The Great Beyond

Chapter 21: Edge of Disaster, Pt. 1 (Hiccup)

So I'm calling these next two chapters 'half chapters', because each of them is going to be half the length of a normal chapter. Initially, I was just going to make both parts one chapter, but there's some important dialogue between Hiccup/Snotlout and Reign/Fishlegs that can't happen in the same setting

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The red and orange light of the sun's arrival pushed my eyes open, nearly blinding me in the process. Unwilling to start the day just yet, I rolled over and stretched an arm out, expecting to feel a body there. Instead, my arm thumped down against wood, inducing a state of panic that shot me straight up.

It took a while for me to remember.

Some mornings went like this, where my brain hoped that everything with Reign had been a nightmare, and I'd wake up and she'd be there, fast asleep or smiling at me. Most of the time, I just wandered through my day, accepting it to the best of my ability. We never really crossed paths after that argument, something I knew was purposeful on her part. When I was on my own, all I could think about was how sorry I was; I wanted to tell her that—how I had been out of line, that I should've given her the benefit of the doubt, and how I couldn't possibly imagine a future without her in it. And yet, somehow, whenever we did end up seeing each other, our attempts at casual conversation completely devolved into arguing. It was like the things we kept pent up were suddenly more important than moving past a stupid fight, and the regret only came after.

Then again, I could only speak for myself.

Knocking against the frame of my front door finally pushed me to get up and make my way downstairs. There were a lot of things that could've been waiting for me, but Astrid holding the twins' helmets was not one that I really expected.

"Astrid! What can I do for you?" I probably asked that a little louder than normal, but there was definitely a part of me that was afraid she was upset with me for what happened. Thankfully, she just got straight to her point.

"The twins," she growled, thrusting their helmets out in front of my face. "They didn't stand their watch, Hiccup. Those two dummies left two dummies in their place." The situation definitely wasn't one to laugh about, yet I found myself smiling.

"You know, those dummies could conceivably be just as effective as the twins," I joked, leaning against a piece of the doorframe.

"Not funny," Astrid snapped back. "We built that watchtower so that—"

"I know why we built it, Astrid." She shook her head, throwing the helmets around slightly.

"I just don't understand how this isn't making you completely insane."

"Because then there'd be two crazy people in this conversation and we probably wouldn't resolve anything." The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted it—especially as Astrid narrowed her gaze, leering at me.

"Are you saying I'm—"

"Astrid, let me talk to the twins," I interrupted, trying to distract from what I'd just said. "I'll get their side of the story, then we can figure out what we need to do." Luckily for me, she took that.

"I guess that's a start."

With impeccable timing, the twins landed on the platform for my hut, climbing off their dragon with a determined sort of vigor.