Trying to Be Brave

"Trying to Be Brave" is a BOTGD 2 oneshot written on June 18, 2020.
== Summary ==
== Full Text ==
Takes place after Something Strange
Grey felt somewhat relieved after the conversation with Deoiridh as she, Brandt, and Shadow walked back to the Great Hall. The Chief walked through the village looking at the damage of the various houses on her island…in the aftermath of the Night Fury attack, and she couldn’t help but feel her guilt increase tenfold. She killed a dragon…something she never thought she would ever have to do, but the guilt was pushed down when she remembered the reason…Kari’s life was on the line…her youngest baby. 
If she didn’t, then… She shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts. Kari was safe, not dead. Their daughter was safe in the Great Hall with her dragon and her brother, sister, and grandmother, and that was what she and Brandt needed to remember. Between the attack, Rhenco, and discovering her newfound magic, thanks to the Changling, her body felt like lead as the adrenaline wearing off, but the nerves were still there. Deoiridh managed to calm her down and help her accept her new power over magic, but it was going to take some time to process everything for sure.
Thankfully, Brandt seemed to read her thoughts as he gently took her hand completely unafraid of her plasma magic and took her chin so that she faced him. “Don’t worry,” he said, “Kari is safe. Rhenco is gone for good. Everything will be okay.”
Grey sighed. “I hope so,” she said. “Deo made me feel a little better, but…I…still have to…process it and–”
“Hey, it’s okay,” Brandt said pulling Grey to his side hugging her as Shadow nuzzled her cheek. “Let’s take things one step at a time, okay? What do we need to focus on first?”
The Chief took a deep breath and thought for a moment. “I want to see our children first and…talk to Kari,” Grey said. “We should address it…somehow.”
Brandt gave a sad smile and nodded. Even though Grey and Brandt saved Kari’s life and that it wasn’t her fault Nimbus was dead, she still disobeyed them and put herself and Scoot in grave danger. “So…what do we do?” he asked. 
“Well…” Grey began, “we’re not yelling at her. She had good intentions, but…she still disobeyed us. I would say we talk to her, and…a week or so without flying Scoot?”
“Agreed,” Brandt said nodding. “Come on, sweetheart.” He gave his wife a kiss on the cheek before guiding her and Shadow toward the Great Hall.
——–
“You think Mom and Dad will be mad?” Kari said as she hugged her knees to her chest as she sat with her siblings and her grandmother. 
“Kari, relax,” Sven said rubbing Kari’s shoulder. “They’re happy you’re safe. Trust me, they won’t be mad. Although, I do sense a bit of a grounding heading your way.”
“Sven!” Dagny hissed. 
“What?” Sven asked incredulously. 
“Don’t be such a butthead,” Dagny said swatting him on the shoulder. 
“Enough, you two,” Ingrid said giving them warm broth. “Kari, sweetheart, your mom and dad won’t be mad. They will probably want to talk to you, but they love you very much and just want you to be safe.”
As soon as the healer said that, the doors to the Great Hall opened, and sure enough, Grey and Brandt walked in heading straight for their family. Sven and Dagny smiled and immediately stood up and ran to their mother and father hugging them tightly. After reassuring her children that she and Brandt were okay, she looked over Dagny’s shoulder only to see Kari sitting on the floor with Ingrid, and she could see that Kari was scared. 
The Chief sighed before pulling away and walking over to her youngest daughter with Brandt behind her. Ingrid smiled at her daughter sadly before hugging her tightly. 
“Is it okay if I check on the injured later, Mom?” Grey whispered to Ingrid with her eyes dotting to Kari.
“Of course, my grandchildren come first,” the healer replied. “If anything happens, I’ll come get you.” 
Grey’s smile widened, and then she turned to Kari. “Kari, come with Dad and me please,” she said. As much as she wanted to hold her daughter tightly, she had to restrain herself for now. Right now, she needed to know that what she pulled was wrong and not smart. 
Kari nodded and followed her parents to another private corner of the Great Hall, where they sat down at the table. 
Even though there was no anger between the three of them, Grey and Brandt could easily see that Kari was awaiting some sort of punishment and that she was feeling guilty of what happened, and that only made it that much harder. However, they looked each other. She needed to understand. 
“Kari…” Grey said keeping her elbows on the table, “Dad and I very disappointed in you.”
Kari sighed. “I know,” she said as tears formed in her eyes refusing to look at her parents. The shame continued to increase as Grey and Brandt continued. 
“You could’ve been killed up there tonight,” Brandt added. There was no anger, but they could feel the emotions behind the parents’ voices. “Do you have any idea how reckless that stunt was?”
“Not to mention that you put your dragon in danger,” Grey added quickly. “What were you thinking?”
The youngest daughter breathed shakily. “I…I…I was just trying to help,” Kari said. “I…I guess…I figured that if Scoot reasoned with the other Night Furies…then we could’ve helped stop the attack. I…I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt…or…” She let out a sob. “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to disobey you…I was just trying to be brave…trying to help…like you guys.”
The Chief sighed as she kneeled next to Kari placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Kari…sweetheart, please look at me,” she said quietly.
Kari shook her head and kept her head down. “I can’t, Mom,” she said. 
“Yes, you can,” Grey said gently as she took Kari’s chin and guided it so that she was looking at her mother. “Please, baby girl.” Kari thankfully complied and allowed Grey to see her bloodshot eyes. “There we go,” she caressed the teen’s face wiping her tears away. “That’s our girl.” She took a deep breath. “Kari, I know you want to try to help, and I know that having a dragon around…especially a Night Fury…makes you feel invincible. Believe me, I was 14 once. I get it.” 
“Y-You mean with…Leif?” Kari asked. 
The Chief nodded. “Remember how I told you the story about how he came to the island to get away from High Central?” she asked. “And how…Grandma and Grandpa thought it was best for him to leave? I tried to stand up to those soldiers, and I now understand that Grandma was only trying to protect me…just I try to protect you and your brother and sister. So…when Daddy and I tell you to do something, you need to listen and obey our orders.”
Kari nodded. “Okay, I understand,” she quietly as she used her sleeves to wipe her face. “I really am sorry.”
“We know you are,” Brandt said with a small smile of his own, “but…your mom and I talked. And…you’re going to be grounded.”
“For a week,” Grey said. “No flying with Scoot for a week.”
Kari nodded. “But…she can still fly without me right, Mom?” she asked. “It’s not her fault. It was all my idea.”
“Sweetheart, don’t worry,” Grey said. “Scoot’s not grounded. She can come and go as she pleases, okay?”
Kari nodded. She wasn’t happy about being grounded, but…she knew she deserved it…for what happened. At the moment, she didn’t care. All she was grateful for was that her parents…her brave parents saved her and Scoot, and that was all that mattered at that point. She would try to apologize to Indigo later, but for now, she leaned forward and hugged Grey tightly as Brandt joined in.
Category:BOTGD 2
Category:Events
Category:Act I
Category:Grey Bergman
Category:Kari Felman
Category:Brandt Felman