A/N: This is the last chapter for part one. Enjoy!

"No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end, no
This is my grown up Christmas list"

- "Grown Up Christmas List" by Amy Grant

Chapter 25

I finally built a small hut for myself on Berk. It only made sense since I spent much of the following month helping Hiccup rebuild the island after Drago nearly destroyed it. Now I could move around anywhere, just like my friends. With all our hard work, it finally started to feel like home.

One day, I wandered around Berk with Bolt, simply watching the snow fall. We stopped when we ran into Fishlegs. Something seemed a bit off about him. "Hey, Fishelgs," I said. "Is everything alright?"

"Hi, Brennda," Fishlegs said. "I'm fine, it's just... Is it just me or has everything felt a little... drab, lately?"

I shrugged. "Since Drago, you mean? I suppose we haven't had anything positive happen since then."

Fishlegs nodded. "Exactly. I think a splash of fun and unity could do us a whole lot of good. Can you ask Hiccup if he has anything planned for the upcoming holidays?"

"I suppose I can do that."

"Thanks, Brennda!"

I nearly forgot Snoggletog was almost upon us. I used to celebrate every year with my parents, but since joining the School of Dragons, it never really felt right to join in the Berkian celebrations. Would this year really be any different?

I found Hiccup near his hut with Toothless. While the dragonss greeted each other, I relayed Fishlegs' question to our new chief.

"I'm glad you brought it up," Hiccup said. "With everything that has happened to Berk recently, it's been hard to really get the time to get in a celebrating mood. There are always a hundred new problems popping up at any time that need the chieftain's attention. That won't stop us from having a good time this Snoggletog. My father definitely drilled into me the importance of delegating, and I know you can get this done! Can you talk to Gobber and ask him about the state of our Snoggletog celebrations?"

"I'm on it!" And so, I was off to find our resident blacksmith at his smithy, of course.

"Ha! We're miles ahead of Hiccup," Gobber said. "Did you really think Astrid would have slacked off? I swear that girl lives for Snoggletog. She started talking to me about it months ago. In fact, I had to help her set up her stall all morning!" He frowned. "Why are you wincing?"

"Um, well..."

"Ah, I see you've had Astrid's infamous yaknog before; is the ... 'unique' ... taste coming back to your mouth?"

I gave him a sheepish smile.

"You don't have to worry, lassie. Why don't you hear the plan directly from the Nadder's mouth? She's somewhere around here on Berk!"

Well, if this was not about yaknog, I could give it a go. I did not have to search long before I found Astrid and Stormfly. My friend brightened when she saw me.

"There you are, Brennda!" she exclaimed. "I've been looking all over for you. I have something really special lined up for all of our dragon trainers. I'm so happy to be celebrating Snoggletog together with everyone. Let me show you!"

She had my curiosity piqued, so I followed her to the other side of Berk. She stopped on front of a new, dome-shaped building.

Astrid turned to me and grinned. "Ta-da! Gobber and I set up a new training area."

I smiled. Now that sounded like Astrid. "That's pretty cool."

She nodded. "Just because it's Snoggletog doesn't mean that we have any time to slack off, right? We need all the practice we can get if we want to defeat the next villain who appears on our doorstep. Besides, our training dummies are in the proper spirit of things! Stormfly and I will join you in battle when you're ready. Come on, let's go!"

I chuckled as Bolt and I followed her into the arena. This was not exactly what I had in mind when I thought of Snoggletog, but I had to admit, it did help me forget about everything else. Bolt and I fought hard, and we managed to beat all of the Snoggletog themed dummies.

"I got to admit, you're pretty amazing," Astrid said. "Thanks for being the first one to survive Snoggletog Training. I appreciate your support!"

"It was pretty fun," I said. "Thanks for letting me try it out."

"Okay! We need to get everyone else through the course. Can you help me spread the word? Please let Fishlegs know what we have planned."

I found Fishlegs again and quickly explained what Astrid had set up. He nodded as he listened, but something still appeared to be troubling him.

"Wow!" he said when I finished. "I really appreciate that Astrid took the effort. She's completely right about getting ready for Viggos and Dragos of the world, who are always looking to pervert the power of dragons."

"But...?" I pressed.

"But... I just wish that we could spend a breather to enjoy the spirit of Snoggletog, you know? We don't always have to be thinking about fighting with dragons and defending Berk and all that. I'd like a moment where we can just sit together with Meatlug and share a meal."

"I suppose that would be nice. It's been years since I've had a Snoggletog like that..."

"Ah, what an I saying? Sorry, sorry. Don't worry about it. I'll tell Astrid that I'll be right by the training area once I'm ready. You can pass the message along to the others! Can you tell Ruffnut that it's her turn?"

I shrugged. "Sure." It was not like I had anything better to do. I spent quality time with Bolt all the time, so what was the big deal?

I caught the twins at the end of one of their pranks. I did not even bother to ask. I pulled Ruffnut aside and explained the Snoggletog training to her.

"Oh sure, I'll run a course of Astrid's new death test," she said.

I stared at her. "It's not a death test, Ruff."

She put her hands on her hips and frowned. "What do you mean it's not a death test? Why would we even fight if it weren't a death test?" She shook her head. "Anyway. I'll run it but only if you first do something for me. Tit for tat, my friend. Tit for tat."

Of course I should have known it would not be that easy. "What do you want?"

"I look around the town and I see that there's something clearly missing: the blessings of Loki!"

I blinked. "I really don't think this is Loki's holiday..."

Ruff scoffed at that. "Why should Loki be subject to a single day? Lucky for everyone, Ruffnut is on the case. I'll be ready to unveil my latest creation once you're back from running my errand. Can you find Eret at the training grounds and tell him to get his cute biceps over here?"

"If you say so..." I had a bad feeling about this, but I was also interested to see what she had planned. And it was not like anything she and Tuff did was ever truly dangerous.

Bolt and I enjoyed the short flight to the School of Dragons. I saw a few students training with their dragons while others excitedly played in the snow. Eret worked on his boat at the dock.

Over the past month, I had taught him how to ride Skullcrusher, but he still preferred to help us out by sailing. Astrid had been right when she said we would get along. I found him easy to talk to, and we quickly became friends. He helped me forget about... everything else.

"Brennda!" Eret said when I landed in front of him. "How are you doing, mate?"

"I'm doing fine," I said. "I'm helping Astrid with her Snoggletog plans. I don't supposed you'd be interested in hearing about it."

Eret grinned at me. "Are you joking? The excitement over Snoggletog is starting to build around here, and let me tell you mate, it's infectious! I've spent most of my Snoggletogs on the deck of one ship or another, and there are too many chores at sea to properly get in the proper spirit of things."

I nodded. "I hear you. I haven't really celebrated since my parents died."

Eret's smile fell. "I'm sorry to hear that. But now you have plenty of friends you can celebrate with, right?"

I shrugged. "I guess. Anyway, I came to invited you to check out what everyone's doing. And... I think Ruffnut wanted to show us something."

"I've been wondering how the Berkians prepare for this warming holiday. Thank you for the invitation, Brennda. I will gladly accept." His eyes fell on my Skrill. "Do you think I am ready to ride Bolt?"

I had to smile at that. It was the first time he had asked. He was a little quicker to warm up to dragons than Skulder, but he still showed some hesitancy. "We can give it a try. Bolt and I would be happy to give you a ride."

I climbed onto Bolt's back, and Eret got on behind me. I could feel his nervousness, but he did not complain. "Let's go slow," I whispered to my dragon, rubbing the side of his neck. I did not want to scare Eret too badly.

Eret's nerves receded once we were in the air. "This is amazing!" he said. "Do you ever get tired at this?"

I smiled. "Never."

As we neared Berk, I saw everyone was helping get ready for Snoggletog now. I landed in the place where I had last seen Ruffnut. She had to be around here somewhere.

"Thanks for the ride, mate," Eret said. After dismounting, he admired the work of the Berkians. "I see the decorations have already begun. This is fascinating!"

"It is pretty nice," I agreed.

"Ah! You had something to show me. Will you lead me to the destination before I get too distracted? I'm sure Ruffnut has something very important to show us."

"Right." If only I knew where she had run off to... I quickly looked around, and something caught my eye. "This way!"

I jogged across the bridge that led to Sven's farm. I veered to the right and found Ruffnut standing proudly in front of the entrance of a maze. "Wow," I said. "So, this is what you had planned."

Ruffnut smiled smugly. "That's right: it's Loki's Maze of Cheer! You can get a double dose of trickery and all the Snoggletog you could ever want, right here in one place. And I won't even charge."

I smirked. "How generous of you."

Eret appeared genuinely impressed. "I've heard so much about your mazes, Ruffnut, but I've never had the chance to see them. There's no time like the present! I hope this one gives me all the Snoggletog spirit I've missed over the years."

I stared after him as he disappeared into the maze. That went better than I thought it would. I turned to Ruffnut, who had a huge grin on her face.

"Whoo-hoo!" she exclaimed. "Mama's going to follow Eret son of Eret down into the maze, my friend, and watch him brave the challenges of Loki. You can go off and ... I don't know, talk to Hiccup or something."

"But you said-" And she was gone before I could finish my sentence. This was certainly turning into an interesting Snoggletog.

I spent the next couple of days talking to the other dragon trainers and inviting them to try out Astrid's training course. I even got Hicucp and Toothless to give it a run through, and they had a great time! Then Astrid told me to ask Dagur, who had just arrived on Berk.

It had been awhile since I last saw the Berserker Chief. He visited Heather a few times, but he said he was busy fixing up Berserker Island. Everything seemed to be going well over there. I would have to visit sometime soon.

Dagur grinned when he saw me. "Brennda! I came as fast as I heard! On Berserker Island we have a similar tradition for Snoggletog, so I definitely wanted to try Astrid's take. Fighting is the only thing that can make a holiday merrier, and all Dagur wants is the merriest Snoggletog ever."

I chuckled. "I'm sure you do, Dagur." I smirked. "Are you sure you can take on Astrid's training dummies?"

Dagur made a face. "Training dummies? Pshaw, I say! I issue a challenge to Astrid and Stormfly: face me and Sleuther in the sacred fields of combat. And since she didn't expect us to issue such an important battle before afternoon tea, I'll allow you to join in the fray. What do you think?"

I blinked. Why did he have to make everything so dramatic? "Uh... I relay the message to her and see what she has to say." Somehow, I doubted she could deny such a challenge.

"Oh?" she said once I told her. "Well, there's only one possible response to that. Bring, It. On."

"I thought you would say that," I said with a grin.

"I shouldn't be surprised that Dagur would offer such uneven odds to me. He's one of the most arrogant Vikings I've ever met, other than Snotlout of course. What do you say: why don't we teach him a lesson? Let's show him what Vikings of Berk are all about."

I nodded. "If you're in, I'm in!"

And so, when Dagur and Sleuther arrived, we used the training field to partake in an epic battle. It was a lot of fun, and Dagur held up surprisingly well. I quickly learned his strategy, though, and Astrid and I were able to work together to beat him.

"Arg!" Dagur groaned in defeat. "I bit of a little more than I could chew, don't you think? My mistake. Are you ready for another go at it, Astrid?"

Astrid smirked. "I'm game for a rematch anytime, Dagur, but it looks like Hiccup is trying to catch our attention. Let's take a breather! Brennda, can you talk to Hiccup and see what's on his mind?"

I did not even notice Hiccup watching us, but from his expression, I could tell he had seen the whole thing. I smiled at him as I approached.

"Let me get this out of the way first: amazing victory!" he said. "I was on the edge of my seat all the way through."

I grinned. "Thanks! It was pretty great." It was not every day you got to defeat a chief. I wondered how Dagur would fare in chess...

"Let's slow down before the fighting spirit overtakes us all. It's all in good fun, of course, and I'm so pleased with all the hard work that Astrid put into making the training Snoggletog themed. Still, we can't forget there's more to this season than just decorations. Can you talk to my mother and tell her to get ready for the surprise?"

"Surprise?"

Hiccup smiled with a twinkle in his eye. "You'll have to wait to find out."

Now that had me interested. I left the arena in search of Valka. It was very... interesting having the chief's mother around. We spoke a few times, and we got along well enough. I admired her for her decision to leave behind those she loved in pursuit of the truth. She pointed out I had done something similar when I left Berserker Island to join the School of Dragons. And, like her, I had now found peace with my former life when I had once thought it impossible.

"Happy Snoggletog, Valka," I said, giving her a smile.

Valka smiled at me in return. "Happy Snoggletog, Brennda. I regret only a few things about my decision to live amongst the dragons, and missing Snoggletog was one of them. I detested how Berk treated dragons before Hiccup and Toothless, but Snoggletog was different. Snoggletog was about the warmth of survival, of our entire village coming together as one family."

I nodded. "I'm beginning to see what that means. It's been very nice this year. I'm grateful for everyone for taking me in."

"You're family now too. Don't forget that." She paused, and her eyes swept over the decorations. "It looks just like I remember it. When I was a little girl, I used to make a Snoggletog wish. Silly, isn't it?"

I shook my head. "Not at all. It can be nice to make a wish for something you want that seems impossible. Will you make one this year?'

She smiled. "I already have everything I want. And what about you, Brennda? What do you wish for?"

My mind immediately went to the one person I loved who was not there. This time, however, I thought about the past he had revealed to me and the reason why he was so cynical. "I wish for... everyone to have someone they can trust and believe in who will never let them down. Perhaps a Viking and a dragon friend who could help them through tough times so that they don't give up on life and the good inside them overcomes the evil."

Valka appeared surprised at the intensity of my words. "Wow, that is very... vague and specific at the same time. You do not wish for something for yourself?"

"Wishing for this is the only way to get what I really want. The obstacles are beyond my control." At least, that was what I kept telling myself. It was easier that way.

Valka nodded in understanding. "I used to believe the same thing, but now I wonder if it's not an excuse to ignore the real work that needs to be done. We can at least make small differences in the lives of those who are around us."

"That's true." But it did not really help me with my problem. As my mind drifted, I suddenly remembered why I wanted to talk to her in the first place. "Anyway, Hiccup wants to know if everything is ready for the surprise... whatever that is..."

Valka gave me the same smile as her son. "No, I will not tell you what is is, but you can tell Hiccup that I'll meet at the outskirts of town. More importantly, I noticed a glum little Viking in the middle of Berk. Can you check on Fishlegs and make sure he makes it to the celebration?"

"Sure."

After reporting the information to Hiccup, I found Fishlegs dragging his feet through the middle of town. "Fishleg!" I called.

He stopped and gave me a forced smile. "Oh, hey."

"I know you've been feeling down, but Hiccup has some sort of celebration planned at the outskirts of town! I'm sure it will make you feel better if you come."

"I appreciate you coming by to try to raise my spirits, Brennda, I really do. But it's okay! I'm just being a little bit stubborn right now. A few hours cuddling with Meatlug and I'll be right as rain."

"Yes, but you should still come!"

Fishlegs appeared thoughtful. "Well, I haven't heard about any event being held on the outskirts of town (other than Astrid's little training session, of course). Is it by the training area? I'll meet you there!"

When Bolt and I arrived at the training area, we found it fully decorated for Snoggletog and a huge feast laid out. Everyone was there, including Heather.

Hiccup stood in front of the crowd and addressed everyone: "This training course was Astrid's way of showing us that she cares for us. Thanks to her, we'll be ready ... together, as we should be during Snoggletog."

"Ah! This is exactly what I've wanted," Fishlegs said excitedly. "Thank you Hiccup."

"You're all family to me," Astrid said. "I know we can get past whatever stands in our way as long as we work together."

And so, I enjoyed my first real Snoggletog at Berk. After socializing with everyone, Astrid accepted Dagur's challenge for a rematch, and this time I fought with Dagur. It was another exciting battle. Dagur and I worked well together and succeeded in defeating Astrid and Stormfly.

"I knew the flash of blades and glints of axes could bring victory to our side," Dagur said as we left the training arena. "Well, I suppose it has a lot more to do with the teamwork and great tactics, but to me, it's all the same."

I chuckled and shook my head. "Whatever it was, it was fun. I'm glad you're on our side now."

He grinned at me. "So am I."

We split up to join the others who were still enjoying the party. I found Heather and Eret talking together. "Hey, guys," I said. "Happy Snoggletog."

"Happy Snoggletog, Brennda," Heather said. "Are you having a good time?"

I nodded. "Oh yeah. Dagur and I just beat Astrid in her training session."

Heather smiled. "I bet he enjoyed that."

"I'm certainly enjoying all of this," Eret said. "I'm glad you invited me." Something up above caught his attention. "Is that Terrible Terror staring at us?"

I snapped my head up and spotted a purple Terrible Terror perched high in a tree, his gaze fixed on me. Wait a minute...

"Leopold?!" I cried.

The tiny dragon gave a chirp and took off flying. I immediately bolted after him, completely forgetting that it would be faster on my own dragon.

"Brennda, where are you going?" Eret called after me. "Who's Leopold?"

"The dragon!" I shouted.

I was too intent on keeping pace with the Terrible Terror to notice if anyone followed me. Leopold led me to the edge of Berk, and then with a burst of speed, he dove over the ocean... but not before dropping something in a bush near the cliff.

I stood with my hands on my knees, panting heavily. Bolt nudged me and whined. "I'm sorry," I said once I could breath. "I guess he didn't want me to follow him."

"Now will you tell me what's going on?" Eret said. I turned around to see him standing with Heather, a small frown on his face. "What's so special about that little dragon?"

"He belongs to someone I-" I caught Heather's eye. "-someone important to me."

"It could have been a wild Terrible Terror, Brennda," Heather said with sympathy in her eyes.

I shook my head. "No. It was Leopold. I'd know him anywhere."

"Well," said Eret, "if this person doesn't want to talk, why send the dragon?"

Good question. I walked to the bush I noted earlier and peered down. My breath caught in my throat. I picked up the object Leopold dropped for all to see: a blue chrysanthemum.

A puzzled look crossed Eret's face. "A flower? He left you a flower?"

But Heather's eyes told me she understood. I had told her everything about my adventures with Harald, after all. "It's a message," she said softly.

"What kind of message?"

I smiled and placed the flower in my hair, wrapping the stem around my ear. "Happy Snoggletog." My heart filled with warmth at the thought. I did not know what it fully meant, but Harald had thought of me and that made me incredibly happy.

"I'm still confused," Eret said.

I returned to my friends and linked arms with them. "Maybe I'll tell you someday. But for now... let's return to the celebrations."

Everyone agreed.

Bolt gave one last long look to the skies where Leopold had disappeared. I knew what he was thinking. This was also a sign that this was not the end. A storm was coming that would surely test everything we had. But I felt no fear. After all, Bolt and I were made for storms.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed that! Most of it was taken from the Snoggletog quests of 2017. I thought it would be a nice way to end the first part of the story. I'll get the first chapter of the second part up as soon as I can.