Chapter 1: I Was a Warrior

Somewhere far from Berk

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.

That was his name. Or was that his name? Which one did he prefer? Which one was more appropriate? Why was he asking these questions to himself?

He was asking this to himself because that was the name he was given at birth. His parents had given him that name. His mother Valka and his father Stoick.

But his mother was dead.

And his father was long behind him. Was it even right to call the man his father? Weren't fathers suppose to be an idol, a person for a son to idolize and look up to?

He certainly didn't think of his father like that. When was the last time his "father" had been a father? Years, if Hiccup's memory served him well.

Here he was, a boy that had seen fifteen years of life, flying away from home on the back of a dragon, packing only the essentials for a long-term journey.

Why was a fifteen-year-old boy running away from home? Parent troubles were nothing new on Berk, but still families remained whole.

Because as far as he was concerned, it was no longer his home. He had stopped considering it home for a long time. Home was suppose to be a place where you didn't have to worry about being harassed all the time. Home was the place where family wasn't always pressing you to do something you weren't. Home wasn't the place where you always felt that you didn't fit in.

Hiccup no longer had a place on Berk. As the weakest Viking, he couldn't ever hope to fight there. Nobody ever bothered to train him how to fight, believing that he simply wasn't cut out for it. Brains were less desirable than brawns, something that Hiccup always excelled in. Fists, broadswords, hammers, axes, bows and arrows, anything involving brawns was the best thing ever.

That wasn't to say that he wasn't capable of taking a beating. Contrary to popular belief, he was actually very durable despite his stature. Some didn't know it, but Hiccup had on occasion suffered some attacks from the other kids on Berk. His father had told him to tough it out, and like a good son, he did. But no injury kept him in a bed for more than a few days, and that was the worst. At best, Hiccup could shrug off wounds that should be normally more dangerous. Hiccup attributed this unnatural endurance to his father. Or maybe it was just his stubborn nature.

It didn't matter anyways. He was past that, and more importantly, he was finally free from that place. Berk was history to him as far as he was concerned.

So what did it matter now? Why question it?

Because it's the only life I've ever known, he mulled silently, I've known nothing else other than Berk.

Hiccup then thought about Gobber. That man, for all of his unusual quirks and rather unusual behavior, was about the closest thing to a fatherly figure that the boy had ever had. He taught Hiccup how to forge weapons. He taught Hiccup how to craft. He taught Hiccup how to be a bit more optimistic. Truthfully, Gobber was one of the few people that he was going to miss, alongside his father, and perhaps Astrid.

Astrid Hofferson, the girl whom he was smitten with. How could Hiccup ever really miss her? He didn't even know her in the slightest. If he were asked questions about her, he would simply say that fighting was her core. He didn't know anything else about her. And she ignored him, unlike everyone else who poked fun at him or ridiculed him. Somehow, being ignored was worse than being ridiculed. To her, he wasn't even worth the effort. How embarrassing and how degrading was that?

The soft growl of Toothless shook his from his thoughts. Hiccup knew this sound to be a questioning sort. It had to come up sooner or later. The boy knew that Toothless was aware of their situation. That meant the dragon was going to ask more about it.

"I'm thinking about Berk, buddy," Hiccup said. "I think that sometimes that I made a mistake of leaving. I don't know."

Hiccup didn't get a chance to prepare himself as Toothless suddenly descended towards a lone island. Hiccup braced himself quickly, feeling no fear, but still his blood was pumping fast. Toothless's dive soon ended as quickly as it had began. The dragon landed on all four feet. Hiccup slowly got off the back of his friend.

"What is it bud," Hiccup faced the Night Fury.

Toothless gave Hiccup a look of consideration. Both dragon and rider stared each other in the eye, as if searching their souls. A silence filled the void they were standing in. Not even the crashing waves all around them were of consequence to them.

Hiccup barely became aware when Toothless approached the boy and carefully bore his eyes deeper into the former Viking. Hiccup's breath hitched as Toothless suddenly placed his forehead right up against his own. The scales were warm still like they always had been.

The former Viking didn't flinch nor did he give off any sense of fear. This creature was his friend, his only true friend, and the bond they shared was forged from trusted one another. From the humble beginnings of touching physically to trusting each other in flight, it was now a dependency that neither of them were going to relinquish so easily. And having only each other for this journey, they would need to depend upon each other more than ever.

An alien feeling washed over Hiccup's being, a bit of an uncomfortable feeling, but not overwhelmingly so. Hiccup just bit his bottom lip and remained silent as he continued to let Toothless do what he wished or needed to do.

And then Toothless separated from him in an instant. Both remained in eye contact.

:: Can you understand me now, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III?"

Knowing fully well that they were the only two presences upon this small island, Hiccup gazed intensely at his friend, his mouth slightly agape in shock.

It was a voice that wasn't really distinguishable from anything he had ever heard of on Berk.

"Toothless." The boy tilted his head. "Is that you?"

:: It is. I have connected with you, thus why you can now hear me.::

"Wow," Hiccup rubbed the back of his head. "This is just amazing. Can you do this for anyone?"

:: All Dragons can mentally bond with those that cannot speak our tongue. However, it is a sacred rite. We give this to only the most trustworthy of companions and friends.::

And just like that, Hiccup could know for certain that his new friend was a true friend. If Toothless was willing to bond with Hiccup in order bridge the only gap between them, then the Night Fury was willing to stay by the boy's side.

"I'm honored," Hiccup said. "But why did you choose me?"

:: You saved me when most would not. You had many chances to kill me and prove to your kin that you were of their kind. But I looked into your eyes and I saw one who did not wish to kill, but to prove worth.::

"And you were right," Hiccup sighed. "but I'm not sure if they were my people."

:: I understand your reasons for leaving. If anything, I would do the same if my own kin shunned me.::

"You know about that, huh," Hiccup chuckled weakly.

:: I was able to deduce as much, but do not think about them. You want to be free, and you are now.::

"Yes," Hiccup said, "But I guess I haven't thought that far. I don't even know what to do now."

Both companions remained silent, Hiccup deep in thought while Toothless gave a long stare.

Toothless was an intelligent species of Dragon, and he began to work his understanding of his chosen rider. This boy, while not strong in body, was strong in mind and in spirit. If he endured years of abuse at the hands of his own people, and had not succumbed to madness, then he was very strong-willed. In addition, he was an ingenious inventor of devices, such as the saddle and the prosthetic tailfin which allowed him to fly.

Not only that, but he possessed what Toothless could only describe as a heart that spoke volumes of compassion. This Human displayed regret at having left those that didn't care for him. That in itself indicated a sort of mentality that was very hard to find. And to think that this mentality was so blatantly discarded and disregarded, it felt… wrong.

Toothless, like other Dragons, always stayed clear from Humans whenever possible, with exception to when their queen forced them to attack Berk. None of them wanted to do it, but it was either them or the Humans. The Humans thought similarly, and so there was undoubtedly bad blood between the two species.

At least in the Barbaric Archipelago.

Virtually no Dragon travelled beyond the archipelago, the clearest reason being that they were only abundant in this region. Perhaps once there were more Dragons in the world, but now they were so rare in actuality that they may be considered endangered.

Perhaps it was time to venture out into the world where people there might be more receptive to a sight that hadn't been seen for hundreds, maybe thousands of years.

:: Might I make a suggestion then?::

"Go on," Hiccup gestured. "I'm listening."

:: Perhaps it is time to go exploring the world to see what it has to offer us both.::

"But won't you be lonely without your brothers and sisters," Hiccup asked.

:: They will be missed by me, but you on the other hand, have nothing left but your skills and me. And as your friend and my chosen rider, I must stand by you.::

"I'm that important to you?" Hiccup raised an eye.

:: You gave me the ability to fly again. You nurtured me when I was down. I will always be thankful to you.::

The brown-haired boy didn't know what to say. This was all so unexpected, so surprising. When was the last time that anyone had ever been so considerate of him? When was the last time anyone ever so much as thought to give him something of value?

From having no value to being one of the most valued individuals to someone was a huge step-up in self-esteem for Hiccup. It was now time to prove that he wasn't finished yet and that he did indeed have something to do in this world.

"Thank you, Toothless," he spoke. "I won't ever forget this."

Toothless nodded.

"So you were saying something else?"

:: There are many lands beyond this little space of the world. There are many wonders and places that are without Dragons. If you wish to leave this way of life entirely, this is your best chance.::

"But how will we even approach that," Hiccup asked. "I don't even know if we can communicate with anyone beyond our region."

:: It's a risk that we will have to take if we wish to escape from the life here. You and I both will need to rely on each other. This affects you and me.::

Those were very true words indeed. Both of them depended upon each other. It was something that weighed heavily on Hiccup's mind. He was in a better position to make a life for them than Toothless was. The boy could talk to other people, work with them, convince them that dragons weren't all evil as stories and legends and tales said they were.

The first order of business was to actually find a place that would welcome them both, as hard as that may seem.

"So where do you suggest we start, buddy?"

:: There are many civilizations much to the south-east. Perhaps we can start there. If you can convince them that we are not hostile, we can see from there.::

"Alright," Hiccup nodded. "But if I see anything that looks too dangerous, we won't stay. For your safety and mine."

:: Agreed, friend.::

Hiccup would have to get use to the voice of a dragon calling him friend. How his life had changed in just a few short days. Would it be a better life?

It was already sounding better.

Arendelle…

King Adgar of Arendelle stared at himself in the mirror very closely, precariously looking himself up and down.

As always, he was dressed in an attire that was spick and span with not a single wrinkle or defect that he could spot. This was a good thing, as he needed to be at his best, even though he wasn't seeing anyone. The practice of maintaining a presentable look was something that never ceased to make him be serious.

The reason he wasn't working today was of the fact that soon he would be heading out to journey to another neighboring kingdom. To be more specific, he would be visiting Corona to see the royal family there. They had some things to work out together and they were actually family-related by blood.

And Adgar was well aware of the fact that the two of them had a baby daughter that was stolen from them. He understood their pain in a way. With Anna's life so close to forfeit eight years ago, he had taken to ensuring that Elsa never hurt Anna or anyone else again. Her powers were dangerous, and without proper control, they could potentially cause death.

The mere thought of that was uneasy.

Ever since the accident, Adgar had grown more and more watchful of Elsa. While she was a more than capable individual woman to carry on the crown of Arendelle, it was her powers that were the subject of his scrutiny.

Elsa had grown in more than just beauty and intelligence, but also in her own abilities over ice and snow. She was truly powerful in many ways that Adgar knew that he himself would never be. In a way, he felt a swell of pride at this, and in another way, he was worried. Elsa was very much composed and calm, but even the best people could be turned.

He shook his head at the pessimistic thought. She hadn't done anything to provoke such negative thoughts. She was different, that was all. If anything, Elsa was more scared of herself, which really wasn't what he wanted, but he wasn't sure how to coax her out of her sadness and try.

Her powers were really putting a crux on her personality; the once happy and expressive Elsa had turned into a shell of that former girl. It was sad. Truly, it was heart-clenching to see that the effort put into finding a solution to keep her powers in check wasn't doing any good. Adgar for every single day since that fateful night wondered just what they could be doing that they were not doing.

"Are you alright, my dear," Iduna asked.

Snapped from his thoughts, Adgar turned to see his wife. She carried a look of a smile that was not fully a smile. She clearly knew something was wrong even with his face being calm as it was now. With no point in hiding it, he let down the facade and showed his true mood.

"Iduna," he whispered, "I'm lost."

"Elsa," the queen asked.

"Am I that transparent?"

"Adgar, you are my husband," she scolded, "If I were not able to understand you after all the years we've been married, then I would be a poor spouse."

He did not bother to correct her, because she was right. She was always right.

"For years we've been trying to get Elsa to control her powers, and while we've done that to an extent, I fear for her emotionally. Iduna, she doesn't even dare to touch anyone anymore, not even us. That is not right."

Iduna shook her head. "No, it isn't."

"What could we have done better, I have always asked myself. Should we have done something else? Even now this power of hers is beyond my comprehension, and I think it always will be."

"As will it for me, Adgar, but we've exhausted all of our options. We've no one else to turn to. And the trolls do not seem to have anything more for us. We should be thankful that she has control at all."

The words were not at all calming in any sort of way, but there was truth to them. He should be thankful that Elsa had managed to gain any sort of semblance of control. It was even more fortunate that she hadn't hurt anyone else.

"I'm sorry," Adgar spoke. "I shouldn't be feeling pity or loathing for myself."

"It's alright," Iduna replied. "Every single day I think of Elsa and worry, especially when we go on journeys like this one."

"I trust Elsa, my love. There's no doubt in my mind she is mentally mature."

Both of them embraced one another silently, their shared pain now fusing, undoubtedly a poisonous combination, but both of them truly were at a loss as to how they would ever solve this problem in a way that didn't involve Elsa having to be as she was now.

Then both of them heard a very familiar sound of footsteps. They knew instantly who it was because of the pace of the footsteps. Nobody ran fast in the castle for it was not proper. There was only one person who defied traditional things and properness.

Their youngest daughter Anna.

The two parents detached from each other, smiling at Anna. If there was one thing that always did manage to make them smile, it was Anna's boundless energy. She could always seem to brighten any unwanted mood that possessed either of them. The girl bounced into their arms, and they accepted her hug with as much love as she was giving.

"How long will you be gone," Anna asked.

"Hopefully not long," Adgar said, "Perhaps a week."

"I don't want you to go," Anna whined, "Please do go, mama, papa."

"Anna." Iduna hugged her daughter. "We'll be okay. It's only a short time. You'll be fine."

"But there's nothing to do," Anna complained, "Everything's so boring."

Adgar, while smiling at his his youngest daughter's antics, was also frowning internally. Anna hadn't even brought up her sister Elsa in the past three years. It worried him in a way that Anna no longer even seemed to acknowledge that she had an older sister. Whenever the sisters were ever in the same room, Anna acted like Elsa wasn't even in the room, and more than he cared to admit it, the king hated to see this, but he had been adamant that Elsa couldn't talk with Anna. He couldn't help the wave of guilt that spread over him. They were sisters in blood, but they weren't sisters emotionally.

"You have your lessons," the king spoke. "Do please try not to cause a ruckus while we're gone."

"But papa-"

"Young lady," the queen crossed her arms. "As a princess of Arendelle, you must be educated as necessary."

Anna pouted and let out a huff. Both of them knew that the girl wasn't terribly fond of studies. She prefered to be outside in the courtyard or in the gardens. She prefered to be out whenever possible. More often than not, the king and queen had seen Anna look longingly at the gates and wishing them to be open so she could leave the castle.

But Anna was always attentive to her parents as well, and despite not having an affinity for studies, she got through them decently enough.

The queen breathed lightly before adopting a more soft expression.

"Be a good girl, Anna, and we'll bring you back something new."

Anna tapped her foot in consideration, then seemed to accept this proposition with a heavy sigh.

"Okay, mama."

The girl smiled lightly and accepted a final hug from both her mother and father before taking to the hallways again.

Castle Garden…

Princess Anna sat on one of benches that adorned the garden. It wasn't the clearest day, but for most part, there were not too many clouds dotting the sky around Arendelle. That was just fine with Anna.

She was here because this was a place that seemed always abundant in beauty and seemed to always have some sort of beauty even in the worst of weather. Anna found a lot of things to do out here to keep her busy. For one, the ducks and ducklings were a source of great laughs and entertainment. For another, the countless animals that dotted the garden seemed to take a liking to her very much.

All in all, a great place.

But even the greatest place wasn't enough for her.

Anna had watched from the door as both her mother and father took to the streets. She didn't have long to see them as the doors to the outside closed almost as quickly as they had opened. She then retreated here to think.

Once again, the castle was locked up to the world.

Why couldn't she go out there? Why couldn't she have a sister that cared about her? Why couldn't she ever do anything fun? Why was life so bad to her? Had she done something wrong that she couldn't remember?

It was not fair. It just was not fair. How could a lot of other people got to lead interesting and happy lives and here she was, stuck in a castle with no real friends and few people to turn to? How was that fair?

No longer feeling the desire to sit in the garden, Anna trudged back into the castle, her mood now sour. She barely acknowledged anyone who bowed to her out of respect. She wasn't in the mood to accept anyone right now. She needed to be alone. When she passed by Elsa's door, she didn't even spare a glance at it.

Princess Elsa, the official older sister of Anna and the future queen of Arendelle. Unfortunately, that was where the connection ended in the mind of the younger sister. Anna for many years had been trying to get her sister to see her. It had started some eight years ago if Anna remembered correctly. They used to play together all the time, and seemingly out of nowhere, Elsa refused to see her.

Anna had tried to rationalize the reason as to why Elsa would do this, but no matter how she looked at their relationship, she could not find a good reason. They had once been inseparable, playing in the snow, making snowmen, and just being silly little kids having all the fun in the world. That had been life once, and it was a life that Anna still wanted more than anything else.

No longer did she think about it.

What was there left to think about?

Anna had long since decided that if Elsa wouldn't talk to her, then so be it. The thirteen year old was done pining for Elsa's attention. Eight years was more than enough time for Elsa to reconcile and she hadn't taken the bait once in that time. If there was ever to be a relationship between them, it wasn't going to be from Anna's side.

Enough is enough, Anna told herself. I'm done being miserable waiting for you Elsa.

She shook her head from her thoughts. Why was she thinking about this when she could be thinking about something far more enjoyable. Seeing that everyone in the castle was busy more or less with duties and given that it was the weekend, Anna decided that perhaps she needed to calm down a bit.

Maybe a storybook or two would hit the spot. She needed to do something that would get her mind off of the things that could make a good day turn bad. Maybe if she read more, then Kai and Gerda would get off of her case about not reading enough.

Anna really needed to get friends her age.

I've finally done it, mixed and mashed two beloved worlds into one. And this time, who needs Hiccelsa when you've got Hiccana? This story was partly inspired by Infrared-Ultraviolet's call to action.

This story will be updated hopefully consistantly, but as I've got a busy writing schedule in addition to school, I can't promise numerous updates, but I can promise a good story.

As you've already read, this is a different take on Anna and Hiccup with most of their personalities being retained. Serious guys, as much as I praise Anna for believing in Elsa, I can't help but feel that Anna should've been a bit more bitter about her alienation with Elsa. The same goes for Hiccup.

Before anyone asks, no I won't be telling what happens in the story, so please don't PM me asking if you can know story details. You're free to leave in reviews what you think will happen, but I'm not going to reveal anything. You'll have to read and see.

So if the readers are hip about this story, then leave a review. Love, hate, criticism and feedback are all welcome. Because my schedule is tight with life and other stories, this story is not a priority, but you guys want to make it a priority, then be sure to show support.

Thanks for reading this pilot chapter, and remember, one faces the future with one's past.

Peace!