#more than i seem by thepurplewriter333

[guestbusters-blog1]

Chapter One: Life As It Is

I'll be honest. My life pretty much sucked.

Maybe it was because I had asthma, or the fact that I was just born small, but no matter the reason, I still remained an easy target for bullies to torment. Not that I ever complained back to them, of course. If I did, I'd be in much more trouble than I already was.

Often, I thought about standing up for myself. To face the bullies, or to confront my father who completely avoided me, and tell them all what I really thought. I sure had a lot of things to say. But the moment I reached my school, or saw my father's sour expression when he saw me, my courage immediately vanished. I couldn't change the way things were. That was just life as it was.

And, soon, I learned to live with it.

Sure, some days were more painful than others, and sure I often grew irritated with my surroundings, but I kept going. My mother was the reason why, actually. She'd whisper encouraging words into my ear as she checked up on me at night, when it seemed that no one else cared, she'd always be there just to listen, and she would always stick up for me when my father's language was too harsh.

Oh, my father… Stoick Vast Haddock, Mayor of the quaint little town of Berk. He had only been given the job a few years back, but that was all it took for him to forget that I existed. I missed my father a lot these days, with the bullying going on at school and whatnot. He used to set aside some of his time to talk to me, or spend a day fishing at the pond when I was down. He used to. Now, I barely ever seem to see him, and when I do, we usually just share a quick "hello" and "goodbye", but he'd never even look me in the eye.

Mom always said we'd spend more time together in the future; she promised that, if I wait only a little longer, his schedule would die down.

But it never did.

In addition to family problems, I had school problems as well. No surprise there. It wasn't that I was failing my classes. No, not at all. It just had to do with the other students. And the bullies.

First, there was the giant boy, Simon, who absolutely despised me- but everyone called him Snotlout because of a rather disgusting incident from the year before. He was the worst out of all of the other bullies, never ceasing to make fun of something I did, or cause me to trip on my way to the next class. And to top it all off, he was also my cousin, with a father that had serious anger issues teaching gym class at my school. How I was related to such people, I still had no idea.

Then there were the prankster twins, Remy (Ruff) and Tom (Tuff). Whenever anyone saw a loose guinea pig in the hallway, or a science test tube exploded confetti, the twins were always behind it. Unfortunately, they had taken a liking of using me as their "experimenter", and I often came home with my hair smoldering with smoke, or wearing a sign that said KICK ME! on the back.

There were other bullies as well: Alvin, Dagur, Savage, and a few others. They never seemed to tire of humiliating me throughout the years.

Next was Fishlegs. Now, he wasn't exactly a bully, but he did hang out with the group. He never personally said something offensive to me, yet it hurt to know that he would always just stand there and watch me getting beat up without helping.

Finally, there was Amanda Hofferson- but she preferred everyone to call her Astrid, due to her love of asteroids. She was a breathtakingly beautiful girl, with a stunning blonde braid and shimmering blue eyes that would captivate anyone. But I wouldn't want to get on her bad side any day. She was the toughest girl in the whole school, and I knew she wouldn't hesitate to punch or kick somebody if she felt the need. I had had a crush on Astrid ever since I first laid eyes on her, and I still dreamed of her noticing me and giving me one of her rare smiles. But how could that ever happen? I didn't even think she knew my name.

Still. Underneath all my… well… myself, I had some interesting qualities. First off, I could draw. I could sketch, paint, doodle away for hours without a care in the world. And my art wasn't bad at all. My mother keeps on saying my art is one of the most prettiest things she's ever seen- but then again, she's my mother. What else could I expect her to say? I was also pretty smart for my age, and excelled in math, science, and languages. I don't believe I've ever gotten below an A for a grade.

Now that all these introductions are done, you're probably wondering who I am, why I'm here, and wondering just what kind of story I have to share.

Well, I'll answer for you.

My name is Hiccup Haddock, and despite what everyone else believes, I'm more than I seem to be.

I let out a tired sigh as I entered the school building. Almost automatically, I hunched over, trying to keep as invisible as I could. I wasn't in the mood for bullying today. I had had to stay up late the night before studying for a math test, and I would be too tired to try to fight back against the bullies.

Well, not that I would win, anyway.

I made it to my homeroom on time, which just happened to be math class itself. I exhaled in relief when no one tripped me in the hall. Maybe today wouldn't be that bad.

After finding my seat, I tossed my backpack on the floor and dug out my math book. The room was almost full by now, but my teacher, Mr. Ryker, still waited with obvious impatience. I frowned. I had never liked him, as he was always trying to prove me wrong or get me in some sort of trouble. And it just so happened that his younger brother, Mr. Viggo Grimborn was the principal of the whole school. That meant if I got in trouble in math class, I'd get in trouble with the principal too.

Mr. Ryker gave the clock an annoyed glare, like he wanted it to speed up. There was still one more minute before the bell rang, and he wasn't happy that he still had to wait. Finally, the steady stream of students died down, which meant everyone had taken a seat. The room was full- except, there was still one place empty.

I felt myself blushing when I realized just whose desk it was. It was hers.

"Sorry I'm late, Mr. Grimborn," I heard her say as she entered the classroom. "My dog, Stormfly, got sick last night, and my mom had to take her to the vet before dropping me off here."

My head turned in her direction, and I could feel my bright green eyes widen with awe. Astrid Hofferson was standing right there. I tried to seem relaxed, but that was impossible. Astrid is right there. Ten feet away from me. Living. Breathing. Being her beautiful self…

Mr. Ryker snapped me out of my trance with a sharp comeback to Astrid. "See that it does not happen again, Amanda."

"Astrid," Astrid corrected, shifting her backpack on her shoulder.

My math teacher rolled his eyes. "In my class, we go by our birth names. We don't go by nicknames of such."

"But what about Hiccup?" Astrid pointed out. "He has a nickname."

I froze. Astrid had said my name. She knew I existed… that I was in the same room as her…that I was someone worthy enough to know the name of... heat rushed to my cheeks. "Um, actually, it's not a nickname," I said, surprising Astrid by speaking. I doubted she'd ever even heard me talk before. "I was given the name Hiccup at birth."

Astrid blinked, studying me. I was acutely aware of her dazzling blue eyes piercing into my soul. "Really?"

All I could do was nod. She was talking to me.

"Please take a seat, Ms. Hofferson," Mr. Ryker quipped, shutting the door. "We're already late enough as it is."

Astrid nodded. "Of course, sir." She made her way through the sea of desks until she reached her own, which was on the other side of the room. I tried to make eye contact in case she wanted to acknowledge me, but she was too busy getting out her books to notice. Besides, Snotlout was in the way- and that was when he noticed I was sitting right next to him.

Snotlout glared over at me, his fists tightening on his math book. Just the way his sneer was twisted made me shiver. "You don't stand a chance with Astrid, Hiccup," he hissed, keeping his eyes on Mr. Ryker in case he would be called out. "Face it, Useless. No one likes you. And certainly not Astrid."

Oh? And she'd prefer you more? I wanted to say back, but I held my tongue. Arguing with Snotlout would only get me a sure black eye later on, and I didn't wish for that. Still, the words hurt, so I forced myself to drop my gaze and stare down at my desk, silent. I heard Snotlout snicker in triumph from beside me; my heart sunk. Yet another battle lost...

Sighing, I looked up at Mr. Ryker, not at all eager to learn the things I already knew.

As I said before, life sucked.

But it wouldn't be until later on I would realize just how much.

------

Total of 5 chapters so far... please fave, follow, and review if you can! :D I’m aiming for 80 follows by chapter 6. Have a great day! :)

[thepurplewriter333]

Chapter Eleven: Honest

If I could name one good thing and one bad thing about being stuck in bed all day, it would be these:

1. I didn't have to do anything.

2. I didn't have to do anything.

Boredom was my new companion all week. Every morning, Dad carried me down to the couch and turned on the TV, but nothing good was ever on and I always ended up watching Bug Wars for two hours straight. By the time lunch rolled around, I had a new respect for insects.

That Saturday, Dad must've sensed how lonely I was, because half an hour later- much to my surprise- a knock came from the front door. My father opened it, and there stood…

Astrid. And Snotlout. And Fishlegs and Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

I straightened from my position on the couch. "Uh, hi, um… h-hey…"

Dad grinned at me. "Thought you could use some company, Hiccup."

Astrid laughed at my expression. "Surprise?"

I quickly forced on a face of whatever relaxation I'd be expected to have, and coughed slightly. "Yeah, um…" Suddenly, Toothless burst out from under my blankets. Eyes wild, he began to yip loudly, and I had to hold him back from jumping off the couch. "So this is Toothless, my new dog," I said at the top of my voice to be heard over his barking. "He gets… excited sometimes."

Astrid nodded. I had told her about him before.

Snotlout, on the other hand, was bent over laughing, while Fishlegs looked uncomfortable and the twins tried to get Toothless to bark louder. Dad quickly made an excuse about needing to take my dog on a walk outside, and soon was out of the room… leaving me alone with the group of people who had tormented me my whole life.

It was awkward for a moment.

"So," Snotlout tried. "How are… things?"

"The… um, usual." I cleared my throat. "Anyways, you know, you guys don't have to stay over here if you don't want to… I don't know why my Dad invited you all here… I'm fine, believe me."

"Nah, of course," Astrid smiled, already walking over to the couch. "We're friends, right?"

Yeah. Sure. Friends, my thoughts hissed.

To my dismay, I knew my thoughts were right. Why would Astrid Hofferson want to be my friend? The only reason she was even hanging out with me was because of my newfound "popularity" after the crash. Even talking to her over the phone I could tell that.

Fishlegs smiled sheepishly. "Your father called us and said that you might need someone to keep you company. So we came. Hope you don't mind."

"Yeah, of course not." Embarrassed, I waved them over. "Well, sit down, sit down. We can… talk."

And so eventually we were all gathered around the living room; me on the couch, Astrid sitting beside me, Snotlout and Fishlegs in two chairs, and Ruff and Tuff on another couch. I didn't know any conversation starters, alas it remained silent.

"So, what do you have to do over here?" Snotlout finally asked.

I didn't know, and told him so.

"Aw, come on, you've got to have something," Astrid encouraged. I shook my head slowly. All I was aware of was how close she was to me.

"Ooh, I know!" Fishlegs said excitedly. "What about truth or dare? After all, we don't really know each other all that well-" mostly because they'd ignored me my whole life- "so maybe we'd get to know each other better after playing."

Astrid nodded in approval. "Sounds good. What do you think, guys?"

No one in the group disagreed. We started

"Okay, I'll go first," Astrid said. She turned to Snotlout. "Truth or dare, Snotlout?"

Snotlout's chest puffed out in pride. "Dare, of course."

"Fine. I dare you to slap me."

He paused, chest deflating. "Well, uh… I don't hit women."

"What? You scared?"

"Of course I'm not scared!" Snotlout spluttered. "I just…" His face reddened. "Fine. I'll choose a truth."

"Your loss. Okay, answer me this: what's your biggest fear?"

The atmosphere held its breath, as did Snotlout. He looked ready to punch a wall before he shook his head. "Haha, right," he snorted. "Yeah, I don't have any fears. I'm too manly for that."

"I saw him run away from a spider once," Tuffnut offered.

We quickly moved onto another person after that.

"Ruffnut," Fishlegs asked. He bit the inside of his cheek. "Have you… ever k-kissed anyone?"

Ruffnut smiled proudly. "Sure have. Once I kissed this guy, Eret. He's on the football team…" She sighed dreamily. "I didn't know what a man was before I saw Eret Eretson, the man of my dreams!"

I leaned forward. "So, who made the first move?"

Ruffnut didn't supplement an answer.

Next, it was Tuffnut's turn to ask Astrid. "Truth or dare?" he asked her.

"Truth," Astrid said firmly, surprising everyone.

"Ooh, tough case… hmm… okay got it: do you like Hiccup?"

There was the expectant pause. I cleared my throat. "We are asking some very personal questions today, guys," I pointed out. I then turned to Astrid. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I understand."

She smiled weakly back. "No, it's all right. And in answer, yes, I do like you, Hiccup Haddock." When my eyes widened, she laughed. "Don't go thinking too highly of yourself just yet. I like you as a friend, Hiccup."

"Oh! Yeah, uh, of course," I stuttered, looking down at the floor. "Of c-course, yeah…"

Idiot.

Shut up.

Finally, I was the victim getting asked the question, and I didn't even hesitate before answering with, "Truth." With my leg, it wasn't like I could do a dare. I couldn't do much of anything, really.

As it turned out, Snotlout was the one asking me something. I expected it to be embarrassing or rude or immature, but to my surprise, it was something completely different. "Okay, Hiccup…" He paused. "Do you… do you forgive us for ignoring you… and… well, making fun of you after all these years? Remember, you can't lie."

I didn't know what to say. The rest of the group pretended they were doing something important, like picking at their nails or inspecting the floor. I wasn't sure whether it was in shame, or they just didn't want to be a part of the conversation.

"Well," I began carefully, "I guess I do. The past is in the past, right?" I offered a smile.

Snotlout didn't return it. "Hiccup, I said to tell the truth."

"It's okay, Hiccup," Astrid sighed. "We weren't exactly kind to you. We understand if you still… well…"

"Have a grudge against the people who ignored him for his whole life?" Tuffnut filled in. He raised his brow. "Yeah. If I was him, I'd be ready to start a riot. I mean, what kind of people do that kind of thing?"

"Duh, we did," Ruff hissed.

"Oh, yeah, right… wait, was that wrong?"

I knew Tuff had a point. I should be angry with them for all they'd put me through in the past. Snotlout and his gang had roughed me up more times than I'd liked to remember, Astrid hadn't acknowledged I was alive until a few weeks ago, Fishlegs had mostly avoided my path during my unfortunate years of school, and the twins constantly played malicious pranks.

But, for some reason, I wasn't angry with any of them. They had just made a few mistakes, like everyone did. Plus, as much I hated to admit it, I really was a nobody up until a month ago. It wasn't like I ever tried to be noticed, or get on their good side. So could I really blame them for what they put me through?

So I cleared my throat and said, "I don't hold anything against you guys." At their doubtful expressions, I added, "Honest. I don't."

"But… how can you say that?" Fishlegs stammered. "We treated you like you didn't exist…"

"Me and the other guys beat you up, just for being you," Snotlout muttered.

"Can you ever forgive us, Hiccup?" Astrid asked softly.

I smiled over at her, and this time I spoke with no trace of doubt in my tone.

"Honest… I already have."

"So, how was meeting your friends again?" Dad asked cheerfully from the kitchen as he put dinner on the stove. He was making pancakes. Just like Mom and I used to make on the weekends. It was almost like a family tradition in the Haddock household… not that Dad ever joined us, although- he was too busy working...

Your father can't make up for her! my thoughts insisted. He's just a fraud. He wants you to trust him, but he'll never trust you with anything other than broken promises and lies.

I shook my head, returning my attention to the TV. I needed more sleep.

By the time dinner was ready, a family of ants was fighting a scorpion on screen and I wasn't sure if I wanted to see how the battle would end based on the way it was going. But before I had the chance to decide, Dad was turning the TV off and helping me stand up from the couch, so I could limp over to the dinner table.

I was walking better by the day, now, at least, and could get around the house with little trouble. Stairs were my only problem. No matter how hard I tried, I'd always slip up and had to have Dad catch me before I fell face flat to the floor. Based on my little progression, I doubted I'd be able to get up or get down them any time soon.

"Hungry, son?" my father said.

I wasn't.

"Kind of."

"Good. The pancakes are made especially for you." He winked.

We sat down at the table, where I picked at my food with a fork to make it look like I had eaten something while Dad shoveled in his own bites of the syrupy pancakes.

"So. Gobber's coming over tomorrow," he said in between bites.

That did little to excite me, though Gobber was an old family friend. He always treated me as an adult, and not a kid, for which I was always grateful for. "He is?"

"Yes. He wants to see how you've been lately," Dad explained, before biting his lip. "What with the… uh… crash."

"Oh. Yeah."

There was silence at the table.

Seemed like nothing had changed.

As dinner finally came to an end, I had at last managed down a few bites of food when I suddenly realized a change in my father's mood. His upbeat tone had faded long ago, and he refused to meet my gaze. Even he didn't look too hungry anymore. And he was always hungry.

"Dad?" I asked, worried. My fork dropped to my plate. "Is something wrong?"

He placed his hands beside his plate, cleared his throat, and shifted in his seat for a moment before he looked up. "Hiccup, I need to tell you something. Something… important, son. I thought it would clear up before I had to tell you but… it didn't. So I hope you'll understand."

Fear clenched at my heart. "Dad…?"

From under the table, Toothless poked at my foot. If dogs could sense bad news coming, I was sure I wouldn't like what my father had to say. Nonetheless, I had to listen. I knew that if I didn't, the curiosity would drive me mad.

Dad crossed his arms. "Well, son…" He hesitated, his brow furrowing. "It's like this…"

[animalsarepeople2]

41, 42, and 43! :-D

41. List and link to 5 fanfics you are currently reading:

 1. Captain Fury: Pirate of Berkby harrypanther

 2. Wild Spiritsby FanWriter02

 3. More Than I Seemby thepurplewriter333

 4. When Life Gives You Lightningby katurdi

 5. The Hofferson House, Est 1850by BlueberryToasterTart

All are AWESOME! Most are AU’s, though, so if you don’t like ‘em, skip ‘em.

42. List and link to 5 fanfiction authors who are amazing:

 1. FanWriter02- This author here- you’ve probably heard of her… in the most fantastic legends of the Kingdom of FanFiction… in fics that praise her name…. KAT! Her stories are SO SO SO amazing, whump-filled, ALMOST A HICCSTRID OVERDOSE, and plenty more! SHE’S AMAZING!!

 2. thepurplewriter333- Purple is the one who inspired me to start posting my own works on fanfiction instead of reading. She’s the one who got me writing. And I can NEVER repay her for that… but it’s a start by blaring her name all around FanFiction and Tumblr! With an awesome hand for Hiccup!whump and other neat writing talents, you’ll love her!

 3. katurdi- Where do I start on her amazing fics? She only recently starting posting, but her works already have TONS of faves and follows, so you can tell that she is AMAZING!! If you’re looking for humor, fluff, or Hiccup!whump, you’ve come to the write place. (MISTYPE SO INTENDED)

 4. harrypanther- LET’S JUST SAY THIS: I WASN’T A FAN OF AU’S. AND THEN I READ HIS. NOW NEARLY ALL THE FICS I’M READING RIGHT NOW ARE AU’S. *drops mic*

 5. PsychicWonderKitty- At first, she was in another fandom than HTTYD, but her first story in it BLEW me away. It was INDESCRIBABLY AWESOME and descriptive and beautifully written. Hiccstrid and Hiccup!whump at every turn, she’s one of the best.

43. Is there anyone in your fandom who really inspires you?

Slithersong- She’s only written one story… and I admit, it isn’t very popular, as it’s Tuffstrid. But the fact that she’s pushed through all of the hate and flames is SO amazing (as is her story!!) that she made it onto my favorite authors’ list. It is really inspiring that she’s pushed through all of this, and come out with a really great story that I love! Give her a hand! *applause*

Fanfiction Questions

[margarethelstone]

Autor Honesty Hour

tagged by @thepurplewriter333​ and @wilderwestqueen​.

Thank you for nothing, you fantastic people :D

THE STORIES

1. Which is the fic you’re most proud of?

Once Mine (what a surprise). But it is true - not so much for the chapters that are posted (although I believe they make a pretty good introduction on their own) but for where this story is heading. It’s my longest fic, and the one I have and will be writing for longer than anything else in my life.

2. Which is your least favorite?

Pff. Probably that silly drunk!Hiccup drabble I wrote for @tarched​'s event in the summer. Believe it or not, but that thing does have a second chapter. I just didn’t think it was worth translating.

3. If you were to recommend one to read to your mom?

Probably something that doesn’t resolve around Hiccstrid being all fluffy?

4. Which one would you consider re-writing?

The first three or four chapters of Once Mine. I believe the story is good, but those chapters are not, mostly when it comes to the language (or languages as I’m translating the fic from Polisg to English).

I don’t think I care for any of my other stories enough to come back to them, when I can just go on with the new stuff.

5. Biggest regret in a fic?

Not writing at least a few chapters of Once Mine in advance before first posting it.

I mean it. The problem concerns all of the multichaptered fics, but OM is the best example of that. Like, when I first posted it, I got pretty nice reviews, and the readers seemed to be genuinely interested. But then I had to focus on the university, or wasn’t inspired enough (add the pain of translating and it all gets 100% worse), which lead to really long, unnecessary long gaps between the updates. I’m pretty sure it made some of the readers lose interest, and honestly, I can’t even blame them.

Also, maybe if I had waited a little longer, I would’ve been more aware of all the mistakes I’d done, and fixed them on time, and thus it wouldn’t be bothering my now.

6. Biggest success with a fic?

She’s not my Soulmate.

My very first multichaptered hiccstrid story, and also the one I wrote almost in one go, so I could afford the regular updates. None of my stories has ever got so many views/favourites/followed/reviews/notes in such a short time.

And it was despite it being a Modern AU.

7. Your fic with the most notes?

You turned away.

The only rtte story I manage to post shortly after the new season, hiccstrid, an alternative ending fo Blindsided. I wrote many better stories, but I apparently those details were more important ;)

8. Your fic with the least notes?

When I posted the first chapter of You looked a Mess, a four-chapter long hiccunzel story, it got no notes at all. Literally. For half a year.

9. What do you think makes a good fic? Tips?

When you’ve got an idea, write it down. Don’t let yourself be stopped by thinking “Oh, but I’ve got so many other works to finish!”. It doesn’t matter. That’s one.

Then, if it’s a longer fic, then it’s always good to know where you’re heading - try to plan it, either on paper, a word document, or in your head - whatever works best for you. That’s two

Last but not least - don’t be afraid to throw away fragments you don’t like. Deleting your writing is often more difficult than writing itself - t’s scary to just erase 800 words you’ve just written in pain, but it may turn out that after you do it, you’ll write twice as much with less struggling. And that it will be better.

10. When’s the next update on your works?

Once Mine, which I hope to update tomorrow (yay!). I suppose It’s hard to stop worrying, my Jlaire fic is the next in line.

11. Number of followers before you started writing and after?

I. Have. No. Idea.

THE WRITER

1. Which character do you love writing for?

Side characters in general. I don’t know why, but writing them always seem so much easier and more fun? I love writing the Twins and Snotlout in Once Mine. And I enjoyed writing Toby much more than Jim and Claire in It’s hard to stop worrying. If I ever get to write a thing for other fandoms, you can bet I will write for side characters there as well.

Blinky is gonna appear in the upcoming chapters of IHTSW and I’m already freaking out about it

2. Which character do you dislike writing for?

I’m not sure I’d use the word “dislike” but writing Astrid can be a pain in the neck. Not because I don’t like her - I love her, but it is difficult to keep her in character, for me at least.

3. What’s your favorite AU to write for?

Does crossover count as an AU?

4. What’s your least favorite AU to write for?

I don’t know? I mean, I didn’t write that many AU stories in the first place.

5. What do you hope never gets requested?

Alright, this may come out as a controversy, but... a gay pairing.

With all the respect to you guys, but it is not my thing. I couldn’t write about it, and wouldn’t write about it - but it would be pretty difficult to turn someone’s request down like this.

6. What do you wish was requested more?

Crossovers. I entered this fandom as a crossover video editor, and it hurts me to see the idea of crossovers is dying. 

7. Thoughts on writing Smut/POC/Curvy/MxM/FxF?

No smut coming from me. First, it’s inappropriate, second, I don’t know one damn thing about it.

As POC, I come from a very white society, so the problem (or better said, theme) isn’t something I could relate to, or could describe well.

8. Which account is your biggest inspiration in writing?

@cried2dream is the reason why I started to write in the first place.

@wilderwestqueen is totally responsible for the way I perceive and write hiccstrid (especially modern)

@frostandfairytales / @ktmbinspired is the one who makes me believe that our writing matter, and that we can go beyond the boundaries of canon

9. How long have you been a fic writer for?

Excluding my endeavours to write an original novel somewhere around 2012-2014, it’s been a bit more than two years. I posted the first chapter of OM in October 2015, and it kind of went from there.

10. Any upcoming secret works?

There are a few. Some Hiccstrid, some Jlaire... We’ll see. Fingers crossed I’l live long enough to write and publish them.

I tag @cried2dream and @frostandfairytales. Can’t wait for your response! :)

[thepurplewriter333]

Chapter 9 is finally up!

[thepurplewriter333]

Back from hiatus with Chapter 8! Enjoy! :)

[thepurplewriter333]

More Than I Seem: Chapter 7 is finally up and ready to read!

Reviews, faves and follows are greatly appreciated. :) Enjoy!

[thepurplewriter333]

Chapter 6 is up! :D

[thepurplewriter333]

Chapter One: Life As It Is

I'll be honest. My life pretty much sucked.

Maybe it was because I had asthma, or the fact that I was just born small, but no matter the reason, I still remained an easy target for bullies to torment. Not that I ever complained back to them, of course. If I did, I'd be in much more trouble than I already was.

Often, I thought about standing up for myself. To face the bullies, or to confront my father who completely avoided me, and tell them all what I really thought. I sure had a lot of things to say. But the moment I reached my school, or saw my father's sour expression when he noticed me, my courage immediately vanished. I couldn't change the way things were. That was just life as it was.

And, soon, I learned to live with it.

Sure, some days were more painful than others, and sure I often grew irritated with my surroundings, but I kept on going. My mother was the reason why, really. She'd whisper encouraging words into my ear as she checked up on me at night, when it seemed that no one else cared, she'd always be there just to listen, and she would always stick up for me when my father's temper was too harsh.

Oh, my father… Stoick Vast Haddock, Mayor of the quaint little town of Berk. He had only been given the job a few years back, but that was all it took for him to forget that I existed. I missed my father a lot these days, with the bullying going on at school and whatnot. He used to set aside some of his time to talk to me, or spend a day fishing at the pond when I was feeling down. He used to. Now, I barely ever seem to see him, and when I do, we usually just share a quick "hello" and "goodbye", but he'd never even look me in the eye.

Mom always said we'd spend more time together in the future; she promised that, if I waited only a little longer, his schedule would die down.

But it never did.

In addition to family problems, I had school problems as well. No surprise there. It wasn't that I was failing my classes. No, not at all. It just had to do with the other students. And the bullies.

First, there was the giant boy, Simon, who absolutely despised me- but everyone called him Snotlout because of a rather disgusting incident from the year before. He was the worst out of all of the other bullies, never ceasing to make fun of something I did, or cause me to trip on my way to the next class. And to top it all off, he was also my cousin, with a father that had serious anger issues teaching gym class at my school. How I was related to such people, I still had no idea.

Then there were the prankster twins, Remy (Ruff) and Tom (Tuff). Whenever anyone saw a loose guinea pig in the hallway, or a science test tube exploded confetti, the twins were always behind it. Unfortunately, they had taken a liking of using me as their "experimenter", and I often came home with my hair smoldering with smoke, or wearing a sign that said KICK ME! on the back.

There were other bullies as well: Alvin, Dagur, Savage, and a few more. They never seemed to tire of humiliating me throughout the years.

Next was Frank, or Fishlegs. Now, he wasn't exactly a bully, but he did hang out with the group. He never personally said something offensive to me, yet it hurt to know that he would always just stand there and watch me getting beat up without helping.

Finally, there was Amanda Hofferson- but she preferred everyone to call her Astrid, due to her love of asteroids. She was a breathtakingly beautiful girl, with a stunning blonde braid and shimmering blue eyes that would captivate anyone. But I wouldn't want to get on her bad side any day. She was the toughest girl in the whole school, and I knew she wouldn't hesitate to punch or kick somebody if she felt the need. I had had a crush on Astrid ever since I first laid eyes on her, and I still dreamed of her noticing me and giving me one of her rare smiles. But how could that ever happen? I didn't even think she knew my name.

Still. Underneath all my… well… myself, I had some interesting qualities. First off, I could draw. I could sketch, paint, doodle away for hours without a care in the world. And my art wasn't bad at all. My mother keeps on saying my art is one of the most prettiest things she's ever seen- but then again, she's my mother. What else could I expect her to say? I was also pretty smart for my age, and excelled in math, science, and languages. I don't believe I've ever gotten below an A for a grade.

Now that all these introductions are done, you're probably wondering who I am, why I'm here, and wondering just what kind of story I have to share.

Well, I'll answer for you.

My name is Hiccup Haddock, and despite what everyone else believes, I'm more than I seem to be.

-------------

[thepurplewriter333]

CHAPTER ONE

Hiccup knew he was in trouble the moment he saw Astrid's expression he walked in the clubhouse door.

He offered a weak smile, and subconsciously scratched the back of his head. He couldn't think of anything he had done wrong to upset her… at least, recently.

"Uh, h-hey, Astrid," he began in a hesitant tone. "So… so what's going on with you?"

She shot a glare like daggers at him, and jabbed a finger in his chest. "You!"

"Me?"

"Yes, you!" Her face erupted into an angry color of red. "You forgot about it, didn't you?"

"Forgot about… forgot about what? What did I forget?"

"You know perfectly well what, Hiccup Haddock!"

Hiccup's mind raced for an answer. No, it wasn't the time of year for the annual Nadder migration, or when they would prepare for the Changewings to stay on the Edge for a few days until they took off again…

"Astrid, maybe if we could talk it over quietly, we could get this misunderstanding cleared," he offered, and put on a slight smile in an attempt to calm her down a little.

But, if possible, it only seemed to make her angrier. "Hiccup, you forgot about our picnic this afternoon!" At Hiccup's confused expression, she let out a sharp growl. "You know, the one we had been planning for, I don't know, months!"

Hiccup was suddenly flooded with realization. "Oh-oh, that picnic." He winced. "Yeah, I, uh, I was taking a test flight with Toothless again. I just made a new tail fin for him, so I wanted to try it out…" He trailed off when her glare deepened, then said, "Look, Astrid, I'm really sorry. I've just been distracted lately what with the Hunters-"

"Do you know how long I was waiting there in that grove of trees, Hiccup?" Astrid interrupted him, beginning to pace furiously. "Two hours! At first I thought you had just gotten sidetracked, but then more time passed and you still didn't come!"

Hiccup glanced over at Toothless, raising his brow. The Night Fury looked uninterested, and turned away.

"Astrid, I'm sorry," he tried again, attempting to catch her as she walked by.

But Astrid brushed past him. "Then I got worried, and I thought you were in trouble. So I still stayed at the picnic spot longer in case you came. Yet you never did! Do you have any idea what that felt like?" She continued before Hiccup had a chance to answer. "Of course you don't! Because you were too distracted to even..."

As she ranted on, Hiccup quietly slipped out of the clubhouse with Toothless at his side, still hearing Astrid's angry shouting from inside. He cringed. "Ah, bud, I really didn't mean to forget that picnic. We had had it planned months ahead of time, just so we were both sure we could make it, and then I just… forgot." His arms dropped to his sides in defeat. "I wish I could make it up to her somehow. Maybe…" He paused, and his eyes gleamed with excitement. "Maybe I could get her that new ax she had her eye on when Johann came around last week. I bet that would make some of my absence up to her. What do you think, bud? Up for another flight?"

Toothless rumbled, and let out an exaggerated yawn. Hiccup fake-pouted. "Aw, come on. It's for Astrid. You know how bad she can get when she's this angry. Really, we're doing the whole Edge a favor." Even now, he could hear Astrid still shouting inside the clubhouse, oblivious to the fact that Hiccup and Toothless were missing.

At last, Toothless gave a slight nod of his head, and Hiccup grinned. "Thanks, buddy… now what do you say we get out of here before she realizes we're gone?"

The dragon chortled, and a relieved Hiccup climbed into the saddle. "Let's go." They took off the edge of the Edge's landing strip, and climbed up into the evening sky just a few moments before Astrid rushed out of the clubhouse to watch them soar off into the night.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, you get back here!" she demanded, but he was already too far away to hear.

Hiccup yawned for the umpteenth time as he fumbled for another grip on Astrid's new ax, his eyes fluttering shut as a wave of tiredness crashed on top of him.

He hadn't realized how hard it would be to find Johann until he started to look. Usually, the trader was sailing near their waters this time of month, but for some reason he was further out than usual. And it took a fair deal of trading to get that ax, costing Hiccup his finest set of spy glasses, just recently made with new upgrades.

With a weak thanks to Johann, Hiccup at last took off and started heading back to the Edge- an approximate flight of two hours away, but with both Hiccup and Toothless being as tired as they were, it was already taking a lot longer.

"Hang on, buddy, just a little further," Hiccup murmured sleepily, although he didn't know if it was true or not. It was pitch black out, probably the middle of the night, and as he looked closer into the distance, he could suddenly see faint storm clouds gathering.

Perfect, he thought sarcastically.

But the memory of Astrid's upset words from before drove him further ahead as guilt swarmed his thoughts. It'd be a pure miracle for her to forgive him in the near future, even with the ax.

His thoughts were abruptly shattered when Toothless let out a warning growl. He looked up, and stiffened.

They were about to head into the storm.

"Okay, let's be careful, Toothless," he said, just as the first drops of rain splattered across his skin.

Toothless rumbled, and softened into a slower flying speed.

The rain came more harsh now as they entered a cloud bank. The air was no more than freezing, and shivers wracked Hiccup's thin frame when the rain soaked through his clothes. All this for an ax, he grumbled to himself. I'll have to be more mindful the next time I make plans with anyone…

Lightning flashed across the sky. Thunder crashed in retaliation. Toothless snarled, and Hiccup patted his neck gently in concern. "Easy, buddy, don't worry… just a little rain, that's all, nothing to be afraid of..."

Another bolt of lightning came, this time much closer than before. Hiccup could feel the electricity in the air, and gripped his slippery ax tighter. "Coming out here might have been a mistake," he muttered.

Toothless snorted loudly.

"Oh, hush you… we'll be out of this storm in no time, and then we'll-"

CRASH!

Lightning streaked down from the sky, and with no warning at all, it hit its next unfortunate target…

Hiccup's metal leg.

For a moment, Hiccup was frozen in shock at what had happened. His leg burned and he vaguely felt himself slipping away from Toothless's saddle. The dragon shrieked and flapped harder against the battering winds, but Hiccup was too disoriented to fully comprehend what was happening around him.

Then he felt himself falling through the air, the ax still clutched in his hands.

He wouldn't let it go for anything now.

The impact of hitting the churning water below was harsh, and it quickly awakened him from his muddled thoughts. He sputtered out water, coughing, and then understood just how much trouble he was in.

Toothless was flapping erratically above him, before he was blown backwards by a violent gust of wind and pushed through the air. He started to dip down in the sky, much further away from his rider, and Hiccup yelled, "Toothless!" in panic.

He couldn't see the dragon after that, and grew frantic. Toothless couldn't fly without help. He couldn't swim well either- and for that matter, neither could Hiccup. And the worst part of it was that no one knew where they were or that they had been held up in this storm. By the time help arrived, they'd both be long dead.

The ocean's waves moved rapidly, much too fast for the injured young man to do more than claw the top of the water in a last desperate attempt for life.

He could feel his body slowly giving out on him, the pain in his leg making it all the more impossible for him to make a try at swimming against the strong current. To the weary boy, it had seemed like hours now since the storm had appeared and he'd been swept away into the raging waters. And oh, how he hoped Toothless was all right, or at least doing better than he was at the moment.

He hit another rough patch of waves and had to fight hard to keep from going under. Water crashed over his body at a frightening speed. Just when he felt as if his lungs were ready to burst and he would surely drown, the force of the current pushed him upward and to the surface once again.

He coughed and spit water from his mouth, looking back over his shoulder into the darkness and praying for some sign of help to appear. Nothing did.

Every muscle and joint in his body ached, his leg throbbed, and Hiccup feared he'd not be able to swim much longer. His eyes stayed fixed on the fierce waters around him as his thoughts momentarily turned to Astrid.

He wondered how she had reacted when she realized that he had gone off on his own, with no last mention of where he was headed for nor when he was going to get back. He could only hope that she would someday forgive him for his mistake, and know that he never had intentionally wanted to harm her.

His attention quickly returned to his violent surroundings as the sounds of rushing water grew in volume, and he watched in horror as a huge wave grew closer to where he paddled. Frantically, he searched for a way to escape, but realized too late that his body was unwilling and unable to follow the commands that his brain issued for him to try and swim away.

His last thoughts before being crushed by the towering wave and being dragged under were of his family and friends, and just how much he loved them.

His hazy vision flickered.

There were suddenly blurred faces above him... distinctly female... and almost looking like... angels. They reached for him... smooth hands stretching out in his direction... gripping his shoulders and dragging him upwards to the surface...

And then the young heir knew no more.

[thepurplewriter333]

                                                REVELATION

"What's wrong with him now?" Snotlout asked, eyebrows raised in astonishment as he looked down at the scraggly figure of his cousin lying still in his bed. Even though he didn't care much for Hiccup, the thought of such a lively boy now so silent was unnerving. "He was fine a few days ago."

Stoick resumed his concerned expression. "Gothi doesn't know. He doesn't have Eel Pox or pneumonia, or even a cold—"

"He hasn't been stabbed, kidnapped, or working himself too hard lately, either," added in Fishlegs.

Astrid rubbed the back of her neck, just as worried as the others. "No recent dragons in need, maybe? You know how he always is with adventure."

Toothless rumbled in grief, setting his head down on Hiccup's bedside, eyes full of longing.

"Maybe he ate something bad?" Tuff suggested, his face scrunching up in a deep thinking process. "One time that happened to me, and, oh, believe me guys, it did not end well."

"I would know," Ruffnut cut in hastily from his side. "I had to deal with it for days."

"No." Stoick breathed out in distress as he sat in the chair by his son's bed. "He just... didn't get up yesterday."

All six pairs of eyes watched hopefully as Hiccup moved slightly in bed, his head shifting to the side, but he still didn't wake. Toothless looked even more defeated than before, if that was possible. "May I sit with him a bit, sir?" Astrid asked Stoick, almost pleadingly. "You look like you could use a break."

"Yeah, Chief." Fishlegs took Stoick's arm and coaxed him out of the chair, much like a mother hen would to her chicks. "Let's at least go get something to eat."

"Yes! Food!" Tuffnut cheered, and Ruffnut nodded eagerly.

Stoick rose, and Astrid was quick to slide into the chair before the Chief could have second thoughts. "I'll call you if there's any change," she promised him. "And don't worry- after all, it's Hiccup. He's always all right."

Stoick nodded wordlessly and allowed Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins to usher him from the room, and to the stairs. Toothless reluctantly followed the bunch after a quick nudge at Hiccup's foot.

Astrid slid forward in her seat once they were all gone, and brushed a few brown locks of hair from Hiccup's forehead. "What happened to you, Hiccup?" she asked softly. Her rough fingers trailed down his cheek, searching for any traces of fever. But his smooth skin was cool, though- almost too cool. She took Hiccup's limp hand between his own, and found it ice cold. She frowned. "Let's see if we can't get you warmed up a bit."

She rose and unfolded the extra quilt from the foot of the bed, then pulled it to Hiccup's chin. She tenderly tucked first one, then the other of Hiccup's arms under the heavy covers, but jerked in surprise when she felt a sudden grip on her wrist. Her breath caught in her throat, but she didn't allow her hopes to soar too high in fear they would be crushed again. "Hiccup?"

Hiccup struggled to lift his eyelids, and Astrid could see he was having trouble focusing on the world around him. "Hey, dragon boy, it's time to wake up," she urged.

"Astrid?" The voice was barely a whisper.

She took a stronger hold on his hand, now feeling protective. "I'm here."

"Where . . ." Hiccup swallowed and tried again. "Where are they?"

"Stoick, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins are downstairs. I'll go get them-"

"No." His head tossed restlessly on the pillow. "Not Dad . . . or the others. Them." His tone grew more urgent. "Where are they?"

"Where's who?" Astrid asked more forcefully, trying to get through to Hiccup's foggy mind. "Who, Hiccup? Who are you looking for? Tell me, and I'll go get them. Whatever you need, I'll do it for you, but you have to tell me, okay?"

Hiccup smiled faintly, his eyelids fluttering. "Knew I could count on you . . . you'd understand. Dad and the rest of the team try, but . . . it just doesn't happen as much for them. Please, Astrid… you have to help me. I'm not sure of how much more of this I can take."

Astrid felt tears prick at her eyes and blinked them back furiously. "Whatever you need, dragon boy," she choked out.

Hiccup took a stronger hold on her hand, and his voice gained strength as he fought to tell Astrid what he needed. "Find them for me, Astrid. They've all disappeared- I don't know why they've left us. Haven't you noticed? No new adventures, no new dragons, no new islands. Just training exercises, endless pranks of the twins, Viggo's useless attacks against Berk and the Edge- and nothing except that ever happens." His voice began to climb and he tried to sit up in bed, energy fueled by sudden determination.

"Hiccup, lie back down," Astrid pleaded as she pushed gently on Hiccup's shoulders. "Come on, please, work with me. You're sick."

"They've deserted us, Astrid," Hiccup managed out, falling back in bed. "You have to find them and make them come back. Please."

Sudden understanding lit Astrid's blue eyes, and she nodded. "All right, Hiccup. I… I think I know what to do now. Just settle down now and rest, and I'll take care of everything, don't worry. It'll all go back to normal soon."

Hiccup searched her face uncertainly, as if wondering if he should believe her.

She stroked the unruly pieces of hair from Hiccup's forehead again as she spoke soothingly. "Don't worry, I'll find them for you. Fearless Astrid Hofferson will take care of it, dragon boy, and you won't have to be troubled by this any more. Just sleep… rest."

Hiccup gradually relaxed and sank back into the pillows. His eyelids drooped, but he managed to ask her one last time, "You'll find them?"

"I'll find them."

"You'll make them come back?"

"I promise. I've missed them, too, you know."

Hiccup opened his eyes again, and a slight grin tugged at his mouth. "So, nothing happened in dragon training today?"

Astrid shook her head, smiling. "Nothing at all. Boring as one of Mildew's useless rants, actually."

Strangely, that seemed to reassure Hiccup more than anything Astrid had said. "All right. You find them, Astrid. You talk them into coming back."

"I will, dragon boy. I will."

She sat there a little longer, making her plans as she waited to be sure that Hiccup fell asleep again. When she was certain her friend was resting peacefully once more, she rose and silently left the room. She wore a thoughtful frown as she descended the small staircase, and only raised an eyebrow at the sight of Hiccup's father and the rest of the gang sitting in the kitchen, enjoying a warm stew, with an anxious Toothless at their side. She didn't join them, to their evident surprise, but headed for front door instead, grabbing her axe.

"Astrid?" Stoick set his bowl of stew down with a clink, rose and walked over to the young woman's side. "You're leaving?"

Astrid nodded as she tightened her hold on the weapon.

"But why?" Fishlegs pressed, shocked. "You going to desert Hiccup when he's sick?"

"I'm going to fix what made him sick," Astrid said with a determined grimace. She tested her axe's flexibility, and then smiled, satisfied with its strength.

Hope lit up Stoick's face. "You know what's wrong with him?" he asked hopefully, eyes shining. "You can make him better?"

"Yeah," she said, and when she looked up, they could see the rock-solid determination of a young woman who would protect her friend, no matter the cost. "I'm going to go find them and make them pay attention, make them fix it so this never happens again. I'm sorry, Chief, but you two don't know what it's like. Hiccup just can't take it, not like I can. I can last a while without them, but Hiccup… his heart pulls too hard for adventure. He needs action, new dragons, new things." She gazed at the top of the stairs for a moment, before returning her attention to the Berkian Chief. "I'll be back as soon as I can, sir. Make him hold on while I'm gone."

"But . . . but where are you going?" Stoick spluttered, still very confused.

Astrid paused with her hand on the door latch. "I'll go wherever they are, do whatever it takes to get them back. And when I do find them, they're going to either listen to me or be sorry."

"Get who back?" Snotlout asked, just as bewildered as the others.

"The writers. I don't know where they all went this summer, but they're going to learn they can't ignore us anymore." And she slammed out the door, a woman with a mission.

Tuffnut breathed out a sigh of relief, slumping back into his dining chair. "She will, too, I bet. When Astrid gets that look in her eye..."

"That very same look when we mess up big time," Ruffnut added in thoughtfully. "Well… I sure feel sorry for those writers now." Toothless warbled in agreement.

A weight lifted from Stoick's shoulders, and he managed a smile. "Yes, we can leave it in her hands. I trust her with this." He nodded at the other teams, gesturing to the stairs. "Now, let's go see Hiccup. After all, we've all got a big day ahead of us tomorrow, now don't we?"

The group chimed in with agreement, and started up the stairs to tell their friend the good news.

THE END

(maybe)

Betcha you didn't see that coming, huh? :D Well, now it makes sense. GO AND RE-READ IT IF YOU ARE STILL SLIGHTLY CONFUSED. IT WILL ALL MAKE SENSE THEN. *shoos you off*

Okay, IF you have re-read it again, you may continue on reading this. (Or even if you haven't, whatever.) *clears throat* I've noticed that HTTYD fanfics have been dropping lately. Updates are getting slower, authors are getting less encouraged- so I wrote this! Hope you all enjoyed the surprise ending, and don’t stop loving HTTYD! :D

-thepurplewriter333