A/N: PLEASE READ!

The idea for this story came from the youtube video The Big Four-"Legend" (AU) by xxVioletIntrusionsxx. It is the best Big 4 video I have scene- Watch it! I consider it a "trailer" for this story! You will recognize scenes from the video in this story. Also, it might help you to better understand what I am trying to do with this story...

This story is AU... you'll understand better as it goes.

Because it is AU, assume you know nothing of the characters' backgrounds, although some of it will be the same or similar.

Also, I picture Hiccup in this story as his older self, but you can choose- it honestly doesn't matter.

You'll recognize the prologue from Brave. It's the foundation of this story.

You'll recognize a LOT of scenes and lines from all four movies throughout the entirety of this story if you pay attention... as I'm sure you will :)

Read, relax, review!

Prologue

Once, there was an ancient kingdom.

Its name long forgotten, ruled by a wise and fair king who was much beloved... And when he grew old, he divided the kingdom among four- that they should be the pillars on which the peace of the land rested.

But, the oldest wanted to rule the land for himself... he followed his own path, and the kingdom fell, to war, and chaos, and ruin.

...

Legends are lessons... they ring with truth.

~o0o~

1.

A lone figure ran through West Point, a forest so dense that some called it the Forest of Eternal Night. The hood of the long green cloak that trailed behind her flew off as she ran, revealing a tangled mane of deep red curls that glistened brightly in the dusky light of the forest. She didn't stop to replace the hood.

She ran until she could run no more, until her panting breaths and aching feet forced her to stop. The girl had managed to find a semi-clearing in the dark trees, a place only slightly better lit than the rest of the forest. Shakily, she sank to her knees, the leaves beneath her rustling as the weight of her slim figure crushed them.

After a few moments when her ragged breath finally began to even out, Merida rearranged her legs so she could sit more comfortably cross-legged. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to relax and her pounding heart to reluctantly slow. As she let her hands fall to the ground, she pretended that she was sinking into the soft earth floor.

She continued to steady her breathing. In and out. In and out.

Gaining composure and a sense of calmness, she emptied her mind of everything and let herself be lost in her meditation.

Then, she began to attempt something she rarely tried outside of Compass.

She dug deep inside herself, into her thoughts and feelings, searching for something, anything, that would be her... string, as she liked to call it, the one string of thoughts and information amongst the many that lay jumbled inside her, the one that she could grasp and hold onto, the one that would lead her thoughts to all the unknown strings...

...into the future.

Pictures, feelings, images suddenly flared inside of Merida's head. She squeezed her eyes tighter, as if the slightest crack in her eyelids would cause the scenes to pour out and disappear. She tried to focus and pay attention to them all, but there were too many at once, too strong to comprehend or learn from. Too many possibilities, too many paths to choose from, too many consequences. She had no control over images appearing and disappearing, and it was too exhausting trying to remember them all and shift through the possibilities they held.

Then something caught her attention. A face- no, half a face... blue eyes, bluer than the ocean off of Raven's Point, a glittering crystalline blue that shone with mischief and-

A harsh, crash-like noise startled Merida from her visions. They dissolved like a puff of smoke- there one second, gone the next. In an instant she had sprung to her feet, bow strung and lifted at a cautious angle, her eyes narrowed suspiciously at the shadowed trees, all thoughts of visions of the future forgotten.

Without warning, something crashed into the clearing- something big and dark and frightening. Merida's eyes widened as her arms automatically lifted the elegantly carved wooden bow to defend herself. A large black bear was charging straight towards her, letting loose a terrible angry roar.

Shoot now! Merida's conscious screamed inside her brain. Shoot or yer as good as dead!

But Merida didn't let the arrow fly. Rather, she couldn't. Her body tensed up, frozen in fear, eyes wide in pure terror. Her arms faltered- her bow began to fall. The bear was almost upon her, still roaring mightily. It snarled as it neared her, ready to pounce-

"Merida!" A voice yelled– a boy's. The sound alone was enough to snap Merida out of her stupor, and she dove out of the way just as the boy jumped in front of her- in front of the bear.

The bear halted. Its legs stopped moving as if an unseen force had commanded them to, causing it to stumble to a stop in front of the skinny brunette boy's outstretched arms.

Sprawled to the side, Merida lay panting on the leafy ground, combing back with her fingers the mane of hair that had fallen in her face. She looked up at the scene before her, surprised and relieved to discover her rescuer.

"Hiccup!"

The brunette turned his head towards her, looking slightly over his shoulder and sending her a brief half smile before returning his attention to the bear before him.

By now the bear had grown angry again, deciding the boy wasn't really that much of a threat after all. It snarled and prepared to charge-

It immediately stopped the moment Hiccup took a step forward.

"Whoa there... Careful now," the boy spoke calmly, taking another advancing step. "Don't wanna overdo this whole 'attack' thing, do you?" he spoke using finger air quotes, "You might hurt yourself."

Merida gulped from her spot on the ground, still terrified but managing to roll her eyes at the fact that Hiccup insisted on having a conversation with the hideous creature.

"Come on... easy..." He continued to talk conversationally and at the same time soothingly...if not almost controlling. The closer Hiccup came to the bear, the more the bear pulled away, until it fell onto its hind legs in a seated position. The bear's eyes, however, remained unmoving as they stared into the boy's own green eyes with a mixture of passion and confusion– it stared at him as if he were simultaneously the most awe-filling and most perplexing thing in the universe.

As if in a trance, the bear's defensive shields seemed to melt away the moment Hiccup placed his palm confidently, yet gently, atop the animal's brow. A pained expression crossed Hiccup's face for the briefest of seconds, before the two began what would've looked to any ordinary person a lengthy staring contest.

Minutes passed before it became obvious the boy 'won', and the bear snorted indignantly, shaking its head vigorously as Hiccup removed his hand and stepped away.

"Good boy," Hiccup said quietly, watching as the bear stood up again on all four legs and turned around to meander through the forest away from him and Merida- leaving the clearing, walking far, far away through the trees with all aggressive motives suppressed... if perhaps only temporarily, but by then the teens would hopefully be long gone...

When the bear was out of sight, Hiccup turned around to face the redhead girl, crossing his arms and attempting a stern expression.

Merida, who sat with her knees pulled to her chest, simply tossed her tangled locks to the side and mumbled something about "..doan like bears..."

Hiccup sighed but couldn't suppress a grin. He walked over to the Scottish girl and held out his hand to help her stand up.

"You're welcome," he said as she willingly took his hand, brushing the dirt and leaves from her dress as she stood.

"Yeah alright, thank yeh," she replied, acting nonchalant.

Without needing suggestion, the two began to walk away from the small clearing, heading in the opposite direction of the bear so as to avoid any other encounters.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Hiccup asked as they walked. "You do realize Compass is a few miles," he paused as he looked about him briefly, as if to double check his directions, "that way," he finished, pointing off into the general distance towards his left- the direction both of them knew to be due East.

Merida shrugged. "Archery practice?"

Hiccup raised his eyebrows, his face clearly expressing that he didn't believe her for a second.

"Ah fine! I was... doin some thinking."

Hiccup pursed his lips, staring ahead of him as he walked. Merida wasn't one to go on long strolls through the forest just to think. Rapunzel might, perhaps, but certainly not the Scottish redhead beside him. It just wasn't her... style. Then again, Hiccup thought as they walked, we all have a lot to think about these days.

"Besaides," Merida continued when Hiccup didn't respond, "I could ask yew tha same question. What are yewww doing all the way out 'ere in West Point?" she teased back.

"Wha- I did just save you from the 'big bad bear'!" Hiccup responded defensively.

"Ah had ma bow!"

"You didn't seem to be using it!" Hiccup countered. Then he groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead. Though he and Merida were good friends, they never seemed capable of having a normal, friendly conversation. They argued about almost everything, always pushing each other's nerves. "Ok, it doesn't matter," he cut in quickly just as Merida opened her mouth to argue again. She huffed and stormed ahead of him.

Hiccup sighed, exasperated. "Now where are you going?"

"Tah find Toothless!" she yelled over her shoulder, not bothering to wait up for him. "Ah'm not tramplin threw these woods any longer than Ah have to!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes, now having to jog to keep up with the fiery redhead's pace. "You don't even know where he is," he pointed out as he came up behind her.

"Sure Ah do," she responded, pushing a tree branch away from her face and ducking.

"Really." Hiccup deadpanned.

Merida paused and smirked at him, nodding to the metal contraption the boy had instead of a left leg. "On the ground."

She turned and continued forward, letting the branch swing back into place, unfortunately whacking Hiccup in the chest.

"Ack!" Hiccup grunted as it hit, glaring up at the girl sauntering away in front of him.

"Last time I save you!" He called up ahead of her, clenching his teeth in frustration. This is what he got for being a good person! For trying to help her! Why was she always so... so... so difficult!

Even so, he called out to the Nightfury with his mind, sending the necessary coordinates, and within minutes the dragon appeared out of the shadows of the trees, his big green eyes happy to see his friends.

"See?" Merida exclaimed as the dragon happily approached the two. "Told ya Ah could find him!"

Hiccup decided not to point out that it had been he who had sent for Toothless, and instead gave his best friend a neck rub in greeting. "Hey bud," he said, relieved to have someone else to talk to besides the argumentative and defensive Merida.

"After you, M'lady," Hiccup spoke louder for her to hear, but upon looking around realized Merida had already mounted upon Toothless's back and was drumming her fingers on her crossed arms impatiently. Hiccup shrugged his shoulders, gave Toothless another pat on the head, and jumped up in front of Merida on the saddle.

"Okay Buddy, I think it's time we all got back to Council," he directed, and Toothless snorted in agreement.

"Wha! You never said anythin about Council-" Merida started to protest, but it was too late. Toothless's powerful wings had brought them all soaring in the air above the darkened West Point and into the bright morning sun, heading east toward Council.

"We have to Merida!" Hiccup called back to her over the wind. "You know we do!"

Hiccup only heard her grumbled mutterings, incoherent over the loud wind. His eyebrows creased in worry and thought as they soared closer to the last place all three of them wanted to be.

Sensing his companion's worry, Toothless turned and tilted his head back to give Hiccup a questioning gaze.

"I'm fine Bud," Hiccup assured, smiling and bending down to place his hand on the side of Toothless's neck. "Everything will be fine."

Hey everyone!

"Long time, No post" for me! Started a brand new story and am very far into it already, so excited to share it with you here! This is the kind of story where I don't want you to think too much. Just sit back and ride the current.

I know its confusing. I know you probably have no idea what any of those places are they mentioned or what Merida and Hiccup just did (with the future and the bear respectively). Yes there are still dragons and Hiccup trains them. No that is not what just happened with the bear.

If you are patient, all will will be explained... I promise. Sit back and relax...

Iceprincess