Renewed: The Little Four Sequel-Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons Story

Chapter 22

Merida

We found ourselves in the gathering room in my old home. I held Alec a little closer, suddenly feeling scared.

"It's okay," Hiccup said. I handed him Alec, took a deep breath, and led the way up the stairs.

I had a feeling Mum would be in the room she often made tapestries in.

I stopped in front of the door, paused, then knocked.

"Come in!" came her clear voice. I slowly opened the door. Mum was sitting, sewing a tapestry. It looked like Harris, Hubert, and Hamish, but older. On the other end of the room was a tapestry of me, aiming at something. I smiled at how big she had made my hair.

"Maudie, I could use that water now," Mum said. Her hair was silver with a few black streaks. She was wearing that green dress I always remembered her in. Her hair was still back, and she still had that crown on.

"Mum?" I said, voice breaking. She froze. She dropped the needle and slowly turned around.

Her eyes were filling with tears as she looked me up and down. Her face had wrinkles, but they seemed to make her more beautiful.

"Merida?" she asked quietly. I surged forward and hugged her tightly, letting a few tears fall. She laughed a little, returning my hug.

"Look at you," she said finally, letting go and holding me at arms length. "Still wearing blue?" I laughed.

"I tried coming back, after I died, but I had become a guardian," I explained. "The guardian of summer. I was invisible to everyone. I only now get to be seen by everyone, and I wanted to come tell you how much I love you, and that I'm so sorry."

Mum smiled. "I love you, too."

"Oh, I wanted to, Hiccup!" I called. Hiccup came into the room, smiling slightly. He gave me Alec.

"Mum, this is my husband, Hiccup."

"It's nice to meet you," Hiccup said, shaking Mum's hand.

"And this is our son, Alec." I handed her Alec. She cradled him in her arms, smiling.

"Is Dad here?" I asked. Mum seemed to deflate slightly.

"He died a couple years ago," she said softly. I felt Hiccup put his arm around me, and I leaned into his touch, letting a tear fall.

"What about Harris, Hubert, and Hamish?"

"The kingdom was divided between the three of them. They should be in the training room right now."

"I'll be right back," I said, dashing down the hall.

I burst through the door. I remember the wee devils running through the halls, finding secret passages left and right. Now they were big, as big as Dad.

They all turned and stared at me. I stared back, smiled, then dashed back to Mum. I could here them behind me, yelling for me to stop, but when they got big, they lost their speed.

I arrived breathless in front of Mum. A minute later, the three of them burst in, practically filling the room.

"What?" they all said at the same time. I told them to sit, and I began the tale of how I became a guardian and met Hiccup, Jack, and Rapunzel. I told them how we had to rescue the Big Four and how we, well Rapunzel, defeated Pitch, Gothel, and the Necromancer.

I told them how Hiccup and I got married 30 years ago, and how Rapunzel and Jack got married a year before us. I told them about all the places we saw and how we flew so high we could almost touch the stars.

I felt, weaker, when I finished.

"Our time will be up soon," Hiccup said. He took Alec from Mum and went to wait in the hall. I hugged my brothers, telling them to relax their shoulders more when they fought.

I turned to Mum. She was crying slightly, and I hugged her as hard as I could.

"Can't we just, believe in you and then we could still see you?" she asked. I smiled.

"Yes Mum, you could," I replied, though I knew why Manny had really let us see our parents. "I love you."

I let go, crying. Mum leaned against her chair, watching me. I held her hand, kneeling next to her. She closed her eyes, and breathed out, "I love you, too."

I smiled through my tears, almost seeing the light drain out of her. Hamish rushed to her side, calling her name. I the chill rush down my back when he passed through me. I stood up, took one last look at her, and walked back to Hiccup and Alec.

Goodbye.