Hans stands outside Rapunzel, Merida, and Hiccup's classroom door one lunchtime.
"Hey, Hans," Hiccup says, spotting his brother. "Need anything?"
"Hey, have you seen Rapunzel?" Hans asks him. "I need to talk to her about the photos I took of the pep rally the other day. She said she wants to use some for an article in the school paper and on the school website."
"Hang on, I'll check if she's in." Hiccup enters his classroom to see if Rapunzel is there. He can't find her in the classroom, so he steps out to tell his brother. Just then, he sees Merida walking towards them.
"Mer!" Hiccup calls out to her. "Have you seen Rapunzel?"
"She's at the principal's office," Merida answers him. "She was just called in to take a phone call or something. Why?"
"Hans here is looking for her."
"What for?" Merida directs her question at Hans.
"Pep rally photo stuff," he says simply.
"I can go with you to her," Merida offers.
"Nah, it's okay," Hans says, turning to leave. "I can just talk to her when she's more available."
Merida, tired of always being rejected by her little attempts to spend time with Hans, is finally emboldened to have things her way. I am not taking no for an answer. Not today. She takes him by the arm and drags him along with her.
"I was just about to go meet up with her anyway," she tells him as some kind of explanation. "You might as well come along, so you don't have to wait for another time to talk to her."
On the way to the principal's office, Merida is finding their silence more and more uncomfortable. If he isn't going to start a conversation with me, then I will.
"So, did you enjoy the pep rally?" she asks lamely, mentally rolling her eyes at herself for not thinking of a more engaging topic.
"Well," he pauses thoughtfully. "There were some varsities that were more prepared than others, so they were obviously more enjoyable to shoot. I'm actually quite fascinated by the artistry that sports can convey. I just wish I could capture every movement and moment without losing the meaning."
"Wow," Erza smiles, surprised at being given a more detailed answer than she had hoped for. "I wasn't expecting such a deep and poetic answer."
"Oh," Hans says, blushing with embarrassment. "I know I end up sounding really intense when I talk about photography. Sorry."
"No, no, don't apologize," Merida says hurriedly. "I'm sorry if you thought I was making fun of you. I really wasn't. I love how much passion you have for what you do, even for something like a high school pep rally. It's amazing that you can easily appreciate the beauty of things that other people might overlook, like sports."
Hans smiles, touched by her words. Their eyes meet for a brief moment before both quickly avert their gaze.
"So, do you have any idea what your next project's gonna be?" Merida asks him as they approach the principal's office.
"Well, I've actually begun working on the mural I promised to make in the family room. I've been putting it off for months now because of photography and painting projects I've done instead."
Merida would have liked to ask what the mural was going to be of, but she never gets the chance. Just as she is about to ask, Rapunzel bursts out wailing from the principal's office. She sees Merida and runs into her arms, crying uncontrollably. A shocked Merida turns to look questioningly at an equally confused Hans. The principal emerges from his office and informs them sadly that a tragedy has occurred. The plane that was carrying Rapunzel's parents crashed, killing all 250 passengers and crew members.