Whooped, I finally manage to finish this chapter. Haha, had to write in three hours straight today. My head hurts. XD

Muahaha, I apologize for the short chapter last time. I made this one around 6,651. :D

I wanted to make a shoutout first. My friend CarishTale made a fic for HiJack and I promise that his plot is awesome. Trust me! :D The story was titled, "Shrouding Demons." Go, check it out. ;)

(Judging his love for Angst, it might contain angst though I'm not entirely sure so be prepared for the feeeeelssss.)

CarishTale - wish you the best with your fic. *brofist*

Thank you again, guys for the continuous support. Your reviews, follows and favorites are appreciated. :D

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. Enjoy!

Chapter 9

"Don't tell me…" Hiccup trailed, eyeing Jacyn sternly.

Jackson waited for Hiccup's next words, paling at the process. Sweat oozed out of his pores, dribbling down his palms and forehead. Never did he ever feel this nervous before. With a loud gulp, he braced himself for the cries of rage, knowing Hiccup would be mad for the lies he created. Internally grieving, he knew it would fuel Hiccup's dislike for the Princes of Overland - which happened to be him.

Hiccup grabbed Jackson's shirt, pulling the taller male down to his height. The sudden action surprised Jackson, who helplessly stilled against Hiccup's tight hold. With a frantic stare, Jackson watched how the smaller male furrowed his brows, bared his teeth and accused with his eyes. Slowly, Hiccup cautiously whispered, glancing around and making sure no ears would hear him other than Jacyn's, "Don't tell me you stole the Prince's horse!"

Jackson released his breath, not realizing he was holding it in. The momentarily relief he felt left him, quickly replaced with the feeling of internal conflict. Should he really be relieved the kid did not figure out his façade? Or should he be mad that Hiccup thought he was a lowly thief? In his mind, he thought, knowing this was actually a good explanation why a commoner had the Crown Prince's horse - a good getaway ticket to prolong his lie. But, being known as a thief by someone he wished to befriend was not a thought he wanted.

Jackson removed Hiccup's hold, putting the lanky arms by the owner's sides. Hiccup allowed the action without resistance, waiting patiently for the explanation. Jackson rested his palms on the thin and bony shoulders of Hiccup, squeezing to alleviate the foreboding tension. "Relax, I did not steal it."

Hiccup hunched his shoulders, breathing a loud sigh of relief, "Then why do you have the prince's horse?"

Jackson tilted his head back to look at his russet horse, removing his hands from Hiccup's shoulders and limping them on his sides. With two steps backwards, he tucked his hands behind him, "I...borrowed it," cautiously tensed under the reclusive stare of Hiccup. Thankfully, he was a great pretender - albeit actor for Hiccup saw a well relaxed demeanor upon Jackson's face. There was not a single hint that he was lying at all.

But the thought was hard to believe. With a shook of his head, he rudely spoke, "I wasn't born yesterday, Jacyn. He lend it to you?"

Jackson nodded, "Yes, I swore...in the name of the...Sheep God?" He cleared his throat, realizing how stupid the statement was. "Hiccup, he is truly friendly." How odd was it to praise yourself. He thought. But he knew the words he said were true anyway - he was never selfish with things he owned.

"The Overland Royalty was nothing like the Dunbrochs. It is foolish to think those ruthless twins would be nice enough to lend their property." Hiccup crossed his arms.

Jackson gritted his teeth, "Oh, what do you know? If I must say, your perception of the twins were based on fallacious rumors!"

Hiccup chuckled bitterly, "Fallacious? Really? Oh believe me, Jacyn. I've seen enough proof of their ruthlessness more than you could think of!" Hiccup caught his breath, stopping his self from elaborating the proof he mentioned. "You do realize how important his mount was to his rider!?" He huffed before grinning madly, "Oh wait, maybe you are right!" He pointed, "I almost forgot that his highness could have taken it from some unlucky citizen. Tsk, talking about righteous thievery!"

"How dare you!?" Jackson snapped. He clenched his jaw, realizing they were surrounded by other participants, "I do not know what kind of upbringing you have! But I am sure your parents did not nurtured you well!"

Hiccup gaped at Jackson. How dare he brought my parents to this!? He wanted to throw the statement back at him. Upbringing? Nurtured? How would I been brought well if that blasted Overland stole my family from me!? It pissed him how he needed to keep his words in check. "If you only knew! Just leave me alone!" Hiccup shouted, spinning to listen at the organizer, who was close to the end of his instructions.

Jackson stomped away, pulling his russet horse with him. 'This is ridiculous! Why did I ever want to be friends with him anyway!?' He asked to his self, jaw clenched tightly. 'Maybe I should have said that I was the Prince! I bet the look on his face would have been funny.'

The other race contestants murmured to each other - clearly intrigued by the heated scene. Meanwhile, the fearlings glanced each other's way, sharing their surprise, for it was the first time they had seen their Crown Prince infuriated.

The murmurs did not last long though for the organizers shouted to prepare. It was estimated that the race would be over in six hours or so, suggesting that the contestants bring drinking water and a bit of food with them.

Jackson and Hiccup ignored each other the whole preparation, spitefully averting their eyes when they accidentally looked at each other.

All the contestants mounted their horses and were asked to stay inside a line. Some were placed in front while others were placed further from the starting line. It was on a first-come-first-serve basis, making Jackson and Hiccup placed at the last row of racers for they arrived late.

Everyone was prepared; eyes locked on the road. A thin man with curly black hair went up an elevated platform, carrying a huge blow horn. He inhaled air animatedly before placing his lips at the horn's mouthpiece. He blew the horn, announcing the start of the race. The crowd from outside the fence gone wild, cheering for their friends and families while some were placing bets on which clan would win the race.

The ground quaked as the horses ran ahead; some were unfortunate enough to bump mounts with others, causing mishap and elimination from the race. Jackson and Hiccup went through the start without trouble, swiftly avoiding and passing other racers at the first three miles of their run. Some of the racers heaved their horses to run slower. It was a long race and tiring your horses right away would not help anyone to win the race for this was not a contest concentrating on speed but it was also a test for endurance. It was a pretty common thought but Jackson and Hiccup, although aware of that fact, chose to outrun each other.

It was not a race against eighty-seven contestants anymore, it was already a race between two boys, acting like kids and trying to outdo each other. It did not take long for them to bypass most of the racers, reaching up till the front row. The two would constantly lock eyes with each other; determination and fury were present in their eyes. It went on for two hours until their horses slowed due to tiredness.

'Well this was stupid.' The two said at their selves at the same time as they realize the stress that they put their horses to.

Hiccup was ahead by several meters from Jacyn when he decided to slow Toothless even more. He patted his friend's neck, "Sorry, bud. You alright?"

Toothless neighed in reply. Hiccup went to look behind him and only saw Jacyn, who seemed to slow his horse as well. Hiccup sighed, thinking to his self, 'Did I go too far? Why would he be that mad any way…perhaps he's a close friend?'

He looked back once again before glancing back down on the ground. He contemplated for the next twenty minutes of the race until they reached the steep roads.

Jackson, on the other hand, was having an inner dialogue. 'He's wrong, alright? He doesn't even know me…how could he call me vile and ruthless!?'

'Your uncle is vile and ruthless…what do you expect?'

'But I'm not like him!'

'He doesn't know that.' Jackson sighed, brushing his bangs off his face. 'Should I confess the truth? That would probably make him rethink his opinions about me…'

'Are you nuts? You lied to the kid. You might not be evil but you're definitely not a saint either.' Jackson slumped his shoulders, exclaiming, "Argh! Why do I even bother!?"

Hiccup's mind was occupied with the thoughts of Jacyn's outburst that his attention at the road was divided. He was going to collide with a rock, making him maneuver Toothless to the left. His friend obliged, stepping to his left and hopping on a log. It was not long before Toothless made loud neighing noises which startled Hiccup, "Whoa, bud. What's wrong?"

Toothless stomped his hooves violently. Hiccup had no idea on what was going on until he lost his hold on Toothless' reins, making him fall harshly at the ground. Toothless continued to stomp his feet until he ran away in panic. Hiccup stayed on the ground, his mind went black for a few moments.

"Hiccup!" Jackson shouted in alert, whipping his horse to run towards Hiccup. He was not even three meters close when he hastily dismounted his self from his horse, running down to kneel where Hiccup lies. He craned Hiccup's head worriedly, the smaller boy had his eyes closed tight, gripping his head in pain. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked but thought it was a stupid question. "What happened!?" He added, looking to where Toothless ran off to.

Hiccup did not reply for he was trying to still his vision. The blackness was now out of his eyes but his eyes still felt blurry. He only mumbled words while he looked up to the face of Jacyn.

The russet horse of Jackson suddenly whined, doing the same panic movements that Toothless did earlier. Jackson whipped his head toward his horse, following where his horse was staring at.

There, he saw a three-foot snake, slithering its way on a rock. 'Shit, no wonder the horses gone wild.' Jackson stared intently at the snake, he did not make any movement for he learned before that the best way to handle this situation was to avoid threatening the snake and leave it be.

His russet horse ran away and Jackson cursed under his breath. The snake, as he predicted, slithered away, leaving the two boys alone.

Hiccup grunted, lifting his head up from Jackson's arms as he tried to sit up. "Don't force yourself yet." He suggested.

Hiccup was still a bit dizzy but shook his head as he tried to stand back to his feet. Jackson stood as well, catching Hiccup when the boy swayed. "Are you alright?"

Hiccup locked eyes with Jacyn for a moment before nodding his head. His eyes suddenly widened upon realizing that Toothless was nowhere to be found. He whipped his head around despite the way his vision swayed side to side. He panicked, holding Jacyn's arms to steady his self, "Where is Toothless!? Where is he….Oh Gods…he can't be lost…please tell me he wasn't lost."

Jackson watched Hiccup for a moment, assuming that Toothless was the boy's horse. He thought of a way to comfort Hiccup although he was also at a lost since his horse ran as well. Luckily, his horse went the same route as the black horse. He held Hiccup's arm, bringing his hands up to hold the kid's shoulder, "Hey, hey. Relax, I know where he ran off to. We'll go look for him, okay?" He said reassuringly.

Hiccup searched Jacyn's eyes, seeing the concern and sincerity in them. He relaxed his shoulders, nodding his head.

Jackson smiled, "Now…we just have to…uh, walk that road for now." He said, nodding his head towards where the horses ran off to. "Anyways, are you sure that you are alright now? How badly did you hit your head?" He added with concern.

Hiccup closed his eyes shut for a moment before he stood back on the ground properly, "Yeah…I'm fine. I'm still a little dizzy from the fall though."

"I'm no doctor but if you feel any more bad than that…tell me right away and I'll get a medic. I'm sure one is stationed nearby." Jackson said.

Hiccup nodded his head shyly. He was uneasy earlier but now he was embarrassed. 'How could he be mad one moment then nice in a second?' He asked to his self.

Jackson took a deep breath, holding Hiccup's right arm to support the younger man as they walk. "Well, let's get going then."

The two walked in silence, their heads were whipping all around in search for any signs of the horses.

"Where did the prince's horse run off to?" Hiccup asked, his dizziness was now long gone but Jacyn's hand was still on his arm. He wanted to ask the taller male to remove his hand but he already felt bad at the moment. He did accuse him of being a thief after all, even up to the extent that the male stomped away in irritation (or so he thought).

"Same road." Jackson replied, looking down at the smaller boy. "Can you walk properly now?" He asked, still worried that the boy would fall if he removed his hold.

"Yeah…" Hiccup replied, looking away. He whistled in the hopes that Toothless would hear it. He stole glances on Jacyn as he tried to find the words to say, "Jacyn…"

Jackson moved his eyes to meet Hiccup's, "Yeah?"

Hiccup bit his lip, fiddling with his hands, "Uhm…about earlier…" He said, looking at the ground before he slowly crept his eyes back to meet Jacyn's, "I apologize…you know, for whatever I said…that pissed you off…"

Jackson scratched the back of his head. He thought on how childish he was for bursting out like that. But he could not deny that he was butthurt that his family was accused of being vile and cruel. "Nah, we're cool."

Hiccup nodded, looking away. And there was awkward silence.

"I'm sorry too…" Jackson said, massaging his neck as he waited for Hiccup to look back at him. "You know…for getting mad like that." He slumped his shoulders.

"It's my fault anyway…ha…ha..ha" Hiccup said, laughing awkwardly by the end of the sentence. Hiccup pursed his lips before adding, "Say…why did you get mad earlier? Are you close to the princes…perhaps?"

Jackson gulped, "You could say that…"

Hiccup looked away, "Are they not like what I thought them to be…?"

Jackson clasped his hands behind the back of his head, he decided to describe his brother and him at the same time, "Well…I wouldn't say that they are saints. They are widely known assholes…you know, for pulling pranks and tricks on others."

Hiccup was all-the-more curious now, listening intently at Jacyn's words, "But?"

"But, they are not vile or ruthless as you thought them to be. That's for sure. Never been in favor of punishments nor violence." Jackson continued.

Hiccup bit his lip, his brows almost met at the bridge of his nose. He was hearing these words from someone, who was close to the princes. He could not be sure if his words were unbiased so he only hummed in response.

Another awkward silence occurred but it was broken by Hiccup this time, "How did you get close to them…? Aren't you a shepherd from around here or something? Though…you don't sound like a native."

Jackson scratched his head, 'Snap…I'm not that prepared.' He thought to his self.

Jackson took a deep breath as he weaved lies inside his head. "Uhm, I've known him since we're young, I guess? I mean, he would go visit the farms to check their state and I conversed with them a few times." He paused, "And for the second question, no, I am not from around here. I was invited by the prince himself to join him on venturing to Dunbroch." He added without faltering.

If there were things Jackson was thankful for, it would be his ability to lie. Having the position of a Prince would require great lying skills along with the most stoic and believable facial expression a person could muster.

And for that, Hiccup was not able to decipher the lies spitted at his face. "Right..but seriously…talking is enough to be friends with them?"

"Maybe you should rethink your opinions about them. They are pretty easy to talk to...given you're not doing it with hidden motives." Jackson retorted.

'Easy for you to say.' Hiccup thought to his self. He whistled once again, thinking how they ventured by feet for almost a long time now. He was starting to get thoughts that Toothless might have fallen down a cliff. He quickly shook the thought away from his head.

"Is that the reason why you don't like them?" Jacyn suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

"I meant the twins, you don't like them because of what you heard from others?" Jackson smiled; his pearly white teeth almost sparkled as it was hit by the sunlight.

"It's more complicated than that," he replied unenthusiastically.

"Enlighten me?"

"Not in the mood." Hiccup replied, walking ahead of Jackson.

'Why is it so hard to milk words out of this kid!?' Jackson thought in defeat.

Hiccup's eyes suddenly widened, "Look!" He pointed, making Jackson crane his head towards the direction of Hiccup's finger. His russet horse was standing there, lounging near a tree while munching on some grass.

Jackson jumped in joy, "Argh, finally! No more long walks." He suddenly grabbed Hiccup's wrist, "Come on! We'll find your horse faster if we rode him." He said as he pulled Hiccup with him.

Hiccup nodded, determination was present in his eyes. For now, he only wanted to find Toothless even if it meant that he have to pulled around by this guy. Jackson helped Hiccup to mount first, realizing that the boy did not really need that much help. He mounted next, sitting behind Hiccup and moving his hands on Hiccup's sides.

Hiccup's eyes widened, "Hey, where do you think your hands are going!?"

Jackson chuckled, continuing to move his hands forward to grab the horse's reins. "This?" He said with a quirk of his brow and his lips morphed into a grin. "What were you thinking?" He teased.

"Whatever," Hiccup blushed, "And..and, why are we sitting like this, let's switch!"

Jackson laughed heartily, ignoring what Hiccup said. Then, he maneuvered his horse to run. "Hold on tight!"

Three and a half hours have already passed since the race started. Merida busied herself with all the competitions she signed up for. She won the archery numerous times, making other contestants grunt in defeat.

It would take three or more hours before she sees Hiccup again. She went back to the sword fight ring, waiting for her name to be called. It did not take long before the organizer called her name, "Her Highness, Princess Merida of Dunbroch!"

The bystanders cheered as she walked inside the ring. Royal or not, at the Brawn Festival, everyone should be looked upon equally, nor they be a woman or a man. A fight is a fight and a contest is a contest. And this thought made Jamie worry for his name was called to step inside the ring as well.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Jamie exclaimed, his face was now pale. The crowd cheered for him but it seemed his feet would not move to enter the ring. He felt them glued and nailed. And they only moved when someone pushed him from behind.

"Jamie! Don't keep the Princess waiting," the man behind said, chuckling at the same time.

Jamie turned around and saw Jack smiling deviously at him. Jack put his palms together as if he was praying, "Sorry, man. I might have something to do with this." He said, winking.

(Flashback)

Jack quickly ran away to hide upon seeing Merida and Hiccup amongst the crowd. He did not run far and went to hide behind piles of wood located nearby the ring. He slowly peeked out to watch the two went their way at the listing booth, smirking as he saw how Jamie bumped hands with the Princess.

He shook his head in disapproval for the kid was as red as a tomato. "That's so uncool."

He waited for the three to leave, hovering over the pile. He swiftly sprinted his way to the listing booth, looking over the names.

"Hmmm…" he hummed as an evil thought went to his head. "I hope he does not embarrass his self." He said as he scratched names and rearranged each of them, planning to talk with the contest organizer to finish his plan.

(End of Flashback)

Jamie's jaw slackened as the organizer pulled him inside the ring, "C'mon, lad! We ain't got all dey!"

They handed him a sword. The Princess was already in position, holding the sword in her right hand. "Ey, didn't think that ye'll be mah opponent, Jamie." She said.

"Ha…ha..ha, so do I," Jamie said grimly, giving a sharp look at Jack, who held his hands up in surrender.

Merida smirked, "I expect ye tah put up a good fight."

"Uhh….go easy on me?" Jamie squeaked, thinking how he would do that to a Princess, more so, his crush.

The drum was heard, signalling the fight to start. Merida did not hesitate and quickly lunged for Jamie which the latter dodged by stepping onto his left side. She quickly assaulted Jamie with another blow but he blocked it with ease.

The crowd would go Ohhh and Ahhh at each blow that was blocked and deflected. It went on for three minutes straight until Merida stopped to catch her breath, "C'mon, are ye just gonna keep on avoidin' mah attacks? Why don't ye try tah hit me for a change?" She said breathlessly.

Jamie wiped away the sweat falling down on his forehead, smiling sheepishly at Princess' way. 'Like I could do that to you.' He said to his self.

Merida attacked once again, which Jamie dodged, making him stumble close to the crowd. Unknowingly, Jack was close behind him and shouted, "She hates wimps!"

Jamie resisted the urge to flip at Jack. They were in a public place after all.

Merida huffed, "Ye'r no fun."

Jamie sighed, "Fine." Then he half-heartedly lunged attacks toward the Princess.

"A know ye can do better than that!" Merida said with giddiness in her voice for finally, her opponent was taking her seriously…although, she still saw the guy doing it half-assed.

Merida then blocked and dodged and it did not take long for Jamie to take their fight seriously as well. The two found it quite fun, landing some points here and there but not enough to put an end to the game yet.

The Princess went for a straight blow but she accidentally stepped on the hem of her gown, making her stumble down. The crowd gasped for a moment. And by reflex, Merida closed her eyes as she fell, expecting her face to slam down the hot soil. She quickly opened her eyes and felt that she did not land on the ground rather she landed on someone's chest. She trailed her eyes up from the man's tanned chest up to his face. There, she saw Jamie opening his eyes, "Are you alright, Princess?" He asked worriedly.

If Merida thought it was not possible, she felt her blood rush up to her neck and pooled on her cheeks, "Uhh…yeah…yeah, I, I'm sorry." She stuttered, realizing that Jamie's hands were around her.

Jamie saw the same thing and quickly removed his hands, "Oh my, I'm so sorry. I..I had to do that."

Someone whistled from the crowd which Jamie guessed to be Jack. The crowd followed by hooting, "It's good tah be young. Aye' lad."

Merida quickly pushed herself up and stood back on her feet, not bothering to pat the dirt out of her hair and skirt. Jamie went to sit up and tried to stand but felt wetness on his left shoulder, making his head crane to it. But Merida saw it first, causing her to gasp aloud.

"Oh my," she said, kneeling down to grab Jamie's arm. There was blood trickling down his shoulders. It seemed that the Princess' sword grazed Jamie's shoulder when he clumsily went to catch the Princess. "A'm so sorry." She said.

Jamie laughed, "It's okay, Princess." He smiled reassuringly, "It's not something I'll die from. And congrats, you won."

Merida raised her brows and realized that the injury on Jamie's shoulder caused her to win the round. Anyone who could draw a bit of blood from their opponent technically wins. Merida snorted, "A want a rematch!"

Jamie paled, "No, I don't want to die yet, Princess." He joked while chuckling but meant half of it.

"A'm not that good. A mean, A know ye were holdin' back on me." She said, pulling Jamie up.

Jamie stood on his feet, smiling, "Because you're scary when calm, what more when you're serious."

Merida's brow twitched. She jabbed Jamie's shoulder like she would usually do with Hiccup.

"Ow!" Jamie said, covering his shoulder.

Merida gasped, "Oh crap, A forgot," she covered her mouth with her hands. "Sorry again," she smiled sheepishly.

Hiccup kept on whistling, trying to call out Toothless. "Bud, where are you…?" He murmured, slumping his shoulders. Their pace was now slow as Jackson tried to put his horse to a bit of rest. They were already searching for twenty minutes straight since they saw the russet horse.

Jackson saw the tiredness dawning on Hiccup's face. His right hand went to hover around the bag that was slung on the side of his horse. He searched with his hands, bringing out a small water canister. "Here, drink some water." He said while handling the jug to Hiccup.

Hiccup was not really in the position to refuse the offer since he was too thirsty. He took the water canister. "Thanks…" he said before he went to drink.

Jackson nodded his head, "In case you're hungry, I got some stuff here."

Hiccup smiled crookedly which made Jackson curl his lips into an "O". "Wait…you can smile!?" Jackson asked jokingly, trying to pull Hiccup's attention from worrying about his horse even for just a few seconds.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, "Obviously not, it was me baring my teeth to the person helping me at the moment."

"How grateful." Jackson chuckled.

"I know," Hiccup said, returning the canister to Jacyn. He averted his attention back to searching, shouting Toothless name over and over again for the next few minutes.

Jackson copied Hiccup's shouts, "Why Toothless though?"

Hiccup looked back and met faces with Jacyn, realizing how close they were. He was about to answer but saw that Jacyn was not paying attention to him anymore. Jackson's eyes were now glinting up ahead, "Look who's here?" he said, flashing his attractive smile that made ladies' swoon.

Hiccup blushed a little then whipped his head to where Jacyn was looking. His eyes widened, seeing that his friend Toothless was on his feet, busy eating around the bushes.

"Toothless!" Hiccup shouted, dismounting his self off the horse quickly. Jackson was surprised at the sudden movement but he still had the mind to support the boy from going down the horse.

Toothless moved his head up and saw Hiccup, he quickly ran to meet his master. Hiccup kept on running while saying, "Bud!"

The two stopped few steps in front of each other before Hiccup lunged to hug the neck of his friend. He quickly pushed himself off out of the horse's neck, pointing his forefinger at the horse's face, "Bad horse, very bad horse," he scolded, doing circles with his pointed finger. "You scared me to death, don't you dare run off like that ever again. And what is in your mouth?"

Toothless went to lick his friend's face, his slobber painted Hiccup's face in black. Toothless playfully bounded back to where he was seen standing, whipping his head towards that area as if asking Hiccup to follow him.

"Whoa, you look like crap." Jackson chuckled.

"Thanks for pointing that out." Hiccup said as he tried to wipe off the slobber. He made his way to walk close to Toothless while Jackson went down from the horse to walk, pulling the horse's reins with him.

They reached Toothless, noticing that the area was filled with different berries. All of which was edible. Toothless went to his preference, the loac berries.

"Oh..so, that's why." Hiccup exclaimed, encircling his stomach with one arm while one hand held his chin.

Toothless neighed happily, grinning. Jackson stared at the horse and saw that the horse looked like he had no teeth, "Toothless, eh? I understand now."

Toothless neighed again. Jackson's russet horse went to eat some of the berries as well. Hiccup nodded at Jackson's question, his eyes landing at the prince's horse.

"Say, does that one have a name?" Hiccup asked, nodding his head to the russet horse.

Jackson's eyes furrowed, craning his head to the side.

(Flashback)

He was only ten at that time, walking outside their castle after his classes for the day were finished. He was only young but his father seemed to weigh a lot of responsibilities on him already. Even ordering him to read several constitutional books, asking him what proper action should be done. It was already customary that the next in line to the throne be educated since five years old. Jackson could not really complain for his father and others before his father went through the same thing.

He sighed, "Where on earth is my brother at?" He asked to no one, whipping his head around as he searched for his brother's snow white hair.

He continued to walk, entering the maze located in their garden. The maze covered two-hundred meters of land in which the walls were tall enough to tower above Sir North. The walls were made out of branches, completely covered with green leaves wherein some flowers manage to sprout out of the wall, designing the place gorgeously.

"Jack? Are you in here?" He shouted but no answer was heard. He sighed then put his hands inside his pockets, pouting his lips as he walked in the ground covered in Bermuda grass. He kept on walking until something caught his attention. There, on the ground, lies a bird. Its feathers were brightly colored in green, purple and yellow.

Jackson went close to it, reaching up his hand but the bird quickly flapped her wings. He expected the bird to fly away but instead the bird just inched back. He furrowed his brows and noticed that the bird's wing was injured. He gasped for a bit before he tried to reach back slowly again. This time, the bird did not move away, seemingly defeated.

Jackson carefully lifted the bird up, examining its wings. An idea popped in his head and he quickly went out of the maze, sneaking his way up to his room. He left the bird inside; locking up the doors so no one could enter it while he was away.

He ran to the castle's infirmary, chatting up the nurse to ask on how to treat injuries. The nurse replied with enthusiasm, even giving Jackson all the supplies needed when he requested. He bid the nurse goodbye, feeling delighted that his excuse of "wanting to know about treating injuries and wounds so he would be prepared in case he was on a dire situation" worked on the nurse.

His ability to lie was far greater than he thought it would be. He sneakily ran to his room, the supplies were kept inside his coat. He performed the step-by-step instructions taught to him by the nurse, hoping that it applies to birds as well.

He took the injured wing and cleaned up the wound. He then placed two sticks, one on top and the other on the bottom of the wing. He tied it together with white cloth. He wiped his forehead after he was done, beaming at his own work.

He decided to give the bird a name. He inspected the feathers and one person popped into his mind. It was the image of Lady Toothiana, who insisted to be called Tooth. She was a very bubbly person with weird fascination about teeth and strong passion for clothing clustered with festive colors.

"Since you're as colorful as her, how about I call you Baby Tooth?" He smiled.

Days passed and he took great care of the bird. He would usually sneak out bread from breakfast table, grab sunflower seeds from the gardener's tool house and hunt around for insects.

He kept the bird a secret from anyone for he knows his father would not want him keeping any pets, especially his uncle. He could have sworn that man despised him but the reason was something he did not know yet.

It was a three weeks already after the day he picked Baby Tooth up. He removed the support he made for the bird, watching the bird flap and test its wings. He beamed to see that the bird can now move its wings but the bird was not fully recovered yet to fly far away. He left his balcony door open to allow the bird to fly out as it wished.

It went for another week; he already treated the bird as his friend. Jackson did not really think of his self as a lonely kid. He had his brother and Jamie, the best friends he was more than lucky to have. But there were times when he wanted to socialize with others, the ones who would like him truthfully. Not those kids who would befriend him because their parents told them to. He was no ordinary kid after all. He was a Prince, not just any Prince. He was the future King and ruler of Overland, the most prosperous kingdom to date.

He was young but he already knew how to lie like most of the adults do. Training and preparing was what they called it. So he could easily see when kids or adults truthfully wanted to be his friend or was just being cautious or forced to do it. And the worst of all, befriending him for hidden motives: riches and power.

He would usually talk to the bird, ranting about his daily life activities. There was never a day he wished he was not a prince or the crown prince at that. He always envied others who could freely do what they wanted and not be judged about it.

It was two months now since he found the bird and it seemed Baby Tooth never wanted to leave his side. The bird has now fully recovered and would usually fly out to venture at mornings and eventually fly back inside the room before dawn.

It was going well but one day, Pitch caught him petting the bird outside the gardens.

"Uncle…please, don't tell father. I'm sure he'll tell me to chase her away." Jackson begged.

Pitch shot his chin up, looking down on the crown prince, "Why, sure, of course." He chuckled, glancing at the bird.

"Baby Tooth?" Pitch asked, his sharp teeth were slightly bared.

"Yes, uncle. Isn't she pretty?" Jackson asked, holding his arm up to flaunt the bird.

"You shouldn't be so easy to name things." Pitch remarked which puzzled the young Prince.

"Why, sir?"

Pitch walked around, tucking his hands behind his back. He stopped in front of a beautifully grown rose. It was astoundingly red in color. "You see, dear boy. Bestowing names upon things meant attachment."

Jackson furrowed his brows in thought. Pitch saw the puzzlement and continued, "Let's say, would you name each and every single bird you see flying in this garden?"

Jackson shook his head, putting his hands on his lap.

"Exactly, your Highness. You would not name those birds for you do not care about them as much as you do with that one."

"But, was it so wrong to be attached to her, uncle?" Jackson asked, looking at his uncle's eyes hopefully.

Pitch smiled devilishly, "It's not wrong to be friends with such creatures, Prince Jackson." He said, touching the rose in front of him. "The problem is….would you be able to handle when it dies?"

Jackson did not say anything, instead he looked down on his lap, shaking his head.

"Thought so." Pitch said, scrunching the red rose in his hand and ripping it away from its stem. He allowed the petals to fall down the ground.

It was a week after his talk with his uncle when Baby Tooth did not came back to his room before dawn. He was worried the whole night until the next morning. His brother, Jack, noticed the unease within him, forcing him to blurt out his problems.

He did not curb though. So, Jack decided to bring Jackson to play along with him and Jamie in the garden. They went to play a toy called ball, which was given by Sir North. They kicked and passed the toy at each other.

Jack kicked the ball upwards to Jackson. Jackson was a second late, missing to catch the ball with his hands. He followed after the ball, telling the two to wait for him. He went around bushes until he saw the red ball. He smiled as he run to it, bending down to pick it up.

He held the ball in his two hands and decided to go back at the two quickly. But he immediately stopped before he could even take a step for a growling sound stopped him in his tracks. He whipped his towards the sound and what he saw made him want to scream.

The ball in his hands fell, rolling down the ground. His gaze was locked in front of him, seeing the lying body of Baby Tooth. Its once colorful feather was now tainted red, its head was detached. And the culprit for his friend's state was a large dog, whose fur was as dark as night and its eyes were as golden as topazes.

He knew this particular dog. It was one of those dogs that Pitch owns, which he named Nightmare. And this one in particular was the most vicious of them. He stumbled back on his feet, his hands were shaking. It was not because of fear, but it was because of dread.

He felt the blood rush on his veins, making him stand up and run out of the gardens. Jamie and Jack were shocked when Jackson bumped into them, moving away briskly. The two were puzzled but followed Jackson.

The Crown Prince ran up the stairs, knowing that his uncle would be at library. He pushed the door harshly, making it flew open. Pitch craned his head up from the book he was reading, for he was distracted by the loud sound of the door banging against the wall.

"How could you, uncle!?" Jackson shouted, fists were tightly clenched at his sides.

"Could what exactly?" Pitch said, calmly removing the glasses out of his face.

"Nightmare killed Baby Tooth!" He shouted, holding back a sob. His face was red in anger and his knuckles were turning white.

Jamie and Jack arrived by the open doors of the library, standing by the entrance and did not plan to make any further movements.

"He killed Baby Tooth…" Jackson repeated, his lips quavered.

Pitch stood, locking eyes with Jack whom he saw standing by the library doors. He averted his eyes to look at sobbing Jackson.

"You promised me…" Jackson continued.

Pitch looked straight ahead, no emotions were present on his face, "I promised to keep your secret. I did not promise her safety."

Jackson glared at his uncle.

"I'll be careful with that glare if I were you, Jackson. I am still your uncle. It is not my fault that you did not take care of your pet." Pitch said, tucking his hands behind his back.

He walked behind Jackson, looking at the two boys who stood by the doors. "Take it as a lesson, boy. You would be a King and having a soft side would not help you once you're in the throne. Be glad the bird died early." Pitch said before leaving the library, whispering at Jack before heading away.

Jack and Jamie went close to Jackson, trying to comfort the sobbing Prince.

(End of Flashback)

"A name, huh? Nah…it doesn't have one." Jackson said.

Hiccup was not surprised, thinking, 'Thought so.'

"Not in their style?"

"Maybe there's a story behind. Not something he would want to talk about though," Jackson exclaimed. "How about you name it for him?" He added.

Hiccup stared at Jacyn's eyes. "Why me?"

Jackson shrugged, "I trust in your ability to name things. You're…uhh…unique...with you horse's name and all?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes, "Yeah, saying it like you meant well. But he's not your horse, what right do I have to name him?"

It was Jackson's turn to roll his eyes, "It's not like the Prince would know. Just come up with something."

Hiccup shook his head, "This is ridiculous." He said but he was already thinking of names. "How about Pity?"

"Are you serious?" Jackson deadpanned.

"He is partnered with some prank master; I bet this horse was used for pranking or pranked by the master itself. Therefore, he's pitiable." Hiccup said.

Jackson's jaw dropped, realizing that Hiccup was right about pranking his own horse, "You're hopeless."

"You're annoying." Hiccup retorted.

I feel like this is still pretty short. And sorry, there was no Hiccup and Jack interaction in this chapter. D:

I'm sorry...I know I'm a horrible person for doing that to Baby Tooth. :'(

Forgive me. No? Alright. D': *eats brocolli for self torture*

Sorry for the cheesy scenes. I can't help it. I was into shoujo mangas before I even stumbled to fanfictions. XD Sorry for making you cringe. Muahaha.