Sacrifices

Sacrifice

***

"But, if the powers really are linked to Oakley then why is he trying to kill her?" Tuffnut wondered.

"Yeah, if he kills her, the power goes too," Ruffnut added.

"And Oak knows that..." Astrid realized. "She can't fight him. Water, ice, air. They would only add to his power. And he knows that she won't hurt him. He's taking advantage of that. It's after her because killing her saves Rumble."

"Is that supposed to be some sort of distress signal?" Fishlegs wondered as he looked up at the blast of fire emerging from the school building. Toothless and Stormfly both growled

"Yeah, but I don't think it's for us," Hiccup mentioned as he stared in the opposite direction.

"Then who?" Ruffnut asked.

"Duh, the four dragons behind us," Tuffnut stated. "Five dragons?" He corrected. "Wait, does that one count as one dragon or two?" He motioned to the green two-headed dragon.

"More dragons, perfect." Hiccup sighed. "And if I had to take a guess... I'd say we've found Windshear, Meatlug, Hookfang, and Barf and Belch." He pointed to the dragons as he listed them.

"Woah..."

"Mount up guys." He ordered.

"What?! Why?" Snotlout shrieked, backing away from his Monstrous Nightmare.

"Fine, you can stay here. I'm going to find my sister." Hiccup scowled. 

"No." Astrid halted. "Not without me you're not."

"Me too." Heather agreed as she mounted her Razorwhip.

***

"I'm... not gonna fight you, Rumble." Oakley rasped as she pushed herself off the ground she had been thrown across for the seventeenth time. Her hair was stained red with blood, her very lifeline, that was slowly draining from several wounds on her body, her face barely visible through the blood, sweat, and debris. 

"You still think your life is a fairytale?" He cackled. "You're gonna stop me by telling me you love me?"

"I am never... gonna stop trying to... get through to you." She panted before being struck by another zap of electricity, knocking her into the wall, hitting it so hard, she went straight through it.

"NO!" Astrid shrieked as the gang and their dragons all emerged, rather dramatically into the party hall. Astrid hopped off of her Nadder and raced towards the brunette. Oakley gasped and jumped up off the ground, ignoring the gut-wrenching pain and darting towards her girlfriend.

"Astrid, look out!" She leaped at Astrid, knocking her out of the way just in time to avoid a burst of white lightning. "I'm pretty sure I told you to stay outside." She scowled as the dragons all started firing at the ground, as close as they could get to Rumble without torching him alive.

"And I'm pretty sure I didn't listen," Astrid admitted.

"Astrid?!" Her mother cried from the closet she was still hiding in, which was now just a few feet behind them.

"Mom!" She raced inside and threw her arms around her mother.

"I'm okay."

"Yeah, not by a long shot." Oakley corrected. "Look, Astrid. I'm gonna distract him. You need to get your mother out of here."

"And leave you here, not a chance!" Astrid hissed. Oakley grasped her arm and tugged her a few yards away. 

"Astrid, you need to go! I don't care where. Just get out!" Oakley took a deep breath as she reached behind her neck, taking off her locket, which she hadn't removed since the moment Astrid gave it to her. She opened Astrid's hand and placed it on her palm before closing her fingers around it. "Take your mom to the hospital and whatever you do, don't turn back." She glared. 

"You're saying goodbye." She frowned. "Oak, why are you-" She was cut off when Oakley kissed her softly on the lips, and rose petals fell around them.

"Love." She blurted, gazing into the ocean blue eyes across from her. "That's the trigger." She smiled before hopping off the ground and racing out into the hall. Astrid just sat dumbfounded for a moment. 

"Astrid?" Heather said for the third time, finally snapping Astrid out of her trance. The blonde glanced down at the necklace in her hand. 

"She was saying goodbye." Astrid exhaled. "Why would she- oh no." She realized. " Heather, stay with my mom. Keep her alive and get her out the moment you can."

"Astrid, what is it?" Her mother worried. 

"If Oak dies, the magic dies too." She whispered. Her head shot up.  "She's gonna sacrifice herself!" 

***