AN: Hello, friends! I am back with another update for you! Hope this is as fun and exciting a chapter for y'all to read as it was for me to write it! Quick note to sefpox and anyone else with a similar question: I absolutely adore fanart! Thank you so much! Like Ahhhh! It's totally allowed and you don't have to apologize at all! If you have a tumblr account, you can find me there under the same name. Or you can DM me over FF and we can work out another option! Again, thank you so much!
Music: "The View from Up Here" from Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure
NOTES!: "So you go about your life, and I'll go about mine, and the next time we see each other everything will have changed, but everything will be okay."
Chapter 22: View From Up Here
"Stay with me soldier!" Rapunzel barked the order as she knotted the thread and began sewing up the wound in the man's side. She was surrounded by groans and cries of pain, the overwhelming scent of pure alcohol, and battle-worn men and women. Medics scrambled about, trying to help as many as they could, but there were so many injured.
A quest to bring aide to the Arendelle capital was brought to the Council by Elsa herself. Their port had been attacked twice by flying units and their people were struggling. The Prime Minister seem reluctant to spare the forces, but was thankfully out-voted. A small relief effort was put together to accomplish a simple quest of bringing supplies to the capital from over the mountain pass. Rapunzel volunteered to lead it. The quest should've been easy, seeing as they were well within Allied territories.
But then things went wrong. They had just reached the foot of the mountain, traveling through a forest with thin, but very tall and spaced-out trees that were common for the area. An ambush had given way to a hard and bloody battle that they hadn't been prepared for, and Rapunzel had done her best to provide cover for a retreat when it became apparent they were losing.
Finished with the stitches, Rapunzel tied it off and snapped the thread. She wrapped the man's torso with the assistance of one of the younger medics, and then eased him down onto his back where he could rest.
"You need to stay here and try to get some rest, alright? We'll get you something to help with the pain." Rapunzel instructed him softly, and the man nodded as best he could while trying to level out his pained breathing. Rapunzel turned to the young medic. "Give him a double dose. He may have to go in the wagon with the others."
Rapunzel only waited for the girl to nod before climbing to her feet and starting off for her next task. The worst of the cases had already been take care of, but there were still plenty of injuries that needed tending to. Before she could corner her next patient, Rapunzel was snagged on the arm and dragged off to the side a bit.
"Cass? What's wrong?" Rapunzel asked the moment she realized the person dragging her away from her work was her right hand.
"You need to eat something. You haven't eaten since breakfast this morning and you've been at this for over an hour." Cassandra used her tone that said Rapunzel wasn't allowed to argue while passing her some jerky and a waterskin.
"Have we gotten through to the Council or Arendelle yet?" Rapunzel inquired after taking a bite of jerky and washing it down with the water.
"No. The scrying mirror was broken in the fight. We've sent an owl, but it will take time." Cass sighed. "How's the healing going?"
"We have more injured than not, and I'm beginning to worry we won't be able to fit all of the worst cases into the one wagon." Rapunzel told her, looking back at the man she'd just finished stitching up.
"The other two wagons are still full of supplies, but we do have an extra cart. We'll find a way to fit them all." Cassandra promised, placing a comforting hand on Rapunzel's shoulder before her brow furrowed thoughtfully. "What I'd really like to know is how the enemy knew we'd be here."
"Yeah." Rapunzel nodded as she gobbled down the last two bites of jerky. "I was thinking the same thing."
"Your Highness." The Captain of the Corona Guard walked over to them, bowing to Rapunzel, and she nodded in return.
"Dad?" Cass rose one eyebrow at her father.
"We managed to save most of the supplies, but we did lose the wagon with the bulk of our rations and water." The Captain reported formally. "How would you like us to proceed?"
Rapunzel looked at the ground as she thought about her next words carefully. She shared a look with Cassandra and then the Captain as she decided to trust her instincts on this one.
"The mountain pass is compromised and we didn't come prepared for a fight. Captain, I'd like you to send two of your finest scouts up the coast. If there are no signs of the enemy, I must ask you to lead our forces along the shore." Rapunzel shared with him, and the Captain looked momentarily stunned before pressing forward.
"Your Highness, what about you?" He asked.
"Cassandra and I are going up the mountain. We need to find out how strong their presence is and how we're going to defend Arendelle." Rapunzel tried to sound confident for the sake of her Captain and Cass.
"Traveling along the coast will take three extra days. Do we have enough rations for everyone?" Cass turned to her father for this.
"Water, perhaps, but food will run out in the middle of the second day." The Captain stroked his chin thoughtfully. "However, I do agree with the Princess. We don't have the means to fight a full battle, and the few weapons we do have can be used to hunt for the remaining day until we reached the capital."
"We'll have to make do with what we have." Rapunzel decided.
"Very good, Princess. I'll send the scouts as you commanded." The Captain gave another bow then turned on his heel and marched away.
"I'll prep some packs for our quest." Cass gave her a half-smile, and Rapunzel returned it with a full, but smaller one.
Rapunzel tried her best to keep her mind entirely focused on keeping herself and Cassandra safe as they climbed the mountain off of the beaten path, but it was easy to be distracted by all the thoughts lingering in her mind. Her duties seemed to be piling up more and more each day, and she was particularly worried about Jim. It was part of the reason she'd volunteered for the quest. She'd been trapped in her thoughts since Jim was called to appear before the Troll Tribunal and hadn't come back for two days. She was worried about him, but there wasn't anything she could do to help him in this situation, so she'd jumped at the opportunity to set her mind on a specific task.
It didn't work entirely. Jim hadn't been the same since he returned from the Darklands, and he was definitely more closed off. On top of that, Rapunzel was being pressured by the Council to find a way to regain control of the moon without the stone, but she was almost certain that was impossible. Tsar had returned to Hogwarts from the moon after the Moonstone was stolen, and he seemed even more concerned than the Council.
Becoming the Sun Sorceress had felt like finding herself, but the responsibilities she now carried threatened to drown her.
Shaking her head, Rapunzel firmly reminded herself that they were potentially walking into an enemy encampment and she need to stay focused. Cassandra was leading the way, her skills with swords and traditional tracking methods making her ideal for the position. Rapunzel used her magic to search the surrounding areas they couldn't see for traps or other life signatures that didn't belong to the forest.
The pair had been climbing steadily up the mountain for the better part of an hour when Rapunzel sensed something off. They'd reached a narrow plateau with a steep rise on the other side. Rapunzel reached out and tugged on Cassandra's sleeve at her elbow.
"Cass," She whispered and pointed up at the top of the rise, mouthing her next words to avoid making unnecessary noise. "Stay low."
They crouched low as they moved up the rise and when they reached the top, they dropped to their bellies to crawl forward between a bush and a large rock. The rise dropped away into a large valley between two mountain peaks. The valley was filled with tents, soldiers, Nightmares, and even some Fearlings acting as slave labor. It was a full battalion, hidden in the mountain and prepared to mobilize at any given command.
"This is bad." Cass muttered under her breath as they stared down at the encampment, barely able to believe it. "How did they get passed out defenses?"
"I don't know." Rapunzel bit her lip and her hands tightened into fists at the sight before her. "They always seem to know where we'll be, and now they've managed to sneak a full battalion into our territories without us even knowing? Something isn't right."
"It looks like we have a traitor somewhere among us." Cass hissed as she glared down at the camp. "Someone is feeding information to Pitch and his followers."
"I think you're right." Rapunzel nodded, but even as she spoke her eyes were fixed on the encampment. "We have to get to the capital and try to make contact with the Royal Council. Let them know that Arendelle is under siege."
"Then we should start backtracking now and try to catch up with the others. Maybe dad can spare two horses for us to ride ahead of the rest and get the message through as soon as possible." Cassandra strategized, but Rapunzel reached out and laid a hand on her arm without looking at her.
"Wait... Look." Rapunzel's eyes were focused on one edge of the camp to their right. At least three teams were gathering to form a small platoon, and they were rushing off into the forest, but they were heading away from all of the nearest towns and the capital. "What are they up to?"
"Rapunzel," Cass said with a warning tone, but Rapunzel was already shifting back onto her feet.
"Let's see where that platoon is heading." She decided even though Cassandra was looking at her like she was crazy.
"What about warning the Council about this siege?" Cass wanted to know.
"That platoon is going somewhere. If there's another camp or a meeting place of some sort separated from the main forces, I'd like to know about it first." Rapunzel slid down the incline a little bit and started picking her way along the ridge to follow the platoon to the south. "Come on, Cassandra!"
"I just want this to be on record that I think this is an incredibly risky idea." She retorted as she followed after Rapunzel.
They managed to pick up the platoon's tracks pretty easily, but they also tried not to follow directly behind them out of fear that reinforcements might be following. Cass took the lead for a second time, keeping her eyes on the tracks and other signs of movement through the forest. Rapunzel once again sensed them before they saw them, but she could also hear telltale signs of a battle happening somewhere beyond their vision.
"Over this way!" Cassandra whispered as she pulled on Rapunzel's arm.
She brought them over and down low at the edge of a cliff that dropped down about ten feet. Directly below them was a clearing and the platoon of soldiers and Nightmares. They had surrounded a man and backed him and a black dragon into a corner against the rock-face that Rapunzel and Cassandra were peering over the edge of.
"Is that the Dragon Rider?" Cassandra gaped at the scene below them, even more surprised than when they'd found the battalion, and Rapunzel couldn't blame her.
"The last sighting of him was at the Inland Sea almost a week ago." Rapunzel said, watching as the man and his dragon fought vigorously against their attackers.
"What is he doing here? And why don't they just fly away?" Cass wanted to know.
"I don't know, but I plan on finding out." Rapunzel told her as she moved to get up, but Cass grabbed her arm and dragged her back down.
"Are you crazy? If even one of those platoon members escapes, that battalion could assume they've been found and launch a full scale attack. Not to mention that guy they're attacking is a wanted criminal, what exactly are you planning to do? Fight them both?" She demanded.
"No, I want to help him." Rapunzel said, and Cass's eyes went wide as she stared at her like she'd grown a second head. "Merida said he didn't harm anyone at the Inland Sea. He only helped them when they were losing the fight, and then he saved Merida's life. I think we owe him at least this."
"This is insane. You're actually doing this." Cass just continued staring at her, but Rapunzel nodded determinedly in response to her statement anyways.
"Are you coming?" Rapunzel asked and then took a flying leap over the edge. She caught the beginning of Cassandra's answering annoyed groan, but then focused all of her energy in flipping in a perfect landing between the dark wizards and the Dragon Rider. She pulled on the release thread holding her braid in place, and her hair unraveled around her.
The momentary stunned pause of the enemy gave her the opportunity to jump into the fight and land the first blow by shooting a spell from her palm. It destroyed a Nightmare, and then all of the others lunged back into action, half of them now going after Rapunzel instead.
Rapunzel whipped a larger lock of hair out and it wrapped around one of the soldiers charging at her. Using all of her strength and a little magic to help, Rapunzel pulled on her hair and swung the soldier around, sending him flying into two others. A flash in the corner of her eye cause Rapunzel to snap around and deflect an attack from one of the enemy wizards, but before she could reciprocate, a sword plunged up through his chest. As he dropped to the ground, Cassandra stepped forward with a pointed look. Rapunzel shrugged and turned to keep fighting.
The Dragon Rider was locked in a sword fight with two other soldiers, kicking one away before whirling around to block the second. The soldiers momentum was going forward, and the rider stepped to the side, tripping the soldier and causing him to go tumbling into the one that was just barely trying to get back up off the ground. The dragon leaped forward from behind the rider's position and fired two blasts; one destroyed two Nightmares and the other knocked over a dead tree that fell onto one of the soldiers.
Another soldier came up behind the rider, raising his sword high and crashing down against the rider's flame sword hard. The rider's arms were shaking as he stayed locked with the much larger soldier, but while he was distracted a Nightmare came charging at him from behind. Rapunzel spotted the Nightmare and dove, cutting in between the shadow horse and it's target. She pushed out one hand and sharp rays of light shot out of the vine markings on her palm, each one slicing through the Nightmare like a sword.
As the sand crumbled to the ground, Rapunzel took a battle stance, back to back with the Dragon Rider who finally managed to shove the soldier away from him.
With Rapunzel and Cass joined in the fray, the four of them managed to overcome the platoon despite it's greater numbers. When Rapunzel destroyed the last Nightmare before it could flee back to the encampment, Rapunzel and Cass were the only ones left facing the Dragon Rider and his Night Fury. The two pairs regarded each other cautiously, and Rapunzel reached out with her magic to try and get a sense of what the man was thinking or feeling.
Her heart leaped and then stopped when a familiar presence almost flinched under her touch.
Their eyes locked as Rapunzel stared. Her eyes felt hot and were filling up quickly, but she didn't blink them away. She didn't dare take her eyes off of the man in front of her. Whether that was because of hope or fear, she wasn't sure.
The rider himself seemed to be frozen in place under her gaze until the Night Fury tiptoed closer and nudged his hand. The rider jumped slightly and then sighed, petting his dragon soothingly for a moment.
Finally he reached up and took off his helmet.
"I guess I should start by saying thank you for your help... We were in a bit of a tight spot there." Hiccup fidgeted awkwardly in front of her, just barely looking up to meet her eyes again, but Rapunzel couldn't seem to find her voice let alone any words. The silence seemed to make Hiccup panic a little as he continued on stuttering. "Rapunzel, I... Well, I just... What I meant is..."
"Hiccup," Rapunzel finally managed to get out in a strangled sort of squeak. Hiccup immediately froze again and watched for her reaction, but Rapunzel was still trying to sort out exactly what was going on.
"Wait, wait, wait." Cassandra cut in, making Rapunzel start and turn to her. "You're telling me this guy is Hiccup Haddock? The kid who went missing?"
"Was I missing or dead, I've heard both? Hehe -ahem..." Hiccup attempted to quip, but Cassandra leveled him with a hard glare and he cleared his throat as he looked away, scratching the back of his head.
"Yes, Cass." Rapunzel finally got her voice to work, though it was soft. "This is Hiccup."
She took a breath, opening her mouth to say more as she looked back at her childhood friend, but again no sound came out. Hiccup chewed on his lip a little, but then looked up at her with uncertainty.
"Rapunzel... I'm so sorry, I..." He stopped for a moment and then finally said. "I... have a lot of explaining to do."
"Yes. Yes, that is a fair assessment, I think." Rapunzel sputtered out, her mind going a million different directions as different emotions demanded her attention. Not to mention the emotions she was sensing off of Cassandra. Hiccup, though... Hiccup was closed off from her. She could sense he was there, that he really was Hiccup, but his emotions were carefully masked.
"Why don't you tell us why you're here and why you decided to fight that platoon instead of just fly away?" Cass suggested, releasing one arm from where it was crossed over her chest to gesture openly.
"Right, uh... Well, you see, after everything that happened at the Inland Sea, there was no way for me to go north, so I went south again." Hiccup stumbled into his reply, moving his hands about a gesturing as he talked. "I was sticking to the coast, but then I came across this Roman ship that was also going south and I... Well, I just couldn't really help myself, and then..."
As he trailed off, Hiccup looked back towards the cliff he'd been backed against. Only then did Rapunzel notice the cave in the face of the rock, and out of the cave came the cautious head of a dragon that was bigger than anything Rapunzel had ever seen. The massive dragon moved in slow-motion because of it's size, looking around at all of the fallen soldiers and constantly glancing back at Hiccup for what appeared to be assurance. Hiccup reached out one hand and the dragon pressed it's giant muzzle into Hiccup's palm.
As that was happening, two more dragons that looked the same as the giant but were only the size of the Night Fury, came fumbling out of the cave as well. They squawked and chirped loudly, and one of them even hopped over to the Night Fury, but was promptly given a light swat to the back of the head, and the creature scurried off as the Night Fury grumbled and stalked over to stand close to Hiccup.
"This is a Timberjack. Because of their large size the Romans will often use them to build large structures like their coliseums, and then force them to fight in it. This mother and her babies were on that ship I mentioned, so I may have broken them out." Hiccup mumbled the last part as the mother dragon turned to her babies. "I was hoping if I went more east then maybe I could sneak these guys passed the northern border and get them home. We stopped here to rest for the night, but then we were ambushed, and that's where you came in..."
"Wait, so you're telling me that you attacked a Roman ship just to save a dragon?" Cass sputtered incredulously, glancing between Hiccup and Rapunzel. "Who are you people? What's with all the crazy and stupid plans?"
Hiccup paused, his eyes getting a faraway look for a moment as he looked at her, but then he shook it off and gave a small shrug. "I've got stubbornness issues."
"Oooh, yeah! Vikings! Right! The people who are supposed to Fight dragons! Not save them!" Cassandra ranted, throwing her hands out towards the four dragons standing behind Hiccup.
"I'm a bit of a black sheep."
"You don't say." Cass gave him a dry stare before turning to Rapunzel. "Raps, what are we doing here? We need to get to the capital and warn the Council about the siege, so either we arrest him and drag him along with his, or we just leave. Your choice, Princess."
"Siege?" Hiccup asked in the middle of her point, but Cass had ignored him.
"Cass, I..." Rapunzel considered what she was saying. She knew Cass was right and they really couldn't afford to lose anymore time, but... She wasn't sure she was willing to walk away from Hiccup, knowing she might not get this chance again.
"Hold on a minute!" Hiccup waved his arms to get their attention. "What siege are you talking about?"
Cass crossed her arms again, but Rapunzel sighed and explained. "Pitch has a battalion stationed in the mountain not far from here. It looks like they're beginning a siege on Arendelle."
"And you need to get back as soon as possible to warn everyone." Hiccup guessed the next part.
"Yeah. Especially now that they'll probably come looking for a vanished platoon." Cass added pointedly.
"Let me help." Hiccup offered, and Cass's eyes went wide as Rapunzel tilted her head at him. "I'm serious! You helped me with that platoon, the least I can do is help you get to the capital." As he said this, he climbed up into the saddle on his Night Fury, who sniffed in Rapunzel and Cass's direction curiously.
"What? Ooooooh no! No way! There is absolutely no way either one of us is getting on your vicious, fire-breathing reptile!" Cassandra immediately reacted, shaking her head and moving her arms in a negative gesture.
"I promise nothing bad will happen." Hiccup smiled genuinely, but Rapunzel hesitated as Cassandra was still obviously firmly against the idea. "Rapunzel."
The Sun Sorceress looked up at him and she sucked in a breath when his magic nudged hers. It was still guarded, but there was also a spark. Friendship and familiarity for sure, but there was also something... Different. A innate response her own magic gave to his that was natural and ancient. It made the markings on her hands and arms hum with energy.
"Trust me." He said, holding out his hand to her. "Let me show you."
She smiled and nodded.
Cass gave a few noises of protest, but Rapunzel was already turning to her with a calming gesture and tying back her long locks of hair. "Flying is the fastest way back to the others. And besides," She glanced slyly back at Hiccup. "He does owe us."
"You remember what I said earlier about crazy and stupid plans?" Cass asked, but Rapunzel had already turned and was carefully climbing onto the Night Fury's back behind Hiccup. He turned to Cassandra and held out his hand again.
"Toothless can carry all three of us, but it will slow him down, so we better get moving." He gave her a half-grin, and Cass returned it with a loathing glare. She swatted his hand away and very slowly, very cautiously, climbed on behind Rapunzel. Hiccup chuckled. "Alright, hold on."
The initial leap into the air was a bit jarring, but Rapunzel imagined it was a bit awkward for 'Toothless' to fly with three people on his back. When they started on an incline with gaining speed, Cass started screaming. Rapunzel had to smother her laughter as she held on tight to Hiccup, but eventually let it out as an exhilarated whoop. The Timberjack dragon emerged from the forest right behind them, massive wings carrying her into the air as her babies flapped alongside her.
They burst out above the clouds, and Rapunzel took a deep breath, feeling lighter than she had in a very long time. The energy and hum that came along with nature and the natural magics had been nearly drowned out by sounds of war and the invading darkness, but up in the air like this, she could hear it all clear as the day. The wind whistled a pleasant melody as Toothless swooped low to skim over some clouds, and Rapunzel stretched over as far as she could to reach out and running her hand through the cloud. When she settled back into the saddle with the others, she was grinning so wide her cheeks hurt.
"This is amazing!" She exclaimed, and Hiccup's shoulders shook a little with his quiet chuckle.
"That's not exactly the word I would use for it!" Cassandra snapped, still keeping her arms locked tight around Rapunzel.
"Oh, come on, Cass!" Rapunzel nudged her with her elbow, but the other girl refused to open her eyes. "Just look at the view!"
Hiccup glanced back at them, locking eyes with Rapunzel before subtly glancing at the mountaintop. Rapunzel giggled and nodded excitedly. Hiccup tapped Toothless's shoulder and the paired veered off track to swoop a bit lower and give them a really great view of all the world below them.
"Life's been so unsatisfying! Look, suddenly, now I'm flying! Freewheeling from cloud to cloud to cloud!" Rapunzel sang along with the melodies in her ears, tapping Cassandra's hand again as the girl very slowly began to open her eyes. "Wings spread and the sky below me! There's no one to stop or slow me! Pure freedom and everything's allowed!"
Toothless looked back at her, his tongue flapping out in the wind as he gave her a big gummy smile. He angled a bit lower to glide over the tree tops, and Rapunzel looked out over forest from above, taking in all of the sights. She noticed several jagged stones pointing up out of the earth below and in between the trees. No one would notice them unless they'd become attuned to searching them out.
"Down there... I know there's tons of burdens I must bear... Somewhere..." Rapunzel eyed the treacherous landscape below, and then lifted her gaze to take in the full view of the mountain range as Toothless to climb higher again. "But from up here! The world looks so small! And suddenly life seems so clear!"
"And from up here! You coast past it all! The obstacles just disappear!" She let the noise and chaos of the war fall away for a moment, letting her magic flow and enjoying the feel of nature. She spotted a large buck standing on an overhang that they passed by, it looked up at them, but it wasn't spooked as they lifted higher and higher into the sky. "Never feel heavy or earthbound... No worries or doubts interfere... There's nothing but you looking down on the view from up here!"
Toothless gave a slow twirl as they broke over the clouds again and then leveled out, catching up to the Timberjack and her babies who were gliding along, perfectly calm and gentle. Toothless positioned himself just above the mother's left wing, and Hiccup reached down to pull on a lever. Looking back, Rapunzel watched with interest as the prosthetic tail locked into place with some funny gears and mechanics. Toothless wiggled a bit, but continued on steadily in his flying.
Hiccup then stood up in the saddle and carefully walked along Toothless's wing. The wind whipped around him, but Hiccup was so calm and graceful as Toothless's wing bent and he slid down. Rapunzel gasped and scrambled to look over, only to find Hiccup looking up at her from where he stood on the Timberjack's much large wing. He held out his hand again and waved for her to follow. Rapunzel beamed.
"Raps!" Cass cried in what was supposed to be a warning tone, but Rapunzel just gave her a grin and stood up like Hiccup had.
"Come on, Cass! Let's try it!" She said, wobbling a little as she tried to find her balance.
"Stretch out with the wind behind you -!" Rapunzel picked up her song again, testing her first step out onto Toothless's wing.
"Here we go -!" Cassandra echoed her tune with anxiety as she looked between Rapunzel and Toothless with wide and nervous eyes.
"Float up, let the current find you -!" Rapunzel leaned into the wind, loving the thrill of it all, and after a few steps, Toothless dipped the end of his wing. Rapunzel slid smoothly down, catching onto Hiccup's hand and twirling as he guided her passed him to the Timberjack's back. Hiccup turned again to hold out his hand to Cassandra.
"Look out below -!" Cass shook her head at first, but after their expectant looks, she sighed and very carefully eased out onto Toothless's wing on her knees.
"Keep climbing and sail from breeze to Breeze -!" Rapunzel continued encouragingly as she settled on the Timberjack's right shoulder, looking out over the open ocean below.
"Stay close, don't leave me, please!" Cass cried out to Rapunzel, but the Toothless's wing dipped and she tumbled a bit as she fell forward. Hiccup managed to catch both her hands and keep her upright.
"Head up to the stratospheres! With only the stars to steer us! Just think of the possibilities!" Rapunzel watched Hiccup slowly start walking backwards to help Cass gain more confidence in her steps. She turned and looked out at the sky again, lifting her arms above her head to feel as much of the wind as she could.
"I think I've got it!" Cass grinned as she finally let go of Hiccup's hands and took a few steps on her own. She dropped down on the Timberjack's left shoulder, looking out at the view alongside Rapunzel, and she actually seemed to start enjoying it.
"Below... We spend our whole lives trudging to and 'fro... Now-!" Rapunzel propped up her elbows on the Timberjack's wing to rest her head in her hands, kicking her feet and taking it all in, but then she looked back at Hiccup to find him running full-tilt along the Timberjack's spine.
"Woah!" Cass exclaimed as Hiccup leaped of off the Timberjack's neck right in front of them with a flip, letting himself fall into the sky. Toothless dove forward after him as the girls scooted forward to look over the edge and see what happened.
"And from up here!" The harmony between them was welcome as always and made it all the more fun for Rapunzel, who smiled as she took a discreet glance in Cassandra's direction. She could bit stiff at times, but Rapunzel knew she meant well. Below, Hiccup and Toothless reconnected with movements so in sync Rapunzel had to wonder if they could read each other's minds.
"The world looks so wide!" Rapunzel followed them as they shot straight upwards, high above them and twirling into the fluffy clouds.
"Yet every horizon seems near!" Cassandra carried the tune as the pair fell back downwards a little bit before twisting around into another low swoop down below.
"And from up here!" Rapunzel and Cass joined together again as they shared excited grins.
"No path is denied!" Rapunzel let her eyes fall shut and turned her face to the sun, which was brighter and warmer up here than it was down on the winter-covered earth.
"You choose which direction you veer!" Cass continued, and Toothless's roar made Rapunzel open her eyes to see him rise up above the clouds. He slowed down so that he and Hiccup were again flying just above the Timberjack's wing, but this time on the right, close to Rapunzel.
Hiccup's eyes were closed as the breezed brushed through his hair. He looked so relaxed. Nothing at all like the awkward and clumsy boy she'd known, or the uncertain and stumbling teen she'd found in the forest below. This Hiccup was at peace, comfortable and confident in his own skin. For a moment, Rapunzel could only stare, and then she felt a peace wash over her too. She smiled softly at him.
"And suddenly you can breathe easy," She sang when Hiccup opened his eyes, still focused forward and unaware of her watching him.
"Contented!" Cass added in, but her gaze was forward to, leaning into the wind now.
"Carefree!" Rapunzel glanced back at Hiccup to see his wide smile.
"Cavalier!" Cass cheered, raising up onto her knees with arms spread wide as if to catch the whole sky.
"Just gliding on through! Looking down on the view from up here!" They joined together again, enjoying the rush of even just this gentle gliding, and Rapunzel wondered how many of the tricks they'd watched Hiccup and Toothless perform were just for their own fun and exhilaration.
"And from up here! The world is all yours! Each mountain and meadow and mere!" Hiccup finally looked over at them and gave a nod as he and Toothless angled forward and down. They lined up directly below Rapunzel, and Hiccup waved for her to jump down onto Toothless. Rapunzel gave the Timberjack a gentle pat of thanks and then gathered herself up to jumped down onto Toothless's back.
"And from up here! Life's duties and chores! Are barely worth shedding a tear!" Once Rapunzel was settled into place, Toothless moved to the side until he was just below Cass. This time she jumped without prompting, and Hiccup shot her an amused smirk before tapping Toothless's shoulder.
"And all of the sky lies before us! Straight up to the far stratosphere! So head for the blue and let's take in the view from up here~!" Toothless flew out from under the Timberjack, giving one last climb up before swooping down in a massive spiral around the clouds. When they were low enough to see Arendelle's coast again, Hiccup pointed them towards the forest just beside the seaside capital.
"It's just me and you looking down on the view from up here~!" Even during their descent, Rapunzel still relished the feel of the wind, and she savored every view for the last few seconds as they slowly made their way back to reality...
"Thank you for everything, Toothless." Rapunzel smiled as she gave the Night Fury some scratches under his chin. The dragon purred and leaned into her touch, his tail twitching and flicking happily.
"I do have to admit," Cass said, walking over and bending over as she rubbed Toothless's head with a gentle pat. "That was really cool."
"You keep talking like that and he'll get a big head." Hiccup remarked. Toothless glared at him, but then pressed into Rapunzel's hand again with the biggest eyes turned up at her. Rapunzel laughed. "See? And I'm the one whose gonna have to put up with him."
"I'm sure you'll manage." Cassandra quipped back. "Besides, he's stuck with a troublemaker like you."
Toothless snorted and then made a guttural noise that sounded a lot like laughter. Hiccup gave them both a dry look, and Rapunzel chuckled as she stepped away from them to speak with him. Hiccup straightened as she stepped up.
"Rapunzel, I -" Hiccup started, but Rapunzel shook her head.
"You don't have to, Hiccup. I know." Rapunzel smiled up at him. She looked back at Toothless for a moment and then turned again to Hiccup. "I understand."
Hiccup stared at her for a long moment, searching her eyes, but then he must have found the answers he was looking for. He relaxed again and returned her smile, his eyes brighter.
"I know you have to go, but I hope that this isn't another goodbye." Rapunzel told him honestly.
"This won't be forever..." Hiccup offered slow, giving what he could. "I think that, someday, things will change."
"If nothing else; we can change it together." Rapunzel nodded and Toothless chose that moment to rub up against her side like a big, over-grown cat. She laughed again and gave him a big hug. "And you make sure to take care of Hiccup while you're away, okay?"
Toothless gave another snort and moved over to stand behind Hiccup as Cass took her place at Rapunzel's side.
"Well, it's been fun, ladies, but I do believe we all have some responsibilities we need to get back to." Hiccup shrugged casually as he swung his leg over into the saddle.
"Take care of yourself, Dragon Boy." Cassandra gruffed, and Hiccup blinked at her for a moment with a less than pleased face.
"Why is that always the first name people come up with?" He muttered as he picked up his helmet from where it was hooked on the saddle. When he looked back at them, he gave a lazy salute. "Until next time, then."
"Until next time." Rapunzel agreed with a nod and a determined smile.
She and Cass stood on that peak for a moment as they watched Hiccup and Toothless fly away. They were only a short walk away from the outskirts of the capital, and while Rapunzel knew that they had stalled for longer than they probably should have already, she just wanted to stay there and savor the moment for a few seconds more.