Hiccup sat at the kitchen table, staring down into the floating bits of fish in his breakfast bowl, feeling not unlike day-old roadkill – soggy, drained, and flattened. He was achy and congested, too; like little magic bunnies had visited him sometime during the whole official four hours he'd slept and stuffed his head full of wet cotton.
Every noise – the clank of dishes in the sink, the shuffle of footsteps in the hall, the crinkle of his dad's parchment paper – sounded as though it was coming from somewhere deep underground.
Sometime last night, while Hiccup had managed to hide his evidence of his breakdown, he heard his father come home from Heather's grandmother's. He heard him walk up the steps, and Hiccup simply turned to his side, faking his slumber as his father's presence slowly faded. When Hiccup was sure he was downstairs, he simply stayed like that until his body decided it was ready to sleep.
He now focused on how to free himself from Hadrian. Getting off the island shouldn't be a problem, and if people want to come, he's positive they'll give him his space. He needed Goathi and Grandmamma's help for sure. It'll take a while to convince them, especially after what Grandmamma had said about not letting Hadrian out.
Every time Hiccup thought about how he'd lost to him, how all his bravado and promises just swirled like a whirlpool down the rabbit-hole, it makes him cringe, and more tears threaten to break from his eyes. Hiccup blinks them away and stirs his bowl of now cold and soft fish stew.
"You're awfully quiet, son." Stoick said as he finished copying something from his notebook.
"Just a little, tired." He replies.
"Still didn't sleep well, huh?"
"You have no idea." Hiccup mumbled.
"Do you want to go for a ride, son? Maybe it's clear your head." Stoick suggests.
Hiccup sees his window of opportunity and drops his spoon. It clatters loudly against the table. He launched from his seat. He raced down the hall, then burst through the front door. The morning air hit him cold, its moisture flooding his lungs, reawakening all the pangs from past night. A deep ache seeped from his bones and resurfaced in his muscles as he forced himself to move. Wet grass whipped at the hem of his shoe and prostatic foot.
He met Toothless around back where he must've gotten out through the skylight. He must've mentioned Stoick mention a flight. Hiccup approaches Toothless pet his snout.
"Look bud, whatever happens, I just need you to trust me. Okay?" he tells.
Toothless coos in confusion, but Hiccup only hugs his best friend, then mounting, locking his foot in place. The two take off and fly around the island and swooping down to hover over the forest. The whipping wind helps clear Hiccup's nose and helped him flick away the tears that wet his eyes.
He keeps his gaze straight ahead as he can see Toothless cock his head to looks at him. He lands Toothless at Goathi's front door and knocks. The door opens in an instant and he sees the worried look of Goathi. Just looking at her, Hiccup's eyes watered. He looked away and wiped them away with the sleeve of his tunic.
Goathi places a hand on his shoulder. "Please help me." he whimpered.
She draws back, hesitant.
"Please, Goathi. You need to help me get him out!" Hiccup begged. He grabbed bother her shoulders. "He nearly killed me last night! I woke up, and my lips were purple!"
Goathi's eyes widened, clearly she didn't anticipate Hadrian to have this much power. She steps back to write on the wood in front of her. She asked why he was giving up so soon. It wasn't like him.
"I don't know! Okay?! I don't know!" Hiccup shouted. "I know I'm usually so cool and so sarcastic about everything, but this is different! I can't explain how, but it is! And if he has the power to kill me while sleeping, then there's no telling what else he could do!" Hiccup preached. "Look, if I can't fight him in my dreams then I can fight him in reality."
Goathi looks to him in confusion, and clearly unconvinced.
"Look, in the dream world, Hadrian has unstoppable power. I've tried to fight back, but I'm not a dreamer. I'm too connected to how things would play out in reality. If I get hit, and I know it would hurt in the real world, then it hurts in the dream." Hiccup explained. "I know I haven't put much effort into fighting back in my dreams, but at least in reality, I'll know the only damage he can make is with a sword instead of magic flaming balls."
Goathi strokes her chin, pondering over Hiccup argument.
"Look, Goathi, you're the only one I've told this to. I need help." Hiccup begs.
Please, I can't do this anymore. He won't leave me alone, and I can't take it anymore."
Finally she sighs and nods her head. Hiccup smiles, grateful. He hugs her and escorts her to Toothless. The three managed to make it out of the village unnoticed. They fly on the familiar route they took to Grandmamma, and soon after they saw the canoe in the daylight, Hiccup lands Toothless and they take the boat to the cabin.
Hiccup didn't even have to knock. As soon as he stepped in front of the door, it swung open with force, and there stood Heather's grandmother, a glare no her face.
"I have a lot of explaining to do, don't I?" Hiccup sarcastically asks.
"Oh you bet you do honey!" she says.
Hiccup steps in, over the threshold and makes his way down to the cellar, and is more than relieved to find the book he'd slid under the vanity, still in the same spot. Even gathered a thin covering of dust. He blows off the pesky filth and brushes any access webs off.
He walks over to the podium and opens to the page that he last remembers seeing the mark. "This says that whoever possesses this mark is bound to commit crimes or possess a fate of true devastation. You told me that this was just to expel evil spirits."
"It all depends on whom the marks come from. If they come from good sorcerers or magic beings, then they're used for good, but if for evil, then, well you get the point." Grandmamma says. "All about the good witch or the bad witch."
"Look, I know I said that I would fight back, but . . ."
"He's just too strong." Grandmamma finished for him. "I know. I had a vision last night, Hiccup. You were there. And I witnessed what that boy can do."
Hiccup froze as he scanned over another paragraph. "Wait, you saw?" he emphasizes.
"Yes, and may I tell you, while that boy is easy on the eyes, what an evil he possesses." She says with a wave of her hand.
"So, when I was buried in the grave . . ." Hiccup's words dissolve like salt in his mouth.
"That was me."
Hiccup turns to her, eyes wet. "Thank you. But why didn't you help me?" he asks.
"I wanted to see how much grip you have on controlling your dreams, and apparently not enough. Barely, even." She says.
"Oh geez, thanks." Hiccup retorts.
"You must learn to change your dreams, Hiccup. It is there, in that realm, that you hold the ability to control your surroundings, as long as they don't control you first. That grave, you could've flown out of it." Grandmamma explains.
Hiccup stared at her sunken eyes, disbelieving.
"But, I'll admit to you. Even if you had found a way, Hadrian has already dominated your dream realm. Even if you had more power than you possess, you would not stand a chance."
"Gee thanks. That makes me feel better." Hiccup snaps.
"It's a harsh reality Hiccup. You must live with it." She answers.
Hiccup takes a deep breath and sighs. "So obviously you know why I'm here."
Grandmamma nods. "I do. And after seeing what Hadrian can do, and what he knows, I do feel that it's best if we do free him."
Hiccup turns to her in disbelief. He'd imagined that Grandmamma would've been the most difficult to convince since she's the one who's going to help him. He'd never expected her to just simply go along for the ride. Such a surprise caught Hiccup of guard and left him bewildered.
"I know, I wasn't expecting anything either. But if fighting him I reality is easier, then so be it." She says.
"What about the fate you mentioned? About him taking control of my body, what will happen if he does?" Hiccup asks. This was the one question that's been buzzing in his mind like a hive of agitated honey bees.
"I don't know how far Hadrian will go, but if that should happen, then I've already planned ahead." She says. She walks over to the vanity and pulls out a drawer, and pulls out a brand new hard-cover book that was a royal blue color with exquisite trim bordering the outside. At the center of the cover, there was, to Hiccup assumption, yet another strange marking, but something about his one seemed more, protective.
"What is that?" Hiccup asks as he moves the book on the podium to make room for the other.
"This is a special symbol that traps evil spirits between these two covers, forever locking them in their own world, where nothing can get in or out without being released." Grandmamma explains. "I've used this book in the past, and no spirit was a match for its power."
"So what are we going to do with it?" Hiccup asks.
"Well, this is m plan." Grandmamma says. "If you were to give into Hadrian earlier than expected, then the plan was to free him from you, and trap his essence in here. Then if we could, we would've guided your spirit back into your body."
"Wow," Hiccup says, braising his fingertips along the gold trim. "Good plan."
"But there is a downside." She adds.
"What?" Hiccup groans.
"Hadrian has to be weak in order for the book's powers to fully grab him and drag him in. if he can still fight back, then the book's magic will ware off." She explains.
"I can try. If, I'll still be able to help." Hiccup says. "If not, then my friends can handle it."
As Hiccup's fingers traced over the mark at the center of the book, the hope that it ignited in his chest was, overwhelming. Its power could be felt. As if it was emanating, or humming from the inside. The hum vibrated through the bones of his hands and up his arms. This thing had power.
"So when do we start?" Hiccup asks.
"We shall start at midnight. There's a full moon, that's when my powers are at their highest."
"Somehow that's not too surprising." Hiccup jokes.
He soon hears Toothless call from outside. He jogs out and sees his dragon stuck in the muggy swamp water. He pulls at his foot and looks to Hiccup. Hiccup smiles and giggles as he hustles over to the canoe and snatches the paddle. He helps Toothless pry his foot free. Toothless wipes away the mud on the dirt and Hiccup walks over and pets his snout.
"Um, Grandmamma, can I ask you something?" He asks.
"Yes?"
"Well, Toothless was under the control of the dragon too. And when he got brainwashed, he lost his memory too. If there a chance he could have a Doppelganger as well?" Hiccup asks as Toothless purrs.
"Dragons are more strong-willed than humans, so it seems unlikely." She bluntly says. And Hiccup only feels the constricting grip of relief.
He continues to pet Toothless as he hears the two elder women converse behind him. He would hear the scraping of Goathi's staff and Grandmamma would reply. No doubt they were planning out the event. The more Hiccup thought about it, the more nervous he became. But no amount of nerves or fear could make him change his mind. Even the begs and pleas from Astrid and his father would mean nothing.
He wanted this done, and if Grandmamma was willing to do it, then Hiccup had to be doing the right thing.
And that's all he needed to suppress his guilt.
Toothless cooed and Hiccup scratched under his chin. He purred and Hiccup weakly smiled. "Look bud," he started, and Toothless looked to him. "I know this isn't the best idea I've had. But trust me, this is for everyone's own good."
Toothless cocks his head to the side, squinting his eyes in that stare people give you when their questioning your decisions. Hiccup just strokes his snout as he peers to the sky. It was late afternoon. He should get back and rest. No telling how much strength he'll need for this.
He gets up from his spot and brushes off his pants. He turns to Goathi and Grandmamma. They had both gone inside. Hiccup walks up the steps and peers in through the doorway. The two elder women were sitting around Grandmamma's fireplace, enjoying a cup of tea, or whatever it is that Grandmamma served.
Hiccup steps over the threshold and looks to them. They must've felt his gaze because Grandmamma was the first to turn, and Goathi following her line of vision.
"I'll be heading back." Hiccup says.
"Okay, remember, midnight. And get some rest." Grandmamma informs.
Hiccup nods and turns to Goathi. "Do you want a ride back?" and she simply shakes her head.
"She'll be staying with me making preparations for the, ceremony." Grandmamma says with air quotes around the word ceremony.
Hiccup nods and leaves the women there. He flies back to Berk and the sun was inches from the horizon. Its reflection stretching across the water until it casted its golden curtain across Berk. A beautiful bronze gold blanketed the village. Hiccup stared out until he felt a hand clamp on his shoulder.
He turns and finds Astrid. A hand on her hip and a small smile on her lips. "There you are. Where were you? Your dad said you were going for a fly, but you've been gone for hours."
"It was a long flight." Hiccup plainly says.
And that was all she needed to hear, "Hiccup, what's going on?" she asks.
"Nothing, Astrid. I just needed to get away, that's all." He says.
"It's more than that, I can tell. We have a bond Hiccup." She says, lacing her hand in his.
Hiccup nearly started crying again. He withdrew his hand and turned and started walking.
"Hiccup." Astrid says, confused, and clearly worried. Most likely thinking she'd done something wrong.
Hiccup stops dead in his tracks, he turns his head slightly to the side, "Astrid, can I ask you something?"
He wasn't sure, but he could've sworn he'd seen her blush. "Uh, sure."
"You wouldn't hold back on Hadrian would you?" he asks.
At first she's left bewildered, but goes on to answer, "No, I wouldn't. I knkow that's probably bad but,"
"No, it isn't." Hiccup interrupts. "You need to promise me you won't hold back."
"Why?" she asks.
"Promise me!" Hiccup shouts as he turns to face her.
"Okay, okay. I promise." She says.
"Good." Hiccup says.
Then with he and Astrid both aware of how close he was, he takes her chin, tilts her head and kisses her lips. He gently holds her other hand in his own. This was something new. Usually Astrid was the one who gave Hiccup kisses. Like for Snoggletog, the Thawfest Games, and when he first defeated the Red Death.
But Hiccup didn't know the outcome of what was going to happen, and if he didn't make it, he at least wanted to remember that feeling.
The butterflies in his stomach whenever Astrid was near him. Her soft lips, with that innocent shade of pink. The way her bangs overlap her eyes and how she has to constantly brush them out of her eyes.
When they pull back, her cheeks are a pale shade of pink. He stares into her sapphire eyes and nearly feels his own eyes water. He releases her hand and steps back. Astrid doesn't say anything, but Hiccup could assume that Astrid feels something is wrong. Hiccup never kissed her.
"Hiccup?" she starts.
"I need to go." He says turning away.
"But Hiccup . . ." She was about to reach out, but Toothless jumps in front of her, hissing with a grimace. "Toothless? Hiccup! Hiccup what's going on?" she calls.
Hiccup stops and turns his head to the side. "Just trust me, Astrid. Remember our promise. Don't hold back."
Then Hiccup turns and walks back to his house. Toothless follows slowly behind, still watching Astrid. And once Hiccup shuts the door, Toothless retreats back and enters the house through the skylight.
As Hiccup wiggled himself under the cover of his quilt, he dozes off hoping he's doing the right thing.