Linked (A Big Four Fan Fiction) Chapter 18

     I awoke to shouting, accompanied by a warm sensation. My eyes flew open to see that my bed, and my body, were engulfed in flames. Brilliant, dancing red flames that didn't do me any harm. I only felt a warm tingle.

   "Merida! You have to control it!" A voice, Jack's voice, shouted. How? How could I control this? What's happening to me?! I remembered what my father taught me: in battle, I had to keep my cool. If I should ever become upset, I should take three deep breaths to calm myself down. One, two, three.... The flames calmed down, then vanished. The only remnants left behind were scorched blankets and sheets.

   "What happened?" I asked Jack, who was looking at me in concern.

    "I need to look at your burns, Merida," Rapunzel was back into her medic mode.

    "I don't have any burns," I said in astonishment after a quick inspection of my body.

     "You don't? How is that possible?" Rapunzel wondered aloud.

     "Her powers have awakened," The somber voice of North came from the doorway.

     "I have powers?" 
     
     "Everyone out, now," North barked, sending Jack and our blonde friend out of the room with much ushering. "I will explain to Merida." The great man turned to me with a seriousness seldom seen in his eyes and said: "Powers and immortality are apart of your Guardianship. You always had your center and the title, but now you have these new characteristics as well."

    "Powers?"

    "After Jack was human and before he was Guardian, he was the spirit of winter. He could control water and ice, but nobody believed in him." I had heard this story many times over the short time I had been at the North Pole. The story of how the youngest guardian came to be was an often repeated tale.

    "What does that have to do with me?"

     "You are technically the Guardian if Autumn, but you would be a spirit if you were in Jack's place. Your near death experience triggered something in you and Manny Moon chose you fully before you had the chance to die."

    "I'm confused. Wasn't I chosen before?" I thought all guardians had been chosen by the Man In Moon, that was why we were all guardians.

    "You were chosen. You were chosen by Manny to be Spirit, and we made you Guardian. The Guardian title is optional." 

    "So what does that have to do with setting myself on fire?" My mind was racing, trying to come up with an explanation. 

    "Jack had power over winter: snow and ice. You then have power over fire." North placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to calm me down. Confusion and terror were laced together inside my stomach. Who was I? What was I?

    "North? Is she alright?" Hiccup, the one person who hadn't come to see me, stood awkwardly in the doorway.

    "Ask her yourself," North said gruffly as he left us alone, thundering down the corridor. We just sat there, blinking at one another for a few moments. I had absolutely no idea what to say to him, other than 'I'm sorry.'

    "I'm sorry," we said at the same time. I grinned as Hiccup shifted and scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably.  

    "Hiccup, I'm sorry. You were right; I was being selfish. And then on top of that I took your dragon and possibly endangered him and--" The words spilled from my mouth like vomit. That's an interesting image.

    "--Almost got yourself killed. Yes, I know." It was only then that Hiccup flashed a small, sheepish smile. "I'm the one who should be sorry. You wouldn't have any of that if I hadn't been out of line and called you selfish. I wouldn't listen to you, and that's why I'm sorry."

    "Oh, don't blame my stupidity and flaws on yourself." I gave him a playful shove, trying to awaken my childhood best friend.
   
    "You're not stupid. As for the flaws..." He teased, giving me a lopsided grin.

    "Everyone's got flaws," I quipped, "Better learn to embrace them."

    "Wow, that was deep. You're getting wise in your old age."

    "If I'm old, and I'm younger than you, then you must be ancient!" I laughed at his very put off glare.

    "Then I'm anciently ancient!" Wreav proclaimed, striding in like he owned the place, the horrible snob.

    "Speaking of flaws...." I trailed off with as serious a face as I could muster. I almost lost it at Wreav's grumpy expression, but I prevailed. 

    "At least he's not evil." Hiccup supplies, and flashes of the event danced across my eyes. I immediately darted out of the room and down the corridor in search of North. The woman's words were on repeat inside my head, taunting me. 

    "You idiot!" I heard Wreav's angry voice sounded as I heard footsteps following  me.

    "What did I say?" 

     "How should I know? I don't speak girl!"

     "Is she supposed to be running?"

     "Of course not! Jack is going to kill you."

     "Me? I'm his best friend!"

     "What's that got to do with anything?"

     There it was: the door to The Workshop. I barreled through it with a  much force as I could, stumbling into the giant room. It was a very graceful move as I fell flat on my face. Hiccup, who was pretty fast, tripped over my dress and fell on top off me, making me yelp. It could be worse, Hiccup was all skin, bones, and some lean muscle. He didn't weigh much. As soon as I thought about this, Wreav came charging in and didn't watch where he was going, effectively landing on the mini heap formerly known as Merida and Hiccup. 

    "What do you eat?" I groaned. 

    "Merida? Get off of her!" I looked up to see a very ticked off Jack glaring at the dolts on top off me.

    "Why were you on the floor, Merida? Gosh, some people." Wreav grumbled as he pushed himself off the ground. 

    "You were supposed to be watching her." Jack glowered at him.

    "Excuse me!" I waved my hand as high as I could, "I don't need babysitting!"

    "Clearly."

    "Enough bickering," North said, "what did you need, Merida?" And so I began describing the woman I saw before she knocked me off of Toothless.

    Did I mention that Hiccup still hadn't gotten up?