Hey, guys, I have a question:
Was it just me that was having problems with fanfiction yesterday? Like, whenever I loaded the main archive, it said that "there were no results" and "please change your filter"? I know there was one other person who had a problem with it...but I was just wondering if anyone else had the struggle, too. That was so weird...
Well, I'm glad it's fixed now. That's all I have to say. :D Shout-outs:
Lightclaw's Shadow: Yeah, at least her intentions were good. :)
LunarCatNinja: Yeah, Berserk has dragons. Oh boy...
clank2662: It's coming out in 2018, right? Wow, I'll probably be driving by then...wow. I'll drive myself to the theater, watch the movie, and I WILL CRY. I WILL CRY THROUGHOUT IT, OH MY GOSH. :)
silverwolvesarecool: Heh heh, thanks! :D
HappyPup1: *hands you golden metal* Congratulations! I think you DID break the record for most pleases in a single review! Well done! :D
Ultimateblack: Oh, I will. I'll make sure Astrid tells Hiccup and Heather about what she did...honestly, I wish they would have done that in the film, but I guess they really didn't have that much time to put in all the little tiny things like that...oh well. But I'm glad you like reading this AU. I like writing it. :)
Toothless801: Aww, thanks! And I'm sorry about your friend...friends that move away will ALWAYS be in our hearts. No matter what happens, or how far they are. I've had my share of moving friends. It's always hard, but it's like, they're never really gone. They always leave some part of themselves behind. Maybe that sounds weird, but it's how I feel. :) And yeah, it wasn't until I saw the film for the third time did I realize Astrid's mistake. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. XD :) I'm glad you liked it. Also: regarding making a fanfiction account, no, you don't have to write a story in order to have one. All you have to do is create an account. Writing stories is optional. When you first open Fanfiction, all you have to do is look at the top right corner of the page where it says "Log In | Sign Up", and then hit "Sign Up", type in what they ask you to, and there you go! :D Thanks for reviewing! :D
Twilightandpercyjacksonlover30: You're not alone in your hatred, Astrid! We ALL hate the dragon trappers! :) Thanks for the review, and you're welcome for the shout-out! :) Reviews make me smile, so the least I can do is give you guys a shout-out. :)
thearizona: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. :) Thanks for the review and everything! :D
LiviLovesDragons: I LOVE recapping this movie! It's amazingly fun! :D
AnimeAngel: THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME YESTERDAY! YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE! It was so weird! They said I have to change my filter or whatever...I'm just glad they fixed it. That's all I have to say. :) It's good to hear from ya, by the way! I don't think I ever said that. :) Thanks for the review! :D
Drew Luczynski: Yeah, we still love her, even if she DID make everything worse for everyone. :)
Toothless and Windshear were sleeping soundly on the plateau, curled into themselves right behind where Hiccup and Heather were standing. Baby Scuttleclaws suddenly bounded on top of the snoozing dragons, waking them instantly.
Heather tightened the straps to her armor, and next to her, Hiccup did the same thing, checking each one of the attachments and making sure he still had Inferno. Heather looked at him, feeling slightly reluctant about their decision of leaving so quickly.
"Hey, Hiccup," she said, "are you sure we have to leave so soon? I...I mean...we could always stick around for a few more minutes...or at least say goodbye to Mom…"
Even as she spoke, she knew saying goodbye to Valka wasn't a good idea. They had to leave in secret, and they had to do it before Valka caught them in the act. If Valka was as protective as Stoick, she would most likely set packs of dragons to watch Hiccup and Heather just to make sure they didn't leave.
But at the same time, it felt wrong, just to leave their mother without telling her where they were going. It just felt...wrong. Heather didn't know why.
Hiccup shook his head, like she knew he would. "No, we can't," he said. "We're not waiting around for Drago to attack this place. Eret already said that Drago knows where the cave is...there isn't time to waste, Heather. We've gotta find him first."
Heather sighed, mostly to herself, because she knew her brother was right. She nodded. "And then after we find Drago and talk him - or fight him - out of the whole 'dragon army' business, we'll come back, right?" she said.
Hiccup nodded. "Yes," he said. "We'll come back." A baby Scuttleclaw bit Toothless' tail in its gummy jaws, and Toothless lifted his tail and the dragon clear off the ground, snarling at the baby one. Windshear scared it off, and the Scuttleclaw complained in little grunts and chirps as it flew away.
"Come on," Hiccup said. "Let's go."
Heather nodded. She was about to turn around and jump on Windshear's back, but suddenly, she saw, in the corner of her eye, her brother jerked backwards. There were muffled cries; something must have been covering his mouth.
All this happened in a split second, because the very next thing she knew it, Heather had her axe drawn and aimed at...her father?
And so it was her father, who had his hand clamped over Hiccup's mouth, pulling the young man against him. Toothless snarled at Stoick, and then relaxed when he realized who it was.
Hiccup clawed at his father's grip on his face, and eventually broke away, stumbling forward to stand beside Heather again.
"Are you kidding me!?" he blurted.
"Dad!?" Heather yelped. "What - what are you doing here!?"
"How did you get in here!?" Hiccup demanded.
Heather was thinking the same way. She knew the Berkians had tracking dragons, but at the same time, it seemed weird that they just suddenly barged in here without anyone even noticing.
Well, at the same time, Heather guessed that her father could have snuck in here easily on his dragon.
"The same way we're getting you two out," Stoick replied.
"WE!?" Hiccup and Heather exclaimed in unison.
"All clear!" an accented voice called from behind them, and Hiccup and Heather looked as Gobber motioned for Stoick and the two dragon riders to follow him, waving his hook at them for extra emphasis.
Stoick grabbed Hiccup's wrist and held it tightly, and then, he grabbed Heather's wrist as well. His grip was hard and tight, and she knew that no amount of jerking or wriggling would free herself from the tight clasp.
"Toothless," Stoick began in a commanding tone, "Windshear, come." He then turned and followed Gobber, practically dragging Hiccup and Heather along with him. Heather tried to keep up with with her father's long strides, but it wasn't working very well. Hiccup was stumbling across from her, speaking constantly, trying to get his father's attention.
"Ah, Dad!" he said. "There's something you need to know!"
That's when Heather realized exactly where they were heading: straight for a cave which Valka had said she would be going earlier. Stoick didn't know his wife was alive. Stoick didn't know that she had survived.
"Dad!" Heather shouted when Hiccup's yelling got them nowhere. "Listen to him! Or if you won't listen to him listen to me! Your-"
"Yeah, yeah," Stoick said as he continued dragging his rebellious, stubborn children through the tunnels with the dragons following them closely. "Tell me on the way."
"This isn't an on-the-way kind of update, actually, Dad!" Hiccup tried.
"I've heard enough, Hiccup," Stoick said.
"It's more of the earth shattering development variety!" Heather insisted.
"I've heard enough from you too, Heather," Stoick said in a flat tone as if he had said it a hundred times.
"DAD!" Hiccup complained.
"Yeah, just add it to the pile," Stoick muttered.
"Dad, unlike most surprises I spring on you," Hiccup said slowly, "this is one you'll like, I promise! You just have to handle it delicately, so…"
His voice trailed off when they realized that Gobber had stopped in front of the opening to what looked like a cave, staring inside it with a look of shock. Heather froze. This was it. Stoick was going to see their mother for the first time in twenty years.
She wasn't quite sure what to feel about that.
"Uh…" Gobber said quietly, "you miiiiggghhht want to take this one. Oh boy." He continued walking, straight past Stoick and Heather and Hiccup. Stoick released the youths' wrists at length, just to draw his sword instead.
Hiccup and Heather panicked both at once. "Oh, Dad, can you put the sword away?" Hiccup practically begged. "Please?"
Then, Stoick stepped through the opening, and his eyes widened. He stood as still as a tree, his eyes remaining wide, his expression entirely unreadable. Hesitantly, Heather put her hand on his and pried his fingers away from the hilt of his sword. This was surprisingly easy, and his sword clattered against the ground almost instantly.
Stoick took his helmet off his head and set that to the side as well, keeping his eyes fixated at the sight before him.
Valka looked back at him with the same shocked expression, but she didn't look as shocked to see him as Heather would have expected.
"I know what you're going to say, Stoick," Valka said quietly; the first of the two to speak. "How could I have done this? Stayed away all these years...and why didn't I come back to you?" Her voice cracked, just slightly, and Heather didn't fail to notice it. Valka looked at Hiccup, and then at Heather. "To the children who never even knew me?" she continued.
Stoick took a step forward.
"Well," Valka went on slowly, "what sign did I have that you could change, Stoick?" Stoick continued walking, his feet never stilling. "That anyone on Berk could? I pleaded...I pleaded, so many times to stop the fighting, to find another answer, but did any of you listen?"
"This is why I never married," Gobber commented.
Heather elbowed him harshly. Shut up.
"I know that I left you to raise Hiccup alone," Valka said, sounding on the verge of tears. "I know everything he went through. I know he found Heather, our daughter. I know I never even came back, to see if you had changed...but I thought my family would be better off without me."
Stoick was close enough to reach out and touch her at this point, and Valka's voice grew panicked and desperate. "And I was wrong," she said. "I see that now, but…" She looked terrified. Absolutely terrified. "Oh, stop being so stoic, Stoick!" she pleaded. "Go on. Shout! Scream! Say something!"
Stoick reached out his hand and put it gently against her cheek, as if she would vanish like a cloud of steam or shatter like glass. Valka stiffened, her eyes filling with tears.
There was a beat. And then, Stoick whispered in the most quiet, gentle tone Heather had ever heard him use. His voice cracked multiple times as he spoke. "You're as beautiful as the day I lost you."
The tears finally broke free. Valka lowered her head and shut her eyes, tears slipping past her lids. Stoick closed the gap between them, and their lips met.
Heather felt her heart flutter wildly in her chest. Her parents...her family, was finally being pieced back together. She was finally seeing her mother, father, and brother in the same place, finally seeing them happier than she had ever seen anyone before in her life.
Since the situation seemed appropriate enough, she wrapped her arm around Hiccup's shoulders, and in turn, he did the same, smiling at their mother and father with glistening eyes.
They were together again.
Just like they were always meant to be.
…
Astrid was certain that if she made a list of all the bad days she struggled through in her life, this day would be at the top of said list.
She and the others (and Eret, but he didn't count in her mind, because he was a traitor and a jerk to say the least) stood at the stern of the ship. A long, wooden plank was positioned with one end on the ship and the other end hanging over the deep, restless ocean. Soldiers stood behind them with spears, ready to use them should the riders try anything tricky.
"Could this day get any worse?" Snotlout groaned from behind her.
"Uh, let me see," Tuffnut said slowly. "You'll jump into freezing cold water and then die from drowning."
Astrid sighed. The male twin was being so nonchalant about the entire affair. It was beyond annoying.
Eret stepped towards the edge of the plank and looked over the side of it, staring down at the water. "Looks refreshing," he muttered under his breath as he turned back to face Astrid again. "Please," he said, stepping out of the way. "Ladies first."
Astrid bared her teeth. She hated him. She absolutely hated him for everything he had done to her and her friends. It was his fault they were here. It was all his stupid fault. Him and his trappers ruined her day.
"You," she began threateningly, "are a steaming heap of dragon-"
"Duck," Eret whispered.
He swung his foot before she could ask what he meant, and she ducked on instinct. Eret's leg connected with the soldier's head, knocking him unconscious. Eret grabbed the spear the soldier had been carrying, holding it in his bound hands. He swung it at another soldier, and another, and another, and before Astrid even knew what the heck was happening, the soldiers were unconscious.
What in the name of-
Eret unchained himself easily. It was then that Astrid noticed a soldier speak to another soldier; "Warn the others", and then, said soldier ran off.
Eret noticed it at the same moment she did, and he picked up one of the tranquilizer dart shooters and ran towards the soldier.
"Get 'em, you son of an Eret!" Ruffnut encouraged.
Astrid didn't know what was happening, and she still had about a million questions for Eret. Both soldiers were unconscious as soon as Eret finished with them, and the dragon trapper turned back towards Astrid and the other dragon riders.
"Okay, I love you again," Ruffnut said happily.
Snotlout looked hurt.
"Ugh," Tuffnut said as he stepped beside the depressed Jorgenson. "Pathetic. You can still jump."
Astrid disregarded her friends, her attention now on Eret.
Eret smiled. "So," he said, are we going to save you dragons and get out of here or not?"
Astrid couldn't help the small smile that played across her face. Hiccup really could change anyone's mind about dragons. All it took was a little tiny bit of doubt about how bad dragons really were, and then, that tiny bit of question turned into rebellion against the ones who tried to control the dragons for their own evil doing.
Eret was on their side, and Astrid was going to accept his help if he was truly willing to give it. She nodded.
"Check every trap," Eret ordered. "They're here somewhere."
They didn't need to be told twice. They spread out as if they had did it every day and began prying traps open, pulling levers, and checking inside for any sign of their dragons.
Astrid turned one of the cranks to the dome-shaped, bear-trap-like cage and waited for it to open just a crack before stepping on the handle and hauling herself upwards so she could peer inside.
What she saw was a familiar Gronckle, smiling happily and wriggling against its chains in an attempt at getting free.
"Meatlug?" Astrid asked, just for clarification, and when the Gronckle squealed happily, Astrid dropped to the ground, and began working to undo the dragon's bonds.
Eret cranked one of the handles, turning it with all his might to open another dragon cage they had located. "Anyone coming?" he demanded of Ruffnut, who was watching just a foot away from him, not offering any help whatsoever.
"I don't know, you just keeping doing what you're doing," she said, almost creepily. "Keep cranking."
Eret ignored her, and then the cage was opened, he jumped inside. And there was Stormfly, Astrid's Nadder, who had saved his life.
At first, the dragon struggled, but then, she calmed down. Eret looked at the Deadly nadder, crouched down, and extended his hand towards her. "Thank you," he said, "for saving my life."
Stormfly looked at him curiously for just a moment before she pressed her head against Eret's hand. Eret felt his breath quicken, and he smiled. "Now let me return the favor," he said.