Ascendant

CHAPTER TWENTY: THE DARK GUARDIAN

She didn't really react to him speaking at all, her expression empty.

"What about you?" he asked her as he sat beside her, his face all cute and empathetic as usual.

She completely ignored his question as she sat there but then she frowned and changed the subject, saying, "What happened to you back there? When everyone was cut off from each other?"

[GEM]

He thought about how to explain it, the images coming back to his mind before his eyes drifted to the fire and then the floor. "I was chief... and... uh I saw Berk on fire... all of the people—they were... just dead, injured, mourning. There was blood and ash at my feet in all directions." These words were hard for him to get out as everything he saw came back vividly in his brain. Hiccup had a very visual mind and could remember things well- nearly an eidetic memory even... but sometimes it was a curse when terrible things would replay in his mind over and over.

"All of our people were suffering and dying, Astrid...," he said as he looked at her again, "in a gruesome, terrible war. It was all so real—I saw people I knew lying dead. Their eyes looking lifelessly into nothing. I heard the crying and wailing of our people from everywhere... and... and that's what I'm worried about- what if those visions were predictions? What if what we saw was the future?"

She wanted to tell him he was wrong but she was wondering herself if his theory was correct. At this point it was hard for her to know what was real and what wasn't. "Well if it is then you should find yourself another girl," she slipped out, her eyes dancing around the fire in front of her.

[GEM]

"What?" he asked with confusion.

"I saw something too... I saw myself with a baby, we were married and you were chief. But the baby was constantly crying in the most gut wrenching way—and I couldn't get it to stop... and then I was surrounded by them. And they were unhappy, angry, fighting, crying, screaming, sick... and dying—and... I just stood there and watched them all as their lives were destroyed because of me..." she was fighting back vulnerable tears before she looked at him. "I know it sounds stupid and silly—especially after what you saw, but you need to find someone else who can raise your kids because—I can't do it, Hiccup. I can't. I would fail—I..." she stuttered as her voice broke, realizing she was finally admitting a horrible fear she had had for so long but kept to herself.

Hiccup closed his eyes and took in a breath, dropping his head as he fiddled with his hands. As Astrid assumed his immense disappointment, his reaction seemed far off. When he looked up at the fire again, he was smiling softly. "Well that's a relief."

She frowned with confusion. "What?"

[GEM]

"Now that I know that's the vision you had... I can more than guarantee that what we all saw were not premonitions," he explained, looking at her with stars in his eyes.

Her depressed look faded a bit but she still looked a little confused as what he said hadn't fully sunk in yet.

He let out a subtle chuckle and pulled her suddenly onto his lap where she was facing him, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her with deep love before he let their foreheads rest against one another and he said, "You are going to be... the most amazing mother Astrid Hofferson." His hand reached up to hold her chin and jawline as he spoke.

She broke when he said that, tears finally burning behind her eyes as one fell down her cheek, her expression twisted into one of attempts to hold back great emotion. But this time it was positive. She nodded as she avoided eye contact, unable to say anything.