A/N: So… I think we can kiss the "finish before the anniversary" plan goodbye. More on that after this Chapter—which I'm certain you've been expecting more than another one of my lame excuses…

For what is worth, though, enjoy! ^^

"Hooligan tribe! Gather up and hear me out."

Hiccup's call wasn't particularly loud, but it was authoritative enough to make any Vikings close to the Great Hall entrance either approach the stone stairs or go searching for any compatriots who may not have heard their new chief. Within minutes, every Berkian and even a number of dragons had gathered before Hiccup and Toothless.

Standing near the front of the crowd, Elsa was surprised to see Hiccup so energetic and lively. Given how he had opened up to her the night before—as well as how they had both remained awake for several more hours after he'd finished telling her the story of his encounter with Toothless and everything that event had brought about five years before—she had half-expected him to be sleepy or at least mildly tired.

"Thank you," Hiccup began, clearing his throat, once he saw everyone from the village was present. "Yesterday, we were attacked by a madman who destroyed our homes, tried to take our dragons… and almost got a few of us killed. The scars he left on our homeland are still fresh. But let's be honest, this is nothing new for us, is it?" Several Berkians stared blankly at Hiccup. "Alright, perhaps being attacked by a power-hungry lunatic with a gigantic dragon does qualify as new for most of you, but… you-you know what I mean."

To Hiccup's credit, even though his remark hadn't really stirred anything among the crowd, he didn't look nervous, certainly not as terrified as he'd been right after he'd been named chief—and again, that could only have been noticed by someone sharing the same burden. Instead, his voice carried enough strength and confidence as he addressed his people.

"Our forefathers used to rebuild houses more often than they sheared sheep and milked yaks—and most days, they had to keep those sheep and yak safe from dragon raids. We used to do it, too, not so long ago. For decades, we faced trials and hardships that would've driven most other people away. But not us! Not us, because we're Vikings! We're tough! And this land is as tough as we are."

Elsa was slightly startled when a few Vikings around her raised their fists and shouted their agreement as Hiccup emphasized those words, but she recovered almost right away… and she smiled almost unconsciously.

"This is Berk," Hiccup continued. "A bit trampled and busted and covered in ice, but it's home. It's our home. Those who attacked us are relentless and crazy, but those who stopped them? Oh, even more so!" More Vikings joined in the cheerful shouting at this statement. "We may be small in numbers, but we stand for something bigger than anything the world can pit against us. We are the voice of peace, and bit by bit, we will change this world."

At this point, even Elsa was shouting and raising a fist along with the Berkians. The passion with which Hiccup spoke made her feel proud, and as she looked back and caught a glimpse of Hiccup's parents standing at the rear edge of the crowd, she could tell that Stoick and Valka felt the same way.

"You see, we have something they don't," Hiccup said when the shouting subsided a little bit. "Oh sure, they have armies, and they have armadas. But we? We have…" He caressed Toothless' forehead as the Night Fury walked up closer to Hiccup's side. "…OUR DRAGONS!"

The loud battle cry, together with Toothless' mighty roar, spurred the crowd into an uproar. Hiccup had to wait a while longer this time before he could continue speaking.

"In over 300 years, this isle has seen us fall and rise time and again, and if we managed this when it was just us, all the more so now that they are on our side! So, together, we will rebuild. Together, we will rise again! And together, WE SHALL STAND!"

The crowd cheered and shouted their approval one last time. Soon, every Berkian was crying out the same phrase as the day before, over and over: "Long live the chief!"

But this time, it didn't just sound as a mere shout of acknowledgement, cheerful though it may've been back then. This time, it was an actual pledge of allegiance, a statement from the Berkians that they would now follow their new chief to the ends of the earth if he so demanded of them.

Not bad for your first speech, Chief Hiccup, Elsa thought. Not bad at all.

In the days that followed, Elsa got a chance to witness firsthand just how much dragons and humans could accomplish together. Hiccup was right; rebuilding Berk seemed like a lifelong tradition for its inhabitants, given how efficiently they did so, though she could only imagine how long it used to take them back when it was just the Vikings—when they were at war with the dragons. As it were, working in tandem with the winged creatures, most of the village had been restored within five days of Drago's attack.

She wouldn't take much credit, but her powers had also helped somewhat.

The same day that Hiccup had given his first speech, he'd introduced Eret and Elsa to his people and asked of them to treat the two with dignity and respect, as they were not only guests but heroes who had aided in the battle against Drago Bludvist. The Berkians did accept this request from their Chief, though at first they didn't actually pay Elsa any mind. They seemed to be more enthralled by the fact that a female Fury had finally appeared after so many decades, as well as how biologically different she was from Toothless. It seemed the entire village was so enamored with the Night Fury they had been hoping he'd find a mate as much as Hiccup.

The Vikings' attitude towards her changed soon enough, though. At Elsa's request, instead of announcing it publicly, Hiccup had disclosed the secret of her magic abilities discreetly, a few people at a time, while she thawed small portions of the Bewilderbeast's ice here and there. Sure, the secret became public knowledge soon enough regardless; thawing that much ice with nothing more than a flick of her wrist—and boy, was there a lot of it covering the tiny island—wasn't really something that could go unnoticed for long.

Still, Elsa liked to think that the aforementioned approach helped avoid any hostile reactions from the Berkians. Using her magic with only a few people present at any given time, she figured, helped build some trust between the blonde foreigner and the Vikings. At least as much trust as she could build between them without disclosing her other secret—the one that no one knew outside of Hiccup and his parents.

Stoick hadn't been so surprised to learn that Elsa was a queen. The former chief—who, by the way, got adapted to his new way of life quicker than Elsa had expected—had detected from the moment they had met the same royal presence Hiccup had sensed in Elsa. Her full story had elicited a smile from both Stoick and Valka, though the latter's reaction had more to do with the fact that she had been in on the secret far longer than her son and husband.

On that note, Elsa didn't fail to notice that Valka's way of treating her had changed. In a good way, that is. Whereas she had first taken Elsa under her wing as an apprentice during her stay in the Sanctuary, now she showed a motherly attitude towards her. In fact, Hiccup's family as a whole all but adopted Elsa as their daughter almost as soon as she arrived on Berk. The evenings at the Haddock homestead were filled with joy and laughter and love, the kind Elsa dreamed she had had with her own family… had the key to controlling her powers been found sooner.

Perhaps it was the Haddock's way to say 'thank you' for saving Stoick's life. Or maybe, after hearing her story, they had sensed Elsa's need for people who could fill the void her parents' demise had left in her heart. Kai and Gerda had been the closest to foster parents she and Anna had had afterwards, but Stoick and Valka? It was like they had actually fathered and raised her, like she and Hiccup had grown together as siblings.

As the days went by, Elsa realized this journey had been about more than just stopping a madman with a dragon army. She liked to think her biological parents were still looking after her and Anna, and that they had somehow set her on a path to get the family she missed out on during childhood. Rescuing Wintergale on Arendelle had simply been the first step in that journey. The thought brought tears to Elsa's eyes. She couldn't wait to include Anna and Kristoff and Olaf and Sven into this new family she had found.

Becoming part of Hiccup's family came with at least one unspoken condition, though—getting constant advice from the former chief of Berk.

"You can open up to the rest of Berk about your royal status," Stoick told Elsa over dinner on no less than three separate occasions during her first week on the island. "It's better to be honest now than to lose the trust you are working hard to build once the secret comes out."

Elsa explained on each occasion that she didn't mean to be dishonest with the rest of the Berkians; in due time, she'd come clean. She just didn't want the Vikings to start acting twice as awkward around her if they knew she was a queen. Her magic abilities had already garnered her more attention than she felt comfortable with, particularly among the other Dragon Riders. That, and… well, powers aside, living here in Berk where people didn't necessarily look up to her as a leader… she felt normal. It was a nice feeling, one she actually wanted to hold on to just a little while longer.

She respected Stoick's wisdom, of course, and thanked him for voicing his concern and for his advice. Stoick, for his part, understood her reasons for keeping that secret, and after a while, he dropped the subject. He didn't seem resentful about her choosing to do things her way. The last time Elsa and Stoick had that conversation, the latter stood from his chair to embrace Elsa. She thought she could see in Stoick's eyes the same pride and love her own father and mother had shown her throughout her life, in spite of all the struggles wrought by her powers. Valka and Hiccup soon joined in that embrace. Elsa couldn't remember ever shedding so many tears of joy on a single night.

In spite of her decision not to reveal her royal title to the other Berkians yet, Elsa did take another piece of advice from Stoick—to take part in the Vikings' customs and traditions. It was challenging at first, particularly when any of those traditions became… physically harming, even for an 'adventurous' woman like her. The turning point, however, came only after she took part in a rather unconventional hobby unique to these people.

"Dragon racing?" Elsa parroted.

"Yeah, it-it's a local sport," Hiccup replied, chuckling. He then gave Elsa a basic overview of the game and its rules, after which Elsa couldn't help but wonder one thing.

How sturdy must those sheep be for them to withstand the treatment they must get during those races?

"So, what your fellow riders have been rebuilding is… what, an amphitheater of sorts?" Elsa asked, referring to the raised structure next to the shore that the younger Vikings had been working on nonstop for the past five days since Hiccup's appointment as chief. One of the many things Elsa still couldn't get her head around was just how quick the Vikings were at building—or rebuilding—stuff.

"I… guess that's a good name for it. They-they suggested a little healthy competition might help lift everyone's spirits while we finish restoring the village, you know, provide a sense of normalcy."

"Normalcy…" Elsa said under her breath. She had to stifle a giggle. Of course a highly competitive sport would be normal for a people with conquering roots.

"So… would you want to participate?" Hiccup extended his invitation again.

"Well… perhaps some other time," Elsa replied after some careful consideration.

"You sure? It seems like you could use a breather yourself."

"Until we clear this ice out, your people won't be able to rebuild their homes, and I'm afraid it won't thaw itself. Besides," Elsa added teasingly, "I wouldn't want to embarrass the new chief of Berk in front of his people."

Hiccup actually laughed at that remark. He finally relented but insisted that she would want to participate for sure once she saw an actual live race.

He'd been right.

The following day, most of the Vikings had gathered at the amphitheater after noon to watch the race—a free-for-all match—while only a handful of people, including Elsa, Valka, and Hiccup himself, remained at the village proper. She found quite inspiring that Hiccup and Toothless had chosen to continue aiding in the rebuilding efforts while his friends had fun racing. That was leading by example. A considerable leap from the insecure young man who was full of doubts about being chief of his people.

That didn't mean both the new 'Alphas' didn't get involved in the race from time to time—and no one ever called them out on it for either reason. In fact, the Vikings applauded such involvement as well. As for that first race itself, it was quite thrilling to watch, even from the village… and frankly, Elsa believed she had what it took to beat the riders in their own game without using her powers.

So, the day after, she signed up for the next dragon race, a team match this time. Though once again Hiccup would stay behind to continue helping rebuild, he assigned the teams. The first team would be comprised of Elsa, Fishlegs Ingerman, and the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston; on the opposing team would be Snotlout Jorgenson, Astrid Hofferson, and Eret, who had also asked to be included in the race. Needless to say, a new rule was indeed added just for Elsa—a rule that clearly stated any use of 'special abilities' by any team member would void the race.

As she had surmised, there was no need to use them at all anyway. In spite of the differences in personalities and competitiveness—which did prove to be a challenge for team coordination during the first half of their race—Elsa and the other three riders managed to find their team spirit near the end of the competition. After that, between the four of them, they were able to catch up with the opposing team and, right at the end of the race, overtake them.

That was the most fun Elsa had had in ages.

After that, things with the Berkians changed considerably, especially with the Riders. They now saw Elsa as one of their own, not just because she'd proven her talent and abilities as a Rider but also because she had been willing to sacrifice the very thing that made her special so she could take part in Berk's traditions. She would often get invited to their training sessions and meetings, to dragon races, and even to have dinner with them in the Great Hall.

The male Riders in particular—Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Tuffnut—sought her out quite frequently. Elsa found that amusing. Oh, she was not naïve or a stranger to the signs most suitors showed when they felt attracted to her—actually attracted to her, not just her crown. These three showed all of those signs in their less-than-subtle attempts to woo her. Just as she did with any suitors back in Arendelle, Elsa politely declined such advances, claiming that she was not looking for a marriage partner at the time and requesting that the three respected that.

The three male Riders got the message loud and clear and changed their demeanor toward her right away. Whether out of genuine respect to her as a woman—which would've surprised her, given that these were still Vikings—or them sensing the same authority Hiccup had told Elsa he felt whenever she was around even before he knew she was a queen, she couldn't know. Regardless, once those boundaries were set, a good friendship began developing between Elsa and the guys.

Ever the hopeless bookworm, Elsa enjoyed spending time with Fishlegs the most. Regardless of the knowledge passed down to her by Valka, everything that Fishlegs had recorded over the last five years was captivating, especially because of his particular writing style. It was evident he took the role of teacher and researcher quite seriously, possibly even more so than Hiccup. No wonder those two were such close friends.

Snotlout was more of an action man—and a cocky one at that. The other Riders' accounts of their adventures just served to confirm Elsa's assessment of Snotlout's character. But beneath the façade of toughness and 'raw Viking-ness', Elsa could also see the makings of a good man and a leader, one who, more often than not, might make impulsive but correct decisions in the thick of battle. He would make a fine second-in-command… with some additional grooming. And Elsa was more than glad to provide some advice—whenever Snotlout was not in a know-it-all mood, of course.

Then there were Ruffnut and Tuffnut—Berk's "mad geniuses", as Elsa liked to think of them. Spending time with them was equally interesting and dangerous, but then again, living with dragons was just the same. What Elsa found fascinating about the twins was their boundless creativity. Elsa had to wonder what Arendelle would be like if they had at least one such mad genius living there. Sure, most of the time the twins used such creativity to wreak havoc on a mass scale, but on occasion, a hint of brilliance could be clearly seen in their endeavors. They just needed to be nudged in the right direction in those cases, something Hiccup and a couple of the other Riders seemed to have mastered.

It took Elsa a while before she realized something monumental. These people had become her first friends ever.

Yes, her relationship with her sister Anna was as strong as it could get, and he loved having Kristoff as her brother-in-law. Olaf and Sven were her family too, like the rest of Arendelle's citizens. Wintergale had become her very first friend—but she was a dragon. Actual human friends? Not until now. She was exhilarated about it, especially because she didn't know that many people who could say they were friends with Vikings or dragon riders, which made these friendships even more unique.

The one person who didn't seem to like having Elsa around was Astrid. She constantly eyed her in a way that reminded Elsa of a wildcat protecting her cubs from potential predators. It didn't take her long to figure out why she acted like that. When she learned that she was Hiccup's betrothed, Elsa figured she was looking at a case of severe jealousy. Hiccup didn't spend that much time alone with Elsa—his new duties kept them from any kind of conversation such as the one they'd had the night after he was named chief. Regardless, Astrid remained wary of Elsa, always walking away whenever the latter was around but keeping just enough distance to monitor her.

Eventually, Fishlegs told her of another case of Astrid jealousy that had happened less than five years before, when they met a girl named Heather. 'Rescued' from a shipwreck by the Riders and brought to Berk as a guest, Heather quickly found grace in the eyes of most of them with her charisma and excessive niceness. Astrid was the only one to suspect the girl's motives from the beginning. She later turned out to be right. Heather was actually working as a spy for a Viking tribe called The Outcasts—namely, for its chieftain, Alvin the Treacherous, who was at odds with Stoick the Vast and wanted to learn how to train dragons to use them against Berk.

Heather's motives, however, weren't purely malicious. Alvin had taken Heather's adoptive parents as prisoners and forced her to steal the Book of Dragons in exchange for their freedom. While attempting to retrieve the book from Alvin's hands, it was none other than Astrid who also helped set Heather's parents free. The two girls parted on good terms and, years later, when Heather met the Riders again—now as a Rider in her own right—she and Astrid actually developed a close friendship.

The bottom line, Fishlegs told Elsa, was that jealousy could often get the better of Astrid. Once she determined Elsa posed no threat to her relationship with Hiccup, however, she'd calm down and even accept her like the others already had—but it was better to leave Astrid alone until then. Just for safety reasons. That wasn't the way Elsa liked to handle things, but she decided to follow Fishlegs' advice. It was probably for the best; the last thing Elsa wanted was to cause Hiccup any problems. A drama from a jealous fiancée at a time like this would likely fall into that category.

Besides, Elsa wasn't sure she would stay much longer on Berk. Living there for a couple of weeks had been an enriching cultural experience, not to mention a nice escape from her own regal life and responsibilities on Arendelle. But she still had a sense of duty to her people, and most of all, to her family. She had no way of knowing whether Sigurd had provided Drago with the location of Elsa's kingdom, or if the captain had kept that bit of information to himself as a sort of bargaining chip for his life. Elsa needed to make sure everything was well with her kingdom and that everyone was safe.

Also, there was Anna's mysterious surprise that still awaited Elsa upon her return.

There was just one more thing left to do.

Three days later

Hiccup woke up with a start, panting heavily. He quickly took a peek at the house window from his bed. The very first rays of dawn painted the wooden wall in pink and orange pastels. Aside from the usual chirping of birds and Terrible Terrors, everything was quiet and peaceful.

He rubbed his eyes to get rid of all sleepiness; not that he was that sleepy anymore. What a disturbing nightmare! He tried to push into the depths of his mind the image of Drago's Bewilderbeast attacking Berk a second time. Though such thing was always possible, he didn't want to consider it right—

A deep rumble in the distance, followed by the sound of water and ice clashing against rock, made Hiccup's blood run cold. Then, when he heard a high-pitched roar, he quickly realized that Toothless' stone slab was empty. He stood as fast as he could and flew down the stairs. He caught a glimpse of his parents still sleeping on the lower floor bed as he opened the door of his house and scanned the horizon.

He hadn't been dreaming at all. There was indeed a Bewilderbeast close to the isle… but it wasn't Drago's Dark Alpha. It was the Dragon Sanctuary's benevolent King.

Elsa and Wintergale had returned to the Sanctuary two days ago. She had told Valka she wanted to try one more time and revive her Bewilderbeast—who, up to now, had remained cocooned in ice due to his injuries—now that she had fully regained her strength. She must've accomplished her goal, seeing as how the King of the Sanctuary was now edging closer to the tiny isle—namely, to a cliff not far away from Hiccup's home where his Night Fury was standing on, flanked on both sides by the Snow Queen and her Ice Fury.

Hiccup was taken aback when, upon reaching Berk's shores, the massive sea dragon bowed his head before Toothless in acknowledgment of the Night Fury's new status as Alpha. He was breathless. Could the majestic Bewilderbeast truly have come to Berk only to pledge his allegiance to Toothless? From the way Toothless held his head high and simply nodded, it seemed so.

It was a sobering and an astounding contrast to the time when the roles were reversed, back when Hiccup and Toothless were first taken to the Sanctuary. Hiccup eventually found his breath again as he slowly approached the trio, though he still found it difficult to utter proper sentences. He hadn't expected to see the Good Alpha again, certainly not here, and definitely not bowing down to Toothless as his Alpha. "You… y-you healed him?" he managed to ask Elsa.

"Actually, he pretty much healed on his own while encased in ice," Elsa replied, smiling widely, after a solemn pause. "I don't know how, but all I can think of is that the King is much tougher than he seems and that he has an impressive will to live."

"You mean… 'Former King'," Hiccup clarified as the Bewilderbeast went back to building what Hiccup could only assume was a new ice lair for himself on one of the neighboring isles.

Elsa just nodded. She was just as amazed by what had just happened as Hiccup. The chief and the queen stood there in silence for several minutes after that, simply watching the majestic dragon as he spit ice with a clear design in mind and marveling at his engineering abilities. More impressive, however, was the fact that the Bewilderbeast would be willing to stay here and protect this land, not as a leader but as a servant.

It wasn't until he became aware of the presence of a few other Vikings around him, including Fishlegs, that Hiccup was able to pull out from his entrancement. Only then did he notice the fully loaded saddlebags beneath Wintergale's wings. He stared at Elsa intently, waiting until she sensed Hiccup's gaze upon her. "So… you're leaving already?" he asked, trying not to sound too hurt about the fact that she hadn't said anything about leaving.

Elsa noticed his hurt regardless. She gave him an apologetic look. "I've done all I can to help here, Hiccup. Now it's time for me to return home. My sister will probably be worried sick by now, and I need to make sure that my kingdom is safe."

There was some logic to that, Hiccup figured. Yet he still didn't want Elsa to leave, not so soon. He enjoyed having her around. She brought a special light to Berk. And it seemed he wasn't the only one who thought so. "We can get a message through to your sister via Terror Mail," Fishlegs quickly offered, having overheard the conversation.

"What?" Elsa raised an eyebrow. Hiccup mentally kicked himself. How could it be that, in all the time since Elsa's arrival on Berk, neither he nor any of the other Riders had shown her the benefits of Terror Mail?

"It's a messaging system we've developed," Fishlegs explained. "We've trained Terrible Terrors to send letters and maps and even small objects across vast distances. It may take a few days to get there if your home is too far away, but they can get it there for sure."

Elsa smiled again and put a hand on both Hiccup's and Fishlegs' shoulders. "Thanks, but I really need to back home."

"Can't you stay just a few more days?" Hiccup pleaded. But as soon as the words left his mouth, and from the way Elsa pursed her lips, Hiccup realized that Elsa was not just worried about things at home but actually homesick. It was a feeling he understood and could relate to all too well; even with all the excitement and adventure back on Dragon's Edge, Hiccup sometimes missed Berk. His time away helped him value his homeland. Given that Elsa had never been this far away this long from her kingdom, he couldn't, in good conscience, insist that she stayed.

"I'm sorry, Hiccup," Elsa said, speaking to him directly. Hiccup nodded in understanding, trying to muster a smile. Then, he saw a sparkle in Elsa's eyes which darted back and forth between him and Fishlegs. "Here's a thought. Why don't you accompany me?"

Hiccup blinked. "Come again?"

"Fly with me to Arendelle. Meet the people that you helped save from Drago. Take a few days to see a bit of what lies beyond this tiny corner of the world." She seemed excited about this idea.

Hiccup wasn't sure what to say to this proposal. He had warmed to it in a heartbeat, to be honest, but… "I-I can't leave now, Elsa. I'm-I'm the new chief. I have responsibilities and—"

"Let's call it your first diplomatic trip," Elsa said, winking. "Surely your father took his fair share of those as Chief of Berk."

Yes, he did, Hiccup thought. Just not as often as one might think. "I… I don't know."

"I have a library."

That got even Fishlegs' attention. "How big?" he asked Elsa, taking the words right out of Hiccup's mouth.

"It's fit for a royal family," Elsa replied with a wide grin. "History, science, philosophy, poetry—we have copies of most books from the 14th through the 18th centuries."

Hiccup was impressed how quickly Elsa had come to know so much about the Riders' personalities. How else could she be aware about how passionate he and Fishlegs were about books? If she wanted to make her offer to visit Arendelle any more enticing, she had said the right words. Gaining access to such a vast wealth of knowledge would benefit not only Hiccup and the Dragon Riders but all of Berk. After so many centuries in isolation, the potential advancement his people could achieve through that knowledge… Hiccup couldn't pass on that offer.

"Well, you know… I suppose I could leave Gobber in charge for a few days. He's done so in the past for my dad," Hiccup said eventually.

"That's the spirit," Elsa said, nudge him gently.

Hiccup turned to look at Fishlegs. His friend couldn't have contained that much excitement even if he had tried. Fishlegs loved traveling to new lands and expanding his personal library—usually with the books he wrote on his travels. This trip might just be the closest to Valhalla he could get in his mortal life. But it wasn't fair to limit this experience to just two Berkians. "Hey, um… can I bring some of the guys along?"

Elsa made a show of taking a hand to her chin and appearing to be in deep thought, though she couldn't disguise that smirk. "That depends. Who do you have in mind?"

A/N: And here we are again, after several months of silence. I do feel terribly bad and sorry about it, I really do. New job, several projects at the church, new ideas… and yes, a little bit of Star Wars Battlefront II on whatever spare time I have left. In hindsight, that last bit I could've gone without in order to continue with this story; I'll own up to that. And again, I am sorry. I mean it.

The thing about this particular chapter (and a couple remaining others) is that it kind of took on a life of its own… at least as far as concept development is concerned. The actual development took longer because of the aforementioned reasons—coupled with a severe case of "Writer's Block Strikes Back". Truth be told, this was actually supposed to be a more detailed account of Elsa's time on Berk. What you read today is not even close to what I really wanted to portray, but I hope it satisfied you guys at least a little nonetheless.

I guess I also needed to find the will to focus back on writing. On that regard, God bless the hype of knowing that THE THIRD INSTALLMENT OF THE FRANCHISE IS FINALLY ON ITS WAY! Speaking of which…

IT'S CANON! FEMALE FURIES BEING WHITE IS CANON AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER ABOUT IT! Yes, I know it wasn't the most original idea back when I began writing Ice Fury, so I won't claim exclusive rights to it, but still… IT'S BEAUTIFUL! (By the way, thanks to Marcus S. Lazarus, RisingSolstice, Supreme Bookworm, and V01dSw0rd for the heads-up PMs; I greatly appreciate the gesture. =D)

At the very least, I think I needed to feel the pressure of needing to conclude my story before The Hidden World shattered any of my fanon concepts and I found myself utterly forced to follow the franchise's canon, such as skin/eye color being the only difference between Fury males and females. Not that following every last bit of a franchise's canon to the letter truly applies when it comes to fanfiction works, but… let's just say my conscience wouldn't leave me live that down. That's just the way my brain works.

Aaaaaand now I'm rambling, so I'll just go ahead and reply to the latest reviews, hehe:

Supreme Bookworm: And once again another fantastic review from you, my dear! =D. I'm glad you liked that speech, and don't worry, you're not alone; I'm sure many of us are on the same "Stoick should've lived" boat. I'm twice as glad you've stuck along so far! ^^
MattAShine: Hehe, I guess I can relate after all this time. Still, for personal reasons I wouldn't mess with Hiccstrid in this story. But hey, having him think of Elsa as a sister is close enough, right? Thanks for reviewing!
Scout017: Oh, thank you so much for the compliments—and for adding this to your top ten! I hope I can continue to live up to your expectations. ;)
OechsnerC: Eeeehhh… kinda sorta. Family love, anyway.
Sebine: Honestly… I don't even know what to reply to this. :|
Guest: Thank you sooooo much for that comment! I admit I had overlooked that fact on my first draft. I just wish I had been able to portray it better.
PascalDragon (x2): Hehe, better late than never indeed. ;) I do have wondered when we'll get to see the next part of Frozen Destiny, but hey, if there's anyone who can understand you… well, hi, I'm Piero217, nice to meet you. :P I'm glad you like the way the story kinda sorta follows the film canon while providing a couple of twists and surprises of its own, if I do say so myself. Thanks for reviewing, my friend! =D
V01dSw0rd: My thoughts exactly, I figured if Elsa had delayed any longer, it may not have worked at all. And regarding Thornado, I know, right?! Like, okay, that episode showed how much Stoick had progressed in his relationship with dragons in general, but that goodbye was so sad! At least now he has an excuse to go find his old comrade, anyway. Thanks for your review!
Hang Tuah: Thanks for your review, I hope this chapter met your expectations regarding Elsa and the Vikings. I know I could've made it better, but you know, another year-long hiatus would've just been too much by now. :P
ArmyWife22079: Well, technically, Elsa has only been gone two months (yeah, I know, it kind of sounds illogical given all that has transpired so far, but I figured she wouldn't have agreed to be away much longer than that, no mater how hairy thing got with Drago). In any case, you'll find out in the next chapter for sure. ;) Thanks for reviewing!
AJ: It's not the same Sigurd, but yeah, that's where the name came from anyway. As for the 1780s date… I later realized that was probably too far-fetched given all the indications seen in Frozen that pointed at the mid-18th century. Then again, I did have other reasons for pushing back the date so far back on the timeline. You'll find out soon enough. ;)
MYTHICBOY: Soon enough my friend, soon enough… ;) Thanks for reviewing!
MysteryGirl7Freak (x2): Wow, you've been busy! (Um… Jumanji the board game or the video game?) I'm just glad you found the time (pun totally intended) to leave such wonderful reviews. I'm glad you liked my explanation on why Wintergale could come back just like that. Also, thanks for the compliments on the speeches; I hope you liked Hiccup's as well. He kind of deserves a good, long clap. ;D Again, thank you so much for reviewing as wonderfully as you always do!
warorpeace: I was actually worried the transition between those two chapters could feel odd; glad to know you and most others liked it. Eret deserved to have a good dragon, and Skullcrusher is as good as they come. Couldn't disregard that moment from the film. Thanks as well for your constant and unwavering support! It means the world to me. (I'll see what I can do about leaving a "backup" version of the original online.)
MarauderPrime12: Thank you! You're so kind!
purpleflower . bgz: Oh, please, by all means, I'm glad you mentioned it! I always enjoy replying to new reviewers, but more so to new reviewers who have been following the story for a while. And I promise I wholeheartedly mean all that. I'm so glad you liked those last two chapters, and I hope this one pleases you as well. Looking forward to hear from you again! =D
Tanus11: Oh, there's definitely a sequel in the works, aside from the remaining chapters. It's just… something different from what you may expect, though I hope you still like it when we get there. ;)
weishinsong: YASSSS! It's wonderful to know I'm not alone there. Thanks for reviewing!
Ghost: Thank you for your patience my friend, it's nice to be back. I hope you liked this chapter too.
Ghost: Nah, you and I both know the public had been calling for Sigurd's head for a long while. ;P Thank you for patiently waiting this long, and I hope to hear from you again soon enough!
Lunasen: Thank you, dear reviewer! About ToothGale, well… please do finish reading this A/N; there's a note on that regard near the end. ;D

Only six more chapters to go! Now, I'm currently trying to find a balance between life and writing, so no actual promises on the next update. I can say, however, that I have every intention to finish this story well before the barrage of trailers/TV spots for HTTYD3 hits us all hard. (There's already a first trailer coming this week, but I mean the stuff that usually precedes the film itself by about three or four months.)

In the meantime, just a little something to keep you interested: three chapters from now, we'll finally get some much-needed Toothless/Wintergale bonding—and I'm not talking "friendly bonding" here like Hiccup and Elsa's but some serious bonding. ;)

Thank you so much for bearing with me and not giving up on this story yet! See you around!

And as usual, don't forget to review on your way out! ^^