AUTHOR'S NOTE: I can't stop laughing because I keep reading "to see the world" as "to see zA wARUDO!" Kudos to you if you get the reference ;)

And whenever I see your responses, I just feel my heart… crack (with joy ;D)

Jman17 - oh, you have no idea how many there will be lol. Yes, it's really dark, as I wanted it to fit the theme of them being the opposite of themselves. There will still be light-hearted chapters which is something to really look forward to ;D

Mark Andrew - yes, I absolutely adore the darker haired version! But you're still free to interpret them however you like. As for Hiccup's, the hairstyle only stays when he's in the air, and whenever he has his hood on. My fanart for it is done, and I do plan on posting it (either on AO3, or maybe Tumblr). I do love your idea of having his hair styled like Eugene's! I'll keep that in mind while I'm writing!

ForteEXEMaster - man, you don't know how thrilled I was to see your review! I was really excited when I saw your review! I was always a fan of having alternate AUs which are either slightly or vastly different from canon. I also really loved the concept of Evil!Elsa, and then the concept of Dragon Hunter!Hiccup came around. Yeah, for me Anna has always been my personal favorite; I love her personality and how much she's grown over the years.

I did post this a few months ago on AO3, but decided not to keep it. I ended up deleting it for some reason. You can actually find it now again, but with a different title. "how a heart works." I was actually embarrassed to find out I share the same title with a fic, so I thought maybe changing it would make me feel better about myself (n_n")

Also, I'll have to ask for an apology in advance for any inconsistencies or mistakes. (Do feel free to point them out, so I can fix them right after midterm week.)

Anyhow, thank you all for dropping by and giving this fic a read. (It really means a lot.) Hope you're all doing well today! (n-n)/

[EDITED 11/23/20]

Chapter 2

prophecies of (c)old

"Grimbald!"

This made the man consciously touch his scalp and hairline, pulling out a thinning strand to check. Once he had confirmed his spiky locks were still very much there, he returned his attention to the annoying child perched on a desk next to his.

Now, Grimmel was a patient man. In his hunts, a calm, levelheaded mind would guarantee his victory, and he needed to keep his composure so as to not ruin his momentum. But this was not the hunt, he would remind himself.

Patience was still a skill required in teaching; something far more mundane than his hunts, but he had already lost his mind in the first two minutes.

"Grimmel, boy. Grimmel. Now, how hard can that be?" the famous hunter stressed his own name, his nose flaring in frustration each time he had to repeat it. He didn't have time for this. He wasn't paid enough to do this. "After me. Gr—"

"Gremlin?"

"Grimmel. The Grisly."

"Greasy!"

He gives up. It was impossible to teach the boy his name. This made him more concerned about how they'd begin with the actual lesson, which would most probably be a pain if he were to start it now.

Mirthful giggles filled their makeshift fort, the six-year old seemingly laughing at his frustrations. The Deathgrippers flinched when their master loudly dropped his head on the surface of his wooden table.

Maps and marked parchment lay there, and among the others were a whittled pencil, and a rough outline of a dragon next to a wobbly stick of what Grimmel assumed to be a very inaccurate depiction of himself.

Grimmel was flattered at the thought that was put into the gift, no matter how amateur it was. His only student put in the effort of sketching it for him, but he was still nowhere as good in making the extra effort to correct his pronunciations. Something so insignificant and trivial, yet it still peeved him to no end.

The parting sound of the tent entrance then prompted him to straighten his back and recompose himself. When he saw it was only the war chief that was Drago, he made an agitated scowl, with stress already showing on his features. It had only been a little less than an hour since their training started, and there had been very little progress on their second day. "How long do you intend to keep me from my work? Is this amusing to you, Drago? Hm?"

"Dargo bloody fist!"

This automatically earned Hiccup a good roll of Grimmel's eyes. He supposed even the great god of dragons was not spared from the name-calling.

"He specifically requested for you," was the commander's answer, ruffling Hiccup's hair when he stopped by in front of him to present another drawing of his. Drago lifted the paper, and in it was a scrawled figure of himself, and there was the smallest hint of a proud smile gracing his lips. "You were the best choice for him, seeing as you both share disdain and an interest in killing Night Furies."

"Night Fury! Night Fury!" the young Haddock cheered as he chased after the lone Deathgripper stationed to his side once Grimmel had taken his eyes off them.

"Why give me the burden of raising him into a proper hunter?"

It was simple, really. Hiccup already had a mentor prior to Grimmel, but his methods were not up to Drago's standards. So, he gave him a demotion; from being his teacher back to only a caretaker and mentor strictly in the arts of the smith and nothing more. "The blacksmith lacked the spine. He refuses to train him against the dragons, fearing he might die."

"Find a better replacement then." Grimmel couldn't see how he would be any better. He had already made it crystal clear that he was not particularly content with only capturing dragons; rather, he was in the business of killing them. He only lives for the hunt, and how he loved every second of it.

There was no fun in keeping them alive and in containment, when he could have struck them where they stood. He would not be a proper mentor if Drago wished the boy to mostly spare the beasts only for them to become the slaves to his growing army.

"You are, by far, better than the best of my men." and that was already saying a lot, coming from a chief who rarely praises his own network of trappers. Even their skills were incomparable and could not come as close to the seasoned hunter's experience in the game.

"And what exactly do I gain from… babysitting for you?" there really weren't many perks of being the future chieftain's trainer, and he happened to be around Drago's area when he heard about the prophesied child. Grimmel wanted to see for himself if he was as horrendous as they said he was in his early retirement, and before he knew it, Drago decided to drag his ass into this mess.

"Under your guidance, he will learn from you and you get the glory of being his teacher. He shall surpass his father in skill and in wit." the warlord promised. Stoick the Vast. Hiccup's father. The last known chieftain to Berk (or what remained of it), and a reputable man among their ranks of dragon hunters. One of the few Grimmel actually respected. And yet, he could not see any of his likeness in Hiccup.

Rumor has it that his father decapitated a dragon's head when he was but a wee babe. And on goes his list of ruthlessly slaying the beasts without batting an eye. The expectations for this child were already growing heavy on his shoulders.

"Please. This is a boy. Barely able to properly swing a wooden swo—"

Lifting the halfway filled container off the table, whilst his new mentor was too busy regarding Drago to notice, Hiccup carried the concoction with both of his hands where its contents sloshed about. "No! No— Put that down! You will break it."

Almost immediately, the hunter recognized the sound of his precious mixture dripping to the floor, and he wasted no time to confiscate it from the Haddock. Grimmel placed it back on his cartography desk, out of his reach, gently swatting away the little grabbing hands. He turned to Drago, further proving his point. "As I said: just a boy. "

"Come on, Griddle! You never let me touch stuff!" Hiccup complained as he gave up retrieving the shiny glass, closing his fists and continued to whine as if he was some sort of petulant child. And Hiccup was definitely still one.

The hunter clicked his tongue. Good thing his little trapper friend wasn't anything like Hiccup, or else he'd lost his mind many moons ago. "Not now! I am having an important conversation. Be a good child and sit still, will you?"

"But you always say that," he pouted at the ancient man. What could Hiccup do on a boring day such as this? He had no one to come play with him in their temporary base. There weren't enough trolls to hunt for having scared them all into hiding, and Eret was at sea with his dad (who also happened to be Eret) on some important work business that Hiccup couldn't care less about. "Could I at least play with the—"

"For how many times must I repeat this?" Grimmel exhaled an exasperated sigh, tiredness clear on the dark rings forming underneath his eyes. "No. The Deathgrippers are not your pets, nor are they your playmates."

It was always a wonder to him how the child even managed to befriend the mindless creatures without wetting his trousers, running home crying in terror, or even dying from sheer shock.

Any sane person would naturally flee for their lives at the mere sight of the beasts, but that was not the case for Drago's boy, who wouldn't do so much as flinch in their presence.

"But it's so boring here!" Hiccup whined once more, throwing his arms in the air, at the musty ceiling of their tent and its soot-covered fabric to emphasize his point. Hardly the ideal environment to keep the boy in, as much as he didn't want to admit. His set of skills definitely did not come with anything remotely domestic, so he really couldn't care any less about it.

Instead, Grimmel elected to ignore him and turned around sharply to Drago. "Where were we?"

The warlord simply watched as his adopted child swung himself on one of the Deathgripper's tusk. Silent. "I want to go outside. Why won't you let me go outside?"

"Because, the ice witch captures annoying children like you, and will freeze you and eat you alive." was his excuse. It was always a pain convincing him to go home, and Grimmel hardly had the energy for the hunts anymore, let alone chasing after a hyperactive six-year old.

"You're wrong. The trolls in the forest told me there isn't a witch yet. The prophecy—"

"Trolls do not exist, silly boy. If they did, I would have driven them to extinction already!"

"And I want to play! I want to play! I want to—"

Grimmel's head looked like it was about to explode. "Fine! Go hunt some trolls. I'm sure there is plenty around, yes?"

"I thought you said trolls weren't real?"

"Well, they are now, aren't they?" he rushed over to carry him by the back of his shirt like a kitten, dropping him by the entrance of the tent. "Off you go to the forest. Take down some dragons while you're at it."

"Can I have my sword back—?"

"No. Be home by supper, or you won't be having any."

"Got it!"

When he was finally permitted to leave, he bolted through the tent in a blur and nearly tripped on his way out before he could utter a word. The second he was out of earshot, Grimmel pivoted on his heels to face Drago once more.

"Have you ever considered throwing him off a cliff?"

"Dragons will come and save him," he replied. Not that he tried, but Hiccup was always protected by the beasts. Despite the headaches and migraines he gained looking after the young Haddock, Drago had no use to turn to those methods at any point in time, for he was much too important to him. "He is my heir. There is no need to dispose of him."

A man with a good eye can see the desperation on his face. The boy was clearly no dragon slayer. He may have been the closest fit there is to the prophecy, lacking only one important quality.

"Here, my friend. I offer you free advice," the ashen-haired man sat himself back on his stool, a sly smirk now on his lips. "Why don't you use that to your advantage? If the dragons love him so much, why not raise him as a whisperer? Make them bend to your will; never mind the details to your prophecy."

Drago pondered it over for a second. "I shall do what I must in the right time." he said briefly before heading for the tent exit.

"Do you truly plan to make this… Hiccup your successor?" Grimmel managed to say before he could leave.

There may have been a number of things Drago and Grimmel can never agree upon. One of them was their choice of profession, and the other was entrusting his empire to a runt.

"My legacy will continue through him. As foretold in the prophecy."

"And you are still willing to listen to that prophecy?"

There was a silent grunt of agreement from the war chief. Grimmel scoffs at him, unimpressed. "See to it that the negotiations are made by then. I no longer want to linger in this… cursed kingdom."

The vial he placed away had spilled a purplish liquid, which he unknowingly knocked over, tainting the area where a dagger was planted in between the fjords, over a set of runes spelling the word Arendelle.

"The blizzard will be here in a few days. My men are almost done, and we shall leave soon." he said finally.

"Good."

Grimmel had never been one to believe in superstitions, but he knew the curse was as true as it could be. The prophecy for the boy was different; it wasn't a curse.

He felt the frigid winds prickle at his face when he followed Drago out of his tent, which he'd usually brush off and grow immune to. This, however, had a dangerous bite to it, as if a block of ice was held right next to his face.

This wasn't good; for both them and the dragons. They'll easily perish in the extremity of the climate. It was a smart choice moving their base out of the kingdom while they were in the middle of discussing the details. It wouldn't be long before the king makes his decision. Either he was with them or against them, it would be all up to him.

Until then, Grimmel would have to look after the brat for another ten or so years, or whenever he feels like retiring. Said brat had already run past the barracks, zipping through the busy vikings and workers, and finally going beyond the gates.

He seemed to be quite in a hurry, his doll now safely hidden and tucked away in his belt. He was running straight in the direction of the so-called Valley of the Living Rock. The realm of the trolls, as the locals would call it.

Trolls weren't really real.

At least in that area (no matter how many times they claimed they were). As far as Hiccup was concerned, they were just tiny rock people. They weren't big, or scary, or possess excessive amounts of gold stashed away in their little cave. They were awfully nice actually, which made it a whole lot easier for Hiccup to terrorize them. (Or they at least pretended to be terrorized and played along.)

Hiccup had pretty much scared off the entire populace of the valley into hiding, mistaking them for trolls on their first meeting. (Though, they insisted he called them trolls despite not looking anything like trolls.) He had sworn to hunt them down, after all. Gobber said they were real, and he wanted to convince his current mentor his dad (when he returns) that he and Gobber weren't crazy as he claimed them to be. These rock people would have to make do for now. Capturing them, however, proved to be more difficult than he initially expected.

How Hiccup managed to find them was a little less complicated than what he thought. It was on the night they decided to dock and set camp by the shore after days of endless sailing at sea. For business purposes, as they would tell him. Vague details about alliances and negotiations going on, something he wouldn't understand until he's older.

Everyone had instantly collapsed on their own cots after a long week of wrangling untamed dragons and rowing through relentless waves. Needless to say, they were past the point of exhaustion to notice there were very distinct footsteps stalking closer and closer to their location. (If he could even call it that.) It wasn't the same when dragons walk the earth, or when heavy booted feet tread on the dirt. He'd been trained to tell them apart, and it belonged neither to man, beast, nor animal.

At first, he thought it was a little tiny earthquake and it was nothing they should be too worried about. Until the rumbling sound of rolling boulders grew louder by his tent, which surprisingly didn't wake the rest of the camp. When he heard rather coherent noises, he knew something was up. Someone was there, infiltrated their temporary base, and had the nerve to spy on them—on their great army. He knew he had to see where this was going and catch them in the act, and finally prove he was worth at least something.

Curiosity had gotten the better of him that night, so he hurriedly snuck past the watchful eye of the (not so watchful) guard stationed for the hour, and followed the moving rocks through the twists and turns of the woodlands until he reached the very ends of the valley. The night sky was clear and lit in a plethora of colors, painting the landscape a soft blue. It almost felt magical.

It was really warm in their home where there wasn't any snow in sight, brimmed with talking boulders welcoming him, assuming he was lost and needed help returning to his own home. Some asked if he was the child in the prophecy. (Which was how he found out about the ice witch.) Some even asked if they can keep him.

What they didn't know was they would be hunted down for the next several days. (In the most adorable way possible.)

They were far too fast for him to catch, and he vowed he'd come back the next day. And the next day, and another day after that. He didn't give up easily. It became a game of tag to hide and seek at that point, which he really didn't have any problem with. But…

"Shouldn't you guys be screaming in fear?" demanded Hiccup, who slowed to a jog once he arrived at the valley of the rocks. The place appeared to be glowing and hazy, as the sun was already inching towards dusk.

"Oh, right," Bulda, the first rock person he passed, stopped whatever she was doing in the tree shade and cleared her throat, rehearsing how she would scream. "Ah! It's the hunter! Roll for your lives!"

This alerted nearby boulders, who ducked to safety and out of the little hunter's way. Some headed for the banks, past the decaying logs and scattered foliage. Snow exploded in a flurry as he slid down a slope, landing on both of his feet, skidding to a stop.

There, he found himself before a river. It had frozen over, the surface was thick enough for him to run across. He was careful to remember hidden traps he helped bury in the mounds of snow, leaping out of the way until he was past the field of death.

It was almost a routine for him; after training, or whenever he feels like it, he runs off to do his daily terrorizing. And after that, he would go play with his new friend from Arendelle.

Somewhere, beyond the river, there he found the girl had sat where she usually was, in that same rickety old bench where he first found her, with her gloved hand flipping through the pages of the same old book. Instead of her red dress the other day, she was wearing the blue version of it, with her hair still plaited in the same style he was so used to seeing.

"I brought my dragon! See? I told you I have one," he announced proudly as he raised the ragged doll to show her. He smiled when he saw her tiny puffin carefully tucked in her arms, honoring their promise. (Despite how mad she was at him.)

"Aren't we supposed to be battling to the death by now?" with their plushies, of course. He forgot to bring his wooden sword with him and he had Grimmel to blame for that; told him he can't have it until the end of the week for pissing him off. "Let's go play in the snow, 'cause I love snow. I mean, wouldn't you?"

The young princess scrunched her nose, burying her face into her book, blocking out the prodding boy out of her head by focusing on the prints and words that made very little sense the longer she stared at it. She didn't bother entertaining the question. If there's one thing she knew about him was that he won't ever stop asking once he started opening his mouth. So she does her best to refrain from replying, or doing so much as giving him a reaction.

It goes on for another two or so minutes. She had been like that ever since Hiccup pleaded for her to stay for more than intended. He was fully aware she had her lesson in the next hour, and he even successfully tempted her to skip for once. As punishment, her tutor swamped her with more work the following meeting.

Hiccup pouted when she didn't utter a single word, afraid that she was still upset for missing out on the lecture yesterday. "I said I was sorry…"

"Can you keep it down? I'm reading." There wasn't a single second when he wouldn't shut his mouth, but that was one of the few things she enjoyed about his company. Maybe just not now.

He smiled at what little he can work on from her short response, taking it as a sign that she wasn't completely mad at him. They both knew she can't stay mad at him—at her only friend outside her suffocating life in the palace. As a noble's daughter, she told him; it was necessary to conceal her true identity as the princess.

"It doesn't seem like you're in the middle of something important, so I guess it's not that important to keep quiet for," he swung his legs back and forth, not far from the freezing bench she occupied. "Wanna build a snow—"

"I do not." she politely declined, even though she would have wanted to, regardless of whatever his request was. Elsa remains adamant in completing the chapter, resisting as fiercely as she could.

"I was going to say snow fort. Or maybe a snow castle this time."

A snow fort. That was new. And interesting. And fun. She can already imagine how she would carve its interior, as well as the outside defenses, and—

Elsa turned the other way to completely ignore Hiccup, going over the same sentence she couldn't seem to move on from, no thanks to him.

And the young Haddock was not about to give up. He fished for any topic he could think of in his mind, something to catch her attention, finally settling with one. "How is she by the way?"

Her eyes were closed in thought, her contemplative expression hidden behind the leather bound book. She. Not her, but someone else. He may have been referring to her sibling. "Oh, you mean my sister?"

"Yeah. Is she okay now?"

One of the many things they talked about was their family. While she had her own set of parents and a baby sister, Hiccup had neither at the moment. Hiccup told her he was going to find his father in far away lands, and in his absence, he had other people who he considers as his new family. He always thought she was lucky having a sibling of her own, having someone familiar; someone to look after, and not always the one being looked after.

"The physician said her fever is going down."

"Will you be okay? Do the nightmares still—"

"I'm quite done now. I better be going," she pressed the book shut, pushing herself to her feet to take her leave. The princess had plans to go see and check on her three-year old sister later this afternoon, and other matters to attend to. "And so should you."

"That only means you're free to play with me now," he added, bringing his finger up to make his point. "I promise it'll be amazing!" well, more amazing than her slaving away all day.

She couldn't see why not. But she had every reason why she should not go play with him. There are a number of priorities she needed to do, and visiting her sister was one of them, something she won't allow to be delayed.

"Sorry, but I'll have to pass." she walked her way on the paved path, her book now tucked beneath her arm.

"That's no fun," Hiccup pouted, already on her heels as she was about to head back to the town. "Come on! It'll be over in a—"

Suddenly, the air around them becomes decidedly chillier; his cheeks numbing and his skin prickling all over with goosebumps. He rubbed his elbows for any semblance of warmth, as his sleeves weren't enough to keep the cold from seeping right through his bones. The nine months of winter in Berk could not have prepared him for the sudden change in temperature.

"It's freezing," she argued, gesturing at Hiccup who reflexively hugged himself to shield himself from the icy breeze. "You'll just get sick. Go home."

Stubborn, the viking boy still refused to return to their encampment. She was the only person his age, a new face who was interesting enough to spend his afternoons with. In the barracks, he only had caged Gronckles and Nadders to talk to. Back home, he terrorizes trolls out of their dwellings to catch them, but with not much luck. And the kids in Berk no longer hunt trolls with him anymore, because of several other reasons.

Majority of the hunters ignored him for the most part, having no time to pay any attention to kids like him. He understood that they had their jobs and a great many things to tend to; having quotas to fill, dragons to care for, and outposts to guard. That was only the beginning to their already tight schedules.

The locals weren't particularly interesting, either. Eret was off at sea, and he had no other kids to play with this far north. (Not that he had any other friends besides Eret.) His stay in Arendelle was mostly uneventful, helping Gobber weld things in the forge, being his apprentice and all.

So, Hiccup began to devise his little scheme to make her stay a little longer.

"Oh no, a dragon!" he faked dropping on his knees, and his acting was spot-on.

His trick seemed to work as the girl fearfully searched the sky for any signs of said beast. She had been too distraught about the presence of the non-existent dragon, crying that they should have gone home while they still had the chance, that she didn't notice Hiccup already plotting his next move. The girl helplessly crouched down the snow for cover; arms over her head and her stuffed toy close to her chest, making herself as small as possible.

"Get down!" she hollered at him, closing her eyes, praying for the dragon to leave them alone.

Like any good friend would, Hiccup took this wonderful opportunity to snatch the textbook peeking from the crook of her elbow. Elsa briefly wondered what he could possibly need her book for, until she realized she had fallen for yet another one of his tricks.

Rising to her feet, she found that Hiccup had already ran a considerable distance from her. In a blur, she went after him. When he allowed her to come close enough, Hiccup raised the book in the air and stuck his tongue out at her as she failed at grabbing it from him.

"You liar!"

Elsa shot a glare at him, and he furrowed his brows, wondering just what he did wrong this time. He only wanted them to play while they still have plenty of hours together.

"I do have a dragon, so I'm technically telling the truth; therefore, not a liar."

"Hey! Give that back!" she hurried to get on her feet as he was already on his way to the river leading straight to the valley. He was fast, faster than she thought for someone as skinny as he was.

"I guess you won't be needing this anymore!" he grinned, sprinting off into the forest. Hiccup was almost halfway into the dense woods seemingly growing thicker the further they ran.

"You're so dead!" she growled as she tailed after him. She can hear her heart thunder in her ears, along with the sound of snow crunching underneath the soles of their boots.

They went past the humongous trees, with their branches sticking out as if to come and catch them when they were within reach. She slightly struggled to duck and dodge from the branches, while her companion easily breezed through every obstacle, every foliage. How does he do that? Her lungs started burning for air, and it was becoming more difficult for her to catch her breath.

She panted but still continued despite her feet's throbbing. Elsa couldn't remember the last time she ran this far at this pace, and he was already half a mile ahead.

Feeling out of breath, she balanced herself on the closest tree and placed her palm against it, the other closed around sir Jorgenbjorgen's hand. Her friend laughed harder when he realized she was lagging behind and had stopped chasing after him.

"You're tired already? I thought you were an athlete?" Hiccup chuckled at how bright her cheeks were.

"Where is my book?!" she demanded when she saw he no longer had the item on his person. Her book wasn't in his hands anymore, so she looked and yet everything around her was a perpetual white. She couldn't see her textbook or any signs of it anywhere.

"What book?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"You… lost it?!" she was completely flustered, and her hair now a mess; flying in every direction. "Help me find it then!"

"And what if we don't?"

"We have to keep looking! My teacher might kill me!" and her grandfather, no doubt. In a panic, she crouched down on the ground, digging and grabbing at the snow, trying to find anything buried in it. "I seriously have no time for this." she said through her clenched teeth. When she heard him snicker, she scooped a bunch of snow from the ground and pelted one at him in annoyance, narrowly hitting him on his arm.

"Oh, nice shot!" the boy cheered for each of her aims. Her face heated up for a second until Hiccup created his own batch of snowballs.

"Heads up!" he screamed but it was a little too late to get away from it now. Elsa flinched once it hit her in the head, dampening her hair. Not that the cold bothered her or anything, but her parents would be furious if they found out. Her grandfather most of all. But there was no way she was letting him get away with this.

"Oh, it is on." she hunkered down to remake her own, compressing a generous amount of snow into a decent ball, now throwing and angrily aiming it at the boy.

"No fair, I wasn't ready!" he protested as she picked up another one.

Hiccup didn't know how joyed she was at his apparent defeat, suddenly overwhelmed by the amount of snow hitting him square in the face. He fell backwards, laughing. "Alright, alright, you won." he groaned, shaking the snow off.

"Get up! We still have to look for it!"

"Give me five more minutes—"

"This is serious!"

"Seriously fun!" the viking boy countered, his smirk gradually fading away once he saw tears forming in her eyes. He quickly got back on his feet, his brows furrowed in concern when he heard her sobs. "Is it really that important?"

"Y-Yes. They want me to be perfect. They need me to be, because I'm— I won't be any good if I… if I'm not perfect." the perfect girl they always wanted her to be; the perfect princess.

Slowly, he tried to reach for her hand for some reason, but stopped midway when her cries grew louder and flinched, uncertain of what to do. "Why do you need to be so perfect? You're already perfect the way you are. At least to me."

Elsa takes in a deep breath, scrubbing at her eyes to try and wipe the tears away with the already soaking fabric of her gloves. "They will— They will send me off… to m-marry a prince, because there's a prophecy about—" she caught herself before her tongue could slip, along with her secret, while struggling to get out proper words in between her broken sobs. "A-About someone with-with a… frozen heart will lead t-to the destruction of our kingdom…"

Hold on. Did he hear that right? "A frozen what now?"

"A… A frozen h-heart—"

"That's not how a heart works!"

There was a pause for a good several beats; confusion marring her brows.

"H-Huh?"

"You can't freeze a heart!" he exclaimed, grabbing her hand to place it on top of his chest for her to feel and hear the steady beating of his heart. "Wow, your hands are so cold, you could freeze your tutor's tea with it—!" the viking boy gasped and jumped at the contact, but shortly recomposed himself. "But never a heart."

"That… sounds like a plan," as she wipes at a few stray tears from her face with her other hand, the corners of her lips slightly curled upwards. "I just might consider it."

Never had he seen her cry like this. Or anyone else for that matter. It all felt odd to him for some reason, and whatever emotion it was, it made him feel sad. He wanted to stop the hurt, but had no idea how. And there it was again; the painful aching in his heart. He couldn't imagine how much of this she was already feeling.

If only he could make it go away. If only he could make her feel all better somehow. In faraway places with just the two of them, away from whoever was causing her so much sadness; where they won't have to cry or feel this type of pain anymore. Where they won't ever hurt anymore.

"Wait, I have an idea! What if… we, you— I don't know…" when he found his voice and had sorted his thoughts out, Hiccup cleared his throat. "Let's marry each other instead!"

"…Wait, what?" she blinked a couple of times making sure she heard him right; looked at him as if he had just lost his mind.

"If you come with me, I'll take you to see the world! We'll escape so you won't have to face the prophecy—"

Her shoulders stiffened when she heard the faint echo of Gerda's voice calling for her. Hiccup could barely make out the words, but knew the voice was searching for his friend.

"My nanny is here for me. My father and grandfather's meeting is probably over," Elsa told him, already straightening her skirt and brushing off the powdery snow. "I should go."

"Will I see you around?" Hiccup asked, putting one foot forward before he knew it, before she could turn the other way, where she would vanish down the hill and he would never know if she'll see her again. She hesitantly nodded, though not quite certain what to answer him with. "Let's make a deal. Okay?"

"Okay…" the girl quietly sniffled, her nose and eyes still red from her crying.

"Here, you can have her," Hiccup produced his toy dragon from the side of his belt, extending his arm towards her. "She's going to chase the nightmares away. You can think of it this way; as long as you have her, I'll always be with you."

"But what about the dragons?" she carefully took the toy from him, petting the plush lizard's head, while she had her puffin beside her.

"She is also a dragon, silly! She can talk to them," he giggled, and she could feel her heart flutter. "But not all dragons are bad, they're just… scared the same way we are of them. She'll make you feel safe, and she'll drive off the other dragons too if she has to, so she can protect you and your sister."

Elsa could see how much it hurt him to let go of his beloved dragon. He told her it was the last thing his mom had given him when he was born. It meant a lot to him, as it was the only thing to remember his mother by. It was only fair if she gave him hers.

"Take sir Jorgenbjorgen with you. I'm sure you'll miss your dragon," she hands over her own plush puffin. He eyes it for a second, then cupping him carefully into his own hands. "They're not rings, but let's just pretend they are."

"Oh yeah, we're getting married…" Hiccup said and grinned sheepishly with a rather warm expression.

"When we're older," she reminded him, though blushed at the thought. This was only a proposal. A promise. (It was way too early for wedding vows.) "Is this also part of the deal?

"Kind of? But here's the deal—we'll keep these until next time. It's kind of an insurance so we see each other again," he paused, a little flustered at what he was about to say next. "Then, when we're old enough, we'll get married. Deal?"

For a brief moment, she stared at his open hand, then at his face. There weren't any other intentions behind it. No false pretenses, no lying, no anything. He meant what he said. She knew he did. He had the sweetest smile on his freckled face, his cheeks red from the weather and the deal they were closing.

"Deal."

Without another second thought, she softly shook his warmer hand. There was an initial shiver on the contact, but Hiccup gingerly squeezed her hand. (Which was weird. Doesn't she ever get cold? Was she always this cold?)

"You can have your book back." Hiccup then nervously pulled his hand away when she giggled at him, grabbing the book tucked in between his vest to return it.

"Thank you."

"You'll be here in the same spot, right?"

He wanted to say he'll be there the same time tomorrow, and the next day, then the day after that. He knew he couldn't give her an answer yet. Instead, he met her eyes and tried the best he could not to look sad.

"Even if we don't, we'll come find each other again."

"Always."

For a final time, they exchanged smiles, never knowing if they will be back tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

Why does it all have to end tomorrow?

Time seemed to slow around him at the last second, watching her with her back poised and chin raised. He wanted to play with her even for another hour more. She would have wanted the same; to be with the only one who doesn't make her feel alone. To be there. To stay.

If only they could freeze this moment and stay in it for however long they like.

Too bad her power doesn't work that way.

If only one day...

Dragging his feet back to the river, his previous energy half gone and still half there, a snapping sound reached his ears. He stiffened, chills running down his back. Was it a dragon? A deer? He wouldn't really know.

With great caution, he turned around, risking a small glance over his shoulder to check what it was, he released his breath when he found nothing there. Slowly, he turned his head back to where he was headed, to see—

"Of all places I would find you, why here?"

Hiccup was caught off his guard, landing on nothing but pure snow next to a hollow log on his sides, heaving panicked breaths. "Eret?!"

"Who else?" the older boy smugly raised a brow at him, standing next to his lying figure.

Cradling his poor frightened heart, the younger of the two wheezed. "How did you find me?! And when did you get back?!"

"Do you even need to ask?" Eret had always been known for his hunting skills from the moment they met, and he wasn't exactly quiet about it; always making sure to bring it up to his face. "They sent me because you were taking way too long. Oh, and we anchored about ten or so minutes ago."

"I was about to go back. I was just done playing—"

"Playing with who exactly?"

"...A lord's daughter."

"I see. You've taken quite the liking on her," the young trapper turned to grin at him. The look Hiccup was making was priceless. "Absolutely smitten—"

Hiccup could feel his face heat up at the mention of it. "I do not!" he exclaimed in defense. "She's my only friend in Arendelle! Well, aside from you."

"Your face was bloody red, stupid." it wasn't a normal occurrence compared to when he was around Eret, whom he also considered as his friend. It was only natural for him to assume he sort of liked her.

"It's because… it's very cold here." he explained, but he knew there was no point in denying it. He found herself actually crushing on her.

"You think I'd buy into that?" Eret son of Eret smiles cheekily. "What's her name? I promise I won't tell."

"Her name? Pff! Of course I know her name!" he chuckled nervously, wracking his mind for a name to her face.

Without Hiccup even knowing it, Eret snatched the puffin he'd tucked into his belt. "What's this supposed to be?" asked the young trapper, regarding it with an odd look.

His hands went to feel for said doll, which he last checked was still there, until it wasn't anymore. He frowned, about to pounce on Eret. "Oh, that isn't mine actually— Could you give it ba—"

In a fruitless attempt to get his doll, Hiccup's booted foot falls directly on something hollow. A hidden trap beneath them. Spikes quickly arose from the pit, and another row descending from above them like the snapping jaws of a Monstrous Nightmare, nearly impaling him had it not been for Eret who yanked him by the back collar of his tunic, grabbing him immediately to safety. Setting off the trap and alarming the adults was the least of his worries. His priority was making sure Drago's heir returned all in one piece. "You alright, Hiccup?"

"I'm fine." he grunted, pushing himself up with difficulty all while dusting the snow off his tunic. He couldn't hide the fact how his tiny body was still quivering from the shock of that near-death situation. He shouldn't have been too careless.

"You've got one nasty cut there. That's going to leave a mark." remarked the young trapper as he inspected his wound.

Hiccup touched his cheek, where the red line bled in tiny drops of blood. "It'll just scar like usual, and it'll be cool…"

"Ah! Eret, Hiccup, funny seeing you two here," the two simultaneously searched for the familiar voice of the warlord, who seemed to be nearby. And the first to arrive, luckily for them. "Haven't you recognized the markers? Or were our instructions not clear enough?"

"Hey, Ragnar!" Hiccup happily chirped, nursing his bleeding cheek.

"They said that this was the shortest way back." Eret retorted, disappointed that he'd miss the telltale signs of their own trap, the spikes jutting out of the hollowed dirt where they could have fallen in and died.

"The shortest way that leads to your doom!" Ragnar warned them in a spooky tone, wriggling his fingers for extra effect, to which Eret rolled his eyes at. "Come along now, we wouldn't want you guys catching a cold."

"We were perfectly fine."

"If that is your definition of fine," the warlord pointed at the small injury their little prophecy had managed. He then lowered himself down, to offer the young Haddock a ride on his broad shoulders and climb up his back, which the boy gratefully took. Leading the way, Ragnar retraced his steps in a shorter shortcut, with Eret guiltily tailing behind. "We'll patch you up back in camp in no time— Ah! Grimmel!"

They weren't even half there, and a group of hunters and trappers met them on their way, all of which were probably alerted by the trap. And at the front was Grimmel.

The prodigy hunter was clearly disappointed to see Ragnar empty-handed. Hiccup couldn't entirely tell if Grimmel was mad at him, too. Perhaps he was pissed by the fact that they hadn't caught a dragon in weeks, and the first and only trap that had set off in a while was nothing but a false alarm. (Caused by none other than Hiccup.)

In one glance, Grimmel spotted the boy's injury, which Ragnar hadn't even considered bandaging it, or stopping the bleeding. In addition to that, the doll he so fondly carried around with him earlier was no longer in the clutch of his arms, or dangling by his belt. A question Grimmel would have to ask for later. "I take it that you had fun in your little run around the forest?"

In most circumstances, he would have found it dumb to hear him asking that question, but this time he knew he was definitely in trouble. The sharp tone of his mentor's voice made him instantly flinch. "A little, I guess…?" with that, Grimmel's lips were pressed into a thin line.

"The two of you are not allowed to go out like that again," his sharp eyes made him wince, realizing that Grimmel was dead serious this time. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir." the two children responded in unison.

"We leave by tomorrow. Eret's father found us a new island far away from the vigilante's reach."

"Already...?" Hiccup quietly whispered in surprise and shock, having known nothing about it.

"Yes. We'll be much safer there." Ragnar assured him, but his words did very little to comfort him.

Would that mean he won't be seeing her again?

Tomorrow.

They promised, if they could, they would meet again tomorrow.

For the majority of their return to the palace, she couldn't seem to get him off her mind, or about their promise. On the carriage, it was quiet, something she had grown unaccustomed to since the day that silly boy appeared.

Marry each other? Seriously?

What's sillier about it was when she actually agreed to it. But how can she refuse him? On such a great offer?

Almost immediately, she pushed those silly thoughts away when her parents were already waiting by the entrance, greeting her by the moment of her carriage's arrival.

"Was the forest any different this time?"

"Did you see your friend again?"

In a matter of seconds, she was locked in her parents' arms, her face smothered in their embrace before she even had the chance to think of an answer. They were together on the carpet, eyeing her carefully, checking if she was unharmed. They looked rather weary, Elsa realized. Anxious. Worried. For both her and her frail sister, she knew. That, or something went wrong during their meeting.

"Well, it really didn't change all that much," she said, now processing their questions. "And yes, he was there again. I never really had the chance to ask his name."

"You can always ask when you meet him again," her mother assured her, and was quick to stand on her feet. "Your sister was waiting for you all day." she smiled, now gently taking her hand and ushering her eldest daughter to the nursery. Only now, her father didn't accompany them all the way. Said he had to see her grandfather, who wasn't getting any better any time soon.

Unknowingly, Elsa squeezed the doll she swapped for sir Jorgenbjorgen for comfort. Some of her family was sick and in bed, and she prayed for them to get well soon as they passed her grandfather's room.

"So, who's your new friend?" Queen Iduna noticed her new doll in hand, though didn't ask where her original doll went.

"She's a dragon."

"Oh. She doesn't have a name?"

"She doesn't. He didn't give her any."

"Maybe you should ask him that, too."

And maybe she should. It was only fair to give her a name. "For now, I think I'll call her… Dragon." because that's what he kept calling her.

Her mother hummed in agreement as they approached the door to their nursery room. Iduna reached for the knob, opening the door for them. "Anna just took her medicine, and she's still sound asleep. I'll be with your father. And your tutor should be here soon."

"Okay." Elsa whispered back, careful not to make a single sound.

Gently, she sets the stuffed dragon on the bedside table to face her sister, the doll watching over her guardedly.

"Hello little baby, you're a princess just like me," Elsa sang, peering into the crib where a tiny baby barely had her eyes open, seemingly woken by her sister's cold presence, but smiled nonetheless. "But you're thinking maybe it's a pretty cool thing to be."

"But soon you'll see that everyone expects a lot from you," the girl grimaced, remembering proper etiquettes being drilled into her head, pages and paragraphs of table manners practically memorized in one sitting. "They'll say that there are things a princess should and shouldn't do."

"But you and me, we," she reached for her small fingers, where it curled around her own. "We know better."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: If anyone is wondering about the summary, Elsa will not be a Bewilderbeast. (I hope none of you took it too literally.) She's only mistaken as one, considering they only knew of a creature that has control over ice.

Ok. I have lots of mixed emotions about this. As in. Lots.

But here's some thought dump. I did a bit of research and I can't get these out of my mind. I considered writing it on Tumblr but my lazy ass said nO. (I might do it eventually, after midterms maybe. Or maybe not?)

So, here we go!

1. Ragnar is such a big softie! The movie could have fleshed out the warlords more. Alas, there wasn't enough screen time for either of them.

2. Also, I always thought Grimmel was a fusion between Pitch Black and either Jack Frost or North from Rise of the Guardians.

3. And a redeemed Drago story would have been interesting, like how the writers would execute that. I heard he was supposed to befriend dragons and change his mind. That really would have taken an interesting turn. Unfortunately for us, the movie can't jam it all in 1 hour.

Anyway, don't worry about Hiccup too much. Drago will not be abusive towards Hiccup. (I'm not very comfortable writing abuse.) Plus, he won't have the time to since he'll be too busy amassing his army, and he wanted his precious 'prophecy' to come to pass. Hiccup basically gets spoiled with special treatment, with everything he asks for handed to him in a platter (kinda like a prince at this point).

So, what is this prophecy? What did it say? Well, that is a subject for another update day!