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We gather today to celebrate not the passing... but life of ň̸̗̉d̴̗̃k̵̡̺̀n̵̢̙̈́d̴̺͓̊k̵̯̈͒ñ̷͖̙ḏ̵̿̐j̴̺̹̍n̶̞̄
Always a hardworking... and reliable citizen...
There was nothing... this community cherished more... than d̶̩͉͊̒n̸͔͍̽s̶̬͆ï̸̫͠ͅk̷͉̂ṉ̵̏w̴̖̆͘j̶̬̒͋v̵̲̑̉ḑ̷̗̚ ̴͔̪̚̕ĩ̶̯'s efforts toward the friends... and family ï̸̀d̸͚͛̈h̷͓̎̋i̴̬̺̓ made.
Carrying a positive smile... wherever n̷͚̣̏ï̸̻̀d̸͚͛̈h̷͓̬̎̋i̴̬̺̓ went... the room was always lit up when f̵̢̠͐̽ ̶̺̋d̷̰͕͂̐j̶͚͠f̸̪͊̈́ ̶̛͉̄h̵̹͐͜ was around.
That same smile... will be missed dearly... so very dearly.
By everyone...
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When the world started, everything was quiet.
No color. No feeling. No sight, touch, or smell. There only existed a blank void of absolute darkness... and the cold feeling of death that tore a hole through my heart. It almost felt like I lost a part of myself that would never be recovered, no matter how hard I tried. And yet... I couldn't help but stare forward into the darkness... waiting... wondering... would something emerge.
If it did... what I finally recover it? The very thing I sought to reunite with... the thing I...
...
I lost it.
What... What did I lose exactly...? What happened to me?
Where... am I...?
...
...
A tearing sound drilled through my ears then.
I reached to cover them, but that's when I made my first mistake. In the process of moving my body, I suddenly felt myself flip around in a weightless manner... and in an instant, the piercing chill of slashing winds cut into my arms and legs. I swear it was as if a knife was slicing into my skin again and again, and it kept going from there. It was relentless, especially since I had nothing to protect myself from the elements. I could only feel the fabric of a shirt on me... some lousy sweatpants for good measure. Yeah, talk about protective gear... I was practically skydiving naked.
Wait... was I skydiving... or was I simply freefalling?
My heart stopped... but the wind around me forced it to beat again. My blood was rushing to my head. Everything was hot... but it was all cold too. What the heck?! I had no control over anything? My body was flailing about, I could feel how weightless it all was.
What... What was even happening?! Do I open my eyes to whatever this madness around me was?
All I knew was that everything hurt... my skin was torn apart almost by this shattering wind, I mean the pain was so bad I wanted to open my mouth to scream... but the air was sucked right out from my lungs. There was intense pressure in my ears too, causing an unbearable ringing sound I couldn't stand. But even with that going on, there was this roaring sound... a jet engine almost... no... not even that. More like a dragon's roar, right next to me as the wind was screaming.
No... that wasn't it. It was the wind that was roaring next to me. All around me, pushing me up against the intense pull of gravity… but it was doing nothing. I could just feel myself going further and further down toward whatever demise awaited me. At this thought I finally opened my mouth to scream, but the muted it as it overtook my entire world. The roaring sound... the cold feeling of approaching death.
But my heart was pounding. I had to remember that. My heart was pounding… so I was alive... but would I be for long?
I didn't know... I didn't know.
So I had to find out.
Despite my better judgment... despite the wind all around me... despite all the warning signs around me telling me not to...
I opened my eyes.
And the sky opened up to me. A beautiful... endless blue sky, filled with a rippling wind.
...
I was falling from the sky.
...
Holy shit... I'm going to die.
...
I'm going to die...
A few minutes before...
Hiccup
He was going to die...
More so from the heat if anything else... which wasn't something he found himself thinking very often.
In this world, frost and ice were usually the norms. On most days, he'd find himself wishing he had brought more furs along to make a coat for warmth, and sometimes he'd walk around Berk to find ice sheets forming on top villagers' roofs, and there was that one time it got so chilly that even Toothless... the unstoppable night fury he is, developed some form of cold that almost took Hiccup down for the count.
But now on this strange island he had found himself in, all he could feel was the sweat building underneath the slits and cracks of his armor plates. It wasn't made with ventilating heat out in mind, so it was definitely not what he would call a comfortable experience. He would have to find a way to calibrate some form of cooling into his armor later, but that was for... well later.
This was now... and he wanted to take it all off now.
But with Toothless pacing around in the background, most likely restless from the lack of any flying, he'd know he'd just get made fun of for it if he was caught by the dragon, especially after that little pep talk they had on the way here.
A few hours before...
"Oh come on, it's not going to be that bad over there bud," Hiccup said casually, "if you just complain the whole time, you're gonna be known as a Debbie Downer of the group."
Toothless snarled from that comment then, clearly not intending for that to be the case with someone like him. He also was probably snarling because he could tell Hiccup was messing with him.
"Then just relax like me," Hiccup advised, trying to take a softer tone, "just try and think... 'I'm sure things won't be that bad over there...' and you'll be fine. See? Doesn't that positive thinking sound refreshing already?"
Again, Toothless rolled his eyes and let out a huff, but continued on with the flight.
Present...
So much for that positive reinforcement he was going for, now all Hiccup wanted to do was groan about the bizarre change in weather. But after pulling something like that with Toothless, yeah... Hiccup knew better than to start whining about the heat.
So to distract himself, he took to jotting in his notebook about the area. That's what his gang came to do anyway, but it still felt like a necessary distraction for him. Because this change in weather was also not normal for this type of climate.
Many islands dotted the land around Berk, all similarly cold. There were hot places now and then, and there were days where miraculously the sun actually did shine. But on this island... one that he did not have a name for yet... he could generally feel the shift of the atmosphere itself. With the way the very air moved... and the overcast sky, it all just felt... a lot darker than anywhere else. He'd half expect it the place to be dotted with volcanoes, crawling with fire-type dragons.
But the greenery all around him proved otherwise... from below the cliff he was sitting on, the vast forest expanded into a wonderous green utopia, with trees spiking out against the sky in a clustered formation, and large rocks jutting from the Earth's soil with a coated green moss overtop. In the distance, he could see waterfalls shimmering between the overgrown mountains. It all seemed a little... too ideal.
And it wasn't... because in the center of this green utopia was a large area of dead trees, rotting in on themselves.
The grass was brown and smoldering in the center, spearing out against the destroyed rock and boiling dirt. It almost looked like an apocalyptic warzone, contrasting the sparkling forest background it shared as a neighbor. Usually, areas like this were created by Stoker class dragons all the time... but Hiccup knew from one glance this wasn't the handiwork of any dragon at all. The line where the destroyed forest and the normal forest met stopped suddenly as if there was a barrier or wall of some kind.. and it was perfectly circular... keyword being "perfectly".
Nothing natural in this world was made with the word "perfectly" in mind.
And the strangeness didn't stop there. Engraved in the dirt was a symbol of some kind that was starting to take form. Despite the vantage point he had, it was hard to see, but he assumed it was a spiral. As to why that was... he wasn't sure, but he knew that desolate spot was right underneath that... thing high up in the sky.
He didn't know how to describe it... but it looked like a crack you'd usually see on the side of mountains... caves. A fault line almost.. but in the sky instead, and it circled in on itself with a pulsating blue aura.
Like a circle of stars almost... acting as an eye to Asgard itself. Hiccup almost wouldn't believe it if was just put into words... but now that he had seen it... now that he was seeing it...
...
...
...
What in the world were they dealing with?
He tried to think back to how this whole "investigation" started, around a week ago he recalled. A patrol ship from Berk had Vikings telling a tale about a rippling crack in the sky... as if the eye of Odin himself had begun to form and was staring down upon them. As they passed through the area, the waves began to boil around them, and the sky became wicked with thunder. It was all they could do to get the ship to Berk's harbor, and they had the evidence of a destroyed deck to prove it. Thankfully... no one was hurt, but it still shook the crew up a little bit.
Back then, Hiccup was a little skeptical. He was sure they were telling some semblance of truth, especially considering the damages on the ships, but he assumed it was something far tamer than they were letting on...
Until they hauled up a charred Scauldren they had sailed back in for evidence.
The Scauldren they found was dead on this island... as were a few other dragons they saw lying on the beaches they couldn't get to. But there were no clear dragon marks on them. No evidence of natural causes for their death. They assumed the dragon simply got too hot underwater... must've hit a hot spot that fried it.
But Hiccup felt as if that wasn't exactly right... there must've been another cause. Dragons don't just burn up like that from a natural warm spot in the water... it had to be something... worse. So he gathered his friends to check this place out together.
His assumption was right. It was warm on the island sure, but not hot enough to completely kill that dragon. It had to be something from that thing in the sky... something from the wasteland area in the center of the woods. But he wouldn't dare let anyone get too close. He simply said to just observe the surroundings, and see what they pull up.
He found nothing in the process... and though he hoped his friends would come back with better news... he assumed they wouldn't either. So what to make with what they already know?
"Hm..." He thought aloud, turning towards Toothless for his thoughts, "what exactly do you make of all this weirdness bud-?"
The dragon was busy rolling around in the dirt with a large stick in his mouth before pausing at the sight of getting caught in the act.
Hiccup blinked for a moment, "oh this is just too precious," he joked, "you wanted to play for a little bit bud?" As he said that Toothless let out a garbled groan and turned his back, either too embarrassed to look at Hiccup... or officially done with his crap about getting on his case.
Hiccup assumed the latter when it came to Toothless.
"Aw don't be embarrassed," Hiccup laughed and took a place next to his friend, "it is pretty boring here... and the rest of the gang is still doing their rounds." He thought briefly about how they were doing before shaking his head, "say... why don't you help me name this place? It isn't on the map yet, so... first dibs?"
Toothless tilted his head and thought for a moment before suddenly snapping his mouth playfully onto Hiccup's arm and snarling a little bit.
"So we're going with the Snappingsnarl then, I like it. And since it's an island, we'll just put Isle for good measure." Hiccup jotted the title down onto the map, "so, the Snappingsnarl Isle, how about it?"
Toothless let go of Hiccup's mouth and let yawned, seemingly content with the name... or he was just getting tired.
He assumed the latter.
"Don't get all tired don me yet bud," Hiccup laughed as he leaned against the dragon, "I think the name's pretty fitting. I mean, it's boiling hot... but the area's a beauty. Glistening trees, rolling mountains... surrounded by the blue ocean..." He paused for a moment and sighed, "if it wasn't for that singular spot of the forest that's all charred up... I'd consider it a pretty good place."
Toothless rested his head, but slightly nodded in agreement, letting out a begrudgingly confused noise as he gestured to the destroyed spot.
"Yeah... I'd like to know what happened there to bud," Hiccup nodded, "I'd like to know too."
Hiccup was sure they both were thinking the same thing then. Just why was that area messed up? He knows he himself assigned this task to him and his friends, but seeing it up close was so bizarre.
Just... how did this area come to be?
"Yo Hiccup!" Suddenly, someone's voice called out, and then a screeching roar sounded from above. Hiccup and Toothless looked up in unison to find two dragons descending near the cliff. The familiar sharp wings and deadly glare from the both of them quickly clued in what dragons they were... and which riders they belonged to.
Astrid and Snotlout had finished their patrol.
Snotlout landed first with his dragon, Hookfang, who stood defensively away from Toothless while the night fury responded by narrowing his eyes back at him. Snotlout however didn't seem to notice the dragon tension and stylishly jumped off the dragon... or attempted to... he kinda tripped on his feet as he did so.
"Ugh, this dang harness!" He grumbled as he cut himself off from the seating, "I always gotta find a way to free myself from the binds! Hiccup, my man, you gotta find a way to improve the like the safety net on these things!"
"It's nice to see you to Snoutlout," Hiccup greeted tonelessly, knowing he'd have to repair that later.
"Yeah yeah I know, it's always nice to meet me," Snoutlout grinned as he clapped his hands together, "so it looks like me and Astrid were the first to arrive at the party eh? I woulda been here sooner but you know Hookfang, he tends to get a bit slow when- OW-!" The dragon slapped the rider on the head with his tail and huffed.
"Oh, that's how ya wanna play it? And in front of Hiccup to?! Come here for a sec then, I just wanna talk to you!" The two began to bicker amongst each other... leaving Hiccup and Toothless to stare on in amusement.
As for Astrid, she landed with her dragon, Stormfly, who instantly launched herself toward Toothless in a joyful run. Toothless perked up and instantly joined in on her playful stride, the two bouncing around as they tried to catch each other.
Her rider however didn't show nearly as much joy, as Astrid walked forward with a grim look instead, tossing her braided hair aside. The way she carried herself, almost reminded Hiccup of when they first met... when dragons and Vikings... still had that quarrel. Either way, that was in the past now, so he steadied himself and rose to meet her.
"Didn't expect you two to get back so soon," Hiccup tried to ease in as he nervously allowed himself smile, "I trust you were fine with Snoutlout?"
Astrid let out a breath, Hiccup supposed from frustration, but then she relaxed a tiny bit and seemed to play along with the small talk, "well, as fine as you can get if you ignore the constant bickering," she turned and fakely smiled at Snoutlout and Hookfang, "you know you'd think they were like long lost brothers with how much they fight."
"Whatever it was, Hookfang started it," Snutlout tried to defend, which earned another slap from Hookfang's tail and a disapproving grunt.
"See?" Astrid rolled her eyes with a smirk, "like brothers."
"You'd never be able to tell the difference," Hiccup attempted a laugh, but the small levity transitioned back into a weariness the two riders shared, and no amount of small talk would make that go away. "Alright then, I guess back to the point though... what's it looking like so far?"
"Well it's looking like all the dragons high-tailed it outta here," Astrid answered, crossing her arms with a worried gaze, "I'm betting that they sensed how dangerous this island was becoming and decided to take their chances elsewhere. Probably a neighboring island."
Hiccup was relieved to hear that at least, "well they'd be smart to do something like that. I mean, this place isn't exactly the vacation destination it used to be."
"Yeah, tell that to Hookfang," Snotlout commented as he rubbed his arm, "he seemed just peachy lounging around, rubbing himself all over those boiling hot rocks here... I mean almost got burned because he wouldn't stop rolling all over the place!"
"You do realize what type of dragon Hookfang is, do you?" Astrid deadpanned, and with this Snotlout snorted in response.
"Obviously!" He grumbled, "but you know, it's still weird he did that. It's like he thinks it's a lady dragon or something, you know he needs to get his eyes checked." Hookfang went in for another swing with his tail, but Snotlout dodged just in time.
"Even then, the dragons are still gone, this area isn't hospitable for them," Astrid reminded as she shook her head, looking even more concerned, "so depending on how big this... problem grows, it might affect other islands."
"That is true... but for now it seems contained to this place at least," Hiccup nodded and peered back over at the crater-like thing in the sky.
Astrid saw him do this and raised her eyebrows, "so, given you finished your search a lot quicker, I suppose you've figured out exactly what that thing is up there?"
"Yeah, do you got a name for it or something?" Snotlout asked, "I was thinking something along the lines of... 'crazy murder vortex' or 'creepy dragon repellent thing'." With this name both Toothless and Hookfang actually nodded, seemingly agreeing with him.
Hiccup shook his head, both at the question for Astrid, and the comment Snotlout made, "no, I don't have a name for it yet, and it would not be either of those two things you just suggested." He paused and stared at the thing for a little while longer, "it definitely reminds me of those star charts we have back at Berk though. Despite it being broad daylight, you could see it so clearly looks like a constellation."
"But what kind?" Astrid asked.
"And why is it... you know... killing dragons?" Snotlout questioned.
"I'm not sure just yet," Hiccup murmured, trying to come up with something that made sense, "I don't want to say it's the heat in this area that's killing the dragons, because it must be far worse than that to produce the results of what we saw on that Scauldren... it'd have to be-"
"THE WRATH OF THE GODS THEMSELVES!" Suddenly, a large dragon landed behind Hiccup, and suddenly began screeching in unions with a madly taunting voice answering his question.
"The gods are gonna strike you down if you don't shut up," a girl groaned, as she sucker-punched the person in the face, "I mean come on with that annoying voice of yours, it'd be so easy."
"Oh like you're one to talk- you're all like 'oH lOOk aT MeeEEE! I'M SuPer AweSomE aNd HAvE i'M iN LOOVVEEE wItH eVerY gUy I mEEt~!' that's how you sound. And you're totally un-awesome by the way."
"I do not sound like that, idiot! That's you!"
"Screw you too then!"
It looks like Tuffnutt and Ruffnutt had arrived, along with their dragon Barf and Belch, who completely pushed Toothless and the other dragons out of the way.
"It's nice of you two nut cases to join us," Snotlout sarcastically sighed, "we were starting to miss your stellar personalities." He kicked a small rock at them, causing Barf and Belch to suddenly rear their heads aggressively in Snotlout's face.
"Yeah, Barf and Belch missed ya too," Ruffnutt smirked, "wanna give em' a kiss for all that time you spent away from them!" ("EW GROSS, GET AWAY FROM ME-!")
Hiccup looked over at Toothless, who was holding in a sigh just like he was, "listen, guys, this reunion is nice and all, but can you explain what exactly you mean by 'the wrath of the gods'?"
"This place just gives this vibe you know?" Tuffnut answered casually, "everything is all peachy clean everywhere else, and then this ONE SPOT is all destroyed and stuff. It's like the gods are targeting this place! I mean look at that thing!" He pointed right at the sky where that strange crack was.
Hiccup had to admit, it was something almost otherworldly. He had never seen such a thing before, much less a crack that looked as if was tearing open the very air of the sky. But could it actually be the gods...?
...
...
...
The fact that he was even considering it was actually disturbing.
"Well if the gods were angry with us, I'd assume there'd be something worse than... whatever this all is," Hiccup tried to convince, mostly to himself, "it's gotta be some freak weather incident... a change in the-"
"There you go with the geek language..." Tuffnut groaned as he rolled his eyes, "I'm telling you, the gods have their eyes on us for whatever reason, and this whole place is gonna be falling apart soon."
"You don't even know what you're saying moron," Ruffnut spat as she bonked her brother in the head.
"What you say to me you little-!?" Tuffnut growled.
Before the twins could escalate the situation any further, a beefier dragon suddenly landed nearby, Meatlug to be specific, who crashed into the ground and lay there with a sleepy look on her face.
"Would you all just chill out for a moment?" Fishlegs asked as he struggled to get off his dragon, "Meatlug and I have had a very stressful ride around the island, and all this shouting is giving us both a headache!"
"Whenever you show up I get a headache," Snotlout spat. Fishlegs squinted his eyes and almost approached, but was thankfully stopped by Astrid.
"Will you all stop acting like children for two seconds and report what you found?" Astrid ordered, completely quieting down the area, "we're kinda in the middle of something important, remember?" Hiccup wanted to thank her right then and there for getting things back on track, but the look she gave off clearly told him she wasn't in the mood, so he nodded.
"Right right," Hiccup agreed as he turned his attention toward the group, "so what did you guys find on your patrols? Anything of note at all?"
"If by anything you mean nothing, then we found quite a bit of that!" Tuffnutt declared as if he was almost proud of it.
"Moron! He meant something useful!" Ruffnutt groaned as she fixed her helmet, "I swear you are so dumb-" That comment earned her a hit to the shoulder, which caused a small fight to ensue.
"Zero, zilch, nada on my end," Snotlout confessed surprisingly, "it's not because I wasn't looking hard or anything... mostly that Hookfang seemed more interested in freaking rocks than finding answers!" His dragon back answered with a growl.
"I didn't find anything physically," Fishlegs continued as he took out a book, "but I did notice that it's very hot (everyone stared at him for this) w-which I know we already know! But... it could explain the bizarre circle in the center of the island, oh, and there are no dragons around, again probably from the heat. And that's pretty much it."
...
"So basically nothing we don't already know?" Snotlout added.
"I'm trying my best under such strict conditions!" Fishlegs groaned as he rubbed Meatlug attentively.
Hiccup couldn't help but groan a little bit as he paced over toward a similarly annoyed Toothless. Despite having five of the best dragon riders on the case, they hadn't figured out much except the obvious, and it didn't seem like they'd solve this issue anytime soon, "well that's great. So our findings basically conclude that we're way out of our element and have no idea what we're doing..."
"Hiccup?" All eyes turned on him now, with Astrid looking the most worried.
"Sorry it's just," he stopped for a moment and groaned, "we came here to solve this problem for Berk... but we don't even know what this is on a basic... fundamental level I mean, how are we supposed to get this?
"But that's the thing Hiccup, we simply don't know and that's fine," Astrid pointed out in a reassuring manner, "we can't solve whatever this is in a day, as annoying... and honestly frustrating as that is, we just need to find some pieces along with it... pieces that we're just lacking right now." Stormfly quickly nodded her head in agreement, squeaking a bit.
"Yeah man, we didn't become dragon riders on day one," Fishlegs agreed, "we just need more time... maybe some more equipment-"
"And some more food," Tuffnut added, "we ran out on the trip here. Anyone wanna share?" ("I am not sharing mine with you!" Snotlout barked as he waved him away.)
Hiccup was hearing them... but at the same time, it felt like it was going in one ear, out the next. "I get where you're all coming from, but what we saw with that Scauldren... what we're seeing now, can that really be something we have to take time to figure out?"
"We don't know, but the point is," Astrid continued as she made her way side by side with Hiccup, "this is obviously going to take some time, but we'll figure it out. We just have the basics down for now. Besides, whatever this... thing is... it's contained on this island for now, so Berk isn't in any danger of getting affected, okay?"
Hiccup had to nod at that and remind himself that she was right. At least Berk wasn't getting affected by this... yet. But even if it was contained here, it would only be a matter of time before something eventually did happen. What to do then? How would he address it? He needed to mull the thoughts over a bit. He couldn't let the village down. He couldn't let his friends down.
He couldn't let his father down.
...
A slight nudge from Toothless pulled Hiccup back into reality, where he fully noticed the concerned look from his dragon friend. Hiccup shook his head then, realizing how dumb he was acting right now. He had to set an example as chief... as a leader for everyone here. He steeled himself and stood up straight.
"Right... Berk is safe for now," Hiccup repeated, allowing Astrid a small smile in response, "so here's what we do in the meantime for it. I propose we rest up, then circle back around the island, get one last search in, comb the entire forest... but don't go into that desolate area..." Everyone nodded in understanding, so he went on. "By the time we finish we meet back here, get our last findings in, and then make a trek for home... figure out a course of action so no Berk ships pass through here."
"Well... at least it's 'a' plan and not a total dud," Ruffnut grinned, with Barf following her lead.
"Like you could come up with anything better," Tuffnut insulted, and in response Belch shoved Barf a tiny bit.
"But it should work for now," Fishlegs smiled as he laid down next to a worn-down Meatlug, "we'll just recharge our stamina level, organize our gear, and then set off for our quest-"
"Enough with the nerd talk man," Snotlout yawned along with Hookfang, "you're making me want to go to sleep just hearing about that stuff."
As the four dragon riders began to get busy by themselves, Hiccup and Astrid stayed close together and turned back toward the strange new island they had found.
"So... we might be staying here for a while, but at least we don't have to worry about Berk for now," Hiccup concluded as Toothless ran up and laid down next to him.
"Exactly, things could get pretty busy," Astrid sighed as she began to pet Stormfly. As she did this though she peered over at Hiccup in an innocent sort of way... totally unbefitting of her usual casual look, "but since we're going to be resting here for a little bit, indulge me in something."
"Um... Astrid, what are you scheming?" Hiccup inquired. Why was he getting a bad feeling from that look?
"Me?" She pointed to herself as if shocked, "oh nothing... nothing at all. Just curious... what you named this place, is all."
Hiccup raised his eyebrows and took out his notebook, "wait you mean, the map? You're really interested in all that already? I... Well... I haven't even finished the drawing yet," he confessed awkwardly. He had to admit, he wasn't really ready for her to see it yet... at least until it looked professional!
"Oh I know, but at least seeing the name would be fun," Astrid smirked, tilting her head with interest, "I'm led to understand Toothless gives you some inspiration, so I'd like to see what's been put down this time."
"Hm... I dunno," Hiccup put the book to his side, "I'm not quite sure it's finished yet but as soon as it is I'll- H-HEY!" Toothless nabbed the book and quickly passed it to a laughing Astrid who instantly started to read the contents, "Toothless you traitor!" The dragon only hacked out a laugh in response.
"Ooohh, Snappingsnarl Isle," Astrid mused, "it has a nice ring to it. But, in my opinion, Snappersnarl would sound better," she suggested as she passed the book back, "it just flows, you know?"
"Really now?" Hiccup grinned and looked at the island, "Snappersnarl..." he repeated, "hm, well, I might just take your suggestion."
"So that's a yes?" She asked sweetly.
"It's a maybe..." Hiccup nodded, and at this Astrid sort of laughed. It was nice, sitting here with their dragons, and almost forgetting about the problem at hand.
But that was before the hot air suddenly started to become too much to bear, "man... it is really boiling in this place," Hiccup said in a hush, trying not to let Toothless hear, "it's like we're on the back of a volcano right now."
"I noticed that," Astrid sighed, wiping a little sweat from her forehead, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I cannot wait to get back to Berk. At least there, I can freeze away in peace with dragons nearby. This place? It's just... nothing."
"Nothing..." Hiccup repeated as he calmly looked over the island. Usually, in places like these, he'd see dragons flying all over the place... or at the very least see some trace of them. But this...? This was eerily empty. No life in sight, no sounds either actually except the occasional shout from his friends behind them.
It really did feel like the end of the world.
...
"Do you think Tuffnut is right-?" Hiccup started to ponder.
"Oh my god, absolutely not," Astrid laughed, "right on what exactly? Are you actually listening to his advice?"
"No, no, I mean what he said about the gods...?" Hiccup questioned, "the fact that we don't see anything... could this be something powerful enough to match that of gods? And if it is... could this thing really expand out further toward our home?" He paused for a second, and looked down in shame, "I'm, not sure what we could do the combat something like that. I mean, if I can;t understand it, then I don't want to mess with it... you know?"
Hiccup stared back at the crack in the sky as he said this, his worries reaching a new high. It seemed so bizarre floating there as if its existence was the most casual thing in the world. But it wasn't a normal thing. It was creepy, and weird, and fascinating all at once. It shifted in dark blue hues, mimicking the rising oceans, but it sprinkled out into the sky like stardust you'd see in the night... and it'd be mixed together in bright white then, giving off a painted look, as if the gods took a canvas and started to spread out the colors to form bizarre shapes. And while it was forming its unknown shape, it began to shimmer in a way that faded in and out of existence...
It reminded him of how the stars looked in a way. He had a bit of interest when he was young, but he was always trying to be strong for his father. But even then, he was sure if he was that same little boy, he'd enjoy this moment, trying to truly study this phenomenon while begging his father to see it with him.
Now?
His mother was now teaching him more about constellations and how to travel using them... and also how to appreciate them. The stars above were planted very strategically, in a way where every one of them had a purpose. But now as chief, he had to know these purposes by heart...
So what purpose was this one then?
"You really do have a lot on your mind today," Astrid had turned over to him, a curious look on her face. It was then Hiccup realized she was responding to his previous ramble, and he awkwardly laughed.
"Oh, sorry, I'm just thinking to myself," Hiccup said truthfully, "it's just... a lot, to take in at once. It's like a melting pot in my head, you know? Becoming chief, dealing with this. I'm not sure exactly where... to start, on how to best deal with this."
Astrid looked him up and down and nodded understandingly.
"Take your time then," Astrid advised as she looked out into the forest, "we're not at berk, and there's no guide for this sort of thing. So if you ever need to just sit down and talk, I'm here. I mean, we're all dragon riders for a reason, you don't have to deal with this alone."
"...and even if I'm not chief like you are, I still wanna help," Astrid smiled, and the way she did lit up her eyes briefly.
...
...
...
Hiccup was about to thank her when-
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOMM*
Everyone sprang to their feet, and the dragons started to yelp, all their eyes wide as the Earth suddenly shook itself awake. The mountains bellowed, the trees rattled, and the very air itself seem to suck in a breath as everything pulled toward the crack in the sky. As this happened the cliff began to crack open, shaking everyone off-balance, especially Hiccup as his mechanical prosthetic began to slip
"CRAP CRAP CRAP-!" He reached out to hold tight to Toothless as he began to fall, but found nothing was there, "BAD BAD BAD BAAAD!" He yelled as he slipped off the cliff.
"HICCUP!" Astrid almost leaped forward to grab him, but was pulled back by Stormfly who started to fly away from the cliff.
And similarly for Hiccup, a suddenly energized Toothless rushed over and pulled him back, forcing Hiccup onto the saddle and trying to fly away. Hiccup realizing his mistake in panicking slapped himself and quickly got his bearings as he shifted the gears into flying mode. He slammed the prosthetic into place, got the reigns, and modified the wing for Toothless to pick himself off the ground in quick succession before the cliff fell apart below them.
The others quickly did the same and actually managed to catch up with them as the world split around them. The oceans began to swell, as to did the sky... and the air had become dangerously hot.
"UM- WHAT THE FU-!?" Snotlout tried to scream, but he was shut up as another explosion shattered the air, muting everyone's screaming voices.
What- What in the world is happening?! Hiccup could barely hear his own thoughts, but concentrated on the crack in the sky. It had brightened up into a defeating glow, appearing to be heavenly white as a shockwave burst forth through the very clouds. All the dragons began to roar in pain as the piercing sound broke through their ears... as did all the riders as they hastily covered them up. But no amount of pressing would mute the horrendously powerful sound.
It tore through the world, rattling Hiccup's very bones until it was all he could do to hold onto Toothless. It hadn't occurred to him then that he was hearing the sound of god...
Until he realized this could be the very last moment of his life... holding onto his best friend for comfort, as the sound of god itself broke reality.
...
...
Until... just as quickly as it all started...
...
It stopped.
It was so sudden that the poor riders and dragons didn't have time to process it. All they could see then was that the sky suddenly dimmed, and the piercing sound that once shook everything was snuffed out... though the ringing in Hiccup's ears was still present. The boiling heat lingered... but other than that... it seemed like everything was back to normal.
They had survived.
...
...
...
...
...
...
"RUFFNUTT WHAT DID YOU DO?" Tuffnut accused, pushing his sister harshly after the fact.
"WHAT DID 'I' DO? WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Ruffnutt accused right back.
"WHAT DID BOTH OF YOU DO? THE WORLD WAS BREAKING APART?!" Fishlegs cried as he hugged Meatlug, "ODIN PLEASE SPARE US!"
"Guys, this is not the time for fighting right now!" Hiccup tried to bring back some semblance of order, but it was clear no one was paying attention. So much for being a better chief.
"Everyone, just calm down! Listen!" Astrid ordered as she cupped a hand around her ear.
Hiccup followed her lead and slowly focused on the sounds of the area. The ringing in his ears was still apparent, but the explosions had stopped all of a sudden, leaving only a deathly silent Earth behind. No birds. No dragons. Not even any breaths. You could almost forget the world existed with how quiet it was.
Except Toothless seemed to hear something because his head suddenly shot up toward where the crack in the sky was.
"Huh? W-What is it bud? Do you hear something?" Toothless began to frantically nod and snarl, forcing Hiccup to look up for himself. Whatever he was hearing... it was too quiet for Hiccup to pick it up... so what was...
...
...
...
Wait... what...?
...
...
...
"Is that... what I think it is...?" Snotlout breathed out, saying what they were all thinking.
No one replied, but the shock was prevalent in all of their eyes...
Because something was falling from the crack in the sky.
?
When the world started, everything was quiet.
Except that's a lie. Everything was screaming when the world started. People were screaming. The world was screaming. I was screaming.
And I don't remember why... it was?
That must've been the stupidest thing for me to think of at that exact moment, but it was true. I was going to die from falling from the sky... and I was focusing on my memories. On who I was... on what happened to me... on how this all started. And I would say what it all was if I could...
Except I had the small problem of not remembering a goddamn thing.
It was like there was some sort of mental roadblock in my head, preventing me from accessing my core thoughts. I could still process the world... hell I was processing the fact that I was literally going to die... but I wouldn't even be able to tell anyone what name to put on my tombstone before I did. How could I forget that... my own damn name?
How could I forget everything? My parents? Friends? Life? It was all gone... and somehow that just pissed me off more than waking up in the sky. I mean what asshole tossed me out here? What did I do? What did I witness? Why don't I have an explanation for anything?!
Oh crap, I was losing oxygen... both on account of my lack of memory... and the fact that I was literally barreling toward the ground at high speed. But there was nothing I could do to change that. I couldn't breathe, couldn't scream, couldn't remember... and I was surely, positively, one hundred percent... going to die. The fact was unchangeable, I'm literally going to die like this, and I would never know... why.
...
...
...
To hell with that. If I'm going to die, I might as well go down trying to live.
I forced myself to open my eyes, but had to close them right away before they were ripped off by the strength of the wind. The wind itself was so powerful I would surely die from that before actually hitting the group... but I was sure that if I at least... find a place to safely land... maybe I could survive. No... I had to. I was not going to die like this without even knowing my damn name!
So I opened my eyes again and forced myself to look down. Tears instantly sprang out and they cut into my cheeks like paper, but I tried to ignore the blinding pain and see where I was. Instantly, I spotted the ocean, but I couldn't steer myself there if I wanted to... and I'd most likely still die if I hit that... so what to do? Crap, crap, crap!
Wait, there are trees below me... ugh... if I possibly hit those with my feet... maybe it'll absorb the impact but... shit! Why the hell am I going through this? Why do I have to think this way to survive?
No! Enough complaining, I have to force my legs down and land in those trees, if I'm lucky...
...
...
If I'm lucky.
...
...
Just let me be lucky... please.
I grit my teeth anxiously and steer my feet toward the ground. I have to close my eyes for this one, I just can't look... even if I wanted to, which I don't, I cannot will my eyes to watch me hurdle down like this. So... let me live... just let me-!
Wait a second? There's a new noise now? Not unlike anything I've heard before. My eyes shot open again as a sudden torpedo-like sound overtook my ears... no... a jet. That was definitely a jet... skyrocketing closer... and closer... and closer until-!?
"A-AGH-?!" A painful lurch in my body snapped me forward... but away from the ground in a matter of seconds!
"What-?! What in the-?!" I sputtered it out instinctively, because, seriously what in the fuck was happening? I was flying... somehow, something had my arms held tightly up and was carrying me higher into the sky!? I started to shake as I looked up and saw-
"Toothless...! You caught a girl?!" A boy... and a large ferocious beast baring its toothless mouth at me.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Without thinking, I kicked it, causing the beast to screech as it let go of my arms and allowed gravity to take hold of me once more. I don't know what the hell that thing was, but now... instead of dying from being eaten alive... I'm going to smash into the trees right below me...
*WHAM*
My body slams into the first branches and spins into the pine needles around. Cracks from the bones and trees start to echo in my ear, and I feel myself lose grip with whatever sense of life I have left as I slam into-
*SLAM*
I feel something burst. A warm sensation overtakes me... my head. I think... no... it's not my head. My body. It goes warm. It feels painful... but... damn... also okay. It's okay. I think. I can stand... sort of. I can... I can... I... can...
This taste... it's... it's iron... no... blood. I bit... my tongue when I fell... probably chomped it off. I see blood next to me. Blood everywhere. Or I think its blood? A red rock instead? No, it's liquid so it's definitely... lots... and lots of blood. It's very warm... I feel very warm now... I feel... okay... I can...
I can... die now... right?
Is this what it... feels like... to die?
"Wh... happe...?!" I hear someone call out. Their voice is broken up.
"Get... on... tie... tight...!" Someone screens.
I look up and see something... huge descend. That creature... that beast... it's staring... right at me. So before I die... I'll be eaten... alive...? No... crawl away... or die faster... please die faster, Heather...
...
...
...
Oh wait... that's my name...
...
It's...
...
"Hea...th...er..."
And then the world ends.
*whistles awkwardly*
So for those of you who surprisingly remember me in the HTTYD tab... in which case I am actually so honored you do... but um... sorry for having this story randomly up for one month and then taking it down. Back then I was sure I was going to start with this story and actually write it and then move on to something else... but um I looked at my writing and realized... ew... it's really bad. Honestly, it might still be... but now I feel confident to actually finish this version of my Falling Star narrative so... yeah, thanks for sticking around. Seriously. If you have, literally you are amazing. If you didn't stick around and just vaguely remember that one weird fic that was named FALLING STAR, um, that was me, hi again.
Ok but in all seriousness, I'm sure most of you reading this are probably new and are most likely confused by that cringe opening line, so let me sum it up. I'm a fanfic author who likes to make stories about my favorite forms of media... mostly movies but there are also t.v shows. In this case, I really like HTTYD, and I've always wanted to do a fic on it but... I'm crazy so my fics have to be like really long for me to feel accomplished and happy with them, as you can see here... but that's not something be proud of... but fics are really drawn out so... have fun waiting ten years the next chapter (I'm joking hopefully)
These fics I make are called... guess in the title... Falling Star stories... (iskeai fanfics for short) and every story named this way is tied into the same narrative. As to how it is... well I will explain someday... or maybe never... maybe I'm click baiting all of you but WE WILL SEE! I'm kidding I'm hoping to get most of this series done relatively soon but given my update pattern... haha... um. These Falling Star fics have OC'S in them, so if you're not into that please click off. I already have one story in the Hilda tab, so if you wanna read that, check it out, it's further along but um... I'm a big procrastinator so it's stagnant a lot... but I'm gonna complete these stories... and I wouldn't publish this work if I didn't think I wouldn't be able to complete it either, so don't worry Hilda readers, I will finish that one as well, and yes... I'm insane enough to juggle two different stories like this. Thankfully, I have the entire series planned so like, I know kinda where I'm going with this story. I'll hope that you stick along with my for it.
Again though, I tried to do this falling star fic for HTTYD way long ago, but um... I took it down cause it sucked. I was only the first chapter but I mean PHEW it was not good, and I wanted to try and write it in a way I felt happy with. So here is my first chapter. If you like it... review it or just thumbs up and subscribe (I'm joking again, my humor is so bad oh my god) Anyway, have a nice day!