Strongly Believe in Your Fateful Dreams

Chapter 24: Change of Plans

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"I should've seen the signs," said Stoick to Hiccup inside their ship which was not about to sail yet.

"Dad, I know we had a deal but that was before I... oh, this is so messed up," Hiccup tried to explain.

"Everything in the ring. A trick!? A lie?" said Stoick, pacing back & forth.

"I screwed up. I... I should've told you before now. Just... just get mad at me. Be mad at me! But please... Just don't hurt Toothless," he pleads.

"The dragon? That's what you're worried about? Not the people you almost killed!?" Stoick angrily questions his son.

"He was just protecting me. He's not dangerous!" Hiccup tries to explain yet again.

"They killed hundreds of us!" Stoick argues.

"But we've killed thousands of them!" Hiccup argues back.

Stoick is taken aback by Hiccup's words & paces back & forth again.

"They defend themselves, that's all. They raid us because they have to. If they don't bring enough food back, they'll get eaten themselves. There's... something on their island, dad. It's--" Stoick cuts Hiccup off.

"Their island? So you've been to the nest?" Stoick hovers menacingly over Hiccup.

"Did I say nest?" he asks himself.

"How did you find it?" Stoick yells.

"I didn't. Toothless did. Only a dragon can find the island," Hiccup blurts out all the dangerous secrets.

Stoick pauses. "Wait, dad, no! No! You don't know what you're up against. It's like nothing you've ever seen," Hiccup tries to convince Stoick, "Dad, I promise: you can't win this one!" However, Stoick ignores him & walks away.

"Dad, no! For once in your life would you please just listen to me!!" Hiccup cries, trying to save his father from his own doom. He drags Stoick by the arm but Stoick swings his arm, causing the wimpy Hiccup to fall on the floor.

"You put up yourself with them. You're not a viking," said Stoick, "You're not my son," he turns away, seemingly holding back the disappointment to keep up a strong demeanor & slams the door behind him.

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"What were you thinking, Merida?" Elinor asks the princess in deep worry.

"I just wanted to help a friend!" Merida cries out.

"But if saving your friend will cost your life, will you still do it even though there is no guarantee that he was what you expected? Are you worth that, Merida?" Elinor scolded.

Merida stops talking & looks away from her mother. "He is," she said softly.

"What do you mean?" Elinor asks her.

"He is what I expected him to be! You just didn't listen to him which is why all of this happened!!" Merida yells.

"Merida! Don't yell at your mother," said Fergus.

"But Dad!" Merida tries to explain.

"Merida, you are supposed to run to safety & not join the mess," said Fergus, "Don't you have any idea, any idea at all, that we were desperately worried about you?" he asks her.

"Of course I did," said Merida.

"Then why did you still go after him?" asked Fergus.

"I..." Merida pauses. Why did she go after Hiccup. She was only worried, right? Nothing else. But somehow, she had a feeling that saying that wouldn't do the trick.

"He's a friend who needed to be protected," said Merida firmly.

Fergus' expression went from worry to understanding. He protected his own friends despite the danger he was about to get into as well.

"Very well," said Fergus, "We're just happy you're safe,"

"I can't see him anymore, can I?" Merida asks, looking down.

Her parents kept quiet & gave her sad, quiet looks even after she lifted her head.

"I'm sorry, Merida," said Elinor & Merida sighs. She stays by herself in her room.

However, she thinks of a way to escape & see Hiccup. Even if it were for the last.

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Hiccup stays at the port & watches Stoick's ships sail for Dragon Island. Toothless was in one of those ships. Chained.

Unexpectedly, Astrid approaches him.

"This is horrible. You lost everything," she began.

"Thank you for summing that up," he says & turns to see who he least expected. Hiccup exclaimed surprisingly when he saw her. "When were you here?" he asked.

Suddenly, Fishlegs, Snotlout, the twins Ruffnut & Tuffnut appeared. "Since this morning," said Astrid.

Hiccup sighs. "Why didn't I kill that dragon when I found it in the woods? Wouldn't it be better for everyone?" he said.

"Yup. The rest of us would've done it. So why didn't you. Why didn't you?" Astrid asks.

"I don't know. I couldn't," he says, turning away.

"That's not an answer," said Astrid.

"Why is this so important to you all of a sudden?" he turns to her.

"Because I want to remember what you said; right now," she smiles slightly, Hiccup slowly about to realize her point.

"Oh for the love of-- ugh!" Hiccup grunts, "I was a coward. I was weak. I wouldn't kill a dragon," he admits.

"You said wouldn't this time," said Astrid.

"Whatever! I wouldn't!" he exclaims, "Three hundred years & I'm the first viking who wouldn't kill a dragon," Hiccup says & turns away again.

"First to ride one as well," said Astrid. "So?"

"I didn't kill him because he looked as frightened as I was. I looked at him & I saw myself," said Hiccup.

"I bet he's really frightened now," Astrid began, "What're you gonna do about it?" she asks him.

"Probably something stupid," he answers.

"Good but... you've already done that," said Astrid in a hopeful smile.

"Then something crazy," said Hiccup, running off.

"That's more like it. Let's go guys! Astrid cheers.

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