==Okay guys... I know I just started another story (Scottish Princess) but this one was just dying to be started! Hope you enjoy it... Hiccup/Flynn Rider crossover. Not sure if I want this to me romantic or not yet, we'll see where the writing goes! Let me know what you guys think! Thanks!==

Chapter 1

Soaring through the skies; feeling the strong muscles underneath his body as he flew through airy clouds and wisps of light pink fuzz. His heart was racing as he felt the familiar plunge. Down, down… through the cloudbank: and now- nothing but open ocean in front of him, a rocky village falling behind. This was the life he had always wanted. To be free. Free to fly, to run his hands through the ocean waves: like a knife through butter. Free to be adventurous.

All of a sudden there is a loud screech. A frightened cry escapes his mouth as he is plunged into the icy waters below. The leathery black skin that had been underneath him is nowhere to be seen, or felt. Now all there is is cold, wet, darkness. He can't find the surface of the water. He needs air. Everything is becoming hazy.

Eugene opened his eyes and sat up. His heart-rate was fast, his breathing heavy. The nightmare: he'd seen it again. It's been occurring more and more frequently, leaving him breathless and sweating. Rapunzel was still sleeping peacefully beside him, her brown hair mussed about her head. Morning light was peeking through the cracks of the giant crème curtains that lined the windows. Everything around him was quiet. In the distance the morning bustle could be heard starting up.

He sighed. The wedding was in a week. The preparations were giving him headaches. Not to mention nightmares. The flying dream had started shortly after Eugene had proposed. In truth, the dream could be an omen, but Eugene wasn't the kind of man to go running as soon as the going got rough. He had been a thief for crying out loud. Eugene let out another exasperated sigh. He wasn't a philosopher by any means: he was a man of action. Perhaps helping the preparations throughout the town would take his mind away from the dream.

Slowly, so as not to wake his bride-to-be, Eugene slipped out of the giant, fluffy bed and placed his bare feet on the cold stone floor. He shivered slightly, but he rose and grabbed his old thieving garb: his white tunic and blue vest, tan breeches and his satchel. He picked up his brown boots and his belt and went to change. He kept his feet bare until he had slipped out of the sleeping quarters, then slipped them over his feet and ran down the hall, into many other halls, winding his way to the front entrance. He pushed open the double doors and breathed in the open air. Then he ran down the steps and into the town of Corona.

The children of Corona were laughing and playing, with dolls and with each other. The miller was in front of his shop, setting up the displays for the day. In the stall beside him, the butcher was putting out the freshly cut assorted meats. Eugene walked along the cobblestone roads, humming quietly to himself. The fresh air helped to ease his mind and brighten his spirits. Every place he passed he was greeted with pleasant "hello's" and "good morning's" from the townsfolk and the children.

Eugene kept walking along the road through Corona until he got to the bridge that separated the woods from the royal town. This was where Rapunzel first saw her real home. It had been a pain to get her here, but it was well worth all the trouble. Her excitement: it had been contagious. And because of that, he wanted for nothing; he had everything he had ever wanted. More, actually.

As he stood staring over the bridge into the water below, Eugene heard something unfamiliar. It sounded like large wings beating: attempting to hold a large body in the air. He looked around but saw nothing but bright blue morning skies with very few white clouds dotted about. He shook his head and looked back into the water, smiling at the perfectly crystalline blue water as it reflected his face.

"Why is it that water can get my nose right?" Eugene whispered to himself. He closed his eyes and sighed, a small chuckle coming from his lips.

"Well, look who it is… just the man we wanted to see."

Eugene opened his eyes and looked in the water before turning around. His blood ran cold. In his reflection behind him stood the Stabbington Brothers. Both men were wearing smug grins that meant trouble. Eugene gulped. Last he had heard the brothers were going to spend the rest of their lives in jail for their crimes, for thieving as well as those acted upon against Rapunzel. But, either they had been released, or they had just escaped. From the looks of it, the latter seemed the proper option.

"Hey… guys. It has been some time. Ha-have you been let out on good behavior? We should celebrate! I know of the perfect little place…"

The first brother grabbed Eugene's vest and pulled him close menacingly, stopping Eugene from continuing his rant. He smiled evilly at the prince-to-be: a smile that could freeze even the hottest summer day. Eugene gulped.

"That isn't why we're here for you Rider."

"Actually, I'm going by Fitzherbert now."

The men chuckled darkly.

"You think we care that you wriggled your way into the palace? You were a shitty thief to begin with. No… we need you to do something with all your new wealth and power."

"For you?"

Both men nodded.

"Well… I don't have power yet… What do you need from me? I may not be into the thieving business anymore, but I might be able to put you in contact with someone who can help. Therapy? Anger Management? You need some new stomping grounds? A fresh start?"

"We need gold. And you're going to get it for us."

"Me? Why?"

"We need to skip town. And you got us caught plenty of times. It's only fair you repay your debt to us. We have other ways you could pay, if you won't get us what we need."

"Like…"

"How good is your swimming?" the second brother growled.

A look of relief washed over Eugene's face. Swimming? He was good at swimming.

"My swimming is great! If you wanted to race, why didn't you say so?"

"Hands tied. Anchored to the ocean floor."

"Oh… um… that one is… a little more difficult to deal with."

Both men smiled and wheeled Eugene around, taking both of his hands behind him and tying them together.

"Um… guys? These things are kind of tight, mind loosening them a little? Better circulation, you know- OW!"

Eugene's head was yanked back and an old rag was stuffed into his open mouth. It reeked of old fish, and tasted like dirt and slime. Eugene gagged. The brothers continued to smile. Corona's walls were far enough away that silence was all Eugene could hear. No one would see him die. Rapunzel would be left heartbroken.

"We'll just steal the money we need, ourselves. It will be easier for us anyway." The second brother let out a single bark for a laugh, and looked to his other brother. Then, with a nod both men lunged forward.

Eugene closed his eyes, bracing himself for the feeling of plunging headfirst into the water. At least he had lived the way he had always dreamed… at least for a little while. But, the feeling never came. There was a whoosh and a large thud. Eugene opened his eyes. Directly in front of him was a large back animal, with bright green eyes and a toothless grin.

Eugene didn't move. This creature was something he had never seen before. It was beautiful, yet terrifying. Then something moved behind the creature. It looked like a young man, though it was hard to tell because he had a mask over his face. His left leg was a metal pole.

"Okay bud. These two won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Let's get the other one taken care of and be on our way."

The black creature made a throaty burble and gently nudged Eugene in the side. The masked man took off his mask, which, after removal looked more like some sort of helmet. His brown hair was slightly shaggy, with a few braided strands on the right side of his head. His eyes were a striking green, and his skin was tanned beautifully.

The man approached Eugene cautiously, trying not to scare him. It wasn't working very well, but not because of the strange man; it was the burbling blacked being standing in front of him. Eugene pressed himself as far into the bridge wall as he could, which wasn't very far. The black thing turned its large head to the side in curiosity. The man stopped and put his hands in front of him.

"It's okay. I'm here to help you. My name is Hiccup. And this is Toothless. Let me help you get untied."

Eugene nodded and turned around so that the man called Hiccup could untie his hands. He turned his head to keep an eye on the animal called Toothless. It seemed a very fitting name, since the creature didn't seem to have teeth. Eugene heard the clean slice of a blade being unsheathed. His heart sped up. This strange person could just as easily kill him as he could help him. He was putting a lot of trust in a stranger. Usually, that isn't what Flynn Rider would do. But he was Eugene Fitzherbert now- he needed to trust people a little more.

The ropes were untied with a single swift slice. The second he was free, Eugene turned around and pulled the nasty piece of cloth out of his mouth. He looked at Hiccup and mustered a smile. He could still taste rotting fish slime on his tongue.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. We were just flying overhead when we saw these two attack you. Thought we could give you a hand." Hiccup smiled cheerfully and shrugged his shoulders.

"Flying?"

"Oh. Yeah. Toothless… he's, well, a dragon."

"A dragon?" Eugene felt his eyes widen in terror and wonder. He wasn't exactly scared; he had, after all, seen magic hair that glowed. A dragon wasn't that much more mystical to him. He never realized such an amazing creature could exist.

"Yes. He's a Night Fury. The fastest dragon known. He's also the only one I've found."

Eugene felt his arm subconsciously reach out toward the large winged beast. His hand touched Toothless' forehead, just above the eyes. He felt the heat from the dragon's body. Felt the nostrils taking in air. Those green eyes were mesmerizing, and before he knew what was going on, Eugene had walked right to the saddle.

"You want to take a ride?"

"Oh! Um… I'm not so sure…"

"Toothless doesn't usually do too well with new and strange people. He's just fine with you though. That's why I offered. We could fly around the castle, if you'd like." Hiccup was on the other side of Toothless, and swinging his body onto the saddle.

He locked his metal leg into a gear toward the bottom of the saddle straps. He moved the leg a little and the back tail mechanism opened to show a mechanic red tail wing. There was also a white mark at the edge of the tail wing; it looked like a skull of some sort, with horns on either side of its head.

Eugene gulped. It was true that he did want to ride on the dragon. He wanted to feel the wind in his hair, smell the fresh air. Maybe it would be like in his dream, before the watery death. Maybe it would be so much more than his dream, and better.

"Come on. Hop on. It'll be short. If you can't handle it we'll drop you back down."

"Alright, alright."Eugene climbed onto the scaly dragon and wrapped his arms around Hiccup's midriff. It felt awkward to Eugene to have to do this, but Hiccup didn't seem to mind, or notice. His attention was on making sure everything was still secure.

"Hold on tight. Alright Toothless: let's take a nice easy ride around that castle."

With one hard push, the dragon lifted into the air, the bridge and the Stabbington Brothers becoming small specks as they traveled into the cloudbank.