Giving Fantasia: The Taking Fantasia Sequel

Chapter 113: Girl Power

Chapter 113: Girl Power

Wendy hit the ground and saw stars. A yank later, Astrid smacked the stars to kingdom come.

"Whoooa! Astrid!" Hiccup stood so fast he almost left his peg leg behind. "What in the name of Thor –"

"She can destroy dragons, tear shadows, and torture souls!" Astrid sliced her axe. The blade flashed across the sunset. Wendy stumbled like an injured sparrow, but Astrid ruthlessly pursued. "Those are incredible powers! Incredible! So, Ruff and I were just wondering – why doesn't she use them?"

Wendy backtracked. "I— " she began, looking to Hiccup for help.

Suddenly Astrid darted. She swung, missing Wendy by a hair. As swiftly, Ruffnutt wove her spear between Wendy's legs and twisted. Wendy tripped. Ruffnutt caught her in a choke-hold that should have broken Wendy's neck. But Ruffnutt was being nice – Astrid said no killing. Yet.

"Come on shadow worker! Fight back!" Astrid shoved the blunt of her blade up Wendy's stomach. The blow was non-lethal but Wendy, (reminded of her nightmare), shrieked.

"No, no, no, don't!" Reactively, Wendy grabbed the wooden handle. Hot pink sun-rays seared her vision as she struggled. "Get off me! Let go! Please, please just stop – "

"Ask politely, mind your manners! Great strategy that always works!" Astrid ground her axe. Hiccup was protesting, Snoutlout was cheering, Tuffnutt was commentating, Fishlegs was whimpering, but Astrid ignored them. Pushing all commotion aside, she focused on Wendy.

"Why don't you use your powers?"

Wendy wrenched against Ruffnutt. "What?"

"Why don't you use your powers? For some reason, Thor blessed you with magic." Astrid jut her axe to Wendy's chin. "So why don't you use your powers?"

Wendy gagged. "I do."

"Ha!" laughed Ruffnutt.

"When?" Astrid demanded. "At tea parties?"

Wendy extended to avoid the axe. "I shadow work when I need to."

"So as a last resort?"

"Is that a bad thing?"

Astrid answered by hurling Wendy at Stormfly. The dragon stomped and snapped, burying Wendy in a blur of blue scales. Toothless immediately pounced to Wendy's rescue, but Hiccup unexpectedly withheld his attack. Gauging Astrid's motives, (and interested in the outcome), Hiccup allowed the bullying. He was ambivalent, but he allowed it.

"This better work Astrid." Hiccup clenched Toothless, partially to appease his dragon but predominately to remain calm. Abandoning his better judgments, Hiccup glared warningly at Astrid. "This better work."

Astrid returned Hiccup's glare. "It will." she muttered, signaling to Stormfly. "If I have to kill her, it will. Stormfly! Okay girl! Let her go!"

After a playful exchange, Stormfly set Wendy free. Wendy buckled, no worse for wear but temper rising. She scowled sideways at the dragon. Stormfly puffed her with smoke.

"Yes." Astrid advanced, axe over her shoulder. As Ruffnutt crept behind, she answered Wendy's question. "It is bad that you don't use your powers! If you strike first, you can stop people from getting hurt. Just like what happened with Fantasia."

Wendy's outrage flattened. Her pride dribbled to shame. Astrid's statement was a simple 'if – then': IF you had shadow worked THEN Fantasia might have been saved. IF you had been stronger. IF you had used your powers. IF you weren't a wimp.