Ripper's POV

I saw Hiccup take off on Toothless and leave to Oden knows where. And I didn't even realize what had happened. I was on the other side of the village disarming dragon traps. And when I return to the village, I see Hiccup losing his mind with everyone. I turned around to see Astrid weeping on the ground uncontrollably with Ruffnut trying to comfort her the best she could.

"Will someone please tell me what the heck is going on!?" I yell. Whatever they did to piss Hiccup off that much, I had to know it. I spent over 2 years with Hiccup, and I grew close to him, close enough to know how he handles situations and know how I have to respond to him based on them.

"How the Hel did Hiccup get that burn on his face?" I asked again. No one answered. That's when I remembered that Hiccup said to ask the gang.

"What did you do Snotlout?" I asked him, walking up to him, that our faces were inches apart.

"I-I...I didn't mean to..." he couldn't find the words.

"What. Did. You. Do?" I asked again.

"It was supposed to be a small joke...I only bought an ounce of fireworks from Johann...I-I didn't realize it would have that effect..." he stopped as he looked to everyone in the crowd who were staring daggers at him.

"He heard our conversation in the forest" Fishlegs started. I turned to him, intent on listening. "He was there when he heard Astrid say those things...but she didn't mean it" he said. I saw he began to tremble all over.

That's when Astrid all of a sudden jumped from Ruffnut's arms and ran...not before punching Snotlout to the ground. She ran directly to her house, and I could see her tears stain the ground as she ran. I looked back to where Hiccup took off. "What have you done?" I asked.

Astrid's POV

I ran...and ran...and ran to my house, without looking back at the crowd behind me. What he said was true...all true. I did ignore him when we were younger, I did sometimes join in making fun of him...I was stupid. So damn stupid!

I ran to Stormfly's pen. She immediately got up and I got on top of her and we took off into the night sky. I didn't want to stay here, to have all of them see me cry. They already saw enough. I flew to our special place...or what used to be our special place. I landed Stormfly there and when I got off I collapsed crying again. Oh Hiccup, I'm so sorry! I kept repeating that phrase inside my head.

Only if you had stayed longer in that conversation...

Flashback

I couldn't believe what those idiots did! Why in the name of all that is good and decent would they pull that joke on them. We were in the forest now and they were talking about the explosion. I should be by Hiccup's side instead of here, but I wanted to know why they would endanger his life.

Hearing how they would put the blame on Hiccup in some way sickened me. How could Snotlout do that to his own cousin!?

When Ruff asked me why I was being quiet, it's because I was so mad at them, so I put up a fake expression. I told them I was thinking about Hiccup's injuries because I wanted to be there with him, waiting for him to wake up, praying to the Gods that he would live and it wasn't serious and when he did, I would never leave his side. I lied about how I loved him when Snotlout asked me that question because I was sick of him. This was the last time I ever hang out with them. When I was done with my rant I tackled Snotlout to the ground and started beating him senseless!

"You self-absorbed piece of yak crap!" I yelled as I got up. "You all should be ashamed of yourselves! Why would you do that to Hiccup? What has he ever done to you?" I asked. I turned to Snotlout who was just getting back up after I laid a beat down on him.

"Is this hoping that Hiccup got injured and that I'd fall for you?" I asked. If he said yes, I would impale him with my axe right then and there.

"No...it was supposed to be a joke. He should have just got a small scare...I didn't mean the for the entire forge to blow up" he said.

"Then why are you suggesting of blaming him for everything!? Just because it's easier?!" I yelled. He hung his head down.

"I can't believe you guys. I'm heading to be by Hiccup's side and when he wakes up, I'm going to tell him everything" I told them and stormed off to find him.

Present Time

I fell to my knees in the exact same place where we made out two days earlier. I felt the soft grass below me, the images of his hands running along my side, the feel of his lips on mine, the love I felt when I was with him...all gone. Gone, when he didn't give me a chance to explain. But then even I wouldn't have wanted to listen to what I had said, even though I was being sarcastic.

And what hurt the most...was that he was planning to propose to me. It would have been a dream come true to marry him. I always imagined the day of me being under the alter with him, saying our vows, and sealing it with a kiss. And on that same night, we would have been truly able to call each other husband and wife. But now, none of that is going to happen. Because I opened my big yap without even considering that he was there.

Looking back on what he said, on how I never cared for him...I did. I. Did! I was just too scared to confess them. I wanted him to be a successful Viking. I wanted to be there to help him stand on his feet. I wanted him to know that there was someone in the village who did care for him. But I was weak.

I was scared on how people would view me. I was scared that I would be treated the same way. I guess I'm paying for my decision I made 9 years ago. That ride on Toothless confirmed my feelings for him. They were always there, but the ride confirmed that Hiccup was a Viking...probably the most successful Viking out of all of us. Only after that magical ride, did I see what he was truly capable of. That he was the strongest Viking out of all of us; someone who stood up for what he believes in, who was willing to go down fighting protecting the ones he loved. When he lost his leg, I was so heartbroken. Hearing him scream when they were amputating his leg, I could feel my heart being torn. We were just 14 and he was losing his leg for doing the right thing. If that's not honour and loyalty I don't know what is. If I could take back what I said in that conversation I would give my soul to Loki just to take it back.

I looked into the distance, where the moon was setting just between the sea stacks and I saw a small figure, with wings, getting smaller as it flew away, and I knew it was Hiccup..

"Please come back Hiccup...Please come back" I sobbed, knowing he would never hear me again.

Ripper's POV

I picked up the ring that Hiccup made. I didn't want to replay the events that he did, effectively ending his love for Astrid, and showing that to her...she didn't deserve it. No one deserved that.

I looked in the direction that Hiccup left. He would be long gone now since he would have sped Toothless at his maximum speed to get away as fast as possible. But I knew him...he wouldn't travel to a village just yet...not after what just happened. He would be extremely tired psychologically, and would hop from island to island every other day or so. I will find him...but not now.

"You four" I heard Stoick say. I turned around him and he was pointing to the four teens. "All four of you are under house arrest until I find a suitable punishment for you" he said. I could see a tear stain in his eye. Must have happened when Hiccup called him Stoick, the worst name a son can call his father. "Everyone...as you were" he said and turned around to his house.

The crowd that had gathered dispersed slowly, only leaving me and the whole gang, except for Astrid in the centre of the village.

"I hope you're all happy" I said. "You not only damaged Hiccup physically, you went beyond that. You made him feel useless again, and you broke a lot of relationships doing that" I said, looking at the ring.

"I didn't want to be a part of this! I only overheard Snotlout talking about it, and I warned him not to do it!" Fishlegs said.

"Clearly he doesn't listen" I snapped.

"We can't worry about Hiccup right now, he'll be fine...it's Astrid I'm worried about" I said. She ran off into the darkness, not sure if she went home or she ran away. But one thing is for sure, when I find Hiccup...I am dragging him back here...whether he likes it or not.

Just then I saw Stoick heading in our direction. "Have any of you seen Gundarr, he's an advisor of Dagur. He came with us to Berk" he said.

"No, I wasn't here for the whole day, so I don't know what he looks like" I said.

"Oh, you don't have to worry" we heard a voice say. We all turned out heads up to see said man on the roof of a house. "Gundarr how did you get up there?" Stoick asked. We saw him smirk. That's when I realized something. We saw him on the roof, but the way his body showed him, he was sitting, but on the roof...

He shot up on, and I can't believe it, a dragon and landed in front of us. We all stared in awe at the sight before us. He was riding a Night Fury, but this one was different. It was bigger than Toothless, about 10 feet longer, it stood taller and it appeared to have more armour plating on its back and a scar over its right eye. "What is this Gundarr?" Stoick asked.

"(evil chuckle) Oh Stoick, the name's Drago Bloodfist" as soon as he said his name, we all gasped.

"Well it's nice to know that you've heard of me" he commented getting off his dragon.

"Yes we have...all the stories that have been spread from the east, how villages have been burned down, men, women and children slaughtered...I thought it was all a myth, but turns out it was true" Stoick said, stepping in front of us. Clearly he didn't like this man and knew what he was capable of.

"Wait, you're Drago Bloodfist? Son of Daedra Bloodfist? What would your father say if he saw you now" I said. I heard stories about his father, how loving and peaceful he was...but I never knew he had a son...a monster for a son at that.

"Oh it's hard to say...he's buried under 12 feet of dirt along with his dragon...and I don't think he's still alive since I beat him for control of the village. But I didn't stop there. You see...I was like Hiccup, I was seen like an outcast in that tribe, so much that my peaceful and loving father also didn't know what to do with me. I ran away, and nearly 20 years later...I came back to claim my position as chief. I battled my father and won...but I didn't stop there, I slowly killed him, stabbing him in every part of his body making sure he suffered, before I turned my dragon on his...it was quite a sight" he said smiling as he withdrew his sword. That's when I realized something...

"You spoke to Hiccup" I said. My fear was confirmed when he smirked at me.

"I did...I showed him the error of his ways...I helped him release his anger" he said.

"You...You did this to him" Stoick charged him but Gobber got a tight hold of him, preventing him from doing something he would regret.

"Wrong Stoick...you and everyone in this village already scarred him. I only helped him see what he should have...that all of you took him for granted. When he killed the Red Death, and when you all thought he died, only then did you realize the value he was worth. It took him nearly dying for you to realize he was a true Viking" he lectured.

"And we sought so hard to show him that we were sorry. We know he doesn't deserve us, and yet he forgave us...but you came in and manipulated his emotions against us...made outrageous claims that before he knew were false. I don't know what you said but it clearly put him against us" Stoick said.

"I did what I would have done...I made him see that he doesn't need you...he doesn't need the village that abused him for over half of his life. He can make his own man, and he can do it away from this village" he said walking up to us.

"Why are you here?" Fishlegs asked.

"I'm here to make sure Berk doesn't stand in my way...and getting rid of Hiccup was the first step" he said with a smile. "But if you really do know what I'm capable of, then you'll know that I can burn Berk to the ground and that you won't fight back" he said.

"After what you did...turning my son against his own people, his own father...his own love...why should we bow down to you" Stoick challenged.

"If you want what's good for your people, then you will accept my proposals...because I can easily take you down in a night" he said, and from the look in his eyes, he was dead serious.

"(sigh) What do you want?" Stoick asked, knowing there was no way out of this.

"Well I need total cooperation from Berk, and a deal to sign that is through a marriage" he said. We all looked up, and from his smile, it wasn't going to be good.

"A marriage with Astrid Hofferson" he said.

"You son of a half-troll!" Ruff yelled as she tried to charge him but Fishlegs pulled her back.

"Do you know the hurt you've caused her...Hiccup took all his anger out on her, and if you're a monster as you say you are...then you watched everything unfold before you...please don't do this to her" I begged. She didn't deserve this misery.

"I'll give you four days to break the news to her and she has to accept it...otherwise my army, from the air and sea will attack, and she will watch as her village is burned down. I will be in Berk with my dragon, and my forces will arrive in 4 days time, and by then, if there is no marriage...you all will pay" he said as he turned to mount his dragon and with one push of its wings was up in the air and flying to some part of the island.

"What are we going to do?" Tuff asked.

"There's only one thing we can do...tell Astrid and pray she says yes...despite her current state" Stoick said.

I looked back in the direction Hiccup left. "If Hiccup were here, we would have stood a chance" I said solemnly. I walked in the direction Drago went...I needed to ask him a few more questions.

After about 20 minutes of searching, I found him overlooking the docks of Berk, with his dragon by his side, who turned around and snarled at me as I approached.

"Easy Deathwing...he poses no harm to me" he said placing a hand on the dragon's snout and turning to face me. "If you've come here asking why I'm doing this I'll explain in 4 days time" he said.

"It was you who coordinated the Outcast and Berserker attacks wasn't it?" I asked.

"Guilty as charged" he replied smugly.

"Why, just to test their loyalty...to see if they can follow orders? Or is it because you wanted to see how Hiccup handles those situations...and how he controls his emotions. That's the main reason you had Dagur kidnap Astrid"

"Well, well, well...we have a genius over here. Yes, having Astrid kidnapped was for me to see how Hiccup controls his emotions...but what people fail to realize is that they can use those same emotions and reverse them...that's how I got him to go against her" he said.

"But why...you saw how heartbroken she was...you destroyed her life. Turned the person she loves against her, and now you want to add salt to the wound and force her into marriage? Berk will heed to you...but please keep her out of this" I begged.

"Sorry, but my decision is final. But you're looking at this the wrong way Ripper...if Hiccup knew in many cases that what I said wasn't true, why did he believe me? And why did he take all his anger out on Astrid when his friends were the ones who pulled the prank? Astrid's state is clearly his fault but he's too blind to see that...not that he ever will anyway. Now if you're done, I'll be heading to my quarters" he said, walking past me with his dragon in tow.

I ran past him and right to Stoick's house. I had to tell him my plan...it was a long shot but if we had any hope I would have to leave soon.

The Chief was still up by the sign of a few candle lights from the house. I didn't waste time for formalities and made my way through the door.

"Ripper, what are you doing?"

"Sir...we can't just sit here and do nothing. We can't let him marry Astrid...and the only way to stop him is to get Hiccup back" I said.

"Son...none of us like his proposal and Astrid is not in the same boat as us...she's already gone down one boat, and I don't think she'd like to see her village burn down"

"Let me go find Hiccup sir...I grew up with him during his last two years, and I know how he acts...generally. If I can get him back before the marriage in 4 days, we can stand a chance"

"I don't know Ripper, you saw how mad he was...why would he come back?" he asked.

"That's why it's a long shot sir...but we have to try" I said.

"Very well, go get my son back...but be careful" he said.

I nodded my thanks and ran to my house to get Razorcut. I would soon leave and embark on my mission to get Hiccup back...but I would take a few things first because these items would make him feel like a monster for what he's done to Astrid.