Thank you EchoMoonstone for betaing this!
EDIT: So, I just realized that this site removes my page breaks, and a lot of my formatting. Took me 26 chapters to realize, sorry about that. So I'm sorry if POV changes in previous chapters seem confusing. I'm going to go through this story on this site over the next few days and try to fix it up.
There were times where Hiccup felt like his mind was trying to rip itself to pieces. When he was still Tony Stark, he solved this by creating. He pushed his mind to its limit to force it to give, to bend, to just stop and let him rest. But on Berk, there was really nothing to test his mind on. So there were times that it was all he could do to keep himself together. He tried to sooth his brain's itching with math. He spent hours upon hours creating equations, then solving them. The Vikings just rolled their eyes and left him to it. They didn't understand it. They didn't use much math. Hiccup wasn't sure if they really even knew what it was, beyond just the basic few numbers that they used while counting fish, adding sheep, and counting heads of how many people survived the most recent raid. Hiccup didn't really care if they understood or not. He needed the math. There were days that it was all that kept him sane. But there was one equation that he couldn't solve. P versus NP. It was mathematically impossible to solve, and Hiccup hated it but at the same time he loved it. He spent hours, sometimes days on it, and wasted countless pieces of paper writing out failed attempts at finding a solution. Every time, he would end up giving up and setting his paper aside, but he always left the equation feeling steadier than when he first lifted his pencil-stick.
He felt like his relationship with the other Vikings was a little like that. There were times where he hated them, hated how superstitious they were, how set in their ways they were, how stubborn they were. He couldn't solve the equation that was the Vikings. Not completely. He could wrap his head around the concept of them, but when it came time to put that knowledge to the test and solve the equation, it never equaled out. They always did something that surprised him. But despite the frustration they caused him, they kept him steady. Stoick's hand on his shoulder comforting, Gobber's obnoxious voice amusing, Astrid's scent intoxicating, even Snotlout helped keep his world right side up.
So there was no question on who to go to for help with clearing the dragons' name, and that was how Hiccup ended up combing the beach with the other teens, looking for the dragon-foot-boots that Mildew had used to frame the dragons. It wasn't very creative, but then again, Mildew was a Viking. And Hiccup had seen him throw the damn boots in the ocean, so this was their only shot at finding the evidence they needed. But there was nothing. Nothing but the strange ship they spotted. It had a crest Hiccup didn't recognize, but Astrid did. So the riders ended up racing back to the village to warn Stoick about the incoming Outcasts.
Hiccup was freaking out, although he was trying his best not to show it. An invasion, while the dragons were gone and Berk had no weapons since 'the dragons' had blown up the armory. He couldn't think of a worse way to meet Vikings from outside of Berk. There was nothing he could do but try to help. Which, without the dragons, mostly meant staying out of the way. But he had never been very good at that, so as soon as he heard that Alvin the Treacherous was there for the 'Dragon Conqueror' he ran for the Outcasts' leader's position on the beach, where he was holding the kids and the old hostage.
He had expected a little more fanfare, in all honesty. He had gotten to the beach and found Mildew unconscious, which was a small blessing, and Astrid face-to-face with a Viking nearly as huge as Stoick. Only this man had small, dark eyes filled with greed and something Hiccup could only describe as evil. When Alvin yanked Astrid's braid back, which was dishonorable and made Hiccup's blood boil, he knew he had to speak up.
But when he showed himself and announced that he he was the Dragon Conqueror, all the Outcasts just burst into laughter at once. "You?" Alvin asked, barely able to get the words out through his laughing. "Stoick's 'ittle pet? The 'ittle Southerner who fancies 'imself a Vikin'? Yer the Dragon Conqueror?"
Hiccup met Astrid's eyes, and they exchanged a small nod of acknowledgment.
"It's true!" Astrid cried, her eyes wide and slightly awed. She really was a good liar, for a Viking. "He conquered all the dragons! Even a Night Fury!"
The name of the most feared dragon in the world caused all of the laughter to cut off at once. Suddenly, Hiccup found himself being closely studied by the Outcasts, all of them trying to figure out if it was true. Hiccup knew he could trick them. He comes from Southerners, and he could still lie like one. So he met Alvin's eyes without fear, without doubt.
"Yer bluffing," Alvin growled, dark eyes narrowed.
"Am I?" Hiccup demanded. He knew exactly how to defeat the Outcasts, and bring the dragons back into Berk's good graces. "One way to find out. Take me to Dragon Island."
Alvin laughed. It was a harsh, ugly sound. "Oh, I will, boy. I will."
So for the second time in two days, Hiccup found himself on a boat. But this time he was closely watched, with Outcasts holding swords on him the whole time. Apparently the idea that he was capable of defeating a Night Fury made the Outcasts disregard his size and consider him an active threat. If he wasn't on another damned boat, he probably would have laughed. Sweat slicked his skin, and his muscles were beginning to cramp with how tight he was holding them in an effort not to tremble. He kept his mind focused on Toothless. Just a little longer, he told himself. Just a little longer, and you'll be with Toothless. It was all that held him together. He did his best to answer Alvin's boasting with casual disregard, trying not to show his fear. The Outcasts would probably think he was afraid of the dragons they were sailing towards, which would not help his goal of getting to Toothless.
He wanted to cry with relief when the ship bumped against the sand of the island. Instead he moved as fast as they would let him to get off of the ship. Toothless wasn't in sight, so he must have hidden himself and the other dragons at the sight of the unfamiliar ship. His smart, smart Toothless. Hiccup wanted to race through the island and find his dragon, but the spears crossed in front of his chest ensured that wouldn't be happening. But Toothless must have heard his voice when he complained at the Vikings, because a familiar cry rang through the air. When Hiccup looked up, he found Toothless had leapt out of the trees and was on the beach. Happiness swelled in his chest, and he could barely keep his glee hidden from the Outcasts. Toothless froze at the sight of the unfamiliar Vikings and the swords they held on Hiccup. All at once, Toothless's pupils thinned, he lowered to a crouch, and he curled his lips back from his teeth. Suddenly he went from being Hiccup's playful friend to a truly menacing beast. But it was impossible for Hiccup to be afraid of Toothless. It was all he could do to keep from grinning.
He managed to get the Outcasts to stay where they were and let him approach the Night Fury alone. It wasn't hard. They were clearly alarmed by the dragon and didn't want to get close. The only one who didn't look like he was about to wet his pants was Alvin. Toothless waited as Hiccup approached, eyes flickering between him and the Outcasts. Once the dragon decided that Hiccup was close enough that Toothless could reach him before the Outcasts did, the dragon pounced. Hiccup whisper-laughed and wrapped his arms around Toothless's wide head, ignoring the frightened cries of the Outcasts. He whispered reassurances to Toothless and pushed himself upright again, edging towards the hidden saddle. The Outcasts didn't get suspicious until he was finished hooking up Toothless's flight rig. Seeing Alvin's shocked face when Toothless lowered his wing to reveal Hiccup in the saddle was immensely satisfying, and now Hiccup let his grin split his face.
It was so good to fly again. It washed the nauseating rocking sensation of the boat away. In its place was the cleansing blast of icy wind against his skin and the rush caused by speed and power. The other riders arrived in a timely matter, and Hiccup got to see Stoick punch Alvin right in the face. Watching the two enormous Vikings fight was incredible. It was like watching two massive waves clash, shaking the ground with the force of their blows.
But the best part was taking Toothless home. The dragon purred so hard he vibrated Hiccup through the saddle with his happiness. Vikings cheered when the riders flew overhead, and Mildew snarled. Hiccup may not have found the evidence of what he did, but he would keep a closer eye on the old Viking from now on. He would make certain Mildew didn't get another chance to frame the dragons. Because all of the dragons, not just Toothless, were his. And he protected his own.
Toothless was relieved to be back in the Viking nest. But it was coming clear that it wasn't just a nest for Vikings anymore. It was becoming a nest for dragons as well. Humans and dragons sharing a nest was unprecedented, as far Toothless knew. But it was nice. Humans' dull soft-claws were perfect for scratching all the right places, and they were surprisingly good hunters considering their weak bodies. But the best thing was being back with Hiccup. The time away from his little Viking was lonely, despite the presence of the other dragons. Toothless couldn't sleep, too worried about Hiccup. And he had to keep the other dragons from turning on each other, and make them wait until the Vikings came back for them. Because Toothless knew they would come back. Hiccup said he would fix it, so Toothless knew he would.
Then he had seen a strange Viking ship in the distance, and had gotten the other dragons away from the shore. But Toothless heard his Viking's familiar heartbeat, then his voice. The strange, dark Vikings had held weapons on Toothless's precious little Viking, and a mix of rage and fear had tightened Toothless's scales. But his clever Hiccup got away from them without them even knowing that they were being hunted. Hiccup had smelled of old fear, and relief. Like he had been afraid but wasn't anymore. Toothless didn't like Hiccup smelling like fear. He would have to work harder to make sure Hiccup wouldn't be forced to be away from him anymore. But for now, all was right in his world.
The night after Hiccup got the dragons back, he had his first nightmare since killing the Red Death and bringing peace to Berk. He wasn't even sure what the dream was. All he knew was he was cold, in pain, and he felt like he was missing something - or someone - vitally important. He knew he was on the water, and whatever he was on - the raft? - was rocking in that nauseating way that he hated. And it was so cold. He jerked out of the dream, gasping wildly. His face and hair was soaked, there was something heavy on his chest, and for one hysterical moment he thought he was on The Seeker and it was still sinking. But then something slimy that smelled distinctly of fish ran up the side of his face and he became aware of the anxious whines coming from above him. He blinked, trying to clear his vision. Toothless's worried face came into focus, and Hiccup realized that the wetness on his face and in his hair was from the dragon's attempt to wake him up. The weight on his chest was Toothless's paw, from where the Night Fury was carefully leaning on him. He sucked in a desperate breath and reached up to Toothless.
"Hey bud. Yeah, hey. I'm, I'm okay. Yeah. I'm okay, you're okay, we're both fine. You and me, huh bud?"
Toothless crooned, nuzzling his nose into Hiccup's neck and breathing in his scent. The dragon was shaking nearly as hard as Hiccup, and Hiccup instantly felt horrible.
"Hey, hey, it's okay bud. Just a bad dream. It's okay." Hiccup wondered if dragons can have nightmares. If they dream. They must. Animals do, and dragons are much more intelligent than most animals.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his own shaking so Toothless could calm down. After another minute, Toothless drew back a bit so he could look at Hiccup. But he didn't go back to his bed. In fact, Hiccup didn't like the way his Night Fury was eyeing Hiccup's own bed.
"Yeah, no chance bud. Vikings make pretty sturdy furniture but I don't think this bed can hold a thousand pounds of dragon. Let's sleep on your bed, okay buddy?"
Toothless's ear plates perked right up and he bounced in place, barking in excitement.
Hiccup laughed, the last dregs of the nightmare fading away. "Shh! Don't wake up Stoick!" He pushed out of bed and hopped over to Toothless's bed, not bothering to put his prosthetic on. He carefully sat on the edge of the rock, and Toothless circled around behind him to get comfortable. Once the dragon was lying down, Hiccup scooted in close, trying to figure out how he should lie. The problem was solved when Toothless stretched out his wing and tucked it around Hiccup, using it to pull him in close. Hiccup smiled and snuggled in against his dragon, burying his face in Toothless's shoulder. The Night Fury sighed contently and buried his nose in Hiccup's hair.
They had no more nightmares that night.
A week after the failed invasion of the Outcasts, Mildew was grinning as he walked towards Trader Johann's ship. The Outcasts were fools, and they had failed spectacularly. But Mildew knew, oh he knew exactly how to get rid of the Southerner and all his pesky dragons. In his day, such a thing would never have been tolerated. First, Stoick allowed a Southerner on Berk. A Southerner! Of all things! Then, that Southerner brought dragons! But Mildew would fix it, oh yes, he would.
"Good day, Mildew!" Trader Johann's voice was, as always, annoyingly cheerful. But despite that personality flaw, the man was a decent Viking. Unlike the Vikings Berk produced nowadays. Trader Johann knew how to do business, and never asked questions.
"'Ello, Trader Johann." Mildew's voice was even more gravely than usual in his attempt to keep his voice down.
"What can I get you today? I have more of that, ah, cream, you wanted last time!"
Mildew scowled at him. "Behhhh, no, I don't need none of that. I've got a request from the Chief, actually."
Johann blinked at him. "The Chief? Oh, well the Chief was just here this morning! He didn't say anything about a special request."
Mildew frowned harder at the Trader. "He needs the letters the Southerner gave you. Do you still have 'em?"
Johann blinked, apparently caught by surprise. "Oh, of course! I'm the finest trader in the Archipelago Mildew, I would hardly lose such important merchandise. Why, I can't count the number of times I would be caught in a storm, my crates sliding around, and I would bravely dive after -"
"Yes yes Trader Johann. I understand. The letters, if you would?" Staying civil was difficult. But Mildew needed Johann in his good graces for this to work. Still, he didn't think he could stand listening to one of Johann's stories.
"Oh, of course!" Johann quickly ducked into the belly of his ship.
Mildew could hear him rustling around. Fungus bleated, and Mildew reached down to pat the sheep's head. "Oh, have some patience, dear Fungus. Soon, all will be well."
Mildew had to give the Trader credit. He was clearly organized. It only took a minute for him to locate the letters, and hand them over to Mildew.
Mildew just had to be sure of one thing. "Oh, and don't say anything if you see the Chief later. He wants this to be discreet, understand?"
Trader Johann looked nearly insulted. "Why, of course! I always respect my buyers' anonymity! Don't you worry Mildew, my lips are sealed!"
After bidding the Trader goodbye, Mildew let himself walk away. It was all he could do to keep from dancing. He had the letters. It would take time to play out, since the freeze was nearly upon them and they couldn't begin until the weather was clear enough to sail, and it would probably take quite a bit of time once they were able to begin. But once it came together it would be beautiful. Once he got rid of that Southerner, there would be no one in the way of his plans to be rid of the dragons, and Berk would shine again.
Next time he saw Alvin, he would give him his present and let him in on Mildew's plan.
What do you guys think Mildew's plan is? Please let me know, I love watching people speculate!
Episodes included: Season one, episode 6: Alvin and the Outcasts