Note from the Author: Hello my lovelies! How are we all? One more chapter to go. I hope you enjoy this one xoxo ~
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter XVIII
"Rapunzel!" North exclaimed when he saw Jack and Rapunzel fly into their Jack's home," You're okay!"
Rapunzel smiled as he embraced her and she hugged him tightly. He pulled her back and frowned, lifting her chin up," They did quite the number on you, didn't they? Poor dear."
"I'm fine", Rapunzel smiled," It's Jack you should really be worried about."
"Why?" North became alarmed," What happened to you?"
North walked over to Jack and grabbed his head moving it from side to side, looking him over.
"You're hurting me", Jack mumbled," It was nothing. I was... stabbed by Gothel, but Rapunzel saved me."
"You..." North's voice cracked," Died?"
"Only for a brief amount of time", Rapunzel tried to tell him," He saved me too."
They went over everything that happened to North who after the story, sighed and leaned back, smiling at them.
"Well it sounds like you two are perfect for each other", he smiled. Jack held Rapunzel's hand and smiled at her.
"Jack, you risked your life for this fine young woman", North got up and hugged his son," A father couldn't be more proud of his son."
Jack hugged him back, but then let go," Dad, we still have Pitch to worry about. Where is he?"
"We aren't sure where he is, but he's moving fast", North told him," Come with me."
Rapunzel and Jack followed him outside and they climbed into his sleigh.
"Where are we going?" Rapunzel asked, huddling up next to Jack because of the cold wind.
"To my office", North smiled.
"Punz!" Merida got up from a chair in North's office and ran to her friend. She quickly embraced her and they Merida hugged her tightly," I am so sorry about everything! None of this wouldn't have happened if you had just stayed with Jack! I am so sorry."
"It's okay", Rapunzel smiled. She was tired of comforting other people and saying she was okay. Why couldn't they just back off? She laughed at herself a little. She always wanted family and friends to care about her and her well being, but now she felt a little suffocated.
"Shelia", Bunny hopped towards her and hugged her," We were worried. Blimey, look at what those two blokes did to ya..."
Rapnzel shrugged," It isn't a war if you don't get a few battle scars."
"Wonderfully put", Bunny smiled at her. Rapunzel looked over and saw Hiccup and Tooth were about to embrace her, but she stopped them," Excuse me everybody. I just want to let everyone know, I'm fine! Really, I am. Right now, we have bigger things to deal with. Pitch is after Jack and he isn't going to stop there. So can we please get on with the plans?"
"Absolutely", North came to her side and told Hiccup, Merida, and her," We have something to show you three."
North walked over to his bookcase and picked up a snowglobe.
"A snowglobe?" Hiccup laughed," No offense Sir, but don't you think it's a silly to be gazing into a snow globe?"
"Ya know, not everything is at it seems", North winked at him.
"It's a snow globe!" Hiccup scoffed," How could it be anything else other than fake snow and glass?"
"Asks the boy who rides a dragon", Bunny commented.
"Good point!" Hiccup nodded," Proceed."
North picked it up and slammed it on the ground. It shattered and a circular, swirling storm popped up.
"What is that!" Rapunzel looked at it in terror.
"Just trust me!" North smiled and jumped into the hole.
"I'm not going in that!" Merida yelled at it.
"Oh, stop your complainin' and get in there!" Bunny laughed and pushed the three of them through. Rapunzel was screaming and then she felt herself hit the ground and rolled over.
"Ohh", she moaned and sat up, grabbing her stomach.
"It's a little harsh on the stomach", she heard Jack say and he helped her up.
"What the hell was that thing?" Rapunzel mumbled.
"Transports us", Jack told her.
"To where?"
"Why don't you open your eyes and find out", Jack laughed.
"Woah...", Rapunzel's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. She couldn't believe what was in front of her eyes. Trains and airplanes flew around in the air on invisible tracks. Huge furry beasts were painting toys and playing toy guitars. The building was tall and filled with the sweet aroma of sugar cookies and hot chocolate. There were multiple floors and each one just had the furry beasts working on all sorts of toys. Around them she saw little, very small men with pointy hats tipping things over and electricuting themselves.
"Where am I?" Rapunzel looked around.
"Welcome to my workshop", North smiled at her and Hiccup and Merida.
"You mean", Rapunzel looked at everything," You built all this? This is amazing!"
She yelled and smiled when her voice echoed throughout the building.
"And this..." North turned her towards a huge metal sculpture of the world," Is our world. Every light you see is a child."
Rapunzel went up to it and rubbed her hands along one of the shapes of a continent. It glowed brighter at her touch.
"Woah!" Rapunzel snatched her hand away," What just happened?"
"You brought your magic to them", North smiled at her," You warmed them and brought them happiness."
"I warmed them?" Rapunzel looked at him in confusion.
"Yes", Bunny hopped over to her," You make flowers glow. You are like the sun. You bring life and spring warmth to places who need it. But just don't touch any northern places. You might make Jack mad."
"You don't get the north for another 3 months", Jack smirked at her," So don't think about cheating."
"I didn't know I could do that", Rapunzel frowned at her hands," North, this place is amazing! But why are we here?"
"To figure out where Pitch is", he answered her," You see this world. The lights are the kids who believe in us. Without them, we are nothing. But the lights are starting to go out. That's how we know where Pitch has been. We think he knows that your mother has passed and he knows Jack is alive. He is going to start attacking more and more. He's becoming angrier."
"Well it's just him isn't it?" Merida came up and asked," He's no match for us."
"Dont' underestimate him", Tooth fluttered," He has dark magic. He can make an entire army if he has the mind to, and he will."
"And you two have to defeat him", North told Rapunzel and Jack.
"What?" Jack asked.
"Why us?" Rapunzel choked out.
"Because he is after you two", Bunny told them," You two are our greatest weapon against him. The love you two have and the power between you two, there isn't anything he can do to you two. Besides, you two are who he wants."
"I- I can't do this... I am just me! I don't even have my hair anymore", Rapunzel started to hyperventalate and pacing around the world model," What- how? I dont-!"
"Rapunzel, why don't you come with me", North placed his hand on the small of her back and she walked with him to his office. He steered her inside and he shut the door. She looked around her and then back at North with big eyes.
"Now we get down to business", North walked towards her and towered over her. Up until now, Rapunzel always viewed him as a big teddy bear, but right now, he looked intimidating and even a little scary.
"What-?" Rapunzel staggered backwards and hit the door, which was locked.
"Who are you Rapunzel?" North bent down to her height and pointed a finger at her," What is you center?"
"My center...?" Rapunzel repeated the question with confusion.
"You have something very special inside of you", North told her and stood up, stroking his beard," Hmmm..."
He waked over to his bookcase and grabbed a matryoshka doll that looked like him,"Here, this is how you see me, no? Very big, intimidating, but if you get to know me a little... Well, go on."
He passed her the doll and she opened it slowly, revealing another doll of him that was smaller and had a big smile on it.
"You are down-right jolly?" she asked slowly and raised an eyebrow.
"Ah, but not just jolly!" North answered and waited for her to open the next one. The next one was him covering half his face, his eyes half closed," I am also mysterious."
She opened the next one to a smaller doll and it looked like he was screaming,"... and fearless."
She took off the bottom and the top and it was a smaller one of him crying," And caring!" She frowned at it.
"And at my center", she opened it and dumped the littlest one in North's hand.
"There is a tiny wooden baby", Rapunzel mumbled and ran her hand through her short hair. North passed her the doll," Look closer. What do you see?"
"I- I-", Rapunzel struggled and her eyebrows knit together," You have big eyes?"
"Yes!" North yelled and Rapunzel jumped. North leaned in towards her and pulled his eyes open," Big eyes! Very big because they are full of wonder!"
He pushed on Rapunzel's shoulders and she smiled watching him walk towards his desk. The toys raised in the air and the tree lit up. It all seemed like magic.
"That is my center. It was what I am born with. Eyes that have only seen the wonder in everything. Eyes that see lights in the trees and magic in the air!"
Rapunzel followed the trains and airplanes in the air out the door and marveled at the seen that laid before her.
"This wonder is what I put into the world!" North came up behind her and looked at his workshop," And what I protect in everybody. It is what makes me a guardian."
Rapunzel looked down and sighed as she looked at the little North in the palm of her hand.
"That is my center. What is yours?" North asked her.
"I- I don't know", Rapunzel frowned," How am I supposed to defeat Pitch if I don't even know who or what I am?"
"Because you have courage. You have a light in you that no one can dim", he smiled at her," You will find it. You just have to believe in yourself."
"North!" they heard Bunny yell from below them," We have a lead! We have to get ready!"
"It's not or never sweatheart", North told her. She nodded and ran after him.
"Are you ready for this?" Jack asked Rapunzel. She nodded quickly. She had on her fighting outfit which consisted of tight black pants and a tight black jacket that had buttons up both sides, and had a small collar. She had escrima fighting sticks that crossed across her back. She also had a knife strapped to her thigh and her sword across her hip. The sword that she fought with in Bunny's class. Merida was next to her and wore a similar outfit, but she just had a knife and her bow and arrow across her back. She overloaded on arrows that Rapunzel thought the carrier was going to break. Hiccup rode next to them on Toothless.
"Blimey", Bunny mumbled and they looked ahead.
"May Man in Moon help us", North prayed out loud. Rapunzel's heart started beating rapidly as she looked at the scene that laid before them. It was like a hurricane of black sand that was circling the town below them. It was like the eye of a storm before it all caved in around them.
"We have got this", Jack told her," Just... breath."
"Incoming!" Tooth yelled and above them was a wave of black horses coming to crash over them," Jack!"
"On it!" he yelled and jumped up, but before he flew off he bent down and kissed Rapunzel," Be safe."
Rapunzel nodded as she watched him fly off and start hitting the horses with his staff sending ice into the air when he did. Rapunzel watched as Tooth fluttered through the horses quickly and make them vanish.
"Merida", Bunny yelled," Let's do this!"
Bunny hopped over the side of the sleigh, hanging onto the ledge and throwing his boomerang. Merida stood up and started aiming her bows.
"Up there!" Rapunzel pointed high in the sky and they saw Pitch hovering on a cloud of black sand.
"Jack!" North yelled to him and Jack saw Pitch. Jack flew off towards him, his staff pointing ahead of him as if to stab Pitch. They heard Pitch cackle with laughter as he threw his hands in the air and a released a tidal wave of black sand upon Jack.
"Jack!" Rapunzel cried. She heard Jack yell as cackled with ice and she saw it glowed from inside of him. It looked like lightning and was so bright they had to shield their eyes. They heard him yell again as he slammed his hands together and sent all of the ice into the wave of black sand freezing it over until it reached Pitch. It sent Pitch flying into the air and towards the Earth as Jack fell backwards.
"Jack! Tooth, get him!" Rapunzel yelled and Tooth flew towards him and caught him. She flew him back to the sleigh and laid him down on the steps.
"Jack! Are you okay?" Rapunzel crawled over to him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Doing that just takes a lot out of me", he smiled," Dad, go down. We need to find him."
"Right!" North flew his sleigh down to the ground. As soon as they sleigh hit the ground Rapunzel jumped out. She was tired of sitting on the sidelines. She may not have wings, but she can still fight. She saw Pitch on top of a roof and she frowned at him.
"Let's see if you can fight off these", he smiled and more black horses rised from the sewers and from the shadows. Up close Rapunzel saw what they really looked like. They were very ugly. They had sharp bones and eyes that glowed red.
Rapunzel didn't bother with them. She toward her sword out and instantly started running towards the building Pitch was on.
"I need a lift!" she yelled and kept running. She didn't know who picked her up until she looked up and saw a small golden man lifting her.
"Sandy, you made it!" she heard North yell and she knew this was the Sandman. He dropped her off and went back to the ground to fight off the horses.
"Well lookie here!" Pitch smiled at her," Whatever happened to you hair?"
Rapunzel didn't answered him. She just walked towards her, her sword in her hand firmly.
"My condolences about your mother", he smiled cruelly at her," Such a shame. Where are you going to go now? No family, no one to love you..."
"Are you talking about yourself?" Rapunzel stood tall," No one in this world wants you. You have no one. All you do is create chaos and fear. People believe in Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny... No one believes in the Boogey Man."
She smiled when his face fell," Doesn't that sound familiar? Parents telling their children that you aren't even real. Don't dish it out if you can't take it!"
Pitch made a long black sheer in his hands and Rapunzel gripped her sword with two hands. She slowly walk towards him and swung at him. Jack looked at the roof and saw Pitch and Rapunzel fighting each other. There weapons colliding and making loud clangs when they smacked together.
"We have to help her!" Jack yelled and took off towards her.
"Easy little girl!" Pitch yelled at Rapunzel," You can't stop me! I will always be two steps ahead of you!"
"I am not afraid of you!" Rapuznel yelled back and swung at him.
"Rapunzel, get down!" Jack yelled and she ducked. He flew over her and slid on the ground, knocking his staff into Pitch's shins. Pitch fell forward and tried to get back up, but Jack pushed wind under Pitch and it sent himn flying into the air where Jack promptly flew up to him and hit him like a baseball with his staff sending him flying to the side onto the pavement below them.
"When are you going to give up?" Jack sauntered over to him," Your partner in crime is no more and we outnumber you. What more do you want?"
"What everyone wants Jack", Pitch smiled at him and stood up," To be believed in. But you wouldn't know about that would you?"
Jack faltered for a moment, but tried to stay composed," People may not believe in me, but I have family and friends who love me."
"Why don't you tell that girl the truth Jack?" Pitch told him," How old are you again?"
"Shut it!", Jack yelled and swung ice at him.
"You and I both know she has to die to be a gaurdian!" Pitch dodged Jack's ice," You know this and you are all lying to them at that school of yours!"
"Jack?" Rapunzel walked up to them," What is he talking about?"
Jack sighed," Rapunzel we don't have time for this right now."
"Oh, but we do!" Pitch smiled," Tell her Jack! Tell her the truth. Here! Let me do it for you. He isn't mortal sweetheart!"
Rapunzel's eyebrows knit together in confusion," What are you talking about? My mom almost killed him."
"Oh, a Guardian can die, but he isn't mortal like you little Rapunzel", Pitch smiled," Ask him how old he is. Go on, ask him. I'll wait."
"Jack...?" Rapunzel walked towards him,"Is this all true?"
Jack looked away and closed his eyes," ... yes."
"How old are you?"
"300", Jack mumbled.
"Jack, I can't hear you!" Rapunzel yelled.
"I'm 300 years old, alright!" Jack looked at her," He's telling the truth. The school we go to is to teach kids how to be the best they can be, but you aren't a Guardian. Guardians are chosen by the Man in the Moon. We were all choosen. I was chosen. I had to die to be who I am. My center is fun. I'm the spirit of Winter."
"But... But I thought I was the spirit of Spring. I am magical", she frowned.
"Some people are born with powers Punz. It doesn't mean you aren't special. You have a drop of the sun in you. That's what gives you your powers", Jack told her," Nothing has changed."
"Everything has changed", Rapunzel backed away," Your... Your not even human. You are a mythical creature. Is North even your real father?"
"Just because he isn't my real father doens't mean he isn't my father!" Jack yelled," Pitch! This is all your fault!"
Jack yelled as he ran towards Pitch with his staff in his hands. Ptich laughed as he flew off the ground on his black sand.
"Just kill me already and get it over with!" Jack yelled at Pitch.
"It's not you who I am after", Pitch smiled," There are other ways to kill you without actually killing you."
Rapunzel couldn't believe what she had been told. She didn't have time to wonder though however, for Tooth was being outnumbered on a roof nearby.
"Tooth! I'm coming!" Rapunzel ran towards her. She ran up the fire escape and pulled out her sword, slashing and fighting the black horses.
"What are you playing at?" Jack yelled at Pitch in the air," What is it you really want? You're used to not being believed in. I don't believe that's what you really want..."
"I want chaos, Jack", Pitch smiled," I want the world to be filled with nightmares and absolute chaos. I want the world dark and cold, covered in ice."
"Well your in tough luck because I will never do that for you", Jack told him.
"No? Jack, you are a passionate person. You feelings shine through your powers. Why else would there be blizzards and ice storms? Probably nights you and daddy get into fights or you get a bad grade... You are irrational. Why else did Rapunzel slap you that time? Why would you push around Hiccup when you are mad."
"Well there is nothing you can do to make me furious enough to freeze the world over!" Jack yelled at him," I'm not your puppet."
"No? She really is beautiful Jack", Pitch smiled down at Rapunzel. Jack turned and looked at the girl he loved swinging her sword in the air and fighting with everything she has. Jack briefly smiled at her and for a moment, he felt it was just him and her.
"Such a shame to let her go to waste", Jack heard Pitch say. He turned to Pitch just in time to watch the black ice shard Pitch had in his hands shoot out and aim straight for Rapunzel.
"NO!" Jack yelled as the shard struck right into the middle of Rapunzel's back.
So there it is! Hope you enjoyed and stay tuned!
