A/N: GUYS. I JUST FOUND THE PERFECT SONG FOR THIS STORY. "Warriors" by Imagine Dragons. Check it out!

"As a child, you would wait, and watch from far away,

But you always knew, you'd be the one to work while they'd all play."

—"Warriors" by Imagine Dragons

THE GUARDIANS ARMY RANKS (listed in order from most power, to least power):

Commander (Ultimate leader) – Vali Garderrson

Lieutenants (second-in-commands) – Olvir Hidein & Sola Maste

Medics (healers) – unimportant characters

Warriors (great fighters) – Lojjir Cryde & Dodger Cryde & many, many more

Cadets (approved for their strengths, waiting to become a warrior) – Slayjin Colladin & more

Novices (very beginning stage, first-time trainee) – Hiccup Haddock & more

The ranks will be updated as the story continues and stuff. C: THANK YOU to everyone who left suggestions! I'm planning on having the army spread out into different types of troops, like "air force" for the dragon riders, and the "ground fighters" as those who don't ride dragons. Just wait for that. Ok, enjoy!

XXX

Summary: "How far are you willing to go to prove them wrong?" "As far as the Gods will let me." AU with twelve-year-old Hiccup the Useless, who is determined to prove the people of Berk wrong. Even if it means disappearing for six years and returning as a whole new person.

XXX

CHAPTER FOUR – DETERMINED

Vali led the way to the dorms, where Hiccup was to be staying for three years. As they continued ambling through the training area, the Novice's interest only increased. His eyes seemed to flicker around everywhere, taking in every single detail. He hadn't even realized they had reached the dorms.

Hiccup snapped out of his daze as the front entrance to the dorms creaked and opened.

"There's a few other buildings for where the others stay," Vali began explaining. "In a room, you'll be staying with five other male soldiers. Oh, and don't worry, Slayjin is one of them. He'll keep ya out of trouble."

Hiccup let a little amused smile cross his face, nodding understandingly. "When do we start training?" he asked curiously.

Vali glanced over his shoulder at the boy with a smirk. "Today," he answered.

Hiccup was led into the building, shutting the door quietly behind him. They traveled up a flight of stairs, to the second floor. There were two long hallways, which led to the dorms. Vali led to the hallway on the right, and strolled down about halfway. He halted at a darkly-colored wooden door, which had the number 127 engraved into the material.

"Your dorm is 127," Vali murmured, unlocking the door with a key. They ambled into the dorm room, where there were six beds laid out, three on each side. "Your bed is the one closest to the window, on the right," he added.

Hiccup nodded, inspecting the room curiously. He headed towards his bed, and let Vali hand him his bag. He set the bag on the covers of the mattress, while peeking out the window. It gave a clear view of part of the humongous clearing, where you could see that same woman lodging knives into dummies' targeted hearts.

"Alright, now we're gonna head to the gymnasium and test out some of your abilities," Vali spoke up, waving him over.

Hiccup subconsciously gulped, but nonetheless followed after his mentor. He was nervous about the physical activity he would have to go through. But he was the one to commit to this. He couldn't keep being Hiccup the Useless.

They left the building and headed to a new one, which was a bit bigger than the dorm vicinity. Hiccup was, once again, shocked when he stepped into the ginormous building.

There were parkour and obstacle courses everywhere. Whether it be tall boards to jump over, thin posts to balance on, or nets to climb up, it was there. In the left corner, there were several targets, along with a large rack of weapons. His eyes wandered over every inch of the gymnasium, an awed gleam lighting up the dark green.

"Wow," he breathed.

Vali chuckled. "Nice, right?" he laughed. "Alright, let's get started on your strengths and weaknesses."

"Alright."

The pair strolled over to the targets, and Vali handed a light dagger to Hiccup. "Try aiming at one of the targets."

Vali knew Hiccup was fantastic with accuracy, but his strength was not as great. They would have to work on that.

Hiccup squinted one eye, holding the dagger up. He lined it with the bullseye, and reeled his arm back. When the arm lunged forward, the dagger flew across the air and landed on the target. Hiccup was stunned to see the blade lodge itself in the bullseye.

However, the dagger than fell from the target. Hiccup hadn't thrown it hard enough.

"Nice," Vali shrugged. "We'll have to work on your strength. The only reason that knife fell was because your throw is weak."

Vali then walked over to pick up the knife, and hung it back onto the weapon rack. "Alright, let's try a different weapon. Close your eyes."

Hiccup didn't bother objecting. He was just thankful his teacher had even decided to train him. So he shut his eyes, and held both gloved hands out.

He was surprised when he felt a cool, smooth metal against his fingertips. Judging by the handle, he could tell the weapon was long. It wasn't too heavy, but it still held a slight difficulty for Hiccup to hold it up.

"Alright, open your eyes."

Hiccup's eyes fluttered open, and he glanced down to inspect the weapon placed into his hands.

It was a spear, with a long handle. The blade was very sharp and pointed, and grew thicker as it neared the handle. There were two small blades sticking out from under the spear head, which could easily cut through flesh.

"Try throwing it," Vali ordered.

The boy nodded, shifting the weapon in his hands. He then held it in his right hand, and held his arm back once more. He inhaled deeply, and then exhaled at the same moment he launched it forward.

The spear flew through the air, whizzing past and striking the destined target a few inches from the bullseye. Hiccup frowned in disappointment, ashamed of himself. He thought he could do better than that.

Hiccup sighed in embarrassment, and went to retrieve the spear. As he was pulling it out, he barely took notice that he was using his left hand. When he strolled back to his original position, he uncomfortably switched it to his right hand, which did not seem to suit him.

Vali took notice of this. "Wait, try your left hand," he spoke up, eyes laid on the boy's small fingers. The boy was confused to why it would matter, but nonetheless switched the staff to his other hand. It felt much more comfortable.

"Which hand do you write and draw with?" Vali asked.

"My left..." Hiccup trailed off. "You mean I'll be better at using a weapon with my left hand?"

"Exactly. Try throwing the spear again."

Hiccup paused for a moment, breathing in deeply. He clutched the spear in his left hand, and pulled his arm back. Next thing he knew, it was whizzing through the air and just a centimeter from the bullseye.

The twelve-year-old gaped at the sight. He had just hit the bullseye! Or, well, not exactly. But it was still extremely close. And this time, the spear hadn't fallen from the target!

Vali smiled proudly. "See? Comfort can save lives in battles."

The warrior moved forward gracefully, yet quickly. He strode towards the target, plucking the spear from the bullseye with a simple index finger and thumb. The man smirked at Hiccup, before deciding to show off some of his moves.

The Commander effortlessly swung the spear around, flipping it between his fingers. It flew through the air, before getting caught by another hand. Hiccup could only stare in utter amazement as he displayed just a few things he had learned.

Vali then abruptly kicked off the ground, doing a backflip and pretending to stab an imaginary person to his left. Then he flipped the spear around, and "stabbed" a person on his right. Before Hiccup knew it, Vali's feet were off the ground again. He was doing yet another flip, though this time sideways. His feet pretended to kick at nonexistent opponents.

Suddenly, Vali was back to the ground of the Gymnasium. He tossed the spear up, and grasped it by the edge of the long handle. Then, he swung it around, as if decapitating several men. And finally, the warrior hoisted the spear up above his head, while lowering himself to the floor. His left leg stretched out almost completely, while his right foot pivoted. He spun in a circle, low to the floor, with his left leg outstretched. Had there been any enemies, they would have had their feet knocked out from under them.

At last, Vali stood back up, and handed the spear back to Hiccup. He then clapped his hands together, rubbing imaginary dust from his fingers.

"And soon enough," the mentor grinned happily, "you'll be able to do all that—and more."

Hiccup's jaw was nearly on the floor. His eyes were wide and bright, obviously thrilled to witness the most astonishing moves he had ever seen. Finally, he blinked, and shut his mouth.

"R-Really?" he asked hopefully. "I could do all THAT?"

Vali laughed. "Of course… but only if you work hard enough for it."

The Novice immediately nodded, agreeing to the challenge. "I won't let you down, Vali," Hiccup grinned. 'The time for Hiccup the Useless is over.'

XXX

The pair continued working on Hiccup's strengths. After experimenting with a few weapons, Vali decided to test his agility, stamina, and speed. In order to do this, he brought Hiccup to the center of the monstrous clearing, and smirked at his apprentice's face once he told him what he was to do.

"You want me to WHAT?" Hiccup exclaimed.

"I want you to run five laps around this whole clearing," Vali repeated with an amused expression on his face.

"The whole thing?" Hiccup gulped.

Turning serious for a moment, Vali reminded him about his promise by saying, "Remember what you promised me, Novice Haddock." If he wasn't stern, the boy would never be able to morph into the soldier he truly wanted to be.

Hiccup sighed, nodding. He agreed to this, all of it, the moment he introduced himself to Vali. If he didn't want to deal with all this, why would he have volunteered in the first place? And did he really want to waste his mentor's time? He had already traveled from this island, to Berk, and back with a new, wimpy apprentice. He had faith in Hiccup when no one else would.

So he was DETERMINED to prove himself.

"Alright," the auburn-haired boy murmured.

Vali smiled. "Great. Just go at your own pace."

Hiccup sighed in relief, before turning to the edge of the clearing and beginning to jog slowly around the rim of the clearing. Vali rolled his eyes at how slowly he was moving. Despite all the kindness he had shown before, he was DETERMINED to build this boy into a man.

"Pick it up, Haddock!" Vali shouted abruptly.

Hiccup quickly replied, "Hey! I thought you said I could go at my own pace?"

"I did," the warrior shot back. "You get to CHOOSE what your pace is. Now pick it up!"

Hiccup was stunned by how abruptly his mentor's demeanor had changed. Nonetheless, he began to pick up his pace. His feet lightly hit the ground, back and forth, as he jogged quicker than before. He still wasn't going nearly as fast as he could, in Vali's eyes, though.

The Novice gasped as a figure was effortlessly jogging BACKWARDS in front of him. It was Vali, with a stern look on his face. The Commander had a determined fire in his eyes, and Hiccup realized Vali wasn't just being rude; he wanted what was best for the both of them.

"Come on, Novice!" Vali laughed. His breath wasn't even hitched! "You can do better than that, can't ya?"

The twelve-year-old grumbled under his breath, before finally making a decision. He was going to pick it up, and he was going to sprint for as long as he could. Until he couldn't stand. Because that's what warriors did; they sacrificed everything to become the hero they wanted to be.

Hiccup grunted, before pumping his legs harder. He was suddenly breathing through his nose, urging himself to go faster. His lungs inflated with air, over and over, as he began surging across the edge of the clearing. In the background, he heard Vali shout, "That's it!" and "Faster, Haddock!"

Before he knew it, he was halfway around the first lap. He never noticed that he had begun breathing through his mouth instead of his nose. His lungs burned, like a fiery inferno, while his legs ached. It was a windy day too, which caused his eyes to water and his lungs to clench painfully at the cold. As though the frost was invading his insides, and chilling him to the bone.

Hiccup was wheezing now. He had just finished the first lap, and had long since dropped his pace back to a medium jog. His unhealthy breathing patterns were disturbing to anyone who heard them, and Hiccup felt embarrassed by how "unfit" he was.

Vali suddenly appeared by Hiccup's side, while the boy had halted and was leaning over. His hands were on his knees, while his back was hunched. He was struggling to breathe.

"Here," Vali explained, "stand up straight. It'll help your lungs take in more air."

Hiccup was about to argue, but nonetheless stood back up. He grunted at the exhaustion fighting back at him, but continued leaning back until his back was straight. He was surprised, though, once he was able to take larger intakes of air. Though the wind was still breezing through him, it wasn't as bad as it was while sprinting. It still gave a chill through his lungs, though.

"You did a decent job, Novice Haddock," Vali smirked.

"W-what?" Hiccup panted. "I—barely—did a lap!"

Vali snickered. "Yeah, you did. I've never seen an amateur Novice do more than half of one, though."

Hiccup halfheartedly glared at his teacher, who in return just laughed heartily.

"Alright, ya thirsty?" The Novice quickly nodded. "Follow me then."

XXX

Once the day was finished, Hiccup was ready to collapse on his feet for the fourth time. He was still panting from the work Vali had made him do by swimming in the river on the island, weak from the running, tired from the miserable hand-to-hand combat, and his muscles ached from all of the above.

Vali chuckled at Hiccup's exhaustion. "Don't worry, it gets much easier," he encouraged.

The Novice just nodded, still battling his fatigue. Eventually they reached the dorms, where there were several torches lighting the walls and doors.

"Alright, sleep well, Novice Haddock," Vali smiled as they approached Hiccup's dorm.

"Trust me, I will," he snorted.

The Commander gave a little laugh, then patted the boy's shoulder. He ambled off with his usual feather-light steps, and vanished down the stairs, leaving Hiccup to stare at the door to his new room.

Inhaling deeply, he finally creaked the door open. He blinked in surprise when he spotted two males asleep on the left side of the room, and one all-too-familiar boy sitting on his bed with a candle lighting his side of the room.

Slayjin didn't even look up, or open his eyes, as he murmured quietly, "Come on in, Novice Haddock."

Hiccup was actually about to ask how he knew it was him, but realized it would be a stupid question. After all, who else came in this dorm, besides the residents themselves?

The twelve-year-old awkwardly headed to his bed, which was on the right side of the room and near the window. Outside, he could see a few tall towers, where a couple watchmen were in each one. He couldn't help but be interested by the glasses they used to see afar.

"So, how was training with Commander Vali?" Slayjin asked, finally opening his eyes and glancing over to Hiccup.

The boy in question returned his gaze to his roommate's, and hesitantly replied, "Tiring. And hard work."

Surprisingly, Slayjin just gave a breathy laugh. Hiccup couldn't help but feel slightly more comfortable at the kind tone in his words when he spoke. "Of course it was. I remember my first day here… nearly passed out."

Hiccup snorted at the thought. Slayjin, this muscular blond guy who was trained by the toughest warriors out there, passing out? That didn't sound right.

Suddenly, he couldn't help but wonder…. "Will I ever be in a fight?" Hiccup asked gingerly. "Like, would I ever go to battle?"

Slayjin frowned, sensing his concern. He scooted over in his bed, turning so he was more comfortable under his sheets. Finally, he responded, "Maybe. Almost all apprentices do, once they become a high enough rank. But… Commander Vali's already lost one of his apprentices in battle before. He doesn't like to risk peoples' lives, so he usually pushes each and every fighter to his or her top notch."

Hiccup frowned, recalling how hard Vali had pushed him today. Had he really lost an apprentice before? What was it like? Would he actually go to battle?

"I've been in a battle," Slayjin continued. Hiccup instantly perked up. "Wasn't intended, though. We were under attack by a bunch of dragons. Had to get every soldier we could to fend them off."

The Novice remembered all the dragon raids he had witnessed on Berk. How many dragons would it take to challenge the whole Guardian Army? He shuddered at the thought of thousands of dragons wreaking havoc on this prestigious group of warriors.

Slayjin gave a quiet chuckle. "One of them singed my hair. Got teased by a couple others, but Olvir always said it made me look like a true warrior."

Hiccup smiled a little.

"But Novices just about never go to a real battle. You've got to be a Cadet or higher, and even then, the Commander's got to know you won't be seriously injured or killed."

Hiccup laid back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Would HE go to battle some day? Would he die a soldier's death? What if he never got to return to Berk? What if his father never knew what happened to him, or how hard Hiccup was attempting to prove himself?

The boy sighed quietly, and vaguely heard Slayjin finish his story. "Anyways, don't worry 'bout it. By the time you're in battle…." He snorted. "I can see it. You'll be one hell of a fighter. Some of us are extremely scared of going to war. Others… they're anticipating it, willing to prove themselves."

And as Hiccup fell asleep, he heard one last thing.

"Which are you gonna be?"

'I'll do it. I'll show them all.'

XXX

A/N: I've actually got something HUGE planned for this. :D If it seems like I'm rushing the story in the next chapter, or using too many time skips, just know: this story won't be finished for a while. I'm REALLY excited for a few plot twists I've got going on. This story is going to have a long plotline, so don't worry, I'm not rushing it or anything. I'm trying to take my time, if anything.

Some advice for those of you who are also writers and need a plot for your stories:

Let someone take you on a car ride, sit in the backseat, and stare out the window while blasting some upbeat music. Imagine what'll be happening in your story. Before you know it, it'll be gaining a mind of its own. Now, I absolutely HAVE to go on car rides so I can daydream about this story's plot. It's super fun.

Anyways, don't worry—Toothless comes in very soon! And here are the review replies. Thanks!

EmpressRulerofallthatiswierd: Dang, you speak that many languages? :O I only speak English and Weird. Cool.

TheDoctor1998: Ooh, I actually really like that one. :o Thanks for the suggestion!

Porcupain: Here's some! :D

EagleDragon15: Thank you. And don't worry, when Hiccup returns to Berk, one of the other soldiers will be the ones to tell them off :)

Toothlesslover: Haha, thank you. C:

Zidankingdomkeeper: Wow, thanks for all the suggestions! :D I've decided them above, as I'm sure you've noticed by the time you're reading this lol.

write n wrong: Best username ever. And thanks! I did that on purpose, so that when Hiccup returns all badass, another person can tell them off XD Mayyyyybe Hiccup himself.

Mark Andrew: YOU'RE FOILING ALL MY PLANS. xD But anyways, thanks for all the suggestions! And shhhhh… two of the things you said are definitely happening so shhhh it's a secret.

ivanganev1992: Thanks. I was actually considering the dragons' communication. I want to keep it kind of realistic, so that dragons won't be able to speak, but humans can KIND OF understand them. To me, it's really cool to see creatures who can understand each other with nothing but silence. :)

CgC: Wow, lots of suggestions. I like the island names. :o I've got the ranks, though. (Which you've probably read by the time you see this lol.)

Drew Luczynski: Thanks :D And omg. Dude. I'mma be honest here, I don't like Hiccstrid. I do a little bit, but I feel Hiccup would have been way better off with someone who was actually there for him during tough times. I write Hiccstrid, though, 'cause I know most of my readers enjoy it :) It's still undecided for this story, though.

Brenne: Thank you! :D

Rangerr77: Wow. You researched all that for me? :O Freaking thank you! I already chose the ranks by the time I read this, BUT I'll definitely come back to this when I change the army ranks after Hiccup makes peace with dragons. And "fic out?" Please, I OWN THAT! I write WAY too much at one time, so it kind of dies out D: But hey, I'm starting to keep up!

Silver Wind 02: Ya know, you are way too nice to me. Seriously. Here's a hug. –virtual hug- and a cookie. –virtual cookie- and my iPhone –VIRTUAL iPhone cause I'd never give mine away- XD

Twigman242: You're great! Thanks! Ranks are above, but I'll be adding a LOT more once Hiccup makes peace with dragons. I'll be adding different branches, like Air Force (dragon riders) and Ground Fighters (non-dragon riders) and so on. :D

Snickerdoodle22: Thank you! Here's chapter four :D

Chase98: That's a LOT of brainstorming. O.O. Seriously, how long did it take you to TYPE that, let alone THINK that? Anyways, thanks for all the suggestions. I've got a lot planned for Hiccup's inventions, his appearance, training, dragons, all that fun stuff. As for more Night Furies, I won't be adding that, sorry. I just want to keep it more realistic, since Toothless is the only known Night Fury in the movies.

Transformers 0: YEAH. THANK YOU. I GOT THE POWER –FLIES OFF CLIFF- WOO -FAILS AT FLYING – WTH I THOUGHT YOU SAID I HAD THE— /splat/

yesboss21: Ok, you're right about a few of those happening. o.o this really makes me wonder if you're lying about being physic or not xD But anyways, wow, you're great at this stuff. But shhh, I can't spoil it just yet!

Thearizona: Thank you! :D Lots of ranks will be added later, since Hiccup is here to save the day! :3

Narya Anima: I actually DO see your review as help. Though I can't rewrite the past chapters (cause it'll influence a lot in the future) I CAN fix up my future, as some say. So anyways, thanks. I've read several other stories with twice as much abuse, and it was just—wow. I guess I got carried away with the drama XD And I chose the island's appearance 'cause it would be best for the training and stuff. Protection from outsiders, and safety for insiders

Solaris the hedgehog: yeeeeeah I don't use story boards O.O I just use my head, because I daydream everything out, and then type it down. What I've got planned will take a long while, though. Thanks!

O: GAHHH I'M SORRY. Here's the next chapter. And no, I haven't forgotten, but I've been obsessing over other fandoms.

Rose: Omg, thank you so much! I agree with your reasons of having Toothless lose his tailfin, and how Hiccup will prove he's a great blacksmith as well. As for the story and how long it goes? – awkward giggle – let's just say my muse will be nonexistent by the time I'm done.

FabinaForever11: Thanks! Here's some more for you to read then.

Theimissinglink: - head bang to mcdonald's music – Here's the next chapter! And yup, Toothless'll be here very soon.

Angel-the-hedge: thank you! I've never actually worked with a Beta before o.o I'll PM you, though, when it gets to be too much lol.

OK, seriously guys, THANK YOU! I literally just spent FORTY MINUTES PLUS replying to ALL THESE REVIEWS. T-T Plus, I think this chapter gained another 800 words…. –checks Microsoft Word- nope, my bad… it gained 860, JUST the reviews. THANK YOU ALL.