A/N-And we're back for the third installment! A note before we continue, this story is very closely allied to the movie involved, but it has a purpose for the series, and of course there's always unexpected twists. And remember: every event has effects and reverberations into the future.

Also, a couple more things: one, I've received some notes about the names of the dragons. No, they don't all match those in the movie, partly due to characters from the books also being present. Names will not be changing from here on out. Two: the first chapter for the Two Worlds Collide: Book of Dragons will be up tomorrow.

Now without further ado: Reaches of Reality.

Chapter 1

Intriguing News

"Almost noon!"

I looked up from where I was busy pruning dead leaves off a pot of Lamb's Ear, and smiled slightly. I was at the nursery where I worked and, while it was almost time for most other people to take a lunch break, it was about time for me to head home. I only worked weekend morning shifts, but with recent events, it was enough.

I wrapped up the last couple of pots and put them back on the sales bench. Turning and walking inside the greenhouse, I spotted one of the nursery owners walk in. "Leaving already, Hawken?" she asked. I nodded. "Yeah, it's just about that time. But, everything is taken care of outside." "Well, good work," she replied. "Though it seems a rather large number of people come here more to find you now than buy anything." I laughed. "Well, I'm using that to my advantage: if someone wants to talk to me about anything other than what we have in stock here, they have to buy something anyway." We both chuckled, and the owner turned away, carrying the basket of weeding tools to some unknown location. "Well, keep it up! See you next weekend!" I smiled and put a couple tools in place, before walking up to the computer and clocking out.

As I flew home, I felt rather good. Many positive changes had come in the past couple weeks. It was late July, the middle of summer, and my favorite time of year. Everything was growing well, temperatures were warm (though everyone who wasn't a dragon was complaining), and a number of changes were being made at home. Since I tended to end up busy on this, that, or the other random adventure with Hiccup and the gang, I had been "renovating" my personal plant grow spaces at home, especially thanks to my newfound talents. Automatic timing and watering systems were going in for many plants, I had set up an easy collection system for water (and using a little bent gravity, making it easier to move it around too), and a few other things, but I won't bore you with more details. It was nearly finished, and I just needed to install a couple new lights at some point. Luckily, my success at the nursery was helping fund my hobby, and good thing, too, as college started in a little less than a month and a half, and at that point all my funds would go there and I'd have even less time for "me" stuff.

"Hey Mom, I'm home!" I said, walking in the door and going straight to the fridge, grabbing a cold glass of water. "How was work today?" she asked. I shrugged. "Oh, same old, same old. Popularity tends to breed business if you use it right." "Their popularity or yours?" she said teasingly. "Both," I replied, walking up behind her as she did homework. "Whatcha working on?" She sighed. "Economics of business," was the reply. I scrunched my face. "Eech, sounds painful." "It is, but the class is almost over." "Ah. Any idea what to do for lunch?"

My mom shrugged this time. "I already had salad, so you're on your own." I groaned, and turned toward the fridge again to find something to eat. "Oh, and before I forget, Hawken," my mom continued, garnering my attention, "Hiccup stopped by earlier this morning looking for you. I told him you were working, but he said it was important." I turned to face her, shutting the fridge door. "Did he say what it was?" I asked. "No, but he said as soon as you were available, you should head to the village." She took off her reading glasses for a moment. "Sometimes I wonder just what all you've managed to get into over there." I grinned. "A lot of things. But, I think I will have lunch before I go anywhere. I'm starving, and I'm sure Hiccup can wait another hour if he went back to the village instead of waiting for me here."

After lunch (and spending a few minutes tweaking my automated systems) I headed to Berk, and found Hiccup and Toothless flying my way as I flew toward the village. Toothless backpedaled to keep from shooting past me, and I spun to slow down and face Hiccup.

"I was told you were looking for me?" I asked loudly. Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, took you long enough to get here, too. I was just about to head to your house again to find you." "I do have my own life to take care of," I returned. "I know," Hiccup acknowledged, "but this is kind of important. We received some, uh, interesting news from one of the trading ships that came by, and we're readying an exploration party because of it." I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of news?" I asked cautiously. "I'll tell you when we reach the village," Hiccup replied, and turned Toothless back toward Berk.

As I landed in front of the Great Hall, Hiccup and Toothless came in behind me. I stepped through the doors to find the rest of the gang and Stoick looking at an old map and a small letter accompanying it. Stoick looked up as I walked toward the table. "Ah, Hawken! We were wonderin' when ye'd get here." I smiled. "Nice to know I'm so wanted around here," I said jokingly. "So what is it you guys found?"

Astrid picked up the letter, which was written in sloppy Norse runes, so I couldn't read it. "Some of our traders came back from dealing with some of the settlements further northwest, on the coast of Iceland, and they returned with word of a new land."

I gave her a fisheye, before looking at the map on the table. I recognized Iceland, Greenland, and the chain of islands that made up the Barbaric Archipelago, but there was another landmass drawn in that looked completely unfamiliar. "This it?" I asked, pointing to the landmass. Only one side was drawn, the other left blank. Astrid nodded. "Is it America?" "Not if we compare their knowledge of this place to what you've told us," Fishlegs said, writing something in a notebook. "They said this land has a tall mountain range on the eastern side, unclimbable and curving around the furthest northern tip. The only way over would be by flying, and that sounds nothing like the East Coast you told us about." I frowned and raised an eyebrow again. "So our worlds aren't quite as similar as we thought, huh?" Fishlegs just shrugged in reply.

Stoick cleared his throat, and we turned to him. "We've got a few people who are already going on this trip to scout out this land," he explained, "see if it's recognizable or not. It's mainly you young ones here, since yer so experienced on the dragons." He looked at me. "You would be the most knowledgeable about any new place, since our worlds seem similar enough, and you said yourself things you read tend te become truth. Would ye be able to accompany our group?"

I sighed and rubbed my forehead, thinking. "Well, things have been going alright at work, so I should be able to manage it if the trip is only a couple weeks at most, but I can only give you a solid answer sometime tomorrow." Stoick nodded in understanding. "Very well, just get back te me when ye find out. We may definitely need ye though, as it's not just our…" he trailed off and looked at something behind me. "What is it?" I asked, starting to turn when he smiled slightly. I found Hiccup suddenly dropping his hands and looking away innocently, like nothing had happened at all. "Uh huh," I muttered, crossing my arms. "And just what is it you're hiding?"

Hiccup looked up, surprised and seemingly confused. "Who, me?" he asked innocently. "Yes, you." "Uh, nothing. Nothing at all." I sighed and turned, waving it off. "Fine, whatever. I'm sure I'll manage to find out on my own sooner or later."

I turned to Stoick again. "If I am able to to, I need to prepare a few things at home and pack up some supplies, so I will contact you tomorrow morning sometime." He nodded. "Very well." Then he turned toward Hiccup and the gang, and put his hands on his hips. "Well, what're ye all waitin' fer? You need te get packing too!" I laughed as they all scrambled to obey their chief, and then myself headed back out and toward the portal.

Since becoming half-dragon of sorts, I had, strangely, begun to acquire a stronger liking of fish, something I'd never really enjoyed before, but I still wasn't going to rely on just scaly swimming things as food on this journey. I found one of my smaller packs, and began filling it, attaching a multi-tool and pocketknife, and various nonperishable food items: snack bars, freeze-dried dinners, and various other things. If there's one very good thing about being an outdoorsy family, it's that we have everything needed to survive a trip to just about wherever.

As I was preparing the pack, however, my father came home from an errand, and came downstairs to find me putting things together. "And where are you planning on going?" he asked. I turned and smiled sheepishly. "Well, I don't know if I am yet, but I may very possibly be accompanying the teens on an exploratory mission from Berk." "What kind, exactly?" "New land sighting kind." My dad smirked. "What, did they find North America finally?" I shook my head. "That's the weird part," I began. "It's almost where the east coast should be, but the description we got isn't right at all."

My dad nodded and frowned. "What about your job, though?" he asked. "I know you can fly and all, and that means any trip will be shorter, but if you're gone for a month, that position you have now will be kind of hard to keep." I nodded and chuckled. "And that's why I'm not a hundred percent sure yet if I'm going. But, we're on good terms there, I'm popular and good for business, and I'll be taking a bunch of new plants over there later today to make up for the money I will not be making." Dad just raised an eyebrow, and slowly nodded. "Well, as long as you think you have everything figured out. I'm not holding up your finances anymore, and do remember also you only have a month and a half before you start school again." After stating the obvious, he headed upstairs again, likely to let my mom know what I was planning.

After the pack was full, and my weapons attached, I headed upstairs and began setting up my greenhouses in preparation for me being gone, and began labeling a tray of plants to take to the nursery. Once everything was in order, I headed back to work with the cache of plants to secure my income while I was gone.

Luckily, it wasn't too much of a hassle for me to disappear. I had already made somewhat of a habit doing so, and due to my annoying "celebrity" status anything coming from me or vaguely connected to me was suddenly valuable and wanted, no matter what it really was. The greenhouse owners were used to me having sudden "trips" out of the blue, and had been given a vague idea of why, so we were able to set up a replacement for me while I was to be gone, and about a month's time off just in case the trip took that long. In return, though, I did have to help clean up the storage room before I left.

Once everything was cleaned up, my plants were out for sale, and I was free to go, I headed home for the second time that day. I had time to wonder, though, just what exactly was in store for us. The vague description of the place we were headed did seem familiar somewhat, but I couldn't quite place my finger on it. But, landing in my back yard, I shrugged it off and decided it wasn't important for now. I had other things to focus on, like having dinner with my family and getting to Berk the next morning. But no matter what, there was that feeling in the back of my mind, something that said we would not be quite ready for what we found.