Hiccup recoiled slightly before pulling himself back up and jabbing a finger in Gobber's face. "Ohhh…"
Gobber rolled his eyes, already making to turn back to his work. "Ohhh, yes."
"You, sir, are playing a dangerous game," Hiccup continued. "Keeping this much raw Viking-ness contained…there will be consequences!"
Featherstone's head twitched to the left as Hawkbite burst out laughing.
What?
The laughter stopped as Hawkbite registered the hatchling's hurt tone. He felt a huff of warm breath on the back of his neck and turned to his right only to see Toothless's narrowed green eyes about an inch away from his head.
Toothless smiled. It wasn't a friendly smile.
Yes, Hawkbite, what is it? Please, share what you find so entertaining.
Hawkbite gulped, his wings prickling at Toothless's poisonously sweet tone.
Well, I- there's a reason why the other Vikings are so obnoxiously muscular and you're…
A low growl began to rumble in Toothless's throat, echoed by the other dragons around him, and Hawkbite hastened to finish.
So-called "raw Viking-ness" is nothing but hot air! And what do you know about hot air, Featherstone?
Featherstone's brow furrowed even as a light began to shine in his eyes. It…expands…
Exactly! They're just full of hot air! But you, when you say something, you mean it! You don't bluster, you don't boast, you just do! That's why you're so small and they can't fit through a doorway without having to coat themselves in butter!
Hawkbite looked around expectantly, his horns drooping when the only response was a puzzled silence. …That made much more sense in my head.
There was a beat of silence, and then Hiccup began to laugh. Wow, Hawkbite, that might just be the first complementary thing I've ever heard about my size.
And then of course it was Emberskin who suddenly exclaimed, Ohhh! I get it now! Raw Viking-ness IS hot air- so the Vikings are so big because they're full of hot air! And Hiccup isn't!
There was a pause, and then laughter bubbled up through the Network. Hawkbite quietly sighed in relief when he heard Toothless settle back.
You're right, Hawkbite. I think it did sound better in your head.
Hawkbite huffed in frustration, but relaxed when he felt Featherstone's laughter flit over the Network.
He would put up with a thousand barbs from the Night Fury to see their hatchling smile again.
The film had been progressing while the dragons had been bantering amongst themselves, and they turned their attention back to the screen just in time to see Hiccup drop a sword onto the whetstone.
"One day I'll get out there. Because killing a dragon is everything around here."
The scene changed to a cut of the battle continuing outside, flitting over several Nadders picking over sheep.
"A Nadder head is sure to get me at least noticed."
Stormfly glanced over at the redhead, who was currently refusing to meet her eyes.
Featherstone, you know no one blames you, right?
The lad didn't acknowledge her, and Stormfly huffed. She'd thought that, after Boulderskin's speech, Featherstone had finally recognized the fact that none of the dragons blamed him for his past ambitions. It was the society he'd been raised in. He'd been subjected to the idea that dragons were nothing but mindless beasts, that they were out for nothing more than human flesh.
It made his current stance all the more astounding.
The screen panned down to a shot of Gronckles hefting up racks of drying fish and flying off with them.
"Gronckles are tough. Taking down one of those would definitely get me a girlfriend."
Astrid rolled her eyes. Hiccup would need to do so much more than simply kill a Gronckle to get even one of the girls on Berk to look at him.
Also, with his luck, it would more than likely simply be an accident.
The scene swept to the left, showing a hissing Zippleback approaching a darkened house. The right head exhaled a noxious green gas into the house, and barely a millisecond later, the left head had snaked around to the door and sparked it. The Zippleback hastily took off as the house exploded into flames, and screams filled the air.
Fang and Tooth grinned, head-butting each other in celebration.
Even though we're under her control-
That's how the Hideous Zippleback rolls!
Stormfly stared at the preening Zippleback. That was the WORST rhyme I've ever heard.
Even worse than the stinky boy's "Snotlout, Snotlout, OI OI OI!"? Boulderskin interjected slyly.
Stormfly paused, considering it.
Alright, the second-worse rhyme I've ever heard. Wait- does that even count as a rhyme, or is it just some sort of demented cheer?
Boulderskin turned a conveniently deaf ear as Stormfly huffed.
They both turned towards Featherstone, hoping that the verbal repartee had lifted his spirits, but he still refused to make eye contact. Stormfly's purple Natchmagen searched for green, but her eyes widened when she realized that the boy had Disconnected.
Why? Hadn't he just said that they were better company than the horrid horn-heads (which, of course, went without saying)?
I don't deserve it.
Hiccup's thoughts swirled around his head as he stared unseeingly at the screen. He felt unimaginably empty without the friendly Natchmagen brushing up against his own, but he knew- he knew-
What was I thinking?
Was this really how he had seen the world? Seeing his friends, his family, as nothing more than trophies- as objects to be killed?
Had he honestly considered spilling their blood?
"A Zippleback? Exotic. Two heads, twice the status."
Yes. Yes, he had.
"Two heads, twice the status."
"Then there's the Monstrous Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go after those. They have this nasty habit of setting themselves on fire.
The shot panned up towards Stoick, who twisted back as a Nightmare burst through the platform, setting it aflame.
"Reload!" the chief shouted. He seized his war hammer. "I'll take care of this."
Stoick scowled to himself as his hand clenched at his side. What he wouldn't give for the weapon now…its weight sturdy and comforting in his hand. No Viking should be this close to a dragon without a weapon- it wasn't natural.
He delivered a crushing blow to the dragon's snout, and the Nightmare scrambled off in search of easier prey. A screeching sound echoed through the night and Stoick looked up, his brow furrowing in what a person who didn't know Stoick might call fear.
Really, Firework? Boulderskin teased gently. Letting a horn-head go so easily? It's not like you.
Firework's violently red Natchmagen flared out, a teasing glint in her eyes, but before she could say anything, another voice interrupted.
Oh, Emberskin. Ever the romantic.
Oi, you great lump, leave her alone! I'd like to see you try and take him down, all you'd probably do is try to sit on him!
Boulderskin hefted himself to his feet, russet Natchmagen crackling with a wave of oddly sudden fury. And you could do so much better, I'm sure. You listen to me, hatchling. I have seen dozens more battles than you could possibly imagine, I have seen the Network go grey in mourning for the lost souls who will never fly again. Do not challenge my skills as a warrior, Emberskin, I-
You what? Emberskin sneered, spiked head rising from where he'd been lounging on a bed of warm cinders. You are old, Boulderskin. You grew fat on cod and salmon long before She came, and you will be useless in the battle to come!
Toothless lifted his head, alarm beginning to make an appearance in luminescent green eyes. What-
If any of the dragons had bothered to look closely, they would have seen a peculiar crimson haze overlaying the two dragons' eyes.
But none of them did- none, that is, except for a young hatchling watching the altercation with narrowed eyes.
No one noticed green Natchmagen creeping back onto the Network.
Toothless leapt to his feet, his iridescent Natchmagen forcing itself between fire and earth.
Boulderskin, STAND DOWN, we cannot afford to fight amongst our-
But it was too late.
Boulderskin's Natchmagen shifted and turned brittle, rather than the gentle malleability of the usual Network. A voice of landslides and earthquakes reverberated across the connections even as Emberskin unfolded himself, muscles coiling in preparation for a fight.
The Vikings were still glued to the past unfolding on the wall, oblivious to the drama unraveling in front of them.
I? You think I would be useless? You are young and foolish. You were captured trying to prove yourself to a mate- ha! As if anyone would ever deign to carry your hatchlings, to carry the shellbound!
Emberskin recoiled, and Stormfly's spikes bristled. Fang and Tooth hissed as one- Doublebite again, Doublebite forever and ever and ever- and Hawkbite's tail whipped back and forth across the floor, betraying the small dragon's agitation.
But Boulderskin continued, implacable and inescapable.
Did you yearn for a taste of the sky again, Emberskin? Did you miss your Natchmagen as you wallowed in your own feces, swallowing down the rotten fish that the horn-head threw in to you- as long as you were good? As long as you behaved yourself? You were a pet, an amusement to be fed if you did what you were told, an animal to be raised for slaughter!
You were foolish, child of fire, and you will never touch the sky again!
Emberskin went rigid, and the dragons hushed as one. Boulderskin simply stood there, leaning forward as if preparing for battle, but his muscles were curiously lax, almost as if-
As if-
OH.
Hiccup snapped.
Natchmagen the color of shamrocks in spring burst back onto the Network. Hiccup's eyes narrowed as he caught a glimpse of dark crimson binding the elder Gronckle's russet Natchmagen rigidly to the Network, disrupting its normally sinuous movement.
His left hand twitched.
And the glittering emerald light sprang into action, ducking under and over the electric crimson, and Hiccup smiled, but so what if his teeth appeared a little bit sharper, and his eyes a little darker-?
Stiff means strong, yes, but stiff also means brittle, and brittle means easy to break.
The sound of shattering Natchmagen caused every dragon in the room to flinch.
Hiccup recoiled as a distant roar thundered through his veins, thousands of years of pent-up fury burning through his mind, scorching his Natchmagen, but he pushed back-
Because that's what you always do, isn't it, little hatchling? They say no, you say yes, they say it's impossible, you say wait, can't you see, they shove an axe in your hands and say spill blood, you pick up dragon nip and say make peace! But one day you won't be strong enough to push back, and that day-
IS NOT NOW!
And Hiccup, the small, scrawny little Viking-but-not-Viking gathered all his strength and shoved, and the bloody crimson recoiled and faded off the Network, but not without one last parting shot.
No, not now. But soon.
Very soon indeed.
All of this took place in under a minute.
Boulderskin suddenly slumped forward, barely catching himself against the ground. The Gronckle blinked once, twice, three times, and looked around.
…What?
Stormfly shook herself, spines slowly falling back down against her tail. Oh, where to start… You…you said his eggs would be shellbound, and…and that he was a pet, a sort of Coliseum animal…Boulderskin, what was that?
Boulderskin stiffened with horror, his Natchmagen scattering across the Network until coming into contact with Emberskin's flaming magic, at which point he recoiled at the vibrant hostility.
…Emberskin…Emberskin, please, I'm so sorry, I don't...I didn't-
Boulderskin?
Toothless's head turned towards his hatchling, who was determinedly looking at the screen in front of him but unconsciously leaning towards the shimmering barrier.
Featherstone, was that- was that you that did…whatever that was?
Featherstone ignored him, calling out to Boulderskin again. Toothless snorted, irritated, and placed his head on his paws. He'd figure it out.
Featherstone? What? What did I do?
Hiccup flinched at the sound of Boulderskin's voice. It was reminiscent of a lost and crippled hatchling. His fists clenched as he recalled the crimson Natchmagen binding the gentle Gronckle's struggling colors to the Network, changing it and hardening it until it bore a closer resemblance to the outside of the volcano where the Queen rested than the ether from which it had been born.
Boulderskin, what's the last thing you remember?
The Gronckle's yellow eyes narrowed, trying to concentrate. I…I was teasing Firework about letting the horn-head drive her off without much fighting. Just for the record, my dear, the dragon added, in a weak attempt to lighten the mood, that was not an attempt to offend, and please don't brutally slaughter me. I am fully aware of your fighting capabilities.
Firework grinned at him, slowly relaxing as it became clear Boulderskin had come back to himself. All's forgiven, rockhead. I'm not about to get myself maimed for that kariya of a dragon when there's much easier prey scurrying around.
Hiccup scowled at her even as he struggled not to laugh, which resulted in a rather odd facial expression. Oi, watch it. I spent years herding those sheep around.
Toothless sniggered, edging over to the barrier and finally allowing himself to slump against it. Hiccup's hand twitched outwards, but he stayed where he was.
Barely.
The dragons were settling.
Boulderskin took a deep breath and nudged Emberskin's Natchmagen again. Emberskin-
They wouldn't be shellbound.
The Gronckle hesitated, momentarily thrown. What?
Emberskin's head was on his paws, and his vividly colored wings were splayed across the floor. Shellbound, Boulderskin. Surely even you can't be that dense. You said my eggs would be shellbound. They wouldn't.
Every dragon knew what shellbound meant. A hatchling that made it out of the egg but didn't survive long enough to even Connect, or worse, never managed to break through the shell at all. Near the end of the term, the shells became nearly transparent, and the parents had to watch the hatchling scratch frantically against the eggshell, had to watch their struggles grow weaker and weaker without lifting a claw to help for fear of harming the hatchling, had to watch their wings grow still as they slumped backwards, the last breath of air leaving their mouths in a rush of bubbles.
To be parent to a shellbound was to be scarred for life.
Firework unfolded herself and padded over to Emberskin, her spiral-patterned wings stretching out luxuriously. I know they wouldn't, Emberskin. Your Connection is too strong for any hatchlings that you father to be anything but healthy.
She nudged him. Now budge over, I'm cold.
Emberskin looked up disbelievingly, but obligingly lifted a wing. Firework shuffled underneath and lay back down, purring contentedly.
Emberskin, I really am sorry. I never meant to imply- I mean, of course your offspring would be healthy, there's no doubt- I really don't know what came over me-
Toothless glanced over at Hiccup, whose Natchmagen had relaxed back into the easy flow of the Network. It was her, wasn't it, Featherstone? You did something, you shattered her control!
The boy glanced around and, seeing the others' attentions focused on the action playing out in front of them, returned his attention to the dragons. Yeah, I…I'm not a hundred percent sure what happened. She was using him, speaking through him- binding his Natchmagen. She used him as a puppet.
Hawkbite glanced up. A puppet? What's that?
What do you mean, what's- oh, right. When I was younger, a trader came to Berk- not Johann, someone else, I think he may have been from Rome. He had a puppet stall with him, used it to entertain us while the adults looked over the weapons on the ship. They're like little dolls, except they have strings attached, so the puppet master can control them by holding little crosses of wood above the stage that the strings are tied to. He can make them dance, fight, even talk- only using his own voice, of course.
Hiccup chuckled to himself. I tried to make my own once he left. I think there are still some sketches in the forge somewhere. I'd tried to make joints.
Even as he spoke, memories flickered across the Network, brief flashes of a life that seemed so far away.
Laughing and cheering with the other children as a small Viking brought down a carefully stitched Gronckle with a cardboard axe-
A small boy with a thatch of flyaway auburn hair after the others had lost interest and scampered away to look at the weapons- "How do you control them, sir? Do you use string? Levers? Gobber's bin teaching me about levers, he says that soon I can help him make them!"
Laughter, a kind, tanned face with warm brown eyes, "Would you like to see?"
Careful hands twitching a wooden cross and delicate fingers twisting strings, the boy staring openmouthed in awe-
Toothless stifled a grin, although, if he was honest with himself, he felt a bit of a pang seeing exactly what he had missed out on.
I should have been there.
Toothless caught and smothered the thought before it made it out onto the Network. No need to make everyone think he was nothing more than a teddy bear.
Although, looking at his hatchling, at the boy who laughed at himself- shakafki, shakafki- put up with the mud in his hair and on his face, practiced for hours on end in the woods with a sword, an axe, a dagger, only to stagger back as the sun set and be told you are not good enough, you will never be good enough-
Maybe it wouldn't do any harm for Featherstone to hear that.
Hiccup ran a hand through his hair, his eyes alight with the fire that Toothless had grown to love- the Yeah-no-wait-guys-look-I-solved-the-thing fire.
That's it, though. That's exactly it. She's a puppet master. If I can do that again, if I can cut her strings again, then I can take her down.
I can set you guys free.
A/N. Well. Guys, I am so, so sorry. I have midterms next week, so I really shouldn't be doing this, but the guilt was getting to me. Consider this a celebratory upload for HTTYD 2 winning the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature! Congratulations, Dreamworks- Loki knows you guys deserve it! Thank you all so much for your lovely comments, alerts, and favorites- I can't believe that I don't update for 6 months and I'm still getting reviews! Big shoutout to SaiyanPrincess and Lady Elfensenf for leaving the most amazing reviews I've ever gotten, love you both so much!
On that note, here are some replies to guest reviewers!
SaiyanPrincess: I…I just..asdfghjkl, THANK YOU SO MUCH I'M BLUSHING! I'm sorry for making your family think you're crazy, and for any lasting trauma your pets may have incurred. But most of all, I'm sorry for the wait I put you through, thanks for being understanding with my writer's block! Ugh, those are the worst! And yes, I've definitely decided on no Hiccstrid for this…maybe in a sequel, I just don't want it to seem forced. Once again, thanks so much for the glorious review, I really hope you haven't given up on this yet!
ClearBear: Thank you! I haven't managed to pull my life together enough to get a new laptop yet, but Lenovo has been highly recommended…soon! I'm so sorry for the wait!
JustMe: Thanks so much! Totally agree with you, I'm going with no Hiccstrid for this one. Next chapter should be up in an hour or so, hope you enjoy it!
TheUnkown: Thanks so much! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
TomgirlBre: Your wish has been granted, my dear. ;)
It is the rabbit: You're welcome x24! Sorry for the wait!
Maddy: Thanks so much, sorry for the wait! And yeah, definitely heading that way.
Lol'in: ^^ So glad!
Stormfly1124: Thank youuuu! Glad you're not too bothered by my massive hiatus… XD
Dragonryder12: Nope, no worries, the author's just really lazy! I swear I will finish…eventually!
Reader103: Check and check. :) Hope you enjoyed!
fruitbat92: I hope you're still just as excited to see an update! Thanks for the review!
star shadow: Thanks! And yes, definitely!
meg: Thanks! I'll finish it someday!
Emily: Thanks so much! Hope you enjoyed!
And double thanks to all my other reviewers who didn't leave a username- you guys are no less appreciated!
My New Year's resolution is to be better at updating this fic- let's hope it sticks!
Kariya: a derogatory term in the old language; rather like "bitch" is for English speakers