Will it be forever?

Chapter 4: Valhalla

Astrid's POV

I blinked, this time having been blinded by an even brighter light than before. I opened my eyes and found myself quite confused at the scenery in front of me.

Large mountains scraped the cloud-free skies that hung above the large, fruitful trees that had grown up from the bright green grass fields that stretched for miles. As I began walking around, I was met with even more beauty, all ranging from small streams to sparkling waterfalls with beautiful flowers scattered all around, emitting the sweetest scents I had ever smelled.

But there was one thing missing from this paradise on earth, Hiccup.

"Hiccup?" I called, but received no response. "Hiccup!"

I searched all over for him, but there was no sign of Hiccup anywhere. I knitted my brows together as I looked up at the clear skies. There wasn't a dragon in sight. How peculiar.

As my eyes scanned the skies for even the slightest hint of a dragon, two figures approached me. I squinted as I tried to make the figures out.

I almost immediately recognized the figures that were approaching me, something that almost sent me into a state of shock. "Mom? Dad?"

"Astrid, my darling daughter!" My mother exclaimed as she upped her speed and wrapped her arms around me.

My eyes stung painfully as I hugged her back, breathing in the familiar scent she emitted as memories from my childhood filled my mind.

"If it isn't our little warrior" My father's voice boomed through the fields as I ran into his arms, making sure to let him know how much I had missed him as well.

But as I embraced my parents, whom I hadn't seen for years, something clicked inside my head. "Wait ... you guys are dead"

My parents exchanged a look before turning back to me, sympathy oozing out of their saddened smiles. "We are, honey"

I blinked rapidly, as the last pieces of the puzzle fell into place inside my mind. "Does that mean ... "

My parents huddled together around me and kept me in their embrace. "Yes, we're so sorry, darling"

"N-no" I stuttered, refusing to believe what I had just been told. "But Hiccup and Stormfly—"

"Darling, we know, but there's not much we can do about that" My father comforted me as he ran his hand over my hair.

"Y-you know?" I asked, struggling to strangle the sobs that were trying to escape.

"Of course we do, sweetie" My mother eyes lit up as that familiar smile of hers warmed up her features. "We've been watching over you ever since we died"

I raised my brow as I exchanged looks between my parents. "You have?"

"Yes, everything from our funeral through all the great things you've accomplished and all the way to when you were stuck in limbo" My father smiled.

"You saw that?" I cringed at the thought of the infinite darkness, which I assumed to be this limbo my parents were talking about.

"Yes" My mother chuckled, making me feel just as giddy as I used to feel whenever I heard her laughter.

"If you don't mind me asking..." I began. "How were you able to watch over me?"

My parents didn't answer, instead they both took hold of my hands as they led me to the edge of a cliff, where several other Vikings stood, watching something through small circles that floated in the sky before them.

My mother gently gripped my wrist and made my hand swirl around in the air for a second before it conjured up a see-through circle.

"Now you say the name of the person you wish to see" My father informed me as he and my mother took a step back, allowing me some space.

"Um ... " I glanced back at them, feeling very uncertain, but was met with encouraging smiles from my parents. "Hiccup Haddock"

The inside of the circle began swirling around, this time on its own, before it zoomed in on the island of Berk and onto Hiccup, who was sitting at his table in the Meade Hall, looking glum as ever.

"Hiccup ... " I whispered as I reached out for him, but was stopped by a wall in the magic circle.

I furrowed my brows as I watched him, reading through letters and occasionally glancing over at the dragon at his feet, acting as if everything was perfectly normal.

Suddenly, the doors to the Meade Hall flew open and in wobbled Gobber.

"Is she alright?" Hiccup's voice sounded muffled through the magic circle as worry pulled on his features.

"What? Yes, she is, or at least that's what she was when I left" Gobber replied as he walked up to Hiccup.

"Gods, I can't take any more of this Gobber, it's eating me from the inside out" Hiccup sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Toothless looked up at him and cooed, in an attempt to show his support to his rider.

"I get it, lad, but don't give up hope just yet, you know what a miracle worker Gothi is" Gobber smiled at Hiccup, who had sunk down in his seat.

"I just miss her, Gobber. So much" Hiccup's voice broke at the end as it was clear he was fighting back tears. Was he really talking about me?

Suddenly, the circle vanished, and I was left standing at the edge of the cliff, completely bewildered.

"Mom, dad" I took a deep breath as I turned towards my parents. "I want to go back"

My parents exchanged a quick look between each other before shaking their heads slowly.

"I don't think you can, darling" My mother's sad eyes met mine, and I felt as though I could just shatter into a million pieces.

"There is one way, but it isn't easy" My father buzzed in as he wrapped his arms around my mother.

I took a deep breath as I met my father's eyes. "I'm willing to try anything"

My parents beamed with pride as smiles lit up their faces once again. "That's our girl"

"Now how do I do it?" I asked them.

"From what we learned, you first have to cross the border between the living and the dead, and as soon as you've done that, you have approximately ten minutes to make it back into your body before you are pulled back to our world. If you make it to your body, you'll live, but unfortunately for your mother and I, we were too wounded to come back" My father explained, tightening his grip around my mother's shoulders.

I nodded slowly as I processed what my father had told me. "Thank you"

I smiled at my parents before wrapping them in a tight hug, preparing myself to not see them for a long while.

"I'll miss you both, so much" I smiled at them. "That's if I make it of course"

My parents once again beamed with pride as their wide smiles warmed my heart. "Go, Astrid. And never forget, we'll always be watching over you"