Wow, looks like I'm doing the first chapter. First I would like to say thank you Dawnbreaker Dragon for letting me do the first chapter, hope this gets it off to a good start. Enjoy!
Night had balked the island when I returned home, exhausted from the day. It was only 6 more days till Stoickfest and everybody was already getting ready for it, planning the feast, the decorations, et cetera. So far everything seems to be going smoothly, except the twins almost destroying there theater after an experiment with some explosions gone wrong. Other than my little hiccup (no pun intended), all was well. But the most interesting part of the day for me was getting my small wooden boat idea out. I managed to carefully steer the conversation towards the topic and then revealed the idea. Luckily, both my Mom and Astrid liked it so much that they kept pushing me to propose the idea to the public, saying it'll go perfectly with their idea (which they still refuse to share with me). So later that day I finally announced the idea and like Astrid an mom, everybody loved it and began preparing wood and other tools for the festival.
I collapsed on my chair, exhausted but happy about how smooth things were going. Valka and Astrid were still out finishing a last minute project and told me that they'd meet me later tonight. I was then greeted by a familiar black dragon licking my face. "Toothless, you know that stuff doesn't wash off" Hiccup said a little annoyed after saying the same thing hundreds of times as he tried to whip the saliva off. The dragon then began nuzzling him all the while cooing, welcoming him home. "You exhausted too bud?" Hiccup then asked as he began scratching his dragon's ear. Toothless cooed in response, sounding exhausted like his friend/rider. "Yeah, it's not easy being a leader bud" Hiccup then sighed.
The last year was just as exhausting for the dragon as it was for Hiccup, being the Alpha and all. Much like Hiccup, Toothless' job was to protect and lead the dragons and boy was it a busy job. So much so that he had no choice but to accept the prosthetic tail that allowed him to fly without Hiccup on his back. Though it helped him to get a lot more stuff done, he didn't like it at all. He preferred having Hiccup on his back as he flies across the endless sky. Now that they both became leaders it's been hard to spend time with each other. But the two always try to make time for each other, and when they do, they always make the most of it.
"But hey, we got some time to kill, how about a few laps around the island?" I then suggested. The minute Toothless heard those words, the Night Fury got excited and began jumping around in excitement. "Toothless calm down bud before you break something" I said as I tried to calm down my dragon. But unfortunately, the dragon broke something, and that something was one of the planks on the floor thanks to the dragon's leg. "Now look what you've done" Hiccup scolded the dragon who crouched down in fear like dog would after doing something wrong.
"Come on, we better fix that before Mom gets home" Hiccup then said as he crouched down to see the damage. Luckily the hole in the floor wasn't large so it should be an easy fix. But before he got up to get some tools, something caught his eye down in that hole. It was round and looked like a shield with something on it. Curious, Hiccup reached down and grabbed it, pulling it out. Toothless peered over Hiccup's shoulders curious to see what his friend/rider had found.
It was definitely a shield, but this shield had a picture on it. It was of his late father Stoick when he was a teen with his father, hiccups grandfather, like the one in the great hall. But this one was different from the one in the great hall. There was someone else in the painting right next to Stoick. It was a boy who looked exactly like Stoick, only he was not as buff as his father was in the panting and carrying what looked like a bunch of books in his arms, smiling really proudly.
Both Hiccup and Toothless stared at that portrait for a minute, feeling very confused. Who was this other guy and why does he look just like his father? It was then he felt something attached to the back of the shield. Hiccup turned it around and saw an old scroll of some sort attached to the back. "What is this?" Hiccup thought as he removed the scroll from the shield and carefully opened it. On the scroll there was something written on it, in his father's handwriting. It appeared to be a poem of some sort based on the writing style and so he began reading it.
(I apologized in advance for making some of you cry)
Fate has been cruel and order unkind
How can I have sent you away?
The blame was my own; the punishment, yours
The harmony's silent today
But into the stillness I'll bring you a song
And I will your company keep
Till your tired eyes and my lullabies
Have carried you softly to sleep
Once did a Viking who shone like the sun
Look out on his village and sigh
He smiled and said, "Surely, there is no Viking
So mighty and so well beloved as I"
So great was his reign and so brilliant his glory
That long was the shadow he cast
Which fell dark upon the twin brother he loved
And grew only darker as days and nights passed
Lullaby dear Hiccup, goodnight brother mine
And rest now in moonlight's embrace
Bear up my lullaby, winds of the earth
Through cloud, and through sky, and through space
Carry the peace and the coolness of night
And carry my sorrow in kind
Hiccup, you're loved so much more than you know
Forgive me for being so blind
Soon did that Viking take notice that others
Did not give his brother his due
And neither had he loved him as he deserved
He watched as his brother's unhappiness grew
But such is the way of the limelight, it sweetly
Takes hold of the mind of its host
And that foolish Viking did nothing to stop
The destruction of one who had needed him most
Lullaby dear Hiccup, goodnight brother mine
And rest now in moonlight's embrace
Bear up my lullaby, winds of the earth
Through cloud, and through sky, and through space
Carry the peace and the coolness of night
And carry my sorrow in kind
Hiccup, you're loved so much more than you know
May troubles be far from your mind
And forgive me for being so blind
The years now before us
Fearful and unknown
I never imagined
I'd face them on my own
May these thousand winters
Swiftly pass, I pray
I love you; I miss you
All these miles away
May all your dreams be sweet tonight
Safe upon your bed of moonlight
And know not of sadness, pain, or care
And when I dream, I'll fly away and meet you there
Sleep...
Toothless meanwhile stared at his rider/friend both confused and worried. As Hiccup was reading that old scroll his face turned from curious to complete shock. The dragon then began nudging him, getting his attention and began cooing at him, asking him what was on that scroll. "Dad" Hiccup muttered in shock. "My dad has a brother, I have an uncle Toothless" he then said to his dragon. The dragon then looked at the panting and compared it to what Hiccup had said in shock, Stoick has a brother? If that's true then where is his uncle and even more importantly, why did Stoick or anyone else never mention him? These questions seemed to overwhelmed Hiccup as well and he just sat there staring at the panting, muttering "Why… didn't you tell me dad?"
The dragon upon noticing Hiccups dilemma then began nudging his rider/friend trying to comfort him. Hiccup responded by hugging and nuzzling his dragon for a good few minutes letting his mind regulate what he had just discovered. Not just that fact he has an unknown uncle, but that he had his name. "Thanks bud" Hiccup then said to his dragon, appreciating him for being there whenever he needed him.
Hiccup finally settled down and began looking at both the panting and the poem once again. According to his father's poem something happened a long time ago that caused his uncle to be banished from Berk and Stoick seemed to blame himself for what happened. And judging from the tear stains on this scroll he must have broken his heart to do that. But what happened that caused his uncle to be banished?
He couldn't ask his father, he's kicked the bucket, and his mother is busy with whatever she and Astrid were planning for Stoickfest. There was only one other Viking that was close to his father and would most likely known what had happened. "Come on bud, we need to pay a visit to Gobber" Hiccup then said as he got up with the shield and the scroll tucked under his arm, walking out of the door with his dragon at his side.
Blame My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic once again for the inspiration. Only this time it was a fan made song called "Lullaby for a Princess" it's such a beautiful but sad song, it actually made me cry the first time I heard it. I recommend listening to it you can find it on YouTube and it's available on iTunes if you love the song. Have fun whoever it working on the next chapter!
Dawnbreaker notes:
Thank you Ember Neutron for this chapter! It seems like we have a mystery at our hands! (and a poem too! Just like CS 1 :D This one is a lot longer though...)
Stoick has a brother? I wonder if Gobber is willing to give us any insight on that. Also, the fest is closing in, bearing many exciting events and entertainment, or is it? I wonder how Astrid and Valka will react later that night as they said they're coming to meet Hiccup... Also, I wonder if the shield is related to this in any other way than just having the picture...
It appears I wrote Stoick's name incorrectly in the last chapter so... Stoicfest is now called Stoickfest as it's supposed to (StoicK, not Stoic). Also, I will be doing some changes to that chapter, thanks to Midnight's review.
REMEMBER TO REVIEW the work of these wonderful authors! It's not me the reviews are for, they're for the other writers of this story!