(Okay, I need to explain myself, during my time writing this, I became ill, and by the time I got better, I had to make up for lost time in my school work, and in my daily life, this was followed by an intense supply of writer's block, and. . .well. . .you know the rest.)

(But here's a little something that might make up for it, I actually made a cute little one-shot for Hiccup and Astrid called "Don't Catch Cold" as an apology, you can go to my profile to see it, and speaking of Hiccup and Astrid, WHAT DOES KATHERINE HAVE IN STORE?!)

Hours later, undisturbed since Hiccup and Katherine's departure, she lay. Soothed and calmed, that is until the sun set and the moon rose, allowing the cold breeze of night to fall onto the sleeping body, startling it. Due to her slumber's disturbance, a small squeak of a gasp escaped her lips, as Astrid sat back up, now awake and shuddering from the cool wind.

"What. . . .happened?" Astrid murmured, trying to remember, she could already feel the soft poundings of a head-ache knocking through her skull.

Wait! She stopped. It was night! How long had she been asleep? Where was Hiccup? What in Thor's name happened to her!?

With a groan of irritation, Astrid placed her hand on her head, whilst her body gained back strength and her eyes accustomed to her new darkened atmosphere. Placing her arm back down, Astrid's attention soon, was ripped away to a soft glimmer from the grass catching her eye.

"What's this?" She questioned.

Raising her hand up to her face, Astrid could see the light was coming from the moon's light reflecting off something on her hand. Astrid took the foreign object off her finger, only now realizing she had been wearing it, to get a better look.

"What the-

Her sentence was cut short, as Astrid gave a loud shriek of fear and dropped the object onto the grass, now scooting herself away from it. Her heart now furiously pounding in her chest, and her stomach twisting itself in uncomfortable forms.

It was an engagement ring!

Bits and pieces of memory were now starting to return to her, but only small parts. First there was the picnic, then the dance. . . .then. . .then the. . . something else, Hiccup comforting her, making her body feel light and pleasant. . .and. . .and. . . .something. . . .and the ring going on her finger. . . .

And her accepting.

Astrid put a hand over her mouth, to try and keep from screaming. Yet even in muffled words, one could still make out what she said.

"Oh no, oh nonononononono NO, what did I do, what did I do, oh sweet Odin, what did I do?" She pleaded for an answer.

How could she do this? Accept a marriage proposal, not simply Hiccup's, but any marriage proposel at fifteen !? Astrid wasn't ready for that, of course she wanted to get married someday, but not now, not when there was so much left to live for! Marriage would mean next to no time for training, or being with her friends, or her dragon, or anything! She simply wasn't ready for that, even just thinking about it now made her head dizzy.

Tears now ready to escape her eyes, Astrid slumped her head back down in defeat and whispered. "What have I done?"

"Isn't this wonderful Astrid, I'm so proud of you, I told you, you could do it!" Allison squealed with joy. The locket practically glowing with the spirit's happiness. "Isn't this just perfect!"

"Perfect?" Astrid's voice raised. "Allison, how can you say that?"

"What? Wasn't that the plan?" The spirit teased.

"NO!" Astrid screamed. "Well. . .yes. . .kind of?" She tried speaking, thinking over how to explain these new and complex feelings tightening her chest.

"The plan was to get him to like me. . . .possible courting" Astrid blushed muttering the last two words under her breath, her cheeks growing brighter, before continuing. "But 'this'!" She exclaimed. "Marriage? It's just insanity!"

"Oh. . . I see." Allison mumbled with disappointment. "Then I guess, perhaps, I can help with your problem."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"Well. . . ." Allison's voice trailed off. "I didn't plan on telling so soon, but. . .I may know of a spell that can free me from this locket."

"WHAT!?" Astrid leaped to her feet, clenching the piece of possessed jewelry in a tight fist. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner, like, oh I don't know, when I first 'found you'?" She demanded.

The locket turned warmer, showing the ghost had taken offense, making Astrid release her grip, before it became to hot to handle. "Ugh." Allison groaned. "Due to my soul being, oh I don't know, 'stuck in a piece of metal'" Allison spoke venomously mocking Astrid's first question. "I would need a mortal body to perform it, and I needed to make sure we could trust one-another first!"

Astrid took this new relation and looked down at her feet in shame by the obvious information. "That does make sense." She muttered.

"Exactly." Allison agreed. "Which means that I can help you, all I need to know is that I can trust you?"

"Of course." Astrid answered.

"And do you trust me?" Allison asked.

That was a tricky question. Being born and raised a warrior, Astrid had learned to follow her instincts and to never entirely give your trust to anyone. To always keep an eye out. But then again, Allison, from the beginning was always trying to help her, not harm her, better yet what could Allison do to harm her, she was trapped inside a necklace. A necklace, at first feared, Astrid now wore proudly on her neck, as a sign of power over Katherine.

Astrid smiled. Allison proved herself, (though a bit strict and tense), someone who only had Astrid's best intentions at heart.

"Yes."

If only Astrid could see the curved grin growing onto Allison's face at the sound of her answer.

"Then let's get started."

Reaching the lair of the witch, Allison constructed Astrid on the ritual. The large object covered in a drape, when Astrid first entered the catacomb, Allison explained was an enchanted mirror, made specifically for powerful spells such as the one they were about to enact. First starting with making what the spirit called a Madvenler Ring, a large circle drawn with four even corners and specific symbols in each fourth, (depending on the spell), around the mirror. Taking an burnt out torch, Astrid began her work. The wood shook in her hand, according to Allison, magic was precise, the smallest of mistakes could ruin their chances of victory against Katherine.

"To pointed."

"Not straight enough."

"Wrong corner."

"There's a difference between oval and circle!"

It went on for hours it seemed, in a way, Astrid was grateful for Allison being specific and detailed, seeing how she herself, had no knowledge on magic, and basically knew nothing of what she was trying to do.

On the other hand. . . .if she had to hear another nitpick, Astrid was just about ready to throw the Thor-forsaken locket away and deal with Katherine herself.

"Done." Allison said at last.

Astrid groaned. "Finally!", she said rubbing the soreness of her back and knees from having to stand back up after spending so long on the ground.

Taking a firm grip, she pulled the old drape down off the mirror and across the sand behind the Madvenler Ring, coughing out old dust mites escaping from decades developing onto the fabric.

All was ready. Yet Astrid became hesitant.

In the dim and shadowy light of candles, her reflection looked foggy and almost unworldly, like she herself was a spirit. What if this was a sign? The gods giving her a last-chance picture of what could. . .what would happen if Astrid went through with this. It was one thing to just grab a potion, but now, she was about to do a spell.

Magic.

Sorcery.

Withcraft.

Thinking over, Astrid took a step back. Was she ready to face the consequences of her actions? If she did this, would she be shamed? Exiled? Would she even still have a soul after doing such a sin. When she died, would her own spirit just linger on, forever draped within misery?

Looking back at the reflection, fear began to fill her every being, just wishing that the person she saw in the mirror, with their skin and face, blurred and misty in the candlelight, who looked as though they had been separated from their body-

Was someone else.

"Astrid, there are only so many hours in the night." Allison spoke impatiently.

The blonde nodded, still in doubt, inside she knew there was no other way to go. How else was there to fight magic, than with magic? But if Astrid really did go through with this. . . .did. . .did that make her any better than Katherine?

NO! She screamed quickly inside her head. Katherine was evil, not bad, not mean, only pure wicked evil. She took Hiccup, kind, noble, intelligent Hiccup, one of the most cherished people in Astrid's life and turned him into her puppet. Now Astrid couldn't even try to imagine what Katherine even planned to do with him.

To him.

The viking teen wasn't sure she could take it if she tried.

Noticing distress, Allison whispered softly, no unlike one were to speak to a weak, frightened animal. "Don't worry, soon everything will be as it should."

Astrid held the necklace for comfort, trying to gain back the courage, ironically, the trait most have recognized her for.

"Relax, just breath in and out." Allison cooed.

Though still fearful, Astrid agreed, allowing her eyes to close in order to keep her focus, and breathing deeply to steady her speeding heart-rate.

"Clear your mind of doubt and worries."

Allison's voice was sleek and silken, against Astrid's eardrums, her words flew gently into her brain, similar to how Hiccup had spoke with her that afternoon, allowing her to once again enter the calming state of mind Hiccup had introduced her to earlier.

"Are you ready?"

Astrid nodded, eyes still close. "If it means we can stop Katherine, then yes."

"Repeat after me." Allison started. "The many suns and moons that have past through."

"The many suns and moons that have past through" Astrid repeated.

"A single body And souls of two"

Astrid obeyed and began repeating the remaining lines of the spell.

"One with breath and living heart"

"One who life been broken part"

By this time, small rays of blue light began to fill in the gaps left inside the lines on the ring.

"With my breath and heart that beats"

"I raise this soul from defeat"

A soft humming sound started to develop and now blocked Astrid's ears from the rest of her surroundings.

"By witness of moon and every star"

"By sun who light spread afar"

Astrid could feel her heart-beat slowing down, her pulse was becoming faint, and her breaths shortening with every word she chanted.

"Allow this broken soul to control at last"

"As reflected in this looking glass."

"You need to say your last words with force and power." Allison said excitedly. "So mote it be."

"So mote it-" There came only a second a hesitation, before "BE!" Astrid yelled.

A burst of light came out of the ring's lines and absorbed the room, forcing Astrid to cover her eyes, a wave of jarring energy shook the ground, pulsing into her veins, making the blonde drop to the floor. The pain was incredible, burning her insides and tearing at her heart with no mercy,

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH."

Astrid screamed in agonizing pain.

"YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS."

Allison shouted in victory.

This was it, she was about to die.

This was it, she was about to be free.

She only wished she could have said good-bye to her family and friends before she had to go.

She only wished she would have done this sooner.

"The gods now punish me."

"The gods have blessed me."

Their thoughts so different, yet the exact same three words played aloud in each mind.

"I deserve this."

(Cliffhanger's don't you love them. I promise I won't be as long next time, in fact, I'm already writing the next chapter. So tell me readers, what do you think happened? Comment please, it gives me drive. With that said, Read and Review and this is Moonlight Snowflake signing off. . . .but not as long as last time.)