I almost shot myself when I remembered I hadn't uploaded this yet, but here it is! XD

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mr. jack joe: Here's your answer! XP

Guest: Here it is! Also, the next chapter is on Friday!

Millythecatlover: ...Peeking...?

Here's chapter 38!

Enjoy!

(Last Chapter)

I looked at the ground, my body numb as I remembered those emotions running through my head back then. "Then I went home, explained what happened to my parents, and went on to continue training, mastering my skills of Martial Arts." I looked up at the sky, eyes clouded with past memories. I felt two arms wrap around my arms, and I looked down to see Akumu hugging me. She looked up and her eyes were misted. When she spoke, her voice cracked.

"I'm s-so sorry...I had to put you through that. It's my fault...If I hadn't...If I'd only..." I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close.

"Shh, it's all in the past now...Just forget about it." My voice dropped down to a whisper.

"It's all in the past."

(Present Time)

One moment I was asleep, the next Akumu was screaming, and I was standing over her with my Katana in my hands.

"REI?!" I froze for a second to register our attacker.

"ASTRID?!"

"What are you doing here?!" We both stopped and stared, then we lowered our weapons, myself sheathing mine. I saw Stormfly behind her, twisting her head to get a clear look from one eye.

"I was searching for you. *Beat* And her. Rei, what's going on? Why are you here, why is she here? How is she here?" I stepped back, not having a good enough explanation for her.

"I..." Astrid narrowed her eyes.

"...Did you...break her out...?"

"Yes, he did." Akumu stood up and placed herself on my right. I could tell she was nervous. When it came to fighting me, I had specifically been trained to fight with honor, I wouldn't metaphorically kick her below the belt. Vikings in general? ...Yeah... Plus? I had only been training for a few years, meaning I wasn't as fully capable as the masters of the Arts. Vikings, on the other hand? They generally train all of their lives. Since she was never able to beat me, hence the both of us standing here now, she figured that she would have trouble fighting against an angry, axe wielding, female viking.

"Akumu, not right now..."

"Yes right now. I'm not going to put up with this random girl walking in on us."

"Wait...what?!" Astrid's eyes were huge.

Aaaaand there's the axe again...

"Astrid no! She worded that badly! Very, badly... Didn't you, Akumu...?" I quietly growled that last part. Akumu's eyes shot open and she took a step back, weakly chuckling at her mistake.

"Ahhh...Oops...?" I turned my attention back to the sharp object ready to lob my head off.

"Astrid, drop the axe."

"What?! But she tried to kill you! How, and why are you sleeping in the middle of the woods with her?!" She hefted the axe, and I stepped in between the two women, slightly spreading my arms out to the side.

"Just! Stop. Astrid, this situation is far beyond what you could understand right now-"

"So. Make. It. Clear." I sighed in frustration.

"Fine! Just, put the axe away..." Astrid's gaze was flicking back and forth between us. She sighed, and dug one blade into the ground, leaning on the handle.

"Explain..." So I did. I told her most of what happened last night. (You! Yes you! Get yo mind outta the freakin' gutter! I meant I didn't say anything about Akumu. Crying. *muttering quietly* Ya sick pervert...)I was trying to ignore the fact that Astrid looked ready to kill me at any point.

"...And that's when I woke up to an axe in my face."

"...So, you broke her out of jail...so you could go home...?"

"That's about it, yes."

"But why? I thought we were going to figure this whole thing out together. You were just going to leave? What about Hiccup? What about me? The other riders or the rest of Berk?! What about Sting and Tesla-!"

"ENOUGH!" My words echoed across the clearing as I shouted at the ground. The small birds that had been nearby went silent. Akumu put her hand on my shoulder.

"Rei...?" I gently shrugged her off. There was a pained look on my face as I met Astrid's eyes. It took me a moment to gather myself so I could speak.

"...You want to know why, Astrid...? You want to know why, I'm just leaving everything? Because I couldn't make myself leave if I had to say goodbye. They were always too painful for me," I stated matter-of-factly, "I'd stay here because I wouldn't be able to stand seeing everyone else's crushed faces. I can already see them now! Knowing they never got say their last words to me, it would tear me apart Astrid!" I tore my eyes away, glaring at the ground. We were all silent for a few minutes.

"...I. I didn't know you felt that way..." I weakly scoffed, not wanting to meet her gaze.

"That's because you don't know me..."

"What are you talking about? Of course I know you! You're kind! You're brave! You'r-"

"Stop it. Eret already tried that with me. It won't work."

"What won't work?"

"You're trying to make me out to be some hero, well I'm not."

"I never said that." Astrid folded her arms. "I'm only saying what I know about you."

"Which, to be blunt, isn't that much."

"Rei! Stop being stubborn!"

"I'm not. I'm being honest."

"How is tearing into yourself being honest?!" The exasperation in her voice would have made me cringe normally, but right now it only made me frown deeper.

"Because it's what I've needed to hear for a long time!" I snapped my vision up to meet hers for a split second, then jerked away again.

"How-WHAT?! How does that make any sense?!" Akumu stepped forward, interjecting. I turned and walked away by a few steps, not quite out of hearing range. Akumu talked in a calm voice while Astrid silently seethed at the both of us.

"Astrid right? I don't know about you, but I've known Rei for years now. He's always putting on a mask, keeping himself in check. He's never really let anyone get too close to him, afraid he's going to hurt them, or vise versa. Now that he's met all of you, his heart has opened to outsiders for the first time in a long time, and it's made it all the more painful, knowing he has to leave...and never see you again."

"...He doesn't have any friends...?" Her shock was very evident, but not unexpected.

"Only a select few. Because he was afraid for and of them. Afraid of the heart break they could accomplish if they got too close to each other..."

"So he cut himself off from the world...to protect his loved ones..." Akumu solemnly nodded.

"He hid everyone he cared about. Not interacting with them unless needed. That's how he lived for the past two years." I noticed Astrid lift her head as a thought crossed her mind.

"...Wait...He said you've been trying to kill him for two years." My eyes widened.

No...Astrid, stop. You're only going to make things worse!

"...It was you..." My head snapped over, not caring if she knew I'd heard. "You're the one who did this to him...aren't you?" The fire in her eyes was burning hot enough that I could practically feel it from here. Akumu almost flinched, but held back. Her head dropped down slightly, and her face pinched in a harsh grimace.

"Yes. It was me. I'm the one who made Rei bury his emotions...I'm the one who made him cower anytime someone tried to talk to him. It's my. Fault." No one moved for a solid minute. Then Astrid kicked her axe up out of the ground and swung.

"NO!" I didn't remember even moving, but next thing I know, I've got my sword out, deflecting the axe.

"What are you doing?! She ruined your life Rei!" She spun to do a back-hand sweep, trying to get around me.

"Stop it!" I maneuvered over and knocked her axe into the ground, sinking the blade into the dirt. Astrid took a step away from her currently useless weapon, the fire still burning hot in her eyes.

"She made you miserable! She made you lifeless! How can you just stand there and protect her?!"

"Because I've had my revenge!" I stood tall between the two women.

"How is protecting her revenge?! Are you hearing yourself right now?!" I stood there staring at her, "Answer me!"

"You want to know why?! Why I'm doing any and all of this?!" I stabbed my sword into the ground on the last statement, shouting out.

"Yes! Now TELL me!"

"..." I was seething, not wanting to say it.

"ANSWER ME!" Something snapped, and the flood gates opened. Every emotion: anger, frustration, hate, all of it pouring out into four very loud words.

"BECAUSE I KILLED HER!"

I know, I know, all of us know this already. But Astrid sure as heck didn't. Is it sad that I can see her face at that moment? Probably...anyways...Sorry if I miss any reviews form the day of upload, but I'll get them next chapter!

~Silverleone