Dragon Friend (sequel to the dragon boy) Chapter 22 - A Broken Mind
frostcup fanfic

Authors note: so here we are! I hope you like it^^ please do let me know what you think! And I won't keep you from the chapter any longer so Ill see you tommorow with the next chapter^^

It was like diving into the deepest parts of the ocean. The pressure pounding from all sides made his head hurt badly. The mind of the Alpha was heavy all around him, and Hiccup struggled to keep himself from losing his thoughts amongst the sheer size of the dark dragon's mind. But... there was no sign of Jack anywhere. Nothing that felt remotely like him. Fear and panic stirred within him.

Where was he? This was his mind, so why couldn't he find any trace of him?

He carried on, searching deeper into the innermost part of Jack's mind- was it even his anymore? The headache was getting almost unbearable- he was a human, and already he was in agony, how could a dragon cope with it? Being completely at the Bewilderbeast's mercy. It was horrible.

His mind was screaming at him to turn back, but he kept going. He had to find his friend, and not just for the Sky Dragon's sake.

Some dim, far off part of his mind registered that the white dragon's jaws were slowly prising open. The sight filled him with terror, so he foccussed on the task ahead- if he stopped now, the fear would overwhelm him. The fear that he was about to get killed by his friend... no, friend didn't cover it. He meant so much more to him than that. He had to save him.

Then he sensed it. A small, barely noticeable collection of thoughts, that was different from the Alpha's iron control. It was him! Jack! He'd found him!

He went to reach out to him in joy, but the elation soon faded. This part of Jack, that he'd found, was dull... listless... defeated. There was strength, and no will to do anything.

'Jack!' He called out, hoping to stir some action into the lifeless spirit of the Sky Dragon. He felt it turn its frail attention to him, and a feeling of profound hopelessness washed through him, from the dragon. Hiccup felt his heart drop- what had happened to him?

There wasn't even any response to him... it was like... he felt nothing was worth the effort, anymore.
'Jack, come on. What are you doing? We need you to fight-' He cried out to him, panicking slightly. What was going on? He'd expected the Sky Dragon to be fighting the Alpha every step of the way. This wasn't right.

A weary voice spoke back, cutting him off.
'No, no more fighting... Don't want to fight, anymore..." Hiccup couldn't believe what he was hearing- this was Jack Frost! He never stopped fighting for what he believed in.
'Jack, what's going on? Come on! You need to be fighting the Alpha! You need to get back control! Come on, you have to!" Hiccup pleaded, getting more and more distraught with every passing second. This hopelessness... he couldn't stand it- it was worse to watch than pain.

The white jaws of the dragon had opened fully.

'I tried... For so long, I tried, and I tried, and I tried... But it hurts. He hurt me, so bad, and I... never even managed to get anything. It hurts... It hurts so bad.' He muttered, brokenly. Hiccup felt his spirit shattering at his words. Hearing the pain, and the suffering, and hopelessness, in his voice... it was enough to break a man.

'It's not worth it... I can't fight anymore... There's no point...' The pain suddenly faded, leaving pure, empty, dejected defeat.

Hiccup couldn't believe what he was sensing. This wasn't his friend. Jack never gave up for anything- he'd never stop fighting- ever.
'Jack, what are you saying?... This isn't you!' He shouted at him, but even as he said it, he realised what had happened.

That was it. It wasn't him, or, at least, not completely.

He'd fought to the brink of breaking his mind... and tipped himself over the edge.

In order for the Alpha to gain control of him, he'd had to first crush his resistance... and Jack would never stop fighting, until his final breath. The Alpha had had to cripple his mind, to destroy his resistance... His mind was broken.

'"Like me"?' Came the reply. '...I don't even know what that is, anymore.' He muttered, dejectedly.

At those words, Hiccup almost fell apart, himself. Jack didn't even know who he was. He'd fought so strong, the Alpha hadn't just broken his mind, to force him into submission, he'd destroyed it. He'd forgotten himself. The Viking doubted he even knew who "Hiccup" was. There hadn't been the slightest flicker of recognition, when he'd noticed his mind. He didn't know himself... He didn't know him. He was a stranger to him... He'd lost him.

He almost gave up, and fell apart. Broken to pieces, along with his broken friend. The profound sense of helplessness, and lack of hope, surrounding him seeped into him. Jack was broken. Jack was gone. Everything they'd ever shared together... He'd forgotten it all. He wasn't... wasn't the same person he'd grown up with over the years. Jack Frost was as good as dead. A hollow, empty shell- worse than a shadow of himself. Gone. It almost made him give up...

Almost. But not quite.

Because at the words "like you" there had been a slight flicker, a sense of the old Jack- a flicker of hope, and will, and a reason to fight.

He could still bring him back! But he needed to mend his broken mind first. He needed to remind him who he was. But, he better be quick- the temperature was dropping several degrees, and he could see a blast of ice forming in the back of the Sky Dragon's throat.

'Well I do!' He yelled at the saddened mind, trying to shake it out of its depressed stupor. 'The Jack I know is caring, and kind. He's selfless, and he's brave, and he never gave up for anything. He did whatever it took to save the people he loved, and never even complained about it. He just kept on saving us, putting his life on the line... and he never asked for anything in return... Because that's who he was- who you are." He beseeched him.

No doubt about it, something was definitely stirring now- could he even see the slit pupils begin to quiver, just a little bit?

He was almost there, he just needed one last, big push. He needed to know who he was.
'That's who you are, Jack. You always protected everyone, not just me... because its who you are.'

'You are, a Guardian.'

The words reverberated through the dark, depressed mind, and brought it back to life. The enlightenment reminding him who he was, and bringing himself back together.

Yes! It was working!

'Hic... Hiccup?' It stuttered, hesitantly.
'Yes! Yes, it's me, Jack! I'm here! Come on you can do it!' He urged.
'But, the Alpha.' His friend muttered. The dark beast's mind had taken its toll on him, and he wasn't sure he could take it on a second time. The last time, he'd failed, painfully.

But he wasn't alone this time... and Hiccup wasn't letting him give up.
'Come on, Jack. You can do it. You've saved us all so many times, you can't just give up now!' He told him. 'Think about the people of Berk! Think about Freya, and Astrid- even Snotlout! Fight for them, Jack. Fight to save them.' He motivated.

The determination hardened in Jack's mind, as he began to push against the oppression of the Alpha's mind, slamming into it with all the force he could muster. Hiccup saw visible signs of the intense fight going on inside the white dragon. He saw it in the flickering of the pupils- widening and shrinking, as they grappled for control- and in the glowing and dimming of the ice in his throat.

It still wasn't enough- he needed something more. Something that would give him the strength of will to overcome anything- even the Alpha! The ice, glittering and dying as the dragon's minds clashed, gave him an idea.

'Jack, look at what you're doing.' He said. He felt the shock and horror race through him, as he realised he was trying to kill his friend. Hiccup leaned Toothless forwards and reached a hand onto his ce cool scales.

'Fight for me.' Hiccup said.

Those words finally did it. Jack flung himself at the Alpha's presense with all the power he had. The need to protect his friend giving him the strength to overcome the Bewilderbeast. He wouldn't hurt Hiccup. He wouldn't let himself...Not now... Not ever! He wouldn't ever stop fighting for him, not if a hundred Bewilderbeasts stood in his way. He wouldn't let anything happen to that boy. The strength of that feeling would not be denied.

Hiccup could feel the colossal effort it was taking to free himself from the control of the dragon- he might as well have been trying to lift the actual giant dragon physically!

The pupils of his eyes, slowly, stopped thinning, and grew outwards, steadily. He was doing it! He was fighting back the Alpha!
'No..' Drago muttered, from his perch on the dragon's back. 'This isn't possible.' He growled.

The Sky Dragon's eyes returned to their normal shape and sharpened, as the world slid back into focus. All he saw was skinny Viking boy, but, to him, he was all that mattered.

He shut his open mouth, the ice vanishing, and managed to curl the corners of his mouth into a wry grin.

'Hey Hiccup.' He grinned.