Hey, long time no see, yes, very long time.. * ducks from things getting thrown my way * I'm sorry I have been gone these few months, with some things happening I just couldn't set my mind to writing, but now I'm here to surprise y'all with a brand new one, and I'm already busy with planning the next few ones. Thank you so much for the ones who are still reading this, I'm doing it all for you!!

He held himself to that promise, and she was happy to see his face appear next to hear while she was eating breakfast.

Normally, she would've choked on her food because who wouldn't when a face appeared next to you all of a sudden?

But Astrid was shocked to notice how fastly she got used to things like this.

" How did you sleep? " He asked her while floating above the table, was he showing off?

Astrid smirked and turned back to her food, " I slept good, to be honest, better than I expected I would. "

She heard him mumble something in the terms of: " Glad. " While he flied up to the ceiling, which was quite high and adorned with the most intricate patterns.

Astrid now looked up to focus on Hiccup who was currently walking on the ceiling like it was the most normal thing to do.

Astrid couldn't help the large smile that settled on her lips. " Show off. " She muttered.

Astrid drank up the remainder of her glass of juice, and left to the kitchen to clean everything up.

" Hiccup? " She called out, in a matter of one second he stood behind one of the kitchen counters.

" I've been thinking.. I want to clean the rooms. All the rooms, it might come in handy y'know.. For any future plans. " She proposed while cleaning the dishes, setting them on the counter when she was done.

Hiccup floated over the kitchen to her, standing beside her and leaning into the counter, helping her dry and put the dashes into the right cupboard.

" I agree, we've been awful in maintaining this castle, to be honest, " He floated up to put the plate back to its place.

" Only fair that I'll help, right? " He finished with an honest smile, which she answered back with a smile of her own.

An idea popped up in her head, and her hands stopped.

Hiccup noted the way she stopped her movements and moved his green orbs to her.

" I was just thinking.. " She began, and turned around to fully face him. " Maybe your kin would like to get out the cellars and help around..? "

Silence.

Astrid's blue eyes cautiously wandered over to the ghost next to her.

" I think they'd like that. "

She inwardly smiled, the idea seemed so weird but really handy at the same time.

" Thank you for keeping us in mind, Astrid. "

Astrid looked up at his face, there she found a genuine, thankful look in his eyes, his lips turned into a small smile.

She answered him with a smile back in response before giving him another plate he had to place back onto the tall cupboard.

So there they came, Viking after Viking.

She saw each one pass into the castle, they looked around themselves in an alien way, as if they haven't been here before.

" It's like they don't know where they are.. " She mumbled while she looked at their faces in deep thoughts.

Hiccup shifted besides her, " It's kind of a long time, they'll get used to it in no time, I know I did. "

Astrid looked at Hiccup questionably, " Yeah, what's up with that? How come you're basically the only one entering the castle instead of just staying in the basement? "

Again, Hiccup shifted, but this time, it was like he was nervous.

" I guess the others didn't want to remind themselves on the fact we're actually dead. In the basements it's safe and we won't have to worry about people catching us, not that there were actually people out here that could catch us. It has been practically empty all the while we waited for another household or lady. " He sounded kind of sad while explaining it.

Astrid bit her lip, " But you can still go outside right? " She tried.

Hiccup catched her gaze, his lips turned upwards in a glum smile.

" Yes, but there's no way we can be allowed to be seen. Our appearance outside changes drastically, and it will expose us and our only safe place, cause of course everyone knows that this castle is 'haunted' " He emphasized the word haunted, " But I don't want to know what'll happen when people realize that it's actually haunted. "

Her face turned away, she felt herself feel dejected and sad at what Hiccup told her. Astrid gazed at the ghostly figures passing them, they were bound to this house, and they have been ever since they first got here.

It must feel horrible, she wouldn't want to imagine the mental suffering they had to go through.

Astrid turned her eyes back to Hiccup again, " I'm sorry Hiccup.. " He gave a sad smile again, " I wish I could do something to help. "

His eyes widened at her last statement for some reason, before he quickly tried to hide it by clearing his throat and looking away.

" Its.. Okay Astrid, we're all used to it. This is the way we are, we've accepted that a long time ago. "

Astrid stared at his conflicted face, who seemed deep in thought, and she promised she would find a way to help Hiccup and his kin to help them in any way possible.

" And they were the last ones. Now all there is left to do.. " Hiccup picked up their cleaning supplies, " Is to clean. "

Astrid gave a small chuckle at the sight, and took the other supplies in her hands. " Come on Cinderella, let's do this. " As she walked up the stairs, Hiccup followed her with ease. " Wait, who's Cinderella? "

A little while later, everyone on the castle was busy with scrubbing the floors, the walls, the furniture, even the ceilings.. Since they could defy gravity, literally.

Astrid was currently scrobbing away the ends of the large windows.

Dust and dirt covered every little thing in this castle, so she was glad Hiccup and the others were so kind to help her. She could never do this on her own.

She was slightly wobbly on the wooden stepladder she had found downstairs, it seemed old and she had a feeling of hesitation since all it could do was creak and moan.. But this was her only solution.

Hiccup was on the ceiling, and it was coming around very nicely, a beautiful large painting began to appear through the dust.

Astrid smiled slightly, leaning into the stairs casually. " Hey Hiccup, tha- "

2 faces appeared out of nowhere, upside down. " Oh hello there! " Was the last thing she heard before she toppled back, falling off.

Right on her tailbone.

" Jesus Christ.. " She murmured as she lay on the ground. When she opened her eyes, she immediately saw a pair of green eyes staring at her full of worry.

" Astrid, are you okay? Can I - " Hiccup stopped himself before giving a sour look behind himself, probably at the cause of her fall. " I told you guys, never do that! " " It was epic, but okay, sorry, Astrid. " She heard a voice say, one she didn't know.

With a groan, she raised herself in a sitting position. There, along with Hiccup, she saw a pair of twins, a big man and a burly man.

They all looked somehow her and Hiccup's age, so she guessed these were Hiccup's friends he talked about a few times before. She could recognise their faces from when she first met their kin, but they've never properly been introduced.

Hiccup seemed to have calmed down, his face turned into his usual friendly smile. " Astrid, I want to introduce you to this.. bunch I call my friends. " He slightly joked, earning him a playful clap on the back of his head by a man with long, blonde dreadlocks. Beside him stood a woman almost identical to him, with intricate braids put in one of the longest lengths of hair she had ever seen.

Next to the tall woman stood another two man, one bigger man with cropped blonde hair and the beginnings of a beard, beside him one smaller, dark haired muscled man with a smug look on his face, she narrowed her eyes as he gave her a wink.

" Tuffnut, Ruffnut " Hiccup pointed to the twins, " Fishlegs, and Snotlout. " At last he pointed at the bigger and smaller man. She gave a polite smile and a quick wave, " Hey guys, I'm Astrid. "

Ruffnut crossed her arms and smirked, " Trust me, we know all about you already. " Her gaze then settled on Hiccup and then back to her again.

Astrid's eyes narrowed and they looked from Ruffnut to Hiccup, who was currently avoiding everyone's gazes at the moment.

With a slight smile sent his way, he's back to being himself again.

" I want this room finished before tonight, so best to hurry up. " Hiccup jokingly commanded, in return getting eyerolls and smirks and a knowing chuckle from Astrid.

She watched the group spread across the large room, beginning to cleanse it again.

This was certainly something.