Hey peoples! Boy oh boy, have I been busy!

Went to a fabulous Gay Pride Gala the other day with my friend, auditioned for a youth orchestra, and attended my last Russian class for the semester! I don't know if I'm sad or relieved that it's over. And then there was prom! And I've got so much homework (end of year crunch and stuff)…

And it's finally warm and sunny where I reside (about time too!) so I've been enjoying the great outdoors instead of writing. But it was cold yesterday and will be today and tomorrow so here I am!

Sorry if I took too long for some peoples' likings (like you, ClearBear; but I appreciate your reviews and enthusiasm, so kudos for that)

\(^o^)/

Enough blabbing from me! Without further ado, I present to all Chapter 10! Happy reading!

10 – Secrets

Part I – The Guardians

Aurora Borealis: Somewhere over the Sea (Jack's POV)

Phil found me that morning asleep on the deck. He shook me awake, eyes questioning.

"Yeah, long night," I murmured sleepily.

Phil nodded and took me to where the others were having breakfast below decks. North and Bunny were in the midst of having a spat over which holiday was better (Christmas or Easter). Tooth hadn't returned yet. Sandy's seat was loomingly empty. The yetis were talking away, passing bowls of oatmeal around.

I absentmindedly grabbed a sugar cookie from a passing elf. Yes, those little idiots were still hanging around. A few always managed to find a way onto North's sleigh whenever he went back to Santoff Claussen. Annoying? Yes. Damn good cookies? Of course!

Finishing my cookie within a minute, I excused myself. No one noticed me depart.

I spent a good half of my day reading a book. Hey, don't judge! I do read! Not too often (cuz I'm out causing trouble and making snow and stuff) but being on boat arrest for an indefinite amount of time isn't exactly that lenient. It's lost its fun to prank Bunny.

Speaking of which…

I heard his paws making their way across the hall. Well, it was better than talking to no one.

Tossing the book aside, I slammed my door open. It shocked Bunny, who jumped—and knocked his head on the low ceiling; I know, hilarious. After rubbing his bruised skull, he glared at me. I raised an eyebrow in return. He nodded coolly.

"Frostbite."

"Eucalyptus," I replied with a smirk.

As I expected, Bunnymund's eyes narrowed. He took a step towards me. "I though everyone here was in agreeance that no one would refer to me by my first name."

"Really? I'd never heard that in the ship's agreement."

"But my formal title is 'E. Aster.' I've told everyone that, including you, and just about everyone's remembered that by now."

"I'm not exactly 'everyone' now, am I?"

"Watch it, boyo."

"Whatever you say, Kangaroo."

Bunny looked ready to retaliate, but stopped and groaned.

I went to steady him. Come to think of it, he hadn't been looking all too healthy for a while. "You okay there?"

"I need a break from this bloody ship," muttered Bunny. "I want — no, need — ta feel the earth beneath my feet again."

"Need a lift?" I asked.

He seemed a bit surprised by the offer. "If you insist. And, if you behave, I might let'cha see the Warren like I promised."

"Seriously? You would?"

Bunny shrugged. "I promised I would someday, didn't I?"

I grinned from ear to ear. "Let's go then!"

"As long as you don't destroy anything."

"Please, since when have I destroyed your things?" When he gave me a glare, my smile withered slightly. "Okay, fine. When have I destroyed your things in the last few months?"

"You're really pushing my buttons here, Frostbite," he warned.

"I was trying to be honest. I haven't destroyed Easter for a good two or so years now."

"Yeah, and don't get cocky because North offered you a clean slate with the Naughty list. If I were him, I'd be itching to land a punch on you."

I sighed. "Do you want to go back on land or not?"

Bunny hesitated, obviously hating the fact that I was his only ride back down to earth. "I'll take the ride, but only if you promise not to kill me on the way there."

"You're immortal."

"You know what I mean."

"And I don't make promised that I don't mean, or can't keep."

"Frost-"

"Come on!"

I ran up onto the deck. Bunny followed unsteadily behind. At least he followed. I took it as a promising sign and held out a hand. He took it gingerly.

"Here, stand on the crook of my staff," I commanded, "and hold on tight."

His grip threatened to shatter every bone in my hand. I rolled my eyes at his fear (though secretly enjoying it) and called the wind.

"Wind! Get me down to the nearest piece of land! And fast!"

Fast it was. Don't feel too bad; Bunny got his revenge after throwing up in a bush. I didn't enjoy the rough ride to the Warren. I even hit my head on a rock.

Bunny seemed pretty happy about my obvious misery. He hauled me up to my feet and mock-bowed. "Welcome to the Warren. A little caution if ya don't mind. My Warren, my rules."

"Gee, more rules. Thanks," I said snidely, but my sarcasm soon left as I saw the place unfold before my very eyes.

The Warren (Jack's POV)

The Warren was sunny. Obviously underground, but sunny. Something about that seemed more natural. Thick, soft grass carpeted the ground underneath my feet. It too was warm with an earthy scent.

Several strange, golem-like creatures marched around. I realized with a start that they were giant stone eggs, seven or so feet tall with faces carved into them, moss growing leisurely on their surfaces. I stroked one; its body was rough and soft to the touch.

"They keep guard of my googies," Bunny explained as I took an interest in them.

I found his lingo mildly amusing. "Googies?"

"What? I am an Auslandian native last I checked!"

"Last you checked." I smirked and tapped another passing guard. "Really, though? They're guards. Seem pretty chill to me."

"Ah, but that's because you're not on their bad side, mate. And I mean that literally."

He pointed to the back of the passing egg golem as it thudded by. There was a second face etched in, an evil frown staring at us. Okay, I didn't want to be on their bad side. Sure I'm immortal, but I can still suffer.

I turned and noticed Bunny beginning to walk down a path lined with trees and flowers. He beckoned for me to follow. "I'll give ya the grand tour of the place. If you'd like, that is."

"You kidding me? Of course!"

I dashed after the pooka cautiously. I didn't think Bunny'd take it too well if I accidentally knocked one of his plants with my elbow or staff or something and freeze it over.

We went through the Warren backwards. Bunny explained each landmark briefly (emphasis on brief; in fact, tag on a 'ridiculously' with it). We were through the entire place in less than ten minutes which, for once, didn't sit well with me.

"That was way too quick," I stated.

He seemed a bit irked by my complaint. "I told you I'd show you my Warren, not dissect the whole thing! Besides, when have you cared about the inner workings of Easter?"

"Now?"

"Please? I'm actually curious as to how you manage to get Easter together without the help of others. I mean, even North's got the yetis…and the elves, I guess."

That made Bunny smile. "It's because I've got magic on my side, bucco. Fine, I'll show you with this thing." He pulled out a wooden egg from his pocket. "Now follow me. I'll start with the basics."

Bunny led me to a meadow. Everything with this kangaroo seemed to lead to a meadow. This open field, though, was very different from the one he'd shown me in Auslandia. The flowers here were magentas and yellows and whites, blooming happily unlike the morbid red grave markers. The grass here was slightly longer, covering my ankles. It frosted over as I treaded lightly through it.

The most noticeable thing there were a specific flower I'd never seen before. They looked like bluebells, except the stem was up to my waist and each flower was the size of my fist. The flowers were still shut tightly. As for the petals, they were cream colored and almost translucent. I could just make out the outline of something growing in the flower itself.

Bunny put a hand under one flower. "This here is where the egg grows. They mature over the whole year and are all born the day before Easter."

Then his hand glowed slightly until I could make out the outline of the egg quite clearly. The top of it was attached to the stalk like an umbilical cord. And then I realized it was Bunny's hand and not his paw. Looking up, my eyes confirmed my assumption.

"So you're human now?"

"In the form of one, yes."

I met his gaze, curious. Then the torrent of questions came spewing out of my mouth. "Why do you transform anyway? Is there a difference between the two forms with abilities or something? And is that all you can transform to? Are you still considered a Pooka if you're in your human form? And how did you make your hand glow like that? Oh, and where did the pants come from? Seriously, I want to know."

"One question at a time, Frostbite! Geez!" He laughed a bit. "Alright, I'll get them all down. First off, I'm a Pooka no matter what I look like. And yes, I can only transform between human and rabbit. Secondly, there are differences. My hand can glow because I'm in my human form. Magic runs stronger in a Pooka's human identity, but we're faster and stronger as rabbits. Which is why I tend to stay like that. Anyway, Pookas have some abilities in magic if we're close to earth. I've got years of experience with that li'l trick. Usually, though, we specialize in healing and growing plants. Earth magic is often considered healing magic too; they go hand in hand.

"And why do you keep asking about my bloody pants? What is so amazing about them?"

"Curious," I responded with a shrug, but inside I was ready to burst with laughter.

"Right!" Bunny clasped his hands together. "I guess I'll run you through the basics with this wooden egg. Not the same, but it'll do."

He released the egg gently to the ground. It sprouted little feet and began walking towards the paint river. I gasped and watched it toddle its way over. "Is this how you do the Easter thing without having to paint them all on your own?"

"Yep. These googies know exactly what they're doing. Programmed by magic and everything. There's a bunch of complicated stuff involved, but that's not so bad once you manage it. And like I said earlier, I'm more attuned to earth magic to begin with, so I can manipulate anything natural."

"Like eggs?"

"Like eggs."

The wooden egg hopped over the grass and dashed down the hill, jumping feet first into the swirl of colors. It vanished from sight for a few seconds, but soon reemerged on the other side of the river. I half expected it to be a mess of colors, but saw it was a robin blue.

"Don't the paints get mixed up?" I asked.

"Naw." Bunny came over to me. I noticed he was a bunny again. "The paint has random selection. That's why each egg is different. Usually those with the same colors will go to the same place. So all the pink ones will want to travel together, or the yellow ones, and so on and so forth."

I grinned. "That sounded so racist."

"Did it now?"

Bunny was about to say more, but I ignored him and continued to follow the egg. It had slid onto a spiral vine now. As it slid down, Bunny explained, "That there is where some of the eggs get their designs. Many don't. But the ones that do have the most intricate things."

Sure enough, the egg now had a silver-and-gold swirling pattern going up diagonally. It resembled a henna I'd seen some years ago. Bunny picked up the completed egg and its legs vanished. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a paintbrush. Right away I could tell this one was magical; the paint on the tip was a perfect line and it kept changing colors.

Bunny took a seat on a rock under a shady tree, adding a new pattern to the egg. I joined him after a moment.

"Do you deliver completed eggs, or is there something else?"

Bunny shook his head, eyes never leaving the blue-painted wood. "Normally the real ones would go through those tunnels there and hide themselves. Then they'd lose the legs."

"Wow…" I was actually impressed. "Not bad."

"Not bad yourself."

"Sorry about all of the Easter blizzards."

"You're forgiven, as long as you promise not to have any more of those things."

"Promise."

He seemed a bit shocked by it. "Really?"

"Yeah," I said, "really."

We shared a smile for a moment. I took some time to look around the Warren from where I sat. It was tranquil, peaceful. I couldn't imagine what it needed guarded from. So I asked.

"Why the guards?"

The paintbrush stopped moving for a second, but soon began its fine work again. "Some years ago, Pitch came into the Warren and destroyed every single egg. Not a single one made it out of the tunnels.

"I was lucky, though, because I had everyone else on my side. They helped to make fake eggs. North had his yetis working overtime. We made them and Sandy sent all the sad children a dream that the Easter Bunny was late and he because he was making an extra-special delivery. Tooth had all of her ladies bring them to the children."

"Did everything go well?"

"Oh yeah. I'd never felt more relieved to be believed in. I guess that's the only catch to being a Guardian. Your life is always on the line."

I nodded slowly. "So yes to guards."

Bunny chuckled. "Definitely."

"You've got a cool thing going here," I admitted. "Granted, it's a bit too green for me, but it's nice. Earthy."

Bunny shrugged. "I tried."

"And this is all your's?"

"Yep. The only other person who knows the way in is Groundhog, and we haven't spoken for some time."

I glanced around again. "Do you have seasons down here?"

"No. I don't care too much for anything but spring really." He shrugged. "Pooka magic is directly tied to the earth. It's strongest in the spring."

"Is this why you needed to get off the ship? Because you need more earth and spring weather?"

"Basically. The further away from them I am, the weaker I become. It's why I try to keep to myself unless important Guardian duties pop up."

"Is that why you're still stuck on the ship?" I asked. "Because of me?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "All I need is to come down to earth now and again and I'll be fine. Besides, we'll all need to be more cautious soon enough. I overheard North talking with the yetis last night. Apparently we're close ta reaching the border."

That confused me. "The border?"

"It's where our magic actually stops."

"So there are boundaries were you can and can't use magic?"

"Yep. It's where there aren't any kids who believe in our existence. They don't celebrate our holidays, nor do they care ta. Mostly they're from places with smaller populations and few ways ta reach the outside world. Many still have what we consider to be old traditions.

"That's why North and I have never heard of this Berk place, but Tooth has. To her, it doesn't matter whether she's believed in or not. All memories are precious things, and the most precious are those contained within the teeth."

"Do they believe in Sandy up there?" My voice came out quieter than I expected.

Bunny thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Naw, I don't think so. Else there would've been a bigger disturbance on the globe with his disappearance."

We sat in silence for a few moments. Then I couldn't help but ask, "When did you first meet Sandy?"

"About two hundred years ago was when we became closer. Why?"

"I dunno. I've just been thinking about his a lot…"

Silence.

"He's not dead, ya know," Bunny stated. "You do know that, right?"

I sighed. "I know. I just wish I knew how we could get him back."

"So do I, Frostbite, so do I."

"…I feel so guilty about that night, about what happened to him."

Bunny looked up. "Jack, you've got to realize you've done nothing wrong."

"But that's just it." I turned and met his eyes. "That night, I was the only one who saw what happened. Sandy, he died—no, was turned into nightmares—protecting me. It's true! Pitch was about to stab me with his dagger thing. But Sandy…he got in between us.

"If I hadn't been there, if I hadn't been talking to Pitch, he'd still been here with us."

"Stop it."

The command made me shut my mouth with a snap. I looked at Bunny, who was gripping his paintbrush hard in his fist.

"Stop it. Stop blamin' yourself for what happened. You probably wouldn't've died, but you would've been gone. And then what? When I almost vanished, I had the possible faith from children. I had the other Guardians to help me get my power back. But you, you don't have any of that. Sure, you've got us, but what can we do if the children don't believe in you?

"Sandy knew that someday we would come back and find him. He knew that you still had to find your center and your purpose. MiM chose you for a reason over the rest of us. There's something you're meant to do. Something none of us can do without you. So stop blamin' yourself and accept the fact that you're still alive and you've got us. Okay?"

"But-"

"By the moon, Jack, you're not alone anymore!"

"No…" I murmured.

"What was that?"

"No," I repeated again, louder. "No, you're right. I'm not alone anymore, am I? I was for the longest time, but now I'm…not."

Bunny smiled. "There ya go."

"And Bunny?"

"Yeah mate?"

"Thanks."

He was still smiling as he continued to paint. "There we go. All done with this bugger!"

The wooden egg was completed. It was still robin's egg blue, but there was more silver and white in it, blending it into a shimmering icy hue. Surrounding the silver-gold henna were several tiny hexagons. They reminded me of snowflakes.

Bunny regarded the egg, then handed it to me. I tried to refuse it, but he insisted. "That river chose blue. My element's not ice. This was obviously meant for you. Keep it."

"Thanks."

This was the second gift I had gotten from the Guardians now. North had insisted I keep his matryoshka to remind me that we all had a center. Now Bunny's egg for everyone's faith in me. I didn't deserve it, but I pocketed it. Both items would definitely be on the desk in my room later.

Bunny got up and stretched. "Well, we should head back. It's probably nightfall up on land."

I was surprised. "But the sun's still out!"

"Magic." And with that he tapped a foot on the ground and we were sliding back up to the surface. Funny, since we were literally falling down.

The Aurora Borealis: Somewhere Over the Sea (Jack's POV)

We got back late that night. I didn't mess around with Bunny this time; the ride from the shore to the ship was smooth. Granted, a little fast, but I think he'll thank me in the future after he finishes puking out his guts. The choice was between that or going so slow that we'd been able to see every wave crest until we passed over the clouds.

Fear or fear. Dumb choice.

I was about to go to my room when I heard the hum of wings coming down from the crow's nest. I expected it to be Baby, but I realized the sound was too loud to be someone so small. I turned around.

"Tooth?" I asked.

"Hi Jack."

She seemed incredibly solemn. I walked over to where she was fluttering. "We were all worried. You were gone all day. What is it? Has Pitch been using the nightmares?"

"What?" Tooth looked up, dazed. "Pitch? Oh no, it wasn't that. I just had to think for a while, so I went around collecting teeth. Keeping me busy, you know?"

I nodded. That was making snow days in a nutshell.

Toothiana sighed. "Jack, would you like to come out with me tonight? I…I think I'm ready to tell you about my past."

Part II – The Vikings

Time Lapse (Hiccup's POV)

It started like any other day since my dad left on the final raid of the year. I woke up in the workshop, some random piece of paper stuck to my cheek from sleeping on it uncomfortably. Then I'd either go to class or to the cove based on what the schedule was.

On days I went to the cove first, it started with me either fishing or stealing a basket of the morning's catch. No one ever noticed me either way. I'd take my things from my workshop and head out to where Toothless was waiting. Most days were spent with me talking about my life, learning about him, sometimes the odd conversation popping up. We'd fly with new contraptions each day, none of which seemed to work completely.

I promised myself and Toothless that I would perfect a fin soon.

Then it was off to eat a meager meal of tasteless bread and weak soup, followed by a grueling afternoon in the ring. But I had to say they were getting better.

As Gobber promised, we were moving up to harder dragons. No longer were we facing just Gronckles (which I did realize were as weak as Toothless claimed they were), but also more common dragons which were considered "upper class" kills.

After class, depending on the time, I'd either head off back to the cove or humor my fellow classmates with lessons. Not that any of them really tried any tricks I told them. They're more prone to beating a dragon with their bare hands over rubbing an eel on them before class. Everyone, that is, except Astrid. I'd been seeing less and less of her.

While I was enjoying time with Toothless, I picked up some interesting tips about them. For starters, he loved being scratched. I realized after the second time that he was shedding, and my fingernails helped to dislodge some of the peskier scales. Yet there was a certain spot right under his chin that made him fall half-unconscious with the most blissful expression on his face.

So I took that tip with me in the afternoon. That was the day we fought the Nadder for the second time. Ends up Nadders like being scratched under the chin to. The moment my fingers met its chin, the dragon was unconscious. Of course, I had to give Astrid the credit as well; she distracted the Nadder by letting out her fierce battle cry.

Most nights, I would eat dinner alone in the Great Hall and either go straight to my workshop to start a new prototype of the tailfin or hang out with Fishlegs until he went home. There usually wasn't much variation from that.

That night, though, the strangest thing happened. People approached me. Actual Vikings wanting to have a conversation. I was thoroughly uncomfortable, to say the least. Before that, the only person who would talk to me was Fishlegs, and that was only because of our little meeting in the Hall of Records. We hung out after dinner most evenings because of it.

It didn't sit well with me. What I didn't realize was it wasn't sitting well with Astrid either. She, unlike me, was used to being the center of attention. So the fact that I was 'taking her glory' was a cause of jealousy. Not trying to make her sound bad or anything.

So my days continued like that. I would wake up and sneak out, come home and go to class, sneak around some more and go to dinner, talk to a friend and work until I collapsed. As the days went by, there was more and more sneaking involved as people began to notice me. They stopped me during my routines, asking questions I had no answers for.

It finally came to me complaining more to Toothless (who would snort in disdain at my childishly human problems) but he was all ears. Sometimes we'd test out the fins, most days we'd just talk, listen, and play. I found he chased reflective lights like a tamed wolf pup.

Which then worked on the Terrible Terror.

End Time Lapse.

Berk: Dragon Training Ring (Hiccup's POV)

"Meet the Terrible Terror!" shouted Gobber.

The gate opened, yet the doors failed to do so. Instead, a little hinged flap began to swing as a tiny dragon slithered out. It was really pitiful, really. No bigger than a northern hawk.

Ruffnut seemed to think so too. "Hah!" he barked. "That thing's like the size of my-"

He didn't get a chance to finish as the Terror proceeded to fly into his face, knocking the poor guy over, and chewing on his nose. I noticed its teeth were not there; it was probably gumming – a thing I noticed Toothless doing from time to time. When I asked why he chewed on sticks with his bare gums, I was able to sense itchy. Like how a baby would chew on metal and wood when they were beginning to grow new teeth.

Using my shield's metal as a reflector, I aimed a beam of light at the Terror, who noticed immediately and began to follow it. Thank the gods for sunlight. Come to think of it, this was the latest summer we'd ever had on Berk.

Tuffnut rolled over, holding his face and crying for all to hear, "Oh, I am hurt! I am very much hurt!"

I personally think he has some drama issues.

The Terror wasted no time in trying to find his prize. When I put the light onto the door of its cage, the little dragon tried to follow it. As the hinge closed shut, I put my foot on it to stop the Terror's escape.

I turned back to the group, smiling. Just about everyone seemed impressed. All except for Tuffnut (who was still rubbing his sore nose) and Astrid (who looked ready to murder something).

I caught Tuff muttering to her, "Wow, he's better than you ever were," as I left. Somehow, I didn't think it helped.

That was the only thing I actually noticed. I didn't notice the way Astrid gripped her axe tighter. I didn't notice the faint applause I was receiving from the audience that had gathered. I didn't notice Gobber exchanging a knowing glance with the village elder. I didn't notice anything more than that it was midday and time for me to get to the cove.

Berk: Village Center (Hiccup's POV)

"Gobber!" I called, running up to catch up with him.

He looked up as I flew in front of him. "Well, look who it is! Good job at the ring today! I knew you had it in you!"

What? Oh yeah, the Terrible Terror. It wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be. I nodded quickly. "Thanks Gobber. Listen, I was wondering if you were planning on using the forge today."

He thought for a moment. "Hmm…not that I'm aware of. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to work on something is all!"

That came out way too fast. I cringed a bit and forced a smile. Gobber's eyes narrowed.

"What is it this time?"

"Just a project idea I had for some time."

"Oh really?" Well, he obviously didn't believe me. "And what exactly is this 'project' you're talkin' about?" He air-quoted with is one good hand.

I swallowed. Just then, Astrid came walking by. I had an idea.

"I was going to make myself a new axe," I said.

That did the trick. Gobber's skeptical expression became bemused. "An axe? And what would you need this axe for? You could probably take a dragon with your bare hands at the rate you're going!"

Maybe with a massage, I thought, but I kept that inside.

"No, it's just that before he left for the raid, Dad gave me a battle-axe. He told me that when I held that axe, I held the village with it. But I kinda got it destroyed with the first time we faced off the Nadder. So I was thinking to make a better one. One he would be proud to wield."

Gobber's expression softened. He patted me on the shoulder and nodded. "Well, I'm sure he is proud of you, Hiccup. He's just bad at expressing it. But I'll let you have the forge for the rest of the day, and tomorrow if ya need it."

"Thanks Gobber." Sometimes he felt more like an uncle and friend than anyone else.

"Right," he stated. "I'm not allowed to choose favorites, but I've got a pretty good bet that you'll be the next to perform the initiation ceremony."

My blood froze. "What?"

"Yep. Been seeing the Elder more and more lately. She's been hanging around the ring watching everyone's performance, and yours is definitely eye-catchin' to say the least. If anyone's becoming a Viking, it's you."

Oh Thor Almighty, spare me from this. Not now, not when I'd just started to understand how different dragons were from us. And how similar. I coughed lightly and nodded.

"Well, I'll go get my stuff," I mumbled awkwardly.

Gobber laughed. "Yes, of course! I'll see you at dinner then, Hiccup!"

"Right, sure, of course! Okay, cool. Excellent, so I'll, uh, I'll see you then!"

As Gobber walked away, I felt a punch on my shoulder. I cried out, grabbing my injured arm and spinning around, only to find Astrid there. That wasn't something I was expecting. I gave her a stupid grin. "Oh, Astrid. Hi!"

She scowled. "Hiccup."

"Was there something you wanted?" I asked after a few moments.

Astrid didn't say anything for a second, obviously collecting her thoughts. Perhaps my lack of response had set her off? I usually tried to make contact, but this time was different.

She shook her head. "It's nothing. I've just noticed you aren't around most days. Why is that?"

It was my turn to be shocked into silence. Honestly, what was I supposed to say? 'Oh, it's nothing really. I'm just housing a Night Fury in the woods. We're really close, so close in fact that I can sometimes talk to him!' As if!

"Personal training," I ended up stating.

"That doesn't mean anything to me," she snapped.

"Great!" I ended the conversation as quickly as I could. "Which reminds me I have to go!"

I ran off to my workshop before her reply. When I got there, I snuck a glance over my shoulder. She hadn't moved, but her interest wasn't on me anymore. For once, I was truly glad about that.

Berk: Raven's Point (Astrid's POV)

It just wasn't adding up.

I hopped over a fallen log, did a quick tumble, then threw my axe as hard as I could at the nearest tree. It hit its mark, just as I knew it would. Years of training under my father did that. No one messed with a Hofferson. Especially one who became as tough and Viking-like as everyone reminds me I am.

I have standards to meet. High standards. It happens when both your parents were top-notch students in dragon training, aside from the chief (of course). And I'm not one to make an argument that just because Hiccup is indeed a Haddock means he has the "right" to be better. Chief's son or not.

Thwack! My axe hit its mark again. And again. And again.

My frustration was boiling. What was I doing wrong? Something wasn't right. It couldn't be.

I was rolling, tumbling, throwing; harder, faster, stronger. What was I doing wrong?

I knew who I was, who others were, especially when the world gets tough. I'm the one who takes these feelings and works them off with a good old-fashioned physical conditioning. Some people cry when they're angry or in turmoil. Like Fishlegs. He was a crybaby. Some people hid away from the rest of the world. Like the twins. Some even tried to force their feelings onto others. Like Snot. And there are the rare few who hide their emotions so well you can never really tell what's really going on in their heads.

Like Hiccup.

I stopped, panting, thinking. There was something truly off with Hiccup. Well, aside from the fact that he makes a miserable excuse of a Viking. How in the world did Hiccup manage to do anything useful? What was he doing that I couldn't understand?

I won't say that I'm much of a thinker. That's usually the work of elders and such. But today was a day that needed thought.

I don't like taking breaks when I'm working on polishing my skills, but I sat down on the fallen tree and began to think. So many little tricks had been pulled on the dragons, but none of them involved the use of a weapon. I made note of each.

The Gronckle: knocked out and drooling by some grass rubbed on its nose. The Nadder: scratched somewhere on its head. I decided scratching based on the noise I heard, and the fact that Hiccup's nails were in worse shape than usual. The Zippleback: scared by an eel. And now there was today with the Terror: chasing light.

It didn't make sense. None of these things could actually kill a dragon, could they? When did he learn this? And when I confronted him today, the only thing he said was "personal training." Since when did Hiccup train? Last I checked he was in his little cabin all day doing gods know what!

He had to be cheating. That was the only conclusion I could come up with. That, or he'd actually had some encounters with dragons. Highly unlikely, so cheating it was. However, I couldn't prove that he was actually cheating, so I'd have to beat him fair and square.

Standing, I started pounding my axe into the tree again with each toss. Lofting it over my head comfortably had taken years; it was passed down through my family all seven generations that Vikings had been living on Berk. Before long I was working up a sweat, but not in a bad way. It was a good kind, like the one that makes you feel like you're getting somewhere.

The tree had nicks all along it. It was the tree I always used for training like today. After a particularly hard throw – which took an even harder yank to free my weapon – I heard the sound of rustling leaves. My fighting instincts kicked in. I rolled and held the axe high, ready to throw it at my potential enemy…

…only to see Hiccup standing there. He was wearing something weird: a vest that didn't cover his front or sides very well, made of tough brown leather. In his hands was a bundle that was almost as long as he was tall. Curious.

Hiccup's green eyes met mine for a second before he nodded awkwardly and walked away. My gaze followed his receding figure until he was out of sight. Then as quietly as I could, I snuck after him. I didn't get far, however, for the moment he slipped past a boulder he vanished into the thick summer foliage.

I glanced around for a few seconds to make sure he truly wasn't there until I gave up, slamming my fist down on the boulder I'd climbed upon and letting out a frustrated grunt. Someday soon I was going to get to the bottom of this. I swore upon my axe and the gods I would.

Berk: The Cove (Hiccup's POV)

"I think I might've made an enemy with the only Viking who has an ounce of common sense!"

Toothless gave me a blank-eyed stare. Then he nudged my hand to continue. Which I did.

"Her name is Astrid."

He snorted.

I glowered while picking up the saddle and slipping it onto Toothless's back. "Laugh all you want, but that's her name. And it's way more respectable than 'Hiccup.'"

Says the one who named me Toothless.

"It doesn't make sense!" I cried out, completely ignoring him (and tightening the straps tighter than usual; Toothless whapped me in the head for that). "All I've done is stop myself from being killed by what you think of as 'weak dragons' and she hates me. I saw her doing target practice in the woods today. I bet she was imagining my face on that tree."

Did she follow you? he asked.

"No, I managed to evade in the foliage."

Good.

Grabbing the tailfin, I started complaining again. "And now there's dragon training on top of that! I mean, I'm not trying to do anything special, and the next thing I know everyone's done nothing but pay attention to me. I can barely sneak out of the village now! And at dinner, everyone surrounds me and starts asking questions and trading tips on killing dragons and stuff. Which I have no interest in anymore!"

Toothless made the gurgling sound in the back of his throat – which I recently discovered was him laughing – very obviously.

"Don't mock me!" I begged. "You're probably the only one who listens to me, aside from Gobber, and I can't even tell him about your existence!"

I got a slobbery apology lick on the cheek. After wiping it away, I scratched him behind the headfins (which seemed to act like the whiskers of a mouse). "Thanks bud."

He purred. I was careful to avoid the point that would make him faint. I wondered, was that a common point among all dragons. Not that I'd want to test it, but Nadders liked to be scratched under the chins too.

"Well," I said. "I've got some good news. I've finished finalizing the fin controls, so we can test it out in the next couple of days. Sound good, bud?"

Again, he was jumping around so much that it was hard to calm him. And it's a real task to control a hyperactive Night Fury. By the time I did, both of us had somehow managed to tumble into the lake, scaring all the fish and birds from the area.

I popped out first, laughing. Toothless slid under me so I was propped safely on his back. He walked onto land, where I leaned over and grabbed the foot pedals. "Here, let me down so I can get this set up."

It took a few long moments – with Toothless sighing more than necessary – before I was able to finish hooking up the contraption. It looked better than I thought it would: secure, accurate, controllable. I smirked a bit at the last thought. Two pedals couldn't control a dragon's will – especially a feisty one like Toothless – but it was the only thing that could make him fly.

"Shall we test this out, then?" I asked.

Toothless gave me the most of-course-you-idiot glare I'd ever seen. I laughed and patted him on the back and hopped on.

"Okay, let's see if this works!" Toothless was ready to launch himself straight up when I shouted, "No, wait! Stop!"

He was definitely irritated. What is it this time?

"Two very important things. One, I have no idea how to control this thing yet. We should figure out the controls at a low altitude where I can record them. And secondly, Astrid's still in the area. I think we can both agree that we don't want her to catch us."

Toothless agreed. Sounds fair. From what I gathered, she's much more capable of beheading the two of us than you are of decapitating a twig.

"That made absolutely no sense," I said after a moment.

Shrug. It sucks, though. I was really looking forward to stretching out my wings again.

I scratched his head. "Sorry, bud. We'll see about tomorrow. If my sightings are correct we should be having another nice day. That's weird though. It's usually snowing by now…"

Toothless chose to ignore me and nudged the rope I used for measurements towards me; it'd fallen out of the leather I used to wrap the fin in earlier.

Hopping onto Toothless's back, I let him guide me. He glided easily out of the cove and towards the clearing nearby. We were hidden from all but the sea with the tree line. No worries about Astrid unless she decided to follow me this far past Raven's Point.

Toothless lead me to the edge of a cliff. It faced out to sea, where the sun was beginning to set. Grass tickled my ankles as a strong current blew in. The view was breathtaking—literally—and I felt…free. In that moment, the sky was the limit. That, and a downed dragon.

I noticed there was a post there. Really, it was conveniently sticking out of the ground where nothing else but tall grass was. Toothless landed in front of it and placed the rope on the stump. He gave me an expectant look.

"What?"

Toothless continued to look at me until we both realized we were unable to communicate again. He huffed in frustration, then flipped the rope onto his neck. I got the message.

"You want me to tie you?"

He nodded.

"To this stump?"

More nodding.

"Okay…"

I did as Toothless wanted, more confused than ever. He wasted no time in putting the other half of the rope onto the post. I took the message and tied him securely. Once that was done, Toothless gestured for me to get on his back, which I did. I strapped myself in and waited for something to happen.

A gust of wind decided to pick up then. Toothless opened his wings and glided, unable to move due to the tether. Suddenly, it all made sense.

"Oh, I get it! You want me to figure out the controls where it's safe! Good idea, bud!"

He huffed. Give me some credit!

"Oh, so you're talking now are you?" I said snidely.

Toothless ignored me. He just waited for the next strong breeze and opened his wings. I took the cue to rip out a sheet of parchment from my journal.

"Let's see, there are six possible combinations with two pedals…"

I got the first three with no problem. As I finished and recorded the fourth (in which Toothless landed easily and gave me a knowing smile of approval) another gust of wind came along. We were just about ready to fly when it suddenly picked up more than we'd expected.

Neither of us was able to suppress our surprised screams as the rope snapped and we were sent flying backwards into the trees.

I groaned as I tried to get up. Neither of us was seriously hurt, but I was pretty banged up. As Toothless stood, I noticed I was dangling off the saddle by the vest hooks. Forcing my way up I yanked at the cork, but nothing happened.

And then I realized I was stuck. The metal ring had been smashed under a now-flattened hook, and there was no way I could pull it apart. The only way I could think of getting it off was to cut the leather and redo the saddle. And the only way to cut this tough leather was with a dagger. And the only place to get a dagger was in the village. And the village was full of blood-thirsty ready-to-kill-a-dragon-on-sight Vikings.

"Oh great."

Berk: Village Center (Hiccup's POV)

"Hiccup," a random Viking greeted me. I gave him a smile and a casual wave. He was probably the last person to be passing through Berk for the night. Seeing that all the torches were off as well, I sighed in relief; we were still under the cover of darkness.

Checking that the coast was indeed clear, I yanked Toothless in the opposite direction of the man and towards the forge. He resisted slightly, but followed. With each step we took, Toothless seemed to get more and more distracted. He wasn't being anything near obedient. On the contrary, his attention was diverted at every little thing.

"What now?" I hissed at him as he turned for the hundredth time. "We can't get caught!"

I've never been in a human village before. Calm down. I'll be quiet.

I sighed. "You have a point, but we're in dangerous territory now. And we can't fly out if worse comes to worse. Just try to stay with me, okay?"

He nodded.

We were just at the entrance of the forge now. I could feel some of the fear I had dissolving. We made it! Thank the gods. I offered a silent prayer before slipping through the windows. Toothless checked a bucket for fish; finding it empty, he tossed it away.

Stupid empty human storage vessels, I could practically hear him mutter.

Letting out a breathy laugh, I forced Toothless through the window to the empty forge. It was darker than I'd ever seen it. There were no fires burning or lights lit. Completely deserted.

Toothless tensed. I could feel him eyeing the weapons nervously. I scratched between his shoulder blades gently. "It's okay bud. Don't worry. I won't let anything hurt you, okay? I'm just going to grab a small dagger and cut the cord. Then we'll be out of here in no time."

He nodded.

I located a knife without any problems.

Hurry!

"I'm trying, bud. I'm really trying!" And right when I was in the middle of trying to snap the cord, I heard a voice that made my blood run cold.

"Hiccup?"

Astrid?

Berk: The Forge (Astrid's POV)

I definitely heard a sound coming from near the forge. And there were only two people who would possibly feel comfortable enough to be around sharp weapons at this time of night: Gobber—who I knew for a fact was drinking to the point of passing out at dinner today—and Hiccup.

Granted, Hiccup shouldn't be anywhere near weapons in my opinion. But since when has anyone said anything against weapons to the chief's son. Sometimes he got privileges to almost kill himself with.

Come to think of it, had Hiccup even shown up for dinner? I didn't think so; the place was ridiculously somber without his grinning personality there. I didn't mind. It was the first time I got peace and quiet for the past ten days or so.

"Hiccup?" I called as I approached the forge. There were no lights on. Perhaps I had just been hearing things?

Right when I was about to check inside, Hiccup slid out from the booth and closed the wooden doors behind his. I noticed he was wearing the same odd vest I'd caught him in the other day. Hiccup, for once in the last several days, seemed pretty nervous.

"Hi Astrid!" he greeted. "Hi Astrid, hi Astrid, hi Astrid."

Well, that was unusual.

"Where were you at dinner today?" I asked.

His grin faltered. So there was something going on. I continued. "I mean, I know you usually don't eat much, but Fishlegs was complaining about how you didn't show up to the Hall of Records after dinner, which I know you wouldn't ditch. So what's been going on?"

"Like I said earlier, training," he mumbled. Hiccup backed up even more until both his shoulders were against the doors. It almost looked like he'd been dragged, but it must've been a trick of the light (or lack thereof).

I frowned. "You've been acting weird lately."

He jerked back from the stomach as if my words had literally punched him in the gut. A nervous laugh soon followed.

My eyebrows rose. I reassessed my answer. "Well…weirder."

Then, gods be good, I watched as Hiccup began to levitate. His back was still to the window's large shutters as he rose above the ground. His eyes met mine, a look of surprise on his face. Then he flew backwards through the doors.

I ran over, frozen shock gone, and opened them with a resonating bang. But the forge was empty. The only sign that there had been anything there was the swinging of the shields that hung from the ceiling. Had he been a trick my tired mind played on me, or a vision from the gods?

I stood for a second and pondered this. Coming up with nothing, I sighed, shrugged, and headed home.

Berk: The Cove (Hiccup's POV)

"Too close," I gasped when we safely arrived back to the cove.

Toothless nodded his head vigorously. He picked up nodding from me.

"Imagine if she caught us!" I shuddered. "I would be disowned and you would be dead!"

A boy on a dragon sprinting through the night. What an interesting thought, though, Toothless said.

Despite everything, I smiled. I slid off the saddle and began sawing away at the tough leather cords. They frayed and gave, snapping roughly and dropping me from the constricting position I was in. I stood up straight for the first time since mid-afternoon and took a deep breath. My ribs felt restricted as I breathed.

"What got you running anyway?" I asked him.

He seemed embarrassed, looking at his paws meekly. A sheep, he finally confessed.

"Really? You almost got us caught for a sheep?"

I was hungry and it was there! What was I supposed to do?

"Sit there, maybe?"

Besides, you weren't doing a very good job of convincing that Astrid girl that nothing strange was going on while you were snooping around the village at night!

"Well excuse me for trying to get us not caught!"

As I let my chest cavity stretch, Toothless prepared a place to bed. Without him asking I undid the various straps and freed him of the saddling equipment.

"That must've been really uncomfortable. I'm sorry about that, bud."

He shrugged (another human thing he picked up). I'm okay. My scales are getting tougher.

Toothless angled his shoulders so I could see. It was true; the scales around where the leather bore in were newer and much rougher than the others surrounding the area. Toothless had finished shedding three days ago and it was a hassle to gather scales to compare. My inner investigator was beyond curious by the shape and size of his scales.

Are you okay? You seem to have breathing problems.

"I'm fine," I replied. "It was just the vest. I'll make a way to take it off more easily."

Once I caught my breath, I gathered up the saddle. "I should get back. It's late, and I've got this thing to repair. 'Night, bud."

He licked me on the cheek. I grinned and gathered everything together before heading home. Or, at least for now, my temporary sleep space in my workshop. I'd been there every night that I'd brought my blanket from home and set it up on the floor. I even sewed a mattress using an old sail and filled it with sheep wool.

The saddle was, surprisingly, a quick fix. But the whole no moments of rest for the last few days was catching up to me. The moment I put the leather contraption down and settled onto my makeshift mattress I was out like wind to a candle. Usually when I was this exhausted, I would fall asleep and immediately wake up the next morning.

This night, however, was different. Because I, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, had a nightmare. The first nightmare in six years.

I still can't believe I'm up to 50 favorites and 77 followers for this story! It's really grown in the past few months, which I thank you all for! Everyone who reads, likes, and posts reviews – you guys keep me going with this little endeavor!

Next chapter will be up when I can manage. That is all.

Stay beautiful!

-Sushi