Windows all around the workshop exploded, sending sharpanel in every direction. A few bits lodged themselves in Toothless's skin, irritating him more than anything. From the broken widows poured great, jet black horses. They had a sandy texture, and bits of black dust seemed to fall off of them. The sandy black horses circled the three people, snorting and pawing at the ground. Rapunzel squeaked and backed up, bumping into Hiccup. Jack still lay unconcious on the ground under the shelf.

"Are those...?" Rapunzel started, pulling a frying pan from her belt.

"Nightmares," Hiccup said, placing a calming hand on Toothless. Merida glanced at the steadily advancing army of Nightmares, then to her bow lying abandoned on a table. "Merida, no."

Merida shot him a glare. "An' since when were ye tha' boss o' me? Ah'm gettin' ma bow an', ah'm gonna shoot these things back to Hell!" With that, she dove for the table.

And no sooner had she done that did the Nightmares charge. They moved inward like a wave, deadly and silent. Hiccup ripped off his gloves and jammed them into his pockets. He held out his hands and reduced any Nightmares that dare come near him to a pile of gray ashes. Rapunzel, armed with her frying pan, hacked and pounded her way through the throng to where Jack lay unconcous.

"GRAH!" Merida howled as the Nightmares engulfed her. Hiccup and Merida could only watch. Until the Nightmares caught fire. The fire swept through the ranks of Nightmares, reducing them to nothing but a pile of gray ashes and sand. Hiccup replaced his protective leather gloves and swung up onto Toothless.

"Let's go, bud." he whispered, swooping above the flames. Toothless snatched Rapunzel and Jackup in his ebony claws as he flew. Merida stood in the midst of the flames, her hair burning and her bow alight. She wore a grin on her face as she shot down Nightmare after Nightmare.

"C'mon, Merida!" Hiccup shouted, reaching out his hand for her. Merida reluctantly took it and swung up onto the back of the dragon. Hiccup spurred Toothless forwards and through the broken window. The chilly arctic air nipped sharply at Hiccup's ears and nose.

"Did ah jus'... burn down tha' North Pole?" Merida asked, her hair dying down to a gentle smolder. Hiccup nodded.

"Nice going." he said, staring ahed. Merida glared down at the frozen landscape below.

Several hours later...

Jack awoke to the crackling of a campfire.

It was dark, the only light coming from the crackling campfire. Merida crouched next to it, turning over the embers with her bare hands. Jack sat up, only to be eased gently back down by Rapunzel. Her hair fell loosely around the small camp, circling three or four times before ending. Getting a better look at his surroundings, Jack noted a few things:

1) They were in a clearing in the woods, ringed by tall oak trees, their branches interlacing to form a protective roof.

2) His head was on fire. It pounded from the inside, just behind his forhead.

3) Hiccup was nowhere to be found, but Toothless sat curled up in ball near the fire.

"Look who finally decided ta wake up," Merida said, not taking her eyes off the dancing flames. "Punzie was gettin' worried 'bout ye."

Rapunzel scowled and swept a stray lock of hair out of her face. She sat cross-legged near Jack, the grass tickling around her bare feet. Her emereald eyes glittered in the firelight. "I was not, Merida."

Merida's face broke into a grin, and she imitated Rapunzel's voice. "'Oh, Merida! Do ye think he'll be alrigh'?'" She topped off her imitation with a snigger. "With tha' glowin' hair o' yers, I don' guess he'd've died if he wanted ta."

"Glowing hair?" Jack croaked, rubbing his head. "What about glowing hair?"

"I have magical hair that glows when I sing." Rapunzel said, self conciously twirling a strand of golden hair between her fingers. Jack closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Yeah, that's not strange at all." he said, propping himself up on one elbow. Merida raised an eyebrow.

"Comin' frum tha boy wi' white hair," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Jack nodded thoughtfully.

"Point taken." he said. Before the two could argue further on the situation, Hiccup came crashing throught the woods, a trail of decaying leaves and branches in his wake. He had one glove on and the other in his hand, and a bundle of dead twigs in his ungloved hand.

"I found some more sticks," He said, depositing the twigs in a small heap next to Merida. She nodded and began peelng the bark from them and flicking it into the flames. "But there's something you guys need to see." Hiccup finished, replacing his glove.

"Tha' doesn' sound too good." Merida said, standing and brushing the bark shavings off her olive dress. Rapunzel bit her lip and stood, helping Jack to his feet. Hiccup waved the goup through his recently made trail, and down to the edge of a river. Large bushes stood a few feet away. Merida looked around the area, her brow furrowing.

"Wha'dya wanna show us? There's nothin' he-" she started, before Hiccup grabbed her arm and dragged her behind a bush. Jack and Rapunzel joined them, their eyes wide with fear.

"Shh!" Hiccup hissed, peering through a gap in the the bushes at the opposite shore of the river. Merida forced the gap bigger and looked too. She inhaled sharply.

"Oh ma god..." she said, her eyes growing wider.