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21.

Hiccup was terribly exhausted. It wasn't necessarily due to the exertion of energy from fighting Pitch's beasts in Burgess, but rather the overall taxation of his job. He'd never felt as tired from it as he did now. And he certainly didn't envy Toothless at the moment, who was currently flying high in the sky over Warren with two riders on his back, post-battle. He wanted nothing more than to collapse in his bed at Corinthia (or any bed, for that matter), and fall sound asleep.

And yet he knew he must push on, and so that's what he was doing.

"Where are we goin Hiccup?" Merida called over the wind behind him. "The Berk villages are the other direction!"

"You'll see when we get there!" Hiccup answered her, bending low over Toothless's back as the black dragon began to turn in the air.

…

Merida looked around with bitter distaste as Toothless landed.

"Compass?" She asked incredulously. "Why on earth did ye bring us here? Ah thought we were goin ta get the hammer?"

"We are,"' Hiccup explained, sliding off the dragon's back. "It's here… somewhere."

"Ah'm pretty sure it's not, Hiccup," Merida argued cautiously, swinging her leg over Toothless, but not quite dismounting yet.

Hiccup had begun walking away from her, looking around in awe at the circle of massive stones that made up Compass. "This is amazing Merida," he spoke softly.

"Ye mean yew've never been here before?" She asked, confused, as she finally hopped off of Toothless's back.

Hiccup chuckled and shook his head. "Hard to believe, right? I mean, it's even in Berk, and I've only ever seen this place from above."

"Well, there's not much to it now," Merida grumbled, crossing her arms as she joined him where he stood. Toothless sniffed the ground behind them, also curious about his surroundings.

"Why do ye think the hammer's here?" she asked, rubbing her arms now with a frown. The place seemed… colder than normal, more isolated. A thin layer of mist rolled over the ground, sending an eerie chill up Merida's spine. Never before had the redhead girl felt unsafe at Compass- in fact, up until recently, it had always been her place of refuge.

Her unsettledness frightened her.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes in concentration, roaming around the stones, searching. Merida reluctantly shadowed him.

"I'd forgotten… before…" Hiccup started. "Astrid… once told me to come here." He briefly paused. "I didn't understand what she meant at the time, but I think she hid the hammer here for me to find."

Merida watched Hiccup as he searched high and low around the stones. They'd gone in a complete circle now, and the brunette Guardian was currently surveying a stone he'd already examined. He didn't seem to have noticed either. Merida watched helplessly. This was pointless. She had been coming here long since Astrid had died, and if the blonde girl had hidden a remarkable hammer here, Merida was sure she would have found it herself by now.

A harsh gust of wind swept into the clearing. Merida's tangled curls blew into and around her face, and the wind pushed Hiccup's locks so for a brief moment they appeared to be standing straight up as he walked to the next stone. After the wind died a little, Merida approached Hiccup, who was now kneeling in front of a stone, and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Hiccup, Ah hate to say it, Ah really do… but if the hammer was here Ah'd-"

She stopped, the words caught in her throat. Something had caught her attention at the base of the rock. Her eyes widened incredulously.

Hiccup's head turned around to look up at her, an excited glint in his eyes. A smile grew on his face when he saw Merida's expression.

"What was that you were saying?" He smugly asked her. She shook her head and stuck her tongue out at him, causing the brunette Guardian to chuckle and turn back to the stone.

Hiccup reached out his hand and brushed it over the stone, over a clear distinct carving of a hammer that matched the crest on The Guardian Treaty almost exactly. Someone had obviously gone through a lot of effort to carve it so precisely, which told Hiccup that the mark being there wasn't just accident or coincidence.

"It's here," Hiccup muttered, a sense of anticipation washing over him.

"Um… where is here?" Merida wondered aloud.

Hiccup stood up, brushing the dirt off his knee. "I hope you like digging."

…

"So tha's it," Merida assessed an hour or so later. They'd used their swords to dig, and both Guardians were covered in dirt. But they'd found their prize- a rather heavy hammer.

It wasn't overly large, and not unlike many other hammers Hiccup had often seen during his days as Gobber's apprentice in the forge. The handle was bound with leather, and fit surprisingly comfortably in Hiccup's hand. The head of the hammer was engraved with old Berk runes and symbols that made the Guardian of Knowledge's head itch with curiosity and puzzlement. He'd have to find time to translate them… But what really interested Hiccup was that, despite the fact that the hammer had been buried beneath the earth for many years, the relic did not seem at all damaged by time or wear. It definitely did not look to be centuries old. In fact, Hiccup felt it hardly deserved the title 'relic'- the word sounded too ancient, too much like antique…to much historic... The hammer, given a good wash, would appear to be practically brand new.

Hiccup took a step back and cautiously tested the weapon in his hands. He gently swung it to the side, then up and down. The weight was comfortable, and his grip firm. Usually Hiccup preferred to do everything with his bare hands, and when he had to fight, he tried to stick with a small knife, or the flame sword of his own clever invention.

For a brief moment, Hiccup felt like his dad. He felt like a man with great responsibility, a strong and noble hammer tight within his grip, ready to conquer the world.

He shook his head. Hiccup certainly looked up to his father, but they were two very different people, with different ways of thinking and acting. It's just how it was.

Hiccup turned the weapon over in his hands, still carefully rubbing the dirt from the cold metal surface. He honestly wasn't sure what to make of it. He didn't see himself fighting with it, not that he'd want to. It would be too burdensome to carry around with him wherever he went as well. Other than its pristine condition, the relic didn't seem to have any trace of magic or power.

So what was he supposed to do with it?

"It's definitely it," Hiccup finally answered Merida. It was how he remembered it from his dream-memory with Astrid. She'd hidden it, and now he had found it.

Now what did he do with it?

Protect it, came the answer in his thoughts. Keep it safe from Pitch. He frowned. Surely that couldn't be all? The crown from Corona didn't seem all that magical either at first glance, but at least they'd determined that the diamond-like gemstones had come from the moon crystal at Council. From that, they knew the crown held power. But as Hiccup turned the hammer over in his hands, he didn't see anything that even resembled a gemstone. Nothing that he could use to connect it to the crystal.

North told Rapunzel that the four relics are chock-full of Moon Magic, Hiccup pondered to himself.

No sooner had this thought entered his mind did a white-hot glow begin to emanate from the hammer in his hands.

"Hiccup… what are ye doing?" Merida asked nervously.

Shocked, Hiccup dropped the weapon, sending it crashing down to the mossy earthen floor.

A ear deafening tremor pulsed through Compass the instant the hammer made contact with the ground, almost knocking Merida and Hiccup off their feet.

The mist cleared with the pulse, and tiny blue beings… like puffs of smoke and light… appeared in the air, one stationed between each of the stone pillars that made up the Compass circle.

Hiccup turned in a circle, staring incredulously at the little blue creatures. Merida's eyes widened, shocked for a slightly different reason. Unlike Hiccup, she had seen these creatures before. Which meant…

"The wisps!" She exclaimed in a both excited and amazed whisper.

"Those are the infamous wisps you're always mentioning?" Hiccup wondered aloud in amazement, staring at the cold and mysterious balls of mist and light, feeling as though they could see right into his soul.

Merida nodded solemnly. "Hiccup… Ah haven't seen them here since… since ma powers stopped working and this place shut down on me."

Hiccup stared intently at the wisps floating in between the stones.

"I think you should try them."

"What?"

"Try using your powers. We're at Compass, the wisps are back, what do you have to loose?" Hiccup reasoned, turning to face her.

Merida hesitantly pondered his words. Then she smiled. She sank to her knees before rearranging herself on the ground, fixing the fabric in her dress so that she could sit cross-legged. She tucked a curly strand of hair behind her ear, shut her eyes, and relaxed her body, taking deep meditating breaths.

Hiccup had watched her prepare herself to use her powers many times at Council. But he'd never been so transfixed by her simple movements before- the calm, peaceful look in her face, the steady rise and fall of her chest, and the general sense of her wild nature being briefly tamed… his newfound feelings for her held him captivated.

Oblivious to his stares, Merida dug deep inside herself, into her thoughts and feelings, searching for what would be her string… the one string of thoughts and information amongst the many that lay jumbled inside her, the one that she could grasp and hold on to as it led her into the strings of possible futures…

She knew it had worked before she even opened her eyes. She smiled. Her eyelids blinked open.

It was evening, and the sky was a breathtaking mixture of pinks and purples and golds. Bright glittering lanterns filled the sky like tiny jewels. She could faintly hear music in the distance.

She looked around to find herself in an alleyway of sorts. Old, cobblestone streets and cottage-like buildings confirmed that she was in Corona. She followed the paths of the maze-like kingdom, walking towards the sounds of music and laughter.

But when she arrived at the center of town, it was bizarrely empty. Merida closed her eyes. The music and noise of singing and dancing was so loud, her brain insisted that the square should be packed with people. But when she opened her eyes again, the streets were barren and empty, regardless of what her ears were hearing. Confused, Merida narrowed her eyes and took a few more steps into the square, trying to understand what this strange vision meant.

Merida heard a crunch, and looked down. She jumped back, surprised, to see her bow on the ground. The bow was bent at an odd angle, and the string was torn in half, the ends shredded and frayed. A couple of her prized arrows lay in pieces beside it. Merida inhaled sharply. Even though nothing in this vision was real, Merida could only imagine what the implications of the destroyed bow could mean. She shuddered, beginning to feel afraid.

The vision hadn't changed yet, so Merida knew there must be more for her to see. She forced herself to look away from the bow, and continue onward. She saw another object on the cobblestones up ahead, and moved towards it. She tried not to freak out and gasp when she saw it, but noise still escaped her in a squeak! It was an object she knew she would recognize anywhere, despite the constant changes and improvements it went under- Toothless's saddle. Like the bow, the saddle was broken and destroyed, with leather strips torn free and pieces of metal sticking out at all sorts of angles and directions. The once strong and sturdy contraption looked extremely delicate and fragile, not to mention dangerous and unworthy of ever being used again. It was completely, and utterly ruined.

Again, millions of scenarios filled Merida's head as to what this could possibly mean. Her heart pounded in her chest as she thought about something bad happening to Hiccup. She wanted to pull herself free from the vision to make sure he was safe, and yet she knew the only way out was to let it run its course. So Merida looked up, dreading what she would find next.

She only had to take a few steps before seeing a beautiful golden flower, glowing with pale yellow light in the dimness of evening, growing between the cracks of the stone floor. Merida wanted to sigh in relief. She happily sprinted to the flower, sinking to her knees before it, taking in its healthy, beautiful, undamaged shine. As she watched, however, the flower wilted before her eyes, its light dimming, its petals turning grey and fluttering to the stone ground, which had also turned grey and dismal. Dismay washed over Merida like a wave. She didn't want to look up, knowing, and fearing, what she would see next. But soon the sight of the dead flower was too much for her to bare, and Merida reluctantly raised her head…

… to see Jack's staff standing upright and proud in the dusky night air. It was then Merida noticed that the festival sounds of music and dancing had stopped, replaced by and eerie, dead, silence. The sound of nothing was almost worse for Merida. At least the ghostly music and laughter had been somewhat comforting, for she could pretend she wasn't alone. A cold breeze flew through the empty, barren, ghost of a town, causing windows and doors to open and slam hauntingly. Merida gazed up at the sky- the floating lanterns had vanished.

The redhead Guardian stared at the staff, placing her hands on her hips, waiting for it to do something. It didn't shine with its normal blue glow, it simply shone with…nothing. It just looked like a stick, more so now than ever.

"Okkk," Merida said to the stick impatiently, "If yer going ta do something, just do it already." Merdia was sick of this vision and wanted out.

The 'stick' did nothing.

But a shadow fell over it, and Merida looked up, finding a raised platform of sorts, where she imagined people would usually perform and dance during the festival. On the platform stood another upright staff, also standing tall and proud… but in a menacing way. Pitch's black scythe. Anger welled up in Merida chest. She told herself she wasn't afraid, that she was too furious to be afraid.

It was then she felt the edges of her surroundings fading, being pulled apart, and she knew the vision was at an end. She didn't know whether or not to be thankful. At the last minute, her eyes dropped back to Jack's staff, still standing in the shadow of Pitch. The last thing she saw was the narrow wooden rod snap in half, before shattering into a million pieces.

Had an extremely long week doing college-y stuff (look at me mom I'm a big girl!) But yeah happy to revert back to my childhood today...

Anyways

Guest Reviews:

Orange Cat: Hahaha oh god yeah I know the last chapter was like a reference every other line XD. But I'm glad you enjoyed it haha! And what! Me? Hurt my characters?! Hurt Hiccup!? The mere thought! I would never... *slyly exits the room with an evil grin...* ahem anyway haha glad to know I'm keeping you on your toes, at least. Thank yo so much for the wonderful words after each chapter, and all the fabulous support... go study for your test! School before Fanfiction! (oh look at me I'm now a hypocrite...) but anyway... Merci to you, friend, for being the awesome reader you are!-iceprincess

ber fangirl: hahaha well maybe your first favorite line will make an appearance soon... who knows?! And sorry, I've actually never seen Meet the Robinsons (I know, I know) so I can't say if I were to write a fanfic it would be very good... I've also never heard of that fandom- maybe if you recommend me some sample stories so I get the gist of it, I could see what I can do?! No promises though... Thanks so much for reviewing! Glad we could talk!- iceprincess

Jodi Blu: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG MY FRIEND HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU! CAN I JUST SAY WHAT AN AMZING SURPRISE AND TREAT IT WAS TO HEAR FROM YOU! IT MADE MY DAY LIKE YOU DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND. AHHHH HOW ARE YOU?! ok Imma stop with the caps now they're annoying me. But ANYWAY. Yes, I AM STILL WRITING! (oh god the caps still XD) I just took a break from my other story (Her Father's Daughter) because the idea for this story came into my head and I just couldn't wait to start! So yeah... I just want you to know that I read all of your reviews for HFD, and how sad it made me that I couldn't respond! One of these days I'll come back to it, but until then! Glad you are enjoying Legends as much as I am enjoying writing it! I've really missed talking to you! And I've just realized your review was for chapter five so I really hope you see this... Thanks for reading this story and reviewing! Thanks as always for your support and complimenting words of encouragement. Until we speak again! -iceprincess