Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon. All credits go to Dreamworks.


Stoick insisted on a feast. The great hall was filled with people, food was piled on the tables, drinks were filled and drank, songs were singing.

The Riders sat at the main table beside Hildr, who sat beside Stoick. Hanna sat beside Hildr, only an arm's reach away from her father. Stoick wanted to reach out to her so much but even he knew it would not be wise without taking baby steps.

"Get back you!"

Startled by the outburst, Hanna turned to see Vipermei clocking Snotlout in the face, causing him to fall over. But he only got back up 10 seconds later, wiping the victorious smirk off Vipermei's face.

"Wow, I love a strong woman!"

Vipermei groaned out in frustration. Throughout the feast, he kept pestering her with what he called 'compliments' and she tried barking him off but he stuck to her like Death Song's amber.

"Get lost, Stinklout!"

"Stinklout is my great-uncle. I'm Snotlout, your future husband!"

Vipermei threw another punch at him and turned to her best friend. "You're related to him?"

"Unfortunately."

"I don't know how you put up with him. It's really hard to mock Vikings. I mean, come on! They're proud as Hel and their names are insults!"

"Yeah, we Vikings thought bearing horrible names will scare off the trolls."

All of the Riders' dragons ate fish and drank water at the hall of the back, just behind their riders. The villagers kept their distance from the huge winged reptiles.

Then old Mildew reared his ugly head.

"Oh my gods, you're still alive?" Hanna crackled, making everyone laugh, even the proud and difficult Viking men.

"I'm not happy to see you either, missy." Mildew complained. "It's disgraceful to let those beasts here in our grand hall. And even worse that you're here!"

Hanna groaned, knowing the old coot would be the most difficult. "Mildew, even you should know that everything has an end, even wars. So what it didn't end the way you wanted?" She shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes. "Time doesn't stay still forever. It changes to a new age and its time we go with it. And it's about time we change, just as the seasons do and not just age and stay the same."

Stoick slowly grinned, proud and impressed at her words of wisdom.

"Oh, please! The only reason why everyone wants you is because you're the only woman in the Village who doesn't look like a yak. Or smells like one. Stoick only wants to marry you off to Hofferson and make him chief as planned."

Hanna gasped.

"Mildew!" Stoick shouted.

That was not the reason why!

Toothless growled in defense of his rider.

"Back down, you beast!" Mildew shouted at the dragon.

Hanna turned to face her father with teary eyes. "Is that true, dad?"

As much as Stoick wanted to deny the accusation, he couldn't deny that he wanted to her to marry Alaric and complete the deal.

Hanna scoffed in anger, eyes leaking with tears. "When are you ever going to see that dragons are not bad? Was this all a trick to get me back to Berk? If you're not gonna make an effort, then there's no point in letting me stay here any longer than necessary. Come on, guys."

Stoick stood up from his seat, one hand reaching out for his fleeing child. "No, no, no, no! It's not!"

Gobber flew to his defense. "We had on a meeting and we all agreed the change will benefit the village greatly. Mostly because Gothi prophesied Berk will die if it doesn't change by the year."

"If you don't want to die, then make an effort in changing!" Hanna spun around and jumped onto the nearest table, standing on it, looking over the people and dragons in the hall, calling out. "When are you gonna see that? The war is over! Dragons and Vikings don't have to be enemies anymore! The dragons were only slaves to a Red Death, which I slayed, and were raiding us for food for that tyrant dragon! And before that, they were only trying to survive, like we do! Dragons are just like people."

"No they're not!" Mildew yelled as he furiously waved his staff. Toothless stops growling as he eyes the thick stick with childlike interest. "Dragons are nothing but bloodthirsty, mindless, ruthless mon-"

The old man was rudely (not quite) interrupted. His rant stopped abruptly by the Night Fury chomping down on his staff.

Toothless blinked innocently twice at Mildew who just stared right back for two seconds until he regained his senses.

"Hey, let go!"

He tried yanking his staff out of the dragon's mouth but Toothless was way stronger than an old Viking. Everyone laughed at the amusing sight of a tug-a-war between Mildew and Toothless.

Hanna laughed also, her upset mood vanished and her face was placed with a playful grin. "Or in my case, dragons are just like pets."

She jumped down from the table and approached the pair.

"Toothless…" Her dragon's ears perked up, snapping his full attention to her. Mildew whined as his staff got out of his grip.

"Sit."

Toothless sat.

"Drop the stick."

He dropped the stick, leaving his tongue wagging. Mildew went to receive his possession, only find it covered in slobber.

Hanna giggled. "Good boy, now lie down."

Toothless dropped down.

"Roll over."

Mildew shrieked when the dragon rolled over his way. "Atta boy! Now Speak!"

Toothless roared which frightened the old man, erupting a girlish scream.

"I thought Vikings are supposed to be brave." Heather whispered to her friends, earning snickers apart from Hildr who just rolled her eyes.

"You see? Dragons are personalities of all types. They attack when threaten, they hunt when hungry, and they play when happy. They're territorial, stubborn, hardheaded, difficult to communicate with…" Hanna knelt on one leg and caressed her dragon's head lovingly. Rider and dragon touched foreheads, sharing that deep, emotional bond. Hanna raised her head and stared into big green eyes. "They're no different than us. They're Vikings with scales. And we're dragons with hammers and skin."

As she rose to full figure, she found that she had the hall of Vikings in awe at her 'little' display.

"So…" She started awkwardly. "Anyone interested to change?"

About immediately on her word, hands up shot, voice calling out eagerly and excited.

She chuckled. "Well, that wasn't what I expected."


"Wow…" Snotlout breathed after seeing his cousin play around with her dragon. "That Night Fury was just putty in her hands."

"She is so cool!" Gustav exclaimed.

Alaric, however, was glowered. His blue eyes burned red with anger and mixed with green with envy. Watching the girl he worshipped engaging in a close friendship with a dragon made his blood boil.

"Well, this is great(!)" He remarked. "How am I supposed to compete with her slobbering overgrown puppydog best friend who happens to also be the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself?"

"And Viking unions are forever! They can only be broken in Valhalla!" Fishlegs reminded.

Alaric glared at him for that unhelpful reminder.

"So Alaric has to make Hanna fall in love with him by the time they marry or else be doomed in an everlasting, loveless union?" Snotlout asked.

"Or unless Hanna kills him first." Ruffnut offered.

"Or herself." Tuffnut challenged.

"No, I'm pretty sure she'll kill him."

Alaric groaned.

They'll need a miracle.

For what? Getting along with dragons or love?

Both.


No one says change is easy, Dragons and Berk knew that.

When Hanna gave the good word that allowed, some dragons flocked to the island and made themselves at home.

The beginning of the change was rocky. Two different species with a history of bloodshed attempting to live together in harmony was easier said than done.

Simply put, the situation was a struggle.

There were the problems of space, getting along, the dragons eating the village's food supply, the livestock too scared by dragons to produce milk and eggs, the dragons' huge clumsy bodies and fire-breathing habits.

In time, the Vikings and dragons settled into a contented peace. They were finally able to live together, yet the animals were still shellshocked, even when the dragons promised only to eat fish.

Gothi's prediction came true when a snow storm threatened Berk.

The animals got loose and ran amuck in the storm, too powerful and too dark for the villagers to find them. But the Riders had no problems in rounding the animals up. The animals calmed down at how the dragons were willing to protect the livestock.

The snow storm could've slowly kill the village without them.


"Dad, that is not how you approach a dragon!"

"This is how I always approach a dragon!"

Hanna groaned. She was trying to teach her father how to ride a dragon to help with his chiefing…

…with difficulty.

Toothless growled, a red bump forming on his scaly black head.

"You want some more, you…"

"Dad, he needs to know he can trust you. Not just because you're chief."

"I am the chief!"

"Dad, please! Listen to me for once!"

Stoick saw her glare at him and silenced himself. He wanted to make things right with his only child. He had to try, he realized.

"The demanding-punching approach should be reserved for another occasion. You need to show Toothless he can trust you. You need to at least find a common ground. Something that let him know that you can be a friend."

Her father stroked his greying bread thoughtfully. "A friend, huh? Like me and Gobber?"

"Great! Exactly! What did you do when you two met?"

Her father responded by scooping her up in a headlock and performed a noogie on her head while exclaimed in joy, "That's my wife you're talking to, you one-legged lout!"

Hanna gasped heavily for air and, once her father released her, stared bewildered at him. "That was NOT what I had in- wait. You met Gobber when he was flirting with mom? He told me you've known each other since you were in training!"

"Actually, we did." Her father blushed uncharacteristically, which surprised her. He looked embarrassed to admit such a secret. "I…always had a strong crush on your mother…I often made my desire to marry her since we were kids."

Hanna felt a wave of sympathy and guilt hit her. To hear her stoic father confess so honestly made her feel so conflicted.

"Say, how you meet that crazy girl, the one Gobber took a shine to?"

Hanna smirked, her eyes darkening.

"HIYAAAH!"

She leapt at him, tackled him and pinned him down with one foot to the chest and spoke a string of hostile Chinese.

"What?" He gawked up at her with confusion.

"I found her when her dragon flew into where I was staying four years ago. She jumped off the back of Zhou, tackled me and demanded who was I and where she is. Took us a while to understand each other."

"Why? She doesn't understand your sarcasm?"

"I didn't understand her Chinese!"


Father and daughter talked actively on the way back to the village on Toothless's back. Stoick enjoyed the flying and enjoyed spending time with his daughter more.

His child was telling him her big plans for Berk, involving a lot of construction for a dragon-friendly home. "Dragons are very territorial. If you let them live here, they'll defend Berk with their lives."

"Just like us."

"Exactly."

Stoick reached out to touch her shoulder but she moved out of the way. That hurt him. She still doesn't trust him.

He cleared his throat awkwardly. "So! ...I'll…see you tonight…I still got other matters…"

"Right…" Hanna said just as nervously. "See ya…dad…"

With that, father and daughter parted with heavy hearts.

"Hey, Hanna!"

Fishlegs was calling for her as he ran up to her.

Hanna folded her arms defensively, frowning. "What do you want, Fishlegs?"

Fishlegs whimpered at the unwelcome sight. But he pressed on. Quite timidly. "I was wondering if…" He held out the Book of Dragons. "…if you wanna update the Book of Dragons with your vast knowledge."

"In ye olde days, you didn't want to even read with me."

"Hanna, please. This a society that favors brawns over brains. I had to survive."

"So did I."

"Then can you remember how hard it was?" He was pleading, begging on his knees. "But we can be friends now. You made it possible. Please…"

Fishlegs was probably the first and most polite Viking to live. He oughta get an award.

A sweet, genuine smile crept onto Hanna's lips without her even knowing.

"Well…"


Alaric found them sitting together in the hall, writing notes and drawing illustrations together, sitting closely and talking animatedly.

In blind fury, he stormed out and slammed the doors behind him.


Soon it came the time for the Berserkers to return to their island. Hildr including.

On the docks, the Dragon Riders hugged altogether before Hildr leaves.

"Wait! Hold my chicken." Tuffnut handed Alaric his pet chicken and then run off.

"What is with you and that chicken?" Alaric asked, glaring at the living poultry.

Chicken simply clucked.

Tuffnut ran up to the docks and stopped Hildr before she got onto Boltstriker. The Skrill growled defensively but Tuffnut wasn't fazed. He bravely came up, took her hand…

…and kissed it.

That wasn't the surprise of it.

What was most shocking was Hildr smiling at the gesture.

"What the?"

Even her friends were shocked.

"Wait, Tuffnut is already courting Hildr?"

"How? They only met two seconds."

"What kind of girl would even want to marry into the Thorstons?"

Alaric stared blankly at the scene with Tuffnut's chicken in his hands.


Later on, the blonde man stalked through town, cutting through the crowd to head for some brutal tree-chopping. He was furious. Angry that Hanna still avoid him. Jealous that Tuffnut is having better luck romancing his woman

Even Gustav had better luck with his crush! All he did was stare at her, blush when she caught him and turn away with a red face. But Kerstin always smiled at his embarrassment.

Hanna was playing really hard to get. Or just ignoring him.

Either way, he was stumped.

"I still don't get it." Fishlegs said. "I mean, how in the name of Bork possess you to do that and make her smile?"

Tuffnut shrugged. "I had to do something before she leaves. I like her ever since I saw her on that Skrill. I mean, how cool is that! Riding a Skrill! A Night Fury is one thing, but she can light herself up!"

"Actually she wears a kind of metal armor that Hanna designed herself to absorb and use the lightning power just like a Skrill."

"Even better!"

Alaric stopped in his tracks, forcing his friends to stop walking behind him. He turned round to them, face creasing so angrily, Ruffnut and Fishlegs took a few steps back.

"You have the manners of a dead fish, why would a nice girl like Hildr even glance your way?" He demanded dangerously low.

Again, Tuffnut shrugged. "She thinks I'm funny."

Alaric growled in frustration.

"Hildr is Hildr. I'm me. We're not perfect, but we're perfect for each other. I only went up to her, be myself and she liked it. No one made me do it. I wanted to. You just gotta be open."

Strangely, those jumble of words made sense to Alaric.

Tuffnut's twin sister elbowed Alaric, nodding her head at something. "Looks like you're not only one having girl trouble."

Alaric looked and saw Snotlout heading to the forge in a proud prance.

Inside the forge, Gobber sang merrily as he brushed and sharped the teeth of a Zippleback, enjoying his new job as Berk's dragon dentist.

Well I got my club and I got my mace,

and I love my wife with the ugly face,

I'm a Viking through and through-oo!

Vipermei was carrying weapons from Vikings to near the fire to be sharpened. She giggled listening to her adoptive father sing like a whistling yak. Her birth father was colder than ice and emotional as rock, same with her mother and brother.

That life was behind her. Now she has a family, a real one.

Blood doesn't make a family.

After going back and forth carrying heavy metal, her skin glistened with sweat. She stopped moving to take a few breaths.

"Oh Mei!"

She grumbled in Chinese and faced the irritating boy smirking and staring lustfully at her.

"Its Vipermei, you idiot."

Snotlout laughed dismissively, as if her insult was a jab. "You're so funny, Mei."

"Vipermei…" She hissed at him. But just like at the feast, he won't back down.

Snotlout continued flirting with the pale-skinned beauty and calling her 'Mei' much to her annoyance.

"SNOTLOUT!"

Suddenly, the back of the young man's shirt was seized and he was pulled away from his woman.

"Out! Get out! Out, out, out!"

Gobber dragged the boy out of his shop and even literally kicked him out for good measure.

"Hey, what gives?" Snotlout demanded.

"Stay away from my wee firecracker, ya snotty yak-bladder!"

"What are you talking about? I was only talking to my future wife!"

"You really think I'll let you seduce my new daughter and have you as my son-in-law? I rather have her marry the Boneknapper! Now get!"

Snotlout growled and then stalked off, muttering angrily to himself.

Then a grinning Vipermei appeared beside Gobber. "Thanks, papa." She leaned up and kissed his cheek.

Gobber smiled. "Don't mention it, dearie."


Night came.

Hanna and Toothless circled the island for a moonlight flight, and landed outside the hut she shared with her friends, apart from Hildr. Before she led Toothless into his stable along with the sleeping dragons, she was stopped.

"Hanna."

She looked around.

"Dad."

Her father.

On the back of a blue Thunderdrum.

And companied by a Rumblehorn, a feminine purple-pink Thunderdrum and three little Thunderdrums.

"So…you got your dragon."

"Yep. Turns out this Thunderdrum was taking fish for his injured mate and young ones. Meet Snorri, Bing, Bam and Boom."

"And the Rumblehorn?"

"Took one look at him and I felt the connection you were telling me about. Named him Skullcrusher."

"You sound pretty happy."

"Ay, these are magnificent beasts." Stoick laughed joyfully, patting his dragons. He frowned when he heard the off-tune wailing. "Though the little ones could rival the twins."

Hanna smiled. I mean, she actually smiled! Her father found common ground with the dragons- they were just as hardheaded as him. He was actually bonding with dragon versions of himself!

"Well, I'm glad you finally understand what I was trying to teach you. Well, goodnight."

"No!" Stoick jumped Thornado's back and grabbed his daughter by the arm. In defense, Hanna gasped, promoting Toothless to growl. He quickly realized his mistake and released her. His daughter stared at him with confusion as he tumbled on his words. "I mean, uh…wait for…just one moment. I, um, have…"

He was carrying a bag, which he was digging through desperately. Finally, he pulled out a small brown chest with the crest of Berk on it. He handed it out to Hanna, who just stared at it.

"Please don't tell that's Alaric's gift."

"It's not from Alaric. It's from me…from your mother."

Time froze.

"What…"

Hanna felt light-headed, overwhelmed, in disbelief.

"That can't be…"

Stoick moved in closer to her. "Go ahead. Open it."

With shaky hands, she took the chest, making it shake. She held it for a minute until she finally raised one hand to slowly open the lid.

Inside was a single dragon toy. It looked like a cross between a Night Fury and a Deadly Nadder, with four legs, a horn, wings and a tail. Made out of faded blue fabric with a dull cream for the horns, and brown buttons for eyes. It was obviously stitched by hand with visible stitches at its seams. Her name 'Hanna' was stitched in runes on the sides of the toy.

Picking it up, she squinted her eyes when she found the toy oddly familiar…

"I've seen this before…"

"Aye. You did." Her father said softly. "Your mother made them for you when you were just a baby. Scared you half to death. You didn't sleep for a week."

"What?" She was flabbergasted by that piece of information. She looked to Toothless, just as surprised. "I was afraid of dragons?"

The dragon lover was scared of dragons.

How ironic.

"Oh, terrified. You loved it at first, but after losing your mother, you suddenly hated it. I locked it up in that chest because I didn't have the heart to throw your mother's gift away. One day when you were 2, we were out fishing and you threw it into the sea."

Hanna could imagine his face when she did that.

Looking at the doll brought a wave of nolgastia on her.

Just like her mother, she loved dragons. But got scared of dragons after losing her mother and tried to follow the tribe's traditions. Then her weirdness kicked in and she started confiding in dragons for the warmth she couldn't get from her own kind.

"How did you find it?"

"A while ago, the chest showed up in a fishing net. Trader Johann got it in trade and contacted me."

So her mother hasn't been in contact with her father.

"I was so little when mom…" left. "…you know."

"I know. It was hard for both of us. But I…I took it harder. If I only listen to her once, she would still be here. In my grief and blindness, I ignored you, my only child. I thought I was protecting you but all I did was push you away until you couldn't take it anymore. I was starting to get afraid that I'd forget her. But now…I almost did. I want to say…I just want to say…"

Stoick hesitated. Hanna waited. She silently hoped he won't fall behind his pride.

"…I sorry."

There. He said it.

"I'm so sorry, dear. I'm sorry for everything."

He apologized for the years of neglect, pain, pushing, everything. Hanna stared at her father, and then glanced to her toy. Then she walked up to her father, laying one hand on his bulky arm.

"Thanks, daddy." And then she leaned up, kissing his hairy cheek.

He stilled, just long enough for her lean down but he grabbed her hand before she walked away.

His hard face was soft with emotion. "Thank you for giving me another chance."

Father and daughter parted on good terms after that. Stoick went off to do some chiefing with the help of his trusty dragons and Hanna, after getting Toothless into his stable, went to bed, fast asleep in her dragon toy in hand.