridian of Misery.
The village was sturdy, and had been there for seven generations, though every building was new. There was fishing, hunting, and a charming view of the sunsets.
The sheep were grazing in the grass; and then a dragon carried one sheep away.
Though most would leave with the dragon problem, Vikings were stubborn.
Hiccup stared up at the sky, watching the floating lanterns from Corona. and the dragons flying between and around them.
Hiccup wondered where the lanterns were from, even as a whisp flew past him into the forest. He thought to follow; but there were dragons! He wondered if he would ever be brave enough to face them.
xxx
Jack floated in the darkness under the frozen lake, then floated up...up...out of the ice.
His hair was white and his eyes were ice blue.
Jack was cold, and scared, but looked up at the huge, full moon. It was so big, and it was so bright and it seemed to chase the darkness away. Jack wasn't scared anymore.
He flew up toward the moon, clutching his staff. He didn't know why he was there and what he was meant to do...Jack sighed... he'd never know... and a part of him wondered if I ever would.
Jack landed, and his staff touched the tree, creating frost. Surprised and delighted, he smiled and rose into the air. Jack breezed into a small village at the edge of Corona and Dunbroch. Folk music was playing.
Jack shouted as he landed ungracefully. "Hello. Hello! Good evening, ma'am." A Dog barked. "Ma'am. Oh! Ah-ah excuse me, can you tell me where I am-" A Villager passed through him, causing him to gasp. "Hello?"
All Jack knew anymore was that his name was Jack Frost. He only knew because the moon told him. And that was all he knew; all the moon ever told him. So long ago.