Homecoming 2
(after Book 4)

''Our ancestors were terrified of dragons because they didn't know them.'' Hiccup said.

Joke and him were sitting by a fire pit they had settled on the porch of the house, chilling in the evening while the kids and the Night Lights were playing in the yard. Both men rathered them to play outside because the dragons used to break a lot of furniture or set fire to it. Joke had taken use of the kids' distraction to talk to Hiccup about Alwine discovering Stoick's book.

No need to say Hiccup was now filled with the same worry as his husband.

''I tried to tell her Stoick changed along with the rest of the village, that he loved dragons too and even had one, but she didn't seem convinced. Maybe you can talk to her too ?'' Joke offered.

''I don't know, you've always been better at talking than me, I'll only be repeating what you already said.''

Joke sighed and leant a bit, resting his elbows on his knees while thinking. He didn't know what to do, and the simple idea of Alwine thinking her grandfather was some kind of dragon-killing monster was stinging. When they heard a high-pitched shriek, both men looked up to the kids and were realieved to see they were still playing. Alwine was riding Midnight's back, the black and white Night Light running after Duskstorm. Daylight was sprawled on the snow while Zephyr was packing some on him to create funny horns. Moonshine and Nightsky were both with Haldrik who was wearing a piece of wood on his face to look like the mask of a monster, he was trying to scare them off, making them shriek.

The mask gave Joke an idea.

''Hey, you remember when we were kids back in old Berk, how we used to put on a pagent at Snoggletog ?''

''Oh yeah, those were fun.''

''What if we brought the pagent back ? We can show the children of New Berk how humans and dragons became friends.''

Hiccup jumped to his feet, a beaming smile lighting up his face.

''That's a great idea ! But we've only got four days until Snoggletog. Well, three if you don't count Black Plague Friday, you'll be too busy.''

''Yeah, nothing would get done that day, everybody is just shopping and coughing anyway.''

Hiccup crossed his arms, thinking.

''I think we can do this. Let's talk to Gobber.''

Joke smiled back but it quickly vanished as they heard a roar echoing in the sky, making the five Night Lights instantly freeze.

''Time to sooth freaked-out parents.'' Joke teased as they could already see Toothless and Lumiverse looming towards them. He knew the Night Lights had sneaked out again from the Crescent Cove, they just loved Alwine, Zephyr and Haldrik.

It had snowed during the night, again. By the morning, the whole village was drowned under white, making the early vikings shovel and asking dragons to burn the snow. At the center place of the village, children were having snowball fights with dragons – mostly Terrible Terrors and Gronckles – while a group of teens found it funnier to hit at the tall stone statue of Stoick the Vast. A ball hit the beard, another hit the joined hands on the sword handle.

''Hit his nose !'' A girl prompted.

Another ball landed on Stoick's eyebrows.

''Ha ! That's two for me !'' The boy of the group claimed, while a girl with short blond hair was giggling madly.

The third teen of the group, a taller girl with reddish hair, threw the next snowball but Gobber smashed it with his stone mace replacing his hand.

''Filthy trolls ! How dare ye desecrate the statue of Stoick the Vast ?!''

The three teens didn't look impressed by Gobber's wrath. Well, they had to admit the man was getting older, he was vouched and his long braided beard was now more greyish white than blonde, and even if he wasn't limping, he had no chance left to catch up the teens if they decided to flee. And they knew it.

''I heard he hated dragons !'' The boy claimed.

''What ?'' Gobber jumped. ''Who told you that ?!''

''Zephyr and Alwine were talking about it, they found a book that belonged to him, he was saying we should kill them !''

''Nonsense ! Stoick had a dragon too ! He was our chief, do you really think we could have make peace with dragons if he hated them ?''

The teens hesitated, then the taller girl, the gigner one, argued back.

''Are you saying Alwine and Zephyr are lying ?''

It was Gobber's turn to hesitate. The teens took it at their clue to leave, leaving Gobber mouthgaping. The black-smith then sighted and turned to the statue.

''Oh my dear mate, I miss ye so. Remember that time we were at that meat house and these two wisigoths wagered I couldn't hold my left elbow in a boilling pour of gruel for five minutes ?''

He laughed at the memories and didn't even noticed Hiccup and Joke arriving behind him.

''Good days…'' The black-smith mused.

Hiccup hesitated, then cleared his throat loudly. ''Huh, Gobber ?''

''Hey kids, I was just talking to the statue of your father as if he was really here.'' He replied nonchalantly, leaning on the statue.

Both chief and healer eyed each other quizzically, but before they could voice any concern, the black-smith talked again.

''I just talked to some wee ones and what they said pained me. What have ya said to your girl for her to say around that Stoick hated dragons ?''

''Oh gods…'' Hiccup sighed.

''Really ? She has been spreading this around ?'' Joke gaped.

''That's not what you think, Gobber. Awie found Dad's old book of dragons and now she thinks he hated them.''

''Actually, that's why we wanted to talk to you.'' Joke added.

''Yeah, we want to bring back the Snoggletog's pagent.''

''How is that going to help ?'' Gobber enquired, confused. ''It could only make things worst.''

''How so ?'' Both Haddock-Storm asked.

Gobber brought them to his own house and took his time to rummage in his old belongings, until he finally got a hand on a dusty leather book.

''That's the script I wrote for the last pagent.''

Joke took the book and started to read, but his face paled. Hiccup took a glance above his shoulder and his face drained from colors too as memories of the pagent came back to him. He could remember his father on the stage, roaring while fighting a wodden doll representing a dragon.

''Die, you evil beast with twisted souls !''

He could his father chop off the head of the doll while apple poured to the floor to picture blood.

''Vikings will swim in the rivers of your blood !''

Hiccup also remembered that, while everyone around him had been cheering and applauding while himself had been frightened by the show. He was barely Haldrik's age back then, and was himself scared of dragons, but also at fighting them.

''This has not aged well !'' Hiccup said, slightly shaking at the memories.

Joke took his shaking hand to sooth him and put back the book to the table.

''Yeah, we need to start from scratch. We wanted to show when everything changed.''

''That would be fantastic !'' Hiccup claimed, suddenly excited. ''Like when I met Toothless-''

''What about something more big-pictured, babe ?'' Joke stopped him. ''When all vikings and dragons became friends.''

''Oh Joke, I love that idea !'' Gobber beamed. ''I'll start writing immediatly, this is going to be just what we need to honour our friendship with dragons and, of course, my great friend Stoick.''

The black-smith pulled a rope hanging from the wall and unrolled a big tapestry of Stoick. Hiccup was a bit confused seeing this, he didn't know if he had to be touched or worried for Gobber who seemed to be worshipping his father. He lifted a finger, anouncing he wanted to say something, but Joke pulled down his hand, silently shaking his head no.

When they came back to home, Hiccup was still worried about what Gobber would come up with but Joke tried to reassure him, at least until the moment the chief opened up the front door. A rope suddenly wrapped around his legs and pulled to make him trip, then hang him upside down to the doorframe. Joke froze seeing this, blinking several times and wondering if he should laugh or marvel at the device, while they heard laughter erupting from the inside. The door was completely opened and revealed Alwine and Zephyr, laughing.

''Yeah, it worked, we caught it !''

But they paused as they saw the chief hanging upside down.

''Oh, hey Dad !'' Alwine grinned.

''Hey Awie, huh, care to explain what's all of this ?'' The auburnet prodded.

''Yeah, sorry 'bout that.'' Zephyr said before she took her small axe to jab it in the doorframe, cutting the rope.

Hiccup yelped as he fell head first, then quickly sat up with a bit help of Joke.

''Awie, what are you doing ?'' The white-haired man scolded.

''Testing my defence system.''

''Your what ?'' Hiccup asked, abashed. ''You did this by yourself ?''

''Yeah, it's cool right ? It's a trap for the squirrel. You know, the one that's been roaming the house for a week now ?''

''Why would you want to catch that poor thing ?'' Joke said, even more lost.

''Because Midnight's afraid of him, since she spotted him she doesn't want to come inside anymore.''

While Joke was coaxing more explanations from their daughter, Hiccup stood and focused on the system Alwine had built on their doorframe. He had to admit he was impressed.

''How did you craft this ?'' He asked, cutting Joke in the middle of his scolding.

''I took some inspiration from your sketches Dad, and Zephyr helped me build it.''

''Wow, that's… impressive.''

''Really ?''

''Oh no Hic,'' Joke interrupted. ''don't even think about this, don't encourage her.''

''I didn't say anything-''

''You were about to.''

Both girls giggled at that, but closed their mouth as Joke glared at them.

''Now clean up all of this before you kill someone with this deadly trap.''

Both girls obeyed without protest while the men entered the house. Hiccup had a smile on his face, a smile he was trying to hold back but failed to, it was even squinting his eyes. Joke noticed it and glared at him too.

''What ?'' Hiccup said. ''Come on, don't tell me you're not impressed with her crafting.''

''That doesn't mean we should let her put traps all over the house.''

''Joke, she crafted it by herself !''

''Hiccup.''

''What ?''

''You're helpless.''

The chief could have been offended but he saw the smile on his husband's face.