<• Hiccup's POV •>

A trap...

"H-how?" Merida stuttered, lowering her bow. I glanced over at her to see her eyes wide, and her blue irises shaking.

"The oldest trick in the book." Pitch cackled. "I was originally planning to just attract hiccup but the more the merrier."

"You... you took toothless..." my fists clenched. "You kidnapped him! I'll knock that stupid grin off your face, damn it!"

Pitch's facial profile didn't change. he kept the evil smirk and the pleasureful glare.

I took a step forward, not even meaning to. and now I was face to face with pitch, who didn't even budge.

"How about we fight. but this time, don't use anyone as your dummy. don't wimp out." I snarled.

The air started to feel crisper as pitch's face turned dull. he took a step back and a small hint of a smile could be seen on his lips.

"Hiccup, don't. let me help you." Merida pleaded.

"This is my chance, Merida. this might be my only chance to prove I'm not weak. and besides, he hurt my friends.... no one gets away with such a crime." I lower my voice and pulled off my vest and rolled up my sleeves.

Merida gripped her bow and stared at me for a minute before nodding. "good luck..."

She stepped up and gave me a quick hug. the archer stared at the ground.

And I didn't know why I chose to do the next thing now. I took Merida's chin and lifted her head up into a quick peck on her lips.

I broke away and stepped up to Pitch. honestly, I could've just stood there and thought about what I had just done. but when pitch snapped his fingers, I was kicked back into reality.

Now he had a spear made out of black sand in his hand, but he wasn't in the stance to throw it like he had done to jack.

"You ready lover boy?" he said, unamused.

I didn't answer. instead, I willed an autumn breeze to blow him off his feet into the air. then I made the wind push him back to the ground with a big thud.

Pitch grunted but barely looked scratched. he simply stood up and jabbed his spear at me.

I jumped to the side just in time. but he kept trying to pierce me. I managed to side step him the whole time but he happened to cut up the side of my shirt and slice some skin on my arm. it immediately started to bleed.

"You haven't laid so much as a finger on me, and I'm already winning!" pitch laughed, obviously pleased with his, so far, success.

I ripped of the sleeve and tied it around my wound, tightening it with one hand and my teeth.

"A bit to early to be saying that, eh?" I smirk and stretch out my wounded arm a little.

I raise my fists up in front of my face and punched him countless times. "you let your guard down. maybe, it would be best if you stopped talking." I grin and knee him backwards, away from me.

"How are you-?" pitch started but I willed a wave of leaves to target him. when the leaves departed, there were scratches all along his face.

"Hurts doesn't it?"

Pitch growled and the spear in his hand started to morph into something else. "lets make things more interesting, shall we?"

He now held a sword. not too long, but it was double edged and sharp.

"Oh..." pitch frowned. "nothing to protect you, just your hands and your petty leaves. and look, your little redheaded princess won't be much help either.

I looked over to see Merida trapped inside a black sand cage. her bow and arrow were laying off far to the side, out of reach. but she tried banging up against the sand bars, but that gave no sign of breaking.

My breath turned jagged and I took a step back from pitch, as his yellow eyes stared amusingly into mine.

"I guess you'll never be as powerful as you thought you'd be."

The boogyman swung down at my fake foot, knocking me onto my back. His sword point right on my adam's apple.

"Goodbye, guardian of autumn."

But right before he could give the final blow, a familiar voice erupted near Merida. but it wasn't her.

Pitch and I looked to see rapunzel and jack trying to get our attention.

Rapunzel waved her frying pan up and down and stuck out her tongue. I quickly figured out what they were trying to do... a distraction.

I kicked pitch's knee and got up.

He gave me a confused look as a adjusted my prosthetic foot. "gee. you are pretty tough. but you need to work on your short attention span."

"Hiccup! Catch!" rapunzel yelled. she threw her frying pan and I caught it reluctantly.

"A frying pan? why couldn't you throw Jack's staff?"

The guardian of winter have me a warning look as if saying, don't even go there.

I shrug and look at pitch. "I guess it doesn't matter."

Pitch growled and swung at me with his black sword. I quickly deflected all of his blows with the frying pan... oddly.

I glanced over at my three companions to see Merida's cage dissolving. she gave me an encouraging smile that somehow gave me more strength.

With one last swing, I hit pitch right on the side of his head, knocking him out cold.

His body began to crumble into black sand and he blew away in the breeze.

"Frying pans... who knew right?" I heard rapunzel say off to the side.

"He's not dead..." I whispered to myself. "but he won't be bothering us anymore..."

I fell to my knees, just now realizing how exhausted I was. I smiled to everyone, and I too, blacked out.