Winds of Change

Chapter Five

"And we're back where we started," Hiccup grumbled as him, Merida, Jack and Cupid stepped off of the airplane into the Cairo, Egypt airport.

"Well, do you know another way to get in, wise guy?" Cupid asked.

"No, seeing as I don't think that we should go in."

"Do ye want to see Rapunzel dead?" Merida accused.

"No, I want her back as much as any of you guys. I just think that there is another way to find out where she is."

"Well, if this place turns out to be a dud," Jack said, cured from his melancholy from several hours before, "then we follow your plan. Which, by the way, I've been doing for two years."

Hiccup muttered curses under his breath. Merida grinned, recognizing a few of them.

Cupid lead the way to customs, where the four Spirits got their bags checked, Toothless got cleared to go (as Hiccup's seeing-eye dog) and they were in a hot tour bus filled with old people and toddlers on the way to the Great Pyramids. It was hot and dusty, and neither Toothless nor Hiccup was glad to be there. 

Hiccup started petting his dog. "It's all right, bud," he whispered. "It's all right."

* * * 

Three hours later, the tour bus stopped, and everyone got off, glad to be off of the hot, stinky, dusty bus. The four Spirits and a shape-shifter got off of the bus, and Cupid started stretching.

"It's really hot out here," Jack said. "Like, really, really hot."

"Ye are wearing a sweatshirt, Frosty. Of course yer going to be hot," Merida said, bending over to touch the ground.

"And your wool skirt isn't helping?"

"I haven't worn wool for at least six months, Frosty. These are shorts. And shoes. And a shirt."

Jack held up his hands. "Sorry, Princess --"

"Are you two done yet?" Cupid asked. "We are on a timetable, and you two are bickering like an old married couple. Which is not good, by the way. Trust me, I've seen things happen."

"Where to, Cupid?" Hiccup asked, changing the subject.

Cupid pointed to the top of the tallest pyramid. "Right up there."

Merida squinted. "Isn't that illegal or something?"

"Yup."

"So why are we going to do that?" Jack asked.

"That is the closest entrance that is not trapped."

"I didn't put traps," said Hiccup.

"Yes, yes, we all know that you burnt it down, dragon-boy. But, that was thousands of years ago. People, or Spirits, could've booby-trapped it since then. So, please keep your trap shut and let me do my job. Capish?"

"Capish," Jack said. "But how are we going to get in there?"

Cupid groaned. "Teenage Spirits, never stop talking."

Hiccup raised his hand. "Actually, I was in my twenties when I died --"

"Did I ask you how old you were? Now, hide somewhere so that when all of the tourists are gone, we can go to the top."

* * * 

Hiccup's rear end had gotten sore, but he couldn't move. He was cramped in a box that was almost too small for him. Luckily, he had shifted into the shape of a young boy, so all was well. But it was still sore.

Aside from the sore bottom.

Toothless came scarring back, in the shape of a small rat. If Hiccup wasn't so used to this form, he would have freaked But Toothless always had his feline-ness, no matter what form.

"You ready, Bud?" Hiccup asked. Toothless jumped into Hiccup's outstretched hand, and transformed. Larger and larger until he was a black camel, and Hiccup had thousands of splinters.

The moon had risen, and no one was around. Toothless quickly changed into a large mountain goat, and walked over to the largest pyramid. Hiccup scoped out the other three boxes, holding the other three Spirits. Hiccup shifted into the form of a bodybuilder, and shattered them, careful of the Spirits inside. When he got to Merida's she raised an eyebrow, and Hiccup shifted into his normal form. 

Cupid stood up, stretching his hands above his head. "I love stowing away, don't you?"

"Not really, no," Jack said, cracking his back.

"Well, you're no fun. Ah, there's the shape-shifting dragon! Beautiful mountain goat, I must say."

"Let's get this over with," mumbled Hiccup.

Cupid rubbed his hands together. "All right, gang, let's get this party started!"

"First of all," Merida said, "we're not yer gang. Secondly, this isn't a party, and lastly, we can cut you out of the deal any time that we want to. Okay?"

"Whatever you want, darlin'. But, friendly reminder, none of you are going to find your friend without me. So, I would refrain from cutting me out of anything. Now, if you would kindly get onto the goat."

* * * 

Standing on top of the Great Pyramid, Hiccup felt small. He gazed along the Cairo skyline, gazing at the lights. Cupid and Jack were busy moving stones off to the side. Hiccup turned to them. "What are you guys doing?" he asked. "Do you have any idea how old these things are?"

Cupid gave Hiccup a flat look. "No," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's not like I helped to build these things."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. Merida came to stand by him. "It's very nice," she said. "The skyline. Though you can't really see the stars up here."

Hiccup looked up. "You can see the moon though," he said.

Merida opened her mouth to speak, but Cupid called, "Okay, everyone in the hole!" Toothless shifted to a little mouse and burrowed himself in Hiccup's pocket. 

Jack was the first one down the dark and dusty hole. Merida and Hiccup looked at each other, shrugged, and jumped into the cobwebbed hole.

They were sliding down, down, down, faster and faster, cobwebs and spiders flying into their mouths. The cat Toothless' claws dug into Hiccup's arm, and he was yowling. 

They slid off of the slide and into air, all of them either screaming or yelling. A brief flash of light, and the four of them tumbled into a small closet. Hiccup looked down and saw that Toothless had drawn blood. Cupid opened the closet door.

"Welcome to the Library of Alexandria," he said. "Certain death awaits."

A/N: Sorry about the EXTREMELY late update, school started, and with that, marching band, so I couldn't update during football season, and then a huge workload, and other things that I'm working on... This was the only time to really do it. 

However, I DID write this chapter a long time ago, so I just had to click the "Publish Story" button, and I was good. Now I just need to finish the drafts for this... Nearly there...

Vote, comment, and happy reading!

~Allie