Finn had always liked fire. The crackling sounds it made, the sparks that danced above it, the way everyone's shadows were always oddly warped and elongated by its light... fire was always a source of fascination for him and ever since he was small, he enjoyed staring into its depths and taking it all in.

Now, fire was a harsh, destructive force capable of decimating the village and snuffing out life. The Haddock boy could scarcely believe that the charred wood upon which he walked early the next morning had once been sturdy homes for dozens of his fellow Hooligans. It certainly didn't seem possible that only 24 hours ago, this had been a cozy section of the village or that there had been four people living and breathing and going on with their day blissfully unaware that it was their last day on Berk, their last day ever.

Finn watched his father as they walked through the village together. Hiccup's face was paler than usual, his eyes firmly set on the road ahead and falling upon those already helping with the rebuilding and, though it made Finn sick to his stomach to think about, retrieving the bodies of those who had died. In addition to Aud and Curt, one other couple had been killed in the blaze. They were elderly and had been taking a nap at the time. It looked like they had died instantly, so quickly it was unlikely they even knew what had happened until they had awakened in Valhalla. Their daughter was living on Brawn and had just given birth to a son days before. Finn had overheard them telling Gobber that they were going to visit her and meet their first grandchild. They had been so excited but now...

Finn shook his head. There was no reason to get sentimental. It wasn't like they were his grandparents after all. All four, no, five of them had been dead for years. He knew how heavily that could weigh on someone's heart. But now was no time to show weakness, not with so many people looking up to him and his father. He couldn't let them down. As his father and grandfather had always said, "a chief protects his own."

Hiccup and Finn entered Mara's now crowded house. A section of the roof was scorched but everything else seemed to have been undamaged. This was truly something to be thankful for because Mara had never been needed more. At least thirty people of all ages were being treated by Mara and several of her helpers. A teenage girl named Tori, who was scarcely older than Finn, was getting some of her most intense on the job training. She was changing the dressings on Ruffnut's burns. Tuffnut was in another corner of the room with Svala, whose shoulder had a nasty burn on it but who otherwise looked okay. Ava slept peacefully, completely unharmed. Finn knew that they had been very worried that the smoke would have made her sick but Mara had assured them that she would be perfectly fine. Svala had saved her life when she had used her body to shield her baby from a falling beam, hence her own burns.

"Is there anything I can do?" asked Hiccup the moment Mara bustled up to him.

Mara smiled at him for a moment before pointing to the far corner, where the Jorgenson and Larson families were huddled. "Would you change Erick's bandages? And Finn, would you do Snotlout's?"

Both Haddocks agreed without hesitation and made their way to the corner. Hiccup wanted to cry when he caught sight of Erick. The boy had obviously not slept well and seemed to be in a state between sleeping and waking. He flinched horribly when Hiccup gently placed his hands on his shoulder but Magnus assured him that it was okay. The remaining Larson daughter was crying silently on Gustav's shoulder. She and Aud had had their fair share of squabbles but they had truly cared about each other. Lara and Nikolas didn't seem to be there, which struck Hiccup as odd but he didn't think too hard about it.

Hiccup was silent as he tended to Erick's burns. He was as gentle as possible but the boy still flinched to the touch. As he worked, he could hear Finn talking to Snotlout and Heather.

"I didn't do anything any parent wouldn't have done." Snotlout was saying as he allowed Finn to work on his own wounds.

"You saved her life." Heather insisted, her voice quivering slightly. "Again."

"What happened?" asked Finn, genuinely curious.

"Inga was running out of the house behind us." Dustin said in a dead sort of voice. "And we thought she was right there so we just ran out."

"Dad noticed she wasn't there." added Vidar. "He ran back in to get her."

"Did she have one of her... you know..." Finn jerked his head to the sleeping girl next to him.

"Looks like it." Snotlout sighed deeply. "She was lying there twitching but she may have passed out because of the smoke. I'm not sure what exactly happened."

"He carried her out." Heather lovingly kissed her husband's forehead. "Almost died doing it. When I think about what could have happened..."

"Don't." Finn advised them calmly. "She's okay. That's what matters."

Heather nodded, gently brushing her daughter's bangs from in front of her face. Finn looked over at her and jumped slightly. Inga's long black hair was singed so badly, it was now at least a foot shorter. As he watched, Hiccup felt the tiniest pang of sympathy. Inga loved her hair and would likely be very upset to wake up with so much of it missing.

Hiccup turned back to focus on his work on Erick's burns. The boy's skin was raw and red and blistered but, under the circumstances, he supposed it could have been a lot worse. At least Erick would make a full recovery. Well, he'd make a physical recovery. There was no telling whether or not he would ever be emotionally stable again. The Hooligan chief blinked a few times to keep the tears down at the thought. Of all the families on Berk, why the Larsons? Why Erick?

"I'm so sorry." he whispered to Magnus and Gustav.

"Don't be." Magnus sniffed and wiped her eyes on her hand before looking at Hiccup. "You saved Erick's life."

Hiccup nodded and gritted his teeth until the urge to cry passed. Yes, he had saved Erick from certain fiery death. A part of him was deeply thankful that the Larsons had not suffered yet another loss, particularly of their youngest family member. An incredibly selfish part of him was thankful that he had managed to avoid giving his daughter another reason to hate him. But guilt ate away at him like a parasite, sucking out anything remotely hopeful about the situation. All he had done was to ensure that the Larsons had only lost one child, not two.

Erick stirred in his sleep, reacting to Hiccup's touch on his sensitive skin. Hiccup withdrew his hands until the boy calmed down again. He was forcibly reminded of checking on Finn in the nights after Benen had died. Finn too had looked like every second of the day continued to torture him, even in sleep. The Hooligan chief looked up and saw Taryn being treated by Tori, who had just finished Ruffnut's bandages. The Brand girl was only half conscious but her family looked alert. Her father was lovingly holding her to his chest to keep her warm, her mother was helping Tori with the dressings on her twisted knee. Both of them were crying silently. Alton was backed against the wall a few feet away, his legs drawn up to his chest and his eyes fixed on his family, almost like he feared they would disappear if he stopped looking at them for even a second. Hiccup remembered that feeling. He remembered being a scared little boy in the corner staring at his father and praying that the gods wouldn't take him away too. It wasn't a memory he wanted to revisit, not today.

A low moan shook him out of his reminiscing. Erick stirred, his eyes fluttering open. Magnus leaned over him and brushed his bangs out of his eyes.

"Hey." she whispered soothingly. "It's okay, you're safe."

The youngest Larson groaned, barely moving but not breaking eye contact with his sister. His only sister now. Hiccup felt awkward, like he was intruding on something extremely private, but he was nearly done securing Erick's final bandage. As he worked, Erick let out a whimper of pain. The raw, blistered skin had to be agony. Hiccup finished his work as quickly and gently as he could.

"I'm going to walk around, see who else needs help." he told Magnus and Gustav.

They nodded and he stood up. The last thing he saw before he turned his head toward the rest of the healer's house was Magnus leaning down and kissing Erick's forehead. Hiccup longed for a bit of affection, a hug or a pat on the back, something to remind him that there was still good in the world.

But, he thought as he received another instruction from Mara, the world was harsh sometimes. It was painful and sometimes horrible things just happened for no reason at all. It was hard to believe that the same world that allowed him to feel the joy of flying high above the clouds or holding his newborn for the first time could also crush him so completely. Perhaps that was what life was about. Holding onto the most precious moments before they slipped away. Hiccup resolved to do what he could to make sure he didn't take those he loved for granted ever again.

Xxx

Lara stood at Erick's far left, standing tall with her lips pressed together in a thin, white line. Nikolas and Mel stood hand in hand in a white-knuckled grip. Gregory held Magnus as she cried, their children sitting in the dirt at their feet, watching on in confusion.

Everyone in the village had come. Hiccup's words should have made him feel something. Instead, the teen just felt dead inside. Lifeless and cold like his sister's coffin. His life had become a flurry of hardships, just like the waves beating upon her boat, carrying her away to a safe distance before Gustav would light her pyre. Where were life's waves taking him? Would his life ever have calm waters again?

Curt's boat bobbed in the waves near Aud's. Erick heard Taryn's sniffles far toward his right; her mother's quiet sobs as her father prepared his bow and flaming arrow, just as Gustav did in front of him. Both men looked at each other, solemnly nodded, and drew their flaming arrows.

And then, it happened.

The air sucked out of Erick's lungs in one foul swoop.

Seeing his oldest brother draw the bow to light his sister's pyre threw him into a sense of déjà vu, and a wave of vertigo crashed over him. Erick remembered the day his father died. He remembered hugging him one last time before they closed his coffin. He remembered watching it sail through the water until, just as he did now, Gustav shouldered the responsibility as head of the Larson household and lit the pyre.

Gustav had lit his father's pyre. And now he had to light his little sister's. The thought made Erick sick—he began to tremble.

The oldest of the Larson children released the arrow. The flaming weapon sailed into the sky until it slammed onto her coffin. Solidifying the truth. Making it real. Just like their father, she was gone. She was never coming back.

Erick tried to honor his sister; she'd died to save her husband after all. He tried to quench the burning pain rising in his chest, tried to hold still and stop shaking. Aud's pyre was lit. Smoke began to rise as the flames took away whatever remnant they had left of her.

Spots danced in his vision and Erick took a step back. Gregory reached out to grab his arm but the teenager shoved past him. He plowed into a random stranger, rammed his shoulder into another. A few cried out in pain or surprise. Many began to step out of his way, as if understanding his rising hysteria.

Someone called his name. He kept moving until he made it through the crowd. He sprinted into the square and ran to the leather shop as fast as he could. He had to get away from the pyre. From people, from his family, from the smell of burning wood and smoke and the charred remains of two of the most amazing people he'd ever known, who'd tried so hard to make him feel loved and cared for.

Erick rammed into the front door of the leather shop and flung it closed behind him. He launched himself into his work room and slammed the door shut. His breaths quickened and he shook his head.

Frantically, he grabbed the nearest wad of cloth he could find and wrapped it crudely around the handle. He found himself shoving tables and chairs in front of the door. They'd come for him, try to take him back. He couldn't go back, not like this, he couldn't handle another second of it.

Everything he could find was thrown in front of the door to barricade himself in. The usually cluttered space was now clear in the centermost part of the room with a mountain of items in front of the door. He searched the room for more but could only turn in circles.

Still panting, he backed himself into a corner and slid to the floor. A sob threatened to escape and he slapped a hand over his mouth, shaking his head frantically. His shoulders were shaking violently as he tried to physically exhale the pain wrenching his heart. He couldn't breathe, if he inhaled once he knew he'd shatter.

He involuntarily inhaled a sob and tears poured down his face. "No, no, no, no, no..."

When his father died, Erick had felt numb and grief-stricken. He felt pain and sorrow just as he did now. But this time, he could practically feel something snap. Was it his sanity? His ability to love or grow close to anyone ever again? Was it just fear? He didn't know, but every thought that swirled through his brain only forced more hysteria into his system. He couldn't calm down if he tried.

Until he heard something clatter in the room beyond. His sobs hitched to a stop and he struggled between the necessity to breathe from crying so hard and desperately wanting to keep silent.

The doorknob shifted a smidgen, but the cloth held. A soft knock on the wood echoed through the room. "Erick?" It was Horst.

"Erick, let us in please?" And Magnus, apparently. Erick hiccuped, shaking his head against the wall. "Erick, open-"

"Go away!" he cried out, his voice raw and choked.

"Erick please, you need us! You need someone, let someone help you. Please?" Magnus begged.

Erick turned toward the wall and blocked her out. He grabbed a handful of his hair, trying to stop the tears and hiccups. He heard the handle turn harder and the door scrape against the floor. It stopped after an inch with all the junk piled up. Erick felt a rush of satisfaction.

"Erick please, don't do this." Magnus pleaded, her voice much louder in the open space. "Let me help you."

The teen choked down any venomous words that came to mind. Deep, deep down, he knew she was trying to help. That was the problem though. It seemed anyone who tried to help him always got hurt, one way or another.

"Just leave me alone, Mags."

"But-"

"Magnus."

Hiccup. He was out there too, apparently. Instantly, Erick felt worse. The pain of grief surged in his chest once more and he buried his face in his knees, willing himself to tune them out. He heard them talking quietly outside the door; he wished they'd go away to let him drown in his grief in peace. He didn't want a hug. He didn't want a smile. He didn't want light. He wanted to be alone in the dark.

Eventually their voices faded and silence took over the room once more. He felt a little calmer, which only made the silence louder. He wondered at the thought. How could silence be loud?

"Only when you're alone." Erick whispered.

At some point, he fell asleep.

It was the scrape of a chair leg that startled him awake. He saw movement out the corner of his eye, but he didn't move. For all the intruder knew, he was still asleep. Or had never been asleep. He didn't care either way.

Finally, a tall, thin man wedged himself past the mountain of furniture and slowly walked toward him. The room was even darker now, but Erick could never mistake the quiet step-thunk of his chief's gait.

Hiccup crouched in front of him in the darkness. "Erick?"

Erick stared at the dusty floorboards. "Leave me alone to die."

"Don't say that. I won't bury you too."

"Didn't bury her," Erick mumbled.

"You know what I mean," Hiccup softly replied. Erick didn't respond or move. Hiccup moved to his knees, probably to get more comfortable. Great, he planned to stay a while. "Hey... I don't expect you to just... get better. Especially not yet. But... don't shove people away. We just want to help. Magnus, Horst, me-"

"Help." Erick muttered. "Help with what exactly?"

"Help you get better." Hiccup replied. "It will take time, I know, and it isn't easy. You haven't had it easy. But I... I know what this feels like, Erick. And I'm not just talking about Benen."

Erick didn't reply. More empty words. He wouldn't waste breath by responding.

The chief sighed. Erick felt his green gaze searching him out in the twilit room. When Hiccup stood to his feet, he nearly sighed in relief. Until he felt the chief's big hands grab him from under his arms and pull him upwards.

"Hey- what are you-"

"Easy..." Hiccup firmly interrupted, hoisting the teen to his feet. "I'm walking you home."

Erick shook his head. "I can't go home," he whispered.

"Yes. You can." Hiccup held his shoulders gently. "I know things have been hard for you at home. But you can't hide from it."

"You don't know anything. You haven't been around for years, Hiccup." Erick bit out, anger laced through every word.

Hiccup looked down. "I know. For that I'm sorry."

"Everything's been different since-" Since his dad died. Since he shoved Adrianna away. Erick covered his eyes with a hand, feeling them burn again.

Hiccup wrapped him in a tight hug, and somehow he didn't have the strength to fight. "I know. Erick... What happened to Aud wasn't your fault."

"I tried to-"

"And you couldn't, that's okay." Hiccup looked him in the eye. "It's not supposed to be a good thing and it's not supposed to be something we treat lightly, but that's a lot of responsibility to put on a young man. You were brave and strong to try to stop her. But it's not your fault that you weren't successful. It's not your fault that she didn't make it." Erick felt tears slip down his face again. "Erick, it's not your fault."

Erick buried his face in Hiccup's shoulder, allowing himself to cry and be held by someone. He knew he wouldn't get that luxury at home, even with Magnus.

It was a while before Erick calmed enough to pry his face out of Hiccup's armor. "I got your shoulder pad soaked."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Hiccup smiled and wrapped an arm around Erick's shoulders. "Come on, let's get you home."

It took a while to clear the doorway and walk to the Larson house. Darkness had fallen by the time they reached the door. Hiccup gave Erick one last hug before they went inside. "If you need anything at all, I want you to come find me."

"Okay."

Yellow light streamed into the darkness when the door swung open. Magnus rushed forward and wrapped Erick into a tight hug. When she pulled away a minute later, Erick walked inside without so much as a goodbye. He trekked up the stairs and closed his bedroom door, clearly finished with everyone and everything for the night.

Hiccup gently closed the door behind him, but stood in front of it as Magnus reclaimed her seat beside the others at the table. Nikolas, Mel, Lara, and Gustav sat silently, only the men giving him quiet nods.

The chief sighed heavily as he looked at the Larson matriarch, who placidly held a mug of steaming tea. He had to get this over with. "Lara. You can't blame him for what happened to Aud."

"Do not speak her name."

Hiccup glanced at the ceiling. "Just as you refuse anyone to speak of Ola-"

"Shut up or get out." Lara snapped.

"Mother," Magnus sighed.

Lara wasn't finished. "Why wouldn't I blame the boy? He had the ability to stop her, he should have!"

"He wasn't fast enough, you know as well as anyone that Aud was the fastest runner of her age group." Hiccup countered. "Lara, you need to seriously think about what this could do to him. He is a young man, strong and smart, but things like this could crush him so hard he'd never be able to get back up. Is that what you want?"

"He's not my problem."

"Not your problem?" Hiccup cried out. "He's your son! And furthermore, he's not a problem! He's a 16-year-old boy, he works hard every day. How is he a problem?"

Nikolas bristled. "Don't you talk like that to my mother."

"Don't start, Nik." Gustav said sharply before turning to Lara. "Mom, really. You can't blame Erick-"

"Just like I can't blame Hiccup for what happened to my Olaf?"

"Mother!" Magnus cried.

The words cut through Hiccup like a knife. He swallowed thickly. "What?"

"You heard me." Lara slowly stood from her chair, slapping Gustav's hand down when he reached out. "He didn't have to go to that stupid council trip to Bog. Noooo, he didn't have to leave Berk at all, he could have stayed home with me, safe and sound. He might still be here today. But no. Who suggested he come along? Who stayed up all hours of the night to build him a fancy saddle to put on his dragon so he could ride, even though he was unable to walk?" Lara cried as she advanced on Hiccup, who didn't budge. He met her gaze head on. She poked his chest with a long finger, scarred and red from needle pricks. "It was YOU! It was YOUR idea to take him along! I said not to, no, I told both of you he'd be better off staying home for his health, it would be better for him! So when he breaks into heinous fevers and coughing fits the day after he returns, and I watch him suffer day by day for nearly a week, who did we trust to find a cure?"

"Mother please!" Magnus pleaded.

"YOU!" Lara shouted. "We trusted YOU! And you FAILED! Just like you always do. So, tell me, why in the world would I NOT blame you for my dear husband's death when you're so very CLEARLY the one to blame? And furthermore," she said bitingly. "Why in the world would I NOT blame the little... brat for my daughter's death?"

Silence rang through the house. Hiccup felt his heart beating through his armor. He swallowed and nodded gently to the three Larson children at the table. He turned the door handle and opened the door a crack.

"Yes," Lara seethed. "Run away like you always do."

"There's a difference between running away and bowing out. I'll leave you alone except for one thing." Hiccup spoke to Magnus and Gustav more than Lara. "Don't leave Erick to his own devices. He needs as much as love as you can muster." The siblings nodded in agreement. He turned back to Lara. "You always said you loved Olaf's blond hair." Lara bristled. "I'd best treasure Erick's. He's the only one left who has it."

"Get out." Lara snarled through gritted teeth. "And don't you ever come back here again."

Hiccup turned and walked into the darkness. The door slammed behind him, nearly smacking his one remaining heel. He shook his head and began walking. Within seconds, Toothless emerged from the darkness sniffed his rider. "Sorry, Bud. I know you're probably hungry. Been a busy day." He scratched his dragon's scales lovingly. On a whim, Hiccup looked up at Erick's dark window. He wondered if he was already sleeping or if he'd overheard Lara's shouts.

Hiccup sighed. "Come on, Bud. Let's go home." He climbed into the saddle and as they took off he promised himself he'd check in with Erick often. Every day. He wouldn't allow Erick to waste away into nothing. He wouldn't stand by and watch the boy struggle through anymore hardships. He wouldn't do any more Larson funerals.

Not while he could help it.