Pitch fought to keep a snarl off his face.

He didn't count on the dragon to interrupt.

His plan had begun just as he'd hoped. By reaching the group of humans before the sprite's interference, he was able to surround them in a haze unable to be seen by their limited eyes. This barrier prevented the teens from moving or being heard; they were trapped within a binding that forced them to look on while their new friend was torn apart. Even Jackson wouldn't be able to see it, only left to assume his new companions didn't care enough to intercede on his behalf.

Choosing his words with a precision he praised himself for, Pitch used every dirty trick he could pull to tear away at the cracks in the boy's mind. He had felt each shard of insecurity during the nightmare he had sent to remind the frost brat that the darkness was still- and would always be – there; ready to burst forth whenever their master called. There was a distinct drop in the fear that he had previously been able to pull from the boy; those blasted humans had given him something to hope for.

This, of course, had to be remedied immediately as Pitch was nowhere near willing to give up his tasty treat without a fight, however, he found that the winter sprite responded far stronger to verbal insults than physical as- though the shade hated to admit it –the boy was a competent fighter in his own right.

Each word was a searing blade being plunged into the ice-elf's core and amplified by the lack of reaction from those he had come to trust. The fragile hope within him was shattering bit by bit and yet, just as the last of it was cracking, just as his eyes were swirling with the darkness of doubt, the blasted beast broke free from the haze and startled Jackson out of his mounting depression.

In an instant, the spell was broken. The humans were made aware of their entrapment and freed of it with the knowledge, the shadows circling the frostling dissipated with the distraction, and the boy himself began to struggle in Pitch's grasp; all of this because of that dragon.

No matter, the Nightmare King consoled himself, his fearlings still had a hold on dear Jackson's mind enough for him to continue the torment. Soon, his mere presence would send the boy into a panic. After that, it would be child's play to sweep up the broken pieces and mold the impressionable sprite into a creation of his own making.

For now, however, all there was left to do was leave a haunting message and fade back into the shadows until he could collect his prize.

LINE

Hiccup was finally able to move.

It was strange; one minute they were all ready to defend themselves against Pitch at Jack's side and the next, he couldn't move. He had called out to the young boy multiple times as had the girls, but none of their words seemed to be able to reach him. Instead, they could only watch as the black haze in Jack's eyes began to complete overcome the bright, blue.

The Viking shook his head as if confused for a moment before fury ignited in his expression.

That was a dirty trick. This sentiment was all-too obviously shared by his female companions as their expressions matched his own determined glare. Without having to say a word, they used Toothless' offered distraction to retrieve their weapons and ready for retaliation.

It wasn't long before and opportunity presented itself in the form of dragon's fire clearing a path towards the shade who only just managed to dodge the flame.

With a cry, Merida released an arrow that traveled in front of Hiccup as the armed Viking sliced his way through the living shadows. The two continued the attack while Rapunzel, equip with her trusty frying pan, stayed back to defend Jack who had yet to react despite the growing number of fearlings diving at him.

Another few loosed arrows and one finally hit the ever shifting target.

Pitch cried out in a mixture of pain and surprise at the projectile now lodged into his shoulder. The slight misstep gave Hiccup the perfect chance to land his own blow to the shade who managed to slide just enough to avoid the brunt of the lunge. He did not, however, complete the move without farther injury as the Viking changed his blade's path in just enough time to slice a gash into the Nightmare King's side.

Unable to call upon the help of his shadows as they were too busy scattering away from the all-encompassing dragon fire that seemed to line the wooden building with light, Pitch was forced to order a retreat. He knew there was nothing more that could be done in this environment, but he shot a dark smirk towards the wide-eyed winter sprite.

The boy shrunk back from the piercing gaze, but could not look away as the most horrible words drifted through the air.

"They won't be here to protect you forever, Jackson. I will return for you. We have all of eternity, after all."

He was gone; fading into the darkness that immediately followed him through leaving behind a burning building and a shattered child.

LINE

Merida cheered as the darkness faded and lead her companions to the safety beyond the fire. Toothless and Rapunzel helped guide an unresponsive Jack while Hiccup took up the rear of the group. They didn't travel far, but were sure to get a good distance between them and the bright blaze their battle had created.

"Did ya see tha'?" Merida ranted once they finally stopped; her accent all the heavier with her excitement. "He didn' stand a chance 'gainst us!" She reenacted the newly embellished fight by swinging her arms and drawing a pretend bow. Her voice rose and fell with each description completely careless to the fact that her audience wasn't listening. "We thrash'd 'im and ah didn' even lose mor'n a few arrows! Ah mean we-" Her sudden stop had also gone unheard, but she didn't seem to notice. "Jack, are ye' alright?"

The boy was still silent; staring off blankly ahead as if Pitch was standing just in front of him. He didn't react to the nightmare's defeat, the heat of the fire that must have been highly uncomfortable for the child of winter, nor his companions' attempts to bring him back to the present. Shadows danced freely in his wide, teary gaze.

"Jack?" Rapunzel tried again, gently taking his cold hand in her warm grasp.

Hiccup placed a hand on the boy's shoulder as Toothless let the listless sprite lean back on him.

Joining the group, Merida inched her face into Jack's line of vision, hoping to interrupt the strange spell he seemed to be trapped in.

Surprisingly, it worked.

Blinking to clear his hazy gaze, winter's child cast a strangely fearful glance around him before he was able to settle his racing thoughts. The humans, he noted, were standing at his sides with confusion obvious in their expressions.

He opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it only a moment later.

The humans could only look on in confusion.

"Jack, what is it? Are you hurt?" Hiccup asked with a gentle grip on the boy's shoulder.

After a quick look at the Viking, Jack shook his head and spoke, though his voice was so choked it was a slight challenge to understand. "I-I…No, I'm f-fine."

No one was convinced.

Merida backed up a bit to allow the boy some room before continuing the question. "Common, Frostbite, we won' judge you. Jus' tell us if you're hurt so we can help ya."Despite her attempt to soften her words, they still came out harsh enough for the sprite to shrink away ever so slightly.

Toothless, of course, was having none of this as he still couldn't understand why his pack didn't initially defend the cub. Snorting haughtily, the dragon shifted his tail to wrap around the frostling's waist and pull him into a pseudo-hug against his side. Hiding the boy behind a large tail and two all-encasing wings was all it took to completely cut off the human's view of him. Toothless offered another demanding sound in hopes that at least his human would understand.

Rapunzel attempted to free Jack from the dragon's hold, but gasped in surprise when the Night Fury gave a half-hearted snarl. "Why…" she trailed off, completed at a loss for words.

Hiccup furrowed his brow a bit while trying to interpret what was happening. "I think…Toothless is keeping him away from us for some reason."

"But why?"

Light green, snake-like eyes were very notably cast back towards the light coming from the burning cabin.

"He's upset about something involving the fight…something we did…" When the dragon tightened his hold on the frost-child, with an indignant gaze focused on the humans, understanding began to dawn in Hiccup's expression. "No...something we didn't do."

Toothless huffed heavily.

Blinking, the teen explained his findings in a voice full of disbelief. "We didn't do anything. He's angry because we let Pitch hurt Jack."

Deciding not to merit the discovery with a response, the Night Fury curled his head into the cocoon he created around his cub and laid it gently on the boy's lap while cooing softly. Still in a bit of a daze, Jack took to the gesture by gratefully scratching the dragon's head as his mind fought to find a distraction from the darkness clouding his thoughts. He couldn't resist the few tears that ran down his face. Pitch's words were not going to be easy to dispel.

Rapunzel watched the interaction with guilt weighing her shoulders. "But we couldn't," she all but whispered. "Pitch had done something…we couldn't move and no one could hear us no matter how loudly we yelled."

"It wasn' until you attacked tha' we could break out of it," Merida explained to the dragon who seemed to be ignoring them.

They could very faintly heard Jack's light voice sound out from behind the scaled barricade as if talking to Toothless, but whatever he had said only tightened the Night Fury's hold.

"Bud," Hiccup began sadly, laying a hand on the dragon's side, "you know more than anyone that I wouldn't have stood aside and let that happen. I tried to help, but Rapunzel's right, we couldn't move. As soon as the spell was broken we fought back with everything we had. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there to save us. I would never forgive myself if something had happened to Jack."

Toothless nuzzled his head closer to Jack's chest as the boy staved off the torrent of sobs threatening to break free. Between his painful thoughts tearing at every sliver of hope left in him and his relief that his friends didn't abandon him, he was at breaking point; crying, however, would show how weak and young he was so he tried to swallow the lump growing in his throat. Tormented breaths began to escape his pursed lips causing the dragon to curl even further in until he was just shy of suffocating the boy, but Jack wished he could stay there for all eternity.

He felt so protected; wrapped within Toothless' hold as his friends were waiting for him just beyond the dark wing. If only it could always be like this. But it couldn't. Pitch was right. He wasn't worth their time and even if they- for some deluded reason –thought he was, they were mortal. He would live for centuries more while they would…not.

No amount of strength was enough to fend off the sobs that soon wracked his shoulders. Clinging to the Night Fury's neck was all Jack could do to keep from falling apart as the dragon made conforming sounds.

Hearing the young sprite's cries from outside of the dragon's hold, Rapunzel couldn't hold back her own tears. Despite knowing there was nothing more she could have done, the fact that Jack was so hurt with her so close and yet so powerless fed the guilt within her. She felt a warm arm circle around her shoulders and looked up to see Merida in similar condition, but trying to share what comfort she could.

Hiccup was left to sit with his hand atop his best friend and unable to do anything to help the boy who had so readily taken to them for the simple fact that they could see him. Such a trusting sprite didn't deserve this treatment. Resisting the pointless urge to glare hatefully at the moon and the shadows it cast, he rubbed a soothing hand along his dragon's back until the wing unfurled just enough to allow him entrance.

Jack thought for sure the air let in by the absence of the living barricade meant he was being pushed away, but the air was quickly cut off again and, almost instantly, he felt a hesitant pair of arms wrap around his shoulders. Toothless' head was gently pulled from his grasp and, instead, nudged at his back until he was flush against the body in front of him.

Not caring who or why for the first time in his existence, winter's child buried his teary face into the newcomer's neck and held them as tightly as he could through his weakening muscles. He could feel the warmth around him start to increase, but he simply coated his skin in enough frost that it wouldn't affect him nor those trying to comfort him.

Words began to circle the darkness around him, though the voice was far more welcoming than the one he was accustomed to. Jack clung to the repeating mantra until he memorized every syllable and the way the voice was so soothing and deep and how he could feel the vibrations through the speaker's chest and into his own as he held to their clothes as tight as he could.

He would throw his pride away for even a second more of this comfort. He couldn't remember ever being held so close. Feeling his companion's steadying heartbeat past his voice was something he had longed for far longer than anything. Jack's subconscious provided the knowledge that the voice and form belonged to Hiccup, but that didn't change anything.

The boy was cold, but not uncomfortably so. Regret and guilt poured through his heart as he felt just how desperately Jack held onto him; so in need of reassurance. Taking the sprite's lead, Hiccup tightened his hold and pulled him close to his chest with one hand on the boy's back rubbing gentle circles and the other buried in the snow-white hair. He began to speak, hoping it would work the way his father had always done for him. Even the worst of nightmares could be chased away by the simple comfort a heartbeat could offer, but Jack had far more than a nightmare to face.

"It's alright. It's okay. We're here. We can see you. You're not alone. He was wrong. You mean something to us. We will not leave you."

The words themselves were more useless than anything, but the relaxed muscles the chest-vibrations caused were far more meaningful than the words themselves needed to be. Once he ran out of such simple phrases, he decided to hum a song he had caught his dad singing a few times. Hiccup wondered if it was something his parents had once shared, but now was not the time to contemplate that. It seemed to do the trick as Jack shuddering sobs began to taper off into uncontrollable bursts of breath that proved how heavily he had been crying.

It felt as if hours had passed before Jack's gasping lungs began to even out into weak hiccups, but the Viking didn't let the sprite go. Overly grateful and far beyond exhausted, winter's child catered to the unsaid order and remained buried in their makeshift cocoon.

Still unable to help, the girls could only find a slight relief in the fact that they could no longer hear Jack's crying. Merida then took it upon herself to gather what supplies they managed to salvage and began to pool a pile of sticks in the largest space between the surrounding trees. It took some time, but soon, a fire was slowly building and Rapunzel joined her friend. Together they searched the bags for food.

"Find anything?"

"Nah. Nothing we can use. I take it ya 'aven't either."

The brunette shook her head, "I think we've pretty much lost everything."

"You have any ideas?" Merida asked, casting a glance back at their friends who has shifted a bit.

"Not really," she sighed, "I guess we'll have to wait until Jack is better before we can travel to get anything."

Casting a worried glance at the dragon pile, the Scott pursed her lips. "Should we say s'mething? It'll be well past midday soon 'n we skipped first meal and second," she allowed herself a small smirk, "Frostbite doesn't really look to be good f'r skippin' meals."

Rapunzel contemplated this for a short time before shaking her head. "They'll come out when they're ready. The best we can do is prepare what little we have. We can worry about the rest when everyone is accounted for."