~*~ Oh my GOSH! Guys, thank you SO much for liking the story! Sorry for the late update, I've been experiencing Internet issues. But anyway, I wouldn't have made it this far without your support. You guys are my inspiration, seriously. Thanks SO much guys! I can't really thank you enough! Here's chapter 4! I hope you like it! Thanks to those who gave me some tips on how to elevate the blush scenes! So Jack and Lillith are supposed to be brethren... time to move on to the story. More Jackunzel and Merricup here, I hope I'm doing it right... :P
~*~ I do NOT own "Rise of the Guardians" "Brave" "Tangled" and "How to Train Your Dragon"
~*~ Chapter 4 ~*~
~*~ Normal POV
Hiccup stared out in the open. The sun, which was rising a moment ago, was already sinking on the horizon. Time flew so fast, he didn't know what to do. He felt his stomach clench. His throat closed up. He was nervous. He always was. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He almost lost his life fighting the Green Death (Big Dragon) and was almost too scared to handle the beast again.
"Um, hey!" Merida piped down and sat on the snow beside Hiccup. "How're you doin'?" she asked.
Hiccup shrugged. "Alright" he stammered, wiping the sweat on his pale forehead.
Merida raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Yer, sure? Ya don't so good ta me" she ran a hand on her mop of wild hair. "Yer nervous, aren'tcha?" she elbowed his arm, slipping slightly on the snow. She didn't notice it much.
"A little" Hiccup denied. Toothless snorted loudly.
"A lot" Merida countered. "Ya even know yer sweatin'?" she asked, brushing some hair from Hiccup's forehead that stuck to it because of his sweat. "Me mum say yer nervous when ya sweat out in the cold" Merida said.
Hiccup looked at Merida and their eyes met. For a moment, they sat there, both staring at each other until Merida looked away. The blush on her face was unmistakable. Her hand pulled away from his forehead.
Hiccup was madly blushing and looked away too. "Sorry" he mumbled.
"Just, be careful out there" Merida stuttered, walking to Angus. "Shut it Angus" she snapped when the horse whinnied.
Toothless cast Hiccup a toothless grin. "Aw, come on bud" Hiccup gave his dragon a gentle punch. Toothless didn't budge. Hiccup sighed out loud. "Can you remind me why I'm stuck with you?" he asked the dragon.
Rapunzel watched as Jack made snowflakes in thin air from afar. She watched as he landed into a small frozen pool. Lillith tugged her arm.
"What are you staring at?" Lillith asked, her black eyes turning to Jack. "Watching Jack?" she asked with a smirk.
Rapunzel blushed and waved her hands in front of her frantically. "Yes-N-no! No! What–why–why would I do that?" she stammered, not really knowing what to say.
Lillith snickered softly. "You're too obvious" she giggled.
"I–I am?" Rapunzel stuttered, combing a lock of hair in her fingers. She was being obvious? She didn't really know.
Lillith nodded. "What are you waiting for? Christmas?" Lillith pulled Rapunzel to her feet. "A prince doesn't wait for a princess" Lillith grinned broadly. With that, she pushed Rapunzel to the small pool.
Rapunzel flailed her arms. Her feet were slipping on the thick ice. Lillith grinned.
Rapunzel squealed as she felt the floor leave her feet. She shut her eyes, bracing herself for the sudden impact when she felt arms slide under hers. She peeked slowly from her lids. She hadn't fallen completely. But who?
"You okay?" Jack asked, his cold arms under hers. He was smiling.
Rapunzel looked up, her green eyes were wide open. She quickly pulled away. "Yeah I'm alright" she slipped again, Jack caught her arm.
"Yeah right" he pulled her across the ice, his hand clutching her wrists. Rapunzel's cheeks flushed.
Jack slipped Rapunzel back onto the thick snow. She slowly balanced herself and dusted the frost off her purple dress.
"Thanks" she mumbled. She had noticed Jack hadn't let go of her wrist. It was turning cold.
"Um, Jack... you can let go now" she gnawed her cheek again nervously.
"Right" Jack quickly slid his hand off her wrist and Rapunzel rubbed it nervously.
Jack ran a hand on his white hair. "Be careful" he looked away, his pale cheeks turning slightly pink.
Rapunzel held her breath as she walked away. Lillith slapped her thighs in a corner and burst out laughing. Rapunzel went fuming.
"What did you to?" she hissed. Lillith just laughed on.
"You should've seen your face when he caught you in the ice!" Lillith laughed.
Rapunzel blushed at the memory. How she was leaning on his chest. How his arms were holding her steady. "I-I didn't mean for that to happen" she stammered, fiddling with a strand of her hair again.
"Don't deny it. You're too obvious" Lillith giggled, sagging down on the snow.
"I am not denying it!" Rapunzel pouted playfully.
"You can say it now. I'll be watching" Lillith tucked her head in her knees, her white hair falling slowly with a soft whish.
Rapunzel pouted again and began to braid her hair, twining the delicate strands on her fingers while singing her song.
The sun was setting. This was their last chance to take some rest. Jack settled on a higher fork, above Lillith and leaned back. Rapunzel wrapped her hair around her and Pascal and snuggled beside Max. Merida snuggled beside Toothless and Angus. Hiccup was on Toothless' other side.
The sun was turning the sky salmon pink. Jack glared at the sky. He had no idea what Pitch would do against him. No idea. He doubted Lillith would know too. After what Pitch had did to her, which he didn't really know what. What he knew was this was going to be very bad. Really, really, really bad.
After long minutes of waiting, the sun finally dipped down and the moon was up, shining at the five friends. As usual, no clue at all.
Soon, as Lillith predicted, black sand coiled up into the air.
"Nightmares" Rapunzel whimpered.
"What're they gonna do 'ere?" Merida asked.
"Let's go" Lillith grabbed her katana and stood up, brushing the snow from her black top.
Jack glided down from under the tree and settled beside Lillith.
"Are you guys ready?" he asked, his hair ruffled by the cold wind.
"As we'll always be" Hiccup limped slowly towards them, stretching his 'real' foot.
"Seryasly... is tha' even a question o' yers?" Merida flipped her flaming mop of hair and the curls settled behind her back. She slung her bow over her shoulder and patted Angus.
Rapunzel hopped on Max and Pascal scurried to her shoulder.
Harris, Hamish and Hubert ran to their sister who helped them up on Angus.
Lillith peeled off her vest. A pair of small bat wings stretched from behind her back. Pitch had imbued them withing her system, cursing her and marking her as one of his 'creations'.
"Then we go now" she flew up in the air. Jack followed then Hiccup on Toothless.
"Come on Angus!" Merida flicked the reigns and Angus whinnied.
"Same goes to us Max" Rapunzel smoothed Max's white mane.
Jack looked at her, worried. How would she fare in there? he asked himself. Just be there for her, Jack. You can't lose her... he thought grimly.
Lillith's wings made her zoom quickly in the forests. Jack flew a little behind and Toothless was above her. Angus and Max kept up at an average speed, just below her. Lillith felt tears in her eyes. She was leading them to their deaths. They just had no idea yet.
Lillith avoided branches and thorns and trees in the way, making it a little difficult for Jack to follow. She was going too fast.
She stopped, just when Jack managed to follow. She stopped at a barren clearing with nothing good growing.
There was a large entangle of weeds, dead plants, dying trees and a broken bed. A broken bed. A broken bed. A BROKEN BED!Jack peered under the rotting planks of the bed. True enough, there was a gaping hole. At the end of the hole, there was a round glass door that was swinging open.
"Yer sure?" Merida approached him cautiously. Jack and Lillith nodded in unison.
"Alright, we go in as a team and we stick together" Jack looked at Rapunzel.
"No one's going to get left behind" he told her assuringly.
Lillith felt for her katana. She positioned herself downward, her head facing the hole.
"I'll call you when it's alright" she whispered as she flew downward. Peeking under the hole, she saw no sign of Pitch anywhere. There were a few nightmares though.
Lillith drew her katana. There were about fifty of them watching the cages. From the distance, she could just see Bunny's drooping ears and Sandy's glowing sand. She sucked her breath.
"Here goes nothing" she mumbled to herself as she flew towards the nightmares.
She caught them by surprise, attacking one from behind. The nightmare burst into black sand and scattered all over the place. Lillith flew to another one, catching it by the tip of her sword. She plunged it deep into the sand, breaking it finally. A nightmare pranced on her from behind. With a quick motion of her left hand, Lillith raised the katana over her head and blocked the opposing force. She flung the nightmare back to the ground and slammed her heel into the creature's face. It burst in to black sand again, admitting defeat. Lillith spun around and slashed a nightmare in front of her while kicking another one behind her at the same time. She flew into the air and a few followed her. She was busy slashing her way when one smashed its hoof into her chest. The force of impact threw Lillith to the ground. She staggered and coughed, spitting out blood in the process. Wiping her lip on her forearm, she yelled and charged at the nighmares, cutting them in half and tearing them to pieces. Sand flew here and there.
"I don't care how many you are!" Lillith yelled, roughly placing her fist on a nightmare's head and used him as a shield against another of his kind. One nightmare attacked her hand, bumping it and the katana flew out of her hand.
"I have to get the path clear for Jack!" she snapped her fingers and a black bow and arrow manifested in her hands. She aimed it at a nightmare and fired. It hit the target in the forehead and it exploded in ash and sand.
From the surface, the others could only hear clanking of swords and muffled yells. Jack gritted his teeth.
"I have to go" he looked over the edge until Hiccup grabbed his arm.
"No! She told us to stay until she calls us" he protested.
Jack pulled his arm away. "I know what she said" he grumbled.
"Then let's obey her and keep our strength until she calls us down" Rapunzel placed a hand on Jack's shoulder.
"Don' get impatient! She won' go down with'o' a fight anyway" Merida said, trying to keep Jack at bay.
Lillith slammed her back against one of the metal cages and ducked as a nighmare made its way for her. It's hoof caught her arm. Lillith gasped loudly as blood began to trickle from her arm. She flew in the air taunted the nightmares by wagging her fingers with a smirk on her face. She flew in circles and grabbed her katana as she passed low beside it.
She raised it and brought it down, cutting a whole nightmare n half. The sand burst and hit her eye. She winced but flew back up the hole.
"Lillith!" Rapunzel ran to her. Jack widened his eyes at the sight of her gaping slash.
"Puh-lease! Do you have to freak out everytime I get a scratch?" Lillith rolled her eyes at Jack.
He laughed and shook his head. "Are we good?"
"Yeah. I cleared a path for you" Lillith flipped her white hair to one side. "Don't you trust me enough?" she asked sarcastically.
"Go get 'em tiger" she patted Hiccup's back.
"Thanks" he mumbled.
Harris, Hamish and Hubert hid under some bushes. "Now, don't come out unless I tell ya to" Merida instructed. "If not, ya 'ave no dessert until next year" she threatened. The three boys obeyed.
"Let's go" Rapunzel wrapped a tuft of hair on a branch and slid down on the rest. Jack followed her, diving into the hole. Toothless came in next, then caught Hiccup down. Merida placed her hand behind her and her foot in front and slid down by letting go and stopping by gripping the sides again. Lillith slid in after Merida.
The place was a wreck. The cages were uverturned, snapped, and thrashed. The tall ceilings were jutted with stalactites and spears. There were stairs leading to another floor and to a basement.
"Where are the others?" Rapunzel whispered in a shaky voice.
"Down in the basement" Lillith scanned the area. "Just go through that-"
She didn't finish her sentence. The ground began to rumble and shake.
"What's happenin' 'ere?" Merida demanded.
"What's going on?" Hiccup sounded really nervous.
"I don't know!" Lillith cried.
With a thunderous crack! the ground began to split in two, the crack line in between Hiccup, Merida and Toothless' side and Jack, Rapunzel and Lillith's.
"Merida!" Rapunzel flicked her long hair but an enourmous wall blocked the golden strands from reaching Merida's grasp.
"Guys!" Jack called hysterically.
The ground had covered the place in thick dust. Jack stopped and coughed. Lillith dropped to the ground, hand on her mouth. Rapunzel shielded her nose from the dust while waving for the others. The dust was so thick she couldn't see anything in front of her. Like a blind cat, she clawed for Jack or Lillith.
From what seemed a corner, there was a loud cackle.
"Rapunzel! What great pleasure!" there was a loud woman's voice. It was coming from Rapunzel's left.
"Who's there?" Rapunzel shook, hoping it wasn't who she was thinking about right now.
*On the other side of the wall
"Oi!" Merida stopped to cough. "Hiccup!" she screamed the first word she could think of.
"I'm over here!" was the faint reply.
Merida scrambled to her feet, waving the dust away from her eyes.
Hiccup blinked rapidly. The dust had gotten into his eyes and made them watery.
"Toothless!" he hissed. Something bumped against his foot.
"Toothless?" he asked. There was a low moan for an answer. Hiccup felt for his saddle on Toothless.
"Come on bud. Let's find Merida" he swung up on Toothless who flapped his wings for him to gain altitude. The dust cleared. Merida stood there, shading her eyes from the particles, coughing non-stop.
"You okay?" Hiccup landed and ran to Merida.
"Yeah. I thin' so" she replied.
There was a sudden loud rora from the shadows. Hiccup and Merida squinted their eyes to see better.
From the shadows, they could make out a silhouette of a tall animal and one dead, white eye.