Jack Frost moaned, groggily blinking his eyes open. His head hurt like hell; whatever had attacked him wasn't normal.
This was saying something since he was an immortal teen with ice and wind powers.
Jack tried to move…only he couldn't. What? Everything snapped into focus as he looked down and saw that he was tied to a chair. A large yellow rope prevented him from going anywhere; his frost wasn't even affecting the rope! Wait a second….this wasn't rope. It was—
"Is this hair?!" Jack muttered to himself. He looked over his right shoulder and soon regretted it. Merida's busy hair attacked his face. He jumped in surprise and spit a few stray curls from his mouth. Okay, this girl seriously needed a hairbrush.
The Princess of the Highlands had her chin drooped to her chest, which was making her flame orange curls spilling everywhere.
To Jack's left, Hiccup sat there, also unconscious. His mouth was hanging open as he snored lowly. Jack craned his neck to look for North but couldn't see him anywhere. He tried looking behind Hiccup and saw someone else.
Whoever this guy was he was the epitome of handsome. His head was slouched but Jack could still make out his brown beard that matched his shiny brown mane. The man was burly and—was that a chameleon on his shoulder?!
Jack watched open mouthed as the chameleon slapped the side of the man's cheek with his tail. It would have been comical if it hadn't been so weird. The chameleon grew impatient and then stuck its tongue in the man's ear. Immediately the man grunted awake. The chameleon screeched and the man yelled out.
"Uh, rough day, huh?" Jack joked. The man jumped and turned his head to the side. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a teenage boy with tousled white hair and deep blue eyes.
"Who are you?" The man said quickly. "What-?" He looked down at his lap and saw the golden locks. "Is this…hair?"
Suddenly Hiccup yelled out. The chameleon seemed to have the same technique for waking everyone up.
"What the?!"
"Really?!" The man yelled. "How many people are here—"the man turned to his left and accidentally got a few of Merida's curls in his mouth. He spat them out looking disgusted.
The four of them sat on tall green chairs that were in a circle. The hair was tied around all of them—they barely had enough breathing room.
There was a squeak and Jack looked down to the ground. The little green chameleon was staring up at Merida's hair. Jack chuckled slightly.
"Sorry little guy…I don't think you'll be able to lick her ear."
The chameleon stuck his tongue comically at Jack. Luckily, the chameleon wouldn't have had too. Merida moaned and raised her head slightly. Her hair stuck out more to Jack and Flynn who cried out in protest.
"Wha—wha 'appened?"
"That's what I'd like to know," Hiccup stated, glaring at the man next to him.
"Struggling," a voice whispered barely audible. Whoever it was cleared her throat and spoke more forcefully. "Struggling is pointless!"
The sound of footsteps was heard—the pads of feet hitting the ground. Whoever was speaking the four couldn't see.
"I know why you are here and I'm not afraid of you!"
"What?" Flynn said, staring straight ahead. Merida, Hiccup, and Jack craned their necks to where the man was staring. Slowly, from the shadows, a girl surfaced. She came into the light and Hiccup, Jack, and Flynn felt their mouths open.
The girl seemed to radiate light. She was slender with bright green eyes that envied Hiccup's forest green. She had pink lips, long lashes, and golden blonde hair that draped behind her. Merida who was rather scrutinizing realized that it was her hair that was tied around her waist. Merida looked at the man next to her and Jack and started feeling uncomfortable.
"Who are you," the girl whispered at the four of them, raising a frying pan she had clasped in her hands. "And how did you people find me?" She breathed.
Jack couldn't bring himself to speak; he was too busy staring at her. Hiccup's mouth felt dry and his brain wasn't processing.
Flynn however, who was marveling at the golden beauty, stuttered. "Uh…" he said intelligently.
"Who are you and how did you find me?!" The girl repeated, gripping her frying pan tighter.
Flynn clear his throat. "I know not who you are or how I came to find you….but may I just say," Flynn grinned, raising an eyebrow at the girl. "Hi."
"Oh, brother," Merida muttered under her breath.
The girl furrowed her eyebrows dismayed.
"How you doin?" The man said, still grinning. "The name's Flynn Rider. How's your day goin?"
Merida snorted while Jack rolled his eyes at Flynn Rider.
The girl huffed and pointed her frying pan at Flynn Rider. "Who else knows my location, Flynn Rider?"
Flynn lazily leaned his head back as the frying pan was pointed under his chin. "Alright Blondie," Flynn began, talking with his hands.
"Rapunzel!"
"Guzoontite—"
"Wait, you're Rapunzel?!" Hiccup asked bewildered.
That got Rapunzel's attention. She gave Flynn glare before she walked in front of Hiccup, trailing a hand down her hair menacingly.
"And how do you know my name?"
Hiccup's eyes flickered to the frying pan in her hands to her eyes. "Listen, if I tell you it probably won't make any sense."
Rapunzel narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth before Jack interrupted. "He's telling the truth, Blondie."
Rapunzel blinked at Jack. "And…you are?"
"Name's Jack Frost."
"Jack…Frost?"
"Hey, like Rapunzel is a common name."
The girl huffed, grabbed the top of Jack's chair and pulled him forward. Their faces were inches apart and they both glowered at each other.
"How did you find my tower?" She hissed.
Jack shrugged. "I don't know, why do you have really long hair?"
Rapunzel's green eyes brightened. "I knew it! You do want my hair, don't you?!"
Flynn snorted. "Please, Blondie. The only thing we want to do is get out of it. Literally!" Flynn stated, emphasizing his last word.
Rapunzel glared at Jack and walked back in front of Flynn. She crossed her arms and said nothing. Flynn groaned.
"Here's the thing, I was in a difficult situation. Gallivanting in the forest. I came across your tower and th—" Flynn stopped short, brown eyes growing wide. "Oh, oh no, where is my satchel!"
"And my staff!" Jack yelled.
"Um, has anyone noticed North isn't here?" Hiccup wondered aloud.
"I've hidden them!" Rapunzel smiled, pleased with herself.
"You hit a three-hundred pound beefy Russian?" Hiccup said. "I gotta say I'm impressed."
"Not him!" Rapunzel said impatiently at Hiccup. She then smiled back to Flynn and Jack. "I've hidden them. Somewhere you'll never find them."
Flynn's eyes idly looked around the tower. His eyes came to rest on a nearby pot. "It's in the pot…isn't it?"
Rapunzel stared at the pot out of the corner of her eyes.
WHAM.
WHAM.
WHAM.
WHAM.
XxX
Jack, Hiccup, Merida, and Flynn groaned. Flynn actually screamed when he saw Rapunzel's chameleon back on his shoulder, sticking his tongue in his ear.
"Gah!" Flynn screamed. "Will you quit that?!" The Chameleon huffed and crawled on top of Hiccup's head. Hiccup was totally un-amused.
"Now it's hidden where you'll never find it—and none of you can help him," she added to Hiccup, Merida, and Jack.
"Where not tryin' to help him!" Merida argued back.
Rapunzel blinked at Merida's accent. "Your accent…you're not from around here are you?" She asked. There was a tint of curiosity in her voice.
Merida rolled her eyes. "No, no of course not. Ah'm from Dublin."
"Where-"
"Ah'm JOKIN!"
Rapunzel flinched back but saved her demeanor. She then glared at Merida. "What do you want with my hair?"
"What?"
"Use it?" Rapunzel asked the group, circling him menacingly. "Sell it?" She hissed into Jack's bemused face.
"Blondie, as I said earlier the only thing I want to do is—"
"Get out of your hair—" Jack said.
"Literally." Hiccup said.
Rapunzel's face turned bemused. "Wait…none of you want my hair?"
"NO!" All four shouted in unison.
"Hmmm…" Rapunzel thought. Pascal didn't seem convinced though. He crawled down from her shoulder and frying pan handle and stared at Hiccup straight in the face.
Hiccup leaned back with wide eyes as the chameleon glared at him with great ferocity. Rapunzel pulled Pascal away and Pascal made a growling noise.
Rapunzel turned away from the four and talked to Pascal in her hands. She mumbled so the other four couldn't hear her. Flynn tried to struggle in the hair, but it was hopeless since he was tied with the other three. Jack merely watched Rapunzel talking to the chameleon, somewhat amused.
She stopped talking to Pascal, placed him on her shoulder and glared back at the four. "Okay, Flynn Rider, Jack Frost, and…"
"Merida DunBroch," Merida answered.
"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third," Hiccup stated.
Flynn gaped at Hiccup. "Your name is Hiccup? Geez, I thought I had a bad name."
Hiccup arched an eyebrow. "What's wrong with 'Flynn Rider?'"
Flynn's eyes widened but he didn't say anything.
"Look this way!" Rapunzel ordered. The four's heads snapped towards where Rapunzel was standing. She was on a stool gesturing to a painting. Hiccup couldn't help but admire it—yeah, it wasn't exactly schematics; it was art. The background was a dark blue and little dots of pale orange, pink, yellow, white, and lavender were in the sky. Below the little dots appeared to be a self-portrait of Rapunzel, who was sitting in the trees gazing at the sky and dots; with her long blonde hair trailing down.
"Do any of you know what these are?" She asked matter-of-factly.
"You mean the lantern thing they do for the Princess?" Flynn asked, bored.
"Princess?" Merida asked.
"Lanterns?" Rapunzel whispered. She then smiled slightly. "I knew they weren't stars!" She then told Jack, Merida, Hiccup, and Flynn, "Well, tomorrow night they will light the sky with these lanterns. You four will take me to them as my guide, return me home safely and I will give back your precious staff and satchel. That is my deal."
Flynn chuckled. "Yeah, sorry. The kingdom and I aren't exactly symbolical at the moment so I'm afraid no can do."
Pascal urged Rapunzel to go on, smacking his little fist against the palm of his other hand.
"Listen, you four," Rapunzel growled, coming down from her stool. "Something brought you here….fate…destiny—"
"—A horse—"
"—I've made the decision to trust you—"
"—a horrible decision, really—"
"—but trust me when I tell you this!"
She grabbed the tip of Flynn's chair like she had done with Jack's. "You can tear this tower brick by brick, but without my help you will never find your precious satchel."
Flynn looked at Rapunzel bored. "We take you to see the lanterns, and you'll give me back the satchel?"
"And my staff?" Jack asked.
"I promise."
Flynn looked at her doubtable. Merida didn't like it either.
"And when I make a promise I don't ever, ever, break that promise. EVER."
Flynn arched an eyebrow. "Alright listen, I didn't want to have to do this…but you leave me no choice….here comes the smoulder."
He lowered his head slightly and then raised it back up. His eyes were narrows, eyebrows arched, and lips were pursed. Merida turned her head and caught him doing it. It took all her will power to not burst into laughter.
It appeared to have no effect on Rapunzel who merely stared at Flynn. Flynn kept the smoulder on stating, "You know this is kind of an off day for me, this usually works." He then gave up, his features turning back to normal, "Fine! I'll take you to see the lanterns!"
"REALLY?!" Rapunzel squealed. She yanked her hair and it unraveled itself around Jack, Merida, Hiccup, and Flynn. She did it a little too fast though. The moment it unraveled itself around Flynn his chair spun and he fell face first onto the ground.
"Oops," she whispered.
"You broke my smoulder," Flynn yelled miserably on the ground.
Jack got up and faced Rapunzel. "But we need to talk to you about something."
Hiccup put a hand on Jack's shoulder and shook his head. Rapunzel raised her eyebrows at the two of them. Hiccup gestured his head near the fireplace and whispered to Jack, "Are you crazy?"
"What?"
"Don't tell her right now. Let's wait till after the whole lantern thing."
"Are you kidding me? She has the right to know—"
"What are you two talking about?" Rapunzel asked curiously. Flynn was getting up by the help of Merida.
Hiccup gave an accusing look to Jack. Finally Jack groaned and muttered, "Nothing. We just want to know where North is."
Rapunzel's eyes brightened. "Oh." With that she walked to a bright green closet that was to the far left of the tower. She stepped to the side, opened the closet door and North spilled out, face-planting on the ground.
Jack fought back a laugh. "Geez. Guess the next time I'm in a battle I'll use a frying pan."
Rapunzel laughed.
"