Chapter Thirty Eight

As bleak as the situation looked, they set out to find the best ship they could for Stoick's funeral. A shabby looking boat was sticking out of the ocean, but it would do. Hiccup and the others were desperate to provide Stoick a proper funeral, lest he never reach the halls of Valhalla. Once the ship was repaired enough and the pyre was set up, everyone stepped back as Valka placed a white cloth over Stoick's body before Hiccup placed his helmet in front of the pyre. Gobber looked at Hiccup sympathetically as he patted him on the shoulder. After having made extra arrows and grabbing the ones she had back in the Sanctuary, Aniu stood side-by-side with Hiccup and the others.

"May the Valkyries welcome you, and lead you through Odin's great battlefield, may they sing your name with love and fury, so that we may hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla… and know that you have taken your rightful place at the table of kings. For a great man has fallen. A warrior… a Chieftain… a father… a friend…"

Aniu felt tears well up in her eyes, but she tried her best to hide them. She hated crying in front of people. It made her feel more weak and useless than ever. In a situation like this, she needed to remain strong for the others. Hiccup and Aniu set the tip of their arrows on fire and aimed them at the ship. As Aniu fired her arrow, she wondered if things would have gone differently had she not been there.

Drago might not have felt the temptation to target the Sanctuary, she thought bitterly. I should have been able to stop him. Hiccup's hand had gripped hers like it was a lifeline. Aniu could feel her legs shaking with emotions.

She turned around in time to see Astrid, Valka and the others fire their arrows towards the ship that had set sail. When all the arrows had fired, they all watched as the ship was engulfed with flames. All at once, Aniu was reminded of the time when Stoick had tied her to the mast and used her as bait. That ship had set fire during the battle against the Red Death. She could still remember the stinging heat of the flames almost touching her skin, almost burning her alive. Yet she had forgiven Stoick for what he did to her.

"I'm sorry, dad…" Hiccup began to apologize, his voice quiet. Aniu found herself wondering if she would say the same thing to her own father. He had disowned her from the very moment she was born. If things had gone differently, if her mother was still alive, maybe their lives wouldn't have changed the way they had. "I'm not the Chief that you wanted me to be, and I'm not the peacekeeper I thought I was. I… don't… know…" he managed before letting out a sigh, unable to say anything else.

Valka stepped forward and brushed her hand through Hiccup's hair. The contact was so gentle and motherly. But when she spoke, Aniu could hear the pain in Valka's voice.

"You came early into this world. You were such a wee thing, so frail and fragile… I feared you wouldn't make it. But your father… he never doubted," she said as she gently placed her hand on his shoulders. "He always said you would become the strongest of them all… and he was right." And for the first time since seeing them again, Aniu was thankful she had made amends with Stoick. Despite everything that had happened, she couldn't find herself hating him. Stoick cared about his people, and his son. He had proven that many times over. "You have the heart of a Chief, and the soul of a dragon. Only you can bring our worlds together. That is who you are, son."

Aniu flinched when she felt Hiccup grab her hand and gently squeeze it. She finally locked eyes with him and saw a look of determination within them. One way or another, they would find a way to stop Drago. He would pay for killing Stoick, and for taking the dragons. Even if they died trying.

"I… ah… I was so afraid of becoming my dad… Mostly because I never thought I could. How do you become someone that great, that brave and selfless?" Hiccup asked, his voice full of regret. Aniu looked at Hiccup in surprise as he questioned his own leadership skills. "A Chief protects his own. We're going back."

"Uh, with what?" Tuffnut asked as he looked around expectantly.

"He took all the dragons," Ruffnut pointed out. Aniu's face lit up as an idea suddenly occurred to her.

"Not all of them," she reassured them. Valka's eyes widened in understanding as she led the gang towards the Sanctuary. The baby Scuttleclaws were perfect in a situation like this. Aniu was well aware that Scuttleclaws couldn't be controlled by the Alpha's call. Their innocence proved useful in a situation like this.

Everyone followed Valka back to the Sanctuary except for Hiccup and Aniu. Luckily no one objected – mostly because they knew the two would need some time to work out the situation alone. But more than that, Aniu felt responsible for what had happened to Stoick. And she felt the need to apologize now more than ever.

"Hiccup, I'm sorry," she whispered. Hiccup looked at her in surprise as she finally locked eyes with him. "None of this would have happened if I'd just stayed away… it would have been better for everyone, including the dragons." She paused as she let her apology sink in before continuing, "I'm scared, Hiccup. I've never felt more terrified than now. If anything happens to Cybele, I'll never forgive myself."

"Aniu, you have to stop blaming yourself for what happened," Hiccup replied after taking a deep breath. "What happened couldn't be stopped. I tried making peace with a madman, and I can only blame myself for that."

Aniu bit the bottom of her lip as guilt clouded her thoughts. Hiccup blamed himself for what had happened… she desperately wished there was a way to change everything that had happened. The outcome might have gone differently had that been the case.

"You know, your father always thought you had what it took to be Chief," Aniu murmured thoughtfully. "Hiccup, whatever happens, just know that I will gladly follow you into battle."

She knew the risks of going into battle. After facing the Red Death and many trappers in the past, Aniu was no stranger to it. But this time she wasn't going at it alone with Valka. Hiccup and the rest of his friends were going to fight alongside her to free the dragons, and rid the world of Drago Bludvist, once and for all.

…

Zena eyed the Scuttleclaws warily as Valka had led them to the baby dragons. Behind her she could make out the forms of Hiccup and Aniu standing on the beach, watching the remains of Stoick's pyre. She realized with a start that whatever happened from here on, Hiccup would likely follow his heart. She knew now that he loved her adopted sister, no matter how much they would both deny their feelings.

"So… I bet this is a bit of a shock for you," Astrid admitted as they awaited instructions. "I mean, we all thought she would be gone for good and…"

And she was with a Dragon Vigilante this whole time, Zena finished silently. She dared not say it out loud – Valka may seem friendly to them now, but she wasn't sure how long that would last. To top things off, riding baby dragons didn't exactly sound all that appealing to her.

"That girl is the reason my father is dead." Both Astrid and Zena looked at Eret in surprise. Ruffnut was with Snotlout and Fishlegs at the moment, admiring the fact that both Riders had rescued her from a death fall.

"That doesn't sound like Aniu," Zena snapped with a shake of her head. "She's… different, not dangerous." Eret looked over his shoulder as if to hide his disgust over the fact that Zena was standing up for her adopted sister.

"You don't know what I saw," he said under his breath, shuddering at the memories of the masked Riders who'd terrorized his father's camp.

Zena often thought of how much her sister had changed over the last twenty years. Back when she had lived on Burgus, Aniu was always picked on just for being a little different. Volstaf himself had never taken much interest in his own daughter, and her own parents had treated Aniu as if she was the local outcast. Aniu had grown up though. The dragons had taught her that while humans can't be trusted, she could put her trust in a simple few people. And she was doing just that.

She took the chance and pulled Aniu aside while Valka gave Hiccup and everyone else instructions on how to ride the baby Scuttleclaws. They were very different from adult dragons, and would need strong hands to guide them.

"What?" Aniu asked, through what sounded like gritted teeth.

"Look, I know it isn't easy for us to be working together, especially given the circumstances," Zena began after taking a deep breath. This was something she had wanted to get off her chest ever since Aniu left Berk. "Did you leave because I decided to go back to Berk with you and the others?"

This question had nagged the back of her mind since she had arrived on Berk with Hiccup and Stoick. She did feel guilty for being the one responsible for Aniu's disappearance. Judging by the look of surprise in Aniu's eyes, she wasn't expecting the question, much less had an answer for it.

"Aniu—" Zena was cut off by a glare when Aniu finally looked her in the eyes.

"You were never there for me when I needed you!" she suddenly shouted. Zena's eyes widened in shock when she heard the ferocity in Aniu's voice. Years of hurt and anger sounded within those words as she glared at Zena. "And when I finally returned, all you did was act as if you were in charge. You never once gave me a chance to take lead of my own life."

For a moment, Zena thought of arguing with Aniu's statement. Then she kept her mouth shut as she realized that Aniu was right. It was like getting punched in the gut as she thought of all the times she had ignored her adopted sister all those years ago. Back on Burgus, she was always expected to live up to the family name and hide any sympathy.

"I thought that maybe on Berk, things would finally change… maybe people would actually accept me for who I was," Aniu went on. "But the minute you show up, everyone forgets I even exist."

Zena forced back a retort at the bitterness in Aniu's voice. Clearly she had been holding this anger in for most of her life. Holding back a sigh, Zena decided it was time to make amends for everything that had happened. She knew it would take more than a simple talk to earn forgiveness from Aniu, but apologizing was a good start.

"I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness," she started, making sure she kept eye contact with her. "I was selfish, and I still am. The reason I wanted a dragon of my own was to prove to the people of Burgus that they aren't mindless beasts." Zena paused as she let this bit of information sink in, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, for not being there when you needed me the most."

Silence followed for what felt like an eternity. Zena braced herself for whatever Aniu might do to her. At this point anything was better than the deafening silence that surrounded them. What Aniu did next was something Zena never anticipated.

She was stunned when Aniu suddenly gave her a hug. Zena froze for just a brief moment before returning the gesture.

"A-Are we okay?" Zena asked hesitantly once their hug broke apart.

"Yeah… I think we are," Aniu replied, looking a bit sheepish as she backed away before glancing at the others. Zena had almost forgotten they were there until than.

"Wait a minute… are they sisters?" Tuffnut was bold enough to ask, breaking the awkward silence that followed.

"Ugh, I can't believe we're related," Ruffnut said with a roll of her eyes.

Both Zena and Aniu smirked at that remark. While they were not siblings by blood, Zena would continue looking after Aniu as if she was her sister. She made a vow that day, to stop living in her parents shadows and look after the heiress to Burgus. Even if it meant going behind the Chief's back.

AN: Only two more chapters left before this is finished! And, that confrontation between Zena and Aniu was long overdue. Thanks MMM and dracologistmaster for reviewing! They're always appreciated :)

MMM - I wouldn't necessarily say she's stronger, but, she's still human. And, dragons can't necessarily control humans. Though, she definitely felt the pull when he was controlling Cybele and Toothless.

dracologistmaster - Thanks!