By Amanda Pizzolatto

Word Count:

Rating: PG for minor violence

Summary: The “Big Four”, Hiccup Haddock, Princess Merida, Jack Frost, and Princess Rapunzel help the Beast defend his castle. Can they help bring about a happy ending for everyone?

Rapunzel and Sophie tiptoed through the greenhouse. The trees were starting to bloom, and little sprouts were peeking from the ground.        

“Ooh . . . pretty leaves!” cooed Sophie as she pointed at the little sprouts.

Rapunzel smiled. “Yes, pretty leaves. But we have to be quiet until Jamie gets back, alright?”

Sophie nodded, still smiling, and gripped Rapunzel’s hand a bit tighter.

Meanwhile, Jamie was tiptoeing up the stairs back into the castle, looking for any way past the Beast. He heard voices coming from the main hall as he passed it. Curious as to whom the other voice belonged to, he cautiously, quietly opened the door and took a peek, his mouth dropping with surprise. 

“Are you sure it really was a good idea? I mean, there wasn’t any other way this could work,” Jack Frost was telling the Beast.

The Beast heaved a sigh. “I know, but I had to. I do care about her enough that I would do anything to make her happy, even if it meant my death. Haven’t you ever felt that way about someone?”

Jack lowered his eyes and gulped, but it was answer enough for the Beast. The two glanced up, aware of a pair of eyes watching them, and turned towards the door.

Jamie gave a little gasp, and backed away. 

Hiccup found himself staring into the cold, hard eyes of Gaston, standing between him and Belle.

“What do you think you’re doing, Dragon Rider? Nobody gets between me and what I want.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I think I just did, but I won’t be the last one, either, it looks like.”

Gaston gave a low growl. “What, the Beast? What kind of a fairytale are you living in?”

“He’s real, and I can prove it!” exclaimed Belle. Everyone turned to look at her; she was holding a mirror. “Show me the Beast.”

A bright light came from the mirror and when she turned it so that everyone could see, the image of a roaring beast appeared. Gaston and Hiccup glanced around at the gasping villagers before turning their attention back to Belle.

“Oh no,” she said. “He’s not evil, he’s kind and gentle.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you loved this monster,” snarled Gaston as he tried to take the mirror from her.

She backed away, “He’s no monster, Gaston; you are!”

Gaston stepped back; the murmurs were about him, now. He snatched the mirror from Belle and grabbed her arm, keeping her separated from the mirror, “This Beast has been living in the shadows, waiting to terrorize us, steal our children in the night. Who will come with me and deal with him once and for all?”

The villagers cheered, eager to follow Gaston into the unknown.

“No!” screamed Belle as she struggled against Gaston’s grip.

Hiccup rushed forward to help her, but with the villagers all on Gaston’s side, he found himself surrounded. Merida and Maurice were no better off.

Gaston turned on Belle. “She’s as crazy as her old man. Lock them all in the cellar! They could escape to warn the Beast!”

Hiccup was thrown in first; Merida and Maurice fell on top of him. Gaston tossed Belle in last, and bolted the cellar doors above them.

“No!” Belle yelled again as she pushed on the doors, but they refused to budge. They could hear the clamor of the preparations for the attack on the castle, Gaston leading the way. It wasn’t long before silence reigned around the inventor’s home. “Oh no, we have to get out, I have to warn the Beast!”

Rapunzel and Sophie found their way back to the front of the greenhouse. Bidding Sophie to hide behind a bush, Rapunzel cautiously peeked through the glass doors, and gasped, “Jamie!”

She walked out to greet him, and paused, for he wasn’t alone.

“Well, well, well, so this is where you’ve been hiding, how quaint,” grinned Jack.

“Jack! Where have you been?” exclaimed Rapunzel, pulling him into a hug.

Jack didn’t answer right away; he nuzzled his face into Rapunzel’s shoulder, breathing in her floral perfume.

Jamie gave the answer. “He was with the Beast!”

Rapunzel shot a startled glance at Jamie and Jack. “What, really?”

“It’s alright, he’s just under a spell,” Jack explained. That’s not his real form, and he’s actually a swell guy. He just doesn’t have very many friends, as you can tell, because of his appearance.”

“Oh, um, really? He’s not that bad?” Rapunzel grinned sheepishly.

Jack gave a slight smile. “Nope, he’s not. You guys want to come meet him?”

Rapunzel opened her mouth, but an ear shattering boom echoed through the castle, dislodging some dirt near where they were standing.

“Wh-what was that?” asked Jamie with concern as he and his sister clung to Jack and Rapunzel.

A little clock came panting down the stairs. “Jack, Jack! The castle is under attack from the villagers, and the master won’t budge from the West Wing! What should we do?”

Another boom dislodged more dirt, sending it raining down on the group.

Jack thought quickly. “Jamie, Rapunzel, Sophie, back into the greenhouse! You should be safe there! We’ll make sure no one gets down here, alright?” He glanced at the clock, who nodded.

“But Jack,” said Rapunzel, “what about you?”

“I’ll be of better use up there; I can’t let them hurt the Beast, or you. I’ll be back, don’t worry.” He gave Rapunzel a quick hug and flew up the stairs with the clock.

Rapunzel bit her lip, but her attention went to the children holding her hands. “Come on, you heard Jack, let’s go back into the greenhouse.”

Meanwhile, Hiccup and Merida were having a rather hard time of their own.

“Ugh, I hate cellars!” complained Hiccup. “Toothless! Toothless! Come on buddy, we could use your help here!”

“Oh, this is all my fault,” moaned Belle.

“What? How could it be your fault that Gaston belongs in the insane asylum and not your father?” blurted Merida as she helped Hiccup try to pry open the cellar doors. Belle didn’t answer as a roar warned them of the oncoming dragon.

“Toothless!” exclaimed Hiccup as he glanced out of a little hole. “Uh, everybody back up and get down!”

He grabbed Merida’s arm and pulled her behind a board, squeezing in with Belle and Maurice, just as the cellar doors blew in. They coughed as the smoke settled, revealing their rescuers.

“That was awesome!! I want a dragon, too!” blurted Chip, jumping up and down with excitement on Toothless’ back.

Hiccup chuckled. “Maybe later; right now, we have a Beast to save. Everybody, climb on!”

“Um, can we all fit?” wondered Merida.

“Yes, and all of us combined will still weigh less than my dad, whom Toothless was quite capable of carrying along with me. So hurry it up, we don’t have time! They might already be inside the castle!”

Merida sighed as she climbed up behind Hiccup. “I hope they can hold them off long enough until we get there.”

“Oh, I’m sure of it; there’s a lot of us, you know,” quipped Chip from Belle’s pocket. Maurice climbed up and sat behind his daughter.

“Everybody ready?” asked Hiccup.

“Um, I think so,” stated Maurice.

“Alright, hang on tight!”

Toothless took off, and raced towards the Beast’s castle.

Back at the castle, Jack found himself having way too much fun chasing off the villagers with the help of the entire household. He couldn’t help laughing when the wardrobe spat out a screaming man in woman’s clothing, or when Lumiere set a man on fire. It actually didn’t take long before they had scared off all the villagers. And while the household celebrated, Jack went off to the West Wing to give the Beast the good news, but the sight that met him sent chills down his spine, and not good ones. Gaston had sent the beast flying onto a parapet, and Jack was stopped by Flynn.

“Where’s Rapunzel?”

“She’s safe,” stated Jack, trying to move past the man to get to the Beast.

“In this castle, with that murderous beast?”

Jack glanced at him. “Who did he murder?”

Flynn looked at him in surprise before his eyes widened with realization. He and Jack moved to the window, and were met with two roars—one from a black dragon, one from a beast with renewed purpose. Toothless went to drop Belle off at a balcony before heading for the courtyard to land while the Beast took the fight with Gaston farther up on the roof. Jack went to go through the window after him, but Flynn stopped him.

“I think he’s got it. Why don’t you show me where Rapunzel is?”

Jack glanced at him, and a hot, blinding rage seemed to cloud his vision. He took a breath to calm himself down a bit. “Alright, fine, follow me,” he said grudgingly.

He led Flynn out of the West Wing and to the stairs, where a group of people rushed up and met them.

“Flynn?”

“Rapunzel!” exclaimed Flynn as the two embraced. The two began to talk giddily.

Jack gritted his teeth at the scene before turning away from it, the beast’s words echoing in his head.

“Jack!”

Jack’s face softened at the sight of the two children. “Hey! How was the greenhouse?”

“Ugh, boring!” groaned Jamie while Sophie giggled and hugged Jack. “Wish you could have been there; your snow is more interesting.”

Jack laughed. “Well, glad you think that way.”

“Um, Jack?”

Jack spun around, and found himself staring into his favorite green eyes. “Uh, yeah?”

Rapunzel glanced at Flynn before turning back to Jack. “Flynn and I, well, we think we’re not meant for each other,” she stated firmly.

“Yeah,” stated Flynn, nodding sadly, but surely.

Jack studied her and Flynn, a hope sparking in his heart as he asked, “Oh, and why’s that?”

Rapunzel bit her lip. “Because, because I’ve fallen in love with someone else.” She looked up at Jack and gave him a smile.

“R-really, who?” asked Jack, doing his very best to keep his excitement from boiling over.

“Okay, Jack, I think you know who she is referring to,” interrupted Hiccup. “It’s pretty obvious. Sorry to break up this little moment, but there’s a Beast who still needs saving, if you know what I mean.”  

Jack shot him an annoyed glance. “Really? You had to do that? I thought it was my job to annoyingly interrupt people.” The girls giggled as Hiccup shot him a crooked smile.

“Yeah, but seriously, we need to check on Belle and the Beast. You’ve been here longer than the rest of us; can you show us where the West Wing is?” asked Merida.

Jack glanced at Rapunzel’s beaming face before sighing. “Alright, alright, can I just do something real quick first?”

“Uh, I guess…” began Hiccup.

“Thank you.” He pulled Rapunzel into his arms, and as he kissed her, something magical happened. The whole castle seemed to melt from its original gloominess to bright and cheerful colors.

“Uh, what just happened?” asked Flynn as everyone glanced around in wonder.

“Belle and the Beast! They broke the spell! Come on!” exclaimed Jack as he led the way back to the West Wing, where they were greeted with everyone celebrating their return to their old forms. The Beast, now back to being Adam, greeted his friends with hugs and invited them all to his and Belle’s wedding.

It wasn’t long before the wedding took place, and what a glamorous affair it was, with everyone all decked out in their wedding finery. The friends had a blast, Jack keeping the children entertained with a little snow fun with the help of Rapunzel and Toothless, while Hiccup and Merida enjoyed some time on the dance floor. The festivities were abruptly interrupted when a ship nearly crashed into the courtyard.

“What the . . .” began Hiccup. When they got closer to investigate, his answer arrived on deck in the form of a redheaded teen.

“There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you! Come on, we have to get back!”

“Alright, Joey’s back to bring us home!” whooped Jamie as he and his sister climbed on board.

“Say, what?’ asked Adam, glancing between them and the ship.

Jack chuckled nervously. “Well, um, long story short, Joey here has the power to travel to different places really quick. We were helping him with a problem when we got stuck here.” He shrugged.

“We’re still trying to understand, so don’t ask,” quipped Hiccup.

“But the point is, he’s here, and he can take us back home!” blurted Rapunzel.

“So, this is goodbye then?” asked Belle. They all nodded.

“Yes, it’s been great to meet you all, but we need to get home,” stated Merida as she began hugging people. The others quickly followed suit in saying farewell before boarding the ship, and in a minute, it had disappeared from sight.

***

Rise of the Guardians by Dreamworks/ William Joyce

(Jack Frost, Jamie, Sophie)

Tangled by Disney

(Flynn, Rapunzel)

Brave by Disney/Pixar

(Merida)

How to Train Your Dragon by Dreamworks/Cressida Cowell

(Hiccup, Toothless)

Interworld by Neil Gaiman

(Joey)

Beauty & the Beast by Disney