AN: Hello, everyone! Hope this chapter is enjoyable and exciting!
Music: "Let Me Make You Proud" from Tangled the Series
NOTES!: "I am not the Ghost that haunted me."
Chapter 25: Let Me Make You Proud
The rush of the wind was a familiar feeling. One that was easy to process and didn't require him to think much. Up in the air, he felt light. Free.
The Arendelle skies had a distinct chill that came with the more northern kingdom, but the sun shone bright and the clouds were white and fluffy. The wind was with them, giving their ships below a faster pace than they were hoping for. Hookfang and Stormfly flanked Toothless on either side, flying in tight formation.
Talia had managed to convince the Council to allow two more dragons for the efforts against the Arendelle siege. It wasn't much, but it was a small victory, and Hiccup would work with what he was given. He knew there was a lot riding on this quest and his performance during it. A lot of really important people would be watching close, so it was up to him to make sure they proved the Royal Council's alliance with them was worth it.
Not only that, but deeper in his heart, Hiccup could admit to himself that he was hoping he could prove himself, too. If he did well, and continued to do so, maybe... Well, there were a lot of 'maybe's, and he really shouldn't have been dwelling on them.
He shook his head and peered over Toothless's shoulder. "We're about five minutes out. Once we get there, we'll focus our fire power on the ground forces. Our reinforcements won't come until after Silver and the others break through the blockade around the port."
"What about the Ice Queen? Won't she want to take part in the ground assault?" Toothless asked, looking down at Silver's ship, which was acting as their flagship for this quest.
"Elsa is going to use her powers to help the others on the water. We'll have the assistance of Princess Anna. I believe she favors a sword." Hiccup informed him.
"As long as she doesn't use it on one of us." Stormfly quipped from their right.
"These humans think they're the only ones with cause to be suspicious." Hookfang snorted in agreement.
"Just try to play nice, okay? There's a lot riding on this." Hiccup told them, but he didn't try to correct them.
"I can see the coast." Toothless interrupted the chatter, his neck stretched slightly as he squinted through the clouds.
Hiccup reached down to get his mini telescope from the saddlebag. Peering through, he could see the lineup of ships forming a half-circle around the city's port. "Right," Hiccup nodded, giving the signal for Stormfly and Hookfang to circle before tapping on Toothless's shoulder. "Let's go check in with her Majesty and make sure we're set to get this started."
Toothless gave a snort as he twisted into a downward spiral. They leveled out among the ships, gliding along until they reached the flagship. The fleet was mostly Pirate ships, but there were three ships with full crews provided by Corona, and it was one of these ships that sailed at the front of the formation. Once they were at the front of the lead ship, where Queen Elsa stood looking out towards Arendelle, Toothless perched himself on the railing. Hiccup removed his helmet and looked towards Elsa.
"The enemy is within sight. Have we settled on a plan of attack?" Hiccup inquired, looking between Elsa and the Captain of the Corona Guard.
"I'm not as proficient at raising winds as Jack. I'm not sure I can bring all of the ships into port fast enough to allow you that surprise attack." Elsa confessed, finally tearing her eyes away from the horizon to look at him with a worried expression.
"Separating the ships to come in waves may work to our advantage." Hiccup pointed out.
"He's right." The Captain admitted with only a little discomfort, it seemed. "A surprise attack followed by two waves of ships is probably the most effective strategy we have. How many ships do you think you can move?"
Elsa chewed her lip as she looked back at the rest of the ships. "I think about half... I can also help the second wave come in faster, but it will take all of my concentration. I won't be able to fight and someone will have to guard my back."
"I'll get my finest on it, your Majesty." The Captain bowed with determination etched onto his face.
"Great. So if it's all settled, shall I start us off?" Hiccup looked to Elsa for the order, and she nodded.
"Begin the attack."
Hiccup felt Toothless's muscles shift and curl as he eased back onto his haunches, so he slid his helmet on and pressed close to his back. They took off, shooting into the air and climbing up to where Stormfly and Hookfang were circling the ships above. They eased into the circle and then straightened, the others following.
"It's about time. I was getting dizzy." Hookfang grumbled.
"What is the plan?" Stormfly asked, ignoring the Monstrous Nightmare.
"We have our surprise attack. Toothless and I will go in low and fast. You two follow behind and come down from above, got it?" Hiccup looked at each of them and received affirmative battle growls from both. Hiccup turned forward again and leaned over, placing his left hand on Toothless's head. "Let's go, bud."
Toothless gave a large push with his wings, tilting his head up and arching them into massive loop. At the end of their loop, the pair dove towards the sea, gaining speed. Hiccup could feel his magic pulsing in time with Toothless as they charged a single shot together. The telltale whistle rang in his ears along with his breathing and their synced heartbeats. They flew along the top of the water, their speed causing a spray of mist behind them as they quickly closed the distance between them and the blockade surrounding the port.
They fired, pulling up at the last second. It was clean and the flagship below them exploded beneath them in a giant fireball.
They spun as they shot upward, regrouping with a circle high above their archers' range. Stormfly and Hookfang appeared then, dropping down from above the clouds with roars and snarls. Stormfly used her spines and agility to take down archers and watchmen. Hookfang was fully-flamed and made sure his first targets were the sails, leaving all of the ships stranded in the water.
From their high vantage point, Hiccup spotted half of their ships rushing through the waters and out of the dense fog. Their pace was good, and as long as Elsa could bring the other ships at the same speed, they would be fine. Toothless noticed as well and glanced back at Hiccup. He nodded, and Toothless roared out, calling to the other two. Stormfly and Hookfang looked up as Toothless nodded to towards the city, flying off in that direction. The others followed, quickly replaced by the sound of screaming and shouting as the ships approached for boarding.
Hiccup silently wished Queen Elsa luck in her fight on the sea as he turned his focus to the land. Princess Anna would need their help with the ground forces. Just as he began scanning the city of the center camp of their defenses, an explosion burst up from somewhere along the wall at the edge of the city.
"Hiccup!" Toothless said.
"I see it!" Hiccup replied, and they shot off in that direction.
Finding the Princess would have to wait. A large gap had been blasted into the wall with explosives. Arendelle soldiers and armed citizens were rushing towards the opening to prevent the enemy from entering the city. It was a bloody fight; the explosion itself causing multiple casualties. With one glance, Hiccup and Toothless dove into the fight.
A smaller plasma blast cleared the opening to allow them a place to land and a massive roar that echoed up the mountain range caused the enemy to pause in their charge towards the wall. Stormfly and Hookfang fell upon the enemy, taking advantage of their hesitation, and they dark forces scrambled in their efforts to regroup. Screams and shouts went up as they tried to warn each other.
Arendelle had Dragons.
Once they had overcome all those who had already entered the city, the Arendelle forces approached the wall cautiously. Hiccup looked back at them, nodded, and then he and Toothless took off again from their guard position. One of the Arendelle soldiers called out in excitement, and their forces flooded to the opening, running out to meet the enemy and fight alongside the dragons.
Within an hour, the dark forces were falling back from their offensive positions. They disappeared into the forest and Hookfang made to give chase, but Hiccup whistled, calling him back.
"Don't get too confident. They've retreated for now. There are wounded and we should all take this time to rest." Hiccup told him as all three dragons regrouped together a little off to the side of the battlefield.
"The enemy ships have fled! Queen Elsa has freed the port!" The call went up from the top of the wall, and everyone in the city and just outside of it on the battlefield rose up with excitement and cheering.
Hiccup smiled as he took off his helmet, looking on at the freed people from his place on Toothless's back.
"The enemy is not entirely gone. There is still a battalion lurking in that forest." Stormfly pointed out as she tilted her head at the humans' antics.
"These people haven't had a victory in some time. Let them enjoy this." Toothless rumbled warmly.
"Come on," Hiccup said, unable to wipe the smile from his face. "We should go check in with her Majesty and Princess Anna."
Toothless led the way as the three dragons took off almost gently. An increase in the commotion below made Hiccup twist around to look over Toothless's shoulder. He was expecting fear and possibly hostility.
But the people were looking up at them and cheering.
"Elsa!"
The Queen, the Captain, and Hiccup all turned to look at the shout, finding the source to be Princess Anna herself. The young woman ran up to her sister, throwing her arms around her as Elsa beamed back at her.
"Anna! I'm so glad you're alright!" Elsa told her, holding her by her shoulders so she could check her over to be sure.
"It was incredible!" Anna's eyes were wide with wonder and excitement. "When the wall fell, we were certain we'd have to evacuate the south-east quarter, but then the Dragons came!..." Her eyes looked around and fell on Hiccup and Toothless.
Hiccup scratched the back of his head as Toothless looked up from his napping.
"We're just glad everything worked out well. If it weren't for her Majesty, we'd still be fighting to get the port back." Hiccup returned honestly, nodding to Elsa.
"He's right. Without her Majesty's ice magic, we wouldn't have stood a chance against their numbers and superior fire power." The Captain agreed.
"We all played a part, and I'm grateful to both of you." Elsa told them both. "Now we need to focus on fortifying the defenses. We still have a battalion looming over us."
"Getting rid of them entirely might be difficult." Kristoff said as he and a reindeer walked up to stand beside Anna. "The mountain gives them the high ground and superior cover. Whenever they're in a losing position, they can just fall back to the treeline and we can't chase them. It would be suicide."
"The trees will give them some cover. Toothless and Hookfang both have wide wingspans that can make narrow flying difficult, but I think we can still help with the high ground issue." Hiccup offered, rubbing his chin as he thought.
"Let's take this discussion back to the war room at the castle. It's secure and you can all get some food." Anna suggested, gesturing with her arm.
She and Elsa lead the way to the castle. The courtyard and larger rooms such as the entry and ballroom were all being used to help house people and act as an infirmary for the medics. Tents, stores, and food stations were set up in the courtyard. Everything was fairly well organized and running smoothly, a testament to Anna's abilities as a leader and general.
The war room was relatively small compared to how grand the rest of the castle was, but it did make sense as Arendelle was not an aggressive kingdom, nor were they often attacked. The natural protection of the mountain normally worked in their favor, from what Hiccup understood of their history, but with the bulk of their military forces away to help in the war, normal patrols up the mountain had ceased.
Discussions about defensive plans and strategies went on for several hours, but eventually all they could do was wait and make sure that they were prepared. Queen Elsa insisted they all rest and eat to preserve their strength, and Hiccup wasn't going to argue because he didn't much want to explain why he wouldn't be getting any sleep for the next few days.
The battle for Arendelle continued for five days with on and off fighting all along the wall and treeline. Catapults with nets were used in an attempt to catch the dragons, but that was a technique they were used to and well trained in avoiding since their war with the Dragon Hunters. Elsa's powers proved incredibly useful in the defensive position, and she wasn't too bad at offensive either, though it didn't seem to come as naturally to her. Anna was the opposite; being quite the swordswoman herself as well as having the ability to think fast on her feet, she was very competent on the field. Several of the Pirate crews were left aboard their ships to stand guard over the port, and those that were brought to shore did their best to help the citizens in need while also fighting alongside the other soldiers. There were some tensions, especially for people such as Silver and the Captain of the Corona Guard, who were both older and set in their ways, but there were no major incidents to cause concern. In fact, there were a few moments that Hiccup would consider as bonding between the more upright soldiers and morally grey pirates.
The final battle came on the fifth day when they were finally faced by the full strength of the battalion, lead by Pitch's General, Dr. Facilier who was known for his specialties in Voodoo magics. Elsa stood at the front of their advance with Anna at her side, steady and calm despite the overwhelming amount of darkness laid out in front of her.
The clash between the mismatched troops of Arendelle and the gathered Dark Forces was intense and fast. Bone snapping force and blood flying along with the weapons that drew it. The whole field was littered in chaos, but Hiccup pushed all distractions from his mind to focus in on the enemy catapults and the archers hiding in the trees up on the mountainside.
After blasting one catapult into splinters, Toothless circled around, giving both himself and Hiccup a good view of the whole battlefield. There were multiple creatures varying from the sizes of dolls to full adult humans that were made of fabric, hay, and other materials. They were adorned in rich colors, but carried the stench and itchiness of dark magic. Following the trail they left behind, Hiccup found movement in the trees even higher up the mountain than the archers. He nudged Toothless and nodded towards it, Toothless sneezed and then snarled at the sense he was getting.
"Why do you always want to go towards the Bad Thing?" Toothless grumbled even as he angled himself at the mountain. Hiccup just rolled his eyes.
Toothless tucked his wings in close as they went in for a very quick landing. They stayed low as they scanned the area for enemies, but there was no one except a single man and a bubbling cauldron. He stood casually, leaning against his cane, and was dressed in purple finery. He tilted his hat up to reveal his eyes as he regarded them without concern.
"Ahh, I was wondering when you'd show up." Dr. Facilier drawled with a grin twisting across his face. "You know, when I contacted Pitch and told him we had a Pirate and Dragon problem, he wasn't all that surprised. In fact, he seemed pretty excited about it. Wanted me to tell you 'Welcome back'."
"Well, that's very kind of him." Hiccup replied blandly, sliding off of Toothless to stand beside him.
"I thought you might say that." Facilier shrugged, looking at his nails. "Course, I know why you're really here."
"Oh, really?" Hiccup rolled his eyes, locking equally unimpressed gazes with Toothless.
"Truly! What? You think the Guardians are the only ones who got Seers?" Facilier chuckled, flicking his wrist to reveal a fan of cards. "With these I can see your past, present, and your future."
"Yes, I'm sure you can, just like so many others." Hiccup muttered, glaring at the man.
"Of course! See, unlike anyone else, I couldn't care less if you end up with Pitch or the Guardians. I'm completely impartial." Facilier tossed his cane up with his free hand and caught it before giving a bow. "Wouldn't you like to see your future from a bias-free perspective?"
"And why, exactly, should I believe you?" Hiccup questioned.
"Well, why don't we take a sneak-peek with the first two, and then you can decide for yourself?" Facilier suggested. Hiccup crossed his arms. The Voodoo man straightened, coughed, and then drew the first card, turning it to reveal the face. "Let's see here, now... You grew up under some heavy expectations and a power you didn't understand. There was some good, but it caused you a lot of pain..."
"Are you done yet?" Hiccup wanted to know.
"Not satisfied? Well, I guess the past is pretty open to everyone." Facilier nodded and drew another card. "How about the present? You're an outcast, pirate and dragon, but now you've got the chance to prove yourself. To redeem yourself. I know why you're really here. You don't actually care much about the Guardians, except for those little friends of yours, but what you really want is to make your Daddy proud. You're desperate to fix what you broke and to prove yourself to him..."
Dr. Facilier and Hiccup stared at each other for a long moment. Finally Hiccup broke the silence.
"Yes."
"What?" Dr. Facilier straightened, giving him a confused frown.
"Do you want an award or something? Why else would I be here?" Hiccup threw his arms up in exasperation. "You know what; Toothless? Plasma Blast." Hiccup said, pointing with his hand.
Dr. Facilier panicked, backing away with his hands outstretched, but Toothless fired. The Cauldron that was providing the Voodoo soldiers and creatures shattered, and all the liquid went sloshing out onto the ground, it's magical energy dissipating almost instantly.
"No!" Facilier screamed, dropping to his knees as if he could stop it. "What have you -AHH!" Facilier twisted around to yell at them, but fell back on his ass when he came face-to-face with a less-than-pleased Toothless. Hiccup stepped up beside his twin-flame and ignited his flame sword, pointing it at the Voodoo man.
"You're finished."
Dr. Facilier screamed in terror the whole way as Toothless carried him by the scruff of his coat, high up in the air. The Dark Forces were in a full retreat, disappearing into dark portals as hundreds of their Nightmares, soldiers, Fearlings, and Voodoo dolls lay on the field, already defeated. Hiccup and Toothless swooped low, dropping Facilier into the mud at Queen Elsa's feet. The man pushed up onto his hands, looking up at the glaring Queen, and gave a weak grin through his fear.
Toothless landed on a rock not far away, and Stormfly and Hookfang landed on either side of them shortly after. The Arendelle forces were cheering again; Pirates, Corona soldiers, and the Arendelle people, all celebrating their victory together. As Dr. Facilier was shackled and taken away to the dungeon, Captain Silver called attention to Hiccup and his pack, cheering loudly. In quick fashion, all of the other fighters caught on and started cheering too. Even Queen Elsa and Princess Anna joined in.
"Hail the Dragons!"