(A/N You know I noticed something. In all the HTTYD fanfics I read, they are spelling "Snoutlout" as "Snotlout". HAHAHAHA! I bet they feel silly for spelling it wrong. Hahaha XD. I'm glad that I've been spelling it right this whole time. You know since someone would've told me by now, instead of making me look like an idiot. Thanks you guys! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own HTTYD. This story is non-profit.
"I thought I raised you better than that."
I couldn't face her right now. I didn't have to, the disappointment in her voice said it all. I didn't know how long she was there, but I'm guessing that she heard it all from the kitchen. I couldn't believe it. I just yelled at Hiccup for trying to comfort from the lose of my Father. I felt sick and twisted. Accusing him to even fathom what it feels like to lose someone you love. Only to learn that he went through the same. And on his birthday of all things.
Finally I turned to my Mother and waited for the scolding I rightfully deserved. I didn't look in her eyes. It would've been too much.
"Astrid, he was only trying to help. The way you acted was uncalled for." Ingrid addressed her daughter. She was used to her temper, but she was shocked at the words that left her mouth and upset the boy. "Astrid, he returned the axe and asked for nothing in return. Just the story behind it." Ingrid gave out a sigh. "Astrid after you eat lunch, go to the Haddock house and swallow your pride." With that, Ingrid retreated upstairs to rest for the afternoon.
I thought it was going to be worse. An all out brawl with verbal punches. But I realized that Mother was looking more and more tired ever since Dad died. She used to be full of energy, but know she wasn't even giving it her all in her lectures. But she had a point, I did need to apologize to Hiccup. I didn't deserve to eat lunch, no matter how much my stomach was growling. I put my boots back on and walked to the door.
Walking to Hiccup's house, I was stopped by my best friend. Ruffnut.
"Hey Ash, what's up?" She beamed at me. I don't know why she was so happy today, but I dismissed it and kept walking. "I'm busy."
She caught up with me and frowned at my blunt rudeness. "Who put a stick up your-" I turned around and stared at her until she stopped talking. "What do you want, Ruff?" I asked, putting a hand on my hip. No nonsense.
Ruffnut was unfazed and waved it off. "I haven't seen ya since you dragged me across the island looking for your axe. So what's up?"
I didn't have time for this. I was supposed to be at Hiccup's apologizing, not catching up with Ruffnut. But if I didn't say something, she won't stop asking me. And I guess she deserved to know since she helped me search for yesterday. Sighing and let her arm fall off her hip. "Hiccup found the axe." I hoped she would be satisfied with just that, but I was wrong.
"Ooooh, how did you thank him?" She wiggled her eyebrows and nudged my arm with her elbow. I groaned.
"I kinda yelled at him…" I looked away from her and kept walking. But I knew she wasn't going to let me go that easily like my mother did. As expected, I was whipped around to face a very furious Ruffnut. I don't know why she was so mad. It was Hiccup that should be pissed, not her.
"So you made me help you go up and down the whole island of Berk until past my curfew, wouldn't stop crying on my shoulder until you slept, and then when you finally get your beloved axe back, you YELL AT HIM?" Ruffnut would always get furious with me whenever I let my temper get the better of me. I would always screw things up with it. Like today for example. Ruffnut pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly annoyed with my way of gratitude.
"Who was it? One of the watchmen that patrol at night?"
"No." I slumped my shoulders.
"Was it one of the stablemen? Did a dragon yak it out?"
"No." A look of dread across my face.
"Who was it then?" Annoyed with my one word answers.
"It was… Hiccup, he came over earlier this afternoon and returned it." Why was I acting so weird? Yea, I know I yelled at him for caring, but he had no right- But he did know how it felt. I didn't know his mother died. And on his birthday! I feel so rotten now. But if I've known about that, I wouldn't have yelled at him. Right? I was arguing with myself, completely ignoring Ruffnut now.
Rolling her eyes, she raised her hand and thwacked my forehead. That brought me back.
"Ow." Rubbing my forehead and glaring at her. She rolled her eyes again. "What was that for-"
"Really Astrid?"
"Ugh, oh yea.."
"What I don't get is why? Why did you yell at him for finding your Dad's axe."
"It was because my Mother told him about the history of the axe…"
Ruffnut registered it almost instantly, her face went from annoyed to concern for her best friend.
She remembered her mother bringing her over to Astrid's house for play dates when they were younger. She never understood why she was going there more frequently, but she did notice that Astrid was always down when they played. As she got older, she listened in on one of her mother's gossiping. Then she learned about what happened to Astrid's family. What happened to her Dad. She immediately ran over to her Astrid's house and gave her condolences. But as soon as the words left her mouth. Astrid got offensive and started yelling. She even tried to fight, insulted by the pity for her. But the fight was short, Astrid was the loser. She broke down in tears. That's when Ruffnut knew Astrid didn't like having other people feel sorry for her. Also when we became best friends.
But that was years ago. She was older, more mature. Possibly in more control of her emotions. But obviously not.
"Astrid, I know you have issues with pity. But this is Hiccup, you know he was just being nice." Ruffnut gave me an all knowing look.
"But!"
Ruffnut put her hand up, silencing me. She had a point.
"Now drop whatever you were about to do and go apologize to him." She stated.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and walked past her. About to do that anyways…
I finally got to his house and knocked on his door.
No answer.
I knocked harder and could've sworn I heard a growl come from inside. I was about to knock again, but the door swung open to reveal an annoyed Chief. His face changed to confusion, then relief. But not to my relief, I quickly looked away from him.
"OH ASTRID HOFFERSON! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, AT OUR HOUSE?" His voice boomed.
Why is he yelling? I was about to answer, but he interrupted with his booming voice.
"PLEASE! COME IN TO OUR HOUSE!" He yelled, moving over so I could enter.
"Thank you, Chief." I said politely, nodding my head in respect. I made the mistake of looking down. I blushed and whipped my head upwards. I saw his face and quickly craned my neck to the side, probably giving myself whiplash. The memory of walking in on his least dignified state when he was drunk was coming back to me. My face blushed even brighter.
The Chief ignored my neck spasms and obvious discomfort, continuing to scream at no one in particular.
"YOU PROBABLY HERE FOR HICCUP, HE'S UPSTAIRS!" Then he practically picked me up and hoist me over his shoulder. Then he ran us both up the stairs and dropped me in front of what I was guessing Hiccup's bedroom door. I was still stunned. But I was brought out of it when the Chief looked down at me with a freaky too-big smile.
"He's been down all day. Maybe your visit will cheer him up." His smile grew bigger, I looked at him slightly disturbed by it.
Then I forced myself to a equally too-big smile. The Chief smiled again.
Then the Chief kicked the door down, shoved me into the room, and lifted the door back into it's hinges.
I tumbled in and quickly stood up, trying to make my entrance more dignifying. I fixed my skirt and looked around the room. There was drawings of inventions everywhere, not a spot of the wall wasn't covered with a sheet of scribbles. Even with the walls littered with blueprints, the rest of the room was clean. Everything was organized. Then my eyes stopped at the other side of the room. Hiccup was lying down, his back towards me, and a clearly pissed off NightFury glowering at me. I tried walking towards the bed, but a low growl stopped me in my tracks. "Toothless, it's me. Astrid." I smiled.
Toothless hissed.
I felt a heat rise into me, but I swallowed it and rolled my eyes at him. I was here for Hiccup anyway.
Hiccup moved his arm behind him and patted the dragon. "Good boy."
I immediately felt that the air go down a few degrees. What?
(A/N POV SWITCH)
When I heard the front door slam, something felt wrong. When Hiccup stormed in and the air in the house changed dramatically, my suspicious were clarified. The way he stood, walked to the kitchen, sat back down to eat, I knew them all as an anger towards something.
I've always had a connection with Hiccup. I could know what he was feeling without having to know his actual tongue. A bond. One that was made when both of us were in a dangerous situation. When we fought against the Dragon Queen. I remember being terrified of returning to that island. Guiding the older Vikings towards our nest. The leather and timber strapping weren't helping. It was the first time I ever felt this chilling feeling that a NightFury has never had to deal with before. Fear. The emotion never registered to me, and because of that I had no way of confronting and dominating it like every other emotion. But I was rescued by a meer child, one that I spared. I was glad that fate let us meet.
The fools jumped off the boat abandoning me to run towards their doom. They smashed their way into the nest's barricade and readied themselves for the fight of their lives. I could only watch as my temporary brothers and sisters fled from the Queen's control. She must've released them so she could use all her strength to subdue the invaders. I cried out for them to at least burn one of the shackles of with their fire, but none of them paid me a second glance. I couldn't blame them. I would have flew past them and never looked back at this wretched prison. As I saw the last fleeting form of hope fly into the horizon, I gave up and laid down the hopeless struggling. When the Queen finally came out of the mountain, my sane mind raced into horrific overdrive. My scales were itching, my wings took the instinct to try and stretch out to fly but they were binded to my sides, my eyes were glazed over.
I have seen her many times but with the memory that was forcefully burned into my mind, it was seeing her for the first gruesome time all over again. Yet again, I tried to break free from the entrapment, but then my legs went numb from that strange emotion again. They gave out and I slowly went deeper into insanity. I began forgetting where I was, what I was… Who I am. I slumped down and lost the first battle for control of my emotions. Accepting it, my impending death. A dragon without a name.
"TOOTHLESS!"
My ears perked up. I heard feather footsteps come towards me. I lifted my head up but saw nothing but fire and smoke. I was so out of it, I didn't notice that Queen was burning down all the boats. But I saw a small silhouette of my savior. "Toothless! Where are you buddy?" He shouted through all the noises of shattering boats. I tried to at least signal where I was, but I couldn't find my roar. It was probably taken away from my previous battle. I croaked and knew that it wasn't enough to hear over the thundering explosions around me. But he still heard me and ran over to my exact spot.
As soon as he got to me, he's first action was to try and unbuckle all the chains. But for some strange reason I veered back from him. It sure as Hel wasn't my choice to do so, but I was tired and scared, obviously my primal instincts was the one controlling me now.
"Toothless, it's ok. I got ya." He said in a controlled calm voice, despite the current situation.
Instantly I calmed down. I was surprised that he got through to me that quickly. He got close enough to touch my snout and my fears washed away. What is it with this Viking boy? I thought, calming down so he could try to release me. How could someone so weak defeat something that I, a fearsome NIghtFury, could not defeat. The question distracted me long enough to ignore that the Queen was about to swing her tail at the armada of remaining boats. Including ours.
There wasn't enough time. I retracted my teeth and grabbed his abdomen with my mouth, pulling him closer to me for protection. Then the hit came and the boat sunk into the water, taking us along with it. The fools bolted my prison to the floor of the ship. And by the stroke of Loki's hand, that said floor was still intact. It was a good thing I took a deep breath before the strike, I could only last for another minute though. The boy wasn't so lucky, he didn't see the tail that blew up the boat. He didn't get a chance to prepare. There was nothing I could do.
Then I felt a tugging. My eyes widened. The boy! He was still tugging at my bindings. I was amazed at his persistence. But with the last tug, I saw that he used his last remaining strength that should've been used to swim up for air. The boy opened his mouth and choked on the water. Then closed his mouth. His face was changing colors from lack of oxygen. I could only watch as it happened. The boy's body went limp and floated next to my sinking form. I closed my eyes, there was nothing to do now. I felt weak, helpless, couldn't even rescue the boy. I prayed to the Gods, hoping that I wouldn't take the boy down with me. He didn't deserve the same fate as me.
Then there was a splash. A hulking older Viking swam down to the boy and grabbed him. Then swam back to the surface. I felt relieved. At least the boy was safe. I relaxed and sank even further into the dark abyss, hoping I would see light at the bottom. I submitted to what lay ahead.
Maybe I will see Mother again…
And Sister and Father…
Yea.. That would be nice… I could apolog-
My thoughts were interrupted when I felt another splash. The older Viking came back. As I got a closer look at the man, I recognized the Viking. It was same one that captured in the arena. The one that was protected by the boy. The same one that put me in the cursed trap! I narrowed my eyes to slits and glared at him. He probably came here to finish the job.
But what he did next surprised me. He grabbed the wooden collar and broke it off. It must've been the main device to this contraption, because after it came off I was free.
This was the third time I was saved today. Odin must have plans for me, or else he wouldn't have given me so many chances. But now that I'm still alive, there a certain someone I want to get revenge on.
I pulled away, grabbed the Viking, and swam to the surface as fast as I could. We broke through and I tossed the Viking to the shore. Shaking the water off my wings, I turned to only person I could trust after everything I've been through.
The boy smiled and climbed onto the saddle. Before we could lift off, the older man grabbed the boy by his arm and had some final words. I ignored them and tried to pump myself up for taking down that bewitching salamander. When the words were said, I stretched my wings and took flight at impossible speeds. The boy almost fell off the saddle. I slowed down a little, but I still needed to make my heart start racing, get the adrenaline to overwhelm the fear that was coming back as soon as I caught sight of the Queen.
We got closer to the battle and whatever nerve I had to even think of taking out the Queen was quickly diminishing. It completely vanished when she look directly at me. I slowed myself down and tried to turn back around. I looked back towards the boy. His face was impassive, calm. It affected me and I relaxed my raging nerves. If he can do it, then why can't I? A warm feeling came to me and the pride kicked the fear out for good. As long as the boy was calm, I was ready for anything. I glowered at the Queen and roared. Bring it on!
That was when the bond was made, I could exactly what Hiccup was feeling. If he was calm, I was too. But now, he wasn't calm, he was furious at something. I was surprised. Hiccup was never mad at anything, only slightly annoyed. Nothing had ever made him emit this kind of emotion. Rage. Something must've done something to him. Something that would get this much of a rise from Hiccup. And I wasn't there to protect him from it. The feeling of being helpless to protect him came back full force.
Rage consumed me and I growled to no one in particular. Whatever made Hiccup mad was going to be burnt alive. I swore. Then Hiccup cleared his place and cleaned his dishes. Now heading upstairs, I followed him. Seething. Once upstairs, he went to his bed and laid down. I went to the side of the bed, in perfect view of the door, and laid down next to it. I glared at the door, daring someone to come through it when Hiccup was still upset. The only moment I took my sight off the door was when Hiccup spoke.
"She went too far this time, Toothless." I looked back at the door and grunted. If Hiccup needed someone to vent his anger out to, I was here.
"I mean, what did I do? All I did was tell her that I was sorry about what happened to her Dad. Then she explodes!" He makes waves with his hands.
"Then she yells at me like I don't know how it felt to lose someone." He took a deep breath. "But I do buddy. Look I know I didn't tell you this, but I lost my mother." I felt that his tone saddened. I took the effect and crooned my head to look up at him understandingly. He gave a faint smile and patted my snout. I sniffed it off and he chuckled.
Then I looked back down at the door. After a few moments, I heard snoring. Good.
There was a loud slam that came from downstairs. I looked up to see if Hiccup wasn't awoken, he was still sleeping. My ears perked back up and listened to see who it was. By the sound of loud familiar footsteps, I took it the boy's father came home. I tensed up when I heard footsteps becoming louder. The door creaked open and the father stepped in to see if Hiccup was home. Upon seeing that he was, he made his way to the bed.
I growled at him. Maybe it was him that angered Hiccup. The man stopped and gave me a confused look. I narrowed my eyes at him. The older Viking frowned and tried to ignore my warning. I bared my teeth and growled at him a little louder.
That's when he stopped and scowled at me. I growled again and the man gave up. He exited the room and went back downstairs. I relaxed and felt a wave of sleepiness come over me. Probably coming from Hiccup. I scooted closer to the bottom of the bed and closed my eyes to take a quick nap.
A few hours passed before one of my ears twitched up and started slapping my head. I ignored it, trying to get back to my pleasant nap. Another smack came and I gave my ear a final warning.
I swear, if you smack me one more time! I'm gonna bite you!
After no more smacks to the head, I took it my ear got the point.
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
The three quick smacks I got from my possessed ear, I almost lost it. Because you are a part of me, I will give you one more chance. Stop.
Smack!
Finally I gave up and my ear made me wake up to listen.
Downstairs someone was knocking on the door. The boy's father opened it and started yelling at the visitor. I was about to take a peek, but then I heard someone running up the stairs. They stopped in front of the door to this room. I shook the grogginess from my nap and prepared for whoever dared to come inside.
As I waited, whoever was outside the door was talking in hushed voices. Then it was quiet.
The door flew open and a female fell inside. I recognized it as Hiccup's female friend. The woman straightened herself and looked over to where I was laying down. I felt that Hiccup was stirring, probably waking up. The door magically picked itself up and attached itself back to the door frame. I ignored and stared at the girl that was now looking around the room. She stopped her observation and looked at me. Hiccup was now fully awake. He took a quick peek at who was in the room and turned back around in his bed, silently cursing. The heat came back to me. So it was this one… The female began walking towards us and I growled for her to stop where she was.
She addressed me and tried to bribe me with a fake smile. I hissed. She rolled her eyes at me. I narrowed my eyes at her.
Oh no she didn't! Hopefully she was smart enough to stop advancing, before I got really pissed.
Hiccup moved his hand and patted me on the head in gratitude. I welcomed it.
I smirked at her shocked expression.
(A/N Like the other Chapter, I'm going to have to cut this ending short too. The next time I'm going to update is going to be next year. Laters! lol Happy New Years!