Author's Note: *Slides into room* Heyo, all! It's Moonie here and I'm back with...you guessed it! Another edition to my one-shot collection "Sticks and Stones!" =D Thank you guys so much for the kind reviews, the favs, and follows. I'm really glad you guys are enjoy this collection so far. =D
So! This particular one-shot is one of my favorites; you'll see why as you read on. =) I love the Dragon Riders' relationship throughout HTTYD. They're unlikely friends, and they are all very different, but they're still able to work together as a team and help each other out when they need to. =)
Without further ado, here's "Friends Help Each Other." =D I hope you guys enjoy it!
Summary: The Dragon Riders are a strange group, but they're best friends. And as friends, they help each other when they need to. So, when Hiccup is crestfallen after the loss of his father, they come to comfort him. (Post HTTYD 2.)
Friends Help Each Other
The Dragon Riders were unlikely friends. Very unlikely friends. There was Astrid, who was fierce, always prepared, and never backed down in a fight. The twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who loved pranking other vikings whenever they got the chance. They never acted smart, and only did when they wanted to, but they were definitely smarter than they let on. Snotlout was brash, arrogant, and apparently, Hiccup's cousin, though the relation between the two was never clearly seen. Fishlegs was the bookish one of the group, and he knew a lot about dragons and didn't really like finding himself in perilous situations, although that was one of the main occupational hazards of being a Dragon Rider. And then there was Hiccup. The leader, the one who everyone thought would remain the lowest of the tribe of Berk, the one who people thought would never prove himself, the one who people thought couldn't do anything. The other Dragon Riders thought this too, but they were proved wrong.
Hiccup had tamed a Night Fury, being the first to show the truth about dragons to the people of Berk, and the other Riders' perspective changed on him. They started spending time with him not because he had a Night Fury, but because they were curious. They wanted to get to know Hiccup, the auburn-haired viking who tamed the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself, could make an invention with just his two hands, and knew multiple different dragon secrets that even Fishlegs didn't know.
And from that little bit of curiosity sparked a new friendship. Hiccup and the Dragon Riders found themselves on several different adventures together. They've been through a lot together, and it seemed as if they did it all. They traveled beyond the archipelago's borders, to the Great Beyond, and discovered multiple different dragon species, new islands, and encountered new people. They created a base called Dragon's Edge, where they lived on for a year studying new dragons and defending neighboring islands from Dagur, the Berserkers, Dragon Hunters, and other foes. But through all of the troubles, difficulties, and perilousness, the Dragon Riders stuck together. They were a team. They were best friends. They stuck up for each other, they defended each other, and they helped each other.
So when Hiccup began to close himself off from them, the Riders knew that he needed their help.
It started out subtly. The Dragon Riders knew how crestfallen the young chief had been after the death of his father. They were too, but Hiccup still stood strong and he led them back to Berk to save it from Drago. Hiccup managed to get Toothless back, and together, they were able to defeat Drago and his Bewilderbeast, freeing thousands of dragons and saving everyone. Afterwards, Hiccup was named chief of Berk, and the Riders were extremely happy for him.
His first duty as chief? Restoring the entire Isle of Berk. There was a lot of damage leftover. Giant spikes of ice, blocks of ice, and even small patches of it were scattered across the village, and reconstruction needed to be done. Hiccup had assigned different vikings to work on different parts of the island, and everything had been running smoothly. The Dragon Riders helped as much as they could, and all of them were pleased by how Hiccup was managing things. He was so organized and detailed. He was present for every meeting that was held at the Great Hall. And whenever Berk found itself thinking that the place would never be the same again, Hiccup was always ready with an encouraging pep talk, and everyone would return to their work. He was up early with a bright smile, greeted everyone he passed, and he overall seemed fine.
But fine didn't mean alright. Especially when it came to Hiccup. The Dragon Riders could tell that behind the cheerfulness that Hiccup was hurting. He was dejected after the loss of his father, and he had been so wrapped up in his chief work that he hadn't had any time to himself. So, instead of taking a break, he continued to push himself to work harder, even though he needed the rest. Even though he needed to take some time to himself.
Hiccup eventually did. Just not in the way the Riders wanted. He became distant, almost unresponsive whenever he was asked a question or was being talked to. He never seemed fully aware of what was going on, and he seemed less fastidious than he usually was. The Dragon Riders noticed this as time wore on, and, eventually, Hiccup missed a chief meeting.
And another.
And another.
Clearly, something was wrong. Hiccup wouldn't just leave the Berkians or his friends to figure things out for themselves. The Dragon Riders decided to go and see what was keeping Hiccup, so they walked to his house one evening and Astrid knocked at the door. She was the most concerned for Hiccup out of all of the Riders.
Valka answered the door, and she seemed relieved to see the Dragon Riders. "Hello, everyone. I'm guessing that you're looking for Hiccup."
Astrid nodded. "We are. It's been a while since we last saw him. We want to help him out."
"Maybe we can go race somewhere around Dragon Island or something," said Tuffnut.
"That doesn't sound half bad," commented Fishlegs.
Valka sighed. "Unfortunately, Hiccup isn't here. He's been leaving quite frequently to 'get some air' as he puts it. I've tried looking for him, but I never find him."
Being closest to Hiccup proved to be great for Astrid. She knew all of Hiccup's favorite places on Berk, including the ones where he liked to go and think. He had shown her the places after all, and they usually landed there after their flights or races with each other.
"I think I might know where he is," said Astrid. Valka brightened at that note. "We'll go and talk to him."
Hiccup's mother nodded. "Thank you. I wish you luck in getting to him."
"Oh, we will," Snotlout said.
"We're very convincing," Ruffnut added.
The Dragon Riders left the Haddock hut and followed Astrid through Berk, leading them towards the forestry area of Raven Point. As she trudged through the trees, the Riders kept asking different questions, mainly about what they were going to do about Hiccup.
"He's obviously still upset about…you know what," said Snotlout.
"He needs to take a break," Astrid said. She kicked a stone out of her path and continued to walk. "But he's so boar-headed, I don't think that he will unless we tell him to."
Tuffnut shrugged. "I mean, that's Hiccup."
"Stubborn, boar-headed, stubborn," said Ruffnut.
The Dragon Riders continued to walk through the forest of Raven Point and eventually came to where the trees stopped and opened up to a clear cliffside. Hiccup had brought Astrid there multiple times, and it had a clear, perfect view of Berk. Astrid loved the soft, warm breeze that blew through there, and she had talked to Hiccup about possibly having a picnic there sometime whenever he wasn't too busy.
Astrid looked around and spotted the familiar figure of Hiccup sitting down in the grass, looking out toward the village. Repairs were still being made, spikes of ice were still littering the area, but the place had definitely improved since the battle with Drago Bludvist.
The Dragon Riders were about to walk up to him, but Astrid made them pause.
"Let me go first," she whispered. Then, she walked toward Hiccup, ignoring the "Seriouslys?" and "Hey, we're his friends too you know!" from Snotlout and the twins.
Astrid approached Hiccup slowly. She knew that he knew that she was already there. That was the wonderful thing about Hiccup and Astrid's bond. They seemed to know when the other was nearby. They knew what the other was feeling just by looking at each other. And even though Astrid couldn't see Hiccup's face, she could tell that he was deeply sad.
The Hofferson took her place at Hiccup side and sat down. The auburn-haired viking didn't make any sign that acknowledged her. He didn't say anything. He didn't do anything. He just sat down, staring into the distance with his legs crisscrossed. Astrid looked to his side, and then toward the village of Berk. She didn't know what to say, so she started with what she would say upon seeing Hiccup.
"Hey," Astrid said softly. She placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder and continued. "The others and I haven't seen you in a while. We miss you. I miss you."
Hiccup looked down. "I…Sorry…"
"You don't have to apologize, Hiccup," said Astrid. "We're all just…concerned. Valka is too." Astrid scooched closer to Hiccup and placed her other hand on his chest, feeling the rhythmic beat of his heart. "What's going on, Dragon Boy?"
"Nothing's wrong," said Hiccup, almost emotionlessly.
"Yes, something is wrong," Astrid said firmly, but caringly. "You've been holding so much inside of you, Hiccup."
"And it's not healthy," said Tuffnut from behind, Hiccup whirled around and saw the others. Instead of getting upset with her friends, she sent them a short glare that said: "I thought I told you guys to wait."
"Sorry, Astrid," Snotlout said out loud, although he didn't sound the least bit sorry. "But we're not going to wait around forever when Hiccup clearly needs help."
"I don't need any help," said Hiccup. He turned to Astrid. "I'm completely fine. You guys can leave."
Ruffnut shook her head. "Drop the act, Hiccup. We know you're lying."
"I'm not!" exclaimed Hiccup.
"Not helping, Ruffnut," hissed Astrid.
"Excuse me but I was taught in my household that lying is bad," said Ruffnut as she crossed her arms. "And I think that Hiccup here needs to admit what he's really feeling."
"But that's not how you're supposed to—"
"Hiccup, what's wrong?" asked Tuffnut.
Hiccup turned away from his friends and didn't respond.
"Guys, seriously, this isn't a joke," said Astrid with a frown.
Fishlegs agreed with her. "Yeah. This is something that needs to be taken seriously."
"We're not joking around," said Tuffnut. "We're trying to help."
"You guys aren't helping," Sntolout stated.
"How do you know?" asked Ruffnut. "I think we're getting somewhere."
Astrid rolled her eyes and she turned to Hiccup and said, "Hiccup, we know that you're upset after what happened with your father and…we just want to help you."
"I'm fine," Hiccup said.
"No, you're not," said Ruffnut blatantly. "Come on and admit it, Hiccup."
"Yeah, we know you're lying," said Tuffnut.
Hiccup stood up suddenly and yelled, "What do you want me to say? That I'm not fine and that I'm still upset about something that happened months ago?! That I'm not okay and that I'm exhausted from all of the chief work that I've been doing?! Fine! I'm not okay! I'm still mourning over my dad's death and I'm NOT FINE!"
Hiccup shakily sat back down and hung his head. "I-I lost my dad. And now I'm expected to suddenly take his place and take over everything and…" The young chief sniffed. "I miss my dad…" Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut to stop the tears from falling.
The other Dragon Riders had never seen Hiccup in such a state. They had never seen their friend—their best friend—so broken, so lost, and so alone. Hiccup was usually the one who stayed optimistic. He was the one who gave them encouragement wherever they were down. Seeing him in such a morose state made them feel awful and even more compelled to help their friend.
Each of the Dragon Riders took their place next to Hiccup. The young chief didn't even say anything as they scooched closer to him. Astrid started first.
"Hiccup…we know you're hurting. We've seen it since the beginning," she said softly. "And we know that without your dad…without Stoick…it's hard."
"You're not the only one who misses him," Snotlout said. "I kind of miss how he'd yell at me to stop doing something stupid."
"I miss how he'd catch Ruff and I in almost every single Loki we tried to pull on him," Tuffnut admitted.
Ruffnut nodded. "He was the only person we could never Loki…" she said wistfully.
"And I miss how he'd sometimes ask me for dragon facts. The fact that I actually could teach the chief something new felt really amazing," conceded Fishlegs.
"And Stoick gave the best advice," Astrid added. "If it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't have started the auxiliary team back while we were still living on Dragon's Edge." The Hofferson grasped Hiccup's hand. "Stoick was a great, amazing person, and we all miss him, and nothing is going to replace that empty space in you, but time heals, Hiccup. Soon, you'll be feeling better. Just take your time—"
"Ask for help," added Fishlegs.
"And we're right here if you want to talk," Astrid finished.
Hiccup didn't know what to say. Here his friends were, giving him encouragement when he was supposed to be encouraging them. He knew how important a team was. He knew how important friends were, but he never thought that his friends would come as far as to comfort him when he was at his lowest point. Hiccup had known that his friends were loyal but this? This was something that he never expected.
Hiccup didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do, but silence didn't seem as mournful as it had before. It seemed…right. Yes, it did still seem sad, and Hiccup still missed his father, but with his friends…
He didn't have to go through his sadness alone.
No one said anything, but Hiccup could tell that they were there for him. So, there they sat in silence. They needn't say a word.
Because best friends don't need to.