AN: Hey! What's up everyone? Second to last chapter here! It still hasn't hit me yet that this is the end... Well... Maybe not. Still undecided. We'll see, but I hope y'all enjoy this chapter and are ready for a explosive finale next week!
Music: "Aeon" by Nick Murray
NOTES!: "Sometimes what you are most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set you free."
Chapter 35: Aeon
Angus's hooves clop bluntly along the grass as Merida slowly rode out into the forest.
Knowing that, in spite of the war being over, a much bigger battle was coming, the Royals had decided to revisit the idea of seeking out other allies. Without Claude Frollo to spearhead a reluctance to turn to Wildercreatures, Toothiana and Merida quickly managed to convince the Royal Council to allow them to reach out to the Fairy Queens and the Centaurs.
While Toothiana went to visit her Fairy sisters and recruit their help in the battle, Merida was focused on seeking out the Centaurs. It had been quite some time since she last visited, but she remembered the way to their home as if it was yesterday.
As always, she was brought before Arafess and Sypys. Arafess had grown a lot since they'd first met, now fully grown and taken her place as shaman. Sypys was as strong and noble a Chief as ever. Much to her relief, they were open to hearing Merida's request for help, especially after hearing that Claude Frollo had been removed from office and was under serious investigation.
"I mean no offense to you or your forces, Princess. But what hope do you have against a monster such as Drago Bludvist, who stole the power of another creature? A power that does not belong to him. Fighting dragons is one thing, facing Drago is another. Do you have a warrior strong enough to face him?" Sypys rose the first question after Merida told them the name of their common enemy.
"I know it may be difficult to believe or understand, but we have a Sorcerer with great power. He is connected to the dragons in a way we have never seen before. He has befriended them and earned their trust and loyalty." Merida explained, wishing she had thought to bring Hiccup with her. "Do you remember the prophecy the Guardians were given concerning us?"
Arafess raised her eyebrows curiously. "Your wild friend? The one you know as Hiccup?"
"Yes! The Guardians always believed that the prophecy insinuated a betrayal, but I think they were wrong... I think Hiccup is the gold that would suffer. The prophecy wasn't trying to warn us about what Hiccup would do, but the things he would have to endure." Merida shared with them. "I think his presence here is more precious to us than anything else because he can stand against Drago."
Arafess and Sypys looked at each other thoughtfully.
"If what you say is true, the whole world may be about to change." Arafess replied, and Merida tilted her head curiously.
"What makes you say that?" She asked.
"We must speak with the elders first. If your friend is who you believe him to be, we will fight alongside you with pride." Sypys informed her, bowing deeply. "But, I believe our elders will desire assurance that what you say is true before agreeing to war."
"You, uh... You want to meet with him first?" Merida questioned, hoping she was understanding correctly. Sypys nodded. "Well, that should be easy enough to manage. Speak with your elders, and when you're ready, you can come see for yourself."
If they could just get them in the same room, Merida was positive the Centaurs would See the same thing Merida could...
"What do you mean he's gone?!" Merida demanded a few hours later, fists planted on her hips as she and Toothiana stood before the Royal Council, staring at Talia.
The Pirate King shrugged. "He does that sometimes. Don't worry, though, he'll turn up eventually."
"Oh, don't I know it." Merida muttered as she rolled her eyes. Why, of all times, did Hiccup have to pick now to go and disappear? Again.
"Talia, normally this probably wouldn't be too big of an issue, but both the Fairy Queens and the Centaurs have insisted on meeting Hiccup before they agree to help us. He needs to be here." Toothiana stressed, but Talia held her palms open helplessly.
"If I knew where he went, I'd send Eret and Sinbad out right now to drag him back here kicking and screaming if they had to." Talia assured them, and Tooth and Merida exchanged similar worried looks.
"Hiccup may be restless, but he is reliable. I'm sure wherever he is and whatever he is doing, it's for all our sake's." Valka added confidently.
Merida didn't doubt that, but if they couldn't get the Wildercreatures to ally with them, they may not stand a chance anyway.
The ocean water rushed below them as they flew out over the sea. The sun shone brightly, not a cloud in the sky. The breeze tasted of rain and freshness. Spring had come, and with it he hoped an old friend had woken from his slumber. Hiccup definitely needed all the wisdom and guidance he could get.
Hiccup's eyes were closed as he let his senses guide him onward.
The south-west border of the Archipelago was a fairly unpopulated place. The nearest Kingdom, Gabylonia, was thousands of miles from the border, and though vikings were known to tread these waters, it did not happen often. Only one trade route went through the area, and there were no particular benefits to it other than it was always uncrowded, even during the busiest trade seasons.
Hiccup supposed that's why this relatively warmer climate area was an ideal home for Rav. Even if he had to hibernate through the winter, he still had three other seasons of decent living. No one knew he was here because there was no one out here. One small pocket further south than the Archipelago that was still occupied by a dragon.
Rav was very clever, that's for sure.
"Are you sure he'll be awake? Or even alive? The winter was harsh, and he's very old." Toothless reminded him, searching the waters below for any sign of the island.
"I don't know, but he's the only one who can help me right now." Hiccup admitted, and Toothless gave a quiet rumble. "There!" Hiccup said as he pointed off to their left.
The island was small, little more than a mountain sticking out of the water, but there were a few places of flat land to settle on. Toothless angled towards one area in particular where a very tall rock that was flat on top stood. They landed there and Hiccup climbed down. He looked around the island a bit before sitting down with his legs crossed.
He closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. The island was alive with energy and magic. He could feel everything from the breeze in the tops of the trees to the roots slowly growing deeper and deeper into the ground.
The ground began to rumble. Terrible Terrors squeaked and fled into the sky as the island began to shift and something began to emerge. A massive paw extended out of a tunnel, and one of the mountain's plains uncurled, revealing that the trees were actually growing out of the back of a giant dragon. His head lifted up and out from under a pile a boulders, giving a roar and shaking out his whiskers that looked like roots.
Rav the Foreverwing stretched mightily, and then turned his gaze to Hiccup.
"Ah, what a pleasant surprise." Rav's booming, but eloquent voice echoed in Hiccup's mind. He crossed his front paws and settled in, facing Hiccup and Toothless with a hint of a smile on his large face. "And for what reason have you come to me, young one?"
"Rav, I am in need of your guidance. Drago Bludvist approaches with his armies. The Allied Forces are preparing to fight, but..." Hiccup trailed off, unsure of what to say.
"You still fear your destiny." Rav nodded knowingly, and Hiccup winced.
"I don't know if I can stop him. I don't think I'm strong enough." Hiccup confessed.
"Raw talent will not be enough. You are right to be cautious. However, you have grown much since we last met. You are wiser and stronger." Rav noted, releasing a heavy breath through his nose that tussled Hiccup's hair.
"I don't see it. I know that things have changed, and I'm grateful, but I feel just as lost as before." Hiccup told him.
"Making one's own path is often a difficult quest. The destination is never certain until you've reached it." Rav informed him.
"What do I do, Rav? How do I save them?" Hiccup asked plainly.
The Foreverwing regarded him with a thoughtful hum. He turned his face into the wind, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the breeze. When he finally opened his eyes and returned his gaze to Hiccup, there was weight to it.
"I am dying, young prince." Rav informed him, and it took everything in Hiccup not to flinch. "You are aware of it, just as I. Myself, Verndari, Kappi... The era of Titan Dragons has passed. After I die, Kugari the Slave will be the only one left. It is time for you to take your place."
"But I don't..." Hiccup cried back. "I'm not the human viking that I was expected to be. And I'm not the peacekeeper I tried to become... I just don't know..." He cut himself off with a sigh.
"You have the Heart of a Chief, and the Soul of a Dragon." Rav said to him. "Only you can bring our worlds together. You must face him and take back what he has stolen from you."
"I... I understand, but..." Hiccup took a deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut. "I'm scared."
"Do not fear your destiny." Rav reached forward and touched his nose to Hiccup's forehead. "The greater the struggle against your power, the more it resists. Embrace what you have inside, let it become you, and you will find who you were meant to be."
"Where is the Dragon Warrior you spoke of?" Sypys murmured quietly to Merida.
They were all standing around in the Great Hall, waiting for Hiccup to show up. Food and drinks were brought out for their guests, and the Royals talked with the leaders of the Wildercreatures. They were trying to convince them to join the fight regardless of... what Hiccup was, but they all seemed very adamant to meet him. Even the trolls from Arendelle had come to speak with him.
Merida turned so Sypys with a shrug. "He has a bad habit of vanishing for periods of time. He's coming back, though, I promise! You can count on him!"
"I do trust your judgement, Princess, but unfortunately, the elders are quite insistent." Sypys informed her.
The doors to the Great Hall opened, and everyone looked up, but it was only Emma and Jim. They walked forward, and Talia turned to receive their report.
"I'm sorry, Talia. We couldn't find him." Emma told her. As she was standing still, more little lights swirled around her, and the King of the Arendelle trolls rolled forward, staring at her with wide eyes. Merida looked between him and Sypys, who had stiffened beside her as well.
Emma seemed to sense that people were staring at her because she looked around at everyone. Her eyes landed on the troll King, Grand Pabbie, and he waddled forward.
"In all my years, I never imagined I would live to see the day..." He murmured, looking up at her in wonder. Emma shot a questioning look at Jim, but he shrugged uncertainly.
"Um... Hi!" Emma waved awkwardly.
"...A selkie. A messenger of the ancient King." Grand Pabbie watched her closely as the stars continued to swirl around her feet.
"Uh..." Emma hesitated, her eyes shifting around as if she wasn't sure what to do.
"This is truly the beginning of a new age." Grand Pabbie murmured before turning to all the others. "We must prepare immediately for battle!"
The Centaurs and Fairies murmured amongst each other, nodding their agreements. Merida looked around at all of them, very confused but perfectly okay with this turn of events. She looked over at Emma and caught her gaze, mouthing 'Thank you!'. Emma just smiled and shrugged.
"You could've at least told us you were leaving, you know!" Merida griped, punching Hiccup in the shoulder as she and Rapunzel joined him and Jack. "The Centaurs wanted to meet you! If it wasn't for Emma, we might not have them fighting with us! And I'm still not sure what exactly happened with that!"
"Sorry about that. I needed to talk with an older friend." Hiccup told them vaguely, giving a small chuckle at Merida's antics.
"What about?" Rapunzel asked.
"Eh, the usual stuff; Destiny and the meaning of life." Hiccup shrugged.
"Oh, no! No more prophecies! We stick together from now on. And maybe save the philosophy for after the fight." Jack suggested with smirk, bumping Hiccup's shoulder with his own.
They were on top of one of the outer walls, leaning against the ledge as they looked out at the sea. Hiccup rolled his eyes at Jack, but smiled as Merida and Rapunzel settled in beside them. The four looked forward into the distance, watching the sunset. The whole world seemed so quiet. The calm before the storm, Hiccup supposed. He couldn't stop thinking about it, so he went up there to find some peace. Jack found him first, and now Merida and Rapunzel joined them, and he was glad to have them there as Toothless napped a few feet away.
It was quiet moment, just the four of them together.
Hiccup took a deep, shaky breath, and the others noticed. Jack gripped his shoulder tightly, comfortingly. Merida hugged his free arm. Rapunzel leaned into Jack's side and reached out to Hiccup with her magic. Their presence was enough.
Whatever came next, he knew he didn't have to face it alone.