So, this is my SECOND update today. Nothin' too big, nothin' too small, either. I try to keep my chapters shortish longish. I try to, and I fail to. :) I don't know. What do you guys think the proper length of a chapter should be? I really don't know...

Anywho, no shout-outs, except to all those out there who read. :) Hopefully you guys are enjoying the fic. I haven't heard anything from anyone for a while, so I don't know. If you don't like it, you don't have to continue, just so you know.

Anyways, we should be finishing this fic reasonably soon. Maybe by tomorrow evening, or the day after tomorrow morning? Afternoon? Evening? I really don't know myself. I guess I'll keep going until I reach a good stopping point. :D Free virtual gummy bears! :D

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"

Toothless winced as his rider shouted aimlessly into the wind. Hiccup paced relentlessly back and forth, ignoring his pain for the time being. Astrid was taken by the Outcasts. And Hiccup had done nothing. Even though there was nothing he could have done, he still felt unbelievably guilty.

"It's my fault," he mumbled. "My fault. All my fault. All my stupid fault."

Toothless did nothing but stare out into the ocean. The Outcast ship had been out of sight for nearly an hour, probably already reached Outcast Island by now. Hiccup didn't know what he could do. Toothless still didn't have a way of flying, and he couldn't leave the dragon here alone on Changewing Island.

Hiccup was desperate. He could hear the roars of the two Changewings who were still trapped beneath the tree, but he ignored them. His only thoughts were Astrid, and how he could save her.

Even if he did have transportation back to Berk, he wouldn't be able to get there, roundup an army, and return to Outcast Island in just seven days. He had to go alone. Problem was, he didn't see how he would go at all.

"Well this is just perfect," said Hiccup. He quickly turned. The Outcasts hadn't packed up their supplies. Rummaging through the different satchels, Hiccup hoped he could find something to use as a makeshift tailfin for Toothless. But he couldn't find anything.

"RATS!" he shouted. He suddenly remembered something, and he smacked himself for it. The camp Astrid had set up in that cave before. They had something he could use...why didn't he think of it before?

He quickly mounted Stormfly.

"Toothless, stay here, make sure those Changewings don't get away," Hiccup ordered. The LAST thing they needed were rogue Changewings, especially on the loose. Toothless nodded, turned to the Changewings, and growled at them.

Satisfied with that, Hiccup ordered Stormfly to take off and head to the cave. Upon reaching said establishment, Hiccup dismounted and ran inside, finding everything still in place.

And by everything, he meant the three blankets.

"Bingo," he said as he rolled them up and carried them out. He stuffed them in Stormfly's saddlebag and then had the Nadder fly back to where Toothless and the Changewings were.

Nothing had changed. Toothless was still growling, the Changewings were still trapped.

Hiccup jumped off Stormfly as quickly as he could, pulled the blankets out of the saddlebag, and then collected the dagger he had dropped. He called Toothless over to him, and the dragon obeyed.

Hiccup tore the fabrics and cut them at different angles, measuring them carefully to make sure it would work as a makeshift tailfin. He stabbed some holes into the tailfin he had cut and then cut long, thin slabs messily, since he only had a dagger to work with. He ran the slabs through the holes and then tied it to Toothless' tail. Using another long piece of fabric, he adjusted it, attaching it with the connecting rod.

He could only hope it worked.

After about an hour, it was finished. The sun was rising now behind the mountains, but Hiccup didn't notice. He saw his work. For working with three blankets, a dagger, and no sunlight, he had done a reasonably good job. It would work, and that's what mattered.

He mounted Toothless and clicked his prosthetic into place. The tailfin opened with ease, proving Hiccup's theory about it working.

"YES!" he shouted. He really wondered why they hadn't thought about it sooner. He felt pleased with himself for figuring it out. Moreover, he felt pleased that it worked. Now he could save Astrid, and they could get back to Berk.

Two points for Dragon Boy!

But then, just as Hiccup was ready to leave, he heard the Changewings moan in agony again. Hiccup turned and looked at the two creatures with a pang of sorrow he didn't know he could have felt. A sudden image of Toothless flashed in his head, when Hiccup had shot him down with the Mangler.

"I can't just leave them here," said Hiccup. "I just...I can't."

He dismounted Toothless and walked over to the Changewings, keeping his hands spread, trying to keep them calm. They were obviously trying to spit acid at him, but their position disabled the ability temporarily.

"I'm not going to hurt you," said Hiccup, approaching the dragons. "I just want to get the tree off you, and we can part as unlikely friends. Alive unlikely friends. Okay?"

The dragons paid him no heed. Hiccup ignored them and turned to Stormfly.

"Could you help me?" he asked. Stormfly nodded, knowing what Hiccup wanted to do. She gently pushed her muzzle against the fallen tree, Hiccup and Toothless pushing on the other side, until it rolled off the two Changewings.

As soon as the Changewings realized they were free, they charged, unharmed, at Hiccup. Hiccup remained unfazed, though, holding out his hand. The Changewings both froze, just inches away from him.

"Trust me," Hiccup begged. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The Changewings both looked at him, an obvious question on their faces. To trust or not to trust?

Then, as if answering the unasked question, Hiccup felt two dragons press up against his palm.

He had gained their trust.

And a dragon's trust is forever.

"Alright!" shouted Hiccup happily. The Changewings suddenly looked completely adorable, their pupils growing until you could barely see the yellow color of their corneas.

"Now..." said Hiccup, "...I should name you."

His thoughts were on Astrid at the time, but he had to name the Changewings, that way they could come with him to Outcast Island and help him, Stormfly and Toothless break Astrid free.

Hiccup looked to one Changewing and noticed a large scar across her face, sliding right between its eyes. Hiccup didn't know how long it had been there, or how the dragon got it, but he could only guess it was a spoil of war.

"I'm going to name you...Scarlette," said Hiccup, running a finger over the dragon's scar. "Do you like that?"

The Changewing (who we shall now call Scarlette) started purring, nuzzling into Hiccup's touch. Hiccup laughed before turning to the other Changewing.

"And I'm going to name you..." he bit his lip while thinking, "...Firevein."

Firevein smiled (or, he appeared to be, anyway), his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Hiccup turned back to Toothless and Stormfly. Hiccup jumped on Toothless and then looked to Scarlette and Firevein.

"My friend's in danger," he said. "Would you please help me?"

The two Changewings nodded eagerly, ready to fly. Hiccup gently patted Toothless, and gave Stormfly the "follow" command just as the Night Fury bounded into the sky. Scarlette and Firevein followed Hiccup, Stormfly and Toothless.

"Wait until Fishlegs sees this," Hiccup whispered to himself. "Okay, dragons!" he shouted. "We're going to Outcast Island!"

...

Astrid was filled with hopelessness as she threw herself up against the cell door. They had arrived at Outcast Island and thrown her in prison just about an hour ago, and she already couldn't stand it.

She couldn't stand feeling helpless. She was Astrid Hofferson, for goodness sake! She shouldn't have been able to be taken down by Alvin and his band of lunatics, but she had been. Quite easily, actually.

She heard footsteps. Regaining her composure, she stood as Alvin made his way down the hallway and stood in front of her cell.

"Well," said Alvin, "how are you enjoying it?"
Astrid ignored him.

"Good," said Alvin. He hadn't expected her to answer. "Just think about it this way. In seven days, you'll either be back on Berk, safe and sound...or...well, you know. It's really up to Hiccup." He smirked. "I bet you don't feel too good about that, now do you?" he asked, just to taunt her.

Astrid was having none of it. She lifted her head and closed her eyes, ignoring Alvin entirely.

"You'll learn to love it here," said Alvin. "You won't have a choice."

With that, he left. Astrid couldn't help but hope Hiccup was coming...but she also hoped he would stay away. She couldn't STAND the thought of him getting hurt, especially if it was for her sake.

"Don't come," thought Astrid. "Well, do come. No don't. No do. Don't. Do. Don't. Do. AGH!" She threw herself up against the cell wall again. She felt like hope had been lost. If Hiccup came, he would either be hurt until he helped Alvin...or worse.

And Astrid knew what was worse.

Alvin would kill Hiccup.