Chapter 7: Painful Experiences

Nico's POV

Slowly my vision started to clear, I could make out a few shapes.

"Hiccup?" I tried to say but my tongue wouldn't move. I tried to move my hand, still nothing.

"Please don't be paralyzed!" I thought as I started to panic.

"Calm Nico just calm." I tried to tell myself.

Suddenly I could make out noises it sounded like someone saying my name I don't know they sounded like they were speaking a foreign language. Nothing was making sense why wasn't I able to move or hear properly. I tried to remember how I got here, but my mind was blank I could remember the forest…Hiccup fainting…Astrid talking to me then…blank as though someone had simply blocked off that section of my memory. However I could remember a searing pain as though I was being burned alive. Slowly my vision cleared completely and I could see I was in a small hut. Standing over me were Hiccup and Astrid, I could see their lips moving but all I heard was mumbles to quiet to understand. Astrid waved her hand in front of my face and shouted something, something I still couldn't understand. Then someone else came into view, an old woman. The sight of her stirred something in that section of my memory that was blocked off but as much as I tried I still couldn't remember anything. As I watched helpless to do anything the woman held up a goblet with a yellow coloured liquid inside. I saw Astrid open my mouth but I felt nothing as though all my nerves had suddenly fallen asleep. Slowly the woman poured the liquid into my mouth a little at a time and suddenly I could feel it trickling down my throat and then I could feel it falling into my stomach. Slowly I felt my nerves wake up and then I could feel one of Astrid's hands on my jaw keeping it open and the other resting on my shoulder. Slowly the mumbling turned into something more audible and I could make out what she was saying.

"Nico can you hear me?" Astrid shouted as she shook my shoulder slightly.

My tongue felt heavy as I tried to reply.

"Yes." I managed to say. My throat felt parched and I had a splitting headache.

"Oh thank the gods I thought we'd lost you." Astrid smiled.

"W…water…" I said coarsely.

Astrid sprang into action and reached for a glass of water that had been set on the table next to my hand. Although I was able to open and close my mouth I still needed Astrid to pour the water into my mouth. I felt like a toddler.

The water was extremely refreshing and I realised I could move my hand. Slowly I raised my arm and looked at my hand before I set it down and looked back at Astrid her sky blue eyes full of concern.

"Thanks." I told her as I tried to sit up but I felt a hand on my chest as Astrid stopped me.

"You…you need to rest…" She told me. Something was wrong.

"Where's Hiccup?" I asked fearing something had happened to him.

Astrid looked away from me for a second and when she turned back I saw tears in her eyes.

"He's been taken to the cells." Astrid told him as she wiped a tear that had run down her cheek.

"What?!" I shouted "Why?"

"I'm so sorry I tried to stop them but…they took him…" Astrid sobbed as she covered her face. I reached up and took her hand.

"Tell me what happened."

Astrid's POV

"I love you too." I meant every one of those words. I leaned in closer to Hiccup ignoring the sounds from Stormfly and kissed him. I deepened the kiss. It seemed every time we kissed it was more and more passionate. I kissed him for what seemed like hours, but was actually minutes, and I probably would've if I hadn't heard footsteps running up the stairs. I broke off the kiss and loomed to see Fishlegs running as fast as he legs would carry him.

"We couldn't hold them back…" He panted. "They're on their way up." He informed them and sure enough Astrid could hear the thuds as an angry mob of Vikings stormed up the staircase. Stormfly tensed up at the sound and cooed softly at me. I turned to Hiccup.

"What do we do?" I asked.

He ran his hand through his hair as he thought.

"I…I don't know…" He told me. I started to panic. I turned to Stormfly and waved my hands at her.

"Go Stormfly they'll kill you if they get you." I shouted at the Nadder.

She shook her head and stood in front of me and Hiccup.

"No Stormfly there's too many we'll be okay just go." Hiccup told her.

Stormfly looked at me uncertainly, I nodded she cooed softly before flapping her wings and flying off away from Gothi's hut just as the Viking mob reached the top of the stairs.

"There it goes!" A man shouted as he swung a pair of bolas above his head gaining momentum.

"No!" Hiccup shouted as he stepped in front of the man.

"What are you doing?!" He yelled at Hiccup as the distraction caused him to stop swinging the bolas, making them wrap around his arm, this gave Stormfly enough time to get safely out of range of anymore bolas.

I sighed in relief, at least she was safe, until I heard a thud and a cry of pain that could only be Hiccup. I turned to see him falling to the ground as an all too familiar Viking punched him in the face.

"Dad!" I scream as I run over to Hiccup he's knocked out cold. Furious I turn to face the man who calls himself my dad.

"What in Thor's name are you doing?" I yell at him, though I'm slightly scared to see what his reaction will be.

"How dare you talk to me like that!" He yells back. "You ungra-"

"How dare you treat my boyfriend like this Sven!" I yell using his real name for emphasis.

"Boyfriend?!" He roars.

"Yes boyfriend!" I roar back feeling more confident than I've ever been. "He cares about me a lot more than you ever have."

"How dare you!" He shouts as he walks towards me. I stand my ground defiantly. "You take all I've done for you and throw it away like its nothing?!"

"The only thing you've ever done to me is beat and turn me into someone I never wanted to be." My voice cracks slightly as I shout.

This shuts him up and some of the other Vikings whisper among themselves.

"You've done nothing for me the only people who have ever been there for me are Nico and Hiccup in fact Nico's been more of family than you have and ever will be!" Tears were falling from my cheeks now as all the years of emotion that I'd kept inside me burst out.

"And the worst part is that you had absolutely no reason for it other than taking your anger out on me...I doubt you ever saw me as a daughter just…" I looked back at Hiccup. There was a large purple bruise forming on the side of his head.

"Is this true Sven?" A man asked as he stepped out from the crowd.

"No!" Sven shouted as he turned to face the man. "The brat is making it all up to protect her boyfriend!" He spat the last word out as if it were poison. "And her boyfriend just happened to protect a dragon a dragon the beasts who mercilessly kill our people and take our food." He said trying to get the mob back on his side and it was working.

"Only because if they don't bring enough food back then the red Death will eat them!" I shouted not giving up.

"Shut your face you!" Sven shouted as he pointed at me.

"No you shut your filthy deceiving mouth!" I screamed as my lungs started to ache from the effort. "The dragons who raid us are controlled by a much bigger dragon half the size of Berk." I yelled trying to make them see sense. "If they don't bring food back they get eaten for Odin's sake can't you people see sense?!"

"So you've been to their island?" A Viking woman asked.

"No!" I shouted. "Why won't these people listen?"

"Then you don't know do you?" Another shouted as others shouted their agreement.

Astrid saw she was losing the argument and as she looked around desperately she saw Gobber and the gang pushing past trying to make their way through.

"Oi shut yer no good pie holes!" Gobber bellowed as he walked up to stand next to me. "I know its hard te believe but I saw a Nadder protecting these two!" He paused to let that sink in.

"And it helped Nico when he got injured!" Tuffnut added.

"And it let him stroke it!" Snotlout shouted.

"Enough!" Sven roared. "It's that boy Nico's fault!" He yelled. "If we get him them everything can go back to normal."

"I say we get him!" A man called Mildew agreed.

Sven turned and walked through the crowd towards Gothi's hut. Just as he pushed past the last Viking the door slammed open and Gothi walked out. There was silence as she narrowed her eyes at Sven and jabbed him with her stick pushing him back. She then gestured to Hiccup and then back at the village. Sven nodded and turned back to Hiccup.

"The elder has decided Hiccup is to blame." Sven announced as he approached the unconscious boy.

"What no!" I yelled. "Gothi?!" I yelled louder as my father pushed past me. The elder only gave her a sad look and shook her head. I narrowed her eyes and as quick as a flash I swiped a Vikings sword and leapt in front of Hiccup pointing the sword at my so-called dad.

"Over my dead body." I hissed.

"That can be arranged." Sven replied as he drew his own sword though it was a lot bigger.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned to see Gobber looking at me with a sad expression.

"I'm sorry lass…but ye can't go against Gothi's decision." He told me.

I sighed and lowered my sword that was my mistake, as soon as Sven saw this he leapt forward and punched me in the chest. The impact alone left me gasping for air and may have broken a rib or two.

I heard another thud and saw Gobber smacking Sven with his makeshift hammer on the side of the head.

"Ir ye alright?" He asked me as he limped over and held out his hand.

I nodded weakly and took his hand. Gobber pulled me up gently onto my feet. I put a hand on my chest and grimaced as pain shot through my ribs.

Gobber looked at me concerned before turning to my dad.

"There wis no call fir dat!" He bellowed at the man. "Tak him an go!" He ordered. Another pain shot through my chest only this time it wasn't my ribs causing.

I tried to protest as two men grabbed Hiccup but I couldn't make myself say anything. I could only watch helpless as they dragged Hiccup back towards the village and out of sight.

Gobber sighed as he watched his unconscious apprentice disappear from sight.

"Am sorry Hiccup." I could hear him mutter. He turned to look at me. "Al go widem to mak sure they dunna hurt im." Gobber told me as he limped down the staircase after the mob. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Ruffnut looking at me with sad eyes.

"Come on we need to get you patched up." She told me, I was surprised I'd never seen Ruffnut like this before, she actually looked sad for once.

I nodded weakly and let her lead me into Gothi's hut. I knew I should be angry at the woman for letting them take Hiccup but I was physically and mentally exhausted. Ruffnut helped me sit in the chair that I'd helped her into earlier.

"I'm sorry..." She muttered to me quietly before turning and walking out the hut.

As I watched her leave I felt my eyelids getting heavy and my head feeling light the last thing I saw was the floor rushing up to meet me.

Third Person View

Astrid faltered slightly as she finished the story.

"Are you okay though?" Nico asked.

"Yeah I'm fine…it's you and Hiccup I'm worried about." She replied as she looked at the floor.

"I'm fine Astrid all I'm waiting for is to get the feeling back in my left leg." Nico told her as he attempted a smile. This just seemed to make her more upset as she started crying again.

"Don't worry Astrid I promise we'll get Hiccup back." Nico told her as he took her hand.

Astrid just looked at him sadly.

"Nico…that's not what I'm upset about…the reason you can't feel your left leg is…because…half if it's gone…" She broke into more tears as Nico looked at her in horror before trying to sit up again, this time Astrid didn't stop him. He took a deep breath and looked at his stomach before slowly moving his gaze downwards till he came to the start of his legs. He continued looking further till he came to his knees and stopped...that was as far as his left leg went.

Nico stared in horror at the stump.

"I'm so…so sorry…Nico" Astrid wept.

"It's…okay Astrid…I'm fine…" Nico told her as he laid his head back down.

Astrid leaned down and hugged him. Nico was glad, truthfully he wasn't fine…far from it but he didn't want Astrid getting worked up about it.

"Gobber's making a leg for you." Astrid told him as she pulled away. "He said it should be ready by tomorrow morning."

"Okay…" Nico was still recovering from seeing half his leg missing. He turned to look at Astrid, around her eyes were red from crying so much, Nico wondered if she'd been like this before he'd woken up.

"As soon as Gobber finishes the leg, we need to go find Stormfly and get him and the Terror out of here." Nico told her.

Astrid nodded. "You know, you have named Stormfly so you should probably name the Terror as well." She pointed out.

"Good idea I'll…think of a name." Nico replied. "Wait is he still at yours?!" He asked scared her father may have found him.

"No I asked Ruffnut to go get him just before you woke up." Astrid assured him.

"Is that safe?" He asked.

"I'm sure after what happened with Stormfly that she'll be more careful around him." Astrid told him.

"Now rest up…we've got a big day tomorrow." Astrid told him, her lips giving the smallest hint of a smile, as she gave his hand a squeeze before turning and walking into the small room Nico had seen Gothi going into.

Nico sighed and unconsciously started to reach out to touch the stump that was his left leg. Just as he touched the end pain shot all the way up the remains of his leg. Biting his lip to stop himself from crying out Nico lay back again as the pain started to dissipate and before he knew it he had fallen asleep.

Yeah so this chapter was a bit sad and I feel a bit bad for what I wrote about Nico and Hiccup but…well it's all a small part in a bigger plan Mwhahahaha! Anyways three updates in three days *whistles* not too shabby not too shabby indeed. I probably would've finished this earlier but I was too busy powning zombies on Black ops 2…or being powned...sheesh I need to stop rambling!

Thanks to all reviewers, followers and favoriters you guys truly make my day and make me want to write the next chapter right away.

Ami: Don't worry I will be continuing this story and sorry but no I'm not going to be adding Toothless to this story…Jokes lol! yeah don't worry he'll be appearing soon if I didn't add him he'd just gimme that puppy dog face and sorry rambling again! Yes Toothless will be in this story so don't worry.

Rinter215: Thanks yeah I wrote this because no one seemed to go really in-depth with these types of stories so I'm determined to make mine long.

BONUS: I have two questions for next chapter.

One can I get suggestions for the Terrible Terror's name because if I name him it won' be very good :L

And two has anyone noticed anything *hint* read chapter five at the part when Nico first meets the Terror that seems a little…strange.

Adios!