Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons~Something Different

Chapter Fourteen

Rapunzel looked up at the globe dotted with lights. Her eyes scanned across each light that went by on the slow-spinning sphere. Every once in a while one would die out, or one would appear. 

"North?" She asked. "What does this globe mean?"

The Christmas spirit stood beside her. "Each light represents a child who believes."

"In you?" 

"No, any gaurdian in general. When a light goes out it would mean a child has stopped believing in all spirits. Mostly, it happens when a child gets older and they grow out of such things." North lowered his head. "But there are some cases when a child stops too early." 

Rapunzel looked back up at the globe. "Is that what Pitch is trying to do?"

"I would say so. No one has believed in him for centries. Before, he has tried to make every single light go out then he would strike fear into everyone's hearts." 

"So they would start believing in him." She concluded. 

"Exactly."

For a moment Rapunzel began to feel sorry for Pitch Black. He was once a man, just like everbody else. Then he become the Boogey-man and given the abillity to control others with fear. For once every one new his name and shivered at the sound of it. But now no one knew who he was. He was  invisible. Stripped from his purpose. 

She couln't imagine what that must feel like. But at the same time, she knew that it was wrong of him to strip others of their purpose just so he can make himself feel better. It was wrong to force people to believe in him. She knew he had to be stopped. 

"North," She said. "Have you notice anything unusual happening with the globe."

"No, not paticuarly." 

"Hmmm.." Was all she could say. 

She then began to encirle the globe trying to keep track of every country. 

Meanwhile the other three were standing nearby. Jack was casually making the Yetis slip on ice. Merida was adjusting the knife she kept hidden in her boot. And Hiccup was trying to pry an elf away from Toothless. When they started to notice Rapunzel walking around and around and around the globe. 

"What is she doing?" Hiccup asked. Once everthing died down and they were just watching.

"Heck if I know." Merida said with a shrug. "They probably remind her of stars." 

"Stars?"

"Aye, she's into astronomy." 

"But surely she wouldn't stare at it for so long."

Merida sighed. "Honestly, she just does strange, unpredictable things."

"Why's that?" Jack asked, suddenly interested. He rembered when he first met her and how quickly her mood swung. He knew she must have been through something.

Merida glared at the winter spirit. "That's non of yer business!" To be honest, if Hiccup asked she probably wouldn't have reacted like that. It's was just the fact that Jack asked. She didn't trust him(especially not with information that wasn't her own), and she didn't think Rapunzel should trust him either.

Jack narrowed his eyes at her. "Oh, and I suppose it's yours."

"She told me!" She growled. "If you want to know so badly, ask her yourself!" She crossed her arms and slouched in the armchair she was sitting in.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Forget it." He mumbled.

Hiccup, who was listening to the conversation, began to wonder about Rapunzel's seemingly unpredictable behavior. "It could be a sign of grief." He thought. He began to wonder if she had to bear something similar to what he went through.

Jack began to watch Rapunzel's every move. His eyes followed as she went back and forth around the globe.Her eyebrows were knitted together and her lips were pursed as if she was cocentrating really hard. He had to admit, she was a strange girl...but fasicnating none of the less. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't peel his eyes away from her.

Merida noticed this. She gritted her teeth and glared in his direction. He didn't notice her. "Oh NO!" She thought. "No, no, no!" Her fingernails dug into her crossed arms. She wanted nothing more than to strangle him. He better keep his eyes off her best friend.

She opened her mouth to say something when she heard a loud gasp.

Every head snapped in Rapunzel direction. Her body was tense, as if she just made a mojor breakthrough.

She turned around her mouth agape "Scotland!" She shouted.

Every gaurdian in the room gave each other confused glances.

"Pardon?" Hiccup said.

"Scotland!" She repeated.

"Uh..Punzie?" Jack said with an arched eyebrow.

"Pitch!" She shouted. "He's targeting Scotland!"

Everyone's eyes lit up, their thoughts changing from confusion to interest.

 Merida stood up. "How do ye know that?" She asked in awe.

"The globe." She said looking up at the lit up sphere. "Every time I went around it I began to notice more lights were dying out around that area. I figured he might have settled there, but then I began to wonder why. Then it hit me." She looked at Hiccup and Merida. "The war against Vikings and Scots."

The two enemies glanced at each other.

Rapunzel continued. "Everyone is in fear of one another. Whether they admit it or not, no matter how brave they think they are, their all just....scared."

Everyone was intrigued now, they listened intently to what she had to say next.

"Even the peacful ones are afraid. Merida, your mother was talking about how she doesn't want war. She's knows she can't prevent it, and she knows it's unlikely that there won't be war. She's afraid, just as much as your father is or Hiccup's father."
"The whole place just reeks of fear. It's the perfect place for Pitch to settle. Where everyone is volnerable. Where chaos is about to take over."
 "And not only that. He probably knows that we were chosen as gaurdians. He probably knows that, Hiccup and Merida are enemies...or should be. He's using it against you. The more havoc he creates, the more he can hurt the two of you."

Everyone's eyes were widened with surprise.

"How-how did you.." Merida started.

"Rapunzel you are one clever gaurdian!" North said with his booming voice.

Rapunzel looked at the ground embarassed by his praise.

Jack smiled at her proudly. Who knew? Who knew she could figure that out on her own? Maybe this lost Princesess was a whole lot more than she seemed.

Rapunzel looked up and noticed him smiling at her. She returned him a small shy smile.

Merida noticed the connection and grimanced. "NO!" She thought. "Oh, no, no, NO!" This is not happening! She was not gonna let this happen!

~~~~~

Pitch sneered at the image of all the gaurdians at the pole. That stupid ignorant girl! She was more trouble than he thought...

"Look's like you underestimated my flower." Gothel said. "She already figured out your 'brilliant' plan."

Pitch narrowed on his counterpart. "It doesn't matter. No matter what they do they can't stop it. Look at them! A bunch of children! Their hardly a 'team'! Just wait..." He glared at the image. "They will fall apart before you know it." 

"They better." Gothel said. "I want my revenge, Boogey-Man!" 

"And you will get it Witch!" He growled. He glared deeper into the image of the bunch of children. "You will get it..."