This can be a continuation from Invisible Friend or on its own. Hiccup is 10 in this story and it's slightly angsty than I planned on making (was I even planning, I wonder?)
Anyway, enjoy your read everyone!
It was a rare bright day over Berk when the sun finally got to show itself without the thick clouds blocking its light, yet even with its warm rays the air was still cool and chilly enough for everyone to bundle up when stepping out of their homes. Snow still covered the ground and persisted to remain there even with the sun bearing down on it.
Normally, this situation wouldn't have made much difference in this Viking village but today is just a tad different from the usual.
The village was bustling almost furiously with activities, tall poles were being set up around the Great Hall and around the village, tables were being carried here and there, barrels and barrels of ale were being carted in and out of the great halls, mountains of food being prepared in the kitchens and several pits of fire were lit in the village square.
All were preparations for tomorrow.
Snoggletog Day.
Hiccup sighed tiredly as he watched the busy crowd from the window of his room. Since the chief's house was on top of the hill and Hiccup had the best view of the entire village from his room. Almost everyone had joined in the preparation, everyone except for Hiccup. It wasn't as if he was lazy or didn't want to help out or anything…it's just that everyone else seemed to firmly believe that he's a walking disaster and a Bad-Luck magnet.
Honestly, it wasn't even his fault!
One time, Hiccup had been running to escape Snotlout's bullying and tried to hide behind old man Tumble's cart. When Snotlout almost caught him, he slipped under the cart, causing his cousin and his lackey, Tuffnut to trip and stumble into it, knocking out the stoppers from the under the wheels. Free of the stoppers, the cart, with Snotlout and Tuffnut on it, took a free ride down the hill and crashed into Maggot's fish stall.
Who got blamed for it? Why, Hiccup, of course! (Though Snotlout and Tuffnut did get their own chewing out from Maggot, the woman was righteously furious that day, which meant NO ONE got away.)
There was another time where Hiccup was trying to practice using the bola, the least life-threatening weapon he could get his small hands on. After countless of tries, he finally got to throw it…and it landed right into Mildew and his pet sheep.
Needless to say, he got more than an earful of how much of a disgrace he was.
'It was an accident.'
Once, during a the dragon raid, Hiccup accidentally tripped a viking when he fell, setting off a rather unfortunate chain of disaster – two houses got burnt down and the dragons made off with some of the livestock.
'That was an accident too.'
Another, he almost set Gobber's smithy on fire…which was so not his fault since Gobber had the habit of leaving flammables near the furnace. Hiccup just had bad luck that day.
'Again, accident.'
There was also a time where he tripped down the stairs at home and broke a leg.
'Accident.'
Hammering Gobber's hand instead of a metal…
'…accident…'
Sighing in defeat, he slumped bonelessly against the window. (Okay, so he's accident prone…but that can't be his fault!) Naturally, in order to prevent any disaster on this day he was confined to his room until the preparations are ready.
Unfair and hypocritical were the thoughts that swirled in his head. It wasn't fair that everyone was so eager and ready to blame every single mishap on him, whispering behind his back, behind his dad's back whenever they thought no one was listening. It stung a bit to know that your village viewed you as nothing more than a nuisance…it hurts even worse when the same disappointment was on your own father's face.
Hiccup bit his lip as his chest felt tight and painful, his eyes felt hot and suspiciously wet.
No.
He won't cry.
He won't let them get to him that easily.
Sure, he can't do what other Vikings could but he's still one of them.
He's still a Viking!
Vikings don't cry from something as stupid as this!
It's…it's…
…it was hopeless. Even as he tried to convince himself, he knew the truth…known it for a while now. He might be the chief's son and legitimate heir, but as he is right now no one would ever follow him. He was a nuisance to them, Stoick's little embarrassment.
The village outcast.
He tried, oh God, he tried so hard to change, to become someone his father would be proud of…yet he failed every time. His father grew more and more disappointed in him, everyone thought him useless…choking back a sob, Hiccup pushed away from the window and dropped to his bed, curling himself on it and burying his face into the pillow.
Then a cool breeze drifted in, bringing a few snowflakes with it. Hiccup looked up from his pillow when he felt a few of it melting on his face.
Snowflakes…he blinked when he heard a faint crackling sound from somewhere in the room. Hiccup sat up straight on the bed, immediately searching for the source of the sound and his eyes widened in surprise and awe to find a pile of snow on his window sill, a small beautifully sculpted snow dragon sitting on it with icy frost leaves crawling across the wall beside the window.
"He's here," Hiccup whispered almost reverently, "Jӧkul Frosti."
Quickly wiping the tears from his eyes, Hiccup jumped off the bed and went to the window to take a closer look of the snow dragon.
Another unViking trait he seemed to have was his fascination with dragons, he feared them of course but he was also extremely curious of them. This was one trait he would hide with his life, for he was fairly certain that if anyone were to find out, then it will be more than just verbal scorn he'd be receiving.
No one is to know about this…except one.
Hiccup gingerly touched the snow dragon and grinned when it didn't crumble; he scooped it up into his hands and directed a broad smile outside the window.
"Thank you! And welcome back, Jӧkul Frosti!"
His friend was back.
"Thank you! And welcome back, Jӧkul Frosti!"
He grinned and made a sweeping bow in the air to the boy who couldn't see him.
"You're welcome, and it's great to be back, Hiccup."
When he arrived in Berk, he noticed the festivities going on in the village. It looked fun and he wanted to join in but then he realized his friend wasn't amongst the crowd. He flew over to the house on the hill.
What he saw made his frown, his little friend was alone in his room, crying. No doubt it was because of the activities in the village. He didn't need to be a mind reader to know what happened during his absence. People can be cruel and vicious when they want to be, especially to those who are more vulnerable than most.
Still, he didn't like seeing Hiccup sad.
Hiccup likes dragons.
So he made one.
The bright smile behind the tears was so worth it.
Everything was up and ready, piles of foods were laid across the tables, torches lighting the village brightly and music filled the air. Everyone was in high spirits (or just plainly getting high…on something), laughter and cheers echoed, proof of their merriment to celebrate the yearly Snoggletog festival.
Everyone was in such good mood that they paid little to no mind to Hiccup's presence, some even went as far as cheerfully greeting and wishing him and good Snoggletog (which Hiccup still didn't understand, why Snoggletog? Who came up with the weird name anyway? Was it one of his ancestors? Were they drunk when they name it that? Alas, he would never know.)
Stoick came home earlier and all but dragged Hiccup down to the village, yet once there all Hiccup wanted to do was to go back home and sleep through the whole thing. He couldn't bring himself to fully enjoy the festival.
He wanted to go the forest.
He wanted to play in the snow.
He wanted to see his invisible friend.
A friend who cheered him up with a snow dragon.
Hiccup blinked; suddenly an idea came to the fore of his mind.
The festival finally ended and everyone went back into their warm homes. Although no one saw him, he still joined in the fun with a well aimed snowball to one of the kids, triggering a full blown snowball fight that created much fun and confusion.
But all good things must come to an end.
He was alone again.
Sighing, he walked along a roof, trailing frost behind him when his eyes caught something below him.
A snowman.
There was a snowman next to the smithy, it was wearing a grey cloak with the hood on, has blue stones for eyes, a carrot for a nose and a long stick propped against its side. His breath hitched a bit, and then he looked down to find writings on the snowman's torso. He couldn't help but chuckle.
'Hi! I'm Jӧkul Frosti and I love warm hugs…but don't do it too much coz I'll melt.'
He shook his head a bit; the smile never left his face as he found another set of writings on the ground next to the snowman.
Dear Jӧkul Frosti,
Thank you for the snow dragon, so here's a snowman for you.
Happy Snoggletog Day
Hiccup
The End?
Honestly, I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. These things just pop in as they like! Hopefully it wasn't too bad.
