Words without AN: 4,564
Words with AN: 4,574
=Hiccup=
I was unsure what I was more scared of. The darkness Pitch kept me in, with nightmares surrounding me and tormenting me every minute as I listened to Pitch tormenting my friends. Or the silent, empty black I was in now. At least when I was trapped by Pitch I knew I was still alive, I knew that I was walking around somewhere, doing something. Now I wasn't sure if I was even alive. Which was completely pathetic and stupid. Clearly I was dead. I curled in on myself, bringing my knees up to my chest, bowing my head and covering it with my arms. Why was I here? That's the biggest question in my mind. If I was dead shouldn't I be somewhere else? Not in this dark pit of nothing. Not questioning why I was here. Not existing any more.
I'm sure life would be better with that, me gone. Pitch gone, or at least a temporary absence of his presence. If they had managed to thwart his plan, defeating his army of Nightmares and killing him. That would be the best end. I would be content with that ending. So why does this all feel so wrong? Why is it stretching on in an endless hell letting me question everything and anything that pops into my mind. How long has it been? How are the others? How long has past?
Hiccup
The voice startled me, was that my voice? I hadn't heard it in a while it could be. I wonder if it's returned to me. If Pitch has been defeated then it should've right? Autumn got his voice back. Or, I think he did. I don't really remember, was that him talking in those last moments? I thought about those last moments being tormented by the Nightmares. The torture they put me through. Then there was a moment where the Nightmares stopped and looked around, confused then. Poof.
After I felt pain, a blinding, numbing pain, the chains binding me were released and I fell to the ground. Now I'm here. Alone.
"Hiccup," The voice made me jump, I looked up and regretted it immediately. A mixture of orange and white light blinded me and I tucked my head back down trying to dim the light. But, now that I was aware of it. I could see, sort of. If I was dead, then these lights would represent life and I was wondering what life want's with me. Sometimes that's a repetitive question. Sometimes figuratively, sometime literally. Now would be literally. What the hell does life want with me, I messed everything up, I harbored a dark spirit and almost destroyed my friends. Or... maybe I did destroy my friends. I don't know.
"Hiccup," the voice was soft, defiantly Autumn's. I cautiously looked up, wincing with the light that blinded my eyes. Currently it was mostly orange light, I felt a hand on my shoulder and slowly turned to look at whoever it belonged too. Autumn was smiling at me, a soft smile that used to tell me that I did something well. I wonder what it was for now. "Hay, it's time to go." He told me. Go? Go where? Was I just waiting for Autumn to take me further into death or is he trying to bring me back to life. I wasn't sure which I disliked more.
Go? I tried to speak but the voice didn't come. He frowned slightly but helped me stand. "Everyone's waiting for you." He told me, "Jack came to meet you." He gestured to the other light and I turned. He stood, looking at us and unsure what to do. I stumbled forwards before running to him. He caught me, wrapping his arms around me.
"Hay," he said quietly. "It's alright." Alright? What happened? Why was he here? "I'm going to bring you back, okay." I looked up at him and nodded. "Before we go back you have to finish merging with Autumn. He'll help you through it, okay? Just like when you helped me." When I helped him? I don't exactly remember it that way, Autumn had been in control, then after Pitch tried to kill him again. But I nodded and he gave me to Autumn.
"I'll always be here to help you," Autumn told me, I nodded. He smiled and I felt warm. The hand that held onto mine started merging into me and within seconds he was gone. I wanted to cry, I know he wasn't completely gone, he had become a part of me, but I'd never get to see him smile again, or him laugh when I do something stupid, or scold me. He wouldn't be visible to me.
Jack took my hand, "It'll be alright." He told me, I looked at him. Carefully, he whipped tears off of my cheek and I nodded. "Common," he started walking backwards, pulling me out of the darkness, away from my thoughts and back to my body I assume. It took several minutes before he smiled at me. "Close your eyes." He said to me, we continued to move but I closed my eyes. It felt different, I could feel grass rubbing against my hands and something was nuzzling me. Sniffing me, then licking my face and I tried to push him away. My eyes opened and the bright eyes of Toothless met mine. He licked me again, his tail wagging eagerly and I laughed, it was silent. My arms wrapped around him, overjoyed that he hadn't been killed when Pitch attacked him.
I stood and wobbled a bit, right, he went and gave me my leg back. Toothless caught me and I patted his head, mouthing 'Good boy.' I looked around at where we were, the clearing. Obviously, where else would I be meeting Toothless in the middle of the school year? But I didn't see anyone. It was just the two off us. We started towards the school, leaving the clearing and heading out of the Forbidden Forest. Still, no sign of anyone, and quite annoyingly I didn't see anyone until reaching the school. Toothless left behind for his safety. But no one that paid much mind to me, thankfully Pitch hadn't ruined my life to the point of everyone hating me.
I wandered back to the common room, maybe Rapunzel would be there? But I found no one. I sighed and went to my bunk, grabbing my bag with my sketchbooks and leaving the dorm. I found a quiet, isolated hall to sit in, propping my bag against a wall and taking out a sketchbook. That's when I noticed my hand. Uncovered and still gray, sighing I opened the book and skimmed through the drawings. These were from my fifth year, so they were entirely mine. Then the next book, first year, typical he head it out of order. I shuffled the books around until they were ordered from, present from mom to 7th year at Hogwarts. Then I pulled out the one labeled 6th year. I hesitated before opening it. Most of these weren't my drawings and they would bring up bad memories.
I sat on the ground next to my bag and opened it anyways. The first few pictures were from me, the third unfinished, I passed out in the middle of drawing it. Then torture came. I tried not to dwell on them too long. Him torturing each of them, Jack, Merida, Rapunzel- I threw the book at the wall opposite me. "Hiccup?" I looked up. The blond kid Anna hung out with stood there. He picked up the sketchbook with its now crumpled pages. "I don't think you'll be happy with yourself later for that." He carefully adjusted the pages, pausing to look at one or two before closing it and handing it back. I waved it off.
I don't want it. I tried to say. He frowned before kneeling next to me and putting it back in my bag. "Hay," he said to me. "Pitch did something with your voice right?" I nodded, there was silence for a moment. "Common, the others will be looking for you." He stood then held out his hand. I looked at it, reached out then hesitated again when seeing the gray. He took my hand anyways, pulled me up then grabbed my bag for me. "How long have you been awake?" He asked, I shrugged. Not too sure, we walked down to the ground floor and towards the dinning hall. "Ah well, you've been unconscious for a few days at least. We've been taking turns looking after you. I wonder who you ran off on." We stopped at a door.
"I swear I left the meadow for a minute!" Astrid was saying, Kristoff pushed open the door enough for me to see her nearly pulling her hair out.
"So he woke up," Flynn commented. "Probably came back to the school. We just have to look around."
"Or not," Kristoff entered, pushing the door open more so I could see the others. "Found him sitting in a hall throwing books at a wall."
"Hiccup!" Rapunzel said gleefully and I was tackled several times. The hug getting bigger with each person that joined. I stumbled and would've fallen had it not been for the people hugging me. "We were so worried about you," she continued after I was able to sit down, the desks were pushed aside and we formed a large circle. I sat between Merida and Rapunzel. Next to Rapunzel was Flynn, then Elsa, Astrid, Jack, Anna, a boy I didn't know, Kristoff, then Merida. "How are you feeling? How long have you been awake? Are you hungry? Do you want something to drink?" She threw question after question at me and it honestly made my head spin.
"Give him room to breath." Elsa smiled, "he looks like he's going to pass out again with all the questions."
"Sorry," Rapunzel said sheepishly. "Maybe we should bring you to the hospital wing? Make sure everything's alright before spending time with you." I shook my head. "Are you sure?" I nodded. Then she frowned.
"You still can't talk?" Jack asked, I glanced at him before nodding and looking down at the ground. "I think you should go see Madam Pomfrey." He told me, I bit my lip, not looking up at any of them. There was some shuffling, then Jack was in front of me. "Common," he said to me, taking my bag and almost forcing me up. "You can visit later, now it's time to take care of yourself." I shook my head in protest, but he wasn't having it. "We'll see you later. I'm sure you'll visit the Hospital wing." He called over his shoulder to the others before taking me out of the room. He kept my hand in his as we walked up the sitars, but before we entered the hospital wing he pulled me into a side hall. "Hiccup," he sighed, still not letting go of my hand. "I told you that I'd come for you. Now I don't want to let go," he said to me. I felt a blush stain my cheeks. He smiled a little bit, reaching up and moving some hair out of my eyes. "I'll understand if you want some time to readjust to everything. Being back, being merged with Autumn... and... if your voice is gone you'll have to learn how to communicate with everyone again." He paused. "But, can we give us a try?" He asked. I leaned up and pecked him on the lips, it brought a smile to his face. "That's a yes?" I nodded and he pulled me into a hug. "I know there's a lot going on, and it's going to be hard, but now you don't have to face it alone. I'll be right there beside you."
We stayed there for a moment before he took me into the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey put me through several tests, normal checkups as well as testing my vocal cords.
"Well," she pulled her wand away after the last test finished. "Nothing is damaged, you're in perfect health Mr Haddock. I tapped the base of my neck. "I don't know why you can't talk." She told me honestly. "It may be trauma induced. Which seems likely as your predicament for the last year or so."
"Will he be able to talk again?" Jack asked as I stood, getting ready to head back.
"Well, he has the ability too, yes." She told him. "But it may take some time before it returns to him. I'll have your schedule adjusted so you have classes with Professor Mansnoozie, he'll teach you how to communicate with others.
The next few weeks were the hardest. Readapting to everything and learning different ways to talk, none of which seemed to work for me. I spent a lot of time with everyone, and they made it a game to try and figure out what I had to say when I wanted too. Rapunzel had taken away my 6th year sketchbook, so I wouldn't damage it anymore when she found me alone in a hall again, the book across the room because I tried to look through it. "One day, you'll be ready for it." She told me, then took out my second year book and went through the images with me. That cheered me up some. The Seventh year one was easier to look through, there weren't any pictures of Pitch tormenting anyone, just mostly of the Nightmares and the war he had planned. Then three images of myself sitting in darkness, one of myself alone, another with Autumn and the third with Jack. Merida and Rapunzel never knew how to ask about them and Jack didn't. He had been there for a part of that time.
"I saw it differently." He told me when I had pulled the pictures out and pointed to him. "It wasn't completely black like how you have it," he noted to my surroundings. "There were memory's floating around, different pieces of your life. By the way, you were an adorable baby." I blushed and he laughed, before kissing my forehead. Several times I started a sketch in my smallest sketchbook, it was about half way done but I didn't know how to finish it. Then I would quickly close the book whenever someone caught me working on it. I didn't want anyone to see it yet.
It wasn't until after the winter holiday that I figured out a decent way of communication. Other than drawing, that took too long. It was like Professor Mansnooze's sand, only I used leaves like Autumn had. He taught me how, showing me how he had done it with memories and I would replicate the actions. It didn't take long to learn. Rapunzel was shocked the first time I showed her, then she smirked and poke several of the leaves bringing them out of their orange and red states. I rolled my eyes at that.
"So," Kristoff, Flynn, Jack and I were sitting together as the girls went off to do gods know what. "Merida seem's to be lonely." Kristoff said. "I mean, duh, she's not. But Valentines day is coming up and she's the only one that doesn't have a Valentine."
"She might not want one." Jack commented. His comment seemed like a joke a few days later when we saw her flirting with the boy I didn't know that had been hanging out with the group lately. "Or she already has one," Jack mumbled, tangling our fingers together. I smiled at him and rested my head against his shoulder.
Several days before Valentines day I asked Rapunzel to let me look through the sixth year book. She only agreed to it if I wasn't allowed to touch it, and Jack and Merida were there to help. It was easier to look through with them there. Still hard too look at, but I was able to finish the book. Towards the end the drawing's started to change, after one of Elsa confronting Pitch they started to focus on his plans, just as the beginning of 7th year did.
"Are you alright?" Merida asked when the book was closed. I didn't respond, instead I buried my face into Jack's chest and he just held me. It remained quiet for a while. The next day I went to Hogsmaid with the girls. They forbid Jack from coming with us, though I'm sure he went with the others, and we planned to meet up with everyone later for butter bear.
"We're going valentines shopping." Anna informed me as she and Rapunzel had their arms linked with mine. "Any idea on what you want to give Jack?" She teased getting me to blush, I shook my head. We went around from shop to shop looking at what was available. I ended up getting him a bag of sweets and some joke items from Zonko's.
When Valentines came several days later, Jack and I decided to spend the weekend together. After trying to convince me to skip classes, which he already knew was a lost cause. We spent the weekend with Toothless, in the forbidden forest. Eating the sweets we had gotten for each other, flying and cuddling with Toothless around us to provide warmth. I fell asleep on him several times and he told me it was alright, I hadn't had much sleep since facing the sketchbook, I needed it and he enjoyed watching me sleep. Which embarrassed me to no end. The last time I fell asleep on him, he wasn't there when I woke.
"J-Jack...?" I called nervously. The boy dropped out of a tree, startling me.
"Hiccup, you just spoke." He said surprised. My response was hugging him, he held me. "Hay, it's okay. I didn't leave you." He cooed.
"W-What were y-you doing?" I asked, my voice was quiet and shy.
"Climbing trees," he responded. "I saw this odd looking bird and wanted too see what it was." I looked up at him and he was smiling. "It's good to hear your voice again Hic," he kissed my forehead. "I've missed your sarcastic remarks." I glared at him and he laughed. Talking took a while to get used to. After spending almost a year mute it was a while before I was able to talk like I had before. I still stayed quiet for the most part.
"This is it," Rapunzel dropped the pile of books she was carrying as I set mine on the table next to hers. "The lasts school related exams we take." She looked at her books, all related to her classes and then through my pile of books.
"I don't think everyone's going to agree to a study group." I told her. "They all have things to do,"
"Then we'll cram our heads and pass with flying colors and laugh at everyone else when they don't get as many passing grades." She commented picking up the first book and sitting.
"That hurts Blondie," Flynn said to her as he, Elsa and Jack entered the room. "Everyone knows the two of you are the smartest in our group, don't have to rub it in."
"If you studied more." She mumbled. "And Hiccup cheats he has a photographic memory."
"It's not photographic." I scowled taking the top book from my pile. She just glanced up at me then rolled her eyes. Jack wrapped his arms around my waist.
"So a study group?" He asked resting his chin on my shoulder and watching as I opened my book. "Sounds fun."
"Then you must not know Rapunzel's definition of a study group." I said to him. "She means to drop everything you do outside of classes and study, every day. Until testing is over. That includes Quiddich." I added.
"Well I'll join when I can." He commented.
"I'll pass." Flynn said.
"You could use the extra studying." Elsa said to him, she was looking through our pile of books. "Gods between the two of you, every class is covered."
"All but Divination." Rapunzel and I said together. We did end up studying every day, Jack coming as often as he could between practices. Most of the others joined us daily, well, Flynn showed up then went to sleep almost as soon as we started studying. Merida took pleasure in waking him each and every day.
"You need a break." Jack decided one day when we were heading out of a class and back to the 'study room.' He didn't let me protest as he pulled me down a different hall and too a different emptied room. We sat in a windowsill for a while, cuddling and holding hands and talking about stupid things like the weather. Then he kissed me and we went a total of three seconds before I had him pinned against the side of the window. His moment of surprise gave me access to the inside of his mouth. He didn't give in without fighting back.
After an extremely heated make out session he pulled me onto his lap. "That was new." He commented and I just rolled my eyes.
"No, I'm sure you've had plenty of it from-"
"Not from you." He cut me off. "That was Pitch, not you."
"Partly me." I corrected him. "He was acting through my uh... desires. I guess." I explained.
"Well then, I think I'll quite enjoy this dominant side of you." He mused and I blushed. "It could lead to interesting things in the future." My face felt as if it were on fire.
"You enjoy torturing me don't you?" I asked, then my mind dwelled on the word 'future.' I buried my face in the crook of his neck. "Oh gods, I'm going to have to tell my dad."
"Will he disapprove?" Jack asked worried, he held me closer.
"I don't think so but I know he's going to force me to have kids sometime." I answered. "I can just see him taking out his wand and turning one of us into a girl for nine months. Is there a spell for that? I hope not."
"Your dad has a wand?" Jack mused.
"I am a pure blood."
"I just can't imagine him with one." I looked up at him. "Common, Stoic the Vast, Dragon slayer, Chief of Berk, pulling out a tiny wand to deal with his problems."
"Well, when you say it that way." I shrugged, but smiled a bit. The way he put it did make it sound funny. "But I've seen him do it, quite a lot. His least favorite chore is cooking." Jack chuckled a bit.
"Good to know, so you'll be cooking at family events?" He mused and I rolled my eyes, moving to kiss him again. "By the way," he mumbled against my lips. "It's good to know we're on the same page as to how our relationship will go."
"Mm?" I pulled back a bit.
"Having kids in the future, though I hope we can avoid gender changing moments. Maybe adoption." He held me closer.
"I think you should slow down a bit, and focus on graduating first." I told him, "and maybe getting a job if you manage to pass this year."
"Your expectations of me are quite low." He mused.
"Well if you out shined me grade wise where would it leave me?" I asked. "I'm a Ravenclaw, we have competitive issues."
"And stubbornness issues." He added.
"That reminds me, I kinda can't move away from Berk, being the next leader or whatever. Unless I give that spot away to Snotlout and there's no way I'll leave Berk to that fate, so what are you going to do? You're a Prince right?" He held me closer.
"Izzy can take over." He shrugged. "It goes more by tradition for there to be a female leader anyways. I'll come live with you in Berk." I smiled. "I could work for that Dragon Training school or something."
"You? A teacher?"
"Seriously, it hurts knowing how low your expectations for me are." He faked a wounded expression. I wrapped my arms around his neck.
"Well, I'm sorry Professor Frost," I pulled him closer, brushing my lips against his. "I honestly have no idea where I was going with that."
"Way to ruin the moment." He smiled before kissing me.
"You do realize that I'm not going to let you skip another day of studying right?" I asked when we broke apart.
"I figured as much." He replied. "Can't have me looking too dumb, it'll make you look bad."
"No, I want you to graduate." I responded, resting my head on his shoulder. "You make it seem like everything revolves around me."
"It doesn't?" He teased, pressing his cheek against my forehead. We stayed like this for a while, I think I fell asleep on him a few times but just like our day out in the forest, he didn't mind. We just embraced each other and all felt right.
The tests rolled in too quickly. Days of studying and classes and the occasional few hours Jack would steal, not that I minded. They passed too quickly. They were on us, then over and everyone seemed relieved. Everyone was excited, happy to finally be done. But honestly I was scared. I know, considering what I went through here at school, I shouldn't be nervous about moving onto the outside world. I was possessed by an angry spirit. The likely hood of that happening is slim to none, especially in school. But I had been, I survived. Most of my sanity was still in tact, there were still times where I couldn't sleep or I would have a nervous breakdown. All in which I made sure the others didn't see. I'm sure they knew though.
"Please explain to me," Merida looked over Jack's final report. "How the hell did ya pass Transfiguration with higher marks than me?"
"That would be because of Hiccup." Jack smiled at me, my hand was linked with his, not that it was anything new. "He's a good teacher."
"It's his photographic memory." Rapunzel concluded.
"It's not photographic," I protested.
"I think ya should be tested for it." Merida responded. "You've always been like this. Yer drawing's prove it." I looked away from them and out the window. Jack squeezed my hand.
"Why are you so defensive about it?" He wondered. I shrugged. Honestly I don't know.