Hey…about the big reveal of Jack and Sapphire's secret to the Guardians…it's in Chapter 19 to be posted tomorrow, sorry!
But in this chapter prepare for some romance
Enjoy!
Note: I do NOT own ROTG or HTTYD
Chapter 18
Pitch's dark gold eyes glinted as his spies reported to him the arrival of the kids in Berk. "Just what I needed…A perfect blackmail this will be." He grinned evilly.
He formed a black sand figure of a fierce dragon with him riding atop its head…
Soon, his grand master plan will be put to action!
He turned to some of his Nightmare Soldiers. "Head straight to Berk the day after tomorrow! There's work to be done!" he barked.
Mounting on the horses, a small fleet of Nightmare Soldiers got off the ship and headed out.
It was their last visit to Berk for the day and Jack, Sapphire, Hiccup and Astrid were at Guardian Glen, just relaxing and looking up at the stars sprinkled across the night sky. Their dragons were nearby having a water chugging contest, with Tridacna close to becoming the winner.
But Hiccup and Astrid seemed rather down in the dumps. And the two Guardians noticed it.
"Alright, what do you two have on your minds?" Sapphire rolled onto her stomach to look at them. "Nothing…" both Viking teens sighed.
"That doesn't sound like nothing." Jack retorted forming a few snowflakes over them. Hiccup decided to just say it. "Tomorrow's a very special occasion for Berk. It's the anniversary our island was founded by my seven times great grandfather."
Jack and Sapphire looked at them strangely.
"And how is that kind of celebration a downer?" Jack asked cocking his head. "We have this traditional Candlelight Dance where the son of the tribe's chief and a girl of his choice have to dance in the Great Hall, in front of everyone." Astrid sighed.
"So what's the problem with that? You two are dancing together, right?" Sapphire inquired.
"Yeah…" Hiccup whistled.
"There's just one small problem…" Astrid said sheepishly.
"We…don't know how to dance." Both of them blurted out at the same time.
Jack and Sapphire stared at them before bursting out laughing.
"Thanks for cheering us up." Hiccup said sarcastically. "It's not even funny!" Astrid glared at them.
"You two are like, the alpha couple of your village! How can you two not know how to dance as a couple?" Jack said in between laughs.
Astrid and Hiccup just rolled their eyes.
"Okay sorry about laughing. But if you two would like…" Sapphire looked at Jack who grinned. The two of them stood up.
"We'd be happy to teach you." Sapphire continued. Hiccup and Astrid stared at them.
"Right now?" Hiccup asked in surprise.
"With no music?" Astrid added.
"Yeah sure." "Why not?" both teenage Guardians replied.
A little unsure, the two Viking teens stood up.
Jack and Sapphire then called Toothless and Stormfly over. The Night Fury and Deadly Nadder then pushed their Riders closer to each other. Blitz and Tridacna decided to make some impromptu music with them by crooning and chuffing as their two Riders taught the two Viking teens a simple waltz.
At first, Hiccup and Astrid didn't know what they were doing so they carefully watched Jack and Sapphire. The two Guardians seemed to have even forgotten about them as they danced under the light of the moon, looking dreamily into each other's eyes and smiling.
"They really like each other, don't they?" Astrid murmured. "Definitely head over heels in love…" Hiccup agreed with her.
Their hearts began to beat a little quicker as they tried again.
This time, they were better.
Hiccup and Astrid smiled as they got the hang of the dance, gliding, stepping lively and finally, Hiccup gave Astrid a twirl and dip. They smiled, and leaned in to kiss.
As usual, it was butterflies in their stomach amazing.
It lasted about seven seconds before they heard Jack and Sapphire giggle. They pulled away to see the two Guardians with the four dragons, grinning mischievously.
"Sneaks!" the two Viking teens accused.
Toothless and the other dragons just laughed with the two Guardians.
"Well, you two got the hang of it?" Sapphire asked the two. They both nodded.
"Alright, you two lovebirds have fun at the dance. We better get going." Jack smiled. "Hold on. The Candlelight Dance is tomorrow night. Why don't you two join us?" Hiccup suggested.
Sapphire and Jack had turned around when they heard that. They spun around to face them.
"You mean we're invited?" Sapphire seemed interested. "Well yeah, it's also tradition to celebrate the arrival of new allies during the island's founding anniversary. And everyone here considers you and your friends as members of the tribe now." Astrid explained.
The two Guardians grinned. "That'd be great!" Jack looked excited already. "It'd be an honor to join the festivities." Sapphire smiled.
Then they said their good nights and left.
The dance lesson took a lot longer than the two Guardians expected so they were a bit late getting home.
"It's kind of unsafe to go alone at this time of night. Want me to take you home?" Jack asked Sapphire. The Guardian of Equality smiled teasingly at him. "Well…Okay." She replied.
Jack grinned, took her hand in his and swung his staff. The two of them lifted off the ground and they flew to the Palace of Beginnings.
"We should do this more often." Sapphire remarked as they landed on a balcony. "If you want, I can pick you up too." The Guardian of Fun laughed.
Sapphire giggled. "Well good night, Jack." Then, hesitating slightly, she kissed him on the cheek, just as Mother Nature and Tooth came.
Tooth was just visiting her friend when she saw it happen. Baby Tooth peeked out from behind her and chirped in surprise. Sapphire and Jack whirled around in surprise.
Upon seeing the three, Jack instantly blushed. "Er…Um…I was just leaving!" he said hastily making his exit.
Sapphire could only look at the three girls sheepishly. "It wasn't what it looked like!" she blurted out.
"Just a kiss on the cheek?" Tooth said in jest. Baby Tooth twittered as well in amusement. "I thought you and Jack were already on the 'Mutual Understanding' phase of your relationship. Shouldn't you two be doing the major lip lock?" Mother Nature chuckled.
Sapphire flushed a deep pink. "I already made the first move the last time. I don't want to look desperate." She said defensively.
"Why would that look so desperate? You love Jack, don't you?" Mother Nature inquired. "Of course I do! I just…want him to grow some backbone and kiss me first. But I must have hurt his pride a little…" Sapphire looked down at the floor, embarrassed.
"I'm sure he's over it now, Sapphire. But if you insist, let's just wait and see if Jack will make the first move next." Tooth smiled at her. Baby Tooth chirped in agreement.
"So you didn't kiss her on the lips?" North asked amusedly as he and Jack walked around the workshop.
The winter spirit blushed. "I couldn't do it. If I kissed her first, there's a pretty good 50-50 chance I'll offend her." He said. North looked at him, confused.
"Remember the last time? She made the first move, not me. If I make the first move the next time, Sapphire might think that I don't appreciate the kiss she gave me anymore." Jack tried to explain as they walked past a few working Yetis.
Again, the Guardian of Wonder gave his stepson a confused look.
"It's just complicated!" Jack groaned.
Then the jolly Russian laughed. "Jack, there comes a time when men must be men. They bravely face the challenges of love, all for the sake of love. If I were you, I'd grow up a little and make the first move myself." He advised.
Jack seemed rather unsure.
North gave him a reassuring pat on the back. "And you must not worry about this sort of thing! We all know that you and Sapphire have been going strong and steady for one full year now. Bunny, especially knows fully well how you feel about her." He boomed.
Jack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, don't remind me how he keeps 'spying' on us." He said before looking at his stepfather. "Can I stay out a bit later after curfew tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.
Yep, even if he's a Guardian, Jack was still a teenager that needed to have a curfew.
North raised an eyebrow. "I need to go someplace important tomorrow…Please?" Jack looked up at him and did a little pleading look, his icy blue eyes peering up at North.
Finally the Guardian of Wonder sighed, "Alright but you be careful."
Jack grinned. "Thanks, Dad!" he thanked him before heading off to his room.
North stood there for a few minutes in stunned silence.
Dad…
Jack had called him 'Dad'…
The Guardian of Wonder smiled. "What a night…" he murmured before overseeing the other operations in the workshop.
The next day was like any other day.
The Guardians kept up with their work with Jack, Sapphire and Marina often stopping by Burgess to play with the kids. Jamie, Sophie, Layla and Donnie remembered to keep the big secret to themselves and not tell the others so their two teenage Guardian friends could relax.
The regular visits to Berk still continued but Jack and Sapphire knew this day was going to be very special the instant they jumped out of the portal. The whole village was busy preparing for their island's founding anniversary.
Working together with Hiccup, Astrid, the rest of the Viking teens and their dragons, Jack and Sapphire helped with decorating the Great Hall and any odd jobs that needed to be done. This went on for four regular trips until the last visit for the day, which was at night.
Candlelight Dancing was drawing near. And Jack and Sapphire were separated to go to Hiccup and Astrid's houses.
"Why do I have to pick out a tunic?" Jack looked at the trunk full of old but washed clothes.
"You're not going to join our festival looking like that!" Stoick laughed, gesturing to the winter spirit's hoodie and tattered brown pants.
Hiccup smirked a little and tossed him a leather vest and a belt. "If you wanna have the complete Viking experience, you gotta stop sticking out like a sore thumb tonight." He advised.
Jack looked at the two and back to the trunk.
Meanwhile at Astrid and Angrid's place, Sapphire was having a hard time picking out a dress from the two sisters' wardrobe.
"Ohh…It's so hard, they're all so gorgeous!" the water spirit exclaimed. "Well don't spend the whole night picking! The dance is in just a few minutes!" Angrid joked.
"When you pick your outfit, Mom and I'll help you do your hair." Astrid smiled.
Sapphire took out a dress and held it up to herself.
"Perfect! And I have just the thing to finish that up!" Masona gushed.
The party in the Great Hall was already in full swing when Hiccup and Jack arrived with Blitz and Toothless.
"In just a few more minutes…" Hiccup gulped, making sure his new green tunic wasn't wrinkled. Apart from the new tunic, he was wearing a miniature version of his father's cloak and an impressive belt with a rather heavy bronze buckle. Toothless often had to nudge it up to keep it from sliding down his Rider's pants.
"Just relax, man. Sapphire and I already gave you a crash course on the waltz, remember?" Jack reminded him teasingly. After some careful thinking, he settled on a plain blue tunic, woolen pants paired with the leather vest and belt. As usual, Jack refused to wear boots and was still barefoot.
Leaning against his staff, Jack waited for Sapphire to arrive. He half listened to Snotlout's boasting just to keep himself occupied while glancing every now and then at the doors.
Hiccup was also doing the same thing and trying to stay calm. But honestly, the mere fact that he had to dance with Astrid in the middle of the Great Hall in front of the entire village was making him extremely nervous. Toothless playfully rubbed his snout against his belly in an attempt to ease him out of his stress.
"Heh…Thanks bud." Hiccup smiled a little. Toothless returned the smile and went off to a corner piled high with fish.
Blitz looked at the food hungrily and looked at Jack. "Go ahead buddy." The winter spirit laughed, waving him off. The Himalayan Fury then trotted to the food pile to eat.
Then Angrid arrived, wearing a simple red dress.
"So where's Astrid?" Ruffnut asked her.
"And Sapphire?" Tuffnut added.
"They'll be here soon enough." The older Hofferson said breezily as the doors swung open.
Fishlegs then looked and said, "Whoa."
Everyone turned to look. Hiccup and Jack's jaws dropped open.
"Sorry we're late!" Astrid panted.
"It took Masona a while to fix us up!" Sapphire breathed as they went over to their friends with Stormfly and Tridacna.
Astrid wore a breezy white dress that fell to her ankles and dainty light brown boots. The only jewelry she had was a gold and ruby brooch.
Sapphire on the other hand, wore a lovely blue and silver gown and had her long blue hair gathered in a loose braid. A silver circlet was around her head and she had one of Angrid's old pendants.
"So Candlelight Dancing…Which one of you lovely ladies wants to dance with me first?" Snotlout decided to flirt with them. Well, that just earned him a fist to the face and cold water thrown in too.
"Still fierce even when they're playing dress up." Ruffnut commented.
"Yeah…Now that's the kind of woman I like." Tuffnut agreed.
The two girls then turned to Jack and Hiccup, who were still staring open mouthed at them.
"Close your mouth, Hiccup. You'll catch flies." Astrid giggled, putting her hand under his chin, closing it for him.
"So…How do I look?" Sapphire twirled around.
"Uhhh…" Jack mumbled dumbly. Sapphire giggled.
"You look… beautiful." Hiccup said to Astrid shyly.
Then Stoick's voice echoed throughout the hall. "And now, it is my honor to introduce my son, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III and his lady, Astrid Hofferson."
Everyone cleared a path.
"Have fun, you two." Fishlegs whispered as the crowd clapped.
Taking a deep breath, the couple took each other's hands and walked to the dance floor which was lit with dozens of candles.
"Let's hope they still remember our dance lesson." Sapphire whispered, squeezing Jack's hand. "I'm sure they can handle it, Saph." Her boyfriend whispered to her in reply.
Astrid and Hiccup were now standing in the middle of the dance floor. They looked at their two Guardian friends, watching them supportively in the sidelines.
"Dad…" Hiccup looked at his father expectantly.
"Sir…" Astrid waved her hand to the other couple.
Stoick smiled. "And I would also like to introduce to you all, honorary members of the Hooligan Clan, the Guardians, Jack Frost and Sapphire Aquamarie. Would the couple please come and join my son and his lady on the dance floor, please?"
Jack and Sapphire were stunned. They didn't expect to be called forward like that, let alone be formally welcomed to their Viking friends' tribe.
Yet, there they were, making their way over to the dance floor as Vikings applauded them.
"You guys really think of us as part of your tribe?" Sapphire quipped. "It's the least we could do for you guys." Hiccup said to them.
"You guys have made life on our island exciting again. We can't thank you enough." Astrid thanked them. "Well you guys did the same thing for us. Our lives have gotten more exciting ever since we came here." Jack said.
Then the music started.
The candles cast soft glows around the Great Hall as Astrid and Hiccup and Jack and Sapphire slow danced. Everyone watched silently as the two couples danced and even some shed a few tears of happiness.
It was all just so beautiful and romantic.
Hiccup and Astrid gazed into each other eyes, smiling. Jack and Sapphire were doing the same thing, smiling and looking into each other's eyes lovingly. They danced together, switching partners, returning to each other and just enjoyed this wonderful moment.
As the music reached the crescendo and everyone began to applaud, the four teens had the same thought.
'Best. Night. Ever.'
"How sweet…" Pitch laughed as he watched the festivities from the shadows.
He had left Alvin in charge back at the Meathead Isles so he can scope out his next target. He looked spitefully at Jack and Sapphire as they laughed and had fun with their Viking friends.
"Just you two wait…Soon you two will be wishing you never came to this island." He chuckled to himself and left.
"So how'd it go?" Alvin asked him. "Oh those Berkians will be easy prey." The Boogeyman said dismissively.
"Don't underestimate them, Black. They've got the dragons with them." Alvin reminded him. "Of course, of course…But we can take them on. We've got them." Pitchwaved to his massive army of Nightmares.
The two laughed and joined forces once again. "Those Berkians and Guardians will never know what hit them." They laughed scornfully at the moon.
The war was getting near…