I am seriously stressing right now, I haven't seen any Race To The Edge episodes, someone gave me spoilers, SOMEONE SAVE ME.
I'll reply to reviews when I can, I just need to update tonight and stay relatively chill, it's been a long day.
"Potato, I have the potato. I have potatoes. Hiccup will be OK." Astrid kept the spud orientated mantra running the first half of the flight. They partially crash landed again on the same set of sea stacks. Toothless was exhausted, but he looked absolutely positive and very, very pleased with himself. Astrid caught him a few extra fish as a reward, scratching him under the chin, behind the ears and his slightly ticklish spot beneath his wings. He loved that, bouncing about despite his tiredness and chortling merrily, ready to play. Astrid sat at the fire they had made, stretching and yawning. Toothless mewled, padding over and lying down behind her, covering her with his wing. "Good boy." Astrid said around another yawn. She patted his shoulder. "You're a good dragon."
Astrid settled against his warm hide, sleepily watching the stars above. Hiccup was going to get better, all she had to do was get the potato to him within the next day- that should be very much doable- and he would recover, slowly, but surely. She couldn't wait. She couldn't wait to see his smile, couldn't wait to hear that stupid laugh of his or his stupid jokes and quips. She was especially looking forward to amputee jokes. But the most important thing was making sure his mental state was back in order or on the track of being back in order, if Hiccup ever had order in the first place.
What would he be like? Would he still suffer from recurring nightmares, would he still hate himself, would he still be a nervous wreck?
Sighing, Astrid flicked a bit of dirt from Toothless's wing. She would travel to the end of the world and back just to make sure Hiccup was Hiccup once more.
Fishlegs was pacing nervously back and forth outside the chief's house. The twins sat on the steps, watching him and Snotlout was leaning against the wall, his helmet in his hands. Astrid had to be back today. Hiccup was getting worse, feverish more than ever, what little weight he had dribbling away. He had stopped coughing up blood, which they took as a good sign for a couple of hours, but then he started vomiting blood and sick, mostly bile seeing as he had barely had a bowl of broth over the last few days.
Snotlout glanced at the sky, exhaling slowly. Astrid would be back soon and she would scold them for standing around like muttonheads. She would march straight into the Haddock residence, this godly potato held high over her head. She would demand them out of her way and... force the potato down Hiccup's throat? OK, maybe she would have to sort it first, Snotlout didn't know. What the heck was a potato anyway? If it was truly so spectacular, then he imagined it as a big carrot type vegetable, but bumpy and green with purple spots and blue shoots. Fishlegs insisted it was brown and kind of plain looking, but that couldn't be right.
Valka came out, bearing a tray of mugs. They accepted the cool water gratefully and she tucked the tray under her arm. As one, they all looked to the sky and waited.
Inside, Stoick was sat by his son, muttering prayers once more as he lay a damp cloth over Hiccup's forehead. The chief murmured sleepily. His Terrors were still with him, Rage chewing on the discarded blankets and tearing them to shreds. Sharpshot was sitting smartly on the headboard, wings tucked neatly to his sides and watching his master with the ocassional eyeball lick.
Snotlout had shown them all the letter. They had searched everywhere for Hiccup's hidey hole, even in his fake leg. That would be something Hiccup would do. Well, so they had thought. No. No Fiendishly Clever Plan. No plan of any kind. Not in his books or his shield or his sword- not in anything he owned. Ruffnut, Valka and Hildegard went through Astrid's things, coming up empty handed. That was why they were all outside and waiting. They could do nothing else.
"Come on, Toothless, nearly there." Astrid praised. "A little longer and then you can rest for as long as you like, I promise. I'll get you all kinds of fish, lots and lots." Toothless beat his wings harder. They flew around the corner and Berk came into view. Astrid whooped in delight and Toothless roared, a little tiresomely, yet triumphant all the same. He went as fast as he could, calling out a few times, calling for his human. Astrid pulled a potato from the saddlebag. Such a boring looking vegetable for something so important.
"There!" Fishlegs cried. "There they are, they're here! THEY'RE HERE!" His voice carried surprisingly far. Vikings emerged from their houses to see what the commotion was, cheering when they saw the Night Fury descending. He collapsed, breathing heavily, outside his home. Astrid hurriedly slid from the saddle and raised, shouting greetings over her shoulder. Toothless rushed after her.
The others caught up to see Astrid feeding Toothless the potato.
"What are you doing?" Snotlout demanded furiously. Astrid shot him a 'be quiet' look and held out a bowl for the Night Fury to spit the potato into.
"Night Fury salvia. Amazing healing properties."
"Oh." Snotlout said, biting his lip and looking a little apologetic. Astrid turned and started to spoon feed her husband the dribble-potato mash. Stoick had to sit Hiccup up a bit. Little spoonfuls by little spoonfuls, he was fed the antidote.
"Now what?" Tuffnut asked when it was all gone. Astrid sighed, rubbing weariness from her eyes. Toothless snuffled his master's face, Sharpshot flapping down and landing on his head. Rage left the tattered blankets and padded over Hiccup's chest.
"How long will this take, Fishlegs?" Valka quizzed. Fishlegs consulted his cards.
"About an hour or so."
"Was that enough potato?"
"More than enough." Fishlegs smiled. They all looked to Hiccup. He was staring back at them. "Afternoon." Fishlegs said tentatively. Hiccup blinked at him. Then he looked to Astrid, his father, his mother, Snotlout, the twins.
"Good night." He said, dropping back into sleep.
"Huh." Astrid mused. "I thought the idiocy would take the longest to come back seeing as it's such a big part of him."
"Too big a part to actually go." Snotlout reasoned.
"True." Astrid agreed.
They were all still there when the hour was up. Hiccup groaned and opened his eyes, scowling at the ceiling.
"Ow..."
"Hello." Astrid beamed down at him, hands behind her back. "You're an idiot."
"Yes." He croaked. "I hurt all over."
"That's your own fault. I told you not to go off to Dagur. And what did you do?"
"I went to Dagur."
"You never listen." He nodded slightly, noticing the others. They all said hello too, grinning. "I am glad you're not dying though." Hiccup frowned back up at her, confused. With Fishlegs' help, Astrid explained about the Vorpent and the potato and this America with the stupid people. Toothless nudged his way through to slobber his rider in drool. Astrid detached the saddle bag full of potatoes. She sent the twins to distribute them to the farmers. "I want potatoes all over Berk, yes?"
"Yes!" They vowed proudly. "Good to have you back, chief!" Ruffnut grinned.
"Yeah, but try not to do something stupid again, OK?" Tuffnut gave him a stern look, which was a little backwards, but Hiccup accepted it all the same.
"Where is this hidey hole of yours, Hiccup?"
"What?" Astrid puzzled as Hiccup smiled slyly. Snotlout handed her the letter and she scanned through it. "Oh! Hidey hole!" Rage and Sharpshot landed on either shoulder. "And yes, you two did a very good job too. Wait, where are Ingrid and Al?"
"With your father." Hildegard assured. "Don't panic."
"Thanks." Astrid sprinted from the room. She returned ten minutes later with a scroll in her hand and a big smile on her face. Hiccup smiled in return, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Even for you, this isn't a bad idea."
"I do know what I'm doing. Although the Vorpent bit wasn't part of my plan."
"Figured."
"So what now then?" Fishlegs asked, ready to take the scroll and to not take it seeing as he might not be allowed. Astrid had a tight grip on it. "Are we taking Dagur down?" Hiccup grimaced, assessing the damage he was in. Ribs, wrists, his previously good leg, burns, scars, bruises. He pulled at the bandages on his left arm. Astrid grabbed him by the wrist and pain laced up to his shoulder, stabbing into his brain. He instinctively jerked his arm away.
"Sorry." She muttered, her eyes full of warning as she readjusted the dressings.
"What was that about?" Snotlout frowned.
"Nothing." Astrid, Stoick and Valka said. Hildegard looked as confused as the others, so this wasn't an entire family thing.
"Plan." Hiccup said quietly. Astrid unrolled it and handed it to Stoick. Hiccup wasn't interested as Stoick read it out, even if it was one of his best plans yet. What was under the bandages? He tried to think back to everything Dagur did, but it was all one big haze. He remembered a searing white hot pain, nothing else. According to the other Haddocks, this wasn't something the others should know about.
"And that's it." Stoick concluded. Fishlegs and Snotlout exchanged impressed looks. "Hiccup, how are you going to pull this off?" Hiccup gave a girm, knowing smile.
"Let's just say I know a few things that will mess Dagur up."
