Chapter 1 - A Youthful Summer of Despair - Normal Days E
Woo! It's been a while, hasn't it? So sorry about that. I guess you guys will forgive me with this? Another double update, yessir!
And this one is extra large, to boot! Though after reading this... you may end up hating me? I dunno, but hey! Enjoy!
Hiccup's POV
Thump.
I hear something in my sleep, distant, but noticeable. I try to ignore it though, since this is the first time in days that I've had a good night's rest.
Thump. Thump.
Whatever that noise is, its coming from above me. Is it Monobear? But why would he resort to doing this when his morning announcements are far more noisy and effective?
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Still... this sound... is familiar. I've heard this sound, yes... I know who makes this sound... there's only one being in existence who wakes me up this way... that scaly bud of min-
With a start, I open my eyes and I sit up in my bed, waiting for the sound again. I wasn't dreaming, was I? C-could it be...? Is it really...?!
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
"Toothless!", I shout, realization dawning on me, excitement filling my body. With a swiftness I didn't know I had in me, I put on a green t-shirt with Hope's Peak Academy's logo (it was either that or one with Monobear's face), some skinny jeans and my shoes and I exit my cottage. I feel a giant smile on my face as I look at the roof of my cottage, trying to see the familiar figure of my dragon friend.
It happens so quickly that I barely have time to react. I'm knocked down by a black figure from above, but I'm not afraid, because a few moments later I can feel the snout of my friend, nuzzling me, followed by that giant tongue of his, bathing me in saliva that doesn't wash out. But I can't even be mad, not even at the dragon breath that is assaulting my nostrils. Because Toothless, my friend, my bud... is here! He's back and he's OK!
"I... missed you, too bud!", I manage to say between laughs and his assaults of affection. He can't talk but I can sense he missed me too. I can see it on his big, green eyes, full of emotion, of happiness. And that's how I feel too. Happy. Relieved. I get up from the floor and I give Toothless a big hug. I... really... really missed him so much. There are no words that can truly express that. And there's no need for such words either, as we stay like that, me giving him a hug, afraid that if I let go he will vanish... and him just staying still, purring and resting his head on my tiny shoulder.
"Am I... interrupting something?"
A familiar, deep voice interrupts the moment, but the smile in my face doesn't falter. I turn around, and sure enough, Jack is standing there, smiling but noticeably nervous, his eyes darting between me and Toothless.
He's OK. Toothless is OK. These facts being true fill me with such relief. But I guess this isn't the time.
I can feel Toothless stiffening and growling, and I can see Jack is about ready to bolt. Right, I should... introduce these two.
I put myself in between them and I take a deep breath. Right, I can do this.
I put a hand on Toothless' snout and I keep eye contact, trying to gauge my bud's feelings by looking at them. I can see distrust, as he eyes this stranger. "It's alright bud. Easy... he's a friend." I say in a soothing voice, rubbing Toothless's head. I can see my bud's eyes moving between me and Jack, those green, expressive orbs of his, and after processing my words, I can see his pupils dilate a bit. Good, he's still wary but now he's willing to listen. Toothless's stance is less tense too. So far, so good...
I move towards Jack now, who's face is a weird mixture of fear and awe and I only slightly hesitate a bit before grabbing his wrist. At this, he looks at me with a bit of panic in his face, realizing what I'm going to do.
"Uh... Hic... I-I'm not so sure I want to-"
I snort at the quivering in his voice, "Relax, you big baby. Toothless is totally harmless!"
He scowls as I slowly pull him towards my bud, who's eyeing us curiously. "There's nothing harmless about a flying, fire-breathing lizard..."
I roll my eyes. "Dragons aren't just flying, fire-breathing lizards, Jack." We're near Toothless now, and I stop a few paces away from him, moving away from Jack just a little. "Dragons are smart. They can understand you. Which is why the first step to befriending a dragon is showing it that they can trust you."
I can see the doubt in Jack's face, eyeing my Night Fury friend with fear. "A-are you sure I'll be OK?"
I nod at him. "I'm definitely sure. Now...", I once again grab Jack's wrist and move it slowly towards Toothless' snout, "Relax. Don't be afraid. Approach him slowly. He'll accept you if you do as I tell you."
Despite what I'm saying, the atmosphere is tense. This is a very important moment, and while I truly wish for Toothless and Jack to be friends, its all up to them. I watch closely as Jack closes the distance slowly, gulping so hard that his Adam's apple visibly bobbles. He's a few inches away from touching Toothless before he stops for a bit, sighing deeply, and then he closes his eyes before proceeding, looking visibly more calmer. I nod mostly to myself, remembering that I did the same thing back when I met Toothless.
Said dragon is merely staring at Jack without moving, though I can tell Toothless already trusts Jack. How can I tell? Well, Toothless just rolled his eyes at me after Jack closed his eyes. Yep, I did say this dragon had an attitude, but his heart is in the right place. I think he trusted Jack already back when I said that he was a friend, but I suppose Toothless just wanted to put the white haired idiot through this small test. Typical Toothless.
I shake my head at my bud, in clear disapproval and he just snorts before turning back to Jack, eyeing the whitette's outstretched hand. Toothless looks at it for a few seconds before he closes the distance himself, bringing his snout towards Jack's hand, who visibly flinches. Opening his eyes slowly, Jack gasps a little, before smiling at the fact that a dragon has accepted him and Gods, his smile is so bright and full of genuine happiness. With more confidence, Jack proceeds to pet Toothless in the head, who purrs back in contentment, and while he does so he slowly looks at the dragon in front of him, his blue eyes glittering with wonder.
He looks over to me, his face alight with happiness, before saying in a breathless voice, "Hic, this is amazing.", he turns his attention to Toothless before saying, "He's amazing."
I silently agree. If it weren't for Toothless... I'd probably be a different person than who I am today, for the worse. Saying he's amazing is nothing but short of the truth. I walk towards them and I also start petting my bud, whose purrs just get louder.
"Don't tell him that too much, though, or else his head will get bigger", I say jokingly. Toothless just looks at me with the dragon equivalent of a deadpan look before burping in my face. Ah, the wretched, rotting smell of dragon breath... how I missed it. Not.
Jack obviously bursts into a fit of hysterics, leaning on Toothless for support without any fear now. "I-I guess... someone is hungry...!", he manages to say between laughs.
At that, Toothless instantly perks up, his frills standing up with attention. Well, it is time for breakfast, I guess. "Hopefully they serve fish in the morning..." I say as I start scratching Toothless behind his frills.
"Fish?", asks Jack.
"Yeah, Toothless loves it. Can't get enough of it, can you bud?" I say and Toothless just nods his head earnestly, showing that loveable gummy smile of his that earned him his name.
"Well, now I can see why you named him Toothless... not gonna lie, Hic. I was expecting razor sharp teeth." says Jack as he keeps looking at Toothless with wonder and amusement.
"Oh, he has teeth, but they're retractable." I answer before I start walking towards the restaurant, motioning to my bud to follow me, "Now, come on. Everyone's waiting."
At that, Jack's smile drops. "Everyone?", he quickly catches up to me, "You're going to show Toothless to them?"
"They already know about him, Jack. It's better if everyone knows about him now..." at that, I pause. 'Everyone...?', aren't we missing... somebody?
"Hey, Jack... where are Sandy, Merida and Astrid?", I say as we stop just shy of entering the REC area.
Jack snaps his fingers as if he has just remembered something, "Oh, that's right! They didn't send you an IM?", I shake my head in denial. Jack shows me his ElectroID with an IM from Merida.
"Jack, pick up hiccup for us will ya? astrid and i are going to spar for a bit before breakfast so we're gonna have to bail n your plan. sandy will be our ref so hes coming too. take care of hiccup and don't get any funny ideas with him ya hear? ;)"
Oh great. The heat is returning to my cheeks. Thanks, Merida.
"Strange girl, that Mer." says Jack as he pockets his ElectroID hastily after Toothless displays an interest on it. "Really, fighting so early in the morning? Without eating? I don't get those two."
"Y-yeah... you can say that again...". Crud. Did Merida realize I have a slight crush on Jack? Where do I sign up for murder land? I want to be the first.
"Ah well, I'm sure they'll be thrilled to meet Toothless", says Jack with a shrug. "Maybe, if we get lucky, Toothless will eat Snotlout." He says with a mischievous smile.
"Jack, please don't feed trash to my friend", I deadpan.
The Ultimate Mystery just snickers before continuing. "I'm just saying, Hic! I feel good about having a dragon on our side! Hell, I bet we can easily fly over that fence and escape!"
I have to agree, having Toothless on our side is reassuring, at least for me it is. I fondly look at my friend before I notice his crestfallen mood. Why is Toothless sad?
It doesn't take me long to realize why Toothless is sad. Of course, Monobear just wasn't going to give us hope without spreading some despair. He wasn't just going to return Toothless to me in one piece.
I barely can hear Jack asking me what's wrong. I can't formulate an answer, the words just won't come out. A knot in my throat prevents all words from leaving, so I simply point at Toothless' tail.
Toothless' tail is missing a fin. A flash of memory flickers briefly to my eyes; Toothless' tail being bloody and missing a tail fin after crashing through the school walls. Without that fin, Toothless will never be able to fly again.
Jack's POV
I wasn't blind. I'm not sure if people thought of me like this back when I still had a memory, but I like to think I'm not stupid either.
I mean, it was easy to tell that Hiccup had never looked so happy, well, ever! Toothless' return simply brought this... spark to his eyes, the green on them shining brightly! His smiles became more sincere, and his face just was... more bright. None of it was forced... it was fascinating to look at.
Which is why I was so bothered right now, as we ate breakfast with everyone, that Hiccup had returned to the previous forced-smiles-and-optimism mode.
Hiccup's genuine happiness disappeared back then, when he noticed that Toothless was missing something. I... don't understand what that missing tail fin means, but I don't want to ask... the look on Hiccup's face was so unlike anything I had seen before, so at odds with his previous mood, that I didn't have the courage to ask.
It was bothering me that no one else had noticed how Hiccup was acting, but then again, no one but me had seen his genuine side. I did see Sandy looking at him with a probing gaze but he stopped after a while.
Well, I guess I can always ask Hic later. Right now, I'm sure he doesn't want to talk about this in front of everyone.
Speaking of which, I have been neglecting my plate of eggs and bacon. I dig in with gusto and so, breakfast carries out as usual.
Well, not really. Though the restaurant isn't exactly quiet, it is more subdued than yesterday. A sense of gloom floats all over us... and I think I know why.
Suddenly, Nick claps his hands, and as usual, everyone jumps at the call for attention. Nodding once he sees everyone is looking at him, Nick speaks: "Well... there is various things we have to discuss today, so let us start with the first."
Nick starts pacing in circles in his place, his hand rubbing his chin as he speaks: "I realize we have not... been entirely successful in the... 'finding a way out' front..."
"It's been a waste of time", says Snotlout with a glare.
"Yes, well...", says Nick as he silences Snotlout with his hand, "I think we need to change our tactics and search methods. So today we are going to search-"
"Oh, it's no use!", interrupts Fishlegs, whinning. "Let's just accept it, guys! There's no way out! I'm 100% sure Monobear thought about everything!"
"So, what, mate? You suggestin' we give up?", asks Bunny confrontationally.
At that, Fishlegs jumps in his seat, scared, before sighing exasperatedly. "Look! I'm just saying... it's no so bad in here, OK? I... certainly wouldn't mind staying...", says Fishlegs as he trails off, his eyes looking at the floor.
Bunny just looks at Fishlegs, incredulous, before huffing and saying "Fine then! But I ain't giving up, ya hear me? I will keep lookin'! That's what ya wanted to say, right, North?!"
Nick nods in appreciation, but before he can get another word, Anna jumps up from her seat and interrupts, "Don't fight, guys! Everything is going to be OK! I'm sure we will be rescued soon!"
Everyone looks at her now, our attention obviously caught.
"What... do you mean?", asks Pitch.
"Well... it's been almost 4 days since we've been kidnapped, right? Someone is bound to notice, right? So they're probably looking for us! I'm sure the police is gonna find us soon enough!", says Anna with a bright smile on her face.
But before we can any hope from this suggestion, that annoying, boisterous cartoony laugh fills the restaurant once more.
Standing on the table, appearing out of thin air somehow, is Monobear, still laughing. We all jump a bit at his sudden appearance, and I can tell Hiccup isn't happy to see our Headmaster. I am not entirely jolly either.
"The police? Really? Are you trusting those low level goons with your life? They're the first to go down in those action movies for a reason, you know? They're useless!", says Monobear, sneering at Anna, who has a terrified stare as she sinks back to her seat. "Weak! That kind of hope is too weak! You're all so weak and boring, it's driving me to tears!", says the monochromatic bear as he rambles on.
"What do you want?!", shouts Astrid.
At that, Monobear turns to her, his face nonchalant, "Well, I sure could go for a tuna sandwich right now, but that's not why I'm here. I was just going to ask why you haven't killed each other yet. I mean, it's obvious some of you are desperate to escape and yet nothing has happened! To be honest, I'm bored. Despairfuly bored. Utterly so."
At that, we all tense. Is he... trying to goad us to kill? I look at Hiccup from the corner of my eye and I can see he's shaking a little. At that sight, I glare at the Headmaster.
I slowly unclench my jaw and I manage to spit my words at the bear in front of me as angrily as I can: "We will never... kill each other! We have no reason to-"
Monobear interrupts me by pounding a fist on his palm, "Ohhhh So that's it! Man, I feel so silly now... Of course, I was forgetting something!"
Everyone looks at the bear, unsure of what he meant.
"What are you talking about?" asks Tooth, wary.
"Y'know... I was just wondering why no one had killed anyone after I was generous enough to provide a suitable set of characters and a setting befitting of an A+ mystery story... and I've realized I haven't given you a motive for you guys!"
"Rest assured, I'll cook up a nice motive for you guys later! You can look forward to it later today! After all, no one wants to see teenagers living in peace and happiness. So don't worry! The motive I'll give you guys is going to be to kill for. Puhuhuhuhuhu!"
And with that giggle and bleak promise, the Headmaster vanished into thin air, leaving us befuddled and worried.
Flynn breaks the awkward silence, "So, uh... what does he mean by motive...?"
"It is just Monobear trying to scare us." says Nick, dismissing the issue with a wave of his hand, as if he could wave off the whole incident away. But I can't help but feel like there's something else at work here... There's this sinking feeling in my stomach.
"Now then... on the next topic of our discussion...", continues the Ultimate Sculptor, "I know there are lots of... uncertainties in our situation..."
It's true. There are a lot of mysteries... things we don't understand.
Who is Monobear?
Who is controlling him?
What are his goals?
Why us?
Is he really affiliated with Hope's Peak Academy?
What's this place anyway? Where are we?
And then... there's me. Why can't I remember anything? Why only me? There's a lot of things we don't understand about our situation...
"And I also noticed this has been affecting our morale, so to speak...", Nick's voice snaps me out of my reverie, "So...! Tooth here came up with a brilliant idea!", and after saying that, Nick gestures to the Ultimate Dentist to speak.
Tooth is flustered to be the center of attention, but her enthusiasm is still visible. "Well, it's just like North said! I've noticed you guys aren't really cheery right now, and I understand that... especially with that bear... but a high morale is of great importance in these situations so... I've planned an event to cheer us up!"
Everyone is looking at the rainbow-haired girl with interest now. Tooth takes this as a signal to continue. "Everyone is familiar with the lake, right?" a few mumbled 'yeahs' can be heard. "Well, I was thinking... how about we all throw a party at the shore later?"
At this, only silence could be heard. Of course, it didn't last long.
"Wait, what do you mean, 'party?'", asked Hiccup, who spoke up for the first time on the day.
"Well, a party consists of a leisurely reunion where individuals get together to celebrate something usually over food and drink-"
"I know what a party is, Fishlegs." Interrupts Hiccup, shutting the blonde boy's ramble. "What I meant is... why a party of all things?"
At that, Tooth blushes a bit from excitement. "Well, I just thought we needed to unwind, you know? We've been locked up and we've been stressing ourselves a lot so... I just thought a party would be nice."
"I agree with Tooth", I say with a smile. "We all need a break, no? Besides it sounds like fun!". Well, I don't know how parties usually go but this one sounded like fun and I wasn't going to miss this chance to experience one.
"What do yer have in mind, Tooth?" asks Merida, looking actually interested.
"I was planning a normal, swimming party... I actually hoped you guys would help me to come up with some ideas...", said the Ultimate Dentist.
"There's, uh, just one problem... We don't have swimsuits, remember?", said Hiccup with one finger raised.
"You don't have to worry about that. They sell them at the supermarket.", said Astrid as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Yeah, though Monobear has questionable fashion sense...", said Rapunzel grumbling.
"I'm suddenly more interested in this party...", said Flynn with a sly smile on his face.
"E-even so-", interjected Hiccup but he was interrupted by the twins.
"Like, we could make fireworks. Y'know. It's not very exciting but we can totally do that.", said Tuff in a disinterested voice.
"We can organize the games and competitions!", said Astrid excited. I shuddered inwardly, remembering their sparring session.
"Hmm... I guess I can sculpt some nice trophies for that... Yes...", said Nick, thinking out loud.
Slowly, but surely, the restaurant was getting filled with excitement at the prospect of the party, everyone coming up with ideas; a water balloon fight hosted by Aster, scary stories by Pitch near the camp fire, even Hiccup agreed to cook hamburgers for us reluctantly, with Anna eagerly providing her assistance.
For some reason, that bothered me a bit... but I was too enveloped in the excitement of the party that I forgot about it.
In the end, we decided to start the party at 4 PM. We all got ready to depart the restaurant in high spirits, with Monobear's threat all but forgotten, when suddenly Hiccup spoke up.
"H-hey, guys... before we leave... I wanted to ask you all something", he said, nervousness obviously filling his words, his hands moving in all directions as he spoke.
"I-I wanted to ask if my bud, Toothless, could come to the party too...", said the Ultimate Lucky Student as he trailed off. Ah, I had forgotten about the dragon entirely! Yeah, he was waiting outside the restaurant but we had to introduce him to all of them sooner or later.
"Toothless? What kind of stupid name is that?", said Snotlout. Man, I really hope Toothless does eat him. And doesn't he realize the irony of his question?
"Well, there's no reason to be nervous about that, Hiccup. Of course your friend can come. Why did you even have to ask?", said Tooth warmly.
"Whoa, hold on a sec.", said Flynn. "We're the only ones here, so who is this 'friend of yours'?"
Hesitation clearly filled Hiccup's face as everyone looked at him expectantly. Finally, the auburn haired viking spoke up. "W-well... he's not actually... human! He's... my friend... dragon... yeah!".
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"You're kidding, right?", said Flynn, clearly unconvinced.
"No, wait, but I clearly remember something back then when Monobear first appeared..." said Nick.
"Now that you mention it.." Elsa's voice trailed off.
"So I wasn't dreaming that!? Dragons are real?", asked Fishlegs incredulously
"Of course they are! You saw one and you still doubt it? But more importantly, where is he, Hiccup?", said Merida excited.
"Yeah, its about time you showed him to us.", agreed Astrid.
I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for all the attention the little Viking was receiving so I walked over to stand next to him and gave him a reassuring pat. "C'mon Hic. It's show time."
Hiccup just looked at me with a half-glare, but he smiled nonetheless. Gulping audibly, Hiccup nodded before stepping forward, with me following closely, motioning everyone to follow him. "He's outside... this way... c-come on..."
As expected, everyone's reaction to the dragon was unique. One by one, Hiccup introduced everyone to Toothless, who was incredibly cautious around such a big group of people. But slowly, he befriended everyone and soon enough, they were getting along with the Night Fury just as good.
Well, there were a few who didn't exactly get along with Toothless. Snotlout predictably got bitten by Toothless but even though Hiccup reprimanded the dragon, I could tell he wasn't entirely sorry that the accident happened.
Elsa was incredibly wary of him and refused to even touch the dragon.
Surprisingly, Toothless was afraid of Pitch, but the Ultimate Fear Expert was apparently very fond of the creature.
Astrid and Merida were in absolute love with the creature, petting him and calling it cute names. I also learned that making fun of them because of it was hazardous to my health. Damn... I'm gonna get a bruise in my rib cage...
Sandy and Rapunzel were in awe of the Night Fury, and soon enough they tried to sketch him. Toothless got a kick out of it by posing proudly with his head held high and his chest sticking out.
Nick and Bunny were eyeing the saddle on Toothless and admiring the dragon's wings. When Bunny asked if Hiccup rode Toothless, the Ultimate Lucky Student got visibly sad, saying that he used to do so, but now it was impossible. As he said that, he pointed at the Night Fury's tail and I suddenly understood why Hiccup had gotten sad a few hours ago. Of course he would get sad about this...
Tooth and Anna were also very excited to meet a real, bona fide dragon, and they were very daring around him. Tooth even went as far as putting her hands inside the Night Fury's mouth in order to study his teeth. I laughed out loud when the Night Fury looked at Hiccup as if he was pleading for help.
The twins were obviously delighted at the prospect of a fire breathing creature and when they asked for a demonstration of his fire power, Flynn boldly suggested Snotlout for target practice. Said Ultimate Heavy Lifter ran as he heard the suggestion but incredibly so, Toothless managed to hit him with a small plasma blast, to the delight of the twins. Fishlegs announced impressed that the Night Fury had managed to hit Snotlout at a distance of 100 meters.
After spending a few more moments with the dragon, everyone agreed to let the Night Fury come to the party and everyone disbanded to get ready. I walked over to Hiccup who was smiling as he gave the scaly goof a rub on his chin, and as I leaned on him playfully, I said. "See? They love him. No need to worry."
I almost missed Hiccup's blush when he looked at me and I had to remind myself that the kid, despite being sarcastic, was actually not big on physical contact. But for some reason, I enjoyed seeing that blush. Hiccup shrugged me off and even though his cheeks were red, he managed to roll his eyes and say n that sarcastic nasally voice of his: "Yeah, they love him more than you already."
"Hic, you just keep wounding me. You're such a bully!", I said playfully in retort, falling back into our usual routine.
Hiccup's POV
I managed to shake Jack off after convincing him that I was OK and that I had to get ready for the party, and that he needed to get ready as well. Well, he didn't actually get a role but he needed to get a swimsuit and there was no way I was going to help him decide which swimsuit to wear. My mind was already wandering towards dangerous territory and I didn't need the visual aid to fuel my delusional fantasies.
I guess I have resigned myself to the fact that yes, I got a crush on this frosty twig of a person. Way to go, Haddock.
No time for summer romances, though. I had to get ready as well... I needed to get a swimsuit AND the ingredients for making hamburgers. Not only that, I was also wary of Monobear and his whole 'motive' speech. What did he mean...?
Still, the guys were right. These past days have been absolutely brutal and a party... true, I'm not a party person but this is better than just walking around aimlessly and staying in our cottages.
With Toothless' help, I managed to carry a small refrigerator to my cottage and after that we got all the ingredients and cooking utensils needed for preparing Dad's famous Haddock hamburger recipe. Toothless was actually very eager to help... I guess he really was tired of not being able to move.
My mind once again wandered towards Toothless' missing tail fin and the fact that he wouldn't be able to fly... and I felt cold inside. "A downed dragon is a dead dragon"... those words drifted to my mind. I felt my eyes sting with the feeling of unfairness at Toothless' situation. I knew he loved to fly more than anything and now...
I felt a bump in my back and when I turned around to see who it was, I saw my bud looking at me with a worried expression. Right... this wasn't the time to get moody. Toothless was trying his best to not let this get to him and I wasn't going to be the one that was going to ruin the mood. Besides, there might be a way to fix this... That's right... Toothless had done a lot for me over the years and just giving up on him was not an option... "Perhaps I can... But I need materials..." I mumbled to myself as I started moving towards the supermarket once again, the gears in my mind shifting into overdrive as ideas filled my brain.
It took me another nudge from Toothless to realize that I had walked into the supermarket without seeing where I was going and that I had ended in the shoe aisle. What surprised me, though, was the fact that I wasn't alone. A familiar blonde braid and warrior outfit... Yep, Astrid was here. Toothless' size probably alerted her to our presence, 'cause she noticed us and walked over to us, a relaxed grin on her face.
"Hey, Hiccup. How's the burger preparations going?"
"Oh, I'm done with that. I just need to get my swimsuit.", I said as I eyed a pair of sandals on display.
Astrid simply laughed. "Well, the clothing section is over there, Berkian Warrior. I take it you have no sense of direction?"
I got nailed. "F-for your information, I am actually an accomplished cartographer...! And what is this? I thought the whole Berkian Warrior deal was over...!", I said, gesturing every word with my hands.
"Sure, sure. It's just funny to tease you... Jack was right about that.", said the blonde, waving her hand dismissively. Gods, I'm gonna get even with that guy one day...
"So, what about you, Astrid? Are you done preparing for the party?", I asked, trying to move on.
"Oh yeah. Got that done already. I'm actually looking for shoes.", she said as she tapped her boots with her right hand. "Wearing these every day is kinda tiring so I'm getting something more appropriate for the party."
I nodded. That makes sense. Pulling Toothless away from the leather boots he was smelling, I walked away. "Well, I'll leave you to that... I still need to get a proper attire."
Astrid's voice echoed down the halls as she shouted at me. "Try to not pick something daring or Jack is gonna die!"
Thor Almighty strike me down right now because I'm gonna die from embarrassment. Was I really that obvious? Please don't answer that.
After finding a pair of green swimming trunks with a dragon print on the left leg (yes I was a dragon fan thoroughly) and a simple white tank top, I returned to my cottage. The day was going by faster than I expected but it was probably because of my excitement. These past days, I had nothing to look forward to, but today was different. Yes, despite my doubts, I was looking towards the party. It was a nice, different feeling, being included into a group of people who weren't going to judge. Back in Berk, parties were full of putting fronts in order to impress my relatives. But here... I could discard that facade and be myself.
I felt free.
Well, as free as you can be in a prison wardened by a robotic bear, but you know what I meant.
Toothless slept in a corner of my cottage peacefully. I was surprised he actually fit through all the doors in this place, as if they were designed with him in mind... Strange...
My hand picked up my swimming trunks from my bed, along with the tank top. It was time for the party and I had to change. Walking over to the bathroom, I changed way faster than normal and as I was about to leave, I caught the design of the dragon on my trunks on the bathroom mirror and I had to gasp.
The dragon on my trunks was a Terrible Terror. An actual dragon species.
"But... how...?"
What I was seeing was impossible. No one knew dragons existed. It was a secret of Berk. So how... did Monobear get these trunks' design?
Just... who is Monobear?
The walk towards the lake was quiet, my excitement concealed under what I hoped was a poker face. For some reason, I still feared to show how happy I truly was. Well, the reason wasn't that much of a mystery; I was too self-conscious of my face... and apparently my smiles had the tendency of showing my crooked teeth and yeah... I didn't want anyone to see that. I was already not pleasant to look at to begin with...
A creak on my left snapped me out of my self-deprecative tirade. Toothless totally lunged ahead of me, pulling the cooler where all the cooking ingredients and utensils were stored behind himself. The big goof was bouncing excitedly at the sight of the lake, and I had to rush towards him to unclip the cooler from his saddle before the dragon decided to plunge into the water, food be damned.
I smiled as Toothless jumped into the lake, his green eyes shining with excitement and his tongue hanging out of a corner of his mouth before the Night Fury decided to explore the depths of the lake.
"Looks like someone is excited"
I had to jump at the silky, smooth voice of Peter came behind me. The Ultimate Fear Expert was wearing the same clothes he wore every day. Odd... he wasn't going to swim?
"Y-yeah... he likes the water as much as he like flying...", I said, stuttering. Truth be told, I still wasn't comfortable with Peter. His presence and probing gaze gave me chills.
"I see", was all he said before moving away from me. I could still feel his gaze from under the shadow of the tree he was sitting on, though, as I set up the grill and the ingredients on the folding table I had brought. Man, such a cheery atmosphere. I dunno about you, but having a creepy guy like him staring at you was definitely not my definition of fun.
"Already setting up everything Hiccup? Nice!", said North in that booming voice of his. Surprisingly, he was wearing diving suit, though the red color of it wasn't that surprising.
"Nice to see someone here is responsible enough...", said Aster, his gray tank top and white swimming trunks matching his silver hair.
"Ohh! You look adorable Hiccup!", said Tooth, her rainbow-like hair noticeable pushing her way inbetween the two males, wearing an equally colorful onepiece and...
"You brought your labcoat...?", I asked, obviously shocked.
"She wouldn't take it off no matter what...", said Aster while he shook his head. "Hope she enjoys baking herself to a crisp in this heat..."
The Ultimate Survivalist got silenced by an elbow to the stomach courtesy of Tooth, who pouted as she said "Well, a dentist has to look her part, so the labcoat is staying!"
"Oy... this is supposed to be a party...", said North under a mumbled breath. And I smiled at them as I turned on the grill. They make their way to the water and I can hear their laughs and shrieks as they join Toothless by the lake.
Soon enough, everyone else joins in. Snotlout once again under siege by a combined attack of water guns by Flynn, the Twins and Jack. Rapunzel, Elsa and Anna are not far behind, and though they're reprimanding the boys, their telling smiles show otherwise.
The last to arrive are Astrid, Merida, Sandy and Fishlegs. They arrive carrying a bunch of toys; balls, pool noodles, and... were those MORE bamboo swords? Yeah, I'm not participating in any of those activities now.
As soon as everyone's here, the mood got livelier with the mixed laughs of teenagers and the happy roars of a certain Night Fury as they splashed around in the water. Soon enough, Astrid and Merida rallied everyone around them and started the games planned for the party.
I didn't join the others, and I was OK with that. I liked watching people have fun, which was the main reason I opted to stay behind cooking. I also quite liked cooking so it was a win-win for me. Anna had volunteered to help me but I guess she got caught up in the excitement and she was forcing Elsa to join the fun and take her out of her reserved shell, so I didn't actually mind.
Of course, Jack was beyond himself, participating in all the competitions that the girls hosted, bouncing with energy and never slowing down. Be it water balloon fights, racing, scavenger hunting and three-foot racing, the Ultimate Mystery's smile never failed to appear even if he lost the competitions. Still, by the end, he managed to earn 3 of North's beautifully crafted medallions and he certainly wasn't above boasting his achievements proudly, earning some laughs and head shakes at his antics.
And so, the evening passed. Jokes and a good mood ruled the day. My hamburgers got passed around and as I sat down on the rocky shore to eat my share and give Toothless his plate, I got congratulated for my food. ("Very nice, mate", "This ain't half bad...", "Simply sublime" were some of the compliments I got)
"Seriously, Hic, these are damn good!", said Jack as he sat next to me, his face stuffed with the burger.
I blushed at the compliment, but I had an image to maintain, "Don't talk with your mouth full, Jack."
"No, seriously, Hic. These... are amazing! I've never had a burger as good as this one!", he said as he took another bite. "This is the best way to end the afternoon."
I didn't know what to say. Jack's sincere feelings left me speechless. Sure, some may say that wearing your heart on your sleeve was foolish but I found Jack's honesty refreshing.
"Thank you." was all I could say.
"Who said the afternoon was over, Overland?", said Merida as she ran towards the lake. "We're going to swim 'till we drop!"
Soon enough everyone but Toothless, Jack and I ran towards the lake, Fishlegs' protests of "Guys, we need to digest our food before swimming!" unheard. Toothless simply curled himself around me to sleep.
Jack removed his tanktop and Odin's ghost, why did I have to look? OK, he was pale and gangly, and sure he wasn't ripped or anything, but his body still had defined, lean muscles, proof of an active life-style. I had to mentally slap myself for this slip up. Now I wasn't going to be able to resist sketching this white haired idiot in his blue swimming trunks.
At this point, I think the biggest idiot is me.
It took me a few seconds to realize that Jack was still next to me, eyeing the swimming group with a sad look. Odd...
"Jack, is there something wrong?", I asked.
The white haired teen rubbed the back of his head, hesitant, before he let out a big sigh. He turned to see me, his face red with embarrassment.
"Hic... I... don't know how to swim."
Jack's POV
I don't know why I was so embarrassed right now.
All things considered, I had done things today that were far more embarrassment-worthy (I swear to god that water balloon wasn't meant to hit Aster THAT hard), but admitting this to Hic was... pretty hard.
Sure, I had played on water all day long, but never IN water. I only splashed around the edge of the lake, but never inside of it. I really didn't know how to swim.
Hic just kept looking at me with a confused look. I'm sure he found it odd... and I guess I feared the fact that he would be disappointed in me, even though that thought didn't make sense. Hiccup wasn't like that, but still, I felt the need to impress him.
Hic's sigh caught me by surprise, but what caught me more by surprise was the fact that he stood up and removed his tank top.
Freckles. They were not only on his face but also on his arms, hands and chest. Dots upon tiny dots. All over his small, lithe but still a little defined frame. But what caught my attention were the scars. I vaguely recognized the spidery tendrils etched on his chest as lightning scars... just what kind of life did this Viking lead? A cough from Hic made me aware that I had been gawking at him, and the boy was blushing furiously, obviously self-conscious. I looked away, suddenly aware of the fact that I was blushing too. What the hell, Jack? Don't be weird.
"S-so... swimming! I was thinking... y'know... how about... I teach you?" said Hic stammering, obviously trying to erase that awkward movement between us.
"You, teach me?", I asked dumbfounded. So that's why he had removed his tank top and put himself in this uncomfortable situation. To teach me...
"Yeah... I'm not half-bad at it, so I can teach you the basics if you want...", he said shrugging.
I almost wanted to hug him for that. But I was aware that doing so would likely kill the kid on the spot from embarrassment so I simply walked next to him and put a reassuring hand on his small, freckled shoulder. "I would love that. Really."
I simply had to smile at the astonished look on the Ultimate Lucky Student face as it slowly melted into an embarrassed, crooked grin.
"Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurl."
We both jumped at the familiar, odious, cartoony voice, Toothless growling menacingly at the Headmaster who had decided to appear just now.
"I can't believe I had to watch all of this. This is seriously the worst. If this were an anime it would probably be one of those lame Beach Episodes and this would be the moment were the guy and the girl kiss passionately and then they do this and that... and then he puts that in and she..." rambled the bear.
I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment and anger. Monobear just had to ruin our fun. "What do YOU want?", I spat.
"Um... I just wanted to remind you guys that while I understand you guys are healthy teens with cravings and such... This place is strictly PG-13! So I will not tolerate unscrupulous behavior in my Camp! I know these kinds of stories are rated M but we can't pressure the writers into doing something they aren't comfortable with, understand?"
No, I didn't understand half of the things the bear was saying.
"What do you mean-", asked Hiccup before being interrupted by the Headmaster once more.
"Look, all I'm saying is that I'm OK with passionate kisses between lovers but if things go farther than touchy feely moments, I will punish you guys OK? That's a new rule I put up to protect you guys."
Sure enough, a faint buzz on my trunks alerted me to the new rule.
-Any kind of extremely intimate or perverted activity will be met with deathly punishment. Let's live a pure, fun life in harmony.
...Just how are we going to explain this to the others...? I wasn't looking forward to THAY conversation. And by the looks of it, neither was Hic, who put tomatoes to shame as he blushed a bright red. Before we could tell Monobear to leave us alone, we were joined by the others, obviously alerted by their ElectroIDs which surprisingly still worked despite them being soaked.
"What do YOU want?", asked Merida with a scowl.
"Can't you see we're, like, having fun?" said Tuff. "Without you", added Ruff.
Monobear's face dropped, "Yeah. I can see that, and it's not fair, y'know? Excluding your Headmaster from your party even after all the trouble I went to set up a fun event for you guys..."
"Event... you say?" asked Pitch.
At that Monobear spun in place. "Yeah, um... remember what I told you guys this morning? I just finished setting it up on the Meeting Grounds so I came to pick you guys up! So go on! Go there! Assistance is mandatory, of course, but I'd be nice if you went there without grumbling! So... see ya there!"
And as usual, Monobear left after saying his piece, not letting us object or comment. A sense of dread filled me. There was no way Monobear's event was going to be 'fun', but we had no choice but to obey. I didn't want to endanger any of us... but still..
"Anything that is mandatory isn't 'fun' at all..." quipped Hic as he put on his tank top again.
"No kidding", agreed Flynn.
"Aw, I wanted to swim more and perhaps find a Merman...", whinned Rapunzel.
"Uh, you do know those aren't real, right?", said Elsa.
"If they're in books, they have to be real, though!", said Rapunzel, who believed everything she read.
"Excuse me, ladies, but I think we have more pressing matters than discussing mythological creatures." interjected Pitch.
I had to agree with that. I'm sure Monobear wouldn't tolerate tardiness, so I put on my tank top and followed everyone else towards the Meeting Spot, a thick silence between us as we readied ourselves for whatever Monobear was plotting.
Hiccup's POV
Of all the things that I was expecting to see in the Meeting Spot, a gaudy stage wasn't one of them. Annoyingly bright neon lights which read "750th Annual Monobear Quiz-o-rama!" flashed above the stage, which also had three contestant booths. The most noticeable thing, though was the addition of an ominous machine, colored black, next to the flagpole which housed the camp's flag.
Said machine was in the shape of a bear's head, Monobear's characteristic red eye even painted on it. The most noticeable thing about the machine, though, was a LED display that showed a number slowly decreasing, with another set of numbers underneath those reading: 26 DAYS LEFT.
All in all, like everything in this camp, these things were out of place, and that made this whole thing more unnerving. Our captor didn't care about anything... not about us... certainly... that was the feeling I got from all of this... and that scared me more than anything.
Regardlesss... back to the sign of the stage... a quiz show? Is that what Monobear had planned all day long? Sure, it was unexpected but I thought the damn bear would have planned something more underhanded.
Said bear appeared shortly on stage, wearing a blue formal suit and a red bowtie, a microphone on hand while he waved at us with the other. No one returned the greeting, predictably.
Monobear was obviously displeased at this and he frowned and stomped his feet while he whinned: "Ugh! Why the long faces? I went to the trouble of making this stage and everything and you can't even wave back?!"
No one even bothered to answer; we were all obviously so done with our captor. At the continued silence, the Headmaster just sighed before rambling once again: "I swear, kids these days don't know the wholesome fun that quiz shows provide... I mean, who can resist the drama? The suspense? The prizes?!"
At that, Snotlout spoke up, the prospect of winning at something overpowering his need to shut up and sulk; "What do you mean, prizes?"
"Glad you asked, Snotty!", said Monobear while he pointed at the Ultimate Heavy Lifter, "You see, in these types of shows, three smart contestants will compete answering a series of challenging questions to determine who will win the prize!"
"And what is this prize?", asks Peter.
"Weeeell... you won't know unless you guys participate!", says the Headmaster joyfully.
I have a bad feeling about this... should we even participate? I mean, he did say attending is mandatory but I wonder if we can exploit a loophole and opt out of this...
"C'mooon! I swear on my good name that this is just a simple quiz show with no strings attached. I'm even letting you guys nominate the contestants yourselves...", Monobear is practically begging us to participate... now I'm suspicious... and he did say this was going to be a 'motive', whatever that is... I think we should just leave an-
"I nominate Hiccup! That smarty-pants is probably itching to show off anyways, and being smart is the only good thing he can do!"
Geez, thank you for that glowing review of my person, Snotlout. You sure know how to praise a guy. I calm Toothless down before he takes a bite out of him, but before I can retort and protest, Rapunzel speaks up: "Yeah! Go for it, Hiccup! I'm sure you'll do great!"
"Y-yeah! Show that Monobear who is the... brains of our group!", says Anna, uncharacteristically stuttering as she joins the 'Let's force Hiccup to do a thing he doesn't want to do' bandwagon.
"Listen, I think we should think this through before we decide on anything, OK?", I say, as I try to wiggle my way out of this. I'm not in the mood to deal with Monobear.
"You should just roll with it, ankle-biter." says Aster. "Y'know that damn bear ain't gonna stop pestering us until we participate in his dumb game, so you might as well participate and actually get somethin' out of it, don't ya think?". OK, he has a valid point... but why me? I can't believe he's forcing me to do this...
"Oh? So Hiccy is gonna play? Hmm... I'm not sure he's up to the task, but whatever! Come on the stage and take your place, would ya?", says Monobear as he overhears our conversation.
Grudgingly, I walk over one of the empty contestant booths. I'll show that bear who isn't 'up to the task'... From the stage, I can see Toothless and Jack, who sheepishly gives me a thumbs up and I can't help but smile a bit at the gesture.
"Gross". I hear Monobear say, and I have to glare at the Headmaster. What's his deal?
"Aaaanyway... hurry up and pick the rest of the contestants already!" demands the bear. After a few arguments and excuses, our group settles on Fishlegs (Who is the Ultimate Encyclopedia for a reason), and Jack (Who lost on rock-paper-scissors against Merida when they argued about who should participate). Fishlegs looked like a deer struck by headlights and Jack was practically fuming as he scowled at Merida with his arms crossed. I guess... it could be worse. At the very least, the Twins and Snotlout didn't get picked, but will Jack be OK?
I'm interrupted by Monobear, who finally uses that microphone he was carrying, his amplified voice drowning my thoughts out. "Aaaalrighty! Let's begin the 750th Annual Quiz-o-rama! The rules are simple! Just press the button in your contestant booth after I read to question and answer correctly! If you do well enough, I'll reward you all! So... do your beeeest~"
I have to admit... even though I'm not really playing to win... I'm nervous for some reason. The flashing neon lights don't help either. From the corner of my eye, I can see Fishlegs fidgeting nervously, while Jack is the complete opposite of him, a glint of excitement on his blue eyes visible.
"Ahem! Let's begin with a simple one...", says Monobear as he takes out a card from his suit and begins reading. My hand hovers slightly over the button as he reads: "Question 1! Did you guys know each other before you awoke in Hope's Peak Academy's lobby?"
I press the button before I process the question, so I get the chance to answer, but now that I think about it... that's a strange question... but the answer is obvious, nonetheless. "No. With the exception of Anna and Elsa, we all first met in that room."
A loud buzzer and a flash of red lights sounds above me, and a bucket of water is emptied on me. I can hear a laugh track on the distance. "Oh, I'm sooo sorry Hiccy! That's incorrect! The correct answer was: You guys all know each other rather well!"
Great. I'm soaking wet, humiliated AND confused. What is Monobear getting at? That answer doesn't make any sense! I can see everyone else's confused expression but before I can voice my confusion, Monobear continues.
"Alright! Next Question! Ahem... You guys have been Hope's Peak Academy students for how long now?"
Still confused by the previous question, Fishlegs beats us to the punch and presses the button, looking amazed by the fact that he actually pressed the button.
"Um... I'm 100% sure we haven't been students of Hope's Peak for even a day... But we've been in this camp for 4 days..."
Another loud buzz and Fishlegs is now dripping wet, his blonde hair flattened and covering his eyes.
"Aw, that's wrong, Fishy! You guys have studied in Hope's Peak for years now! OK... next question..."
"Hold on!", I interrupt Monobear. This... doesn't make sense! What is... this dread I'm feeling? "Just... what are you plotting? What do you mean by those answers? This whole thing is... nonsensical!"
"Hiccy, please! Don't interrupt me! It's in bad form!", says Monobear, waggling a finger at me in a disapproving tone, my questions ignored. "Now then... Next question..."
An uncomfortably long silence follows, and that sense of dread in my stomach intensifies when the Headmaster's red eye lights up maliciously. Oh no... that's never a good sign...
A simple sentence. That's all it took to make me question everything.
"Who took your memories of your school life and imprisoned you in this place?"
Dead silence.
No one spoke. Nor moved. All of us were trying to process the simple yet nonsensical string of words we've just heard. 'Take away our memories'?,,, absurd. What does that even mean? How can we even take that sentence seriously? How can we ever answer that?
A buzz breaks the silence. I slowly turn my head to face Jack. He's the one who's pressed the button. His face is even paler than usual, his eyes are wide as plates, the look on them distant. His jaw is clenched tight... Overall, he's the look of apprehension incarnate... And its in that instant that I realize why.
Jack's missing memories.
Monobear's question.
Could it be...?
"Was it... you?", Jack's deep voice is clear on the silence. A green light and a shower of confetti falls on the blue-eyed teen but the mood is anything but celebratory.
"Coooorrect, Frosty! And to think you actually got it right! Puhuhuhu!", says the Headmaster teasingly, but the jab is ignored, as Jack's brow furrow with thought.
Everyone else can't take the confusion any longer. Soon enough, the audience starts bombarding the Headmaster with questions upon questions, trying to make sense out of this nonsense.
"What do you mean by 'you guys knew each other beforehand?'", says Astrid
"What's this about us having attended Hope's Peak for a long time?", shouts Flynn.
"This 'taking our memories' thing is quite frankly, confusing.", says Peter.
The Headmaster, however, appears undaunted by all the questions, and I swear his grin got wider as he lifts a paw to silence everyone and speak.
"Well, you know how its a common plot twist to reveal that all the strangers you've been killing to escape were your friends in reality, but since the Mastermind took your memories of that, you killed them without knowing? Well, I'm tired of that predictable crap, so I decided to come clean about it right here, right now!", said Monobear as if it were the most obvious thing to do.
I hear him saying those words, but I can't believe what I'm hearing. "That's... What...?", I am at a loss for words. Monobear however, continues speaking.
"You have this look of confusion in your face... aren't you supposed to be smart? Puhuhuhu!", he giggles at me, "I mean what I say: You guys aren't strangers to each other at all! You've all been studying in Hope's Peak Academy for years but I took your memories of that time!"
"That's bullshit!", interrupts Snotlout angrily. "I've never seen these guys before all of this happened!"
"He's right, y'know!", says Tuff, "I mean, I've seen Ruff every day of my life but everyone else? Nuh uh."
"Yeah, and attending Hope's Peak Academy for years? We're not exactly the most smart but I doubt we would fail to notice THAT.", says Ruff.
"And all this talk of stealing our memories...", says Tooth, shaking her head, "That's nothing short of impossible."
"Y'know... you guys are fond of that word... 'impossible'...", Monobear speaks as he shows his black side towards us, his red eye shining brightly, "But you only say that because things that aren't supposed to happen are happening, right? So why is it still impossible if it's happening? The truth is, you guys just don't want to admit that the reality you were living in isn't as stable as you thought. But this is your reality now... your new truth. Isn't that so, Jackson?"
We all freeze. Jack is looking at the Headmaster in shock, obviously surprised to be put in the spot like that. He wanted that to be a secret but...
"Wh-what-", the white haired teen starts but is interrupted.
"Aw, come on Jackson! Don't tell me you didn't tell them about how you don't remember anything? Nothing beyond your name... right? And here I thought you trusted these guys as your friends... but it turns out you don't even trust them at all! How terrible!", goads the Headmaster as Jack's face is stricken with guilt.
"S-so... it was you? Were you the one who...?", I interrupt, trying to save Jack from more embarrassment but the bear is upon me instantly.
"Geez, why am I not surprised he told YOU? But yes, I did that... years of heartfelt memories, sad moments, intimate scenes... all gone like a salary check after a barbecue party!"
Anger flared inside me. Why...?! "Why would you do that?", I spat the Headmaster but he ignored me as he turned back to the others and continued to talk at leisure.
"And before you guys start saying 'But we have been here for 4 days only! There's no way we've been attending Hope's Peak for years!'... do you guys really trust your perception of time that much? I mean... don't you guys lose that perception when you lose consciousness? "
At that... memories of my arrival to Hope's Peak and my loss of consciousness come to mind. "Are you saying... that our loss of consciousness was because...?", I ask, short of breath, hoping that I am wrong.
"That's correct! That was the cutoff point, to be precise! That's when your school memories were supposed to be- Happy memories of friendship and even romance! Years of fond moments of comradeship... gone! And you guys are none the wiser! And that's when you realize all that talk of 'bonds are eternal' a phooey! You guys didn't even notice!"
The Headmaster kept taunting us as we all stood there, unable to refute anything he said. This was madness... All of the things Monobear is saying are so unbelievable... and yet, we can't deny those words outright. Saying 'I don't believe it!' doesn't discredit the things he said... which makes this whole thing more frustrating.
"So what...?", Merida's voice is more subdued than normal, even though she's showing a defiant expression towards the Headmaster. "So what if you stole our memories or whatevah! I don't get why you're telling us this crazy stuff!"
"Why, Mermer... that's a good question!", says Monobear to the scowling red head, "This is my bargaining chip!"
With a jump, the black and white bear jumps on Fishlegs' contestant booth, causing the large boy to jump back in fear. "Ahem...", the bear clears his throat, and that sense of dread returns stronger than ever as he speaks. "This is a beary simple offer... to the one who kills first... I'll return to them their school memories... no, all of their memories, if applicable!"
A chill ran through my entire being as I let the words sink in. So that was it... this was his 'motive'. So this... was Monobear's trap...
"It's a pretty good deal if I say so myself... I mean, knowledge is the most important gift, and on top of that you'll get out of here as well! If I were you guys, I'd be stabbing someone already! Ahahaha!"
Without intending to, I had started sweating, the cold drops running down my face. This... wasn't good. Why was I afraid...? No one... no one would kill... for some memories, right...? Instinctively, I turned to see Jack. What I saw left me even more afraid; Jack's normally blue-sapphire like eyes were dull, as if a veil had been put over them; there was no fun, no enjoyment, no life in those eyes. And I hated it, I hated this version of Jack, so at odds with the guy I knew. There was only one word to describe those eyes.
Despair.
I could feel it, that thick cloud descending slowly but surely upon us. Doubt would soon take ahold of us, filling us with 'What ifs?' and distrust.
Monobear's laugh only stoked my anger. Why...? Why was he doing this to us?! Why was so keen on making us suffer? Just to make us 'despair'?! Well, if that's what he wants, then I'm not giving it to him!
"There's... there's no way someone will kill...! No one's going to fall for your tricks!", I shout as defiantly as I can, but the Headmaster barely flinches, instead opting to tilt his head at me in confusion.
"Wow, Hiccy, you almost sounded like a protagonist there. That was such a cool line! Y'know... it's such a shame you trust these guys that much... because I can assure you someone WILL kill."
And even though the night was already going pretty badly, Monobear managed to upset our evening again with another simple string of words.
"As a consolation prize for sucking so much at the quiz show, I guess I can tell you all this: There's a traitor among you guys!"
You could hear a pin drop in the brief silence that followed that sentence.
"What do you mean, traitor?", said North, his loud voice clear and demanding.
"Geez, do I have to define what 'traitor' means too? You guys are truly hopeless!", said Monobear, shaking his head.
"Just tell us already you little bugger!", yelled Aster, clearly exasperated with the bear.
"I already told you, there's a traitor in your midst! An inside agent of mine, observing you guys, faking to be your friend... but he's really working for me!"
As he said those chilling words, Monobear leapt high into the hair and landed softly on Toothless' head, who was trying his best to hold back, remembering what the bear had done to him previously.
"So... if things ever get too boring... BAM! I just have to say the word and he'll kill one of you!"
"That's not true!", cried out Rapunzel, "You're lying! There's... no traitor!"
"You know... traitors always say that...", said Monobear nonchalantly, to which the blonde gasped in response, bringing her hand to her mouth.
"But its no lie. Despite how much you guys have been trying to convince yourselves of this so called trust that exists between you... the truth is, someone is betraying you guys at this very moment! Will you take the risk of trusting someone like that?", Monobear's black side faced us once again as he jumped from Toothless's head to the stage.
"And just so you know, the traitor WILL get their memories back if they kill first. Wouldn't it be just so awful that such a rotten backstabber is going to get their memories back AND get out? Puhuhuhu... yes, very dreadful indeed..."
I had enough. I didn't want to hear anything anymore. The more he spoke, the more the seed of doubt and distrust that I thought I had destroyed grew inside of me. I... didn't want things to go back to how it used to... I wanted those feelings of comradeship we had during the party back...
"No one... is going to kill...", I said, mostly to myself. Because I needed to convince myself of that. Because I... to my disgust, briefly considered the thought. But I'm not... will not ever kill...
"You're in denial, I see. But I'd make a decision fast if I were you, guys! This is a first-come-first-serve kind of deal so if you dillydally, someone is going to beat you to the kill! So hurry up... you don't have much time!", said the Headmaster as he looked at the odd clock-like contraption.
"Now then, this quiz show deal is boring me, so you're dismissed! Let the mutual killing begin! Ahahahaha!"
And just like that, Monobear disappeared his laugh echoing, mocking us as we stood there, unable to come to terms with our situation.
Fishlegs scurried down from the stage and joined the others but neither me and Jack moved. Toothless ran to my side and curled next to me, growling at me worriedly. I appreciated the gesture and scratched behind his frills.
How... did I get into this mess?
"So... what are we going to do?", asked Tooth, obviously nervous.
"Isn't it obvious?", said Snotlout. "We should just sacrifice someone!"
"What?!", said North obviously displeased.
"I mean, I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of walking around aimlessly... so here we have a chance to get some info, so I say we take the fucking bear's offer!", said the Ultimate Heavy Lifter.
"Snotlout, are ya even hearing what you're saying?! You're saying we should kill someone! Do you believe Monobear or somethin'!?", shouted Merida, anger tinting her voice as she advanced on the brown haired male.
"Well...! He's never lied to us right?", defended Snotlout.
"He's got a point..."
"Not helping, Fishlegs.", said Astrid.
"I'm just saying! We could get some actual progress here! We just need to off someone weak and uninmportant!", immediately, Snotlout's eyes fell on me. "Like the fishbone!"
Toothless growled upon hearing those words, and Jack's head snapped up so fast I thought he'd dislocate it.
"I mean... he doesn't even have a real talent! He's not important and I'm sure no one is going to miss hi-"
Snotlout never got to finish those words as he was once again in the receiving end of Astrid's fist. The look on her face was one of subdued rage, but her words were clearly full of commanding fury: "Enough. Snotlout. Drop it."
"We're not killing anyone here, OK?! Let us all settle down, yes?", said North, trying to calm us down, but it was useless. Snotlout stood up with an angry huff and shot a venomous look in my direction.
"You better watch your back, fishbone! If I don't get you, I'm sure the traitor will off you first!", and with that, he ran away from the group.
"Shouldn't we stop him?", asked Anna worried.
"And do what? Kill him?", asked Flynn.
"I second that motion.", said Tuffnut. "I third it", added Ruffnut.
"We're not killing anyone, Ok?!" yelled North, silencing everyone. "Monobear is obviously lying! Do not fall for the bear's lies! We will continue to defy him... peacefully! Understood?"
Even though no one spoke back to him, we were far from certain... there was no guarantee that no one had bought Monobear's words. Once again, the feeling of distrust between us destroyed any semblance of comradeship.
All because of the Headmaster.
As everyone excused themselves and disbanded, that wretched feeling of loneliness and fear started to creep in my heart again.
Because... because what Snotlout said was true...
I'm... useless. Nothing special. Even my talent is phony. I'm weak.
Ugly.
Even my own father is ashamed of me.
I can't... even make others feel better. Because I know Jack is suffering more than I am.
And yet... I only care about myself.
I truly... am worthless.
Someone like me... doesn't belong here. Doesn't belong anywhere.
I... would it be... better... if I died? Would I... be more useful that way?
I feel... so cold.
So alone once again... I haven't felt... this alone in years.
I... want to be surrounded by this loneliness once again. Yes... This is what I deserve... someone like me... doesn't deserve anything less..
I start walking mechanically towards the Lodging Area, vaguely noticing Toothless's attempts to comfort me. And another thing to add to the list of things I'm bad at: Shaking off any help I'm offered because of my stupid pride and hurting others in the process.
I don't... deserve Toothless' friendship. I don't... deserve anything. I deserve to shut myself inside my cottage and... never show my face again.
I keep walking towards my cottage when a strong grip on my wrist stops me cold.
...So... this is how I die, huh... I guess it's... for the best... I close my eyes as I resign myself to this... not caring who is going to kill me.
"Hic... Hiccup..."
Jack's deep voice makes me open my eyes, but I... don't want to face him. Guilt fills me as I recall how I just... walked away from him instead of trying to comfort him. Hah... I truly am terrible...
"Hiccup... please..."
Jack's begging voice starts to break my resolve. Why... is he...?
"Please talk to me, Hic..."
What... do you want me to say? Anything I say will be worthless... just like I am...
"I'm... scared, Hic..."
At that, I turn around. Jack's pale frame is shaking, and he's looking at the ground.
"I'm scared, Hiccup... please... I... I don't want to be alone..."
"I feel so empty... I feel like I have nothing, that I don't exist... and when I dwell on that loneliness... these thoughts... I don't want to think like that...! So please... Hic...! Talk to me, do that sarcasm of yours... do anything!", Jack's voice is desperate by this point and I'm so taken aback that words fail me.
He... really is suffering.
I thought I understood him, but I didn't. His memory loss goes beyond what I thought. And I'm seeing it in front of me. Not having anything to relate to, to refer to... not having any assurance that the you that exists right now is the real you...
With a burst of courage, I pull Jack towards me and hug him.
It's an awkward embrace, since he's taller than me, but I try to convey my feelings as good as I can; that he exists right here, and right now. That he's important to me, the Jack that he is right now and no other Jack.
He tenses upon being hugged but he returns to gesture fast, holding on to me strongly. We stay like this for a few minutes, but I don't mind. Because I think... we both needed this. No words are exchanged. The embrace tells all; fears, doubts... and warmth.
"Thank you, Hic.", he says quietly in my ear, still hugging me.
"That's what friends are for", I answer.
He hums quietly but makes no remark, and instead he tightens the hug for a moment before slowly letting go. I can't help but feel bad that, but I feel much, much better now. Even though my crush will always be unrequited, I got to hug this dork, who looks so content now.
And that sheepish grin of his, full of happiness... well... it certainly made me forget about our situation for a bit.
Suddenly, a blush creeps on Jack's face and he coughs awkwardly before looking away. What...? Did he get bothered by my actions? But he thanked me... didn't he?
"I-I won't tell anyone... don't worry...", I say, trying to calm him down, but he instead looks at me with a questioning look.
"What?"
"Th-that I hugged you... err... I understand if it embarrassed you... so I won't tell...", I say as I move my hands around.
"I'm not embarrassed by that...!", he says a little more loudly, and upon noticing this, he blushes even more.
"Then why did you...?"
"It's nothing...!"
He keeps looking away from me... and though I'm curious about what really is on his mind... I won't pressure him. I'm glad... we're acting like we always do once again. I don't want to ruin that.
We say our good-byes as we reach our cottages, though Jack still looks a bit hesitant as he enters his. I try to not dwell to much on that, though, as I ready myself for bed.
I guess... I'm good at something, after all.
As I curl myself on Toothless' sleeping form on my cottage's floor to draw some more, my thoughts wander to that hug. Typical of me to make a mountain out of a molehill... it was just a hug. Nothing more.
After catching myself drawing the whitette once more, I close my sketchbook and I drop myself into my bed, the faint sound of rain hitting the roof of my cottage filling the background.
After such an exhausting day, the rhythmic sound of rain helps me ease into a sound sleep long before Monobear's Night Time announcement can be heard.
Jack's POV
Gods Jack, what's wrong with you?!
Why did that memory have to return just as you hugged your boyfrien- friend! Friend! Hiccup's just a very good friend!
"My mind is playing tricks on me", I mutter to myself.
Yes, that's it... I'm sure that memory of me holding his hand and hugging and kissing... was just a confused thought because of the moment!
Yes... that was a false memory... it wasn't even a memory! It was a delusional thought, right...?
Right...
...Then why... do I feel like I don't want it to be a delusional thought...?
-MONOBEAR THEATER-
"Have you ever said something you regretted? Surprisingly, I have!"
"For example... take this! Back at the zoo I lived in, I had two good friends. A fox named Carl and a squirrel named Sir Earlhart. To be frank, Carl was very stupid, and Earlhart took advantage of him every day. If Earlhart said something, Carl would do it. If Earlhart said something, no matter how ridiculous, Carl would believe it. He wad quite gullible.
In any case, long story short, one day I made an offhand comment. 'Did you know foxes are the natural predators of squirrels?'
Needless to say, Carl devoured Earlhart on the spot. The zookeepers had to put Carl down because of this, too.
And that's how my words robbed me of my friends. Please be careful about what you say."