THE TRANSLATOR, httyd.

the translator, seven.

elina could tell that berk hadn't really changed since she had last left. a sense of nostalgia hit elina like a tsunami as she peeked behind the barrels, seeing the vikings walk around with weapons in their hands. hiccup stood in front of the barrel, unsuccessful in attempting to hide elina.

the dragon arena was filled with children. elina remembered gobber, and from what hiccup told her, there was a blond girl called astrid, twins called tuffnut and ruffnut, a boy called snotlout and another one called fishlegs.

elina went into another fit of laughter at their names (except astrid's. that one was the only one that made sense.)

"today is about teamwork. now, a wet dragon head can't light its fire. the hideous zippleback is extra tricky. one head breathes gas, the other head lights it. your job is to know which is which."

at hiccup's confusion, elina whispered to him, "the right head breathes gas."

elina watched hiccup's face contort into one of realization. "oh," hiccup said, holding the water bucket in his hand tightly. "and you're sure that i won't be burnt to a crisp, right?"

"i never said that," elina shrugged. "if you scare them, then you might be."

elina watched hiccup stare at her, deadpan. "thanks," he said sarcastically. "appreciate the undying support." fishlegs stared at him, confused towards who he was talking to. elina wanted to facepalm into the dirt at how obvious he was being.

"you're welcome, muttonhead."

"if that dragon shows either of his faces, i'm gonna — there!" the boy called snotlout said, throwing the water at the two girls. elina had never felt more smart as she watched tuffnut tell the girls they had 'a bigger butt', which made them start fighting.

"wait." the blond called astrid got knocked over, and tuffnut ran out of the gas, screaming, "oh, i'm hurt, i'm very much hurt!"

"come on, they're gonna get themselves killed!" elina groaned impatiently. she didn't want her new... friend to get himself murdered as well by fighting a zippleback.

fishlegs looked terrified. "chances of survival are dwindling into single-digits now," he stuttered. suddenly, one of the zippleback's heads emerged from the gas, and elina watched as he tossed the water towards his face. 

it was gas.

fishlegs ran off screaming.

seriously.

hiccup threw the water towards the other zippleback's head, but he missed. elina was mentally debating on whether she should help her friend or not.

suddenly, the zipplebacks pounced onto hiccup. elina stood up immediately in horror. the world spinned as she saw her friend getting surrounded by the gas. 

oh, gods, please don't let him be dead. she was relieved when she saw hiccup reverse the zipplebacks by holding out an eel. 

elina stifled a smile. seems like he took my advice into consideration, elina though. hiccup threw the eel inside the enclosure, and finally shut the door. everyone was shocked, and fishlegs dropped his bucket with a loud clang.

hiccup quickly darted his gaze towards elina, who nodded, and said, "okay! so, are we done? because i've got some things to do, uh... yep. see you guys later." and elina managed to sneak out from the backdoor as everyone was distracted by hiccup's form leaving the stadium.

hiccup found elina in the weaponry a few minutes later. 

"so, this is where you live?" elina asked hiccup, looking at the weapons and weighing them in her hands. "nice craftsmanship."

hiccup looked at his father's axe nervously. "haha... yep. you might want to put that down, though. it's my dad's." 

elina immediately dropped it. she didn't want anything that was associated with the name. "gladly, haddock."

elina sighed as she walked around the armory. her fingers ghosted across familiar wood and iron, and her fingers trembled with anger as she reached out for a sword. her old sword. her fingers dropped as she saw the words, 'traitor' embarked on it as if she was in the wrong for being an empathetic person.

traitor. traitor. traitor.

elina remembered all the memories of berk flashing back at her; how her mother used to run her fingers through her hair, how her father taught her how to throw daggers to mark a bullseye, how she had gotten her first approvals from her mentor, how she used to play with all the other children of berk. and now, it was all gone.

traitor. traitor. traitor.

elina looked at the other the two other weapons next to elina's. an axe and a hammer. elina avoided the words engraved in the metal, but she could envision it in her head as clear as the day. 

erik and fay. elina hated herself for still being hung up over something that happened so long ago. her parents. elina remembered her father's eyes crinkling when he smiled, and how her mother's brown eyes looked into her brown ones as she scolded her for stealing the last berry.

elina hadn't even noticed how long she'd been standing there, paralysed.

"it's okay, ellie." hiccup heard someone whisper, and she turned to see hiccup standing next to her, and elina's brain shut down from her emotions. "it's okay." 

elina hadn't even noticed hiccup bringing her into his arms.

"i'm sorry. i'm so sorry."

elina hadn't even noticed the tear that had slipped down her cheek.

"don't cry, ellie. please? look at me? don't cry."

elina hadn't even noticed the familiar faces that ran across her subconscious as if they were taunting her. for not being strong enough to get over her parents deaths. for not being fast enough to save her parents before they drowned. for not being stubborn enough to prevent her parents for going on the trip. for being a burden to hiccup because god, why was she such an idiot? what if he actually hated her?

"elina... i don't hate you. i could never hate you."

elina hadn't even noticed that she was saying it out loud.

"you're the bravest, smartest, prettiest girl i've ever known. it's not your fault. don't blame yourself for not having saved them. did you purposely made their ship sink?" elina shook her head. "then it wasn't your fault," hiccup insisted.

elina gave a choked laugh, and she blinked a few times so she was able to see hiccup through her tears. 

"did you just call me pretty, haddock?"

hiccup immediately embraced his friend. "are you okay? i mean, you're obviously not okay. uh, do you need some paper —"

"no, i'm good." elina said. but she think it was the first time that she had ever meant those words, and hiccup laced his fingers with hers again. elina felt warmth bloom in her chest, and breathed shakily.

thank you, hiccup.