Authors Note: The twins are like the most epic pair of siblings on Berk.
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Night Terrors
Ruffnut had never felt so helpless in her life.
Sure she'd had plenty of heart stopping moments, gut wrenching cliffhangers and more than enough bruises to cover her entire figure. But no, nothing compared to the terror she felt now.
She's a Viking, and could throw a punch to knock a man unconscious, no, she wasn't as strong as Astrid but she could still beat Hiccup, Tuffnut and give Snotlout a run for his money in an arm wrestling competition. She's supposed to be strong. Has to be because that is what she is, brave, loyal and is more than happy to throw a prank.
But after moving to Dragon's Edge, everything suddenly had a darker undertone, Dagur Heather's brother, Viggo Grimborn, Maces and Talons, Dagur's death, dragon fights, dragon auctions. No, well she joked around a lot, she paid attention to everything going on around her, always with her twin at her side.
That is what they are, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, one person, "the twins" they'd been that way since birth and stuck together. They were each others crutches and Ruffnut didn't know what she would do without her brother because though she never voiced it; she loves him.
"TUFF!" Ruffnut screams watching with horror as Ryker withdraws his blade from her brothers abdomen. The battle had been going on for a little less than under an hour between the hunters and the dragon riders, a surprise attack when they were visiting a near by island with a species of Deadly Nadder's Astrid had been ecstatic about.
It certainly wasn't going the way they planned. Hiccup's right leg was broken down the calf and he was on Toothless's back a pained grimace firmly fixed on his face. Astrid is by his side, axe who knows where and battling with Hiccup's shield. Heather and Fishlegs are back to back the two barely managing to keep the hunters from happily taking their heads off. Snotlout and Hookfang are holding their own but they were growing tired and the number of cuts from weapons is growing on both of them.
And then there had been herself and her twin. The two battled with menace with the spears and other weapons they kept handy until Ryker had broken off from Hiccup and Astrid heading towards them. What caused him to do it is beyond her but the next second Tuffnut's arms were wrapping around her to shove her to the ground with such force it startles her the next his haunting gasp of pain filled her ears.
"Tuffnut!" She screams watching as Ryker, now seeming satisfied with himself backs up from the two siblings. Tuffnut stands there for a moment looking down at himself as if he can't actually comprehend what happened before he crumbles backwards into her outstretched arms the panic flowing off of her in waves.
Barf and Belch had been furious before but now, red rage wouldn't have even matched them. With a deep hiss and a growl so low that any sane person would back up from with a small apology the Zippleback moves past his riders towards the leader of the group.
Ruffnut hardly pays attention to it, focused instead on her brother.
"Tuffnut! Come on you idiot say something to me! Speak!" She commands slapping him. Tuffnut's eyes open meeting hers looking dimmed and unfocused but alive.
"Sorry sis." He gasps his voice a croak mixing between a low moan and a cough. Ruffnut's eyes widen with horror as she watches him.
"Why!? Why would you do this to me Tuff!?" She roars shaking his shoulders back and forth inwardly screaming with so much panic had she voiced it, it would have been heard from the isle to Berk.
Tuffnut gives a small pained grin, "I didn't want it to be you."
Ruffnut shakes her head, "No, come on! Fight this!" She begs but the two now time is limited. With the battle going on and their dragon gone, Dragon's Edge more than twelve hours from here and not enough medical supplies brought for a stab with them, Tuffnut wouldn't make it.
Both realize this at the same moment.
"Ruff," Tuffnut chokes his eyes slipping shut, "c-carry on the Thorsten...legacy…I'm..glad you were my sister." He murmurs before he goes lax a final pained gasp escaping his lips. Ruffnut shakes his shoulders back and forth.
"No! Don't do this to me, Tuff! I refuse to do anything without you! Come on, please just wake up! Do something, say something!" She shouts but it's hopeless. Ruffnut had never felt more helpless.
Not when the Berserkers were tracking down their dragon to use it's blood for ink and he was captured. Not when Hiccup lost the round of Maces and Talons, not when they were captured by the Defenders of the Wing, when Tuffnut was about to leap off a cliff because of the Lycanwing. Because in those moments, there was always something to cling to and now...Tuffnut was gone.
Ruffnut sobs take air despite her quiet urges to suck it up but what was the point?
"Ruffnut?"
"Ruffnut?"
"Ruff?"
Ruffnut's eyes snap open heart pounding in her ears breaths ragged and terror running through her veins. "Sis?" Tuffnut's voice calls. Ruffnut sits up eyes wide and stares around herself for a moment. She's in her hut at Dragon's Edge, Chicken is sleeping in her henhouse and a figure stands over her bed looking legitimately concerned.
"Tuff!" Ruffnut gasps before leaping forward and wrapping her arms around her brother's torso. Her twin flinches hands coming up in shock for a moment before he wraps his arms around her upper body.
"Whoa, what happened?" Tuffnut asks after Ruffnut pulls back wiping tears with the back of her hand away.
Feeling embarrassed that the dream rattled her so much Ruffnut looks down at her blanket, "Nothing." She murmurs.
Tuffnut sits at the edge of her bed staring at her intently. Knowing full well he'll sit there until she answers Ruffnut rolls her eyes slightly, "I dreamt about it again." She answers voice quiet.
"Oh," Tuffnut says. Moving forward he gently pulls his sister into a hug. No words are spoken between the pair of twins and neither felt compelled to break that. Ruffnut simply clung to her brother.
When Tuffnut pulls back he gives her a soft punch on the arm. "Wanna go blow stuff up?" He asks grinning. Ruffnut's eyes light up at the question and she too grins returning a punch at her brother's arm.
"Is that even a question?"
Authors Note: Ha! Yay for everyone else as they wake up to smoke rising! :) Ruff's dream is based off of an event since she "dreamt about it again." :)
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