Winter Moon (Jelsa)

Chapter 20: Hiccup

The dragons landed them near the gates of Skyara. Hiccup could see the glorious City of the Skies in the distance. The towering white walls dwarfed the forests surrounding the capital city. The Tower was visible over the walls, a golden pillar to the heavens.

"We have only a hour or two of darkness left. We should hurry," Elsa said, hefting her backpack onto her shoulders.

"How are we going to get in?" Astrid asked. "The Elites know we're missing by now. Even if we sneak in and just reappear in New Dawn, they're going to know that something's up."

Hiccup couldn't look at her without blushing. He wasn't sure why he had kissed Astrid, but he wanted to do it again.

"I know a way we can sneak in..." Jack trailed off under Elsa's withering glare.

"No. I know what you're thinking, and we are not going to do that," Elsa snapped.

Jack shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

Hiccup's curiosity was now piqued. "What was it?"

"He wanted us to enter through the drainage," Elsa replied. "By the sewage pipes."

"Gross." Astrid scrunched her nose. "I can't believe you even considered that."

"What? It happens in books all the time."

"Statistically speaking, it could work," Hiccup interjected. 

"Statistically speaking, it would be really disgusting," Astrid replied matter-of-factly. "I wouldn't do it unless we had no other choice."

"Statistically speaking," Elsa interrupted, "we're wasting time."

"We're debilitating the merits and drawbacks of a solution to our predicament," Jack clarified. "Not wasting time."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Semantics."

"Maybe we should just go in through the front gates. Turn ourselves in," Hiccup suggested.

Jack frowned. "There would be repercussions. Memory wiping most likely. Or something worse. As much as I don't like leaving Punzie, Merida, and Flynn, could we just avoiding entering the city entirely?"

"Not possible. We need more information if we're going to beat Pitch, we're undersupplied, we have nowhere to go, and if we don't return soon, the Elites will start hunting for us," Elsa answered.

"It think it might be best to turn ourselves in. Just walk in through the front gates. I need answers to this." Astrid held up her a hand, and a ball of light began to glow in the center of her palm.

Hiccup exchanged unhappy glances with the other three, but they knew they didn't have much of a choice. 

Elsa sighed. "We should get moving."

"Oh, that won't be necessary," drawled a lazy voice.

Hiccup turned, dreading the sight.

"Bunnymund," Jack said uncomfortably, "fancy meeting you here."

~ ~ ~

"How much did you hear?" Elsa asked the giant rabbit as he marched the four of them towards a groundship, parked in a thicket five minutes away from their hiding spot.

"Most of it," Bunnymund ground out.

In the ship, there were two other Elites. A shapeshifter named Kayla and an Elemental named Miguel. 

Miguel was bent over a blueprint and didn't bother looking up as they entered, but Kayla gave them a weak smile.

"Elsa! Jack! There you two are. You've been missing for days," she said, trying to lighten the mood. "And... with two commoners apparently. What are you doing with non-magicals?"

"Quiet," Bunnymund snapped, making all of them jump. "Kayla, start up the groundship. We are going straight to the Tower. Jack, explain. Now."

"We... took a mini-vacation to Berk?" Jack offered.

Bunnymund sighed in exasperation. "I don't even know why I bother. Just shut up and don't talk for the rest of the trip."

Jack elaborately mimed locking his lips shut, making exaggerated facial expressions as he did so.

Hiccup stifled a laugh, and Bunnymund, aware of everything, shot him a glare.

An eternity of awkward silence later, the groundship screeched to a halt, and Bunnymund escorted them out. Hiccup was starting to think he resembled a prison warden.

"Kayla," Bunnymund ordered," take these two straight to Tooth. Tell her I want their memories wiped and have them restored to New Dawn as protocol dictates."

"Yes, sir," Kayla answered, grabbing Hiccup and Astrid and steering them firmly towards a door.

"Miguel!" Bunnymund barked as Hiccup and Astrid traveled out of earshot.

Miguel jumped from where he was sitting, concentrating on his work. "Y-yes?"

"Notify North that the missing persons have been found and detained. Elsa, Jack, come with me."

Hiccup exchanged a frantic look with Astrid. He didn't want his memory wiped anymore than she did. 

Astrid eyed Kayla, who was walking just ahead of them, her black braid swinging with each step.

Think we can take her? Astrid mouthed.

Hiccup nodded curtly. It was just one Elite, after all, since Bunnymund was too far away. There was two of them, and they had the element of surprise. All advantages.

Without warning, Astrid lunged, trying to tackle Kayla around the waist by the looks of it.

As if she'd known Astrid was coming, Kayla stepped nimbly out of the way, leaving Astrid to stagger and fall on the floor.

Hiccup tried next, hoping Astrid had distracted Kayla enough, but no such luck. The Elite twisted out of the way and kicked Hiccup's legs out from under him, sending him sprawling to the floor. 

"This is ridiculous," Kayla clucked. "I've been trained in combat. You have not."

Were Jack and Elsa taught this kind of stuff? Hiccup had no idea.

"Honestly," Kayla said, "I didn't think I would have to do this, and yet, here we are." She reached over and yanked Astrid and Hiccup to their feet. "Hands in the air."

Astrid looked pointedly at her abdomen and then back at Hiccup as she raised her hands in the air. He got the message. 

Hiccup put his hands in the air and squeezed his eyes shut.

There was a brilliant blossom of light beneath his eyelids.

"Run!" Astrid shouted.

Kayla cursed, momentarily blinded by Astrid's trick.

Hiccup didn't ask twice. He took off after his girlfriend.

Was she his girlfriend? He hoped so. Maybe after all this she didn't want to be anymore.

They got maybe ten feet before Hiccup was tackled from behind. 

A huge white leopard smacked Astrid to the ground and stalked in front of both of them, blocking their escape path. 

Kayla's eyes flashed, and Hiccup got the gist of what she was saying though she didn't talk in feline form. Turn around, walk towards the door, and don't even think about disobeying me again.

Hiccup did not want to wrestle the giant cat. He stood and headed for the door alongside Astrid, knowing that in a few minutes he wouldn't even remember this nightmare. The Elites had got him at last.