As the four Spirits walked to the Guardian's Balcony, wondering why they were being summoned. They walked onto it, and clapping greeted them. A large crystal with the moon shining on it reflected the faces of Merida, Hiccup and Rapunzel.

"What's all this about?" asked Hiccup.

"Manny has chosen new Guardians!" the big man --North-- boomed. 

"The Man in the Moon?" Merida said. "He told you this?"

"Yes, Tsar Lunar frequently speaks to us Guardians," said Tooth.

"After all these years," breathed Rapunzel, "and the answers were right here."

"Yes, and now you will become Guardians!" boomed North.

"Only if they want to, Mate. Remember Frosty over there?" the bunny said.

North nodded, stroking his beard. "Do you want to be Guardians? All of you have been Spirits long enough, and Manny thinks that it's time..."

Hiccup, Rapunzel and Merida answered in the affirmative. 

A large procession line formed around the three Spirits. The five Guardians stood off to the side, smiling. The large man, North, was holding an old, faded book in his hand. 

Music was ringing around the balcony, and batons with fire at the end was being twirled. Rapunzel's hair could apparently change color, and it was now a lighter blonde, almost as light as Jack's hair. 

North held up his hands, and all went silent. 

"Kneel," he said, and the three of them, Rapunzel, Merida and Hiccup, knelt, "and take this oath."

All of the current Guardians said the oath along with the three Spirits who were kneeling. 

" We will watch over the children of Earth,

Guide then safely from the ways of harm,

Keep happy their hearts, brave their souls, and rosy their cheeks.

We will guard with our lives there hopes and dreams,

For they are all that we have, all that we are,

And all that we will ever be."

"From now on," North boomed, "you shall be known as Rapunzel Corona, Guardian of Creativity, Lady of all Flowers; Merida DunBroch, Guardian of Courage, Lady of Summer, and Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Guardian of Change, Lord of Autumn. Rise, new Guardians, and make this oath your life."

They rose, all smiling, to cheering, the clapping of backs, and overall joy. A few of the bear-men (who Merida had learned were called Yetis) bowed low and presented to the new Guardians gifts wrapped in gold paper and tied with silver bows. Little beams of moonlight were swirling around the new Guardians, celebrating in their own way. 

The package that Merida got was long and thick and heavy. 

"Why didn't I get a present when I became a Guardian?" Jack asked.

"That's 'cause you already had your thing," the bunny said. 

With golden wrapping and silver ribbons on the floor, Merida finally opened her present. She took one look, and gasped. A traditional Scottish sword was there, with a watering stone and everything needed to care for a sword. The other thing was a traditional Scottish bow and arrow, with lots of extra string, a small knife for cutting the string, and at least two dozen arrows.

Merida looked up, smiling. 

* * * 

Björn looked up groggily as Merida went into her room. "Björn!" she cried. "Can ye believe it! I'm a Guardian! Oh, after eleven hundred years of waiting people actually acknowledged that I exist!"

Björn slumped down. 

"What? Was I not supposed to?"

Björn gave her a flat look.

"Well, I'm sorry Björn, but it's too late now. I've taken the oath and everything."

Björn opened his mouth and tried to talk, but all he did was this moaning sound. 

"There's nothing ye can do about it. Now stop moaning about it and be quiet. I want to sleep."

Björn glared at her and waked to the other side of the room, leaving a bed covered in black bear fur.

"Fine."

Nothing. Björn was asleep.

Merida grumbled for a few minutes, but eventually she blew out the candles and fell into a deep sleep.

* * * 

"A naoidhean bhig, cluinn mo ghuth

Mise ri d' thaobh, O mhaighdean bhàn

Ar rìbhinn òg, fàs a's faic

Do thìr, dìleas féin

A ghrian a's a ghealach, stiùir sinn

Gu uair ar cliù 's ar glòir

Naoidhean bhig, ar rìbhinn òg

Mhaighdean nasal bhàn"

A woman's voice sang as thunder crashed outside of the room. A little girl squealed, and hid under a tapestry that the woman was sewing.

"Oh, wee lass," the woman said, lifting the tapestry to see the little red-headed girl. The girl smiled up at the blurry face, and the dream faded.

Cold laughter filled Merida's mind. 

"So, the little Spirit is filling big shoes now, is she?" Gothel's voice struck Merida to her core. "Becoming a big, bad Guardian? That won't last long, Spirit of Fire, for someone else has claimed you... Claimed you indeed..."

The darkness faded to a war scene. Boats were on the shore, and it was a bloodbath. The flag of a bear waved in the cold winter wind, but so did those of a cauldron, lyre and rock. Little blue lights swirled around a large man-shaped light, wielding a broadsword.

"Why are they fighting?" Merida wondered.

"You." Merida looked over to see Gothel, with a red dress, black cape and black curly hair. "You don't know?"

Merida shook her head. 

"Clan DunBroch has recently lost their daughter, and heir. No one knows who killed her, for she was definitely killed. But the thing is that they blame each of the other clans, but all of them deny it.

"The Vikings are not helping the conflict. Their chief was murdered, and it was clearly  a Scotsman. They blame all of the clans, but again, they all deny the accusations.

"Do you see those blue lights?"

Merida nodded.

"Those are the will-o'-the-whisps, fighting to protect the honor of the one who made so many aware of them. That man, right there, is rumored to have been in love with the DunBroch heir, but his affections were never returned. 

"This is the last battle of the fifteen-year war that decides the fate for the rest of the world. Mor'Du avenges his true love, and King Fergus avenges his daughter. Queen Elinor is a mother bear, protecting all of the children in the battle. Princes Hamsih, Hubert and Harris fight for the faint memory of their older sister.

"Remember, this is just a memory of things that happened eleven hundred years ago, to the date. You awaken after fifteen years of being dead as a Spirit, all memories of your past life gone."

The war scene faded, and Merida fell to her knees, tears slipping down her nose. When had she started crying?

Gothel patted Merida's hair. "If you had never joined the Guardians, you would have found your memories out sooner, but they like to keep their newer members in the dark. We would've helped you, even if you had stayed neutral. Believe me, Merida, you would have been --"

"No."

Merida grabbed Gothel's wrist, holding on as tightly as she could. "I am glad that I chose to be a Guardian, Gothel. Ye are nothing but grime, and will always be. Who knows? Maybe I will become neutral, but as for now, I trust the Guardians, which is more than I can say for you."

Gothel struggled in Merida's tight grip, then stopped. "You are glad that you threw your lot in with them? Then let me show you that you made the wrong choice..."

Dust started gathering around Merida's feet and started piling up higher and higher.

"What are ye doing?"

Gothel grinned. "Showing you that you made the wrong decision."

The dust was up to Merid's knees. The dust by her feet was hardening into stone.

"Björn isn't here to help you now, little Spirit!" Gothenburg cried. 

Merida started sinking into the blackness. The dust was not up to her waist, and it was stone around her knees. 

"You are mine, little Spirit, and there is nothing the Guardians or -- what is  that?"

Merida looked up and saw golden sand swirling around her, turning the stone into dust and the dust into nothingness. She smiled as the sand lifted her out of the blackness, and there stood a little man made of sand.

She is not yours, Bringer of Dust. She made an oath and we protect our own who make that oath.

"Sanderson, please, we can talk about this," said Gothel, backing away.

The time for talking is  over, Gothel. Now release that Guardian!

As Gothel ran away, Sanderson raised his tiny little arms, and said, Sanderson Mansnoozie, at your service, Highness.

Merida nodded, and her and Sanderrn Mansnoozie rose into light.

* * *

"Is she all right?"

"I dunno, she's been like this for three days."

"I hope Sandy brought her back safely."

Merida opened her eyes to see seven people, a bear and a dragon standing over her.

"Thank goodness, she's all right," said Rapunzel.

"Oooow," Merida groaned, "my head."

The bunny broke an egg over he head, and her headache disappeared. Hiccup held out a hand and pulled Merida to her feet. "You all right?" he asked, and Merida nodded.  

"Was I really asleep for three days?"

Björn moaned, and jabbed his nose into Merida's stomach. "Yeah, Björn, I'm all right."

"When you didn't wake up, he tore the place apart looking for something to wake you up," Tooth said.

"Yeah, and a support beam fell on me," the rabbit said. 

"He's a good bear," said Merida. She took a step, and fell to the ground. Symbols flashed above Sanderson's head, and North nodded. 

"Probably best time."

"Are you sure?"

Tooth looked out the window. "I hope that they're ready."

A/N: The Guardian oath earlier in the chapter is from the actual book series by William Joyce. Aaaaand sorry for the late update... I was watching Pride and Prejudice with my mom, and if you guys are wondering, it was NOT the 6-hour one, though we do have that. Vote, comment, and happy reading!

~Allie