Vertigo

Astrid and Ingrid stood in the middle of the Dragon Training Academy in the early morning, where in front of them towered a huge climbing wall; crafted with the help of all the other ex-Dragon Academy students; except for the one person who had actually invented the whole thing. Hiccup had absolutely no clue. The wall was like a huge rock face with indents for hands and feet, and at the top there was a platform where you had to jump off and hope that your dragon would save you.

"Are you sure about this, Ingrid?" Astrid was apprehensive; they had also planned to get Hiccup to demonstrate this wall for the new Dragon Academy students.

"Absolutely, sis. Don't worry, he won't die. No matter how much he gets injured, he never seems to die." Ingrid was grinning; she couldn't wait to see her future brother-in-law attempting this with one leg.

"But Ingrid you're forgetting he has one leg!" Astrid protested.

"Nope, I haven't forgotten. And that's what will make it more funny." Ingrid held back her laughs.

"You are so mean!" Astrid said, but eventually laughed. "I must admit, it will be rather amusing."

"The funniest part is..." Ingrid started and then they simultaneously finished the sentence, "he has absolutely no clue he's doing this!" then they high-fived and attempted to get onto their dragons in fits of laughter.

Later on in the day, the six ex-Dragon Academy students and Ingrid met up in the centre of the village. Hiccup was the only person who didn't know why they were there. "Guys, is someone going to tell me what in the name of Thor is going on?" he asked, and what he got were six ridiculous grins back. Astrid glanced at her sister and Hiccup twigged something was going on. "Astrid, what's your sister done?" he asked.

Ingrid stepped forward and said, "It's best if we show you." And with that she got onto her Night Fury, Ninja and the others followed suit. When they landed in the Dragon Training Academy, Hiccup took one look at the climbing wall and said, "Oh, Gods, Ingrid, what is this?"

Everyone cracked up laughing at that point, because it hadn't just been Ingrid who had orchestrated this. "This, my friend, is the new training apparatus for the Academy. It tests both rider endurance and the trust in their dragon." she explained. Hiccup thought about this for a moment then worked the last part out. "And you want me to demo it for the new students, right?"

Everyone laughed again, and Ingrid said, "Yep, that's right."

"How did I not notice you were planning this?"

Ingrid tapped the side of her nose. "Very careful planning, my friend."

Then Hiccup turned to Astrid, who was laughing so much you couldn't even hear her laughing any more. "Astrid, how could you let her do this?" he demanded but was beginning to smile as he did so.

Astrid laughed and walked over to him. She put her hand on his shoulder and said, "I'm sorry, it had to be done." Then started laughing like a maniac again.

So, when the six new students had gathered in the arena, surrounded by their dragons; two Deadly Nadders, two Monstrous Nightmares and a Zippleback, the ex-students and Ingrid stood at the back and watched, while the soon-to-be Chief and founder of the Dragon Academy strode to the front of the group.

The students gazed up at the wall in sheer awe. It was about eighty feet tall and the platform balanced precariously on the top like it was going to fall at any moment. Then Hiccup got their attention. "Hello, again, students. Well, this is an unexpected turn of events" he said, glancing up at the wall. "Today, we will be working on trusting your dragon. Not only that, but this wall," he indicated the wall; "will also test your endurance. You can't always rely on your dragon."

At the back of the arena Ingrid muttered under her breath, "He should know." The others laughed and Astrid dug her elbow into her sister's ribs but smiled.

Hiccup carried on talking regardless. "I will now demonstrate the uses of this wall. As the lovely Hofferson sisters and the rest of the graduates of the Dragon Academy only just told me this morning." The students turned to see the graduates and Ingrid stood at the back and Ingrid gave them a thumbs-up. Hiccup sighed in exasperation; he'd been doing that a lot since Astrid's long-lost sister had turned up.

Then he turned and faced the wall. He looked up to a cliff top where the outline of Toothless was waiting. Then he began to climb the wall.

He was doing well, he scaled about fifty feet of the wall (and with a metal peg for a left leg that was some feat) and then everybody's heart rose into their mouth as his metal leg slipped and didn't quite reach the foothold. He skidded down the wall about twenty feet at high speed, and everyone panicked. Even Ingrid did, she thought her devious prank had gone totally wrong. But, in true Hiccup style, he managed to save himself again. Just like that infamous Thawfest games three years ago, when he was in a tie-breaker race against Snotlout. The spikes on the metal leg caught part of the wall and he stopped abruptly, and then began climbing again. A collective sigh of relief could be heard from all the spectators.

Then Ingrid heard Tuffnut mutter to his sister, "Shame there's no rock to the face. I love a good rock to the face." Ruffnut promptly picked up a small-ish rock from the side of the arena that was there for no apparent reason and smacked her brother in the face with it. Ingrid laughed, and then said, "Well, you're in luck." Then looked up to the sky, where Ninja was suddenly hovering, carrying a semi-large rock in her claws that was just big enough for her to pick up. "Ready, girl?" she called, and Ninja shot a plasma blast in reply. Astrid stared open mouthed. "You never told me about this!"

"Never think I haven't got something hidden, o sister of mine." Was Ingrid's reply, then, as the students of the Dragon Academy watched, Ingrid nodded to her dragon and she let the rock slip from her claws, letting it plummet towards the climbing wall.

Astrid went to get her unsuspecting fiancé's attention, but Ingrid put a hand over her sister's mouth. "Don't." she said. "It's all part of the fun." In response Astrid elbowed Ingrid in the ribs again and said, "You're evil." She wasn't laughing any more.

Everyone watched with open mouths as the rock reached its target and hit him square in the face. Ingrid, the twins, Snotlout and the new students cracked up laughing. Fishlegs had never been one to laugh at injuries, so he just looked worried, and Astrid smacked her sister across the face and then looked worriedly at the wall. Hiccup was unfazed, just shook his head and carried on. Astrid breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, everyone did. Again.

Eventually, he reached the top of the eighty-foot wall, and used the footholds to climb onto the very small platform situated on the top of the wall. The wooden planks creaked as he stepped on them, and small splinters could be seen falling from the base of the platform. Everyone watched with bated breath.

Then, without saying anything, he closed his eyes and simply stepped off the edge of the platform. He plummeted seventy-five feet at high speed, and as he did, everyone was transfixed, panicking silently. Ingrid was thinking she'd basically killed the Heir to the throne of Berk. Astrid was thinking she'd basically lost her future husband. The other graduates were thinking they'd basically lost a great friend and leader, and the new students were thinking they'd basically lost a great role-model.

But, of course, Toothless saved him in the end. When there was about five feet between him and the ground, the Night Fury swooped in and he landed on the dragon's back, locking his prosthetic into place and swooping back up again. Everyone breathed a sigh of immense relief (for the third time) and whooped and applauded. Ingrid had told Toothless to save him at the last minute, but had thought that wasn't going to happen.

As they landed, Hiccup patted the side of Toothless' head and said, "Thanks bud. A little too close, though." Then he looked up at Ingrid. "Wait a second...you put him up to it, didn't you?"

Ingrid smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about." Then as he shot her a look she whistled and Ninja landed. She got on and said, "Catch ya later!" and flew away, laughing like a maniac. The twins followed suit.

Astrid ran over to her fiancé and gave him a hug. "I thought I'd lost you." she said.

He hugged her back. "Nah, takes more than an eighty foot drop to kill me." he kissed her forehead then turned to Fishlegs and Snotlout. "Whose idea was it to drop a rock on my face?"

"Ingrid." Astrid, Fishlegs and Snotlout said simultaneously.

"I thought as much. It hurt." he said then Astrid looked up and saw that her fiancé had the beginnings of a large bruise around his left eye.

"Oh my Gods, your eye!" she said, and the new students gasped.

"What about my eye?" he asked. Then something clicked. "Don't tell me I'm going to wake up tomorrow with a black eye..."

"I think so. That rock must have hit you pretty hard." Astrid said.

"Is your sister trying to kill me?" he said, putting a hand over his eye, which was painful to the touch.

Astrid laughed. "Nah, never kill you. She just likes practical jokes, that's all."

Then Hiccup turned to the other students. "Kids, if you've learned one thing from this, it's never to trust Ingrid Hofferson. Class dismissed." And with that the students got up and left on their dragons. He turned to Astrid. "I've always wanted to say that."

That's the first one shot of this story, I know it may not have been that funny but trust me, they will get better. I am also open to ideas. If you have an idea for a prank that Ingrid could play on anyone at all, then please let me know in the reviews. I am happy to take your ideas, so long as they are within the K+ criteria.