Stoick was the one who managed to find a ship that wasn't destroyed to be used for Kari's funeral. While the others were collecting wood, abandoned boys and unbroken arrows, he and Gobber managed to patch up the small boat as best as they could. Once the collected enough wood for the pyre, they all carefully carried Kari's body to lay on top of it.
"She would have been a good co-chief if she lived and you two ruled together." Stoick said as he removed his own cloak to cover his daughter's body. "If only I...if only I had reached you two in time I...we wouldn't have lost her..."
"But you would have died in her place." Hiccup muttered as he looked down at his sister's peaceful place.
"You don't have to cover her with your cloak Stoick." Gobber said and stopped when the chief gave him a look. "She's not a chief, bit...she died like one."
"Damn right she did, protecting her own flesh and blood. She would have made a good chief if this hadn't happened."
"This doesn't feel right...her hair..." Hiccup mumbled and the two men gave him a strange look.
Hiccup recalled a few years back when Kari told him she wanted to have her hair down if she got a hero's burial, no braids, no fancy hairstyles, just loose and spread out. Bending down, Hiccup carefully lifted her head up and untied the leather strip that held her hair tied up in it's braid before gently combing it out and smoothing it to spread out under her head like a halo.
"Just like you wanted Kari, and just like I promised." He murmured and pressed his lips against her cold forehead before pressing his against hers. "Safe journey to Valhalla...and I hope to see you there someday."
Once the boat was ready, the group had pushed it away from the shore. Eret managed to get a small fire started to fire to light their arrows. Snotlout carefully plucked an arrow from their pile to hand to Hiccup, one with soft brown and cream colored feathers at the end.
"The best looking arrow for Berk's best archeress." He mumbled as he pressed it into his cousin's hand. "Never thought I'd say this so soon."
"None of us did." Hiccup mumbled back as Stoick began to recite the funeral vows.
"Maybe the Valkaries welcome ye, and lead you through Odin's great battle field. May they sing your name with love and fury, so that we may hear from the depths of Valhalla and know that you've taken your rightful place at the table of queens." Stoick recited as he handed his son a bow. "For a great woman has fallen. A warrior, a daughter of a chief, an explorer, a daughter, a friend."
Hiccup placed his arrow to the glowing wood to light the tip of his arrow before placing it on the bow and drew the string back to his cheek the way Kari showed him. He remembered how when they were little and she saw what a great Archer she was, she tried to teach him, gently pulling the string back to his cheek and shifting his feet to have a better stance. For a moment he could feel his sister's warm hands on his and whispering words of encouragement.
"Keep your eye on your target, tilt the arrow back a bit more for a higher aim, and let it fly little brother." She seemed to whisper in his ear. "Hit your mark."
Closing his eyes, Hiccup released his arrow and opened it to see it fly straight for the boat, a shot she would have been proud of. The others did the same, shooting ten more arrows towards the ship and hitting their mark and igniting the ship.
"I'm sorry sis." Hiccup mumbled as he watched his sister's ship sail into the mist. They all watched as their friend sailed off into the misty horizon, each trying not to cry or burst into tears.
"I'm not the chief you wanted me to be, the peacekeeper I thought I was. I don't know..." Hiccup looked down, not sure what else to say. He heard footsteps approaching and felt a familiar and heavy hand set on his shoulder while a smooth and unfamiliar one stroked his cheek and touched the side of his head.
"You two came early into this world, such wee things, so frail, so fragile." Valka said as she moved to stand closer to her son. "I thought either of you wouldn't make it, especially you. But your sister, she cried when we tried to separate the two of you so I could try to feed you more."
"Aye, and she refused to quiet down until she was snuggled with you in your crib or in your mother's free arm." Stoick added with a small laugh. "I used to think you were going to be the one protecting her from all the boys in the village and the ones who visited Berk, but she ended up being the one who protected you and little Bella. You three would have made great chiefs if either was still here."
Hiccup smiled sadly, thinking how good it would have been if both his sisters were still alive. The three of them probably would have been the best co-chiefs to him, taking his place if he had to leave Berk for a bit, helping him solve more dragon related problems, take late night rides together on their dragons (if Bella had a dragon of course), stayed up at night talking about their personal problems and problems going on within the village or problems brought to them by other tribes who needed their help.
"She's still here." Valka said softly, placing a hand on his chest where his heard was. "And she'll ways be there no matter what. You two have the heart of a chief and the soul of a dragon, even if she's not here you can still bring those world's together."
"Then there's only one thing left to do." Hiccup said quietly. He could almost feel his sister's presence, whispering what to do. "Save Berk, and get our dragons back."
"But the dragons are all gone." Adrien pointed out. "How can we get back? There are no boats in stable condition to take us back, and even if we managed to repair one it would take weeks just to get back to Berk!"
"Not all the dragons have left." Valka pointed out with a small grin. "And I know the perfect ones to use."
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Pain {Survivor AU}
Fanfiction"She didn't have to die, but she did to save me." What if Stoick wasn't the one who died from Toothless' plasma blast? What if it was Kari? How will Hiccup cope with the death of his own sister? ⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡ Little idea that was originally going to...
