Rise of the Nightmares (Jelsa/The Big Five)

Chapter 18 - Curtain of Sorrow

Hiccup POV

"HELP!"

It must have been the fifth time Merida called for someone but no matter how much she tried, Hiccup knew no one was coming for them. His head was starting to hurt and soon they'd both probably starve to death.

In seconds, Hiccup's attention flew to the metal door. The knob was jiggling then it finally slammed open.

"Girl, if you don't shut your mouth I will kill you," spat one of the Stabbington Brothers, "just like I killed your friend."

"Ay, come here and try. I dare you!" Merida shouted, her tone fearless. She got up and walked to the edge of the cage, the steel chain still connecting her arm to her side of the wall.

No, Hiccup thought. The Stabbington Brother would kill her. "Merida, shut up!"

"We're gonna die anyway," she said. "At least I'll go down trying."

"No!" Hiccup shouted. He tugged at his chains again trying to break free but nothing would budge. He couldn't lose Merida, not after already losing Rapunzel.

The Stabbington Brother fumbled with his keys in one hand and held his baseball bat in the other. He seemed to have found the key he was looking for. Lifting it to the lock, he suddenly stopped in his place. Hiccup felt a shudder run down his spine, at the Brother's sudden stillness. The brother fell to his knees then face first, flat against the floor.

"What--" Hiccup said out loud, stunned.

The Stabbington Brother had a knife sticking out of his back. Blood pooling around him, staining the floor. Hiccup killed enough Nightmares to know that the knife had hit his heart.

"Rapunzel?" Flynn came out of the shadows of the doorway. He stood behind the Stabbington Brother clearly not interested in what he just did. He ran passed the gate of the cell, straight to Rapunzel who was still on the ground.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Hiccup shouted furiously. He tried to move forward but the shackles connecting him to the wall stopped him. Hiccup looked over at Merida who looked just as shocked.

Flynn ran to Rapunzel's side. "Thank the Man in the Moon. She's still breathing but it's faint." He unlocked her chain, then picked her up and walked over to Hiccup. 

"Ow! Why'd you do that?" Flynn said, rubbing the part of his face that Hiccup just punched.

"YOU'RE THE REASON WE'RE HERE!" Hiccup shouted while he gestured the old prison cell. He had never hated anyone as much as he hated Flynn. "IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU, THE STABBINGTON BROTHERS WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN THAT THE INSTITUTE WAS EMPTY."

"I'm sorry--" Flynn said, unlocking Hiccup's chain. Hiccup noticed Flynn's brown eyes had a spark of genuine honesty. Flynn reminded him of Jack. The way Jack would always do something reckless and stupid then come apologize after. And Hiccup always forgave him because that's what you did with your best friend, with family. "I-- I love her. I was already working for Pitch. I couldn't do anything about it." Flynn's eyes began to water but he didn't cry. "I'm breaking you guys free. I'm trying to change myself. For you guys-- for her." He looked at Rapunzel.

"We forgive you." Merida said. Hiccup looked up at her, it was the first time she said anything in a while. "You saved us. People can change." She looked at Hiccup with her blue eyes and for the first time he didn't think she was pretty, he thought she was beautiful. But some part of him was confused at what message she was trying to convey.

"Rapunzel," Flynn said again. "We need to take her to the Rock Trolls-- she's still alive but her wounds need to be healed." He unlocked Merida from her chain. "Elsa is in the other room. Pitch is going to use her blood to summon the Man in the Moon. You guys need to go help her. I'll take Rapunzel to the Rock Trolls."