The trio stood in front of a stone walkway that crossed over a bay of crystal blue water and led up to a beautiful town surrounding a tall and majestic white castle. All three of them were gaping in awe as they made their way along the walkway and into the town. Toothless had reluctantly stayed behind in a clearing of the forest at Hiccup's command. They had figured that arriving with a dragon in tow in such a public area would not do well for their image.
"It's beautiful!" Merida exclaimed as they approached the archway that marked the entrance of the town. Hiccup and Jack nodded in agreement, still taking in the sights around them. Purple banners emblazoned with majestic yellow suns decorated every building and were strung up above the bustling stone paths. It appeared that a celebration was taking place for nearly every townsperson was out and about.
"Great, how're we going to find this Rapunzel in all of this?" Hiccup observed, gesturing across the crowd that they continued to maneuver through.
"A girl with ridiculously long hair, how hard can she be to find? You were pretty easy with your crazy hair, Merida," Jack jabbed, giving Merida's red hair a slight yank. She swatted him away and scowled, her eyes continuing to search the crowd's in front of them.
The trio paused to rest against one of the shop's exteriors and Merida and Hiccup snacked on a pastry that had been handed to them by a brightly smiling young girl. When they had offered to pay her, she had only responded that everyone got one in honor of the lost princess's birthday. "Lost princess, hm?" Merida had asked curiously.
"Oh yes, miss! The whole kingdom's been looking for her since before even I was born! Near eighteen years!" With a grin, the young chestnut haired girl bounded off, but not before Jack could send a small snowflake ahead of her which she gleefully chased much to his delight.
"Interesting," Merida murmured, biting into the pastry and furrowing her brow. Hiccup peered over at her and then glanced at Jack, the two shrugging their shoulders simultaneously. Once they had finished the pastries, the trio continued on up the path until they came to the town's center in front of the castle where a multitude of booths sold various paper lanterns decorated with the same suns that were on the banners.
"There!" Jack exclaimed, pointing. Merida and Jack turned their attention in the direction of where he was pointing and saw a girl with brilliant golden hair intricately braided all the way down to just above her bare feet. Flowers decorated the braid every so often and her lilac and purple dress swayed about her as she moved swiftly along the ground, tdrawingwith a pastel purple chalk. She looked to be completely happy and laughed joyfully every so often. Standing up she wiped her face with her chalk covered hand and beamed down pridefully at her work. "That's definitely her," Jack confirmed. "The girl with the magical hair."
"Well, I don see anythin' magical about it," Merida observed flatly. Jack frowned at her before running across the town square towards Rapunzel. He stopped directly in front of her and waved, but became crestfallen when she merely walked straight through him.
"Agh!" he frustratedly exclaimed. Jack returned to where Merida and Hiccup stood who simply smiled at him.
"Seriously, Jack?" Hiccup said.
"It was worth a try, okay?" Jack shot back. Merida rolled her eyes at him and gave him a light shove on the shoulder.
"Okay, now it's our turn," Merida said as she and Hiccup strode past Jack. Music kicked up before they could get apart from the crowd and the trio saw Rapunzel start to dance in a graceful and joyous manner. She grabbed people out from the crowd to join in the dance, which they gleefully did. "Get out there!" Merida whispered sharply to Hiccup. He looked over at her meekly and vigorously shook his head.
"I'd much rather stay here, thanks," Hiccup shakily stated, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Oh fer goodness sake." Merida shoved Hiccup out into the dancing crowd who instantly yelped and then froze on the spot with the townspeople dancing all around him. He had never gotten used to being in social situations and this one was no different. Hiccup began to hyperventilate a little and his knees became wobbly.
"Oh gods," he groaned. A tug on his arm made him yell out again, however he managed to stifle it when he came face to face with the person who had pulled him out of his near panic attack.
"Easy, it's just dancing," Rapunzel said with a kind smile as she swept Hiccup around and continued to skip in time with music, her arm interlocked with his. Hiccup gulped and tried to match her footwork with his, but nearly ended up tripping over his own feet. This made Merida and Jack buckle over with laughter, much to his chagrin.
"Gods this is humiliating," he muttered. Rapunzel gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
"Oh please, she's not out here having fun like we are!" She nodded towards Merida and then stepped out, did a twirl, and came back to Hiccup where they took up the skipping again as the music continued to play. "I'm Rapunzel!"
"Hiccup." Rapunzel smiled and her green eyes shone with happiness.
"Nice to meet you! I've met so many people today and I'm sure you're just as wonderful as the rest of them."
"Yea yea, sure. Listen, I really need to ta-" he didn't manage to finish his sentence for Rapunzel unlocked her arm from his and he suddenly found himself with a new partner. The music's pace quickened and he found it even more difficult to keep up. He could sense that this new partner, a stoutly woman with tightly pulled back black hair, was getting annoyed with him. Before she said anything though, partners were exchanged again and he found himself once again joined by Rapunzel.
"You handled yourself well there!" she observed.
"That's not how I would put it. Now about what I was saying earl-gods!" The partners were exchanged again and Hiccup found himself with an elderly woman who looked to be having the time of her life. "He-hello there," he managed to say with a meek smile. The time spent with each partner became less and less as the music continued to get faster and more frenzied, thus causing Hiccup to simply conclude that it would be best to discuss the mission after the dance had ended. "At least we've made contact," he thought to himself as Rapunzel danced off again.
"He dances like a yeti," Jack guffawed as he leaned on his staff.
"A yeti?" Merida responded, confused.
"Ah, you'll meet them when we get to North's place."
"At least we know that he has another left foot," Merida cracked with a smile. Jack doubled over laughing at this and Hiccup scowled upon seeing them. Finally the music ended and someone announced that it was time for everyone to head to the boats. The trio turned their attention to where Rapunzel stood, in the center of the square breathless and hand in hand with a handsome young man. Hiccup approached her from behind and tapped her on the shoulder, which startled her. She gave out a small high pitched yelp and leapt around.
"Oh, it's you!" she exhaled, relieved. "It was wonderful dancing with you, but I really must be going. We're going to see the floating lights!" Rapunzel gave a slight wave and joined her arm with the man's.
As she started to walk away, Hiccup grabbed her arm and said, "Wait!" Rapunzel eyed him and slightly frowned, not taking well to being impeded on her way to fulfill her dream.
"Hey!" The man said forcefully. Hiccup released his hold on Rapunzel's arm and took a step back.
"Look, we really need to talk to Rapunzel. It's important," Merida calmly stated, stepping forward and extending her arms. "It's going to sound crazy when we explain it, so bear with us."
The man looked over at Rapunzel who gave him a small smile and gently said, "It's all right, Eugene. We have some time." Jack snorted at the man's name and Merida shot him a glare.
"Aw, come on, Merida! Eugene? That's almost as bad as your name!" She smacked her hand down hard on the back of his head, to which he gave her a slight shove and rubbed the area where she had gotten him, grumbling something nasty under his breath.
"What...just happened?" Eugene asked while Rapunzel gave them an odd tilted look.
"It'll make sense in a minute here," Hiccup said. "Just let me explain." Rapunzel nodded for him to go on and as Hiccup explained the concept of the Guardians and the threat of Pitch, her brilliant green eyes grew wider and wider. "So, you see? We need you, Rapunzel, to come with us and put an end to Pitch's darkness."
Rapunzel ran a hand slowly through her hair as she processed what she had just heard while Eugene stood frozen in place, his jaw hanging open. He quickly regained his composure and quickly said, "Glowing hair with healing properties, sure I can handle that. But time travel?! These Guardians?! And a frost spirit that you're going along with?! This is all crazy!" Eugene waved his hands frantically above his head as he shouted this out while Hiccup and Merida did their best to keep straight faces so he could see how serious they were. Then out of nowhere a snowball struck Eugene in the face which made Rapunzel gasp in surprise. Merida frowned and turned to see Jack standing with a smirk on his face, forming another snowball in his hand.
"Jack. Don't," Merida commanded. He looked over at her and took on a ridiculously pitiful expression.
"Aww, but he didn't believe in me!" He then lifted up his hand to throw another snowball, but found himself unable to move it. Looking over to his right, he saw Rapunzel's hand wrapped tightly around his wrist. "You see me?"
"Yes, and don't you dare throw another snowball at him," she dangerously said.
"Please don't," Eugene added, wiping the snow out of his hair. "It's been an...illuminating day to say the least."
Hiccup clapped his hands together and went, "Okay, so we've got the gang all together and now we can all set off! So let's go! I'd really like to get back to Toothless soon."
"Toothless?" Rapunzel and Eugene asked simultaneously.
"My dragon," Hiccup replied as though it were obvious.
"You...you have a dra-ohhh I need to lie down." Eugene swayed a bit where he was standing and was steadied by Rapunzel before he could fall down.
"So are you coming?" Jack inquired a bit urgently.
Rapunzel looked up towards the sky which was beginning to darken a little and sighed. For as long as she could remember she had dreamed of seeing the floating lights and now that she was so close to achieving her dream, she found it difficult to be pulled in a different direction. If what Hiccup, Merida, and Jack said was true though, then the dreams of millions of children were at stake of being consumed forever by the darkness of this Pitch Black. She shut her eyes and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
She felt a hand cup her chin and when she opened her eyes, she found herself staring directly into Eugene's comforting brown ones. "You don't have to go," he offered, clasping her hand in his. "We can still go see the lights." Rapunzel looked over individually at Hiccup, who silently pleaded with her, Merida, who remained stony faced, and Jack, who leaned against his staff and stuffed his pale hands in his sweatshirt pocket.
Exhaling slowly she slid her hand out of Eugene's and turned towards the others. "I'll go." She looked over her shoulder back at Eugene, who's face had slightly fallen. "I have to," she determinedly stated.
"Welcome to the team then!" Jack exclaimed, throwing his arms out in celebration.
"Jack, not now!" Merida scolded. Rapunzel gave her a small grateful smile and then turned back to Eugene.
"Don't go..." Eugene quietly begged as Rapunzel scooped Pascal off her shoulder and placed him on Eugene's. Rapunzel then wrapped her arms around his form and tenderly hugged him.
"I'll be back before you know it," she whispered, trying hard not to cry. As they broke apart, she kissed him gently on his cheek and smiled. He reached up to where she had kissed him and wore a slightly stunned expression. A now deeply red Pascal hid himself behind his paws. Rapunzel giggled then walked over to the others.
"Now where is this dragon?" she asked. The group headed out of the town square and just as they were about to be out of sight of Eugene, Rapunzel turned and gave him a small wave. He returned it with one of his own and then peered over at Pascal.
"I hope she comes back safely," he said to the chameleon. He heard a crackly noise emanate from Pascal which he took to mean that he hoped so too.