Chapter Ninety-Seven: Back where it all began
Hiccup pushed the spy-glass back together and back into his pocket.
The wind blew his hair to the side and was biting cold, despite it being spring already.
Will's boat was cutting neatly through the 'Wrath of Thor' and they had just entered 'Odin's Bathtub'. Berk was close.
Home was close.
Or was it?
Was Berk his home?
How strange to think about that old conflict again.
Hiccup was coming back the place he once had vowed never come back to.
But then again his plans never turned out the way they were supposed to.
Hiccup seriously wondered how he was supposed to approach this new situation.
Just land on the shores of Berk with a bunch of strangers, surprising his father after nearly nine months of absence?
Not to forget that his father had thought he was dead. Killed by a dragon. Only to learn later that Hiccup had actually left with his tail between his legs.
Hiccup really didn't know what kind of welcome to expect.
He had thought about sending his father a letter ahead.
But how could a letter possibly explain this situation?
What would his father say about his friends, befriending dragons and what would he think of Hiccups so called 'destiny'? Would he believe Hiccup that there was an evil force out there and that only Hiccup could stop it? He, Hiccup the Useless?
Stoick didn't believe in myths. Sure, he believed in the gods and such things but Stoick was a skeptical man.
And most importantly, would he help them, if he believed him?
So many questions swirled around in Hiccups head; it was hard for him to concentrate on anything else.
Illiona had told him about her vision during breakfast.
Hiccup felt dreadful.
He shared her concerns.
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Will stepped up next to him. He had left Conner at the steering wheel.
He spat into the water.
"If the wind stays like that I'd say it'll only take us a day until we reach your home." He muttered as he scanned the horizon.
Hiccup felt sick to the stomach.
"I know, this is familiar."
He pointed at the far east of 'Odin's Bathtub'. "That way you reach the Bog Burglar, Meathead Islands and the Uglythug-Territory" he pointed at some cliffs in the north-east "And there a boat of my father's once sunk" he pointed west "And that way you reach Hysteria in a few hours. Don't ever do it through. They are crazy. But not as bad as the Berserks. If you have a death wish you go there but otherwise you don't."
Hiccup fell silent.
Will patted his shoulder awkwardly. "Don't worry. I'm sure everything will fall into place eventually."
"You don't know my father." Hiccup muttered.
Will shrugged. "Maybe. But I know you."
"I'm nothing like my father."
"Exactly. So I have a pretty good idea what your old man is like."
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Hiccup stayed were he sat until the sun went down in the sea.
The shadow of Berk had long since appeared in front of them.
Despite it being the place of the worst of Hiccups years, he felt a strange ache seeing it once again. He had missed Berk after all!
For the first time in a long time his thoughts drifted off to his cousin Snotlout, the twins, Fishlegs and of course…Astrid.
Strange.
When he thought about her he no longer felt that childish love he had once felt for her.
And somehow her face got blurred. He couldn't quite remember details. It was like that with most faces; expect Gobber's, his fathers and Gouthi's. He'd never forget their faces.
Toothless laid his head in Hiccups lab, crooning.
Hiccup petted his head.
"I'm fine buddy. It's just…so much…" he muttered.
Toothless nudged his side and them his legs and crooned again. Then he flexed his one tailfin and crouched low, looking at Hiccup like an overgrown puppy.
"You want to go flying?" Hiccup asked.
Toothless' tongue rolled out of his mouth and blinked at Hiccup as if to say 'Duh…!'.
Hiccup considered the offer for a moment.
Why not?
It had been so long since they had just flown for the sake of it and not been running away or being chased.
"You are right. Let's go for a little flight. Just you and me." He decided and got to his feet.
His whole body felt stiff but he shook it off.
He saddled Toothless and put on something warmer against the cold biting winds up I the clouds.
"Where are you going?" suddenly someone asked behind him.
He turned to see Kate coming from downstairs.
"Out for a little flight. I…I miss it. To just fly for the sake of it. To feel the wind in my face and see the world so small below me." He explained as he put one foot into the stirrup.
"But…it's about to be dark! And you don't know what could be out there!" Kate protested.
Hiccup actually laughed.
"Oh Kate…I know exactly what's out there. I know this place like the back of my hand. Toothless and I flew over this very same spot dozens of times, right bud? Don't worry Kate. I'll be back soon. I just need to clear my head a bit."
She chewed on her lip, clearly not happy with him. "I meant what kind of traps Darkness could have set up already. It knows we're coming and…"
"It still needs me. Killing me would bring it no step further to its goal. Don't worry. We won't be gone long."
"At least let me come with you."
Hiccup hesitated. "I…I'd rather be alone Kate. This is the first time being back and I…."
She put a hand on his arm. "I understand." She said softly. "Just be careful."
He gave her a sly wink. "Always Milady!"
Then Toothless crouched low and catapulted the two of them in the air, leaving the boat rocking strongly behind them.
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Hiccup let Toothless decide on the rout they took. He just did the fitting tail-movements. Otherwise he just enjoyed the view below him.
Despite the dark you could still see the islands clearly.
It was such a strange feeling to cross them once again.
Toothless went into a low dive, descending through some clouds.
The cold and wet made Hiccup shiver.
Toothless turned right and fastened his pace.
Hiccup frowned.
"Toothless? What is going on Bud? Where are you going?" he asked concerned as he adjusted the tailfin to Toothless' direction and put a hand on the Night Fury's head.
The dragon huffed and made some gurgling noises before descending further.
Hiccup frowned when around him the air started to get misty.
And he reeled back when out of nowhere a bank of mist appeared before him, here and there interrupted by sharp rocks and sea-stags jagging out of it like thorns.
"Toothless, what are you doing?" Hiccup shouted over the rushing wind.
But Toothless only dived into the mist-bank and Hiccup had no other option but to hold on and move with the Night Fury.
The slalomed around sharp ragged rocks, passed long sunken ships, dived under sea-stags through and passed over dangerous rapids and sudden drops and turns.
Hiccup had the dreadful feeling he knew where Toothless was taking him.
Toothless was taking him to the beginning.
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All of a sudden they broke through the bank of clouds.
Hiccups stomach lurched upwards and he felt sick.
All he could do was stare horrified as Toothless glided onwards.
"Helheim's Gate." Hiccup whispered. "Dragon island."
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The Island looked different form the last time Hiccup had been here.
Then again he had been the one that had partly destroyed it and its main inhabitant.
But the traces of the battle were still here and gave Hiccup the creeps.
The old volcano that once had been the showing landmark of the island had collapsed to half its size and the resulting debris littered the hillsides and beach.
The fire-storm the Red Death had unleashed had molten many rocks and they had solidified into strange abstract shapes.
But what really was different where the sharp white specks among the black rock, the ashes, the frozen magma and black sand.
Hiccup of course knew what they were.
Bones. Or at least parts of bones.
Bones of the Red Death.
The Explosion had ripped it apart and obviously had scattered its remains all over the island and the sea.
Most of the bones where picked clean and void of any meat or blood. Probably the work of scavengers.
But it wasn't just shreds of bones, no, Hiccup passed one of those dreadful claws and broken tooth-tips, still as big as his own body, lying carelessly everywhere.
And even though the meat had long rotten or had been eaten and the blood had dried and the tides and storms had washed over this place many times, there was still the lingering smell of sulfur, fire and death in the air.
Toothless set to land on the black sand.
Reluctantly Hiccup complied and set them down.
"Why did you take us here of all places Toothless?" he asked as he ran a hand along the dragons neck, more to clam himself than anything else.
"Because I called him here." A voice said behind him.
Hiccups head turned around.
"We need to talk Hiccup." Loki said seriously. "Really talk. As in…I'm gonna tell you everything."
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I wanted to end it here but I thought: 'I have no right to do that.'
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Hiccup stayed seated.
He just looked at Loki.
He looked just like he had when Hiccup had first met him on this very same island.
"Hello." He finally said after a couple of minutes of intense, if slightly awkward, silence.
"Hello Hiccup. It's good to see you again. I take it you are well?" Loki asked softly.
Hiccup nodded.
"Everything is fine. Well…not fine but…No…actually nothing's well. George is gone, Darkness is attacking Berk and I am slowly losing my mind, trying to think of a plan." He blurted out.
"And now I am here and you are and a lot of memories are coming back and I feel like I could scream!" Hiccup whispered and clenched his fists.
Loki nodded and sighed.
"I know. I've been watching you. Following your way. It's the reason why I am here."
The god softy petted Toothless' head. The dragon crooned and settled down, with Hiccup still sitting now rather awkwardly on his back.
Hiccup slid down his back but kept his distance to Loki.
"Why did you call Toothless, me, here?" he asked warily.
Loki pushed a bit of sand around with his left foot.
"I had a lot time to think. Darkness has ceased his attacks on Asgard but that is no good news. It only means that he's preparing for an even bigger attack. What Illiona saw was only a taste of what's to come. Darkness knows that by targeting Berk he will draw you in. We all know it's the only pace Darkness can enter the Mortal world and it's also the only place that can banish Darkness back into the abyss it once rose from. A battle will commerce and it will decide our all fate."
"How could we possible stand a chance? Nothing they tried seemed to hurt or kill those monsters."
Loki's lips twitched and resembled something akin to a smile.
"They are not invincible, despite what you may think. But they are not easy to defeat. I told you, only united the people of this world would be able to fight Darkness."
"Yes, I know. That's all you keep talking about! Uniting the people of this world! Well, I tried and it backfired spectacularly every single time!" Hiccup hissed.
Loki looked at him with some kind of pity. "You are so close to understanding Hiccup." He sighed.
"Then just tell me! I thought that's why you're here! To talk!"
Loki grimaced. "I wish I could but…"
"But what? What is it this time?" Hiccup growled, tired of the god's constant excuses.
"I wish I could but I am physically unable to tell you. I want to but there is a force that keeps me from talking about the things I want to say." Loki said unhappily.
"Sure." Hiccup drawled.
Loki shot him a dirty look but it was quickly replaced by a sigh. "I don't want to argue Hiccup. Not anymore. I told you I am sorry. And I will try to tell you as much as I can."
Hiccup looked at him for a long time.
Finally he said silently: "I don't want to argue either."
"But where does that leave us?" he then asked.
Loki sighed.
"I wish I knew Hiccup. Really, I wish I would but right now things are complicated enough. Let's agree on a truce. For the remainder of this war we will set our personal differences aside. We woke together. Like we used too. Remember when you were attacked in Durgonheim and found out about your mother's heritage?"
"And you came to safe my butt? Yeah, I remember." Hiccup actually smiled. "You came to my aid."
"I did."
"Okay." Hiccup said. "Let's do it like that."
Loki looked as if Snoggeltog had come early.
"Okay" he began eagerly "It took me some time too to figure it out in the beginning but when I understood what this was all about I realized the chance fate was giving us.
Hiccup, do you remember the painting you found in 'The City of Fallen Heroes'? And what Eyeless told you about it?"
Hiccup nodded, slightly confused. "Of course. It was a painting of Hiccup the Second with his Companions of the Dragonmark. Brave, Hopes great-grand-something uncle, the seer before Illiona; Rupert the First, King of Port East, Kate's fathers, Conners grandmother on his father's side and Josh's grandmother on his mother's side. I forgot their names but Eyeless told us how they tried to make peace in the first time of war between Humans and Dragons and Darkness's first attempt to rise. They were Dragonriders, all of them. But they failed. One after another they were killed. Hiccup the second even killed Rupert the First himself. Grief drove him mad and he attacked the Archipelago well, and the rest is history. He nearly caused Darkness to rise but before the happened his own cousin killed him. Without a suitable host Darkness was forced to draw back and has been gathering his strength ever since" Hiccup recorded and then looked at Loki "But why is that important all of a sudden?"
Loki laughed.
"It was always important. Hiccup, how big are the chances that the descendents of Hiccup the Second just so happen to stumble into your journey and stay with you? Next to zero, that's what they are." Loki sounded excited.
"In every few generations or families, something we call reincarnation happens. You know what that is?"
Hiccup nodded. "I've never seen it myself but it's supposed to be the birth of the exact replica of an already deceased member of the family. They don't necessarily need to be similar in appearance but the character, the soul is the exact same. But since it happens so rarely and always with great time gaps between them, there has never been any real proof. I know Gouthi believes in it but nobody else."
Hiccup trailed off at the end of his sentence.
"Wait…do you mean to say that…." He asked and his eyes widened.
Loki nodded, nearly jumping up and down on the spot.
"Yes! You –and your friends! Are the reincarnation of your ancestors!"
Hiccup stared at him bewildered. "What?" he asked intelligently.
"They were never meant to fail! The Lady Fate had planned for Hiccup and his friends to succeed. But something, a flaw, a mistake, a hiccup, so to speak, happened! It's incredible rare but it can happen. It's called coincidence! Something, a small decision, a wrong step or whatever done by one of your ancestors irreversibly changed the complete course of history! We don't know what that decision was but it had an impact on everything. Lady Fate was powerless because coincident is nothing even she can control! It's like a wild-card!"
"And…how does that help us?" Hiccup ask, not quiet understanding how this was good news.
"You play outside the usual rules. Lady Fate could not put her will through the first time but that you have been reincarnated is proof enough that we are supposed to win!"
Loki let Hiccup a few paces along the beach.
"There is one golden rule in all of the universes out there!" he said with a wide gesture towards the star-lit sky.
"Death is the end. That is the rule. Once you're dead you are finished. No returning from the dead. Never again."
"I sense a 'but' coming." Hiccup said warily.
"BUT… if you had a certain destiny, let's say stop the Darkness from rising, but you die before you can, reincarnation is like a loop-hole, a grey area. Your soul won't be able to rest until it's done. Being reborn is like a second chance. But you are not given the same live with all your memories again. Only a part of you is reborn to fulfill your destiny."
Hiccup brain was working furiously. "Okay…so you are basically saying that inside me is a part the once lived in Hiccup the Second. Which is why it was me that was chosen to defeat Darkness in his place?"
"Well, look at the two of you. You both come from two great times. One is an ancient Dragonrider-line and the other is the line of great human leaders. You both discovered your connection to dragons at an early age, but both of you were cast out because of that. You were both the weirdoes, the runts, of your families. More interested in knowledge and books, than charging brainless face-first into danger. You have the same birthday, you look a lot alike, and it would also explain why Darkness is so interested in you. He knows who you, or part of you, are. Hiccup the Second was the perfect host for him. He's hoping that you might be too."
Loki explained.
"Great but I still don't get how this is so great. So we are destined to win you say? I doubt that means I can kick back my feet and just let things happen, does it?" Hiccup asked.
Loki shook his head.
His face turned more serious and less joyful.
"This time we have to make sure everything goes according to plan. The mistake that happened last time can't happen again. We need to prevent it from happening again."
"What if it already happened" Hiccup asked "What do we do then?"
"Call it intuition but I don't think so..."
"But how will I know?" Hiccup asked again.
Loki looked defeated. "I don't know." He said silently. "We know already more than we probably should. The rest will have to come with time."
Hiccup's gaze swept over the ruined island.
"Do the dragons still live here?" he asked after a while.
"Some do. Many have gone in search for a new nest. I think they have found one." Loki said with a slight smile.
"Why do you ask?"
"I never thought about what would happen to the dragons once the Red Death was gone. I'm glad they are fine. Have they bothered Berk at all?"
Loki shook his head. "Only minor incidents but no full grown out raids."
Hiccup nodded. "Good to know that at least something good came out of this all."
"You give yourself not enough credit. You archived a lot. Maybe you just can't see it yet."
Hiccup sighed. "I just wish Illiona could see the past so she could tell us what we're looking for."
"It's been such a long time Hiccup. I doubt anyone will ever full recall what happened then." Loki said with a sigh. "We weren't there."
"Yes." Hiccup said sadly. "I just wish…"
He stopped midsentence.
"But of course…." He muttered. "I'm so stupid!"
"What?" Loki asked.
"We both know someone who was there. Who maybe recalls what happened!"
Loki's face lit up again.
"Clever!" he said.
"Naturally." Hiccup said before turning around to face Toothless. "I need to get back. I've gone long enough as it is. Kate will wake the others and send out a sear party if I'm not back by dawn."
He mounted Toothless. Once he was all set he looked at Loki.
"Thank you."
"No problem."