Thank you, fanfiction for not letting me ever put the entirety of my obnoxiously long titles. "PUT THAT THING BACK WHERE IT CAME FROM, OR SO HELP ME"

EYYYY Finger guns. So remember when I said I had no idea what I was doing? That still stands true, but I have a clearer path hacked out now. Summary: huntress punches dragons and gets punched by dragon riders. Except this chapter where things sort of start to develop a little more.


Dreams were always a place of refuge for her. Even the nightmarish ones that choked her out of bed in a cold sweat held value. Learning that reality held more control over her future gave some measure of comfort. This dream didn't thrust her back into wakefulness as it usually did. Instead, an external force had nudged her from her deep state of unconsciousness.

At first, it was the smell of dirt and grass that filled her nostrils. And then movement that wasn't hers in proximity that was far too close. In fact… the sack she was sleeping in wiggled independently of her body. Snapping up to a sitting position and slithering at lightning speed out of the cloth, Aqua scrambled for her weapon, wondering if some animal had skittered past her noise traps unharmed. Practically flipping onto her weapon, Aqua pointed it threateningly at the sleeping sack, whilst running a free hand over her midsection for any bites or scratches.

Without waiting for it to reveal itself, she hit the little lumpy shape in the fabric with a loud THWACK. There was a squeak and confused purring as the living creature warbled and shifted towards the only exit. Gearing up for another assault, the huntress lowered her hand towards the dagger in her satchel, ready to carve up some breakfast out of whatever lurked within.

Twirling the rod with ease, she sliced it back through the air for another attack. Aqua froze, finding her dagger to be a strange, crunchy texture. Turning away from the camp invader, she gasped. Broken black shards spilled from her bag, cracked and scattered along the floor. The dragon egg… had hatched.

"Oh, I really didn't think this through."

0_0_0

First light had always been a pleasure to watch. Hues of purple and gold painted across the distant horizon as the sun began its ascension to its rightful place. Hiccup favored patrols at this hour. However, he and his selected Riders were not on patrol. Most of them had instinctively concluded that this harmless summons was a disguised trap. He'd assigned Astrid, Snotlout, and Fishlegs to remain on the Edge with their dragons to act accordingly were there to be an incident. Their outpost was designed as an impenetrable fortress, customized by the collective creative minds of those who dwelled there. He had every confidence that they would be fine… or the place would be in shambles.

Hiccup adjusted his flight altitude to parallel with Heather, who had been traveling in silence, in deep thought, despite the yammering of the twins nearby. "If my calculations are correct, we should be near it." He'd memorized the map, comparing it with a few of his drawn layouts. While he'd never ventured out here, charting was a skill of his.

"There!" Perking up at Heather's instruction, Windshear altered course and dipped towards the outer island beach. The soft, white sand muted the arrival of the Dragon Riders.

"Remember, nothing can be trusted." Sliding off Belch, the male twin crab-walked along the sand, swept up a large chunk of driftwood, and chucked it—with incredible strength—into the lapping waves. "Can't be too careful. Hiccup. You almost died just now." Taken aback by the raw muscle and solemnity, the russet haired Rider looked to his Night Fury. Toothless watched Ruff and Tuff commence with throwing various objects into the ocean, growling lowly.

"Anyways…" The group proceeded into the forestation, developing a feeling that the location was much too untouched by human hands to be a Hunter base. Hiccup ducked under a low hanging branch, lifting a curtain of greenery so he and his dragon could pass through. "Hear something, bud?"

The Night Fury's ear appendages had lifted, twitching like little radars. Nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air, Toothless slunk close to the forest floor, taking the lead. Following in tow, the Riders raced after the nimble dragon on foot. They were guided to an open clearing that could only be described as in a state of utter destruction. Circling the area, Toothless glanced back at his partner for confirmation that this was the objective of his search.

Windshear trudged forth, prodding at a large, worn sack, riddled with gashes and sharp teeth marks. "What happened here?" Heather stooped to pat the violently disturbed ground. As a survivalist, she was quite proficient in tracking and hunting. Piecing together this crime scene should have been child's play.

The two-headed Zippleback croaked, calling the attention of their respective riders. "What's that in your mouth?" The Thornston sister sang the question deviously. The Zippleback turned. Barf had a jagged mouth full of sharp grinning teeth on display, while Belch had a knife sticking out of his fangs.

"Dagger! It was you all along?" Tuff exclaimed. Everyone spun to look in shock, "I mean an actual dagger. Not your brother, Dagur, because that would be weird." He wheezed, "Or would it…"

"She was definitely here… " Opening her hands for the dragon to drop it onto her palm, she examined it. The hilt was decorated with an intricate star design. "If she were in real danger, we'd be the last people to send for, right?" This had to qualify as a weirdly executed trap, if it was one. Crimson etched into a metal hunter's emblem poked out of the dirt near the edge of the camp. It was always buckled to the front of Aquaria's cowl on prominent display at her collarbone.

A deafening scream wobbled the stationary trees of the island, pulling the Riders towards it. Heather kept the huntress' weapon at hand and sped towards the unmistakable sound of Aqua's cry. Shoving past a thick brush, the party had to stare blankly to fully process what they were seeing.

Being the first to creep a smirk onto her face, Heather relaxed her stance and crossed her arms, uninhibited in her delight by what she saw. "We've got to stop meeting like this." Echoing the greeting that Aqua slapped her with last time, the Berserker only saw it fit to return the favor.

The pale-haired huntress sneered, setting all of them with a glare sharper than the intensity of a thousand arrows. "Get. Me. DOWN." Tangled in a woven rope trap high off the ground with savage eyes was not how any of the Riders had expected to find her.

"Ah." Adopting a sophisticated tone, the male twin nodded sagely and stepped forward. "And so the Huntress becomes the… Huntree."

"You'll be the first to die." Eyes as cold and flat as glass, Aqua threatened him from her disadvantageous position. "You're all late. I sent that message ages ago." And by that, she meant yesterday morning. She thrashed in vain against the sturdy bonds, only succeeding in flipping herself over, her leg wrapping her elbow in a way not humanly possible.

"What did you do? Get caught in your own trap?" Hiccup playfully nudged his dragon, unable to prevent the forming chuckle. "O'mighty Huntress." Poking fun at their mortal enemy may have not been the best plan of action, but it sure did bolster their spirits.

"N-No." She countered meekly. Her fingers hooked into the ropes, trying to assume a dignified position. "Just cut me down, and I will leave, and you can do whatever you want to the little monster."

"She's talking about a dragon," The male twin concluded.

"Or Cousin Thorkel. The thorstiest Thornston of all." With teeth sharpened down to points and missing one and a half eyes, she was a force to be reckoned with.

"I think we like you right where you are, Huntress." Heather overlooked the information on the twin's cousin and came to a consecutive decision. Windshear growled in agreement.

"If you recall, Rider, I saved your life!" She shouted, "You owe me!"

"Don't flatter yourself! And I left you alive, which is more than you deserve. Trust me!" The raven-haired woman clenched her fists, "Or maybe you really want your right cheek to match your left?" Her tightly closed hand gestured menacingly in the air.

"Wait a minute, what's going on?" Piecing together that they had confronted each other before, Hiccup switched his gaze between the two, "When did this happen?" Whatever it was, it was redacted from any of Heathers' reports.

A faint rustling extinguished the heat of the conversation before it could escalate any further. The dragons were the first to assume defensive positions, jaws unhinging to show their insides illuminated with flame.

Aqua yelped—a strange sound, unfamiliar to the Rider's—and flailed her arms harder in her hanging rope trap. "No! Stay away! I'm warning you—" A deep violet haze streaked across their vision, charging straight into the trap that now held the huntress. "Get off!" The small creature, no longer than an arm's length, scampered up the ropes to where Aqua's face was pressed by the command of gravity. Trilling, it flopped its tongue out and gave her a wet kiss. "I said get off!" Swinging her elbow, she knocked the little dragon to the ground. It recovered quickly, rolling, unharmed from its back to its four legs.

At that moment, it craned its neck to see the strangers surrounding it. Small nubs on its head folded back in apprehension as it tucked its neck into its shoulders, glancing up at the trapped huntress, beckoning for her help.

Hiccup's jaw may as well have hit the ground the longer he stared at the tiny dragon—newly hatched, and not more than three moons old. "A-Aqua, do you have… any idea…" He was out of breath from the pure shock electrifying his form, "…what kind of… dragon this is?" Amazement and his yearning for knowledge overwhelmed him at the sight.

"No way." The twins took a cautious step closer.

"Is that a—?"

"NIGHT FURY. Yes." The dark mauve hatchling chirped and wiggled her rear, which in turn wiggled the rest of her lithe little body, "Now put it back where it came from, or so help me…"

"You tried to put her back in her egg?" Ruff snickered, "Never thought of that before." She tapped her chin and looked to Hiccup, who had not taken his eyes from the hatchling.

Toothless was the first to stalk forth, constraint governing his every step. This could have been an elaborate hunter trap for all he knew, and the tiny creature was just a fancy, lifelike replication? He couldn't be sure. Sniffing at it from a two-foot distance didn't yield much. The Night Fury slid one of his forelimbs toward the smaller dragon, which was slinking back from him a bit. He shifted his weight forward, nostrils flaring to place the scent of her folded wings.

She was a dark violet shade, save for the gold smeared and blended across her tail fins and undeveloped horns on her head. Sunny yellow eyes that were comically oversized blinked twice. Boldly, Toothless took in the scent of the top of her head, droning softly. After being moderately satisfied by what he learnt, the jet-black dragon leaned closer, lifting one of his claws to potentially poke the pintsize being.

The hatchling beat him to it when she bounced, her mouth opening into a wide grin as her tongue swiftly licked his muzzle. Her eyes were wide and shining with a friendly curiosity. Toothless sat up straight, making a sort of "murp" noise before twisting his body to look at his rider, as if requesting further assistance. Hiccup had both hands against the sides of his head, fingers raked into his brown hair, trying to keep his brain from exploding into a million dancing particles.

"This… changes a whole lot." He had so many questions, starting with how she'd come across an egg that contained a Night Fury. Were there more? "We have to find her family." Stepping lightly to stand at his dragon's side, Hiccup held up his hands and knelt to the knee on his one leg. "Look at you." Completely ignoring the hot-blooded huntress just above him, the man let the hatchling come to him. She cautiously weaved under his modified leg, and bumped her muzzle against the back of his hand. "This is incredible—I…"

"It doesn't have any. I found it wedged deep into the wall of an abyss." All eyes glued to her, "I honestly thought it was dead." Looks of disgust were thrown her way.

"Windshear!" Heather made a motion with her hand that prompted the Razorwhip to slice her tail at the base of the rope trap. It tore and Aqua slipped right through the slit with a disdainful cry.

"Ow!" Hitting the ground right next to Hiccup and the two Night Furies, the Huntress had no time to gain her bearings and execute a graceful exit before the hatchling bounded onto her lap. "I will personally turn you into a pair of boots myself." Grabbing the creature, she stared directly into its sunlit eyes, "Do you understand me?" Craning its neck forward to nuzzle her chin obviously meant no.

"She… likes you." Heather didn't sound completely enthused, but was secretly endeared by the strange interaction, "I mean really likes you." When she'd met her dragon, their bond had been instant, and now they were inseparable. She could not stop herself from comparing their relationship to this instance.

"That's a serious error in judgment, don't ya think?" The twins nodded to each other, figuring such a young dragon probably wouldn't know any better.

"Tell me about it." Aqua shuddered at having to agree with the mysterious twins. Standing to full height and ignoring the soreness in her limbs, she ripped off the Night fury clinging to her chest and outstretched her arms towards Hiccup. "Here take it. The island over is crawling with hunters, and the stupid thing isn't going to last a day." Gently taking the hatchling from her, the man's green eyes narrowed inquisitively. Crooning, the dragon squirmed, trying to return to the huntress.

"You're giving her to us, willingly?" A silence pervaded the atmosphere. Brows rising, Hiccup loosened his grip on the Night Fury, allowing her to use his arms as a launch pad for her back legs to pounce at Aqua. "You care about this dragon." As blunt as the butt of an axe, the Rider spared no pleasantries.

"Don't say that." It made her indescribably uncomfortable to hear that accusation. "Now go! Before I change my mind." Straining under the affection of the hatchling trying to curl itself around her frame.

"Ohh how the turned…tables have decided to hit you in the face! Literally!" Tuffnut pointed at her eye, which still had a wonderful bruise beneath it.

"Fine." Hiccup shrugged, nonchalant to her plight. "But you're coming with us to the Edge." Finally prying the sunset-hued Night Fury from her torso, Aqua scoffed, giving him an incredulous leer.

"Do none of you recall that the last time I was at your outpost, I singlehandedly left it in flames?" The Night Fury hatchling trotted into a nearby bush and returned with a toy clamped in her mouth. "That's mine!" Aqua admonished, dashing towards the little dragon slobbering all over her collapsed weapon. "Yield, you slimy little—"

How she found herself holding on for dear life to Heather atop her Razorwhip was completely beyond her. Perhaps it was the information that Hiccup had used against her, that the hatchling could die if prematurely separated from someone it had formed a bond with at such a young age. Aqua had been fully ready to call his bluff, but a part of her could not bring herself to that.

To the Edge they went.

0_0_0

The reprise of the Huntress being on the Edge did little to dampen the excitement of discovering another Night Fury in existence. They spent hours fawning over it, barely paying attention to the blaring threat standing a few feet away. Heather had a tiny grimace wrinkling her nose as she rubbed her upper torso. Allowing Aqua to ride with her had been a mistake in itself, the whole journey resembling a three-hour Heimlich.

"We have to name her!" Fishlegs shook with delight, scratching at the little Night Fury's chin. He would then craft the perfect diet, sleeping arrangement, and exercise regimen to document for posterity. She trilled happily and hopped around the perimeter, checking over her shoulder periodically to ensure Aquaria was still leaning against the doorframe. "What about… Sunny!" For her demeanor, combined with the golden eyes she possessed, brimming with sunshine, "Oh! Oh! Or Violet Shimmer?" Heather kept the silhouette of the huntress in her view and spoke up.

"Why don't you name her? She'll probably respond the most to you." She could see the snowy-haired woman's expression sour in the firelight.

"Naming something only breeds attachment." The hatchling was clearly going to be well socialized. Wriggling, it hopped nimbly on top of the Gronckle, balancing perfectly before sliding off with a thud.

"Yeah, that's kind of the point." The raven-haired Rider rolled her eyes, "Your parents named you, didn't they?" She teased. Aqua stepped towards the nameless Night Fury, and stared down at her. The hatchling scurried over and rubbed fondly against her ankles, weaving like a feline.

"…No, they didn't." Aquaria replied truthfully. The Riders all frowned at her. She sighed, aware that an explanation should be given or it would have been painfully extracted, "My mother didn't want to name me before I turned seven." As a child, she had been tiny and frail, a favored target combination for any rampant illness or plague. "Ironic that I outlived them." She was nine when she joined the hunters.

"So who—don't tell me… " Hiccup winced, "Viggo? Isn't that a little counter-productive in the naming-breeds-attachment department?"

"We're done here. Take me back." The hatchling seemed comfortable with the new surplus of Riders and dragons. No longer would it need to depend solely on her. Everyone seemed hesitant, more for the dragon's sake than hers. "I'll… come back and visit." She didn't know if that was the suitable thing to say.

"And you won't breathe a word of this to your Master?" Astrid, who had been in silent awe of the small miracle, finally afforded a speck of attention to the unwanted guest.

"Don't tempt me." Pale blue eyes cut through Astrid's distrusting glare. The Viking snarled, going for her weapon.

"You aren't leaving here in one piece if you even think about—"

"Hey! I'm pretty sure what she's already done qualifies as some serious betrayal." Heather moved to calm her friend, proposing an undeniable truth. The huntress felt her skin prickle at the very word.

"I think we're beyond betrayal, all the way down the river of treason." Aqua also wasn't about to ask how the hatchling had managed to steal Snotlout's helmet and slink under a table at such a high speed. Pivoting, the woman exited the Clubhouse.

0_0_0

"Y'know, back on Berk…" The Viking leader and Berserker woman had followed her out, finding her standing with her chin tilted skyward. Heather glimpsed the shadows of moonlight cast on her hair. "We used to think dragons were our enemy." Windshear lowered herself as an invitation to ride her. Heather was already mounted, prepared to keep up her end of the bargain and return her to the island. "But we were wrong. And our willingness to change has improved everything... for all of us." Hastily, before the bonded creature could figure out she was missing, Aqua grabbed onto the raven-haired woman and settled on the back of the Razorwhip. "What I'm saying is you don't have to be scared—"

"Save it, Hiccup." Her voice lacked the callous timbre he was accustomed to, "I will be back." She didn't need to hear his self-righteous rant about befriending the very thing she'd hunted her whole life. Aqua had chosen her mantle of thick skin and bared teeth just like the rest of the world around her long ago, and she plunged herself into the darkness without looking back.

"I promise."


oh how the turn... tables...

Thanks for reading! Hope it was bearable!