Chapter eight! This was meant to be the finale, but it started to get pretty big so it was agreed to split it in two. So here's part one of the finale!

-HTTYD-

He looked confused.

"How do you know my name? Who are you?"

Valka swallowed heavily, a mix of joy and horror swirling in her chest as she looked at him. It was her son, and she was going to have to tell him who she was. And then she was going to have to tell him about his father.

"I... I suppose you wouldn't remember me. You were just a babe. But a mother never forgets her child."

He gasped, staring at her in a new light.

"You... what?"

Valka took a step forward; Hiccup recoiled. Only slightly, but he did. It stung, but Valka supposed he was entitled. She was nothing but a faceless memory he probably only knew from his father. The father who was dead.

Knowing he'd only hate her more for it, Valka decided to at least give him a reason for why she'd been gone. If he loved dragons as much as he seemed to, given how quickly he'd gone to Toothless' side and how his Night Fury was prepared to protect him...

"Come with me."

She gave a signal to his dragon too, and Valka knew dragons much better than she knew people. Hel, even though it had been years since she saw one, Valka was sure she knew more about Night Furies than Hiccup. Sure enough, the dragon started following her, which ensured Hiccup followed her too.

She couldn't help but look back at him a couple of times, greedily absorbing his features with every glimpse. He was beautiful, and she could see herself in his wiry build and gangly limbs - Hiccup certainly wasn't built like Stoick.

"You can't just say something like that and run off! You're my mother?"

Oh, she wanted to stop and answer all his questions, but Valka was sure if she did she'd lose her nerve. Already, she knew she was making a selfish choice. Delaying the inevitable so she could spend a little time knowing him before she lost him all over again. And he'd only hate her more for knowing, for lying, just for her own selfish reasons. But Valka had sacrificed decency and goodness long ago.

At least her son would know why she'd never come home.

"Everyone said you were dead! They said you'd been eaten by dragons!"

Oh, Cloudjumper was going to laugh at that. Climbing up the last incline before they reached the heart of her nest, Valka turned to beckon him along.

"Come, quickly!"

"I have questions!"

Valka hoped to answer as many as she could in the few stolen moments she was giving herself with her son. He scrambled along behind her, his Night Fury following them along. Climbing up the last few bumps and rocks between them and the heart of the mountain, Valka turned and urged Hiccup to keep on following.

"This way!"

She and Cloudjumper hopped up out of the way, so she could see Hiccup's unfiltered reaction to the nest. Her dragon cradled her close, and they watched as Hiccup and Toothless came through the gap.

"Where have you... oh."

He stood, looking around in open shock at all the dragons. They swarmed and circled and some flew in packs, many winding their way around columns of rocks to stretch their wings before returning to mates, children or naps. Hiccup jumped as one flew past him, but he was smiling as he watched it soar overhead. Valka's heart fluttered happily in her chest at the sight, enchanted to see her son responding so warmly, so joyfully to dragons.

Hiccup took a few steps around the place, taking it all in. Toothless spotted them first, letting out a little grumble of warning up at them. Hiccup followed, showing a little surprise to see the two of them up there.

"This is where you've been for twenty years?"

Valka nodded, watching closely for his response. Hiccup blinked a few times, then looked back out at the dragons before he turned back to her.

"You... you've been rescuing them?"

She nodded again, heart starting to hammer in her chest.

"Unbelievable."

"Are you upset?"

Valka wasn't sure she wanted the answer, but couldn't stop the question falling from her mouth. Hiccup shuffled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yes. No. I don't know. It's a bit much to get my head around, to be frank! It's not every day you find out that not only is your dead mother alive, she's some kind of crazy, feral vigilante dragon lady!"

Valka winced slightly as she slipped down Cloudjumper's wing, wary of approaching Hiccup but unable to help wanting to be closer to him.

"Well... at least I'm not boring, right?"

Hiccup snorted.

"No, I suppose there is that one specific thing."

Seeing that the new human was no threat - the only other person who had been in her nest was Eret, and he attacked Valka and died for it - the dragons had begun to edge closer. Sailback, one of her Thunderclaws, sniffed him and nudged Hiccup for attention, a particularly affectionate one who never turned down a little head scratch.

"Do you... do you like it?"

Hiccup patted the dragon awkwardly, various emotions flickering across his face.

"I don't have the words..."

He was interrupted by a growl from Toothless, who seemed to have had enough of the nest dragons getting closer and sniffing curiously at the newcomer. They'd not seen a Night Fury in years, and very few other species came in such a dark hide all over them. It was uncommon for dragons to have no colourful markings, too, but Night Furies didn't really. Just black scales and big eyes. Though they did have those funny little nubs on their ear fins and the little protrusions that grew as they aged.

"Can I?"

Valka gestured over at Toothless, and Hiccup nodded, curious expression on his face as she edged closer and crouched down, holding her hand out so Toothless could get her scent. Once he was happy to let her get closer, she rubbed his scaled head.

"Oh, he's beautiful!"

Valka had noticed he had what looked to be a replacement tailfin, attached to a stirrup system that ran along most of his body.

"He might well be the last of his kind. Wherever did you find him?"

She asked when Hiccup had been watching quietly for a minute, though she saw a small smile form on his face when Toothless responded to her so positively. The smile faded to a slightly sad look when he heard her question.

"Oh, I found him in the forest on Berk. He'd been shot down, he was wounded."

Valka frowned, looking around at her own wounded dragons.

"Who was it? Drago? Trappers? Hunters?"

Hiccup looked very sheepish, and wouldn't quite meet her eye.

"Uh. Crazy thing. I'm actually the one who shot him down" Valka's frown deepened further "but it's ok! He got me back, didn't you bud? You couldn't save all of me, you just had to make us even! So... peg leg!"

Hiccup lifted his leg, showing her the prosthetic she'd noticed but not dared ask about yet. It wasn't like she'd earned the right to his life story.

"You shot him down?"

"Yeah. I uh, this was before we'd really met. I was desperate not to be a total outcast, so I built this bola shooting thing to make up for the fact I couldn't pick up a weapon without struggling. I was a really scrawny teenager. And I fired the thing and hit something. I went to see what I'd got, cus obviously nobody believed me. And there he was, all tied up. I went there to kill him, but... I couldn't. I cut him free, but I'd torn up his tail so he couldn't fly. Started sneaking out to see him, tried to make friends. He did not like me at first."

Toothless warbled, letting out a draconic laugh and bumping his head against Hiccup affectionately.

"Some are hard to win over. How did you make his tail?"

"At first, I just made a prosthetic fin. That didn't work cus he couldn't move it up and down. So I made one I could pull up, but I kept falling off. Made a saddle, then made a thing that attaches me to the saddle" he let out a chuckle "and then figured out something like this, where I could make the fin do different positions based on the foot pedals. Gobber rebuilt it after I lost my leg, and he also designed my first prosthetic and made the two match up. I designed this one myself, but, well, Gobber taught me everything I know."

Valka nodded slowly, fascinated by the whole process, and adoring how Hiccup had so quickly thought about how to rehabilitate Toothless. And there must have been so much trust in that stirrup system for the saddle, with Toothless trusting Hiccup to always move his tail fin the way the dragon needed. And it was made especially to fit Hiccup's own prosthetic. Incredible!

"That's... amazing. Inspired. I've been treating wounded dragons for years and never thought to build prosthetic fins. Though I was never all that good at forging. Much better at leatherwork and sewing."

Hiccup chuckled, running a hand over his flight gear.

"Yeah, I'm pretty good at those too. I made this flight suit. And I had a growth spurt the last couple of years, I was constantly making new clothes. Good practice."

Valka admired his gear, nodding. Her heart stuttered slightly in her chest, guilt surging as the words "you didn't get any skill in needlework from your father" rested on her tongue. For all she knew, Stoick had had to learn to sew because she wasn't there. And now, he was...

"Excuse me a moment. Stay here, meet the dragons. I suppose I don't need to tell you they mean no harm."

Hiccup nodded.

"I know. Are you alright?"

Valka couldn't lie to his face, not when he looked so earnest in his concern. So she made a non-committal noise and left him there with the dragons, escaping down a corridor to try and catch her breath. She had to tell him. Valka had let down her son enough times. Lying to him now was selfish. Feeling older than she could ever remember, Valka straightened up and went back to where Hiccup was sat on the floor, playing with some baby Gronckles.

"Hiccup."

He looked around, smile fading to a more pensive look.

"Yeah?"

"I... I need to tell you something."

She felt sick as she struggled to find the words, watching Hiccup stand up and approach her slowly. Valka knew he wouldn't want to get any closer once she told him.

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry. But... he... your father is dead."

The colour drained out of Hiccup's face immediately, his freckles stark against his white cheeks.

"What?"

"The dragons and I were out on a rescue, and we ran into some ships. I had no idea they were there! Or that Berk had started riding dragons!"

Hiccup stook several steps back, expression clearly one of horror.

"Did... did you kill him?"

"I don't know. Not directly. I was getting dragons out of cages, the ships were destroyed, and then he was pulled out of the water and he was wounded. Fatally. I had a dragon take he and Gobber back to Berk. You must have already left Berk."

Hiccup turned away from her and threw up on the ground, shaking. Valka ached to comfort him, but even her rusty people skills told her her efforts would not be welcomed.

"He... they were looking for me! He told me not to go, but noooo, I had to go try and find Drago Bludvist!"

Valka blanched.

"Drago? Why would you be looking for him?"

Hiccup fell to his knees, still trembling.

"Doesn't matter. I... I have to go back to Berk. Oh gods..."

At a total loss for what to do, Valka simply stood there. She'd never been so uncertain in her life until then. Hiccup coughed a few times, then turned to Toothless, who was shuffling at his side and letting out low, sad sounds. His dragon let Hiccup grip his head to help him stand, unsteady on his legs.

"You're coming back with me."

Hiccup said, stunning Valka completely.

"W-what?"

His face was set in hard lines, and he wasn't looking directly at her.

"You said you're not sure. I need to be sure. You killed the Chief. Your own husband. You can't just get away with that."

It seemed some Chief training had already been done with Hiccup, and though it looked unnatural, some part of him seemed to be trying to assume his new role.

"You want me to come back for my own execution?"

"No. I wouldn't do that to... them." Hiccup gestured to the dragons all around them. "Your sentence is my choice now. If you're found guilty, you'll be banished and we will never see each other again. If you didn't... if this was an accident, then... maybe one day I'll be able to face you again."

"Hiccup..."

He turned away, body still completely rigid.

"This isn't a negotiation. I don't want a fire fight, don't make me have to come back here with others to bring you to Berk."

"There wouldn't be a fight. I could make your dragons turn back without a scale out of place. If you'll give me a moment, I'll show you why."

She had no idea what might happen on Berk, and Valka didn't want Hiccup to never know. He turned back a little, still not meeting her eye.

"Is this a trick?"

"No tricks. Just something I want you to see. Just walk over here with me."

When Hiccup didn't move, Valka bit back a pained sigh.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

It hurt that he didn't trust her, but Valka knew he had no reason to. She took a few steps that way, showing that she would go first. Hiccup hesitated, but eventually followed. It wasn't that far' only the angle of the rocky cliff they stood up on had stopped Hiccup seeing him to begin with.

"Oh my gods... what is that?"

"Hiccup, meet the Alpha. The great Bewilderbeast."

"The... Alpha?"

"Every nest has its Queen, but this is the King of all dragons. This graceful giant built our nest" she pointed up to the icy ceiling above, where he'd sealed them in safely "to give dragons everywhere a safe haven. He has influence over all dragons, though he would never abuse it. But he would protect me, as I am part of his nest. So if you brought other riders back, he'd turn your dragons away, and they could not deny him."

As they stood, talking, the Alpha stirred and straightened up. Hiccup gasped as he rose to full height, spines on his head flaring up. He looked at Hiccup, then over at Valka. She bowed her head, and he did the same in return.

"Whoa. The Alpha bows to you?"

"We have a common goal, and a mutual respect. He's my son."

The second part was addressed to the Bewilderbeast. He leant in and sniffed them both, a small rumble in his chest before he let out a breath of ice, sprinkling Hiccup with a glittering coat.

"Is that bad?"

"No. He likes you. Or at least believes you to be no threat. The last human here was not so innocent."

Hiccup frowned.

"The last human here? Who else was here?"

"A hunter. He's dead."

"Did the Alpha kill him? Wait, what was a hunter doing here?"

She could still remember Eret. Many of her memories had begun to blur, but memories of him lingered occasionally.

"I brought him here. A moment of madness thinking I could change his mind... but he was just like all the others. And no, the Alpha didn't kill him. I did."

Hiccup fell silent, staring at the Alpha and brushing the ice from his hair.

"How many others did you kill?"

"Hundreds likely died in the fire fights. I never stopped to count. If you mean personally? Quite a few. Some in one on one fights, some in taverns. The trouble with hunters is that if they survive, they don't stop hurting dragons."

"Taverns? You went drinking with hunters?"

Valka shrugged.

"Not quite. Men often underestimate a lady all alone. It doesn't take much to get them on their own."

Hiccup blinked.

"You... seduced hunters to kill them?"

"Yes."

"So when you attacked the ship my dad was on, you just saw another hunter to kill?"

"The ship was attacked so we could free the dragons. If your father died because of it, it was not directly intentional. The dragons are always the priority. I intended to leave the hunters that had been aboard the ship to drown, unless the dragons took it upon themselves."

Hiccup contemplated her quietly.

"You make the dragons kill for you?"

"Make them? Gods, no. They defend themselves. Surely you know about that, living on Berk. I've killed many more to protect them than they have to protect me. And I could never do anything to them that the Alpha disapproved of, or he would have taken care of me himself."

Hiccup absorbed her words for a moment, then turned away.

"We should get going."

Though there were few things Valka wanted less than to return to Berk, she also knew that the tiny chance of her son not hating her forever was enough to make her go. So she turned to the Alpha.

"I have to go out for a little while, but I'll be back soon... wait, Hiccup?"

"What?"

"Cloudjumper will be safe on Berk?"

Hiccup frowned.

"Of course. Why wouldn't he be?"

"You said I had to stand trial. He's too big to fit where I remember that happening."

"Oh. No. They happen in the main hall now. Plenty big enough. We've adapted a lot of things to allow for dragons."

That, she was curious about.

"Alright then. I need to check on the sick and wounded before I leave."

"Right. Of course. Dragons first."

He followed, watching as Valka made sure the dragons were safe to be left for a while. She soothed an anxious Raincutter with a badly injured wing, cooing as she stroked his snout.

"I know, I know. I won't be gone too long. Get some rest."

"What kind of dragon is that?"

Hiccup asked, pointing over at one that was sleeping.

"Oh, Muddlehunt? He's a Gobsucker. Don't sneak up on them. They shoot fire from the back. And acid from the front. Gobsuckers will eat just about anything, and they're not too bright. Muddlehunt eats things he shouldn't and gets sick sometimes."

That actually made Hiccup laugh, lifting his darkened features into a smile for a brief moment.

"He'd get on great with Snotlout."

"Well, the dragons are alright for now. If we're going, let's go."

Her son nodded, and turned back to Toothless.

"Let's get going bud."

Cloudjumper could tell what was going on, and he was not enamoured with the idea, Valka could tell. He clearly contemplated refusing to let her up on his back so they could leave, but eventually relented and lowered his head.

"No saddle?"

"No. I don't often fly sitting down."

She picked up her staff and helmet; her identity was hardly going to be a secret on Berk, but it kept the wind chill off her face when flying quickly, and Night Furies were quite quick so Cloudjumper would undoubtedly work to keep up. He was competitive like that.

Hiccup saddled up himself, casting one last look at the nest around them before he instructed his dragon to take off. With a grumble to remind her he wasn't happy, Cloudjumper spread his wings and they were soon up in the air. She had to lead them out, but then fell behind to follow Hiccup.

She'd never expected to return to Berk. And honestly, she wasn't so sure that it was a good idea now.

-HTTYD-

Hopefully the actual finale won't take too long, but we'll see. But then you guys probably aren't surprised by now that I didn't adhere to chapter expectations... that happens a lot.