Part 1 - Little Brother

Jamie Bennett was eighteen years old. He was a whole six feet and three inches in height. And just the other day, he had lifted half of their five-seater sofa off the ground for his mom to retrieve her reading glasses.

Yeah. A six-foot-three, strong, eighteen year old boy, perfectly capable of–

CRACK.

Jamie slapped his free hand over his mouth, muffling a high-pitched shriek. The flashlight he held trembled, making long shadows dance through the woods. The sun had long set since he had left, and his eyes flashed wildly as he tried to discern shapes out of the dark of the night. When nothing lunged out at him, his heart rate went from thunderous back down to only mildly racing.

Ever so slowly, he lowered his hand. "It's ok, Jamie," he muttered into his fingers. "It was probably just a squirrel. Ghosts don't make footsteps... at least, not this one. Which means…"

He shrugged off his backpack, dropping it on the ground with a heavy thunk. He rolled his shoulders. "We have a long night ahead."

He set up his gear with practiced ease. This was one of many nights he had been out here. Laying his tools out in front of him, he quickly took stock; a sound detector, camera, EMF gauge, and a digital thermometer.

Lastly, he rummaged through his backpack for Frostbiter. Disguised by Hiccup's magic, his sword fit neatly into the shape of a solid metal bracelet. He was about to check a different compartment when his hand touched something woven. 

He smiled and pulled out his gift from Sophie instead – a hand-made bracelet with Jamie’s name spelled out in lettered beads, ending off with a small bunny charm. She had gotten into arts and crafts lately and had proudly presented it to him earlier that day. He put it on, admiring her handiwork. It was going to be so strange not seeing her everyday.

He shoved that thought aside. The woods were completely dark now and he needed to focus. He checked his watch. It was a quarter to ten. Still two hours till midnight. Plenty of time left.

Suddenly the sound detector picked up on a low frequency. Jamie's eyes widened. 

Something was coming directly towards him – and coming fast.

"Oh gods, oh gods, uh." Jamie's hands fluttered in the air. He wasn’t wearing Frostbiter's bracelet. He didn't know whether to reach for his camera, or grab his gear and bolt, or lie down and give up, and his window of opportunity was closing by the second.

The entity decided for him, picking up speed as it barrelled straight at him. Camera it was then. If he was going to die, then he would die vindicated.

With shaky hands he managed to fumble the lens cap off. Just as he hit record, the sound detector went off the rails. The entity was almost right on top of him – coming from behind him! Jamie whipped around so fast he fell flat on his ass. He held his camera at arms-length while covering his face with the other. Bracing himself for imminent death, he let out a shrill scream.

“BLEGH!”

Huh? He knew that voice. He dropped his arm.

Jack doubled over laughing in front of him, the momentum making him do somersaults in mid-air.

"Jack." Jamie let out a breath. Despite how hot his face was he felt himself break out into a smile. It had been way too long since he last saw him – a couple weeks he realized. The thought made him laugh with relief. "What are you doing here?"

Jack drifted to the ground, still giggling to himself. He held out his hand and helped Jamie up. Back on his feet, Jamie marveled at how much taller than him he was. With both of them standing on the ground, Jack only just cleared his shoulders.

"It's spring," Jack said, grinning. "I'm officially on break for the next few months."

Jamie smiled wider. Seven years later and the vision of Jack's fury at the coming of spring in '68 was still vivid in his mind. He remembered it all; still eleven years old, clinging to a human Jackson Overland much taller than him as they witnessed Jack Frost bellow into the sky. He saw the raging blizzard that Jack had summoned, and felt how the wind and snowflakes whipped around their phantom forms. Clearest of all, while watching his past-self, he remembered the shame in Jack’s brown eyes.

Now in place of that anguish, there was only a happy gleam in his blue ones. Jamie could feel Jack’s joy rubbing off on him too. Jack's attitude towards spring had done a complete one-eighty, and Jamie knew exactly why. His smile turned impish. 

"Then shouldn't you be off honeymooning with Hiccup?"

That earned him a bonk on the head. Jamie swatted Jack's staff away, stifling his laughter at the poorly concealed embarrassment on Jack's face. Jamie would never get tired of this.

“Hiccup’s busy doing his wind-spirity business,” Jack sputtered out, fighting a growing smile at Jamie’s laughter. “So I thought I’d come visit. I checked your house first but your mom said you weren’t home. Gave her a bit of a scare too – I really should use the front door more often.”

Jamie chuckled. Jack’s smirk said he had absolutely no intention of doing so. 

“She told me you were at Monty’s, but I didn’t find you there either.” Jack balanced his staff over his shoulders and peered at Jamie’s gear. “What are you doing out here this late anyway?”

Jamie perked up. He held his sound detector and camera up, wiggling them in the air. “Ghost hunting,” he said.

“By yourself?”

Jamie shrugged. “Monty and I were going to sneak out together, but he bailed last minute,” he huffed. “It’s fine though, I can move faster on my own,” he forced confidence into his voice.

Jack frowned. “So you were just going to go stumbling through the woods alone.” It was more of a statement than a question, his tone disapproving.

Jamie’s eyebrow twitched. He was more than capable of handling himself, not to mention the several years he had of sword-fighting training with Hiccup. But Jack’s concern for him warmed his heart, and he felt his brief annoyance pass. “Well I’m not alone anymore, am I?” he countered.

He pulled the two walkie-talkies meant for him and Monty out of his bag. He held one out to Jack, who eyed it curiously.

“You sure you want me tagging along?” Jack asked, a smile creeping back on his face. “Remember what happened the last time the two of us went exploring in the woods at night?”

“It’ll be fine.” Jamie waved. “We’ll just be careful to avoid creepy caves with evil magic crystals hidden in them.”

Jack hummed. “Maybe we’ll find a creepy house with evil crystals instead.”

"Does that mean you're backing down from the challenge?"

Jamie knew he had him. Jack's smile turned elfish, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He took the offered walkie-talkie, flipping it in the air as easily as he would his staff before putting it in his hoodie pocket.

Jamie packed up the rest of his gear, making sure to put on Frostbiter's bracelet this time, and the two set out on the hunt.

While they walked, Jamie pulled out his notebook and filled Jack in on the research he had done:

This particular ghost they were looking for was a poltergeist (“So it can't possess us… Right, Jack?”; “Nah, this one just knocks over cups and stuff.”) who was once a wealthy landlord from the 1800’s. He ruled over the people living under him with cruelty, until one day a tornado destroyed his manor, burying him under the rubble.

To this day, every so often, a poor soul would accidentally trespass on his property – never to be seen again. It was said that with each victim he took, the stronger he grew. One day he may be strong enough to lift the ruins of his mansion off of his human body so that his soul could pass on. That is, if he even wanted to leave anymore.

Jamie wasn’t worried though. Not when he had a magic sword and extensive knowledge on the magical world. Now that Jack was here, he could use his magic to sense the ghost too, so finding it should be a breeze.

He showed Jack the map of the area he had drawn out, pointing out the parts he had already explored. He also showed him sketches he had done of what he thought the ghost might look like; a fancy man at various levels of smushed. His drawing ability had greatly improved over the years, in part because of Hiccup’s tutelage.

Jamie was getting more excited the more he talked, speaking enthusiastically with his hands. He could tell whenever one of his gestures reminded Jack of Hiccup or himself from the way his eyes would light up. He smiled fondly at Jamie the whole time, chiming in with questions every now and then to encourage him to keep going.

“So what’s your plan for when you find it?” he asked.

“Well, since you’re here, my sound detector won’t be evidence enough,” Jamie replied, pulling his camera out of his bag and turning it on. “So I’m going to have to get it on film.”

Jack raised a brow at him. He leaned down so that he was right in front of the lens and waved. Jamie looked down at his reverse view screen to, of course, see nothing but empty woods. He felt a familiar pang. “I think there’s a few holes in your plan there, bud,” said Jack.

Jamie brightened again, happy for both the distraction and chance to share his theories. “No, it’s different from your case. Ghosts are the lingering remnants of living people that appear immediately after death—”

Jack gasped, placing a hand on his chest in mock offense. “Then am I not ghost enough for you?”

Jamie shoved his shoulder and Jack broke character, cackling. “Quit joking about that,” he laughed. “You know what I mean. Anyway, spirits are separate entities that operate under belief, so you don’t appear in footage.” Unfortunately. “But ghosts should. In theory…” He was jittery with excitement now. “ My theory.”

Jack smiled at his enthusiasm. “And you’re bent on capturing one on camera because…?”

Jamie faltered. “I’m… starting a podcast?” he replied after a beat.

Jack tilted his head. “A podcast?”

“A podcast.” Jamie said more confidently this time. It wasn't a total lie. He had been planning to make one for a while. “To talk about all things supernatural. You know, ghosts, cryptids, demons…”

Jack did a take. “Demons!?”

“Mostly ghosts!” Jamie assured him, “At least in the beginning. I’m going to start the first episode off with a bang. Assuming I get my evidence tonight.”

“Huh,” Jack shrugged, twirling his staff. “Alrighty then, I’m looking forward to it. You’ll have to show me the next time I visit.” He smiled sardonically, meeting Jamie’s gaze. “I don’t exactly own anything to listen to it with.” 

Jamie looked away. “Yeah, next time for sure,” he mumbled back.

Jack stopped walking then. Jamie turned and saw that they had arrived at a fork in the road. He took a deep breath. “We should split up,” he breathed before his brain caught up with his mouth. “We’ll cover more ground that way. Especially since you can fly ahead.”

Jack’s expression told him his bravado wasn’t convincing, but he didn’t argue.

Jack lifted off the ground again. He floated over to Jamie and ruffled his hair. Jamie shooed his hand away, but it was half-hearted. He had missed this, even if he would never admit it out loud. Jack knew it too.

Jack winked. "See you in a minute, little brother," he said, flying off into the night.

Jamie was still smiling long after he had gone.

When Jamie turned twelve, it was only a few weeks after he and Jack had returned from the past. Only a few weeks after they had learned they were family.

Jamie had been ecstatic when he saw Hiccup and Toothless again. So much so that he forgot to tease Hiccup when he and Jack had drifted down from the sky together, hand in hand. As happy as he was to have his friends back, above all else, he was happiest for Jack. With Hiccup as a spirit at his side, he would never be alone again.

That didn't mean his work had stopped there. Jamie was determined to make Jack feel as part of his living family as possible. Starting with his mom.

In hindsight, he shouldn't have been too surprised when it only took a few days for Joyce to see Jack. Anything was easier to believe after he spontaneously popped back from the dead in the middle of the night.

They had been sitting across from each other at the kitchen table, Jamie rambling enthusiastically about a certain boy-turned-spirit-turned-boy-again who had saved him both last Easter and his first Snoggletog (what's snoggle — oh nevermind, continue) and on multiple occasions as they traveled through their family's past before he ultimately – you know – turned spirit.

When Jamie finally got to describing their vision of the night Sophie was born, Joyce looked back at their wooden castle in the glass case. Then she looked back at Jamie – then past Jamie, to the original builder.

Jack had been standing behind Jamie watching the entire time, eyes shining with emotion. When Joyce met his gaze, he gave her a rare shy smile. Joyce nearly fainted.

After they resurrected her, Joyce went through their family archives. She pulled out every photo album, journal, letter, and any other documentation of their lineage she could find.

Jack and Jamie spent months pouring over them all. Jamie would point out family members by name, telling Jack any stories about them he had heard. Then Jack would fill in the gaps. He had seen nearly all of these people grow up in Hawthorne – later called Burgess. Every person they learned about came with new discoveries for them both.

Jamie told him about all their extended family too. There were people living all throughout the States, and some even in whole different countries! Jack vowed to visit them all – even the ones in places that didn’t have winters. Probably.

And although not everyone believed in Jack Frost, Jamie and Joyce told the rest of their family the tale of Jackson Overland. He was playful, brave, a little bit mischievous, and above all, a kind-hearted young man. His courage and compassion had saved their great-great-something-grandmother’s life centuries ago, on one fateful winter day.

One family gathering, Jack visited to find several of his great-great-something nieces and nephews running over to him, all but begging Uncle Jack to play with them. Jamie had felt the happiness radiating off of him and he rejoiced in his achievement. Jack had been brave enough to dare hope again. That day, Jamie had made his hopes come true.

Jamie liked to play a game with himself where he tried to spot the similarities in appearance between Jack and his family members. He'd look for the big ears, the lanky figure, the energetic hop in his step, and most of all, the mischievous grin that told of a child-like heart.

They were the same qualities that Jamie saw more and more whenever he looked in the mirror.

Joyce had welcomed Jack to visit their home whenever he pleased. Might as well when he could still break in whenever he wanted.

Even after years of this, sometimes Jamie would still come down the stairs at night to find him flipping through another journal or album, a small smile on his face.

It was two years after he and Jack returned from the past. On one such night, Jack turned to smile at him. It was then that Jamie realized they were almost the same height.

When he turned fifteen – the same age that Hiccup had started his own dragon training – Hiccup helped him forge a new sword.

They found a clearing in the forest next to Jamie's neighbourhood. Away from prying eyes, they set up a makeshift forge. Hiccup retrieved some fine quality metals – from where, he wouldn't say – and Toothless provided ample firepower for their furnace. Then the two of them went to work.

It took several days and nights – Jamie had dedicated his entire spring break to it – but finally, they pulled the finished blade out of the fire.

It was a bit wobbly, with some shallow dents if you turned it to the right angle. Nevertheless, It was a strong blade, well-balanced thanks to Hiccup’s guidance. Jamie wouldn't have it any other way. The imperfections would remind him of working side-by-side with Hiccup for years to come.

The embellishments didn’t stop there. Once Jamie went home for the night, Jack and Hiccup set to work.

They made the pommel of the sword together, setting frost-like patterns into the dark wood with a light metal. Jack enchanted the blade, protecting it from breaking and dulling. The metal was left perpetually cold to the touch. Toothless chipped in too and provided some of his scales. Hiccup set some in the hilt and used the rest to paint the sheath, making the sword fireproof as well. 

Lastly, Hiccup combined their powers to make a small crystal that he embedded in the hilt. It allowed the sword to change its form; both to disguise it and to make sure that it would grow with Jamie, always perfectly balanced.

The two of them presented it to him the next day. Jamie’s eyes widened in awe, then immediately welled with tears. Jack and Hiccup were gracious enough to pretend not to notice him wipe away the few that escaped.

“What will you name it?” they asked.

Jamie smiled. He had his answer prepared for years. The name was both in honour of Jack and complemented Hiccup’s own sword, Inferno. He unsheathed it and held it up to the sun, admiring how the light gleamed off its blade. He grinned and replied: “Frostbiter.”

And so his training began.

In the two years that followed, Hiccup visited Jamie as often as he could, and the two of them would set out to their field.

Hiccup taught him everything he knew, leading him through both hand-to-hand combat and sword-fighting forms. (Jamie. No matter how cool it looks, you shouldn’t throw your sword in a fight.)

Toothless regularly watched the two of them spar, laughing in his dragon-y way. He would make meaningful eye-contact with Hiccup, and Jamie knew why. He was thin as a stick after his growth spurt, with awkward braces and a clumsy gate. He reminded Toothless of a certain other fifteen-year-old fishbone he had met.

The thought had made him flush with pride, happy at the comparison. It lit a fire in his heart too. He would practice until he became a fierce warrior, just as Hiccup had centuries ago.

Jamie went home covered in bruises after each session, much to Joyce’s chagrin.

As time went on, the number of bruises diminished more and more.

At age seventeen he managed to disarm Hiccup for the first time, knocking Inferno clean out of his hands. Jack and Toothless had been watching, Jack cheering while Toothless let out a victorious roar, shaking the very air around them.

Jamie stared at Frostbiter in his hands, still in disbelief. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up. Or less down in this case, to see Hiccup smiling up at him. Only then had he realized that he was taller than him. He grinned back.

Hiccup offered his forearm, and Jamie clasped it in Viking tradition. Then Hiccup pulled him into a hug. Jamie’s eyes filled with tears again. This time, he didn’t mind when a few slipped down his cheeks.

Hiccup and Jack had raised him. And he would forever be grateful.

It began when he was fourteen.

"Jack Frost?" People would roll their eyes. "Haven't you outgrown that by now?"

"It's true! He is real, and he's really related to me! I can prove it if you'd just—"

"'Hiccup the Viking?' Now you're just making things up."

"I'm not making him up! He's a wind-spirit, and he and his dragon Toothless are protectors of the magical world!"

The bullying started when he turned sixteen.

Nobody tried anything physical after he'd flipped a boy flat on his back when he went to push him. Jamie hadn't meant to react so violently, but his training with Hiccup had made him act on instinct. They had been in the cafeteria, in front of the entire student body. Nobody said anything to him after that.

He would hear the talk. The glances whenever he would walk by. Jamie Bennett, the boy who still believed.

Thankfully, he had his best friends. Pippa, Claude and Caleb, Monty, Cupcake, and little Sophie too. The seven of them called themselves the Lights. The last believers. Together, they kept each other safe, and kept the magic in their hearts alive.

And of course, he had Jack and Hiccup.

Every time he had a hard day at school, he would go home to old memories and new adventures. He would lose himself again in the magical world.

He would soar on dragon-back with Hiccup and Toothless. He would have snowball fights and pull pranks with Jack. Sometimes even Baby Tooth would take a break from her tooth fairy duties and visit. The five of them would go exploring together again, flying to new heights. Jamie’s heart would fly even higher with them.

Over time the kids around him grew up, and the bullying faded into the background. Jamie even managed to make new friends throughout his last couple years in high school. Things were looking up.

Finally, the day came when he turned eighteen.

"Jamie," Pippa said, "don't you think it's time to stop talking about all that stuff?"

Jamie looked around the circle of his closest friends, none of them meeting his eyes. This was all too familiar of a sight. He felt his heart drop like a stone in his chest.

"No," he said, eyes burning. "Don't tell me you've all stopped believing too. Not again."

"Of course we still believe! We'll never stop believing, but we’re not kids anymore. We're worried about you."

"We can't keep watching you get hurt when we know how to make it stop."

"And now that you're going so far away, we won't be there to back you up. Who's going to protect you?"

"I can take care of myself," he said, clutching his acceptance letter in his hand. "You don't have to worry about me. I'll still have Jack and Hiccup."

His friends all shared a look.

"Jamie," Pippa said again, "when was the last time you saw them?"

Jamie faltered. How long had it been? A few weeks at least. No, it was probably closer to a  month, and even longer the time before.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into several months at a time.

He'd just been busy, he kept telling himself. School had ramped up and he needed to focus on his exams. He had to apply to colleges, and that meant writing application essays, keeping his grades up, and doing extracurriculars. He just didn’t have enough time. 

His friends were also right about one thing. He wasn’t a kid anymore. As much as the Guardians loved him, they were busy taking care of the children of the world. He wasn’t their responsibility. And he was fine with that, truly.

But even if he didn't want to admit it to himself, it went further than that. Sometimes he’d see a blink of teal and yellow. Was it Baby Tooth that came to visit? Or was it the flower petals that had bloomed with the change of seasons?

He would see a flash of black in the sky. Was it Toothless flying overhead? Or was it a shadow cast by clouds before the rain?

He would see Antarctic hair and frosted-over blue where there was only the frozen pond. Bright green eyes and leather armor where there were only the forest trees.

It didn't matter though. None of it did. Not when he knew in his heart that he still believed.

… Right?

One night, exactly one month ago, when the clock struck midnight, Jamie had looked out his window. His heart broke at what he saw.

Jamie sighed, coming back to the present. He hadn't meant to ruminate for so long. None of it mattered anyway. Tonight, with Jack's help, he would set things right.

He checked his watch. Eleven on the dot. I still have time.

“Jamie, do you copy?”

Jamie jumped. He pulled his walkie-talkie out of his pocket, thankful that Jack couldn't hear the loud squeal he had let out.

“Copy that, Jack. Did you find something?”

There was a long pause.

“I don’t think this is a good idea anymore, Jamie,” he finally said.

Jamie felt a chill go down his spine. If Jack was saying that, then it must be serious.

Part 2 - How to Train Your Ghost

He followed Jack’s directions, surprised by how far he had gone. This was deeper into the woods than he had ever explored on his hunts. Jack must have been taking it seriously for Jamie’s sake. The thought made him smile. Soon enough, he could make out Jack’s silhouette in the distance.

Jamie squinted. Even with his eyes adjusted to the dark, it looked like Jack was completely surrounded by shadow. When he got close enough to see why, his mouth fell open.

“Well, you were right about the house.”

Jack was standing in front of a massive, imposing mansion. At least, what used to be one. The whole building was split by a jagged line down the middle, one half sinking deep into the earth. Still, it stood at least forty feet tall. Despite the surrounding area being overtaken with moss, the house itself remained untouched by any plant life. The remaining shutters of the windows creaked eerily, tapping on the broken glass. The whole place smelled of rot.

Jack turned to face him, his smile completely gone. Jamie’s heart beat faster.

“Do you sense something in there?” he whispered. Jack nodded.

Jamie gulped. He took a deep breath and kept going. Jack grabbed his arm when he tried to walk past him.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, keeping his voice low.

Jamie looked away, eyes still on the house. "I still need more evidence."

"Just take a picture of the house."

Jamie shook his head. "No. I need to see the ghost."

Jack furrowed his brows. "Jamie, whatever’s in there is not worth risking your life over. Especially not for a podcast,” he warned, voice stern. “We need to leave before it notices we’re here.”

Jamie shrugged off Jack’s hand, trying to shake the guilt with it. “It’s not just about the podcast,” he admitted. “There’s… something I need to prove.”

“What, that ghosts are real? You already have enough—”

“No,” Jamie cut him off, “there’s something I need to prove to myself.”

Jack looked at him expectantly. Jamie clenched and unclenched his fists. “Jack, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to finding one on any of my hunts. If we leave now I don’t know if I’ll be able to find my way back and” –he glanced at his watch. Eleven-thirty– “and I’m running out of time.”

“Why are you in such a rush tonight?”

“It’s not just about tonight!” he snapped. He immediately regretted his outburst. Jack’s expression was nothing but concerned. His hand hovered by Jamie's arm, as if he couldn't decide how to comfort him. Jamie forced his shoulders to relax and turned to face him. 

“Jack,” he tried again, “I need to see this through. I promise I won’t stay in there any longer than necessary, and then we’ll leave and never come back.”

He took a deep breath. His fear was catching up to him. He met Jack’s eyes. “Will you come with me?” He asked, his voice small.

Jack looked like he wanted to argue, but his expression softened at that. He relented, gently touched Jamie's arm. “Always,” he replied.

Jamie smiled at him. The two of them entered the house.

The inside seemed even larger than how it had looked. Broken furniture littered the floor. The wallpaper had long-since rotted away, exposing the brick and wood underneath. A broken chandelier hung over them, swinging slightly with the breeze.

Even with Jamie’s flashlight, the shadows were nearly pitch black where the light didn’t shine. Several times Jack had to yank him back from falling through holes in the floorboards.

Jamie was starting to lose hope when all of a sudden, he saw a flash of red behind him. He turned and shone his flashlight on what looked to be the stairs to the basement. Jack put a hand on his shoulder, his expression imploring him not to go. Jamie averted his gaze, and began his descent.

When they reached the bottom, Jamie was surprised to see that the room was better lit. It didn’t make any sense. They had just gone even deeper underground away from the moonlight. It was bright enough where he didn’t need his flashlight.

He was about to take a step forward when the room rumbled. Dust shook off the walls.

Jack grabbed his arm more urgently this time. He was trying to pull him back up the stairs. Jamie stayed where he was, too transfixed by the scene around them. Dust and what looked like steam rose out of the floorboards. It was forming the figure of a man. This was it. It had to be.

Slowly, Jamie pulled his camera out of his bag. He raised it halfway up his chest so as not to threaten the ghost, and hit record. He glanced at the screen. Yes!

Just as he had predicted, the camera was catching the same dust and steam that was in front of them. The image was blurry, most likely because of the dim lighting. He would have to get closer.

He looked back up. And choked back a scream.

The ghost had fully taken form, floating a foot off the ground. Jamie’s sketches had not done his level of smushed justice. Half of the man’s body looked like it had been flattened by a steamroller, his limbs hanging limp with the joints bending at unnatural angles. Whatever remained of his clothes hung off of him in tatters. Even as an apparition, what looked like fresh blood was dripping down the side of his head, flowing around a pair of glowing red eyes.

This was a very bad idea. They definitely should not be here. The smart thing to do was let Jack pull him back out of the house, leave the woods, and stay far, far, far away. Right. Now.

Jamie yanked his arm out of Jack's grip. Jack did a double take at him.

“What’re you—”

Jamie shushed him. “Hey there, buddy,” he greeted the ghost, swallowing down his fear. He crept closer. “How are you doing tonight?”

“Jamie!” Jack hissed.

Jamie ignored him. He approached the ghost slowly, holding his free hand out in peace, just as he had seen Hiccup do with his dragons. His eyes flickered between the ghost and his camera screen, watching the image come into focus.

“Lovely home you’ve got here, it’s very… characteristic.”

The ghost narrowed his eyes, the red glowing brighter. Jamie gulped. He needed to get a little bit closer.

“My name’s Jamie,” he continued, forcing a smile. “What’s yours?”

The ghost hissed.

“Not a talker I see.” Just a little closer. “That’s ok, let’s give you a new one. How about, uh…” 

Jamie wracked his brain. Ghosts, ghosts, ghosts…

Something popped up past the terror; the pottery scene from that really old 90’s movie.

“Patrick Swayze?”

That did it.

With an ear-splitting shriek, Patrick charged.

“Jamie!” Jack yelled behind him.

Jamie dove out of the way just in time, feeling the rush of air above him as Patrick sliced past where his head would have been. He rolled into a crouch and jumped back to his feet with ease. His training with Hiccup was paying off. Before he could congratulate himself, Patrick cut a sharp corner and flew at him again.

“Duck!”

Jamie did and Jack blasted the ghost with a barrage of blue energy. The cover gave Jamie enough time to pull his bracelet off. He spun it in the air and Frostbiter burst out into full form. Jamie felt better with the sword in his hand. He’d have to thank Hiccup again for his ingenuity in making the handy shrinking device. Assuming he made it out of this alive.

He looked up. Patrick had been blown back against the wall, twitching violently from the aftershock. Jack was winding up for his finishing blow. “Get behind me!” he ordered.

Jamie fell back as Patrick shook off the last effects of Jack’s attack. He skidded to a halt next to him, sword at the ready.

Patrick rushed them, and Jack swung his staff. Jamie felt the ground rumble. In front of their feet, giant spikes of ice burst out of the earth, heading in a line straight at the ghost. Jamie’s jaw dropped. Jack smirked. It didn’t seem to deter Patrick though, he was still flying straight at them. One more giant icicle shot out directly in between his eyes – only to pass right through him. The two of them watched in shock as Patrick flew through the line of ice, his body phasing through every pillar. Jack tried another energy blast, but he phased through that just as easily as he barreled towards them.

“He can phase through our attacks!” Jamie called out. They dove to either side, narrowly dodging his charge.

Jamie spun around in time to see Patrick flying at him, claws out. Mind going blank, he acted on instinct. Still on his knees, he swung Frostbiter up to meet Patrick’s swipe. To his surprise, he parried the blow, knocking his hand aside. Jumping back to his feet, he adjusted his grip to hold Frostbiter in both hands. He smacked Patrick on his back with the flat of his blade, sending him skirting to the side.

He has to be tangible to attack.

He locked eyes with Jack. “I’ll go high, you go low!” Jack yelled.

There was no time to worry now. Jamie let his training kick in, survival instincts going into overdrive.

Patrick was keeping his distance from Jack, identifying him as the bigger threat. Whenever Jack would try to get closer, Patrick would phase through the floor only to pop up on the other side of the room. All Jack could do was provide cover for Jamie in hopes that he could catch him off guard.

Jamie ran low to the ground, dancing around Patrick’s swipes. Jack was doing a good job of keeping him in place. Jamie just needed one opening to take him out.

Then it happened. Patrick swung his arm down just as Jack’s energy blast met it halfway, knocking him off balance. Jamie rushed forward and stabbed Frostbiter right into his chest—

Only to phase through him again. Jamie stared in shock. He can turn different parts of his body tangible independent of each other too, he thought in horror. Patrick’s eyes locked down on him. He swung his claws.

Jamie froze. Time seemed to slow while he stared up at his oncoming death. He heard Jack call his name again, but he sounded so far away, his voice drowned out by Jamie’s racing thoughts. This was such a bad idea, why had he come out here, why did he even think he was capable enough to handle this—

Something rammed into his side.

Jack shoved Jamie out of the way just in time, and Patrick’s claws slammed into him instead. Jack was launched back so hard he punched the back door off its hinges. Flying into the backyard, he hit the bottom of a large oak tree hard . He crumpled to the ground. Patrick turned his attention to him. A wicked grin split his face. He bared his fangs and flew in for the kill.

All terror drained out of Jamie; replaced with a new fear. He set into a sprint. “Jack!” he yelled. From the distance, he saw Jack push himself up on his hands and knees, shaking his head. Jamie pumped his legs harder. His breath came out in loud huffs. His muscles burned from the strain.

It was no use. Patrick was too fast. Jamie watched as he descended on Jack. “Jack, watch out!" Jack looked up at Jamie’s voice, his brows furrowed, eyes blinking rapidly. Jamie knew he wouldn’t make it in time.

So he stopped. Planting his feet in the ground, he flipped his grip on Frostbiter so that the blade faced downward. He took aim, winding his arm back as far as he could. With a furious cry, he hurled Frostbiter at the ghost. It shot through the air like a javelin. Right as Patrick was about to wrap his claws around Jack’s throat, Frostbiter intercepted his hand, slicing it clean off, finally burying itself halfway into the trunk of the tree.

Patrick reared back, clutching his wrist. He let out a blood-curdling wail so loud that Jamie covered his ears. His severed hand landed right in front of a very confused Jack before disintegrating into thin air. Jack blinked at it a few times, his vision seeming to clear. He yelped and almost sat up right into Frostbiter’s blade lodged above his head. Jamie started sprinting again. “Jack, run!” he called out.

Jack lifted off the ground, skirting around a still screaming Patrick. He met Jamie halfway, grabbing the top strap of Jamie’s backpack with his free hand, yanking him off his feet. Jamie gave a surprised yelp before they shot into the sky.

Jamie felt something slip out of his bag. He looked back down just in time to see his camera hit the ground, the lens and screen shattering. His heart nearly broke again.

Then he looked back at Patrick. He had stopped screaming, and was focusing on the stump of his wrist. Jamie watched his hand regenerate near instantaneously. Fantastic.

“Why did you throw your sword?” Jack demanded down at him.

“You were in danger, and I-I panicked,” Jamie sputtered. “But it worked, didn’t it?”

“And now you’re unarmed!” Jack scolded.

He didn’t get further than that. There was a furious shriek behind them. Patrick had turned his focus back on them, and was now in hot pursuit. 

“Why is he still following us?” Jack groaned. “We’re way past his cozy little summer home. Shouldn’t he be going back to reading his ghost-paper? Kick his ghost-feet up by the ghost-fire?”

Jamie felt the blood drain out of his face. A line from his research suddenly rushed to the forefront of his mind – why hadn’t he thought of it sooner? Why hadn’t he heeded both it and Jack’s warnings? 

“Poltergeists don’t haunt places,” he quoted, fear creeping into his voice. He looked up at Jack. His hands gripped the straps of his backpack so hard his knuckles turned white. “They haunt people .” And Jamie had painted a massive target on his head.

Jack whipped his head down to look at Jamie. “Jack, I’m so sorry.” Jamie hated how much his voice was shaking. “I should have listened to you— no, I-I shouldn’t have been out here to begin with—”

“Nevermind that now. We need to get you out of here.” Jack looked forward.

“Jack!”

Jack looked down again. He met Jamie’s gaze. Jamie couldn’t bring himself to choke out the words. He was too old to be feeling like this. But no doubt they shone clear in his eyes: I’m scared.

Jack’s eyes flashed with determination. In spite of it all, he gave him a smile, and Jamie felt safe again. “I know,” was all he said. They shot forward.

Jack wove through the trees, swerving wildly to evade the ghost on their trail. He was going as fast as he could while carrying a heavy load, dodging branches left and right. Every so often, he would risk turning around to fire another energy beam, rarely hitting his mark.

Meanwhile, Jamie swung around like a six-foot pendulum, and despite Jack’s best efforts, still got several mouthfuls of leaves. All this work didn’t do them much good when their pursuer could phase through solid obstacles, but it was better than risking flying out in the open.

Still though, Patrick was gaining on them.

That was when Jamie got an idea. He called up to Jack, telling him to adjust his grip so that he could take off his backpack. Unzipping it with shaking hands, Jamie rummaged through the bag looking for— aha! He yanked out his Holy-Water spritz bottle, triumphant.

Swinging around to face Patrick, he started frantically spraying. The first few spritzes passed right through him. He was going to have to get him to solidify.

“Hey, Swayze!” he called out.

Patrick’s eyes flashed dangerously. Jamie got the feeling he didn’t appreciate his new name.

“I lied before, Swayze,” he continued. “Your house blows! I stepped on all of your stuff with my dirty-dirty shoes, and you know what, it looks better that way!”

Patrick snarled.

“Jamie, what are you doing?” Jack called down.

Jamie did a little jig in the air. “I’m disrespecting your house, Patty-boy! What’re you gonna do about it?”

Patrick flew at him faster. Jamie kept his jig up, swinging his legs closer and closer to Patrick’s face. That’s it, take the bait…

“I bet you throw the worst parties, dude. When was the last time you were invited to a party? Who invited you? Was it a family member? Cuz that’s just an obligation, HA! ”

With that, Patrick turned tangible and lunged for Jamie’s foot. Jamie swung his legs back. Using the same momentum, he reached out his arm that was holding the bottle. He nailed him right in the face, and—

Nothing happened. Patrick gave an indignant shriek.

What? Jamie checked the label. Mr. Clean smiled back at him. Whoops.

“Jamie…” Jack warned.

Jamie looked back to see Patrick glaring at him, flying rapidly towards his face.

Okay, Plan B. Jamie let him approach. He took his backpack in both hands and pretended to drop his guard. Right when Patrick got in front of him, he swung his bag in a wide arc and slammed the whole thing down as hard as he could, right into his face. Patrick went flying off course right along with Jamie’s backpack. 

“Jamie, stop throwing your gear!” Jack yelled.

Not the most elegant move, but it gave Jack a solid few minutes to put a few hundred meters between them.

Jack was now carrying Jamie by the back of his shirt, just like when he was a kid. Unlike back then, it rode up high on Jamie’s torso, coming up half over his head. He flailed his long limbs around in an attempt not to spin in circles. This was a lot easier when he was eleven.

His grip on Jamie now unstable, Jack was forced to fly higher into the treeline where the branches were less dense. Jamie could hear the ghost screaming behind them. He doubted they would keep their lead with how exposed they were.

It didn’t take long for Patrick to come back into view, quickly growing in size. He was staring right at Jamie, his glare murderous.

Out of ammo, he was halfway tempted to throw a shoe at him. He decided against it. The last thing he needed right now was to step on a rusty nail and get Tetanus. Not that he would be touching the ground anytime soon.

Jack was forced to zig-zag again, his grip on Jamie loosening by the second. Jamie knew he couldn’t risk firing off any more energy blasts for fear of dropping him. The ghost approached faster and faster. Things were looking grim. Jamie shut his eyes.

Suddenly, he felt the wind picking up. Jamie mistook it for a change in weather until it wrapped protectively around them. His eyes popped back open, looking around in confusion. Despite how fast it swirled, it felt safe. Familiar. Jamie looked up at Jack and found him smiling. Jack opened his mouth, calling out as loud as he could: “HICCUP!”

A huge gust of wind blew up from under them, carrying them high above the treeline and into the sky. Jamie watched Patrick rapidly shrink in size under them, his frustrated wail drowned out by the roar in his ears.

As they flew higher, Jamie realized that he didn’t feel Jack’s hand tugging on his shirt anymore. It was as if he was weightless, floating up like an autumn leaf in the breeze. If he didn’t know any better, he might have thought he was flying on his own. It was amazing how quickly he went from feeling scared out of his mind to absolutely elated. Jack was laughing next to him, smiling so wide that the corners of his eyes crinkled. When he met Jamie’s gaze, Jamie started giggling too.

Then he saw what was behind Jack. His breath caught. The wind rippled around them. It looked as if colours were being pulled from the sky itself. They were all gathering at one point, forming the silhouette of a familiar figure. The first thing to emerge was a pair of bright green eyes, followed by windswept hair, leather armor, and lastly, a metal prosthetic in place of his lower left leg.

Hiccup appeared in front of them, fully materialized.

Jack’s smile turned gentle. “Hi, Hiccup,” he said.

Hiccup grinned back, his eyes shining. “Hi,” he replied.

They stayed like that, gazing at each other. Content in each other's presence. Hiccup’s wind still swirled around them, but it sounded far away, like a warm summer’s breeze. It was quiet… tranquil…

… Jamie was going to implode. He felt like he was intruding. He didn’t even mind that they seemed to have forgotten he was there too. On the contrary, he hoped that they would continue to do so, if anything just so they wouldn’t see how red his face was. Loath to ruin their moment, he respectfully turned his gaze downward… just in time to see Patrick flying up at them. “Uhhh.”

Jack and Hiccup whipped their heads back at him so fast it looked painful, their expressions priceless. Jamie really wished spirits showed up on camera. Not that he had his on him. Any other time he would have pointed and laughed, but they had more pressing things to attend to.

Hiccup burst into action. He dematerialized in a flash, wrapping them in a protective cocoon of air. The three of them shot forward with a boom, soaring faster than Jamie had ever experienced.

Jamie watched in awe as the world blurred around him, the ground below him passing by in streaks of colours. Then the colours shifted. A half materialized Hiccup-head formed underneath him as if his image was reflected in the wind.

“Great to see you again, Jamie.” Hiccup smiled at him. His voice sounded like it was being carried from far away. Jamie had to strain to hear him. “How’ve ya been?”

“Hiccup!” Jamie laughed. “How did you find us?”

Hiccup’s smile turned into a smirk. “Sound travels through air, you know. It wasn’t hard following all your screaming.”

Jamie laughed again. He was so relieved to see him that he didn’t even feel embarrassed. Despite their less than ideal circumstances, he was grateful for the chance to fly together again.

Jack and Jamie filled Hiccup in on Patrick’s abilities. Jamie had no idea how he could hear them over the roar of the wind. Now that Hiccup was carrying them they were easily outflying Patrick. With his help they could escape, but that created a new problem.

“We can’t lead it back to Burgess!” Jamie called.

Hiccup’s expression hardened. “Then we’ll have to fight it off.”

“Should we call for Toothless?” Jack asked.

Jamie hoped Hiccup would say yes. He missed dragon-riding. It had been so long since the four of them were together. Although, it’d be a much more crowded ride if they all tried to squeeze onto Toothless’ back now. He definitely would not be sitting up front this time.

Hiccup glanced at him. “Jack, it’s one ghost versus the three of us,” he said. He looked back at Jamie. “We can handle it.”

Jamie felt a swell of pride in his chest at Hiccup’s faith in him. Finally, he could stand his own beside the two of them. But:

“I don’t know how much use I’ll be without my sword.”

Hiccup did a double take. “What happened to it?”

“He threw it at the ghost,” Jack filled in, snickering.

Oh, now he finds it funny.

“What did I tell you about throwing your sword?” Hiccup scolded.

This again?  

“Hey, it worked!”

Jack snorted. “For half a second.”

“You’re welcome!”

Hiccup groaned, dematerializing. Jamie got the feeling if wind could face-palm, Hiccup would have.

He felt another gust of wind below him. That was his only warning before he was thrown up into the air. He shouted and flailed, doing a flip. Two hands grabbed his arms, jerking him out of his free fall. After the world turned right side up again, he looked up to see Hiccup and Jack on either side of him, holding him up.

Jamie dangled between them like a rag doll. He was reminded of when his grandparents would take him out on walks as a toddler. They would each hold one of his hands, swinging him between them as he gurgled happily.

Well this is humiliating.

Hiccup had the wings of his flight suit out, gliding gracefully on his own wind. He smiled apologetically. “Sorry,” he said, his voice now at normal volume, “I can’t fly when I’m fully materialized.” He turned his gaze forward. “I have a plan.”

The plan was simple: Jack and Hiccup would distract the ghost while Jamie stayed hidden as their secret weapon. The two of them would corral Patrick into position, then feign exhaustion and drop their guard. Patrick would seize the opportunity to take them both out at once, and thus make his whole body tangible, leaving him wide open. Then, Jamie would drop down from the trees and deal the final blow.

It was simple, but the timing had to be perfect.

Jamie tightened his grip on Inferno. Hiccup had entrusted it to him, leaving himself more vulnerable in the fight.

“You can do this,” he had said.

Jack had placed a hand on Jamie’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly. “You’re ready.”

From his vantage point, Jamie watched Jack and Hiccup square off against the ghost. They fought in perfect harmony, weaving and whirling as if they were dancing, covering each other’s backs. Their powers combined to create a tornado of snow and ice. Together, they drove Patrick further and further to the edge of the clearing, closer to where Jamie was hidden.

When they were almost right under him, Jamie got a better look at the two through the storm. His heart sank. It didn’t make sense. Jack and Hiccup looked like they were struggling. For every blow they landed, Patrick would return twice-fold. Jamie watched in horror as the ghost gleefully slashed and stabbed at the two, their every pained grunt and gasp cutting into his heart. What had he dragged them into?

Slowly and painfully, Jack and Hiccup led Patrick into position. With one last flourish, they dropped their magic. The last of the storm dispersed in a whoosh, leaving the clearing eerily silent. Jack and Hiccup kneeled to the ground.

Now came the hard part.

Patrick’s eyes locked on the two of them. He grinned wickedly. With a victorious screech, he took off straight at them. Jack and Hiccup stood their ground. It was up to Jamie now. He unsheathed Inferno, and began to count.

Five…

Patrick picked up speed; his shrieks almost sounded giddy.

Four…

Hiccup seemed to hesitate. What was he—

Three—

At the last moment, Hiccup pushed Jack behind him, covering him protectively while still on his knees. Patrick lunged.

Jamie jumped.

He dropped down, falling through the gaps in the branches with practiced ease. A fully realized Overland, he thought. Jack would be proud .

With Jack and Hiccup’s new positions, Jamie wouldn’t make it in time— not without a distraction.

Igniting Inferno, he raised the sword above his head with both hands. He opened his mouth and screamed as loud as he could, his words coming directly from his heart: “STAY. AWAY —”

For a split second, Patrick glanced up. That was all he needed.

“— FROM MY BROTHERS!”

Jamie drove Inferno down his back, cleaving his torso into two halves. Patrick wailed, thrashing around the blade. Jamie yanked Inferno out and leaped back to avoid his retaliative swipes. He backed up to stand in front of Jack and Hiccup, eyes still locked forward.

Patrick fell to the ground, writhing in agony. Steam emanated from his wound as he regenerated – at a much slower rate than before. He lifted his head up, his glare murderous. Jamie met his eyes, staring him down.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave Burgess,” said Jamie, his voice steady. “Now.”

They faced off against each other for a heavy moment. Then Patrick relented. Letting out a final hiss, Patrick’s body dissipated away. The last thing Jamie saw of him were his glowing red eyes, still trained on him, before they vanished too.

Jamie stood still for another few seconds. Then all the adrenaline drained out of him – along with the bravado. “Oh gods,” he wheezed. “How did I…?” He dropped Inferno, swaying dangerously. His legs gave out and he fell backwards.

Before he could hit the ground, two strong pairs of arms caught him from either side. Jamie blinked back the dark spots in his vision. He looked up to see Jack and Hiccup, battered up and exhausted, but still smiling at him. Each of them had one of Jamie’s arms thrown over their shoulders. Jamie grinned back.

“We knew you could do it,” Hiccup said, smiling his big toothy grin.

“Not bad,” said Jack. His tone was teasing, but his eyes were warm, radiating with pride. “Little brother,” he added.

Jamie’s smile turned wobbly. He pulled the two into a hug. A laugh bubbled out of him. Or maybe it was a sob. If he let any tears fall, Jack and Hiccup pretended not to notice.

Part 3 - Jamie Comes Home

They went back to retrieve Jamie’s sword and backpack. Frostbiter of course was undamaged thanks to Hiccup and Jack’s enchantments, but all of Jamie’s equipment had busted from the fall. Jamie clenched his fists around his bag. All that danger and he didn’t even have one piece of evidence to show for their efforts.

Hiccup dropped them off on a hill overlooking the city. Jamie could see his house in the distance, the lights still on in Joyce’s room. She must be up late reading again. Jack and Hiccup were quiet next to him. They were waiting for him to take the lead. He took a few steps forward then sat down on the grass, pulling his legs to his chest and hugging his knees.

He heard Jack and Hiccup join him, but kept his eyes forward.

They sat on either side of him. Hiccup eased himself down, resting his arms on his knees. Jack drifted to a crouch, leaning on his staff. Glancing to either side, Jamie once again marveled at how he had grown taller than both of them. It was easy to forget when they were almost always in the air, floating carefree with the wind. But even with Jack balancing on his feet next to a sitting Jamie, they both fell an inch short of his height. In a few months Jamie would be physically older than them too.

So why did he still feel so small?

They stayed like that for a long time. Jamie was the first to break the silence.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

He felt the two of them look at him. When he didn't elaborate, Hiccup put a hand on his back, moving it in soothing circles. His kindness made the guilt worse.

Jack leaned forward and put a hand on Jamie's shoulder. He squeezed lightly with intent. Jamie took a deep breath and met his eyes. There was no sign of blame in them, only concern. That finally broke him.

"I almost lost you two."

Jack’s eyes softened. He squeezed his shoulder again. “Jamie, it’s ok,” he reassured him. “It was part of the plan to keep him distracted. We were fine.” He raised a brow at Hiccup. “Although you jumping in front of me was a bit of improv,” he said to him.

Hiccup looked self-conscious. He shrugged. “Sorry,” he said, giving Jack a shy smile. “Force of habit.”

“Aw, you do care,” Jack teased, but his gaze was loving. He looked back at Jamie. “You were amazing tonight. We did this together.” Jack had a proud smile. Hiccup grinned and nodded in agreement.

Jamie let out a breath of relief. Of course. Both of them were more than powerful enough to take on one ghost on their own. If they had been alone the fight would have been over in seconds.

But Jamie had been Patrick’s target. If they had used their full power, Patrick would have phased past them to go after Jamie directly. Jack and Hiccup had been letting themselves get hurt to keep the ghost’s attention – all to protect him. 

Jamie was going to cry. They loved him so much. It only made his guilt for what he had done worse. "That’s not what I meant. At least, not entirely,” his voice wavered. “I might still lose you."

The two of them did a take. "Jamie," Jack said, "why would you—"

"I got accepted into Stanford,” Jamie interrupted, “I’m studying archeology. It's one of the best programs for the field. By fall I'll be on the other side of the country. I should be happy. This is what I've been working so hard for. It's why I haven't been… Haven't spent time with you guys in so long. And I know you're both busy too, but I was beginning to think maybe you had been visiting and I just missed you because… I was getting too old to believe.

"It’s dumb, right? Especially after everything we’ve been through together. I kept telling myself I was imagining things, but…”

He checked his watch. At last, it was midnight.

Moment of truth.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He tipped his head back, and slowly opened them to the night sky. All he saw was the stars. The last of his hope shattered.

“For the past month, whenever I look out my window to watch the dreamsand… I can't see it."

He felt more than he heard Hiccup and Jack’s shock. He fiddled with his broken camera. For the hundredth time, he wished spirits showed up on film.

"I'm running out of time. I don't have any photos of us together. No memories of you guys to hold on to. Plane tickets are so expensive that I can only visit on breaks between months . I'm going to be so far away from home… our home."

He was really going to cry now, his next words coming out in a rush.

"I can't go back to the field where you trained me, Hiccup, or flip through the family photos I showed you, Jack. There won’t be any snow days in California. When I'm in school, I won't have time to see the kids finding quarters under their pillows, or presents under the tree, or painted eggs in the forest, or even just see you guys… What if in time, I can't see you at all?

"And if that ever happens, I wanted to have proof of something – anything – to remind myself that there's more in this world than we can ever hope to imagine. And maybe then… I could see you two again." His eyes stung. He shook his head. "It was stupid. I put you both in danger because I was too selfish to let you go."

A few tears slipped out and he wiped them furiously away. Jack and Hiccup shared a look. They let Jamie catch his breath.

Hiccup spoke first.

“You know, I never wanted to be chief,” he said. “Not at first.”

That got Jamie’s attention. He stared at Hiccup in confusion.

Hiccup smiled and shrugged. “It’s true. When my dad first told me he was planning to hand over the title, I was out the door before he could even finish. I went on a long flight with Toothless, running as far away as I could that day.”

His gaze became distant as he relived the memory. “It was just so much responsibility that I wasn’t ready for. And on top of it all, I thought I had to let the part of myself that I loved most go… let the dragons go. I thought I had to leave Toothless. We both did.”

Jamie’s eyes widened. It didn’t make sense. Hiccup and Toothless were inseparable in both of their lifetimes – mortal and spirit. Two halves of one whole. He couldn’t imagine a world where they weren’t together.

Hiccup turned to face him, and Jamie easily guessed what the next part of the story was. The way Hiccup’s eyebrows furrowed over his intense green eyes told him that he would have never let that happen. He was far too stubborn for that, and even more so, too brave.

“The first years were hard. I was out of my depth. We lost so much because of my leadership. But we got through it because we learned to do it together with the dragons. We created a world where dragons and humans could live as one. And now in our second lives we still fight for that balance. We are the guardians of the bridge.”

As he spoke, Jamie watched in awe as the air around Hiccup rippled. Around his shoulders, a large cloak of fur appeared, held up on his amor by two shining metal clasps. "The heart of a chief…" Jamie realized.

Hiccup smiled and looked him in the eye.

"And the soul of a dragon," he finished and Jamie realized he had said the words out loud. "I learned that I didn't have to abandon that part of me to be a leader. My dragon side was what gave me the strength to lead."

Jamie didn't know how to respond. Hiccup was always so fun to banter with, so warm and approachable, and sometimes just downright goofy. Here he was reminded of how strong of a leader he was. Looking at him now, all he saw was the mighty Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, Chief of Berk, and Protector of the Northmost Winds and Skies.

"You're not selfish for wanting us in your life, Jamie. And I promise, we'll always be there watching over you. No matter where you go." Hiccup's voice softened. "And no matter if you can see us or not."

Jamie felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude wash over him. The weight in his chest lightened just a bit more.

“Yeah,” Jack chimed in, “and it’s not like I haven’t made it snow in California before.” He smiled elfishly. “You should see people’s reactions there. One inch of it and it’s the apocalypse.”

Jamie let out a wet chuckle, surprising himself. Jack was too good at making him laugh.

Jack smiled wider at his achievement. He squeezed Jamie’s shoulder tighter.

"You don’t have to worry about losing us, Jamie. We're your family – you’ve made sure of that. Besides, do you stop believing in the moon when the sun comes up?”

Jamie started to smile. “No,” he dutifully replied.

“Do you stop believing in the sun when clouds block it out?”

“No.” He was definitely smiling now. 

Jack’s smile turned gentle. "See? You don’t need any photos to remember us. Your power of belief is the strongest that the Guardians have ever witnessed. It was your belief that saved us that Easter. It was your belief that helped save us through the darkest parts of our journey in the past." Jack’s eyes shined. "And it was your belief that saved me," he finished quietly.

Jamie couldn’t hold it in any longer. Tears streamed freely down his cheeks.

Jack leaned down to meet Jamie’s eyes. Echoing the same words that were said to him seven years ago – when Jack was feeling his most lost in the past – his voice came out in a whisper: “It’s time you believed in yourself.”

Then it clicked.

He didn’t know why he hadn’t made the connection sooner. It was never a question about his belief – he had just let his doubt mask over it. His fear for the future had blinded him to the possibilities that came with it. For the first time in months, he felt hope again. He knew what he had to do.

Jamie squeezed his eyes shut. He brought up all the thoughts that had been plaguing his mind. All his doubt, all his sadness, his fear of losing Jack and Hiccup. He held them for a few moments longer. Then he felt his chest warm again, and let them wash away.

They’ll always be with me. There’s so much more to discover. So long as I believe.

When he opened his eyes, there was golden light above him.

Jamie watched in awe at the thousands of rivulets of the Sandman’s dreamsand ebb and flow across the sky. They flowed in mighty rivers, splitting into tiny streams, and joined again at the bends. They stretched too far into the distance for the eye to see, flying around the earth in a galaxy of dreams.

It was like he was seeing the world with new eyes and being welcomed home at the same time.

Jamie let out a wet laugh. The last of the sorrow in his chest rushed out of him all at once. The relief was so overwhelming he felt weightless, just like he was flying again. He looked back down to see Jack and Hiccup with huge grins on their faces, eyes shining with pride.

He jumped to his feet, whooping and pumping his fists into the air. Then he turned around and pulled Jack and Hiccup up with him. The three of them laughed and danced and jumped around like kids, their voices echoing under the night sky. It took them a long time to calm down, and even then they were still laughing quietly to themselves.

“Archeology, huh?” Hiccup asked, smiling lopsidedly. “Interesting choice.”

Jamie perked up. “Yeah! Working in museums, libraries, and traveling the world to find ancient artifacts! Who knows what new legends are still out there to discover?”

Jack bumped Jamie’s shoulder with his. “There’s the Jamie we know.”

They soared through the night on Hiccup’s wind. Jack would do laps around him, making snowflakes drift in the breeze. Hiccup would surprise him by materializing, grabbing his hands and throwing him even higher in the air. 

Oftentimes they would drift down into one of the rivers of dream sand. They would reach out and touch them, watching the wonders that would burst forth from their imagination into reality.

It was getting late. Jamie needed to get home before Joyce woke up. Soon, he would have to leave Jack and Hiccup.

But that was alright. He would see them again.

He had more than enough time.