Anything Is Possible

Rated: M
Pairing: Hiccup & OC-Runa
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the HTTYD or Frozen characters. Everything belongs to its original creator. However, I do own all my characters.

Chapter 23.

=Normal POV=
[November 11; Night]
[Hunter Ship; Sea]

Viggo, Ryker, and the rest of the hunters that were gathered up together just sat there in silence and a bit of surprise after Hiccup said that not only had he learned to control his emotions at the young age of three but that it was his father who made him, to avoid the village finding out that Hiccup was indeed much more different than what they saw. Hiccup revealed this information to the hunters, adding in that Stoick didn't want anyone to learn the truth, or the tribe would turn on Hiccup, and probably him too. Hiccup was forced to hide his powers, his very emotions, all for the sake of saving Stoick's job as chief of the Hooligans. Not a single one of the hunters agreed with this because Hiccup was the one who suffered all these years.

"You're saying that your father cared more about his image as chief than being there for you?" Ryker finally broke the silence.

"Cared? No, still cares. Like I said, my father hasn't been my father since my mom died." Hiccup shrugged. "He died with her, or at least his spirit did. All that's left is just a hollow shell of who he used to be."

"So only a few people knew about your abilities then, up until last January?" Viggo questioned as Hiccup nodded to him.

"Dad, Gobber, Gothi, and me." Hiccup replied. "And only Gobber because he translates Gothi's runes since she doesn't talk. Never has as far as I know," He added.

"And Gothi, she is the healer?" Olga asked.

"And Hooligan tribe elder," Hiccup confirmed. "Always has been, even before I was born. Little old lady, she probably stands about my waist in height and carries around a staff, which is usually used to hit Gobber when he mistranslates her messages."

"So your father thought to bring you to her when you were younger and see if she could…What? Figure out why? Stop it?" A hunter inquired.

"Not sure. I don't remember much of the night, just that Gothi told my dad she couldn't take them away from me because she didn't have the power to, and it wasn't her place either. Dad only expressed that I was just a kid, and there was no telling what I could do if my abilities got out of control," Hiccup replied. "Gothi gave him herbs to make some tea that would keep me calm, and I guess put my powers to sleep? That's if I recall it how Gobber explained things. But Gothi advised that it wouldn't work forever, and eventually, I'd have to learn how to control them myself."

"Your father dismissed all of that, didn't he?" Viggo asked.

"Yep." Hiccup nodded. "From ages three to six, Dad just had me drink the tea and told me that I had to control my emotions. It was deemed by Gothi and Gobber that my powers seemed to spark up based on emotion, so dad figured if I could get a handle on that, it would fine. So he'd spend what little time we were together in the morning or after dinner before bed training me to catch my emotions and retake control." He explained.

"And when you were six, you started training yourself to control your emotions by keeping focused on learning how to be a blacksmith. Then as time passed with you getting older, it became easier for you to maintain control of your emotions as you had so much practice in minding your own and ignoring what others said." Ryker assumed.

"That's the short way of saying it, yes." Hiccup nodded.

"But with everything that has taken place since your return to Berk after the battle, it's harder to stay in control, isn't it?" Viggo stated.

"Only when everything starts coming up at the same time. Emotional overload, no time to sit with things and work through them," Hiccup responded. "It's not that I don't feel the anger or hurt of what happened, but given the severity of situations where the emotions stem from, it's just too much at once, and I have to catch and control it, or bad things happen."

"Alright, everything makes sense why you seemingly forgot conversations and why you have the ridiculous control you do…But there's still one thing we don't get," A hunter began as Hiccup looked at him to go ahead. "If you…Have this much control, that your dad insisted and made you learn…Why wouldn't he tell the tribe you have the powers under control? I get not when you're still a child, but older, like now?"

"I assume it's something to do with why he hid it in the first place; he didn't want anyone knowing how different I am. Me learning how to control my emotions to keep my powers in check wasn't for the sake of making sure I didn't lose control of them, it was him wanting me to keep them hidden completely, forever, going about life as if I didn't have them." Hiccup said softly.

"Do you think that perhaps he felt…Ashamed of having a child who somehow obtained…Magical abilities?" Ryker asked.

"I know that's what it is," Hiccup muttered. "My dad used to scare me as a child that if I didn't learn to control my emotions, the village would hate me, and there wouldn't be anything he could do to stop them from throwing me off the island. Somewhere in all that I taught myself don't feel, don't let it show, and don't lose control."

"Oh, so that's where that came from?" Viggo blinked.

"What do you mean?" Hiccup arched a brow.

"The night at the tavern when Viggo was trying to get you not to fade out, you kept saying don't feel. Right as you calmed down, you said that line and opened your eyes. We didn't know what it meant," Ryker informed.

"It's the line I created to keep me grounded, sort of an anchor to regain control if it's one of those times where there's a distraction keeping me from focusing on shutting everything off. If that makes any sense?" Hiccup stated.

"It does. Your words act like a meditation mantra, something to ground your focus to get control back." Viggo smiled as Hiccup nodded to him. "Very clever, Hiccup,"

"If it won't completely tick you off and risk your abilities sparking…How did Berk find out?" Someone wondered cautiously.

"I got scared and lost control," Hiccup admitted. Hearing the silence, he assumed it meant they wanted to hear more. "It was the week before I chose to leave…It was right after lunch, so everyone was exiting the hall and in the village center. Toothless and I were going to go flying, then join Gobber in the forge. Astrid said she had to head home to help her mom with something, so we said we'd meet up for dinner later on. She headed one way, I went the other," Hiccup looked into the fire now, but not zoning off, just remembering that day. "Out of nowhere, someone carrying a load of logs with their dragon wasn't paying attention…"

"They crashed, logs fell and hit Gobber's cart of weapons we were going to work on. Weapons went flying up and then came down…" Hiccup continued. "It was right over Astrid, and she just froze. I got scared, ran in front of her, and I don't know what possessed me to do it, but I threw my hands up like it would do anything useful…I had my eyes closed, but realized the weapons never hit us. All I heard were people gasping in fear or shock, asking what was this. When I looked, there was this white, but see-through dome over Astrid and me. The weapons had fallen outside it." He sort of looked at his hands.

"Astrid asked me what I did, and I snapped out of whatever daze I was in. It was like a surprise and confusion kind of state, but with the quick response I have to catch my emotions, I was able to relax. I lowered my hands, and the dome opened at the top, slowly falling, and like pulling in a fishing line, the white power returned to my hands just before I left them at my sides," Hiccup looked up, seeing the intrigued and still curious faces of the hunters.

"And…Your father's reaction?" Ryker wondered.

"Terrified, angry, but covered it with shock, like everyone else. I tried to apologize, but he just told me to get to the house and ordered Gobber to make sure I got there. Gobber told me not to worry because he was sure my dad was only shocked at what happened since not even we'd seen a…What's the word? A colorful manifestation of my powers? Yeah, we'll go with that. Dad came home that night and told me everything was fine, and people just had to adjust and would be fine when they saw I could control it…" Hiccup replied softly.

"Only you couldn't, could you?" Viggo questioned in a gentle, calm tone. Hiccup shook his head. "You were taught to control your emotions so your abilities wouldn't just spark up, but you were never taught to control the power itself." Hiccup nodded.

"And the older you got, the stronger your powers got?" Olga asked.

"Yeah," Hiccup said.

"So…What happened? Obviously, they didn't just adjust?" A hunter pushed.

"No, they didn't. Either people were afraid or angry. That whole week, they were purposely putting me in situations to test my control. Some things ended up broken, and some ended up destroyed completely. Pretty sure that someone made a remark that I caused more destruction with my powers than the dragons ever did while raiding…" Hiccup looked down a bit. "During the day before I left, it was nothing but people staying clear or throwing me dirty looks, some saying that I was cursed. It was the not-so-subtle hint I picked up that they didn't want me there anymore. Snotlout, Fishlegs, the twins, and Astrid were some of the last to abandon me, and it's because I lost control again."

"In fear?" Someone said.

Hiccup shook his head, closing his eyes. "In anger about how everyone was treating me. Yeah, maybe I didn't have control over my powers, but was that my fault? It was dad who put it in my head to hide everything. Gothi told him through Gobber, and Gobber himself told my dad that I shouldn't be suppressing the power because the longer it went without being worked with, the stronger it would get and eventually find another way out even with all the training to keep my emotions controlled. Dad never cared; he just wanted it hidden from the tribe…" He huffed.

"It wasn't your fault. Absolutely not, Hiccup. Your elder and mentor were completely right; you should have been training to mind your emotions and also work with your powers. Learning everything you can do, how to activate them, and to control the amount released, and how to live a somewhat normal life." Viggo informed.

"Your father is an idiot…" Ryker scoffed. "What did he think was going to happen if all you did was keep it contained? It was growing raw power. And it reacts to your emotions…It's not destructive, or at least it wasn't until that tribe was purposely setting up situations to make it so. Hiccup, you put up some kind of forcefield to protect Astrid when you were scared she was going to get hurt or killed. All you did was protect her, and your powers responded to that desire to keep her safe, and you were able to call them back by calming down." He explained.

"I believe what Ryker is saying is that you have more control than you think you do, at least in some situations. I'm sure with more practice; it could become all kinds. But anyway, your story…What happened with the riders?" Viggo insisted Hiccup continue.

"Well, I knew they were hesitant to be around me…I felt it, but they were trying to be supportive, I guess…Not sure what to call it. They just kept saying it'll be okay when you can control it. It will be fine if you can get control and push it down. Don't use them, just be normal like the rest of us…" Hiccup opened his eyes and was staring into the flames again. "I was so sick of hearing the same thing I had all my life. Be in control, Hiccup. Just hide it. Be normal. Be like us…I just got mad. I got angry that all anyone wanted me to do was not be myself. Not want me to be who I am. I get the powers thing is scary, but try living with it. No matter how much I didn't ask for this; it's part of me and who I am…And nobody wanted me to be me…"

"You had the right to be angry and upset that nobody was accepting you," Ryker reminded. "What happened when you got mad?"

Hiccup didn't answer right away. "I…Hurt them, by accident," He finally said. "Nothing life-threatening or with weapons. I yelled at them that I'd never be normal, that I'd never be like them, and if anyone actually cared, they'd be here, supporting me, instead of trying to change me into something I never was and never will be. Somewhere between that and telling them that I was sick of everyone being on my back about something I had no control over happening to me and wanted just five minutes to be able to breathe, think, and maybe go flying…" He trailed off a moment. "My powers reacted wanting people to leave me be, and wanting silence…I don't even know what it was; it was like some invisible force shoved them away from me…"

"Like a strong gust of wind?" Someone asked.

"Wasn't wind, I don't think at least. I didn't even realize what happened until I heard them groaning in pain and people whispering that I actually attacked them…" Hiccup said. "When I opened my eyes, fear replaced the anger…Whatever force pushed them away from me sent them pretty far. The twins, Fishlegs and Snotlout only slid on their backs. Astrid got pushed into a torch pole…And knocked unconscious. She was only out for less than thirty seconds, started waking up as I got scared and took off on Toothless after apologizing and saying I didn't mean it."

"You said this was the day before you left…So what took place between that and you leaving?" Hauk questioned.

"I beat myself up for a while, went back to the house. Dad told me Astrid was fine, probably a little bruising on her back. No blood or broken bones. I told him it was an accident, he said he understood and to just relax while he went to handle a few things before the night was over. I didn't really want to go back out in the village anyway, so I just sat around for a couple or hours. Eventually, Astrid showed up. First thing I did was apologize again, she said it was fine and no big deal, but then added we had to talk." Hiccup started.

"Is this when she left you?" Ryker asked.

Hiccup looked at him with a did you just ask me what face, then sighed and nodded. "She said we couldn't be together anymore, that her parents didn't feel would be safe with me, so we had to break up. She said we weren't lovers, and wouldn't be friends either; just teammates if the dragons riders had a job to do. I knew it was a lie; I felt it. I tried to step closer and she backed up. She wouldn't even look at me; that's how I knew she was lying about her parents making her leave me," Hiccup said gently. "I asked her right out if she was leaving because she was afraid of me, she never answered. She said goodbye and took off on Stormfly."

"And after that?" Viggo pushed, hoping that all this wasn't going to shift Hiccup's mood to a bad mood. It had in the past, but this was the first of them getting a whole story.

"I saw the riders before I stepped back into the house; they just looked scared and said same for them, not being anything more than teammates as dragons riders. I watched them rush off and then got back in the house. I heard dad and Gobber talking outside the house before I walked away from the door; dad was telling him that tribe wanted me gone and would never accept me or my powers. After I heard him say that they would leave the tribe if I became their chief, I just said screw it and went upstairs to pack. I told Toothless we were leaving after everyone went to bed and weren't coming back." Hiccup shrugged. "That's what we did. Right after midnight when I knew dad was out; Toothless and I went out the window and disappeared into the night."

"That's awful…" One said, voicing their displeasure at the information.

"What I want to know…Why didn't your father say anything about you having these powers since you were little? Or Gobber, or the Elder who knew too?" A healer asked.

"Gobber and Gothi were under his orders not to say anything, so even if it was against what they believed…The chief still gave an order. As for why my dad didn't say anything…" Hiccup paused. "Same reason he hid it, as I said before. He was ashamed to be a father to the different one of the tribe. He watched the tribe turn on me after telling me it would be fine after some time. He watched them test my control that he knew I didn't have. But he didn't want anyone knowing that he knew years ago I had these powers. He didn't want to tell anyone that he's the one who made me hide them…" Hiccup looked in the fire.

"Your father didn't want what was happening to you, being rejected and abandoned, to happen to him. Your father knew he would be blamed for their lack of knowledge about the heir possessing unexplained magical abilities, and also your lack of control because he made you hide it. He made you bury your growing powers, even after being warned that it wouldn't work forever. And if that information came out to the tribe, surely they would fault your father, and likely work to have him removed as chief for his irresponsibility to you and them over his selfishness." Viggo remarked, having finished Hiccup's answer for him.

"Exactly…He was willing to throw me to the wolves, but not himself. If he'd listened to Gothi and Gobber, things could have gone differently…" Hiccup nodded.

"Very differently." Ryker agreed. "I get controlling your emotions as your power responds to your emotional state, but hiding your powers? Suppressing them with that tea? It's no wonder they spaz out of control with the slightest slip in your emotions. You should have been learning all the things Viggo said from the start." He muttered.

"Too late to go back now and do it over. Besides…I'm kind of glad it happened," Hiccup shrugged with a slight smile. "How else would I have known that no matter what, I'd never be accepted by them. Before, and after I nearly died for them. As I said, all this showed me is that everything was fake. I stop their war, give them the life they love so much now with dragons…What more do they need me for now? All they needed was an excuse to drop the act. All they needed was for me to mess up once. All I did by leaving on my choice was to save my father the trouble of casting me out formally." He stated calmly.

"And…Are you happy to have left on your own choice rather than be forced?" Olga questioned.

"Exponentially happier, about being free, not being captured, tortured, and losing my best friend." Hiccup shrugged. "And hey, I made friends with all of you, so I'm not completely alone anymore,"

"Right on that," Viggo smiled.

"And you never will be again," Ryker added.

Hiccup nodded at them. Maybe his life wasn't perfect, but he was okay, with what he had right now. Sure, he didn't have his tribe, father, or girlfriend anymore. Hiccup also didn't have Toothless, but he had the dragon hunters as his friends, which he never figured could happen and it did. The dragon hunters understood and accepted he was different, and somehow despite all the other bad that happened, it was enough for Hiccup to keep going and not give up just yet.