Chapter 12: Waiting for the Lights
Toothless flew over the skies of Corona. He was a Night Fury, so even if everyone's eyes were on the sky right now, he went relatively undetected. He had settled on one of the towers coming out of the castle, a perfect view of the ocean in front of them. Hiccup rewarded his search with an apple.
"D'yah think Jack's gonna make it?" Merida asked.
Hiccup shrugged. "He probably just got involved with another Easter thing. I'm sure he's fine."
Neither of them wanted to call him out on the white lie.
Hiccup instead focused on the ocean down below them. Though he couldn't be too sure, he was positive that he had spotted the canoe Eugene had gotten himself and Rapunzel. It had been rather amusing to listen to him figure out an excuse for why it couldn't fit him, Merida, or Jack should he arrive; amusing to see the Lady-Killer extraordinaire be reduced to a love-stricken teenager. Hiccup was almost pretty positive that either Eugene hadn't realized that was what he was doing, or he was deliberately trying to avoid saying it out loud. Still, Hiccup liked this solution. It might not be the best view they could have gotten, but this wasn't the best days of their lives, now was it?
Or rather…it was the best day of his life, both of these days that didn't really seem to end had been, but it wasn't the same way it was Rapunzel's. Rapunzel had been waiting her whole life for this, while Hiccup had just been at the wrong place, wrong time. Still, he couldn't regret it. This had been the first time he really felt…accepted. Sure, he had been liked at the Dragon Training, but only because he was lying to people the whole time. Toothless had accepted him, and while he could never hate Toothless (or at least anymore; he was quite angry at the time when he realized he couldn't kill him), it wasn't the same as having human companions that weren't either picking on you or expecting too much of you. It was a nice feeling, one that he didn't want to get rid of just yet.
"Hiccup?" Merida spoke softly. "Ye alright?"
Hiccup was glad that it was pitch dark, because the blush on his face would have been really noticeable. "Yeah, yeah, I'm just…thinking."
Rapunzel leaned out on the boat. It couldn't be too long, now. In a few minutes, the lanterns would come up, and she would have her dream.
She sighed.
"Is something wrong?" Eugene asked.
Yes. Everything was. Nothing was. "I've been looking out of a window for eighteen years, dreaming of seeing the lanterns hit the sky. What if it's not everything I thought it would be?"
Eugene seemed to think about this before giving her a quiet, but confident, "It will be."
"And what if it's not?" Rapunzel asked. "Then that do I do?"
"Well, that's the good part, I suppose." Eugene said. "You get to find a new dream."
Out of the corner of her eye, Rapunzel saw it. The first lantern. She scrambled to get a better view, disregarding the fact that she was making the boat shake. It was small, just barely making a mark in the sky, and it floated alone. However, it was the cue for the others. Hundreds-thousands even, of lanterns began disembarking from the town, following their leader. It was the cue for the official boats around them to set loose their lanterns. In nearly a minute, everything was clear and bright, and the lanterns filled the sky.
Rapunzel sighed as she leaned against the boat. She had thought it would be wonderful. A feeling that would make her feel like she was soaring up with the lanterns herself. It wasn't what she expected. It was even better.
She turned back, surprised to see two more lanterns. Eugene gave her a look.
At first, Rapunzel reached out, ready to send it flying. But she thought better of it. If she had decided to do this before the lanterns, she would have regretted it. She knew that. But it was like something had changed now. It was like her entire perception had shifted.
"I want to give you something too." She held out the satchel. "I wanted to give it to you before, but I was just…scared. And now I'm not so scared anymore…you know what I mean?"
Eugene put down the lantern and lowered the satchel. "I'm starting to."
Jack knew where he was almost instantly. The park in Burgess. The Easter Egg Hunt. And if the small crowd of disappointed children slowly meandering away was any guess, it was over now and no one found any eggs.
But that was impossible! He had only been in Pitch's Lair for an hour, if that. How did everything get so screwed up?
"Jack! Where have you been?!" North called out to him. The voice didn't sound right for him. It was…weak. Strained. Jack was about to ask why when he began to explain. "Nightmares attacked the tunnels. Every egg destroyed, every basket smashed…nothing made it out alright."
Jack was at a loss for words. When he finally could find his voice again, he was cut off. "Jack!" Tooth flew right up to him. Nearly instantly, her eyes widened. "Where's Baby Tooth!? …Where did you get that?"
It then occurred to him that the tooth capsule was still in his hands. He tried to say something, anything, again, but his mouth still refused to function. Then again, he supposed there wasn't anything he could say. What was he going to try; that Pitch gave it to him? That he was hanging out with Pitch for a bit and left Baby Tooth behind? That it wasn't his fault he screwed everything up?
He saw Bunny, huddled over and sitting far away from them. A child walked right through him. No.
Jack flew off, hardly noticing the weight leaving his pocket as North's doll fell out.
They found him.
He didn't know how, but they found him.
And they knew they found him, too. He could just make out Eyepatch gesture at him with him ominous green lantern, egging him on before they disappeared into the shadows again.
"Is everything…okay?" Rapunzel asked.
"Uh…yeah. I just..." He glanced around. Most of the lanterns had gone now, and by the time they actually made it to shore they would all be. The lanterns were done. Blondie got to live out her dream, so problem solved. "I gotta go take care of some things real quick."
Rapunzel blinked at him. "Okay." She said quietly. Oh god, she was so perfect and good and kind and he was screwing everything up!
Their trip to shore was silent, save for the occasional apology he managed to sputter out. Once he pulled in, he did a quick glance of the area. It was far away enough from the brothers, so she wouldn't get caught in a fight, and even if she did, there was a (admittedly scary looking) cave she could hide in. Perfect.
"I'm really sorry. Everything's okay, I just…gotta take care of something. I'll be back soon." Eugene said as he grabbed the satchel and ran off.
The green light of the lantern engulfing the area was his cue that he found the right place.
"Ah, there you are!" Flynn Rider said. "I've been looking everywhere for you since we got separated. Hey, the sideburns are coming in really nice there."
Sideburns glared at him, still whittling away with a sword that could probably easily kill him.
Eugene coughed.
"Anyhow, just wanted to say: shouldn't have split, the crown is yours, I'll miss ya, but I think it's for the—" Flynn got cut off as he bumped into Eyepatch. "Best."
"Holdin' out on us again, Rider?" Sideburns said, not bothering to look up at him.
"What?"
"We heard you found something far more valuable than a crown." Sideburns stopped his work and walked up to him. The sword came dangerously close to his neck. "We want the girl."
Flynn gulped.
He couldn't do it. Try as he might, Jack could not throw his teeth away. At the same time, though, he couldn't look at them, either. Not after all the trouble they caused.
Jack stood there for who knows how long. He was in the middle of Antarctica, so it wasn't like he was going to be disturbed. But even if he wasn't, if he was in the middle of New York City or something, he wouldn't be seen anyway. They didn't believe in the Tooth Fairy, or Sandman, or Bunny…why would they believe in Jack Frost?
"I was afraid this would happen." Pitch spoke. Instantly, Jack felt his blood boil. "They didn't really believe in you. I was just trying to show you that. I understand."
Jack fired a blast of ice straight at him. Pitch dodged effortlessly, but Jack didn't stop there. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!" He roared as he launched another assault.
"I understand what it's like to be CAST OUT!" Pitch retaliated by sending a blast of his sand his way. Jack dodged, firing more ice as a make-shift shield.
"To NOT BE BELIEVED IN!" Another wave of shadows.
With a roar, Jack launched another blast of ice at it, freezing and crystallizing it nearly instantly.
Pitch breathed. "To long for a family."
Jack froze. He studied Pitch, never leaving his battle stance. Pitch looked oddly genuine. Oddly hurt.
For a moment, Jack was ready to turn aside and not care, but Pitch continued. "I spent so many years, alone in the shadows, and I thought that nobody else knows what this feels like. But now I know I was wrong. We don't have to be alone, Jack. I believe in you, and I know children will, too!"
"…you mean it?" Jack asked quietly, still collecting his breath.
Pitch laughed. "Just look at what we can do!" He gestured to the remnants of the fight; the large statue of ice and Nightmare Sand. "What else can go better than cold and dark! We'll make them believe in us, and we'll make everything—"
"Pitch Black?" Jack asked.
Pitch froze. "And Jack Frost, too." He offered meekly, but it was too late. If Pitch had an illusion, it was shattered now.
"They won't believe in us." Jack said. "They'll fear us. And that's not what I want. Now for the last time: leave me alone."
Jack spun on his heel.
"Very well." Pitch spoke again, as cool and as calculating as usual. "But first, I believe I have something you want."
Jack glanced over his shoulder. He instantly spun around when he saw what it was. His staff.
"I'll admit, it took me a while to find this." Pitch said, as casually as if they had been talking about the weather. "You hid it quite well. I would too. I wouldn't want it to get damaged."
Effortlessly, Pitch swung it into both hands and snapped it in half.
Jack's world turned white. It probably would have been less painful if Pitch had stabbed him in the stomach. He heard himself screaming, and felt himself huddle down to the floor in pain. Something knocked him backwards, and Jack felt himself fall.
"It's alright, Pascal." Rapunzel repeated. "He'll be back in a minute."
She felt a big sigh of relief as she saw a figure approaching her. "Oh, good. I thought you were about to make off with the crown and leave me."
He didn't respond. The shadowy figure became two. "He did, Girlie." A voice said, one she didn't recognize.
Rapunzel blinked. "What-no! He wouldn't do that!"
"Oh really?" The figures came into sight. Thugs. Big, scary thugs with probably sharp teeth. Rapunzel dimly recognized them as the two Flynn had tried so hard to run away from back at the Snuggly Duckling-oh no.
One of the figures gestured over to the sea. Rapunzel glanced over, just barely making out the shape of a boat. And somebody piloting it.
"No…but that's…" She stammered, trying to find any excuse.
"It seemed like a fair trade." The other thug spoke. "A crown in exchange for the girl with the magic hair."
Oh, no no no! Rapunzel scrambled. She didn't have many other options. Her hair was tied, which was useful in running, and Hiccup had her frying pan…
She yelped as her hair pulled back. Stuck. She turned and yanked, trying to get it out as fast as possible…
"RAPUNZEL!"
Rapunzel froze. Mother? But she couldn't have…The thugs weren't chasing her anymore, so Rapunzel decided to take a chance and walk back. Right where the thugs had been was now Mother, holding a club and panting heavily.
Mother dropped the club as soon as she saw her, holding her arms wide. Rapunzel wasted no time in rushing into them. "Oh my precious little girl…I was so worried about you, so I followed you and…come on! Let's go before they come to!"
Mother rushed off, but Rapunzel lingered. She focused on the ship. She still didn't want to think it was possible…she knew Eugene, he wouldn't do this! Not after everything they've been through! Not after…
She glanced back to Mother, who was waiting for her with wide arms. Rapunzel tried to choke back the tears. Mother was right. Mother knew best.
"Where are they!" Merida growled. "They were suppose ta be here an hour ago!"
"Maybe they got held up?" Hiccup offered.
"Wi' wot?"
"You saw the way they were looking at each other. Maybe they got busy?"
Merida grimaced, and Hiccup tried to hold back his laughter. Still, her question lingered. Where were they? They knew better than to just rush off on them…at least, he hoped.
A loud whinny cut Hiccup off from his thought process. Oh no. He knew that whinny. That was from the fencing horse. And if he wasn't wanted before, he certainly was now after he beat up the Castle Guard. He scrambled for the frying pan, and Merida readied her bow. The horse started to come just into vision…
Toothless sprung first. He let out an awful cry that rang through the air and aimed a fireball straight at the approaching figure. As soon as it visibly hit, Toothless was off, even quicker than Hiccup would have reacted. He pounced on the horse in a way that looked like he was fighting a dragon. In a way that looked like he was about to kill the poor horse.
"TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup cried out. That was enough to divert his attention.
Toothless stared at him with calculating eyes, both in a way to make sure he was safe and to make sure he wasn't hurt.
"It's okay. We're safe."
"Hiccup?"
Oh no. "Dad?"
Two more figures came into sight, this time both human. The first was a woman, around his father's age perhaps, who, once upon a time, might have looked well together but now looked like they had just been through Hel. The other was unmistakable. His father.
"Mom!" Merida cried. Her mother? If Hiccup wasn't distracted by the fight in front of him, he would have had a lot of questions.
But he was. Specifically, he was distracted by the fact that Stoick the Vast was charging with his axe straight towards Toothless the Night Fury.
"Waitwaitwaitwait!" Hiccup rushed up in front of Toothless, trying his best to shield the dragon several times his size. "It's okay! Toothless' not going to hurt us!"
"Toothless?" Stoick raised an eyebrow at him. The full implications of this hit. "You named it?!"
"Dad, wait!"
"You caught yerself a dragon, and ye named it Toothless! Hiccup, do you realize what you're doin? This is a Night Fury! They've killed hundreds of our people!"
"And we've killed thousands of them!" Hiccup argued back.
"Merida, we're leaving." Merida's mom spoke firmly but collectively as she grabbed Merida by the arm.
"Mom, wait!" Merida tried to break her grasp. Tried to come back to them and his fight.
"We've waited long enough, Merida. Do ye realize what your little stint did there? The whole kingdom's at war now!"
"But Mom—"
"Enough!" Stoick didn't quite shout, but it was loud enough for all other activities to freeze. "Elinor, go ahead. We'll catch up."
Elinor accepted this as an answer. Merida, however, didn't. She left kicking and screaming, but eventually, they did go.
His dad looked down on him. Then back to Toothless. "So all of this was just an act?"
Oh Thor that voice. That voice that just spelled out betrayal.
"No! I mean, yes, but I thought everything was fixed and now it's not and—"
"And I honestly thought we were getting through to ya this time." He moved again. Toothless bristled.
"No, please, Dad! Take it out on me! Take everything out on me, just don't hurt him!"
He was ignored. Quickly, efficiently, Toothless was bound. It didn't even look like he was trying to fight back. Hiccup glanced one more time at the Night Fury. Those eyes were still calculating, still trying to make sure he wasn't hurt, and they almost hurt more than one of his plasma bolts.
"We'll leave in the morning." Stoick announced. "With his help, we'll be setting out to the Dragon's Nest."
Author's Note: And thus all the really bad shit happens. We're in the endgame folks!
