I am so sorry if this chapter seems kind of lame…and if it is going to break your heart a little.
Note: I do NOT own HTTYD 2.
Chapter 5: Shattered Hearts
Zenna's POV
My little confession must have been equivalent to setting off an explosive, because Hiccup was gaping at me like I had gone insane. Astrid mirrored his reaction while Toothless, Stryka and Stormfly warbled in confusion. I glanced at Eret who looked just as uncomfortable as I was before looking at Hiccup again.
"Yeah…It-it's kind of a long story…" I managed to say before the both of us were suddenly snatched right off the ship! Hiccup and I both screamed in shock but then realized that we had been snatched by Hookfang! Why would he and Snotlout do such a thing, I have no idea. Toothless and Stryka had managed to leap onto the ship's mast and were now watching us from below.
In the meantime, Hiccup chose that moment to have a mid-flight conversation with me about my love life. As if that was the issue right now!
"Zen, are you telling me that all these years, you had a BOYFRIEND and you never told me about it?! Or the fact that your boyfriend is a DRAGON TRAPPER?!" Hiccup all but yelled at me. Honestly, I didn't understand why he was so freaked out. I tried to stay calm as I explained. But to tell you the truth, it wasn't easy because I had gotten mad at him earlier for his recklessness.
"Technically he wasn't a dragon trapper when we were kids. And like I said, he's my CHILDHOOD. SWEETHEART. That was the more appropriate term to use because we were still kids at the time." I told him, emphasizing the words 'childhood' and 'sweetheart' as firmly as I could.
Hiccup still looked pretty shocked. "How…Just how old were you guys when you two fell in love anyway?" he asked me. Well that made me clam up for about two seconds. But I managed to say, "…I was 4 and he was 9…" my cheeks turning red with embarrassment.
Yeah, Eret and I have a 5 year age gap. And we fell in love when we were that young. It's kind of…unusual to some but for me and Eret, it wasn't.
But to Hiccup, it was both unusual and alarming.
"What?! He's five years older than you!" he exclaimed, flabbergasted. "Age is just a number, Hiccup! And besides I'm 21 now. You do remember that I'm older than you by a few months, right?" I reminded him. I was beginning to get annoyed. Honestly Hiccup was acting so overprotective!
"Still doesn't change the fact that he's a DRAGON TRAPPER, Zenna!" Hiccup told me, looking just as annoyed as me. "Sheesh, since when did you start getting so overprotective of me?" I scoffed at him. But then again, it might not have been such an appropriate question to ask. Hiccup has always been protective of me. And his protectiveness of me was strengthened even more when Elias had died.
"You know, saying it like that, you make me sound like Elias when he goes into 'overprotective brother mode'." Hiccup told me in a scolding manner. "Which is pretty much true at the moment in your case." I retorted. "Either way, you still haven't answered my question on why you never told me that you had a boyfriend." He said emphatically. "CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART!" I pretty much yelled out in exasperation.
What part of those two words did he not understand?!
"Whatever! I just wanna know why you never told me about him!" Hiccup shouted back at me. "I'll explain later. Now, Snotlout, you and Hookfang better put us down unless you both know what's good for you!" I shouted, directing my last sentence to the pompous Jorgenson sitting astride on his Monstrous Nightmare.
Snotlout plainly ignored us since he was so busy trying to impress Ruffnut. "See how well I protect and provide?" he asked Ruffnut cheerfully. Ruffnut just made a face. 'I am seriously going to have to tell Snotlout that Ruffnut has zero interest when this is over…and also give him a good beating.' I thought as I watched the Twins dodge nets on Barf and Belch.
"Agh! What's with all the nets?!" Tuffnut muttered frustratingly as they dodged nets launched from Eret's ship left and right. "Hey, watch it! That was…close…" Ruffnut managed to say before her face went all goofy. Confused, I studied her face. It looked like she had gotten a serious case of the lovebug…
"Oh my…" she swooned. I followed her gaze down to Eret, who was preparing to launch a net at her and her brother.
"Me likey."
You might as well have mistaken me for an angry mother dragon because I was livid.
'Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no you don't, Ruffnut Thorston! Eret is MINE!' I thought furiously as Ruffnut said, "Take me!" and threw her arms open to embrace the net Eret had launched. I pitied poor Tuffnut, who was looking at his sister like she was crazy.
"Okay, that's it, I've had enough." I muttered as I pushed myself off of Hookfang, Hiccup following me and we both activated our flight suits. I saw Eret's crew about to fire a bunch of nets at us but he and Astrid quickly yelled, "Hold your fire!"
'He still cares about me!' I thought, feeling giddy as Hiccup and I glided through the air. Hiccup grabbed hold of the rope and slid down the sail while I accidentally (no actually, deliberately) angled myself the wrong way and crashed right into Eret, both of us yelping in surprise as we collided.
Good thing Eret had really grown and we both weren't injured.
"Thanks for breaking my fall…" I smiled shyly at him. Eret, dazed as he was, managed me a small grin. "D-don't mention it…" he stuttered adorably.
As crazy as this whole thing was, I found myself giggling like a love struck little girl!
I must have been on top of Eret for quite a bit, because Hiccup suddenly heaved me to my feet and firmly planted himself between me and Eret. 'Holy Shields, Hiccup, really?!' I thought in annoyance while Eret looked at me and my best human friend in suspicion.
"Hicc, relax." I told Hiccup, pulling him away from Eret.
Thankfully, he shifted his attention to Snotlout and the rest of the gang who had arrived.
"Ah, what are you guys doing here?" he asked our friends just as Gobber arrived on Grump, his Hotburple. "We are here to rescue you!" our two-limbed blacksmith friend told us. "Zenna and I don't need to be rescued!" Hiccup said in protest.
"Enough!"
My heart nearly skipped a beat as Stoick landed on the ship on Skullcrusher, his Rumblehorn, along with…my parents.
"Well, didn't you just pick the wrong ship eh? I am Eret, son of—" Eret began to introduce himself before Stoick promptly shoved him out of the way. I winced as Gobber then clonked him on the head with his hammer hand and made Grump sit on him.
"Get…this thing…off me…!" Eret wheezed. "It's been a long time, Eret." Dad greeted him curtly. "Sorry, lad, but it's for your own good." Mom told him, stroking Serpentine's head. I saw Eret's jaw drop in shock. "Mr. and Mrs. Fiersome? What the hell is going on…?" he muttered in shock.
"Anyone else?" Gobber inquired to the other men, who all backed off upon seeing the rather large party of Dragon Riders surrounding the ship. "Hmm, that's what I figured." Gobber smirked.
On the other hand, Eret gave me a look that clearly said, 'What is going on and what have you not told me?' that made me feel so guilty. Maybe I should explain to Eret already…
I was about to go over to him when Stoick looked at me and Hiccup, a rather miffed expression on his face.
"You two, saddle up. We're going home." He told us sternly. While Hiccup and I had different reasons to refuse, we both said, "No."
Stoick glared at Hiccup. "Of all the irresponsible-" he muttered through gritted teeth when Hiccup interrupted. "I'm trying to protect our dragons with Zenna and stop a war! How is that irresponsible?" he fired back at his father. I found myself blushing a bit. Did Hiccup really have to include me in whatever thing he and his Dad were arguing about? Then again, he and I both do whatever it takes to protect the dragons.
But as I looked at Eret, I could tell that he was beginning to suspect that Hiccup and I were possibly romantically connected. And, really, we're not!
I was about to tell Hiccup to knock it off when Stoick yelled, "Because war is what he wants, son!"
Wait, war?! A real war?! Holy Shields, what was going on?!
I looked to my parents for answers. Dad gave me a look that told me to listen to what the Chief had to say.
I saw Stoick heave a great sigh. I had a feeling that this was serious.
"Years ago, there was a great gathering of chieftains to discuss the dragon scourge we all faced. Into our midst, came a stranger from a strange land. Covered in scars and draped in a cloak of dragon skin…" Stoick began.
"Drago Bludvist…?" I whispered to Mom, who shrugged. I guess she and Dad didn't know about this guy either…but why did they follow me out here? I worriedly placed a gentle hand on Mom's tummy. The baby instantly kicked, but then calmed down. I hoped that my little sibling was alright…
Stoick continued. "He carried no weapon and spoke softly, saying that he, Drago Bludvist, was a man of the people. Devoted to freeing mankind from the tyranny of dragons. He claimed that he alone could control the dragons and he alone could keep us safe if…we chose to bow down and follow him." He told us.
That part made most of us laugh. I even smiled to myself and rolled my eye. Whatever Drago was thinking, it was absurd. Nobody could ever control a dragon, unless it trusted you well enough to let you. "Stupid." "Ah, good one." Ruffnut and Tuffnut both jeered.
Stoick's face, however, remained grave. "Aye we laughed too, until he wrapped himself in his cloak and cried, 'Then see how well you do without me!'." He said grimly.
I could imagine Drago storming out of the hall like that. But I could have never expected what happened next…
"The whole rooftop suddenly burst into flames and from it, armored dragons descended from it, burning the hall to the ground."
At those words, I gasped in horror. Branding Eret and, now, incinerating a hall full of Chiefs? How ruthless was this Drago Bludvist man?
"I…was the only one to escape." Stoick concluded sadly. Everyone was silent as a sign of respect to the fallen. I found myself looking at Eret. He looked pretty troubled. I wonder if he had been there when Drago committed that terrible act of murder.
Stoick then looked at Hiccup. "Men who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with." He told him seriously. Hiccup kept a firm stance. "Maybe." He said and went to Toothless.
"Hiccup!" Stoick grumbled crossly. "I'm still going to try." Hiccup said, catching Eret's attention. I saw him look at my one-legged best human friend in awe of his courage.
Once he was on Toothless, Hiccup looked at his Dad. "This is what I'm good at, and if I can change your mind I can change his too." He told him.
"Wa-wait a second, Hicc. Are you telling me that you're going to try talking some sense into Drago?" I asked him worriedly. "Yeah I am, Zen. It's your choice if you want to come with me. Unless…" Hiccup replied, before looking at Eret with disgust.
Oh, here we go…
"Hiccup, don't look at him like that. I know Eret. I'm coming with you but first…let me talk to him." I said carefully. I approached Eret and then saw that Ruffnut was next to him, ogling at him! "Ruffnut!" I snapped at her, pulling the amorous female Thorston away from my childhood sweetheart.
Getting down to his eye level, I gazed at Eret. "Hey…" I said quietly. Upon hearing my greeting, Eret looked at me. "Hi…" he said softly. "You know, I think this Drago guy's bad news. And if you're scared of him, my friends and I can help you. We can work together to stop him and his crazy scheme. All you have to do is give us directions to wherever he's at." I told him gently. At my offer, Eret tensed up. "I can't, Zen…I just can't…" he mumbled.
"Why not, Eret?" Mom stepped forward. "If what Stoick has said is true, then it might not be wise to associate with Drago, Zenna…including his followers." Dad told me, glaring at Eret. I ignored them and locked eyes with Eret. He looked like he had been backed up into a corner and was desperate to get out of this.
"Please, Eret…I can help you." I said gently. He shook his head and looked at Stryka, who growled a warning. "First you, then your parents…what about Elias? I don't suppose he has a dragon of his own too?" Eret asked me.
At that question, I became silent. Oh Thor, how was I going to explain to Eret that Eli was…
"Zen's older brother? He died in a dragon raid about eight years ago." Snotlout piped up. I flinched slightly when Eret looked at me in shock. "What?" he asked me, eyes wide.
"That was before the war between Berk and the dragons ended…But…but now, everyone on Berk has dragons of their own. And…it's all thanks to me and Hiccup." I admitted. But now, Eret looked upset with me. He glared at Stryka before harshly looking at me. "So you're telling me that you befriended the very monsters that killed Elias?" he asked coldly.
My anger flared up as I told him, "Stryka is not a monster! She's my best dragon friend! My sister not by blood but by bond! And I will not tolerate anyone who speaks ill of her! Including you, Eret! Now, tell me at once where Drago Bludvist is hiding!" my one violet eye flashing in rage.
All at once, Eret's cold expression shifted into a worried and scared one. And, also at the same time, he avoided my gaze. My anger was quickly replaced by guilt. I didn't mean to get all harsh, really…
"I-I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…" I trailed off once I saw that Eret was refusing to look at me. My emotional state was in a precarious situation. All the shock, anger, confusion was threatening to spill out of me in the form of tears. Close to losing it, I managed to say in a steady tone, "Twelve years…Twelve whole years, Eret…I waited for you…I waited for you to come and find me…But in the end…it was I who found you…"
Eret still refused to even so much as look at me. My throat began to feel tight as I felt tears well up in my eye. Mom and Dad were beginning to get worried, so were Hiccup and all the others.
"Eret, please…I promise I won't judge you for who you've become. I promise that I'll stay and that I'll help you." I began to plead. He still refused to meet my gaze.
My voice cracked as I whispered, "Just please…say something."
Complete and utter silence was what I got…
And just like that…my heart shattered into a million pieces…
Tears streaming down my face, I got up and raced over to Stryka. I ignored my Mom and Dad's pleas as I nudged Stryka upwards. "Zen, wait!" Hiccup shouted, going after me. We both left the ship and flew off to wherever the winds would take us.
I ignored Hiccup's worried voice as he tried to comfort me, Toothless and Stryka's worried croons. My heart was broken and I wasn't sure if it would ever be mended again. I just couldn't believe that it had actually happened…
Eret wouldn't even look at me or even say anything…
His silence could have only meant one thing…
…That he didn't love me anymore…
Twelve long years of waiting gone to waste…Was it really all for nothing?
Finally I couldn't take it anymore and buried my face in Stryka's warm black scales, muffling my sobs as I cried. I didn't care about Drago Bludvist, the danger of just running off like this with Hiccup to Thor knows where at the moment.
All I cared about now…was that I just wanted to get away from the blasted ship and away from the man…who had once been the boy that I loved with all my heart…
I just wanted to get away…I just wanted to get away…I JUST WANTED TO GET AWAY!
Eret's POV
I looked back in time to see Zenna take off on her Night Fury, tears streaming down her face. "Zen, wait!" Hiccup shouted and then looked back at me. I inwardly cringed as he glared at me with those angry green eyes of his. Without another word, he also got on his dragon and flew off. I saw Astrid then get on her Nadder.
"Let's go." Just as she was about to take off, the Chief stopped her. "No! Lead the others back to Berk, I've had enough mutiny for one day." He said gruffly before looking at me. "You disgust me." He growled. I could only look down in shame. I knew he was right…
That's when Zenna's father pulled me out from under the Hotburple and readied his fist! Gulping, I closed my eyes and braced myself for the pain.
"Edgar, stop!"
I opened my eyes and saw Zenna's mother holding Edgar back. But even she looked mad as she said, "He's not worth it."
Edgar then dropped me against the side of the ship. I woozily shook my head, seeing stars. Once I got my vision to refocus, all I saw was Zenna's parents and the Berkians looking at me with disgust. I could practically feel the guilt clawing at my insides. "E-Edgar, Henna, I-I…" I stammered out stupidly. "Save it, Eret! You've done enough damage here!" Henna snapped at me. Edgar looked at me with an enraged expression on his face but I could see the tremendous hurt in his eyes.
"My daughter LOVED you! She loved no one else!" Edgar yelled at me, making me flinch.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
"Zenna gave you her whole heart, Eret! And what did you do with it?! You broke my sweet little girl's heart!"
You might as well have stuck a dagger into my chest because that really, really hurt. And the worst part is…was that it was all true.
Zenna's parents then left along with the others. But Astrid stayed behind long enough to give me another harsh glare. "I don't know what Zenna saw in you back then, but I hope you're happy with yourself because you just broke her heart." She spat out venomously.
Oh, I was feeling the exact opposite of happy right now for sure…
Once all the Riders had left, I stood up and retreated below deck. I leaned heavily against the wall, trying to calm myself down. Glancing down at the pin Zenna had given me, I felt all the guilt and heartache threatening to consume me. How could I have been so stupid?! She was just trying to help, and I pushed her away! Why didn't I say something?!
At that moment, I chose to recall the day Zenna and I had said our goodbyes…as well as the promise I made to her…
(Eret's flashback starts)
'Thirteen year old Eret stood at the very edge of the dock, watching as the ship carrying his childhood sweetheart and her family away to their new home sailed away. Eret could make out Zenna's petite form standing at the very back, waving at him as she and her family sailed away…
Suddenly Eret felt the need to promise her something. At the top of his lungs he yelled, "I'll come find you! Just wait for me! I promise, Zenna! I'll come find you again!" just as the ship disappeared from his view.
Then Zenna's small, sweet voice reached him across the waves.
"I will, Eret! I'll wait for you! I'll wait for you forever!"
And even if Eret couldn't see Zenna anymore, he knew that she was still waving goodbye to him…
(Eret's flashback ends)
I broke my promise to Zenna…
She had waited for me for so long…
And I never came to find her…
I took the pin off my vest and stared at it. Finally the tears that had been threatening to spill out of my eyes came streaming down my face and dropped onto the pin.
'I'm so sorry, Zen…I'm so sorry…' I thought as I sank to the floor, stifling my sobs as I cried.
…What have I done…?
I hope this satisfies your cravings. Next chapter will come around next week. See u ;)
-GuardianDragon98