A New Day
Jack flew toward the standing stones as fast as he could. He was scared out of his mind for his best friend. He had to do something. He couldn't let him be trapped in that dark dimension.
He reached the stones within moments and saw Merida kneeling before the shrinking black rift. He touched down and ran up before dropping to his knees beside her. He peered into the portal to find Hiccup looking back up at them.
"HICCUP!" he shouted down in worry. Hiccup looked to him and gave a thumbs up. Jack shook his head. How could it end like this? It wasn't fair. He could do nothing as the rift became smaller and smaller.
He and Merida watched helplessly. They watched as black shapes suddenly surrounded him. Then they pounced. They couldn't look away as Hiccup began blasting them. Fighting for his life in a battle with an inevitable end.
"Hiccup!" both Jack and Merida shouted. They watched on as they swarmed him, enshrouding him. Soon they would lose all sight of him as the rift was almost entirely closed.
They were so lost in the horrible sight that they didn't notice the earth shake as their teammate arrived. She stomped up to them and threw them to the side.
"MOVE!" Rapunzel commanded. She placed both hand on either side of the rift and with all her strength, she attempted to pull it apart. To keep it open so they could get to Hiccup. But this was by far the greatest physical task she's ever done. And the pain…it was like thousands of shards of burning hot glass were stabbing into her palms. But she didn't let go. She growled and as she attempted to pry the rift wider.
"Rapunzel!" Merida cried as she ran to her side. She watched as her best friend was trying so hard to save the man she loved. "Rapunzel please!" she begged.
"I'm trying!" Rapunzel said through clenched teeth. She truly was. But the rift kept shrinking.
Jack noticed this and cursed. He looked up to the sky as he saw the eclipse ending. The portal was linked to the eclipse and was closing as the moon moved out of alignment with the sun. He stared at the moon as every second that passed meant the end for his friend.
"We just need a little more time. Please!" he prayed aloud. To who, he didn't know. He just prayed. To whatever divine force or being would listen. To whatever would give them the time they needed.
And then, almost as if hearing his plea, the moon stopped. He gaped wide eyed at it. And he couldn't believe it. It had really stopped. He was flabbergasted.
Go Jack.
Jack gasped as he heard a voice in his mind. A familiar voice that he'd heard only once before. A voice that had comforted him when he had died and been given a new life.
GO JACK!
The voice was more insistent this time. It was clear that whatever was happening, it wouldn't last long. He knew they needed to act fast.
"Alright guys I don't know what's going on but we got some time. Whatever we're going to do we got to do it now!" Jack shouted as he came to Rapunzel and Merida.
"Punz, please, you have to open the rift. You're the only one that can!" she begged her friend. Rapunzel looked at her. She saw the desperation in her eyes. The fear of losing the man she loved. Rapunzel narrowed her eyes and nodded. Her hair and eyes began to shine as they lit up the entire area. With a cry she tapped into her well of power and slowly she began to pull the rift apart.
It got wider and wider until they could all see Hiccup once again. His armor was badly damaged and his helmet had been lost. Yet he fought on. Blasting and firing at the spirit's leaping and pouncing on him.
"HICCUP!" Merida shouted. Hiccup looked up in shock. His eyes were wide as he looked at Merida and Jack.
"Jack, make sure nothing gets out," Merida commanded.
"Right," Jack said as he got himself ready.
Merida was about to look to Rapunzel, but she already felt her looping her hair around her waist. She looked to her friend and smiled gratefully. Rapunzel managed a small smile back as her arms were screaming and straining to keep the portal open.
Merida took a breath before she leapt into the dark dimension. She fell until she reached the end of Rapunzel's hair. She looked back up to shout at her. "Rapunzel! I need more length!" she shouted.
Rapunzel focused and made her hair lengthen more. Merida was slowly lowered as she got nearer and near to Hiccup. Spirits tried flying passed her to freedom, but they were blown back down by an icy wind. Spirits tried getting to Merida, but she drew Inferno. She didn't know how, but the blade suddenly came covered in blue flames like her bow did.
She slashed at them with her blue fire. The spirits were burned and blasted to oblivion as her flames destroyed their dark essence. She kept them at bay as she got nearer and near to Hiccup. She watched as Hiccup continued to battle the spirits. They rushed him at once, pouncing on him. Merida cried out as she saw him being pulled under their black masses.
Then in an explosion they were blazed away. Hiccup remained on the ground, singed and dizzy from the explosions. But his reprieve was short lived as he was swarmed yet again. He blasted at them some more to keep them at bay.
Merida was hopeful. She felt that she could get to Hiccup and save him. She was so close. Then suddenly she felt herself stop again. "Rapunzel, more length!" she shouted.
Rapunzel winced. "I can't. I'm almost out!" she shouted back. She felt her reserves running low. It was a miracle she lasted this long. She felt her arms start it give as the rift gave. She cursed as she tried to pry it open wider. But she felt it starting to close. But she wouldn't give up. Not if it meant losing Hiccup and Merida.
Merida looked down and her panic grew. How could she get to Hiccup? She reached out to him in desperation. As if she could reach him. She cried out to him.
"HICCUP!"
Once again Hiccup was overwhelmed. He was pulled under as they blanketed him. She saw him go under until he was completely obscured from view. She watched helplessly as his hand was all that remained.
"NOOO!"
Suddenly a wisp appeared at her side. She glanced at it as it bobbed up and down in excitement. Merida looked at in confusion. And then a strange scent caught her attention. It was sweet. Something she knew. But it made no sense.
…Pumpkin?
Out of nowhere orange flames suddenly burst forth. They burned at the spirit's pinning Hiccup down, causing them to flee. Hiccup sat up in bewilderment as the spirits suddenly retreated. Some however, attempted to come back at him. They drew close until a giant column of spiraling flames suddenly surrounded him. He flinched at the sudden flames. They roared and spun around him as he stood perfectly safe in the center. He rose to his feet and glanced around.
He suddenly felt a presence behind him. He whirled around and looked up. And up. There was a figure behind him. Tall, and like a scarecrow. And on its head was a pumpkin. With a face carved into it. And coming from the wicked looking nose and mouth were flames. Flickering and crackling with intense heat. The thing looked down at him.
Hiccup gaped up at this thing. What the hell was it? Was it a dark spirit? Was it coming to finish him off? But then again, why had it saved him?
"HICCUP!" came a cry from above. He looked up and saw Merida looking down at him. Her gaze flicking back and forth between the thing and himself. He looked back at her in utter bewilderment. Not knowing what to do.
Then he yelped as he felt himself being lifted up. And in the next moment he was flying through the air. He flailed and looked down to see the pumpkin thing looking up at him. It gave a wave and a bow. And then he felt arms wrap around him. He glanced over his shoulder to see Merida holding onto him.
"PULL US OUT!" she cried out. Then she felt a tugging at her waist as they were both being lifted up and out of the dark dimension. Outside Jack pulled on Rapunzel's hair as fast as he could to reel his friends out. Rapunzel groaned and grinded her teeth as she held the rift open to get her friends out.
Merida and Hiccup looked down to see black tendrils rising up at them. They shouted in panic before they were suddenly lit on fire. The pumpkin thing below gave an eerie otherworldly howl as flames kept the spirits at bay.
Merida looked down at it in amazement. She locked eyes with it and stared.
My debt is repaid Your Majesty. Until we meet again old friend.
Merida blinked in surprise as she heard a voice in her mind. She didn't dwell on it as she and Hiccup were suddenly pulled. Rapunzel let go of the rift as the eclipse ended. The rift closed as the portal to the dark dimension was sealed. And with it, so was the sword of Mor'du.
The team gasped and panted heavily as they tried to slow their racing hearts. They'd done it. They'd won and saved the world. Rapunzel's hair faded and shortened to a brown as her power ran out. But she smiled happily as she sank to her knees in relief.
Jack came to her side and rested a hand on her shoulder before lifting her to her feet. He smiled at her before looking to their teammates.
Merida and Hiccup slowly rose to their feet. They looked to each other in relief. Until Merida socked Hiccup in the jaw with a hard punch.
"OWWW!" Hiccup cried as he fell backward onto his backside. He rolled around as his jaw throbbed in pain.
"DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN YOU IDIOT! Merida cried as she kneeled down and yanked him up to glare into his eyes. There was a snarl on her face as she pinned him under a very angry stare.
Hiccup was wide eyed as gulped nervously at his angry girlfriend.
"I THOUGHT!" Merida began. But then her angry expression faded as her lower lip began to tremble. She threw her arms around him as she began to sob against his chest.
"I thought I lost you," she choked out. Hiccup smiled as he placed a hand on her back to comfort her. He looked up to Jack and Rapunzel and smiled at them in thanks.
"Thanks guys," he said in earnest.
"Meh, what are friends for?" Jack said with a shrug.
"No problem Hiccup," Rapunzel said with a smile of her own.
Then the team looked up to see the sun still out. And the world looking more beautiful than it ever had.
"We did it," Rapunzel whispered out as their victory sank in. They all looked to her and beamed happily. "We saved the world," she said in amazement.
"Yeah, drink in in guys. No big deal to me after all," Jack said nonchalantly. But the truth was he was basking in their success as well.
Soon the whole group burst out in happy and uproarious laughter. They whooped and hollered in joy at their success.
They'd done it.
They'd saved the world.
And they'd done it together.