CHAPTER 16-The Spirit of Summer

"Some say our destiny is tied to the land, as much a part of us as we a part of it. Others say fate is woven together like a cloth, so that one's destiny intertwines with many others…It's the one thing we search for or fight to change…Some never find it, but there are some, who are led."

The scenes of landscapes came to an end as an old stone castle was brought into view. On one of its high walls, there was a large massive man sparing with some soldiers. The man had a wooden peg leg, with fuzzy red hair, and a thick shrubby beard. "That there is my father. When I was a wee lass, he fought against a monstrous bear known in my land's legend, as the demon bear Mor'du. My father lost his leg to that demon, and that story became a legend itself."

Three new people were shown after the man. They were identical triplets; they shared the same interest for causing trouble, as well as playing pranks. Elsa and Anna felt rather bad for one of the servant women, seeing how she's often an innocent victim to their schemes. "Those are the princes, my brothers, Harris, Hubert and Hamish. The wee devils they are. They can get away with murder! I can never get away with anything!

"I'm the Princess. I'm the example!" Merida said with an annoyed sarcasm, as several scenes were showed of her having to learn how to be a proper princess. Both sisters felt sorry for Merida when they compared their lessons to hers. Their mother wasn't too strict with their lessons, and their past teachers were all well balance in allowing them to have fun while learning at times. Anna never once thought she had the luxury of an older sister who was the, "example," as Merida puts it. Elsa have always seemed well mannered no matter her age to Anna. But then again, Elsa did receive more training then her as she was to be the crowning Queen of Arendelle. "I've got duties, responsibilities, expectations; my whole life is planned out. Preparing for the day I become…well, like my mother. She is in charge of every single day of my life…

But every once in a while, there's a day when I don't have to be a princess. No lessons, no expectations, a day where anything can happen. A day where I can change fate…"

Her fate did change, in the most unexpected events. The sisters have already seen, and can tell, what kind of a girl Merida is. But what they saw in her memory truly astounded them, to how she cannot be retained. Haven been cornered into marriage, Merida was forced to pick a game—through which one among her given suitors will be the winner, and will become her husband. But she rebelled, defiling her land's heritage through the chosen game of archery, causing an even more terrible drift—not only her and her mother, but also the kingdoms. It eventually led them into a journey—mother and daughter, together, to undo the spell Merida had placed on her mother, turning her into a bear unintentionally. Through their journey their bond was mended as well as strengthened, her mother was able to turn back into a human…however; Merida lost her life in the process.

At the climax of a final fight against Mor'du, the demon had met his fate along with Merida. It happened when she and her mother shoved the bear against one of the large tall stones, causing it to fall on him. Unfortunately the two were caught in the fall as well, Elinor by the legs, Merida, all of her lower and part of her upper body. Her lungs were crushed, and she died soon after, but not without seeing her mother turning back to human, with tears running down her eyes. It was a sad day for her clan and allied clansmen. They buried her within the center ring of stones in which she was killed, while Mor'du's body was burned in the hopes of releasing the trapped spirit to find peace.

XxXxXx

At the time, Merida didn't know that her journey was being watched by another Being, other than the Wisps. Manny saw all that he needed to know, swaying his thoughts upon the girl. Three nights after her death, Manny shined his light just as the sun's light was rising over her grave, creating a spark from the sun's heat. From it, it became a small flame that burned its way through the ground, through the coffin, until it reached Merida's heart.

The surface of her grave crumbled and cracked, with steams and malted lava rising out of the space. There were more flames afterword, but they were gently pushing Merida's body up out of the ground, and was hovering her over the lava as Manny's magic did its deed. Merida was warped in a thick cloth, so Manny had the flames burned it away while carefully masking the flames around her form. When the sunrise was at its end, Manny laid her upon the newly restored ground, with a new patch of grass that grew too soon for its time. There, the summer breeze blew out the flames, awakening Merida from her sleep.

"…When I first awoke, I was confused, for there was a gravestone with my family's crest on it, with my bow lying beside it, and I was all alone. Had to learn the hard way that I was dead when my own mother walked right through me…Manny told me later on that night what he did, and I can't say I was happy about it. The last thing he told me though was to go forward bravely, and that I was now the Spirit of Summer. He left me at that for the next four-hundred-years before he spoke to me again, and for the purpose of fighting Pitch."

The surrounding once again retuned to nothingness. The sisters can hear an arrow being strung from afar, then its release, landing just a few feet away from them. It burst into a large massive bonfire. Within it, Elsa and Anna saw a glowing figure but they didn't shy away from it. The glowing figure was no other than Merida, and she rode out of the fire on Angus, with her bow in one hand, and her sword in the other.

"My name is Merida, Princess Merida of DunBroch, and I am the Spirit of Summer as well as the Guardian of Courage. Elsa, Anna, there are those who say fate is something beyond our command, that destiny is not our own. But I know better. Our fate lives within us. You only have to be brave enough to see it.

"That is why I promise you both, the strength of my bow and sword, to which I will use to defend that of your kingdom, and that of the Southern Isle. I also promise the magic I have of courage and fire, to help inspire bravery whenever there is a potential for it. For when there's fear, one can muster up courage to face it."

There was a breeze in the air, the sound of ocean water washing up against shore lines. Angus gave out a cry while standing on his hind legs, surprising the sisters. Merida quickly sheathed her sword and strung another arrow, firing it pass the sisters.

Angus gave chase after it, and the two faded away into the dark, with Angus cry trailing behind like a haunted memory. From where they fade, came first the motion of ocean waves and the smell of salt. Then there was a mass of fogs, covering the surface of the water in thickness. Many stars were shining over the sisters, along with the brightness of a full moon lighting the sister's new surroundings.

"This is Berk," Hiccup began, as a small island came into view.