Locked In

                                    

                                          
CalciferBurnsBacon 
                          
Requests are welcome x
                          
***
                          
"Hiccup?" Astrid rasped feebly as she regained consciousness.
                          
"You're okay. You're okay." He assured as he knelt by her side. "I'm right here."
                          
Her eyes fluttered open to a room of darkness. Her eyes seemed fixated on the clubhouse ceiling.
                          
"Where? I don't see you." She told him. She sat up and began to look around to room. "Why is it so dark in here?"
                          
"Uh, it's not." Hiccup stuttered.
                          
"What are you talking about? It- It's pitch black."
                          
"Astrid..." Hiccup attempted to halt her as she pushed herself to her feet and spun around with her arms waving around in front of her.
                          
"Hiccup. Hiccup! I can't see any of you." She muttered as she stumbled over a stool in the middle of the room. "Somebody say something!"
                          
"Oh... your hair looks really nice?" Tuffnut complimented. "I mean considering all the fire and lightning and debris and..."
                          
Astrid spun around, bringing her hand to her head in an attempt to ease the throbbing pain. Hiccup came up behind her and placed his hands gently on her shoulders, earning a slight flinch.
                          
"Guys, let me talk to her." He requested. The riders nodded. Zeph and Nuffink rolled their eyes and headed towards the rest of the group. "Alone?" Zeph grabbed the twins and spun them around as Nuffink did the same with Snotlout and Fishlegs, Heather followed close behind. They all exited the room but Zephyr's curiosity prevented her from going too far.
                          
"She can't see," Tuff noted, quietly.
                          
"Yeah, we got that, Tuff," Heather told him.
                          
"Ohh, what if she doesn't get better? What if she stays this way? What are we gonna do?" Fishlegs panicked.
                          
"She's Astrid. She'll be fine." Nuffink mentioned.
                          
"Okay, no offense kid, but you're kinda new here." Snotlout reminded.
                          
"SHH!" Zephyr growled as she listened intently by the wall.
                          
"Okay, first of all, you can't tell me what to do, and second, spying on them now are we? I knew we shouldn't trust you." Snotlout scoffed.
                          
"Snotlout, if you don't shut up, I'm gonna come over there and cut out your tongue!" She hissed. The short stock viking backed away cautiously with his hand over his mouth.
                          
"Changing history..." Nuffink whispered to his sister.
                          
"For the better." She muttered. "Now shh!"
                          
***
                          
"...In the meantime, Astrid, you need rest." Hiccup advised.
                          
"No! No, we have to find Stormfly. She's out there alone. All of the dragons are."
                          
"Don't worry about that right now." He suggested as he led her back to the rolled-up blanket on the floor and laid her down. "Just rest."
                          
Toothless let out a concerned whine.
                          
"Hiccup? Are you still there?" Astrid asked, worriedly.
                          
"Yes. Yes. I'm here, Astrid." He assured, touching her lightly on the arm.
                          
"Will you and Toothless stay with me a little while?" She pleaded. "Just until I fall asleep?"
                          
"Of course." Hiccup smiled down at her. Toothless warbled in agreement. "We're not going anywhere, are we, Bud?" Toothless laid down and wrapped himself around the teens protectively.
                          
***
Next morning
***
                          
"Okay, Thorston Blind Field Test, numero uno," Tuffnut said as he stood incredibly close to Astrid's face. "Who is standing right in front of you?"
                          
"Tuff, I know it's you." The blonde scoffed. 
                          
"She got it!" He cheered. "She's fine, everybody. Oh, thank Thor. Phew. That was a close one."
                          
"She can hear you, Muttonhead." Zeph sighed, slapping a hand across the back of his head.
                          
"How are you feeling?" Nuffink wondered.
                          
"Guys, we can't worry about me right now." She clarified. "We need to find our dragons. They're still out there somewhere and obviously scared or they would've come back."
                          
"Guys, she's got a point." Hiccup said to the other riders. "We need to round them up before the next storm hits. Toothless and I will find Stormfly. Don't you worry."
                          
"Wha- and leave me here? I don't think so. I'm going with you." Astrid folded her arms and attempted to glare in Hiccup's direction.
                          
"Sorry, not an option." Hiccup declined.
                          
"Listen, I'm more effective blind, than some riders, who shall remain nameless that are fully sighted." 
                          
"Is she looking at us?" Tuffnut wondered.
                          
"She can't see." Ruffnut reminded. "Hence, she cannot actually look. So, no." She confirmed.
                          
"She does make a good point." Nuffink agreed before receiving a deadly glare from Hiccup. Zephyr pulled her brother back. 
                          
"Maybe don't mess with dad, right now." She whispered. "He's in protective mode. I doubt that's changed in 20 years."
                          
"Astrid, there's no way you're flying in your condition. All right?" Hiccup refused. "I am sorry. As leader, I am putting my foot down." Astrid turned towards him with a half pout, half scowl on her face.
                          
"Oh, bad idea!" Nuffink sighed, planting his face in his hand.
                          
"Don't give me that look, Astrid. You know it's not safe for you to be flying." He attempted to salvage the situation, trying desperately not to fall into her ocean blue trap, looking at her boots, the ground, his dragon, anything but her eyes. "We'll take the Furies and we'll find her, okay?" Hiccup glanced towards the youngest two in the room. Zephyr soon felt another tingle in her hand. She quickly tucked it behind her back.
                          
"Actually..." Zeph had no idea what she was going to say. But, she knew she had to say something. "We should probably help the other find their dragons too. Thor only knows what kind of trouble they could get into without supervision."
                          
"You do remember that you're younger than all of us, right?" Snotlout snickered. 
                          
"And yet still more mature than half your island's population." Zeph retorted. She looked towards Hiccup with those damned blue eyes and Hiccup was locked in. He could only switch between Astrid's and Zephyr's gaze. That was it. Game over.
                          
***
                          
"Remind me never to put my foot down again," Hiccup muttered to his dragon as they flew across the island with Astrid mounted up behind him.
                          
"I can still hear you, Hiccup. But, I agree."
                          
***