*I don't own any of the characters in this story. They all belong to their rightful owners at Dream Works, Walt Disney Studios, and Pixar.

**I do own Katelynn (Birna Katelynn Odden-Haddock) and Chronos G. Reaper, however

"Hurry! Get out! NOW!"

Darkness was chasing the Big Four and the Dragon Chief's descendent down the halls of the school workshop. They dashed around the corner, getting closer to the entrance of the old school. That was their only way out. She looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened in complete body freezing fear. The wave of crackling, electrified storm of Darkness rushed to her, the illusion of the storm of black was coming faster.

Birna looked over her shoulder and over Hiccup since she was giving him a piggy back ride since he couldn't walk on his own. She gasped and gave Jack Hiccup. "Keep going!" she tossed him the key to the school. "Hurry! The door locks when it shuts!" She ran to get Rapunzel.

"Birna!" Jack yelled. "Get back here!" But she didn't stop. He watched the girl responsible for his death all those years ago get to Rapunzel. He growled and said to Merida, "Come on!"

Merida's eyes widened, stopping. "What about—?!"

"They'll get here! But we've got to go! Now!" Jack set Hiccup on his back and grabbed Merida. "Hiccup, hang on tight!" He took off from the ground and flew for their only exit.

Birna grabbed Rapunzel up from the floor as soon as she got to her. Her eyes widened as she watched the wall of shadows come even closer. She could feel goose bumps form on her skin after a shiver of fear shook her. She kept hold of Rapunzel's arm as she ran to catch up with the rest of the Big Four. She noticed that Rapunzel was struggling to keep her seventy-foot long blonde locks of hair out from under her feet. She let go of Rapunzel, slowing down and trailed behind Rapunzel, picking up the heavy hair into her arms. "Keep going! I'm right behind you, 'Punzel!"

Rapunzel nodded and grabbed her dress in her purple in her hands, lifting it up slightly to give her legs more room to run. They went around another corner at full speed. The entrance of the workshop was in their sights. So was the rest of the Big Four. "There they are!" She looked back behind her when she felt her hair stretch out. Her eyes widened when she saw Birna trailing far behind her. The Darkness was almost nipping at her Nikes.

"Keep going!" Birna yelled.

Merida watched them get closer. "There!" She held out her hand, Jack giving her the key. She fumbled the key in her hands, dropping it since she was in such a rush. She picked it up as fast as she could, it still slipping through her fingers.

"Merida…" Jack said slowly, seeing the shadows come faster. "Hurry up…"

"I'm tryin'!" Merida shot back at him. She finally got a firm grip of the key in her hand. She stuck it in the lock and heard the door unlock. The push bars were able to deploy. She pushed the door open, making sure Jack and Hiccup were able to get through. The doors stopped and began to hiss as they slowly shut. "Rapunzel! Birna, hurry!"

Jack's chest tightened as he watched the crackling Darkness get closer and closer to the two. His eyes widened as he saw the Darkness started to crawl on the ceiling, getting ahead the two. The doors' gap became thinner and thinner. "…They're not going to make it." He slid Hiccup off his back and handed him to Merida, who placed Hiccup's arm behind her neck and gripped onto his side. "Get out. Now."

"But Jack!" Hiccup protested, "We just can't leave you! Any of you."

"We aren't goin' anywhere!" Merida argued.

Jack sighed and pushed the two out of the school with a blast of cold wind. "Stay there!"

"Jack!" Merida yelled. "Come back!"

"Jack!" Hiccup called after him.

Jack flew back into the school, catching up to Rapunzel and Birna. He flew to Birna, grabbing her load of hair. He waved his staff and the winds picked up the rest of the hair, carrying it. "Hurry!"

The door was almost shut.

Birna eyes widened and took her shield off of her arm, holding it in her hand. She glanced down at it and at the door. She looked over to Jack. "Jack?"

"What?" Jack snapped.

"I just want you to know…I'm really, really sorry."

Jack glanced over to her, not slowing his pace. "We've been through this, kid."

Birna's face burned red in frustration. "What can I do to prove to you that I am?! What can I do to make you forgive me?!"

"Not now!" Jack yelled.

Birna growled and returned her sights to the door. Her decision was made. She suddenly stopped and threw her shield like it was a Frisbee. It zoomed to the doors and right before they sealed shut, it clamped itself between the doors, making a small opening for them. "Jack, go! Now!"

Jack glanced over to her then nodded. He swooped his arms under Rapunzel's like hooks. He lifted her off the ground and flew as fast as he could, his and Rapunzel's thin body squeezing through the small gap. Jack and Rapunzel landed into the ground hard. When they looked back, their eyes showed fear in the frozen moon's light.

The end of his staff bumped the shield, making it pop out of between the doors. The last strand of Rapunzel's hair brushed through the door before they slammed shut. Birna's body slammed into the doors, making her fall over. She shot up to feet and spun around. Her body pressed against the glass when the shadows became closer to her. Birna turned back to the heavy glass doors and slammed her fist against it, banging the glass.

Rapunzel rushed to the door and whacked it with her frying pan. She staggered backwards to see that the glass did not break. All it left was a spider web crack. "Birna!"

Jack's eyes widened and his heart suddenly raced. He grabbed the key and ran to the door. He put it in the lock and went to twist it.

Jack gasped when he heard a snap. He looked down to his hand and his eyes shrank in fear.

The key broke.

Jack watched the wall of shadows come closer and closer. Birna was banging against the glass, her words blocked by the glass. Her eyes were watery and she was trembling. She stopped when Jack brought up his staff and butted the end against the glass. But it refused to break. He banged against the glass. "Birna! Birna!"

Birna eyes darted to him. He could see the fear in her eyes. She looked over her shoulder and her head shot back to him. Her hand pressed against the glass. Her words were muffled by the glass.

Jack watched the Darkness become just behind her. "Birna!" He placed his hand on hers through the glass. "Birna! Birna, I forgive you! You hear me?! I forgive you! It wasn't your fault! At all! I promise! It wasn't your fault!"

Birna seemed to hear, or at least read his lips, his words. She smiled uncontrollably, the trembling increasing. She sank to her knees, her hand still against the glass. She watched the frost form between their hands.

Jack watched the Darkness crash against the glass, the glass creaking under the pressure. He watched Birna's body fade into the Darkness. He banged against the glass. He was even ran at it with his shoulder. "Birna!"

Birna's mouthed clearly, "Thank you…" she disappeared in the crackling Darkness. All there was void of black. Her hand was the last to disappear into the shadows.

"BIRNA!" The Big Four exclaimed. But it was too late.

She was gone.

Guys...I wanted to say thank you...for showing your support. Some of your comments made me cry out of happiness. I was acting like such a fool in the last chapter...I am just under so much stress and I've fallen into this deep pit where I feel like no cares about anything I do anymore. There is so much stress...but I am so happy that you guys are still with me. I will not fail any of you. Your voices made some of my darkness fade. And for that, I am deeply thankful.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and it is safe to say...

That "The Rise of the Darkness" isn't going to die. And it's all thanks to all of you. You guys are amazing and you deserve this story to be complete.

~Katelynn S.