Chapter 37: We Are Family

Snivels: Finally, the wedding episode!

Blaze: Hold it, Brainiac, what's a How to Become a Trainer episode without some sort of conflict?

Snivels: Oh, come on! A lot of shippers have been waiting forever for this episode!

Ninjark: Maybe it won't be that bad.

Snivels: Arceus, I hope so.

NOTE: When Stoick starts shouting, **** is put in place of a swear word.

As Go-Getters, we have a strong sense of community. It's important for us to be part of a family and to celebrate that connection.

A week had passed since the night the Changewings and Dragalge attacked, a couple of weeks since the dangerous adventure on Outcast Island, and a few months since Hiccup proposed to Astrid. Even though all the events were still fresh in the minds of the Go-Getters, there were more important matters to deal with.

Bork Week had finally come.

For Vikings, it meant celebrating being part of a family. But for Team Go-Getters, it meant all that and more.

By the end of the week, Hiccup and Astrid would be married.

Sadly, the leader of Team Go-Getters was getting more and more nervous as the days passed.

"No offense, but you might want to stop pacing before you wear out a line in the ground."

Hiccup paused at the sound of his ace partner's suggestion. He'd gone out to the clearing where he and Astrid usually met, and for some reason Snivels and Folnir had decided to join him.

"Snivels, do you have any idea what could happen in the next few days?" he asked, his voice becoming more panicked as he kept talking. "If Astrid isn't ready for this, I might be forcing her to do something she'll regret for the rest of her life!"

Folnir spoke up from his place under a nearby tree. "Then perhaps you should ask her if she's okay with the arrangements." The Yveltal then popped an odd-looking berry into his mouth.

Hiccup calmed down a little. "Okay, but I can't just walk up and ask her out of the blue, she'll think I'm crazy!"

"Then start a conversation," Snivels said, "Give her a gift, tell her how you feel, hug her, kiss her, whatever you wanna do!"

Folnir swallowed the berry he was eating. "I believe what he's trying to say is that you should have more confidence in yourself regarding your soul mate."

Kickin' Hawk suddenly swooped in, having returned from gathering equipment necessary for traveling to the Ice Caves, where the wedding would take place. "I'll be glad when we finally get to leave this brute-infested island."

Snivels gave the Hawlucha a sympathetic look. "Stoick was swearing again?"

Kickin' Hawk scoffed. "That's an understatement! He trips over a small rock and he's yelling out every curse word in the dictionary!"

Folnir sighed. "Honestly, that excuse for a man is in no way worthy of raising a child, let alone a homunculus such as our leader."

Hiccup looked confused. "A homunculus?" He'd never heard that word before.

Kickin' Hawk pinched the bridge of his small, red beak. "Perfectly formed, miniature human being."

Hiccup's eyes instantly went wide with surprise.

Snivels chuckled. "Be glad your fiancée wasn't around to hear that."

Hiccup calmed down after that. "At least you guys tease me in a nice way." He approached Folnir and grabbed one of the berries, taking a bite out of it. After chewing a little, he spit it out. "You eat that? What is it?"

Folnir smiled and held a berry up to his eye level. "The Enigma Berry is very hard to find in this part of the archipelago. They're my favorite food, and, as the name implies, they have a very enigmatic taste. And they're a lethal poison to those who aren't Pokémon."

Hiccup, who had been trying to scrub his tongue off, gasped and ran over to the nearest stream of water to wash his mouth out. Folnir smiled with amusement as he watched his trainer leave the clearing in a panic.

Clearly, the last sentence he said was false.

Later, the entirety of Team Go-Getters met in the cove for their daily dragon lesson. Hiccup had given Snivels the honor of teaching the lesson, which was about dragon calls.

There was a loud roar-like sound as Snivels demonstrated his Dragon Whistle, the noise shattering the peaceful silence that had remained seconds before. Snivels then lowered the dragon-shaped whistle from his mouth and began the lecture.

"As you can see, the Dragon Whistle is capable of mimicking the cry of every dragon in existence. However, the model I use is meant for the more advanced dragonologist. Therefore, I took the liberty of creating a collection of beginner's Dragon Whistles designed to resemble your respective dragons. Anyone want to try theirs out first?"

True to the Servine's word, an array of Dragon Whistles that resembled all of the riders' dragons was laid out on a blanket on a foldable table in front of them. Hiccup went to grab his whistle, whispering to Snivels, "Please, try not to embarrass me in front of Astrid again."

Snivels looked confused. "What do you mean, again?"

Hiccup reluctantly answered, "Remember the lecture about dragon reproduction cycles?"

Snivels eyes instantly lit up with remembrance. "Oh, right! My bad."

Hiccup then grabbed the Dragon Whistle shaped like a Night Fury and blew into it.

"AOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH!"

When the howl-like noise died down, Snivels added, "The whistles all produce the sound typically used by dragons when they want to call for help."

Blaze looked around. "So, where's Toothless?"

Snivels shrugged. "Be patient. He can't fly on his own, remember."

Hiccup was about to blow the Dragon Whistle again when a light growling sound got his attention. Glory and Terrorspin were crouched on the ground, staring intently at a random moss-covered rock in front of them.

"What are they doing?" asked Hiccup.

Ninjark chuckled a little. "This."

Now Hiccup saw what the Frogadier was doing. He had taken a flat, shiny disk from one of the pockets of Snivels's training vest and was holding it at an angle, allowing sunlight to reflect off of it and onto the rock that the Changewing and Whispering Death were so captivated by. Their eyes moved whenever Ninjark moved the disk, following the bright spot of light that had hypnotized them so.

Hiccup facepalmed. "...Seriously?"

"What?" Ninjark asked. "I just wanted to test it and see if it really worked."

He set the disc down, and Terrorspin suddenly gave his body a jolt, like he had suddenly been awoken from sleep. "Gone again!"

Hiccup chose to ignore the frightening dragon's growls of complaint and instead raised the Night Fury-shaped Dragon Whistle again.

"AOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!"

Ten seconds later, Toothless arrived and bounded over to Hiccup, tackling him to the ground in excitement.

"Who wants to try it next?" Snivels asked.

His answer was Astrid grabbing the Deadly Nadder-shaped Dragon Whistle and blowing into it.

"SHAREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAK!"

Everyone had to cover their ears at the high-pitched noise that pierced the air. Snivels, however, wasn't all that shaken. "A little less force in the blow would have done just fine."

But there was no need to argue with results as Stormfly flew in with a small pack of wild Nadders and Flygon behind her.

Heather grabbed her own Dragon Whistle and examined its Razorwhip-like design. "Can I ask why we're doing this?"

"Well," Snivels explained, "You never know when you're going to get separated from your dragon, and the only way to communicate is to call it. It's also a good way to signal the rest of the team whenever you discover anything suspicious."

Hiccup was too busy examining the wild Nadders and Flygon to hear Snivels. As Stormfly and Dragonfly interacted with the pack, he unconsciously shifted his gaze to Toothless, who was sitting down beside him.

Alone.

No other Night Furies.

Hiccup sighed sadly at the obvious fact that Toothless was the only Night Fury on Berk.

And possibly the entire archipelago.

Hiccup was pacing again, this time on the main floor of their house. What was also different was that the upcoming wedding wasn't the only thing he was nervous about.

"Why do you always have to pace like that?" Snivels asked as he watched his trainer walk across the room over and over again. "I mean, sure, it is a form of exercise, but you're practically killing us here!"

"Does it have anything to do with you meeting with Astrid soon?" Folnir asked, swallowing one of the last few Enigma Berries he had since earlier that morning.

Hiccup sighed. "It's not just that. Toothless is the only Night Fury we've ever seen, and there isn't even any sign that there are more out there. It's like he's the only one left."

Blaze arrived through the front door as he said that last sentence. "Who's the only one left?"

Snivels approached the confused Blaziken. "Hiccup's upset because he thinks Toothless is the last of his kind. But I'm pretty sure he isn't."

That earned him a skeptical look from Blaze. "What in Arceus's name makes you say that?"

The Servine ran off, only to return seconds later with an unusually large sketchbook. "I've seen a lot of dark shapes throughout my time as a wild Pokémon, and I have reason to believe that they are other Night Furies." He opened the book to show rough sketches of dark figures that greatly resembled Night Furies.

Blaze, however, thought otherwise. Pointing at each of the drawings, she rapidly dismissed them as, "Swarm of bats, log, dolphin, Noivern, bear, Noivern, Jigglypuff seen from above, Noivern, Noivern, you aren't old enough to know what that is, Noivern, Noivern, it's mostly Noivern."

Hiccup sighed. "Yeah, that's a real confidence booster." His voice was heavy with sarcasm.

"Before I forget the real reason I'm here," said Blaze, "Astrid's nearly ready to meet you out on the bluff."

Snivels quickly went to put his sketchbook away. "That also reminds me of something."

"Look, Snivs," Hiccup said nervously, "This is really something I have to deal with myself, I mean, I really appreciate you trying to help, but..."

He was cut off at the sight of Snivels holding an old bronze pendant on a chain. Judging by the pattern, it was obvious the object had previously belonged to a Viking. Snivels began explaining before Hiccup could ask what it was.

"I stumbled upon this a few days after the climactic finale of the Great Dragon War. Stoick was out, so Brumous told me what it was. He said it was the chief's betrothal gift to your mother. Since Stoick doesn't really have any more use for it, Brumous said I could have it if I wanted. So I kept it. And considering the conversation we had earlier before Folnir started messing around with you for fun, I would like to suggest you give this to Astrid as a gift."

Stunned by the Servine's sudden suggestion (and explanation), Hiccup grabbed the pendant and examined it. "Uh...thanks." He then headed out the door, calling for Toothless.

As soon as Hiccup was gone, Snivels shuddered. "It's no wonder that thing looks like it should be in a rubbish heap. What was Stoick thinking giving a Viking pendant to Valka?"

Kickin' Hawk chuckled. "I'm sure the almighty Arceus can help us remodel that old thing."

"About time, too," said Folnir after swallowing the last of the Enigma Berries. "Lucha and I were getting tired of looking at that excuse for a betrothal gift."

Kickin' Hawk instantly stiffened. "I told you never to call me that!"

Blaze shot her mate a confused look. "What's wrong with what he called you?"

Folnir smiled mischievously. "Lucha Toughshot is his real name. He hates it, so he started calling himself Kickin' Hawk after he joined the Resistance."

Now it was Snivels's turn to give the angry Hawlucha a confused look. "You never told me your real name was Lucha Toughshot. And you've been telling me everything about the Resistance and Fjord's prophecy!"

Kickin' Hawk sighed sharply and glared at Folnir.

"Oh, I'm gonna get a lot of mileage out of this one," Blaze said, her smile showing a hint of vicious pleasure.

Hiccup couldn't help but sigh in regret as he and Toothless lay down on the grass and looked up at the sky. Above the village, Pokémon and dragons were still hard at work putting up the last of the decorations up for Bork Week.

"I wish there were other Night Furies for you, bud," he lamented. "But you're the only one I've ever seen...for all I know, you're the last of your kind."

Toothless heard the sadness in his voice and walked over to curl around his rider, trying to make him feel better. It did raise Hiccup's spirits a bit, but only a little. He was still too worried.

"There you are!"

It was Astrid. She and Stormfly touched down, and she hopped off of the Deadly Nadder's back and ran to Hiccup's side. She was actually breathless with excitement. "Hey, I've been training my team for the trip!" she enthused. "I finally got their endurance up high enough to withstand the cold."

Normally, Hiccup would be be sharing in Astrid's happiness. But today, he was too troubled to care. Still, there was no way he could tell her that…

"Y-Yeah, wow!" he said instead. "That, that's great!"

Of course, his soon-to-be bride saw straight through him. "Hiccup…"

Defeated, he turned his head to look her in the eye. "I've just been thinking," he admitted. "Stormfly has other Nadders, Grave Robber has Scapula and their kids, Buck has practically every Grapple Grounder on Berk, and Toothless...Toothless has no one."

Astrid's smile faded. She did nothing for a second, but then reached out to Hiccup and gave him a quick, yet heartfelt hug in an attempt to cheer him up.

"He has you," she told him, with a small chuckle. "And he looks pretty happy if you ask me."

Indeed, Toothless was currently lying contentedly in the grass, soaking up the sun. He looked pretty much like the textbook definition of 'happy'.

Still, Hiccup wasn't convinced. "You know what I mean," he sighed.

"Hiccup, he'll be fine," Astrid reassured him. She planted a swift kiss on his cheek, then started to head back to where Stormfly stood. However, Hiccup laid his hand on her shoulder at the last second.

"Wait."

Astrid froze momentarily before turning to face her fiancé.

Hiccup sucked in a breath nervously. "There's something I need to talk to you about." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the pendant Snivels had given him earlier.

"This was my father's betrothal gift to my mother. Snivels found it and suggested that I give it to you."

He held the pendant in one hand and held Astrid's with the other.

"Listen, if you don't want us to get married yet, we can reschedule for a later date. Maybe a few months, or even a few years. You've been training to be a shield maiden your whole life, and...and I don't want to hold you back. I'd never force you into anything you don't want, because I know the kind of person you are. If you don't think we're ready for this, then I...I won't push it. I don't want to be the person who stands between you and your dreams."

Astrid felt herself getting choked up, but she held back the tears that threatened to shed and hugged him. Hiccup nearly lost his footing, but he regained his composure and hugged her back.

"Hiccup, you were never holding me back. If anything, you've been helping me move forward. You're my best friend. I just wish I'd been one to you."

Hiccup gently pulled out of the embrace so he could look Astrid in the eye. "Astrid, you're more than just my friend. You're my family. You always have been, and...I hope you always will be."

Astrid smiled and pecked his lips. "I will."

Hiccup could have swore his heart skipped a beat. "So, you'll marry me?"

Astrid breathed a laugh. "Why else would I have said yes to your proposal?"

Hiccup smiled at that. He then remembered the pendant that was in his hand and held it up for her to see. "May I?"

Knowing what he was suggesting, Astrid nodded. She then bowed her head slightly, allowing Hiccup to hang the pendant around her neck. It might not have been the most eye-catching accessory, but it was in all ways meaningful.

"You look beautiful," Hiccup said with complete honesty.

Astrid would have blushed like mad if she was what everyone called a "girly girl." But she wasn't. So she just smiled. She then headed back to where Stormfly was waiting, and mounted her dragon.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Stoick and Gobber are looking for you. They're waiting in the Meade Hall...and they looked pretty serious."

She promptly took off, leaving Hiccup behind.

"That's great," he grumbled.

When Hiccup opened the door and found himself in a dark, spooky atmosphere with his father and Gobber with their respective Beartic and Probopass, he stopped in his tracks.

"Okay..." he murmured. "This is pretty weird..."

Hesitantly, he approached the table. The closer he got, the more clearly he saw his dad's intimidating expression, and the less he wanted to have anything to do with whatever business awaited him here.

"Hiccup," Stoick ordered. "Come forth, and hold out your hands."

His son did so, then swiftly hid them behind his back. "Uh, Dad?" he quavered. "I'd just like to say, in my own defense, that I cannot control Blaze and Kickin' Hawk's kids or the dragonets twenty-four-seven."

There was a hearty laugh, breaking the tension. "This isn't about those young ones, Hiccup!" said Gobber. "It's something really good!"

Stoick huffed and smacked a hand to his forehead, exasperated that his right-hand man had gone and blown the surprise yet again.

"Now then, Hiccup," the Chief began, setting aside his frustration. "As you know, Bork Week has begun, the first one since we made peace with the dragons. It has been decided that, from this moment forward, all things dragon-related – including Bork's life's work – shall be entrusted to you and your friends."

Hiccup's eyes widened. Of all the things he could have expected from a "serious" meeting with his Viking Chief of a dad, this was perhaps the thing he expected the least.

Gobber reached down to his feet and lifted up a large, dusty chest, one that Hiccup hadn't even noticed was there. He set it down on the table in front of him and opened it, motioning their guest forward to take a closer look. When Hiccup rested his hands on the table, the blacksmith took out a large stack of papers and notebooks.

"This is where the Dragon Manuel started," he explained with much gusto. "Everything he ever wrote on the subject is in these notes! Personal thoughts, feelings, fears... even some delicious recipes!"

Saying that Hiccup was shocked would have been an understatement.

"I...I don't know what to say," he murmured, tentatively taking the books in his hands. "Thank you, Dad. I..."

He was cut off by the feeling of a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Son," said Stoick, "This is a big part of our history. You and the dragons are a big part of our future. It's now up to you to take care of both."

Hiccup wanted to tell Stoick that his affiliation was more with Team Go-Getters than the Viking tribe, but he decided to hold it off until a better time. Nodding hesitantly, Hiccup put the books back in the chest, and Gobber sealed it up. He took the chest and, looking like he was going to miss Bork's dragon notes and his job of keeping them safe, invitingly offered it to Hiccup.

However, it didn't seem as though Hiccup was strong enough to pry it out of the blacksmith's grip. Didn't he know that his former apprentice was significantly lacking in upper body strength?

But it turned out, Gobber was keeping a firm grip on the chest, still hesitant to let go of Bork's possessions.

Stoick noticed it, and snapped, "Gobber."

Said blacksmith at last allowed Hiccup to take the chest. Sniffing loudly, he choked out, "It's all yours now, lad."

The chest was actually a little heavy, now that Hiccup had gotten used to holding it. Curiously, he took a peek inside, and saw that he probably wouldn't need some of the other stuff that was being held in the box.

"Here," he said, holding something out. "You can keep the dragon-gutting dagger."

Holding the weapon close, Gobber looked like he was about to cry with joy.

And with that, the meeting was over. Bork's notes had been officially passed on to Team Go-Getters. Stoick only hoped that it would help his son train dragons, and that he would keep them safe for many more generations to come.

But what Hiccup didn't notice was that Snivels and Folnir were standing just outside the doors to the Great Hall, listening as Stoick suddenly banged his foot against a stray bench shortly after Hiccup left.

"OW! My **** foot! What **** genius put a **** bench in the **** path?! Can't you see I got a **** foot here?! Oh, ****!"

Snivels started counting off the number of swear words as Stoick shouted them out. "Five, six, seven..."

"**** a whole lotta ****, and with a side of ****, a heaping helping of **** and a boatload of ****!"

Folnir counted. "Nine..."

"Oh, ****! ****! ****! Son of a ****!"

Snivels gasped. "That's all thirteen of them! Kickin' Hawk was right."

Folnir smiled mischievously. "You mean Lucha Toughshot."

Snivels frowned. "Will you please stop rubbing that in on us?"

It was that time of day when the hard-working Go-Getters had finally shut the doors and windows to avoid being disturbed. Most likely, the entirety of the island populace had already conked out on their beds and were snoring away.

Hiccup, though, was far too involved in something else to fall asleep. He hadn't moved from the dinner table since he had first sat down. The candle that had been set out was almost completely melted, and he was still flipping through Bork's notes. The sketches, the footnotes, the recipes...all of it was simply enthralling.

"Toothless, look at all this!" whispered Hiccup, awed. "Bud, this is amazing. These are his personal notes. Everything he observed about dragons is right here."

Of course, all the Night Fury wanted to do was get to sleep. He turned over onto his back and grunted irritably.

Hiccup turned another page and turned the book sideways so he could see the drawings better, squinting for good measure. He wasn't very pleased at what he saw.

"Along with...some rather interesting sketches of his neighbors..." he muttered. "Am I glad Snivels wasn't here to see that..."

Making a disgusted sound at the back of his throat, he tossed the book aside. It opened in a way that left the back cover exposed, and there was a slight tearing sound, like peeling bark off a tree. It was only just loud enough for Hiccup to hear it in the utter quietness that had fallen over his house.

He squinted again. It looked like part of the back cover had peeled away from the other part, as if the two had been glued together in some way. But why would anyone bother giving a book cover two layers? It didn't make any logical sense...unless...

A secret compartment! Hiccup thought. He picked up the book and, ever so gently, peeled the layers apart. Just as he suspected, there was something inside – a small packet of papers.

For the second time that day, Hiccup was blown away by what he found.

"This...this is...This is all on the Night Fury!" he exclaimed, nearly dumbstruck. "It's all about you, bud!"

Again, Toothless couldn't care less.

"Bork didn't put any of this in the Dragon Manual!" Hiccup continued, eagerly shuffling through the papers.

Each page had something new on it. There were head sketches detailing how a Night Fury's ears flicked in and out...how the wings spread and could be tucked back over the body...even bits and pieces about the dragon's signature plasma blast.

But the information on the very last page was what Hiccup found most astonishing.

Voice hushed with awe, he read aloud, "'My studies lead me to conclude that an entire island exists teeming with mysterious Night Furies...I call this land the Isle of Night...'"

He put down the notes and raised his head, staring blankly at the wall. It was too much to take in all at once.

"An island full of Night Furies!" he murmured.

That caught Toothless's attention. He got up off the floor and walked over, bending his head down as if reading the page that his human friend had put down. Naturally, he couldn't read it, but he sensed Hiccup's excitement and concluded that this was something very, very good.

"Toothless," Hiccup said, reaching out to stroke the dragon's muzzle, "We need to find that island. And if we do...we find your home."

The Night Fury warbled softly and butted his head into his rider's chest. Hiccup grinned.

"If we do," he repeated, "We find your family."

With Bork Week having begun, there was far too much to do that morning. Hiccup, obviously, had wanted to set out for this "Isle of Night" immediately, but he couldn't. First, he needed to inform the other Go-Getters of this shocking new development, go over Bork's notes with them, and come up with a plan.

But he couldn't do that right away, either. Snivels was having a problem with speaking. Whenever he stuttered out a word, his voice sounded very raspy and quiet.

"Guys..."

Hiccup looked worried. "Snivels, did you lose your voice?"

Snivels gulped audibly before responding. "Yes..."

Heather knelt down next to her former Pokémon partner. "What in the world caused this to happen?"

Kickin' Hawk looked inside Snivels's mouth, the look on his face serious and concentrated. He finally pulled back and faced a nervous Hiccup. "Laryngitis, it's a common infection that causes your vocal cords to swell up. Best thing he can do is stop talking and get plenty of rest."

Snivels gulped nervously. "When am I supposed to stop..."

"NOW!"

Kickin' Hawk's sudden shout shut him up right then and there. The Hawlucha then spoke more calmly. "This wasn't necessarily caused by anything Snivels did, the infection is very common. He really shouldn't be talking while his larynx is so inflamed."

Snivels sighed sadly. This was going to take some getting used to.

Moments later, Team Go-Getters was heading out to another part of the island, minus Snivels, Amber, Spike, Terrorspin, Glory and the Speed Stingers. The Servine was resting in Hiccup's bed while his mate and adopted family members stayed home with him to feed him the medicine Kickin' Hawk had made. The Hawlucha instructed them to feed him a spoonful three times a day in order to help him recover from his laryngitis.

Anyway, the remaining Go-Getters were heading to a place even farther from the village than Mildew's house (and the old dirtbag of a hermit lived pretty far away). The sun was beginning its descent toward the horizon, slowly turning the sky from blue to light orange.

"So let me get this straight," Heather said, her voice etched with confusion. "In order to find Bork's island, we need to find his cave?"

"It's his last known place of residence," Phoxie reasoned.

"Who would live in a cave?" asked Amber.

"Only a Viking," Blaze replied.

"There must be something in there about the Isle of Night and how we can find it," Hiccup told the others. "Bork's notes say his cave was cut into the mountains right above Odin's Shield."

The gang flew onwards for a few more minutes, occasionally swerving around the huge rocky cliffs and mountains that dominated this part of Berk. Eventually, though, they reached a particularly immense rock formation.

Odin's Shield.

"Right there! That's where we'll start looking," Hiccup called.

A quick tug on the saddle steered Toothless toward Odin's Shield, preparing to land on a nearby outcrop that led deeper into the mountains. The Night Fury fluttered his wings a little before landing, and the rest followed suit.

Once the rest of the dragons had landed, Roughneck raised his hand. "Wait, so, um, wait. How do we know what we're looking for?"

Letting out a long-suffering sigh, Astrid glared at the young, normal-colored Hawlucha. "It's a cave, feather-head. Look for a big hole in the side of the mountain."

She and Blaze then moved to the front of the group, where Hiccup was already starting to lead his dragon deeper into the Odin's Shield formation. He glanced at his fiancée as she fell into step beside him.

"You know, we don't have to bring them every time," she told him, referring to the younger Pokémon.

Hiccup was about to give her a reply, when all of a sudden, a horrible roar echoed across the peaks, causing everyone to freeze in their tracks. It sounded vaguely like someone was beating a Gronckle to death with a tree trunk.

When the roar ended, Batalla stood up straighter and gave everyone a smug smile. She had another one of the gang's Dragon Whistles in her hand. Hiccup sighed, he should have known that the female Hawlucha would be behind that. Even if she wasn't one of the main troublemakers in their group.

"What in the world was that?" Xylia asked, incredulous.

Ninjark cautiously informed his Grovyle girlfriend, "That, I think, was a Changewing call."

Folnir actually burst out laughing. "As if it actually sounded like one. This is a Changewing."

He took the Changewing-shaped Dragon Whistle into his claws, rotated it so that it was right-side up, and blew into it. "HRREEEEEEEEEE!" it screeched.

"Hmpf," Batalla grumped, folding her arms. She couldn't believe she had been holding the whistle upside-down like an idiot. "Bet you can't do a Thunderdrum."

"Please," Crackers stated. "Don't challenge him."

Too late.

Putting away the Changewing-shaped Dragon Whistle, Folnir reached into one of the saddlebags and pulled out another one. It was made in the shape of a Thunderdrum's head, complete with the fang-like teeth. He took a deep breath and, after pausing for effect, blew into the horn's mouthpiece.

The very realistic roar that came out of the other end of the Dragon Whistle wouldn't have normally been bad, but it went on for a painfully long time. It went on and on, and sounded a bit like a super-distorted and low-pitched version of a five-year-old screaming their head off.

Everyone covered their ears. "Folnir!" shouted Blaze.

"Stop it! Stop!" pleaded Astrid.

"You sound terrible!" Ninjark howled.

"Cut it out!" Champion demanded.

"OKAY, OKAY!" bellowed Hiccup, sounding almost like Stoick for a minute there. "Enough, Folnir, that's good."

At long last, Folnir lowered the Dragon Whistle and gave an excited sort of laugh an Yveltal could make.

The search for Bork's cave continued. The group spread out a little more, checking out every possible pathway that might lead to a cave. But it was Hiccup, of course, who ended up finding what they were searching for. After taking Toothless through a narrow pathway between two mountain peaks, the Trainer of Destiny emerged into the sunlight and immediately saw a massive canyon that practically split the mountains in half. On the other side of the canyon was a small, black hole gouged into the stone. Additionally, the sun was already beginning to set, and it cast an orange light that made the view even more breathtaking.

"Hey, I found an opening!" he excitedly called over his shoulder.

Soon, the rest of the group had joined him at the edge of the mighty gorge. A gusty breeze blew past, stirring each of the trainers' hair and making any loose clothing flap in the wind. The breeze filled them with a stimulating, bracing feeling that sent a refreshing quiver down their spines.

"Oh, that feels good," Amber sighed. "You like it too, don't you, guys?"

The Charmeleon frowned when no one answered her question.

"Huh," remarked Captain, who was peering across the canyon at the cave in the distance. "That Bork was a dweeb, but he could climb like a mountain goat."

About to respond, Hiccup flinched and squinted his eyes shut in a wince when he heard a terrible distorted growl echo across the mountains. "Guys," he warned, "I thought we agreed to ease up on the dragon calls."

"I don't think that came from one of us," Heather answered, slightly appalled.

The distant roar came again, a bit louder this time. Hiccup had to admit that he had been wrong, that couldn't have been a Dragon Whistle, because it was coming from too far away. But that meant there could only be one other thing that could be making that noise...

An ocean-colored shape suddenly flew out from behind one of the mountains, illuminated by the setting sun. Sharp teeth gleamed, and its scaly skin flashed in the fading sunlight. Another roar blasted out of its maw. It was an adult Thunderdrum, and it was headed straight for Team Go-Getters.

Astrid backed up a little. "I never thought I'd say this, but I kinda miss Snivels right now."

Hiccup stared wide-eyed at the wild dragon closing in on them.

"You and me both."

Me: That might have taken a bit longer than I hoped, but at least the chapter is finished now!

Snivels: *opens mouth to speak*

Blaze: No talking!

Snivels: *covers his mouth with his hands*

Amber: I hope he recovers soon...

Ninjark: I just can't believe Stoick said all those swear words!

Folnir: Told you so.

Me: Review, please!