Jack, Rapunzel, Merida, and the other four guardians arrived at Jamie's house, every one of them gasping in horror as they saw the limp body of Jamie sprawled onto the floor.
Jack was the first to leap to his aid, pressing an ear to the boy's chest. His eyes watered in sorrow and rage as he heard nothing, not even a single heartbeat or gasp for air. He pressed two fingers to the wrist veins of Jamie's right hand, not feeling even the slightest pulse thumping.
Tears ever so slowly flowed from Jack's sky blue eyes – tears of sorrow, rage, and horror. Did Hiccup do such a thing as to take the life away of a child? A child who was his first believer? How could he have done this?
Everyone else's eyes were filled with the same emotions that Jack was feeling. Rapunzel couldn't handle the horrifying sight of the limp body and fell to her knees, sobbing. Merida immediately began to frown, feeling pity for Jack and sorrow for the boy who'd lost his life. Tooth's eyes watered in shock, struggling to believe that the sight before her was just a dream. An image of flowers over a grave appeared over Sandy's golden solar flared hair. Bunnymund pounded a foot into the floor, having felt crushed after the memory of Jack making Jamie believe in him. North's usually cheerful smile was turned upside down and was full of despair and hopelessness.
And all of them had a single, same thought running through their heads. Why Hiccup?
Merida and Bunnymund were the first to dry their tears, staring at each other with fierce determination.
"We need to do something about Hiccup," Bunnymund said, seeing Merida equaling his own urge.
"But," Rapunzel said, trying to make the large Pooka come to his senses, "we can't just kill Hiccup. I know he's still there, somewhere deep inside."
"Punzie," Jack told her in an almost cold tone, "I don't want to be in a situation where we must kill Hiccup. Maybe Sandy can use his Dream sand to purify Hiccup and turn him back good. But, after seeing what he did to my believer – my very first, innocent, playful believer – we don't have a choice."
"You're not suggesting we kill him, do you Jack?" North sputtered.
"What other choice do we have?" Bunnymund snapped. "Are we supposed to let Hiccup run off and cause trouble . . . or worse?"
Nobody liked the idea, but it was a dark time. Hiccup had gone too far, even when compared to Pitch. It was only natural that they should be rid of him as soon as possible.
"Aww, how sweet," Hiccup's malicious voice came from outside of the house, causing the entirety of the group to gaze at him with expressions of horror and rage. "One weakling child death has brought the whole group together! How exciting!"
"Hiccup!" Jack roared, blasting Hiccup with an icy frost from his staff. However, to his shock, Hiccup suddenly sank into the floor, blending in with the shadows.
A cold, sinister laugh shivered everyone's spines as Hiccup proceeded to mock them. "You, sir, Frost, are playing a dangerous game. Keeping this much powerful darkness contained? There will be consequences."
Jack, Bunnymund, North, and Tooth scanned the room, suspiciously. Rapunzel had allowed her hair to glow and started to use it as a flashlight, trying to find the sinister Dragon Master in that manner. Merida didn't have a chance to even blink as Hiccup appeared right behind her, pressing a flaming blade to her throat.
Too late Bunnymund had sensed the danger, but as soon as he faced Hiccup holding Merida captive. "Let her go, Hiccup!" the Pooka demanded.
Upon hearing the Pooka's demand, everyone else in the room turned their heads to see Hiccup holding Merida hostage.
"Ah ah ah," Hiccup taunted, pressing the blade even deeper against Merida's throat. "I'm sure you won't like it if Merida's precious, old, and weak-minded Hiccup suddenly cut her throat open. Though you'll still be able to see her, after her spirit has left her body!"
Merida knowing that she had no other choice, elbowed Hiccup in the ribs and caused him to release his hold on him. She swung her body around and pulled out her sword, swinging her blade against Hiccup's and easily knocking it out of his hands. "Hiccup," she said softly, "please. This isn't like you. You're the peace-maker, the boy who brought peace towards both dragons and humans. You're merciful, supportive, and loyal, even towards your dearest friend Toothless."
Hiccup's mind recognized Toothless' name, his eyes glimmering from red to green with recognition. Toothless . . . the dragon whom he had helped fly again. Toothless . . . the very first dragon he'd shot down and who's life he'd spared. Toothless . . . his dear and loyal friend who would've given his own life for him.
"Toothless?" Hiccup muttered, his green eyes brightening with remembrance. He dropped his evil weapon to the wooden floor, not even bothering to pick it up. His stance had fallen into a crouch as he crumpled to the floor, holding his head with his hands. "Aaah!"
"Remember Hiccup!" Jack said, knowing very well what Merida was trying to do. "Remember Toothless, your friend, your best friend!"
All at once, everyone chanted in the room, "Remember Toothless! Remember your friend! Remember, Hiccup! Remember!"
Hiccup let out a cry of shock as his mind was filled with a black figure. It was a black dragon, sworn to emit evil wherever it went. But this dragon's eyes . . . they were green, but didn't speak of evil. Instead, they revealed a type of friendliness and kindness. Much like the eyes, the smile it bared was full of playfulness.
"Too . . ." Hiccup's eyes flashed from green to red, causing him to grimace in pain as the Nightmare sand flowed throughout his body. "No," he muttered, shaking his head. "I don't need that useless reptile-" The twenty-year-old man's voice creaked with recognition. "Useless reptile . . ."
In that instant, the memory of Astrid and him flying Toothless flooded his mind. "Toothless," he whispered, his eyes brightening with green kindness. "Toothless!" The shade of grey left his face, returning to its original peach color. "Toothless!" The Nightmare sand slowly slithered from his armor, his arms, and upper body.
Hiccup shook his head, but as soon as he opened his eyes a familiar, almost blessed sight
came right before his eyes. He saw the dragon, the large black dragon with piercing green eyes. He narrowed his eyes to the dragon's tail fin, seeing that one of the fins was missing. He gaped in wonder and a smile of joy and glee appeared on his lips as he cried out the name of his dear friend. "TOOTHLESS!"
The Nightmare sand finally seeped out from the rest of Hiccup's body, returning all colors back to the way they were. Hiccup, finally free of the Nightmare sand, hugged his dragon friend and allowed the tears to flow down his cheeks. Toothless, gleeful that his friend had finally recognized him, happily licked his owner.
And, unlike many of the other times before, Hiccup didn't once say, "You know that doesn't wash out!" Instead, Hiccup allowed the drool to cover him, wanting every single drop of drool to coat his body. He didn't mind the feeling. In fact, it was a wonderful reminder of how great such a friend could be.
"Hiccup!" Merida said, soon tackling him to the ground after Hiccup barely regained his feet. "You're back!"
"It's alright," Rapunzel said, soon causing Hiccup to frown.
"No," Hiccup said, mournfully as he glanced down at Jamie's lifeless body. He retrieved the axe he'd dropped and glanced over at Jack, saying to his friend, "Jack. Do you think you can freeze the head of this axe?"
"No problem," Jack said with a smile as he coated the blade of the axe with ice. He stepped back and watched as Hiccup swung the axe up and over his head and smashed the blade on its flat edge, causing it to shatter into a million pieces. He soon witnessed a white spiritual ball flow from the blade and into Jamie's lifeless body.
Jack's eyes glistened with hope as he witnessed Jamie's eyes opening up and his mouth open in a gasp for air. "Jamie!" Jack screeched with joy, hugging his first-ever believer.
However, the happy reunion didn't last long as soon as everyone heard thunder and saw lightning in the clouds. One by one, they all glanced up to see Pitch, who had summoned an army of Nightmare horses.
Pitch's yellow eyes were brimming with rage and hate as he glared down specifically at Hiccup. "Dragon Master?" he mocked, still keeping the hate in his voice. "Do you really think you can hold on to your precious friends for long?"
Hiccup, having heard enough from this bastard, leaped upon Toothless' back. Looking back at all of his friends, he asked them, "Are you guys with me?"
"All the way!" everyone cried out, flying out Jamie's bedroom and into battle.
How awesome was that? I'm sorry if it wasn't as long as some people hoped it would be, but I felt like I was nearing the end of this fanfic.