18 years later, several men walk by a large structure as 4 Skrills flew above them.
Nearby, 2 Skrills flew overhead as 2 came into landing near a long flat strip of land as one of them lands as a man and saddle were on it as it hurries across the ground.
By a hanger, a man with reddish hair and blue eyes named Red climbed off the saddle on a Skrill. The saddle was an odd design with a handle stick of some kind, and he hops to the ground removing a type of head gear of a strange look. Close by, another man with black hair, brown eyes named Anthony hops off his own Skrill.
"Where's McCawley and Walker?" A man asked.
"Still training, sir." A man named Billy said.
Elsewhere, Rafe now all grown up flew through the air on a Skrill at high speed.
"All right, Danny." Rafe said. "Now let's show 'em how to fly. We're gonna play chicken. You ready?"
Some distance away, Danny also grown up was flying on his own Skrill.
"This ain't the farm, and these ain't no Gronckles." Danny said. "I'm not playing chicken with ya."
"Now don't be a baby." Rafe said.
"I'll tell you what..."
"Not doin' it, Rafe." Danny said.
"Well, I'm coming right at you." Rafe said. "You can turn or you can hit me. It's up to you."
Soon, Rafe flies over the airfield as everyone turns to him.
"What the..." The man said.
"Oh, boy." Billy said.
Rafe's Skrill flies overhead as they turned to Danny's Skrill coming in at the other direction.
"Why you always bustin' my tail, Rafe?" Danny said giving out. "Which way you goin'?"
The group then turns back to Rafe.
"I-I guess I'll go right." Rafe said. "No, uh, left. I'll go left."
Rafe flies his Skrill as they flew towards each other.
"Okay, we're goin' left, right?" Danny said getting ready.
"Ri-uh, right. Right?"
"Right like we're goin' right, or right like we're goin' left?" Danny frowned.
"Oh, well, now you got me all mixed up!" Rafe said. "I don't know. Make up your mind."
The 2 begin to close in on each other as even their Skrills got nervous.
"God, Rafe, we're going right!" Danny yelled. "Righty-tighty!"
The 2 begin to near other.
"Aah!" Danny quickly turns.
The 2 quickly begin to turn right narrowly bypassing each other as everyone minus the man cheered.
"WHOO-HOO!" A man cheered.
"HELL YEAH!" Red cheered.
"Ha, ha!" Danny laughed.
"Whoo-hoo-hoo!" Rafe laughed.
Everyone continued cheering as Danny's Skrill twirled around.
"Those are some smooth aces." Anthony said.
"Did you say something?" The man asked.
Anthony remained silent.
"'Cause let me tell ya, those farm boys are grounded!" The man said.
"Yes, sir, an entirely unacceptable use of m-m-military aircraft, sir." Red stuttered a bit.
The man stared at him. "Get my hat." He said.
"Yes, sir." Red said and went to get his hat.
"Get those hedge-hoppers in Doolittle's office." The man ordered and walks off.
Later, they were at Doolittle's officer as he was mid-aged, black hair and blue eyes.
"After 2 years of training... you believe that a Strike-Class dragon is there for your amusement?" Doolittle questioned Rafe.
"No, sir. I was just trying to keep my edge, Major." Rafe said.
"And when you did the outside loop last week what did you think that was?" Doolittle questioned. "Honing your skills? That's not training, McCawley, that's a stunt. And I personally consider it reckless and irresponsible."
"Major..." Rafe said and momentarily glanced over to Doolittle's awards. "How could that be, when you're famous for being the first man in the world ever to do it?"
"Don't get cute with me, son." Doolittle warned.
"No, sir, I-I don't mean to be disrespectful." Rafe said. "I just think that... Well, I... It is reckless and irresponsible if you're just doing it to be a show-off. But... I was doing it to try to inspire the men, sir. In the way that you've inspired me. I believe the people in the far south even have a word for that, when the men get together to honor their leaders. They call it an homage, sir."
"A what?" Doolittle said not catching it.
"An homage, sir." Rafe repeated.
"That's hell, McCawley!" Doolittle snapped.
A dog laying by the wall lightly whimpered, and Danny silently gulped.
"But it's very, very good hell." Doolittle said.
"Thank you, sir." Rafe said.
Doolittle then lightly clicked his teeth.
"McCawley, you remind me of myself 15 years ago." Doolittle said. "Which is why we need to discuss this." He held a parchment. "Have a seat, son."
Rafe then sat down on a chair as Doolittle unrolls the parchment.
"The scouting team had accepted you into the Eagle Squadron." Doolittle said. "You're on your way to the next island tomorrow, if you still want to go."
"Huh. Wow." Rafe said.
"Just a few flyers are all that stand between the hunters and total victory." Doolittle said. "They're gonna need all the help they can get."
"Yes, sir." Rafe said. "Well, I'm on my way."
"Just for the record I'm supposed to ask you to reconsider." Doolittle said.
"Sir?" Rafe frowned.
"Sooner or later we're gonna be in this war whether we like it or not." Doolittle said placing a paper down showing the Hunter and Flyer sightings have increased just 20 miles from the island. "And I'm gonna need all of my best pilots. So it's my duty to ask you to stay."
"Major, what would you do?" Rafe asked.
"If it was me..." Doolittle said and thought for a moment. "I'd go."
Many miles away, on Dragon's Edge it was business as usual as Snotlout and Twins were busy gathering some wooden beams. Fishlegs found Hiccup at the clubhouse busy with the Dragon Eye 2.
"Hey, Hiccup." Fishlegs said.
"Yeah, Fishlegs?" Hiccup said going through the lens.
"You seen Astrid anywhere?" Fishlegs asked.
"Uh, last time I heard from her, she went out flying with Heather." Hiccup said.
Several miles away, Astrid and Heather were in the middle of a race trying to prove the true fastest Sharp Class dragon.
"I'm telling you, Astrid, you should give up now!" Heather said.
"And you know I'm not easy to get rid of!" Astrid said.
"And why did I forget that?" Heather muttered to herself. "Alright, girl. Let's show 'em which is the real fastest."
Windshear growled in agreement.
Heather then noticed a distant sea stack.
"Hey, Astrid!" Heather yelled out. "First one to that sea stack wins!"
"You're on!" Astrid said.
They then quickly flew towards the sea stack, they were soon neck-to-neck with each other, but just seconds away from the sea stack Windshear manages to get ahead of Stormfly and soon pass by the sea stack and won.
"Ha, ha!" Heather cheered.
Soon, they were letting Stormfly and Windshear rest a little.
"I'm serious, Heather, I almost had you." Astrid said.
"I know, and yet I beat you." Heather said. "And you thought a Nadder could even outrun a Night Fury."
"Whoa, whoa, I was just only giving her the chicken to improve Stormfly's speed." Astrid said.
"Uh-huh. Sure you were." Heather said unconvinced.
They then begin to head back, when then suddenly Astrid noticed something.
"Whoa, hold up." Astrid quickly said.
"What?" Heather asked.
"I see something." Astrid said and grabs a spyglass from her saddlebag.
She looks through it and saw what looked like 2 Skrills flying some distance away.
"I think they're Skrills." Astrid said.
"Skrills out in broad daylight?" Heather frowned. "They usually don't do that."
"Wait, there's something else." Astrid said.
Through the spyglass, she then saw what looked like someone flying them.
"Someone's flying on them." Astrid said.
"What?" Heather exclaimed and looks through it herself. "There are people on them. Flyers from Krogan's fleet?"
"Somehow, I don't think so." Astrid said having doubts.
"What do you mean?" Heather asked.
"When Hiccup told me about this triple cross thing with Viggo, he said that Skrills were the Singetail's worst predator." Astrid said. "I don't understand why they would try to use both Singetails and Skrills."
"I guess you have a point." Heather said. "We should head back and get Hiccup."
"Hold on, we should at least follow them and see where they're going." Astrid said. "Come on."
They got on their dragons, and got to the clouds secretly following the 2 Skrill flyers.
They followed the 2 Skrill flyers to an island as they at a high ledge out of view as they looked and saw what looked like a base.
"What is this place?" Heather wondered.
"I'm not sure." Astrid said.
She then looked through her spyglass, and saw a few hangers similar to the one at the edge. Men tending some Skrills with some food, and saw some wearing saddles but a different design as they strangely had a stick of some kind. But as far as she can tell, none of them didn't look anything like Krogan's men or the Hunters.
"Well, it doesn't seem be they're a part of Krogan's fleet." Astrid said. "Nor being dragon hunters themselves."
"So... who are they exactly?" Heather wondered.
"Not sure, we should better get out while we can." Astrid said.
Then Stormfly acted up and sniffed the air.
They soon saw that as Windshear then perked her tail spines up.
"I suggest we move now." Heather said not liking that.
Then suddenly, a lightning blast hits the ground near them. Astrid and Heather tried to get to their dragons, but then 3 Skrills with flyers landed by them and surrounds them as they roared. And the flyers had strange long-narrow weapons pointing at them that Astrid and Heather don't recognize.
"Don't move!" One of the flyers yelled.
At this point, Astrid and Heather were forced to surrender.
Soon, they were escorted to where Doolittle was waiting.
"So, these are the intruders you found spying on my base?" Doolittle questioned.
"Yes, sir." Billy said.
"Well, what are 2 beauties like you doing here?" Anthony asked nearing Astrid.
Astrid then swiftly grabbed his wrist and twisted it painfully.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow." Anthony said in pain.
"Don't touch me!" Astrid growled.
"Okay." Anthony said.
Astrid lets go of his wrist.
"My patience are now running low for what you did." Doolittle said.
"If you think we're afraid of you, you can forget about it." Astrid said. "Along with those sticks you carry."
Doolittle then looked offended, and then grabs the strange weapon from Billy, and aims it an old stump. And then he pulls a trigger and it fires a loud sound as most of the stump exploded. And Astrid and Heather were stunned by that.
"This "stick" can bring down a Nadder even just 600 yards." Doolittle said. "So I suggest you chose your words more carefully."
At this point, Astrid and Heather knew they dealing with more than they could chew with.
"Alright, alright." Astrid said giving out. "We'll talk."
"Good. Now, how did you find this place?" Doolittle questioned.
"We saw 2 of your Skrill flyers and followed them here." Astrid said.
"Were you followed?" Doolittle questioned.
"No." Heather said.
"Anyone else with you?" Doolittle questioned.
"Just us." Astrid said.
"Where did you come from?" Doolittle questioned.
"We have a small base several miles from here." Astrid said. "Heather is from Berserker Island, I'm from Berk."
"Wait a minute. You're from Berk?" Doolittle said.
"Uh, yes. But how did you...?" Astrid wondered.
"A former trader used to come here giving us supplies." Doolittle said. "Or I should say traitor."
"Johann." Heather narrowed her eyes.
"I take it you just found out yourselves." Doolittle said.
"Just recently, and is working with the hunters and Krogan." Astrid said. "They attacked Berk trying to take over it a while ago."
"This island hasn't been hit, but we've been training for it." Doolittle said. "Do you have any more in your team?"
"The rest are at the Edge, yes." Astrid said.
"Send them over here, and we'll fill you in more." Doolittle said.
Unaware of what was happening, Hiccup and the other Riders were at the Edge.
Hiccup was going over the map to look for possible locations to find other Dragon Eye lenses as Toothless next to him yawned.
Fishlegs was going through a projection image of the Dragon Eye 2 working on some new dragons cards. He was working on one of a Skrill at the moment.
"Hey, Hiccup, you said that Viggo said that Skrills are the Singetails' worse predator, right?" Fishlegs asked.
"Yeah." Hiccup said.
"Okay." Fishlegs said getting back to his card.
Hiccup looked through his map as he then he noticed Astrid and Heather finally returning, and they soon landed.
"Where have you 2 been?" Hiccup asked.
"Oh, uh, we might've met some new allies." Astrid said.
"What?" Hiccup stared baffled.
"Better if you come with us." Heather explained.
Later, they were were at the island in Doolittle's office.
"So, you guys are enemies with Johann as well?" Hiccup said.
"As soon as we heard about him working with the hunters and Krogan." Doolittle said.
"And, you also knew about Berk?" Fishlegs asked.
"Met Stoick a long time ago." Doolittle said.
"Funny, he never mentioned you." Hiccup said.
"Sorta long-distance alliance." Doolittle said. "Anyway, we've been training getting ready incase they try something. A full-scale attack here."
"Totally came out of nowhere with what happen with us." Tuffnut said.
"None of us were expecting an attack that day." Astrid said.
"Well, you're welcome to stay for as long as you want." Doolittle offered.
"Thank you." Hiccup said.
Towards sunset, Rafe's group were finishing up for the day.
"Get out." Billy said checking his hair. "Am I going bald back here?"
"Ooh!" Red exclaimed.
"Man, I am one good-lookin' son of a gun." Billy said. "Don't you ever die."
Anthony then snapped his fingers. "Die. That's exactly the concept you gotta work tonight." He reached in a satchel and brought out a small vial. "You put a drop of this clove oil under your eyes and you let 'em sting and well up. You get your nurse alone, take a breath, let her see your eyes glisten, and say, "Baby, they're training me for war and I don't know what'll happen but if I die tomorrow, I want to know that we lived all we could tonight"."
"Poetically." Fishlegs said.
"Hmm." Snotlout pondered for a moment.
Soon, they were heading outside.
"Come on, guys!" Billy said. "We got nurses waitin'."
Anthony teasingly whacked Billy's hat off him.
"Come on, before the rest of his hair falls out." A pilot teased.
Close by, Rafe was with Danny who looked uneasy.
"How could you do this?" Danny asked.
"Well, Doolittle assigned me." Rafe said. "He wanted me to get some real... real combat training in."
"Well, guess what?" Danny said. "It's not training over there. It's war. Where the losers die, and there aren't any winners. Just guys who turn into broken-down wrecks like my father."
"Yeah, I understand that, Danny." Rafe said. "But I feel like I got a duty to go."
"Don't preach to me about duty, darn it." Danny said. "I wear the uniform you do. Now, if trouble wants me, I'm ready for it. But why go looking for it?"
"God, Danny, come on." Rafe said. "I'm gonna be 25. I might as well be an old man. They're gonna have me bein' a flight instructor. I don't wanna teach loops and barrel rolls. I wanna be a combat fighter."
"Hey, come on!" Red called out. "The nurses can't d-d-dance by themselves."
"Let's go." Rafe said and heads off.
Danny stood there uneasy.
Later, they were at another part of the island they followed Rafe. And he held his hand out grabbing someone's attention.
As it was a woman with black hair, brown eyes, named Evelyn went up to him.
Close by behind her, were some of her friends as they giggled and watched.
"Hello, Lieutenant." Rafe greeted her. "It's great to see you."
"You, too, Lieutenant." Evelyn said.
"Pick a hand." Rafe said.
Evelyn thought for a moment and then picked his right hand, and Rafe showed a folded piece of paper in the shape of a dragon.
"It's beautiful." Evelyn said taking it. "What in your other hand?"
"Mine." Rafe said bringing out his own. "Well, it took me 6 hours to fold these."
Evelyn then laughed and they hugged each other as Rafe lifted her up and spun around.
"I want you to meet my friends." Evelyn said. "Rafe, this is Martha, Barbara, Sandra-"
"Hi. I'm Betty." Betty said and shook his hand.
"Hi." Rafe greeted.
"Would you happen to have any friends?" Betty asked.
"Huh." Rafe said and turns to his friends. "Take your pick."
"Hi." Betty smiled.
"Word of advice, I wouldn't try Snotlout." Astrid said.
Later, they were at a club as music played as some people laughed and talked enjoying themselves.
The group laughed as they were having a good time.
Close by, Anthony had drink and turns to Sandra trying his luck.
"We ever get in this way and somethin' happens to me, I can't tell you how good it makes me feel to know that someone as sweet as you will be there to nurse me back to health." Anthony said and held her hand.
"Good, but we're not in the war yet." Sandra said pulling her hand away. "Ahem."
"OK. That was a bad line." Anthony admitted.
Close by, Betty and Martha were dancing as Red went up to them trying his luck with Betty.
"Hi." Red greeted. "I'm... I'm Red. Red-" He then snorted a bit stuttering. "S-S-S-S-Strange."
"Heh heh. Your last name's Strange?" Betty frowned.
"Yeah. She's all yours, soldier." Martha said and walked off.
"No. It... It's Winkle." Red corrected.
Betty laughed as Billy and the others watched.
"Red is such a ladies' man." Billy said completely stunned by his friend's confidence.
"Do you always stutter?" Betty asked.
"No. Only when I'm..." Red then snorted almost sounding like a clicking dolphin.
"She's totally buying it." Billy said.
"Nervous?" Betty asked.
"Yeah." Red said.
"Why can't I get something like that?" Billy asked.
"How am I gonna get a date?" Snotlout complained.
The music from the band continues playing.
Later, Sandra was at the table with Danny.
"Hello." Sandra greeted.
"Hi." Danny said.
Close by, Evelyn was dancing with Rafe as well as Hiccup and Astrid as she saw Danny.
"Danny seems kind of shy around the girls." Evelyn said.
"He usually like that?" Astrid asked.
Rafe turns to him. "It's not that he's shy. He's just, ahem... a little unsure of himself, you know. His old man used to run him down a lot. Get him in a dragon, he's sure of himself. He's like my brother. He's like the best friend. He's my right hand."
Elsewhere, Anthony, Billy and Barbara were by a bar.
"Excuse me." Barbara said and turns away for a moment.
Anthony held out the clove oil vial, and hands it to Billy. Billy spreads a drop under each eye and blinks a few times and turns back to Barbara.
"You and me, we got to talk." Billy said and drags Barbara elsewhere as Anthony smirked.
"So, the rumor is the Navy's shipping us to Dragon Harbor." Evelyn said.
"Well, won't be so bad." Rafe said. "It's about as far from the fighting as you can get. You'll get a suntan."
"So maybe the Army'll post you guys there, too." Evelyn said.
Meanwhile, Billy got Barbara elsewhere.
"You... are a super special woman." Billy said. "And, and, well..." He then sniffed. "Well, they're... they're training me to be a big bad warrior, and, well..." He then felt his eyes being bothered from the clove oil. "So, I mean, you never know what might happen tomorrow...or... or any day after that, you know? So..." He rubbed his eyes as the oil was irritating them. "God, we need to make tonight super special."
"Why are you crying?" Barbara asked.
"I guess it's the thought that I might not ever get to see you again." Billy said.
"Dry your eyes, toots." Barbara said. "Tonight you're mine."
Barbara then suddenly kissed him.
Later into the night, Hiccup and Astrid were having a moment to themselves.
"You really didn't have to this, Hiccup." Astrid said.
Hiccup soon brought a bottle.
"I know, but it seems it's been a while since we had a moment to ourselves." Hiccup.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Astrid said.
Hiccup then struggled to remove the cork on the bottle. "Okay, how do you-"
The cork suddenly popped out and hits Hiccup in the nose as Astrid gasped.
Hiccup was soon able to regain himself.
"Uhh. Cork just got away from me." Hiccup said.
He then started pouring them drinks as he held the bottle shakily as Astrid could tell he was barely keeping it together.
Hiccup then groaned as it as the pain was getting him as Astrid chuckled a bit.
"Thor, oh, it hurts." Hiccup said in pain. "It hurts something fierce."
Astrid then laughed a bit and sets the mugs down.
"I'm sorry." Hiccup apologized.
"Oh, it's bleeding." Astrid said.
She then helped Hiccup lay back.
"Lay still." Astrid said.
"Oh, it hurts." Hiccup said.
Astrid then placed the cold bottle on his nose.
"Ow! It's cold." Hiccup said.
"It'll stop the bleeding." Astrid said.
"Yeah. I can't breathe." Hiccup said.
"Lay still." Astrid said.
They remained quiet for a few moments when Astrid noticed how Hiccup was staring at her.
"What?" Astrid asked.
"You are so beautiful it hurts." Hiccup said.
"It's your nose that hurts." Astrid said.
"No. I think it's my heart." Hiccup said.
Astrid literally thought it was the sweetest thing she ever heard someone said to her, she then placed the bottle aside and then she kissed him.
Author's Note:
I apologize for the long wait, got busy with other stories and things.
When it comes to comparing dragons to some planes, I felt the closest that would match a P-40 would be a Skrill. I slightly feel that the Night Fury might be the dragon version of the P-51 Mustang.
A Nadder or Razorwhip I think might be comparable to a Spitfire.