At the fall of night, everyone was relaxing around a campfire after their long days of rigorous training. Jack leaned back on a round, green layered rock with his arms folded behind his head. Hachiman, Merida, and Hiccup chowed down on the meal Rapunzel cooked up for everyone. The blonde princess poured herself a bowl of soup.
Hiccup hunched over in his seat on the log beside Rapunzel. "My arms have never hurt this much before."
Merida chewed down her bite of roasted fish. "Aww, wee lamb," She teased him from across the campfire.
"Sorry we can't all be as good in fighting as you." He pushed around his vegetables.
"You're a Viking. All your people and my people do is fight."
"Hiccup fights with his brain." Rapunzel chimed in with her hand on her friend's back.
"Who else could come up with the crazy idea to train a dragon?" Jack added.
"A Night Fury…" Merida uttered softly in awe. Toothless looked over at her from behind Hiccup. She smiled at the dragon. "The offspring of lightning and death," she complimented. Toothless started to smile back.
The Scottish maiden set her plate down to speak sincerely to the duo. "I may not admit it as often as ah should 'cause of me stubborn pride. But ah truly do admire yer witty smarts, Hiccup. The wonders you're able ta think of and craft to life. The mighty power ye, Toothless, naturally possess. Together there's nothin' yuh can't do. You are two halves of a fearsome whole."
Hachiman held his cup of tea and proclaimed. "And the four of you are unique parts of an unmatched set, the likes of which I've never seen." From his seat on the foot of the campfire he raised his drink. "To the Big Four!"
The young heroes raised their cups as well. Jack had to jump up to grab his cup and join in on the unanimous cheer.
After the tapping of everyone's mugs together, Hiccup turned to his dragon. "You hear that, bud? We're one big happy family." Toothless nodded gleefully. "So isn't it about time you drop your grudge?" They both looked over to Merida.
The Night Fury kicked around his raw fish as he made up his mind. He looked to Merida again, finding a soothing smile on an expression that hoped for his approval and forgiveness. A deep purr escaped the dragon as he tilted his head. Toothless and Merida continued their locked gaze across the campfire as if the flames were melting away all the harbored resentment between them.
The next morning, the Big Four were gathered at a rocky clearing for their final training exercise. The area within the forest had plenty of open room to maneuver.
Hachiman stood several feet away with his arms behind his back, as per usual. "I have trained you all individually to the best of my ability with the time afforded to us. Now…" He smiled, "Show me what you can do as a team."
The god pounded his fists together. Dozens of stone statues popped out of the earth. They were molded after different warriors, each with various weapons. Hachiman stomped a foot down and pushed his fists forth, sending the inanimate objects towards the Big Four like large chess pieces across a board.
Toothless and Jack stepped up to take out the first line with their contrasting elements. The Guardian then offered his staff for Merida to grab onto and flew her to the top of a rock formation. From there she oversaw the battlefield, shooting down one target after another. Jack proceeded to fly all around the clearing at great speed, bashing through statues with his weapon.
Rapunzel spun her long braid from side to side, using it to take out several warriors at a time as if it were a chain whip. Other statues came at the princess but Toothless leaped over from behind her, crushing them upon landing.
Hiccup then rolled over his dragon's back, kicking through another statue. He drew out his sword and his companion spat on the blade to engulf it in flames. The Viking sliced through many warriors as the Night Fury charged around the rocky clearing, breaking through many more.
Jack swooped in and stopped by Hiccup. Formed back to back, the boys took out wave after wave of enemies: one wielding his fiery sword, the other his frosty staff.
Rapunzel came in, wrapping her hair around a statue's neck and pulling herself right towards it. She roundhouse kicked its head clean off. The blonde then took out her daggers from her wrists and launched them at incoming targets. Another stone warrior shifted up to the princess from behind, but was immediately shot to pieces by arrows. Merida continued to watch over her teammates from her heightened position.
After the young heroes cleared out most of the test targets, more emerged from the earth. Jack and Hiccup looked to give each other a nod.
The Guardian flew off. The suited up Viking ran to his dragon, taking down more statues along the way. He hopped on and Toothless sprinted to Rapunzel. The rider extended his hand, lifting the blonde princess onto the back of his dragon. The Night Fury then soared up to collect the other princess. As they took off, Frost dropped back down, slamming the end of his staff to the surface. A cool-blue shock wave spread out, instantly freezing all the stone statues across the clearing to solid ice. His work being done, he ascended into the sky. Then, on the same spot, Toothless came stomping down on all fours with a thunderous quake that shattered all the frozen targets to bits. The final blow was so tremendous it appeared to be in slow motion. Merida and Rapunzel then jumped off to the sides of the roaring dragon, wielding their weapons at the ready. Jack Frost hovered over them. The Big Four finished in a heroic pose.
Hachiman witnessed their entire seamless execution in awe. They did not even need to verbally communicate with each other. They were so in sync on the field of battle that their teamwork was just naturally flawless. Their instructor gave them a much deserved round of applause. "Words cannot even begin to express how proud I am of you all."
The Big four all shared accomplished smiles and made their way to the Warrior God.
"You are ready." He stated without a shred of doubt.
Dismounting from Toothless, a new idea hit Hiccup. "Definitely, but... We can be better prepared." He glanced at his friends with that imaginative fire in his eyes.
Jack landed beside him and nudged his arm with a grin. "Always the overachiever."
Hachiman walked everyone over to what used to be a large, isolated cave. With his earth-bending abilities, he had built himself a blacksmith's workshop.
"Ye made yourself a smithy?" Merida asked.
"Had to keep myself occupied while you all went off to the temple. Where do you think the swords for your training came from?"
Hiccup rubbed his hands together with an eager smile. "Let's get to work."
Inside the workshop, Hiccup brought down a heavy sledgehammer onto a scrap of steel. He pounded away, letting the sparks fly. He could lift the hammer far easier than he ever could before. Looked like all those push-ups Merida made him do paid off.
Out by the cave, Rapunzel watched as Hachiman bent out precious metals and minerals from a deep hole in the ground. "I chose this place, because there is a rich deposit of ore below. The only kind I use for my steel." He plucked out a block of stone with glowing green gems inside.
"What you fused onto my daggers and Merida's arrows?"
"Indeed, and now we shall create more."
Within the tower, Merida sat at a table, knitting something out of a tartan cloth.
Jack leaned over her shoulder. "New outfit?"
"Eh, it's customary"
"Need any help?"
"I'll weave it me self, Jack, but thanks."
Out by the river, Rapunzel tightened the long braid of her hair. She then stood up to rip off the bottom of her dress, making it at knee length.
Back at the workshop, Hiccup borrowed some of his blonde friend's inks and paints to draw out some designs on a sheet of paper. Hachiman stepped in and saw his sketches. "Impressive. May I propose an idea?"
"Yeah sure,"
He laid out his scroll on the table. Hiccup widened his eyes upon first glance. "For Toothless?"
The god nodded. The boy looked back at the drawing before him, eager to get started. The two worked together all night to forge their ideas with the others walking in every now and then for fittings and measurements.
The next morning, the two princesses brought over platinum armor into the tower for Jack to try on. He refused though, not wanting to like a child. Rapunzel spoke to him like a gentle mother, while Merida spoke to him like an impatient father.
"Okay forget the chest plate. Could you please at least just put on the gauntlets and shin guards?"
"I don't wanna." He pouted and crossed his arms.
"How do you know you won't like it unless you try it?" She attempted to place a piece of armor on his arm, but the Guardian pulled away.
"Ugh, just put on the armor." The Scotswoman groaned out.
"I don't need it."
"Hiccup worked really hard to make this for you." Rapunzel told him softly.
"Nno,"
"Put on the stinkin' armor, Jack!"
"Make me!"
"Why ye difficult lil-" The redhead jumped on him, trying to jam a pauldron onto his shoulder. They rolled all over the interior, knocking over everything with Rapunzel following after them, trying to get them to stop.
At the cave, Hachiman pulled out his new twin-bladed katana from the cooling water. He sliced it clean through the air, being pleased with the weight and sound of it. Hiccup strapped on his new bronze tinted gauntlets. "Okay, give it a go."
The Warrior God brought down his sword. The Viking blocked the attack by bringing his forearms above his head. The gauntlets protected him perfectly.
"Great, you ready to try on yours?"
Minutes later, Hachiman walked up to Hiccup in his new, polished military-green samurai armor. "Master of dragons and a brilliant blacksmith…truly impressive, boy."
He rubbed the back of his head. "No big deal, it was your original design after all. I simply made a few modifications. You should be able to move your arms faster and more freely now." He walked over to push down on the bellows. "And it's the same materials so if you grow into a giant again, it'll grow with you. I think. I'm still not at all familiar with magic."
"It will. Many thanks, Hiccup. Now shall we bring in your dragon?"
Hiccup nodded excitedly and rushed outside.
Out on a stunning cliff-side, Merida sat sharpening her new supply of arrows. She had enough to fend off an army. The maiden even decided to make herself more quivers.
Back at the forge, Rapunzel walked in with her neutral smile. "What did you want to show me, Hiccup?"
The brown-haired inventor spun around on his chair and picked up a weapon that was leaning against the anvil. "You told me Merida was trying to teach you archery, but it was tough so here." He handed it to her.
"Whoa…a crossbow?" She found that it was not all that heavy upon carrying it.
"Yeah, but it's a lot easier to reload." He pointed the side of it. "All you do is pull back this here lever and the revolving chamber underneath automatically sets a new arrow."
Rapunzel tried it. The barrel beneath her gun-like weapon clicked and she saw an arrow pop onto the top, ready to fire. "Amazing. Mind if I give this a try?"
"Not at all." He walked her over to the entrance of the cave and extended out his hand for her to proceed, "Shoot."
The blonde took aim, placing the back against her shoulder and tilting her head to look through the iron sight. Pulling the trigger, the arrow shot out in a straight line all the way out the entrance of the cave until it was finally stopped by the trunk of a far tree.
"Now if you lose your daggers, you'll have this for longer range."
"Hiccup, you've outdone yourself again. You're the best." She hugged him close.
"No problem, Punzie."
Merida entered the cave after Rapunzel had left. She crossed her arms, getting straight down to business. "Wot ye got?"
Hiccup slid over to the side of his workshop. "So you know that special ore Hachiman mined out of the ground?"
"Uh-huh," She nodded.
He pulled put a small sac that fit in the palm of his hand, and opened it to show her its inner contents. "Well I infused it with just hints of crystalline and slickensides…" The creative inventor took one of her arrows and tied down the sac securely over the head. "And in doing so I found a surprise little reaction."
The young man walked her outside and handed back the arrow, instructing her to, "Fire it at that big boulder over there."
Merida saw where he was pointing at and took aim. She launched away and the distant boulder imploded into fiery chunks of debris. She jumped at the sudden KABOOM, both in shock and in joy. "Whoa ho ho! Ah am goin' ta love using these baebes."
Hiccup crossed his arms over his puffed out chest with a proud smug. "Knew you would, so I made plenty more of 'em."
She jabbed his arm, expressing her impressed gratitude.
Later in the afternoon, Hiccup and Hachiman completed the final touches on weapons and armor with Toothless supplying his fire to the forge. Rapunzel even came back to help paint in the colors.
At dawn, Hachiman stepped out of the cave with the Big Four marching alongside him. They were all sporting their modified outfits:
The Japanese Warrior God in his new and improved military-green samurai armor, wielding his reformed twin-bladed katana. His hair was back to being done in an olden chonmage. The only thing he decided not to recreate was his mask. The enemy would look upon his face on the field of battle.
The Winter Guardian in his signature blue, frosted hoodie and tight, brown pants but with sharp, silver gauntlets on his forearms and silver greaves tied around his shins. He also had small, platinum shoulder guards and was wearing his chainmail underneath his clothes. All his armor pieces had fern-like designs carved in and Elsa's snowflake insignia on the center of each pauldron.
The Princess of Corona in her purplish dress with the bottom torn off to the knee and sleeves rolled up, showing her long, beige wristbands that held some of her daggers. The rest were strapped all along the beige belts around her waist with the lightweight crossbow hooked on the side. An intricate set of gold-plated armor hugged and protected her thin figure. She had painted floral designs on the shiny pieces in magenta, and painted her artistic image of the sun on her chest in poppy-yellow. The blonde was also wearing her chainmail underneath her clothes.
The Princess of DunBroch in her dark teal, medieval-style dress with the chainmail just thrown on. Articles of black leather held the thin armor in place. She belted on a darkened, traditional kilt. Attached was a grizzly-brown garment worn as a cloak, draped over one shoulder; the exposed shoulder was protected by a round, bronze-coated plate with stainless red borders. With her massive flames of hair contained within the hood of her cloak, she had strapped a large quiver loaded with all of the explosive arrows around her back right next to her bow. Two smaller filled quivers hung off both sides of her belt along with her medium-sized sword. Wearing the kilt now, she had ripped off the needless bottom of her dress and used the fabric for the surface of her quivers. The warrior princess sewed in the emblem of DunBroch on the largest quiver with gold lace. The Scotswoman's legs were covered in big, comfy black leather strapped boots, and her hands sported black leather archery gloves strapped halfway up her forearms.
The Dragon Rider of Berk in his black and brown slim suit of leather and armor. He had switched out his arm paddings for bulky shoulder guards and strapped in the gauntlets of stronger steel. Other pieces of armor were belted around his waist and down his legs. The Night Fury beside him was also given sleek, shadow-black body armor with navy-blue borders. The Viking made sure to include the blood-red symbol of their clan on his biggest shoulder pad and the forehead of Toothless's helmet.
They all walked through the forest in unison with their game faces on. Hachiman stopped in front of a wall of stone. He laid his hand on the smooth surface and uttered a brief incantation. The rock swirled around into a liquid metal, transforming into a mercury-looking portal. This was how the Patron of Warriors, who is one with the Earth, traveled to any part of the globe. He had regained nearly all his strength to be able to unlock these portals again.
The god turned to the young heroes. "Once we step through this portal, Susano and Kitsune will be waiting for us."
Merida smiled up at him. "Us? Ye finally joinin' in for the fight?"
He nodded with a returning smile. "Of course, and we shall finish it."
Hachiman stepped through the shining portal. The Big Four ventured in right behind him. Win or lose, the final battle was about to commence.