Chapter 21

I didn't know how to feel, now that we had found each other after all this time. But now I could ask the question that had been burning in my mind since yesterday. I finally caught my parents and sat them down to talk.

"Dad, if Mom has been here all of these years, and you thought she was dead, why didn't you ever tell me? Why did you make me believe that Valhallarama was my mother?" I asked feeling my heart race and my body grow hot.

Mom just looked at Dad like she was hurt, but she understood. Finally Dad, opened up.

"After your mother was taken, I wasn't sure what to do. I thought I would have to raise you alone, but I didn't think I could do it. But your Aunt Valhallarama stepped up and said that she would be your mother, she would take care of you."

"But why didn't you tell me? Mo… Aunt Valhallarama's been dead for twenty years and she died protecting me. Why didn't anyone ever tell me that my mother was taken by dragons?" I asked trying not to feel angry or hurt.

"Because I didn't want you to feel like it was your fault. Both of them were willing to die to protect you, I didn't want you to live with that." Dad said putting his hand on my shoulder.

"But what matters now is that we are together again, and neither of us are going anywhere any time soon." Mom said placing her hand on my other shoulder.

I held both their hands and felt the tears run slowly down my face. The three of us wrapped each other in an embrace I hadn't felt in twenty years. Mom was right, we were together now, and that's all that mattered.

We spent a good portion of the day playing twenty-six year catch up. Most of it with us telling Mom all about what had been different on Berk since she left. By dinner we were still talking.

"Mom, you wouldn't believe how much things have changed. Where we used to make weapons, we now build saddles, wing slings, we even fix dragon teeth." I said handing the kids their food.

"Yeah, your daughter has changed Berk for the better. I think we did right with this one Val." Dad said sounding proud.

Mom just seemed awkward cooking for the first time in a long time. "I'm a little out of practice." She laughed awkwardly.

"Well you know, I didn't marry you for your cooking." Dad laughed.

"And once you move back in, with all your dragons, Drago won't stand a chance." I said hoping to convince her to come home. "Everything will be okay."

"Slow down lass." Dad said stopping me. "It's a lot to take in."

Dad suddenly started to whistle, something I hadn't ever seen or even hear him do before in my life. He then started to do something I only thought I would ever hear Aunt Valhallarama do. He started to sing.

"Remember our song Val." He said quietly standing behind Mom.

"I'll swim and sail on savage seas, with ne'er a fear of drowning. And gladly ride the waves of life, if you will marry me. No scorching sun, nor freezing cold will stop me on my journey. If you will promise me your heart, and love…"

He sighed sounding defeated, then Mom started to sing back.

"And love me for eternity. My dearest one, my darling dear, your mighty words astound me. But I've no need of mighty deeds when I feel your arms around me."

Then, they started to sing together with Toothless looking at me like this was our song too.

"But I would bring you rings of gold and even sing you poetry, and I would keep you from all harm if you would stay beside me."

"I have no use for rings of gold, I care not for your poetry. I only want your hand to hold."

"I only want you near me."

"To love and kiss and sweetly sing for the dancing and the dreaming for all my sorrows and delights to keep you close beside me. I'll swim and sail on savage seas with ne'er a fear of drowning. And gladly ride the waves of life if you will marry me."

The song ended with Mom and Dad hugging and Gobber holding a sour note. But still, it was a sweet moment all the same.

"I thought I'd have to die, before we'd have that dance again." Dad said with glassy eyes.

"No need for drastic measures." Mom giggled.

"But for you my dear, anything." Dad answered getting done on one knee. "Will you come home Val? Will you be my wife once again?" Dad asked. "We could be a family. What do you say?" He asked with me, Toothless and the kids coming in for a family hug.

Mom smiled and finally gave us her answer. "Yes." She laughed.

"Thank Odin you didn't listen to me lass. Otherwise we never would have found each other." Dad said almost laughing.

Just when it looked like everything was right with the world for once, Toothless started to growl. He could sense something was wrong, I could sense it too. The other dragons were flying out of the cavern in a panic.

"What's happening?" I asked feeling my voice shake.

Mom ran outside, Drago had found the nest and now it was under attack, the dragons were in danger. Mom went back in with a look on her face that said she was ready for battle. Toothless told the kids to stay in the nest and to not go anywhere until we told them it was safe to come out. Keir and Keen went with the other babies and hid in a deeper part of the nest. Toothless and I readied for battle. Dad and Gobber hopped on Skullcrusher and Grump and then we flew out of the nest with the other dragons.

When we were out, I saw the other riders but what caught my surprise was that the trapper Eret was with them. I almost found it humorous.

"Welcome aboard dragon rider." I laughed.

"Thanks, I think." He answered nervously.

"Where have you been?" Astrid asked.

"Well you know, catching up with Mom." I said looking up seeing Mom at the top of the mountain with the Alpha rising up out of the ice.

"That's your mother?" Astrid said flabbergasted.

"Well, now you know where I get my dramatic flair." I laughed pulling my helmet down over my face.

We wove in and out of traps freeing dragons as we went and freeing the dragons under Drago's control. For a moment, it looked like we might actually win, but then we saw that Drago had another trick up his sleeve. From out of the water, just off shore, rose another Bewilderbeast dragon, this one darker and more vicious than the Alpha.

The Alpha engaged the other one. Toothless and I wanted to help, but we were stuck between freeing the dragons and trying to keep everyone safe. For a moment, it looked like the Alpha was going to win, but then Drago's managed to knock the Alpha to the ground and ran his tusks into the Alpha's heart. I felt like mine was going to stop, this couldn't be happening. The victor sounded the call, he was the new Alpha and now he had control over all the dragons. He then turned on my Mom and Dad rushed to save her. I had plans of my own. I flew in close and I could feel Toothless was getting nervous and scared, but I had to try and I told him as much.

We landed a short distance from him and I pulled off my helmet and faced Drago, hoping I could talk to him and convince him that this wasn't the answer.

"This is the great dragon master, the daughter of Stoick the Vast? What shame he must feel." He sneered at me.

I pretended not to listen. "All of this loss, and for what? To become unstoppable, to rule the world? Dragons, they are kind amazing creatures that can bring people together." I pleaded.

Drago laughed. "Or tear them apart." He growled showing me that he was missing an arm and in its place was metal fake. I was taken aback. What more could I say? He kept on talking. "You see, I know what it is to live in fear, to see my village burned, my family taken. But even as a boy left with nothing, I vowed to rise above the fear of dragons and liberate the people of this world."

"Then why a dragon army?"

"Well, you need dragons to conquer other dragons."

"Or maybe you need dragons to conquer people, to control those who follow you, and to get rid of those who won't." I argued back. He wasn't fooling me.

"Clever girl." He snickered.

"The world wants peace and we have the answer, back on Berk, just let me show you…"

"No, let me show you." He growled. He then started to yell like an animal, swinging his hook-spear above his head, summoning the Alpha. "No dragon can resist the Alpha's command. So he who controls the Alpha, controls them all." He said pointing at Toothless.

Toothless began to groan in pain. For some reason, I could feel a strong, powerful tug at the back of my mind, could the Alpha control me too if he tried? And what about Keir and Keena? Were any of us safe? I was talking to Toothless trying to calm him, hoping to keep him from the Alpha's control, but he only continued to writhe in pain, like he was fighting, but losing.

"Witness true strength, strength of will over others." Drago said darkly. Toothless stopped moaning and stood up with a look in his eyes, he was no longer there. "In the face of it, you are nothing." He said pointing at me.

Toothless looked at me, but this time, I couldn't see the dragon I loved. All I could see was the look of a predator, the same look he had in his eyes when we first met, only this time, I didn't see the fear he had then. Now there was no trace of the Toothless I knew.