Back with the 10th chapter I am. I know, I know, you didn't miss me. Oh well.
The last chapter has received the least views than any other chapter so far (by quite some margin) but since it was not a reactions chapter, I understand it. The one nice thing in the stats was the fact chapter "Love is Blind: Part II" has the highest views/visitors ratio than any other chapter (obviously except for the first one). Followed by "Romance In The Air". That means many people actually reread it which I am thankful for. I hope I did my best with Hiccstrid there.
Anyway, this chapter is based on the episode titled "Heather Report: Part I". It is the S1 E10 of Dreamworks Dragons and Riders of Berk specifically. No points for you for deducing that there is also Part II episode which is E11. This chapter will cover only the first part, and even then, I don't honestly know whether I will have to stop before finishing it or not. I am a bit less reluctant to breaking the 6k word barrier but still absolutely certain that 7k should NOT be reached. At least for now. But let's see, shall we? I promise you, this chapter is gonna be fun.
To all the reviewers, thank you! To a one particular Guest who was speaking about Hiccup's reaction towards Astrid:
"Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I would agree with you in 99% but then I remember it is Hiccup. You see, Hiccup is kind-hearted and sees the best in everyone. He knows Astrid is...explosive, and yet he likes her all the same. He sees past her flaws, embraces them, just because he likes her. That is what love means. But I appreciate your thoughts nonetheless! :)"
And lastly, disclaimers. HTTYD characters, script and movie (and everything else) belongs to DreamWorks Pictures and affiliated companies. The presenter is also not mine, but a character of Disney Studios. They have all the rights on the character. Additionally, some of the additional characters have been introduced in Dragons: Race to the Edge, which has been streamed by Netflix. So, those characters as well as their script and everything else belongs to Netflix. I own only their reactions. The story is for entertainment purposes only, with no financial gain involved. All the characters belong to Cressida Cowell.
All the teens were anxious to see how they met their new friend. Astrid imagined it was during some inter-tribe competition. Twins were praying to Loki it was during their awesome destruction that they got to meet this strange but interesting girl. Snotlout didn't care as long Heather found him great from the start. Hiccup and Fishlegs didn't really care as long as they all met in good circumstances. Here's to hope...
[The scene starts with Hiccup and Toothless flying through a course. Fishlegs and Astrid keep track of his time. He eventually gets to the Academy in record time]
No matter how many times they have seen the Night Fury on the screen before, Vikings could still not help but marvel at the dragon's sheer speed. And it carried a man! True, Hiccup was not quite buffy but he was still an extra load!
Alvin looked at the on-screen pair and then the two off it, squinting his eyes. Those two seemed inseparable, even now, so getting one would automatically mean getting the other! The Outcasts Chief crookedly smiled.
As for the teens, they were getting used to dragon flying but still impressed by Toothless speed. And he lost one of his tail fins! Unbelievable.
Hiccup, however, looked a bit surprised to see himself fly so well.
Hiccup: Yeah! Come on, bud! Here we go, buddy! Come on, Toothless! Yeah!
Astrid: Here they come!
Hiccup: Let's go!
Fishlegs: Yep! It's a new course record.
Hiccup: So? How'd we do?
Fishlegs: Technically you're still the fastest, but someone, and I won't mention who, is gaining significant ground.
"Something tells me I know who that person is..."-Hiccup said, smiling wryly and glancing at Astrid. Hofferson girl rolled her eyes but did appreciate his confidence in her. If only he was confident in himself as well...
Hiccup: What?
Tuffnut: Don't look at us
[Hiccup looks at Stormfly and Astrid who gives him a sly look]
"That was one evil look, Astrid!"-Tuff exclaimed.
"Yeah, it was as if you HATED Hiccup for being so fast!"-Ruff added.
"Would you rather want him to go slower?"
"Tuff is right, I mean you both ARE inexperienced in this, so slow would be the way to go!"
"Though if you want him to go fast, up to you. Everyone has his own preferences!"
While the twins were arguing about something innocuous, the wording gave Heather an idea:
"The twins are right, Astrid."
"We are? Of course we are!"-Tuff said, before returning to fighting her sister. Others just looked at Heather inquiringly.
"Well, going fast and slow is possible...not only on a dragon..."-Heather said, suggestively, wiggling her eyebrows at the pair. Hiccup, Astrid, and even Fishlegs got the idea about what she was talking about. And while Fishlegs was laughing (until an evil glare his way made him gulp involuntarily), the former two were blushing red, swearing all sort of revenge on Heather. Oh, if only the future would show Heather's romantic endeavors! Hiccup would probably not mind giving the leg he lost to this cause.
"I don't get it."-Snotlout said, but was ignored.
Hiccup: How can that be? How can Toothless be getting slower?
Fishlegs: He's not. Stormfly's getting faster.
Hiccup: Oh, really? Is that so? Anything you'd like to share, Astrid?
Astrid: Let's just say I'm experimenting with what she eats. Apparently, it's working. And making you mad.
Vikings were now laughing at their interaction. The Hofferson girl was clearly teasing Hiccup and it was also nice to see that the Chief's son unique sense of humor remained with him.
The teens were also enjoying this conversation.
In the meantime Toothless looked at Stormfly inquiringly. How could this Nadder be gaining on him? I mean, Nadders are pretty quick but they are snails compared to Night Furies! True, Nightmares and Zipplebacks were even slower and Gronckles would probably eat the dust but still! Was his new friend actually feeding him properly? Or maybe he was eating too much? He knew he should have laid off that cod!
Stormfly, true to her species' nature, looked at Toothless and squawked in importance. The Night Fury grumbled, thought about how vain all those Nadders are, and rolled his eyes. Still, if they were friends, he did not have too many problems. He would let his new friend get close to him in racing. Just not close enough. Plus maybe the Nadder's new friend did discover some good food to eat? Hopefully his friend would get it from that girl of his and he would again be the fastest dragon around!
Snotlout: Whoo! Ha-ha! Whoo!
Snotlout: You will not believe what I just found!
Tuffnut: A severed head?
Ruffnut: Our cousin, Lars?
Tuffnut: Our cousin Lars' severed head?
Fishlegs: Lars died?
Tuffnut: Who said that?!
Everyone behind the 2nd row was laughing hysterically at the teens' conversation. The 2nd row, however, could only roll his eyes. Thorstons rest their heads in hands, too exasperated to scold the twins about what they said about Lars. Ingermans rolled their eyes, but good naturally. Gobber was probably the only one laughing in that row.
The teens were all laughing as well though. Even the 3 culprits also found it funny, though the twins were impressed with their thinking more.
Snotlout: Um, excuse me? Do you guys want to see this, or not?
[The riders follow Snotlout to an empty beach]
Tuffnut: Huh. A wrecked boat on Berk? Yeah, there's something new.
[A sign appears: "Heather Report: Part I"]
It took some like Hiccup and Heather barely a second to recognize the pun (both well-versed in sarcasm were also apparently good in other aspects of humor). Others took a bit more, but eventually everyone in the room got it and oohed or aahed at this:
"Ah, Heather Report! So smart!"
"Yeah, like Weather Report!"
"It even rhymes with it! It is destiny!"
When everyone settled down, the scene continued.
Snotlout: Just remember, I saw it first, so it's mine.
[He points towards a lying figure which appears to be Heather]
"IT'S? I am IT now? Snotlout, if you weren't close to me now I would have probably strangled you!"-Heather screamed in anger. Tuffnut asked the girl:
"Hey Heather, do you want me to punch him for you? Cause I can do it."
At her nod, he smashed his fist into Snotlout's face, much to the pleasure of the green-eyed girl. The Jorgenson boy was still dizzy from the blow.
Tuffnut: Whoa! Now I like the boat.
Heather looked at the male twin now, absolutely murderous, but before she could do anything she saw Ruffnut punch his lights out. Heather looked at her, surprised, and the female twin stated:
"Hey, my brother deserved it. He rarely is like that, but I need to do it. Plus, you were going to do it anyway. This way I got the fun and you got the revenge."-the raven-haired girl could not argue with this surprisingly sound logic and smiled at Ruff who offered back a grin. 'Maybe she wasn't as stupid as she looked like? Certainly smarter than her oaf of a brother...'
Snotlout: Remember, I get to keep her!
Astrid: Snotlout, it's a person!
"Thank you, Astrid!"
Snotlout: Right?! How lucky is that?
What followed was just rolling of eyes and Hiccup restraining Heather from killing Snotlout (which he did not deserve, no matter how rude his cousin was, according to Hiccup). Fishlegs had to stop Astrid from defending her friend from that idiot Jorgenson as well.
Hiccup: Eh, hey. Hey there.
[He tries to wake Heather up]
"I like how others all argue and bicker while our Hiccup just looks at the girl and then prods her!"-Gobber exclaimed, heartily laughing. Thankfully to Hiccup, Heather did not think his action warranted a punch. He was just hoping there was no bloodbath by the end of this particular future showing. Snotlout was already dizzy while Tuff had a black eye now, though he apparently liked it.
[Heather wakes up and looks at the dragon riders. She gets scared.]
Hiccup: It's okay. We're friends.
[Heather coughs.]
Heather: D-Do you have any water?
[Snotlout, Fishlegs and Tuffnut fight over who gives water to the girl, with Snotlout winning the battle]
Snotlout: Allow me.
"Argh! Boys!"-Astrid said in frustration. Heather found it a bit funny though. Even Fishlegs? At least he did not act like she was some property...
"You know, Hiccup, I noticed that you were the only one not to offer me any water. What's up with that?"-she asked the Haddock boy and devilishly smiled. Hiccup knew she was setting him into some trap but was way too flustered to recognize it:
"Well, ah, you see, H-Heather, I must have, you know, thought, that you would g-get the water from my friends, aha."-he nervously rambled, hoping for the torture to be over. He was disheartened to see the raven-haired girl continue to smile.
"It is okay, Hiccup, I understand."-at his disbelieving look, she added-"after all, you were already enamored by other pretty girl, so who can blame you?"
Finally realizing what Heather was insinuating, Hiccup groaned. He did hear her giggle at his frustration. The good thing happened when he looked to his right, though. There, he saw Astrid look at him with a sincere smile. And suddenly he realized that he would have no problem, suffering so much, if Astrid was there to smile at him like that. And he internally thanked Heather for trying to bring them closer together, even if it was by merciless teasing. He was grateful to have both girls on his side.
Heather: Thank you.
Heather: W-Where am I?
[Tuffnut and Snotlout have a lovesick expressions on their faces]
"Ugh! Come on, Tuff! What was with that face? I understand Snotlout since he does that pretty much every day when he unsuccessfully tries to woo Astrid"-she continued despite a certain 'Hey!' coming from her right-"but you? I mean, sure Heather is pretty and all"-she looked at the raven-haired girl, acknowledging her looks-"but you belong to Loki! And me!"
"You are right, sis. I am sorry. I hope Loki forgives me."-he now turned to Heather-"Heather, I have to say, I am sorry for looking at you like that. I am surprised myself but I will do my best not to do that anymore."
Not sure whether this apology was serious not, Heather nevertheless decided to accept it. The twins cheered considerably after that. 'They are pretty fun to hang around with...'
Hiccup: This is Berk.
[Toothless rushes in front of Hiccup, getting close to Heather, who backs away in fear.]
"I think we need to work on your timing, bud."-Hiccup patter his friend, grinning. The dragon only rolled his eyes but looked at Heather, grumbling apologetically. Heather couldn't look at those green eyes, feeling anything but cuteness overloading her, and said:
"It is okay, Toothless, thanks. And I really appreciate your enthusiasm at meeting me."
Toothless only stuck out his tongue like a puppy before looking back at Hiccup as if saying 'She is amazing! Keep her!'
Hiccup: Uh, do-don't be afraid! He won't hurt you.
Hiccup: Hey. Come out. It's okay.
[Heather comes out to see Hiccup calming Toothless down]
Hiccup: Easy, bud.
Heather: How did you do that?
Snotlout: That? That's nothin'. Watch this. Hookfang, get your butt over here!
[Hookfang flies away]
Everyone was laughing at the Nightmare's reaction to Snotlout's command. Toothless in particular found it funny while the Nightmare in question also snickered, looking at his future rider.
Snotlout: Heh heh heh. He'll be back. Jokester.
Snotlout: Oh! And just so you know, I'm the one who rescued you.
Hiccup: And I would be Hiccup.
Heather: Heather.
[All this time Snotlout is looking with disbelief at seeing Hiccup and Heather hit it off well]
"Oh, come on! How do you do that, Hiccup?"-young Jorgenson exclaimed.
"How do I do what, Snotlout?"-Hiccup pretended to be dumb, raising his eyebrow at his cousin.
"Don't give me that look, Hiccup. You know what I am talking about! First Astrid, then Heather! And what do I get? Ruffnut!"
"Hey! Being hit on by you is no picnic for me either!"-the female twin said before jumping at Snotlout. Tuff joined in for fun. Heather and Astrid decided to let Snotlout suffer a bit. Instead it was Fishlegs who had to go and sort it out, only to get into a mess. They eventually stopped when seeing their parents' unamused faces. All fighters were a bit ruffled up. Snotlout and Tuffnut, in particular, looked terrible. They decided to settle in for now.
Astrid: So, Heather... What happened to you?
Heather: My family and I were on our way home to our island when our boat was attacked by pirates.
"I am sorry to hear that, Heather."-Astrid said, supporting her friend. Hiccup added:
"I am sure they are fine! If they are anything like you, they are already safe and sound!"
Their attempts to soothe her pain were appreciated by the raven-haired girl. She felt much happier, knowing that these two would support her no matter what. She just hoped her parents were okay.
Tuffnut: I wanna be a pirate!
Tuffnut: Or a fish cleaner. I'm still on the fence.
Mr.&Mrs. Thorston just looked at their son with disappointed gazes. Tuffnut hasn't noticed it though. The teens were also disgruntled at the male twin's lack of tact but no fight happened...for now.
Astrid: Ehem! You were saying?
Heather: They attacked our boat and took us back to our island, laying siege to it. I was able to escape, but my mother and father, they weren't so lucky.
Tuffnut: Stupid pirates! I'm definitely gonna be a fish cleaner!
Hiccup: Hey, everything's gonna be okay. My dad's the Chief. We'll figure something out.
Heather and Hiccup just smiled at their exchange.
[Astrid is unconvinced and checks the scene out a bit, before getting back to Stormfly]
"Is everything okay, Astrid?"-Heather asked.
"I don't know. My future self doesn't look too trusting. Let's hope it is nothing."
Astrid: Hey, don't forget we're meeting tomorrow to work on our times. Unless you want Stormfly to be the fast one in the Book of Dragons.
Toothless grunted, this time clearly unamused by the events. Nadder gave a bit of a victory squawk but the Night Fury ignored it. As if that would happen!
Hiccup: Yeah, that's definitely not gonna happen. We will be there.
Hiccup: Okay?
Heather: Whoa!
Snotlout: U, can I get a ride from someone...?
And again Vikings were laughing at the Jorgenson boy's expense. Spitelout was just plain scowling, and Gobber's grin aimed at him did not make him any happier.
Hiccup: Alright, just this way. Watch your step. And, here we are.
Heather: It was nice of your father to let me stay here.
"Thank you, Chief Stoick."-Heather turned back to address the Chief. Despite limited interaction with him, she could feel he was a kind man and Hiccup took more after him than he would admit.
"No problem, lass. Until we can find you a safe place to go, consider Berk your home."
Hiccup: Well, until we can find you a safe place to go, consider Berk your home.
People at first stared at the screen, before guffawing again. Gobber was openly laughing at his friend while Heather giggled into her hand. Yep, she rests her case.
[Heather notices the sketches]
Heather: Wow! What are these? They're really cool!
Hiccup: A new saddle for Toothless. We're trying to get some extra speed so we can stay on top of Astrid and Stormfly. Astrid's very competitive.
"Yeah, no kidding."-Tuff said. Astrid had to begrudgingly agree she was, a bit, intense. Just a bit.
Hiccup: Okay, so, uh, do you need anything? Some warm yak milk? A nice fish stew?
Heather: No. But thank you, Hiccup. I'm really tired. It's been a long day.
Hiccup: Right! Okay, uh, come on, Toothless. We're sleeping downstairs.
Heather: Hey, Hiccup?
Hiccup: Yes?
Heather: Thanks.
Hiccup: Sleep well, Heather.
Now the Berkians were slowly splitting up again. This time it wasn't about dragons though, no. This time it was who was a better couple -Hiccup and Astrid or Hiccup and Heather. Most of the villagers still preferred the Hofferson girl but there were a few who were now rooting for the new girl. A small number of villagers thought Hiccup would be better off with both of them, but did not voice their view.
As for the teens, Astrid tried to rein in something negative she was feeling now. She wasn't sure what it was, but it made her feel unhappy with Heather, and she didn't want that.
Snotlout and the twins were also looking at the screen with disbelief. Hiccup got Astrid in the future and possibly Heather as well? Fishlegs already promised himself to ask his friend for advice while Snotlout was cursing everything he could under his breath.
As for the couple in question, they looked mostly unaffected. True, their interaction in the future looked a bit more than just friendship, but they already knew that they liked being friends more. Still, it didn't mean they did not want to know how it all finished.
[The scene changes to Astrid bringing a barrel of chicken to Stormfly]
Astrid:That's it, girl. Finish up your chicken. By the time Hiccup figures out this is what's giving you all that energy, he'll be eating our dust!
Toothless looked so smug at Stormfly that the Nadder squawked in protest. Now that he knew what that Nadder ate he could eat the same and maintain his speed! Or better yet, not try anything new and just beat the annoying dragon on his own pace. No amount of chicken would help the girl's dragon!
"Chicken, huh? What do you say, bud? Wanna try?"-he heard his friend ask him. He looked at Hiccup, contemplating, before shaking his head and turning back to the screen.
"Don't you even dare try it, Hiccup!"
"Why not, Astrid? Technically you yourself had no idea what special food it was, so I am not exactly stealing your idea!"
The Hofferson girl huffed, but had to concede he had a point. That still warranted a strong punch to his shoulder.
[Stormfly hears a commotion]
Astrid: What is it, girl?
Astrid; You stay here.
Astrid: Hey!
[Astrid runs towards a fleeing figure before stopping]
Astrid: Heather?
"Okay, now THAT is suspicious! What were you doing, Heather?"-Astrid asked, with a harsher tone than she intended. That nagging feeling she experienced a few minutes ago did not help.
"I-I don't know, Astrid, I swear!"
Before Astrid could retort, Hiccup cut in:
"Look, let's not jump to conclusions. Whatever Heather was doing, we will find out soon enough."
Heather was just hoping whatever it was was not bad.
Heather: You're up early.
Hiccup: Yeah. Just wanted to get the jump on this.
Heather: You know, with a shorter connecting rod, it'll push you back in the saddle and make you more streamlined.
Hiccup: Which will increase our speed! Yeah! Oh, you hear that, bud? Stormfly's gonna be seeing a lot more of your tail.
[Toothless looks happy to hear it]
This time Toothless did not even bother hiding triumphant look from Stormfly who clearly looked peeved. The dragons were just about to engage in a fight before their respective riders started reigning them in.
"Come on, Hiccup! Can't you make him stop?"
"What did he do? Stormfly got up first to fight!"
"She wouldn't do it if your dragon wasn't so arrogant. Just like his rider!"
"And Stormfly wouldn't retaliate if her rider wasn't so competitive!"
Before they could continue bickering anymore Heather decided to make them sit them both down and nodded to the screen in anticipation. They both had to comply.
Heather: So, when can we test it out?
Hiccup: How about right now?
[The scene changes to Astrid on Stormfly, looking for someone. Toothless flies past at a fast speed, with Hiccup and Heather on his back]
Heather: Whoo! Yeah!
Astrid: You have got to be kidding me.
"What happened, lassie? Are you getting, perhaps, jealous?"-Gobber asked, winking at Astrid. She decided to ignore him, but had to admit that the negative feeling she was experiencing earlier must have been jealousy. What else? But why? Heather was definitely not interested in Hiccup like that! Was she?
[Scene changes to the Dragon Training Academy]
Fishlegs: Oh, ho! She loves getting her ears cleaned! I know just the right spot.
Villagers were clearly disgusted, even Mrs. Ingerman who found her boy's dragon to her liking.
Snotlout: Hookfang! Will you just calm down?
[Hookfang just puffs smoke at him]
What was wrong with that dragon? Snotlout could not fathom for the love of Gods what made the Nightmare so irritatingly disobedient.
Snotlout: Are we training, or not?
Fishlegs: Hey, where's Hiccup?
Astrid: Giving a private lesson.
"Ooh! So much jealousy, Astrid!"-Ruff said. Tuff just laughed. And Astrid without hesitation jumped at them both. Unfortunately that meant Fishlegs, who was sitting in between them was also involved.
"Should we help them?"-Heather asked, concerned. Hiccup just waved it off:
"Don't worry, the twins are tougher than they look"
"Well, I, for one, am just happy this time I am not involved in this fight."-Snotlout said, before receiving and accidental punch from Ruffnut-"Aww! My beautiful nose!'
Eventually they all calmed down though the twins looked like they fended off 5 dragon raids in one day. Fishlegs was a bit bruised and even Astrid had some marks.
Fishlegs: I didn't know he gave private lessons! Can anybody get in on that?
The 2nd row rolled their eyes at the young Ingerman's inability to understand sarcasm.
Astrid: Apparently, just her.
No one decided to taunt Astrid, probably for their own safety. Even the twins knew when it is safe to taunt others and when not to. Astrid was already pretty close to breaking down, or, better said, breaking someone's nose.
Ruffnut: Uh-oh! Looks like there's another hen in the rooster house.
Ruffnut gulped, knowing that Astrid would not care it was her future self who said it. She looked at the Hofferson girl meekly who decided not to engage...for now.
Tuffnut: Uh-oh. Yeah. Another rooster in the hen house. Wait, what?
Eye rolls from the 2nd row and the rest of the teens while the twins' parents just facepalmed. Tuff was always the less smart one between the two, though he did on occasion come up with intelligent things. Too bad it was not too often.
Astrid: Nothing. She thinks I'm jealous, which is completely ridiculous.
"That sounded so fake, milady, that even I could act better than that."-Hiccup chuckled, but slouched when he saw Astrid fisting her arm. He moved to rectify the mistake:
"Now that i think about it, I think that it was a genuine reaction and you are not jealous at all."
Astrid relaxed a bit though she did look at Hiccup with accusatory eyes. The boy could only nervously smile in return.
"She has you around her finger..."
"Shut up, Heather."
Tuffnut: Oh, right, right. Wait. Of who? Me? Wait, am I the rooster, or the hen?
Sighs from everyone.
Astrid: Trust me. The last thing I am is jealous.
[Hiccup and Heather arrive on top of Toothless]
Everyone was now leaning in, anticipation rising. Love triangle assembled would be interesting!
Hiccup: Top 'o the morning, class! How's everyone doing today?
Astrid: Oh! Nice of you to show up.
Hiccup: What? Oh, we were supposed to meet up. I'm so sorry.
Snotlout: Awkward!
"The perfect summation of this situation, eh, Stoick?"-Gobber quietly asked his friend who only sighed.
"Great, just as I was thinking Hiccup and Astrid were meant to be together, this new lass comes in and potentially destroys everything."
"I don't think you have to worry about this Heather girl stealing away Hiccup."
"I am not worried about that, Gobber. The fact is, Astrid noticed that Heather is acting suspicious, yet Hiccup does not notice it. I am sure Hofferson lass will talk to him, but what will he think of that? I hope he listens to Astrid, Gobber."
"Well, you know how he can be sometimes, Stoick. He is stubborn like a Haddock!"
"Yeah, yeah, you are right...wait, what?"
Tuffnut: Oh, Astrid's jealous of the pretty one, right? Why talk about hens and roosters?
And the absolute mayhem suddenly started. Tuff was just agreeing with his future self when he was nearly knocked out of the room by someone sprawling at him. Trying to stop Astrid, Hiccup and Heather tried to get to her but were accidentally tripped by Fishlegs and fell into Ruffnut. The four collided with the fighting duo and were all headed towards the last remaining teen.
"Oh, Thor..."-Snotlout whined before bracing himself.
Their parents tried to stop their children from fighting but it was useless since no one could see anything. Moreover, unlike the first row, the others weren't allowed to move so the only way to stop them was verbally, but even Stoick's booming voice, filled with promises and threats, was not enough to stop this mess.
Astrid was never a calm-headed and a patient person. And this all...it overwhelmed her. Dragons, armies, Hiccup, having friends, falling in love...it was too much. So she was already at wit's end when this particular part started. To hear others constantly make fun of her being jealous was the last straw. You couldn't really blame her, especially knowing her short fuse.
Hiccup and Heather tried to stop the fight, but received plenty of accidental punches from Ruff and Snotlout who were just punching everything they could. At the end they got out first, followed by Fishlegs who rolled out of the altercation.
Heather had several bruises on her arms and legs and she was coughing from receiving a strong punch into her abdomen. Hiccup was barely faring any better. He was stronger than he looked like, but his whole body was sore. Not to mention a split lip and a sprained wrist. As for Fishlegs, he mainly managed to roll himself in like a hedgehog so escaped without any serious injury. He did have some small bruises everywhere though.
Eventually Astrid's fuse went out and she relaxed on top of Tuff was a mess, to say the least. He and his sister would often go to Gothi to heal their injuries, but Tuff really, really, looked terrible. Black eyes, broken nose, several teeth missing, he also had his leg twisted and shoulder dislocated among his more serious injuries. When Astrid realized what she had done, she felt sick. That she could do something like that? Even Snotlout did not deserve it, no matter how annoying she was. Astrid looked horrified and just sprang away from the fight, getting close to Hiccup and Heather, who were a bit wary about her.
Snotlout and Ruffnut stopped as soon as they saw who they were hitting, as well. Snotlout was worse of the two, but he did have earlier injuries to contend with. He was better than Tuff though, because while he got injured in this tussle by accidental punches, Tuffnut was receiving intentional blows from love of his life. Mind you, if that was what she was capable of, he wanted nothing to do with her. Hiccup could have her for all he cares!
Ruff just decided to ignore some of the pain she had to check on her brother, only to be horrified by the injuries he sustained. Without hesitation she went up to quiet Astrid and punched her. Punched her. Straight in the face. Astrid went down, too guilty to defend, and could hear Ruff's angry voice over her:
"I have seen you angry plenty of times, Astrid, but that was unacceptable! What were you doing? You nearly killed my brother! And for what? To hide in fear from us being right? That you are jealous? Well, guess what? Only I am allowed to beat my brother to the pulp! Only I can jump on him, scare him, and do what you just did to him! If you want to do that to Snotlout, please, be my guest (Jorgenson boy whined a bit at the remark - he was NOT ready for another fight)! But if you do anything to my brother again, I swear you will have to deal with me! And I can do much worse things than throwing punches!"
With these stunning words she went to tend for Tuff who only whispered: "Best. Fight. Ever..."
As for everyone else in the room, they were stumped. The 2nd row were particularly in disbelief. That is, until Thorstons started yelling at Hoffersons who were too shocked to see what their daughter has done to care. Spitelout was looking at Stoick, demanding some action from the Chief, but even Stoick was in disbelief.
As for the rest, Alvin, Savage, Mildew and a few other Vikings who enjoyed watching violence this was an entertaining fight. And all because of that black-haired girl, no less! Alvin was just hoping the teenagers would remain with the same animosity that he could feel from them now.
Eventually the teens all managed to find a place to sit. It was not anywhere near their previous arrangements. Hiccup and Heather decided to sit together, away from everyone else, with Toothless to their right to stop any unwanted neighbor from coming. Truth is, Hiccup was not completely angry by Astrid's reaction. Twins could be exceptionally annoying at times, and he knew Astrid was not the one to admit to feelings. But even that was too much. He just wanted a bit of peace, no matter what Heather was doing in the future. Friend or foe in the future did not matter. Only what was happening now. And they were definitely close friends here.
Heather was shocked by Astrid's reaction too, but she knew that she also had that streak in her. So there was a certain pity mixed in her feelings towards the blonde girl.
The other group consisted of Snotlout and the twins who were tending for each other. They may love violence but that was too much, so they were trying to help each other. Or, better put, try to help Tuff first because he needed it the most. The other too would receive help soon enough.
Astrid sat in the middle, Stormfly blocking everyone from the girl who was on the verge of tears. Fishlegs may have hated such violence but he felt terrible for the girl. She was still their friend and she needed help. So knowing no one else was willing to do it, he got close to her (Stormfly eventually letting him pass) and sat near Astrid. She was sobbing now and could not hold it in any longer when she saw Fishlegs who offered her a comforting smile. She started bawling her eyes out, not caring in the least about her reputation (or what was left of it anyway), hugging Fishlegs as she did so. Fishlegs knew his tunic would be all wet from her tears but did not care. She was his friend and he would help her in a difficult time. She would do the same to him if the roles were reversed too.
The screen died down, with an announcement written out:
"Due to several circumstances you are allowed now to go towards the snack room if you wish so. The future showing will resume in half an hour."
Most of the Vikings were leaving the heavily charged room, muttering among themselves about what happened.
The 2nd row also decided to leave. They knew that, to heal any injuries the teenagers had, they needed time alone. Not physical injuries, per se, but mental. They looked to be close friends in the future and did not want to see their children throw it away.
The only ones remaining were 7 desolate and stricken teens.
Yep, you are gonna kill me now. I did promise it would be fun though. Stop throwing your phones and laptops around the room. Anyway, there is no need to guess that I decided to BREAK most of their relationships. No need to tell you who lost the most. *points at Astrid*. Anyway, we will see what I do in the next chapter. I have no idea myself to be honest. So, you may be able to convince me if you share your thoughts with me.
READ THIS IF YOU WANT AN EXPLANATION TO THE TEENS ACTIONS IN THIS CHAPTER:
I know not everyone will think they are very much in character (or OOC or whatever people call it) but let me reason with you. Fishlegs is a kind guy who is always there for his friends. He is not like Hiccup in comforting department but he is definitely one of the best at it. He knew that Astrid needed someone to help her and Hiccup was not coming as far as he was seeing, hence he went himself. Ruffnut may like hurting Tuff in pranks but she is incredibly protective of him. Think Likenwing episode! She can become maniacal in this so no surprise she exploded. Tuff stating the fight was awesome is also understood since he enjoys violence even if it is on him and we have seen it often in RTTE. Snotlout's whining is also usual since we know he is all talk, not much action. Getting Hiccup and Astrid right was harder. Hiccup decided not to talk to Astrid because he knows she needed space right now. Especially from him. Plus he was still good friends with Heather and he needed to be there for raven-haired girl too.
Astrid...people will say that I should not have gone that far...But let me explain: everyone has been overwhelmed by the news. But not anyone more so than Astrid. She wanted to be Shield Maiden, kill dragons, become fearless Viking and then she finds out she is all lovey-dovey, loves dragons, has weaknesses and most importantly likes Hiccup a lot. To take all that in is not easy, believe me I know. And people like Astrid are tough on the outside - but not so much on the inside. So she was already struggling when the part started and brought to wit's end with all the 'jealousy' talk. She can not admit to herself she likes Hiccup and likes the changes made so she lashed out. Tuff was just unfortunate to have been her target.
THAT'S IT. HOPE I CLEARED IT FOR YOU GUYS AND GALS.
Anyway, we finished first half of Part I of this arc. So, that means we will have 4, yes, 4, chapters involving Heather and the teens. I know, I know, you hate me now cause I will stretch it to a month but no one said it is gonna be easy. Anyway, I will finish 2nd half of this episode in the next chapter, no matter how many words. Since there are about 14 minutes left in this particular episode, I am expecting the longest chapter yet. This one passed 6k so at least something good for you.
HTTYD characters, script and movie (and everything else) belongs to DreamWorks Pictures and affiliated companies. The presenter is also not mine, but a character of Disney Studios. They have all the rights on the character. Additionally, some of the additional characters have been introduced in Dragons: Race to the Edge, which has been streamed by Netflix. So, those characters as well as their script and everything else belongs to Netflix. I own only their reactions. The story is for entertainment purposes only, with no financial gain involved. All the characters belong to Cressida Cowell.
Until then, take care.