Silence fills the infirmary and Hiccup stares at Flightmare with him looking at the side.
"His father…killed…what?" Flightmare closes his eyes and hangs his head low, gripping on his pants.
"He…He killed Toothless's mom…Our mom…"
Hiccup's wolf ears twitched. Our mom…
"You mean…"
"Yeah…I'm Toothless's, Stormfly's and Hookfang's brother. I'm the youngest. Our dad thought, since Toothless doesn't have his fangs, I would take the throne. But…I just can't be with a monster like him…"
"Flightmare…I'm sorry that you feel that way…" Hiccup squeezes Flightmare's hand softly, showing he's here to comfort him. Flightmare stares at the hand Hiccup is holding onto.
"…Mom used to hold my hand whenever I get scared…" Flightmare sits on the bed and leans against Hiccup like a child leaning in for a mother's love. "She would hold my hand and…and tell me a story or the positive side of my fears…Like how snakes, even though they're venomous, their poison can be used to save people…and then, when Mom kiss me goodnight-"
"You feel safe?"
Flightmare laughs softly. "No. That's the moment Hookfang comes into my room in his boxers, waving a panty around with Stormfly chasing after him and Toothless following behind, laughing his ass off."
Hiccup can honestly laugh at the thought when he imagines it.
"But it's good…" Flightmare smiles nostalgically. "Because…every time I'm alone, they'll always be there for me…" He closes his eyes and sighs softly. "Those were the good times…I was 4 when mom died. Toothless was 9 then…But when he was 5, he lost his fangs…"
~Flashback~
SMACK!
The sound of a hand slamming down on a cheek echoes through the room, followed by a crash at a wall. At the wall was a young boy covered in blue and black bruises, his eyes squinting in pain. His injuries cried out in pain, screaming for treatment but the boy held on. And most of those injuries were just made by the man who's punishing him.
"Maximus, stop it!" A younger version of Skrill shouted, kneeling next to a young boy with black, short hair who was rubbing his bruised cheek. In front of them were a man with dark gray hair and evil, green eyes, holding nothing but coldness and disgust.
"Step aside, Skrill. Unless you want to die from protecting a child from his punishment." The young boy stared at Skrill and pushed her.
"Toothless!"
SMACK!
"Is this your true form, boy? Having fake fangs and come to me as a disgusting being?! I do not show mercy to the weak, Night Fury! No…you don't even deserve that name!" He grabbed the boy by the neck and growled. "From now on, you are no longer my son! You are but a disgusting offspring of one of my pets." Maximus stared at Skrill. "Bring your sister to me! I will make sure she gives birth to a greater offspring than this…thing."
Toothless clenched his hands into fists but Skrill bit her lower lip and lead him out before he can try to attack his biological father to prevent another night of hearing his mother screaming in pain.
But he knew. Toothless knew the cause of his mother's soon-to-come suffering of being raped mercilessly would be his burden.
~End Flashback~
"Skrill is your aunt?"
"I'm surprised Toothless or Skrill never told you. Then again, we have this gene where 1 out of 10 children can only have the some of the appearance traits as the parents. Flightmare lets out a small but shaky laugh. "Mom never liked Maximus. But she ended up marrying him because he'll rape her, marriage or not. She didn't want any of her children to be born as bastards (A/N: A word for children who are born when their parents aren't even married. Not the curse word. =w=) to have others teased us for it so, she had to agree. But she never regretted giving birth to us. She loved us all equally. But because of Toothless having no fangs, Maximus doesn't want anyone to know him so, he locked Toothless up in a tower and made sure he won't escape. Mom tried her best to give Toothless as much mother love as he needed and Hookfang, Stormfly and I tried spending time with him while Aunt Skrill tried to take care of Toothless's well-being and make sure the environment is good."
"Then...why does your mom have to live through all that? Can't the king find someone else?"
"She was from a powerful family. Not to mention she was the most beautiful vampiress in the kingdom. Many male vampires tried to woo her but her beauty turned into a curse when Maximus demanded her cooperation. He wanted to have a powerful and beautiful heir so, who better than our mother to fit in the role?" Flightmare's eyes turn half-lid, holding sadness in them. "When I was born, my father didn't care about my well-being. To him, I was but another soldier fighting for a life or death match. I never wanted to be King. It is but a poisonous thing that only the strongest can have. And my father is but another vampire who kills his way to the throne."
"That's terrible…"
"It's my life." Flightmare lets out a soft chuckle. "But I'm grateful for it. If I didn't suffer all that, I wouldn't have become who I am now."
"…How…um…" Hiccup didn't dare to ask his question. It was too terrible to ask a young child about that, even if he is a vampire.
"How did mom died?" Flightmare tilts his head a bit to look at Hiccup. "It began long ago…when mom was trying to have all of us run away from Maximus…"
~Flashback~
"Flightmare, wake up…Flightmare…"
"Mm…" A neon blue-haired boy slowly opened his eyes and rubbed them, trying to get the sleepiness removed. "What is it?"
"We're gonna leave."
This caused Flightmare's eyes to widen. He looked at a beautiful woman with beautiful, silky, black hair that reached till her waist, her sparkling blue eyes staring at him. Holding her hands was a younger version of Stormfly and Hookfang. Shaking Flightmare was Toothless, his eyes held happiness.
"Aunt Skrill found a place where we can live without dad knowing. Isn't that great? We can live there without fear! We just need to get to the secret passage."
Flightmare smiled at Toothless before at the woman.
"Mom, is it true?"
With a nod, the mother smiled. "It's true. But we need to hurry. We have no time to waste."
Flightmare quickly pack his things and the family set out of the room. The woman looked around the hall for guards whilst holding her hand out to signal her children to wait. When there were none, she waved her hand forward, the children escaping. It was dusk and having most adult vampires being the old generation, Flightmare knew his parents will be weak against the sunlight. Skrill was lucky to be the very few in the old generation to be immune to it though.
They reached the entrance gate and Flightmare hoped his father isn't awake yet. His mother told her children to wait at the stairs so that she could open the door and check if the coast was clear. She looked around and walked cautiously to the door. When she reached there, she opened the door and felt a bit relieved when no guards were outside. She turned to her children who were hiding behind the side of the large stairs, unseen by anyone but her.
"Alright. It's okay. Quickly, before-"
BAM!
The woman turned around and gasped in surprised and horror. Standing behind her, all this time, was Maximus himself with his face furious and his lips curling to a hideous scowl.
"So…you plan on leaving, do you? No one leaves the King!" He grabbed her by the hair, earning a grunt of pain from his wife. "You think you're so smart, huh, bitch? Letting our kids brainwashed and have them leave my line of sight? How typical." He threw her to the side as if she was but a doll and Flightmare had to grip on Toothless's hand to prevent crying from the sight of their father brutally abuse their mother.
"You betrayed me, Mariana! What excuse do you have to say for yourself!?"
Toothless gritted his teeth but when he was about to save his mom, he noticed the look on her face. It was a stern look that was directly to her children for an instant but the kids knew.
"Don't let him know you're here."
The children, knowing they're in no room to argue, stayed put and watched how their mother faced their father.
She spitted his face and earned an angry snarl.
"YOU WHORE! YOU DARE INSULT YOUR KING?!"
"YOU NEVER DESERVED THE CROWN, MAXIMUS!" Mariana shouted with all her might, despite the throbbing pain of her back. "YOU ARE LIKE THE OTHER KINGS! THE THRONE AND CROWN IS NOTHING BUT POISON THAT ONLY THE STRONGEST OF VAMPIRES CAN DEFEAT! AND YOU ARE NOT THAT VAMPIRE!"
Maximus laughed cruelly and stared down at his wife. "And who did you think is? I am the strongest vampire! NO ONE CAN DEFEAT ME!"
"NO ONE BUT THE BEAST!" This made the king froze. "The Beast will make you pay for what you did. It is the strongest being ever and you know it! It will smite your life before you can even plead for help…"
"You sound so confident for someone who doesn't even know the vessel."
"Oh, I do know…" Mariana stared at Maximus with determine eyes. "I have given birth to it. My grandfather was one, my father was one and now it passed down to the offspring I have given."
"You're lying! The book said-"
"It was true that it shall be passed on to one who is worthy of the strength, Maximus." Mariana glared at him. "But it all depends on the hands of Fate. It was once in the Hermos family, the first of the vampires. But when their last survivor knew he would die young, he married a woman from the Turmois family. After that, it was the Dracule family and finally, it went to the Fury family. MY family. You may be the father of our children but they have no bad blood within them. Only you have cruelty in your heart."
The king was enraged. He grabbed Mariana by the neck and narrowed his eyes. "Then I will read the poem and kill one of-"
"You actually think a poem would release a being as strong as it?" Mariana released a throaty laugh, near choking. "You are but a fool, Maximus…It takes more than a poem to release it."
"Then tell me or I will gut your throat and splatter these very walls in your blood!"
"Fat chance. I will never tell you…" Mariana gasped for air but she held onto the life she had. Flightmare had never seen such determination and courage in his mother. When the King knew it's no use, he released her, making her cough and wheeze for air.
"Then I shall raise the child in my own. I will have the Beast go to MY side."
Mariana laughed as she rubbed her throat. "You can't if you don't know who it is."
"It's obvious. Stormfly lacks physical power and I doubt the Beast would want to be in a weak girl. Hookfang lacks patience and Toothless…BAH! That child is useless as a vampire. It leads all to Flightmare…"
Mariana looked down at the floor. "You are truly shallow, Maximus. How selfish can your thoughts be? It isn't always strength that the Beast would pick."
"What? You think the Beast would pick a weak, scrawny child who has no potential in being a strong being? Your fantasy is making you weak, Mariana…" He grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. "You are worthless to me now. You shall be executed. At dawn."
Seeing the king dragged his queen out of the palace and hearing the sound of him commanding his guards to guard the door, the children knew their escape had failed…
And their mother was going to pay the price.
~The prison, at 4am~
"Mommy!"
"Ma!"
"Mom!"
Stormfly, Hookfang and Flightmare hugged their mother tightly, crying with Skrill behind them. Toothless looked at his mother with so much hurt in his eyes. He doesn't want to cry. He can't. He had to be the one who's strong. Skrill patted his back while Mariana cooed softly to calm her crying children.
"Children, it's alright…it's going to be okay…"
"But Mommy…you're going to…to…to…" Stormfly didn't dare to finish the sentence. She buried her face against the lap of her mother and sobbed softly into it. Flightmare gripped on his mother's black sleeve.
"Mom…We'll…We'll never see you again…are we?"
Mariana moved the strand of Flightmare's hair and stroked her son's head. She knew Flightmare was the most knowledgeable one and she was proud of him. Yet, she also feared for him. She knew because of his amazing gift that the King would aim Flightmare as the future heir. "…I'm afraid so, my darling Flightmare…" She said in a soft voice laced with affection, making Flightmare closed his eyes and cry into his mother's left arm.
"Ma, you were so cool…You stood up to dad like nobody's business. You were really…really…cool…" Hookfang said, his hands shaking on his mother's left sleeve. She smiled softly and pulled her second eldest into her left arm, allowing him to cry into her hug.
The sight had Toothless breaking. His heart squeezed tightly in his chest and his hands became fists.
He can't cry.
He can't cry.
He can't fucking cry.
"Toothless…"
Said boy let out a sound of contained sobs, staring at Mariana reaching out for him, Hookfang, Stormfly and Flightmare making a space for Toothless to have his turn.
"Toothless…come here, sweetheart…it's alright…"
Her voice was breaking but she still kept her smile and her voice was filled with so much love that Toothless clenched his fists so hard, his nails was digging into his palm.
He has to be strong.
He has to. For his mother.
"Ma…Mama…I can't…I…I want to be strong for you…"
Mariana smiled softly, her eyes glassy. Skrill pushed Toothless softly towards her, allowing her sister to place her hands on his upper arms.
"Toothless, you have been a very strong boy…You always have…Even if you don't have fangs and no one knew why, I do. And the reason for you doing so has made me proud…so proud…you knew you have to suffer your father's wrath but you never cried. And no one in this room had ever done that. Not even the vampires outside these walls…You held on long enough, Toothless…" She stroked his bangs away from his sorrowful face, her tears falling on her cheeks now. "My Toothless…My brave, little Night Fury…Strong beings may hold in their sadness but the strongest are the ones who cried…Because they have hold in so much pain throughout painful experience…For that, you have no reason to be strong by holding in your emotion." More tears ran down her cheeks and her voice grew shaky. "Night Fury…you can let it out…Holding in your pain would only hurt yourself and the people around you…It's alright…"
Toothless winced when he felt her hand rubbing his cheeks, his vision starting to blur.
"It's alright…"
Toothless made a shaky inhale, his body shaking.
"Let it out…"
His throat tightened like he had something blocking his windpipe if he doesn't open his mouth.
"My Toothless…My Night Fury…"
"Nghm…" He released a sound like he's ready to break down, his vision more blurry and watery.
"I love you…"
He couldn't hold it anymore. He hugged his mother tightly, burying his face into her neck.
"MAMA, DON'T LEAVE US! WE LOVE YOU! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!"
Mariana wrapped her arms around his shaking body, her eyes closed and her smile still there with her tears streaming down her cheeks. Hookfang, Stormfly and Flightmare cried at the sight and the words that were uttered while Skrill hugged them, tears streaming down her cheeks as well…
"That's my boy…" Mariana whispered, stroking the back of her son's head.
~…At dawn…~
"Mariana Fury, due to your terrible crime of defying and insulting the king, you are here to be executed by the sun in the sky! What parting words do you have for us?!"
Mariana looked around. She was in a cage in the middle of a plaza, out in the open. Vampire citizens watched her in places where they can be safe from the sun. In front of her, in the highest but shadiest spot, was where the King was, sitting in his shaded throne. She looked down at the children and Skrill at the ground level and smiled to them, her eyes soft and loving. She looked up at the King and shouted up at him.
"I DO NOT REGRET DYING THIS WAY!"
Everyone but her family started muttering, wondering why she's a gutless woman.
"I have seen and heard of many beings dying in different ways!" She shouted. "But I do not regret dying this way! Even if I was to be burn by the sun or to have a stake stabbed through my heart, I am doing what any of us should have done! Fight against the man who doesn't deserve that crown!"
Everyone gasped except the king. He only chuckled loudly and glared down his wife.
"Speak as you like! Look where it ended up! You ended up dead! What good will that do?!"
"At least I have fought for my freedom! I may die now but one day, someone will rise up against you and take over the throne your fat ass is sitting on!"
A few vampires, who had the guts, snicker a bit. The King glared at his citizen before giving a dark look to Mariana.
"You ended your life foolishly! If you had listened to me, you would not have been here! You would not have to die and lived."
"BUT I WILL BE LIVING IN HELL ITSELF!" Mariana spoke boldly and confidently. "IF I HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN DYING FROM FIGHTING FOR THE GOOD OF THE KINGDOM AND LIVE IN A KINGDOM WHERE I STAND BY AMD WATCH AS YOU RULE SELFISHLY AND CRUELLY…" She glared at the king with the rising sun coming up. "I rather die, even if I have to use my life to kill you."
The king noticed her words were affecting his citizens. "Enough!"
"LISTEN UP, EVERYONE!" She shouted loudly and turned to her people. "DO NOT LOSE FAITH! DO NOT LET A BEING LIKE HIM MAKE YOU THINK HE IS THE STRONGEST! THERE IS ANOTHER AND THIS BEING SHALL SAVE US FROM HIS RULE! I ASK YOU…" She hissed in pain from the sunlight and knew she didn't have time anymore.
She looked at her children and panted softly.
Stormfly, her eldest child and only daughter…She would surely grow up to a beautiful woman and even though her liking female surprised Mariana, she held no complaints. Stormfly would surely grow up as a beautiful, strong woman like Skrill.
Next was Hookfang. Her second eldest child and her first son. He has a nasty temper, sure but he had such a big heart. He could face anything head on and he won't give a damn about how people feel about his sexuality in liking both girls and guys. He would grow up to be a handsome lad with ladies falling for him and males smitten by him.
After that was her youngest but still brilliant son, Flightmare. His knowledge on everything made her quite happy. He had inherited his smarts from her father in her family gene and he had the skill and potential in scaring any being that faced him. But she truly hoped her son can be brave enough to face his own fears. Especially when one of his fears was being rejected by the girl he likes. She internally smiled at that. Even though he had the skill of finding out secrets, Toothless was the only one who managed to hide his from Flightmare.
Ah…Toothless…Her little Night Fury…She could see the fear in his eyes but she knew. He was the smartest out of all. He would be the perfect king to rule this broken kingdom and have it flourished beautifully. The news that he was gay brought her no surprise. She already knew that anyhow. He was just like her in her younger days…Oh, the memories…
She smiled reassuringly at him and her children. Her only happiness in this hellish land… She raised her head and closed her eyes, letting the sun burn her to oblivion.
"WHOSE SIDE WILL YOU FIGHT FOR?!"
Those were the last words of Queen Mariana Fury.
And it had inspired the vampires of the present fight for what she had started.
To bring in a new era of vampires and protect the good of their kingdom from its cruel tyrant.
~The Present Times~
GASP!
Toothless lets out a gasp, sweat beading his head as he awoke from his nightmare. He sighs and leans against the wall of his cell, panting to cool down from his revelations.
"Tooth, you okay?"
Hookfang's voice brought Toothless back to reality as he turned his head a bit, looking at his brother in shackles across him. They are imprisoned in a cell with shackles on their wrists and ankles. They can break it out anytime but the fact that outside the cell are guards wearing garlic necklace and holding stakes, it's pretty much a one in a million type of escape, no matter how strong he and Hookfang are.
"Y-Yeah…Yeah…I just have a nightmare…"
"…Was it Ma?"
Toothless winces. He notices Hookfang's worried look, a look he rarely see. Toothless closes his eyes and nods softly. Only Hookfang knew about Toothless's nightmares, having Toothless asking Hookfang if he can sleep with him one time when they were young.
"Yeah…On that very day too…"
The sound of moving shackles and the feeling of a hand on his shoulder made Toothless look up. "Tooth…it was a dream of the past. Everything's changed now. But Ma would sure be proud of you for helping her achieve her dream of a peaceful kingdom. And the thought of an alliance with the werewolves while having little offspring." Hookfang chuckles lightly and sits next to Toothless. His younger brother lets out a small laugh.
"Yeah…She would…But the offspring part is something I can't do. That would be Flightmare's job."
Hookfang crinkles his nose. "Yeah…Seriously, when is he going to confess to Speedy? I'm dying to know when he'll get laid."
"…You placed a camera in his room again, did you?"
Hookfang glares at Toothless. "NO!" He pauses for a moment before muttering. "I placed a wireless bat cam to make sure he isn't doing anything wrong in his room."
"Hookfang, how many times have I told you to stop spying on my room!? I'm not getting laid if you keep putting there! And next time you two are stuck in a cell, can you pick a topic that's NOT about me and Speedy? Stormfly is nosy enough as it is…" Hookfang and Toothless stares at the neon-blue haired boy standing outside their cell.
"FLIGHTMARE!" Both brothers shout, running to the bars only to have the shackles tugged them back. "Argh!"
"Man, this is pretty funny." Flightmare smirks a bit while Hookfang glares at him
"I swear, once I get out of this-"
"Flightmare, what the hell are you doing here?! There will be more werewolves coming and-"
"Relax. We're getting you out. I'm here to set you free while they take care of Stoick and the others. They're having a negotiation right now."
"Who are they?"
"Hiccup, Speedy and Stormfly."
Hookfang and Toothless pales.
"YOU BROUGHT HICCUP HERE?!" Toothless screeches and stands up abruptly. Flightmare makes a 'calm down' motion.
"Don't worry. He's negotiating with his dad right now. Speedy and Stormfly are making sure he gets to the Great Cave safely. Good thing we let Kiri stay at home with Barf, Belch and Meatlug. He doesn't need to see how those two can make one, scary team."
"YOU LET HIM GO IN THERE ALONE!? TO NEGOTIATE WITH HIS DAD?!"
"Hell no!" Toothless raises a brow and Hookfang stands up next to him. "He's not going there alone. He's with someone who can help. Like a lawyer, you could say."
"Well, that's great! Who is it?" Hookfang asks.
"Aunty Skrill."
Flightmare never thought he'd see his older brothers grow so much paler in his life.
BREAK OUT TIME! Hookfang and Toothless are being saved! But Hiccup is going to face his father in a father-son talk. With Skrill following along! What can happen in that seemingly harmless chat? Find out in the next chapter!
Me: My god…I really cried while making this chapter…I really did… ;_;
Mii-kun: *pats her back* I guess you made the tragedy a bit too strong.
Me: D'X I can't help it! It was just too damn sad…
Kuro: … *sniffs*
Mii-kun: O_O Kuro, are you crying?!
Kuro: NO! =W= I have mucus blocking out my nose. *blows into some tissues*
Me: But you're a cyborg cat.
Kuro: Urusai before I shoot this place to the ground!
Mii-kun: …But Lu-chan has a point-
Kuro: *puts on his machine gun*
Me: O_O Shit! READ AND REVIEW BEFORE WE DIE FROM KURO'S WRATH! AH!
~Beeeeeeppp…~