The boys reached the Tower by morning. Merida waited outside the entrance with a hand on her hip.
After landing, Jack strutted up to the redhead.
With her chin up, "Jack,"
"Princess," he bowed, "I see you still haven't heard of a haircut."
She smirked and delivered a friendly punch to his gut.
"Ooff!"
"I see you still flinch."
"Well, because you still scare me." He joked, rubbing his belly.
"JACK!"
He looked up at the beautiful sight of a very enthusiastic Rapunzel popping out from the large open window.
She leaped out of the tower and Jack flew up straight towards her. They caught each other in a great, big hug, spinning back down to the ground. Her unbelievably long blonde hair circled around them. Once their bare feet gracefully touched the grass and all of her hair followed, surrounding them, the friends separated from their embrace.
"It's so great to see you!"
"You too. How you been, Punzie?"
"Good, I've been good, and you?"
"I've been doing alright."
"I bet." She teased, "You have to tell me all about you and Elsa."
"You know her?"
"No, not really, but I'm friends with Anna. She's the one who invited Eugene and I to Elsa's coronation-"
Merida and Hiccup coughed rudely to get their attention, and pointed to the top of the tower.
"Oh, right." She giggled apologetically, "You can tell me all about your relationship after we save the world. C'mon!" She took him by the hand, and they entered the tower.
Hiccup followed, leaving Merida outside beside Toothless. She looked around to avoid eye-contact. Toothless stared at the ground, pretending to play with the dirt.
Rubbing the back of her neck, "So…"
Toothless sat up, their eyes averting from each other's again and again.
Merida tried to conquer the awkwardness and face the dragon, "Ye uh, did yuh like Arendelle? Punzie told me the skies light up real fancy there at dark…"
The dragon gave the redhead a half-bored look, expressing no sign of interest.
"Aw, come now. Don't tell me you're still upset about the arrow."
Toothless lifted his paw up to her face, showing the scar on his leg while complaining in angry, gruff grunts.
The first time these two met, Hiccup was not present and Merida had shot at the dragon in self-defense.
"It was years ago! And ye were charging right at meh! I reacted. Ah had never seen a bloody dragon before! What did yuh expect me ta do!?"
Toothless scoffed at her and turned away, closing his eyes to lie on the ground.
She tried nudging him for a chance to give a sincere apology, "Toothless I-" he whacked her across the face with his tail without even getting up. "Oh forget it then!" She flailed her hand in the air passive aggressively and left.
Inside, the four heroes entered the naturally lit room. Sunlight shined through the large open windows and ceiling.
Hachiman was now able to seat himself up.
"Feeling better?" Rapunzel asked.
"Verily," he looked at the silver-haired young man, "Jack Frost! Your friends did not tell me a Guardian would be joining us in this battle. You will be a worthy ally."
"I'll do what I can. And Hiccup told me everything on the way here. So how do we find Susano and the witch?"
"Hmm, I'm afraid I'm not yet strong enough to sense his presence, but I do know where the remaining volcanoes are. Do you have a map?"
"I do," Hiccup pulled out the global map of every destination he had ever been to and handed it over.
Hachiman pointed to a curved series of little islets, "This is the closest from whence we last faced him."
"The Crescent Isles," The Viking recognized them. "I take Astrid there all the time. I know the way."
"We've lost a day and a half. By sea it should take Susano around two to reach the isles. By air, it will take you a mere few hours. There is still time."
"We'll be cutting it in close." Rapunzel said to her friends.
"What else is new?" Jack smiled with his staff hung over his shoulder. They have had many close calls in their past adventures, but together they had always pulled through.
"Wot are we waitin' fer then?" Merida strapped on her bow and loaded quiver.
"Wait," the god raised his hand.
His samurai sword levitated from across the room. Everyone stepped out of the way as it hovered over to its master.
The sword floated before Hachiman. The long twined blade glowed green. He slowly swayed his hands. Flowing with his palms' movements, the glowing blade split from its handle and separated into many small pieces. Then, Rapunzel's daggers and Merida's arrows levitated off of them and moved to Hachiman. The glowing pieces fused onto the dagger blades and arrow tips. Lastly, the glow dimmed, revealing the weapons reinforced, and stronger than ever before.
"Now you are equipped with steel to wound a god."
The improved weaponry returned to their owners.
"Wow…"
"Ye said it…"
"Now go! You must stop Susano and Kitsune, no matter the cost."
Toothless climbed up to the open window. Hiccup adjusted his suit and got on. The Night Fury let go of the wall and they fixed themselves in the air beside the window. He motioned to the girls to follow, "Climb on!" And they did.
Jack flew out next to them with an open smile, "Team's back, guys!"
"They don't stand a chance." Merida proclaimed confidently.
Toothless roared in agreement. Hiccup patted his dragon's scaly neck for them to go and they shot up into the sky.
Jack kept up, flying right beside his friends, arms extended like a bird, enjoying the wind through his silver locks. The rushing sensation never got old.
The Big Four had assembled once again. With looks of confidence and heroic determination, they headed out to face their most challenging threat yet. The outcome of this epic adventure would determine the fate of the entire world.
-End of Act I-