Chapter 2: We need your help

The Man-in-the-Moon watched the Earth. He protected it's people and guarded it's dreams. And when he couldn't go down to the planet below, his Guardians would carry out his orders. He sat in the library, pouring over books. He flicked through the Primer of Planets that had once belonged to his mother.

He looked up to the sky. His mother and father smiled down at him. MiM closed his eyes. He remembered as if it were yesterday, the battle that had defeated Pitch, blasted his parents into constellations and stranded him in the Earth's orbit. He closed the Primer and sighed. How he missed them.

A squeak made him look down. One of the Moon-mice was looking up at him. It squeaked frantically, gesturing hurriedly. MiM followed the mouse to his largest telescope. He focused the lens and peered through. A icy fear ran through his veins. It couldn't be. It was impossible. It had been missing for thousands of years. It hadn't been seen since long before the Golden Ages.

MiM hadn't felt this terrified before in his long, long life. MiM looked past the telescope at the Earth on the lunar horizon. It's blue Earth-shine had turned grey, like a thin veil of smog was covering the planet.

MiM turned and hurried back to the library, huffing and puffing. He had to stop to take a breath. He scolded himself for being so unfit. He had been trapped on the Moon since he was a baby. He had been spending much of his time sitting at his telescopes, keeping an eye on the world below and the meals the Moon-bots prepared were very rich. In other words, he was putting on weight.

When he finally returned to the library, he opened the Primer of Planets and flicked through to the last page. There was the very thing he feared. A drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead. This was a threat that not even his Guardians could battle alone. He needed new recruits.

MiM got to his feet and strode down the shelves. His fingers brushed across the titles. He paused and pulled down three particular volumes; "The Kingdom of Corona" "The Revised Book of Dragons" and "Legends of Ancient Scotland." He browsed through the pages of each book and found the three names he was looking for. He smiled.

The Kingdom of Corona

Princess Rapunzel Fitzherbert looked through her bedroom window in the castle, holding her paintbrush vertically against the horizon. 'Hmm,' Rapunzel said, measuring with her thumb and forefinger. Gently, she began painting the ripples on the water. Pascal squeaked, holding a second paintbrush. 'Yep, I think I've the basic shape of the lake,' Rapunzel said.

She sighed. It was just herself and Pascal in the castle as the King and Queen were away on a stately visit and Eugene was also away with Maximus dealing with a little scuffle in a distant village. Rapunzel reached up to toy with her long, blonde hair... then she remembered that her hair had been cut. It was now short and brown.

She looked up, looked back at her painting... then did a double take. The full moon was on the horizon which was very strange as it was the middle of the day. She squinted at it. 'Pascal, are you seeing that?' Rapunzel said, pointing with the tip of her brush. Pascal squeaked in confirmation. Rapunzel scratched her head.

The moon began to glow brightly. A second shadow began to form on the ground. Gasp and cries began to echo up from the streets below. Pascal jumped into Rapunzel's pocket and changed colour to blend in. All that could be seen were two very nervous eyes. A shape began to form in the middle of her room.

Rapunzel reached under her bed and pulled out her trusty frying pan. 'I'm ready for you,' Rapunzel said, betraying a slight hint of nervousness. A face began to form in the middle of the tunnel of moonlight. Rapunzel took a deep breath. Her eyes narrowed. Her grip tightened. The face turned clear. Rapunzel's jaw dropped.

It was the kindest face Rapunzel had ever seen. The eyes were soft and looked slightly sleepy. The gentle smile seemed to create an atmosphere of sheer calm. When the figure spoke, Rapunzel felt as calm as if she had just sunk into a hot bath.

'Rapunzel Fitzherbert, listen closely to me.' Rapunzel felt content. 'I am the Man-in-the-Moon,' the figure said. Rapunzel sat down on her bed. 'How did you find me?' Rapunzel asked. 'I know where everyone is,' MiM said. His face leaned in towards Rapunzel's. 'We need your help.' Rapunzel's eyes widened. 'My help?' she asked, with her hand pressed to her chest. 'Yes.'

'Why me?' 'You have a remarkable gift,' MiM said. Rapunzel closed her eyes. 'You're a bit late for that,' Rapunzel said, blushing with embarrassment, 'My hair has been cut.' To her surprise, MiM chuckled. Rapunzel opened her eyes. 'What are you talking about.' Rapunzel hesitated. It was then she felt the light pressure on her back. Pascal squeaked in amazement.

Rapunzel turned. She gasped in astonishment. Her hair had regrown. It cascaded down her back and onto the floor. She lifted it in her hands. Would it still work? She closed her eyes and began to sing.

'Flower, gleam and glow

let your power shine,

make the clock reverse

bring back what once was mine'

A tingle rushed over her head. Her hair began to glow. It suddenly shone bright gold. The gold rushed down the 70ft of her hair. She lifted a strand of the hair and wrapped it around a small paper-cut she had received yesterday.

'Heal what has been hurt,

change the fates design,

save what has been lost,

bring back what once was mine,

what once was mine.'

The paper-cut tingled. When she stopped singing, she unwrapped the hair. The cut was completely healed. She turned it over. She was speechless.

'Will you help us?' MiM said. Rapunzel looked up at the face. 'YES!' she cried, leaping to her feet. The instant she said yes, the world turned silver and Rapunzel felt as if she was falling through the air.

The Island of Berk

Hiccup Haddock sat at his desk sketching his dragon, Toothless. He was rewriting the book of dragons and was adding the page on the Night Fury. He slowly drew the curving lines of Toothless's wings. Toothless twitched from being still for too long. 'Keep still bud,' Hiccup said. Toothless growled with impatience.

It was the middle of the night and he was alone in the house currently. His father was performing a quick sweep of the island on Thornado, and the rest of the D.T.A. were asleep with their own dragons (not in the same bed of course.)

A blueish-white light began to filter through the walls of his Hiccup's bedroom. Toothless whimpered at the sight of it and cowered in the corner. Hiccup got to his feet and slowly headed down the stairs. Toothless yelped and pulled on Hiccup's trousers in an attempt to pull him back. It's alright Toothless,' Hiccup said. Toothless whimpered again.

Hiccup reached the front door and pulled it open. Toothless ran forward and slammed it shut. 'Toothless, what's up with you?' Hiccup said as his dragon shook it's head nervously. 'Toothless, you're a dragon, you can shoot plasma blasts,' Hiccup said, patting Toothless on the muzzle. Toothless made a sound of consent. Hiccup took a breath... and threw open the front door.

A column of silvery light was standing outside the house. Toothless snarled at it, but Hiccup was fascinated. He stepped forward. Toothless moaned and tried to pull Hiccup back. 'Toothless, stop it,' Hiccup said sternly. There was a faint whooshing noise and Hiccup turned back the light. Hiccup gasped. A face had appeared in the light.

It spoke in a voice that caused Toothless to instantly calm down. 'There he is,' it said, 'Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.' Hiccup felt stunned. 'How do you know who I am?' 'I am the Man-in-the-Moon, I know who everyone is,' MiM said. 'Uhh,' Hiccup hesitated. Toothless stepped forward. A hand appeared and gently patted Toothless on the head. He purred with comfort.

'If you're the man in the moon,' Hiccup began 'what do you want with me?' MiM smiled. 'You have a unique gift Hiccup,' MiM said 'And we need your help.' Hiccup felt confused. 'A gift? What gift?' 'Do I really need to tell you?' MiM said. 'You have a unique affinity with dragons. That is can be very valuable to us.'

'Will you help us?' 'What happens if I don't?' MiM's smile faded. 'You and your Dragon might make all the difference. If you don't help, Berk will be destroyed and that won't be the worst consequence.' Hiccup went pale.

'Will you help us?' MiM asked again. 'Yes,' Hiccup said without a second of hesitation. 'Can I...?' He began to ask, but MiM answered before Hiccup finished. 'Yes, you may bring your dragon, in fact you MUST bring your dragon.'

After that, all Hiccup knew was a bright flash of silver light and a sensation of falling.

The Clan of Dunbroch

'COME ON ANGUS!' Merida Dunbroch cried as she rode her horse through the woods with the full moon shining overhead. She raised her bow and drew the arrow. Angus galloped forward and jumped over the log. Merida released the string and the arrow shot through the air and struck the stump of the branch with a hundred arrows already buried in it. Instantly, Merida whipped around and shot an arrow at a distant target. It struck the dead centre.

'WOO HOO!' Merida screamed happily. Merida tensed her bow again and shot another arrow at the target ahead of her. It was a bulls-eye. The target swiveled around on its rope. As Angus rushed past, Merida swiveled around on her saddle and aimed a second arrow at the target which was now facing her again. She released the arrow and it shot towards the target. It hit the first arrow in it's dead centre, split it down the middle and buried itself in the target.

'YEEESSS! Merida bellowed at the top of her voice. Her ecstasy was short lived as Angus suddenly stopped and threw Merida off. She shot through the air and skidded along the ground. She eventually came to a halt on her stomach. She rolled onto her back. 'Ach, Crivens,' she groaned as she sat up. Her jaw dropped when she realised where she had landed; she was in the middle of the circle of stones.

'Angus, why d'ya bring meh 'ere?' Merida said turning to her horse. Unfortunately, Angus had bolted. 'ANGUS, COME BACK 'ERE! Merida shouted after him, but Angus had long since galloped out of ear-shot. 'ANGUS,' Merida shouted again. 'Ach, Bloody horses,' she grumbled to herself. She turned back to the centre of the circle... and jumped.

A sphere of silver light had appeared in the middle of the circle. Merida drew her bow and arrow and aimed it at the light sphere. Slowly a face began to form in the sphere. 'What are ya?' Merida demanded as the face began to resolve into a higher clarity. Merida lowered the arrow. The face was the kindest she had ever seen... if a little chubby.

'Princess Merida Dunbroch, please listen closely to me,' the face said. Merida frowned. 'I'll listen to yeh if yeh dinnae call me "Princess" again.' The face looked a little surprised, but continued nontheless. 'I am the Man-in-the-Moon.' 'Never heard of 'im,' Merida lied, she didn't want to seem like some childish, ignorant princess like you read about in fairy tales.

MiM seemed even more surprised at this, but he recovered himself. 'I have urgent need of you and your abilities.' Merida sighed. He needed her bow arm. 'Why should I help yeh?' Merida said. She didn't like being told what to do, as her mother knew full well. 'Because your entire clan is in danger, this entire country,' MiM said. 'And that is only the lighter side of the consequences.' Merida's interest was piqued.

'Ah'm sorry,' Merida said, slightly ashamed. 'Will you help Merida?' MiM said. 'Aye,' Merida said. She might not like being told what to do, but she would do anything for her family. MiM blinked slowly. There was a swirl of light and Merida was suddenly falling through a silver tunnel.

Pitch's lair

Pitch was smiling to himself. 'I can see the path to our magnificent return to power,' he cackled. 'Quite,' Gothel said. 'We've all been exiled, persecuted, left alone with no defence.' 'And when I think of what those brutes did,' Pitch continued, 'I get a little tense.' He turned back to the main cavern. 'But I dream a dream so perfect, that I don't feel so depressed,' he said, trailing a finger along Mor'du's spine. 'Cause it soothes my inner demon and it helps me get some rest.'

He leapt down to his globe and conjured an image of Jack Frost. 'The sound of Jack Frost's dying gasps, the Guardians screaming in my grasp, a symphony of death, oh my,' Pitch took a deep, pleasured breath before continuing 'That's my Lullaby.'

'The pounding of the drums of war,' Gothel sang, 'The thrill of Mor'du's mighty roar, the joy of vengeance, testify,' Pitch laughed. 'I can hear the screaming, now the time is nearing and then our flag shall fly.' 'Against a blood-red sky,' Gothel added. She and Pitch sang the last verse and Mor'du and the Red Death roared along with them. 'That's our Lullaby!'

North Pole

A sand aeroplane flew into the Globe room. It dissolved and out of the sand-cloud flew Sandy. He looked very irritated. A small hole in the ground appeared and out of it leapt Bunnymund. A window opened and in flew Toothiana. A second window opened and Jack Frost entered. 'What's up North?' he asked. North turned to face the Guardians.

'I have received message from Man-in-Moon,' North said. Sandy, who had just taken a gulp of Eggnog, choked silently. Tooth thumped him on the back. 'What did he say mate?' Bunny asked. 'He said "A new threat has appeared to this world. This time we cannot face it alone.' 'WHAT?' Bunny, Tooth and Jack said together. 'Man-in-Moon said that he has recruited new Guardians. He is bringing them here.'

There was a flash and three portals opened. Out of them fell Rapunzel, Hiccup and Merida.

The song sung in Pitch's lair is from The Lion King 2, I thought it was appropriate.