'Ello! So yeahhh I know I said I'd post like yesterday but things happened and I found myself editing this chapter again super late last night and just ran out of time... so I'm posting it today for you all... as I'm about to walk out the door to catch a plane! haha yay...

Hope you all like it, it's nice and longgggg (my goodbye present to you)!

Tell me what you think!

ReAd, ReLaX, rEvIeW! (...that was fun writing it that way...wow I'm lame...and clearly very bored...)

Okayyyyy! Talk to you all soon!

~o0o~

19.

Hiccup approached Astrid, and the two soon fell into step with each other, their dragons trotting a few paces behind. Neither spoke. They didn't need words. Right now, just the presence of the other was enough.

Soon the four found themselves in the cove near the outskirts of the main Berk village- the secluded little haven that Hiccup and Toothless had called home for so long.

"So… what's so important that we had to wait 'til after dark and come all the way out here for?" Hiccup finally spoke, sitting down on a small boulder. Astrid didn't sit- she stood motionless in front of him, staring down at her thick fur boots.

"I…" but she stopped. Hiccup arched an eyebrow. He'd never known Astrid to ever be speechless or unsure of what to say. She looked nervous and stressed, and even just a little afraid. Hiccup reached out and took her hands into his and squeezed tight. She squeezed back.

"Is everything ok?" He asked her gently. This whole thing just wasn't like her, and he wanted to get to the bottom of the situation.

"Define 'ok'," Astrid muttered, shrugging her shoulders, but not letting go of his hands.

It was then Hiccup noticed something different about her. The darkness of evening had prevented him from noticing before, but now he saw that the blonde girl's usual axe was not strapped to her hip, but in its place was a large hammer he'd never seen before.

"What's that?" he asked her after a pause, nodding towards the hammer. She hadn't really answered his first question, nor did it seem she was about to, and he was eager to find some way to get her talking.

Astrid stiffened. "Something…something I found laying around the house… Thought I'd take a break from axe throwing, you know? It's always good to try something new…" She rambled on for another minute or two, but Hiccup had stopped listening. He knew that, for whatever reason, she wasn't telling him the truth. Or the whole truth, anyway. He didn't need his powers as a Guardian (new as they were) to figure it out. He just knew his girlfriend better than he knew himself.

"Soo… Rapunzel's Acceptance Ceremony is tomorrow," Astrid said quickly.

Hiccup shook his head. "Don't change the subject. You wouldn't drag us all the way out here to talk about the formalities of politics. Tell me what's bothering you," he insisted, concerned about the way she was acting.

"I'm… just nervous," she told him. "After the ceremony we fly out to join the other Vikings at the Nest."

Another lie. Astrid was the bravest Viking Hiccup had even known in all of Berk, save perhaps his own father. She was confident, sure of herself, eager to win, and someone who never, ever, gave up. Flying out to the Nest to finally end the war against dragons… Hiccup knew Astrid was far from frightened. Anxious, perhaps. Eager to go and kick some dragon-butt, definitely. But not scared.

Why she was avoiding answering his questions and telling him why they were there was completely beyond him. It had been her idea to come here in the dead of night, it had been she who had anxiously pleaded with him to come…

Hiccup stood. They were the same height, but he was still growing and would soon overtake her. "If that's what's bothering you, then you don't have to come with me to the island if you'd rather-"

"No!" she quickly intervened. A little too quickly. "No way you're going without me. Someone has to make sure you don't kill yourself doing something stupid." She joked with a more relaxed smile. Which only confirmed what Hiccup had been thinking. He rolled his eyes at her tease.

"Then what?" He asked her, exasperated. "What's all this about?" He tried to think of something that might be bothering her. "Snotlout?" he guessed. "Or do I need to talk with the twins again?"

"No… I can handle them," she shrugged off. "But there's something else… something we don't have a handle on." She withdrew her hands from his, and rested one on the head of the hammer at her hip. She drummed her fingers.

Suddenly, Hiccup felt as if he had missed something. She was trying to tell him something… indirectly tell him something.

But what? And why?

"Just… be careful who you trust Hiccup," she warned after a moment. "And know… know the rulers are keeping secrets from you." Her drumming became faster paced, as if she had become extremely agitated.

"What secrets?" He asked her, narrowing his eyes. "How do you know this?"

"It doesn't matter how I know," she brushed off impatiently, crossing her arms- finally putting an end to her persistent drumming. "I don't really know much more than you anyway," she added with a huff.

"Well I clearly don't know anything about what your talking about, and you're doing a terrible job explaining-" Hiccup started to argue.

"I don't trust any of them, ok?" She jumped his words, effectively silencing him. "I'm sorry, I just don't... Except for Merida…And I don't know much about Rapunzel…"

Hiccup looked at her, lost for words. What was she talking about? Where was all this coming from? How could she say she didn't trust anyone?

Hiccup opened his mouth to respond, but the blonde beat him to it.

"Listen to me Hiccup. The stone circle Merida goes to- the one no one talks about- remember it. When you… learn what they're keeping from you, promise me you'll go there."

Hiccup didn't understand why she had to be so vague. "What are you-"

"Promise."

"Ok, ok… I promise… but why-"

Hiccup woke with a start. He could hear the wind howling outside his window, and could just make out the dark mass that was Toothless at the end of his bed. His dream hadn't been a nightmare… no…no, it was a memory. He'd been having them a lot lately. Memories of Astrid.

He pushed back his blankets and swung his legs over the edge of his bed, holding his head in his hands. The memory had been from so, so long ago. He'd forgotten completely about that night. The night before she… died.

Astrid had been right about not trusting everyone. Look what had happened with Pitch. And the secrets the rulers kept from the Guardians… and the ones the Guardians kept from the rulers… a circle of non-trust.

Hiccup frowned and stood up, careful not to wake his giant sleeping friend. Silently he dressed, and wandered out of his rooms into the cold castle.

…

Early the next morning, just as the sun was rising, Merida found Hiccup rifling through books in Corinthia's spacious library. She'd dressed in a simple long white blouse and brown leggings, a leather belt around her stomach. Hiccup was dressed similarly- leggings, green tunic, brown vest- it was so early in the morning he hadn't yet donned his leather suit he wore for flying and patrols.

"Do ye ever sleep?" she asked him in greeting.

He looked over to her and smiled. "Can't sleep when my brain is working in twenty different directions."

"Yew should take a break… c'mon," she said, tugging at his arm. "Ah need fresh air! Ah hate being cooped up in this castle!"

"Where are we going?" Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow as he followed her out the room.

"Ah'm so restless," Merida complained, "Ah hate waitin around. Let's practice sword fighting again. That was fun."

"Right… and which was more fun, hitting me with a dull piece of metal or getting hit by me with a dull piece of metal?" Hiccup asked her with a grin.

"Oh wee lamb- yer blade barely tooched me!"

…

Clang- clink- clash.

Merida stumbled to the left before regaining her balance. She quickly twisted back around to her right and swung up her sword backwards with both hands to instinctively block Hiccup's next assault near her shoulder.

"Nice catch," he told her with an impressed nod. He twisted as well, feinting to his right before swinging downward to catch her off guard by her waist. She just barely blocked him in time.

"We're getting really good at this," Merida grinned. She mentally applauded herself for wearing pants instead of a dress this morning (something her mother would surely faint seeing). Not having all the heavy fabric restricting her leg movements made a huge difference. What a relief. "Actually, yer getting better at it." She decided.

She spun around, intending to attack the boy from behind. Hiccup, however, caught the hilt of her blade with his, twisted, and knocked her blade free from her hand. He then pulled the girl closer to him so that her back rested against his front, locked in place by the flat of his own blade.

"Well… I've been learning from the best," he smirked into her ear. Merida rolled her eyes.

"Alright, yer point," she conceded sourly. She didn't like loosing. "Now let me go and we'll start again."

Hiccup paused, a sudden feeling of daring accumulating in his chest. "And why should I do that?" he asked her with a grin.

Merida tried to wriggle herself free from his grip, but found the brunette boy stronger than he seemed. "Hiccup!" she cried out in playful annoyance.

"Nope!" he laughed.

Merida groaned in frustration before managing to turn herself around so she could face her captor. "Yew, sir, are going ta regret this."

"Why's that?" Hiccup asked with a goofy grin.

Merida leaned in and kissed him passionately, catching the boy completely off guard. In his moment of weakness, the redhead grinned deviously and wrenched Hiccup's sword from his grip and jumped back, holding the blunt blade at his throat.

"That's why," she smirked as he shook his head sheepishly and raised his hands in surrender.

…

Jack still had yet to understand who "Tooth" was until the woman herself came barging through the common room door.

She was a whirlwind of color. Long green and teal robes tinged pink on the edges billowed around her as she sped into the room with steps so light and fast Jack wondered if she was flying. Ebony locks swirled into an elegant knot on her head adored with gold and blue bands that matched the gold-feathered earrings hanging from her ears. Most startling of all however, were her eyes- a pale magenta that glittered with electricity and uncontainable excitement.

"My dearest friends- how wonderful it is to see all of you again!" Toothiana exclaimed, announcing her presence even further.

"Well, she certainly knows how to make an entrance," Jack muttered to Rapunzel, who was been sitting beside him. The golden-haired Guardian suppressed giggles when she saw the boy's awestruck expression. "Her eyes are purple," he muttered again to her without taking his own blue orbs off the woman. "Purple," he said again for emphasis, as if Rapunzel couldn't see for herself, or didn't already know.

At the sound of his, albeit lowered, voice, Tooth's rapt attention snapped to him.

"Oh my- Jack! I've heard a lot about you! And your teeth!"

Jack's mouth dropped. "Wha-my what?" he asked, eyes narrowing in cautious confusion.

"Open up!"

Jack didn't know what was going on. One minute the woman was in the middle of the room, the next her hands were… in his mouth? "Are they really as white as they say? Yes!" she exclaimed in rapid words, clearly thrilled, as she examined his teeth.

"Ah-"

"Oh, they really do sparkle like freshly fallen snow!" she confirmed excitedly.

And then just like that, she was gone. Jack blinked, rubbing his now aching jaw.

"What?" he muttered.

Merida was laughing hysterically on the floor.

Then Jack noticed two younger girls, one probably not much older than Emma, the other maybe closer to his own age, hovering close to Tooth. Both wore similar teal dresses with their hair coiled high up on their heads in gold bands. They were like miniature versions of the strange bubbly woman, and both were staring at Jack, squealing, swooning, and giggling uncontrollably.

"Girls, pull yourselves together," Tooth exclaimed, adopting a commanding expression. "Let's not disgrace the uniform!" She then turned back to Jack with a dazzling smile, while the two girls continued to silently giggle behind their hands.

"Her apprentices," Rapunzel whispered to him in explanation, rolling her eyes.

"Apprentices?" Jack whispered back, incredulous. "In what? Harassment of people's mouths?"

Before Rapunzel could respond, Flynn burst through the door as well, clutching his side and panting. "You ladies," he wheezed in between breaths "are very… fast."

"Well, we ought to be!" Tooth harrumphed, "the situation was simply too exciting to stand by and wait for someone as slow as you!"

Hiccup chuckled. "It's good to see you Tooth, but you didn't have to come all this way-"

"Oh, yes I did!" she argued excitedly. "If you honestly thought, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, that I was about to let that nuisance of a prince walk- no, saunter- out my door with a document as important as The Guardian Treaty-"

"I'm the nuisance?" Flynn cried, playfully wounded. "It's Dragon Boy you have to watch out for-"

"Ok everyone," Rapunzel laughed, standing up and walking over to join Tooth.

"We're grateful you're here," Hiccup finished, his smile unfaded. He turned to Jack. "Tooth is the owner of the largest and oldest library in all of Warren, and she is the greatest historian in the world. Her home is hidden- the location known to only a select few- and contains all the greatest memories of the past. Every treaty, document, record, declaration, census- you name it- she has a copy of, or access to."

"And in this case," Tooth beamed proudly, prancing excitedly over to the table, her robes billowing gracefully behind her, to clear aside the other papers and notes, "I happen to have the original."

From within her flowing feathery robes, Tooth produced a rolled piece of parchment so old the paper had a yellow-ish hue and the edges were cracked and torn. Jack took a seat at the table along with everyone else so he could see what all the fuss was about. He watched as Flynn leisurely sat down and attempt to put his feet up on the tabletop only to have Tooth swat them away. Jack had to grin- something was definitely up between those two. As he took his seat, his hand accidently brushed up against Rapunzel's.

"Sorry!" he apologized quickly, their hands instantly springing apart as if the other's was made of fire.

Rapunzel could feel herself blush as she shook her head as her own apology.

Jack made a conscious effort to turn away from her and focus his attention on the colorful woman before them, watching as she carefully smoothed out the old document on the table surface.

The writing on the document itself wasn't that long. But it was transcribed in an ancient language- ruins that were beyond Jack's level of comprehension. Hiccup, on the other hand, seemed to have no trouble deciphering it, and of course neither did Tooth.

"I'm not entirely sure what you're looking for though, Hiccup," Tooth shrugged sourly. "You of all people, especially as the Guardian of Knowledge, surely already have this memorized?"

"It's not the words we needed to see," the brunette confessed, staring intently at the document and smoothing it out beneath the gentle touch of his fingers. He pushed it up on the table so that all could see the bottom half of the document, where dozens of signatures were written, as well as multiple symbols. As Jack stared at it, it suddenly occurred to him that the symbols were crests.

"The former crests, then?" Tooth asked just as he thought it, pointing to the crest in the far right corner of the parchment.

"Former crests?" Jack asked curiously.

"The crests the Four Kingdoms have today are not the same crests they had when the Kingdoms were first established," Tooth eagerly explained. "Originally, the crests more closely reflected the specific Guardians of the Kingdoms and their traits."

"When it became clear that the later generations of Guardians possessed different 'Centers', as is the proper term, from their predecessors," Hiccup continued for her, looking up at Jack, "the Kingdoms altered their crests to permanent, unchanging symbols, unlike the changing semblance of the Guardians."

My Center, thought Jack suddenly. He had just come upon the realization that he had yet to figure out his own Guardian Center. How am I supposed to figure that out? He wondered. He opened his mouth to ask his friends, but shut it when the conversation continued amongst them about the various crests. I'll bring it up later, he thought.

Hiccup pointed to the Corona crest- an intricate crown woven around a blazing sun and stars. Underneath it, Jack could just barely make out a line of fine cursive script that read:

Sanderson Mansnoozie, Guardian of Dreams and Wishes

"The tiara?" Flynn confirmed.

"Or a version of it, at least," Rapunzel agreed. "I remember mom and dad telling me stories about Guardian Sandy."

Jack noticed that only three crests appeared on the ancient document. The bottom left hand corner of the parchment had been torn away, cutting off several signatures.

"Of course it's tha DunBroch crest thet's missin," Merida complained when she noticed as well. "So we still dinnae know what Pitch stole."

A few groans followed her words. Jack turned his head and tried to make out what was written around the torn edge of paper. Only a small portion of the crest was visible, but not enough to tell what it depicted. The signature written beneath it was completely illegible and also missing the beginning half. Jack could make out, however, the tail end of the DunBroch Guardian's title.

….and Tradition

Curious, Jack eagerly shifted his gaze to the crest of his own Kingdom. The symbol inside the crest wasn't very detailed- it looked to Jack like a thick line running on a slight diagonal. One end was somewhat pointy- that is, more so than the other end, in Jack's opinion. But Jack couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be. He narrowed his eyes and worked to decipher the messy, child-like signature that was penned beneath the odd crest.

Nightlight the Defender, Guardian of Joy and Faith

Nightlight? That couldn't have been his (or her?) actual name, could it? Jack pondered the thought. He felt as if he should know who Nightlight was. Something pulled at the back of his mind deep in his memories, but Jack couldn't exactly place the feeling of recognition he had.

I know him, was all Jack could think, suddenly certain Nightlight was a "he", and unable to shake the feeling of connectedness he felt upon hearing the name.

"What's wrong Hiccup?" Rapunzel asked suddenly. Hiccup pressed his finger to the Berk crest and looked up at them all. "I… I think I know what this is," he said. Jack studied the Berk crest, pushing thoughts of Nightlight out of his mind for the time being.

"…A hammer?" Jack asked quizzically. The Berk crest, like Corona's, was an obvious image. I think we all figured that one out, he thought to himself.

"No, I mean, I've seen it before," Hiccup amended, "like physically, actually, seen it. The actual hammer." He pressed both of his hands flat on the table, blowing air through his cheeks.

"When?" Rapunzel asked.

"Where?" Merida spoke at the same time.

"Astrid had it," Hiccup stated slowly in disbelief as he remembered. "The night before… before we fought the Red Death at the Nest. She… I think somehow she knew what it was, and she wanted to tell me, but didn't know if she should," he explained, understanding even as he said it.

"So is it still on that…island?" Flynn asked from the other side of the table, crossing his arms.

Hiccup shook his head, exhaling. "No, I don't think so," he said. "She carried her axe that day."

"Did… she tell yew what she did with it?" Merida asked cautiously. They all knew Astrid was a touchy subject, and none of them knew how far, or for how long, they could push Hiccup for answers, or if he even knew them.

Hiccup rocked where he stood for a moment, then shook his head before answering, "…no," looking at his hands pressed flat on the table. "We have to ask her parents," he decided.

"Better go now then," Tooth said offhandedly. "The Hoffersons are leaving town… didn't you know?" she asked when they all stared at her with open mouths.

"Leaving town?" Flynn asked. "What does that mean? Going to a different Kingdom?"

"Or leaving Warren altogether?" Merida exclaimed.

"Why would they leave? Where would they go?" Rapunzel questioned, dismayed.

"Because they know we're looking for the relic," Jack answered. "These stupid things are really that dangerous?" He asked Tooth in disbelief.

"Well obviously we have to go now," Hiccup stated briskly, reaching for the metal cylinder that was his flame-sword and attaching it to its holster on his leg. Toothless immediately trotted over to him so Hiccup could buckle his saddle into place. "They may not want to tell us," Hiccup continued, "but now that we know what it is, and that it even exists… we can't let them leave Warren with it. Jack, you and I should go," he called over his shoulder as he worked Toothless's saddle. "Your invisibility power might be useful… in that case someone else should come too so it's not odd that I show up alone-"

But at that moment, Rapunzel collapsed where she was standing in a fit of agony. Everything stopped once she uttered her startled cry.

Panic surged through Jack's chest- he and Flynn were at her side almost instantly.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," Hiccup moaned as he realized what was happening, while fear pitted in his stomach. Usually he was the calm and collected one in these frightening situations, but this was the absolute last thing he needed to worry about at the moment-

"What the hell is going on?" Jack demanded from his knees, terrified, looking from Hiccup to Merida, Rapunzel curled in a pained mess beside him. "Is she ok?"

Hiccup ran across the room to them. "Where?" he asked the blonde girl, bending down to her level.

"Burgess," she managed to get out shakily. "Western edge."

Hiccup cursed under his breath. They had to get to Berk before Astrid's parents and the relic disappeared for good. They didn't have time for one of Rapunzel's rescue missions. And yet it wasn't like they had a choice. Rapunzel only collapsed like this when there was terrible need for the Guardians' help.

"She feels people's pain, Jack," Merida reminded him quickly, hovering behind them somewhat with Tooth, the later of whom looking down anxiously upon them, the two younger apprentices worriedly peaking around her robes. "If she collapses…" Merida continued, her face paling even whiter than it already was, "Something bad has happened," she finished.

Jack understood. He looked at Hiccup's fearful and frustrated face, and knew what the other boy was thinking.

"I'll take her," he offered quickly. "You and Merida go to Berk, Flynn and I will take Rapunzel to Burgess."

Hiccup shook his head. "Horses won't get you there fast enough. Toothless's speed is the only-"

"I'll fly," Jack countered. "The winds listen to me. We'll get there." Without waiting for the other boy's answer, Jack bent over and scooped Rapunzel up into his arms. She was lighter than he expected, but her hair…

Merida dashed about the room and piled the multitudes of hair into Rapunzel's shaking arms. Jack stumbled slightly from the added weight. "Well… that's…. good, that's good." He gasped, steadying himself.

"Are you sure?" Hiccup asked, a mix of worry and relief etched into his face as he too stood up.

"Yeah… got this," Jack said between breaths, shifting his weight.

Hiccup nodded once. "Merida, come on!" he commanded, and wasted no time climbing onto Toothless's back. The redheaded girl grabbed her bow and quiver from the table and rushed to follow him.

"Hiccup," she began, "Don't ye think-" She had barely situated herself when the black Night Fury leapt off the floor, and flew straight at one of the tall windows in the room, smashing through it and shattering the glass, sending crystalline shards everywhere. His riders had ducked just in time, and other than a few scratches, were left relatively unharmed.

Jack summoned the winds and allowed himself to lift off into the air through the now open window, Rapunzel clinging tightly to his neck, her body trembling against his. A brief glance behind him allowed him to see Flynn dashing off out of the room, presumably to find his horse, and Tooth ushering her two apprentices out as well.

Ignoring the fear and anxiety building in his chest, Jack turned to face the open sky before him and shouted, "C'mon wind! Take us home!"

Toothless hovered in the sky, his powerful wings straining to keep him and his two passengers aloft. Hiccup and Merida watched the black pinprick in the distance that was Jack and Rapunzel getting smaller and smaller.

"Ah have a bad feelin about this, Hiccup," Merida said, leaning up against the brunette boy's shoulder.

"So do I," Hiccup muttered.

"Do ye think thet maybe… we shouldn't…" Merida started. She didn't need to finish, Hiccup grasped what she was thinking. He turned his head to the east, his eyes searching for the Berk villages before gazing north once more. Jack and Rapunzel had vanished from view, too far away now to discern. Toothless growled, and Hiccup sensed through their subconsciously linked minds exactly what the black dragon was thinking. "Ahh- I'm going to regret this!" Hiccup exclaimed, frustrated, as with one and the same mind, he and Toothless dove without hesitation through the air towards Burgess after Jack, Merida shrieking behind in startled surprise.

Okayyyy SO! Nice longing chapter to make up for my little-over-a week absence ahead... But honestly now that I'm thinking about it that's about the same amount of time it takes for me to update anyway... haha sooo

I'll miss you all! Can't wait to get back in touch with everyone when I come back!

Iceprincess out!

(Well not quite yet...)

Guest Review Responses:

OrangeCat: Haha I know- it makes me so happy because I feel this story is just growing more an more with each chapter! This one was posted early tho so not as many this time around... :) Still I'm just happy that so many people are enjoying it! It's such a great feeling...Thank you SO MUCH for your amazingly kind words. It truly means so much to me. (I know I keep saying that to people but I feel like I can't say it enough because its true!) Yeah, the guards would recognize Flynn, but I mean they really aren't that smart... haha its such a cliche thing in movies and tv- to have idiot guards. But lol in any event its not going to affect the story much anyway. Haha Ahoy there! I see a ship in the distance as well with Flynn and Tooth! Just as a little extra thing... nothing major...I really enjoyed writing the boys because they just all fit so nicely together with each of their unique senses of humor! So glad I pulled it off! Yes-spelling and grammar! Wooohoooo! Success! haha...And I know fellow Hiccstrid shipper, I know :( ...haha and this made my day- "and then there's freakin' Pitch, he's a jerk" - I literally started cracking up hysterically with your attempt to be "kind" to someone who's a jerk..! hahaha now I'm laughing again just thinking about it... And sorry no comment on being evil...Thanks as always for reviewing! Talk again soon!- Iceprincess

AmethYst: Jack is honestly my favorite on so many levels- him and Flynn are quite the pair together aren't they? They will be buddies for sure... and haha omg no Flynn is Rapunzel's brother in this! hahaha! It's easy to forget I know XD But yeah no rivalry/jealousy/etc... ugh I hate that stuff to be honest... the only problem Flynn might (and I repeat, might) have is like older brother protectiveness but like him and Jack get along so *shrugs* not sure yet. And glad you liked the castle scene! I was extremely proud of myself for working it in! And huh I feel like a lot of people are thinking that Flynn's like bad or double crossing or something... not entirely sure where that vibe is coming from... not sure what I'll do with it *grins*. Haha thanks for the review as always, and love love love hearing from you my friend! Leaving for my trip in about an hour so I guess I won't hear from you again till I get back! So yes from someone who's learning to be witty and learning how to spell "Amethyst" (did it correctly both times! *happy dance*) to another someone who can't hope to compete with my incredible writing skills (just teasing haha) and who is a joy to hear from- Ciao! Iceprincess

NOW Iceprincess out!