Chapter One
A/N: In response to... (from last chapter of Siren Sung)
NightFury999: Thanks :) And cool! What a coincidence. XD
TheGallopingCupcake: Thank you! And do you mean the character whose name starts with an "S" and ends in "toick"? XD And yeah...sorry about that line...I had to. But I'm glad you liked it!
MHJohn64th: I know right? 200 reviews is insane! Now I'm up to over 230! WHAT THE HECK? XDDD And yeah, the Sirens are hopefully gone for good. (I honestly don't know why everyone is thinking there's going to be a sequel...I didn't say there was going to be one and I'm very confused. o_o) Anyway, I'm really glad you liked it and sorry about no Hiccstrid kiss at the end. It seems like I do that a lot and I wanted to mix things up a little. :)
Q-A The Authoress: Yeah...sorry. XD
anime-rocks-08: Thank you :)
InfinitiumAce: Lol, she is rather evil at times. And...no. No sequel... o_o Why is it that everyone is talking about a sequel? I'm honestly very confused about this...
Cottonmouth25: Eh, that's fine. Not every story is for everyone, I suppose :)
Breyannia: Lol, now I have to wonder what he'd be like if he were actually drunk. XD And thanks!
xInsertCreativeUsernamex: ...why does everyone think there's going to be a sequel to Siren Sung? XD I DON'T UNDERSTAND! LOL! What did I say?
Nightfury101: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! :D
AwesomeGuest: Lol, I thought that was a nice touch too ;D And as of now, I'm not planning a sequel...but everyone seems to think there will be one so maybe sometime in future.
Jesusfreak: Yeah...I had to incorporate that somewhere. I had to. Also, no sequel to Siren Sung as of now... I hadn't planned on writing one at all but everyone seems think I am? *confusion*
Vampire-Queen-Kazumi: Lol, yes she did! :D And thanks!
Guest: Yay! Thank you! :D
oceanzap: Yeah...sorry. XD If only~
Foxlight The Dragon Trainer: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! :D
Derpz: Well I'm glad you liked it! (Also the 'sequel' meant post-HTTYD 2...that's what I meant, not a sequel to Siren Sung. Sorry.)
Rachalie: Thanks :)
C: Thank you so much :D And no, Stoick's line was not necessary at all...unless, of course, you take into account my amusement at the emotional suffering of others... XD
Bwphorse: Lol, yeah those last few chapters were pretty snort-inducing while I was writing them too. XD And YAY! I'm glad you like my other fanfics as well :D
-Time Frame: Post HTTYD 2-
To an outsider, the island of Berk would appear to be asleep. Night has just begun to fall and the sky is dark shade of purple and blue, stars glittering distantly high above the sparse, grey clouds. However, every villager is still wide awake and eagerly filing toward the Great Hall, whose doors stand wide open and flutey music can be heard drifting out.
The Hall's roof -and that of every other house- looks to have been recently patched and there are still a few, tiny holes. Remnants of the battle that took place here a few weeks ago. The same battle that nearly spelled the end of the peace the Berkians have worked so hard to achieve with dragons. And the very same battle that stole away their beloved Chief, Stoick the Vast...
But today is a day of celebration to the Vikings. Today is their beloved heir's official coronation. As of now, his title has been -more or less- just for show. Despite the elder Gothi's symbol on his forehead.
Today is the day Hiccup truly becomes Chief of Berk.
And needless to say, he's a little less than enthusiastic about it. In fact, there is something else entirely on his mind as he and Toothless stand deep in their island's forest, within a very familiar meadow that neither of which has set foot in since this time last year.
Hiccup still doesn't like to look at the pond in which he was nearly drowned. Even now, five years later, its presence sends chills down his spin. Normally, he would never even set foot in this meadow at all...but today is a very special day. And not because of his coronation.
There's a distant look in the young man's green eyes as he gazes down on the three stone markings before him. He wishes he could have made their memorial on their home island...but there wasn't a force on earth that would have made him go to the witch's home back then. Despite her apology from beyond the grave, the thought of Aragwen still makes his stomach twist into nervous knots.
After all, the kind of horror he suffered at her hands isn't something you can easily shake off. The fact that he has very little memory of the ordeal is a blessing in and of itself. And yet he still finds himself having nightmares about it, of distant, foreign memories he can only sort of confirm to be his own. Some of which, he isn't convinced aren't Hinrik's. The poor boy who was murdered at his mother's hand, meant as a sacrifice to an equally misunderstood spirit, spent many days locked within Hiccup's body. Exactly how much of the memories are his own now, he isn't sure.
Five years. It's been five years since Aragwen was killed and Hinrik disappeared. Hiccup can only hope his friend found peace... Odin knows he suffered enough. As for Aragwen...well...?
Hiccup's reverie is broken when Toothless suddenly begins to purr. The dragon looks up at his friend with soft, green eyes and nuzzles his nose against Hiccup's waist. The young Chief glances down at Toothless and smiles gently. "It's okay, bud." He sighs, planting his hands on his hips. "I'm just thinking is all."
Toothless quiets down for a moment, contenting himself with perking his ears to listen to the various dragons moving about in the forest. Being the Alpha, it's his responsibility to keep them in-line and keep them safe. But for the most part, they seem to take care of most of that on their own. Of course, the Night Fury's protective instincts force him to keep an eye on his fellow dragons as much as possible. But soon, his attention is drawn back in by another half-hearted sigh from his Rider.
Toothless tilts his head, wondering why Hiccup continues with this strange tradition of his. It's been five years and he still comes here every year, on this exact day, stands by these memorial stones, and just...stares. And sighs. For hours. By the time it's over, his dragon is about ready to jump off a cliff from boredom. However, Toothless has an excuse to end it early this time. And he's not above using the coronation to his advantage. After all, Hiccup should have been there an hour ago! Does he even realize how late he is? Surely if he did, he wouldn't still be standing here.
So as a friendly gesture, his loyal companion stands up and returns to Hiccup's side, nudging his back gently at first, only to be waved away. So the second time, Toothless growls quietly as he forcefully shoves his human with his snout, almost causing Hiccup to fall over.
"Ah! What?!" He demands as he steadies himself. "Toothless, I already told you-" But Toothless cuts him off with a knowing glare as he tosses his head in the direction of the village...where an especially bright light is cutting through the darkness.
And then Hiccup's mouth falls open in horror at the realization and he stumbles forward, feverishly hopping into the saddle as he gasps, "Oh no! We're late!" Then, the young Chief jabs a finger toward the Great Hall and barks, "Okay, Toothless! We've gotta go! On the double!" And then he leans down, almost hiding himself being the Night Fury's aerodynamic features. A signal to move. And move fast!
So Toothless obeys, sprinting a short distance and then snapping open his wings and shooting straight up into the sky. He roars in excitement and relief. Finally, they can leave that boring place! He beats his wings a few times to get a high enough speed to please Hiccup, and then glides toward the brightly lit Hall, riding a wind current.
Unfortunately, Hiccup is a little less delighted than his dragon. This morning, he made a promise to a certain blonde that he wouldn't be late... And Astrid isn't likely to forgive him for being so thoughtless. Then again, this is his party. He should be allowed to show up whenever he wants...right?
But at that thought, he only groans and rolls his eyes. Ugh, try telling that to my incredibly honor-bound girlfriend... After a moment of imagining how that conversation might go, he moans again and buries his face in Toothless's back. I'm dead.
"Ooohhh, he is so dead!" Astrid growls under her breath as she steals another look out the open doors of the Great Hall. Nothing. Hiccup is late. Again. Just like always!
"Anything yet?"
Astrid turns to find a very nervous-looking Valka lingering behind her. Hiccup's mother has been uptight all day, despite her usually calm, free-spirited attitude. She claims it's because she hasn't been around this many people in twenty years and she simply isn't used to it anymore...but Astrid knows the real reason. The woman just lost her husband not three weeks ago and now, her son is becoming Chief of the entire tribe.
And as if that's not bad enough, that very same son is now an hour late! To his own coronation! Which, of course, does not spell good news for the village. How can Hiccup be Chief if he can't even remember to attend his own Thor-forsaken party?!
"Not yet." Astrid admits as she moves away from the door again and gently guides her boyfriend's mother back toward the table at front of the Hall, where the Chief's family is meant to sit. "But...don't worry, I'm sure he'll be here before Gothi arrives." He better be! She growls in her mind.
Valka nods and sits down, only smiling a little when Cloudjumper -who has been sitting up in the rafters all evening- reaches his head down to press his nose against hers. The two women sit side-by-side for a while until Astrid gets antsy again and decides to check outside one more time. When she finds that Hiccup has still not arrived, she silently curses him in her head and then leans against the wall just inside the doors, watching with a forced smile on her face as the villagers talk and eat and laugh. Some are singing in loud, booming voices as they guzzle mug after mug of mead. Others are dancing to the sound the very few musically inclined Vikings have to offer.
It might be a fun time for her too...if only her stupid boyfriend would just show up already! Astrid sighs for the hundredth time, about to look outside again when she feels a presence beside her.
"So, the Mighty Chief still hasn't arrived yet?" Snotlout chuckles as he leans on the wall beside her. "That's a pretty bad sign, huh? Don't you think, Astrid?"
But she only glares at him, not liking the slightly flirty look in his eyes. "What do you want, Snotlout?" She grumbles. "Shouldn't you be over there with Fishlegs trying to win Ruffnut's heart or something?"
"Eh, I figured I'd do poor 'Legs a favor and give him a freebie this time. I mean, after all, we all know he hasn't got a chance against me. In the long run, my little princess will make the right choice."
Astrid rolls her eyes at his vanity and simply stares out the door some more. "Then why are you over here bugging me?"
"Ouch." He mumbles, backing off as he plants his hands on his hips. "No need to take your relationship issues out on me."
Astrid is about to snap that they don't have relationship issues and she's just frustrated because the last thing she wants is Snotlout trying to come onto her when she's practically pulling her hair out with worry over her stupid, brainless boyfriend who can't seem to follow the simplest of orders...when she hears the flap of massive wings outside and nearly throws Snotlout into the wall when she bolts past him.
"Where have you been?!" She hisses as she stalks toward him, glaring heatedly at Hiccup as he slides off the saddle and grins sheepishly at her.
"Sorry." He mutters, raking a hand through his messy helmet-hair. "Am I really an hour late?"
She folds her arms and nods. "Yes, you are. And believe me, it hasn't gone unnoticed."
"Great." Hiccup groans as he hurries toward the doors, expertly slipping an arm around Astrid's waist and pulling her along for support. "Did I miss anything really important?"
"Well...no. Nothing could really be done until you got here. It's your coronation." She admits, grimacing at how easily she's going along with him. She'd wanted to really let-him-have-it for being late but... She supposes she simply doesn't have the heart to get too mad. Not right now.
Already, she can see the uptight posture of his shoulders and the way he's chewing his lip almost fearfully. Sometimes it's so easy to forget that being Chief isn't just a fancy title he's allowed to take...it's an actual responsibility. One that he shouldn't have been forced to bear so early in his life. And so soon after the death of his father... No wonder he looks so nervous.
So with a resigned sigh, Astrid laces her fingers with his and offers a supportive squeeze of his hand. She smiles at him when he looks over questioningly and revels when he returns the gesture.
"Thanks." He whispers as they approach the table where his mother is sitting.
"Not a problem." She says, winking at Valka once she notices them.
"For Thor's sake, Hiccup!" His mother gasps as she jumps to her feet and hurries over. Once she reaches them, though, her expression softens. "Well...at least you're not as late as your father was to his coronation."
Hiccup's eyebrows arc upward and he's about to question that his father had also been late...but before he gets the chance, he hears the music suddenly go quiet and everyone stops talking and laughing and dancing. They all turn toward the doors and then Valka touches her son's arm and smiles softly.
Hiccup hesitates because he knows who has just arrived. The young man draws in a shaking breath and then turns to face Gothi, who is hobbling in beside Gobber and leaning most of her weight on her staff. About nine Terrible Terrors trail closely behind her.
The other Vikings disperse, forming a circle around Hiccup and a path for Gothi to reach him. They're all deathly silent as they watch the coronation begin.
As she approaches, Hiccup kneels down on one leg and bows his head, like he did to receive her symbol after the battle with Drago Bludvist. Only this time, she begins to scrawl crpytic writing into the floor in front of him. And no one moves to translate it.
Instead, she herself parts her wrinkled lips and begins to speak, as she only does during this very ceremony. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third," She begins in a raspy, unused, trembling voice. "Thirty-five years ago, I named your father...Stoick the Vast, Chief of our tribe. And today, I give that title to you. As of this moment, you are the leader of our people and the protector of our way of life. May the mighty and merciful gods watch over you."
As soon as she stops writing and speaking, the crowd erupts in jubilant cheers. They pump their arms into the air and shout excitedly, immediately surging forward to surround their new Chief. Hiccup stands slowly, feeling a bit dizzy but still manages a weak smile as his people smack him on the back and loudly congratulate him.
"CONGRATULATIONS, HICCUP!"
"WELL DONE!"
"YOU'LL BE A FINE CHIEF!"
And Hiccup thanks them all with his most convincing smile.
Eventually, the music starts up again and everyone disperses, leaving Hiccup to finally sink onto a bench and close his eyes, feeling drained. He looks pale and his stomach is twisted into stressful knots. The concept of fainting does not seem far-fetched right about now. But then again, that would be incredibly unbecoming of a newly crowned Chief...so he holds himself together for now, distracting himself by affectionately stroking Toothless's back and trying to even out the rapid flutters of his heartbeat.
"Just so you know, I'm not going to call you Chief."
Hiccup glances over his shoulder to find Astrid standing there, a little smirk on her lips as she walks around the side of his chair to sit down beside him. He chuckles and shakes his head. "I didn't think you would."
Her smile softens a bit as she reaches out and playfully tugs on a lock of his hair, causing his eyebrow to go up as she begins to braid it. "You shouldn't stress out so much." She tells him quietly. "It's not like anyone expects you to be the perfect Chief overnight. You heard your mother, even your dad made mistakes."
Hiccup doesn't respond at first. Instead, he releases a deep sigh and leans his head on his hand. "I know..." He mumbles. "It's...it's not that."
"Then what it is?" She asks, scooting closer to him so she can take his hand again. Her brow furrows a little when she think she sees the threat of tears in his eyes.
"It's just that...whenever I imagined this day..." Hiccup begins weakly. "I thought...I always thought he'd be here...with me."
Oh. A look of pained understanding flickers across her face. Astrid frowns and reaches up to touch his cheek, prodding him to look at her. "I know you did." She whispers. "And I'm so sorry that he can't be. But...he would be so proud of you."
Hiccup's breath hitches a bit as he bows his head again, leaning against Astrid, who tenderly places a kiss on his cheek. On the other side of the Hall, she spots Valka. She's surrounded by the women of the village, who are clearly congratulating her and trying to catch up after twenty long years. Although Hiccup's mother is looking about as cheery as her son and Astrid is suddenly very glad when Gobber interrupts them and asks Valka if she'd like to dance.
At first, Stoick's wife wants to decline, but then she sees the knowing looking in the Blacksmith's eyes and she smiles tiredly and takes his hand. "Thanks." She whispers as he leads her away from the unwanted attention.
"It's not a problem, Valka." He assures her. "Although I think there's a certain someone who needs a mother's talking-to right about now."
Valka pauses, obviously unsure of what he means. But then, she searches the crowd for Hiccup, having assumed he would be celebrating right now. But between the twirling skirts and clapping hands, she finds her son hunched over on a bench, being comforted by Astrid. "Oh my..." She sighs as Gobber releases her arm and motions for her to go to Hiccup. Which she does with a worried expression.
However, it's not Valka that catches his attention at that moment. It's actually the goosebumps that prickle across his spine and the cold breath of air that brushes the back of his neck. He glances up, brow drawn as he tries to place this oddly familiar sensation.
His breath catches in his throat at the dizzy feeling that washes over him...it's like the world is moving in slow motion. The dancers twirl in slow circles and the music becomes muffled in his ears. As two of the spinning Vikings part, the cause of Hiccup's current state is revealed to him.
His eyes widen in both horror and confusion as he whispers, "Hinrik?"
A/N: My excitement knows no bounds! XD
Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! :)