seven

𝔭𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔱 𝔡𝔞𝔶:
𝔱𝔴𝔢𝔩𝔳𝔢. . . . .𝔶𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔰. . . . .𝔩𝔞𝔱𝔢𝔯
𝔟𝔢𝔯𝔨

ALORA LET OUT A SIGH AS SHE WATCHED HER KIDS PLAY OUTSIDE. Hiccup sat beside her and placed a hand on hers. She looked over at him and smiled innocently, but Hiccup knew better.

The small house on the top overlooked all of Berk. It was cozy and it felt different, yet similar to their little hut back on Dragon's Edge. There were drawings on the ledge. One of Hiccup, Alora, and their two children. There was a drawing of Kara and Alora sitting on a bench. Another with Alex and the rest of the DEO family. Another of Ray and Nora's family. Then, there was one of the Haddock family, all three of them. The one next to it, Alora had added herself in it. Of course, the ledge was complete with one of Hiccup when he was younger and Stoick was hugging him.

It was filled with little memorabilia that they had collected together since their teen years. In a small little case above the fireplace, there were two handmade bracelets and above it was Toothless's bowl. They had placed the firesword far from the children's reach and Alora's supersuit was folded neatly underneath the sword's stand.

Because it had been fifteen years since they met and dated, Hiccup knew every nook and cranny about Alora. So by the way she was sitting, he knew that something was up with his wife.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head and whispered, "Nothing."

Hiccup scooted his chair closer to her and placed his head on her head. His beard tickled her scalp.

"Aly. . ."

Alora turned her body towards him and he lifted his head to look down at her.

"You know, they're right. You didn't really tell me what happened when you went back to your world."

She shook her head and pushed her long braid to the back.

"Because there wasn't much to say."

"Crinkle."

"Dammit."

"Aly. Please," Hiccup said. "Before you finish telling the story to the kids, could you please tell me what happened in between?"

Alora pouted.

"Oh, don't give me that look Aly," Hiccup scrunched up his face, closing his eyes. "You know I can't resist it."

Alora knew Hiccup like the back of her hand. She knew every little thing that would set him off and calm him down.

But even after being together for so long, there were still some things that were unspoken about.

Like Alora's time on her Earth.

Yes, there were things that she's withheld from Hiccup and her friends, but only because she'd rather not relive the past. She wanted to move on and stop wallowing. But every once in a while the memories would fade in and she would wake up with sweat running down her forehead.

Some nights, her husband couldn't sleep either and they would reminisce about the happy days of their youth.

As Hiccup stared at his wife, he saw the timid eighteen-year-old girl that he saved slowly surfacing.

"Alora," Hiccup said, this time in a more stern voice. "You can't keep pushing it inside. You're not alone anymore. You have us. You have me. Your family."

Alora went to snuggle closer to his body and let out a deep sigh.

"I'm going over to Astrid's," she said, patting his chest before getting up to leave.

Hiccup lowered his head in defeat, but his eyes never left her.

"Okay," he replied in a small voice.

ᚹ

"I'm sorry, you did what?!" Astrid yelled.

Alora winced at her raised voice and her body clenched up, almost in a fetal-like stance as they sat on Astrid's couch.

"What was I supposed to do?!" she tried yelling. But it ended up sounding like she was a child who had gotten in trouble with her mother.

"'What was I supposed to do?!' Are you fucking kidding me?! You tell him the truth!" Astrid scolded. "It's what you should've done in the first place!"

"Astrid—"

"You should've told him that day, on your wedding night, when he asked! You shouldn't have came to me, you should've gone to him!"

"Oh Thor."

"Don't bring Thor into this, you brought yourself to this mess," she said, crossing her arms. "Which is why I'm going to help your stubborn, muttonhead brain make amends."

Alora looked up at her best friend and clinged onto her.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you Astrid!"

"Yeah, yeah," she said, patting her back, before whispering. "Kryptonians and their knacks for keeping secrets."

"I know! I need to stop!"

"Now," Astrid said, getting up. "Your kids are waiting for you to finish the story. So here's what you're going to do. You're gonna tell Kara, Hiccup IV, and Hiccup III your story. With nothing but the truth from now on. No more hiding. That shit sailed a long time ago."

"You mean 'ship'."

"'Shit'."

". . . Okay."

So Alora and Astrid walked together, arm-in-arm, as they made their way back to Alora and Hiccup's house. Astrid called the children inside and Alora sat down, more composed than last time. Hiccup sat far away and leaned his head on his curled fist.

"Okay!" Alora exclaimed. "Now where were we. . .?"

⸻

𝔱𝔴𝔢𝔩𝔳𝔢. . . . .𝔶𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔰. . . . .𝔞𝔤𝔬
𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔡𝔯𝔞𝔤𝔬𝔫 𝔫𝔢𝔰𝔱

Alora smiled as she watched Hiccup and Toothless speed by her.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Astrid yelled.

"Oh you know, catching up with Mom!" Hiccup exclaimed, flipping his mask up.

Eret and Astrid looked up as they watched a figure wave a stick around on a dragon. The Alpha raised up behind her and Astrid gave him a look.

"That's your mother?!"

"At least we know where he gets his dramatic flair!" Alora yelled.

"Hey!" Hiccup said.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Astrid teased.

Hiccup flipped his mask down and flew back, away from them.

Alora whooped as she flew alongside the dragons, using her laser vision as they used their fire.

She thought everything was going well.

Then she saw the ground shaking. Usually that only meant one thing, but this time, it wouldn't lead to a portal opening.

No, it was something different.

The ground shook. Alora lifted her fist from the ground. She looked up, her eyes were blinded with fury.

"LEX LUTHER!" she yelled. "SHOW YOURSELF!"

A loud clanging sound was heard and Alora found herself thrown into a cage. A dragon-proof cage.

"You've got to be shitting me," she muttered, looking at the Dragon Trappers that were staring at her.

"Was she flying?!"

"What kind of symbol is that?"

"What is she?"

Alora used her laser vision. . .only then she remembered that didn't work.

"Are you kidding me?!" she cried out.

Then, she watched as a massive foot landed beside the ship she was trapped on. She looked up and saw another Bewilderbeast. It had a much darker tone than the one she had seen.

The two clashed and Alora desperately tried prying apart the bars as Drago's men fled from the scene, wanting to watch the two beasts fight.

Alora felt herself hyperventilating.

She crawled away, her face beaten and bruised. The glowing green crystal was so close, yet so far.

"Are you seriously going towards the one thing that will kill you?"

Alora turned towards the man behind her.

"Yes," Alora said. "Because we're going to finish this."

Lex sighed.

"Fine by me."

A loud roar snapped her out of her thoughts. Her eyes widened as she saw Drago's Bewilderbeast pierce the other dragon in the stomach.

It roared and suddenly all the dragons approached it, bowing down to it. She watched as Valka and her dragon flew away from its icicles.

"No, no, no, no," she whispered using her strength to pull apart the bars. But she found that they weren't as easy to pry apart anymore. They were much more reinforced than the Hunters cages.

Alora used her hands to crawl up to the table.

"STOP!" she heard Hiccup yell from far away.

Alora looked at Lex dead in the eyes. She pulled out something from behind. A button of sorts.

"What is that?" he asked.

She heard yelling and she zoned in on Hiccup. The new Alpha was making its way towards them.

"HICCUP!" she yelled.

Alora pressed the button and her body jolted upwards, a newfound energy washed all over her body.

She heard Toothless's squeals and growls. . .until it finally stopped. She watched as Toothless's eyes changed and he turned around to Hiccup. She saw Stoick run towards them.

Alora screamed as her fingers bent the outer part of the cage.

Lex gave her a confusing look, but it was soon washed with fear as he saw her pupils turn red.

"DAD, NO!"

A loud shot was heard and Alora finally broke free.

But she was too late. When she arrived Hiccup was lying on the floor in defeat. Stoick was covered in icicles. And Toothless. . .was different.

Alora felt her eyes heat up again. Drago was right there in front of her. All it took was one second.

One second can do a lot.

It can change everything.

Astrid ran towards her and stood in front. Alora's hands shook as she felt her eyes turn back to normal.

"Don't," she whispered.

She turned and saw Hiccup looking at Toothless who had his mouth wide open. He ran to his father and yelled in agony. Valka joined in and put her head on his chest. But Alora knew what had happened.

She could no longer hear his heartbeat.

Suddenly Toothless regained consciousness and realized that the Chief had died. As he tried to approach them, Hiccup screamed at him. Yelling to go away.

Alora ran towards them and in a small voice repeated, "It's not his fault. It's not his fault."

Hiccup couldn't hear her as he screamed at the Night Fury. Astrid noticed the young brunette's slouching appearance as she stared at Stoick. Hiccup fell to his knees and Alora's shaking hand reached his. When they touched, she stopped and felt his shaking, only it was out of anger.

But her other hand was still shaking.

She watched as everyone's dragons went with the other flock. Their mind was not their own. Drago had Toothless, and suddenly Hiccup regretted telling him to go away.

They were heading to Berk. That much they knew.

Alora and Hiccup looked at each other. Only this time, they actually looked.

They noticed.

They knew.

They were not the same kids that met on that windy day on Dragon's Edge.