Hello again everyone! I told you I'd be back! XD

This is an extremely long chapter, so just fair warning but I feel it's a very needed chapter. A lot is going on so if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask, I will do my best to answer in the following chapter pre-word or chapter. Jazebeth: your question will be answered in depth in the next chapter.

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy this chapter. XD

The woman landed the Stormcutter on the outskirts of town, hiding him in the forest. "It's okay, Cloudjumper," the woman reassured the concerned dragon. "I'll be alright. I need to do this. It's our anniversary." The dragon reluctantly relaxed as the woman removed her armor to reveal herself.

Her long brown hair fell down her back freely as she removed her restraints, her green eyes observing the world without interference from her mask. She smiled sweetly at her friend and then took off towards Corona excitedly. She passed everyone without even noticing them, she was looking for one man and one man only: her husband.

She stopped abruptly at a corner, seeing him sitting at an outdoor cafe by himself; his long red hair was tied back in a low ponytail, his red braided beard gently blowing in the wind. "Stoick," she whispered to herself. She snapped herself out of her daze and ran into a nearby alleyway. Concentrating with all of her might, she imagined herself with different features and in seconds, that's what she became. She no longer had brown hair but short, blonde hair; her eyes weren't green but an icy blue; her thin oblong face was now shorter and more square.

Taking a deep breath, she walked out of the alleyway in her new disguise and headed toward Stoick. She ran the last stretch and quickly sat across from the large man, startling and confusing him. "Miss? What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to get away from someone," she lied, pretending to be out of breath. "Do you mind if I sit here with you for a while?"

Stoick shrugged. "I'm okay with it. Do you want anything to eat or drink while you're here? It'll make you look less out of place in the cafe."

The woman beamed as she nodded her head. He's so sweet. "Would it be alright if I got a black tea with lemon and strawberries?"

"Strawberries?" he repeated quizzically. "I've never heard of that combination before."

A pang of guilt stabbed her gut remembering that he wouldn't know her favorite hot beverage. "It's a family thing."

"Lemon and strawberries it is," he nodded as he got up and ordered for her.

She watched him, seeing that even though he looked happy, she knew he wasn't. She knew of the dreams he had thanks to her disguise at the restaurant, she knew of his torn heart, she knew everything that was making him miserable. It can't make people forget their feelings. Her face fell as her eyes began to water. She wanted desperately to remind him of his family, to tell him that he is happily married and has a wonderful son, but she knows she can't do that. Not yet.

"Are you alright, Miss?" Stoick pulled her from her thoughts.

"Yes," she nodded. "You can call me Valka."

"Alright, Valka. My name is Stoick." He held out his hand and she returned the gesture. She saw his face flash in shock for a moment before returning to its normal expression. "I also got you an apple tart to go with the tea. It just seemed to fit."

"Stoick!" the barista called out.

Valka gazed in surprise at the tart. There's no way he would remember that. Maybe the mental wall I put up is cracking, letting certain things seep through. Is this happening to Hiccup as well? I need to check on him right after this. If it is happening, he could be discovered.

"Black tea with lemon and strawberries, Val," Stoick presented. The abbreviated name made Valka's head snap up in surprise. "Is it alright if I call you that? It just seems natural."

"Y-yes. That's fine," she stammered. "I've just never been given a nickname before. I like it."

"So this guy you're running from, is he around right now?"

"I'm not sure," she fidgeted in her seat. "I could have sworn I saw him but I don't want to take the chance."

"Who is this guy? An ex?"

Valka ran her thumb up and down the side of the cup trying to think up a good enough lie. Damn it. I didn't think this through. I should have known he'd want to get involved. Think. How about an bent version of the truth? "Sort of."

"Sort of an ex?" Stoick clarified. "How does that work?"

"Well, we knew each other in college. We had similar skill sets, liked a lot of the same things, and so forth, so we hung out quite a bit. That was a big mistake. He began to fall for me but I didn't feel the same. He never let up about it and kept bringing it up to the point I began to avoid him. In his last attempt to keep me by his side, he showed his true colors and that was the deal breaker. I didn't want anything to do with the guy. I told him so but he didn't accept my answer and has been looking for me ever since. When I think I've lost him, he finds me and sabotages everything I built in hopes that I would go crawling back to him."

She took a deep breath, not realizing how invested she got into her story. Her heart was racing, anger was rising in her gut, tears were threatening her eyes, and her throat was sore from trying to keep her emotions together. Looking up, she saw Stoick with a horrified look on his face and that was the final straw the broke the dam holding in all of her emotions. Her body slumped, her shoulders rocking and shaking as she cried in front of Stoick. She had been holding back so much for so long not realizing it and needed someone to talk to about it. As luck would have it, that someone was her dear husband.

"It's okay," Stoick spoke softly as he gently held her hand.

"Thank you," she smiled. "I really needed that."

"This guys sounds like a total creep. Do you have a restraining order on him?"

"No. I tried but there wasn't enough evidence for the courts."

"That doesn't seem right. What about your friends and family?"

"I don't have a family and what friends I had, he destroyed."

Stoick rubbed his chin in thought at Valka's story. "Well, you have a friend now. Here's my card with my number on it. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. He doesn't have the right to harass you like that."

"Thank you again, Stoick," Valka smiled warmly. Before she could say another word, Gobber appeared out of nowhere and sat down with the two of them.

"Hello, Stoick."

"Gobber! How are you this afternoon?"

"Oh, peachy. Some interesting developments are in the works at the school but nothing concrete yet." He noticed Valka and whispered, "Who's your lady friend?"

"This is Valka. Valka, this is my friend, Gobber."

Valka smiled nervously at the blond, heavy set man as he looked her up and down curiously. "Valka, you say? Not a very common name."

"No it isn't," she played along, her heart beginning to race.

"I was helping keep her safe from a very crazy ex," Stoick explained.

"Well, that's right good of you. Glad you're doing more than just read those Berk papers."

"Berk papers?"

"Aye, he likes to read the news from Berk. He used to be the mayor there you know," Gobber informed.

"I had no idea," she lied.

"There's nothing interesting happening over there but I like to keep an eye on it," Stoick shrugged.

"Mr. Haddock! Mr. Haddock!" a voice called out through the crowd. The three looked towards the sound and saw a blond haired kid in a beanie running to them.

"Kristoff?" Gobber and Stoick asked in unison.

"Wait. You know him?" Stoick asked.

"Gobber? What are you doing here?"

"I'm spending some quality time with my friend," Gobber informed. "And yes, I know him Stoick. He's North's nephew."

Valka watched as the three of them caught the others up on their relationships to one another. In a way, it was entertaining to watch.

"What is it Kristoff?" Stoick addressed the young man.

"I don't think we should talk here. It's about Greenland."

"We're fine," Stoick reassured.

"But what about her?" Kristoff motion towards Valka. "I think the information includes aspects of you, Gobber."

"Oh, really?" his interest peaked. "I think we should move this elsewhere."

"I'm not leaving Valka, Gobber," Stoick shook his head. "You don't mind a little business do you?"

"No. I actually intrigued." Valka scooted her chair forward in curiosity. She wanted to know what Stoick was getting into and how it involved the mutant world. Could it be that even with my protection, he's still found a way to get into trouble without knowing it?

"Alright," Kristoff accepted reluctantly. "I dropped off the cargo in Cavern like always. I checked to see if there were any left over crates perhaps moved or busted anywhere else but there was nothing. I didn't see any footprints either. It probably didn't help that there was a huge blizzard over the dock."

"A blizzard?" Stoick asked. "There wasn't any indication of a snow storm before you left. I wouldn't have let you go if there was."

"That's just it. It was just over the dock. The weather was clear everywhere else except the dock. When I left and hid behind some rocks, the weather cleared just as suddenly as it came in."

"That doesn't make any sense," Gobber rubbed his chin.

Snow Wraiths. Valka thought. Only Snow Wraiths can do something like that.

"When the weather cleared, the cargo was still there but not for long." Kristoff pulled out a photo and placed it on the table. The four leaned forward to examine it. Valka's heart began to race, Gobber went white, and Stoick looked confused.

"Is that a-" Stoick started.

"Dragon," Valka gasped.

"Four of them to be precise," Gobber added.

"How is that possible? I thought they were a myth," Stoick said.

"Apparently, they're not," Valka pointed out.

"These dragons appeared out of a hidden cave, grabbed the cargo and back into hiding. I waited several more hours to see if they would come back out again but they never did. And the storm didn't show up either."

"We need to take these to North," Gobber told Kristoff.

"Agreed."

Valka sat in silence as she tried to sort out all the new information. Her mind whirled in circles wondering if Stoick had accidentally stumbled across his base. I need to check this out. This could be the lead I've been waiting for.

Dipper tossed and turned in his bed unable to get comfortable. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the yellow triangle, the snapping of his fingers ringing in his ears. He groaned quietly not want to wake his sister in the other bed. He needed something to calm his mind, to distract him from his memories.

Sitting up, he picked up the book on his nightstand and grabbed a flashlight from the top drawer. He pulled is blankets over his head and began to read in his quickly made tent. He focused on each word, letting it burn into his mind but every once in a while he found himself wandering back to his memories and just skimming the book, not remembering what he read. He went on like this for what felt like hours until he heard commotion downstairs.

Exiting the blanket, he looked at the clock to see that it was only eleven at night. Seeing as he was up, he figured he might as well greet his father. He put the book down and turned off the flashlight as he got out of bed and snuck out the room. He almost ran down the stairs but stopped when he heard his parent's conversation.

"I can't believe you, Samuel," his mother scolded. "You don't believe your own son?"

Dipper slowly descended the stairs to hear better but to stay far enough away to not be caught by them. "I believe him, Judith, but I do agree with the police officers."

"The officers think that Dipper is crazy. They think that he made everything up because he's a kid. Do you really think Dipper would lie to the police?"

"The officers don't think he's crazy," Samuel said calmly. "They said that his mind changed the murder into a more pleasant form so that he could comprehend what he witnessed."

"That's the same as saying he made it up!"

"Well, he did, Judy. He did!"

Dipper jumped at his father's outburst. The room was silent for several moments before Samuel sighed as he continued. "There is no way a creature like he described could exist."

"How do you know? Have you been to every inch of the globe? Have you met every person in the world? Have you seen all the different environments and ecosystems? Have you experienced every culture?"

"What does that have to do-"

"It has everything to do with it, Sam! Just because you haven't seen something that most would consider to be impossible, it doesn't mean it's not out there."

"So you believe there is a person out there that looks like a two dimensional triangle with one eye, wears a top hat and a bow tie, and carries a cane?"

"Yes."

"And that he can kill a person with a snap of his fingers or disappear in a millisecond?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because Dipper swears that's what he saw."

As the discussion progressed, Dipper curled in on himself more and more as his parent's words brought back unpleasant memories. "Judy, he's a child. You have-"

"Your right, Sam. He is a child. A child who uses his brain and logic 95% of the time. A child who would know the seriousness of what happened and know to tell nothing but the truth. A child who is more mature than his years and can see the pain from Tadashi's family and friends. He's not a naive child! He, of all the kids here in town, would know not to tell police a made up creature!"

There was once again silence engulfing the room. Dipper began to blame himself for his parent's argument. He felt as if the world was closing in on him and that no matter what he did, he'd be able to help anyone. His eyes began to water knowing that this was all his fault. He should have done something to help Tadashi; he should have just lied to the police about Bill; he should have taken a picture of the murderer; he should have done something more.

"Say that this Bill Cipher does exist," Samuel spoke calmly. "Say that he, in fact, a triangle. Say that he can destroy people with a snap of his fingers. If all of that is true then this guy is beyond dangerous. If he finds out that he was witnessed killing Tadashi, he will go after the witness, which is our son in this case. So, I'd like to believe that the police are doing us a favor by reinterpreting Dipper's description into a physical human being. Does that mean that the police will never find Tadashi's killer? Yes. And I know that's a horrible thing to think but if it means that our son lives, then I will get over my guilt."

"I didn't think of it like that," Judith said quietly. "But forgetting the police, the situation, the 'what ifs', do you believe Dipper?"

Samuel paused before her answered. "Yes, I believe him."

"Then what were we arguing about?"

"I mentioned putting Dipper into some sort therapy or counseling for imagining the triangle form."

"But you believe Dipper, so it won't be necessary, right?"

"No, I still think he should go; not for the imagined form but for witnessing a murder in general. Ever since that say, he's been quiet, avoiding everyone including Mabel, and refuses to talk about it to anyone but the police."

"Agreed. I think he needs to talk to someone besides us and the authorities but we need to let him know that he can talk to us at any time."

Dipper smiled through his tears. He knew his family cared for him and knew he could talk to them, especially his sister but that was also the same reason why he didn't talk to them. With the constant reminders that Bill was out there and what he could do, if he told anyone in his family he might put them in danger. Bill might see them as a threat and kill them too. He couldn't risk it.

It didn't make sense to him but he had a feeling that he would meet Bill again and if he did, he was going to make sure that his family remained safe.

Candace had never been to a funeral before and all she could think of was why she had to wear black. It didn't make her more sad or more sorry for what had happened than wearing her normal clothes. Besides, it was itchy to wear in the hottest rainstorm she had ever experienced, making the entire experience even more unpleasant. Perhaps that's why they wore black.

Candace was nudged forward by her mother, directing her toward the coffin of Tadashi Hamada. She placed a cherry blossom branch on the empty coffin and bowed, respecting his family traditions, before sitting back down at her seat next to her brothers. She looked at them, both dressed nicely in black suits, but with unsure and confused looks on their faces. She didn't expect them to really understand what was going on, they were too young.

Her attention was grabbed when Cass began to say some final words about Tadashi. Her eyes were puffy and nose red from crying for so many hours but she tried to keep her voice from cracking as she spoke. She wasn't very successful with that as she began to cry once again.

Several teens stood up and began to hug her in attempts to make her feel better. Candace saw, from the corner of her eye, her mother get up and approach the distraught woman, gently making her way through the teens. The teens, a large black boy, a small Asian girl, a tall Latino, and a lanky white boy, all backed away and moved towards the coffin where Hiro stood. She watched as the four of them placed a hand on his shoulders, letting him know that they were there for him.

"Isn't that sweet," Lawrence, her stepfather, sighed. "Tadashi's friends comforting his little brother. They are great friends. I hear that they have been helping the Tadashi's out with the cafe, making sure it's still in business when they get back on their feet."

Candace looked back at the group of kids, a lump forming in her throat. She couldn't imagine being in Hiro's place mourning her brothers. Just the thought of one of her brothers dying at a young age or even getting hurt made her stomach hurt. On the way home, she stared blankly at her brothers as they talked or out the window, her mind deep in thought. For the rest of the day the throughout the night, she felt scared, insignificant, and light, almost as if she was having an out of body experience. When she was finally able to get to sleep, she was awakened by a loud noise.

The noise sounded like a hammers banging on metal and she stuck her head out of her window to see Phineas and Ferb several hundred feet in the air on a scaffold. "What are you two doing up so early? People are trying to sleep."

"But it's ten in the morning, Candace," Phineas defended. Candace looked at her clock and saw that he was telling the truth.

"Whatever. What are you two doing?"

"We're building a giant rocking horse!"

"Seriously? A rocking horse? Aren't you a bit old to be playing with rocking horses?" Candace question.

"Yes, yes we are," Phineas confirmed as he swung his hammer against a nail.

The force of his swing caused Phineas to lose his balance for a moment, almost falling off of the scaffolding. Candace's heart stopped beating for a moment, reaching out as if she could catch him if he fell. Once he righted himself, he proceeded on the building project oblivious of his older sister's concern.

Candace ducked back inside her room, worry nagging on her innards. With Tadashi's funeral still in her mind, she was determined to ensure that her brothers would never wind up like him, one way or another. She ran downstairs and entered the backyard to see that in the few minutes she was inside, the boys had completed way more than they should have in that short amount of time. "Hey! What exactly are your plans for this horse?"

"We're going to ride it around town. You want to join?"

"No. That sounds super dangerous for both you and the town. I'm telling Mom. Where is she?"

"At the store picking up groceries," Ferb informed.

"Fine. I'm going to get dressed but once I am, I'm going to tell Mom and you're going down! Down, down, down!"

"What is the big idea?"

Astrid stopped her arm mid-swing to avoid hitting Snotlout directly in the chest with her axe. "Seriously, Snotlout? Do you have a death wish?"

"What are you thinking?"

"I don't understand." Astrid absorbed the axe back into her hand as she waited for Snotlout to answer.

He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the blonde. "Don't play dumb with me. First you scold and threaten me about conversing and being around him and a few days later I see you buddying it up with him in the courtyard!"

Astrid pondered for a moment before realizing what he was talking about. "You mean Hiccup?"

"Yes, Hiccup!" he replied throwing his hands up in the air. "You did you think I was talking about?"

"I wasn't buddying up-"

"Don't lie to me Astrid. I know what you two being buddy-buddy looks like, so spill! Why are you being hypocritical?"

"I'm not-" Astrid started to defend herself.

"Yes, you are! You're allowed to be around him but I'm not? I'm his family. If any gets dibs on being with amnesiac, it's me!"

"Would you shut up so that I can explain!" Astrid snapped. Snotlout went quiet, his blue eyes going wide in surprise. "What I said to you is true. We can't be around him to make sure that we don't put him into a coma. However, that was before I saw what he goes through every night."

Snotlout relaxed, concerned about what she would say next. "What do you mean?"

Astrid rubbed her arms as if she was cold. "He has horrible nightmares every night to the point that he sweat profusely; he calls out to his parents but not for help but as if he's trying to get to them; he relives the night everything went wrong but he doesn't remember anything."

"That doesn't sound fun. How do you know this?"

"I went by his room the other day and Toothless pushed me in to help try and calm him down."

"And that's what got you to change your mind?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Snotlout asked.

"What?"

"Why did it change your mind?" He repeated as he crossed his arms again. "You're not the only one who worries about him."

Astrid looked up and cocked an eyebrow. "You're worried about him? But you've always teased him and made his life miserable."

"We're family, that's what we do."

"I'm pretty sure it's not."

"Answer the question!" Snotlout yelled. The training area shook slightly at the stomp of his foot and his voice bounced off of the walls.

"I changed my mind because he needs us."

Snotlout's face relaxed. "Us?"

"Yes, us. I was going to tell you that we should start getting back into his life. I didn't tell you yet because I wanted it to be a slow introduction."

"Go on."

"He needs us more than ever. I think his sessions with Sandy and Tooth are working on his memory. He's drawing scenery from Berk and drawing silhouettes of people that I know are his parents. His past is slowing but painfully seeping through."

"Shouldn't that be more of a reason to stay away?"

"I honestly don't know," Astrid admitted. "I was uncertain at first. When you saw me sitting with him, I knew it was the right thing to do."

"What changed?"

"He is so afraid of his past."

"What? His childhood was pretty good."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but he doesn't know that. He's afraid of being useless, that his parent abandoned him, and that he didn't have any friends. I can't tell him that those fears aren't needed because that would open up a whole bunch of explaining and questions that we don't have answers to. What's worse, he's afraid that he is alone in the world; that his parents and family are dead and that he watched them die."

"But his parents are dead," Snotlout pointed out. Astrid glared at him. "What? I don't like it anymore than him. They were my family too. You seem to forget that. And besides, why don't we tell him? My father and I are here. At least he'd know that he's not alone."

"Do you think he'd believe you?"

Snotlout was about to answer when he paused and thought about it. "Not in current state."

"Exactly." Astrid saw Snotlout turn from her, his shoulders slouching. She could feel the shift in energy in the training room and to feel it go from tense to depressing was not a good feeling. She walked over to Snotlout and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, Snotlout. We will get him back. He will remember eventually."

"You think so?"

"I hope so," Astrid smiled. "And we can help him by being for him now. We can make him feel like he did in his past so when he does remember, not much will be different. Maybe even being around him and treating him like we did in the past will help break whatever mental wall is keeping his memories hidden."

"So, you want me to treat like before?" Snotlout asked confused.

"Yes, but for you, tone it down a bit. You don't want to scare him off."

Snotlout smiled. "I can work with this."

Merida sat in the car staring at her hands the entire trip. In the back, her triplet brothers were making weird noises and faces, which she would normally participate in but not today. They pulled on her hair and called her name to try getting her attention but it didn't bother her. She didn't even look up when Elinor placed a sympathetic hand on her knee.

"Just leave her alone, Elinor," Fergus said softly.

She sighed in defeat. "I wish I could help her in someway."

"You've done everything that ye can, dear."

"Let's turn around, Fergus. Take us back to the school."

"And risk ye mother's wrath? I think not. I don't like this anymore than ya but we were able to get around her rules once, I don't think it will help Merida if we miss this appointment."

Elinor signed once again. "You're right, dear. You're right."

The adults remained quiet until the silence between the two of them was unbearable. "I do have some information for you and North when we're done with the fitting. I figured it would be best if I showed them in person."

"Oh, what's it about."

"Jack."

Merida's head perked up at the name of her friend. "What about Jack?"

"I has to do with his family. I found some very interesting information. Long story short, I think he has more family than he realizes."

"More family?" Elinor questioned.

"Aye."

"But he wants Emma back, not more family," Merida pointed out. "I mean, not that he wouldn't be happy about it, but how can when he knows his little sister is out there?"

"We'll see what this information is later. But let's concentrate on one thing at a time," Elinor said calmly.

"Whoa! Look at that boy with the white hair!" Hubert yelled.

"Cool!" Hamish called out. "Hey, Dad, can I have white hair?"

"Only when you're 90," he replied.

"I want the long blonde hair," Harris added. "I can trip people up with it!"

"No, no, no, no! I want a fake leg," Hamish edited his statement. "His looks so much cooler than Dad's."

"What are you three talkin' about?" Merida asked turning around facing them. The three pointed out of the window as Fergus pulled in front of a dress shop. Everyone got out of the car and stood in front of the three figures the boys were referring too.

"What are you three doing here?" Elinor questioned. She pointed at Jack as she continued. "You shouldn't be out here alone."

"But I'm not alone," Jack pointed out. "I'm with Hiccup and Rapunzel and now all of you."

"Dad? Can I change my name to Raspberry?" Hamish asked.

"What? No. Why?"

"Because his name is Hiccup."

"What are ye doing here?" Merida asked.

"We came for your fitting," Rapunzel said gleefully. "I've never been to a fitting before."

Merida smiled weakly at the blonde's enthusiasm. "We're here to support you," Hiccup spoke up, eyeing Rapunzel sternly. "We figured you could use all the support possible." Noticing Rapunzel's saddened expression, Hiccup rolled his eyes and added, "But if we ended up all having fun, that wouldn't be too bad."

Rapunzel's face lit up and Merida laughed for the first time in a long while. "Thanks guys. This was nice of you."

"You should give all your thanks to this little guy," Jack put his arm around Hiccup's shoulder. "It was his idea to come."

"Then I know who to punish when we get back to the school," Elinor crossed her arms, a stern expression on her face.

"I know," Hiccup hung his head.

"Awe, Elinor. Lay off the teacher bit will ya?" Fergus asked. "They just wanted to be there for our daughter."

"I know that but-"

"Besides, what could happen to them with us all together?"

Elinor looked from each teen until she landed on Merida's pleading eyes. Giving in, she relaxed. "Very well. You three can stay but keep your distance from my mother. She will not like it if you get in her way."

"Yes ma'am," all three said at once.

Rapunzel immediately ran to Merida and hugged her tightly. "I'll try on dresses with you. I love trying on clothes! You know, I learned how to sew on my own and made most of my dresses."

"Really?" Merida cocked an eyebrow. "How come I didn't know that?"

"It never really came up. Come on, come on!"

The blonde dragged the redhead into the bridal shop eagerly as everyone else followed suit with grins on their faces. Once they all entered, they came face to face with Victoria. The boys could see and understood the 'old fashion' way of the Dunbrochs. She looked like she was from the 19th century.

"Who are they?" she inquired pointing at the three teens.

"These are ma friends, Gandmum," Merida answered bitterly. "The ones I told you about. This is Jack, Hiccup, and Rapunzel."

"Hi!" Rapunzel waved excitedly while the boys smiled and waved.

She looked them all up and down skeptically, her face changing for a split second before returning to her stoik expression. "Very well. Just stay out of our way."

"Mother," Elinor addressed. "Rapunzel would like to join in the fitting."

"Is she getting married as well?"

"No. However, it won't hurt anyone if she participated."

Victoria looked at Rapunzel's restrained excitement before making up her mind. "Very well. But if she slows us down, I will kick her out." With that, two seamstresses came out and took the two girls in the back while the boys joined Fergus in the back.

Once measured, they were both presented with a rack full of wedding dresses. Rapunzel picked the first one and ran in the back to try it on while Victoria picked one out for Merida to try on. With each dress they tried on, the girls came out to model them for everyone. Hiccup, Fergus, and Jack gave each one a thumbs up while the triplets making faces of disgust for each one Merida came out in. When Victoria wasn't looking, Merida made the same faces back or making over dramatic dying gestures making everyone smile and stifle their laughter.

When every dress had been tried on, Rapunzel sat down next to the boys, her shoulders slumped a bit. "I don't think I've ever seen you this exhausted," Hiccup chuckled.

"That was fun but tiring."

"It looked tiring," Jack agreed.

"Ye have no idea," Merida walked up to the three of them adjusting her shirt. "It's nice to be back in normal clothes."

"None of those will do," the heard Victoria say to the seamstress. "Do you have anything else in stock?"

"We will be getting new designs tomorrow."

"Very well, we will be back tomorrow. Same time." Merida let her head fall backward as she sighed heavily before leaning against the wall. "Ladies don't slouch or lean against wall you two." Victoria scolded both Merida and Rapunzel. "Straighten up." Merida pushed herself off of the wall while Rapunzel quickly straightened her posture. "Much better."

"Mother," Elinor stepped forward. "Shouldn't we wait a bit before trying again? Give Merida time to rest. This is a tiring activity."

"The sooner it's done, the better."

"Mother-" Elinor began to speak again but was interrupted by the sound of her emergency phone buzzing. She apologized and walked outside to take it leaving everyone else in the shop staring awkwardly at each other. Just as Fergus was going to say something, Elinor ran back in, her face pale and wide eyed. "Fergus, kids, we need to go now."

"What's wrong, dear?" Fergus asked.

"Stoick found some information that might help with finding Jack's sister."

"What?" The teens jumping up in shock.

"Where?" Jack asked.

"I don't know," Elinor said as she began to gather her things. "North didn't tell me. He just wanted us back immediately."

"But isn't this good Mum? Merida asked following her out the shop and too the car. "Why are ye so flustered?"

"There's also so disturbing news to go along with it as well. Apparently, it concerns Hiccup and Toothless."

Hiccup looked at her confused. "Us?"

"All of you in the car now," Elinor commanded. "It'll be a little tight but it'll have to do. Fergus, you can tell North your information while we're there too."

The nine of them piled into the large van and drove off leaving a bewildered Victoria in the dust. "Very unbecoming of all of them.

Dagur sat there running his thumb over the tusk horn on the forman table as he watched Eret work in the cave. If starring could burn holes in people, Eret would been burned all the way through. He wasn't sure that Eret did to him when they made physical contact but whatever it was, he wasn't sure if he liked it or not. He felt conflicted, vulnerable, and depressed, though as he thought about it, he always seemed depressed.

He watched as Eret caught Emma when she slipped on ice. She smiled at him in gratitude but was startled when Alvin shoved her and shoved her towards the food sack she had dropped during her impromptu ice skating fail. Her expression of fear as she proceeded with her indentured chores made Dagur's heart skip a beat.

His mind went back to a time before he knew Drago; a time he faintly remembered being happy. He remembered sitting in the living room with his sister, Heather, reading books that were way advanced for her age; remembered when they would tackle each other while playing tag or ruling the park with an iron fist; remembered comforting her during terrifying winter storms that almost took the roof off of their house; remembered the horn she used to blow in his ear on holidays to wake him up, the horn he now stroked in distracted thought.

"You get in my way again, I'll do more than just push you!" an angry voice snapped.

"Hey!" Eret got between them protecting Emma. "Maybe you should be more careful," Eret scolded the large man.

"She shouldn't be here," he pointed at the girl weakly sitting up. "And neither should you. You're just getting in my way."

"Quiet!" Dagur screamed, the entire cave going silent. "If you and your men had noticed that the walls weren't stable and told us so we could fortify them, none of you would be here. Now get back to work!"

The men quickly and quietly went back to their jobs, Eret gently helping Emma to her feet only for the darker man to be pulled away from her by Mord'u and shoved across the room. Mord'u gave the girl a dark stare and followed her towards the back of the cave to get another load.

With the comotion dealt with, Dagur went back to his thoughts about it sister. It had been years since he thought about her. It usually caused him pain, mentally and emotionally, to think about the past but Eret's touch opened up a floodgate of pent up emotion. The memories, the emotions, his heart seemed to have turned against him, making him feel pity on Jack's sister.

He understood Jack's desperation and protective instincts. All older siblings seem to be programmed with it. He remembered when the men from government came take his family away and how he was able to knock out most of the men with just his mind. He grabbed Heather and ran but he was hit by a tranquilizer dart, unable to do anything as they killed her for getting in the way. As they dragged him into the back of a van, he saw his parents were also disposed of in a similar fashion.

Those memories usually fueled his anger and hatred of normal humans and the mutants who supported them but today, it barely made a spark in his gut. Perhaps it was the pleasant memories that he had blocked out for so long that cancelled out the bad ones. He wasn't sure and he didn't like being unsure.

"Excuse me, sir."

"What?" Dagur snapped at the man standing next to him.

"Message from him." The man held out a tablet with an opened email; an email that excited but also caused Dagur's heart to drop with a message that only contained three words.

Begin Phase One.

Let me know what you think. I love hearing from all of you. :D