Ch. 16- The Guessing Truth

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I had noticed the painting before, but I never knew what to say. When I was alone, I would find myself staring at it. I memorized every detail of the painting the first day I saw, and I still just had to watch it. The painting, of course, looked familiar, but I couldn't place it.

I was certain the little boy was Hiccup when he was younger, but it looked so much like my big brother. Could Hiccup be my big brother?

I shook my head. No way. Not possible. Surely they would have recognized my name (and my story of how I got separated from them) and told me. I was my brother's only friend, baby sister, and favorite person in all of the known viking world. Surely he'd welcome me home if he had known it was me. I was daddy's little girl, too.

But I could swear that little girl looked like a younger version of me.

There were no family paintings of the two kids as they aged. Just the one. The kids were about five and seven, though. Maybe the little girl could be six, or maybe the little boy could. I don't know.

"Do you like it?" asked Hiccup.

I jumped and whipped around to face him.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"No," I absent mindedly waved him off. "It's fine. And yeah, it looks familiar."

"Familiar how?"

I pointed at the little boy. "That looks like my big brother. When we were little, of course."

"Oh, does it?" he asked, almost knowingly.

"Yes. Hiccup, do you have a sister? A little sister?" I asked.

I turned back to Hiccup, watching his eyes sadden. "Yeah. I do. I'll tell you later, okay. Now isn't a good time."

I nodded, assuming the girl had died. "Okay. Sorry."

He brushed it off. "Nah, I just don't like to think about it. Come on, the gang is waiting. You up for another Dragon Race?"

"Oh, yeah!" I smiled, excited after two weeks of no Dragon Races. I grabbed Hiccup's wrist and dragged him out the door. I wasn't going to wait for him to change his mind. He was overprotective to those he cares about, I learned quickly.

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That night, I had the worst dream of all.

Brother insisted on goofing around while fishing. He could never sit still. Daddy sighed, smiling slightly. He just wanted a nice, relaxing day off with his two young kids. He should have known better with his hyperactive son. Surprisingly, his daughter, the younger of the two, hesitated before pulling her line back in and joining her brother. She actually wanted to fish. Either the need to move around or the want to please her brother took over, and she gave in. Probably the latter. His daughter did everything her brother wanted, even if it meant trouble.

"Kids, sit down for ten minutes, then you can stop fishing, okay?" he tried to reason.

"Okay, daddy," his daughter, I, instantly agreed, sitting back in my spot.

Brother whined. "But fishing is so boring, dad. Why can't we play while you fish?"

Dad frowned, making Brother sit in his seat. "Because all your shouting and rocking the boat is scaring the fish away. You don't have to fish, but don't run around, either."

Brother still grabbed his fishing pole, hooked the bait, and threw it into the water, glumly.

"Don't look so down, big brother," I smiled. "Let's see who can catch the most fish, okay?" He loved competition, though winning and losing never meant much to either, just the excitement of the game.

The boy perked up. "Deal!"

A good hour passed and neither of us gave up on our little game. Dad smiled, content with just fishing peacefully as a family. Usually he was stuck on the shore with Brother and I running around. I guess he figured a boat would keep us calm-er. He was sort of right. I had four fish, and Brother had nearly ten. He was good at fishing, but was already getting bored.

He dropped his ninth fish in the bucket and dropped his fishing pole. "I win. This is getting boring again. It's been over ten minutes, let's play."

"But I want to fish," I said softly. The sad face Brother made had be reeling my line back. "Okay. Just give a minute."

"Yay!" he shouted, jumping up.

"Don't play around, ------," dad said to Brother, sternly.

"Why, dad?" he asked. "It's been over ten minutes."

"Because the boat will tip over if you continue to mess around. Now sit. You can play while sitting, okay?"

"Yes, dad. Sorry, daddy," he apologized, sitting down.

Suddenly, the wind grew stronger, nearly knocking an unsuspecting me down. Brother helped me stay upright for a moment then sat me down.

"Dad, it's to windy," I complained. "The wind is blowing my hair everywhere."

"I know, sweetheart."

"Dad, look," brother pointed to the huge wave rushing towards us.

"Stormy clouds!" I called, pointing.

Dad huffed. "Kids, sit down." He lowered the sail on our small boat that wouldn't even be able to hold us comfortably if we laid down. He also used oars to push us away from the storm. But the winds grew stronger and the storm came quickly. A huge wave nearly knocked the boat over. Dad had to grab Brother to keep him from falling overboard. "------, hold on to Starfire and the side of the boat. Star, hold on tightly to the boat, okay?" We both nodded and did as told.

The rain started pouring, drenching us in the cold water. Waves sometimes splashed in, soaking our already cold feet. Most of the time, the waves just lifted then lowered and rocked the boat. I didn't like it.

"Daddy, I want to go home!" I cried. "I'm cold." My teeth were chattering, and I shivered into Brother, who felt warm but was getting colder.

"I'm trying, Star. I'm trying," dad grunted.

I was pressed against the side of the boat, with Brother squished to my other side, providing me with some warmth. Soon, his teeth started clattering, too, and his bangs clumped together in front of his eyes, but he didn't let go of me or the boat.

"Hold on tight, Star," he said.

"I am."

"Good." He leaned into me, shivering worse than me. I looked up, concerned, but his eyes were closed. His grip on me didn't falter, so I rested my eyes, too. They were irritated with the sea water that kept splashing in my face.

A wave hit the side of the boat, pushing us almost sideways. "Daddy!" I screamed, falling off the bench and onto the floor.

"Star!" Brother picked me up off the floor.

Another wave hit the boat and I fell onto him. Another wave hit us and more water poured into the boat.

"Daddy, I scared." I held on to Brother as he put one arm around me and his other hand on the side of the boat.

"I know, sweetheart. Don't worry, everything will be alright. Just keep holding onto the boat."

I buried my face in Brother's tunic. "I wanna hold onto brother."

"It's okay, Star. I've got you," Brother soothed, holding onto the boat with one hand and gently running his other hand over my wet and tangled hair.

The storm got worse. Thunder and lightning filled the sky almost non-stop. The rain made it difficult to see more than a few feet away from the boat. My hands and most of my body were numb, and I'm sure Brother's were, too. The waves kept dunking us underwater for a second or so. Sometimes we'd have to cough out water if we weren't paying close enough attention or mis- timed when to breathe. I coughed the most.

It seemed like hours passed before a wave knocked Brother's grip on the boat loose. He would have fallen off if his other arm wasn't caught around my waist and the side of the boat. He scampered to regain his hold on the boat.

My eyes were wide after what I saw. Dad hadn't noticed, so Brother told me to keep quiet. "He's doing enough as is," he reasoned. "No need to worry him further. I'll just hold on tighter."

So I kept quiet.

More waves made it harder and harder to stay on the boat. Then, we couldn't take it. Our hands slipped at the sudden jerking of the boat, and the wave washed over us, pulling us overboard.

I watched as Brother bumped into the side of the boat before the boat disappeared, leaving us still underwater. I swam to the surface in a hurry, not noticing the lack of an arm around me.

I reached the surface, not seeing Brother near me. I ducked my head under the surface to see him slowly floating down. Without waiting, I swam to him and yanked him by his arm up to the surface.

"Star!" dad shouted. "------! Starfire!" He caught sight of me as he pulled Brother's head out of the water. He reached out to me, but I could barely keep us above the raging waves. We kept bobbing above and under, above and under. "------!" Dad yelled Brother's name, when he noticed his unconscious state.

"------! -----, wake up! Oh please wake up!" I pleaded, feeling my legs growing tired. I made it close enough to the boat, and dad started to take Brother from me. I was in a hurry to lose the extra weight.

"Star, good girl. Hand him to me," Dad said, he placed Brother in the boat. He started to helped me in the boat when another wave hit, and I was pulled underwater again and again. "Star!" my name kept getting called. Fainter and fainter each time I was dunked underwater. I tossed this way and that under the water. I could barely find time to breathe once I reached the surface before I was dunked under again. I faintly heard, "Starfire!" before I was pulled under again.

I almost blackout when I made it to the surface again. "Daddy!" I called out to the boat, which was getting farther and farther with each passing wave. "Daddy! ------!"

"Starfire!" I heard a familiar voice call. He woke up! I heard him call my name! He woke up! He's alright! My big brother's alright!

"Starfire," Dad yelled.

"Daddy, Hiccup," I whispered before the darkness took over.

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I woke in the middle of a scream, tears streaming down my face. Hiccup, the name I had called out. Was that really the name of my brother, or was my heart just tired of being along?

"Starfire!" came the same call from my dream, just with an older voice. Maybe. . . "Starfire!" Hiccup came running in the room, Toothless and Violet at his heals. He saw my tear stained face and quickly wrapped his arms around me.

He looked like and older and slightly different version of my brother. Same hair color, slightly different style, same eyes, even the tiny scar on his chin.

I pulled back and used my finger to trail the scar on his chin. It sent me back into his shoulder, crying. "You- you l- look l- like m- my- my b- big bro- brother! He- he had a tin- tiny scar on- on his c- chin, too!" I cried. Hiccup ran his hand slowly up and down my back, trying to soothe me. "I- I dreamt a- about the s- storm, and- and-" I stopped, not wanting to admit that I said his name in place of my brother's in the dream. That might make this awkward, and I didn't want that. "They're p- probably d- dead n- now. And it's all m- my- my fault! It w- was my idea t- to go f- fi- fishing! All m- my fault!"

As I wept in his arms, he kept the perfect grip to make me feel safe and loved, just like my brother always did. "No, it's not your fault, Star. None of it was your fault. You're family is alive and alright. You're alright, Star. I promise, you're safe now. Nothing will ever take you away from me again, okay? I will never leave your side. Never again."

I sniffled and looked up at him. "What? Y- you mean-" I waited for him to finish.

He brushed a wet strand of hair off my cheek and smiled. "Yes, I'm your big brother, Star. I am Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, and you, Starfire Valka Haddock, are my long lost sister."

"W- why?"

"At first, dad and I weren't sure you remembered us, then we didn't know how to tell you. I had tinkered with the idea of telling you on our birthday in two months, but I guess that's out the bag, now."

I held him tightly, never wanting to let go. "I- I m- missed y- you, b- big brother. So much."

He held me back just as tight. "So did I. I have no idea what it was like to be alone for all those years, but you'll never have to be alone again. I'll always be here." He laid us down on my bed but didn't let me go.

And we stayed like that until I fell back asleep, enjoying the rest of the night in a peaceful dream about the future.

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