A/N: Okay~ A little revision on the castings. No more Heather, but there's still a Vanessa. I just thought of a different idea. So let's get to it.
The Crippled Drake
Jack and Hiccup's lips gravitated towards one another, and they lightly brushed, when they heard a startled cry. They felt the ground shake, and Jack was shoved from behind by the horses who started running past by them.
Jack yelped, falling over Hiccup, who hit his head hard against a rock. "Ouch!"
"Argh!" Jamie and Astrid groaned.
"Aww," Tooth sighed. "So close..."
Toothless snarled. Stupid horses...
"Er, sorry Hiccup..." Jack said, chagrined. Hiccup moaned, and the Prince realized he was weighing down hard against his left hand. "Whoops, sorry..." he leaned back. "Did I hurt your hand?"
Hiccup shook his head, using his right hand to hold his left one against his chest. "It wasn't the right one. Can't feel anything with this one, so..." he shrugged. "no harm done,"
Jack took the incapacitated hand. "Still, I feel bad about it," he sighed, raising it to his lips, kissing the back part.
Hiccup blushed heatedly.
But Astrid and Jamie were peeved.
"Right idea," Astrid started.
Jamie finished. "... wrong place,"
~o~
Meanwhile, at the the spot where the horses once were, snakes were crawling back to the shadows where the transformed back to falcons and took off.
Pitchner saw everything from his hole.
"Nice work, boys." Pitcher spoke directly to the sphere. "That was a close one. Too close. The little fishbone! Oh, he's too adorable for his own good," he made a frustrated scowl. "At this rate, he'll be kissed by sunset for sure." He got off his throne and walked to his cauldron, conjuring a vague image. "Well, it's time Pitchner took matters into his own wing! Stoick's lad will be mine-and then I'll make that man writhe for ever taking my transformation capability."
The vague image turned into a clearer image of Jamie.
Pitchner smirked. "My dear Hiccy," he chuckled lightly. "It seems you cannot trust anyone anymore, hm?"
~o~
Astrid floated back to the bed, sighing. They had been so close, but now, they had to beat the deadline on the last day. Creating that mood wasn't easy, so how on earth do they recreate an atmosphere like that again tomorrow. They certainly don't have an entire day.
"We'll think of something,"
Astrid blinking, sitting up to look at Jamie. "Huh?"
"We're not out of the game till that sunsets, right?" Jamie smiled encouragingly. "I'll try talking Jack into thinking about Hiccup, maybe it'll be enough for him to contemplate his feelings for our friend."
Astrid cocked her head. "Our friend?"
"Well, yeah." Jamie smirked. "After everything today, haven't I earned the right to call him that, too?"
Astrid smiled, and floated to him. "If that's the case, then you can have the right of calling me your friend, too." she said, giving her trust totally.
"I feel honored." Jamie chuckled. Suddenly, he frowned.
Astrid raised a brow. "What's wrong?"
"Well... After all this... You'll be going home, won't you?" he looked into her eyes solemnly. Astrid blinked, dazzled by the human's eyes. "... Will I ever see you again?"
Astrid considered the question, twirling a strand of her hair involuntarily. "Uhm..." she stalled. "So... you were going to talk to Jack?"
Jamie frowned at the way she avoided the subject. "Guess I was..." he sighed. He lit a candle and left the room.
Astrid moaned, going back to the bed. "Odin... I'm not supposed to feel this way..." she complained. "It's Hiccup all over again..."
Toothless stuck his head in. Told you, you like him...
Astrid threw a pillow his way.
Jamie walked along the dark corridors, the candle his only source of light. Oddly, a breeze blew passed and his candle out.
"Huh? Where-?" He murmured when he heard a sinister chuckled. He flinched, turning, trying to get his eyes to adjust. "W-who's there?" he called out.
That's when a tall, slender man stepped out the shadows, smiling mischievously down at the boy.
Jamie's scream caught in his throat, seeing that the stranger's feet didn't touch the floor. He had a suspicion to who he was. "You-you're the Drake warlock, aren't you?" he glared.
"Oh what a smart boy you are," Pitchner smirked. "well, since you save me the trouble of introducing myself, let's get down to business, shall we?"
Before Jamie could react, Pitchner materialized into a shadow, entering the human's body through his gaping mouth, Jamie couldn't even scream. His eyes pinched shut in pain but when they opened again, his brown eyes were replaced by pale whites.
And then, he laughed, the sound of Pitchner's till it faded back to Jamie's.
"Now, for the finishing touch," Pitchner chuckled, summoning the parchment exchanged Hiccup gave as his payment, transforming it to a cape to wear. "and I'm ready to meet Royalty."
~o~
Just outside the back courtyard, Jack sits up on a tree, looking and running his fingers through the very much creased sketch of his portrait. His thoughts were in deep contemplation. He was rarely one to give up easily but... He looked up, his eyes catching Hiccup from the balcony, sitting on the edge, his feet dangling, hair blown by the night breeze. The boy yawned, stretched a bit before returning inside.
Jack smiles softly, before it fell and he sighs. The Prince looks at the sketch one last time before ripping it to strips, the slips taken away by the winds. He looks back to Hiccup's balcony, decided. He jumps down the tree, not looking where he was going to land.
And now he was on top of Jamie.
"Oh man!" Jack gasped, getting off. "sorry 'bout thst man." he said, then noticed what he was wearing. "since when is a cape your stlye?" he teased.
Jamie smiled at him, but it didn't seem like it was Jamie's. "Wore it just for you," he took one end of the cape and brought it to the front.
Jack blinked as the cape seemed to change for a second, as if revealing an image of himself, the same image from the sketch he tore. The shine of his eyes dulled as he was put under a spell.
~o~
Hiccup moaned groggily to the rude awakening the following day from his bird friend.
"Hiccup! Hiccup, wake up! Wake up! I just heard the news." she rubbed herself against his cheek. "Congratulations, sweetie, you did it!"
"What are you talking about?" Hiccup raised a brow as Astrid and Toothless snuck in.
Astrid raised a brow. "What's Tooth doing here?"
"Right-" Tooth chirped. "as if you two didn't know, uh? The whole town's talking about the prince gettin' himself hitched this afternoon!" she got blank stares in return. "You know, he's getting married! I just wanted to wish you luck. I'll catch you later, I wouldn't miss it!" Tooth flew off.
Toothless looked at his rider. Jack's getting married?
"But-" Astrid raised a brow. "that means... Hiccup, you-"
Hiccup looked thoughtful, his mind connecting the dots. Does this mean... he's gonna... gonna...? Then, he brightens, jumping out of bed. Sort-of danced with Astrid, and was about to run out. He looked at himself real quick at the mirror before rushing out the door.
The green-eyed boy made it the stairs, rushing down to it. He made it to thefirst landing when he heard voices... And caught himself short, eyes widening in horror.
There Jack was in a Princely outfit, Jamie right beside him...clutching unto his arm!
"So let me get this straight, Jack." Aster made a look. "all this time, your rescuer was Jamie?" he looked sceptical.
Nicholas rubbed his beard. "Well, that certainly is unexpected... But I guess congratulations are in order,"
Hiccup widened his teary eyes, shaking his head.He trusted Jamie, the boy told him he had no feelings for Jack... He said he could count on him! Why...
"We wish to be married as soon as possible." Jack said, as if entrance.
And that killed Hiccup.
Aster and Nicholas gawked, glancing at each other with blinking eyes. They were utterly confused, didn't Jack went out with Hiccup on a date only yesterday? If anything, the Prince should be announcing their marriage.
"Oh, yes-" Nicholas raised a brow. "of course, Jack, but, er-but these things take time, you know...
"This afternoon, Nicholas. The wedding airship departs at sunset."
Nicholas rubbed his forehead. "Oh, oh-very well, Jack-as you wish." he sighed.
Hiccup couldn't take it anymore, he rushed off crying. Jamie looked up, catching a glance of the boy.
He smirked evilly, holding on to the cape around him. Sorry my boy, he thought. but I simply can't have you taken by this mere human...
~o~
Hiccup made it back to his room, crying unto his pillow. Astrid and Toothless stared at him, wide-eyed and astonished. Astrid approached him first.
"H-Hiccup," she placed a hand over his back comfortingly. "what's the matter?"
Toothless nosed Hiccup's arm. What's wrong? he whimpered.
Hiccup sobbed, fumbling on his words. But he manages to get the news out. "J-Jamie... Jamie's m-marrying Jack..." he choked, he sat up only to bury his face against Toothless.
Astrid widened her eyes, and something inside her made her want to cry too.
"You and dad were right, Astrid... You couldn't trust humans," Hiccup sobbed, shaking his head. "they only end up hurting you..."
~o~
The sky was turning orange signifying the coming of twilight. Tooth is flying and humming to herself, going towards the wedding airship she knows held Hiccup, preparing for the ceremony that was coming up soon.
And she wasn't going to miss it.
Tooth's plan was to fly directly on deck, but he heard some singing, and got curious. She steered towards the porthole, peeking in. It was the bride's dressing room.
And Hiccup wasn't the bride.
What a lovely little bride Hiccup will make,
a perfect wife of mine.
Instead, there was the short-cropped brunette human from yesterday, fashioning a green cape while practically dancing while preparing, running his hands through brown locks.
Things are working out
according to my ultimate design.
Tooth watched curiously, cocking her head to the side. The boy looked different somehow, his eyes weren't brown as she remembered, instead it was...
She widened her eyes as she saw the cape shimmied, glowing somewhat, revealing an image, similar to that sketch Hiccup created when he first saved Jack, before it disappeared human stepped over a chair, then to the table with a big mirror attached.
Soon I'll have that Crippled Drake,
Then both he and Berk will be mine!
The boy laughed evilly, tilting the mirror to the right angle to look at his image. Tooth gasped, horrified, seeing a different appearance of a Drake with dark scales and pale white eyes.
"The Drake Warlock!" she flew, taken aback by the revelation. "Oh no... He's-" the gears worked in her read as she came to a realization. "I gotta..." In panic, she runs into the side of ship. She's momentarily daze, shaking it off, Toth Flies off to find Hiccup.
"Hiccup! Hiccup!"
It was late afternoon, the airship was a long way off, almost a dot in the skies. Astrid and Hiccup stood back to back against each other, Hiccup still crying on his knees, Astrid punching the pier floor board repeatedly, Toothless curled around them.
How the dragon would love to burn that airship down, but that's not gonna heal his rider's broken heart... Or even Astrid's.
"Damn it, Hiccup..." she groaned, exasperated. "now I know how you feel..."
Hiccup sniffed, but he managed to look at the girl curiously. "Wh-what do you mean?"
"It's stupid but..." she sighed. "I... I think I fell for a human too," she admitted dejectedly. "I fell for Jamie, too... Guess they never warned us about this, huh?" she laughed with no humor.
Hiccup frowned, sympathetic. To him, he only felt betrayed by a friend. But now, knowing how Astrid feels... He placed a hand over hers. "... Guess we're both idiots..." he offered a small smile.
Astrid looked back, managing a small smile in return. Then, someone comes flying in.
"Hiccup," Tooth perched on his knee, seemingly out of breath.
Dragon and Drakes exchanged looks in wonder. "what is it Tooth?"
"I was flying, I wa-" she shrugged at the stupid beginning. "of course I was flying-" Astrid crossed her arms, raising a brow at her. "And-I s-I saw that the lock-the warlock was lookin' in a mirror, and he had a cape of stolen art!" Tooth flew around frantically now. "Do you hear what I'm tellin' you? THE PRINCE IS MARRYING THE DRAKE WARLOCK IN JAMIE'S BODY!"
Astrid and Hiccup widened their eyes.
"Wha-so...Wait... Jamie didn't betray me?"
"Are you sure about this?"
"Have I ever been wrong?" Tooth questioned. Toothless gave her a questioning look. "I mean when it's important!"
What are we gonna do? Toothless asked his rider as Hiccup stands, going to the edge of the pier, hearing Pitchner's voice in his head.
. . . Before the sun sets on the third day. . . .
Hiccup looks thoughtful, connecting the dots in his head. He never meant to help me at all... Even Berk could be in danger if I don't fix this now! Impulsively, Hiccup jumps off the pier.
Astrid gasped. "Wait a minute!"
Hiccup! Toothless followed behind, swooping under Hiccup to catch him. are you mad?!
Hiccup ignored the scold. "We have to get to that airship!"
"He's right," Astrid said in determination, transforming to a dragon herself. We have to save Jamie...
Hiccup made a look. "Ahem... And Jack," he inserted. "don't forget about him."
Whoever comes first,Astrid shrugged.
"What-What about me?" Tooth chirped. "What about ME?"
Go to Stoick, he must know about this. Astrid instructed.
Everyone stared at Astrid as if she grew a second head. "A Kanha can't fly that high!" Hiccup reminded.
Well, it's either her or me, Astrid growled. But I have someone I'd like to save on that ship too.
Tooth looked at all of them, understanding. "Okay, I'll try." she said. "Just hurry you guys," she took off.
Astrid took off next, shooting to the skies almost in lightening speed. Toothless followed behind with Hiccup on him, not as fast because his rider was now human and might not handle the pressure and altitude.
"Come on Toothless, go!"
Safety first, Toothless retorted. but I'm going as fast as I can!
Hiccup frowned, seeing Astrid far off, the airship even moreso. "Make it faster."
~o~
The wedding was already in progress. Jack was still in his trance-like state as both he and Jamie walked down the isle, the guests clapping from where they stood at the side. They both wore suits, but Jamie's the only one with a cape.
Abby growls at Jamie as he passed, knowing with her instincts he wasn't really Jamie. The imposter glares down at the sound and promptly kicks her before lifting his head high once more.
And they reached the alter.
"Dearly beloved..."
Jamie looks at the horizon, grinning as the sun was beginnig to set.
"Yes, um, do you Prince Jackson, take Jamie Bennette, to be your lawfully wedded, erm, wife, for as long as you both shall live?"
Jamie tried not to openly grimace at the title bestowed on him.
Jack was still under spell as he answered. "I do."
"Eh, and do you ..."
Suddenly, something overshadowed the deck, everyone looked up and screamed as they saw a large blue mass that is a Dragon. Jamie glared at the intruder as it reverted back to a blond Drake.
Jack remained motionless the whole time.
"I object!" Astrid growled, tackling Jamie to the ground, and the ship is in chaos, the wedding guests panicking. "get out of him, Pitchner!" she kept trying to punch him.
Jamie dodged the hit and kicked her off him. Astrid yelped, landing on the wedding cake. Jamie got on to his feet. "Sieze her!" he growled.
"Guards!" Aster hollered. "Guards! Get that monster!"
Astrid panicked as she saw some guards running towards her with harpoons. She got off the cake, running towards Jamie once more, grabbing hold of the cape. Jamie tried fighting her off him. And that's when Toothless and Hiccup swooped in.
"AHH! There's more of them!"
"Hic-?!" Nicholas widened his eyes. "Hiccup?!"
Hiccup jumped off his Dragon, and ran towards Jack. Toothless kept the guards at bay. The guards had their hands full bringing him down the Dragon to remember Astrid.
Jamie pierced his eyes at the running former-Drake. "No!"
"Jack!" he was reaching his right hand out to him. "You're under a sp-" the boy was cut off as Jamie tackled him. "Aah! Get off me!"
At that same moment, Toothless rushed to aid his rider, but a mesh net was thrown on him, and the guards weighed it down. Toothless roared, outraged.
Jamie sneered. "No, you are to be mine!" he glowered.
"NO! My heart belongs to Jack!" Hiccup spat in his face, kicking and luckily managing to get a hit on Jamie's privates.
Howling in pain, Jamie got off the boy. Hiccup struggled unto his feet and rushed to Jack. Jamie tried following, but he was captured from behind by Astrid.
"No!"
"YES!"
Astrid took a knife, and cut through the cape. As Hiccup was running towards Jack, the cape disintegrated the same moment, Jack broke under the spell.
"Uhnn..." He shakes his head to clear his thoughts, and looks up to see an illusion filled the air, the glowing aura filling the entire ship, showing the events that transpired the moment the storm begun, to being saved by Hiccup! And being taken to the cave, and when the illusion falls, he's met by Hiccup running towards him.
"Hiccup?" his eyes widened as he saw both of the boys hands reaching out towards him.
Hiccup threw himself into Jack's person, arms wrapping around his neck. "Jack!"
Everyone in the ship stopped in their panic to watch the scene unfold. Jamie's eyes are bloodshot and murderous.
Quickly, Hiccup pulled back and takes Jack's face into his hands, smiling brightly at him, tears in his eyes from utter relief he wasn't too late.
"Your-your hands..." Jack choked, reaching up to take Hiccup's left hand, the one that was supposedly incapacitated. "They're the same touch from-" The Prince smiled brightly, wrapping his arms around Hiccup's waist, lifting him off the floor. Hiccup giggled as Jack brought their noses together. "You're the one..."
Jamie growled. "Jack, get away from him!" he demanded when Astrid got him on a headlock.
"It-it was you all the time." Jack sighed in content as Hiccup placed his hands against each side of his face. "how I miss this..."
Hiccup smiled softly, leaning his forehead against Jack's. "Oh, Jack, I-I wanted to tell you..."
"Shh..." Jack hushed, placing Hiccup down. "Just shut up and kiss me." he muttered, leaning in. Hiccup beamed, closing his eyes, going on his tiptoe to meet the Prince halfway.
"HICCUP!" Jamie's eyes widened in horror. "DON'T!"
But just before their lips could met, the sun sets and Hiccup jerks away from Jack, feeling a sharp pain, as he sank down. "Urgh! Oh..."
Astrid cried in horror. "NO!"
Jack widened his eyes, as a scaley shoulder formed from Hiccup's one shouder, producing a small wing, his left hand and right foot turning reptillian... And he didn't even touch the floor even if he had collapsed. Hiccup was back to who he really was.
The Crippled Drake.
Jamie laughed aloud, but it wasn't Jamie. "You're too late!" He shoved Astrid off of him at last. "You're too late!"
"Jamie?" Jack looked dumbstuck. "wha-?"
One moment everyone saw Jamie, the next, the boy was writhing, his body looked like it was being overshadowed when a slender man came out as if a spirit breaking through from his possessed victim. Jamie fell back, unconcious.
"JAMIE!" Astrid flew to catch him before his body hit.
Jack gasped, and Pitchner charged towards him. The Prince braced himself for an attack, but the man merely shoved him, and in one arm swoop, grabbed hold of Hiccup, who struggled in his arms. Pitchner whistled, and black sand materializes as falcons first then to one Griffin.
"So long, your Highness." Pitchner winked, throwing Hiccup to his back like a sack of flour, mounting on the Griffin. "say bye, my little bride."
Hiccup struggled, trying to break free. "No, Jack! Help!" he tried reaching out to the Prince.
Jack widened his eyes in horror. "Hiccup!" he ran to reach the outstretch hand too late as they took to the skies. "NOO!"
~o~
Pitchner and Hiccup was nearing Berk sanctuary, heading for the Dark Depths. Hiccup struggling the whole while, but Pitchner had a firm grip on him.
"My poor little Hiccy-" Pitchner cooed, snuggling into the boy. Hiccup flinched, trying to push him away.
Hiccup sneered. "What do you want from me?"
Pitchner simply laughed. "Oh my sweet, it's not just you I'm after. I've a much bigger ambitions to-" he trailed off as their path was blocked.
"Pitchner, stop!" Stoick glowered, riding on Thornado, Tooth resting on his shoulder.
Pitchner smirked, relaxing on his Griffin, wrapping his arms around Hiccup's body, his chin digging into Hiccup's wingless shoulder. "Why, Stoick!" he chuckled. "Or should I say, Dad?"
Stoick does not look amuse. "Let him go."
"Not a chance, Vast! He's mine now." Pitchner glared at him, revealing the contract in front of him. "We made a deal."
Hiccup tried struggling out of the embrace, looking pleadingly at his father's eyes. "Dad, I'm sorry! I-I-I didn't mean to. I didn't know-" he appealed.
Stoick saw red, and sigals Thornado to attack the contract with a fierce wind blast. Stoick widened his eyes as it didn't work. Pitchner smirked evilly. Stoick transformed to a Dragon to get the job done himself, still it was to no avail.
Tooth gasped. "B-but that's-"
Pitchner laughed mockingly at his efforts. "You see? The contract's legal, binding and completely unbreakable-" he flew nearer to Dragon and Drake. "even for YOU. Of course, I always was a man with an eye for a bargain. The son of the great Chief of Berk is a very precious commodity..." he rubbed his cheek against Hiccup's, then with a finger snap, Hiccup gasped in pain, as he was shrinking down to a black rose. Stoick widened his eyes, reaching for his son. But Pitchner was still in the way. "But-I might be willing to make an exchange for someone even better..."
Pitchner smirked at the unsure expression of Stoick. He holds up the contract, and the quill floats towards him.
"Now... Do we have a deal?"
Stoick glares at the parchment, knowing there was some trick and Berk would be endangered. But his love for his son won over, he turned away as he reached for the quill, and countersigned the contract.
Pitchner grinned in triumph, "Ha! It's done then. But first-" he reaches behind Stoick and cuts his shoulder wing off. Stoick cries out in pain.
Hiccup is reformed to his Drake self, and Stoick falls back and down the skies. Thornado panics, and goes after the body. Pitchner laughs as Hiccup's eyes widened in horror.
"No . . . Oh, No! Dad!" He was about to go after the body, but black sand whirled around him and brought him to Pitchner. "No! NO! You-You monster!" Hiccup would've punched that grin off Pitchner's face if he wasn't bounded. "let me go! The contract's renew, I don't belong to you!"
Pitchner smirked, cupping Hiccup's chin. "My dear boy, is that any way to talk to your future husband?"
Hiccup scowled. "What are you talking about? Who said anything about husbands?" he glared at the man.
"Well, only a Haddock can rule Berk with Thor's blessing, is it not so?" Pitchner laughed as if it should be obvious. "how else will the Vikings take me as their ruler unless I marry into the family first?"
Hiccup widened his eyes at the implication.
A/N: Well? I found it difficult to write this chapter, so I hope I didn't screw up too much. Apologies once more if it seemed to fast, but how else am I suppose to write it? Hope it's bearable.
