At the Royal Capital of Alabasta a large group of refugees were making their way to the Palace, they looked tired and hungry, not to mention desperate. Guards immediately approached them stopping them from getting any further.

"Hold it!"

"What business do you have here?"

"We have to see the King!"

"We're dying out here! How much longer can this war go on?"

"Between the war and the drought, there's nothing to eat. Our crops and livestock are dead!"

"My baby needs milk, there must be some in the Palace," said a woman holding her baby tightly.

The refugees were not been awake for response and tried to storm the Palace, the guard stood firm but there was no telling how long they will build a hold them back.

Then suddenly the palace doors opened and everyone stopped what they were doing, because emerging from the gates was King Cobra himself.

"Are you just go in his stand there?"

"And do nothing?"

"And you call yourself our King!"

Immediately the refugees then attempted to storm the Palace once again, which looked as if it was going to start a riot.

"Shut up!" a guard barked. "How dare you insult his Royal Highness!"

"They have every right!" King Cobra announced everyone stared up at him. "All of them! I'm sorry, you all have to put up with unbearable suffering because of my lack of strength. For that I apologise, those who wish to speak please come inside the Palace." He then gestured towards the doors. "Tell me of your qualms, and I will listen. The only thing I can promise that I will share your suffering as if it was my own. I ask that you and your a little more, mark my words though I will return to east of this kingdom even if it takes my life to do so."

King Cobra remembered the conversation he had with his daughter, before she began her investigations.

'Father this is obviously a setup, it's clear that someone is trying to throw you and this kingdom into ruin.'

King Cobra then had Anubis and Thoth take the refugees inside, he then looked out into the desert. 'Vivi, I hope you're all right my dear. I wonder where you are right now and what you're doing at this very moment, Vivi.'

Vivi was currently in the girl's cabin looking over a few papers, she then noticed Ragnar looking down at her from the ladder.

"Tea's ready, come up to the kitchen," he said.

Vivi nodded. "Thanks, Ragnar, I'll be right there."

It was decided that they would treat Ace to a meal before he set off in the search for Drago, and he seemed to be enjoying the food.

"You really are an excellent cook," said Ace as he took a bite of a sandwich. "My brother was very lucky to find you."

"We heard wrote to each other quite often, before he set out for his journey," said Ragnar. "Though admittedly it had a bit of convincing for me to join his crew, I was a bit stubborn to leave."

"We all were," said Fishlegs. "I mean Astrid and I stole your ship and you still came after us."

"I knew that you must had a good reason," Hiccup smiled and then he turned to Ace. "You know we could really use your help against Viggo, you know."

"I bet, but I have to get going before the trail goes cold, you understand right," said Ace.

"Doesn't mean I like it."

"I had heard that Viggo was here in Alabasta, but I had no idea he wanted to take over an entire country. I mean why would a pirate drop anchor at one spot and settle down? Viggo trying to usurp the throne of Alabasta doesn't make sense."

"You think he has an ulterior motive?" Hiccup asked.

"Maybe, though he could be just like Johann. If I remember correctly he did take control of an entire country overnight, though the rumours are anything to go by using it as a front for his illegal weapons business."

"There's no proof of that, though I find a lot of information quite puzzling." Hiccup then shook his head and looked at Ace curiously. "By the way you did mention who we killed."

"Fearless Finn."

Hiccup stared at him open wide. "The Fourth Division Commander, but he was well known for his strength and his fearlessness."

"I'm still not entirely sure why he made his move then and there, it been on the ship over 20 years. It was almost as if he was waiting for something."

"Well, this guy sounds trouble from what we heard on Drum Kingdom," said Hiccup.

"Yeah, I heard he started his own pirate crew and they appear to be a small group of them just like you. I guess big things come in small packages."

Vivi then entered the kitchen and looked at Hiccup. "Hiccup, you mind if we stop the ship here? It'll just before moment."

"Why?" Hiccup asked.

"I have a very important mission for Karoo," Vivi explained holding a letter in her hand.

"Well, if were stopping then I guess I better take the opportunity to make my own way," said Ace as he got to his feet.

They soon stopped the ship at the Shoreline and Vivi then handed him the letter she had written out.

"Karoo, I want you to go to the Royal Palace and deliver this letter to my father," Vivi instructed. "It contains everything that quiz and I uncovered, the details of Viggo's nefarious plans for this country are in here. Also it lets him know that I have returned to Alabasta safe and sound and in the company are grave friends willing to help us in our struggle. Can you do this for me, Karoo?"

Karoo squawked and saluted.

Vivi smiled. "Now be careful to conserve your water, okay? Go and let my father know, Karoo there's hope for this kingdom at last."

Karoo squawked and then ran off as quickly as he could.

"Thank you and good luck," said Vivi quietly.

"Time for me to head out to," said Ace as he got on his boat. "Thanks for the food, and just sorry that I don't have anything to repay you."

"You managed to take out those Baroque Work ships and got Smoker off our tail, I say were even," said Hiccup.

"Any idea what you might be headed next?" Ragnar asked.

"Someone mentioned that he was heading west, not much to go on but my only lead," he said as he reached into his pocket and then pulled out a piece of paper and then tossed it to Hiccup. "Hiccup, do yourself a favour and hang onto that."

Hiccup looked at it. "This is a viver card."

"Let's just say that I'm concerned about my bumbling kid brother," Ace smiled.

"And how is a piece of paper going to do that?" Snotlout asked.

Hiccup looked at him. "A viver card allows a person to track another person it's tied to. With less will be able to track Ace, even if he goes to the other side of the world."

"Really?" said Fishlegs looking at the viver card with fascination.

Ace looked at Hiccup. "And Hiccup, you hold on to that first mate of yours, don't let her go."

Ace then began to sail away and everyone waved him goodbye.

"You all right?" Astrid asked looking at Hiccup.

"I'm fine, it was nice to see Ace again even if it was for short time," Hiccup smiled. He then rubbed his chin and pondered. "I wonder if Ace was right, maybe Viggo does have another motive for taking over this country."

Viggo was currently in his headquarters looking at his personal aquarium.

"Alabasta, the Kingdom of Sand, even if you could build cities on top of the dunes and managed to stand for 1000 years that does it would still be filled with the stench of death. Death is a constant in this land has embraced its shadow since its inception."

Miss All Sunday then approached him. "I just got a report. It's about the Billion ships stationed in Naahun. They were destroyed by someone and all hands have been reported lost. Of course, I'm having all this verified as we speak."

Viggo just stood there in silence and it was extremely hard to read. "No great loss," he said breaking the silence. We have more replacements for the Billions then we'll ever need. A single drop of water spilled in the desert is insignificant and no obstacle for my plan. However, if anyone dared to defy me has appeared in this land, crush them underfoot."

"Understood," she said and walked off. "I have always dispatched the lizard runners to contact our other agents."

"Excellent."

Eventually Hiccup and the others reached their destination, a small cove that was far enough away from any towns or cities and was well hidden by any patrolling ships.

"We're here," said Hiccup.

"Wow, so we can go into the desert?" Chopper asked. "Does anyone know how hot it supposed it supposed to get?"

"Over a hundred degrees in the daytime," said Fishlegs.

"What? Please tell me you're joking," Chopper pleaded.

Snotlout then noticed that Astrid and Vivi had covered themselves up.

"Why are you two were in those ropes?" Snotlout asked.

"Because any exposed skin will get sunburned," Vivi explained. "You have to cover up in the desert."

"Or elsewhere an insane amount of sunscreen," said Ragnar, who was now wearing a poncho and a Stetson, he looks like some kind of cowboy. "You know I think I might keep this outfit."

"Going for the gun slinger look," said Hiccup as he put his day visit clothing on.

Fishlegs was putting his clothes on and looked at Toothless. "Why aren't you wearing your outfit?"

"Don't need one," said Toothless. "Drakes don't get sunburned."

"You still need to wear something to remain incognito," said Astrid tossing him a robe. "What already inconspicuous, because of the twins."

For some reason the twins had decided to wear the most flashiest garments, one could imagine. They did even look like common bandits, more like two walking rainbows.

"Good point," said Toothless as he put the robe on.

"Let's head straight to Erumalu," said Hiccup once they finished packing.

They set the anchor and started to make their way into the desert and it wasn't long until they reached a ruined city half buried in the sand. The trees were utterly lifeless, not a single leaf was sprouting and there wasn't a trace of water anywhere.

"Don't tell me we already reached Uba," said Hiccup.

Vivi shook her head. "No, this is Erumalu. It was known far and wide as the City of Green."

"That's hard to believe," said Astrid.

"Take a good look around everyone, this is what Baroque Works has been doing to my country," she said with sadness in her eyes. "The people of Alabasta, this is what they had to go through."

"Wow, there's nothing here at all anymore," said Ruffnut.

"Except sand, a lot of sand," said Tuffnut.

"It's nothing more than a ghost town now," said Vivi sadly. "But up into a few short years ago it was a thriving city for the gardens, palm trees and lush greenery."

"This place?" said Toothless as he tapped a palm tree in the bark cracked, due to the lack of water inside of it.

"Rain was always scarce here, but by saving every last drop of water and using it wisely the city was able to make the foliage flourish," Vivi explained. "Unfortunately, that stopped when the rain did. Not a single drop of water has fallen in any part of this country for three years now."

"Three years?" Ragnar stared in disbelief.

"That long?" Chopper gasped.

"Hang on, even without rain the river is another water source," said Toothless.

"And it's closed," Snotlout added. "Why couldn't they just pipe the water in from over there?"

"Well, the answer to that is just up ahead," said Vivi and she began to leave them deeper within the ruined city. "Even if it's a desert kingdom, never in thousands of years of Alabasta's history has the rain ever stopped completely. However, there was one place in the country that the rain fell more than usual, much more in fact… Alubarna, the Royal capital. The city where the king's palace is located. The people of the land called it a king's miracle, at least until one particular day. There was an accident in one of the harbours and cart full of Dance Powder landed in the middle of the street, the merchants claimed that it was for the king."

Fishlegs looked up. "Dance Powder?"

"You've heard of it?" Hiccup asked.

Fishlegs nodded. "Yes, I sure have. It summons rain."

"A powder can?" Chopper blinked.

"I've only heard stories about it, but apparently Dance Powder was created by researcher in a country where it never rained. Burning it creates a misty smoke, which rises into the sky. Once it reaches the clouds it caused them to rain, in essence it gives you the ability to create rain on the spot."

"We know what you mean," said Ruffnut.

"Yeah, I tasted a bit of it," Tuffnut nodded.

"You ate Dance Powder?" said Astrid sceptically.

"It's not even food, it's for making rain," said Toothless.

"We're not making it up!" Ruffnut yelled.

"I really did eat some of it!" Tuffnut snapped.

"But I don't get it?" said Snotlout scratching his head. "Wouldn't that stuff be perfect for desert country like this?"

"You would think so, in fact as its name suggests the country that developed Dance Powder was so happy that it's people were happy enough to dance," said Fishlegs. "It got lots of rain. But there was a catch, its neighbouring country had a drought. Let me explain how it works, now the mist from the burnt Dance Powder targets small clouds that aren't ready to rain yet, it artificially matures them into rainclouds. Those clouds would have naturally grown into rainclouds, birds when they were further downwind."

"I think I understand," said Hiccup.

"I'm glad someone does," said Snotlout looking completely lost.

"Basically it still is all the rain that would have gone to enabling country," said Hiccup simply and then he looked at Fishlegs. "And I get the hunch that it caused some big problems."

"Oh, it did," Fishlegs nodded. "A war broke out between the two countries. Ever since then the World Government has instituted a worldwide ban on the production and possession of Dance Powder."

"Even so summer showed up here, huh?" said Snotlout.

"I'm willing to bet that little accident the harbour was done on purpose," said Hiccup. "Baroque Works must have staged the entire thing in order to reveal the existence of the Dance Powder in the country and implicate the King."

"At the time when it was revealed the country had been experiencing some strange weather, there had been no rain, not a single drop had fallen anywhere except at one place and that was the capital," said Vivi.

"Like I said he was framed," Hiccup sighed.

"Of course my father nationally had nothing to do with it, he was innocent," Vivi nodded.

"But surely not everyone jumped to the conclusion that the king had something to do with it," Astrid frowned.

"Unfortunately a large amount of Dance Powder was discovered inside his palace shortly thereafter," said Vivi gratefully.

"They even had people working inside the Palace," Toothless frowned.

They then came to a stop in what appeared to be some sort of road in the middle of the ruined city.

"So what's this?" Ragnar asked looking at Vivi. "A road?"

"No, it used to be a large canal that piped in freshwater from the river… until someone destroyed it." She then looked at the others. "Now do you see what happened? With its canal gone, the City of Green lost its only remaining source of freshwater. The people here waited and prayed, but sadly rain never came."

"Wow, something like that and the Dance Powder incident would make people distrust their King," said Astrid.

"Which is exactly what Viggo planned, I bet," said Toothless.

"I hate to say it, but he's organised quite the operation, using undercover agents to position all this fake evidence in the right place at the right time. I'm betting that Viggo will step in when things get out of hand and everyone will see him as a hero."

Vivi nodded. "And so far everything is falling into place. When the water disappeared fighting began to emerge within Erumalu. To escape the violence here there was only one thing that the exhausted civilians could do, they abandon the city and left for other oases in search of water."

She then came to a stop and everyone looked at her. "And then… the City of Green withered away."

That's when they heard a strange noise echoing throughout the ruined town, it was a deep and eerie voice that sent a chill down their spines.

"W-what is that?" said Astrid.

"Is it the rebels?" Chopper piped up.

"Or more those creeps from Baroque Works?" Fishlegs panicked.

"No, it's just wind," said Hiccup calmly.

"But it sounds like a voice?" said Snotlout.

"And it's coming from all directions," said Fishlegs quivering slightly.

"Calm down, we're not in any danger," said Hiccup. "It's just the wind blowing around the town and echoing off the old buildings."

"It's like the city of Erumalu is wailing over what has happened to it," said Vivi.

Then suddenly they were struck by a powerful gust of wind, but they managed to hold their ground and it passed over them harmlessly. That's when they noticed someone lying down in the sand.

"Someone's collapsed," Astrid pointed.

"Wait, you mean there's still people living in this city?" said Vivi surprised.

They went to investigate, but they found that the person they saw in the sound was nothing more than a skeleton. Vivi then fell to her knees and placed her hands around the skull.

"What did my father, and all the other good people… what did they ever do?" she cried. "They don't deserve this, it's hard enough to live in the desert. Every day it's a struggle, just to survive. Somehow the people of Alabasta found a way to do it and live happy lives! But Viggo destroyed those lives! What gives them the right to do that? What? All the while was one of the Seven Warlords, he passes himself off as a hero of the people, they don't know what he's really doing. One realises that he is actually deceiving the entire country even as they cheer him on! Can't let him get away with this!"

"Vivi, sometimes bad things happen to good people and there's no way to avoid that," said Hiccup gently. "We can't bring back all those that lost their lives because of this tragedy, but what we can do is make sure that no one else dies. And in order to do that you need to remain strong, remember it takes a strong heart to be a leader."

Astrid nodded. "He's right, crying about what is already happening do us no good. We need to head to Uba."

"That is where the rebel army is, right?" Toothless asked.

Vivi nodded and rose to her feet. "Yes, I have to stop them. I'm going to persuade their leader."

"How so?"

"I'll tell the rebel leader, the truth that all of this is Viggo's doing and have him stop all this pointless bloodshed."

"Then let's go."

With that they began heading out to Uba.