Chapters Friends and Harmony
Chapter 2
Arrival and the Farm
The limousine drove and rumbled across the cobblestone road. Henry was looking outside the window with excitement in his eyes as they drove into the small town of Berkton. Astrid just rolled her eyes with a slight smile at her crush's childish joy.
Finally, they arrived in the town square. Henry and Astrid got out of the long sleek car and took a moment to look at their new surroundings. The plaza was buzzing with people, all going about their lives. Most of the buildings around seemed pretty much ordinary, but the most that stood out were the town hall, the pavilion, and a colorful bakery that had the smell of fresh bread and cookies wafting through the air.
"Okay, what's first on the checklist, Astrid?" Henry asked, admiring the sights.
Astrid unfolded the list and began to read. "Number One: banquet preparations, Apple Harvest Acres."
"Let's go, then." Henry was about to take off, but Astrid stopped him.
"Do you even know where it is?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I saw a sign that says it's just down this path." Henry gestured to a white wooden sign nearby saying, Apple Harvest Acres , in red bold print, with an arrow pointing to a dirt path. Astrid glared at him. "When you get to a new place for the first time, you take in everything." Henry explained with a cheeky grin.
Astrid rolled her eyes again with an annoyed groan, then the both of them started down the path.
About a few minutes later, they saw a large magnificent field of corn, and hundreds of sturdy and healthy apple trees as far as the eye can see. The only space free of any crops was for the gigantic red barn with white trim, and for the single-level farmhouse painted white with gray trim and a green porch swing on the front.
"I'll admit, not bad." Astrid said, admiring the view.
"You said it." Henry agreed.
"Yee-haw!" cried out a voice. The two turned in the direction of the voice, and saw a boy running at full speed at an apple tree. He slid to a stop at the base of it, and gave the tree a firm and hard kick at its base. Suddenly, ripe red apples came falling down into baskets positioned below them.
The boy wiped off some sweat off his forehead. Now, they got a better look at him. He was about their age, with auburn hair, similar to Henry's own, but his was more red and wild. His eyes were a dark sapphire blue, like the deepest parts of the ocean, and his fair skin glistened in the sun with a little bit of sweat. He wore a dark gray T-shirt under a beige vest, jeans, brown cowboy boots, and on his head was a matching Stetson hat.
"Let's get this over with." Astrid sighed.
"Come on, you gotta admit, that was pretty cool." Henry said, then they went over to the cowboy. "Hey, there." He greeted him. "My name's Henry, and this is Astrid."
"Howdy there, Henry." The cowboy greeted back, a western twang in his voice. "You, too, Astrid. Pleasure to meet ya both. I'm Ritchie. Ritchie Iverson. We here at Apple Harvest Acres sure do like meeting new friends."
"Uh, actually-" Astrid began to speak, but Ritchie interrupted her.
"So, what can I do for you?" He asked.
Astrid looked ready to get in a fight because he interrupted her, but Henry stopped her with a look saying, "I got this".
"Well, we're here to check on preparations for the Summer Festival." He explained. "And you are in charge of the food?"
"We sure are." Ritchie confirmed. "Would you care to sample some?"
Henry looked over to Astrid. She shrugged. "As long as it doesn't take too long." She gave her consent.
No sooner did she said that, Ritchie ran over to the barn at lightning speed. "Mom! Pop! We have guests!" He called out.
Two adults came out of the barn, wiping their faces clean. One was a man with shaggy dirty blond hair, brown eyes, and fair skin. He wore a green shirt with jean overalls and black cowboy boots with a matching hat. The other was a woman with auburn hair styled up in a crown-high ponytail, crystal blue eyes, and pale skin. She wore a lavender blouse, jeans, and tan boots.
"Henry, Astrid, these are my parents." Ritchie introduced.
"Howdy, young'ns." The man said. "The name's Simon Iverson, and this is my wife, Thalia." He gestured to the woman beside him.
"Hello." Thalia greeted with a bright smile. It was obvious that Ritchie mostly took his looks after her.
"Hi." Henry smiled. Astrid just waved.
"They're here to check on the catering." Ritchie explained.
"Well, you're in luck, young'ns." Simon said with a grin. "We just finished preparing for lunch. Care to join us?"
"Absolutely!" Henry complied.
"Henry, we need to get going." Astrid reminded. However, her stomach chose that moment to growl.
Henry chuckled, making Astrid turn bright pink. "Looks like your stomach disagrees."
She scowled, but gave in. "Fine."
Minutes later, the Iverson family served them some corn and apple fritters. The two ate their share, and it was quite delicious. Astrid took large notice that throughout the meal, Henry and Ritchie had kept conversing with each other, like they were old friends, maybe even brothers.
As much as she wanted to feel happy for him that he has a new friend, she knew that if what they said is true, then they and anyone else Henry befriends could be in grave danger.
Author's Note
A/N: Didn't expect that one, huh? So, there's a reason why Astrid is acting like this. Does she know something Henry doesn't?
Well, we'll find out soon. Until then, I'll see y'all in Chapter 3! Please let me know what you think.
P.S. Ritchie is the modern name of one of my HTTYD OCs, Ragnar Iverson. Check my FanFiction stories to learn more about him.
Got to fly! ;)
Friends and Harmony
Chapter 3
Meeting a Pilot
After they had said goodbye to Ritchie and his parents with full stomachs, Henry and Astrid soon left Apple Harvest Acres, and headed towards the jet runway. It was out on an empty field, where jets can come and go without disturbing the village of Berkton.
"That was the best lunch I ever had." Henry said, stretching his arms over his head, smiling widely.
"I agree." Astrid grinned, still tasting the warm apple fritters. She then looked over the checklist. "Now that food's been taken care of, it's on to entertainment."
"This ought to be fun." Henry stated as he looked at the runway. "Food and a show."
"There's supposed to be a guy named Tobias Nelson who will be doing a solo air performance." Astrid informed as she scanned the empty area and above in the sky.
"A solo act?" Henry asked. "This guy must be pretty good in the air, then."
Just after he said that, a loud zooming noise filled the air. Wind blew all around as a sleek black jet flew in spirals high above the ground, leaving dark gray tufts of smoke trailing behind it. Henry and Astrid looked in awe as the jet began to slow down and come to a screeching halt on the runway.
The two ran over to the jet. The hood lifted open, and out jumped a boy about their age wearing a black leather flight suit with neon green trim, black combat boots, and a black helmet with the same green highlights. He removed his helmet and showed his face. He had pale tan skin, shaggy raven hair, and acid green eyes, almost matching Henry's own, but they were a tad lighter.
"Hi, there." Henry greeted. "Are you Tobias Nelson?" He didn't want to be rude, but this guy seemed too young to be piloting a jet on his own.
"The one and only." He replied with a cocky grin. "You heard of me?"
"We heard that you are doing an air performance for the Summer Festival." Astrid informed, rolling her eyes at the pilot's overconfidence.
"Well, you both had heard correctly." said Tobias as he tucked his helmet under his left arm. "And who might the two of you be?"
"I'm Henry, and this is Astrid." Henry introduced. "So, how are you already a pilot when you're our age?" He asked.
"I was top of my class back at the Flight Academy." Tobias explained. "I'm licensed and everything."
Henry took a better look at the jet, and whistled. "That's a pretty sweet ride." He observed. "A PX-TC Speeder, right?"
"You got it right. You sure know your jets." Tobias smiled, this time genuine.
"I take time to know a little bit of everything." Henry said with a proud grin. Astrid rolled her eyes again, with admiration. He never ceases to amaze her.
"The Night Fury is the fastest maneuverable jet known in the kingdom." Tobias said. "It made the 500 km dash in under 3 minutes."
"That's very impressive." Astrid complimented.
"Can you show us one trick?" Henry asked Tobias.
"Sure can. I'll show you the trick I was working on earlier. The Spiral Tower. It'll knock your socks off." Tobias put back on his helmet and leaped back into the cockpit of his jet. He started the engines up, and immediately took off to a fast start, blowing the spectators' hair in disarray.
The Night Fury flew up, over, and through clouds, then descended straight down. After a few seconds, it arched back up and started ascending higher while spinning in spirals. When it reached a certain height, it stooped back down and came back to the runway with a squealing stop.
Tobias hopped out of the cockpit. "What did I tell ya? Pretty slick, right?" He started chuckling when he saw Henry and Astrid looking at him with dropped jaws. "You two should see the looks on your faces. You're both pretty good laughs. I can't wait to hang out some more." He started to leave the runway.
Henry got out of his stupored state. "Where are you going?" He asked.
"I promised my friend, Ritchie, that I'd help him get set up for the food stalls." Tobias explained.
"You know Ritchie?" asked Astrid.
"Yeah. How do you two know him?"
"We checked on the catering earlier and ran into him." Henry said. "He's a cool guy."
"Definitely. For a cowboy." Tobias agreed. "Well, I'll see you guys at the Festival!" He waved goodbye, then sprinted towards town.
"That was amazing!" Henry cheered.
Astrid took out her pocket mirror from her skirt pocket and looked over her reflection. She groaned when she saw that her braid was a mess from the speedy take-off.
Henry got closer to see his own reflection, and saw that his hair was a windswept mess as well. "Talk about a bad hair day." He joked.
"Funny, Henry." said a sarcastic Astrid as she snapped her mirror shut and stuffed it back in her pocket.
"I'm kidding!" Henry held up his hands in surrender as they left the runway.
Author's Note
A/N: FYI, I know absolutely nothing about jets or any kind of aircraft. The type of jet the Night Fury is, it was completely made up.
Anyway, I hoped you guys liked this chapter. For those who haven't guessed yet, Tobias is really a human Toothless.
I'll see y'all soon! Don't forget to let me know about what you guys think!
Got to fly! ;)
Friends and Harmony
Chapter 4
Prima Donna Greeting
Soon, Henry and Astrid arrived at the Berkton Town Hall for the next task they needed to check on.
Astrid pulled out the checklist again. "Decorations." She said, looking around. "Amazing."
The inside of the hall was sparkling and spit-spot clean, and colorful ribbons were elegantly woven around in circular patterns everywhere. Banners symbolizing the sun hung from the balconies circling the area.
"I agree." said Henry. "The décor is coming along nicely. This should be quick. We'll be at the library in no time. No need to worry, Astrid."
"Definitely." She agreed.
Then, they saw a girl their age at the front of the platform analyzing different colored ribbons. She had ebony hair curled down to her back, fair skin, and crystal blue eyes. She wore a purple blouse, a jean skirt, dark brown leggings, and fancy black boots with silver trim. It was obvious she took pride in her appearance.
"No, no, no, no. Oh, goodness, no." Her voice was very prim and proper, like she was meant to be a lady of nobility.
Astrid felt a twang of envy when she saw this girl. She had never paid much attention to her own appearance before, but now that Henry's with her on this assignment, she took a quick glance over at him. She silently gave a sigh of relief when there wasn't a sign of infatuation in his emerald eyes. They then walked over to her.
"Hello there." Henry said.
"Just a moment, please. I'm in the zone, as it were." The girl finally chose a red ribbon and tied it around a curtain in a bow. "Ah, yes." She admired. "Red always does the trick, does it not? Oh, Violet, you are talented."
The girl, now known as Violet, turned around to greet her guests. "Now, what can I do for you-Aah!" She screamed the last part when she saw Henry and Astrid's bad hair. "Oh, goodness! What happened to your coiffure?"
"Coiffure?" Astrid asked.
"It's French for 'hair'." Henry explained. Then, he turned back to Violet. "You know a guy named Tobias?"
"Ah, that explains it." Violet said with a small smile. "That Tobias has always a bit much."
"You know him?" asked Astrid. This is getting strange. First, Tobias said he knew Ritchie, now Violet said she knew Tobias. So, she decided to probe a bit more. "And, do you also know a cowboy named Ritchie?"
Violet nodded. "Yes. We've been friends for a while now." Astrid was now getting confused as she tried to fit this new information in the mental puzzle she was piecing.
"Well, now that we've seen the decorations, we can now get out of your hair." Astrid said.
"Out of my hair?" Violet asked. "What about yours?" She grabbed Astrid and Henry's hands and began dragging them out of the Town Hall.
"Where are we going?" Henry asked.
"To my place and my boutique." Violet said. "So that you two can get cleaned up a bit. My name's Violet Gardner, by the way." She properly introduced herself.
"I'm Henry, and that's Astrid." Henry said.
"Very nice names." Violet said.
Soon, all of them were at Violet's house, and her boutique, Noble Chic . The boutique was very colorful and fancy. Violet led Henry and Astrid to one of the rooms and gave Henry a comb.
"You start cleaning, and I'll help Astrid." She instructed.
"Okay." Henry complied as he went to a full-length mirror and start running the comb through his auburn locks.
As Violet started untying Astrid's braid, Astrid watched Henry fix himself up. She intently observed how his short auburn bangs fell into emeralds, which were his eyes. She felt his face growing warm as she imagined her hand brushing the bangs away to get a better view of them.
"So, where are you two from?" Violet's question snapped Astrid out of her daydreaming. She quickly looked at her reflection and saw that Violet was already almost done tying her fixed braid.
"We came from the castle to check on the preparations for the Summer Festival." Henry explained.
"THE CASTLE?!" Violet squealed loudly. Astrid and Henry both winced at the volume. "Oh, sorry." She apologized. "It's just that, I've always dreamed of going there. Now, I have two new friends that do know what it's like."
Astrid froze. What is it with everybody in this village wanting to make friends? Henry, however, smiled brightly.
"After the festival, we can tell you all about it if you want." He suggested.
Violet's eyes lit up. "Absolutely!" She cheered.
"Henry, we need to get going." Astrid broke in.
Henry frowned at his companion's inexcitement. "Fine." He groaned. He turned back to say goodbye as he and Astrid began to leave the boutique. "See ya, Violet!"
"See you both later!" She returned the wave.
As they walked away, Astrid returned to her thoughts. If what she suspected is true from what she read from Henry's books, along with her own knowledge, her crush, and anyone else he befriends, including Ritchie, Tobias, and Violet, could be in danger. And, it will be her fault for failing to do her job she swore to herself that she would do from the day she was assigned to Henry. To protect him.
Author's Note
A/N: Again, this was short, but this was the best I can do with this chapter. I'm kind of terrible with writing characters that seemed prissy and proper because I can relate more to tomboyish personalities, since I am a bit of a tomboy myself. Next chapter will definitely be easier to get in the zone with.
Also, I know that the title for this chapter probably is corny, but it's the best I could come up with.
For those of you who don't know, Violet is the human form of one of my OC dragons in my other HTTYD stories, having the same name.
Also, it revealed more about Astrid, and why she's a bit on edge with making friends. There's definitely something she knows about that Henry doesn't. But, what is it?
Well, we'll find out soon, in the next couple of chapters. Don't forget to let me know about what you guys think.
Got to fly! ;)
Friends and Harmony
Chapter 5
Music of the Huntress
Henry and Astrid were then walking along a path in the park. "That wasn't so bad, right, Astrid?" He asked her. "At least you'll have another girl to talk to."
Astrid glared at him. Violet seemed friendly, but there won't be enough time to socialize when they're done with their job. "Focus, Henry."
He returned the glare, then sighed heavily with a tinge of annoyance. "What's next on the list?"
Astrid pulled out the list and looked through it. "Uh, music."
"Okay, then."
They then heard a guitar playing nearby, along with someone humming sweetly. They followed the lovely sound up a hill and saw a pretty girl their age sitting on a stump, strumming the strings of a soft pink guitar with yellow lightning bolts on the sides.
The girl had chocolate brown hair in two long pigtails draped over her shoulders, matching brown eyes, and tan skin. She wore a yellow shirt, jeans, and black ankle boots. On her right hip was a black leather sheath.
She hummed a little tune while strumming her guitar. Then, she took hold of a pencil and a notebook and started writing down something.
Henry and Astrid went to get a closer look, but Henry accidentally stepped on a twig and snapped it. Suddenly, an arrow zoomed by their heads, lodging itself in a tree, making them jump. They whirled around and saw the girl holding a beautifully carved birch bow. The bow must've been behind the stump. And they saw that the sheath on her hip was full of arrows.
"Hold it!" Henry panicked, holding up his hands. "We come in peace!"
The girl lowered her bow and walked over to them. "Oops. Sorry about that." She apologized. "You two just startled me. I thought you were an animal."
"It's okay." Henry said. "That song you were playing, it sounded amazing."
She smiled shyly. "Thank you."
"I'm Henry, and this is Astrid." Henry introduced him and his companion, who was pulling out the arrow from the tree. "What's yours?"
"I'm Cosette. Cosette Henderson." She held out her hand, and Henry shook it. "So, what brings you two here this far out from the village?"
"We came from the castle to check on the preparations for the Summer Festival." Henry explained. "We are now checking on the music."
"Well, it's coming along." Cosette said. She led them over to the stump and held out her notebook. The pages had music sheets, and notes were dotted along the staff lines. "I basically got the music down, but, no lyrics so far."
"Well, keep up the great work." Henry said.
"I will, thanks." She smiled.
Astrid then came up to her, beside Henry. "So, why do you bring a bow around with you?" She asked. "Are you a huntress or something?"
"Astrid." Henry hissed.
"Oh, it's okay, Henry." Cosette said, brushing it off before turning to Astrid. "Yes, I am a huntress. I only hunt to sell, though. My parents and I run the biggest trading market in the kingdom."
"Wait, your parents are Erik and Penelope Henderson?" Astrid asked.
"That's them." Cosette confirmed.
"Huh." Henry said with surprise. "They sometimes come to the castle grounds to place their trade, but I don't think we've ever seen you."
"Well, I mostly just stay home and watch over the place while they're gone." Cosette explained. "Also, I help my friends with other stuff. I help my friend Ritchie with some farm chores, and Violet sometimes needs my help modelling a new fashion piece. Also, Tobias would want me to time him to see if he breaks any records."
Astrid blinked. "You know them, too?"
"Yeah." She replied.
"We ran into them while we were checking the other preparations." Henry said.
"Oh. Interesting."
Astrid decided to change the subject before her head explodes from all these connections she's been making. "You know, I think your aim was a little off a few minutes ago."
Cosette stared at her competitively. "Is that a challenge, Astrid? I'll let you know, I missed on purpose just to scare you before I make my mark. I always make my mark if I try."
Astrid smirked. "Prove it."
Cosette returned the smirk. "Follow me." She beckoned to them.
Henry and Astrid followed her down the hill, and saw that there were several targets set up. Cosette stood thirty feet away from one of the targets and launched an arrow. It hit right in the bulls-eye. She then readied another arrow, and steadied herself, concentrating hard. She then fired it, and that arrow split the first one in half as it hit the center.
Astrid and Henry were shocked at her accuracy. Cosette grinned slyly at them when she turned back to them. "You were saying, Astrid?" She asked rhetorically.
Henry got out of his shocked state to answer for his stunned assistant. "You sure can make your mark."
Cosette smiled with pride. "Thank you, Henry." She said with a playful curtsy. He grinned back with a silly roll of his eyes and added a teasing bow.
Astrid silently gritted her teeth at their playfulness. They just met not five minutes ago, yet they were acting like they've been friends forever. She then cleared her throat. "Henry, we still need one more thing to check before we get settled."
Henry sighed. "All right."
Cosette looked at Astrid and saw her slightly fuming face. She darted her eyes to Henry, then back to Astrid. Her lips then curled up into a knowing smirk when she figured out why she was like that. Astrid caught her grin and turned bright red.
Unfortunately, Henry noticed her sudden coloring appearing on her face. "Hey, you okay, Astrid?" He asked. "Your face is all red."
Astrid bit her tongue and stammered out a quick response. "Uh, yeah, yeah. I-I'm f-fine. J-just peachy."
Henry raised an eyebrow at her stuttery reply, then shrugged. "If you say so." He turned back to Cosette. "Will we see you at the festival?"
"You can count on it." She answered with a smile.
He returned it. "See ya, then!" He waved over to her as he and Astrid headed back into Berkton.
Author's Note
A/N: A quick heads-up; Cosette is the other OC human character of my HTTYD stories.
I guess I'll see y'all soon. Don't forget to let me know what you guys think.
Got to fly! ;)
Friends and Harmony
Chapter 6
Daring Pyrotechnic Kid
Now the sun was setting, Henry and Astrid were finally headed to the library. But, they still needed to check on one last thing.
"What's next, Astrid?" Henry asked, looking at the vermilion sunset. He smiled and closed his eyes, feeling the sun's warmth.
Astrid unfolded the list again and scanned it in order to distract herself from gazing at Henry's face, the beams shining like a halo. "Fireworks. It's the last one."
Henry breathed a sigh as he turned away from the sun. "Finally." After they get done with that, they could get to the library and he could do more research about the Guardian Dragons.
Suddenly, they heard a large crash nearby. They immediately ran towards the loud impact and saw huge crates on the ground, spilling firecrackers of all kinds; big and small.
A boy their age sat up from where he fell, nearby one of the crates. He had spiky platinum blonde hair, pale skin, and hazel eyes. He wore a light gray shirt, khaki shorts, black socks, and dark brown hiking boots. Henry ran over to him.
"Are you okay?" He asked, holding out a hand. The boy grabbed it, and he pulled him back on his feet.
"Yeah, I'm fine." The boy said, dusting himself.
"What happened?" Astrid asked him.
"I was trying to get some of the crates out, and then, they started toppling over. I tried to balance them, but it didn't work." He explained. "I'm Felix, though. Felix Bryson." He held out his hand.
"I'm Henry." He introduced himself as he shook Felix's hand. "And that's Astrid."
"Pleasure to meet you both." Felix smiled.
"Are you the one who will be displaying the fireworks for the Festival?" Astrid asked. She didn't see how a guy their age can handle all these pyrotechnics on their own.
Felix nodded. "You bet. I have all kinds of fireworks, from sparklers to big boomers."
Henry's eyes widened. "Really?" He asked, impressed. "How can you handle all of that?"
Felix grinned proudly. "Hey, there's no one in the whole kingdom who knows how to handle these babies better than me."
"You do this all without adult supervision?" asked Astrid with a raised eyebrow.
"That's cool, but dangerous." Henry said.
Felix scoffed. "Danger, schmanger. I laugh in the face of danger."
Astrid glared at him. She didn't like this guy's pride either, since it reminded her of someone else they met today. But Henry smirked at him, challengingly.
"Is that so?" He asked. "Then, how come you needed help earlier?"
Felix gave him a questioning look, then realized what he meant. "Point taken." He admitted with a sheepish grin.
Henry chuckled. "Want some help re-stacking these?" He asked.
Felix smiled. "That would be much appreciated."
Before Astrid could begin to argue, Henry picked up one of the crates. He had trouble getting a grip on it, but Felix helped him getting it on the crate tower. She sighed, and picked up another box.
Soon, all of them were finished stacking the crates up in a pyramid. "All done!" Felix announced, dusting his hands. "Hey, you two want to grab a chocolate shake? My treat."
"That sounds nice, but, we need to get going." Astrid said.
"Will we see you at the festival?" Henry asked him.
"You know it." Felix said. "I'll be releasing the fireworks right after my friend, Tobias, finishes his grand finale."
Astrid blinked. "You know Tobias?" She asked.
"Yep." Felix confirmed. "I'm guessing you guys ran into him earlier. He's wicked awesome when it comes to flying, but he does have a soft side."
"Yeah, he's pretty cool." Henry agreed.
"And let me guess." said Felix. "You two also met my other friends: Ritchie, Cosette, and Violet."
Henry and Astrid blinked again in surprise. "Yes, we did." Astrid said, trying to comprehend what had happened. Everyone that they met were all friends with each other. But, what is so special about them, and what is the connection? She was snapped out of her musings when Felix started talking again.
"There's not one person I know that is tougher or more reliable than Ritchie. You need some fashion chic, Violet is on the job. And, Cosette has one heck of a voice. But, don't let her fool you. She is like a fox on the hunt if you get on her bad side."
"Okay." Astrid really needed to lie down. If they had met someone who knows the other kids that they met just today, then there has to be some type of connection. And with Henry getting along with all of them so easily, how could that mean?
"Oh, I just remembered." Henry's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, trying to make sense of all that happened today. "Do you know which way is the library?"
Felix nodded. "Just take a right and it's the fourth building on the left."
Henry followed where he was pointing, and then turned to him. "Thanks."
"See you both at the Festival!" Felix waved to them as he began carrying a crate of fireworks to the Town Hall.
Author's Note
A/N: Okay, this chapter is short yet again, I know, but it was a bit hard to get this down because I'm lacking inspiration for character personalities.
But, I'm glad that you guys are liking this story so far. Soon, the real adventure will begin.
Felix is the human form of my other OC dragon in my other HTTYD stories, having the name Fossil.
Don't forget to let me know about what you guys think. I really like hearing from all of you.
And FYI, I know very little about fireworks.
I'll see y'all in Chapter 7, where as I said before, the real adventure will finally begin.
Got to fly! ;)
The Library and the Festival
Friends and Harmony
Chapter 7
The Library and the Festival
Soon, after following Felix's directions, Henry and Astrid finally arrived at the Berkton library. It was a circular building, like the Town Hall, except it only had one balcony up on the third floor.
The library was an ivory color,with ivy vines curling along one wall, and the trim was a dark gray. When they went inside, the floors were a light gray polished hardwood, and the walls were a warm beige. Bookshelves lined along every wall, and when they went up the spiral staircase, the second floor was the same.
The third floor had a few spare rooms, and two were cleaned up for Henry and Astrid. Henry's room had a large comfy bed with dark green sheets, a desk with new pencils in the drawer, a chair, and a spare bookshelf in the corner. The huge French doors lead to the balcony. Astrid's room was put up the same, except the bed had light blue sheets, and had a huge picture window she can open.
As Astrid went to her room to make herself comfortable, Henry went to his and went out on the balcony. He saw the moon shining down with the stars sparkling around it and dotting the sky. After a few breaths of fresh air, Henry left the balcony and his room and went downstairs. Time to do some research.
When Astrid came down ten minutes later, already there was books piling up the tables. Henry was scanning the shelves, looking for the book he needed. But, he still couldn't find it.
"No, no, no, no, no." He groaned. "This is ridiculous! I thought there would be multiple copies of at least one book about the Guardian Dragons. Zip, zilch, nothing!"
Astrid rolled her eyes with a small smile. "Come on." She went over to another shelf. "We have at least two more hours before the Festival starts. Let's keep looking."
Almost two hours later, they practically tore apart the entire first floor. Astrid collapsed in a chair. "You're right, Henry. This is ridiculous."
Henry was standing on top of a ladder, looking on the top shelf of the last bookshelf. "Bingo!" He grabbed a dark brown book with gold trim. "Got it!" He slid down the ladder and placed on an empty book stand. The title said, The Guardian Dragons: A Reference Guide.
Astrid glanced at the grandfather clock and saw the time. "Oh, shoot! Henry, we're going to be late!"
Henry looked over at the clock as well. "Oh, great!" He groaned. He quickly stuffed the book into his book bag and he and Astrid rushed out of the library.
The Festival was going along great. The catering was delicious, the decorations were spot on, and the music was beautiful. Henry, Astrid, and the other spectators were cheering as they watched the Night Fury flip and spiral through the air at top speed. When it landed back on the platform, fireworks of all colors shot up in the air and exploded brilliantly.
Soon, everyone gathered at the Town Hall to greet the King and Queen. The limousine bearing the royal flags soon arrived, and Stephen and Valerie stepped out. They were both dressed casually, in a simple suit and dress, yet they wore their crowns.
They walked up to the outside platform in the plaza. Stephen stepped up to talk in a microphone. "Greetings, people of Berk. Here we are, gathered here to celebrate the beginning of another summer. My wife, Queen Valerie, and I are glad that another year of peace has blessed all of us."
The crowd cheered. Stephen raised a hand to quiet everyone, and continued speaking. "Despite a loss we have experienced 15 years ago, we are still confident that we have overcome it, and that we will always remember it with love and pride. And we hope that our loss wasn't in vain."
Suddenly, there was a loud explosion coming from the roof. Everyone screamed and looked up. There, on one of the balconies, stood a man about the same age and size as Stephen. Except his hair and beard were oil black, and his eyes were actually glowing a dull gray. He wore silver armor all over, with a shimmering black cape, and his face paint was glowing bright blue.
Henry squinted his eyes in observation. That man seemed familiar for some reason. His hunch was somewhat right, seeing the glares Stephen and Valerie were sending him.
"Alvin." Stephen growled. Valerie went over to him and gently grabbed his arm, still glaring coldly at the man, now known as Alvin.
He floated it up and over the crowd. "Now, this here is a party." Alvin said. "Is tomorrow the summer solstice, Stephen? Why are you celebrating instead of mourning? After all, he's gone."
Everyone's eyes widened when they realized who Alvin was talking about. The king and queen increased the coldness of their glares.
"You don't talk about him, Alvin." Valerie hissed at him.
"He took everything from me!" Alvin shouted. "He would soon become what the kingdom 'needed'."
Alvin conjured up a ring of ice-blue fire above his head and fired it down at the royals. Henry and Astrid acted quick and pulled them out of the way before the fire descended and caught onto the platform.
"What?" Alvin roared in confusion.
Ritchie, Cosette, Tobias, Violet, and Felix then went over to where Henry and Astrid pulled the royals and stood their ground alongside them. Ritchie grabbed a pie knife from a nearby table, while Cosette readied her bow.
"Now, this is cute. A child troop of bodyguards." said a sarcastic Alvin, gesturing to the kids in front of the king and queen. His eyes then landed on Henry. "Have we met before, lad?" He asked.
"No. But I do know who you are, and how you came to be this insane." Henry answered, getting some of the teens to snicker.
Alvin growled, not liking his quip. "You certainly have a death wish."
"Any bright ideas, gang?" Tobias asked.
"One." Astrid suggested. "Let's blow this joint and take the king and queen to safety."
"I agree." Violet piped up.
"Let's get going, then, partners." Ritchie said, throwing the pie knife at Alvin, who simply dodged it. But already, everyone was running.
Cosette was firing arrow after arrow at Alvin, but he was effortlessly dodging them through the air. She glanced over at her sheath and saw that she was running low. "Need some back-up over here." She called.
Felix got in front of her with a huge firework in his hands. "Way ahead of you, sister." He lit a match and lit the firework. "Stand back." He warned.
Immediately, the firework shot up at Alvin, too fast for him to dodge. It flew up and then, exploded in a green burst. It sent Alvin flying in circles.
Once he positioned himself upright, he laughed. "Is that the best you can do?" But, everyone was gone. He snarled, and saw the remains of the firework, the green matching his eyes. He had only seen that shade of green once, and it had always haunted him. Now that the boy was older, he can finally finish him and his family, once and for all, even if he doesn't know who he really is.
Author's Note
A/N: How was that for some excitement? Next chapter will reveal more about the Guardian Dragons and what magic they practiced.
Don't forget to let me know about what you guys think. I'll see y'all soon, in Chapter 8!
Got to fly! ;)
Friends and Harmony
Chapter 8
Beginning The Quest
When everyone arrived at the library, locked all of the doors, and covered up the windows, the five friends turned to Henry and Astrid.
"Okay, guys." Tobias said after he bolted the doors. "Someone better tell us what the heck just happened?"
"Take it easy, Tobias." Felix said. "I'm pretty sure that there's a simple explanation. Right, guys?"
"There's an explanation, yes." Astrid said. "But simple, I'm not so sure."
Henry sat down at a table and pulled out the book about the Guardian Dragons from his book bag. He then began to explain everything as he began flipping through the pages.
"Alvin was that royal adviser that betrayed the royals all those years."
"So, they were true? Those rumors that people would sometimes say in dark alleys?" Ritchie asked.
"Similar, but yes." Henry said. "It was said that he would return to Berk and exact revenge on the royal family." He looked at Stephen and Valerie with a worried glance.
Stephen sighed. "We did banish him from Berk after the incident, but we didn't know how dangerous he truly was until the guards couldn't find our son."
"The Lost Prince?" Cosette asked.
"Yes." Valerie confirmed, looking down at her hands. "But, we still believe he would come back to us."
Astrid cleared her throat. "Before the sentimentality increases, Henry, is there any way to stop him from taking over Berk?" But, she already knew the answer.
Henry nodded, and showed everyone the page he found, depicting the symbols of the Guardian Dragons. "Only the magic of the Guardian Dragons could stop that kind of dark magic that has possessed Alvin."
"But, didn't they pass away over a thousand years ago?" Violet asked.
"Yes, but their spirits still remain." Henry explained. "According to this book, only five of the magics they practiced are known: Trust, Mercy, Courage, Selflessness, and Honor. The sixth one is a complete mystery."
"Those sound like personality traits, not magic." Tobias said.
"Yes, but those traits are just what make that magic powerful." Astrid said. "But, there's something else." She took the book from Henry, and flipped a couple of more pages. "It is said in here that a group of individuals will chosen to each wield a piece of that magic, one aspect for each person." She then closed the book and took a deep breath. "That group is you guys."
"WHAT?!" The six other kids exclaimed.
"Astrid, tell me you're joking." Henry said. But, she shook her head. Henry then noticed that she was looking down. As he remembered the day's events, it hit him. "You were trying to prevent this. You didn't want it to be us."
She nodded. "All the signs were there; how you so easily connected with all of them, and they with you. I didn't want you to face him."
Henry gently placed a hand on Astrid's arm. "I'm glad that you care, but now, it seems you know what needs to be done."
Stephen and Valerie looked at each other, then at the group of kids. "Astrid's right." The king said. "Only you six can find the spirits and use them to defeat Alvin."
"But, how will we know how to use them?" Henry asked.
"We don't know." Valerie replied. "That is for you to discover, if you decide to take the journey."
Ritchie sighed. "Well, looks like we don't have much of a choice, do we, y'all?" He turned to look at the friends he grew up with.
Tobias grinned. "I had never backed down from a fight. I'm not gonna start now."
"So, where do we need to go?" Felix asked.
Henry took the book from Astrid and opened it again. "It says that the last known place where the Guardian Dragons had been seen was the Outcast Woods, just outside of town to the east."
"The Outcast Woods?" Violet asked. "But, that dreadful, murky place is full of monsters and dangerous criminals who mostly keep to themselves. But, they will most likely attack wanderers for the sheer fun of it!"
"However," Cosette began, "it is a good hunting ground. Plenty of game."
"You know the area?" Ritchie asked. Henry and Astrid noticed that there was something protective about his tone.
"Most of it." Cosette replied with a shrug. "The real dangers start when you go up and past the mountain."
"Odds are, that's where the Guardian Dragons should be." Henry said.
"Well, you now know where you need to go." King Stephen said. "You all must prepare for your journey."
"I'll stay here." Astrid spoke up. "And protect the king and queen, in case Alvin is looking for them."
Henry nodded in agreement, and headed up to his bedroom, and packed some food, the book, and a dagger that the king and queen insisted he carry with him at all times.
But the strange thing about it was that he always had it with him, ever since he could remember. It was with him ever since he was found and taken in by the orphanage. The dagger had an imprint of a black dragon coiled around the handle with his name woven in it, and the blade was silvery and sharp.
Once his book bag was packed, and his dagger hanging from his belt, Henry went back down and saw that everyone was ready.
Ritchie coiled up a lasso and hung it from his waist, along with a green saddle bag over his left shoulder. Cosette swung her bow over her right shoulder and double checked the number of arrows in her sheath. Tobias had a flashlight and a pistol strapped on his side. Felix packed some fireworks and matches in a beige duffel bag over his right shoulder. And Violet had packed some food and a pair of sewing scissors into a lavender knapsack.
"Everyone ready?" Henry asked. They nodded, and then started towards the doors. But before Henry could follow, a hand stopped him. It was Astrid.
"Be careful, okay?" She asked. Henry never thought that he would see fear in her eyes before. Still, he gave a small, reassuring smile.
"We will." He said, and then followed everyone else outside, closing the door behind them.
Author's Note
A/N: A lot of reveals in this chapter. But, that's all for now. In the next chapter, our heroes will journey into the Outcast Woods to find the Guardian Dragons.
I'll see y'all then! Please let me know about what you guys think!
Got to fly! ;)
Friends and Harmony
Chapter 9
Ritchie's Trust
The group of friends soon stood in front of the infamous Outcast Woods. It seemed darker than the town at night, and there was fog streaming through the briars and branches, living up to its reputation with its eerie environment.
Ritchie gulped. "Are we really doing this?" He asked.
Henry took a deep breath. "If we don't do this, then the whole kingdom is doomed." He said.
Felix put on a daring face. "Well, let's go, then!"
Ritchie smiled. "But, let's stick together. Like caramel on a candied apple."
Everyone slightly laughed at his analogy, then one by one, entered into the Woods.
After an hour of walking, everyone stopped to rest. They sat down on some logs or rocks, and took a snack break. Henry took out a loaf of bread, and tore it in six pieces. He then passed then around, and the others each took one.
When he sat back down, Tobias turned to Cosette. "So, how much further until we get to the mountain?" He asked.
"About another half-hour." She answered before tearing a chunk of her bread. "Once we get to the other side, that's where everyone starts to get dangerous."
"Does anyone else know how to get around here?" Henry asked out of curiosity.
"Heavens, no!" Violet answered. "Not with the stories we heard when we were younger. Quite dreadful."
"How come?"
"They say that the magic that exists in these woods don't exactly work like it does back in Berk." Ritchie explained. "Sometimes, it goes out of whack and no one can control it, mostly with dark magic."
"And they say that those who enter never come out." Tobias said in a spooky voice.
"Knock it off, Toothless." Cosette said with a roll of her eyes.
Henry stifled a laugh. "Toothless?"
Tobias went red. "I told you not to call me that!" He cried to Cosette, who had a smug smile on her face.
Henry started laughing aloud with everyone else. "Okay, is there a story behind this? 'Cause I totally want to hear it."
Felix took a few breaths to calm himself. "Oh, you're in for a treat, Henry."
"Don't you dare." Tobias threatened, but Felix began the story.
"Back when we were 10, there was this rotten guy named Hector who was thought he was the best kid in the whole world. So, one day, he was trying to act cool and suave in front of Violet and Cosette and this other girl, Stella, who Tobias had a thing for at the time."
Henry looked at Tobias, who was strawberry red and his green eyes were erupting into flames as he glared at Felix. "Shut it, Felix." He hissed.
But Felix ignored him. "Anyway, out of jealousy and of protection of our girls," he gestured to Cosette and Violet, "he came right up to him and punched him hard in the face!"
Everyone started laughing loudly, while Tobias was slightly chuckling at the memory. "When he sat up, he spat out four teeth, and his nose was swollen!" Felix continued. "From that day on, Stella started calling him Toothless, and the name stuck. I think that she was impressed."
When the laughter died down, Henry looked back at Tobias. "So, you punched the daylights out of a bully just to impress a girl?" He asked.
Tobias glared at him playfully. "For your information, smart guy, Violet and Cosette were also getting annoyed by him as well."
"And we still are grateful for that." Violet said.
"Totally." Cosette agreed.
Soon, everyone finished their pieces of bread, and started their way through the rest of the wood and up the mountain.
After climbing up most of the mountain, all of them were walking in a single file line on a cliff that was crumbling.
"Are you sure this is the right way, Cosette?" Violet asked, terrified to look down.
"Positive." Cosette said. "Just don't look down and watch your step."
No sooner did she say that, there was a huge CRACK! Everyone froze as a big fracture became present in the cliffside.
"You had to say it out loud." said a sarcastic Ritchie.
The ground beneath them suddenly caved in. They all started screaming as they slid down the mountain. Tobias and Cosette managed to get on their feet and slide down. They grabbed some vines and swung towards their friends. Tobias grabbed Felix while Cosette swung over to Violet. Ritchie and Henry were still sliding down.
Ritchie finally grabbed an exposed tree root to hold on, but Henry was struggling over the edge. His hands were moving frantically, trying to keep hold.
"Help!" He shouted, not wanting to look back.
Ritchie let go of the root. "I'm coming!" He slid over to Henry and grabbed his hands. "I got you."
"Now what, Ritchie?" Henry asked, trying to pull himself up.
The cowboy looked over him, saw something, then got an idea. "Let go." He said.
"What?!"
"Just let go, and you'll be fine!" Ritchie repeated.
"How do you know that?!" Henry demanded.
Ritchie took a deep breath and said in a sincere tone, "Look, we may have only known each other today, but trust me when I tell you this. Let go, and you'll be okay. Just trust me."
Henry looked up at him with panic, then took a deep breath. He shut his eyes and released his grip on Ritchie's forearms.
He screamed as he felt himself falling, the wind violently rushing through his ears. Suddenly, he felt an arm go around him. He opened his eyes and saw Tobias swinging along, holding a vine.
"Gotcha, pal!" He assured him.
Henry breathed out a sigh of relief. And then, they were both on solid ground at the base of the mountain.
Soon, Ritchie came down with Cosette. "Everybody okay?" He asked.
"Yeah." They all answered.
Ritchie turned to Henry. "See? I told you that you can trust me."
Suddenly, there was a big burst of light in the sky. The teens looked up and saw an orange dragon flying above them. Something seemed ethereal about this dragon. Its scales were shimmering orange like a sunset, and its eyes were as blue as the sea.
It flew down and circled around and above Ritchie. After a few spins around it, it roared loudly and transformed into a sphere of orange light. The light then engulfed Ritchie, then suddenly disappeared.
Everyone was staring at Ritchie, who was holding his head. "You okay, Ritchie?" Felix asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He reassured him.
"What was that beautiful creature?" Violet asked.
"I think that was one of the Guardian Dragons." Henry theorized.
"That means we're on the right track." Tobias said.
"Great!" Cosette piped up. "One down, five to go!"
"Yeah." Henry agreed. "Let's keep moving."
Everyone nodded their heads, and continued their hike through the woods. But, they didn't notice a stream of midnight blue magic observing them through the briars. It then went off ahead of the group and vanished.
Author's Note
A/N: This is great! Our heroes found one Guardian Dragon. Terrific! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, especially the tidbit of background of Tobias. I'll try to put some background of everyone to make this a bit more original.
Next, we will encounter another Guardian Dragon. But, which one will it be? Until then, I'll see y'all soon! Please let me know about what you think.
Got to fly! ;)
Friends and Harmony
Chapter 11
Felix's Courage
The dark forest seemed to get even darker as the group of friends journeyed on. Like before, the guys were up ahead, while the girls were a bit behind, having some small talk. Violet noticed how Cosette was staring fondly at the cowboy who was a few yards ahead of them. She smirked inwardly. Maybe it was time for a little teasing.
"So, Cosette. What do you think of Ritchie?" Violet asked innocently.
Cosette seemed to flinch and pretended to be oblivious. "What do you mean? We're friends. Close friends."
Violet's grin then became visible on her face. "Are you sure? I have been meaning to ask if you think he is handsome."
Cosette's cheeks turned bright pink. "Uh, uh, well, um, o-of course I w-would think t-that, once a-at least. I-I mean, I-I'm surprised he isn't s-seeing anyone."
Violet pretended to hide her growing smirk. "I quite agree. He's strong, honest, and caring. Those are some of the reasons why you like him, correct?" She asked a little too innocently.
Her friend's face immediately turned from pink to red. "Aah! L-like him?! Uh, it's t-true that his strong and c-caring nature is s-something I-I admire a-a bit." She stuttered nervously.
Unfortunately, her nervous comment was partially heard by the guys up ahead of them. "What was that, Cosette?" Ritchie asked from his position.
Her blush turned as scarlet as the ripest strawberries. Violet was sure she could feel the internal heat coming from her cheeks. "N-nothing! J-just some things!"
Ritchie raised an eyebrow at Cosette's stuttery demeanor, but Henry turned him away from them as they continued walking.
"Girl talk, buddy. Best to not pay attention." He turned back to the fire-red Cosette and the smirking Violet and gave them a sly wink. He stifled a chuckle when the huntress turned impossibly crimson, then turned back to chat with the guys.
Cosette took a few deep breaths to finally expel the heat from her face. Violet patted her shoulder playfully. "You can never hide the signs of first love, Cosette." She said. "Perhaps when this is all over, you can invite him for a hunting spree."
"Eh..." Cosette then looked down at the grassy path, still nervous but also feeling down. "I don't think he'd want to."
"You never know until you try." Violet said assuringly.
Cosette smiled softly. Then, they picked up their pace to catch up with the guys.
After another 20 minutes of walking, everyone noticed that the forest seemed to get even darker and shadier. Also, a little more swampy.
"My eyes need a break from all this muck." Violet complained. Then, everything became pitch black, with only a few moonbeams illuminating some patches of ground through the briars like spotlights. "I didn't mean literally."
Henry squinted his eyes in the darkness. "We could pass by a Guardian Dragon and wouldn't even know it."
"Weren't the previous two Dragons glowing when we found them?" Tobias asked with his arms crossed.
"Touché." Henry said, realizing the point the young pilot made.
Ritchie felt deep mud sinking under his boots. "Careful, y'all." He warned. "You never what you might step in."
Cosette scanned the area around them. It didn't seem familiar to her. "Okay, I think we're lost." She said.
"What?!" Everyone shouted.
"I never got in this far into the forest!" Cosette admitted.
"Well, that's just great!" Tobias said sarcastically.
There was then wild screeching that made everyone jump. A pack of gray and black wolves then came out of the shadows and circled around the group. What scared them the most was their extra long fangs and pupiless eyes; just white sclera.
"Saber-wolves." Ritchie hissed. "Why did it have to be saber-wolves?"
"I read about them." Henry said. "Definitely one of the top 10 creatures you don't want to meet in a dark alley. Or ever!"
"Come on, guys!" Felix cried confidently, and took out a rocket from his bag. "We can take them down!"
"How are you so brave right now?" Violet asked, her hands too shaky to grab her sewing scissors, so she just held tightly onto her arms while hiding behind Tobias.
"I learned that having courage can really shake things up!" Felix then lit up the blue rocket and it hurled itself towards one of the saber-wolves, making it fly up with its fur starting to get flames.
"Whoa!" Henry exclaimed. "Nice one!"
"Grab one, guys, and let's light things up!" Felix tossed everyone a firework and a match. Tobias lit his first, since one of the saber-wolves was about to pounce on him. He whooped victoriously as the monster was blown away by the green rocket.
Ritchie lit his orange firework and it was sent flying towards another one, lighting it on fire. "Yee-haw!" He hollered as the saber-wolf scampered away, whimpering.
The girls fired their own rockets, and cheered as two more saber-wolves scurried off in showers of yellow and purple sparks. Henry lit his red rocket at the leader as it was about to attack him. With sparks flying everywhere, the saber-wolves retreated into the muck and shadows.
Everyone was whooping, cheering, and laughing as they celebrated their victory.
"That was totally awesome!" Tobias pumped his fist as he leaped up in triumph.
"How did you know that was going to work?" Henry asked Felix.
"Like I said," Felix replied, "having courage can really change your confidence. If you have it, you can face anything."
Suddenly, a bright flash of light appeared in the sky again. The teens looked up and saw a glowing dragon with ocean blue scales and navy blue eyes. It roared and began to circle above Felix, staring down at him. It then transformed into a bright blue ball of light and disappeared inside him.
"You okay?" Ritchie asked as he and Cosette helped him stay on his feet.
"Dizzy, but I'll be fine." Felix said.
"Well, that's three Guardian Dragons." Henry said.
"Two more to go." Cosette added. "Not counting the sixth mystery one."
"Where to now, though?" Violet asked. "We are lost, are we not?"
"I've studied the map of the Outcast Woods a hundred times." Henry said. "There's a river not far from here."
"Let's head over there, then." Tobias said.
As the group left, a shadow hiding from the moonbeams materialized into the wisp of midnight blue magic and flickered ahead of them.
Author's Note
A/N: The saber-wolves are monsters of my own imagination. They look like regular gray wolves, but have huge fangs like a sabertooth tiger, and they have no pupils.
Well, our heroes have encountered another Guardian Dragon. They're halfway there.
Well, I will see y'all in Chapter 12! Please let me know about what you guys think.
Got to fly! ;)
Friends and Harmony
Chapter 12
Violet's Selflessness
As the group of friends continued onwards through the Outcast Woods, the boys decided to bring up the rear while the girls had their turn to go up front.
Henry then decided to bring up a simple question that had been bugging him since they left the library. "Hey, Ritchie? Can I ask you something?" He asked, turning to the cowboy next to him.
"Sure." He replied. "What is it?"
"Do you have a thing for Cosette?" Henry questioned, trying to sound indifferent.
Ritchie froze in his tracks, his face turning a bright red from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. "Uh, what do you mean by 'thing'?" He asked.
Tobias and Felix gave him snarky smiles. "Oh, he does have a soft spot for her, all right." Felix teased.
"No, I don't!" Ritchie tried to deny. "We're just friends!"
"Yeah, sure." Tobias gave him a teasing smirk. "You've had a thing for her since kindergarten."
Ritchie crossed his arms and huffed. "Knock it off, Toothless. We're done talking about this."
Tobias and Felix just held up their hands grinning mischievously, while Henry smirked devilishly.
"What about you, Felix? Anyone special for you yet?" He asked, since they were on the subject anyway. "We already know that Tobias has the hots for a girl pilot who's probably pretty awesome like him."
Tobias blushed pink and gave Henry a quick glare. "I thought we ended that story a while back." He said.
Answering Henry's question, Felix shook his head while rubbing his platinum blond locks nervously. "Not yet. No girl has caught my eye."
Ritchie then spoke up, the blush gone from his face. "And you, Henry?"
Henry stopped in his tracks, and looked down. "Well, no. Not yet. Besides, I don't think girls would want to go out with guys like me."
"What are you talking about?" Tobias demanded. "A good-looking guy like you doesn't have a special someone to think about?"
"Nope." Henry replied, shaking his head.
Ritchie raised a curious eyebrow. He doesn't know about a certain girl's feelings towards him? "Not even Astrid?" He asked as plaintive as possible.
Henry paused again, lifting up his own brow. "What about Astrid? We're just friends."
Ritchie just shrugged indifferently, and Henry dropped the subject. As he went ahead to catch up with the girls, Tobias and Felix came up to Ritchie.
"So, you know something about that?" Tobias asked.
Ritchie nodded with a small smirk. "Astrid has a soft spot for Henry."
Felix snickered. "Oh, we're gonna get a hoot out of this."
"Best not." Tobias said. "Girls like Astrid will keep denying it, no matter how embarrassed they get. And if you keep pestering her, you might end up with a broken arm and leg."
"Good point." Ritchie said. Then, they hurried over to the others.
After a few minutes, they arrived at the river Henry spoke of earlier. The water was roaring and rushing.
"Yikes!" Cosette exclaimed. "This river is crazy wild."
"I agree." Violet said.
"Are you sure this is the right way, Henry?" Ritchie asked.
"Positive." Henry said, looking over the water to the other shore. "But, we definitely need a boat to get across this rowdy current."
"Help me!" Someone cried out. The group turned and saw a homeless woman dressed in a plain tunic, and her braided hair was dirty. She didn't seemed injured in any way, though.
"What's the matter, ma'am?" Tobias asked.
"I owe a man some money, but I don't have it." The woman explained. "If I don't pay him back soon, he'll take my boat." She gestured to a large canoe still floating and rocking around on top of the river. "It's all I really have."
"Oh, dear." Violet said. She came up to the woman, patting her shoulder. "I might have something that might pay off your debt."
She reached into her satchel and pulled out a purple diamond bracelet. The others gawked at its amazing beauty and worth.
"Sell this, and it may be worth much more than what you owe." Violet said.
The woman was stunned. "But, I couldn't." She stammered.
"Please, I insist." Violet took the woman's hand and placed the bracelet in her palm. "You have much more need of it than I ever will."
The woman's eyes filled with grateful tears. She then enveloped Violet in a huge embrace. "Oh, thank you! You are too kind." She then ran off into a shack near the river.
Cosette then came up. "Violet. Wasn't that your favorite bracelet?" She asked.
Violet nodded. "Yes, it was. But, she needs it more than I do. I can always get another one." She turned to her friends. "Besides, being selfless is putting others' needs before your own. And I like to help others."
Suddenly, another flash of light appeared in the sky. The teens looked up and saw a luminous purple dragon. Its scales matched amethyst gems, and its eyes were as clear and bright as diamonds. It roared and circled above Violet, a trail of pink and lavender jeweled dust trailing behind it. Finally, it transformed into an orb of light and absorbed itself into Violet.
Cosette and Felix helped keep her steady. "Are you okay?" Felix asked.
"A bit faint, but I'll manage." Violet assured them as she regained composure.
"Well, that's four Guardian Dragons." Ritchie said. "Two more left to find."
Henry nodded, then looked over at the river, that strangely, was starting to calm. "But we still have to cross this river."
The woman then rowed over to the teens in her huge canoe. "Allow me." She said, beckoning them to hop in.
The teens smiled, and climbed in. The woman then rowed them over to the other side of the river.
"Thank you, ma'am." Tobias said.
"Don't mention it." The woman replied as she turned the canoe around. "It was the least I can do in return."
The teens waved goodbye to the woman as they entered into another grove of trees and briars again. But as they left and the woman was paddling back to her shack, the wisp of blue magic popped out of the river. It flickered furiously, then zoomed into the forest, tracking the group again.
Author's Note
A/N: If this chapter may seem short to you, I'm sorry. It was all I could come with for this scene. But, I hope you all enjoyed it. Please let me know about what you think.
Got to fly! ;)
Friends and Harmony
Chapter 13
Tobias' Honor
As the group of friends continued walking through the dark and thorny forest, all of them, except Henry, had noticed that Cosette seemed a little too quiet as she kept her eyes focused intently on Henry's dagger, which was hanging from his belt. Felix nudged Ritchie and Tobias to come with him to the back. They slowed their pace to join her and Violet.
"Hey, Cosette." Ritchie said. "Are you okay?"
Cosette seemed to finally snap out of her strange daze. She slightly blushed when she saw the cowboy close to her. "Yeah, I'm fine." She said, quickly erasing her pink color from her face.
Violet raised an eyebrow. "Darling, you had been quiet and just staring off into space for a while."
The huntress sighed. "You guys did notice Henry's dagger, right?" She asked. The others nodded. "There's just something about it that seems familiar."
"How so?" Tobias asked.
"I don't know." Cosette said. "It's been bothering me ever since I saw it. That insignia."
The others then remembered the black dragon imprinted on the sheath strapped on Henry's waist. The more they thought about it, the more they realized that it did seem familiar, but they still couldn't put a finger on why. Violet then gasped loudly, making everyone jump up, including Henry in the front.
"I know what it is!" She exclaimed.
"What is what?" Henry asked, turning to the teens behind him.
Felix had quickly covered Violet's mouth with one hand. "Nothing." Cosette said hastily. She then looked ahead of him. "Uh, are we supposed to head that way?" She pointed forward.
Everyone saw ahead and saw a deep ravine in their path, shrouded in thick fog.
"Are you sure that we didn't make a wrong turn somewhere?" Tobias asked their leader in the front.
"No, I'm sure." Henry said. "Just across this ravine is the cave where it is said is the final resting place of the Guardian Dragons."
"How are we supposed to get across if there's no bridge?" Felix asked.
"I'll find something that we can use." Tobias said.
"Here. Take this." Ritchie reached into his saddle bag and pulled out an axe that's familiar to Henry. "Astrid lent me her axe, just in case."
Henry chuckled slightly. "That's Astrid for ya." He said with a warm smile. "Always being prepared for anything." Henry didn't understand why right then, but the thought of his assistant still watching over him, even if she wasn't there with him, sent a warm tingle down his spine.
Tobias looked around for a bit to find a proper tree to use as a bridge. Finally, he spotted a tall enough oak tree that would work.
"Perfect." He said. He went over to it and began chopping at the base. He was impressed at the strength and sharpness of the axe's double blade. Astrid really must take really good care of it.
After a few solid whacks into the bark, Tobias finally sliced through the tree, and it came tumbling across the ravine, creating a makeshift bridge.
"Now to get the others." But before Tobias could call for the others, a wisp of dark blue light flickered past him. "What was that?"
The young pilot scanned the area, noticing that the fog seemed to get a bit thicker. He wielded the axe tightly in his hands. "Show yourself!" He shouted.
Out of the mist, three figures came out. They were dressed familiar to him; the dark blue jumpsuits with the thick red lines across the waist and torso. Tobias recognized those uniforms. Those were the royal air force uniforms.
"Greetings, Tobias Nelson." The one in the middle, who he assumed was the leader, spoke. "We have been looking for you."
"How did you guys find me here?" Tobias demanded, the axe in his hands ready to swing if there was anything suspicious. He knew he left the Academy to prove to them that he could get in the hard way rather than because he was the son of the most renowned pilot in the kingdom's history.
"We have decided that you have proven yourself worthy enough." The leader said. "Come back with us to the Academy."
Tobias raised an eyebrow, loosening his grip on the axe a little bit. "What's the catch?" He asked.
"Nothing." The leader said. "But you must come with us now."
"But, my friends are-" Tobias began.
"It's either us or them." The leader cut him off.
Tobias re-tightened his grip on the axe's handle. He looked back to where his friends were waiting for him, then back to the pilots. He looked ready to chop their heads off, but he instead took a deep breath.
"I appreciate the offer, but right now, my friends need me, and there's more important things that I need to do."
With that, Tobias swung the axe over his shoulder and took off. The pilots grimaced and vanished into thin air, the wisp from before flickering madly in their place and flittered away.
Tobias then returned to the gang. He handed the axe back to Ritchie, and the cowboy put in back in his saddle bag.
"What took you so long?" Felix asked.
"Had a little something to take care of." He replied. "But, I would never abandon my friends." Tobias beckoned everyone to follow him.
But before they could, a flash of bright green light appeared in the sky. The teens looked up and saw a dragon glowing green above them. Like the ones before, it had an ethereal presence, and its eyes were onyx black, while its scales were emerald green.
The dragon swooped down and circled above Tobias. With a roar, it morphed itself into an orb of green light and enveloped him in it. When it vanished, the young pilot was a little faint.
Felix and Ritchie helped him catch his balance. "You okay, partner?" Ritchie asked.
"Yeah." Tobias assured them. "I've handled worse."
"That's five." Cosette said.
"So, the sixth might be at the cave." Henry inferred. "Lead the way, Tobias."
The young pilot nodded with a smile and led everyone to the tree bridge. As they walked in a single line across it, the wisp of magic flew past the unsuspecting adventurers.
Author's Note
A/N: That's five Guardian Dragons down. One more to go.
I guess I will see you guys in Chapter 14, where a secret is finally revealed, if it wasn't obvious already. Please let me know about what you think.
Got to fly! ;)
The Cave and a Revelation
Friends and Harmony
Chapter 14
The Cave and a Revelation
Finally, after hours of walking in the moonlight and through the Outcast Woods, the gang had arrived at a dark and large granite cave. The tan and brown speckled stone floor sparkled in the midnight moon.
"Is this it?" Felix asked.
"It has to be." Henry said. He then began to walk over towards the entrance when he felt something very strong yet soft block him from coming inside. He felt around the entryway with his hands, and it felt like there was something in front of him. Like an unseen magic bubble or an invisible force field. "Guys, there's something invisible in front of the entrance. I can't get through."
"How is that possible?" Tobias asked as he came beside him. He pressed his hand against the invisible bubble. But when he did, a bright green light shone around his palm and the barrier began getting visible and weak.
"Guys." Henry called to the others, getting an idea.
"Way ahead of you, partner." Ritchie said, knowing what Henry had in mind. One by one, each teen placed a hand on the now visible barrier. Orange, yellow, blue, and purple light began glowing around their hands. With all five on it, the barrier soon gave away.
"How did we break the barrier when Henry didn't, if we just touched it?" Violet asked.
"It must be because you guys have found the other Guardian Dragons." Henry theorized. "That way, only they can unlock the sixth Dragon's magic."
"Well, we came this far." Cosette said as she looked down the dark cave.
"No time to hold back now." Henry said. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a flashlight. He flicked it on and a beam of white light came shining through the cave like a beacon.
The gang traveled through the dark, though Violet was a little bit on edge and clutching onto Felix's arm for assurance.
"Oh, I hope we reach the end on this cave soon." She shuddered.
"Me, too." Felix said. "But, you mind loosening your grip a little, Vi? I think you almost cut off my circulation there."
"Oh, sorry." Violet apologized and loosened her tight grip on her friend's arm.
"Guys, we're here." Tobias said to them. The six teens then entered a huge cavern with a big hole in the center of the stone ground, as if it was some sort of den. But, there was nothing in it. "But, where's the sixth Dragon?"
"This, this doesn't make any sense." Henry said confused. He then slid down the hole, with everyone following his lead. Though, Violet almost lost her balance when she did.
"I thought a lady is supposed to have balance and poise." Cosette said when she saw her prim and proper friend almost trip over her own feet.
"Well, poise and grace come in all forms, darling." Violet said as she regained her composure.
"See anything, guys?" Tobias asked, searching the earth beneath him.
"Nothing." Felix said, scanning the convex walls of the crater up towards the open ceiling, where the moon illuminated the very center of the hole like a giant spotlight.
Violet saw Henry grabbing his dagger to scrape some dirt from the walls. She then remembered what she had discovered. "Guys, I remember!"
"Remember what?" Henry asked.
The fashionista looked over at her other friends, then back at him. "I feel we all should sit down for this."
"Why?" Ritchie asked as they all gathered around.
"That symbol on Henry's dagger is the royal crest." Violet revealed.
"WHAT?!" Everyone exclaimed.
"How is that possible?" Henry asked, immediately looking over at the small sharp dagger in his hand. How did he not notice that it was the royal crest engraved on it? He had lived in the castle for five years, and he had never once made the connection. And when he saw the pondering looks on everyone else's faces, he knew they were thinking.
"Henry? How long have you had that dagger?" Ritchie asked.
"Ever since I can remember." He answered as he sheathed it back in its place. "The caretaker at the orphanage told me I had it when she found me on the front steps. That and a blanket that had my name sewn on it."
"And when did she find you?" Felix questioned.
"The date?" Henry asked. "Well, yeah. She made it my birthday since she didn't know my real one. It's actually tomorrow."
The five friends looked at each other. Then, Cosette spoke up. "Henry, did you know what happened that day you presume is your birthday?"
"No." He answered.
"It's when the Lost Prince went missing, because of Alvin." She explained. "The king and queen believed he was lost, others thought he was dead."
"I'm thinking that maybe Their Majesties are right." Tobias said. "Maybe the prince didn't die that night. Maybe... he was found on the front steps of an orphanage."
"What?" Henry said in disbelief.
"Yes!" Violet exclaimed. "Now that I think about it, you do look a lot like the king and queen. And it has been 15 years since the prince disappeared. You could be him!"
"Me?! The prince?!" Henry shouted, standing straight up.
"That would explain everything." Cosette said.
"Besides, what other scenario can explain how you found with a dagger bearing the royal crest?" Ritchie asked.
"Hold everything, guys!" Henry shouted while jumping back to his feet. "I feel like I just got hit on the head with a ton of bricks! You're telling me that I'm the Lost Prince, and that the king and queen, my mentors, are my parents?!"
"That would pretty much sum it up." Felix said.
"And that would explain why Alvin was looking at you weird." Tobias added. His eyes then widened. "Uh-oh. That would mean that he's after you."
No sooner did the words leave his mouth, a dark shadow covered the moonlight coming from the ceiling, making it dim; the only light bright enough was from Henry's flashlight. The wisp of magic that had been following the gang since they entered the woods made itself known. It swirled around the edges of the den and it became bigger and bigger. Until it was about seven feet tall.
The dark blue wisp then came behind Henry and materialized into Alvin the Treacherous, who was laughing like crazy as he grabbed Henry by the throat, making him drop his flashlight.
"HENRY!" The other five shouted. They started towards him, but Alvin made them stop.
"If you young'ns value his life, I suggest you don't take another step." The gang paused in their steps, glaring at him.
Henry struggled vigorously in the tall man's arms. "Get your hands off me!" He shouted as he tried to pry his arms off him, though up to no avail because of his small and skinny frame.
"All in good time, my boy." Alvin said. "But first, how about we see your long-lost mummy and daddy? Oh, I bet it will a wonderful reunion. And, it will also be your last."
"Let him go, you son of a witch!" Cosette said, readying her bow.
"Now, that's not nice talk coming from a little lady." Alvin purred.
"Well, just because we are ladies doesn't mean that we can't say exactly what you are!" Violet retorted back, pointing her sewing scissors at him.
"So, let him go right now, you low-down varmint!" Ritchie said, his hand on his lasso.
"Or else, we'll give you a real fight." Tobias threatened, pointing his pistol at him. Felix had a rocket in his hand, ready to light it.
"Easy, kiddies." Alvin said. "I'm just here to take the Lost Prince to meet his parents."
With that, dark blue magic rapidly began circling around him and Henry, creating a small whirlwind. When the blue twister faded away, they were gone, leaving the other four trapped in the deep den hole.
Author's Note
A/N: And that definitely seems better than a few previous chapters. Let me know what you guys think. I'll see y'all in Chapter 15.
Got to fly! ;)
Friends and Harmony
Chapter 15
Escape
Tobias had tried to climb up the deep crater for about the sixteenth time, but still to no avail. When he slid back down to the ground, he pounded his fist into the loose dirt.
"We have to get out of here." He said, looking up at the edge of the crater. "We have to save Henry."
"But how?" Violet asked, while rubbing her bare arms, clearly uneasy.
Cosette came to the den walls. "It's too steep to climb out."
Tobias stood up and dusted off his flight suit. "That could been good to know about six minutes ago." He grumbled.
The huntress ignored him. "And it's about 15 feet from down here."
"So, in other words, we're stuck here?" Felix asked, crossing his arms.
"I don't want to lose hope yet." Cosette answered.
Ritchie saw his lasso hanging from his waist. He remembered that his lasso was about 20 feet long. He grabbed it and began to twirl it around as he searched for a target. Up above the edge, there was a stone outcropping that was 19 feet above him.
"Have we tried this?" He asked as he threw the lasso up with all his might. The loop zoomed through the air and landed on the outcropping. Ritchie tightened it to make it secure. "Who's up first?"
"You're a genius, Ritchie!" Cosette exclaimed as she gave the cowboy a quick hug, then started to climb up the wall, not noticing that Ritchie was frozen in shock and had a bright pink blush blooming across his cheeks.
The others smirked at the smitten Iverson boy, and Tobias lightly punched him in the shoulder.
"Come on, lover boy." He teased, finally snapping him out of his daze.
"Put an apple in it, Toothless." Ritchie growled as he followed Cosette up the wall. Tobias only gave him a mischievous grin before following suit, along with Felix and Violet.
Soon, all of them reached the top of the den crater, and Ritchie pulled his lasso back down to him. "So, anybody have an idea on how to get back to Berkton?" He asked while coiling his lasso and putting it back on his waist. "Odds are, that's where Alvin took Henry, since he wants to plan his "reunion" with the King and Queen."
"It will take too long to walk back." Cosette pointed out.
"And we don't have the time to do so." Felix added. "Who knows what's going to happen to Henry and his parents if we don't get there in time."
"I wouldn't want to think of the worst." Violet shuddered.
Tobias slightly tapped his finger against his face, deep in thought. "If only we had some sort of transport; like a tram car or a plane. Then we would ride or fly over back to town."
Suddenly, the young pilot began glowing bright green, shocking everyone.
"What the heck?" Ritchie shouted.
"What is happening?" Tobias asked, sounding a little freaked out.
In a blast of green light, his Guardian Dragon burst out of the young pilot's form and roared, spreading out its majestic bat-like wings.
The ethereal dragon spirit landed on the ground, next to Tobias. It nudged him gently, feeling as real as can be, and gestured to its back with its head. It seemed to ask him to climb on.
The pilot pointed to himself, asking if it meant him. The dragon nodded as it stared at him with its piercing black eyes. Tobias saw his reflection clearly in the onyx black orbs, as if they were polished river stones with a light shining in them. He then nodded slowly and climbed onto its neck.
Everyone else was in awe. "How did you do that?" Violet asked him.
"I don't know." Tobias answered. "I just thought of flying, then the Guardian Dragon appeared." An idea then popped into his head. "Guys, think of flight, and if I'm right, we're going to see some serious fireworks."
"I thought fireworks were my thing." Felix said, trying to make a small joke.
The big shot pilot just glared at his daredevil friend. "Just do it." He said.
The others all raised a curious eyebrow, but then just shrugged, seeing that it was worth a shot. After all, they all would try anything to save their friend. They shut their eyes and imagined the joy of flight; the wind blowing through their hair and whipping past their ears.
After a few seconds, they all began to glow their Guardian Dragons' respective colors; Ritchie orange, Cosette yellow, Felix blue, and Violet the color that is her namesake. In a pillar of their glowing color, the other four Guardian Dragons appeared, just as majestic and spiritual as before, but feeling real to the touch.
The gang all looked at each other in awe, but then Tobias smiled and gestured to the others to climb aboard the dragons. They looked at the dragons, who simply nodded in response. One by one, they each swung over their dragon's neck and made themselves comfortable.
Suddenly, one at a time, each Guardian Dragon flapped their wings and swooped up into the sky through the open ceiling, leaving a trail of colored dust.
Back in the Berkton library, Astrid peeked out of the curtains. Still, the whole town was deathly quiet. Something was bound to happen any second. She just knew it.
She closed the curtain and went back to the main room, where King Stephen was pacing back and forth across the room, while Queen Valerie was trying to read a book. But her husband's pacing was starting to get to her.
"Stephen, settle down." She said to him, closing her book with a loud snap. "They will be all right."
Stephen finally stopped in his pacing steps, looking over to his wife. He sighed. "I'm not worried about them or their abilities. They must find the Guardian Dragons. But I am concerned about Henry."
"Why should you be worried about him?" Astrid asked. "I know him pretty well. He could take care of himself, and if he got in trouble, the others will be able to pull him out of it." She said confidently.
The King of Berk sighed, and for the first time, a sadness stole into his eyes like a cloud. "I just can't bear to lose him again."
Valerie shared his sorrow as she stood up from the table and gently grabbed his huge arm. But Astrid was confused. "Again? What do you mean, 'again'?" She asked.
The royals looked over at the young Hofferson girl. "There is something you should know." The Queen said.
But before she could speak, a blast of midnight blue magic broke apart the huge picture window, making glass shards fly everywhere. Stephen shielded Valerie and Astrid as a figure floated in, a wispy tentacle of magic trailing behind it.
"I'd figured ye would be hiding here." A voice said. The three turned to the broken window to see who it was.
"Alvin." Stephen growled. But Valerie and Astrid were focusing on the magic tentacle, or rather, who was tangled up in it.
"Henry!" They shouted, seeing that the tentacle was wrapped tightly around his waist as he struggled to break free.
"Let me go!" He shouted. Alvin merely chuckled.
"Really, lad?" He questioned. "I thought I was doing ya a favor. Reuniting you with your parents."
Astrid glanced at the king and queen, then back at Henry, pondering Alvin's words. Then, it struck her. If what the corrupted ex-advisor said was true, then Henry is the Lost Prince. But it seemed that he wasn't faring well with it, either.
Stephen narrowed his eyes sharply at Alvin. "Release him!" He bellowed. But the distressed sound of Henry's wavering voice made him freeze.
"Did you know?" He asked. The king and queen looked down at the floor, not wanting to meet his betrayed gaze. "Did you?!" He screamed this time.
The two only nodded. Henry felt tears starting to run down his cheeks. He then stared down at the marble floor that was a couple of feet below him. "How long have you known?" He quietly asked.
Valerie softly answered. "Since we first saw you in the orphanage."
They have known for five years. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, still looking at the floor, not wanting to see their sorrowful looks, Alvin's devious smirk, and Astrid looking at him just as shocked as he was. It seemed that she only knew that he was to defeat Alvin, not that he was the prince.
"We wanted to tell you when you were older. Actually, tomorrow, during the final festivity, we were going to announce your return to us." Stephen explained. "You were only ten years old when we brought you back to the castle, still a little too young to understand the responsibilities of a prince, so we thought that with time and subtle training, you would be able to at least handle some of them."
"Oh, bah!" Alvin scoffed. "Soon, he won't have any of that to be bothered with." He then began to make the tentacle of magic come closer to him. Henry was still eyeing all the details of the polished marble tiles. "Or ever."
Astrid grabbed a hidden knife from the pocket of her skirt. "You touch him, and I'll make you bleed, even if you have magic." She threatened, her steel blue eyes as hard as the metal.
Suddenly, Henry finally grabbed his dagger from his waist and amazingly sliced himself free of the midnight blue magic tentacle wrapped around him. Alvin shouted in pain as the tentacle dissipated into thin air.
Henry landed on the floor and on his feet. "Astrid, get..." He paused for a couple of seconds, either not knowing the right words, or if he couldn't believe the words he would say next. "...My parents, to a safer place." He breathed heavily, not sure if to believe that he actually said the words he hoped all his life to call two special people. Henry quickly regained his composure, seeing that Alvin was recovering. "I'll lead him away." He then dashed out of the library.
"Henry!" The other three people called out to him. But Alvin was already starting the chase.
"You can't hide forever, lad!" He shouted as he too zoomed out of the building and into the fading night to hunt him down.
Author's Note
A/N: All right! I think only two or three chapters left! I'm glad to everyone who has liked this story so far, and soon, it will be completely done.
And my tablet just crashed, so sadly, no updates on anything until I get it fixed.
I'll see y'all in Chapter 16! Please let me know about what you guys think.
Got to fly! ;)
Friends and Harmony
Chapter 16
True Magic Conquers All
Henry ran and ran throughout the now silent town of Berkton. Everyone must be locked down inside theirs homes until Alvin is defeated.
Which most likely won't happen unless we find that sixth Guardian Dragon. He thought to himself.Come on, where are you?
Soon, he found himself in the deserted town square. Henry hid behind the damaged podium when he got the feeling that Alvin will be entering as well in a matter of seconds.
"Come on. Come out, lad." He purred. Henry braced himself against the wooden podium. "You know, Henry. With your newly discovered position and my magic, you and I can find the sixth Dragon and become quite the team. How does that sound?"
Henry immediately turned down the preposterous offer. "Uh, insane? Demented? Delusional? Stupid?" He said sassily, taunting him with his infamous sarcasm.
Alvin growled and blasted his magic at the podium with Henry dodging the attack, but the podium became thousands of splinters.
"You really are starting to get on me nerves, boy." He snarled, preparing another magic tentacle.
Henry held out his dagger in front of him, ready to defend himself again. But then, out from the corner of his eye, he saw faint colors coming in from the distance; from the Outcast Woods. A huge feeling of relief flooded his entire being, recognizing the familiar colors. Maybe, if he could just buy enough time...
"Why do you want me dead?" He asked. "What did I ever do to you that made you hate me so much? I was only a baby; innocent and not knowing any better!"
Alvin snarled again, sounding like a saber-wolf; reminding Henry of his earlier encounter with the real thing back in the Outcast Woods. "Because you took what is rightfully mine!" He yelled. "Before you came, Stephen and Valerie had always wanted a child, but couldn't as time went on. If they couldn't have an heir soon, they would've named me as the successor! But all my plans were ruined when you were announced, then born! And you weren't even supposed to last the week!"
"Why?" Henry asked, seeing that the colorful lights were getting closer.
"You were born a runt! Premature!" Alvin said. "The doctors all said that it was a "miracle" that when the week passed, you were still breathing! I needed to act quick and tried to do away with you, but your parents caught me!"
"And then during the skirmish that followed, none of you noticed that I somehow got out on the street, in front of the orphanage." Henry pieced together.
"I was charged with treason, and sent to the Isle of the Hunters!" Alvin added angrily.
Henry's eyes widened when he heard the notorious name. Long ago, when dragons used to populate almost all of the world, that island was home to the wicked tribe of Dragon Hunters, who sought to kill and/or sell any dragon that they can catch, and get rid of anything or anyone who stands in their way. Because of this excessive poaching, the dragons nearly became extinct; the last known remnants of them living in the kingdom Berk. The Guardian Dragons then used their powers to wipe out the Dragon Hunters off the face of the world. Then, the royal family of that time era used their own island as a special type of prison that would hold any criminal affected by dark magic.
Alvin raised up the magic tentacle to grab him again, but all of a sudden, a pistol shot was fired, denting it right through. The corrupted adviser yelled in pain.
"Keep your tentacles to yourself, buddy!" A familiar voice shouted from above them.
Henry looked up and saw the five Guardian Dragons in all their glory, with his friends riding up on them.
"Great timing, guys!" He called up to them.
"What would you do without us?" Felix asked rhetorically as they all landed on the ground.
"How is this possible?" Alvin demanded. "How could they have chosen you? You're nothing special!"
Just then, Henry felt a realization hit him as he looked over at the friends he had made to complete their quest. He then turned back to Alvin. "You're wrong about that, Alvin. They are special, because they live up to the magics of the Guardian Dragons!"
When he said that, the five Dragons flew back up into the air, roaring and hovering above their chosen ones.
Henry then began to recall the events that had happened before the magical moments during their journey through the Outcast Woods. "Ritchie Iverson, who reassured me to believe in him when I was in danger, represents Trust!"
The orange Dragon transformed into many orbs of the same light and began circling around the trustworthy cowboy.
"Cosette Henderson, who showed true strength and compassion to those who wouldn't do the same, represents Mercy!"
The yellow Dragon also turned the multiple orbs of lights and surrounded the merciful huntress.
"Felix Bryson, whose bravery never wavered even when facing the deepest and darkest dangers, represents Courage!"
The same thing happened with the blue Dragon as several orbs of the same colored light began circling the daring pyrotechnician.
"Violet Gardner, who gave up something of meaningful value to someone in dire need not once thinking of herself, represents Selflessness!"
The action repeated as the purple Dragon became the orbs and surrounded the generous fashionista.
"And Tobias Nelson, who chose to stay with his friends though his heart's desire was offered to him once again, represents Honor!"
The event took place one last time as the green Dragon became glowing orbs of light around the confident and honorable pilot.
"These five special people used the magics of the Guardian Dragons in their own way, which allowed them to get past every challenge you threw at us!" Henry proclaimed.
Alvin was looking a little fearful, but then remembered something. "You still don't have the sixth Dragon." He said. "And what good would only five of them do without their leader?"
Henry then felt the epiphany hit him. "Actually, all of them, when joined and working together as a team," he stopped to look at the teens whom he had gotten so close with in such a short time, "as friends, they give us that power of the sixth Guardian Dragon. The one that represents Leadership!"
Suddenly, a bright red burst of light appeared up in the sky. Everyone looked up and saw the elusive sixth Guardian Dragon. It had scales as red as rubies, spines of obsidian black down its back, and its eyes were the purest of emeralds. It then began circling above Henry.
"You see, Alvin. When these magics come together as one, they create the most powerful magic of all, one that is even stronger than the darkness that emits from you; the magic of Harmony!"
The sixth Dragon roared loudly as it transformed into the many orbs of scarlet light that began surrounding Henry. As it did, all of the orbs began circling around their chosen ones faster and faster, until all six teens were being lifted up in the air.
Alvin began trying to use his magic tentacles to slap them away, but a barrier that had been formed around them proved his efforts to be infutile. "No!" He shouted.
Suddenly, the lights enveloped each of the teenagers, and one by one, they all had colorful bat-like dragon wings appear on their backs, and pendants of the Dragons' respective colors appeared around their necks.
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple light then shot out of the pendants and formed a large beam of rainbow light at Alvin.
"NO!" He screamed as the light began to make him fade away. "I hate rainbows!" And those were his last words before the teens opened their glowing eyes, and everything went white.
Author's Note
A/N: Okay, since my tablet crashed, I have to post updates on a computer now, which takes longer. And some secrecy.
Only one more chapter and a short epilogue left! Yes!
And I know this is a bit shorter than the last update, but I've been working on this for a couple of weeks to try and figure out how to make this hopefully seem exciting.
Well, I'll see you guys in Chapter 17! Please let me know about what you think.
Got to fly! ;)
Aftermath and Henry's Decision
Friends and Harmony
Chapter 17
Aftermath and Henry's Decision
When the light finally faded, the six teenagers came floating back onto the ground, slightly off-balance by what just happened.
"What happened?" Ritchie asked. He then felt something tied around his neck. It was a dragon pendant carved out of real amber, clean of insects, and two pieces of fire opal that formed the wings, and a brown leather cord held the whole work of beauty together and was tied around his neck.
"Check out the bling!" Felix pointed out in amazement. He held up a dragon pendant of his own that was made of pure sapphire, with two pieces of lapis lazuli as the wings.
"This is pretty snazzy." Tobias agreed, holding out a similar pendant, except it was carved out of pure emerald with pieces of jade and peridot forming the wings.
"This is just absolutely gorgeous!" Violet admired her own pendant, which was made of pure amethyst.
"It is lovely." Cosette agreed, holding her solid gold pendant with two pieces of topaz as the wings in her hand.
Henry saw that his own pendant was carved out of pure ruby. A small orb of light then shot out of it, and it widened, flattened, and projected a screen for the six to see.
In the glowing screen of the vermilion light, they saw a dirty cell with concrete floors and walls, and there was a huge iron barred door that once in a while will flicker gold, signifying the light magic keeping the accused from escaping. This was a cell from the Isle of the Hunters.
Lying down the cold concrete floor, there was a man with fair skin and a wild mane of dark hair with a matching bushy beard. He wore a torn dark gray tunic with a silver gray chest plate that had dirty specs on it. He slowly sat up, holding his head. The color of his eyes were in between gray and hazel.
"Is that Alvin?" Ritchie asked.
"What happened to all of the magic tentacles and swearing revenge?" Tobias asked.
By now, Astrid, Stephen, and Valerie were coming up to the magic projection, curious as to what had happened. Also, people were coming out of their homes and were shocked to see the famed magics of old.
The now powerless Alvin looked around his cell. "What happened?" He asked himself. "How did I get here?"
Everyone looked at each other with confusion. He doesn't remember what happened? "Talk about amnesia." Felix commented.
Suddenly, Alvin had a look of horror on his face when those dark memories came rushing back into his mind. "What have I done?" He said. "I tried to kill an innocent lad. All because I let my own envy and pride get in the way of common sense."
Henry then remembered the story as the magic screen zapped out. Alvin's negative emotions were strong enough to attract dark magic, and that transformed him into his corrupted form.
He glanced over at the other teens, and knew that they were all thinking the same thing when they caught his eye. He soon turned to his parents; which the thought of who they really were was still so amazing and bittersweet.
"Mom, Dad." He slowly said, relishing the way those two words that he had always dreamed of saying felt like. The gathering townspeople were confused and then gasped in shock as Stephen and Valerie froze for a second, then turned to their son.
Right for a second that felt like an eternity, the two saw how much their little baby boy had grown. He looked so much like Valerie, inheriting her auburn hair and green eyes. And from what they saw, he had Stephen's stubbornness and sense of justice. What he lacked in physical strength, he made up for it in intelligence, wits, and leadership.
"Can you consider pardoning Alvin?" Henry asked. After seeing the confused looks on the royals' faces, he began to explain. "He only came after us only because he let his envy blind him, and dark magic took advantage of that."
"But, that still doesn't change what he had done." Stephen said.
"At least he is willing to change." Henry countered. "And I want to give him that chance. What about you?"
Stephen glanced over at the other teens, and they all seemed to agree with his son. He then turned to his wife. Valerie nodded, giving her consent.
"All right." He gave in. "I suppose we can release him from the Isle and sentence him to three years of community service."
Henry beamed at him. Astrid came up beside him and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Nice job, hero." She said with a smirk, and Henry returned it.
"So, what now?" Tobias asked them. Henry and Astrid looked over at the others.
"I don't know." Henry answered.
"Well, you now wield the powers of the Guardian Dragons." Valerie said. "Make sure you use properly and for the greater good of the kingdom."
The five teens bowed to her, accepting their new responsibility.
Henry looked over at the people that were gathered around him. Though he had finally found his parents, there was still something wrong that he couldn't put a finger on. Then, it hit him.
"Mom, Dad." He said, turning back to the king and queen. "I'm not sure I'm ready to be a prince." He admitted. The teens turned to him, surprised. But then, it quickly morphed into understanding.
"You have taught me many things and responsibilities while keeping me in the dark, but there are still some that you can only teach me now that I know my true identity. Also, a much bigger responsibility is on my shoulders. And right now, other people need me, my friends. And I need them."
Henry turned to the other teens, who were smiling at him, touched. Stephen placed a giant hand on his son's shoulder.
"We had a feeling that you might say something like this after your ordeal." He said. Henry was surprised. They were expecting this to happen?
"So, if you like," Valerie began, "you can live in town for a while and learn to understand your new abilities along with your friends, so that you six will be ready to face any new possible dangers to Berk."
Henry couldn't believe his ears. He looked back at his friends, and they were just as delighted as they ran over to him and they all shared a group hug.
When the hug broke, Henry ran to his parents and hugged them tightly. "Thank you!" He said, shedding tears of joy.
The king and queen felt tears go down their faces as they returned the embrace. Not a single pair of eyes was dry at the sight of the reunited family. When the hug ended, Stephen led Henry back to his friends and got them in a line. Astrid moved away from them and stood next to Valerie.
"From now on, you six will be known as the Harmony Council, the chosen ones of the Guardian Dragons and the defenders of Berk." He announced proudly.
The newly designated Harmony Council bowed before him as the crowd began to cheer not only that, but also for the return of their Lost Prince.
After they bowed, Henry came over to Astrid. "I understand why you did what you did." He said.
Astrid looked down. She still felt guilty from pulling Henry away from these nice kids, wanting to prevent his eventual destiny with the others. A hand came onto her shoulder, and she looked up into Henry's vivid green eyes.
"But, that dedication makes her a great friend." He said, smiling at her.
Astrid felt her cheeks go slightly pink, but returned the kind smile as she tightly wrapped her arms around him. Henry smiled a bit wider as he returned the hug.
Unbeknownst to them, the other members of the Harmony Council were giving each other sly smirks. He might still be oblivious, but not for long.
The next day, the Harmony Council was helping the village rebuild the ruined town plaza. In the few hours that led to the clean-up, the teens learned that they could summon their dragon wings at will.
However, when they had them, they also learned of unique abilities they possessed. Tobias loved having his dragon wings because he could fly without the use of his plane, and that he had super speed while in the air. He even thought that he could test them to see if they could break the sound barrier.
Ritchie discovered that his dragon wings amplified his strength, so that came in handy while lugging heavy pieces of wood. Though many of the strong men in town were surprised of his remarkable ability.
Felix found out that he had the power to disrupt physics, causing many things to explode when he touched them. Though it could be handy, it was a little difficult when one was supposed to repair something. So, he had to wear gloves until he had it under control.
Much to her delight, Violet learned that she could do magic and find all sorts of useful items; mostly gemstones for her fashion pieces. But, finding a misplaced tool or the perfect plank to place certainly made things more efficient.
Cosette discovered that she could sense the aura of all things; whether living or not, no matter where they might be hiding. So, it quickly became like a sixth sense when something would fall and she made sure that everyone was safe during the reconstruction.
And because of his new position in life, though not officially for now, Henry found himself overseeing the construction process. His new ability was doing magic as well, along with telekinesis and teleportation. But, like Tobias, he preferred flying to teleporting.
Soon, the plaza was completely restored, and the Harmony Council, along with Astrid, decided to take a quick nap at the library before heading to celebrate their new friendship. They had a feeling that new adventures are right around the corner.
Author's Note
A/N: I had originally planned this to be the first part of a series, but due to the lack of interest this story has been getting on Fanfiction, I'll let that decision be up to them and you guys.
But, I want to thank all who has liked and supported this story. I hoped this was a good enough ending for it. After this, I have a bonus chapter. After all, what's MLP without music?
Please let me know about what y'all think, and check out my other stories here if you haven't already.
Got to fly! ;)
Friends and Harmony
Bonus Chapter
Flawless
The limousine trip to the castle was really nerve-wracking, especially for the new Prince of Berk, Henry. How could he have forgotten that eventually, he would have to make his first official appearance to society? The sickening feeling building up in his stomach made him feel nauseous. What was worse, he would also have to introduce his new friends, the recently designated Harmony Council, to them.
Astrid sensed her friend's growing anxiety. "Relax, Henry." She tried to soothe him. "It probably won't be as bad as you might think."
"Easy for you to say." Henry chided, still shaking like a leaf. "I know that a lot of those stuck-up nobles don't like me. They only tolerated me because I was a junior advisor to my parents. Now, I think they're not going to like that I am the prince, and heir to the throne."
"You think you have it bad, Henry?" Ritchie asked him. "Look at us!" He gestured to the other five in the car. "I'm just a farm boy, Tobias doesn't have the most perfect reputation since he had turned down an offer from the Royal Flight Academy, Violet and Cosette are just simple peasant girls, and Felix is the same as well. What would those nobles think of us?"
Henry was silent for a few seconds. "I never thought of that."
"Chill, Henry." Tobias assured him, sliding in his seat over to him and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "What's the worst that can happen?"
Several minutes later, Tobias saw why. "I had to open my mouth." He said dryly.
The Harmony Council stood on the podium in the center of the Parliament room, feeling nervous of all of the members staring at them or giving out cries of indignation.
"These children are the chosen ones?"
"What can they do to keep our proud kingdom safe?"
"Berk wil surely fall if they are meant to be its protectors!"
"Hey, Useless!" One familiar voice caught Henry's attention. The young prince turned to see Scott Jorgenson and his two lackeys, Roxanne and Timothy Thorston, in front of the podium. "You're the prince?" He demanded.
Henry couldn't answer, for Astrid beat him to it. "Lay off, Scott. He is the prince, and your future king."
Scott turned his attention to Astrid. "What's up, babe?" He asked flirtaciously. "You done babysitting Useless here?"
Cosette and Violet came up to him and both gave him a clock to the face. "Beat it, you creep." Cosette hissed.
"Definitely not the best representative of a gentleman, are you?" Violet added, crossing her arms across her chest.
Scott rubbed his jaw, and then saw the two girls in front of him, scowling. "Well, isn't this babe central?" He said.
Ritchie and Felix came to their rescue and pulled the girls away from him. "Take a hint, dude." The Bryson boy said, narrowing his eyes.
"Need a beat down to get it through your fat head?" Ritchie added, punching his fist.
As more voices began to fill over, Henry glanced over at his friends, and they were all getting anxious with the volume and the people ganging up on them. Then, he saw his parents trying to get everything under control, to no avail unfortunately.
Finally, he had it. "ENOUGH!" He screamed, a red light pulsating through the room, immediately silencing the room.
Stephen smiled from his spot. "Already taking after me." He said proudly. His wife, Valerie, just shook her head wih amusement.
"I know you are as shocked as we are." Henry began. "Believe me, I never asked for any of this." He then turned to his friends. "We never asked for this. But, the Guardian Dragons chose us for a reason. And we may not seem like much, but we do know that we love this kingdom, and with the powers bestowed on us, we will do our best to keep it safe."
Then, the prince began to sing.
Henry My mistakes are all written in ink. None of us claimed to be perfect, And it's sad if that's what you all think.
He then stepped off the podium towards the nobles who were in their seats. As he did so, Astrid pushed Scott and the Thorston twins off the podium towards where their parents were.
Our flaws helped to make us special. They bond us and keep us strong. Our flaws are what brought us together, So stop acting like something's wrong.
Seeing that his friends were now smiling with confidence, Henry decided to try a new trick he learned. In a flash of red light, he disappeared, then reappeared back on the podium with the rest of the Harmony Council as they all began singing.
All We're a work in progress. We've got dents and we've got quirks, But it's our flaws that make us work.
Yeah, we're not flawless. We're a work in progress. So tell me what flaws you got, too, 'Cause I still like what's flawed about you.
Then, Tobias took off in the air, his bright green dragon wings appearing on his back while doing flips and twirls.
Tobias That my ego's the size of a whale. My confidence comes off as cocky, But it gives me the courage to fail.
Violet then appeared behind him, seeming to float in the air without her wings, lying down like she was on a chaise.
Violet A bit stuck-up, it's true.
Then, it showed that Ritchie was carrying her in the air carefully, his glowing sunset orange dragon wings flapping on his back. He then tossed her in the air, and Violet made her amethyst purple dragon wings appear to catch herself.
Ritchie There's such a thing as being too honest, too, 'cause
All We're a work in progress. We've got dents and we've got quirks, But it's our flaws that make us work.
Yeah, we're not flawless. We're a work in progress. So tell me what flaws you got, too, 'Cause I still like what's flawed about you.
Felix then appeared in bursts of blue sparks up in the air, his ocean blue dragon wings on his back. He then got Tobias and Ritchie each in a friendly headlock until they brushed him off playfully.
Felix That I don't seem sincere. I might joke around a little too much, But I'm just glad my friends are here.
Cosette then floated gracefully up in the air, her sunny yellow dragon wings flapping behind her.
Cosette To really come out of my shell.
Finally, Henry zoomed up with the rest of the Council, his ruby red dragon wings behind him. The Harmony Council then began doing an aerial display, starting in a group circle, then flying out and up towards the glass ceiling.
Henry By now, don't you know us so well? Because, yeah,
All We're a work in progress. We've got dents and we've got quirks, But it's our flaws that make us work.
Yeah, we're not flawless. We're a work in progress. So tell me what flaws you got, too, ( Felix : You got, too,) 'Cause I still like what's flawed about you.
At last, the Harmony Council landed back on the podium, and their dragon wings disappeared in sparks of their respective colors. Henry glanced up to where his parents were, and they, along with Astrid who was beside them, gave him proud smiles.
Then, Stephen stepped forward. "You all have heard the Harmony Council." He said. "As their duty, they will protect Berk from any dark magic that comes to threaten our peace."
The Parliament eventually gave their votes of confidence, most of them happily while others begrudgingly. But that didn't matter. Henry was just relieved that for now, the worse is really behind them.
Author's Note
A/N: So this is a one-shot that I wrote for my Fanfiction.net series for How to Train Your Dragon , "Dragon Music Tales." I know, the title is a little cheesy.
And that is finally that for this story! Hopefully, I would get the chance to work on a sequel if you guys want a second part.
Until then, I'll see y'all! Please let me know what you think.
Got to fly! ;)
Friends and Harmony
Prologue
In the magical kingdom of Berk, there was magic that could only be described in legends. They say that six dragons were the keepers of the most powerful magic that ever existed. After their deaths, their spirits became the source of it.
According to the legend, these dragon spirits will choose six worthy hosts to represent the element of magic each spirit guarded in their earthly lives. These six chosen ones can then use them to protect Berk from all kinds of enemies. Such as one with a serious vendetta.
Fifteen years ago, the king and queen of Berk had a son, a prince. His birth was celebrated throughout the kingdom. But, not everyone was eager for the young heir's arrival. The royal adviser, Alvin, became insanely jealous of the new prince, and that jealousy not only drove him into wanting to take over the kingdom, but it attracted dark magic.
This dark magic was not conjured up by a sorcerer, but it is found in all negative emotions. The more negative one feels, the more this dark magic can overcome them. That happened to Alvin, and he transformed into an evil being of great power.
He plotted to kill the royal family, but he failed when they discovered his intentions. The only thing that went wrong on both sides was that the newborn prince vanished without a trace.
Despite calls for Alvin's execution, he was only banished. However, he vowed to himself that he will return to conquer Berk.
The kingdom greatly mourned for the infant prince. But, there's a strand of hope that maybe, just maybe, he's still alive. And hopefully, one day, he'll return.
Fifteen years later, a teenage boy was rereading the story of the royal family under a tree in a beautiful park. Beside him was another book telling of the legend of the guardian dragons.
The boy had emerald green eyes, shaggy auburn hair, and his skin was light tan with freckles on his upper cheeks. He wore a green shirt, darker green travel pants, and brown hiking boots. His name was Henry. He doesn't know his last name, though.
He was found as a baby out on the street, and was brought to the local orphanage. He lived there for ten years, until King Stephen Haddock discovered his impressive talent for studying books and magic. Also, his wife, Queen Valerie, took pity on him. Henry was taken in to live with them in the castle as an apprentice to the king himself, like a junior adviser.
"Why does this seem familiar?" Henry asked himself, fingering the page. He had heard stories about what happened to the royal family, but he wasn't so sure if he should believe them.
"And these dragon spirits." He closed the book in his hands, and opened the other one to a page depicting a picture of six symbols, representing the six dragon spirits of legend. "What kind of magic do they represent? And where are they now?"
Henry closed the dragon book, and stuffed both books into a black shoulder bag. He slung it over his shoulder and walked out of the park, lost in thought.
Author's Note
A/N: Okay, this is a crossover story between My Little Pony and How to Train Your Dragon that I had already finished, and because I have been losing some creative mojo, I decided to share it here.
Let me know what you think so far. I'll post one chapter of this a day, if I can.
Friends and Harmony
Chapter 1
A Special Mission
Henry walked throughout the cobblestone paths of the castle gardens. He couldn't stop thinking about the stories he had read.
"Well, well. Look who it is." said a voice familiar to him.
Henry groaned silently as he looked ahead and saw his three least favorite people in the castle grounds. Scott Jorgenson and the Thorston twins, Roxanne and Timothy.
Scott has black, shaggy hair, and pale skin. He was definitely a bit more muscly than Henry, and his beige shirt and black pants and gray boots shows it off.
Roxanne and Timothy both have flaxen blonde hair and gray eyes, but Roxanne wears her hair in three thick braids, while Timothy wears his down. Roxanne wears a dark gray shirt with a beige vest, dark green pants, and black boots. Timothy wears a dark green shirt with a black vest, dark gray pants, and brown boots.
"You know, Henry. We are heading to meet the others for a game of basketball." Scott said with a smug smile. "You wanna join us?"
Henry knew that they're just inviting him so they could watch him get pummeled. Luckily, he didn't need to come up with a fake excuse, for he had a real one.
"Sorry, guys. I have a lot of studying to do. Gotta run!" He then took off at a much faster pace than before, leaving them behind.
The three teens watched him go off. "Does that guy do anything but study?" Roxanne asked.
"Boring!" said Timothy.
"Come on, guys." Scott said as they walked away.
Henry continued walking at his fast pace, still deep in thought. Dragon spirits. Where have I heard about them before? And what exactly is so special about their magic?
He then started running as he entered the castle. The marble floors emphasized the sound of his footsteps. Servants greeted him with a smile as he ran by them. He managed to greet each of them back with a grin as he ran. Despite the kids his age not liking him, he is a favorite among the adults throughout the castle.
Finally, he ran into his personal study in one of the towers of the castle. The walls had bookshelves towering almost to the ceiling. Book stands were positioned throughout the room. Then, there was a long white desk up against one wall, littered with papers and pencils.
Henry called for his assistant. "Astrid?"
Astrid Hofferson walked over to him from behind one bookshelf. She had golden blonde hair in a braided ponytail, long bangs over her left side, blue sapphire eyes, and tan skin like Henry. She wore a blue shirt, a red and brown skirt, blue shorts underneath, and brown combat boots.
They first met when the king and queen brought Henry to the castle. Astrid was the daughter of the captain, so she showed him around and helped him in settled in.
At first, she was pretty indifferent when it came to the shy but upbeat boy. But, as time went on, they became good friends, and on Astrid's side, it became more than that. But it seemed that Henry is oblivious to how she feels about him. She sometimes tries to confess to him, but there's something about his emerald green eyes and lopsided smile that makes her words freeze in her throat.
"What's up, Henry?" she asked.
"Please find the other book on predictions and prophecies." Henry asked as he placed his shoulder bag on a hook and pulled out his two books.
As he placed his books on his desk, Astrid began scanning the tops of the bookshelves on one of the ladders, while Henry started his search on the bottom.
"No, no, no, no." Henry said as he looked around the shelves. "Anything, Astrid?"
"Got it!" She proclaimed, holding up a brown and gold book. She tossed it down to Henry.
"Thanks!" He called to her as he placed it on a book stand and began flipping through the pages. "Let's see." Finally, he came to the page he was searching for. "Guardian Dragons."
"The Guardian Dragons?" Astrid asked as she slid down the ladder and walked over to Henry. "Isn't that just a legend, Henry?"
Henry ignored her and began reading the page. "The Guardian Dragons were the powerful magic dragons that protected the land centuries ago. After their deaths, their spirits became the sources of the magic they practiced."
"Didn't you already learned that?" Astrid asked. "I remember you spent three weeks memorizing the story."
Henry gave her a glare. She felt her skin getting hotter, yet she felt pale. Still, he didn't seem to notice. "I get that, Astrid. But, there's nothing about what exactly is the magic the dragons practiced. All that is said in this book is that it was extremely powerful. The source of all good magic."
"Henry!" came a booming voice. Henry and Astrid jumped up and turned around to see King Stephen and Queen Valerie at the doorway of the study.
The king and queen seemed like a strange couple. The king was huge, bulky, and had a long bushy red beard with blue eyes. While the queen was the opposite, with her slim figure, auburn hair in a braid, and a slim face with green eyes, similar to Henry's own.
"Your Majesties!" Astrid immediately curtsied. "You startled us!"
"Relax, Astrid." Henry said casually. "They come here often." He walked over to them with a smile. Since they took him in, they insisted that he doesn't bow to them, for he was more like family than a protégé. "What can we do for you, Your Highnesses?"
"We decided to send you two on a mission." The queen declared.
"You will go down to the village of Berkton and overlook preparations for the Summer Festival." The king informed.
Astrid visibly slumped, but Henry's eyes lit up. "I've never been down to Berkton before!" He said excitedly.
"You're not going to like going to a boring village." Astrid said.
Henry turned to her. "You don't know that." He replied.
Queen Valerie handed him a paper. "Here is the checklist. Look through everything thoroughly."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Henry said with a grin.
"You two will stay above the local library until the festivities are over." King Stephen continued.
Henry brightened up even more. Staying above the library can get him direct access to all the books. One of them must have more information about the Guardian Dragons.
"You can count on us!" Henry said with a playful salute.
The king and queen smiled softly at their student. He always knew how to brighten everyone's day.
"Your transport is waiting." With that, the king and queen left the study. Once they left, Henry pumped his fist up in the air.
"Yes!"
Astrid rolled her eyes. "Why would you be excited to go to Berkton? Nothing exciting ever happens there."
"How would you know?" Henry asked. "You've lived in this castle all your life. When I was living in the orphanage, I always wanted to see Berkton. Now, I finally get to! Maybe I can make some new friends."
"Uh, remember why we're going? To check preparations, not to socialize."
"Come on, Astrid!" Henry groaned as they began to leave the study. "Lighten up."
Author's Note
A/N: Well, that's it for now! I personally kind of like the one-sided Hiccstrid. But, don't worry. He won't stay oblivious for long. But, not in this story, that much I can say for now. For those who know HTTYD, you understand what I'm talking about.
For those HTTYD fans, you already know that Henry is Hiccup, Scott is Snotlout, Roxanne is Ruffnut, Timothy is Tuffnut, Stephen is Stoick, and Valerie is Valka. Astrid is still the same.
Please let me know what you think.
Got to fly! ;)
Friends and Harmony
Chapter 10
Cosette's Mercy
After a couple of minutes, the boys decided to get in front of the girls a few feet away to talk privately.
"So, Tobias," Henry began with a sly smile on his face, "what happened to Stella?"
Tobias turned bright pink and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, after we finished middle school, she was offered a scholarship at the Royal Flight Academy like I was. We both got the top spots in our class, me in first and Stella in second. I was offered a position in the royal air force, but I turned it down, so she got it."
"WHAT?!" Ritchie and Felix exclaimed. They were joined by Cosette and Violet, who heard about what had happened and caught up with them. "WHY?!"
"Joining the royal air force was your dream, wasn't it, Tobias?" Violet asked.
"It still is," Tobias said, "but I want to get in with the right stuff, the hard way. I want to prove to them that I can get in because I want to and that I have what it takes, not just because my father was a decorated hero back in the day."
"Who was your father?" Henry asked.
"Kenneth Nelson." He answered.
Henry's eyes widened. That man was the most well-known pilot in the history of the air force. "No wonder they want you."
Tobias nodded. "He retired when he met my mother, Cassandra. A year later, they had me, then my little brother, Damian."
"Where are they now?"
"They are at home now. But, I hardly see them."
"Hey, I may not know much about this, but find some time with them. Before you know it, your little brother might not be so little anymore." Henry then turned to the other guys. "What about you two? You have any siblings?"
"I have an older sister." Felix said. "Her name's Jewel. She has her own place just outside of town, working as a minerologist."
"I don't have any siblings." Ritchie said. "But I do have two cousins that stay over at the farm. Michael is the older one, and David is his younger brother."
"I have a younger sister." Violet said. "Her name is Bianca. She lives with me back home for now, while our parents are on their world cruise."
Cosette frowned. "I don't have siblings either, but I do have an annoying older cousin. Her name's Whitney."
Tobias shuddered. "I agree with you on the annoying part. But, I'm glad she is at boarding school right now."
Henry had a feeling there was a story behind that, but seeing the grimace on both of their faces, it was definitely for another time.
"What about you, Henry?" Tobias asked.
Henry looked down for a few seconds before speaking. "I'm an orphan."
The others blinked. "Sorry." Felix apologized.
Henry shrugged it off. "It's okay. I was just found at the front steps of the orphanage when I was a baby, and I lived there until I was moved into the castle." He then showed everyone his dagger. "This is all I have of my parents. Whenever I look at it, I think of them."
Ritchie placed a hand on Henry's shoulder. "I'm sure they didn't want to leave you behind."
Henry smiled. "That's one way to put it."
Cosette was staring intently at Henry's dagger. There was something familiar about that symbol, like she had seen it before. But, where?
Suddenly, a tall man hopped out of the shrubbery, making the six teenagers jump back in surprise. He carried a rifle in his arms and he was dressed in all gray.
Violet shuddered. "Now, that is a fashion disaster." She said.
Cosette readied her bow, Tobias pulled out his pistol, and Henry placed his hand on his dagger. Ritchie had his hand on his lasso, Violet grabbed her sewing scissors, and Felix had a match at the ready. The man grinned.
"I never knew kids can be this daring, entering the Outcast Woods." He cocked the rifle and aimed it at them. "This ought to be fun."
"First of all," Felix cut in, "is this really your occupation? Taking out kids?"
"No." The man replied. "I take out intruders."
"Okay then." Tobias said with a snarky smirk. "Think fast!" He fired at the rifle's barrel, denting it. The man quickly dropped it with shock.
Ritchie lassoed the man and and tied him to a nearby tree. Cosette aimed her arrow at his head, ready to let it loose.
"No, please!" The man pleaded. "I'm sorry! Please, let me go!"
Cosette glared at the frightened man. Then, her face softened a bit. But, she reverted back to her glare and fired the arrow.
The man winced, waiting for his fate. But, he saw that the arrow had hit the tree. The man stared at the girl who spared his life. She untied him, still having a firm look on her face.
"Get out of here." She ordered.
The man wasted no time in scurrying away into the thick trees, gasping to catch his bated breath.
"Why did you let him go?" Henry asked. "He was just about ready to kill us."
"He wasn't worth it." Cosette answered, turning to him. "Besides, everyone deserves mercy. Even the worst of people."
Suddenly, another bright flash of light illuminated the sky. The teens looked up and saw a yellow dragon flying above them. The glow was as bright as the sun. Like the previous dragon, it had an ethereal presence.
The dragon swooped down and began circling above Cosette, leaving a ring of gold dust. Then, with a loud roar, it transformed into a ball of golden light and enveloped her in it. And after a few seconds, it vanished, leaving her struggling to keep her balance.
Ritchie grabbed her gently. "You okay?" He asked. Henry noticed the same protective tone from before, back in the library.
"I'm fine." She assured him. "Just a little wobbly. Now, I know how you felt when that happened to you."
"Great." Henry said. "We now have encountered two Guardian Dragons. We now need to find three more, and we might get a clue as to where the sixth might be."
"Let's keep going, then." Felix grinned.
"Indeed." Violet agreed.
The group then resumed their long hike. But, the man was watching them. He then shifted into the wisp of midnight blue magic, and continued ahead of them.
Author's Note
A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, especially with the family background of the group. Please let me know about what y'all think. They are highly appreciated.
Got to fly! ;)