Ophelia ran her fingers through the steaming bath-water. She rested it in her palm and raised it above the level, watching it drip through her fingers. She never much preferred the scalding temperatures she had the bath at before, but now...well, everything was different.
She sunk so low so that her nose was a hair's length away from the surface, and she watched in mild fascination as the water sputtered and skittered away from where her exhaling made little rings.
She placed her palms on top of the surface of the water, and closed her eyes, recalling Elsa's practice of breathing. The water around her cracked and turned to a thin sheet of ice, freezing the temperature within seconds, and locking around her arms. She eyed her progress with a hint of pleasure, nodding happily. With a flick of her wrist, she tried to unfreeze it, but water splashed all over the bathroom.
She sighed; she was pretty much finished with her bath anyway.
Getting up, she used a warm fluffy towel waiting for her to mop up the water. She didn't dare try to freeze it...that would be risky, and even after four months in this new body, it felt odd.
And while she was still the same Ophelia, or she liked to think she was, it was in a way a new body. Everything was different, from her perceptions to her sense of balance. Some day, the happier ones, she felt light as the fresh snow. On days she was upset, it felt as though something inside of her was weighing her down in a way she'd never experienced, like tightly packed snow in a storm. She now understood the way it dragged Elsa down all those years ago, sending her into depression. If it weren't for so many people in her life, good people, she might be there too.
She wrapped a fresh towel around herself. In Berk, they bathed perhaps once in a blue moon, if you were a clean freak, and here she had to remind herself of the 'proper court instructions' of keeping in good hygiene.
Odin-God-no, Odin...there were so many rules.
Calder was waiting outside the door, which in any other sort of moment would have been creepy, but she was grateful. He was her constant rock these months, providing her with a shoulder to cry on, a person to rant to, and an unmoving presence of her old life, or her other life...oh, it was all so confusing.
He'd come with her to Arendelle and stayed with her, of course. Kristoff had been more than relieved to learn they were dating, since he'd been the one to see Calder carry her off during the fight. She still had the knife wound from Unn...some of the strongest magic couldn't make that disappear, she supposed.
More than that, the reminder that she literally died, if only for a total of exactly 38 seconds, was hard to wrap her mind around. She was lucky, this was a second chance at life, and she was so grateful. She missed Isis a lot, mostly because she felt the kind dragon's presence in her mind, and she saw Calder look sad when no one was looking. Isis had loved him enough to sacrifice herself so she could live...how could she dishonor that by being an idiot about the rest of, hopefully, a very long life?
"How was your bath?" He asked, rubbing at his neck. Anna's attempts to get him to bathe as frequently as Ophelia did were unsuccessful. He said he enjoyed the thin layer of dirt from Berk that remained on his skin, like a leather jacket of protection in pure, natural form. Kristoff had to remind his wife he'd slept with a reindeer and trolls most of his life, and it had taken almost eight years to adjust to the bathing schedule. It was a thing of comfort, he claimed, that within a couple years, it would be home like it was to Ophelia.
And Ophelia didn't say a word when her father said that.
Home? That was a loaded word if she ever heard one.
On one hand, she enjoyed re-connecting with her real parents and living life here. She wasn't overjoyed in the luxuries, but they were neat additions. But there were times this place still felt as foreign as Berk did when she first came. She knew Anna and Kristoff wanted her to recall alt he things she did here as a child; where she slept, the toys she played with, the halls she wrote on with ink and fingers. If she were being truthful, often she just nodded and smiled, but in reality...she didn't remember it at all. She had been painfully young, and sometimes she thought perhaps she was remembering something concrete, but it was like trying to capture smoke. She wasn't sure if she was pretending so hard that she pretended to recall or made up things, of it was real memories.
And everyday she missed her old life. Yes, she missed Berk, but it wasn't even that. She missed the life of 1,000 years in the past. It was so simple, so raw...something she didn't get here. The proper rules of what fork to eat with or what clothes were acceptable felt stiffing to her, and whenever Anna said a throw-away comment about when she'd be queen, she wanted to barf.
She wanted to believe she just needed time, but after four months, she wasn't quite so sure anymore.
"I thought a lot. Reflected." She said, hiking her towel up as they walked back to her room, "About...home."
Calder nodded quietly, and his lips twisted down.
"I know. I'll follow you anywhere..." He said, yet there was an unsaid 'but' she picked up on. He would live here with her, if that's what she so chose, but he missed being a Viking. She saw in every step that it hurt him.
Seeing Astrid didn't help, for the woman had been away from Berk for a little over 20 years, and she was still as much of a Viking as ever. Yet Elsa's formalities and court order melted away within a year of living as a Viking wife. The idea that she'd never be able to shake that other side of her, the side she loved desperately, killed her all over again.
The bell for tea rung. Calder tilted his head.
"I'll meet you in there. Change quick, alright?" He said.
"Yeah, see you there." Ophelia agreed, slipping into her bedroom. Her parents had been eager for her to retake her old room, but it was painfully childish still, and she wasn't the frilly and pink unicorn girl they wanted her to have been. She was fire, blood, and dragons. She picked out her least lacy dress, missing pants with a burning passion, and slipped it on, letting her wet hair drip onto the floors. As she turned around, passing the mirror, she froze before she could stop herself.
She feared she'd never learn to not be surprised at her reflection. Her white hair still caught her attention every time she turned. In a little way, it was a justice she couldn't have been more pleased with. Everyone knew she resembled Kristoff more than Anna, but she'd gotten Anna's personality. From years of growing up with Hiccup, she'd acquired his sarcasm and his logical thinking. And now...like Elsa, she was white-haired and could manipulate snow. It was as though she was the literal representation of both sides of her parents...all four, as she'd decided they were. She couldn't negate the people that had created her, no matter how little she still knew them. And she couldn't throw away the people that had raised her to be who she was today, just because her true parents had appeared again. About three months ago, she'd stopped trying to differentiate. Two worlds, two sets of parents. Simple as that.
Calder was already sitting rigidly with his tea in the main room, where the Omphalos to her own world still sat, glowing. After four months, they'd managed to build a barrier around it, so no one fell accidentally. Ophelia hated going in this room. Often, when she saw it, all she wanted to do was jump in and go back to Berk, to Elsa and Hiccup, to her siblings who were actually her cousins, to her friends...sure she got regular correspondence from them all, but it wasn't the same.
She sat in one of the open seats, and Anna and Kristoff smiled warmly at her across the way. She knew to them the glowing portal was the best symbol of hope one could ask for...it brought her back to them.
"How was your bath, dear?" Anna asked.
"Good." Ophelia answered with a forced nod, "I'm still surprised how soft the towels are here." She added, trying to lighten her own mood.
"Better than scratchy cloth, right?" Kristoff grinned, as if he were thrilled that the towels here were better than in Berk. Well, of course they were! She hated how sometimes it seemed as though her parents here were in a competition with her old home, shoving it upon her how much better it was here. She knew that they wanted her to be happy here, but she didn't have the heart to tell them the underhanded comments against Berk didn't help. She wasn't even sure they knew they were doing it; they weren't catty like that, not usually, according to Elsa.
"Where's Dante?" She asked, looking around at the gathered people. He and Osanna were the only ones old enough to handle tea-time, but she hardly saw him as it were.
"He wasn't feeling well this morning." Kristoff's eyebrows kitted in concern, "He's sleeping."
"Oh," Ophelia's face deflated, "Perhaps I'll visit him after, then." She said.
"I'm sure he'd love that!" Anna agreed, nodding enthusiastically, "I do hope you two will get closer, you know. You could be twins if you were the same age." She added. She'd been told this many times, but apart from their looks, she couldn't see much similar past that. He always seemed so brooding, so displeased.
"Well, I daresay we start." Aldrich said, clinking his tea-glass with his daughter's, "Shall we?"
Tea time had hardly begun- Ophelia had only managed to drink half of hers- when Virgil and Austen stumbled into the tea room.
"Mom, Austen lost a tooth and he's bleeding all over!" Virgil said excitedly, pointing to the young boy who was holding a bloody white dot and grinning through an absolutely blood-soaked smile.
"Austen! It's dripping on the carpet! I don't remember you having a lose tooth." She said sternly, coming down to his level.
"Well...I might have knocked it out..." Virgil shuffled his feet, "I read in a book that you could pull teeth out by slamming a door." He said to his mother. Anna rubbed her forehead.
"You two..." She shook her head, "Virgil, that's not a productive thing to do in your free time. You could have seriously hurt him!"
"But I lost a tooth!" Austen showed his mother the tooth again.
"We need to get you cleaned up before you ruin the flooring, we just got it re-done. Kristoff, do you mind explaining to Virgil in his room why that was a very inappropriate thing to do?" She asked, eyes narrowed at the darkest-haired boy.
"Of course...I mean, if you're okay with that, Ophelia?" He asked, looking at her. She set her tea-cup down.
"No, it's fine. Go, I mean, sure." She said, awkwardly ducking her head. Tea time wasn't even her choice anyway, so why did she care if they left? Besides, it was refreshing to see that her real sibling were as wild as her ones in Berk...she recalled a time when Are broke Swain's arm because he'd made his own wings, but didn't want to test it himself. He was easily able to convince his younger brother that he could fly himself, and didn't need a dragon, and coaxed him from jumping from a tree. Luckily, the tree was hardly two stories high, and the ground was soft, so Swain only endured a broken arm.
Now with both her parents gone, the dynamics in the tea room shifted. Calder had been sitting near Aldrich and Ossana sat on the other side of him, both bombarding him with questions of Viking culture. Cyril came from across the way to sit beside Ophelia, which she was grateful for. She enjoyed both men's company, but Aldrich reminded her of stuffy rules and bureaucracy, whereas Cyril was wild and free like Vikings often were. It was no surprise he and Ragnar were thick as thieves as children.
"How are you settling in."
"It's...different." Ophelia said, not wanting to speak ill of Arendelle, "I forgot how I missed the town and the forest." She said, speaking honestly. She'd gone to visit the hole-now filled- which she'd fallen through. She'd sat by it for hours, wondering how different life would have been had she never found that dragon scale. She would be prepping to be a queen, maybe married to some dignitary. Calder might have never found his good side. To imagine herself in a different live was hard, but not troublesome. But to think that Calder might have been raised by Unn for real...that he might have been an awesome person or killed young...it hurt her immensely.
She'd been thinking a lot about fate lately.
"Do you miss it?"
"Everyday." Ophelia found herself more open with Cyril than anyone else. Crazy as he might look, he had a trusting smile.
"Cyril?" She asked hesitantly, "What do you think my role was...to go there with Elsa?" She asked, "Elsa's role there is clear, but me? It feels like I could have never gone and maybe nothing would have changed there. I still think Anna would have never stopped looking for her, the war might have still happened, and I still think we would have won. I'm just feeling a little...confused."
"That's a good question." Cyril rubbed his chin, "I think...it hasn't been revealed yet. Nothing happens without good cause, without a reason to further our own stories, the future."
"So...I still have time to decide?" She asked, and bit her lip, "What...well, how do we know if I choose the wrong choice?" She asked.
"We haven't disappeared into nothingness yet, so I suppose we're all still okay." He said, chuckling, then frowned, "Unless...your choice has not yet been formed fully?"
"I don't want to hurt them..." Her voice was pitifully small, "And I'm not even sure myself, not yet."
"Be sure before you choose." He said firmly, "That's about all I can say to help you. I think that you're smart and your role is much larger than you know. If you feel 100% sure about it and then some, perhaps that's all you need to sooth your conscious about your right path."
Ophelia nodded slowly, settling back. "Sometimes, I wish I wasn't important. Sometimes, I hope you'd be wrong."
"I know." His voice was heavy with empathy, "Sometimes, I wish Ragnar's role wasn't so far from me. I wish he could have been an average kid, not fated to be a ruler, a leader. But it was always there...he commanded rooms, even as a child. We cannot mourn what is, what will come. We can only mourn if we do not chose the path we're supposed to take. I would never want to take Ragnar's role away from him which he's found. It's pure, it's true, it's...a form of fate. To be selfish and hold him back from that would be far worse." His voice lowered, "And anyone that loves you will one day understand that. Do not think of others when choosing, think of yourself."
Ophelia nodded, finishing her tea quickly. Calder seemed caught up in a very long answer to one of their questions, and she kissed him on the top of his head as she passed. She walked around the castle, hiking up her skirts as she nodded to every worker she passed. She was still unaccustomed to having people cook and clean for her, other than Elsa. It seemed these workers were all but invisible to the rest of the occupants here, even if Anna was still kind to them, it didn't mean she acknowledged every single one. Ophelia made a point to.
She knocked on Dante's door and there was a muffled 'come in' as a reply. Yet as soon as she opened the door and he saw who it was, his face twisted into a frown and he scowled deeply.
"Oh, you."
She winced at his tone. Had she known any better, she'd say he'd been avoiding her of late. It was hurtful. While she enjoyed Austen and Virgil and she loved picking up Ellis, she remembered Dante. She recalled patting Anna's swollen stomach and singing to him before he was born, and even though she had been upset they were focused on Anna, she'd been truly excited for him to be born. Elsa had knitted her a 'big sister' blanket that she was going to hold him in after he was born, and she had been bound determined she was going to be the one to teach him all the secret passages in the castle.
She'd missed all of that.
For the first time, she realized what it must have been like for Anna and Kristoff to lose their daughter and have her come back grown up, without having to be there for those quiet but special moments. She missed all the things a sister should do for a younger brother. Sure, she was there to teach Are and Swain those things but this...this was truly her brother.
"Mom said you were sick. I don't see you much as it is, so I thought I'd come see you." She said, hopping onto his bed. His face didn't change.
"How kind." His voice was flat, void of emotion, and Ophelia frowned.
"You don't look sick." Ophelia said, and without thinking reached forward to press her hand to his forehead. He jumped back as though he'd been burned, and she hastily withdrew her hand.
He gave a shrug in response to her comment, and Ophelia repressed a long sigh. He didn't offer any words, and Ophelia's eyes wandered. She tilted her head, her eyes catching a place on the wall where it seemed something had been recently taken down, for the wallpaper behind it was darker than the rest. She was pretty sure there had been something there two days ago when she'd poked into his room to tell him to come down to dinner, and she nudged him.
"What was there?" She asked, pointing to the spot. Dante's face seemed to pale when she asked, and his expression grew even darker.
"The right of the throne paper. A decree of birthright." He said bitterly, and Ophelia bit her lip. Ah...Anna had mentioned something would be put up in her room soon, and it was to be a surprise. She was the eldest, therefore she was supposed to be queen. The idea made her throat tighten.
"Can I ask you something, Dante?" Ophelia questioned, "You don't seem to like me very much."
"That wasn't a question."
"Do you dislike me?"
Dante looked at her. Although he was ten, Ophelia had heard well enough of how astute he was and how brilliant he was for his age. He had a certain way he looked at her that made her feel small, and she saw a silent fury burning in his eyes.
"Sometimes I wish they would have never found that portal at all." He said, his comment as blunt as her question. She tried not to let her eyes water, but her mind swarm with confusion.
"Why?" She choked out, "I never did anything to you. In fact, I've been gone your whole life."
"That's exactly it." Dante slammed his book shut, "You've been gone since before I was born. I am the second child, the spare. I was brought up to be a king if you were never found. I was only ever a failsafe. Sometimes I wanted to believe that I'd still be the one, even if you were found, but when they took it down today...I realized I was stupid to think that. It was only ever about you. I'm so smart because I spent my whole life reading because mom and dad were too busy looking for the next portal, the next thing to bring you home. I love Arendelle. Do you even know anything about this place?" He questioned harshly, and Ophelia felt herself slip off the bed, jaw hanging.
"I...well..." She stuttered, her eyes flickering to the place where the paper once hung.
"They promised me if I turned elven and you were still unfound, I'd really get to be king, regardless of when you showed back up." He said, looking down, "I turned eleven three days after you were found. I lost everything because they found you three days too early."
"I didn't realize. Do mom and dad know you feel this way?" She asked, her whole body shivering.
"Do you think they'd care? After mom went her whole life feeling like the meaningless sister, you'd think she'd understand. But she just...doesn't." He asked, laughing, "You're back. That's all that matters to them." He said, and picked back up his book, continuing to flip through it. Although never state, Ophelia understood. Their conversation was over.
She closed the door, staring at her vibrating fingertips. The whole hallway had cooled rapidly, and frost was creeping along the window panes. She rapidly hurried away from his room, making it to her room just in time to let her whole room freeze over, ice locking all the doors and windows. Glass cracked, shattering to the ground, and Ophelia whipped around to see the birthright picture frame hanging on the wall, the glass broken and the sheet fluttering to the ground.
The room grew colder.
But no one ever knew. She stayed in there all night, pretending to be asleep. She put a note on her door, forcing it open rom the ice, citing that she just needed a good night's rest- maybe she picked something up from Dante? It was a lie of course, but no one disturbed her. Yet she did not sleep. She stayed on the ground all night, eyes wide and mind swirling. Everything was breaking around her, it was all meant to be perfect, yet nothing was.
Even without Dante's words, in the back of her mind, she'd known what she was supposed to do for a while now. She just needed the courage to tell everyone.
Five days later, she was standing at the edge of the portal in anticipation. After five months, she had planned to go back to Berk. It was only right, of course, seeing as though her birthday was this week, and she wanted both parts of her family to be there. Since she knew more people down there, Anna and Kristoff had agreed to visit down there. Besides, she could tell Anna was just as excited to see Elsa again.
Dante hadn't spoken a single word to her since their encounter in his room. She wanted to tell him what she was planning so many times, but it fell mute on her tongue every time she got near enough to tell him. There were other people that needed to know first, things that really needed to be sorted.
As she stepped through the portal, in a small way without even realizing it, her whole body sighed a single word...'home'.
Down in Berk, Hiccup and Elsa were waiting in the meeting room as all the leaders and their companions who had survived shuffled in. It had been a grueling five months since the war. Winter was only just starting to ease up, but it had been rough. Hardly any progress had been finished during those cold days, so the majority of the islands and his own home was unfinished. Now, with spring peeking meekly around the corner, he had thought it appropriate to speak with his fellow leaders about what would happen this upcoming year and the rest of the years to follow.
Things had changed. What, he wasn't sure, but it traveled like electricity through people's minds and bodies, reverberating out over everyone left. Perhaps today would shed some light up on what exactly it was that was so different now, other than the devastation, the many that died, and the general knowledge now of time-travel and all that complicated stuff.
"I can't wait for Ophelia to come home today." Elsa whispered in his ear, gripping his hand tightly. It had been difficult for Elsa with three empty plates at the dinner table, one dead, two as good as gone. Although it was temporary, Hiccup was ecstatic to see her too. His whole body hurt thinking of her living her life away from them, gone and growing up. Although it was much needed for her to re-connect with Anna and Kristoff...he just hoped perhaps she remembered Berk from time to time. Not all the time, but remembered it fondly in the moments she did.
Rika was mostly gone too, spending time with her real father, for once leaving the makeshift house only his own biological children. He didn't want it to be that way. He wanted all of them back, even Ull as messed up as it was in the end. It was great to spend even more time individual with all of of the kids, but each one would often sigh during actives, citing something one of his foster kids did in this way or that, and he could tell that most of them would give a little less alone time to have them back. It had been such a jarring change, without time to adjust, and Are was taking it the hardest.
He'd always expected Ophelia would take over the Hooligans one day. It wasn't that he was unhappy that now it seemed he would, he would merely comment that Ophelia was a natural leader. He doubted himself, doubted if he was the best for the tribe, or if he'd do a good job. Hiccup reminded him that it was in his blood, but he still seemed unsure.
Hiccup saw him walking around with Hubert, and an anxious Achilles who too seemed to sense Ophelia was returning today. Anna had agreed to make space for the two dragons, and when Ophelia left this time, she'd likely be taking them with her. That was the kicker- at least Hiccup got to see them walking around, and it would make him think of Ophelia. When she took him, that would really be the end, it would really be final she was far away from them.
Hiccup, in the farthest darkest part of his secrets, didn't think that's where she belonged. He knew Elsa sometimes got that look two, although neither would ever speak of it.
The door of the meeting house slammed open, and Camacazi strode in, followed by Jari and Thuggury and Ylva, grinning ear to ear.
"Morning, Hic!" She greeted, "Isn't that spring breeze the most wonderful feeling ever?"
"Even I'm glad to feel it." Elsa agreed, chuckling.
"I think it's Mother Nature apologizing for the war. I do believe this is the fastest winter we've ever had." Thuggury said, rubbing his chin, "But we're not out of the clear yet." He reminded them all but wringing out his wet cloak on the muddy floor, "It still might snow."
"That was the hardest winter, even if it was short." Ragnar added it, hearing the conversation. He shook his head, "Odin is a greedy man."
"Aye." Thuggury agreed, nodding solemnly.
The chatter increased into little circles as everyone else stumbled in, filling chairs and open spots, greeting each other with warm pats or wide smiles. Hiccup waved to everyone that came in, and most came up to say or word or two to he or Elsa...it made his chest swell with pride. To imagine that one day he'd feel...so important? He looked back on his pre-teen self that would have never guessed this, not even in his wildest dreams, and wished Stoick was here to see this. He always believed in him, even if he didn't himself. It was just one of those things.
Last to come in was Astrid. When Hiccup and Elsa had decided they'd overstayed their welcome in Arendelle, she came back too. She seemed much more relaxed now, but always tensed up wherever Hiccup came into the picture. She wasn't mean to Elsa, but she didn't talk to her either. Hiccup just wished things could roll over as they may...it had been five months, and she'd been gone longer than that too! It wasn't as though this was that huge of a surprise; Anna had gotten the letter about them years ago. Astrid had been there.
Yet sometimes the way she looked at him made his whole body freeze; it was so familiar, and they'd never really ended things the right way. They couldn't have; she'd vanished without a word of good-bye. There was still an open wound in the depths of his heart, the young boy he once was, mourning his first love. He knew she saw that, so he was grateful she did not exploit it. Even Astrid was a better person all around than that, no matter how much she still thought she and him belonged together.
She'd gotten back into the jive with the other leaders quite swimmingly, and even as she passed through the door, Tore was calling her over to the left side with a spot open for her by Runa. She might not have came up to greet him, but she did give him a carefully guarded smile as she passed the podium spot and that was better than he could have imagined. They were going to heal. In that moment, that much was certain.
"I do think everyone is here." Hiccup said after a couple more minutes, "All the seats are filled. Is anyone missing?" He asked, and everyone shook their heads. People began to pass out food; one change Hiccup had found to be needed- if they were going to sit through grueling meetings, there might as well be food, "I think we need to feel blessed. It's almost spring. We've almost made it. We're still here."
And it was an amazing statement in itself. We are still here. What an idea.
A mighty cheer sounded above his voice, drowning out anything else he was about to say. Men thumped the table with their hands, and ale was sloshed around their mugs. Elsa stood up, smiling at everyone.
"I think it would be a lie to say that nothing has changed. Everything is different now, for better or worse. While I'm not sure what is to come, I think we have overcome one of the biggest obstacles. Soon, maybe, things will start to go back to normal." She said, thinking of the houses that would be rebuilt, the schools that would begin again, the crops that would grow. Yet at her words, the council room quieted. Hiccup sent her a confused look, and she gazed around, trying to pinprick what she'd said wrong.
Someone in the back raised their hand.
"Wolfen?" Hiccup asked, nodding to his request. He'd shown his loyalty over tenfold since the war's end, likely to assure everyone he was done with his old ways.
"We've all been talking." He began hesitantly, and stood, wringing his hands, "I would not speak for us all had I not talked to all the leaders before doing this...except you, because well...maybe things shouldn't go back to 'normal'."
Hiccup's face was emotionless, "I'm not sure what you mean?"
"He means that what used to be normal was shit." Gnaw stated candidly, "Before the war, me and him...our tribes...we were the baddies. We sided with Unn on most things. Our wives and most of our tribe fought against us. I don't want to go back to that." He said, and Wolfen nodded in rapid agreement.
"We've existed together, tribes intertwined for five months while we tried to resettle ourselves," A new voice spoke up- Asgar, "And now? It's hard to see one tribe from another. A Bashim Oik comforted a Bezerker, and now their married. A Bog took an orphan Lava Lout into their family. We have the refugee children of Swyen's and Hogsag's tribe, children that don't understand what their people did wrong, that are innocent. My people have been asking me...what now? What will happen when we all separate. Will Jari go with Camacazi? Will Rika stay with you or Gnaw?" He asked, and Hiccup winced, "You're right...things have changed."
"We all lost so many." Camacazi's quivering voice rose above the general mumblings after Asgar's speech, "You were lucky if in the war you only lost half of your tribe. And then winter came, and we had little food and no shelter, and we lost even more. Even though we only had half as many to begin with, I know I'm not the only one left with fewer numbers than we've ever had since the dawn of our beginnings."
"Hear, hear!" Wolfen cried in agreement, "I'm only about 100 strong left, after some fought for Unn and all that has happened. It's hardly enough to begin again."
"And maybe it's time we don't." Ylva agreed, smiling at Thuggury, and turning to Hiccup, "You started to change our lives with the dragons. And now...you're going to lead us all into a new dawn. You were the leader that brought us through the war. Because of you, some are still alive."
"But I started it." He blurted, "Had Elsa never come, had I never found Drago as a child, had we not provoked Unn...I'm responsible." He said honestly, "I fought so hard to save everyone because I knew that. I knew."
"I might not be able to speak on Lykke or Drago," Wolfen rubbed the back of his neck, "But Unn was always unstable. He'd been talking about wanting to take full control of the tribes long before Elsa even came. Had it not been now, it would have been later. This war would have come regardless. And individually...we all know that we would have lost."
There were nods all around, "In the past, we never worked together. We hated each other. We started to communicate around the time that Hiccup introduced dragons as our friends. He is the catalyst. I never thought I'd say a Hooligan is alight, but things have changed. We are stronger as one than as separate parts. Had Tore's revolution in agriculture not been shared, we might not has survived this winter. Had Ragnar's skills in forging not been given to use, we might not have had the tools to even begin fighting that war. Without Hiccup leading us...we'd be dead."
"What we're saying, Hiccup," Gnaw said, taking over, "Our land was burnt to a crisp. No trees left, no wildlife still running. Although your island took a pretty big hit around the war zone, it might be the only place left that's still survivable. We're not trying to overtake your island. If you don't want to, we'll all figure out how to survive again. But Wolfen's right...we all are in agreement that perhaps the next big thing is we all join together. Smaller villages with leaders-us- under one larger, logical, rightful leader...you."
There was absolute silence, as Hiccup stared open-jawed at everyone.
"Me? Leader? Of everyone?" Hiccup guffawed, "I..."
"It's something to think carefully about." Camacazi cut in, leaning over to rub his shoulder, "Think about it carefully. We're not expecting you to answer right away." She assured.
He just nodded numbly, his whole body shaking. He looked at Elsa, yet she did not seem surprised. It's when he realized she must have known this was coming.
"You'd be great." She murmured to him, smiling softly, "But it's up to you. Remember when you told me you were going to be remembered one day? You thought it was just because of the dragons. I think it's this too." She said.
In the back of his mind, he heard Tore stand up to give a comment on the current state of the food sources on the island, and Hiccup got out a notebook to write notes down, without thinking. Yet as he flipped through the pages, he realized it was an old one already filled, and he was about to put it away. Until his thumb caught a page, that is, and it brought him back into his old house fourteen years ago, when he was teaching Elsa about all the tribes. His notes with their names were scrawled across the yellowed page, and he stared at it, unmoving.
"Bezerker. They are...how do I put this delicately...insane."
His eyes shifted to Tore. Tore was one of the most logical men he knew, and even though his whole tribe had been known to have one screw loose, he was- and he wasn't just the exception- of a group that might jump before they think, but weren't crazier than his own tribe.
"They're just...Lava Louts! There is no reason, not that I know of, but they are un-honorable, disgusting, crude, and cheaters. We call them snakes in helmets."
He thought of Calder. That kid had half of Unn's crazy running through him, and was the most honorable person Hiccup could think of. Hiccup cheated in games of cards more than that kid ever had. He had been selfless with everything he did. And there were still the technical refugees of the tribe around, although now he couldn't even recall who was and who wasn't. Back then, he'd been so ready to accept them all in one big group, that if Unn was bad, they all were, and he was so wrong. It made him angry, a little bit, that he'd really believed his father's teachings on them, the point when he'd almost told Elsa they couldn't take Calder in...no matter his mother was a true Hooligan.
"Now the Outlaw Tribe is mostly...made of outlaws, as the name suggests. They attempted to become an official tribe among the leaders one generation ago, although their new attempts will fail. But these guys, they're worse that Lava Louts...really. These are the scum of the earth. Rapists, murders, pedophiles, incestuous slobs. And worst of all...cannibals. Never turn your back on an Outlaw, they say, or you'll be his next meal. We have a peace agreement to never kill a Viking from our neck of the woods, but they've felled more traveling ships and destroyed more nomadic villages more than I know."
Looking at Gnaw, he wanted to laugh. Nothing he'd said then was true, other than the cannibalism, but that hadn't been regularly practiced in years! They weren't even really Outlwas, it was just a name used a scare tactic. He and Elsa were one of the closest of the leader pairs on the island, apart from he and Camacazi. To think this is how he'd described him, years ago, he was caught between wanting to hit himself and laugh uncontrollably.
But Elsa hadn't believed much of any of those titles he'd said. She'd become friends with all of them almost quickly. Back then, he'd been scared for her. Now he just felt dumb.
To imagine that 14 years ago, he'd considered himself to be open-minded, yet at the same time, he thought his tribe was slightly superior because they were civilized people. They were all civilized...he'd just been caught up in stereotypes and stories the elders had handed down to him.
And he'd been so terribly wrong.
His eyes shifted up, to where the meeting was still continuing, unaware of his epiphany. Leading all these men, these strong and brave souls, would be an honor to him. No, better yet, collaborating with his friends in such a way would be the honor. He swallowed thickly, and Elsa rubbed his shoulder, making tiny snowflakes melt on his skin.
All it took was one look, one smile, and Elsa knew his choice. In the cool meeting room, underneath the dimming lights, she grinned back. That moment changed history, but the two of them got to share it first.
"What? No! I can't come here." Calder began pulling at Achille's reigns as soon as he realized where Hiccup was taking him, Einar, and Ophelia.
"Hands off!" She slapped it away, "Where are we-oh." She said, as she shielded her eyes, now realizing the large glacier coming up in the distance. She'd only seen it only in the past, of course, but it still sent a shiver through her.
"You need this. I swear, I'm not doing it to hurt you. But this is something we need to deal with. You're not alone, though."
"Yeah, we're here for you, bro." Einar said, nodding from the back of Toothless. His own egg was still wrapped carefully in a cloth in his backpack, the thing never leaving his sight.
"Can I jump off?" Calder asked, looking at the frothing water beneath him, whispering to Ophelia.
"Dad's right...you need to do this. I'll be right here, you know." She said, reaching back with a free hand to grab his hand. Toothless scoffed in front of them, and Hiccup patted his friend's head.
"I know, ew. I don't need to see that."
"At least they're not kissing in front of you!" Einar said unhelpfully, to which Ophelia threw one of shoes at him. Her aim had improved since she was a child, so it smacked him right in the face, and Achilles flew underneath to collect it as it fell to the ground. She deftly put it back on her foot.
Hiccup sniggered.
"Do you want to be next, dad?" She questioned.
They landed on top of the glacier top, and when Ophelia jumped down, she inhaled deeply. The last time she'd been here, the Dragonesse had touched her life. The feeling tingled through her spine, and she could almost still feel the presence here.
"I came through this way." Calder stood by a hole in the top of the glacier, shaking his head slowly, "Hiccup, I just can't! I don't want to-,"
"Hey." Hiccup grabbed Calder by the shoulders, "You can. You'll hate yourself forever if we don't do this, okay?" He asked. Calder nodded slowly, wiping away a tear-drop from his cheek.
"I'll go first. How about that?" Einar offered, already lowering himself into the hole, "Right, Cal?"
"You next." Hiccup said, nudging Calder. He looked frantically at Ophelia, but went down anyway.
"What does mom think we're doing?" Ophelia asked as she stared down the hole.
"Dunno. Bonding with you and my future son-in-law or something." Hiccup shrugged, "She has enough to worry about back home anyway. Her and Anna have hardly left each other's side..."
"And Einar joining us?"
"I don't know if people trust him yet. I think she was a bit relieved he wanted to come." He admitted. Ophelia scoffed.
"People will have to learn to accept him. You all will be living together soon enough anyway."
While the news of all the tribes combining under Hiccup had came without warning to Ophelia, she hadn't been surprised. If anyone had the power to bring all the previously distrustful tribes together to win a war, it had shown to be Hiccup. It was only logical he continued that work.
"It will take time for everyone." Hiccup said, giving a thin smile, "Yet people are more open to it than I ever expected. We're making progress as it is." He said, "And now we're starting to rebuilt as villages. Who would have thought?"
"I might miss all that empty land on Berk, but I think...this will be good." She said. They hadn't had time to formally talk about it, and Hiccup grinned.
"I'm glad to get your stamp of approval. Now, come on. We don't know how Calder is going to react." He said, nodding down. Ophelia nodded,and went down next.
It took her a moment to adjust her eyes, but when she did, she came right up to near where Calder and Einar was standing. She wedged herself on Calder's right side, and looked down.
Ull's skeleton hadn't been touched, apart from the ice seemingly growing around him, almost entirely encasing him in a frozen tomb.
She felt a shuddering sob rise up her throat, and tears sprang to her eyes as she slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from making noise. She'd sort of known what to expect, but she never expected for it all to hit her so hard. She had loved Ull too.
It wasn't until she heard the sputtering sobs of Calder next to her she let herself cry too. Perhaps she needed this as much as him. She hadn't cried properly yet; not for Ull, not for Gustav, not even for the part of herself that had died and the dragon that had given her life so she could live. It was so jarring, to look at the old and derelict skeleton and know in the back of her mind, even though almost nothing could have told her other than knowledge, that this...this was Ull.
Hiccup was the last down, and he just stared at the skeleton unmoving. Perhaps he had also expected something much different.
"Do you want to sword, Calder?" He asked softly, after the boy's sniffling had subsided.
Calder shook his head.
"I don't think any of us should take it." Einar said quietly, "It's been with him for like a million years or something. It was only Calder's for like ten." He pointed out.
"What now, dad?" Ophelia asked softly, trying to keep her voice steady.
"We give him a proper funeral." Hiccup said, blinking at him and nodding, much to everyone's surprise, "He deserves one, traitor or not. I did help raise him. He's your brother and we all loved him. He shouldn't stay here as a shrine. Let us send his soul on." He said.
"Do...we have to touch it?" Calder balked.
"I don't expect you to." Hiccup whistled up, and a Toothless dropped a burial shawl into the hole, and Hiccup laid it right near his body. He carefully extracted the sword from the ice, setting it aside, "Uh, Ophelia? Think you can melt this?" He asked, motioning to the cover around him.
"Of course." She said, and placed her trembling hands on it. Her anger and sadness fueled her power, and yet so did her love for both Calder and Ull, melted the ice within seconds.
"Einar?" Hiccup questioned, "You want to help me?" Einar nodded, and together, they rolled up the skeleton in the fabric. Once it was tight, Hiccup strung it together, and tied the sword to the top of it.
"Let's go." He said.
Outside, Toothless and Hiccup worked together to build a funeral bed. There was something familiar in their movements, as though they'd done it before together. Ophelia wanted to help, but she couldn't find the strength to even pick up a singular stick to attach.
Once it was done, Hiccup set the shawl on it, and gently pushed it out to sea.
"You should do the honors." He said, handing Calder a bow and arrow from Toothless' bag, lighting the tip on fire with a small snort from Toothless.
Ophelia knew in a more traditional sense, now was the time to speak a eulogy. But nothing could be said of Ull that wasn't already said. He wasn't a good person, he wasn't brave nor was he strong. But everyone deserved something...even as small a motion of this.
The arrow launched from the bow with a vibrating sound, and they all watched in silence as it landed on it's target, lighting the floating coffin on the water in colorful flames. They all watched as it vanished into the shadows, and then, Ull was truly gone.
It was a long while before anyone spoke, and when it was, it was only a small chuckle from Hiccup.
"What?" Ophelia asked, and Hiccup pointed to a shadowy figure far, far away.
"That's Arendelle. Right over there." He said, "I remember passing over this place when your mother and I went looking for it right after we were married."
"Arendelle...?" Ophelia frowned, "Are there people there?" She asked, a bubble of excitement rising in her at the thought of meeting her ancestors.
"No." Hiccup shook his head, "Although there should be people there soon. That troll- Pabbie or something- told me it would be something like fourteen, maybe fifteen, years in the future when the first settles would arrive. I can't remember the exact date." He rubbed his head, "Ophelia? You okay?"
"I'm fine." Ophelia shoved down her excitement that sill bubbled inside of her, although now it was like a waterfall spilling all over her, "I just...that's cool to know, dad. Thanks for telling me."
As they got back on their dragons, Calder gave her a curious look. She just grinned. "I'll tell you when we get back."
A couple days later, when Ophelia planned on telling everyone, her courage left her. She sat at her own birthday dinner, her fingers mercilessly attacking a piece of bread until it was just crumbs.
"What if they hate me? Both sets?" She whispered frantically to Calder.
"If they really did hate you over this, then you don't need them." He said comfortingly, or at least what he likely thought was a comfort. It wasn't, not...not really.
"You said it yourself." He added, seeing her still dubious expression, "It's meant to be, eh?"
"I know, I know." She whispered, letting out a long sigh, slumping into her chair, "It's just sorta a bombshell."
He gave her a sympathetic look, but let her continue to think.
Everyone was here that she wanted to be here; all her friends, all her family, everyone she held close to her heart. Might as well tell them all at once, right? Near the end, before she lost her nerve and went back to Arendelle tomorrow without saying it, she stood up. She didn't even have to get everyone's attention...just her presence standing alerted everyone to simmer down and quiet.
"Hi everyone." She gave an awkward wave.
"Hi, Ophelia!" Sigrid waved to her from the back, and she smiled. She felt a little more relaxed.
"So...as everyone knows by this point, I've lived two different times, two different places. And now that I've just recently come to reconnect with the other one, I'm sure everyone has the same question in their minds. No one wants to ask me it, and everyone also thinks they know the correct answer...where will I chose to stay?" She looked around the room. She didn't dare meet either sets of her parent's eyes.
"I've been thinking about it a lot lately. A month to be exact. It might seem like a whole long time, but it's been the only thing I've though about since it became a question for me. Now...I love both places. I'm grateful for what each place has taught me and in no way is one better than the other. Let me just say that." She held up her hands, and saw Hiccup nodding appreciatively out of the corner of her eye. Seeing Hiccup agree with her...that gave her more courage than anything else.
"For awhile, I was making my pros and cons of what I should be doing, or what I thought people deserved to get. It wasn't until a very wise person told me that I need to do it for me and myself only that I started thinking that way, and this changed everything." She gave a small smile to Cyril who gave her a thumbs up in response.
"Not to say that others didn't change my course. But maybe change isn't' the right word. Mold, perhaps. They molded me and gave me courage the choice I was making was correct. I can't even say you only live once, because clearly for me that's not the case. I might be the only person ever to say that, and it's made me realize that you really have to live and do what will make you happy, otherwise what was it all for? I was given this second life as the most precious gift, and I'm not going to waste it in a place I don't feel as though I'm meant to be. There's been a lot of talk going around lately about fate, now that the portals have appeared. Fate that Elsa landed here. Fate this, fate that. Maybe I buy into it, maybe I don't. But I know that a couple days ago, when the answer came to me, it felt so terribly right that I can't imagine a different way."
She prepped herself, and turned to both sets of parents. She knew from Anna and Kristoff's expressions that they both fully expected her to say she was returning to Arendelle. Hiccup's face was a bit more guarded, more neutral, but there was a glimmer of hope in Elsa's that she'd say Berk.
"I love you both so much. All of you. Each of you made me who I am today, and I will never thank you enough. It's not a blemish on either side when I tell you what I've chosen...remember that. One couldn't ask for better parents." She met each in the eye as she spoke, and they all gave their own nods. Good.
"I'm not going back to Arendelle."
This caused the most ruckus, as she knew this was what the general assumption was. Anna just covered her mouth, and Kristoff stood up.
"I don't belong there. I might have been born there, but it's not me. It hasn't been, not even when I was a child. Besides..." Her gaze switched to Dante, who was looking at her in awe and was tearing up a bit, "Dante was always meant to be the next ruler. He loves Arendelle more than anything. I wouldn't even know where to begin leading those people, but that's not why I left. You might try to tell me I'll learn to fit in there after a couple years, but I know it's just not true."
She looked at Hiccup and Elsa, who now looked gleeful, but were trying not to show it too much, for Anna and Kristoff's sake.
"I'm not saying in Berk either." She said. This caused complete bedlam in the dining hall.
"What?" Hiccup stumbled back, "Where are you going to go?"
"To Arendelle...the one that hasn't been made yet." She said confidently, and whistled to get everyone's attention, "Yes, I'm going to a place that doesn't exist yet, and I'm the start of it. Pabbit once mentioned to Hicucp that in fourteen years the people that would start Arendelle would arrive, and I knew as soon as he said it that it was me. This is a time of much fluidity between all our lands- future and whatnot. There are people from the Southern Isles and Arendelle choosing to live here. There are vikings that feel as though they're meant to exist in the future. If you're a person that feels as though you are not quite sure which way to go, come with me. I can't promise you anything other than what I feel to be the truest feeling I've ever felt. If you feel it too, you'll know you're meant to come with me. Thanks for listening everyone." She said, and sat down, taking a bite of her cake. She was fully aware of everyone's eyes still on her, and the silent whispers. She ignored them. It was the best thing she could do right now.
Afterwards, everyone wanted to talk to her. She knew her parents were the first ones she needed to address. They all crowded around her, still looking quite taken back by her announcement.
"You're not...mad?" She asked hesitantly.
"Oh," Hiccup shook his head gently, "You always were the adventurous one. It all sort of makes sense now." He said.
"You'll do great out there, I know it." Elsa added. She turned to Anna and Kristoff.
"I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. I feel as though I just found you again, baby." Anna's voice was hoarse.
"It's not like I'll never see you again. Dolph said he'd re-open the portal if it ever died again. Every time I come back to visit Elsa and Hiccup, I'll come back to see you guys too." She said, and went in to hug her, "Dante really wants this, mom. But I'm doing this for me, most importantly. I want this." She said.
"I always knew I'd find you again." Kristoff said, "And somehow, I always knew you'd leave." He chuckled, "I just sort of hoped I was wrong. But if you're happy...how can I resist?"
"You have to let us come to the wedding though, of course." Anna said, patting Calder's back.
"Mom! We only just started dating." Ophelia felt her cheeks blush.
"You know it's going to happen." Elsa agreed.
She felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned to see Dante standing there, eyes red and puffy. She leaned down and hugged him, and he didn't pull away.
"How...I can never..." He whispered, "I'm sorry I was so mean to you." He finally finished.
"Well work on that." Ophelia informed him, "Keep Osanna by your side. She's reasonable. Odin willing she'll be queen one day." She winked at him.
"We're just friends." He fumbled awkwardly. She hummed, not convinced.
"I want to go with you!" Yvonne cried, attacking her from the other side.
"Ack! Starkid, you belong here." Ophelia said once she'd regained her balance, "But you can visit all the time when you get your own dragon, okay?" The little girl nodded solemnly.
"Can I get my own room at your new place?" She asked.
"I'll design it just for you." Ophelia promised. She turned to Calder, "Well, we have a lot to do, now. Don't we?"
And so they did. They set their travel date a month from the announcement. They didn't want to take the provisions of Elsa and Hiccup, with spring just barley arriving, but they insisted on taking at least some seeds and things that lasted a long time. It was a quite a journey to Arendelle. More people than she ever expected joined up with her and Calder, and by a week before they left, they were nearly thirty strong, of both Vikings and those from the future. The kid that had once been a general that had apparently apologized to Jor, for example, decided to come with them. Also, so had Brinja, much to Camacazi's surprise. The surprise of everyone, really. When asked why, her answer had been eloquent for a thirteen-year-old.
"Mom has told me that I'm the eldest twin, but we both know Tyrah is much better suited to be leader. I don't want to, but I'm slated to take over the new group when mom dies. I suppose this is my way of stepping down in the best way possible. Ophelia was right...I can feel the true path in my bones."
There had been much discussion if Camacazi was really going to let her thirteen-year-old run off with Calder and Ophelia, but Ophelia promised to take special watch of her and if anything at all were to happen to inform Camacazi at once. If she couldn't take it, they might wait until she was a bit older to go, but as for now, she was coming.
The night before she left, Ophelia spent a final night with her friends.
"Starting your own world. Ballsy, Cal." Lyal patted him on the back, "Might need to pro-create a-ow!" He started to say, but Sigrid punched him in the shoulder.
"Stop it. Ophelia's poor ears can't handle that." She teased.
"Gee, thanks Sigrid."
"Sappho approves. And she's like the pinnacle of fate and meant to be." Randolph informed everyone, and Ophelia chuckled.
"And as Cyril would say, we haven't all faded into oblivion so I must be doing something right." She added, and Dolph nodded hastily.
"True, true."
"So I hear you're going under Cyril's wing for a bit, huh?" Calder asked Dolph, "Going to Arendelle."
"Yeah. I'm becoming the official corespondent for the Omphalos and all, since you know, I sort of control them. I have to meet some big 'important' people." He rolled his eyes.
"Oh! If you meet anyone famous in the future, get their autograph for me." Fulla waved her hand around.
"You won't even know who they are!"
"Yeah, but my great to I don't know how many in the future children will. It will be the family heirloom." She declared, and everyone laughed.
"So... guys...I think I'm going with them." Jor said above the laugher, and everyone stopped. Ophelia turned to her.
"Really?" She asked, stumbling back on her log.
"There's not much for me here. I think I need to start fresh." She said, smiling placidly, "If you'll take me?"
"Oh, of course!" Ophelia nearly crushed her with her hug.
"Oh yeah! I want to come too." Fulla said casually as though she was telling Ophelia about the weather, "What? No one is surprised that I want to go?" She said, scowling.
"Naw." Einar chuckled, "I mean, you did follow them on basically a suicide mission." He pointed out.
"I don't like being left out of things." She said pointedly, "Just like Tyrah, I'll never be leader. Might as well be the start of a new world." She said, fluffing her hair.
"Somehow, that makes perfect sense for you." Lyal chuckled, "I sort of want to go...but I know my fate's here." He said, and then, he looked at Sigrid hesitantly, "Are you...going?"
Sigrid's eyes turned between Jor and Ophelia, her two best friends. She turned to Lyal, and Ophelia saw her confidence shatter.
"Do you want me to go?" She asked softly, and in that moment, it was as though the were the only ones talking. Lyal gave a soft shake of his head.
"No. Not really."
"Finally!" Fulla stood up, "You guys took even longer than these two." She threw her hands back to Ophelia and Calder, "You two are much more stubborn."
Ophelia laughed behind her hands, and soon everyone was. They all slept underneath the stars as a group one final time, and for a moment, everything was perfectly as it was meant to be.
In the morning, the whole of Berk arrived to see them off. Everyone was hugging and sharing hopes and dreams and everyone loaded things onto the dragons.
"Hey!" Einar called to Calder, who turned to see the lean and swarthy boy running up to him, carrying some packs he'd forgotten.
"Oh, thanks! Whew, this would have been bad to forget." He said, and frowned, "I'm going to miss you, Einar. I really do think of you as a brother."
"Don't be all mushy." Einar swatted away his hug, "I'm going with you."
"Huh?" Calder frowned, "But the Lava Louts. I'm letting you take them over. I already okayed it with Hiccup and-,"
"I know.I politely declined Hiccup's offer. I'm not really their leader. THey wouldn't want me, and I'm not too keen on leading anyone. Someone else will do a much better job. Someone that wasn't raised by Unn." He added.
"I'm sort of glad you're coming." Calder said in all honesty, "I suppose that means you need to ride with someone on their dragon though..."
"She'll hatch." Einar patted his egg encouraging, "Eventually."
"Calder!" Someone called his name, and he turned to see Ophelia bouncing up to him, happier than she'd ever been before, "Ready to leave?"
"Yep. Einar's coming."
"Cool! The more the merrier. Let me just hug my parents goodbye, then we'll take off." She said, nodding back to where both sets stood. Calder watched as she went over and hugged all of them- her parents on both sides, her siblings and cousins, saying something to each of them before getting on Achilles, Hubert on her head like a helmet. She waved goodbye, and the whole fleet took off.
Hiccup watched them until they were mere dots in the distance, and then finally, they were gone.
He didn't get a chance to think about it until they were deep into that night. It had been a rather exciting day. Ophelia had left to start her own life, Anna and Kristoff had named Dante as the new heir in a big ceremony, and the remaining tribes had mapped out on Berk where all the new villages would be, and construction had started. All the new eras had begun today, of all days.
When he returned to his old house, Valka and Stoick's, where his family was staying, he was surprised to see Elsa still up, sitting by the fire.
"Hey, you okay?" He asked her.
"I'm quite fine." She assured, moving over so he could sit. She melted into his figure, sighing, "I'm just thinking about life. About when I first got here. Remember how Toothless had that weird connection with me?" She asked with a soft chuckle.
"Of course! It was so strange."
"I think he felt it. The Alpha power in my fingers. There was so much pointing to my powers coming from a bewilderbeast, I just never really thought about it. Not even until Ophelia left today, when I realized it. My niece is my own great-something grandmother!"
"Ow...that hurts my head just thinking about it." Hiccup said playfully, rubbing his temple, "Life is weird."
"You can say that again." Elsa agreed, swinging her legs over his so she was laying on the couch. She looked up to see Hiccup smiling at her like a fool, and she raised an eyebrow.
"What? Do I have some sauce on my lips from dinner?" She asked, wiping her mouth.
"No, of course not. I just...I'm so in love with you right now."
"Because the rest of the time you're not. Good to know." Elsa teased, and Hiccup rolled his eyes.
"No, missy. Gosh, you've been around me too long. You're becoming sarcastic."
"Becoming? Hun, I reached Sarcasm Bay a long time ago." She assured.
"What I'm trying to say is I haven't a lot of time to really look at you. Everything's been so busy. For once...it's calm. And I love you as much as I did the first moment I realized it."
"On our wedding day?" She asked.
He shook his head.
"It was even before that. I remember the moment I knew I could live forever with you, Elsa, was you chose Mercedes as your dragon. It was such a gesture, it befuddled me so much that you of all people could get her to like you, and maybe that's also when I realized how brilliantly special you are." He said, "Still are."
He took her hand and kissed it gently.
"For all you are besides what you have," He said, a mantra of a promise from their wedding night, smiling as her fingers frosted over.
"And all you don't have." She agreed, her heel tapping against his metal leg.
"A perfect fit. You fill what I don't have." He said with a confident grin.
"Fate usually isn't wrong." Elsa reminded him, and he laughed.
"You think Dolph could get me her address? I think I'd like to send her a nice meat basket or something as thanks."
"So Fate likes meat?" Elsa asked. Hiccup shrugged, leaning down to kiss her.
"Who doesn't?"
"A very good point, my Viking." Elsa agreed, rolling over so she was on top, and leaning down to kiss him again, "A very good point."
And then, they lapsed into silence. But it was, of course, the best kind of silence. The kind when the whole word sighed, knowing at least in this very moment, everything in the whole universe was perfectly where it should be.
Fin