1. Rude Awakening
Warm.
That’s the first thing Hiccup noticed upon waking up. It was very warm.
And dark. And heavy. And scaly. And it smelled like fish-
It took longer than Hiccup would ever admit for him to realize he was trapped under his dragon. Jolting awake, he began to shift around while trying to push himself up. Attempting to free himself from his slumbering friend. “Toothless…come on bud…you’re killing me here…” He groaned. But the dragon just wouldn’t budge. If anything, the shuffling made Toothless feel heavier. After a short struggle (That Hiccup was sure would look incredibly humiliating to any onlookers) the scrawny teen gathered all his rapidly draining strength to shout “GET OFF ME, YOU OVERSIZED NEWT!” Letting loose a startled grunt, the Night Fury’s eyes shot open and he quickly moved to free his friend.
Hiccup rolled onto his back and took a deep breath. Several actually, simply happy his lungs weren’t being crushed anymore. After taking a moment to enjoy the basic act of breathing, he sat up-
And was quickly met with a tail whack to the back off his head.
“OW!” Hiccup grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head. “What was that for?” He looked over to the dragon to see he was doing some grumbling of his own, sulking and seeming insulted. “What, did the newt comment hurt your feelings?” Toothless glared and looked away. “Oh jeez, here I am being smothered to death. But Gods forbid your pride takes a hit! Poor baby!” Hiccup’s sarcasm earned him another whack. “UGH! Okay, okay. I’m sorry, sheesh!” Toothless still seemed rather peeved, but he decided to accept the apology. With slobber.
“Ack! Eww! Aw come on, Bud!” Hiccup’s cries of protest went ignored as he was licked over and over by the dragon, clearly enjoying his little revenge. “You know this stuff doesn’t come out...” Toothless finally relented, ending his onslaught with a self-satisfied chuff and a warble that very much resembled laughter. Said laughter was cut short when Hiccup flicked a bit of the saliva onto Toothless’ face.
The duo, now both awake and alert, finally stopped to observe their surroundings.
Looking back at where they were just lying, he saw a rough groove in the dirt. Looking upwards he noticed that several of the thin trees were snapped near the top, and several more had completely fallen. And after taking stock of the random twigs, bits of dirt, and bruises all over his and his companion’s bodies there was only one conclusion to make. They had crash landed. Not only that, but a glance at Toothless’ tail showed him that his friend’s prosthetic tail-fin was wrecked as well. Meaning for the time being, they’re stranded here. Wherever here is.
Isn’t that just great?
Shifting his attention to where they currently were, Hiccup realized he wasn’t just warm because he was trapped under Toothless. He was warm in general. Despite being in what seemed to be a shady forest, a pleasant warmth pervaded the area. Spending his whole life on a dark, cold island. The heat was both welcome and alien to the teen. Another thing he noticed was the flora. Bright and colorful flowers, towering trees with thin trunks, and large leaves that almost resembled fingers. Unlike any plants he had ever seen. Looking behind them, he noticed the impossibly tall mountains that seemed to surround them. Despite just being hunks of rock, their sheer majesty intimidated the boy at least a little bit. Even the sounds and smells were different than what he was accustomed to. No salty sea, no musty Yaks, no even mustier Vikings shouting about this or that...It was all very strange to him.
Deciding simply standing around wouldn’t get them anywhere, Hiccup moved onwards. With Toothless following shortly after. They sifted through some plants, swatted away a few bugs, crossed a small pond, and came across the most interesting thing they had seen that morning.
A village.
Cradled in the heart of the forest, kissed by the heat of the sun, and protected by the mighty mountains, there was a village. Not a very large one, but Hiccup noted to himself that it was bigger than his village back on Berk. And it was way more vibrant and jubilant than Berk had ever been.
People walked here and there, but not in any hurry. They all seemed relaxed, with smiles on their faces and skips in their steps. Frequently stopping to wave to, or chat with another villager. The streets bustled with activity, children were running and playing without a care, music seemed to be coming from…somewhere. No one seemed angry, or sad, or even annoyed. It was as if life in this village was one big party. Everyone had a reason to celebrate, so celebrate they did.
Hiccup couldn’t help but mentally compare it do Berk again, specifically it’s people. Everyone there seemed to have a scowl permanently fixed onto their faces, everyone there simply shoved their way through the crowd and punched anyone who called them out. Everyone there seemed as cold and bitter as the island they lived on. Life on Berk was many things, but a celebration it was not.
Dual rumbles brought Hiccup out of his thoughts and back to earth.
He suddenly realized that he was pretty hungry, and the grumble from beside him let him know that his companion was as well. Luckily for them, he had swiped some food from the Great Hall. He reached into his travel bag…except there was no travel bag. After a quick pat down, Hiccup was faced with the unfortunate reality that his emergency bag was missing. Meaning no food. “Well, this is just great…” Hiccup sighed. There was no avoiding it, they needed food. And Hiccup needed supplies to make a new tail-fin for Toothless, the old one was busted beyond repair.
He would have to go into town.
Hiccup moved to stand in front of Toothless, he needed his undivided attention. “Alright, bud. I’m gonna go down there and get us some food. But you need to stay put, got it? We don’t know how these people feel about dragons, and you aren’t exactly the master of first impressions.” Toothless huffed in displeasure, but Hiccup wouldn’t let up. “I’m serious, Toothless! We don’t need another arena disaster…” He paused as the bad memory overtook his mind, but he quickly shook it off. “Look, I’ll be right back. I just need to get a few things, and we’ll be on our way. Okay?” The dragon, still moody, chuffed in agreement. Hiccup nodded, satisfied with his answer, and turned around. Heading towards the colorful village.
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Hiccup got a lot of funny looks.
Not the looks he was used to. No, there wasn’t a trace of disdain or contempt in these faces. It was more an assortment of surprise and confusion. Though that last one was most likely because Hiccup was currently walking like an idiot.
In an attempt to “blend in” and “act natural”, the teen swapped his usual walk for an unnatural stride. Head held so high he could barely see, chest puffed out so much he could barely breathe, a gait more akin to a long-legged waddle. And a wide grin that Hiccup was so sure made him look confident, but really just made him look constipated.
As he strolled through the festive village, looking around for a fish monger stand or a particularly bountiful fruit tree, he would greet some of the villagers he passed. Giving them short waves or voicing a tight “How are ya?” Confounded villagers would awkwardly wave back, replying with a shaky “Good morning” which sounded more like a question.
After some wandering, Hiccup found the marketplace. While relieved at first, he quickly remembered he didn’t have any money on him (Curse you, disappearing travel bag!) and opted to simply not enter as to not cause any trouble. Instead, he set his sights on a blacksmith. He’d find some tools to fix up Toothless, then they’d fly off and hopefully find some food. Simple.
But the hunger, the heat, and the fatigue were finally catching up to him. So instead of blindly wandering once more, he decided to simply ask for directions. However, while looking for someone to question, he wasn’t watching where he was stepping and slammed right into a wall. But it wasn’t a wall. It was a girl.
Hiccup nervously backed away and looked up as the hulking mass of muscle turned and looked down to regard him. He couldn’t quite tell her age, due to her sheer size, but she looked fairly young. Perhaps only a little older than he was. She was built like the Viking women back home almost, but even buffer! Despite her monstrous proportions, her eyes betrayed her gentle demeanor, as she bent down to Hiccup’s level. He quickly puffed up again, as to not show weakness.
“Hey there, little guy! Haven’t seen you around before, are your parents somewhere nearby?” All the faux bravado left Hiccup immediately, and he visibly deflated before uttering a weak “I-I’m fifteen…” A blush graced the giant woman’s features and her soft smile was replaced by look of embarrassment. She quickly stood up and coughed into her hand. “Ahem Well, I mean, you’re just so small and, um…excuse me.” As she awkwardly started to take her leave, Hiccup called out to her. “Wait! Uh, I mean, I’m not from around here and um. Do-Do you know where I could maybe find a blacksmith? Possibly?” Once he finished sputtering, the woman, always happy to help, furrowed her brow and nodded determinedly. “Blacksmith, got it. This way!” As she marched off in the opposite direction, Hiccup had to struggle to keep up with her large steps.
Turns out, Hiccup had passed the local forge a few times while on his initial search for food. He didn’t blame himself though, as his mind didn’t even register it as a forge.
The Blacksmith Shop on Berk was a drab building, lined with intricate carvings and topped with intimidating serpentine statues. This building was brightly colored, like every other building here. The outside was made of bricks painted of bright yellows and oranges, and it was decorated with red flames on each outer wall. The flames were stylized in such a way that even they seemed festive and inviting, swaying to the ever-present music. “I guess everything here fits the theme.” He muttered to himself. It was two stories high, with the forge on the bottom, and a living space on top.
His gigantic guide turned to him “Alright, Blacksmith. There you go!” She nodded once more, and quickly turned to leave. Clearly having other things she must attend to. Hiccup, initially a bit off-put by her rapid departure, shouted after her. “Thank you! Miss…” “Luisa!” the woman replied, shouting back over her shoulder. And just like that, she was out looking for someone else to assist. While definitely intimidated, Hiccup was quite grateful to Luisa. And made a mental note to see if he could repay her kindness before he and Toothless set off once more.
That was for later though. Now, Hiccup needed to find a way to help his friend.
He stepped into the forge.
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Luisa marched through town, carrying several donkeys who had somehow managed to break out again. As she made her way back to the barn, a thought occurred to her. “Wait a sec, was that guy from outside the Encanto? Was that even possible?” She’d been so devoted to helping she completely glossed over that fact. While she mumbled to herself, she didn’t notice her cousin Dolores watching her go by. Dolores heard her, just as she heard her earlier interaction with a certain scrawny teen. Though that was no surprise. She hears everything. Dolores put a hand to her mouth and whispered, “There’s an outsider in the Encanto?” ending the question with a characteristic peep.
What she didn’t know was that she too, was being watched. Her younger brother, shape-shifting master of mischief Camilo, was hiding in an alleyway behind his sister. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to prank her. But this news was much more interesting. Sensing an opportunity to cause a little chaos, Camilo grew a devious smirk on his face, and slinked off.
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“Hey kid, did you hear there’s an outsider in the Encanto?”
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“Mama! There’s an outsider in the Encanto!”
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“Supposedly there’s an outsider in the Encanto…”
“There’s an invader in the Encanto?”
“THE ENCANTO IS BEING INVADED?!”
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Rumors of the outsider spread like wildfire; most of them wildly exaggerated.
Soon it seemed the whole village was up in arms over the situation.
The Encanto was created to protect its inhabitants from the dangers of the outside world. An intruder, no matter how scrawny, could threaten that safety.
And when the safety of the Encanto is threatened, Alma steps in.
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Toothless was really bored.
How long did it take to find food? His human friend couldn’t be that incompetent…could he?
Before he could launch into a long-winded internal rant about his partner’s shortcomings, he heard a peculiar sound. Giggling. Knowing how important it was to keep a low profile, the dragon sank into some nearby bushes. A few moments later, a small boy ran out of the foliage, bucket in hand. His curly hair dripping wet, and a huge smile on his dark face.
“I know Mama said not to get wet, but how am I supposed to catch frogs without getting wet?” The boy asked the frog in his bucket, who responded by blinking. First, it’s right eye, then it’s left. “I know right?” replied the boy, as if he and the frog were having a real conversation. Toothless watched the boy with curiosity. While he generally distrusted humans, he was fascinated by human children. They were usually less violent and meat headed than the adults he encountered. The boy spent a little more time talking to his despondent frog, before he stopped and listened as the most peculiar sound reverberated throughout the forest.
Toothless groaned as his empty stomach betrayed his hiding spot, he quickly looked around for a way he could escape while still being discreet. But it was too late. The boy had already found him, pushing away the leaves and staring at Toothless with the widest eyes imaginable. The frog and the bucket, forgotten. The Night Fury was frozen in fear, awaiting the inevitable screaming which led to the inevitable angry mob with the inevitable axes and torches, but all he got was-
“Big Puppy!”
Well now he was just offended! Toothless was much more than a common, lowly dog! But before he could make his dissatisfaction known, the boy was all over him. Scratching and petting, all while giggling and muttering “Who’s a good boy?” The dragon had to admit, this kid knew how to scratch! And when he hit that one spot, making Toothless slump over in contentment. That sealed it, they were pals now. The dragon immediately went into “play mode” bouncing around the boy, licking him, ear-nubs fully raised in excitement. The two chased and frolicked with each other, without a care in the world.
They didn’t notice as they chased each other right into the center of the village.
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Upon entering the Blacksmith’s, Hiccup was surprised at how familiar it felt. All his time in the forge allowed him to recognize certain equipment, their uses, and the like. Of course, it did have its differences. It was more spacious, for one. It was also more organized. There were no buckets full of excess weaponry lying around, meaning it felt significantly less crowded. Something Hiccup appreciated, honestly. And the abundance of windows allowed a pleasant breeze to waft through the building, instead of the oppressive heat he was used to. His musing was interrupted by the sound of humming. He walked more towards the back, and finally found the source.
A large, burly man with dark skin that was absolutely covered in hair was knelt down. Digging in some cabinet. After a short while of fumbling with his hands, waiting for the man to come out on his own and realizing that wouldn’t be happening, Hiccup decided to speak up. “Um, excuse me?” This must have surprised the man, because he jumped up in shock. While still in the cabinet. Hitting his bald head with a very large THUMP.
Hiccup was sent into a slight panic. “A-Are you okay? I swear I wouldn’t-I didn’t mean to- “The boy’s frantic apologizing was cut off by boisterous laughter, and the man replied “Think nothing of it, my boy! I swear, everyone tells me ‘Ignacio! If you don’t start paying attention, you’re gonna hurt yourself!’ But do I listen? NO!” The man laughed loudly once again, slapping Hiccup on the back and accidentally causing him to stumble forward. “That’s me, by the way, Ignacio!” The man held his hand out expectantly, and the teen nervously took it. “Hiccup.” “Bless you.” “No, that’s my name. It’s Hiccup.” Ignacio looked terribly confused, perhaps wondering what kind of parent would give that name to their kid, but he refrained from further questioning.
Wiping his dirty gloves on his smock, he asks: “Well then Hiccup, what brings you to my humble forge?” Hiccup went onto explain that he needed to use his shop to build something very important, while being careful not to mention that something was for a dragon. “I don’t have any money, but perhaps I could offer work instead? Please, sir. I could really use some help…” The blacksmith stroked his beard in thought as the boy begged, “I’d be willing to let you use my facilities…on one condition.” The man’s jovial face grew deathly serious, and Hiccup felt a chill down his spine…
“You gotta eat more, kid!” All at once the tension in the air died as Hiccup stared, baffled. Ignacio started poking and prodding Hiccup, grabbing his limbs and shaking them about: “I mean look at you! You’re all skin and bones! How do you expect to get any smithing done looking like a skeleton?” It was then the man noticed Hiccup’s bruises and cuts from his earlier mishap. “And you’re all beat up too! What have you been doing, running with scissors? Actually, that gives me an idea! Come with me, kid! I’ll take you to Cooking Mama!” And before Hiccup could protest in any way, he was being dragged across the village by Ignacio with a loud cry of-
“COOKING WHO!?”
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Julieta noticed the village felt…tenser than normal. She was at her station, healing the sick and injured with her miraculous food as usual. Though the line was small today. Technically that’s a good thing. But she could tell something was up, from the hushed whispers of the townsfolk, to their frantic movements. She decided to table those thoughts for now, however, as she noticed her daughter approaching her.
“Hola, mama!”
“Hola, Mirabel!” replied Julieta, her tone filled with warmth. “I haven’t seen you since breakfast. What have you been up to?” “Oh, you know.” Mirabel chuckled, almost awkwardly “Just going around, seeing where I can help! If anyone will let me help…” That last part wasn’t meant to be heard, but Julieta heard it. Mothers always knew. She was just about to give her daughter some words of encouragement, when she noticed her sister was wandering around. Muttering to herself and seemingly looking for something, and Julieta could tell something was wrong because there was a small dark cloud above her head.
They both called to her. Upon hearing her name, Pepa made her way over to her sister and niece. Looking very nervous. “Pepa, are you alright?” “Hola, Julieta. I’ve just been searching for Antonio. He should’ve been back by now, and I can’t find him! What if something happened to him? What if…” She was looking increasingly more frazzled as she spoke, and the cloud grew and grew.
Mirabel ignored the fact that she was ignored and asked “Have you checked the pond? He told me he was catching frogs today, and that’s his favorite spot.” Pepa’s frantic rambling was stopped for a moment “…No, I haven’t. I’ll go check…” And with that she left in a hurry, but she before she was all the way gone, she stopped and said “Thank you, Mirabel.” The girl was shocked, as Julieta patted her daughter’s back “See? That was very helpful!” Mirabel actually felt proud of herself for once.
The touching moment was interrupted by a boisterous shout.
“YO, COOKING MAMA!” Julieta sighed good-naturedly, “There’s Ignacio again.” The man was marching forward, dragging some green floppy thing behind him. Once he was close, Julieta started their usual banter “So what is it now, another burn wound?” she teased. Ignacio belly laughed, jostling the boy who’s shoulder he was gripping as he did. “Not today! No, this is for him!” He pushed the much smaller teen forward, who looked very disheveled at this point. Even worse than this morning. Julieta let out a quiet gasp “What happened? It looks like you took a nasty fall…” Hiccup chuckled at that “You aren’t entirely wrong, miss.” “Well don’t you worry, I have something that’ll fix you right up!”
As she began to prepare some food, Hiccup had the distinct feeling he was being watched. He was right, as he looked over and saw Mirabel staring at him. They both just gawked at each other while Julieta and Ignacio made conversation. He certainly looked different than anyone she had seen before, and he dressed different too. But what was most surprising was his eyes. He couldn’t have been any older than her, but his green eyes spoke of the pain of rejection and great inner turmoil. Yet they also were filled with kindness, ingenuity, and unwavering determination.
When he looked into her brown orbs, he saw the exact same thing.
Hiccup, increasingly uncomfortable, broke the silence. “Can I…help you?” That caught Mirabel off guard “Oh! I’m sorry I just-I don’t recognize you.” Hiccup scoffed a little “Yeah well, I’m not from around here.” This intrigued Mirabel “Then…you’re from outside the Encanto?” There was no fear in those words coming from her, only genuine inquisition. Hiccup scrunched his nose in confusion. “The En-What-o?” Before Mirabel could respond, a scream broke out.
“TONITO!!!”
Four pairs of eyes swiftly turned towards the direction of the noise. Julieta gasped “That was Pepa!” she stood from her stand and quickly made her way over to the source of the scream, Mirabel following soon after. Ignacio grabbed Hiccup’s wrist and hurriedly said “Sorry, kid. You’ll get your food later, we got a situation!” as Hiccup was once more dragged against his will.
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It was a horrifying sight.
Antonio, such a sweet little boy, in the clutches of a horrifying beast.
A crowd had gathered, as they watched Luisa attempt to save her cousin from this mysterious creature. She had approached slowly, trying not to provoke the monster, while gently prodding Antonio to come to her. He had refused, saying they weren’t done playing tag. The creature had positioned itself over Antonio, its green eyes narrowed and threatening, a growl rising from its throat. Daring her to come closer, daring her to harm his friend. Luisa continued her hushed negotiation, and the monster, while annoyed, wasn’t quite angry yet.
Until the screaming started.
Pepa, seeing her baby boy with that…that thing, couldn’t help but give a cry of fear and surprise.
And then all hell broke loose.
The creature let out a loud, piercing cry. Spreading it’s wings for intimidation. Dolores, standing near the side and fearing for her youngest brother, clutched her head in pain at the sound. With Camilo grabbing her skirt and hiding behind her. Pepa’s cloud had become a full-on lightning storm, drenching all of the Encanto in rain and flashes of electricity.
Luisa, tired of the gentle approach, rolled up her sleeves and charged forward. Attempting to grab her cousin by force. The creature leaped in front of her and shrieked, meeting her challenge. Antonio ran to his mother. Fearful of all the shouting, but even more afraid that his cousin would hurt his new friend, or vice versa. But before anything else could happen-
“LUISA!”
“TOOTHLESS!”
One group arrived at the scene, and split into three. Julieta and Mirabel went to Luisa, seeing If she was okay and Mirabel asking frantic questions about Antonio’s safety. Hiccup immediately went to Toothless, shielding him from the crowd. And Ignacio just stood with the masses, utterly bewildered.
All eyes fell to Hiccup soon enough, and then the questions rolled in.
“Who is he?” “Is that the outsider?” “He’s just a boy!” “Such a skinny one, too…” “What is that thing?”
He knew he had to speak up. He addressed Luisa, but he was loud enough for the crowd to hear.
“He wasn’t gonna hurt you, you scared him!” Luisa understandably looked surprised. “I scared HIM?”
“He just wanted to play! That’s all!” Hiccup was looking increasingly worried as the crowd grew increasingly frenzied. “It’s true mama! He’s my friend!” Antonio tried to speak up, but he was hushed by Pepa. Mirabel then stepped forward, though visibly still nervous. “Who is him?”
Hiccup slowly motioned towards Mirabel “He means no harm. Please…” He raised his arm, his hand beckoning her. “Let me show you…”
Mirabel, as scared as she was, was even more curious. All eyes were on her. No one moved a muscle, no one made a sound. Hesitation pulsed all throughout her body, but so was curiosity. She pushed through her fear and took a single step-
A voice cried out over the storm.
“JUST WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?”
Mirabel froze, and immediately moved back towards the crowd. Her mother putting a hand on her shoulder. Everyone watched as an elderly woman moved with grace and authority right in front of the two offenders. A younger woman in a gorgeous purple dress elegantly following her. Luisa straightened up, and Mirabel looked at her feet, but they weren’t the priorities right now. She glared daggers at both Hiccup and Toothless, and despite every bone in his body telling him not to, he couldn’t help but whip out one last snarky comment.
“Da da da, we’re dead…”