AN: I'm not sorry. Enjoy!
Music: "One of Us" from The Lion King 2
NOTES!: "I have become what you never wanted to see me becoming. The Monster in me is Hunting. Either you Hide, or Fight the battle and Survive."
Chapter 32: One of Us
Everything was... good. Really good.
The alliance was holding strong and getting better with each successful mission the pirates or dragons took part in. Hiccup found himself actually enjoying his time at Hogwarts, too. The lessons with his old companions from Berk were going extremely well, and their bonds with their dragons had grown faster than Hiccup could've ever predicted. Each of them were quickly developing their own skill-sets as riders that would help them whenever they were sent out on quests, and much like when they'd been traveling together, Hiccup was thrilled to see their willingness to turn away from the old ways. To embrace dragons as potential friends and companions rather than enemies.
There were nay-sayers, of course. Mildew, especially, had much to say on the topic. Often bringing up the fact that the demon they should have cast out all those years ago was the cause of their problems now. All the things Hiccup had heard before, and while there was the ache of scars never fully healed, he was older and wiser than before. He wouldn't allow someone like Mildew to tell him who he was.
Flying made it easier. The lessons gave Hiccup an excuse to be up in the air with Toothless more often while he was at Hogwarts, and that gave him more opportunities to get his magic centered before and after fights. To calm himself and keep his magic under control. It gave him confidence that he wasn't going to lose it at any moment every time he came back from a fight.
It was that confidence and the slow, but persistent approaches from Jack, Merida, and Rapunzel, that made him feel more comfortable being around them. He didn't care anymore whether the Guardians saw them together or not, and he had found himself seeking them out once or twice in recent weeks. They spent time together. They laughed and ate together like when they were young, and it was oh-so-sweet. Eret and Talia even joined them occasionally and teased Cat with embarrassing stories, and Hiccup found himself enjoying sharing their stories and adventures, even though there were some things he just couldn't share... Not yet...
Still as Spring came forward in full-bloom, it brought with it a sense of hope that seemed to be felt throughout all of Hogwarts.
So Hiccup guessed it shouldn't be much of a surprise that somehow, some way, he ended up walking into the Council meeting late one morning beside Jack and Toothless trailing behind them trying to be sneaky. They quietly and quickly took their positions; Hiccup standing beside Talia who shot him a confused look, and Jack beside Percy and North.
Neither of them said a word.
The talks continued as normal, the pair only receiving a few weird looks, and those being mostly from Merida and Rapunzel. Things were absolutely and completely normal for about an hour.
Then Bunnymund burst into the room.
"Alright, which one of you bloody ankle-biters decided it would be funny to put hair dye in my shampoo?!" Bunny shouted, turning his all-too-familiar glare on the tables of students who were still eating breakfast. The top half of his fur-covered body had been dyed pink, and his ears were pressed back flat against his head as his vein popped out of his forehead. His eyes scanned the crowd of students, holding on a few individuals, as if trying to decide if it was them or not.
Try as he might to hold it in, Jack snorted.
"You know what, I totally forgot to feed the dragons this morning and I don't think any of us want to deal with a hungry gronkle!" Cat announced loudly, turning on his heel and pacing quickly towards the door. He could feel the heat rising up his neck as he tried desperately to hold in his own laughter.
"I'll help!" Jack cried, rushing to follow him, still chuckling. "Maybe we can build another snowman after!"
Bunny stared at them for a long moment, shock written all across his face, and then his expression twisted into a growl.
"You Frost-Bitten, Bloody Show Ponies!" Bunny lunged for them, and the pair went sprinting off, laughter bouncing off the walls of the castle.
They got caught. And they got in trouble. Had to muck out all of the stables. But it was worth it, and they laughed together the whole time. Even when Bunny had caught them and dragged them back to North and Talia, Hiccup and Jack both spotted the hint of a smile on his face. He'd missed them, too.
The best part was after they were finished in the stables, Merida and Rapunzel shared a package of Cauldron Cakes with them. Hiccup couldn't remember the last time he'd had one, let alone while laughing with his best friends. He leaned back against Toothless's side feeling Happy, and he tried not to let the thoughts of when this was all going to end bother him too much...
"I just don't think they're ready for a full quest by themselves." Hiccup said honestly before the Council. "And if this quest is so important, than I should be there anyways to ensure it's success."
"What has been the point of all this Dragon Training if you cannot even produce a capable team within the weeks you have been given?" The Prime Minister wondered in a deep drone, and Hiccup could feel his own expression starting to pinch with annoyance.
"I have been working with dragons for years now. You can't expect me to train all of that knowledge and experience into them within a couple of weeks!" Hiccup argued. "Patrols, scouting, even lesser battles they'd be able to handle just fine, but I won't risk their lives when we don't know what they're up against!"
"The lives of the men and women or the lives of your dragons?" Prince Lars wanted to know.
"Both." Hiccup shot back.
"I don't see any reason why we shouldn't allow Captain Cat to go on the quest as well. There are no quests that need his immediate attention and airing on the side of caution with these new Dragon Riders is in all our best interests." Queen Arianna spoke up reasonably.
"I agree! We wouldn't want inexperienced soldiers going to look for missing ships, why should they be any different? I say we let Captain Cat lead the quest." King Fergus agreed.
"All those in favor?" Princess Allura raised the vote, and there was a resounding chorus of "aye's". Eret smirked and Talia smiled. Hiccup gave a small roll of his eyes. Maybe they had a point about the whole 'popularity' thing.
"We'll leave within the hour." Hiccup informed them with a bow after being handed the official document for the quest.
The Royal Council had growing concerns about some Dragon Hunter ships that went missing up north somewhere off the coast of Arendelle's most northern border. Their quest was to go find the ships and figure out what caused them to lose contact. The fact that they were Viggo's men didn't help with Hiccup's suspicions over the whole thing, but he couldn't exactly voice that. Hiccup just decided to be glad that he was allowed to go with his riders on this one.
As he left the hall and turned down the corridor to go find Astrid and the others, Hiccup sensed a presence following behind him. He kept walking until he reached a quieter corner and then stopped, looking over his shoulder.
"What do you want, Viggo?" He demanded.
"A Good Afternoon to you as well, Cat." The Dragon Hunter stepped out from around the corner, revealing himself. Cat eyed him cautiously, but he only smiled pleasantly.
"Considering I'm about to go rescue some of your men, I'm not really interested in pleasantries." Cat retorted.
"Now, now. I am here as a courtesy." Viggo tutted. "I thought you might appreciate a warning about the Prime Minister's intentions."
"He wants me dead. Or worse. Not much different from a lot of other people, you included." Cat stated plainly, but he didn't leave. He was interested about what Viggo thought was so important he'd risk his neck like this.
"Oh, Cat, I've never wanted you dead! Far from it! You've a gift!" Viggo assured him with a smile. "You, yourself, are quite the fascinating subject."
"Like I said: Or worse." Cat leaned back a little, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the praise of a man who'd once tried to sell him like livestock.
"I've come to appreciate the magnificence of you and the dragons, Cat, but you'll find very few share my views. I believe the Prime Minister has managed to pay off some of my men right underneath my nose." Viggo said point-blank. "You'd best approach this quest with a bit of caution. I certainly plan to make myself scarce should there be any sort of falling out." With that, Viggo walked away.
Hiccup breathed out a sigh, watching Viggo disappear down the corridor. The Hunter had certainly given him a lot to think about, but there wasn't much he could do to change the immediate circumstances. Hiccup turned and continued on his way to find Astrid and the others.
A few hours later, they were flying in a tight formation, entering Arendelle territories. Hiccup peered through his spyglass in search of any ships, but found nothing. Tucking the spyglass back into his pocket, he looked over his shoulder to call back to the others.
"Alright, we're getting close to the last known location of these ships, so keep your eyes open and give a shout if you see anything!" Hiccup ordered, getting several affirmative responses in return.
"Hey, so uh, I was wondering; are we just gonna call you Cat forever now, or can we call you Hiccup?" Tuffnut raised the question, and Hiccup had to hold back the groan.
"Tuff, now really isn't the best time," Hiccup said in an attempt to turn conversation away from that topic.
"What? You hang out with Jack, Merida, and Rapunzel all the time now! It's almost like you never left! So what's with the name thing?" Ruffnut joined in now.
"Don't you start!" Hiccup hissed down at Toothless, feeling him shake from his little chortles. Then Hiccup called back to them again. "Look, it's just complicated. For now, this is the way things have to be."
"Doesn't seem all that complicated to me!" Ruffnut called back.
"Yeah, Hic, old buddy, I think it's time to address the commitment issues." Tuffnut nodded sagely.
"Commitment Issues?!" Hiccup repeated incredulously.
"Tuff, don't be stupid! He doesn't have commitment issues!" Ruff snapped.
"Thank Thor." Hiccup sighed in relief.
"He's got Daddy Issues!" She exclaimed.
"And so much for that." Hiccup muttered as Toothless's chuckles turned into full on laughter. "Are you two finished?"
"No." The twins replied in unison.
"Not that I want to interrupt this, but we've got a shipwreck down on the beach there!" Snotlout called out, amusement coloring his tone the whole time. Hiccup shot him a glare, and then he and Toothless angled downward, guiding the pack down to the beach.
They landed and dismounted, searching along the wreckage for any signs of the crew. They were able to confirm that it was one of the Dragon Hunter ships with a partial flag, but beyond that there wasn't much there. They spread out to search the area, and Hiccup turned to a rock formation there on the beach. Most of the rocks were natural sandstone that had been there since nature placed them there, but there were a few cursed stones sticking out of the sand. Hiccup could feel them humming with constantly changing tunes, and it made him tuck his left hand closer to his side.
"Hey, you okay?" He jumped a little when Astrid placed a hand on his shoulder, but he forced himself to calm down and nod.
"Yeah, just lost in thought, I guess."
"Look out!" Fishleg's scream split the air, and Hiccup twisted around just in time to see him and the twins dive behind a sand bar as arrows came raining towards them. One of the arrows hit Barf-Belch in the shoulder and they stumbled, looking dizzy, before they collapsed onto the sand.
"What happened?" Astrid asked, pulling her axe off her back and searching the trees for their attackers.
"Get down!" Hiccup shouted, tackling her out of the way as another wave of arrows came straight at them.
Stormfly dove in front of them, knocking the arrows aside with her wing, but one struck her leg. Toothless stayed further back and shot a plasma blast to destroy several arrows mid-flight. Stormfly fell a few moments later and Astrid crawled over to her.
"Stormfly!" She cried, trying to see if her dragon was breathing.
"Don't worry, she's just knocked out." Hiccup grunted as he pulled the arrow free and showed it to Astrid. "Dragon Root arrow. Dragon Hunters use these to incapacitate dragons."
"What? But then...?"
"We were set up." Hiccup confirmed grimly, lighting his flame sword. Viggo was right.
Several Hunters came running out of the trees, weapons raised. Hiccup met one's axe with his sword, twisting his opponent's weapon out of his hand before slamming his metal foot into the man's face. Astrid threw another one over her shoulder, cracking his head on the rock she stood on.
Hiccup looked out at the others. Fishlegs and the twins were fighting valiantly to protect Barf-Belch as Meatlug tried to nudge them awake. Hookfang was also down, but Snotlout had managed to get him behind the sand bar further down the beach before he collapsed. As three Hunters ran towards them, Snotlout taunted them and went running down the beach to draw them away from Hookfang.
A soft 'thwip' sound seemed to echo in Hiccup's ears. An arrow arched high overhead, and Hiccup saw where it's arc ended. He could see it heading for Snotlout. There was no time to think, he just had to do something to save his friends.
Snotlout was running as fast as he could, but his foot caught in the sand and he took a tumble forward. He looked up and saw the arrow coming right at him. He dropped and curled into a ball, hoping that Hookfang would at least get away.
But than it was dark, and the arrow smashed against stone.
Snotlout slowly opened his eyes and the cursed stones very slowly receded back into the ground all around him. Snotlout looked around him, freaked out, and he looked over to see the Hunters backing away fearfully. But then they all turned to follow the path the stones had come from.
The bandages from Hiccup's left hand waved softly in the breeze, hanging off his arm by only one or two points, revealing the dark scales underneath. His fingers were stretched out towards Snotlout and his eyes glowed a bright green, completely hiding the whites of his eyes as his pupils turned to slits.
There was shouting and Hiccup could taste the fear in the wind. An arrow whizzed passed, grazing Hiccup's right arm, and he grabbed onto it in pain. When he pulled his hand away, he found some of that green poison and felt his head grow lighter.
Someone tackled him from behind, pressing his face into the sand. Toothless roared somewhere behind him and Astrid was screaming in fury. A few of the cursed stones shot back up out of the ground as his heart pounded in his chest.
But then something slammed against his head and everything went dark.
His head was pounding and everything sounded muffled. His vision was fuzzy and things seemed to be moving in slow motion. There was a lot of shouting from the crowds as he was pushed through the corridors. He could hear Astrid and the others screaming somewhere behind him, and further still, Toothless roaring.
The shackles that kept his arms bound behind his back clanked loudly as he walked. He was surrounded by several Hunters and, as he walked by, he locked eyes with Viggo who kept his expression unreadable.
He was paraded into the Great Hall, the crowds pouring in behind them and filling the room. Hiccup was shoved to his knees at the foot of the dais, and Royals looked on in confusion and horror. His dad was the first to speak.
"What is the meaning of this?" His voice boomed as he looked first at Hiccup and then beyond, likely to Astrid and the others.
"We were ambushed! They attacked us!" Astrid shouted, the others yelling in agreement and for them to let him go. Hiccup didn't think he was gonna be so lucky.
"You dare attack our allies?" Princess Allura was the next to stand from her seat, and Hiccup wasn't surprised to sense the confusion and chaos coming from the entire Council except for one single man.
The Prime Minister's emotions were perfectly even. Calm. He slowly rose from his seat, drawing the attention of everyone around him.
"While the members of this Council have duties to do what is best for their Kingdoms, I have a duty to uphold the law of the Ministry. You all may be willing to relinquish the laws to fit your needs, however, I must ensure the integrity of our society." He began, taking gliding steps forward until he stood at the edge of the dais, looking down at Hiccup. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third, I have ordered your arrest for crimes against the Ministry extending passed that which was agreed upon for the treaty with the Pirate Lords: The taking of dragon's blood!"
Gasps, cries, and shouts went up as the people were divided. Some defended him, others screamed for his head. Hiccup only lifted his head enough to glare at the Prime Minister.
"What proof do you have for such an accusation?" Queen Elinor demanded.
"The proof kneels before you." Prime Minister Frollo extended his hand to present Hiccup. "A deformed creature; he bares the eyes of the beast, he skin has turned to scales, and his nails have become claws. He controls the dragons just the same as Drago Bludvist."
"You lying, steaming pile of dragon -!" Talia was about to lunge at the man, but Eret held her back by wrapping an arm around her shoulders. They both glowered at the man.
"You should count yourselves lucky I am not holding you responsible as accessories to the crime." Frollo growled at them.
"I swear I didn't!" Hiccup screamed, curling in on himself and squeezing his eyes shut against all the noise. When he opened his eyes again to look up at the Council. At his dad. "I didn't... I wouldn't! I don't know how it happened, it just did. And I'm Different now, but I'm still me!"
"He is a demon!" Mildew's voice strung up above the crowd. "Born in grief and raised in hate!"
"He hasn't done anything wrong!" Percy snapped, hands curling tightly around his staff as he kept one arm out, guarding Emma who looked on worriedly.
"Is it not true that the Guardians possess a prophecy insinuating that one of their own will betray them?" The Prime Minister turned to North and the room fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.
"We do not know the true meaning of the prophecy." North replied quietly, reluctant to admit anything.
"Is it true or not, Professor?" Frollo demanded.
North looked at Hiccup and then back to the Prime Minister before giving a very small nod. More gasps of horror filled the room at the admission, and Hiccup felt like he was drowning in the Fear and Panic.
"And is it true, Hiccup Haddock, that on the night you went missing, there was, in fact, no dragon in the castle?" Frollo questioned, turning a fiery gaze on him, and Hiccup's stomach dropped. "You and Mr. Hamada were the only two in the bathroom that night."
"No," Hiccup murmured, shaking his head, trying to forget the echoing sound of all the mirrors shattering around him.
"You were the one who nearly killed Tadashi Hamada, were you not?" Frollo glared down at him, and Hiccup looked up at everyone staring at him until his eyes landed on Jack, Merida, and Rapunzel.
"It was an accident," He said, the crowd drawing back with noises of outrage, Hiccup raised his voice to be heard. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone!"
"By order of the Ministry, these crimes are punishable by Death." The Prime Minister loomed over him, even as Jack and the others cried out in protest. The Ministry guards held them back, preventing them from reaching him. "Any attempts at rescue will be seen as an act of treason against the Ministry and will therefore eradicate any existing agreements." Frollo turned this piece of information in Talia's direction, daring her to risk all of her people for one boy.
"Take him to the dungeon." Prime Minister Claude Frollo ordered, and the Hunters grabbed onto Hiccup's arms, dragging him out of the Great Hall. The yelling and shouting continued even as the doors slammed shut behind him.