The Shadow's Bane

Race To The Edge

Hiccup's POV:

Could what Evil Jim said be right? If so, what was I to think now? Most importantly do?

"Hiccup," Astrid's voice called to me, arousing me from my subconscious.

It took me a while to snap out of the stupor that Evil Jim had put me in, but eventually I did. "Yes sorry. Paying attention."

"Evil Jim," she said. "We need to go after him."

"He has to be lying, Hiccup," Fishlegs added. It was at his words that I suddenly knew what to do.

"Then lets have a little race to the edge shall we? Because of Jim, we will know where he will be," I explained.

"The Dragon Academy," Astrid finished.

I smiled at her, standing back up as I did. "Then what are we waiting for?" Fishlegs asked. "Let's go there now before Evil Jim can cause more chaos than he already has and not to mention alerting the whole of Berk before we can destroy him."

"He may be fast. But we're not stupid. Come on then gang. It's time for one more ride."

🔵🔴🔵

Once in the air, it didn't take long to spot Evil Jim dashing through the forest below us in a blur. Just from being up here, I knew he knew we were on to him.

"Hiccup!" Astrid suddenly gasped which alerted me of Jim's presence down in the Dragon Academy with Toby and Claire next to him.

It was only when I looked down for a second time that I noticed what was wrong. "Jim," I whispered to myself, pausing in mid flight on Toothless. Because there standing helpless in Jim's grasp was his double in play.

Or was it...? Another voice said.

Not the other way round as I thought it would be.

"Hiccup!" The Jim in my brother's grasp cried out to me as we came inside through the gates into the arena where they were along with a startled Gobber as well.

Toothless stayed by my side the whole time as well as Astrid and Fishlegs with Stormfly and Meatlug. "Please," he begged. "It's me. Your brother. Don't trust this imposter. I'm the real Jim-"

"Don't listen to him, Hiccup!" Claire said from behind him with Toby. "Jim is just possessed. That's all. It's the Darkness. He can't control it. Please Hiccup-"

"Please brother," the helpless Jim asked. Because right now, despite their differences, I was at a loss myself at which Jim was my Jim. At his plea, the Dark Jim tightened his grasp around the Helpless Jim. Daylight almost just touching his throat.

"Help. Brother..."

"Jim," I said. Looking at the Dark Jim who held no sign of emotion or any recognisition of me right now on his face. "I know you're still somewhere in there. Okay? Even if you don't think so. Now I can't imagine what you must have been through to get here where you are today, all right? Believe me. I know what it's like going through hell and back. The friends you've lost. The choices you have been forced to make. I know you never wanted to be a troll. But you are one now. And if I were to be honest, Troll or human... You're still the same Jim to me. Always are and always will be."

The only hope I had here was my persuasion. Which I was hanging onto by a loose thread at this point. A very loose thread.

"Jim," I said again when it looked as if some of my words had got through to him. Alas, all that wishful thinking laid to waste when suddenly, Dark Jim gave out a cry while loosening his grip on Helpless Jim completely before lunging towards me.

"Hiccup!" Astrid cried.

Because then just like Helpless Jim, I was thrown backwards onto the ground before Toothless could come out at my defence. Blue eyes stared back at me when I next looked up.

Blue and dark.
Then from behind him a low cackle sounded. The cackle that confirmed my suspicions. "Oh, you are so easily fooled, Hiccup Haddock," Evil Jim said.

It was only when I managed to strain my neck behind Dark Jim's face that I was able to see Toothless now bound in chains which was why he hadn't been able to save me. "I told you," he said. "You are you nothing without that dragon. And now, I'm going to prove that right. You said I can't kill...? Well, think again."

Because just then he did the most unforgivable thing and took out a dagger with a green hilt before thrusting it into Toothless's side which slowly turned him into stone.

My heart broke when the dagger came in contact with my friend's hide. It shattered just like that into a thousand pieces that I knew I would not be able to pick up again.

"TOOTHLESS! NO!" I shouted.