Greetings, everyone! I hope your weekend is going well, and that you're ready for the beginning of the next story! It's sure to be just as good as the others, so please enjoy this update!
The guardians all sat at table, North approaching and sitting at the head. He glanced around at the guardians, holding up a small platter. "Fruit cake?" Wick inhaled to reply, about to accept it when Bunny nudged him, giving him a look and shaking his head. Wick closed his mouth, slacking a bit in his chair as North raised a brow. Alice blinked when he shrugged, tossing the platter to the side and brushing his hands together. "Now. On to serious discussion." He started, cracking his knuckles. "Wick, I know it is probably too soon to be dragging you out of Halloween Town, but I wanted all guardians here. Wick establishing his own realm is progress for us. However, we still have many, many problems." He looked to Sandy. "How is your island coming along?"
Sandy made a so-so gesture with his hand, blowing out an inaudible breath. "Everything is pretty much cleaned up… but it's been hard getting back into the swing of things." Tooth spoke for him.
"You know, I had no idea you even had your own island, Sandy." Jack commented. "For a while, I just thought you were a drifter. No pun intended."
"That's what he wanted everyone to think." Tooth replied. "He finally showed me when we, you know…" She smiled lightly as Sandy winked at her. "… but it's… he wants it to almost be like a land that never was."
"It seems that someone among us may be more mysterious than North after all." Alice raised a brow, smirking lightly.
Bunny chuckled. "So, what's the big secret, Sandy? I mean, all of our realms are kind of a secret, really, but…"
Tooth glanced over at Sandy, who gave her a light nod. "Well… it's the… the pixies."
"Pixies?" Wick's hollow eyes widened. "That sounds like really good candy!"
"They aren't candy, Wick." Alice said. "They are creatures similar to fairies." She turned to Sandy. "What exactly is the problem?"
Jack rolled his eyes as he and Alice mentally communicated. "You guys seriously need to stop doing that all the time… I mean, Alice and I do it, but… you could be saying-"
"Their queen was kidnapped?" Alice replied with concern. "By whom?"
Tooth sighed. "Captain Hook." She replied. "You see… he and his crew have pirated the seas for years, but it was never a problem until he heard there was something out there that was better than gold."
"What would that be?" North asked.
"Eternal youth." Tooth replied. "Hook had stolen another captain's special compass, one that leads to what the bearer wants. It pointed to Sandy's island, and… he's been trying to invade it ever since."
"So, what made him finally back off?" Bunny asked.
"Well, when he captured the pixie queen, he told Sandy that if he gives him what he wants, he will give her back. Since then, he's gone back to England and is atoning for his pirating to the king. He's volunteering himself for all these expeditions…" Tooth said.
"He's searching for something." Alice said, all of them looking to her. "He tried to take what he wanted by force. Sandy wasn't giving in and it wasn't working for him… he's devising another plan."
"Okay, not to get off subject here…" Jack said, holding a hand up. "… but speaking of the king of England, what is the deal with him?"
"What do you mean, mate?" Bunny raised a brow.
"He's been giving Hiccup and Merida a hard time… last I heard from Eliza, he's been sending his men to just go and hang out there… she said it's suspicious." Jack replied.
"He's also been dispatching soldiers into Scotland in an attempt to subdue the clans there." Alice said. "Out of all England's royalties, he is certainly the greatest embarrassment."
"Yes… he is not making anything easier for us either." North commented. "But there is a more pressing matter we must talk about. It seems that Krampus managed to get more than just himself dragged back into the underworld. There are about two dozen children from the area that we waged war in… missing."
"Missing?" Wick gasped. "Where did they go?"
"He just said, you bloody gumby." Bunny huffed.
"How do we proceed with this?" Alice asked.
"It will not be easy." North sighed. "And with Sandy still recovering, we are going to need all guardians on board.
"Woah, wait a minute, North…" It was Bunny's turn to hold up a hand. "I've got probably three to four months to make eggs for the entire globe, I can't afford-"
"Bunny, no offense, but you've got Emily helping you with that while you're away." Jack said. "And hers are a lot prettier if you ask me…" He mumbled.
"Uh, excuse me? Want to say that a little louder, mate?" Bunny snapped.
"Will the both of you stop behaving like children?!" Alice shouted.
"… Sorry." They both said sheepishly.
Alice looked to North then. "He has a point though, North. I understand the direness of this situation, but we have all been away from our obligations for far too long now. I know more than anyone how important our commitment is, but I think some of us simply need time now to address other matters."
North sighed lightly, his expression softening. "… your son."
"Yes, my son… our son." Alice said softly, glancing at Jack momentarily.
North nodded. "I know that you wish to be with him. He is not alone, he is safe and away from danger. He can manage for a time until-"
"Safe? Away from danger?" Alice narrowed her eyes, rising from her chair as Jack rested his forehead against his hand.
"Oh boy, you got her started." Jack mumbled.
"He is currently residing with the offspring of my greatest foe. And not only that, my son is ignorant to it! He is ignorant to who he truly is!" Alice shouted.
"Alice." North said firmly. "We cannot neglect the children who need our help."
"HE needs my help! Through all of this, I have neglected him! I maintained for all this time to help Wick, to help Sandy with his island, to help you when Krampus made a mess of things! Please, I am just asking for some time. Is he not also a child of the world?" Alice asked.
Jack lifted his head, furrowing a brow when he noticed Alice becoming distressed. "Hey, it's okay. Mr. Qwerty is with them, he'll call on Katherine if there's a problem-"
"And what the hell is a bloody worm going to do if that THING residing with him suddenly decides to do him harm?!" Alice snapped, looking back to North.
"Alice… we cannot allow personal matters to get in the way of what we are tasked to do. Those children in the underworld need our help now. I know you are weary from all the fighting you have done. You and Jack have expended much these past few weeks. I am asking you to please remain with us." North said. "You are one of our strongest-"
"Don't say it." She shook her head, drawing in a trembling breath. "Do not say… that I am strong." She became tense, staring down at the table. "Yes, North. I can fight. I can slice throats and gut anyone who stands in my way. But being a guardian is more than just fighting. It's about protecting, also." She shook her head. "How do you expect me to save the world's children if I cannot even save my own?" She squeaked out, shocking everyone when she burst into tears, having an emotional breakdown.
North's expression saddened; all were accustomed to Alice's poise and refinement, her confidence. Seeing her like this, it was almost disturbing. They realized that all the pain she had bottled up had finally come to a head as North rose from his seat. As Jack helped Alice up, North gently stopped them, drawing Alice into a hug. "I know the guilt of not being able to protect a loved one, Alice. You have endured this so many times… and this is why I am so focused on my obligations as a guardian. We are all responsible for being unable to save little Agatha." He took a step back, lifting Alice's face a bit. "We are all responsible for your suffering as a child as well." As he said this, Bunny closed his eyes tightly, bowing his head. "I promise you. There will come a day when you and James will be together again. If we simply allow our guilt to eat us alive like this… then others will only come to suffer from it." He sighed. "I am sorry, Alice. You and Jack have had little time to mourn."
Alice inhaled sharply, standing up a bit straighter. "You're right." She said shakily, wiping her eyes. "I know you mean well North, but…"
"Here. Rest for the night. Jack, you also. Take time to clear your heads… and your hearts." North said, nodding to the winter guardian.
Wick bit his lip, holding out a hand. Alice glanced over, tilting her head a bit when a single chocolate appeared. "Chocolate always helps me when I'm sad." He smiled lightly. He was taken aback a bit when in her vulnerability, Alice hugged him.
"Oh, come here, you gargantuan vegetable." She muttered, sighing lightly as she hugged him. "I don't know why I find this so comforting." After some time, she took a step back, taking Jack's hand as he walked with her up the stairs. As the others remained silent for a bit, North was about to continue the conversation when Wick intervened.
"Hey, are pumpkins really vegetables, or are they fruits?" He asked, scratching his head and making Bunny roll his eyes in annoyance.
North cleared his throat. "Anyhow… back to discussing the taken children…" He said, getting everyone back into focus as they resumed their talks.
~The Islands Of Berk~
Within the gathering hall, the heavy doors were shut tightly, the click of the locks echoing within the circular space. The only light source came from torches lit in even intervals within the hall. All the high clan members were seated at a circular table in the center, Hiccup among them. Merida sat to his right, being his queen and direct connection to her birth clan of Dun' Broch, and Eret directly to his left. All his childhood friends joined the table, Gustav included, having returned to Berk with Eliza after what had transpired in Burgess. Having returned to provide some sort of sanctuary for himself and his wife, they were unfortunately instead thrown into another tense situation, Hiccup sighing as he placed his hands flat on the table, their Clan's design carved into the wood's surface.
"Okay, so I've gathered you all here today to discuss the ongoing issues with our northern friends." Hiccup started, clearing his throat. "We've been getting more pressure from them. If you haven't seen for yourselves, they've been sending more scouts to patrol the woods north of the village, and have even begun sending spies to 'observe' our culture and ways of life. They are trying to learn how we handle our dragons. They believe that our small group of islands would be an asset to them. If we're not careful, they can sneak up on us at any moment and try to initiate a takeover."
Outside in the village, as people went about with their daily tasks, a hooded figure dove just behind one of the huts, their back pressed against it until the coast was clear. They continued along until they reached a hut at the top of a hill; Hiccup's hut, glancing around before sneaking inside. Toothless had been napping, perking up his head when the hooded figure entered. He growled lowly, narrowing his eyes until the individual reached into their cloak, withdrawing a big, juicy fish. Toothless softened up, chirping a bit as he gulped it down. A hand extended, petting Toothless' nose before the individual spoke.
"Want to go out for a spin?" The voice of a young man spoke, Toothless hopping up and nodding once. "Come on, we've got to stay quiet." They snuck out of the hut, moving away from the village as they made their way past the southern plains until they reached a cliff. The water crashed against the rocks below, the hooded individual glancing around to make sure no one was near. "Okay pal, we've got to do this quick." He said. As he glanced behind him, if one had looked close enough, they could have barely seen a small, pointed ear poking from within the hood. He then mounted Toothless, oddly with no saddle intact. "Ready?" He asked, Toothless crouching down to prepare himself for flight.
Now one would ask, for a young man that seemed to have such stealth and wits about him, why would he neglect one of the most important accessories in dragon riding, not even bothering to use a saddle? Toothless charged down to the edge of the cliff, his feet separating from the ground as he took to the air. As he did, the boy hopped off the dragon's back, diving down towards the water. Just before he would have hit its surface, he made a sharp turn upwards, the wind blowing the hood off his head as he cried out joyfully. Toothless chirped as the boy soon joined his side, his arms extended out to the sides as he seemed to fly completely on his own. His short, reddish-brown hair tickled the points of his ears, cheering the dragon on as they ascended into the fluffy pink clouds. They then dove down like airplanes, the boy laughing as the two dove in and out of the ocean a few times, the boy saluting to a species of water dragon as it surfaced from the water. He ascended again, he and the dragon making a sharp turn to head back towards land.
When they snuck back in the village, the boy put a finger to his lips, flipping the hood over his head. He quickly ushered Toothless back into the hut, giving him a nod. When he turned, closing the door behind him, he was taken off guard when he was suddenly grabbed, struggling as each of his arms were hooked. His hood was shoved down over his face, making him grunt with frustration.
"Oh, come on, Tuffnut!" He shouted, glaring at them when they finally flipped the hood off his head.
"Thought you could go soaring like an eagle because Gobber fell asleep again, huh?" Tuffnut laughed.
"Yeah, you THOUGHT you could pull off being stealthy, but I am the master of being stealthy!" Ruffnut said before stumbling as he nearly tripped over a rock.
"Where are you two goofballs taking me?" The boy asked, pouting as he was dragged along.
"To your ol' mom and pop of course! You're gonna be in BIG trouble when they find out you've been wandering outside the village again!" Tuffnut answered.
"It's not fair!" The boy exclaimed. "All you guys get to go wherever you want on your dragons! I don't even NEED 'em! It's all good and well when you need me to stretch out their wings while you all talk about boring stuff, but when I actually want to fly on my own…" He sighed, rubbing the back of his head when the twins ushered him towards the doors of the gathering hall, finally letting up.
"Tell it to the judge!" Ruffnut shouted from behind him as the two headed off, the meeting having been dismissed.
The boy inhaled deeply, pushing the doors open to enter the gathering hall. "Dad?" He called out.
"Close the doors, please." A voice answered.
The boy closed them, entering the dimly lit space. He plopped down into a chair, resting his head back a bit. "Okay, I'm ready for my lecture… ow! Mom!" The boy hissed when he was tapped on the back of his head, rubbing it.
"Peter Pan Haddock! Sneaking out again, laddie?" Merida snapped, hoisting the boy out of his chair. "How many times have I told ye, don't be going out by yourself! And no weapons on ye, at that!"
"Uh, mom?" The boy unhooked a dagger off his belt, raising a brow.
"That's no weapon lad, that's what ye use to cut your dinner into wee bits." Merida crossed her arms.
"Alright, alright…" Hiccup rose from his seat, sighing lightly. "Peter… you know that the island is being watched." He said as he approached him. "What if one of those men saw you? Could you imagine the uproar? They're ambitious enough for our land because of our dragons, but a BOY who can fly? First, they would more than likely accuse us of dark witchcraft or something. Secondly…" He sighed, sitting beside the boy to place a hand on his shoulder. "Peter, you can't take on the entire British armada. They would come here for you, and…"
"Dad." Peter smirked a bit, patting his arm. "You don't think that 'big bad King John' scares me, do you? I could take on his whole army!" He jumped up from his seat. "Dad, I have to know this land inside and out… all the hiding places. Then, I can use that against them! They don't know the island like we do, dad! I mean, come on! I'm the grandson of Stoick the Vast AND Fergus the Bear King!"
Hiccup couldn't help but smile at this, Merida cracking a small one as she shook her head. "I know that, son… but that doesn't make you invincible. Trust me, if anyone was a rebel, it was me… but you still need to take caution. If you're going to be Chief someday, you can't be totally reckless- well, maybe a little reckless, but…" He cleared his throat when Merida shot him a look. "Hey, don't make that face at me, miss 'turn your mom into a bear…'"
Peter stifled a giggle. "Okay, well, if this lecture is over with, I'm going to just zip on out of here and-"
"Hang on, mister! You aren't doing a thing until you wake Gobber and see if he has any work for ye to do!" Merida said.
"Oh give me a break, mom!" Peter protested until Merida dragged him to the door by his ear, howling as her own flickered angrily.
"Off with ye, not another peep!" Merida shouted as she sent him along his way, shaking her head. "That Peter… Peter Pan indeed! I dare say he's wilder and more untamed than the very god himself!"
Kicking a pebble as he walked, Peter sighed lightly to himself. He finally approached Gobber's welding shack, smirking lightly and rolling his eyes when he saw he was reclined, snoring loudly. He approached the aging Viking, giving him a light shake to awaken him.
"Gobber? Hey, Gobber, wake up." When this did nothing to stir him, Peter rubbed his chin as he looked around a bit. He wore a mischievous expression then, chuckling as he tip-toed over to where some cylinder-shaped pieces of metal were. He picked one up, turning it over in his hand and nodding to himself. He then went back over to Gobber, snickering a bit before taking in a deep breath, blowing through the metal to make a loud noise, like a horn. Gobber nearly jumped out of his skin, the sound making him nearly fall out of his chair. He scrambled to his feet, looking all around as Peter gasped for air from laughing so hard. When Gobber realized what had happened, he scowled a bit, adjusting his prosthetic leg from the ordeal.
"Well, well, look at who's brandishing his trickster crown!" Gobber snapped, hobbling a bit as he grabbed a tool to tighten the fake tooth in his mouth. "Look at you, my parts are going to end up all over the place!"
"I had to get you up somehow, didn't I?" Peter asked when his laughter died down.
"I thought your father was a lot to handle, but you, you are just something else-" Gobber stopped when Peter floated around in a reclining position, shrugging casually. "You really need to stop doing that… it just isn't natural!"
"But that's just it, it IS for me!" Peter replied.
"You know what else isn't natural for you? Getting some-… work done!" Gobber said, straining to lift some scrap metal to heave onto Peter, making him tumble to the ground in a heap. Pouting, Peter grunted as he got to his feet, dusting himself off.
"Maybe I'm the only one around here who knows how to actually get some ENJOYMENT out of life!" Peter exclaimed as he struggled to gather the metal in his arms.
"Yeah, yeah, mister 'enjoyment…' turn all of that into swords and harpoons worthy for your grandfather's appreciation and then you can have all the enjoyment the rest of today can offer you!" Gobber replied.
Peter groaned, hoisting the metal onto a table before heating up the coal pit, sighing as he placed some pieces into it. He stared flatly, watching the metal warming up. "Oooh… this is so interesting… definitely more interesting than soaring through the clouds or spying on the border intruders…" He mumbled, realizing that this was going to be a long and arduous afternoon.
~Later That Evening~
Peter headed upstairs to his bed after supper, glancing out the window at the stars. He rested his head on his hand, sighing blissfully as he drew the constellations with his finger. Downstairs, Hiccup added some wood to the fire as Merida stared at her bow, gracing a finger over the small insignia carved into it. After a long period of silence, Merida finally spoke.
"Snotlout said that he saw three soldiers scouting just north of the woodland lake." She said.
"Oh…" Hiccup brushed his hands together after fueling the hearth. "… were they doing anything suspicious?"
"Anything suspicious?" Merida turned to look at him. "Hiccup, they are trespassing on our land. They're venturing closer and closer to our village!"
"Okay, okay, Peter is right upstairs, he'll hear-"
"Let him!" Merida stood, her expression serious. "If m' da saw an unwelcome stranger encroaching upon his land, he would slay him faster than a bear crushes a twig!"
"I understand that Merida, but we can't take that approach with these men." Hiccup replied.
"Why not?" Merida snapped.
"Because unless we want King John to march himself and his entire militia here, we need to do whatever we can to keep the peace!" Hiccup cried.
As his parents had their heated discussion, Peter furrowed a brow, sneaking to the top of the stairs to eavesdrop on them.
"I'm not afraid of any man, nor beast… not especially that coward that sits upon a throne of deceit in England!" Merida said.
"I'm not afraid of him either, Merida… I'm afraid of what he would do to Berk, to this village… to you and Peter." Hiccup replied gently. "He won't stop here, Merida. Dun' Broch is on his list too, and I heard he's even lining up excavation projects in the western lands."
Merida shut her eyes tightly for a moment, sighing. "Hiccup… Peter is going to be Chief someday. We need to prepare him for this. He needs to know how to protect this village… our way of life."
"I know that. But this isn't fair to him… all this animosity we're dealing with, all this pressure… he's still a kid." Hiccup replied.
"He won't be forever." Merida replied. "In just a few short years, he will be a man. This village will look to him to lead."
"Yes… but Merida, my dad tried to force that on me, and… I never really had the chance to find myself until I was given the opportunity to explore outside the box. We need to find balance with him." He smirked a bit when Merida huffed. "Come on… we were his age once. Just close your eyes and imagine Dun' Broch…"
"Hiccup, this is no time to be-"
"Riding Angus into the forest, the wind blowing through your hair… climbing up the rocks of the waterfall until you reached the top where you would dance on the edge, bathing in sunlight…" Hiccup smiled as he saw tension visibly leave his wife's shoulders, hugging her lightly from behind. "Then when night came you would stare up at the stars, the lush grass cushioning you…" He gently turned her to face him, kissing her lightly.
"Great Scot…" Merida breathed as she furrowed a brow. "When did I become as firm and strict as my mother?" Her eyes widened a bit.
"Comes with age, I guess. At least I'm not as strict as my dad, or else we'd ALL be in trouble." Hiccup chuckled quietly, he and Merida sharing a gentle embrace. Despite the lighthearted moment, they both knew in the back of their minds that they still had much to be concerned about.
Peter bit his lip, quietly slipping back into his bedroom as he flopped onto his blankets. As he stared at the ceiling, he began to speak to himself quietly.
"It's not fair…" He said before sitting up, hugging his knees and resting his head on them. "I don't want to grow up. Responsibilities… work, obligations… I'm not ready for all that. I just want to fly free like a bird." He smiled lightly then. "I can go where I want, do what I want, explore the world… nothing tying me down, just me and the clothes on my back." His smile faded lightly, glancing out the window once more. "Why can't I just stay a kid forever?" The question lingered in his mind as he resolved to just try and get some sleep, throwing the blankets over his head as he concealed his vision in darkness. Soon, as it enveloped him, he drifted into his dreams as he slumbered.
Alright, going to stop this here for tonight! So, what do you all think about this story so far? Please leave a review with your thoughts! Until next time, thank you for reading!