Yami Horus says: First of all this story is a very long two-shot. Second, sorry this story doesn't really cover everything from The Hunger Games, this AU is some… weird crossover (I took whatever elements I liked from the main franchises and put them in a mixer xD )
I know this is categorized as a Crossover of two series, but, actually, it's five:
- How to Train Your Dragon Franchise
-Sofia the First
-Elena of Avalor
-Game of Thrones
-Miraculous Ladybug...
-and the rest are cameos from other movies,
I hope you like it!
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Wonderful Creature
Part 1: The dragon Conqueror and the Story Keeper
Their luck had been so good. They had come that far! They should have known their luck would run out soon. He should have known. He should have come up with a better plan, he shouldn't have done anything stupid like believing they were safe. Perhaps, that way they would have taken more precautions. Maybe, that way, his plan would have worked. Maybe…
Maybe she would have lived...
"Mister Haddock?" A voice called and he left the shell of his mind. He then noticed the brilliant lights in front of him, the soft couch he was sitting on, the neat suit he was wearing, the expectant crowd in front of him, and the hand of Astrid on his own. Oh, right, he was with Johan Trade, the only one who could come and go among districts, the greatest figure in the media... Why, again?
"Uh…" He muttered as he found himself out of words… What was the question? Had he been asked a question in the first place? He had done this before, back when he first came to this very same studio as a simple tribute from district eight. Why couldn't he remember what he did? Could it be because it felt like a very distant memory now?
"Oh, I understand. You're still mourning your little friend… uh… passing" Oh. They were asking him about Sofia.
"I…" his mouth moved before he even realized what he was saying. "I'm still trying to figure out what I'm gonna tell her family…"
He was being honest. He should not be honest in front of the camera, but his feelings were trying to catch up with his mind (the producers thought a close-up of his devastated expression was in order). Or was it the other way around? He wasn't sure, everything felt numb. The heat of the lights, the uncomfortable sensation of having four cameras over him, even Astrid's strong hold over his hand felt like a blurred sensation. He was aware of it all, but his mind wasn't really there. He repeated in his head everything that had happened and asked himself why…
...
"Hiccup!" Her voice echoed in his head and he was instantly teleported to district five. He turned around to see the little girl that wore a purple skirt and sweater-vest over her white blouse.
"Sofia? What are you doing here?" He asked, without interrupting his pace into the forest. —His little neighbor was always out and about since the first rays of the sun no doubt she was used to living the life in the village.— "Shouldn't you be in school?"
"It's fine, we were given some field assignments for this morning." She answered. "And because I already did the work, I came to visit my siblings in their camp site. I thought they might want something sweet, and I brought them blueberry waffles; their favorite. I still have some." She assured him while pointing at her backpack. "They're training, you know? They say that, if they're chosen for the Hunger Games, they won't be unprepared" The young smith chuckled.
"I really doubt they'll even be part of the reaping, your family is too important to be included" The older-one responded in a lighthearted tone, exactly that which adults use to try and reassure children.
"Not really that important if I still have to go to school, don't you think?" she explained.
"What are they going to tell Miss Flora, Fauna and Marryweather to justify their absence, by the way?"
"Since my dad spoke to them…" The girl pretended to think it through "Nothing. Amber and James didn't do three essays, so they think they are having private lessons with a tutor from Capitol." She laughed. "My dad says it was a good idea for them to come to the woods, since the Capitol is making new rules" She stopped for an instant. "But hunting a boar can't be even compared to killing a person, right?" Hiccup stopped too, looking away from her. She might be still young, but she was very well aware of what the games implicated — It was obvious why she brought them breakfast: chances were she would never see one or both again if they were sent to the Capitol; and she was afraid they would come back changed if they won the games (as it was said it happened with previous winners). He could not dare to lie.
"No, it is not." He admitted, a grimm feeling lingering in his voice. "And that's something they'll have to deal with, and learn how to live with it". The teen shook his head slightly to remind himself to not make the child worry. "IF they are chosen. As far as we know, they might just be sleeping outdoors and skipping class in vain"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure"
"Why are you always coming into the woods every morning?" She suddenly changed the subject, for which Hiccup thanked Odin. "Is this why you're always late for work?"
"Promise you won't tell?" The child, in response, mimicked drawing an "X" over her chest...
"Cross my heart, zip my mouth!" And after she pretended to pull a zipper on her lips, Hiccup smiled, amused.
"Ok, but first, we need to go somewhere" He looked around as an effort to make sure no-one was following. After a long walk, they reach a remarkably elusive cove with a small pond in it. The place looked like a perfect lair, hidden in plain sight behind a line of adjoining bulky-trees and boulders.
"Hey, Toothless!" He called and proceeded to put the giant basket he had on his back on the ground. "I brought you breakfast, hope you're hungry!" Some seconds later, another teenager came out of a hidden door under the roots of a big ancient oak.
"A visitor? You never bring visitors."
"This is my younger brother, his name is Adrien but I call him Toothless." The boy was dressed in a curious black suit that revealed a built almost as bony-looking as Hiccup's, with piercing green eyes like the older Haddock, but his messy hair was blond instead of copper.
"Hi, Adrien. I'm Sofia" The one in black came closer to her and gave her a big hug then proceeded to make a series of gestures with his hands, looking excited.
"A new friend? I thought I was supposed to be hidden from everyone!"
"You are, she's an exception, mister Cat Furry" The blond frowned, a little annoyed.
"It's N-I-G-H-T-F-U-R-Y" The other replied and stuck out his tongue before turning his attention to the child, and the signing continued.
"Adrien, she can't understand you". Hiccup interrupted, the one wearing black turned to him, moving his hands at high speed. "I was just about to translate" Hiccup scolded and then talked to the girl. "He basically said: Hello Sofia, I'm Adrien, I'm 13 going on 14. You can call me Adrien or Toothless, if you want. And the rest was him being an annoying little brother." The younger Haddock elbowed his brother hard enough to get a loud "ouch!" out of him. "Ok, fine! He says you can also refer to him as..." he made a dramatic pause, and tried deepened his voice to sound even more so, while making quotation marks in the air, "'The Night Fury, Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death'"
Adrien, in the meanwhile, changed poses, trying to look fierce and strong before bowing with a flourish of his hand that made Sofia laugh.
"Of course, that over the top name is just plain inaccurate" Hiccup added. "He's more like a house cat." The younger boy was about to complain, but the elder patted him on the head and he couldn't help but smile pleased. "I think 'The Black Cat, Doom of cookies and pillows' would suit him better", Sofia giggled once more, especially since Adrien had been mocking Hiccup while saying that —which stopped the moment Hiccup turned his head in the younger's direction.
"I like him, but why is he living here and not with the people?" Immediately, Toothless felt awkward and glanced at Hiccup asking him if it was fine to respond.
"Let's just say he's a secret"
"I'm a secret" Adrien signed, smiling.
"You mean nobody knows he's living here? Just you?" Her questions came with a pinch of horror and sympathy. "You must be really lonely"
"Sometimes." The blond's smile turned sheepish.
"Yes, it is lonely, and it's hard on both of us, but especially on my mom. I really wish we could bring him home, but it's for the best. He's safer here."
"I can come to see him whenever I visit my brothers, if you want" She suggested. "That way, you won't have to be late for your classes with Gobber everyday. I'll bring him cookies, I have a friend who makes the best macarons in all the districts!"
"Cookies?" Now the blonde took a glance in Hiccup's direction, the older glanced back dreading the puppy-eyes trying to destroy his will. He repeated in his head —like a mantra— that his will was an impenetrable fortress with solid walls of thick iron, there was no way he would surrender in this battle (no matter how much he indulged his little brother), but he made the terrible mistake of meeting Sofia's eyes. Just looking at Sofia's curious and innocent gaze for a couple of seconds broke him. In his mind, a mole had broken into the fortress and destroyed it from the inside (Great, another pair of manipulative puppy eyes in his life).
"Ok". He obliged as his will of iron was crushed like one of those delicate macarons Sofia mentioned. "You can come, but you must make sure nobody follows you. Now… you know how the country was divided this way twenty years ago?"
"I know, the realms were independent, until a great hunger came and the realms had to become one. It was decided that the new great realm would be better divided by means of productivity, and thus every district would be in charge of providing the rest of the land with what they were most suitable for. The original royal families became the first inhabitants of the Capitol, where they would keep doing what they did best: administer the resources accordingly, so that everyone could have a chance of survival. Until they faced a difficult decision, which was solved by the first leader of the districts: Queen Shuriki, celebrating the first Hunger Games.
"Nice to see someone pays attention in class"
"She's very impressive!"
"Well, that's just a part of it." Hiccup explained. "The royal families were the ones with the duty of managing resources, and they did well for some years. However… they still had their own quarrels amongst each other…"
"You mean… they were not friends?" The girl seemed puzzled, she knew the system was not perfect and was, in simple words, a 'perpetual-work-in-progress', improving for the sake of the people.
"Some were, others weren't. Some had personal unresolved business with those who were supposed to be their allies." He sighed. "A lot of people decided to align themselves with a faction or another… eventually, Capitol stopped being just the place for administration and became the place where everyone-who-could-achieve a position of power went to drown in luxury and excess..."
"How do you know?" Hiccup seemed sad and ashamed, but he spoke
"My… grandfather, on my mother's side, was… one of those people who were recognized by those at the capitol… you might recognize him, his personal seal is the butterfly"
"Your grandfather is president Hawkmoth?!" Adrien shrugged and Hiccup sighed, deeply.
"Yes… I still have no idea how. He was originally just a prestigious tailor for the royals, then… something happened, he became Capitol's favorite designer and received benefits from there. My mom says he would send her money and clothes often, even after she married dad; but power changed him. Even the districts' geography is proof of it"
"How?"
"For starters, this part of the forest was considered part of district seven." Sofía's eyebrows furrowed and her eyes opened, it took her some moments to assimilate the truth. "Is that why there is an abandoned village by the cliff?"
"Yes. That was our old home." He admitted.
"Wh-when…?"
"Hard to say, neither Adrien or I had been born yet. However… Adrien had just been born when a new law was decreed, in which 'for the sake of all districts, the population would only be permitted a maximum of two children per family', as a way to adjust the distribution of food to the readjusted-numbers of the population".
"But, we are three siblings in my family." Sofía declared with confusion.
"I'm pretty sure your family doesn't count, since it's technically two families merged together" Hiccup explained. "Back in that time, our family was spared from this rule, governor Roland was still young and new to his position, but, with my dad's help, the people was able to trust him and it was easier to administer everything for the better".
"Wait, spared...?" Sofía echoed, confused. "You have another sibling?"
"Yeah… " Hiccup's answer came out of his mouth as a sigh. "Daenerys. Our big sister." A chill ran down Sofía's back. She knew what that meant.
"Is she-? I mean… W-what happened to her?"
"Eight years ago, right before our sister turned nineteen, she was chosen for the games... along with her boyfriend whom she saw die protecting her. After that, he used all she had in her to search and destroy the other tributes. They called her: 'The Unburned'"
"You mean… that one chapmpion who burned the other tributes alive?" The elder answered her with a silent nod, slightly scared of his own memory of the time. And how could he not be scared? He had seen the live broadcast and journalists analyzing her every move: how she had burned alive those who stood in her way, and how she pushed the favorites, the Lannister twins from district one, off of a cliff after they mocked the death of her beloved Drogo. It was so scary to think of his sister in that state of uncontrollable rage and hatred.
"'Naery' won the games, with fire and blood; and she decided she wanted to come back home instead of staying in the Capitol or joining grandfather." At Hiccup's words, Adrien nodded enthusiastically.
"She wanted to come back for her babies' birth".
"What did he say?" Hiccup felt tempted to avoid that question in order to dodge the wave of explanations it would raise, but he answered as best as he could without leaving an opening for those he didn't want to have to answer.
"Our sister didn't know at the time, but she was pregnant when the games started, after she found out, she wished to stay home for the rest of her pregnancy." Sofia listened to this part of the tale, and couldn't help but smile as Hiccup's eyes illuminated and how Adrien nodded enthusiastically at the memories: the joy that was helping their sister do things, planning the things they would teach the kids, how scary it that had been the delivery day, etc. "And, we were surprised with more than one baby."
"Twins?" Sofia smiled
"Triplets. Two boys —Rhaegar and Vicerys—, and a girl —Drogon, she was the spitting image of her father—. We were still little, but we were very excited about becoming uncles, so we stayed with them as much as we could"
"Those must have been happy days"
"Happy, indeed…" His smile fell. "Until they came…" Hiccup seemed to lose all energy left in him to tell.
"They?" The girl prompted, afraid of triggering an unpleasant memory in them.
"The akumas." The words came out of his mouth with resentment. "Capitol's special task force. They came at night, they were many and they were armed, even when they were just coming to a home where half of its inhabitants were two kids and three babies. Apparently, grandfather needed to enforce the laws, keep his image amongst the higher ups as an untouchable iron-fisted leader, show no weakness, and he… used his own family for it." Sofía covered her mouth with horror.
"What happened ...?"
"They took Drogon, Raegar and Vicerys. They tried to take Toothless too, but they failed." He took a sharp breath to keep himself from crying ."Daenerys was devastated, but some days later, she used his privileges as a Hunger Games Champion to return to the Capitol and get her children back. She never came back"
The silence that followed was long and uncomfortable, the brothers looked sad and Adrien burst into tears against Hiccup's shoulder. After a long time, the elder teen commented about the hour and how he should go back to work and Sofia to return with her parents — obviously, she promised Adrien some sweets and baked goods for the next time she would visit.
"Why did you let me know Adrien?" Sofía aske after they left the cove. "You said he was a secret"
"With you already knowing about my morning trips to the forest, you were going to either discover it or accidentally out me. So, I better tell you first". The teen explained with a gentle tone. "Also, I wanted to ask you a favor." His voice was serious, and a little sad. "I… could you keep visiting Toothless, please? If I'm sent to the games, it would be suspicious if my mom came to the forest, and everyone knows that you like to follow cute animals…"
"I will". She responded, an ominous silence followed until they were almost out of the woods, just the moment when she stopped her peace and curiously asked: "Why doesn't he speak? By the way you talked about Ladybug, sounds like he could speak before."
"The day the akumas took our niece and nephews, they had also come for Toothless. When they were about to take him, dad knocked out some akumas and shielded Adrien. In that moment, they decided to use their guns for more than just intimidation" The girl seemed to understand immediately. "He died protecting Adrien. Since that day, he hasn't said a word"
...
"And now, let's have some throwback…" Johan indicated, Hiccup was barely conscious of what was happening, he did notice the host talking straight into one of the cameras and then glancing to a screen in the side, showing a compilation of the moments from the games, starting with the presentation of the tributes. Thor, hadn't that been embarrassing? They knew of his job back home, he had some scars on his arms from it, and he was proficient making all kinds of tools in an old-fashioned forge, thus they thought of exploiting the theme and called him "The Dragon Conqueror". He wore a very knightley-looking outfit with dragon motives; while Sofia was to wear a similar outfit —except that, while Hiccup carried a shield, she had to hold a sword in her hands— looking like some kind of squire.
"Let's remember some of the Dragon Conqueror and the Story Keeper's best moments!" Johan spoke again.
The Story Keeper was how they called her after her first interview with Johan; a little out of mockery and a little out of amusement, since she was the youngest tribute. She wore a violet dress on that occasion, the lilac amulet still hanging from her neck—a family relic her father had gifted her— and a simple violet ribbon as a diadem.
"Tell us Sofia, what do you wish the most from this?" Johan had asked
"I just… I just hope I can help my district". She spoke with sincerity. "I want to give them a story that can make them happy; and, maybe, when I'm back, I can help some friends get their happy ending"
"Friends you say?" The girl sunk a little in her assigned sofa chair; then timidly clarified.
"Yeah, I have a couple of friends that are just meant to be together" She declared, her hands clasp together under her chin and her shoulders up, with a cute smile. "Ma… I mean, one of them, she's a baker, has had a crush on the same boy for while now; and the other has no clue, but he also has a crush on her."
"That sounds like a very romantic story." The host commented with an arched eyebrow.
"It is!" Sofia assured him.
"Can you tell us more?" The man begged like a little kid would to a story teller. Obviously, in an effort to make this interview more about the fact that this tribute was an innocent little girl.
"I'm afraid I can't, it's her secret to tell and, even when I know the whole story, the star-crossed lovers must find out on their own."
"Now that sounds like a very good secret keeper"
"It's technically not a secret..." She corrected, still a little nervous with the crowd in front of her and the cameras transmitting live to all the districts. "I just don't want to spoil the story for them".
"Oh…!" The man bowed his head and raised his index finger "Sorry, Story Keeper!"
As much as Hiccup detested to admit it, Johan had actually nailed it when he called Sofía the Story Keeper. She was so friendly with everyone and she always asked people about their day, about their problems. She probably knew the entire district's stories, and how they entwined like a giant puzzle. Somehow, knew even how they were supposed to go and end. He knew this, because, even at that time, Hiccup's mind drifted away to the past, barely a few weeks before the reaping:
"I really wish I could meet Ladybug again…" He translated for Toothless while chatting with Sofía
"There you go again with the Ladybug girl" Hiccup sighed slightly annoyed, the blond pushe him playfully and stuck out his tongue.
"Who's Ladybug?" Sofía questioned, puzzled with the brother's reactions. Adrien smiled widely and started to happily sign with a delighted look. Hiccup shook his head lightly and explained with resignation:
"Toothless's crush. When he was still in school, there was this really shy girl in the class next door to whom he always wanted to talk to".
"And her name was Ladybug?"
"No. That's just how he calls her, because she wore a shirt with a ladybug embroidery on her shoulder and a red ribbon with black polka dots in her hair all the time. We never knew her name, I was in a different class and Adrien only talked to her once and totally forgot to ask her."
"Do you remember how she looked?" Adrien signed rapidly in response:
"She had black hair like the night and blue eyes that shimmered like stars; and she always shared cookies with people." Hiccup translated with a slightly mocking voice.
Nothing interesting happened after, they just finished their visit like they had in the last left the cove and Sofia didn't say a thing, but she couldn't keep her giggles at ease as her step skipped lightly the farther they went. She seemed pleased and excited for something.
"Why are you giggling so much?" Hiccup finally questioned-
"Because I know who's Toothless' crush!" She almost yelled with that energy only little kids have when they are let known of something special. The boy seemed puzzled, he felt beyond puzzled. "It's Marinette"
"The bakery girl?" the elder questioned, incredulously.
"Yeah! She's the only person with black hair and blue eyes that always has cookies to give away" She assured him. "And," she emphasize the word "she's the only person I know that likes ladybugs to the point of embroidering a small one on every piece of her clothing"
"Why are you so sure?"
"Because one time she told Amber and I about this 'nice boy she met when she was little" that only spoke to her once and suddenly disappeared." She retold a little bit like Amber would have done it. Then, she clasped her hands together and added: "Also, she described him as having iridescent green eyes and golden blond hair as bright as the sun". She finished, trying to imitate her friend's nostalgic and lovesick voice.
"Nope, doesn't sound like my brother at all". He joked. Sofia rolled her eyes, amused —big brothers were all the same. "But, since she's just as corny as him, they must be made for each other".
"She said he gave her some encouragement on a really bad day… and his umbrella, it was raining"
"That's what happened?" Hiccup seemed to have had some kind of realization. "One time, my umbrella was caught in the wind and got ruined, we were supposed to share Adrien's, but he said he had lost it. Mom was pissed when we got home dripping wet, but he couldn't stop talking about 'Ladybug'"
"Want me to tell you the funniest part?" The girl said in a singy way. "Apparently, neither of them know who is the other!" The teen's world stopped for a moment, his senses seemed to have chosen this minute to stop functioning in order for him to use his entire brain to process that information. "When she told us, she kept calling him Cat Noir". Hiccup facepalmed.
"The black cat hat…" He half sighed. "My sister knitted several beanies before her babies' birth, guess who were the test subjects and which was his favorite"
"See? This is meant to be. Ladybug and Cat Noir will be together someday, I just know it. One day he'll be back and we'll play matchmaker!"
…
"What was your plan?" The one being interviewed came back to reality just in time. Johan had just questioned him with real genuine interest visible in his face and expressed with his tone. "If you two had been the only two competitors left, what were you meaning to do, knowing only one of you could stand tall in the end?"
Silence. He had nothing to say...
...except the truth.
"Frightmares"
"What?" The host voiced his confusion almost immediately, trying to ensure the fluidity of this conversation. Hiccup took a deep breath (a camera focused on his face, the lights were slightly shifted just to bring out the ominous watery shine in his eyes).
"Wild mushrooms. The idea was to collect ten edible and ten poisonous. The one to eat more of the poisonous ones would eventually fall asleep" His last memory of Sofia flashed in his mind. "Of curse, I wouldn't have let her take the poisonous ones, not a single one. "
"And just how did you plan on doing that?" The star of the show smiled in vain, trying to lift the mood a little. "I don't know about you, but I always trust the chef". The champion chuckled melancholically, as the present audience laughed along.
"When I was little, some kids would hide some poisonous mushrooms in my food —the kind that give you stomach aches or make you vomit or just paint your tongue green or make everything you eat taste tarth. One time, just as I finished eating, I fainted. I woke up three days later. My mother took me to an old woman, the eldest in our village, called Gothi. She said the mushroom I had consumed was a Frightmare." The teen felt something strange on his cheek at this point —no, not strange, it was a teardrop. Wait, he was crying, and he hadn't noticed it. He used his free hand to wipe it away quickly.
"What's so special about those… Fright... -mares?"
"Gothi said this thing used to be an old remedy for insomnia, but the more you eat, the more you'll sleep; and, after a certain amount, it will be a miracle for you to awake again. Naturally, I had to learn something about them just to know how to avoid them". He tried, in vain, to stop the steady salty stream coming from his eyes. "Frightmares are no different to common champinones, except for the fine scaly texture on the upper part of the cap and that they glow lightly in iridescent colors in the shade— not too much, just enough for a trained eye to notice in broad daylight."
He confessed his plan, still wishing that had been the case. Wishing that this interview was just his judgement before entering the next life
"Just one more question, Mister Haddock" Johan intervened again, showing some sympathy. "What drove you to protect this little girl with no ties to you, except that of a neighbor?"
"She was a child." He responded, his voice trembling as he fought his instincts to not raise the volume. "Does anyone need a good reason to protect a child beyond the fact of them being a child?"
…
As the day of the reaping approached, everyone became anxious, Sofia could notice it in everyone: parents who hugged their kids for a little longer than needed, kids that spent more time with their siblings and cousins just to cry together, extra 'I love you's everywhere. Her friends had told her of their families and how they worried: Lucinda's family kept having conversations with her about death and how she could prepare for such; Vivian's mother had been asking her to play the flute more often than not; Ruby's mother couldn't stop talking about the time when she was a baby and how fragile she looked; and Jade had overheard her uncle and father saying something about "preparing for the moment" by making her a coffin every year ("That's what he does for my cousin since she turned thirteen"). Sofia's own family was no exception, the twins had come back home just a week before, and they spent as much time with Miranda and Roland as possible. Hiccup couldn't sleep, every thought he had every waking moment was about his brother, and how he should leave things prepared for the possibility of being chosen, —maybe, Sofia could keep visiting Toothless in the mornings, and uncle Cloudjumper (not related to him by blood, he was just Valka's best friend) could see him once in a while to teach him how to find herbs and mushrooms to live in the wild; if everything worked out, Adrien could survive without any help until reaching the right age to come back to civilization… But, what about his mother? He couldn't just die and let Valka alone to worry about the akumas coming back. Losing Stoic, Daenerys and the triplets in one night had taken its toll on her, she was a nervous wreck! "Maybe she could stay with uncle Cloudjumper and the old Bewilderbeast?"—. Adrien would hug and fool around with Hiccup non-stop on every visit, almost refusing to let his brother go. Sofia could relate to the blond, since her siblings were already thirteen, and this would be their first time in the reaping, she, herself, wanted to keep them home under lock and key where she could keep them safe..
When the day finally came, it felt like a funeral.
"Welcome to this year's reaping" Gobber's voice resounded in the yard, filled with the eligible youths for that year's Hunger Games. "As you all should already know by now, those among ages ten to sixteen can take part in the games."
"Ten to sixteen?" Hiccup whispered, surprised as he and Astrid stood still in their lines. "
"When did that rule change?" Fishlegs murmured from behind.
"Probably just recently" Hiccup murmured back and couldn't help but look at the younger kids in the front lines, the Enchancian twins looking both fearful and defiant. "Sofía mentioned she overheard governor Roland say…" He had to stop as his mind brought a new possibility to the table: "Was it what Sofia meant?" He thought.
"And, now, the moment you all have been waiting for! " The man exclaimed and took a piece of paper from a large crystal bowl being held by one of the guards that had ben especially sent from Capitol. Gobber carefully unfolded the piece of paper and read the name; for just one second, his jolly facade became a mixture of shock, horror and sadness, then he regained his composure as soon as he noticed the solemn awkward silence around him. "Our very first tribute is…" —he hated that silence so much! It was the same every year, but it was usually after he had read the name. He mentally sighed. He had lived for so long… Why couldn't these kids get that same chance without sacrificing any of them?— "...Sofía, Enchancian!"
And the silence came again. This time it was more tense, and carried a grim atmosphere —something natural when something sad suddenly happens; even when one was already expecting it—. Sofia was lined amongst her class friends, with the younger kids, somehow very sure of what she had to do now: she dusted her skirt, adjusted her hair and amulet, and shakily walked onward to join Gobber on stage, as hundreds of fearful and surprised whispers arised. Governor Roland was among the crowd along with Miranda, both watching in shock, trying to keep straight faces if only to show the mere effort of keeping appearances— the twins, in their lines, were just as shocked, James wept silently in denial as Amber hyperventilated trying not to cause a scene.
"Sofía Enchancian?" Tuffnut gasped. "Gods, here comes the tragedy!" He said a little too loud and cheery, gaining him a hit to the head from Snotlout.
"That kid is not going to last an hour," his twin added, "On the bright side, after next year, we'll be free from the reaping." Ruffnut bluntly admitted. "Too bad for the kid, though"
"Yeah, she's just a child" Fishlegs pointed. "Her chances of survival are in the single digits..."
"And now… for our second tribute…" Gobber was saying as he was about to take another piece of paper, just to be interrupted by a firm voice that spoke even louder than if it had come out of the speakers:
"I volunteer!" The echo surprised the ones present so much that they visibly jumped. Gobber's eyes seemed to double their size in recognition of that voice — 'Every piece of boar-headed stubborn-viking you ever were', he wanted to scream to the heavens for Stoic to hear.
Before anyone— even himself— knew, Hiccup found himself in front of the stage, his breath ragged and a little shaky, his heartbeat up in his throat and making his entire body throb. What was he doing?—Sofia was his friend— He wasn't as strong as the other teens of his age —she was too young—. They both could die in the games, his mother wouldn't survive another blow like this—her mother had lost someone too—, uncle Cloudjumper wouldn't be always there for Toothless, his brother would struggle to survive …
"But, at least, she won't go through this alone". The voice inside his head quieted the others calling out his doubts. He took one deep breath and, once again, spoke with a tone of finality:
"I volunteer as tribute!"
...
There were no goodbyes for them from their friends and family. Not even for Sofia, whose father was meant to be there to see them off in the train station.
"To our district's tributes: good luck". He breathed sharply, trying not to cry in front of his daughter and the Capitol representatives and guards present. "And my the odds be ever in your favour"
Sofia sent her father an optimistic smile with an enthusiastic nod, as if this was just another trip to the forest. The man could only respond with a melancholic one, this could be the last time he would see his youngest smile like that. He knew that. Hiccup also knew he knew that.
"I'll protect her, I promise". He murmured, just loud enough for the elder to hear; then, he boarded the wagon. After that the train ride to Capitol was mostly silent. Gobber, as their district's 'official speaker' would follow later. In the meanwhile, the two newly chosen tributes took time to process what would be of their lives.
"You didn't have to volunteer to come. Why are you here?"Sofia suddenly asked.
"It's fine". He answered dismisively.
"But, what about your mom and Toothless?" Sofia's heart was heavy with the very thought of causing Hiccup's family more suffering.
"I made some arrangements," he answered. "I prepare every year. I've got some extra work done, if I'm not back to reclaim it, he must give it to my only known living relative. Uncle Cloudjumper looks for herbs and mushrooms every week; he can help my brother as far as he doesn't stay too long in the forest and make people suspect something. As for mom… Astrid and Stormfly will spend time with her, make sure she's not alone; and old Bewilderbeast will also be there for helping her through it all. Also, I wrote some letters; uncle Cloudjumper will deliver them if something happens to me. One for mom, and one for Toothless." Sofia heard that plan, a little surprised with it. It sounded like Hiccup had years of being very pessimistic about his chances of being chosen —or, maybe, he was being extremely level headed about the situation. He had taken precautions for four years in a row.
"You're a really good brother"
"No, Sofia. The truth is that I'm not." Sofía saw the teen's eyes go glassy "When dad died, the first thing I told him was to leave, that it was his fault, and… That I didn't want to see him again." He sighed, Sofía could see he was very regretful as his eyes were filled with tears. "I yelled, I told him to leave forever and that I wished they had taken him. "The teen sighed, with some teartracks running down his cheeks as guilt flooded his being as if it was still fresh. "He was barely seven". He ended in a sigh.
"You never told me what you did to protect Toothless from being taken" The girl tried to change the subject.
"We were still very young, but…" The scene developed in his mind as clearly as it always did, he felt powerless as he couldn't do anything. The memory got unbearably painful as he could almost hear the voices of his and Adrien's younger selves screaming: 'Why are they taking the babies?', 'Where are they taking them?'. The following images flashed through Hiccup's head as the confusing horror show it had been for his young mind: the akumas exchanging words, one of them going to pick Adrien, Stoic getting in the way to shield Adrien from them; and then the shot.. "The only reason they didn't take him too, was because the shock of seeing dad dying while holding him was too much for him, he fainted and the akumas thought the bullet had reached him too…" He paused, he could almost see it all manifesting around him inside that very same wagon: Valka crying over her beloved's body; Adrien waking up a little later to, stubbornly, try to make Stoic awake; he could also see himself lashing at the poor child that was his brother and posh him to keep him away from their father's body, as if it could remedy the whole situation. "Mom buried dad the next morning. We remained inside for days while mom tried her best to comfort us. Then, she came to the conclusion that keeping Toothless hidden would be best, just in case the Akumas realized their mistake and came back"
"Hiccup, you were just a kid". The words sounded wiser and older than the one speaking them. "Even now. You and I are kids. We are young, unruly, and adults think that we are wild, we make mistakes, all the time; but the important thing is to learn from them". She looked down to her shoes. "I've made mistakes, many, but I learned: to trust my sister, to rely on my brother, to be a better friend, to be a better daughter…"
"Yeah… well… I'm still bracing for the worst." He looked out the window, sure that if he pretended he was talking to himself, he wouldn't keep the words in. "That's probably something he'll never forgive, no matter how much he loves me".
"Has he ever reminded you of it?"
"Not really"
"That means he forgave you a long time ago". Once again, Sofia spoke with a wisdom beyond her age. "Yes, he might not forget that it happened, but I don't think he's holding a grudge".
...
"And that was Master Haddock, our brand new champion!" Johan said, causing the audience to clap as he and Astrid walked away and went through a door; which he barely registered after he found himself in a small hall with many silver doors.
"Finally, the end of the interview". He thought.
Astrid took his hand and guided him to a dressing area before Gobber came to take them back to the house they'd be staying in for the time being. Hiccup barely noticed the change in his surroundings, the only thing that got his attention was the screen in the inside where the broadcast was on. As Johan was having a small conversation with president Hawkmoth —via video call—, then he said his goodbyes to the audience, a solemn melody was played to "honour the fallen" along with a series of pictures and short videos of the deceased tributes.
The time between the reaping, the parade of the tributes, the games and the present felt like a thousand years ago. It was surreal. He could recall he talked to people —but not exactly with whom—, he had been interviewed by Johan, he also knew he impressed the sponsors with his knife throwing ability —when he did, he was so glad for Astrid dragging him to witness Snotlout's pointless dares, or he wouldn't have gotten curious about how to make the farthest throw—, but he couldn't recall how many days it lasted. How long had it been? Hellheim's gates, why did it feel like everything happened in a single day? He knew days and nights passed in between those specific events —because he must have slept at some point. Why couldn't he feel the reality of it all? Why did all this feel like one big nightmare he only wished he could wake up soon?
Maybe, because that was all he wanted; and this was the second time in his life he wished for such a thing that intensely.
When the picture of Sofia appeared, they played the training footage, when she showed skills with the whip —she assured him it was because of the ribbon dance she had to learn to perform for a class—. His mind wandered again to the past, to that moment when most of the tributes were already out. They had been walking through a particularly thick part of the forest, back to the cornucopia. Hiccup had used —and lost— most of the throwing knives he had scavenged from another tribute's stuff, and Sofía's whip had been broken. It was imperative to get a weapon, mainly for practical use than for defense against the remaining tributes —they had unintentionally poisoned half of them after leaving behind their bag of mushrooms—.
"Why did you have to run after that rabbit if we wouldn't have him for dinner?" The teen complained as they walked beside each other.
"But he was so cute!" She answered with puppy eyes.
"Ok, I guess I can't argue with that. Listen", he interrupted their conversation to explain, "to reach the cornucopia, we must cross this grassfield, thus we'll be exposed, we'll have to act fast and be smart". He added and crouched by a section of tall grass around a small tree, Sofia went along and stood on the other side so she could see the small grassfield better.
"I really hope the others are still on the other side". Sofia commented.
"Me too", the teen admitted. "Hans is a good strategist and can talk his way into people's minds, but, if he's alone..."
"During training hours, I heard some people talking bad stuff about him. Believe me, he's not as liked as he seems to be." Sofia Assured him.
"That means whoever saying is on his side is just playing along"
"We can deceive him if we use his word playing against him" Sofia added.
"Sounds good. Now we need a plan B in case…"
"Ah...!"
The girl screamed in pain and bent over, Hiccup felt the blood leave his face as he saw an arrow had made its mark all the way through her backpack. Panic made him look around, he found a guy with a crossbow some good ten steps away from them. The guy walked closer as he took another arrow to try and shoot, but Hiccup was quicker and, as soon as the other got in range, successfully threw a knife and the blade went through his skull.
"SOFIA!" He exclaimed and went to tend the girl. How could this happen? How did he not hear the guy? It was impossible to not make any noise walking on the twigs unless…
Unless he had been there before they came... It had been a trap!
That was not the moment to think of that, he had to help Sofia first. He was praying to the gods that whatever contents inside her backpack had been enough to shield her from the arrow.
"It's alright", he said in his head, "Now there are four other tributes out there, she can make it to tomorrow. If she's the only tribute left, they'll do everything to keep her alive. She's going to be fine". He knew he was just fooling himself.
He cut the back of the arrow and removed the backpack just so he could make the girl lie on her back. Her expression was pained and her breathing labored.
"It's ok, I'm here…" Hiccup tried to calm her while also trying to mentally calm himself: "If I fight the others with two knives… Maybe I could use my sister's flamey trick… When I'm left I'll just…"
Sofía coughed and got him out of his thoughts.
"I'm here, It's fine, we'll go to the cornucopia and… we'll be fine." He repeated, he felt powerless as he saw a thread of blood leaving her mouth, and the arrowhead barely peeking out in the middle of her chest. His hope turned into smoke. "You'll be ok, we won't need the mushrooms, you'll be…" Despite his words, his mind kept screaming at him that she wouldn't: the arrow had surely gone through her heart and (by the angle of the arrow) it had also hit a lung.
He couldn't breath.
He couldn't think.
This couldn't be happening.
He promised he would protect her, and here he was: watching her drowning in her own blood.
"Hiccup…" the girl choked "I'm dizzy… and tired..." She declared as her eyelids started to drop.
"I know…" Hiccup responded, almost not knowing what he was doing, just very concentrated in containing the tears in his eyes.
"I think... 'll close my eyes for a moment, before we keep moving…" A couple of shredded breaths after, she added "I'll be fine... when I wake up…" in a very weak murmur. Hiccup nested the little girl against his chest, almost losing the fight with his stupid tears.
"You will…" He whispered, more like trying to convince himself there was something he could do. "You will..." He squicked out in a choked sob. "I guess… I'll… see you later…" He added, trying not to sob any more.
"Much later… I hope" Hiccup's heart broke a little at that, knowing what that meant. "Hiccup… 'm scared" She talked once again, in that pitiful weak tone.
"Don't be." The teenager replied in a soft voice, "I'm here." He never knew from where it had come from, a weird sensation that made him want to sing a soft tune for the child. The lyrics' origin was unknown to him, perhaps somewhere in the back of his head, among his distant and unbelievably happy —almost unreal— memories with his family.
"Many seas and rivers
I will cross for you.
In your distant land you will find me.
Whirlpools and storms I will ride,
I will fly through thunderstorms just to get to you,
wonderful creature.
Even when he knew he lacked a singing voice, he tried to entone the lullaby of sorts, perhaps to soothe himself as much as he was trying to soothe the girl whose breathing had become erratic. He held her a little tighter as he noticed her breathing stopping and her body going limp. A couple of tears finally rolled down.
"Oh, wonderful fear of having you near me
with those eyes like the sun that burn me
right in the heart.
"'I keep watch in your sleep,
I guard your dreams.
So, don't wake up yet,
wonderful creature.
"You're alone in the world.
Oh, wonderful fear... of having you beside me,
and [of] those eyes like the sun,
that leave me without words".
He let his grip loose and looked into Sofia's face: her cheeks were still as rosy as ever, looking serene despite the light tear tracks coming from her closed eyes, so full of hope even when she was...
"Wonderful… creature." The last of Hiccup's song came out as a suffering, painful sigh; and, finally, gave up to his grief. He cried holding Sofia's body for a very long time, until sunlight hit him straight in the eyes and memory reminded him he couldn't stay there for much longer, he had to keep moving.
The sun was going down, but his rage was just rising. As careful as his own wounds let him, he layed Sofia's body on the ground and removed the arrow's head from her chest. He also moved Sofia's backpack to place it as a pillow for her, and discovered the rabbit she had chased that very morning, the animal had been a victim too. More tears threatened to well out as the memory of her with the animal flashed in front of his eyes —it was unfair—, but he refused to keep crying. He removed the animal and placed him beside the little girl, whom he rolled to make lie on her side and placed her hand on the rabbit's body. Then he covered them both with the only blanket they had.
Had anyone seen that picture without knowing what had happened, they would just assume it was just a little girl sleeping with her pet rabbit. A sad melancholic smile crossed Hiccup's face at the thought. Then, his rage came full force and, knowing he was surrounded by cameras and microphones, he yelled to the nothing and to the word:
"Is survival worth sacrificing the life of a child?" After that, he took some breaths to calm down, when the lilac gleam of the Amulet got his attention.
"My dad gave it to me when I was seven" she had explained. "It's a family heirloom, he said he wanted me to have it"
He didn't know if the Enchancian family would be even allowed to recover her body, so he gently got it from around her neck, contemplated it for some seconds, and hid it in one of his jacket pockets. As he marched away he murmured to himself: "Fire and blood… I understand now ."
...
Astrid was talking to his patron when Hiccup remembered that the interview had already ended; and that he still had Sofia's amulet with him. The boy searched his pocket and extracted the shiny piece of jewelry. Sofia had said it was a family heirloom, the correct thing to do would be to return it to Governor Roland — How could he do that though? He couldn't keep his promise.
As he admired the amulet in his hands, he noticed a very discreet hinge by the base of the teardrop-shaped jewel. Huh, was this jewel a locket? Curiosity made him examine the upper part of the teardrop, wondering how this well-hidden feature was made. Without thinking, he pressed one of the small blue jewels by the sides, which moved the lock —like in a pocket watch— , and let it open to reveal a hollow silver interior—which meant the lilac quartz in the front was not as solid as it seemed, it was just a shell—, in there, a small data-storage unit resided.
He looked around, and realized he was back in the house of his , Eleanor Donbruch. He scurried away and tried to find somewhere he could see into the device's contents. He walked into one of the guest rooms he and Astrid were supposed to use, there was an old computer in it, but that would have to do.
The contents inside were a file named "Old Maru" and what seemed to be a series of videos. He clicked on the one at the top and on the screen appeared the image of a girl around his age wearing a red blouse and a tan vest, with long brown hair and eyes, golden teardrop-shaped earrings and wearing a pink-ish red version of the very same amulet he had in his hands.
"To whoever finds this, I am princess Elena of the Avaloran family; and this is most probably my last message to the world before they find me" She spoke with a very serious voice and a pinch or urgency, as if she knew she didn't have enough time. "The district-system is not working, and what Shuriki did when she decided to establish the games, was creating a mere distraction.
"The districts were supposed to be a way to administer better what resources each realm could provided for the rest, but Shuriki and her inner circle were more interested in what the districts could provide for them. It's been barely three years, and the resources are whining everywhere, even here at the Capitol, and yet, they are not concerned". The young woman's eyes became watery, she had to stop talking just to prevent her tears from falling.
"This system is rotten. It, somehow, in a very short time has assured the people an unhappy way of life. They live with fear: the young fear for their lives, the old fear for their young, the outside in general fears for the future. Idealist nobles think they only need to do better" She scoffed. "They're so naïve, they do believe Shuriki is doing everything right. It's as if, the higher they are in the power escale, the more blind they become. These people are more in love with the idea of the promised future and the commodities they're being given in the way than they're concerned for the people they were supposed to speak, protect and care for!" The young woman removed a couple of tears that had fallen from her eyes, then spoke, a little more severe, although still with a little trembling in her voice.
"We must unwave this net of lies before we all get too tangled in it to escape, and before someone worse takes advantage of it. The heads of this… pyramid of a new society are: Shuriki Monarch, who silently rules with an ironfist; Grimmel the Grisly and Drago Bludvist, who enriched themselves by selling slaves; and Vor DeLocked, who just delights in controlling people. Unfortunately, there are not enough people willing to voice their discomfort or their suspicions of them. They operate as the masterminds they are, the ones that execute their darkest orders are their pawns: Prisma Diamond, Krogan, Viggo, Ryker and…" The girl stopped talking as some tears welled from her eyes once again as her voice broke, "and... and Esteban Flores, from the Avaloran family". At these words, Hiccup could empathize with the girl, he knew what it was to be betrayed by someone from your family. In the video, as the girl tried to put away her tears, a commotion could be heard in the distance, which got her attention; and she hurriedly added:
"Even Though that is the upper circle, the ones in power, high on top of the world, the origin of all evils, they are not the true enemy, but the one who deals with those down on earth level: Johan."
"Johan?" Hiccup questioned, surprise visible in his face. Johan, the show host? That Johan?.
"Johan is the one who decides what is true and what is not. The others never leave the capitol, they're too concentrated in their charades while he is always coming and going through the districts, he distorts reality to ensure the others keep their little utopic illusion.
"I don't know you, I don't know who you are or when you''ll be watching this, but I assure you: if you finish Johan's theatre, it will be easier to make this end." She spoke with both determination and a touch of fear. Hiccup looked down, as if he felt unworthy of hearing this person's message. Just, how could he do anything? Whoever this message was for, surely wasn't him. Destiny had made a mistake,
"Elena, they're here!" Another voice spoke "You must leave". An aged voice echoed somewhere farther than the camera. Elena looked into the camera as her hands reached for it as if she was trying to hold the listener's face.
"Please, if I'm gone, I beg you, finish the job. Survival is not worth sacrificing the life of a child".
.
.
.
Yami-Horus: Yup, this is the fist part of this thing (God knows when the other part will be finished!). Meanwhile, please enjoy!