Now or Never TC1 (Big Four/RotBTD)

Chapter 18

Merida's POV:

(Jack is still frosting people's stuff)

I turn around and see it.

There's a dangerous-looking, creepy black mist seeping into the clearing I'm standing in from the forest.

There's no way out.

I scream as it puts me to sleep.

Rapunzel's POV:

(Merida is still shooting arrows and Jack is still frosting people's things)

"I don't think Merida really went for a walk," I say bluntly, a few minutes after she left. We've been in silence since then.

"What?" Hiccup asks me in surprise, turning away from his preparations for our trip to look at me.

"I bet she ran off to be alone. I can tell that she's been wanting to get away all day."

"And you didn't think to say anything?" He groans, dropping onto the ground.

"Well, now I have. Let's go find her," I say smartly.

He sighs, but agrees. He calls Toothless and helps me on.

We fly around the town, but not seeing her, start searching the forest from above.

We hear a piercing scream. "Merida!" We both yell in unison.

Hiccup directs Toothless to dive, and we find where she was momentarily.

How do we know that she was here?

Her bow and arrows are here, and there is a strange black mist retreating into the woods.

"That's not normal, is it," I ask him quietly. He just shakes his head, his tears threatening to spill.

"It'll be ok," I encourage him. "She's strong and brave."

He takes a deep breath and nods, repeating, "She'll be fine," again and again to himself.

I grab his arm and drag him back on Toothless. There's nothing we can do here.

We decide to just go back to the village and diplomatically explain our 'situation' to his Dad, and then to go to DunBroch.

That was the original plan, and Merida wouldn't want her absence to give Pitch the upper hand.

Let's just hope that we either find her before then, or that she's there.

(Jack is now starting the snowball fight)

Merida's POV:

I wake up feeling... Trapped.

"Ah, sleeping beauty has awoken," Pitch jokes evilly.

I jump up and reach for my bow, but it's gone.

"Let meh out of here, yu coward!" I yell.

"Now where's the fun in that?" He asks, materializing inside of my cell.

"You have two options. Join me willingly, or choose the hard way."

I gulp. I don't even want to think about the easy way, so I ask about the hard way.

"I change you myself, a very painful method that damages your senses." I'm shaking with fear by now.

"How long do I have to choose?" I ask nervously.

He pulls up his sleeve and looks at an imaginary watch. It's his right sleeve, showing me that he's left handed, a very useful bit of information.

Then, he looks up at me with a cruel scowl.

"6 seconds."

My breath becomes shaky, and I begin to sweat.

"...5...4..."

I get a horrible aching headache.

"...3...2..."

The rest of me begins to ache, and I collapse.

"...1. Your decision?"

I have lost all of my senses. I can't even think.

"Ye-es," I croak, nearly inaudibly.

(Imagine a migraine and your entire body uncontrollably aching, like with growing pains, and an upset stomach)

He claps his hands, and shoots me in the head with an intense beam of darkness.

I let out a cry as the darkness begins to creep across my vision.

"Any last words for your former friends?" He sneers.

"I'm sorry," I moan, falling to the darkness.

(Jack is at the workshop panicking)

Hiccup's POV:

I feel something in my heart die.

It hurts like anything, but I just gnash my teeth and egg Toothless on.

(Jack feels a tug on his heart, but accredits it to his panic)

Rapunzel's POV:

I feel a sudden ache in my heart, like something is wrong.

I grip Hiccup's shoulders a bit tighter as I fight back tears.

What just happened?