NEW STORY!
I'm sorry in advance for the shorter chapter, I just wanted to set the tone (so to speak).
This story starts off after visiting the Dragon's Nest for the first time in the first HTTYD.
Enjoy!
"No no, it totally makes sense. It's like a giant beehive. They're the workers, and that's their Queen. It controls them," says Astrid as she and Hiccup land in a cove, blanketed by moonlight. She dismounts the large, black dragon that Hiccup had named Toothless. The two young Vikings had just witnessed the source of the dragon raids that attack their village of Berk; a giant dragon's nest, with a giant dragon in the centre of the volcano giving the orders to raid villages for food. Astrid hits the ground on her two feet and looks up at the small boy who just changed her view of dragons entirely. "Let's find your dad," she continues as she starts to make her way towards the cove's exit; Hiccup quickly dismounts the large dragon known as a Night Fury and runs up to her.
"No, no. Not yet. They'll kill Toothless, Astrid we have to think this through carefully," responds Hiccup nervously. He had spent the last few weeks with the Night Fury after ironically shooting it down in a dragon raid. Dragons were sworn pests and devils that attacked Berk and any dragon seen would be killed on sight. He turns his back towards Astrid, contemplating what he should do.
Astrid stops and turns towards the small boy, who mere hours ago, she had disdain for. "Hiccup, we just discovered the dragons' nest. The thing we've been after since Vikings first sailed here. And you want to keep it a secret? To protect your pet dragon, are you serious?!"
Hiccup turns to face Astrid, his childhood crush, with a stern look on his face. "Yes." It sounded even ridiculous to him and he turned away to hide his face from Astrid. Hiccup cast all feelings aside; the life of his best friend mattered more than some crush.
Astrid's face turns from serious to sorrow. Here was this sorry excuse for a Viking and he just showed her the most determination she has ever seen from him. "Okay," says Astrid. "Then what do we do?"
Hiccup's head falls down in sorrow; he watches Toothless walk over to the water's edge for a drink. "I don't know." His mind is full of emotion. He doesn't want to betray his friend, but he also doesn't want to betray his tribe; especially his father who just so happened to be the Chief.
Astrid walks up to Hiccup. "That's not a good enough answer, Hiccup. Your final exam is tomorrow, you're going to have to kill the Monstrous Nightmare. You don't have a lot of time to decide." Hiccup just shrugs his shoulders with his back still turned to her. Astrid grabs his arm and turns him to face her. "We're in this together Hiccup. I want to help you," says Astrid in a sweet voice. "Personally, I still think we should see your dad."
"You know how stubborn he is. He will think I sided with the dragons or that Toothless possessed me or something. Regardless what happens, blood will be drawn."
"All Vikings are stubborn Hiccup, yet you still convinced me."
"Maybe because you're young and more accepting of change," scoffs Hiccup. He looks down at his feet.
Astrid bends her knees and looks up at Hiccup to get his attention. "You're right; I am more accepting of change. I want change to happen. I want to live in Berk with no fear of dragons ripping my head off at any time. That flight with Toothless was amazing; I want my own dragon so I can experience that again." Astrid pauses. "Hiccup, do you think the raids will stop if the Queen were to fall?"
Hiccup looks up at Astrid. "It's a possibility. I could fly back to the nest tonight with Toothless and take out the Queen and-"
"No! Hiccup, that's suicide. I'm not letting you do that," interrupts Astrid. "Please Hiccup, there has to be another way; one where you stay on Berk," pleas Astrid.
"Astrid, if I stay on Berk I will have to kill the Nightmare tomorrow. You of all people know that I don't want to do that. I don't even know how to kill a dragon, all I know is how to subdue them."
"Then don't kill the dragon tomorrow, subdue it and show the village that dragons aren't what they think they are," says Astrid.
"If I do that, they'll exile me and ship me off the island," retorts Hiccup.
"I'll make sure they don't do that," defends Astrid.
"They'll exile both of us then," deadpans Hiccup. 'Not that it's a bad thing,' says Hiccup in his mind. Little did he know, Astrid was thinking the same thing. Hiccup turns and looks up at the moon. Astrid looks at her young childhood crush and how the moonlight reflects off of his emerald eyes. She doesn't want to tell him how she felt about him years ago, or how she feels about him now. Hiccup sighs and looks back at Astrid. "I'll think of something, but I'm still debating on taking down the Queen."
Astrid steps forward again, reducing the distance between them to merely a foot. "Hiccup, don't go. Please, for the love of Odin, don't go. Promise me that you'll stay on Berk."
Hiccup looks down at his feet before looking back at Astrid. "I promise."
"Good," says Astrid with slight satisfaction. She pauses before punching him in the arm, making him stagger. "That's for kidnapping me." Hiccup rubs his arm and looks back at Toothless who is looking back and shrugs. He turns back to see Astrid standing nervously. She pushes her bangs out of her left eye and grabs him by the collar of his tunic and pulls him in to give him a kiss on the cheek. "That's for," she pauses and nervously looks at him before looking away again, trying to hide her blush. "Everything else." She turns and runs up to the cove's exit.
Hiccup stands there flabbergasted as Toothless walks up beside him and looks at the boy with huge green eyes. "W-What are you looking at?" stammers Hiccup.
Hiccup waits until he can no longer see Astrid before turning back to Toothless. "Well bud, I think we should at least do some reconnaissance about the nest and the Queen. What do you say?" Toothless warbles in a way that sounds like a 'No'. "Come on Toothless, what's the worst that can happen? We'll be back well before first light, don't you worry." Hiccup mounts Toothless and looks the entrance of the cove to make sure Astrid wasn't present. "I'm sorry Astrid, but it has to be done. So we know what we're in for," he says quietly even though Toothless is the only one there to hear it. The Night Fury stretches its body and then both he and Hiccup take off into the night sky at breakneck speeds.
Astrid meanwhile is running out of the forest and back into her village. Her mind is racing with things like 'I just flew on a Night Fury and it didn't kill me,' or 'So that's how Hiccup got so good at dragon training,' or 'I just kissed Hiccup on the cheek, what the Hel is wrong with me?' She hurries through the courtyard near the forge and avoids any Vikings doing night patrol. She quietly enters her home and makes her way to her room where she gently gets into bed. She can't seem to fall asleep; her heart is pounding and her mind is racing. Astrid cannot get the feeling of freedom that flying on a dragon gave her, it was exhilarating! After what felt like hours of tossing and turning, she finds a position where she can calm her breathing and ease herself to sleep.
Well what do you think?
Let me know in a review!
You are Awesome :)
