Chapter Twenty-Five
A/N: A more Hiccup/family-centric chapter. Because we haven't had enough of that lately! My fluff status is no longer at sufficient level... XD
Austri... Aragwen sighs in relief, her eyes fluttering shut. She marvels at the feeling of her limbs becoming numb, her mind clouding over. She should be mad... Austri...her Austri...has just killed her... But... She never was able to stay mad at him for very long. And as the last of her thoughts finally fade away into darkness, her lips are tugged into the smallest of smiles.
Everyone feels frozen. Even Stoick and Toothless have stopped struggling long enough to stare as their worst enemy sinks to the ground, a knife buried in her stomach.
Austri's breaths falter for a moment, his knees feeling weak. He attempts to disguise it by kneeling beside her. He gazes at his love's pale face and brushes a hand across her cheek, closing his eyes.
"Father..." Hinrik whispers, his voice sounding tight.
"I'm sorry, Hinrik." He replies, softly. "For everything. It wasn't fair what you had to go through and I can't apologize enough."
His son only stands behind him, his arms folded over his chest, an oddly sad expression on his face. "It's okay..." He assures him. "I don't blame you..."
Austri nods, finally drawing his hand away from Aragwen's cheek. Already, her skin is going cold. "You're a good boy, Hinrik. And, for what it's worth, I'm proud of you." With that, he stands back up and casts a tiny smile to him. "But there is one more thing I need to ask of you...just one more thing."
"What is it?" Hinrik wonders.
"I want you to destroy the Contract." He says. "If you don't, a part of her soul will remain on earth...and that means she'll always have a chance of coming back here and haunting you even further."
Astrid shivers at the thought of her returning again. But there's something else that's even more disturbing to her at the moment... Austri is still in Hiccup's body. And Hiccup doesn't seem to fighting back... What is he doing? Is he really...gone?
"I will, Father. That's what we were planning to do in the first place."
"Good." Austri nods and glances back to Aragwen. "Then...I suppose it's time for me to go. I wouldn't want to keep her waiting any longer than I already have." He smirks a little and shakes his head. Then, lifting up one of Hiccup's hands, he frowns. "Stoick, is it?"
Stoick tenses, his expression drifting between one of anger and suspicion. "Yes."
"Hiccup is still alive, for now, but his body is growing weak. Take care of him, Stoick...you don't want to know what it's like to lose your child." And with that, he shuts his eyes once more. There's a pulse of energy in the cave, like static electricity in the air, a wave of cold wind...
And then Hiccup's knees buckle and he sinks to the floor with a weak moan.
All the feeling stabs back through Stoick's limbs as soon as Austri is gone. He and Astrid double over, the breath knocked out of them at the sudden rush of feeling. Toothless whines in pain and flops onto his belly while Astrid grinds her teeth together and kneels on the floor, trying to even her sporadic breaths.
But Stoick remains standing, his eyes locked on his son. "Hiccup..." He gasps, staggering forward to reach him. He flops onto the floor beside the unconscious boy and gently scoops him into his arms, turning him back over so his face is upright once again. "Son..." He whispers sorrowfully, noting the pale coolness of his skin and the dark shadows under his eyes.
Astrid clutches her aching ribcage and looks up, still struggling to regain her composure. She grimaces at the sight of her friend, pale and motionless in his father's arms. With a shaking breath, she lowers her eyes. Please gods...please let him be okay...!
And it seems, for once, the gods are listening. Because at that moment, Hiccup's brow furrows a little. He parts his ashen lips and takes a ragged breath, eyes fluttering open. With confusion, he realizes he's no longer at home in his bed. Nor paralyzed in a chair, awaiting the Dark One to take over.
He's laying in his father's arms, feeling exhausted and weak. But...miraculously...alive. "D-Dad...?" He whispers, even his voice box feeling incredibly tired.
Stoick's eyes snap open again and he stares at Hiccup as if in shock. For a long time, he doesn't say anything. And in that time, Hiccup's eyes trail down to the stain on red on his father's tunic. His face screws into a frown.
"Sorry...about that..." He mumbles, nodding to the stab wound. "I didn't...mean to..."
Astrid smiles in relief, finally managing to pull herself to her feet. She looks over at Toothless, who is watching the scene before him with a satisfied look on his face. His tail slowly sweeps back and forth across the floor like a pleased dog. But he doesn't interrupt their moment. Instead, the Night Fury looks back at Astrid and coos quietly at her. She smirks and pats his head, whispering, "I'm glad too... It's finally over."
"Hiccup..." Stoick says, his voice trembling a bit. If his son didn't know better, he'd think he sees tears brimming in his father's eyes. Stoick smiles at him and, without warning, yanks Hiccup against his chest, wrapping him in the tightest embrace he's ever felt. "Thank gods..." He breathes. "Thank gods you're alright..."
Hiccup chuckles weakly, vaguely wondering what happened. He can't remember a thing after Aragwen started drawing those marks on him... And suddenly, Hiccup's heart leaps into his throat. Where is Aragwen?!
He's about to voice is concern when a familiar, ghostly voice whispers in his ears, as gentle as breeze. "She's gone, Hiccup. Gone forever."
And with that, Hinrik holds up the Contract. It's the same scroll that had been locked up in the cabinet with Hiccup's potion. He breaks the black wax seal and lets it roll open. Then, lifting one of the many candles from a shelf, Hinrik sets fire to the Contract, watching with a cold expression as it burns away to nothing.
A/N: Wow, only one more chapter to go! Thanks so much you guys, you've been TO awesome! Thanks for bearing with me and putting up with my shenanigans through all these chapters. I love you guys :D